Called to Serve

May 27, 2018 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jeremiah’s Call

Book of Jeremiah Chapter 1:1-19

If you have read much of Jeremiah, you will know that Jeremiah is known as “The Weeping Prophet”. We will see that throughout his lifetime Jeremiah witnessed one catastrophe after another along with sufferings beyond measure, and all these things broke the heart of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was called to be a prophet of God during the last forty years of the history of Judah.

If we recall, that at the end of the reign of King Solomon the nation of Israel was divided into two nations one being called Israel, the northern nation and the other called Judah with the addition of the tribe of Benjamin.

The northern nation had already fallen and no longer existed before the time of Jeremiah and Judah, the southern nation will fall during the time of Jeremiah.

The last forty years of the time of Judah was a terrible time to be a Jew. Assyria to the north, Babylon to the west, and Egypt to the south and these three were all seeking world domination and Judah lay in the middle.

Judah had fallen away from the Lord and even rejected and denied Him, but they were unwilling to repent from their wickedness.

Jeremiah could not have started ministry until the age of 30 and He served the Lord for 41 years until his forced exile into Egypt.

Jeremiah prophesied of the wickedness of Judah and though he was ridiculed, and abused God never left his side and Jeremiah remained faithful to his calling.

This is the same for each Christian today. God will never forsake those that love Him!

It was a tragic thing to reject the Lord because He is the only one who could deliver Judah from all these enemies.

In many ways we can see America falling into this same trap! It seems that wickedness has raised its filthy head and is beginning to rule in America and most of the Church is just too lazy to take a stand on the Word of God.

When a people claim to be followers of the Lord but allow this wicked world to come into the Church, even inviting this wickedness into the Church, we will see that God will certainly not be pleased.

We already know that the Old Testament not only provides prophesies of the future but contains the many examples we are to learn from.

The Apostle Paul by the hand of the Holy Spirit writes of these things:

1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

We should also remember that even the words of Jeremiah were given to him by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s Begin

*****Jer 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Jer 1:2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Jer 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

The first thing we see is that Jeremiah was the son of a priest in the line Aaron and Jeremiah would have also been a priest if God had not called on him to be a prophet answering only to God Himself.

It is believed that his father Hilkiah was not the same one who was Hilkiah the High Priest but only God knows for sure.

Remember God’s prophets always told the truth and any prophecy they foretold had to take place or they were a false prophet!

During the time of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Daniel, and Ezekiel also prophesied the Word of God. We can see that God made sure these Jews got to hear the truth.

We should also know that every nation and every society will experience difficult years. The USA is no different having already been through the great depression and many wars that challenged our nation and now we are seeing how pure wickedness affects us and our nation.

The city of Anathoth was a city in the land that was given to the tribe of Benjamin, but it was located not more than 3 miles of Jerusalem.

Anathoth was a city of priests assigned by Joshua, so Jeremiah was raised around the many families of priests who lived there.

We also see that these people were real familiar to the Word of God because God had sent His prophets in the time of Josiah and in the time of Jehoiakim.

There is never a time that God does reach out to His people, the only exception being the 400 hundred years after the time of Malachi until the birth of Jesus Christ, where God allowed His will to take place without sending His prophets. These Jews had all the information they needed to prepare for the Messiah.

There has never been a period since Creation that this Earth we live upon was outside the control of God!

This includes the time before the worldwide flood and all the time after this flood including the day we live in now.

We must also realize we have all the information that we need today to prepare for the return of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!

We know that in the end, Judah was carried away by Babylon and they would remain captives until the end of 70 years as Jeremiah had prophesied until the time of King Cyrus that Isaiah had prophesied.

Isa_44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Isa_45:1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

We find these words in the Book of Isaiah before Cyrus was even born!

*****Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Is there anyone in here that still thinks that a baby in the womb is not a real creation of God. We should understand that God knows what our life will be like before our seed has been planted in our mother’s womb. Not just Jeremiah but every human being that is born, no matter their race, because there is only one race!

It has already been proven that babies, before they are born, can hear things outside their mother’s womb.

Is there anyone that does not believe that the same sovereign power that ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet, and the Apostle Paul, and the many others into the ministry of the Lord, has not revealed the Lord Jesus Christ unto us so we could be saved.

Gal 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
Gal 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

We are here today because we have also been called by the “Grace of God” into the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God did not call Jeremiah just for Judah, God called Jeremiah to witness to all the nations.

Some great things are said here:

1) Before God forms us, He already knows us.
2) Before we are born, God can sanctify us, set apart for His use
3) Before we are born, Gods knows everything about our lives

We see that God’s calling is very personal! God tries to get personal with us even when we do not want a relationship with Him!

What is the first thing most all of us do? We offer up excuses which means we have shown God our stupidity by telling God that He does not know what He is talking about.

If not for God’s “Grace” where would we be by now?

*****Jer 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

God calls humans to take the Word of God to other humans. We should be thankful that God has thought enough of us to trust us with His words of truth!

Everyone in the Church can have a ministry and they should even if it is being a prayer warrior, which the church needs many of.

We should be humbled to know that God knows us before we are even born into this world!

Jeremiah was set aside for a specific task! It was not that he would be a priest when he reached the age of maturity but a specific task for the Lord, much more important than something he was to do because of his genealogy.

Jeremiah was just a child when he understood what God wanted from Him.

There are some children today that know they been called of God for specific task and we must never hinder them but help them!

God created all the nations and every human being, and He wants us all to know the truth of His Creation so that we all can be saved.

God wants all of us to be good soldiers in the army of God, the main qualification being that we must be set apart for His use.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

I never leave this class room on Sunday thinking I have done all what God ask me to do, or even said all the words that God wanted me to say.

I never feel adequate, but I told God I would not quit on Him. I also know that this is the Lords Sunday School class and not mine!

We must realize that there are young people in our own church who God is dealing with and saying the same thing that Jeremiah said.

“Lord, I am but a child, how can I have the words to say to these people”.

Just as we live in the days we have now, as Jeremiah grew up, it was easy for him to see the wickedness of His nation.

We better believe that all the young people here in our church and others are seeing the wickedness that is happening in our own nation and the things we fail to correct during our life time, will be the things that they will face during their life time.

We must pray that they will keep their Christian roots and join into the Army of God and do a better job than we have in removing the evil in our nation!

We must also get off our own behinds and get busy ourselves!

Jeremiah knew that a prophet of God must have the ability to speak in public and he felt he could not do this. I can relate to this myself.

Most everyone called of God have these same feelings.

Even Moses felt this way.

Exo 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

God persuaded Moses and God would persuade Jeremiah.

*****Jer 1:7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

I am beginning to understand that God has given us the words we are to say, and God takes full responsibility for the results of His Words!

I am never wrong when I speak God’s Words and Jeremiah would not be wrong when He spoke the Words God had given to him.

We also see that being a child is never a good excuse for not obeying the calling of the Lord and we and our young people must realize that this is still true today!

We are all the children of God and without excuse and we have seen many babes in Christ, many of them fail because would not accept the calling of God.

God insisted that Jeremiah be obedient to his calling just He had Moses!

This is what the Lord expects of us all. He expects us to be true to the things He has called on us to do!

In most cases when we refuse the Lord, then someone will get our blessing and we will be reminded of this when we meet Jesus at the Bema Seat!

We must not make up excuses to reject the Lord’s calling. He already knows each one of us better than we know our selves.

We must understand that God will provide everything we need to do what He has asked us to do!

We are all called to be ambassadors for Christ which means we are citizens of Heaven sent here to tell the world about Jesus Christ!

God has called all of us to be witnesses of the perfect salvation that is offered as a gift to all those who call upon the name of Jesus.

This can be a frightening thing to us just like it was to Jeremiah!

*****Jer 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

The one sure thing we all must realize, is that as the children of God we do not go anywhere alone!

Our Father in Heaven is always with us!

We could not be members of Gethsemane if not for Preacher Sam, who had faith knowing what God had called him to do!

God met all the needs of Jeremiah!

God promise to protect Jeremiah!

God promised to be with Jeremiah and He would never forsake us.

Sometimes we just do not realize how wonderful it is for the Lord to say, I will never forsake you.

Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
It is because the Lord will never forsake us that we are preserved throughout eternity!

All these things begin when we serve the Lord while we are still upon this earth!

As Christians many will look upon us with disdain, but the Lords says we must never be afraid of their faces.

The Lord will give us the things to say. He has already given us His Word, but the Lord will give us the words at that moment what needs to be said, by the Holy Spirit who lives within each Saint of God!

No matter how inadequate we feel God will meet our needs! I can promise you, I know a lot about this one!

Even while Jeremiah was a child, the Lord began to instruct Him but also to make him confident in what God was asking from Him!

Remember how we always say the Apostle Paul did not have the New Testament to help him build the church.

We can also say that Jeremiah did not have much of the Old Testament when God call ed on Him. In fact, about all Jeremiah had was the five Books of Moses.

We should be able to see how important it is that we have the complete Word of God today because God called on these great men of God to give us what God has said and then He also given us all these examples.

We must understand the most important thing we can give the Lord, is to be available when He calls having a willing heart, open to the ways of the Lord!

God seeks a heart that is surrendered to Him and this is a person that God can equip to be a servant to those who do not know Him!

What did God say to Moses:

Exo 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Exo 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

There is never an excuse that is good enough to cause God to change His mind, beyond a total rejection!

When we know we are inadequate to commit to the work God has given to us, then we also know that we must give God the glory for any accomplishment that comes by our work!

We must get one thing straight in our minds, it is the Lord and not man who controls the affairs of the world!

We must also understand that God will give His message to those He calls!

*****Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

We are to listen when God speaks.
We are to obey when God commands.
We are to trust when God promises.

When we get these three things mastered, then we are almost ready to serve the Lord!

These things cannot be accomplished without a New Birth!

To be “Born Again” is to be changed from our own unrighteousness into the perfect righteousness of the Lord, one day at a time.

When we are adopted into the family of God, our Heavenly Father will begin to teach us about Holiness, and not just any holiness, but the holiness of His Dear Son!

We must also understand that every “Babe in Christ” needs sometime to be discipled in the ways of the Lord. It can only happen as the Lord touches their lips and gives them His Words!

Then what comes out of our mouths must reflect the Word of God!

Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

When the Lord calls us and equips us, then He will direct us to where we are to go.

*****Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

What was Jeremiah’s calling?

Jeremiah was to tell these people what God had planned, if there was no repentance.

Jeremiah was to be a Prophet called of God and what Jeremiah said would certainly be the truth!

If the children of Israel would repent and turn back to God, He would plant them on their lands and they could build into a great nation.

If there was no repentance, then God would root out the evil and forsake His people who had forsaken Him.

God would pull down the magnificent structures of David and Solomon, even the Temple and no one would be able to escape these things.

God would destroy their homeland. We already know that the land belonging to Israel became a wilderness and desert until these people returned to this land.

We know that God did all these things just has His Prophet had said!

Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

But God never forgets what He has already done!

Jer 31:28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.
Jer 31:29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.
Jer 31:30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

There was a partial fulfilling of these things when King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their nation in the 70 years that Jeremiah had said.
There would a greater fulfilling of this prophecy in our day, as Israel returns to the land God had given to them as most every prophet foretold.

*****Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

In Palestine, the Almond tree is the first tree to bloom and the first tree to bear fruit.

We should understand from this vision that Jeremiah was the only prophet to see most of his prophesy’s fulfilled before he died but this does not mean we are to skip over this great book. It fact we would be foolish to do so!

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

This statement includes the Book of Jeremiah!

These things mean that we must always be aware of the things happening around us at our home and in our world but most important of all we must be aware of what is happening to Israel!

We must always realize that God will absolutely do as He says if He does not see the repentance that He lovingly asks for!

When God says, “behold I come quickly”, He means what He says here also!

The blossoms of the almond tree were a sure sign that Winter was over, and Spring had begun.

We must understand that when we see events take place that have been described by the prophets, it teaches us that God’s will is taking place just as He said. God will always be true to His Word!

In the Book of Ezekiel, we see these words.

Eze 7:10 Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
Eze 7:11 Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.
Eze 7:12 The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

Jeremiah would preach the truth of repentance all his days but much like Noah, the Word of God would be rejected, and God would do just as He said.

Over and over we see in the Old Testament that God speaks by His priest and prophets and the nation of Israel will reject the Word of God and most times, it is the sin of pride that has gotten in their veins.

We should never believe that the Lord is waiting for certain things to take place, when He is watching them take place.

Nothing catches the Lord off guard!

He has known the ending from the beginning, all the way back to before He created our world and said, “let there be light”.

There is not one thing that can catch the Lord God Almighty off guard!

Psa 111:6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
Psa 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
Psa 111:8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

God does not change! The Old Testament is full of examples of what God has already done and we are to learn from our mistakes also, because we know the God will never change His ways.

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

When the Lord Comes, He will come quickly!

Again, the Lord shows Jeremiah another vision.

*****Jer 1:13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

A seething pot would be like a kettle full of rapidly boiling water.

The seething pot shows us the terror and confusion that would fill the city of Jerusalem when her enemies came, and they would come from the North.

