- Mar 26, 2023Jesus Tells a Story
Jesus Tells a Story
- Mar 19, 2023Building a Household of Faith
Building a Household of Faith
- Mar 19, 2023The Unpardonable Sin
The Unpardonable Sin
Can God forgive every sin? The truest answer is, “Yes, God can forgive every sin, but He will not forgive every sin.” Rather than universally forgiving every sin, God has chosen to forgive the sins of those who respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction with repentance. Understanding this truth is key to understanding what is commonly termed “the unpardonable sin.” In Mark 3:22-20, Jesus was slandered by a group of religious professionals known as the scribes. They attributed the miracles that He did to the working of Satan. Jesus responded to their libel by pointing out the fallacy of their logic, and from there, He went on to warn about the danger of what they were saying. This was the context in which Jesus revealed “the unpardonable sin.” “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” (Mark 3:28-29) The unpardonable sin is not stealing, murder, or adultery. It is the sin of disregarding the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s ministry to the lost is to point out their sin and their need for a Savior. If a person does not respond to the Holy Spirit’s work with repentance, they will not be forgiven of their sin. Forgiveness will always be available to them if they repent, but they will remain lost until they do. Everyone must accept Christ as their Savior to have their sins forgiven.
- Mar 12, 2023The Blessing of the Deacon
The Blessing of the DeaconWhat is the job of the deacons in the local church? In some churches, the deacons are set up as a ruling body, equivalent to the board of directors in a corporation. The church body delegates all of its decision-making power to the deacon board. In other churches, the deacons are elected to run the church's day-to-day operations, and they relegate the pastor to "preaching, marrying, and burying." According to this philosophy, the deacon's job is to control the pastor and protect the church from him. On the other end of the spectrum, you have those who think that the deacons are to be the pastor's "yes men." They provide the rubber stamp of approval for every whim and fancy of the pastor, giving legitimacy to whatever notions he may have about the direction and the decisions of the church.None of these concepts line up with the Biblical purpose of a deacon. In Acts 6:1-7, we read of the election of the first deacons in the New Testament. According to these verses, we learn what the essential qualifications of a deacon are. We also learn that deacons are a vital part of the church ministry because they assist the pastor and help free him up to focus on doing what only the pastor can do. Godly deacons are a tremendous blessing to the local church.
- Mar 8, 2023A God Honoring Marriage – The Husbands Role Part 1 (I Peter 3:7 KJV)
A God Honoring Marriage – The Husbands Role Part 1 (I Peter 3:7 KJV)Marriage is the most sacred institution in the world. When a husband and wife are demonstrating the proper love and respect for each other, it is heaven on earth. Because it is such a vivid picture of the relationship between Christ and His people, it is the target of Satan’s concentrated attacks. We see this on large scale, as even the definition of marriage has been changed in our day to include unions that God calls abominations. We also see it on the personal level as marriages are routinely destroyed by the sin of one or both spouses.
Peter’s letter to the believers included instructions how to live a life of good works, even in the midst of suffering. The lost might oppose us, but they will be ashamed when they cannot find anything bad to say about how we live, and therefore God is glorified through our reputation of righteous living. 1 Peter 3:1-6 gives instructions to wives about their role in a God-honoring marriage. In verse seven, we read the instructions to husbands about their role in such a marriage.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Why is there only one verse for men when the women got six? Maybe it is because men have shorter attention spans. Though the number of words used in the instruction to the men may be small, the expectations placed on husbands are huge. He is expected to always be studying his wife to know her better and better. He must treat his wife with tremendous respect, understanding that she is the weaker vessel. He should appreciate that they are equal in Christ, and that his fellowship with God can be helped or hindered by his relationship with his wife. By fulfilling his God-given responsibilities, the husband can direct the marriage to honor God. We will study this verse in two parts. In this first lesson, we will answer the question, “What does it mean to ‘dwell with [your wife] according to knowledge’?” There is the first and obvious meaning that husbands and wives are supposed to live together. But this verse is instructing men on how they are to live with their lives. Husbands should live with their wives in an intelligent, knowledgeable way. The husband must learn to understand his wife and get to know her better and better. - Mar 5, 2023Gideon’s Failure (Judges 8:22-35 KJV)
Gideon’s Failure (Judges 8:22-35 KJV)
- Mar 5, 2023Hard Hearted & Hard Headed (Mark 3:1-6 KJV)
Hard Hearted & Hard Headed (Mark 3:1-6 KJV)
Nothing demonstrates the selfish pride in
our nature better than the times that we get
upset when good things happen to other people.
