Here is a great example of always being ready to share your faith. She talks to a would-be mugger about the truth of the the Gospel and his need for Jesus Christ.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Law and the Gospel video
Here is the video of the message I gave on August 16, 2009. It is about 40 minutes in length, broken into five parts but combined into one player.
For a copy of the transcript, click on this link.
For a copy of the transcript, click on this link.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
End Times
I was reading Luke 18:1-8 a couple days ago and this is what it said,
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Is Jesus referring to the falling away from the faith, as in the days of Noah, that precedes his Second Coming? We need to not only share the Gospel to unbelievers, but also encourage those in the church to examine their own lives.
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Is Jesus referring to the falling away from the faith, as in the days of Noah, that precedes his Second Coming? We need to not only share the Gospel to unbelievers, but also encourage those in the church to examine their own lives.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Law and the Gospel
I was supposed to preach the following sermon on May 3rd, but never had the opportunity because of my dad's fall and subsequent death 11 days later. I later gave this message on August 16,2009 with a few changes after filling in for our youth pastor, again as a result of a death in their extended family.
The Law and the Gospel
Good morning. I did not think I would be giving this message this morning. I originally was scheduled for May 2nd on Camp Sunday but then my dad fell the day before and was airlifted over to Sioux Falls. On Thursday evening we moved my mom into the Maple Lawn nursing home in Fulda and then on Friday we were packed and ready to move Kari up to Bethel when we received the call about Melissa’s brother, Terry, and was asked to fill in. I would like to start this morning in prayer for the Knudtson family and for the message today. Dear Father, we come humbly before you this morning and ask that your Holy Spirit would fill this place. Speak to us through your Word, convict us of our sins, and give us the desire to grow in holiness before You. We also lift up the Knudtson family as they grieve for yet another family member taken away unexpectedly. We ask for your peace and your comfort for them as they go through this difficult time. Thank you for the hope that can only be found in and through you. We ask this all in the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
But this morning I want to share what I am most passionate about in life. God has revolutionized my life the past couple years and I will never be the same again. Some of what I share may be difficult to accept. I know it was for me. It took several years for God to penetrate my hardened heart. My prayer is that you would search God’s Word and pray before you immediately dismiss it. I also am not saying I have all the answers or that I have arrived. I am simply a sinner saved by grace who hopes to spend the rest of his life telling others about Christ. So this is basically my life’s story. These are things that God has convicted me about in my own life.
I would like to begin with my testimony - some which is in the letter I put in your box. I first put my trust in Christ at a Good News Club that my mom held in our home. It was a club after school where she shared Bible stories with neighborhood kids. I put my trust in Christ at the age of 7 after one of those meetings. I pretty much led a good life and tried to serve Christ to the best of my abilities. However, I never had confidence in my decision to trust Christ because I fell short so often and never had a passion for the Bible or to share my faith.
I continued serving in churches, doing Bible studies, and all the good things a Christian is supposed to do. But at times I felt listless and sometimes distant from God. I held some bitterness towards God because of the health issues I had to go through. But it is not about my health. I also struggled with some of the things that have happened in the church over the past several years. But again, it is not about this church. A few years ago I reached I crisis of faith. I still believed in God and knew Christ died for me, but I simply lacked a passion for the things of God. I did not read my Bible, my prayer life was dormant, and I did not know what to do other than to ask God to reveal Himself to me. I struggled being involved in youth group, because I saw so many kids claim to come to Christ, only to walk away in high school or college. I felt like I was not making any difference and to be honest, I did not know what difference God made in my life. My trying to be good was just that, me trying to be good. After all, I really had never done anything really bad in my life.
Then about 3 years ago, an acquaintance mentioned a book that he had read by Mark Cahill called “The One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven”. It is referring to the fact that we can not witness in heaven or bring anyone with us. After reading it, the Holy Spirit convicted me about my lack of sharing the Gospel. Then, I heard a message by Ray Comfort on Hell's Best Kept Secret and I realized that I was not the good person I felt I was. I deserved hell because of my sinful nature. I violated every one of God's Law, the 10 Commandments, at least in my heart or thoughts.
If I was judged by God by his Law, I would be found guilty, and would deserve hell. God is loving, but He is also just and Holy. He can not allow sin in His presence. My only hope is Christ - He came to earth to not only die but to endure the wrath of God that I deserve. It says in Isaiah 53:10 that it “It pleased YAHWEH to crush His Son” Can you understand what that means. I did the crime, but Christ paid my fine. Because Christ became sin for us, God the Father could not look at His own Son. That is why He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" We have been watching “The Gospel Journey Maui” on Wednesday nights in youth group. This week the video was on “Who is Jesus?”, Greg Stier, the preacher, talked about this fact - how when Christ cried out on the cross - for the first time in eternity, the Son was separated from the Father as He bore our sin upon Himself. How that happened, I cannot explain, but it is incredible that God would do that for us.
Christ took the punishment I deserve, defeated death, and rose again. Because of His death, I can live. I Corinthians 5:21 states it this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took on my sin, and I received Christ's righteousness. My response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is simply to repent and believe the gospel and keep on repenting and believing. Mark 1:15 quotes Christ’s first words as “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” It is in the present tense which means to keep on repenting and believing.
Since that time my whole goal in life is to share the gospel. That is my passion. I try to tell everyone I can. I read my Bible because I want to hear from God and want to know more how to share with others, not because I feel I have to. I am more excited about Christ that I thought possible. Some say I have the gift of evangelism, but I am not so sure. I am shy and would prefer to sit quietly and not make a scene. But I just know that if Christ means everything to me, I must share the gospel with others. Charles Spurgeon says "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." Now that may seem kind of harsh, and I know it struck a nerve in me when I first read that. Obviously, that is not always the case, but it does make you think.
97.4% That is the going rate these days for how many churchgoers in one evangelical denomination will die without once - not once - telling another person how he or she can be saved through Christ Jesus. And yet many, if not most, if not all of the people in those congregations would probably say that their relationship with Jesus is the single greatest priority in their lives. How can this be? Evangelism is the responsibility of everyone. Not just the pastors, not just the full-time missionaries, but everyone. Paul tells Timothy, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5)
Bill Fay in his booklet “The Sin of Silence” says, “End all doubt about your salvation. There are many in the church who have never truly bowed their knee to Jesus Christ, repenting of their sins, receiving His forgiveness by faith, and confessing Him as Lord. Believe it or not, that is just the facts. And if the sin of silence regarding sharing your faith is something you never intend to repent of - like any other sin that may have invaded your heart and life - I believe it’s fair to ask why you choose Christ and not care if anyone else does. The painful truth for why many people struggle with the sin of silence - why they don’t share the good news of Jesus with those they know and those they meet - is that a person can’t give away what he doesn’t have.”
Athiest Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, says this in an YouTube video - “If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
I know that for much of my life my assurance of salvation was based on a decision that I made, not on the finished work of Christ. It was the sincerity of my words. How is that different from those that base their salvation on baptism, on communion, or any other good works? The Sinner’s Prayer has become just another good work. The verse that is usually used to support the sinner’s prayer is Romans 10:9-10, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Yet people do not look at the context. They were not in America, they were in a culture where confessing Jesus as Lord, could get them killed. It also means to make Jesus Lord, not just intellectual assent. Now I realize that many people do come to Christ through just such a prayer, but it is in spite of it not because of it. Pastor Chitwood used to say that many people will be surprised in heaven to find out when they really became born again. I have a sentence in my Bible that summarizes faith for me - “Father, I am going to trust only in what you have done for me in your son Jesus Christ and if that work is not strong enough to save me, then I am going to hell because I refuse to believe in any other thing.”.”
Why is there so little evidence of Christ in the lives of so many so-called Christians? Is it because they are basing their salvation on a decision that they made, on something THEY did, not on Christ and what He did? They think it is all about doing something to earn salvation. Do you think that you are covered because you prayed a prayer as a child or youth, so now you are free to ignore Him and live life for yourself. The evidence of whether you are saved, is if you continue to repent and believe. Do you have to live a sinless life? Of course not. But if you have no desire to live for Christ, then you must examine your life. Question: Do you love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates?
2 Corinthians 13:5 says to "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" This verse is what really made me examine my life and consider God’s call in my life. 2 Peter 1:10 also says “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.”