The word “seething” found in the Strong’s Dictionary means: blow, breath, give up, cause to lose [life], seething, snuff out.

The word “pot” can also mean a thorn (as springing up rapidly); by implication a hook: – caldron, fishhook, pan, ([wash-]) pot, thorn.

That word “North” means not only direction, it but also means gloomy and unknown.

We will see that, all these words speak of a siege of Jerusalem, which we know took place by King Nebuchadnezzar.

The patience of God was wearing thin for Jerusalem and the nation of Judah, and these things speak of a time when these Jews would see terror and confusion like they had never seen before.

We need to understand that when we speak of the Word of God, then we must see it clearly ourselves! This is another reason God says for us to study the Scriptures.

When we understand what God is saying “good or bad” we must never be ashamed to tell it to others!

God will always use the things in His own creation to teach us these Biblical truths!

In the New Testament Jesus Christ used parables to teach and each parable would teach a Heavenly truth.

Nowhere in all the Scriptures will we ever see that God uses fables to teach His truth! A fable is never a truth!

We may also notice that just before these visions, Jeremiah had confessed his ignorance and inability to do what God was calling him to do!

A good thought is, it is not the gift of sight, used here on Jeremiah that distinguishes one man from another, it is the gift hearing, where we can say, “we hear a voice that those who are lost cannot hear!

Rom_10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

This is God’s way during the Church Age!

Jeremiah was not to show these people of Judah great and powerful things; his job was to preach the words God had given to him through the Holy Spirit!

It should be obvious that those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, will see the wrath of God!

Sin has a penalty.
Sin has consequences.
When we live in wickedness, we condemn our ourselves to the “judgement of God”

We will die and be forever separated from a Holy God who tried His best to save this entire world and is still trying to convince those who do not know Him to seek Him, so they can also know Him!

God will never beg us to obey His truths, but He will try to convince us that His Words are true, by using some human.

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

For those who are lost and reject the Word of God, there is an evil that is surely coming to them!

These things are all true because, it is Jehovah that sits on His Throne in Heaven and He is His Own Counselor!

*****Jer 1:15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
Jer 1:16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

We should understand that when the Lord takes His time to teach us heavenly things, it is good that we follow His teachings!

Preaching God’s Judgment would be a very hard thing to do for Jeremiah. He loved his nation, but he loved his Heavenly Father much more!

We are wrong when we do not share the bad news to non-believers, but we are even more wrong when we do not share God’s “Good News” of the “Saving Grace” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah had one task, he was to preach only the words the Lord gave to him!

Not philosophies.
Not psychologies.
Not ideas.
Not theologies.
Not according to their own beliefs.

*****Jer 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

God warns us of our own backsliding.
God warns us of quitting on Him.
God warns us of turning away from His Word!

Whatever mission God has chosen for us, we must complete that mission!

God explains to each of us that our mission is to deliver His Words!
God explains to us that we must go to where we are sent!

God is always responsible for the outcome of His Words rightly divided!
God will also avenge those who are persecuted for doing what He has said to do!

If we twist the Word of God into some other meaning, then we should fear the wrath of God.
If we are faithful to do what God asks us to do, then we have no reason to fear the wrath of God. It is just that simple!

When we gird up the loins of our mind, it is saying we are prepared to get into the battle with the truth of God our only weapon and our faith is our armament, our shield!

God warns us against backsliding and turning away from our task. Remember when we turn and run there is no armor on our backside but the armor we wear cannot be penetrated from the front!

To gird up our loins is to be prepared to enter this battle with evil and to not look back!

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

We are on the winning side and we must never forget that this is true!

*****Jer 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Jer 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

We know from reading the Book of Jeremiah, that he was known as the weeping prophet but here we can also know that Jeremiah was given a strength that no power on earth could overcome!

Jeremiah was invincible until the task God had chosen for him was complete!

The truth is that Jeremiah would outlive every insult that he received!

Notice that if all those in the land turned against Jeremiah he would still triumph over them.
Notice if was a king with all the power of a king, Jeremiah would triumph over him.
Notice if it was all the priests , Jeremiah would still triumph.

Then God said, they will certainly fight against Jeremiah, but they would not be able to overcome Jeremiah!

Why should we ever worry when we do what God tells us to do!

Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

We already know that the Lord is no respecter of persons and what he did for Jeremiah, He will do for you!

God did not ever say Jeremiah would not suffer and He did. The Lord said we will be persecuted!

God just told Jeremiah that He was on the winning side! The Lord has placed each of us that know Him also on the winning side.

If we read the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, on toward the back of the Book, it plainly states that all those who love the Lord are on the winning side.

Never allow this world to teach you differently! We live in world filled with losers who need to know how to get on the winning side!

Amen

Let’s Pray!

Being Faithful is Loving the Lord Jesus Christ

February 25, 2018 / Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments

Counted Faithful

Book of 1 Timothy 1:1-20

Paul, the ambassador for Jesus Christ our King, is writing to his dear son in the “Gospel”, Timothy.

The most important job of the Church is share the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ and to make disciples just as Paul has made a disciple of Timothy and then went further in his teaching when God called Timothy to be a Pastor.

Anything else is secondary to this function.

1) The disciple must first believe the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
2) The disciple must rest on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all our sins.
3) The disciple must be absorbed with the Holy Spirit.
4) The disciple must imitate the example of Jesus Christ so close, that he resembles Him. (This is what Christ-Like means, a Christian)

Timothy became such a disciple and later he was called of God to become a Pastor.

*****1Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

The authority to call anyone into the service of God must come from God Himself! We cannot call ourselves to be a Pastor!

We can rest assured that Paul, then named Saul, was truly an apostle specifically called by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also notice that Paul knew that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is God and Savior, one person of the Holy Trinity!

Paul also new that all our hope lies in the truth of the “Gospel” and in all the Word of God!

So, we must clearly understand that Jesus Christ is our only hope for salvation!

Jesus Christ is the love of God shown to us in His Son!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus Christ is the author of our hope.
Jesus Christ is the object of our hope.
Jesus Christ is the foundation of our hope!

God has provided the only means of salvation to every person since the resurrection of His Dear Son.

If God had not loved us and have a plan of salvation from the beginning, then no one could be saved!

Paul spoke with such authority because these epistles to Timothy and Titus will be considered the Pastoral Epistles and this is a specific calling of God.

Paul expected young Timothy to share these epistles with all the church.

All the epistles of Paul were passed from church to church!

The question comes up many times by those who are full of pride, why should the church make disciples?

The answer lies in the truth that all the world is enslaved by sin!

These people are gripped by spiritual death and are too blind to see it.

These people are doomed to face the judgment of God and they need someone to tell them the truth!

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Timothy needed to hear these things from Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ, who was also the same messenger of God who had led him to the Lord.

*****1Ti 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why is it so important that our children be taught the Word of God? Because on occasion you get a Timothy!

His mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois had prepared this young man in the Old Testament Word of God at a very young age as it was written in the laws of Moses. They had also been converted on Paul’s first trip to Lystra.

2Ti 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Timothy was just a child when Paul had first come to Lystra. He was probably no mare that 10 to 12 years old when Paul led him to the Lord. He was no more than 18 when Paul returned on his second missionary trip and had grown so much in the Scriptures that Paul took Timothy with him and treated him as his son.

1Co 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

Timothy became so likeminded in the Scriptures as Paul, that Paul said his mind was at one with Timothy.

Php 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
Php 2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

From this point on, Timothy would travel with Paul or would be sent by Paul to other locations.

Timothy may not have reached the age 30 years old, when Paul left him at Ephesus to correct the errors in doctrine that had made their way into this church.

The problems in Ephesus was not only from the Judaizers but many of the Greeks tried to bring parts of their pagan worship into the Church

**Timothy had been saved by the “Grace” of God just like every Christian is saved.

The “Grace” of God is revealed in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ died, to redeem us from all our sin.
Jesus Christ died, to raise up a peculiar people a people set apart for His use.
Jesus Christ died, to stir us into good works like the works that He did.

All these came because of the ‘”Mercy” of God.

The “mercy” of God came to us because of His compassion for us, His love for us, and His pity for us!

God has mercy for us because He truly cares about all His creation, especially we of human race..

God sees our needs and provide our needs and the greatest need we had, was to be in harmony with our God!

Because of God’s “mercy” He has withheld His judgement of us, even though we deserve His wrath.

All those who do not know the mercy of God do not know God at all!

The peace of God means, we are bound together with the Lord Jesus Christ and secure in the love of God!

If we know the peace of God, we can then be at peace with God!

Timothy knew all these things and was a willing young Pastor to serve God, wherever he was sent!

*****1Ti 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

What was Timothy’s job at Ephesus? Timothy was charged to defend the truth of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

This must be the charge of every Pastor, Missionary, and Evangelist!

This must be the same charge to every “Born Again” child of God!

It is a fact, that all false teachers teach a false doctrine because, they cannot know God. Only those filled with the Holy Spirit who will only come by acknowledging the truth of Jesus Christ that can have such knowledge

Paul had gotten the Macedonian call at this time and the Holy Spirit was at work in Paul, yet he felt Ephesus could not be abandoned at this time, so it was Timothy who had to stay there to lead this church back to the truth.

Paul had warned this church that false teachers would come, and it is also a fact that we need to understand, false teachers will make an attempt to cause problems in every church!

We simply must guard against all those who attempt to corrupt the Word of God!

We must demand that our teachers and preachers teach the truth of the Word of God and the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ!

We can see that Timothy even at this young age, was strong enough in the Word of God, that Paul trusted him to work that truth into this church.

There is also no one on the face of this earth who has the authority to change the Word of God!

In the day of Timothy there were many of the Jewish faith who made attempts to stop Christianity.

There were also many from the pagan Greeks who wanted to incorporate Christianity into their own beliefs.

Some say this was the beginning of the Catholic church.

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

There were many who taught fables rather than the truth of God.

Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

There were those that wanted the Christians to abide by the Laws of Moses.

Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

The true Word of God, does not contain fables as some say! Fables are any fictional teaching of the Scriptures.

The Lord Jesus taught using with parables, but He never taught using fables and neither should any man of God!

There is nothing contained in the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures that suggest the use of fables!

2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

That word “genealogies” is the teaching of those who take comfort in their godly heritage.

As Christians we can look back to the faith of Abraham because the Scriptures point us to him.

The truth is, we cannot be saved just because Abraham had such a great faith.
We cannot be saved just because we have godly parents or godly grandparents.

We must accept the Lord Jesus Christ ourselves in a faith such as Abraham had in trusting God, as our personal Savior and there is no other means of salvation period! *****End of discussion!

What did Jesus say?

Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

It is only because of the love of God, that we get this opportunity to be saved!

*****1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

Those false teachers had put empty discussions of the Law ahead of the “Love of God”!

The church is to teach love for one another, just as God loves each of us!

What had Jesus said?

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

When there is no love in a church, then there can be no church!

It is also a terrible sin to compromise the Word of God, just to get more members or to keep the ones you already have!

*****1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

The teacher or preacher must not allow ambition to cloud their understanding of the truth!

To make disciples as preachers and teachers, the church must focus on learning as well as teaching!

When those who do not know the Lord ask why we love the Scriptures, we should just say, “because we have a personal relationship with the Author”.

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

We must also understand that the Laws of Moses had their purpose in the day of Paul, just as they do today!
Those laws point out that we are all sinners who cannot measure up to our Savior!

*****1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

The Scriptures were not written for those who already think they know it all. Nobody can teach these people!
The Scriptures were not written for those who want to do it their own way. This what Elvis said and the theme of humanism!
The Scriptures were not written for those so full of pride, who think they are much better than all others. Pride was the downfall of Lucifer (Satan).

The Scriptures were written for those who know they are sinners in need of a Savior!

False teachers will always put pride and self-righteousness above the Word of God!

False teachers would say, to be saved required you to give yourselves to Christ, but also you needed to add to this the obedience of Judaism to be truly saved!

False teachers will always reject that salvation can come only by the free gift of the “Grace” of God alone!

False teachers will confuse everyone on the gifts of God!

The law is good if it is used properly! The law teaches us what God considers to be sin. There are 613 Jewish laws and not just those 10 commandments.

Those laws can only teach us how far short we come when compared to the goodness of God which was in the Lord Jesus Christ!

False teachers will also teach that God had a set of scales to weigh our goodness against the things we do that are bad and whichever one came out on top would determine if you went to Heaven or to Hell.

But God says we have no goodness, “which is righteousness” to put on our good side.

Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

There is nothing wrong with being good, but no amount of goodness will get you saved!

God is a perfect God and we cannot come face to face with God until we are also perfect!

God gave all those laws to show all of us, that we had a great need of a Savior!

The Law was given to all those who are lawless and disobedient.
The law was given to the ungodly and sinners.
The law was given to those who are unholy and profane.
The law was given to those murderers who are so low that they would kill their own families.
The law was given to all those who commit fornication, and adultery, and homosexuals and all immoral people.
The law was given to all those who trade in slavery, and kidnappers.
The law was given to all liars and those who commit perjury.
The law was given to anything else that goes against the truth of the Word of God.

There is no one left out of this list because we are all sinners!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

False teachers just do not understand the truth of God or they will reject the truth of God!