In Mark 3:1-6, we read a story about Jesus healing
a man who had a crippled hand. Instead of rejoicing
that the man had been healed, the Pharisees
became murderously angry at Jesus because He
pointed out the error in their hard hearted and hard
headed ways.If we are honest, we will admit that we each
have a tendency to be hard-hearted and
hard-headed too. We do not always respond the
right way to God’s working and God’s blessing on
others. Sometimes we act skeptical, cynical, and
jealous. We would rather be seen as right, and
therefore superior, than to see something good
happen to someone in a way that we did not expect
or that we did not think was proper.Such stubbornness grieves the heart of our
Savior. God does not always do things the way
we think they should be done. When God’s
methods contradict our traditions and preferences,
then we are the ones who are wrong. God is
never wrong. We must humble ourselves enough
to admit that we were mistaken, rejoice in what
God does, and give Him the glory for it. - Mar 1, 2023A Marriage That Honors God – The Wife’s Role (I Peter 3:1-6 KJV)
A Marriage That Honors God – The Wife’s Role (I Peter 3:1-6 KJV)The Holy Spirit spends the first six verses of 1 Peter 3 instructing wives how they can have a positive impact on their marriage, even if their husband is not a saved man. Women have a tremendous amount of power and influence, even if they do not realize it. They have the power to alter the course of their marriage for good and bad. These verses should be an instruction to all, a warning to some, and an encouragement to many.
- Feb 26, 2023Gideon (Judges 6 KJV)
Gideon (Judges 6 KJV)
- Feb 26, 2023From Fear to Faith
From Fear to FaithPreached on May 16, 2021 and fits with our series on the book of Judges.
- Feb 26, 2023The Three “R’s” of Revival
- Feb 19, 2023Jail And The Nail Part 2 (Judges 5 KJV)
Jail And The Nail Part 2 (Judges 5 KJV)
- Feb 19, 2023Sin Sick Souls (Mark 2 KJV)
Sin Sick Souls (Mark 2 KJV)One of the criticisms leveled at Jesus by His opponents was that he was “a friend of publicans and sinners.” What they meant as an insult was actually a complement. Yes, Jesus loves sinners. He loves them so much that He left heaven, came to earth to live among them, died to save them from their sin, and then rose again to offer them eternal life.The world would have us believe that love is letting people do whatever they believe is best for themselves. But if what they are doing is destructive, it is not love to let them continue doing it. Jesus loved sinners enough to spend time with them, but not so that He could affirm them in their sin. He spent time with them so He could tell them the truth about their sin and their need to be saved.In Mark 2 we read of an instance where Jesus addressed this criticism. He answered it brilliantly with the very simple illustration of going to the doctor. If we are wise we will go to the doctor for regular well visits. But, other than that, we don’t go to the doctor just to hang out. We go to the doctor when we are sick and need something to cure us. Similarly, people who think that sin is not a problem don’t understand their need to be saved and do not seek help to remedy their sin problem. How, then, can we help sin sick souls see that need?In the medical field, they use the phrase “doctor-patient relationship.” We understand that if we want the best outcome in healthcare there must be a rapport between the physician and the patient. Jesus understood this principle and so must we. If we are going to be effective in reaching the lost, we have to connect with the lost in some fashion to do that.
- Feb 12, 2023The Courage of Revival Part 2
- Feb 12, 2023The Courage of Revival Part 1 (II Chronicles 15:8 KJV)