Mark Cahill notes in his book that, when witnessing to the lost,“if there is no desire to walk away from sin, the person is not really making a true heart commitment to the Savior. In John 6:44 Jesus says,‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.’ If God is drawing someone to Him, He would also be drawing the person away from his sin.”
So why do so many kids walk away from the faith or why do so many so-called Christians show no evidence in their lives of the transforming power of the gospel. I believe it is because we no longer talk about sin. Growing up in the church, I heard all about Jesus dying on the cross, but it never really registered why I need Christ. After all, I was basically a good person, wasn’t I? But without understanding the depth of my sin, I can not truly understand the sacrifice that Christ made for me. John MacArthur says “Remove the reality of sin and you take away the possibility of repentance. Abolish the doctrine of human depravity and you void the divine plan of salvation. Erase the notion of personal guilt and you eliminate the need for a Savior”
In the early 1970’s Karl Menniger wrote a small book with the provocative title, “ Whatever Became of Sin?” In it he observed that the word “sin” and the concept it represented began to disappear from our culture around the middle of the twentieth century. However, he views sin on an entirely horizontal level, the sin of one person against another or perhaps against oneself. To fully comprehend the nature of sin, though, we must recognize its vertical dimension: sin is primarily an offense toward God.
David recognized this when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. He says in Psalms 51:4 “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.”
If you are like me, you want to say that you really are not that bad. I don’t do anything seriously wrong. We all tell lies. But consider this. It is not what you do, but WHO you do it to. If I tell a lie to a 5 year old, there is not really much they can do about it. If I tell a lie to my wife, I may end up sleeping on the couch. If I tell a lie to the government I will end up in prison. If I tell a lie to God, and ultimately all lies are against God, then I deserve hell. J.I. Packer says it this way, “There can be no small sins against a great God.”
But what is Sin? Growing up in the church I was taught not to gamble, smoke, drink, dance, or go to movies. While some of those things may not be beneficial to us, they do not reveal the true nature of our sin. I felt if I followed those rules and avoided those things, that I was okay. But sin is transgression of the Law of God. I John 3:4 says “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
God Law is found in the 10 Commandments. They have basically been removed from society today, so I am going to quickly review them. I have included a picture and statement about the picture to make it easier to memorize them.
The First Commandment is “You shall have no other Gods before me”. (Exodus 20:2,3) Mark 12:29-30 says: “Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment” Do we truly love Him with our whole being? We say He is lord, but do our lives reveal it?
****God should always be Number One.
The Second Commandment is “You shall not make for yourself any graven image.” (Exodus 20:4-6) Idolatry is perhaps the greatest of all sins because it opens the door to unrestrained evil. It gives sinners license not only to tolerate sin, but to sanction it. If you can make a god in your own image, you can create your own moral standards to go along with him or her. You make a god to suit yourself, one that does not talk about sin, righteousness, and judgment. Just make sure he or she likes the things you like and hates the things you hate. If you like lust, so will your god. If your god doesn’t mind lying and stealing, then you can lie, steal, and lust to your heart’s content. Your god will fill your heart with joy...right up until Judgment Day.
**** Don’t bow to anything but God
The Third Commandment is “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD your God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). To slur someone’s name is to insult the very person.
****Don’t use your lips to dishonor God.
The Fourth Commandment is “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath was given as a sign to Israel (Exodus 31:13–17); nowhere is it given as a sign to the church. Romans 14:5–10 tells us that one man esteems one day of the week above another; another esteems every day alike. We are not to judge each other regarding the day on which we worship.
****Don’t neglect the things of God.
The Fifth Commandment is “Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you”(Exodus 20:12). To honor our parents is to esteem them, show them respect, and obey them.
****It’s a “5” shaped like a Dad and Mom.
The Sixth Commandment is “You shall not murder”(Exodus 20:13). Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount,“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say to you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”(Matthew 5:21,22).
****It’s a bomb shaped like a “6”
The Seventh Commandment is “You shall not commit adultery”(Exodus 20:14). However, Jesus explained that God judges even the thought-life. He said,“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart”(Matthew 5:27,28)
****Adultery leaves a heart broken.
The Eighth Commandment is “You shall not steal”(Exodus 20:15).
Most people don’t think that God considers theft to be theft until the value of what is taken impresses Him. However, if I open your wallet and take just one dollar, I’m a thief, and the Bible says that thieves will not enter the kingdom of God. Jesus asked,“What does a man profit if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”(Matthew 16:26).
****The thief’s mask looks like an “8”
The Ninth Commandment is “You shall not lie or bear false witness against your neighbor”(Exodus 20:16). Lying in order to cause harm to another, or to avoid the consequences of our own wrong behavior, is never acceptable to a holy God who knows our motive.
****This number “9” is lying down.
The Tenth Commandment is: “You shall not covet...anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). Covetousness is the spark that sets off the fuse of sin. It is a sin that lies close to the surface of every human being.
****The door and ring together look like a “10”.
So what does this mean? Why did I go through the Ten Commandments? Am I trying to say that we must keep the Law to be saved or to gain God’s forgiveness. Absolutely not. It is only by the grace of God and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
So what is the purpose of the Law of God?
Galatians 3:24 says “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The Law does doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless. It doesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God. Psalm 19:1 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul.”
If I approach an unrepentant sinner and say, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins,”it will be foolishness and offensive to him. It will be foolishness because it won’t make sense. The Bible says that “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness”(1 Corinthians 1:18). And it will be offensive because I’m implying he’s a sinner when he doesn’t think he is. As far as he’s concerned, there are a lot of people far worse than him. But if I take the time to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, it may make more sense. If I open up the divine Law, and show the sinner precisely what he’s done wrong — that he has offended God by violating His Law—then the good news of the fine being paid will not be foolishness. It will not be offensive. It will be “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).
Romans 3:19 says,“Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” So one function of God’s Law is to stop the mouth, to keep sinners from justifying themselves by saying,“There are plenty of people worse than me. I’m not a bad person, really. ”No, the law stops the mouth of justification and leaves, not just the Jews, but the whole world guilty before God.
Charles Spurgeon, stated,“I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law. The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man’s heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it.”
We can see the work of God’s Law illustrated in civil law. For example, many people often drive over the speed limit, especially in large cities where everyone is going over the speed limit. Apparently each speeder says to himself that the law has forgotten to patrol his part of the freeway. After all he is violating the law by only 15 mph, and besides, he isn’t the only one doing it. However, notice what happens when the law enters with red lights flashing. The speeder’s heart misses a beat. He is no longer secure in the fact that other motorists are also speeding. He knows that he is personally as guilty as the next guy, and he could be the one the law pulls over. The fact that there are other people doing it is irrelevant. Suddenly, his “mere” 15 mph transgression doesn’t seem such a small thing after all; it seems to abound.
Now watch the Law of God enter with red lights flashing. The sinner’s heart skips a beat. He lays his hand upon his mouth. He examines the speedometer of his conscience. Suddenly, it shows him the measure of his guilt in a new light—the light of the Law. His sense of security in the fact that there are multitudes doing the same thing becomes irrelevant, because every man will give an account of himself to God. Sin not only becomes personal, it seems to “abound.” His mere lust becomes adultery of the heart; his white lie, false witness; his own way becomes rebellion; and his hatred, murder.
Charles Spurgeon said, “(Sinners) will never accept grace, until they tremble before a just and holy Law.” The Law makes grace abound, in the same way that darkness makes light shine. John Wesley advised a young evangelist, for effective evangelism, preach 90 percent Law and 10 percent grace.
So where does this leave us? We are not good. Psalm 14:3 says,“They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” Each of us have broken God’s Law repeatedly. I have thought about this lately in regard to the alleged Craigslist killer, Philip Markoff. Here is a young man, 22 years old, in medical school, engaged to be married, who killed a young model. His fiancee, Megan McAllister, said that he would not hurt a fly. How many times do we hear that about a murderer? We all want to think that we would never do that, but the reality is that we are all capable of that. We have all done that in our heart at some point, by hating our brother.
If we stood before God and He judged us according to His Law we would be found guilty. You and Me. If we are guilty that would mean an eternity in hell. C. S. Lewis summed up all the terrors of hell when he said,“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than the doctrine of hell, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, especially, of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by the Christian Church, and it has the support of reason.” We would know very little about hell were it not the words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels.
At this point most people will agree that they are not a good person, but they don’t think a loving God will send them to hell. But what they have done is idolatry. They have made a god to suit themselves, someone they can accept. It is true that God is love, but He is also holy, righteous, and just.