God has made a way for every human being upon this earth to join Him in Heaven and that way is by the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must never be deceived. It is the truth of the “Gospel” that is the only way to become perfect enough to join God in Heaven!

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The Gospel is described as “glorious”.
The Gospel is described as “everlasting”.
The “gospel” is the unchanging, perfect, Word of God!

All those who come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal relationship, will tell you how great it is to know the truth of Jehovah, the saving God!

*****1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

There are no true ministers of the “Gospel” unless they are called by Christ Himself!
There are no true ministers unless they came by “faith”, trusting the Lord!

It was Jesus Christ who enabled Paul to teach the truth of the “Gospel”.

Enabled means to strengthen and give power to.

The power of Paul’s ministry came from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The power of every minister of the “Gospel” comes by the Lord Jesus Christ!
The power to continue in the ministry of the “Gospel” comes by the Holy Spirit who is the only path to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

There can be no self-made ministers of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ!

Those that call themselves, can only serve to a humanistic false religion who will lead people into a false sense of security!

It is Jesus Christ who found Paul to be trustworthy, to teach the wonderful Word of God.

It is Jesus Christ who finds any of us to be trustworthy, to teach the truth of the Word of God!

If you preach or teach the truth of the Word of God, God knows those who are faithful to Him!

*****1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Paul had spent some time trying to destroy the Church but by the “Grace”, he had been forgiven.

Paul had committed blasphemy, hating even the name of Jesus Christ.
Paul was the persecutor who first set out to wipe the name of Jesus off the face of this earth.
Paul was injurious to destroy the rights of others who sought the Lord Jesus to be saved.

By God’s “Grace”, Paul was forgiven of all these things but all these things continue by others of the world today and yes, they can also be forgiven.

Paul thought he knew God and that Judaism was the true path to glorify God, but he had been wrong.

Judaism is not the way.
Islam is not the way.
Jehovah’s Witness is not the way.
Mormanism is not the way.
Religion means death.

Christianity is life and leads to eternal life because Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible and has all the authority of God because He is God!

The Lord Jesus poured out His “Grace” onto the Apostle Paul and Paul was gloriously forgiven of all his sin!

None of us are worthy of the “Grace” of God and we can thank God for giving us the Apostle Paul who remained faithful all his days.

God’s “Grace” is sufficient to cover any sin but one and that is the sin of not believeing that The Lord Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible!

We must remain faithful to the Gospel all our days to be of any use to Him!

In fact, when we remain faithful to the Lord, this is when He will pour out blessing after blessing to us all our days!

*****1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Why did the Lord Jesus come to this world? Jesus Christ left Heaven to come to this world to save sinners!

**The Apostle Paul is the greatest of examples of just how far God will go to save a worthless sinner!

It is an indisputable fact, that even the worst of sinners can be saved!

Jesus Christ would save the entire human race if they would only believe that His able to do it!

It is still “faith”, not just any faith, but “faith” in the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

**The Apostle Paul is also the greatest example of God’s “mercy”!

Paul was also chosen to be the pattern of mercy to all those in sin!

It was not easy in that day to bring the “Gospel” to the gentile nations.

The truth of Paul was that if God could save Paul, then God could save anyone!

Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

**The Apostle Paul is our greatest proof of God’s “mercy”!

*****1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

When we know of the glorious salvation that Jesus Christ has given us, we to should break forth into praise!

**Our Savior is the unchanging King of all the ages.

Psa 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

**Our Savior is Immortal, which means He is incorruptible, He cannot age, He cannot deteriorate, He cannot decay within His being. He absolutely cannot die! He is immortal!

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

**Our Savior is invisible! He cannot be seen by people with physical eyes in this physical dimension!

He came, He took all our sin to the lower part of the earth, and He ascended back to His throne!

Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

**Our Savior is the only wise God. “Yes Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible” the stumbling block of this world!

Jud 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

**Our Savior is the only living and true God who can interact with this world!

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Timothy probably had not reached the age of 30 at this time and he needed to be encouraged to become the pastor at Ephesus.

*****1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Each and every believer is called to be in the army of God, but the calling of the Pastor is to do more!

Many a believer fail to realize, that as Christians we are in a great battle, in fact a war and our job is to fight a good fight.

Paul would have had Timothy to be like himself while he was also like Jesus.

2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Timothy was sure he was called of God into the ministry and it was now time for him to begin his ministry.

Every Pastor must be called of God. To be a Pastor is not just another profession as many see it today. It is never another place just to make a living.

Just like every new Pastor, Timothy would find himself right in the middle of spiritual warfare. He had witnessed these many times already, but the Apostle Paul and other Elders had taken charge, but now he would be on his own but not forsaken by the Lord.

The truth is when a person is called into the ministry by the Holy Spirit, he or she must not reject the call. They must jump right into the battle and fight a good warfare.

To reject the call of God is to live in misery!

Sometimes we must be stirred up to get into the battle and Paul was doing this to Timothy here in this passage.

Each ministry is a sacred trust, a sacred commitment to the Lord!

The war we fight, is for the minds and the souls of the lost, some even being of our own family. We must jump right into this conflict if we are called of God.

The Pastor, the highest calling, is God’s instrument to not only be a fisherman of men but, also God’s instrument to teach and make other disciples.

Each Pastor must be faithful to fight a good warfare!

The greatest weapon of defense is the shield of “faith”.

Good conscience is that conviction that our course of conduct is right, and it is accompanied by an obligation to the truth of God.

Conscience is our sense of right and wrong!

Conscience does not come by training, because each of us are born with a sense of right and wrong.

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Though conscience does not come by training or education, it must still be developed and matured!

A good and healthy conscience comes by living a godly and righteous life before our Savior!

It is Holy Ghost conviction, that works with our conscience for us to discern right and wrong!

It is that same conscience, under conviction of the Holy Spirit, that convicts us of sin.

Rom 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

The word conscience is used 31 times in the New Testament.

There is the good conscience.
There is the conscience void of offense.
There is the weak conscience.
There is the pure conscience.
There is the seared conscience of which we see more of today.
There is the defiled conscience which has been around since the sin of Adam.
There is the evil conscience.

And the most frightening thing we can do with our conscience, is to put it away.

If we put away our conscience concerning our faith, we will be shipwrecked.

Shipwrecked means our faith is destroyed!

Hymenaeus put away his conscience by denying the true doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Alexander the coppersmith also rejected the truth of God.

Paul delivered them to Satan which means:

1) They were excommunicated from the Church and left out in the world with the hope that they would come to the truth of the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ. (We never read where they made a change)

2) The were given back to the world, which is under the power of Satan.

The church would then pray that some circumstance would happen to them out in the world that they might repent and return to the church and accept the truth of the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is, it is impossible to commit sin and escape the chastisement of the Lord!

The Lord says we will reap what we sow!

There remains also the Spiritual power that inflicts punishment for sin.

Even modern medicine agrees that misbehavior causes physical, emotional and mental punishment.

And we must always remember that church discipline is put in place, in order that those who receive the discipline may return to Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

The Lord always knows what is best for His Church!

Amen

Spiritual Stability

December 31, 2017 / Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

The Blessing of Spiritual Stability

Book of Ephesians 3:14-21

Stability can be defined as: Steadiness; stableness; firmness of character; strength to stand without being moved or overthrown.

We live in a world of hopelessness. This is another great reason why we cannot allow the world to get into our places of worship.

Hopelessness is a state of being desperate, being without hope of any kind.

As the Apostle Paul continued to write such graceful words, guided by the Holy Spirit, some people could look at his situation, in prison and awaiting execution, and decide that there was not a great future in this thing called being a Christian.

The Apostle Paul understood the thoughts of such a people, but we must realize that the benefits of having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ far outweighs the hopelessness of not knowing our Savior!

Another great thing we will learn in this passage is that the church that prays together, stays together!

The greatest prayer in the Bible is the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ in Chapter 17 of the Book of John.

The model prayer, the Lord teaches us in the Book of Matthew 6:9-13 may be the most quoted prayer in the Scriptures but this prayer of Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit may be the greatest prayer of the Church.

We should also remember how the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for Peter.

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jesus also prayed for this lost world as we should. This world is ignorant of the truth of God!

Luk_23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; “for they know not what they do”.

When Satan has lost any power, he held over us when we gave our heart to Jesus Christ, then Satan still has a great desire to ruin the testimony of each Christian.

The Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the Church.

Here we will see where the Apostle Paul prays for the Church.

It is in our best interest for us all to pray not only for the Church but for each other!

So, let’s hear Paul’s prayer for the Church.

*****Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

If we bow in prayer to anyone or anything other than our Father in Heaven we are committing blasphemy.

Even the Lord Jesus Christ bowed to His Father in Heaven!

We should also realize that this phrase by Paul means we need to have the right attitude of prayer.

There is no specific bodily posture that is necessary for Spiritual worship! For some kneeling may be impossible.

Kneeling denotes humbleness and we must always be humble before our loving but very powerful God!

Kneeling also denotes a desperate need. There is a desperate need for the church to be strong today and we also need to pray as Paul prayed for the church.

We must also have an attitude of submissiveness!

We must submit to the Lord! If we cannot submit to the Lord, then we are not saved!

We can talk to God anytime we so choose, when we have a prayerful attitude.

Even more times than that, we will have a “cause” to go before the Lord.

When we have a specific cause, then we must be willing to explain things very well before the Lord. We can have unspoken request within a body of believers but not when we have a specific request while in our closet!

We cannot say to the Lord, I have an unspoken prayer request even though He already knows!

We have a great need for many things in our war with evil and the things of this world, so one of our greatest needs is the “strength” to deal with them.

We should notice that this prayer of Paul was in the will of God. God wants His Church to be strong against the evils of this world to do this we must be in the will of God.

The safest place for any of us is being in the will of God!

It is God who gave birth to the Church and it is God who will see the Church succeed until the time of the fulness of the Gentiles!

Notice Paul does not just pray to a father but to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who came into this world to reveal the One true God to us!

Having “faith” in anyone but the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ will yield no results and no salvation!

We must be utterly dependent on this God. Jehovah God of the Bible, the God that saves, there is no other God!

The world may know a god who is distant and unconcerned with humanity but because of the Lord Jesus Christ we can know the true God who likes it up close and personal and in fact will abide within each of us.

When Paul prayed to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he prayed to the God who could hear his prayer and then also able to answer his prayer.

Our God is alive!

*****Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

The truth of our God is that He is the Father of every believer from the time of Adam, all those who have trusted in the fulfillment of His promises!

There is the family of angels who have trusted and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than go after Lucifer and there are the “children of God” who have placed their faith in the things of God.

Just think when we get to Heaven, we will not only see the Lord Jesus but, we will see Adam, and Abraham, and David and every Saint that is mentioned in the Scriptures who have gone on Home, before us.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

They may have carried the name Christian on Earth, but they carry the name “child of God” in every location!

Paul knew that to survive the evil in this world would require strength but not just any strength but the strength of God, the Holy Spirit.

*****Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

The Lord Jesus Christ indicated that after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit(Holy Ghost) would begin a new ministry to believers in the Church Age, that was unlike the Old Testament Ages.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

In the Old Testament, except for a few instances, (Joshua, David and a few others) the Holy Spirit was with the Old Testament Saints, but He was not “within” the Old Testament Saints.

In the New Testament Saint, the Holy Spirit will live within each believer, as a gift from God and He will never leave that believer!

2Co 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
2Co 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

1Th 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit

1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

This event takes place at salvation!

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

When we have strength that we do not understand. it is because we are endowed with God the Holy Spirit!

1Co_6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Being endowed with the “gift” of the Holy Spirit at “salvation” shows the ownership of God!

This strength is needed not for some miracle like as the time of the Apostles, but this strength is needed by our inner man to take control of our flesh in the name of the Lord!

The glory of God is in Himself and no one can match the resources of God! The strength mentioned here is would be spiritual firmness against the evils of this world.

As Christians we must be “tough” in a Spiritual sense. We must have the energy to come face to face with this world and win!

We win because we are on the “Winning Side”!

Without this strength we could not overcome this body of flesh and we would be wide open to being made useless to God.

Without this strength we would never be able to lay claim to the blessings of God.

Without this strength we would fear everything that the natural man fears!

How do we know God will answer our prayer, He lives within us and the riches of God’s glory are in His Son Jesus Christ?

It says, who do you love? If you truly love the Lord, you will able to receive the riches of God’s glory!

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

God’s “Grace” is sufficient because within us, lies the greatest power in all the universe!

*****Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

The key to be a Christian is for Jesus Christ to dwell in our heart, “by faith”.

We receive the absolute fulness of God into our own spirit with that thing called “faith”!

When we go forth filled with God there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. There is no battle with evil that we cannot win and there is no evil that can break us down!

A.W. Tozer said, “A man who is intimate with God is not intimidated by man”

When Jesus Christ dwells in our heart then He will rule, and that word dwell means to set up a permanent residence and not a temporary dwelling.

Jesus Christ not only lives within our heart, but He makes us aware of it!

When the entire body of believers of any congregation have such an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that church will be a force in the community where it resides.

Just as the mighty oak tree is rooted to withstand the nature of this world, each Christian must be deeply rooted in Jesus Christ and each member of each congregation must be deeply rooted in that Church to grow as a weapon in the army of God.

In electrical work, a system of electricity must be bonded, grounded, to make a sure connection, to provide the system to work properly and for the safety of those things that are handled by those who use them.

As Christians we must be bonded to Jesus Christ with a sure connection that will endure forever.

The Love of Christ is that sure connection and it works both ways.

Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

When we look real hard at this prayer of Paul for the Church it was much like the Prayer the Lord Jesus prayed for the church!

When we understand that we have the entire Holy Trinity living within us and through “faith” that power is available to us, we should be able to notice the difference in our actions because it will be God working within us!

We do all these things so as Christians we have the same understanding of the Word of God, God’s love letter to everyone who will believe in “faith”!

*****Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

That word “able” means having sufficient knowledge of God to make the right decisions for the good of the Church.

Having a full understanding of the Spiritual things of God!

God explains His plan repeatedly in most any part of the Scriptures and it this plan that must be down in the inner part of each believer, so each believer can act on this knowledge in this physical world.

These things can only begin once we have the Lord Jesus Christ living in our heart.

We should understand, just because God wanted to, He has done so much for us while we were His enemies, that we just cannot comprehend it all!

God’s love for is such a quantity that it cannot be measured!

Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
Job 11:8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
Job 11:9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

One of our greatest prayers should be for God to increase our understanding of Him!

The more we understand, the simpler it will be for us to be an outreach to teach God’s plan to others and as a body of believers we should all be on the same page.

When we add all these things up, being rooted and grounded, deeply fixed, firmly established in His love, and with one another as He commands, we will also have an amount of “love” that we cannot even fathom!

In fact, this applies to all the things of God!

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

It is obvious, that to understand these things, we must have a close and prosperous and very personal relationship with the Holy Spirit that lives within each of us!

We should also understand that only a very small but a very important part of the words of Christ have been preserved, the rest we will learn when we get to Heaven.

Joh_21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

The vastness of the love and knowledge of the Lord just simply cannot be measured!

The ultimate goal for each believer is to reach the fulness of God, which is perfection!

Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

It is only those who are perfect that will dwell with God throughout eternity!

There is nothing that anyone can add to these words! For anyone to detract from this truth, would be an attempt change the truth of God!

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

It is extremely important that we take on the image of Jesus Christ!

Mat 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

To be the image of Christ is so important that it could be said to be the theme of the New Testament and it is!

Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Rom 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

We should surely understand that it is not only the Holy Ghost that lives within us, but the entire Holy Trinity abides within each believer.

The fulness of God is the Triune God!

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

First the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Then the Lord Jesus, the Son and His Father, who is also our Father!

To be saved we must pray to the Lord Jesus Christ that He would move into our Heart.
We must pray to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
Now we see we must pray for the fulness of God to move into our soul!

We are to constantly pray for all these things and the Lord Jesus has already said the Comforter will never leave us, nor would He ever forsake us.

This means the Holy Spirit will never leave us for any reason and this means we cannot lose the gift of salvation that God has freely given to us!

We can miss so many things when we do not study the Scriptures!

So, who can truthfully do all these things?

*****Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

It is our “faith” that limits the blessings of God and not that He is able to go far beyond our request!

God simply says, we limit our own blessings for a lack of “faith”!

Jas_4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

We limit our own blessings, but God has no limit to His power!

God is able to go far beyond what we ask of Him!

Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Jer 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

God said if we had enough “faith” we could move a tree:

Luk_17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

In fact, God said if we had enough faith we could move a mountain:

Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

As much as we talk about our faith, the only faith we have is the faith that God gave us to be saved and we must increase our “faith” as we know more about our Savior!

Rom_12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

We ought to be begging God to increase our “faith”!

Jesus said we lacked much fasting in our prayer life.

We must give up something for God to give up something to us!

Food and water sustain our life so, to fast shows God, we are willing to trust Him for our life.

So as Paul closes out this passage, he makes us aware that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask.

The most important thing we can do for ourselves is to live our lives so that we know our prayer will reach into the throne room of God.

God can go far beyond what we ask and believe it or not, God can go far beyond even what we think, but God will only give us what we need to remain in His will even if we ask in the greatest “faith”. Sometimes God’s best answer to our request is “No”!

We know that God first created each us from the elements of the soil, but God could just as well have used stones!

Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

God can even fulfill promises that are humanly impossible!

Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

God can subdue all things to Himself!

Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

God can save us to the uttermost!

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

That power that works within us is the Holy Spirit and it is from Him where this power comes from according to this Scripture and God will never lie to us!

Above all we must remember that God will only do these things if they bring Him the Glory, as it should be!

How long is God to be glorified? Throughout all Ages, world without end!

God lives in infinity and we will soon join Him there!

As these days pass by, let’s do our best not to limit the power of God in our lives.

We need to pray that God will increase our faith and realize that if it is important enough to us then we also need to fast!

Amen.

Let’s Pray!

We Can Be Certain Of Christ’s Future Glory

May 8, 2016 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Certainty Of Christ’s Future Glory

Book of Luke 9

Since His days as a babe in the arms of His mother Mary, Jesus Christ knew exactly what He would go through. Jesus knew everything that lied ahead of Him in the days He would spend on this earth.

Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Jesus did not say He “would” suffer, He said He “must” suffer!

The suffering of Jesus Christ was a necessary to be obedient to His Father in Heaven!

The Father’s will was the Son’s law!

The entire nation of Israel had looked for the Messiah and having rejected Jesus the Messiah, many of them are still looking for the Messiah to come.

These people had not grasped the full meaning of the Messiah as written in the Old Testament Scriptures.

The work that the Lord Jesus Christ was sent to accomplish demanded the cross!

Messiah came first to redeem His people!

These Jews could only see His sovereignty, His power, and His glory!

They could only see His ruling and His reigning on this earth which will come later.

We can see that Jesus accepted the things that were about to happen to Him!

His willing acceptance of all these things were required. It was love that would be nailed to that cross along with all our sin!

There were 3 Jewish groups who would take the lead in killing Jesus.

The elders, the respected men of the community. Israel had no government of it’s own at this time.

The chief priests, the religious system that was in place.

The scribes, who made copies of the Scriptures but taught the oral law.

Men from these 3 groups made up the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Jewish justice.

We can see why we must have men on our own Supreme Court who are not politically motivated even today!

Jesus Christ was to bear His cross for all mankind!

BUT, there was another cross, a cross man was to bear for the Messiah!

To be a disciple of Jesus would bring it’s own suffering!

*****Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The truth is that following the Lord Jesus Christ entails a “daily” willingness to die for Him!

We all have the tendency to indulge ourselves in our own desires.

The Lord Jesus, in His own words says that “we are to deny ourselves daily”, in order to become His disciple!

Taking up our own cross refers to a condemned man hauling his own cross to the place of execution.

Jesus Christ did this very thing and He is our example even in this thing!

Each of us must follow Jesus and not someone else of this earth!

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

The modern day Church has forgotten that we are to be like Christ.

Jesus Christ is to be our example in everything that we face!

No doubt these Jews knew exactly what the cross stood for. They had seen many criminals bearing their cross to the place of execution!

Part of the execution by the cross was the public display in places where it was easily seen by all people.

We should understand the our own cross does not mean we are to bear life’s hardships.

It does not mean we are to bear poor health, or abuse by the government, or the abuse of our parents, or our spouse or even a wayward child!

The cross is an instrument of death! We are to die to ourselves!

We are to die mentally and actively to the things of this world and we are to do this daily!

We are to have the mind of Christ!

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This is not a negative behavior because it is a positive behavior!

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

When we die to ourselves we become alive to God!

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

This is when God can make a use of us!

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

We need to understand what life really means.

*****Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Life as we know it on this earth quickly passes away!

We are born as babes and then the aging process begins and we fade and decay until there is only a lifeless corpse buried in some grave.

This in itself defeats all the laws of evolution. We never evolve we only decay just as all the things in our universe are doing the same!

When we work only to please ourselves we will lose our life eternally!

Life is not something that we possess!

1Ti 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

Life is given by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

God gave us this life we have now in order that we may have fellowship with Him.

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

God gave us this life in order that we might fellowship with one another.

Psa 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.
Psa 119:64 The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.

God gave us this life in order that we be able to help save this world that is lost in sin!

Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
We should be able to see that life is only real when we release ourselves to serve the Triune God!

There are no advantages to a life without Christ Jesus!

*****Luk 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

If we sit down and think about these words of Jesus we can come to only one conclusion.

There are no eternal advantages of materialism!

There are actually some men who devote their time in pursuit of gaining all the riches this world, though that be impossible.

The truth of all those that reject Jesus Christ is that they will truly be cast into the Burning Lake of Fire.

Mat 25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Those that live only for themselves are actually wasting their lives on themselves.

Those that deny themselves and pick up their own cross and follow Jesus make their lives count for something that is truly important!

To be castaway is to suffer loss of, or to forfeit, To Lose What Is Of A Greater Value!

*****Luk 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Luk 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

The truth is no man on the same level of man in their moral nature could ever be a Savior!

The judgment on the materialist of this world will be tragic.

Most of mankind are ashamed when they come face to face with the Word of God!

Most of mankind actually find comfort in their acceptance in a society of unbelievers.

Most of mankind find comfort in the sinful pleasures of this world.

The truth is Jesus will return to judge this world!

**Jesus will return in His own glory:

Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

**Jesus will return in the glory of God:

1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

**Jesus will return in the glory of the Angels:

Luk 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luk 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

When Jesus Christ returns in His glory He will be ashamed of all those that have rejected Him and who showed their shame in Him!

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Here on earth the greatest reward is salvation!

BUT, the reward to those who are saved is God’s Kingdom!

Each believer has his place reserved in the Kingdom of God as soon as he believes!

Standing before Jesus this day were some who would be eyewitness of His death and resurrection.

Standing before Jesus that day were some who would witness the coming of the Holy Spirit.

And standing before Jesus that day would be some who would be eyewitnesses to His glory!

And now we see the the certainty of Christ’s future glory.

*****Luk 9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

Peter, James, and John could be said to be the inner circle of the 12 disciples.

They were all partners in the fishing business before coming to Christ and they would become fishers of men.

What we know is the Jesus had just announced His death on the cross it seems that God knew He needed a very special strength to face the pressure of the cross.

That added strength would come in His transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The disciples also would need some added strength and these three of the inner circle would witness the transfiguration, the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter.

God gave them a glimpse of the glory of His Son!

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

And then Jesus began to pray.

We should know that the weight of the sin of the world, including our own sin already weighed heavy on Jesus at this time.

We should also know that the time was short before Jesus would give these disciples the keys to the Church.

*****Luk 9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

Luke says His countenance was altered and His raiment was white and glistering.

Matthew said His face did shine as the Sun.

Mark wrote His raiment became shining exceeding whits as snow as no fuller could white them.

On this day was Jesus seen in all His glory and in just a few days He would be unrecognizable!

Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

But God had a purpose for all these things.

God was showing these men that Jesus was not only the Master teacher, not only the Miracle worker, not only a great Prophet, but that Christ Jesus was indeed a third part of the Triune God!

Jesus allowed His Godly nature to shine through Him.

Even on this day these disciples had no excuse for doubting the Savior!

The needs of these disciples were met but there was also a need of Jesus Himself.

We should understand that when our needs are desperate God will meet those needs in a special way!

We have recently learned that before major decisions are made it takes intense prayer.

We see here that when there are special needs it takes intense prayer!

These things can change our own countenance!

Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Peace and blessedness comes to those who know the Lord!

But God was not through yet.

*****Luk 9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
Luk 9:31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Moses the great Lawgiver appeared to Jesus and they discussed how Jesus would accomplish the fulfillment of the law on the cross in Jerusalem, which is God’s great love for us..

Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

Elijah the great Prophet appeared to Jesus and they discussed how Jesus would accomplish the fulfillment of all the prophets in Jerusalem with His life, His burial, His resurrection and His return a second time.

Luk 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

These two great men of the Old testament were giving strength to the only One who could fulfill the New Testament.

Jesus represented the New Covenant, Moses represents the Old Covenant, Elijah represents the prophesy that would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Peter, James, and John represented the Jews to whom the Covenants of Abraham and of David would be fulfilled.

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Peter, James and John also represented the Apostles who would have the keys to building the Church!

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Peter was not that rock but Christ the Son of the Living God is that solid rock foundation of the Church of the Living God!

We should notice that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to accomplish the wishes of His Father in Heaven.

Jesus, the man. clearly understood the details of the great work which He and His Father were soon to accomplish in Jerusalem!

Both Moses and Elijah had trusted, and believed and hoped in this day when God would provide the means of salvation for all people, of all generations!

The truth is all our faith, and all our hope are realized and fulfilled in Christ Jesus!

That’s why it is called “Grace”!

Gal 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Gal 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Today we truly think of death as a bad thing but in reality to the Christian, death is a good thing and we should discuss our death with other Christians.

Php 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Sharing the knowledge of our home going can be an encouragement to others!

But Peter “with the foot shaped mouth” needed to learn another lesson along with James and John.

*****Luk 9:32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
Luk 9:33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

The Lord Jesus had brought had brought these three chosen disciples to be witness of this event.