This is a scenario that I often use when witnessing. Suppose that you have committed a horrible crime and the punishment for that crime was $1,000,000 or life in prison. If the judge is a good judge he must punish you for your crime. If someone murdered your parents and then let the killer go free, you would not call the judge good. So the judge must punish you. As you are being led off to jail, someone you don’t know, steps forward, and hands the judge the $1,000,000. He sold everything he had so that your fine could be paid. Now the judge can legally dismiss your case and still be just. That is a what Christ for you and for me upon the cross. Only in this case it was a death sentence that He took in our place, and He is not an unknown person, but the judge Himself.
That is the Good News - the Great News. The Gospel. The Cross of Christ
Once we understand our sinfulness, our depravity, the cross because so precious. That is why we sang about the cross, about His sacrifice, about Christ’s blood shed for us. My mom has said that for years, and I am just finally beginning to get it - to really understand the depth of God’s love for a sinner like me. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Christ took the wrath of God that I deserve upon Himself. In that moment in time, Jesus Christ, was separated from the Father as He became sin on our behalf. There was a cosmic shock wave throughout the universe as the Father turned His back on the Son. Isn’t that amazing! If you understand this in this depth of your heart, it will change you forever.
I would like to read a passage by R.C. Sproul from the book, “Preaching the Cross.” In in he says, “We are not justified by the doctrine of justification by faith. We can believe this doctrine, give intellectual assent to its truth, and even contend for it with our all without ever having the faith that alone will justify us. Our justification is not accomplished by a profession of faith. The evangelical world has never fully grasped that nobody is justified by a simple profession of faith. Professions of faith are good things, and those who believe are supposed to profess what they believe, but it’s the “possession” of faith - not its “profession” - that translates a person from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. For that reason we who are preachers must be very careful how we preach the gospel, to guard against giving people a false sense of security, saying, “If you raise your hand ... if you come to the altar ... if you sign the card ... you’re going to get into the kingdom of God.” We wind up constructing all kinds of distorted theology to account for false professions of faith. We must remember that it is not the doctrine that saves anybody; the doctrine simply describes what brings us into a state of justification. When I became a Christian on September 13, 1957, at 11:00 p.m., I had never heard the word justification. I didn’t know what it was. I had never read the Bible, although I’d heard about Jesus. The night I became a Christian, a man sat me down and told me about Christ. He quoted from the book of Ecclesiastes: If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” (Eccl. 11:3) That Scripture verse was illuminated by the Holy Ghost, and I saw myself as that fallen tree in the middle of the forest, lying there and rotting away. I am perhaps the only person in the history of the church who has been converted by that verse. That night I went back to my room overwhelmed by a sense of my sin and by the conviction that my only hope in life and death was the atoning work of my Savior. Beside my bed I fell on my knees. I didn’t recite the catechism; I simply said, “O God, forgive me for my sins.” I arose justified.”
Often we think that the Gospel is only for unbelievers. But it truly it is for all of us. Jerry Bridges says to preach the gospel to yourself daily. Not to save us again, because if we have been truly born again, nothing can snatch us from the Father’s hand. But we must be reminded of Christ’s sacrifice daily. If we begin each morning meditating on the Gospel, we will strive to glorify Christ with our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. We will begin to see what is important in life - sharing the Gospel with others, helping the poor. Not making more money, buying more stuff, or entertaining ourselves to death.
What we must do is repent and put trust in Christ. Repentance is more than just sorrow for sin, it means to confess sin and forsake it - to agree with God that it is wrong and to turn and go in the opposite direction. We must turn from sin to the Savior. This is why Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)
To be honest, repentance is an issue that I disagreed with for years but recently God has changed my own heart. I have searched Scripture and I can come to no other conclusion. However, I need to clarify one point. Even our ability to repent and put our trust in Christ does not come from us. It is God in His sovereignty that is drawing us to Him. Not only do we as sinners lack any spiritual good in ourselves, but we also lack the ability to come to God in our own strength. Paul says that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)
The application to our lives is this: If God gives anyone a desire to repent and trust in Christ, he should not delay and should not harden his heart. This ability to repent and desire to trust in God is not naturally ours but is given by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and it will not last forever. “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15)
In closing I ask 4 things:
1. Examine your life - allow God to show you the depth of your sin. If you are not sure you are truly born again, repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Do it today.
As I have read through the Gospels I have found two phrases that seem to sum up what we may hear when we die or Christ returns. The first is found in Matthew 25:21 where the master says “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
The second is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21 where Jesus says,"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
2. Preach the cross to yourself daily. Meditate on what Christ did for you and me on the cross, taking our sin upon Himself.
3. Read God’s Word daily. The Bible is God’s love letters to us. How would you feel if your spouse never read 66 letters that you had written to him/her. I have begun reading through the Bible where I read ten chapters a day, from ten different places in the Bible. If you want more information on it, go to my blog - it is on the letter in your box.
4. Share your faith wherever you go - take advantage of every opportunity to share Christ. If you don’t know how, ask me. I would love to talk to you, and if there is enough interest, I would love to do a class on evangelism. But begin somewhere: pass out tracts without saying anything, then get comfortable talking to strangers about everyday events, and finally tell people about the hope that you have in Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”
As you leave I have about 100 bookmarks to remind you that sharing the Gospel is everyone’s job, not just a select few. I also have some Gospel tracts that are on the back of million dollar bills. I would encourage everyone to take at least one and challenge yourself to give it to someone. Use it as an icebreaker to share the Gospel. You may be surprised at how easy it really is.
Benediction:
Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
The Law and the Gospel
Good morning. I did not think I would be giving this message this morning. I originally was scheduled for May 2nd on Camp Sunday but then my dad fell the day before and was airlifted over to Sioux Falls. On Thursday evening we moved my mom into the Maple Lawn nursing home in Fulda and then on Friday we were packed and ready to move Kari up to Bethel when we received the call about Melissa’s brother, Terry, and was asked to fill in. I would like to start this morning in prayer for the Knudtson family and for the message today. Dear Father, we come humbly before you this morning and ask that your Holy Spirit would fill this place. Speak to us through your Word, convict us of our sins, and give us the desire to grow in holiness before You. We also lift up the Knudtson family as they grieve for yet another family member taken away unexpectedly. We ask for your peace and your comfort for them as they go through this difficult time. Thank you for the hope that can only be found in and through you. We ask this all in the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
But this morning I want to share what I am most passionate about in life. God has revolutionized my life the past couple years and I will never be the same again. Some of what I share may be difficult to accept. I know it was for me. It took several years for God to penetrate my hardened heart. My prayer is that you would search God’s Word and pray before you immediately dismiss it. I also am not saying I have all the answers or that I have arrived. I am simply a sinner saved by grace who hopes to spend the rest of his life telling others about Christ. So this is basically my life’s story. These are things that God has convicted me about in my own life.
I would like to begin with my testimony - some which is in the letter I put in your box. I first put my trust in Christ at a Good News Club that my mom held in our home. It was a club after school where she shared Bible stories with neighborhood kids. I put my trust in Christ at the age of 7 after one of those meetings. I pretty much led a good life and tried to serve Christ to the best of my abilities. However, I never had confidence in my decision to trust Christ because I fell short so often and never had a passion for the Bible or to share my faith.
I continued serving in churches, doing Bible studies, and all the good things a Christian is supposed to do. But at times I felt listless and sometimes distant from God. I held some bitterness towards God because of the health issues I had to go through. But it is not about my health. I also struggled with some of the things that have happened in the church over the past several years. But again, it is not about this church. A few years ago I reached I crisis of faith. I still believed in God and knew Christ died for me, but I simply lacked a passion for the things of God. I did not read my Bible, my prayer life was dormant, and I did not know what to do other than to ask God to reveal Himself to me. I struggled being involved in youth group, because I saw so many kids claim to come to Christ, only to walk away in high school or college. I felt like I was not making any difference and to be honest, I did not know what difference God made in my life. My trying to be good was just that, me trying to be good. After all, I really had never done anything really bad in my life.
Then about 3 years ago, an acquaintance mentioned a book that he had read by Mark Cahill called “The One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven”. It is referring to the fact that we can not witness in heaven or bring anyone with us. After reading it, the Holy Spirit convicted me about my lack of sharing the Gospel. Then, I heard a message by Ray Comfort on Hell's Best Kept Secret and I realized that I was not the good person I felt I was. I deserved hell because of my sinful nature. I violated every one of God's Law, the 10 Commandments, at least in my heart or thoughts.