Luk 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

They all had fallen asleep again while Jesus was praying but they were suddenly awaken by the “Shekinah Glory” of God.

They were in the very presence of God Himself and they knew they were on hallowed ground!

These disciples at once saw the source of the Lord Jesus’ strength.

The throne of God is in Heaven but at this time the throne of Jesus Christ would be the cross.

It was good for them to be there on the Mount of Transfiguration!

Transfiguration is a change in form!

It is during the Church Age that we all stand on the Mount of Transfiguration and see the Glory of the Cross!

But we cannot spend the rest of our lives on the Mountain Top!

We cannot build shelter and homes and stay on the mountain top.

God calls us all down into the valley to spread the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”!

When God has revealed in us the glory of His Son then we are to consecrate our lives to the work the Lord has given us to do just as He gave to all His disciples.

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Just like Peter, we may not know what to say to these things but God will give us the answers!

*****Luk 9:34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
Luk 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

Most of the time God will speak to us in His still voice but but Peter, James, and John heard something else on this day.

When you are in the presence of God you will realize just how puny we human are compared to the awesomeness of the Almighty God!

**This was a bright cloud.

This cloud was bright because it contained the Shekinah Glory of God.

This was the same cloud that had guided Israel in their 40 years in the wilderness.

This was the same cloud that rested on the Tabernacle that Moses built.

This was the same cloud that rested on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.

This was the same cloud where God dwells.

1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Peter never forgot this day!

**This was a bright cloud that overshadowed the Lord Jesus Christ.

When God gave Moses the laws of the Old Covenant, God came in a dark and overshadowing cloud:

Exo 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

The point being that the Old Covenant was dark and threatening:

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

The New Covenant in the Lord Jesus Christ is bright because it is given to save and to bless and not to threaten and condemn.

Heb 12:18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Heb 12:19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Heb 12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
Heb 12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

Add to this:

Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

**And maybe the most important of all, the voice that came out of the cloud spoke and said “This Is My Beloved SON”!

God has given us the only means of salvation!

God has given us the only chance we will have to get to Heaven!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

**God’s message was very clear when He said “HEAR HIM”!

Those soon to be Apostles were to hear what Jesus had to say!

We are to listen to what Jesus has to say!

God warns and commands every living man, woman, and child to listen to Christ Jesus!

Why?

1Jn 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

Faith is the key that unlocks the Glory of God!

1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

After God speaks He will give us some time to think about His words.

*****Luk 9:36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

Quietness, Jesus was standing alone, No one said spoke the remainder of that night.

These disciples did not speak of these things until after the resurrection and the ascension of Christ back to Heaven.

Once we hear the Word of God, the things that Jesus spoke, there should be a time for silence, a time for being still, and a time for meditating on what Jesus says.

Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psa 83:16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
Psa 83:17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
Psa 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Solomon wrote that there is a time for all things and now is the time for “Grace”!

Now is the time for all the servants of God to spread the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Just as we see that these Apostles saw the glory of Christ, we can be certain of Christ future glory!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Redeemed By Faith

April 19, 2015 / Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

Redeemed By Faith

Galatians 4:1-14

The word “redeemed” means to be delivered from bondage, to be ransomed, to be delivered from the possession of another by making an equivalent payment.

The word “redemption” comes from the Greek word “agorazo” and means making a trip to the market place for the purpose of purchasing. In most cases this phrase referred to the purchase of slaves!

The word “redemption” is used to describe the believer being purchased out of the slave market of sin!

That purchase price was the death of Jesus Christ!

1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Since by our own “Faith” we believe that we are the purchased objects of God’s love and at such a terrible cost, we have become God’s slaves, to do God’s will!

That word “redeemed” comes from the Greek word “exagorazo” which means that Jesus Christ has purchased each believer, by “Faith”, from that slave market and removed them from the slave market altogether and never to return!

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Whosoever by their “Faith” believe that Christ has done this wonderful thing, just because He wanted to, are released from the bondage of sin and slavery to sin!

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

And we now belong to God as a possession!

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

This is the message that we must take to the world!

SO, Let’s begin where we left off last week:

Since the original text did not have chapter and verses let’s add the last verse of chapter 3 to get the full context.

*****Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

We need to remember that false teachers and preachers had come into the churches of Galatia and taught a false doctrine.

They had taught that all Gentiles must first obey the Laws of Moses before they could accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. In other words it was the Law that saved and not Faith!

No doubt we should always try our best to be the best we can, by all standards.

Even God says this:

Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Still the pure fact is that no one can be saved by just being good or being the best we can!

As we go through chapter 4 we will see God’s salvation plan!

In the previous chapters Paul has established that once we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ “by Faith” in the work He has done, we are then sealed with the Holy Spirit and subject to the promises first given to Abraham.

We already know that it is Jesus Christ who was the “Promised Seed” and we are heirs according to the bloodline of Jesus Christ!

S0 Paul continues saying that, even though we are heirs, until we receive our inheritance, we are no more than a child waiting on that inheritance!

Every child is to be obedient to his parents just as any slave or servant is to be obedient to their masters.

What is the point of these things? Paul is saying that until the “appointed time” by that parent, that inheritance was out of reach for that child.

And in comparison, Paul says that while we were lost, there was absolutely nothing that we could do of ourselves to inherit the promises of God, “justification” was out of our reach !

*****Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

What are these elements that Paul is speaking to? The elements of this world refer to all things that men will try to use to get right with God!

What are some of these things?

1) Men have used “laws” and many religions continue to try this method.

2) Men have used “good works” and many religions still try this method.

3) Men have used “rituals and ceremonies”, along with “ceremonial worship” and many religions still try this method.

4) Men have used “church membership and keeping of ordinances” and many still try this method.

5) Men have used “astrology or science” and many still try this method.

6) Men have used “philosophy” or we say “Religion” and many still try to use this method.

What does God say about all of these things?

**God says we need to quit acting like children and understand what He is saying!

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

**God says we need pay attention to Jesus Christ!

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

**God says if you trust in science and astrology, you are trusting in temporary things!

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

**God says to not become subject to the teachings of men!

Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

**God says to not fall into the traps of legalism!

Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

**God says to quit being children being fooled by the things of this world and understand the truth of the Word of God!

1Co 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

**God says listen to the truth, God says “listen to My plan of salvation” and be a part of My plan!

God says listen to the only plan that can make you a part of the promises made to Abraham!

*****Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

We should realize that when Jesus Christ appeared on this world it was not by chance!

Christ’s coming was according to the Word of God.

Jesus Christ first came to this earth at the exact right time as prophesied by Daniel.

God and God alone had decided the fulness of time!

What do we know for sure?

1) Jesus Christ was born of a particular person, as prophesied.

2) Jesus Christ was born at a particular time, as prophesied.

3) Jesus Christ was born in a particular place, as prophesied.

4) Jesus Christ was born in a particular way, as prophesied. (The incarnate Son of God)

5) Jesus Christ was born under a particular system, as prophesied. (The Law)

6) Jesus Christ suffered from the curse of Adam’s sin and the curse of the Law, being subject to the same worldly system from which He had come to save all others, “but without sin”, as prophesied!

7) This world had been prepared for the first coming of Christ Jesus, as prophesied.

a) The Law had shown the Jewish people their transgressions and despite God’s blessings, they had refused to seek God! (Sounds a whole lot like America today)

b) The world was full of spiritually starved people! They worshipped themselves, they worshipped pleasure, they worshipped false gods, they worshipped philosophies, but the soul of men still hungered for the truth.

c) The world at the time of Jesus was more at peace than it had been for many years because of Roman domination, but people could still move around and it was possible for the “Gospel” to spread at this time.

d) Most of the world depended on one language, “Greek”, making communication possible around the known world at that time, again allowing the Gospel to spread.

e) The world had a system of roads in place which allowed for travel between all nations.

SO, What did Jesus preach just after He had been baptized by John the Baptist?

Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

The fulness of time had come and God had prepared the world to receive His Son!

The Almighty Living God had sent His own Son into this world to deliver all mankind!

God had sent His Son into this world to provide that means of adoption into the family of God and therefore be able to also receive the promises made to Abraham!

SO, What else did Jesus preach?

Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Jesus Came to fulfill the Father’s plan because it is only by the Father’s plan that we can be “Justified” and “Redeemed”!

Joh 7:28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
Joh 7:29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

God just asks us all to be part of His plan because there is no other plan that will bring us such a salvation!

What is the truth of the Gospel?

God sent His Son made of a woman, which was “born out of a woman” because we would not have accepted the Messiah under any other conditions!

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

God spoke the Word by the Holy Spirit and this young virgin conceived a Son, who had to become a man so He could save all men!

Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

These are the things that we must base our “Faith” upon!

Jesus Christ was born under the Law because all mankind are under the laws of men!

Jesus Christ had to obey the Law in every single detail in order to become that “perfect” ideal man and the only “sacrifice” that could be accepted by our Father in Heaven.

Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

To believe all these things is to be redeemed and openly welcomed into the family of God!

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Law condemned us all to death, but by our own “Faith” we are welcomed into God’s family!

*****Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Spirit of Christ will be sent by our Father in Heaven to dwell within every believer upon a confession of their ‘Faith”!

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Adoption is a serious matter!

An adopted son is permanent. They cannot be adopted today and unadopted later!

An adopted son loses all rights to his previous family but now has full rights to his new family.

An adopted son is looked upon as a new person and has a new name and any debt connected to his old family is cancelled and forgotten as if they never existed!

An adopted son has a very special relationship with all the other family members, up close and personal!

An adopted son becomes an heir to the riches of His new Father!

None of these things are available to those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

The Apostle Paul says to remember where you came from!

We should ask ourselves, just why does God want us to read and understand all His written Word and God gives us that answer.

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

God wants us all to know the truth!

When we have reached this point of knowing the plan of salvation by the “Grace of God” and by our own “Faith”, why in the world would we accept anything less than this truth!

When we had no knowledge of our Savior, we knew that we did serve the falseness that this is all this world has to offer!

Once we have realized the presence, and the fellowship, and the care, and the communion with the Lord, why would we want to give that up for anything that promises so much less?

It is a fact that if you are in the world, you are serving false gods!

These Galatians had not been Atheist, they had served many false gods.

These Galatians had not been Agnostic, they knew in their hearts that there had to be a real God!

These Galatians knew that they had been slaves to false worship of false gods, that only took their money and never promised salvation of any kind!

They served gods which by nature were no gods!

They served gods that were only gods of the mind!

Most people worship things that they themselves have exalted to some high priority!

Most people have a fixed picture in their minds of what they want their personal god to be like, to suit only themselves and their own way of life!

Most people worship their own thoughts, their own ideas, and their own way of life and they reject anything that goes against these things!

These people have it in their minds how they want their God to be and reject seeking the truth of who God says He is!

Most people will spend eternity in the Burning Lake of Fire, “because they reject the truth of God in Jesus Christ”!

It is only the sin of “unbelief” that cannot be overcome!

To know Jesus Christ, is to know the Living God and these Galatians knew this to be true!

*****Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

We must realize that it is a great privilege to know the truth of God but it is even a greater blessing to know that God knows your name and that God knows more about you than you can ever know about yourself!

God offers us all an opportunity to have a close and personal relationship with Him but we must first accept who He is!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God says that while we are still living in this life, we must leave the things of this world behind and focus on the things of God!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God says we may live in this world but we are not to be a part of this world!

To be “redeemed” is to belong to God!

Isa 43:1 ***** for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

We cannot come to know God by works, or rituals or anything that we can do ourselves!

We can only be “Justified” by our “Faith” and that is “Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

These are God’s rules and this is God’s plan and too many today just want to ignore God’s plan for their own plan which will always fail!

These Galatians were about to turn back to the weak and beggarly elements that lead to destruction and lead to failure in the service of God.

Were they turning back to pagan worship? No!

They were considering that all men can only become acceptable to God by their own efforts and by good works which God says will have absolutely no effect on your “justification”!

Look at what is happening in our world today. In radical Islam, these people are going to extremes in an effort to appease a false god and they are not the only ones as some so-called Christians do the same thing along with so many others of false religion.

God knew all these things would happen therefore His plan is the greater of all plans!

When Christians return to this line of thought, they are returning to the bondage and slavery of man’s laws!

These elements of false religion are weak and beggarly according to the Apostle Paul and useless in the eyes of God!

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

What did Paul see happening to these Galatians?

*****Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

These Galatians began “again” to trust in rituals.

They again, returned to ceremonial worship.

They again, returned to special religious days or special worship days in an attempt to please God.

They returned back to worldly attempts to please God!

BUT, none of these things can bring “Justification” in the eyes of God!

This does not mean we are ignore the Lord’s Day as a day of worship.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We must gather together in worship and we must gather together to strengthen each other in “Faith”!

BUT, we can never make our own selves righteous!

And Paul said to these Galatians that they would be useless in their service to God!

When we do not follow God’s plan, then we become useless in God’s plan to redeem other sinners!

*****Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

We live wasted lives when we seek to find ways to become righteous in the eyes of God!

Every approach to God will fail except “Faith” in Jesus Christ!

The world rejects this truth and the world is doomed to failure!

Any other approach to appeasing God, leads to death and destruction the same as not knowing God at all!

And Jesus said:

Luk 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

And God says this:

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We are just as foolish as these Galatians, if we have accepted the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have been “redeemed” and then turn back to religious self-righteousness and ignore the Word of God!

The Apostle Paul said, “I was also raised as a Jew under all those laws, under all those rituals, under all those ceremonies and under all those observances and none of those things got me one step closer to a relationship with God”!

*****Gal 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

We should not forget the Apostle Paul had come under vicious attack not only by those Judaizers but many of these of the church who had gotten confused about the truth of the “Gospel” and the “Grace of God”!

Paul called them brothers because they were still his brothers in Christ.

Paul did not treat them as enemies.

Paul did not treat them as those who opposed Jesus Christ!

Paul did not talk about them, Paul talked to them!

Paul did not gripe over his frustrations, nor complain about their actions, Paul expressed deep brotherly love for each of them.

After all they were still God’s children by adoption!

Paul showed to these Galatians the heart of true Pastor!

Paul begged and pleaded with them from the heart as a true minister of God!

Paul simply said “be like I am, for I am one of you”.

Paul had totally given up Judaism as a means to please God and had accepted Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior.

Paul was saying to these Galatians, “you do not have to become a Jew to be saved, you must only have “Faith” in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul said “I will never hold any bitterness or malice against you”!

What is a Pastor?

A Pastor feeds God’s sheep!

A Pastor is God’s appointed man over a congregation of believers!

A Pastor ministers the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

A Pastor should be a picture of God’s “Grace” to each believer!

God had prepared these Galatians when they had first met Paul but God had also prepared Paul in a special way.

*****Gal 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Gal 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

God will often use weak, despised, and poor instruments to accomplish His will!

When we are weak in the flesh because of illness, we certainly cannot display our own power.

BUT, the truth of the “Gospel” cannot be hidden even in our own weakness!

2Co 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
2Co 13:9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.

Paul’s illness at this time was as much a trial to himself as it was a trial to all these Galatians.

This traveling evangelist had taken the opportunity in all of Galatia to preach the Gospel no matter how he felt, no matter his health, and no matter his physical condition.

Paul had not been rejected because of the way he looked.

Paul had not been rejected because he was not some great speaker.

Paul had been received because of the Message he had!

In fact Paul had been received as if he were an angel sent from God!

Paul had been received as if he had been Jesus Himself!

Jesus said:

Mat 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

When we hear the “Gospel of Grace”, we know that we have heard the truth!

1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Again Paul points out to these people how much they have changed from the truth!

We began this lesson by saying that we can only be redeemed by our “Faith”!

One day John the Baptist was preaching and baptising in the Jordan River and he looked up and saw Jesus Christ and he had these words:

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”.

If our “Faith” is not wrapped up in this statement by John the Baptist, then we are not saved. and we have placed our “Faith” in something other than Jesus Christ!

For behold, it is only the Lamb of God who can take away all our sin!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

The Superiority Of Faith

April 12, 2015 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Superiority Of Faith

Galatians 3:19-29

Superiority means the quality of being more advanced or higher. To be greater or more excellent.

The world we live in today ranks fortune and fame above the superiority of understanding the truth of God!

The world is wrong and God tells us to come out from among the world.

Until we come out from the world and live separately from the world we will never be received of God!

The purpose of laws are to expose sin.

The purpose of the law is to show us our need for a Savior.

Conviction, Repentance, and most of all Faith in Jesus Christ is what will bring us to Salvation!

The proof of laws is that they lack the power to change lives!

Laws may look to have power, laws may seem to be intimidating, but keeping and obeying laws cannot justify anyone in the eyes of God!

If the promise made to Abraham was not affected by laws, what then was the purpose of the Laws of Moses?

Let’s pick up where we left off last week.

*****Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

**What was the purpose of the Law? The purpose of the Law was to reveal to us, that we are all sinners.

How many of you when you are driving and come up to a stop sign really want to stop? I’ll tell you that not many of us really want to stop. We stop, not because the stop sign says stop, but because we know if we proceed without stopping we place ourselves in danger of injury or death.

This is what the law does! If we do not obey the Law and proceed then we place ourselves in danger of death.

The Law was not given to justify or make anyone acceptable in the eyes of God because the Law was given to make people aware of their sin!

Laws do not make us righteous, laws just make us aware of our unrighteousness!

1) Laws make us aware of our sin and the results of sin.
2) Laws make us aware of how short we come to reaching God’s glory.
3) Laws cause us to pay attention to the fact that we are sinners.
4) Laws show us how foolish we are to claim to be righteous.
5) Laws show us our need for a Savior!
6) Laws point us to a Righteous Lawgiver!
7) Laws bring us to point of conviction.

Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

**The Law was temporary!

The Law was added to the promise God made to Abraham for a specific purpose but only temporarily!

“Till the “Promised Seed” should come!

Law extended from Moses until The Lord Jesus appeared to fulfill the Law and the Promise!

God never intended any Law to be a way to Salvation!

Before Jesus came, the Law was our standard of measurement to show us how far we fall short of the glory of God!

Since Jesus has now come, Jesus is now our standard of measurement.

Jesus fulfilled all the Law!

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Jesus came not just to fulfill the Laws of Moses but to fulfill all the Word of God!

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Jesus Christ is the “Perfect” Picture, the “Living” Example, and the Pattern for all mankind, that God has set before us.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Why? Because Jesus Christ is and was the visible representation of the invisible God!

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Why are the Laws not totally abandoned now since Jesus has come?

Laws are abandoned for all those that place their trust in Jesus Christ!

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

But to all those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in their own righteousness the Law is still in full effect!

Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Jesus Christ is the end of the Law, but only for “believers”!

**How do we know that the Law cannot justify?

The Law was not given directly by God!

The Law came from God but it was given by angels to Moses.

Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Act 7:53 “Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it”.

The Bible says that God had brought many angels with Him when He came to Mount Sinai:

Deu 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

Any Law that does not come directly from God is then inferior when God speaks Himself!

God spoke directly to Abraham!

Moses was indeed the mediator between God and Israel but now we have the true Mediator between God and all Mankind, His name is Christ Jesus!

*****Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

To have a relationship with God it must be truly personal!

Even Job clearly understood this!

Job 9:33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

And the Apostle Paul clearly understood this!

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

The Law was between two parties, sinful man and God.

Both man and God had responsibilities.

Man had to keep the Law and if he did God would reward him with righteousness.

We see then that righteousness was conditional under the Law!

In the “Promise” of righteousness by the “Grace of God” only God had to meet certain conditions!

God fulfills His “Promise” by Jesus Christ!

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

If you can get personal with God then you can see the truth in what He says!

**The truth is that no Law has the power to give life!

*****Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

How do we know that the Law cannot “justify” anyone in the eyes of God? Because the Law has no power to give eternal life!

Laws are just rules!

Laws can only help us decide how we are going to behave!

Laws bring only demands!

Laws are cold and lifeless!

Laws demand obedience but leave us alone to struggle with how we will comply with those laws!

Laws bring a curse for failure and have no power to give life!

In order for the Law to bring life then it would have had to contain the means to pardon!

Since Jesus Christ was the only One who could have kept all the Laws, then He is the only One who had the power to instill behaviour into the mind of each believer.

It is the life of Christ Jesus that brings with it eternal life to the believer!

The Law only shows our weakness to obey it!

Faith shows our strength through Christ Jesus!

There is no Law that can be written that can open the gates of Heaven.

*****Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Verse 19 taught us that the Law was only added to the promise because of transgression.

The laws given to the Children of Israel made it clear to them what God considered to be sin!

A transgression is anything that goes against the will of God!

Laws only open the doors to Satan’s prison because sin holds all people in Death’s grip!

Laws conclude that we are all sinners and need rules to live by, and they bring serious consequences!

“Under sin” means to be shut up as a prisoner in the hopeless depths of solitary confinement!

Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that “they are all under sin”;
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

And the results of all those that remain under sin is eternal death;

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The entire purpose of the Law is to drive all mankind to seek the “Promises of God” through Jesus Christ!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

It is the Promises of God that bring life and not some Law!

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So why is “Faith” so much superior to any Law?

*****Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Every person on this Earth was caught up in “Sin’s Prison” before “Faith came!

Until Jesus Christ died an actual death on Calvary’s Cross there was no escape from this bondage!

The Law itself is temptation!

We are tempted to touch that fresh painted bench just to see if it is still wet.

We are tempted to break the speed limit just to see if we will get caught.

We are tempted to run that red light just to see if anyone really cares.

Temptation brings only failure!

But Faith brings results!

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 “Whom resist stedfast in the faith”, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

The Law shows us our failures.

The Law accuses and condemns us.

The Law has no life because the Law has no power to give life.

So the only hope of mankind was for “someone” to have the power to set us free from this bondage!

That “someone” was Jesus Christ!

To be released from sin’s bondage we must accept His deliverance!

The most important choice we make in our life time is, “what are we going to do with Jesus Christ”!

We can believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ or we can reject Him!

The entire purpose of the Law was to bring us all to this point during our lifetime!

The Law is only our schoolmaster!

The Law teaches us the need for salvation.

God’s Grace is “the gift” of salvation.

It is “Faith” in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that brings God’s Gift!

In the days of Jesus, a “schoolmaster” was a person in charge of the moral development of a child.

It was this schoolmaster who would prepare the child and deliver him to the teacher and then return later that day to bring that child back home to safety.

The purpose of the Law is to lead every person to Christ Jesus who is the true Teacher!

Once the teaching of Christ, which is “Faith” has come, there is no longer a need for the “schoolmaster”!

Faith is superior to all Law!

*****Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God “by faith in Christ Jesus”.

How can this verse be so misinterpreted?

It is only Jesus Christ who can bring us face to face with God!

It is only Jesus Christ who answers the terms of adoption into the family of God!

The truth is, that “Faith” will cause us to concentrate on the Son of God, Jesus Christ!

Anyone who tries to focus on laws or rituals or works cannot stay focused on God’s Son!

And we see this happening in our world today!

It’s important to realize that God accepts each believer as a child!

And what else is important?

Luk 18:17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

**We cannot enter into the kingdom of God by working out some deep spiritual problem.

**We cannot enter into the kingdom of God by works at all!

Children are incapable of some mighty works to accomplish great goals.

Children cannot stay focused on one thing for very long.

Children rely on the gifts of good parents to survive in this evil world.

And as children we must rely on the gift of God to be part of God’s family.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

To reject God’s gift is to reject God’s family!

To become a part of God’s family we must put on Jesus Christ!

*****Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have “put on” Christ.

The Apostle Paul is not saying we are saved by “Baptism”!

There are many millions who have been baptized that will never see God’s New Heaven!

There are also many millions who have some sort of faith that will never live in God’s house!

Paul is saying that if Jesus Christ is not our example and the object of our Faith, then we can never be a part of God’s Kingdom!

It is “Faith” that clothes us with the righteousness and the Son-ship of Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is the pattern that we should all strive to be like!

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

To be clothed with Jesus Christ means are also looked upon as God’s Son!

When God looks upon each believer, God sees His Son!

Faith must say the truth and truth says that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God!

If Jesus Christ is not our example of how to live in this life, then we have not put on Christ!

And what else is the truth of the Gospel of Faith?

*****Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Faith makes us all stand on level ground!

How do we solve all the divisions of mankind? We become “One” in Jesus Christ!

There is no other answer to race and ethnic problems in this world we live in!

Every believer stands on equal footing before the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ there is a “new bond” that overcomes, color, culture, and customs!

In Jesus Christ there is a “new bond” that overcomes all social distinctions!

**What is the truth?

If all the world could look upon each other as brothers in Christ there would be no barriers between any of them!

The Jews hated the thought of becoming someone’s slave!

They hated slaves as much as they hated Gentiles.

It was wrong for these Jews to insist that all believers first become Jews.

**What is the truth?

When masters treat their slaves as brothers in Christ, then there is no barrier between them.

The sad fact is, that Christianity has the power to remove all obstacles and for all people if we would all take our stand on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

**What is the truth?

When all males and all females can look upon each other as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, there would be no barriers between them!

We can all be “One” in Jesus Christ in “One” family of God!

The Church is to be the Body of Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ must be the Head of the Church!

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands “having nourishment ministered”, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

It is only Jesus Christ who can nourish the Church!

**What is the truth?

When we put on Jesus Christ we become “heirs” to the same promises made to Abraham!

*****Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Only because Abraham was faithful did he receive the promises of God!

It is by our own “Faith” that we are also blessed in the line of Abraham, but by Jesus Christ.

Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

The greatest gift to Abraham was the fulfillment of the promises of God.

The greatest gift to the believer is to be an heir to those same promises!

Let’s revue:

1) Abraham was promised God’s blessing, not God’s wrath.

2) Abraham was promised that he would live in the presence of God and enjoy God’s leadership!

3) Abraham was promised that he would be given the privilege of living in the “Promised Land” forever and ever!

Since Jesus Christ is the legal heir to Abraham, Jesus Christ inherits all the promises given to Abraham.

Since we have been adopted into the family of God, by our own “Faith” then we will also receive the promises given to Abraham!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

It cannot get any better than this!