If I was judged by God by his Law, I would be found guilty, and would deserve hell. God is loving, but He is also just and Holy. He can not allow sin in His presence. My only hope is Christ - He came to earth to not only die but to endure the wrath of God that I deserve. It says in Isaiah 53:10 that it “It pleased YAHWEH to crush His Son” Can you understand what that means. I did the crime, but Christ paid my fine. Because Christ became sin for us, God the Father could not look at His own Son. That is why He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" We have been watching “The Gospel Journey Maui” on Wednesday nights in youth group. This week the video was on “Who is Jesus?”, Greg Stier, the preacher, talked about this fact - how when Christ cried out on the cross - for the first time in eternity, the Son was separated from the Father as He bore our sin upon Himself. How that happened, I cannot explain, but it is incredible that God would do that for us.
Christ took the punishment I deserve, defeated death, and rose again. Because of His death, I can live. I Corinthians 5:21 states it this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took on my sin, and I received Christ's righteousness. My response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is simply to repent and believe the gospel and keep on repenting and believing. Mark 1:15 quotes Christ’s first words as “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” It is in the present tense which means to keep on repenting and believing.
Since that time my whole goal in life is to share the gospel. That is my passion. I try to tell everyone I can. I read my Bible because I want to hear from God and want to know more how to share with others, not because I feel I have to. I am more excited about Christ that I thought possible. Some say I have the gift of evangelism, but I am not so sure. I am shy and would prefer to sit quietly and not make a scene. But I just know that if Christ means everything to me, I must share the gospel with others. Charles Spurgeon says "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." Now that may seem kind of harsh, and I know it struck a nerve in me when I first read that. Obviously, that is not always the case, but it does make you think.
97.4% That is the going rate these days for how many churchgoers in one evangelical denomination will die without once - not once - telling another person how he or she can be saved through Christ Jesus. And yet many, if not most, if not all of the people in those congregations would probably say that their relationship with Jesus is the single greatest priority in their lives. How can this be? Evangelism is the responsibility of everyone. Not just the pastors, not just the full-time missionaries, but everyone. Paul tells Timothy, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5)
Bill Fay in his booklet “The Sin of Silence” says, “End all doubt about your salvation. There are many in the church who have never truly bowed their knee to Jesus Christ, repenting of their sins, receiving His forgiveness by faith, and confessing Him as Lord. Believe it or not, that is just the facts. And if the sin of silence regarding sharing your faith is something you never intend to repent of - like any other sin that may have invaded your heart and life - I believe it’s fair to ask why you choose Christ and not care if anyone else does. The painful truth for why many people struggle with the sin of silence - why they don’t share the good news of Jesus with those they know and those they meet - is that a person can’t give away what he doesn’t have.”
Athiest Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller, says this in an YouTube video - “If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
I know that for much of my life my assurance of salvation was based on a decision that I made, not on the finished work of Christ. It was the sincerity of my words. How is that different from those that base their salvation on baptism, on communion, or any other good works? The Sinner’s Prayer has become just another good work. The verse that is usually used to support the sinner’s prayer is Romans 10:9-10, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Yet people do not look at the context. They were not in America, they were in a culture where confessing Jesus as Lord, could get them killed. It also means to make Jesus Lord, not just intellectual assent. Now I realize that many people do come to Christ through just such a prayer, but it is in spite of it not because of it. Pastor Chitwood used to say that many people will be surprised in heaven to find out when they really became born again. I have a sentence in my Bible that summarizes faith for me - “Father, I am going to trust only in what you have done for me in your son Jesus Christ and if that work is not strong enough to save me, then I am going to hell because I refuse to believe in any other thing.”.”
Why is there so little evidence of Christ in the lives of so many so-called Christians? Is it because they are basing their salvation on a decision that they made, on something THEY did, not on Christ and what He did? They think it is all about doing something to earn salvation. Do you think that you are covered because you prayed a prayer as a child or youth, so now you are free to ignore Him and live life for yourself. The evidence of whether you are saved, is if you continue to repent and believe. Do you have to live a sinless life? Of course not. But if you have no desire to live for Christ, then you must examine your life. Question: Do you love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates?
2 Corinthians 13:5 says to "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" This verse is what really made me examine my life and consider God’s call in my life. 2 Peter 1:10 also says “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.”
Mark Cahill notes in his book that, when witnessing to the lost,“if there is no desire to walk away from sin, the person is not really making a true heart commitment to the Savior. In John 6:44 Jesus says,‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.’ If God is drawing someone to Him, He would also be drawing the person away from his sin.”
So why do so many kids walk away from the faith or why do so many so-called Christians show no evidence in their lives of the transforming power of the gospel. I believe it is because we no longer talk about sin. Growing up in the church, I heard all about Jesus dying on the cross, but it never really registered why I need Christ. After all, I was basically a good person, wasn’t I? But without understanding the depth of my sin, I can not truly understand the sacrifice that Christ made for me. John MacArthur says “Remove the reality of sin and you take away the possibility of repentance. Abolish the doctrine of human depravity and you void the divine plan of salvation. Erase the notion of personal guilt and you eliminate the need for a Savior”
In the early 1970’s Karl Menniger wrote a small book with the provocative title, “ Whatever Became of Sin?” In it he observed that the word “sin” and the concept it represented began to disappear from our culture around the middle of the twentieth century. However, he views sin on an entirely horizontal level, the sin of one person against another or perhaps against oneself. To fully comprehend the nature of sin, though, we must recognize its vertical dimension: sin is primarily an offense toward God.
David recognized this when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. He says in Psalms 51:4 “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.”
If you are like me, you want to say that you really are not that bad. I don’t do anything seriously wrong. We all tell lies. But consider this. It is not what you do, but WHO you do it to. If I tell a lie to a 5 year old, there is not really much they can do about it. If I tell a lie to my wife, I may end up sleeping on the couch. If I tell a lie to the government I will end up in prison. If I tell a lie to God, and ultimately all lies are against God, then I deserve hell. J.I. Packer says it this way, “There can be no small sins against a great God.”
But what is Sin? Growing up in the church I was taught not to gamble, smoke, drink, dance, or go to movies. While some of those things may not be beneficial to us, they do not reveal the true nature of our sin. I felt if I followed those rules and avoided those things, that I was okay. But sin is transgression of the Law of God. I John 3:4 says “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
God Law is found in the 10 Commandments. They have basically been removed from society today, so I am going to quickly review them. I have included a picture and statement about the picture to make it easier to memorize them.
The First Commandment is “You shall have no other Gods before me”. (Exodus 20:2,3) Mark 12:29-30 says: “Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment” Do we truly love Him with our whole being? We say He is lord, but do our lives reveal it?
****God should always be Number One.
The Second Commandment is “You shall not make for yourself any graven image.” (Exodus 20:4-6) Idolatry is perhaps the greatest of all sins because it opens the door to unrestrained evil. It gives sinners license not only to tolerate sin, but to sanction it. If you can make a god in your own image, you can create your own moral standards to go along with him or her. You make a god to suit yourself, one that does not talk about sin, righteousness, and judgment. Just make sure he or she likes the things you like and hates the things you hate. If you like lust, so will your god. If your god doesn’t mind lying and stealing, then you can lie, steal, and lust to your heart’s content. Your god will fill your heart with joy...right up until Judgment Day.
**** Don’t bow to anything but God
The Third Commandment is “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD your God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). To slur someone’s name is to insult the very person.
****Don’t use your lips to dishonor God.
The Fourth Commandment is “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath was given as a sign to Israel (Exodus 31:13–17); nowhere is it given as a sign to the church. Romans 14:5–10 tells us that one man esteems one day of the week above another; another esteems every day alike. We are not to judge each other regarding the day on which we worship.
****Don’t neglect the things of God.
The Fifth Commandment is “Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you”(Exodus 20:12). To honor our parents is to esteem them, show them respect, and obey them.
****It’s a “5” shaped like a Dad and Mom.
The Sixth Commandment is “You shall not murder”(Exodus 20:13). Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount,“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say to you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment”(Matthew 5:21,22).
****It’s a bomb shaped like a “6”
The Seventh Commandment is “You shall not commit adultery”(Exodus 20:14). However, Jesus explained that God judges even the thought-life. He said,“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart”(Matthew 5:27,28)
****Adultery leaves a heart broken.
The Eighth Commandment is “You shall not steal”(Exodus 20:15).
Most people don’t think that God considers theft to be theft until the value of what is taken impresses Him. However, if I open your wallet and take just one dollar, I’m a thief, and the Bible says that thieves will not enter the kingdom of God. Jesus asked,“What does a man profit if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”(Matthew 16:26).
****The thief’s mask looks like an “8”
The Ninth Commandment is “You shall not lie or bear false witness against your neighbor”(Exodus 20:16). Lying in order to cause harm to another, or to avoid the consequences of our own wrong behavior, is never acceptable to a holy God who knows our motive.
****This number “9” is lying down.
The Tenth Commandment is: “You shall not covet...anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). Covetousness is the spark that sets off the fuse of sin. It is a sin that lies close to the surface of every human being.
****The door and ring together look like a “10”.
So what does this mean? Why did I go through the Ten Commandments? Am I trying to say that we must keep the Law to be saved or to gain God’s forgiveness. Absolutely not. It is only by the grace of God and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
So what is the purpose of the Law of God?
Galatians 3:24 says “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The Law does doesn’t help us; it just leaves us helpless. It doesn’t justify us; it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God. Psalm 19:1 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul.”
If I approach an unrepentant sinner and say, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins,”it will be foolishness and offensive to him. It will be foolishness because it won’t make sense. The Bible says that “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness”(1 Corinthians 1:18). And it will be offensive because I’m implying he’s a sinner when he doesn’t think he is. As far as he’s concerned, there are a lot of people far worse than him. But if I take the time to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, it may make more sense. If I open up the divine Law, and show the sinner precisely what he’s done wrong — that he has offended God by violating His Law—then the good news of the fine being paid will not be foolishness. It will not be offensive. It will be “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).
Romans 3:19 says,“Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” So one function of God’s Law is to stop the mouth, to keep sinners from justifying themselves by saying,“There are plenty of people worse than me. I’m not a bad person, really. ”No, the law stops the mouth of justification and leaves, not just the Jews, but the whole world guilty before God.
Charles Spurgeon, stated,“I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law. The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man’s heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it.”
We can see the work of God’s Law illustrated in civil law. For example, many people often drive over the speed limit, especially in large cities where everyone is going over the speed limit. Apparently each speeder says to himself that the law has forgotten to patrol his part of the freeway. After all he is violating the law by only 15 mph, and besides, he isn’t the only one doing it. However, notice what happens when the law enters with red lights flashing. The speeder’s heart misses a beat. He is no longer secure in the fact that other motorists are also speeding. He knows that he is personally as guilty as the next guy, and he could be the one the law pulls over. The fact that there are other people doing it is irrelevant. Suddenly, his “mere” 15 mph transgression doesn’t seem such a small thing after all; it seems to abound.
Now watch the Law of God enter with red lights flashing. The sinner’s heart skips a beat. He lays his hand upon his mouth. He examines the speedometer of his conscience. Suddenly, it shows him the measure of his guilt in a new light—the light of the Law. His sense of security in the fact that there are multitudes doing the same thing becomes irrelevant, because every man will give an account of himself to God. Sin not only becomes personal, it seems to “abound.” His mere lust becomes adultery of the heart; his white lie, false witness; his own way becomes rebellion; and his hatred, murder.
Charles Spurgeon said, “(Sinners) will never accept grace, until they tremble before a just and holy Law.” The Law makes grace abound, in the same way that darkness makes light shine. John Wesley advised a young evangelist, for effective evangelism, preach 90 percent Law and 10 percent grace.
So where does this leave us? We are not good. Psalm 14:3 says,“They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.” Each of us have broken God’s Law repeatedly. I have thought about this lately in regard to the alleged Craigslist killer, Philip Markoff. Here is a young man, 22 years old, in medical school, engaged to be married, who killed a young model. His fiancee, Megan McAllister, said that he would not hurt a fly. How many times do we hear that about a murderer? We all want to think that we would never do that, but the reality is that we are all capable of that. We have all done that in our heart at some point, by hating our brother.
If we stood before God and He judged us according to His Law we would be found guilty. You and Me. If we are guilty that would mean an eternity in hell. C. S. Lewis summed up all the terrors of hell when he said,“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than the doctrine of hell, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, especially, of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by the Christian Church, and it has the support of reason.” We would know very little about hell were it not the words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels.
At this point most people will agree that they are not a good person, but they don’t think a loving God will send them to hell. But what they have done is idolatry. They have made a god to suit themselves, someone they can accept. It is true that God is love, but He is also holy, righteous, and just.
This is a scenario that I often use when witnessing. Suppose that you have committed a horrible crime and the punishment for that crime was $1,000,000 or life in prison. If the judge is a good judge he must punish you for your crime. If someone murdered your parents and then let the killer go free, you would not call the judge good. So the judge must punish you. As you are being led off to jail, someone you don’t know, steps forward, and hands the judge the $1,000,000. He sold everything he had so that your fine could be paid. Now the judge can legally dismiss your case and still be just. That is a what Christ for you and for me upon the cross. Only in this case it was a death sentence that He took in our place, and He is not an unknown person, but the judge Himself.
That is the Good News - the Great News. The Gospel. The Cross of Christ
Once we understand our sinfulness, our depravity, the cross because so precious. That is why we sang about the cross, about His sacrifice, about Christ’s blood shed for us. My mom has said that for years, and I am just finally beginning to get it - to really understand the depth of God’s love for a sinner like me. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Christ took the wrath of God that I deserve upon Himself. In that moment in time, Jesus Christ, was separated from the Father as He became sin on our behalf. There was a cosmic shock wave throughout the universe as the Father turned His back on the Son. Isn’t that amazing! If you understand this in this depth of your heart, it will change you forever.
I would like to read a passage by R.C. Sproul from the book, “Preaching the Cross.” In in he says, “We are not justified by the doctrine of justification by faith. We can believe this doctrine, give intellectual assent to its truth, and even contend for it with our all without ever having the faith that alone will justify us. Our justification is not accomplished by a profession of faith. The evangelical world has never fully grasped that nobody is justified by a simple profession of faith. Professions of faith are good things, and those who believe are supposed to profess what they believe, but it’s the “possession” of faith - not its “profession” - that translates a person from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. For that reason we who are preachers must be very careful how we preach the gospel, to guard against giving people a false sense of security, saying, “If you raise your hand ... if you come to the altar ... if you sign the card ... you’re going to get into the kingdom of God.” We wind up constructing all kinds of distorted theology to account for false professions of faith. We must remember that it is not the doctrine that saves anybody; the doctrine simply describes what brings us into a state of justification. When I became a Christian on September 13, 1957, at 11:00 p.m., I had never heard the word justification. I didn’t know what it was. I had never read the Bible, although I’d heard about Jesus. The night I became a Christian, a man sat me down and told me about Christ. He quoted from the book of Ecclesiastes: If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” (Eccl. 11:3) That Scripture verse was illuminated by the Holy Ghost, and I saw myself as that fallen tree in the middle of the forest, lying there and rotting away. I am perhaps the only person in the history of the church who has been converted by that verse. That night I went back to my room overwhelmed by a sense of my sin and by the conviction that my only hope in life and death was the atoning work of my Savior. Beside my bed I fell on my knees. I didn’t recite the catechism; I simply said, “O God, forgive me for my sins.” I arose justified.”
Often we think that the Gospel is only for unbelievers. But it truly it is for all of us. Jerry Bridges says to preach the gospel to yourself daily. Not to save us again, because if we have been truly born again, nothing can snatch us from the Father’s hand. But we must be reminded of Christ’s sacrifice daily. If we begin each morning meditating on the Gospel, we will strive to glorify Christ with our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. We will begin to see what is important in life - sharing the Gospel with others, helping the poor. Not making more money, buying more stuff, or entertaining ourselves to death.
What we must do is repent and put trust in Christ. Repentance is more than just sorrow for sin, it means to confess sin and forsake it - to agree with God that it is wrong and to turn and go in the opposite direction. We must turn from sin to the Savior. This is why Paul preached “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)
To be honest, repentance is an issue that I disagreed with for years but recently God has changed my own heart. I have searched Scripture and I can come to no other conclusion. However, I need to clarify one point. Even our ability to repent and put our trust in Christ does not come from us. It is God in His sovereignty that is drawing us to Him. Not only do we as sinners lack any spiritual good in ourselves, but we also lack the ability to come to God in our own strength. Paul says that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)
The application to our lives is this: If God gives anyone a desire to repent and trust in Christ, he should not delay and should not harden his heart. This ability to repent and desire to trust in God is not naturally ours but is given by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and it will not last forever. “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15)
In closing I ask 4 things:
1. Examine your life - allow God to show you the depth of your sin. If you are not sure you are truly born again, repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Do it today.
As I have read through the Gospels I have found two phrases that seem to sum up what we may hear when we die or Christ returns. The first is found in Matthew 25:21 where the master says “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
The second is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:21 where Jesus says,"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
2. Preach the cross to yourself daily. Meditate on what Christ did for you and me on the cross, taking our sin upon Himself.
3. Read God’s Word daily. The Bible is God’s love letters to us. How would you feel if your spouse never read 66 letters that you had written to him/her. I have begun reading through the Bible where I read ten chapters a day, from ten different places in the Bible. If you want more information on it, go to my blog - it is on the letter in your box.
4. Share your faith wherever you go - take advantage of every opportunity to share Christ. If you don’t know how, ask me. I would love to talk to you, and if there is enough interest, I would love to do a class on evangelism. But begin somewhere: pass out tracts without saying anything, then get comfortable talking to strangers about everyday events, and finally tell people about the hope that you have in Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”
As you leave I have about 100 bookmarks to remind you that sharing the Gospel is everyone’s job, not just a select few. I also have some Gospel tracts that are on the back of million dollar bills. I would encourage everyone to take at least one and challenge yourself to give it to someone. Use it as an icebreaker to share the Gospel. You may be surprised at how easy it really is.
Benediction:
Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Memories of my Dad
This is what I said about my dad at his memorial and celebration service on Monday, May 18th.
Many people remember that my dad was a great ping pong player. What they may not know is that I am responsible for his greatness. When I watched him play when I was young, I would run upstairs crying if he would start to lose. And as he used to say, he had to work his fool head off to win so that I would not cry.
My dad also cared about people. He also loved to tell jokes over and over and over again. He also loved to brag that he was 100% Danish and loved to joke with our office assistants, especially the Norwegians. I will try to tell one of his favorite jokes although I can not tell them like he could or laugh at them like he could. There were a couple guys walking down the street talking about how they disliked Norwegians. They came upon a Norwegian playing an organ grinder along with his little monkey. The monkey would do lots of different tricks for which he would take tips from people. The first man gave the little monkey a $5 tip. That surprised the other man and he asked why he did that since he hated Norwegians. The first one replied, “Well, I do, but they’re just so cute when they’re young.”
My dad had a lot of good qualities but was not very patient. He always wanted to get to places early, and he never read directions. I remember helping him put together a couple bikes when I was about 10. Since he did not read directions, he was getting so frustrated. I tried to tell him what the directions said, but he just finally gave up and I ended up putting them together. After that, I think he just handed off all those jobs to me.
My dad was a good man and great father. He always cared about his family and spent most of his time, energy, and money on us. I remember driving home from a school function when I was sixteen and had only had my license about 6 months. It was a cool November evening with just a light mist. When I was less than a block from home the car started sliding and it slid around around hit a parked car. Mom and Dad came home later on and I figured he would be mad at me. When I started telling him, I discovered that he was not mad, just concerned about me. He did not care at all about the car. Of course I had to drive around with a banged up car. Bruce helped me repair it and put a very nice orange peel paint job on it.
My dad was looking forward to hearing me preach on May 3rd. Unfortunately, his accident was on May 2nd, the day before. While I am not going to preach a sermon, I do want to say a couple words that my dad would want me to say. I have talked to him quite a bit over the past couple years about what Christ was doing in my life. I have heard it said many times this weekend about what a good man my dad was, and he was by human standards. Despite being a good person, he would be the first one to tell you that it was not being good that saved him. My dad was born again when he was 14 and rededicated his life to Christ in his early ‘20s.
So many people think that if they are good enough they will somehow get into heaven. But that has nothing to do with it. We can be born again only because of what Christ did for us on the cross. It is not because of going to church. It is not by being baptized or taking communion. It is not even by repeating a prayer. Now I realize that many people do come to Christ through just such a prayer, but it is in spite of it not because of it. We must first realize that we all are sinners in thought, word, or deed. We have all broken God’s laws and deserve hell. We have lied, stolen, and even hated, which Jesus said is the same as murder. I know, If I was judged by God by his Law, I would be found guilty. God is loving, but He is also just and Holy. He can not allow sin in His presence. My only hope is Christ - He came to earth to not only die but to endure the wrath of God that I deserve. It says in Isaiah 53:10 that it “It pleased YAHWEH to crush His Son” Can you understand what that means. I did the crime, but Christ paid my fine. Because Christ became sin for us, God the Father could not look at His own Son upon the cross. That is why He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
Christ took the punishment I deserve, defeated death, and rose again. Because of His death, I can live. I Corinthians 5:21 states it this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took on my sin, and I received Christ's righteousness. My response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is simply to repent and believe the gospel. I must trust in Christ and Christ alone for my salvation.
I know my dad is in heaven waiting for me someday. I also know that my dad would find no joy greater than if, through his death, one more person would put their trust in Christ.
Many people remember that my dad was a great ping pong player. What they may not know is that I am responsible for his greatness. When I watched him play when I was young, I would run upstairs crying if he would start to lose. And as he used to say, he had to work his fool head off to win so that I would not cry.
My dad also cared about people. He also loved to tell jokes over and over and over again. He also loved to brag that he was 100% Danish and loved to joke with our office assistants, especially the Norwegians. I will try to tell one of his favorite jokes although I can not tell them like he could or laugh at them like he could. There were a couple guys walking down the street talking about how they disliked Norwegians. They came upon a Norwegian playing an organ grinder along with his little monkey. The monkey would do lots of different tricks for which he would take tips from people. The first man gave the little monkey a $5 tip. That surprised the other man and he asked why he did that since he hated Norwegians. The first one replied, “Well, I do, but they’re just so cute when they’re young.”
My dad had a lot of good qualities but was not very patient. He always wanted to get to places early, and he never read directions. I remember helping him put together a couple bikes when I was about 10. Since he did not read directions, he was getting so frustrated. I tried to tell him what the directions said, but he just finally gave up and I ended up putting them together. After that, I think he just handed off all those jobs to me.
My dad was a good man and great father. He always cared about his family and spent most of his time, energy, and money on us. I remember driving home from a school function when I was sixteen and had only had my license about 6 months. It was a cool November evening with just a light mist. When I was less than a block from home the car started sliding and it slid around around hit a parked car. Mom and Dad came home later on and I figured he would be mad at me. When I started telling him, I discovered that he was not mad, just concerned about me. He did not care at all about the car. Of course I had to drive around with a banged up car. Bruce helped me repair it and put a very nice orange peel paint job on it.
My dad was looking forward to hearing me preach on May 3rd. Unfortunately, his accident was on May 2nd, the day before. While I am not going to preach a sermon, I do want to say a couple words that my dad would want me to say. I have talked to him quite a bit over the past couple years about what Christ was doing in my life. I have heard it said many times this weekend about what a good man my dad was, and he was by human standards. Despite being a good person, he would be the first one to tell you that it was not being good that saved him. My dad was born again when he was 14 and rededicated his life to Christ in his early ‘20s.
So many people think that if they are good enough they will somehow get into heaven. But that has nothing to do with it. We can be born again only because of what Christ did for us on the cross. It is not because of going to church. It is not by being baptized or taking communion. It is not even by repeating a prayer. Now I realize that many people do come to Christ through just such a prayer, but it is in spite of it not because of it. We must first realize that we all are sinners in thought, word, or deed. We have all broken God’s laws and deserve hell. We have lied, stolen, and even hated, which Jesus said is the same as murder. I know, If I was judged by God by his Law, I would be found guilty. God is loving, but He is also just and Holy. He can not allow sin in His presence. My only hope is Christ - He came to earth to not only die but to endure the wrath of God that I deserve. It says in Isaiah 53:10 that it “It pleased YAHWEH to crush His Son” Can you understand what that means. I did the crime, but Christ paid my fine. Because Christ became sin for us, God the Father could not look at His own Son upon the cross. That is why He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
Christ took the punishment I deserve, defeated death, and rose again. Because of His death, I can live. I Corinthians 5:21 states it this way: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ took on my sin, and I received Christ's righteousness. My response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is simply to repent and believe the gospel. I must trust in Christ and Christ alone for my salvation.
I know my dad is in heaven waiting for me someday. I also know that my dad would find no joy greater than if, through his death, one more person would put their trust in Christ.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
ESV Study Bible
I love the new "ESV Study Bible". My favorite up until this time has been "The MacArthur Study Bible" and it still will be the one I read from everyday, but for more in depth studying, the ESV Study Bible is great. One of the best features is that it is all available online as well. Even now you can go to http://www.esvstudybible.org/online to read the Bible. However, if you purchase a copy of the ESV Study Bible you get a code to upgrade to the full version online. You can read the study notes, maps, charts, articles, etc. You can add your own notes and even highlight passages. When there is a cross-reference you do not even have to click on the link because when you move your cursor over the link, a box pops up with the text in the box. Best of all, you can view your information, notes, and highlighting from any computer. I highly recommend both the ESV Study Bible or The MacArthur Study Bible.
Read through the Bible
I have started reading through the Bible using a method designed by Professor Grant Horner. I resisted using it at first because it seemed too complicated. You read ten chapters a day but they all are in different books of the Bible. Some sections like Acts you repeat every month and some like the prophets you repeat every 250 days. Someone figured it out that it will take 15 billion years before you will repeat the system from the beginning.
I love reading just one chapter out of Job, Genesis, etc. When I have tried other reading plans I would get bogged done in certain books, like Leviticus or Job. But when you read just one chapter it starts to sink in. Also there have been a couple days where things came up that made it impossible to read. That is not my preference, but at least I could just do it the next day. I never felt like I was behind because I was off on days, like most One Year Bibles.
I have made it my discipline that I will not read other Christian books unless I have read the ten chapters for the day. I have fallen in love with God and His Word rather than human authors.
To learn more, go to www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46416541831
I love reading just one chapter out of Job, Genesis, etc. When I have tried other reading plans I would get bogged done in certain books, like Leviticus or Job. But when you read just one chapter it starts to sink in. Also there have been a couple days where things came up that made it impossible to read. That is not my preference, but at least I could just do it the next day. I never felt like I was behind because I was off on days, like most One Year Bibles.
I have made it my discipline that I will not read other Christian books unless I have read the ten chapters for the day. I have fallen in love with God and His Word rather than human authors.
To learn more, go to www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46416541831
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Mission Ball
The following is the text from the Mission Ball at www.themissionball.org and it explains the gospel very well. This is also a good ministry to support if the Lord leads you.
God's Simple Plan of Salvation I
The most important question of your life is will you go to Heaven when you die? God says in order to go to Heaven, “you must be born again.”(John 3:7) In the Bible, God gives us the plan of how to be born again. First, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard.”(Romans 3:23) Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to die. "the wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23) This includes eternal separation from God, in Hell. "Everyone is destined to die once and after that comes judgment"(Hebrews 9:27) But God loved you so much he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."(Romans 5:8) Although we cannot understand how, God said our sins were laid upon Jesus and he died in our place. “God commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.”(Acts 17:30) Repent means to turn away from your sins and agree with God that one is a sinner, and also agree with what Jesus did for us on the cross. The question: "what must I do to be saved?"(Acts 16:30) The answer: believe in Jesus as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures us that we can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as our Savior. "But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God."(John 1:12)
God's Simple Plan of Salvation II
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."(Romans 10:13) Believe, and you will be saved. No church or good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. God's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner and unless you repent and believe on Jesus who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and his gift of eternal salvation by faith. If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this over and over, without laying it down until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than the entire world. "What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"(Mark 8:36) Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Do not trust your feelings because they change. Stand on God's promises which never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth. The first is to Pray, which is when you talk to God. The second is to read your Bible, so God can talk to you. And lastly share your faith with others, so you can talk for God. "So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord."(2 Timothy 1:8) "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven."(Matthew 10:32) You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church.
How do YOU get to Heaven?
Look at the 10 Commandments. The requirement of the 1st is to love God above all else? Have you broken the 2nd by making a god in your mind to suit yourself? That’s called Idolatry. Have you ever used God's name in vain? Have you always honored your parents? Have you hated someone? The Bible says, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer." The 7th is "You shall not commit adultery." Have you ever stolen or lied? On Judgment Day, will you be found innocent or guilty? Will you go to Heaven or Hell? The Bible warns that all liars, thieves, fornicators, and adulterers will end up in Hell. But God made a way for you to be forgiven. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Moral Law, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Then Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death. That means that God can forgive you and grant you the gift of everlasting life. Confess your sins to God today, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. You have God's promise on it. Pray like this: "Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them) and I put my trust in Jesus Christ alone as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen." The sincerity of your prayer will be evidenced by your obedience to God. Read His Word, the Bible, and obey what you read.
The 10 Commandments
1-You shall have no other gods before me. 2-You shall not make any idols. 3-You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4-Remember the Sabbath Day. 5-Honor your father and mother. 6-You shall not murder. 7-You shall not commit adultery. 8-You shall not steal. 9-You shall not lie. 10-You shall not covet. You will have to face God on Judgment Day. He sees lust as adultery, "Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."(Matthew 5:28) He sees hatred as murder, “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is a murderer at heart.”(1 John 3:15) Will you go to Heaven? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, used God's name in vain, or looked with lust? James 2:10 says, "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” Will you be guilty on Judgment Day? If you have done those things God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. God sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross. Jesus took the punishment upon Himself, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."(John 3:16) Then Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death. Repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Read the Bible and obey what you read.
GOD’S WORD I
You need to be saved “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3) All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own (Isaiah 53:6) But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve (Jeremiah 17:10) You will perish unless you repent of your sins and turn to God (Luke 13:3) You cannot save yourself God saved us, not because of good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death (Proverbs 14:12) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6) No one can be made right with God by doing what the law commands. It simply shows us we are sinful (Romans 3:20) God has provided for your salvation Jesus carried our sins to the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds we are healed (1 Peter 2:24) Christ died for sins. Jesus was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it (Ephesians 2:8-9)
GOD’S WORD II
Believe God’s word and be saved Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”(John 6:29) “I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life (John 5:24) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life (1 John 5:12-13) Confess Jesus before men If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person (Luke 9:26) If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:9-10) Saving faith produces good works What good is it, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? (James 2:14) For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13) Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. (Romans 14:12) But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
God's Simple Plan of Salvation I
The most important question of your life is will you go to Heaven when you die? God says in order to go to Heaven, “you must be born again.”(John 3:7) In the Bible, God gives us the plan of how to be born again. First, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard.”(Romans 3:23) Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to die. "the wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23) This includes eternal separation from God, in Hell. "Everyone is destined to die once and after that comes judgment"(Hebrews 9:27) But God loved you so much he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."(Romans 5:8) Although we cannot understand how, God said our sins were laid upon Jesus and he died in our place. “God commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.”(Acts 17:30) Repent means to turn away from your sins and agree with God that one is a sinner, and also agree with what Jesus did for us on the cross. The question: "what must I do to be saved?"(Acts 16:30) The answer: believe in Jesus as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures us that we can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as our Savior. "But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God."(John 1:12)
God's Simple Plan of Salvation II
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."(Romans 10:13) Believe, and you will be saved. No church or good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. God's simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner and unless you repent and believe on Jesus who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and his gift of eternal salvation by faith. If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this over and over, without laying it down until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than the entire world. "What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"(Mark 8:36) Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Do not trust your feelings because they change. Stand on God's promises which never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth. The first is to Pray, which is when you talk to God. The second is to read your Bible, so God can talk to you. And lastly share your faith with others, so you can talk for God. "So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord."(2 Timothy 1:8) "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven."(Matthew 10:32) You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church.
How do YOU get to Heaven?
Look at the 10 Commandments. The requirement of the 1st is to love God above all else? Have you broken the 2nd by making a god in your mind to suit yourself? That’s called Idolatry. Have you ever used God's name in vain? Have you always honored your parents? Have you hated someone? The Bible says, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer." The 7th is "You shall not commit adultery." Have you ever stolen or lied? On Judgment Day, will you be found innocent or guilty? Will you go to Heaven or Hell? The Bible warns that all liars, thieves, fornicators, and adulterers will end up in Hell. But God made a way for you to be forgiven. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Moral Law, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Then Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death. That means that God can forgive you and grant you the gift of everlasting life. Confess your sins to God today, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. You have God's promise on it. Pray like this: "Dear God, today I turn away from all of my sins (name them) and I put my trust in Jesus Christ alone as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, change my heart, and grant me Your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen." The sincerity of your prayer will be evidenced by your obedience to God. Read His Word, the Bible, and obey what you read.
The 10 Commandments
1-You shall have no other gods before me. 2-You shall not make any idols. 3-You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4-Remember the Sabbath Day. 5-Honor your father and mother. 6-You shall not murder. 7-You shall not commit adultery. 8-You shall not steal. 9-You shall not lie. 10-You shall not covet. You will have to face God on Judgment Day. He sees lust as adultery, "Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."(Matthew 5:28) He sees hatred as murder, “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is a murderer at heart.”(1 John 3:15) Will you go to Heaven? Here's a quick test. Have you ever told a lie, stolen anything, used God's name in vain, or looked with lust? James 2:10 says, "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” Will you be guilty on Judgment Day? If you have done those things God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. The Bible warns that if you are guilty you will end up in Hell. God sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross. Jesus took the punishment upon Himself, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."(John 3:16) Then Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death. Repent (turn from sin) today and trust in Jesus, and God will grant you everlasting life. Read the Bible and obey what you read.
GOD’S WORD I
You need to be saved “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3) All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own (Isaiah 53:6) But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve (Jeremiah 17:10) You will perish unless you repent of your sins and turn to God (Luke 13:3) You cannot save yourself God saved us, not because of good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death (Proverbs 14:12) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6) No one can be made right with God by doing what the law commands. It simply shows us we are sinful (Romans 3:20) God has provided for your salvation Jesus carried our sins to the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds we are healed (1 Peter 2:24) Christ died for sins. Jesus was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it (Ephesians 2:8-9)
GOD’S WORD II
Believe God’s word and be saved Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”(John 6:29) “I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life (John 5:24) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life (1 John 5:12-13) Confess Jesus before men If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person (Luke 9:26) If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:9-10) Saving faith produces good works What good is it, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? (James 2:14) For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13) Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. (Romans 14:12) But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Win Ray's New Book
You can win a copy of Ray Comfort's new book at Fish with Trish.
Ray Comfort's new book "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think" is written in a question and answer format and is filled with answers to questions from angry skeptics. One atheist said, "In reading your books...seeds of doubt about my atheism have been sown."
Ray Comfort's new book "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think" is written in a question and answer format and is filled with answers to questions from angry skeptics. One atheist said, "In reading your books...seeds of doubt about my atheism have been sown."
Friday, January 9, 2009
Escape from Hamas
Here is an interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of the Hamas founders, who converted to Christianity. It all started because a Christian tourist to Israel gave him a Bible. Watch this and you will never again question the importance of sharing our faith. This young man could literally change the face of Islam, but in doing so he also puts his own life in danger.
I have included part of the transcript from the FoxNews Special because his testimony is so powerful.
Mosab Hassan: I’m not trying to offend Muslims. I love them. Those Muslims are my family.
Jonathon Hunt: But you are going to offend people and you are going to put your own life in danger, aren’t you, by doing this?
Mosab: Some of them will be offended. Some of them will be offended, but I am sure, I believe that many of them will wake up.
Jonathon: Some of them will try to kill you.
Mosab: They will, they will. If they will kill me, they will kill this body, but the question, what about my soul, what about my ideas, what about my beliefs that I shared with everybody. Will they be able to kill this? I don’t think so.
Announcer: Within days (of the August report), Al-Qaeda, the world’s most notorious terrist group responded, issuing a lengthy statement criticizing Hamas for allowing this young man to convert to Christianity and concluding by quoting the chilling words of Mohammed, “Whoever changes his religion - Kill him”
Jonathon: Are you scared?
Mosab: I don’t want to die and I don’t want to pretend that I like to die. I love to live. I love to serve my Lord. But if this will be the challenge, and this is how I prove my faith, I ask God to give me patience to do it.
Announcer: And Mosab Hassan says his family will likely also suffer.
Jonathon: How does that make you feel? Do you think you shouldn’t have done this? You shouldn’t have gone public?
Mosab: No, I had to do this. I had to do this because this is going to change so many people lives. Hopefully, my family’s life.
Jonathon: Do you believe your father will one day become a Christian?
Mosab: He is not too far from Christianity. He is very close. I told him that. I told him you are very far of Islam and very close to Christianity. That was my last sentence to him.
Jonathon: How do you think he reacted to that?
Mosab: He cried.
Jonathon: Tears of joy or despair.
Mosab: I don’t think it was joy at that moment. One day he will understand.
Jonathon: You’re depending on the charity of others. Your family back home is in tears. How do you cope with all of that?
Mosab: It’s a low price for Jesus. It’s even nothing. It’s like comparing to what He has done to us, it’s nothing.
I have included part of the transcript from the FoxNews Special because his testimony is so powerful.
Mosab Hassan: I’m not trying to offend Muslims. I love them. Those Muslims are my family.
Jonathon Hunt: But you are going to offend people and you are going to put your own life in danger, aren’t you, by doing this?
Mosab: Some of them will be offended. Some of them will be offended, but I am sure, I believe that many of them will wake up.
Jonathon: Some of them will try to kill you.
Mosab: They will, they will. If they will kill me, they will kill this body, but the question, what about my soul, what about my ideas, what about my beliefs that I shared with everybody. Will they be able to kill this? I don’t think so.
Announcer: Within days (of the August report), Al-Qaeda, the world’s most notorious terrist group responded, issuing a lengthy statement criticizing Hamas for allowing this young man to convert to Christianity and concluding by quoting the chilling words of Mohammed, “Whoever changes his religion - Kill him”
Jonathon: Are you scared?
Mosab: I don’t want to die and I don’t want to pretend that I like to die. I love to live. I love to serve my Lord. But if this will be the challenge, and this is how I prove my faith, I ask God to give me patience to do it.
Announcer: And Mosab Hassan says his family will likely also suffer.
Jonathon: How does that make you feel? Do you think you shouldn’t have done this? You shouldn’t have gone public?
Mosab: No, I had to do this. I had to do this because this is going to change so many people lives. Hopefully, my family’s life.
Jonathon: Do you believe your father will one day become a Christian?
Mosab: He is not too far from Christianity. He is very close. I told him that. I told him you are very far of Islam and very close to Christianity. That was my last sentence to him.
Jonathon: How do you think he reacted to that?
Mosab: He cried.
Jonathon: Tears of joy or despair.
Mosab: I don’t think it was joy at that moment. One day he will understand.
Jonathon: You’re depending on the charity of others. Your family back home is in tears. How do you cope with all of that?
Mosab: It’s a low price for Jesus. It’s even nothing. It’s like comparing to what He has done to us, it’s nothing.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Elvis's Last Words
I was watching Mike Huckabee this past weekend and he was having an Elvis special. He talked to Rick Stanley, who is a step brother to Elvis and may have been the last person to talk to Elvis before his death 8 hours later. This is the conversation according to Rick.
Rick: There is this girl that keeps telling me I need the Lord.
Elvis: She's telling you the truth.
Rick: I've tried to kick this, I've tried to kick all that stuff. (I was under the impression that to become a Christian you have to stop, you have to kick something to come to Christ. I didn't know that you come to the Lord; that is how you kick. I had it backwards.)
Elvis: It's those people who talk to you about Jesus, they're the ones who truly care.
It's those people who talk to you about Jesus who truly care. Do we care?
Rick: There is this girl that keeps telling me I need the Lord.
Elvis: She's telling you the truth.
Rick: I've tried to kick this, I've tried to kick all that stuff. (I was under the impression that to become a Christian you have to stop, you have to kick something to come to Christ. I didn't know that you come to the Lord; that is how you kick. I had it backwards.)
Elvis: It's those people who talk to you about Jesus, they're the ones who truly care.
It's those people who talk to you about Jesus who truly care. Do we care?
Monday, January 5, 2009
Comments by an Atheist
Do we really care that people are headed to hell? Here is an interesting video by atheist Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller.
Here is a transcript of a portion of the video.
Penn says: If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
Why is it that an atheist realizes the necessity of evangelizing more than most Christians? This should be a wake up call for all Christians.
Penn says: If you believe there is a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell, or not get eternal life, and you think it is not really worth telling them this, because it would make it socially awkward ... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
Why is it that an atheist realizes the necessity of evangelizing more than most Christians? This should be a wake up call for all Christians.
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