There is “no law” that can cause these things to happen.

There is “no ritual” that can be kept to get you into the family of God.

There is “no work” that can be done to pay for such a promise.

These promises of God can only be fulfilled according to our “Faith”!

Faith is so much the more superior to all the laws of man!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Justified By Faith And Faith Alone

March 22, 2015 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Justification By Faith

Galatians 2:11-21

What is justification? First, justification is the opposite of condemnation!

In the Webster dictionary, justifying is an action that is conformable to law.

In law, justifying is showing in court why a defendant did what he or she was charged with doing.

In God’s Law, Justification is the judicial act of God, by which He pardons “all” sin of those that place their “Faith” in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What are the facts?

God declares every believer righteous, on the basis of the blood shed by Jesus Christ!

The most simple meaning of “justification” is “to be declared righteous”!

The justification of each believer is a gift of “God’s Grace”!

Rom 3:24 Being “justified freely by his grace” through the redemption “that is in Christ Jesus”:

Justification can come only by “Faith”!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being “justified by faith”, we have peace with God “through our Lord Jesus Christ”:

Justification is only possible through the blood Christ Jesus shed on the Cross!

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now “justified by his blood”, we shall be “saved from wrath through him”.

Justification has nothing to do with keeping man-made Laws!

Rom 3:20 Therefore “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified” in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The greatest thing we realize as Christians is the truth that we are justified by God and not by something we can do ourselves!

One of the biggest problems we have in any Church is that so many drift away from the truth.

In this lesson we will deal with some of the problems that are in every Church.

Let’s continue to see the truth of God’s Grace.

*****Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

We will first see that every believer that becomes a backslider must be confronted.

Before Peter had come to the Church in Antioch we know that there had already been that first council in Jerusalem and the direction of the Church was already laid out by all the Apostles and James the half-brother of the Lord.

Act 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Act 15:30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
Act 15:31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

It was after all these things that Peter came to the Church in Antioch of Syria.

Antioch of Syria was a great Church and was made up mostly of Gentiles but there were also many Jews.

It was from this great Church of Antioch of Syria where missionaries were first sent out into the uttermost part of this world in obedience to the Words of Jesus Christ.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

It was therefore extremely important that the message that would be going out to the world would be comprised of the entire truth of the “Gospel”.

This incident with Peter is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

This incident also indicates that Peter may have been trying to seek a compromise with those so-called Judaizers.

It is also important for us all to see that the Apostle Paul stood on equal ground with all the other Apostles.

Every new Church was to be established by the “Grace of God” and not by any authority handed down from Jerusalem.

Peter certainly did not intend to hinder the growth of Body of Christ but his actions would certainly do so and Paul confronted him face to face.

Paul did not go to the other leaders.

Paul did not write some new epistle about Peter.

Paul went straight to Peter and confronted him face to face.

Sometimes compromise is the right thing to do to bring peace and harmony but there can never be any compromise when it comes to salvation!

There can be no compromise with false teaching and our own actions must be according to the truth of God.

What had Peter done?

*****Gal 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Now we may not know why the Apostle Peter came to Antioch but God has a purpose behind everything that happens.

When Peter had gotten to Antioch, he had had no problem eating and being in fellowship with those Gentile believers.

We already know that James believed the same as Paul but in Jerusalem many legalistic Jews clinged to the Laws of Moses as the basis of their own salvation and in their zeal wanted all believers to do the same as they.

These men had come from the Church in Jerusalem but they had not been sent by James nor any of the Church elders!

Salvation comes by the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”!

The “Gospel of Jesus Christ” stands alone as the only means of salvation and cannot be added to other religious beliefs!

The word religion means actually external service.

Godliness is about saving the Soul!

When those Judaizers saw Peter in fellowship with all those Gentiles they must have confronted Peter and he then yielded to them.

To the Jew it was sin to fellowship with Gentiles!

What does God say?

Pro 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Peter had just got caught in a snare of the Devil!

When Peter withdrew himself from the Gentiles, then the Church of Antioch was split between a gospel of works, versus the “Gospel of Grace”.

Every time a Pastor compromises with legalistic believers or with any false doctrine he then becomes a people-pleaser and the Church will begin to suffer and fail!

Paul did not blame those that held to false doctrine, Paul blamed the Apostle Peter.

Paul loved Peter enough to straighten him out on the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul loved the Church enough to not see it fail in his lifetime!

Paul had more zeal for the “Gospel of Grace” than he had ever been zealous for Judaism.

God had more than one purpose for the Apostle Paul!

Before Paul confronted Peter, this split of the Church in Antioch became so volatile that even Barnabas got caught up in it.

*****Gal 2:13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

That word dissembled means: to be concealed under a false appearance or disguise.

Peter had become a hypocrite and all the Jews in the Church joined with him and also became hypocrites!

What we should realize is, that all those in a leadership position in the Church have a tremendous responsibility before the other Church members and any visitors.

We should also realize that when we say we are Christian, the world will judge us by our actions.

All the world truly hates the hypocrite!

A legalistic point of view was just about to shut the doors of the first Gentile Church!

Barnabas did not play an active part in this hypocrisy but he did get caught off guard and he began witnessing his Church fall apart.

Barnabas was reaching a point to where he was going to have to choose a side to save some part of his Church.

So what had Peter done that that had caused these things?

*****Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

1) Peter had become a hypocrite.

Peter had taught the truth but his life was teaching something else altogether.

2) Peter had become a people-pleaser.

Even though Peter knew better, he had followed the crowd simply because they had put much pressure on him to do so.

3) Peter had respect for some above some others.

We must live our lives according to the truth of the “Gospel of Grace”!

The “Gospel” declares that God loves all people the same:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The Gospel declares that God is no respecter of persons and even Peter knew this:

Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

The “Gospel” declares that we are to please God and if that pleases mankind then great but if that does not please mankind then it is a problem that man has and not God!

1Th 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Paul said to Peter, “Peter, you do not even try to keep the Laws of Moses yourself, why in the world would you compel these Gentiles to do these things”.

You see Peter also knew about those dietary laws of Moses.

Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”.

These things teach us that even Peter was not infallible and would not have made a good Pope as some in the Catholic Church believe he did.

In reality there has never been a man that was infallible.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ was the sinless Son of God!

The Apostle Peter was a sinner saved by the “Grace of God”, just like the Apostle Paul and just like we all are that know the Lord Jesus Christ on a personal level!

If you think you cannot be led astray by some false doctrine, then when you hear any such thing you must remember we are only saved by the “Grace of God”.

This is still God’s plan and God will never change His plan!

It is only the Living God who can justify any of us!

*****Gal 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

**Paul reminded these Galatians that he was also a Jew. Paul was a Jew by birth and bloodline.

**Paul reminded these Galatians how the Jews felt about themselves. The Jews considered themselves righteous by the acts of their religion which was Judaism.

The Jews considered Jehovah to be the God of the Jews but not the God of the Gentiles.

**Paul reminded these Galatians that these same Jews considered all Gentiles to be “rank sinners” unworthy of salvation.

**Then Paul reminded these Galatians that salvation did not come by bloodline. Salvation comes to all, whosoever, the same way.

Salvation comes by “Faith” but that “Faith” must be in Jesus Christ!

Every Jew that had come to Jesus Christ had to admit that their religion, their rituals, their obedience to the Law, and their works could not save them!

In fact everyone of any and all religions must admit this same thing!

1) No one is justified and made acceptable to God by any works of their own or any law that they try to keep!

What is the question?

By what means can man, God’s creation, stand before our Righteous God?

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What are the facts? Mankind can only be justified by faith!

Not just any faith but by the faith on the works of Jesus Christ!

If there were such a law or group of laws that man could live by to become justified, then we already know that there is no one who can keep even the Laws of Moses all their life without breaking one or more of those laws.

What is the result? We all come short of the Glory of God!

What did God say to Moses?

Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

The truth is that every thing that lives in God’s presence must be perfect and complete!

For man to justify themselves they must do at least one of these 3 things.

a) Man can only deny that he or she broke God’s Law.

b) Man can only say they had the right to break God’s Law.

c) Man can only deny knowledge of God’s Law.

What is the truth?

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

To serve a perfect God then we ourselves must be perfect and mankind simply does not have that ability to do this.

Psa 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Is their some sort of work or some law to be kept to overcome these things? God says no!

An imperfect being can never obtain perfection it’s own!

No matter what we as humans do to learn perfection, we will always come up short and there will always the thought that we can do better so we can be better!

This is a false hope!

When we believe that our salvation is dependent on some work that we can do, or some law that we can keep, we will soon realize that we are hopelessly lost forever and we will know that we have need of a Savior!

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

2) A person is justified by “Faith” of Jesus Christ and He alone.

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Notice that we can only be “Justified” by the Faith of Jesus Christ.

**It was Jesus Christ who did the impossible!

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, “who knew no sin”; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It was Jesus Christ who kept all the Laws, who did all the works and He was “faithful” to do all these things for our salvation!

Justification does not mean we have been made righteous!

Justification means we will be treated as righteous because Jesus Christ was faithful to do what none of us could do!

Justification is necessary because we all have sinned and come up short of the Glory of God!

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

**God can only justify the believer who accepts this truth of His Son Jesus Christ!

God loves each of us so much that He came to this Earth Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ, in order to “Justify” us all who would believe!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God is willing to justify each of us because Jesus Christ was faithful to obey His Father!

2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Jesus Christ came into this world to conquer death because He knew we did not have that ability!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the truth?

All those that truly believe in the work of Jesus Christ to obtain our salvation are counted as righteous enough to stand before our righteous God!

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

What are the facts?

The fact is that God the Father, loves God the Son so much that He will justify any human being who honors His only begotten Son!

We can only stand before God if we stand in the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ!

What are the facts?

Faith in Jesus Christ is God’s righteousness and the only righteousness that can make each believer acceptable to God!

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

And no one will ever be misled by Jesus Christ!

*****Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

We must first realize why we are sinners. We are not sinners because because we sin!

We sin because we are sinners!

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The question stated in this verse is, Can Jesus Christ be making us to be even greater sinners by trusting in Him rather than trusting the Laws of Moses?

The answer is—God forbids this to happen!

Does trusting in Christ Jesus make it easy for us to break the law by knowing we will always be forgiven? We are foolish to think in this way!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Then shall we continue in sin knowing that God has more “Grace” than He does “Wrath”?

Again God forbids this also!

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

We must realize that “Justification” cannot come by keeping any law.

Those that make there own selves righteous by laws are sinners!

Laws can only show us how we fail!

At the same time we cannot reject the laws!

The Law still has it’s place in the plan of God just as much as “Faith”!

Every “Born Again” child of God brought to Him by the “Faith” of Jesus Christ, will then seek to please God.

We cannot please God by if we are always at odds with the laws of this world.

We must only remain at odds with all those things that go against the Word of God!

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

We must all them live according to the ways of Jesus Christ!

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Living in the ways of Jesus is living in the ways of God!

*****Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

How can we truly live for God? God must become the controlling principle of our lives!

**1) We must die to the law.

The purpose of the Law is to show us that we are sinners.

The purpose of the Law is to show us just how far short we are of becoming righteous and perfect.

The purpose of the Law is to show us that we stand no chance of ever being accepted by a Holy God!

The Law condemns us to death!

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: “which is the second death”.

The only hope of Salvation is to die to the Law.

And there is no hope in self-righteousness!

**2) We must be crucified with Christ Jesus.

*****Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This can only take place when we truly believe that Jesus Christ bore all our sin and actually died a sure death on Calvary’s Cross!

This is the “Faith” that we must have!

If we are not identified with Christ Jesus then we cannot be saved!

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

God can count us as already being punished only because He has accepted the death of His Son!

Our security lies in our “Faith”!

**3) We must live for God.

We must surrender ourselves to the work that God has placed before us!

We must allow Jesus Christ to live in our heart!

We cannot be in charge of our own life we must allow Christ Jesus full control of our life!

Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

We must allow Jesus Christ to live through our body!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

**4) We must trust in the “Grace of God”!

*****Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

To “frustrate” the “Grace of God” means we can make the “Grace of God” useless.

Frustrate means to set aside, make void, or make ineffective.

When we frustrate the “Grace of God” we have done away with the Love of God!

When we frustrate the “Grace of God” we have made the death of Jesus Christ meaningless!

God’s Grace and God’s Love are one and the same!

Faith is the key to a loving relationship with our God!

Being found in Jesus Christ is being found in His righteousness which is our only means of pleasing God!

Most of us try to schedule Jesus into a small part of our lives and when we do this we have missed the purpose of the Cross!

The cross that Jesus bore was not made for carrying!

The cross that Jesus Christ bore for us was made for dying!

Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

There is no pride in the weight of our own cross and the burdens we try to carry.

The purpose of the cross was to teach us to die to our own selves!

This is why Jesus spoke these words:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus Christ carried all our burdens of sin to His death on the cross.

To be “Justified” we must die to ourselves and live a New Life through Jesus Christ!

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

A Brave Warrior David’s Faith

July 29, 2013July 29, 2013 / Bobby Mayfield / 3 Comments

A Brave Warrior David’s Faith

Text: 1 Samuel 17

When we left off last week David was using his musical talent to soothe King Saul in his moments of depression.

David had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel but this knowledge was not known but by very few, maybe only David and Samuel.

Israel will soon see the actions of their future king.

David had left home as a humble shepherd and had entered Saul’s court as a humble musician but we will soon see that to be a man after God’s own heart also requires some bravery.

God says:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

We should see that God desires all His children "to step out of their comfort zone" and "get into the battle". We will face many spiritual battles as we try to advance the kingdom of God but our strength must also come from Our Lord.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We will see the future king of Israel have victory but, we will also see the first king of Israel continue to fail.

Knowing this let’s begin:

*****1Sa 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
1Sa 17:2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
1Sa 17:3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

This valley where this battle was to take place is bout 6 miles from Jerusalem. A narrow path exist that goes right up to the interior of the land near Bethlehem which is another 6 miles.

When David joins this battle, he would have already traveled the 12 miles between his father’s house and this camp of King Saul.

This Goliath would be a descendant of the race of Anakim. Israel had had first contact with these people when Moses sent out those 40 spies into Canaan land.

Num 13:33 And "there we saw the giants", the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

These giants had been defeated by Caleb:

Jos 15:13 And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
Jos 15:14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

And slew them:

Jdg 1:10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

But, there were still some that had escaped to Gaza, and Ashdod, and Gath, as we have the proof in this Goliath.

We will see three figures in our lesson today.

First: Goliath.

Goliath stood at least 9 feet 9 inches tall. A span is generally understood as 9 inches and a cubit as 18 inches and we will also see that he was heavily armed and prepared to kill.

Next: King Saul.

Saul had already been rejected by God for disobedience. He had threatened his own son Jonathan and would have killed him. And at his last chance he had spared Agag the king of the Amalekites and greedily had taken the choice of the spoils of that war.

Saul was forsaken by the Holy Spirit and now suffered great depression and Saul was greatly afraid of Goliath.

Next we will see David.

David was only a youth which means he was not yet 20 years old. He carried a staff and not a sword.

He carried faith yet no physical armor.

He had no weapon but a sling.

He had exactly what was needed this day to defeat the enemy of God because within him he carried the Spirit of God.

David did not consider Israel’s army as Saul’s servants.

David knew they were the army of the Living God!

*****1Sa 17:5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
1Sa 17:6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
1Sa 17:7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
1Sa 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1Sa 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

King Saul was at least seven feet tall but Goliath easily was a far taller man.

That "coat of mail" was composed of plates of metal overlapping each other somewhat like fish scales and it weighed 200 lbs.

That spearhead weighed 24 lbs.

Those "greaves" were coverings for the legs and reached from the ankles to the top of the knee. They were made of hide and were probably also covered with copper.

That "target of brass" was a circular frame, carried at the back, suspended by a long belt and crossed the chest from the shoulders to the upper legs.

Goliath was truly the champion of the Philistines because as of this day no man was able to defeat him in one on one combat.

Goliath was a loud mouth, vulgar, boastful, evil man with no respect for any other man and he defied anyone to battle with him.

Goliath suggested that there was only need for one man to die to end this war between these two enemies.

All Israel needed was their own champion to defeat him in battle.

Goliath was lying "but he thought of himself as unbeatable.

We know the end result of this battle, yet the Philistines are still the enemies of Israel even up until our day.

*****1Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
1Sa 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

To "defy" is to "dare"!

Goliath sensed that all of Israel were to cowardly to face him and the tallest man in all of Israel, the king, was greatly afraid and this fear flowed through his entire army.

SO, Goliath’s challenge went unanswered.

*****1Sa 17:12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
1Sa 17:13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
1Sa 17:14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
1Sa 17:15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

We should remember this Bethlehem because there at least one other place with the name of Bethlehem.

This is the same place as prophesied by the prophet Micah where Jesus would be born!

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

David had seven more brothers but we know that only six others are named in the Book of Chronicles. David had a brother that had died shortly after being shown to Samuel and before having a family of his own.

This other brother like many even today was just name on a grave without a history except to his father and mother and a Holy God!

David’s three oldest brothers served in Saul’s army. We know that Saul kept only the bravest of men in his army so this gives us an idea of the character of these brothers.

David was not yet old enough to be in the army and was still obligated to the family at home.

We also know that Jesse was a very old man at this time.

*****1Sa 17:16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
It had been now 80 times that Goliath had stood in hearing range and defied Saul and the army of Israel.

We can be sure the term "cowards" was used many times and it was true!

*****1Sa 17:17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
1Sa 17:18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

As a father Jesse had great concern for all his sons and was well aware of the battle raging just 12 miles form Bethlehem.

In that day each soldier had to provide his own rations and Jesse sent food to not only his sons but to also their commanding officer.

*****1Sa 17:19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
1Sa 17:20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
1Sa 17:21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
1Sa 17:22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

By the will of God, Jesse had picked the exact right day to send David to check on his three sons.

David had left early in the morning but the 12 miles of travel had taken until that evening.

When David arrived at the camp he left his cart and ran right amongst the soldiers in search of his brothers.

*****1Sa 17:23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
1Sa 17:24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

It was at this time that Goliath did what he had done 79 previous times and bellowed out his challenge to all of Israel.

What David saw brought more concern than that of Goliath!

David saw all of Israel tremble and run in fear of that one man.

*****1Sa 17:25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.
1Sa 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
1Sa 17:27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

King Saul had made a generous offer to any would battle Goliath.

1) Saul would give one of his daughters in marriage therefore allowing a stranger into the royal family.

2) Saul would make this man to be a rich man.

3) Saul would not allow the family of this man to be taxed.

AND, David could not believe what he was hearing!

David knew that Goliath was a Gentile who was profane and worshiped a false god and a stranger to the covenant promises of Jehovah.

David also knew that by allowing this evil man to profane the Army of God, Saul was allowing Goliath to profane the Lord Himself.

David now knew this was God’s battle and not for any man of Israel!

*****1Sa 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
1Sa 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

Eliab had no patience for his youngest brother because what David had said carried reproach to every soldier on the field that day including his own brothers.

David would have still been tending the sheep if his father Jesse had not sent him that day to check on his brothers and he ask his brother, "well what have I done now"?

Saul and the army of Israel saw a giant of a man BUT David only saw another Philistine who was just an insolent enemy of Jehovah God.

David felt that surely Jehovah would enable any man that relied on Him to overcome this evil man!

There was certainly a cause!

Whenever we step out in "faith" to serve the Lord, there will always be those there to cause discouragement!

*****1Sa 17:30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
1Sa 17:31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
1Sa 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

Saul had spent 40 days in fear of his life and the defeat of the army of Israel and he finally heard that someone had volunteered to fight this Goliath.

Saul sent for the man and it was David that was sent to him.

David stood again before Israel’s giant, King Saul, and declared that he would remove this other giant of the Philistines.

David could see the fear in all of Israel along with their "lack of faith"!

BUT, David saw only a large man that defied the God of Israel.

This battle was now God’s battle and God still uses humans to perform His Will.

*****1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

What Saul said was true! In David’s own strength he was certainly not able to defeat this giant of a man.

Saul knew something about Goliath and Saul knew Goliath had never lost in hand to hand combat and was now in his prime.

AND, David was probably not yet 20 years old.

*****1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

The life of the shepherd is not an easy one!

God had selected David because The Lord wanted a man whose heart belonged to Him. It was the job of the shepherd to protect the sheep and David was not describing an isolated incident.

David had encountered predators on many occasions and he had never ran or hid for his own safety.

David had put "the needs of the flock" over his own personal needs.

David knew that "it was the Lord that had delivered him from all these things".

If we cannot see a "type" of Christ in these verses then we will never understand the Bible and the way God teaches us by example!

In a short period of time David would be king of Israel and God was also showing Israel how every king should put his people even before his own safety.

I wish our own president and every president would take this stance and be for the people instead of what he is.

God would not allow his future king to go down in defeat!

And David’s faith would not allow him to miss this opportunity to gain this glory for the Lord!

*****1Sa 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, [and he assayed to go]; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

Saul was glad that some one had finally come forward to fight Goliath.

It did not matter to him that was a boy that had not reached 20 years old.

Saul had armor fit for a king, "the best armor of all of Israel" but we must remember that Saul was the tallest man in Israel and David was as average as average can be, not a wimp but certainly not out of proportion for a Jewish man of that time.

David could not be made into a little Goliath just by dressing as a soldier!

David had worn no armor in defense of those sheep but had relied upon the Power of God and he would rely on God’s power again.

We can never allow unnecessary things to weigh us down in our service to the Lord!

Christ Jesus is our "giant killer"!

The Lord had delivered David before and the Lord would deliver David now.

David could not be king if he died on the battlefield this day!

David knew that Goliath had not only challenged all of Israel, he had specifically challenged the God of Israel and this would be Goliath’s downfall.

*****1Sa 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

We should miss the fact that David did not hesitate, not even for a moment!

David’s armament was this:

1) A shepherd’s staff:

The shepherds staff represents "authority".

The shepherds weapon "in type" means "a staff of bread" the indispensable support for life.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

David’s indispensable support for life would be the Lord Himself!

The Lord is "The Bread Of Life"!

2) Five smooth stones:

Five is the number for the "Grace" of God.

The "Stone" is in type the "living stones" of God.

The word "smooth" means these stones will pass through the air without restrictions.

Air represents the Holy Spirit and these stones would not "quench the Spirit"

So we have "Grace", "The Believer" and "The Holy Spirit".

It takes these things for salvation!

3) The scrip:

The shepherds bag carried the food for his journey but this bag also carried materials for the healing and the binding up of the lame sheep.

But this scrip also carried the mouth piece for musical instruments.

We know that the Word of God is our "Scrip"!

And we better know that the Word of God is our "mouth piece"!

4.) The "sling":

The "sling" received the "smooth stone".

The sling represents the Power of God!

Zec 9:16 And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: "for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land".

David armed with the "Grace" and the "Power" of God did not hesitate to draw near that giant!

*****1Sa 17:41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
1Sa 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
1Sa 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
1Sa 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Goliath could see no further than Saul could see!

Goliath only saw a small, poorly armed boy.

Goliath did not see God’s Weapon that stood before him!

Goliath thought he saw a sure victory.

These are the exact same things that Satan sees in every child of God!

Two armies stood on the side lines as a youth not yet a man, faced a man of war from his childhood.

It was time again for a new beginning for Israel!

*****1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1Sa 17:46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
1Sa 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.
1Sa 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

David said "I come to you with the faith of my God" while you trust in your own strength!

It is in our best interest to lay aside everything and anything that comes between us and The Lord Jesus Christ.

When we are identified as in union with the Lord then we show this world that we know where our strength comes from.

David’s one ambition was to show the world that there was a God in Israel that was above all gods.

We should always be careful to choose our battles.

But we must always battle for God’s Glory!

Not for our own cause, not for our own opinions, and not for some cause of the church that does not line up with the Word of God, for these things are great sin!

We need to constantly expose our hearts to the Holy Spirit so that we can be wholly cleansed of sin and be filled with total devotion to the Glory of Our Lord.

After all our one job is to be used "to save the lost"!

All else must be second in our lives!

David hastily ran into this battle, he did not even notice that Goliath was a giant, he was only an enemy that God would brush out of His way and God did just that.

*****1Sa 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
1Sa 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Every soldier that looked upon this battle expected this battle to be in close quarters.

Every weapon Goliath had was designed for close combat.

But all the weapons of the shepherd can not only be used in close combat but can also be used from a distance!

An experienced shepherd can sling a stone anywhere from 100 to 150 miles an hour.

And, Most every shepherd is deadly accurate with a sling!

Goliath’s only chance to live that day would have been to surrender or act like a coward and go on home!

Our Lord will accomplish His purpose and David was chosen as the Lord’s weapon that day!

We already know that the Spirit of the Lord already lived inside the body of David.

God guided that stone to the exact spot for victory, just as He does for every Pastor, every Missionary, and every child of God!

Psa 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psa 18:32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psa 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
Psa 18:34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

*****1Sa 17:51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

David is now the new Caleb to Israel.

David is now the new Joshua to Israel.

These were the giant slayers in their own time.

To remove Goliath’s head symbolized a complete victory!

The champion of the Philistines was not able to stand up to the God of Israel because no one can!

*****1Sa 17:52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

The Philistines ran and Israel pursued, the Philistines were again defeated!

*****1Sa 17:53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.
1Sa 17:54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

The Philistines had left behind all their possessions and those became the property of Israel.

*****1Sa 17:55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
1Sa 17:56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
1Sa 17:57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
1Sa 17:58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

David twice called God "the Living God" because he knew that God actively intervenes for His people!

David’s "faith" overcame what some would call insurmountable odds, but that is what the Lord does every time a sinner is saved.

David did not focus on outward appearances because the outward appearance has no meaning to the Lord.

The Lord sees things as they really are!

David did not allow "fear" to be a part of his life!

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From where is our victory?

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory "through our Lord Jesus Christ".

How do we have our own victory?

1Jn 5:4 For "whatsoever is born of God" overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even "our faith".

How do we over come this world?

1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but "he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God"?

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

A Brave Warrior David’s Faith

July 29, 2013 / Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments