Author: E. DeWayne Swann

Don’t you Care??? Part 1 of 3

 I invite you to turn with me to the book of Mark and look over a few familiar verses. We need not get ahead of the story but look with me at what God might show us with these accounts that are recorded here in God’s holy word. …

Mark 4:35-41

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

(Matt 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25)

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”  36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”   41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, (What manner of man is this,KJV)  that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” NKJV

 

I wrote most of this sermon on August 11, 2014, the day that Robin Williams died of suicide of Lewy Body Dementia. (I know depression) I also know what it is like to ask God the question that the disciple asked. “don’t you care?”

“I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that.”  Robin Williams

I also know what it is to walk with God.

In our text: Jesus has been teaching parables all day and he is tired.

Mark 4:1 The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:10 The Purpose of Parables

Mark 4:13 The Parable of the Sower Explained

Mark 4:21 Light Under a Basket

Mark 4:26 The Parable of the Growing Seed

Mark 4:30 The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Mark 4:33 Jesus’ Use of Parables

33: And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

I ask that you come with me and get ready for a little boat ride.  As we get in this boat with the Apostle and of course with Jesus. 

 And just because you get in the boat with Jesus does not mean everything will be smooth sailing from here on out…

Jesus needs rest after a long day of Preaching and teaching.

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 

Jesus said let us pass over… when Jesus says you going to the other side, you are going to the other side.

Jonah had to take a fish ride to where he needed to be and learned that it is a lot easier if we do it God’s way!

36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

Sometimes He leaves the multitude and deals with the few or with the individual.

When you are sitting in a Church with a couple thousand people sometimes, He singles one person out and it seems that He is only talking to you

Others get caught up in our storms “And other little boats were also with Him.”

It never just affects us.  People are watching, you are not alone in the storm others are with you going through it with you, maybe even because of you.

WE NEVER WALK ALONE   people are watching.

Charles Stanley: How to handle your adversities “Nothing speaks louder to an unsaved world than a Christian that suffers successfully ”

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling.

Ben Turner had said several times “You either are going into a storm, you are in a storm or coming out of a storm.”

We can have bright sunny days, but they are few and far between.

If Satan is not after you and things go great all the time it is because you are no threat.”

The Greek word for storm here is; NT:2978 ailaps (lah’-ee-laps); of uncertain derivation; a whirlwind (squall): KJV – storm, tempest.

NT:3173megas (meg’-as); [including the prolonged forms, feminine megale, plural megaloi, etc.; compare also NT:3176, NT:3187]; big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application):

KJV – (+fear) exceedingly, great (-est), high, large, loud, mighty, (be) sore (afraid), strong, to years.

exceedingly, great, high, large, loud, mighty (squall): – storm, tempest.

Life is going well then, suddenly out of nowhere storms arise.

They were seasoned fishermen and knew how to read the weather, red at night, sailors delight, red in the morning, sailor take warning. It is even in the Bible;

Matthew 16:1-3 (NKJV) ¹ Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Do not miss this, you are going through what God said to do.  v35 He (Jesus) said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

They were not warned at all about the rising storm.

The ship is filling with water and the circumstance causes them to forget who they are with.

I do not blame them

Is your ship sinking around you?

After teaching a lesson called “Can you sleep on a stormy night?” A lady in my class wrote and brought me this poem.

“Why Trials Come Our Way.”

By Norma Head

It seems when times are getting hard,

And things are looking bad,

That’s when we call on the Lord the most,

When we are very sad.

But if you stop and think a while,

We need Him most of all.

When things are good and we can smile,

But then we seldom call,

Why trials come our way?

They help to keep Him in our hearts,

When on our knees, we stay.

 

Back to our text: Big, Big Storm is here BUT.

He did not leave them in the storm He said “But” which tells me there is more to the story.

AND their story is not over, and neither is your story over He is not done!

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

stern, = NT:4403 prumna (proom’-nah); feminine of prumnus (hindmost); the stern of a ship: KJV – hinder part, stern.

We see Jesus in his humanity sleeping.

He laid down (His humanity)

Laid His head on a pillow, likely a sandbag used as a ballast

They forgot who was on the boat with them. We seem to forget way too often!

Can you sleep on a stormy night????

How to Sleep on a Stormy Night

Matt 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Matt 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Matt 7:26 And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Matt 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matt 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

Matt 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Been there not just read about it.

What is your spiritual life built on????

Ps 11 if the foundation be destroyed what will the righteous do?

What kind of foundation are you built on, and can you sleep on a stormy night?

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Ever feel like God is asleep and not there?  He is not asleep!!!

 Psalms 121

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills —

From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore. NKJV

 

 

 

Then the question.

Do You not care that we are perishing?

When the Lord Enlarges Us Part 2

Psalm 4:5-8 (NKJV)

⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.
⁶ There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
⁷ You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

 

Psalm 4:5 (NKJV)
⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.

Offer the right sacrifices.

Consider this, When you are angry, don’t you want to sacrifice the offender?

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV)
²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

In Ephesians 4:26, the Apostle Paul quoted Psalms 4:4 and in Greek, it said, * “Be angry (orgidzo-angered or infuriated) and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”

Get glad in the same britches you got mad in!!!

The Holy Spirit through the great Apostle interpreted the Hebrew word for our generation.

There is no sin in being angry or hurt. However, we are not to use it as an excuse to sin.

As someone said, “It is not a sin to give anger a ride, but a big mistake to let it drive.”

Anger can bring out angry responses, hurtful words, poor attitudes, and other sins.

Again, God is telling us that we can carry the hurt and not change our words, attitudes, and responses.

Here is a key. When you get alone, off to yourself, lying in your bed, thinking, when you are hurt or have hurt feelings, you will either get better or madder.

Many times, people have said to me, “It didn’t bother me when you said it, but I got to thinking about it, and the more I thought, the madder I got.”

The Psalmist saw the secret. When you ponder, don’t ponder on the offense. Don’t think about the offender.

Ponder your own heart. Ponder what God is doing. Search for God’s hand in your life.

I told someone once after observing a conflict, “If looks could kill, you would at least be limping throughout the rest of your life.”

When we are mad and/or hurt, we want someone to pay.

None of us have a natural desire to bear the pain ourselves.

However, look at how our Supreme Example modeled it.

There are two kinds of forgiveness; two levels of forgiveness.

The first is to release the offender from the consequences of causing suffering.

The second, more complete forgiveness is the total restoration of the relationship.

It can come when the offender seeks forgiveness and it is granted by the offended.

The first one is modeled by Jesus Christ on the Cross when He said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

That first level not only releases the other person from retribution for the pain they caused, but it also releases us from the damage and the bond to the offender that the offense creates.

However, it does not restore the relationship because it is unilateral.

Yet it is extremely important for, not only our emotional and psychological well-being but our spiritual development also.

It means “bearing the pain, bearing the shame, carrying the hurt, releasing the other person from hatred and anger, by accepting the pain.”

Read Colossians 3,

Colossians 3:12-14 (NKJV)
¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

That is the right sacrifice from verse 5, the sacrifice of self, instead of demanding payment or pain on the offender.

Psalm 15:4 (NKJV) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

Excepting the suffering

1 Peter 4:12-19 (NKJV)
¹² Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

That is focusing on our tasks and our spiritual growth instead of majoring in others’ offenses.

The Lord works in and through the lives of people.

 

3). The Pathway to Being Enlarged

Psalm 4:6 (NKJV)
⁶ There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

There are many watching us in this life.

They are asking, “Has Christ really made a difference in your life?”

“Show us how Christ would respond in this situation. Show us a real Christian.”

“Lift up your face in us, Oh Lord, in how we respond to offenses.”

God uses distress to enlarge us.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NKJV)
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

4). The Peace from the Enlarged Life

We will have peace when we give it to all to Jesus

Psalm 4:7 (NKJV)
⁷ You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

There is always a pay-off in letting Christ shine through us.

It is joy in our hearts; more joy in our hearts than in the farmers at harvest and the winemakers in a good year.

More than partygoers when the food is flowing and the wine is abundant.

More than the harvest celebrations in farming communities in a bountiful year.

Our joy does not come from circumstances and situations, but from God’s smile upon us.

There is always a pay-off in letting Christ shine through us.

We will have peace when we give it to all to Jesus

Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)

⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Healing! Peace and restoration.

Too many times when I am hurt and I began to regain my right mind, I have to deal with my self-serving, self-defending responses before I can have peace.

I have done more damage than the original offense.

I have to deal with more damage that I have created than caused by my offender.

But when I respond through God’s way, I have peace that goes beyond reason, understanding, and circumstances.

Philippians 4:7-9 (NKJV)
⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

David acknowledged that his relationship and security were not based on who he was or what he did. His eternal safekeeping was completely from God. He declared,

If we follow the Bible’s simple instructions on how to be saved, we will make a safe landing yonder in heaven to be with the Lord and all that He has made for us to enjoy.

Two skydivers jump from a plane at 15,000 feet. Both are wearing parachutes. One of them folds his arms, ignores the ripcord, and says to himself: “I’m perfectly safe because of my parachute.” He is still saying these words as he hits the ground. The other skydiver knows he will be safe only if he follows the instructions he was given. He pulls the ripcord and lands safely.

That is where all mankind is today. Either we pull the cord and head for safety or we ignore the sacred Manufacturer’s instructions.

Many people are swiftly falling with a closed mind.

They gaining speed as they are looking for peace and safety in the things that promise life here with gusto while ignoring the “Manufacturer’s” instructions.

Conclusion: We will have peace when we give it to all to Jesus

Through trusting God in our distress, he brings us peace

When the Lord Enlarges Us Part 1

Psalms 4:1-4

Psalm 4:1-8 (NKJV)
¹ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
² How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah

³ But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.
⁴ Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

Part 2
⁵ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.
⁶ There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
⁷ You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

 

When we talk about being enlarged, I think of the prayer of Jabez

1 Chronicles 4:10 (NKJV) And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

Like I have said in the past and will say again and again its ok to pray prayers in the Bible. So, this is a good one to pray.

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

 

Sermon: Summary: We want to heal and respond like Christ when we are offended and hurt, but where do we start?

Help from the Psalmist David after his son betrayed him and broke his heart.

This Psalm was written by King David at the time when Absalom, his son, had taken over the capitol, Jerusalem, and David and those loyal to him were leaving.

It was his sad recollection of the sad parade leaving the palace.

It was in time of sad memories of his feelings of betrayal by one whom he loved.

It was in light of the lies and painful things Absalom was saying.

It is a good guide in our dealing with hurts, offenses, and painful actions of others.

We all get hurt. There are always misunderstandings.

Sometimes, things are said that are painful to us.

It is much simpler and easier to live like a Christian when you are not hurting.

Really, our lives speak little to others about our Christian life when we are not offended.

However, when we get hurt, when painful words are said, our response is the real test of whether Christ made a real difference in our lives.

Theoretically, Christians should live with the pain of offenses different than those who do not know that Jesus Christ is good.

Being in pain is the greatest test of the difference Jesus makes in our lives.

“Nothing speaks louder to an unsaved world than a Christian who suffers successfully.” Charles Stanly.

God wants to teach us how to respond in life the right way, even when we are hurting.

So much so, that He came down to become a man to show us how to love in pain, respond in grace, and “swear to our own hurt and not change”

Psalm 15:4 (NKJV) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

Jesus showed us how told us to do it, and empowered us to succeed.

However, we all must grow up to that point because it is not easy, especially when your feelings are hurt.

So, this is a prayer to Enlarge

Enlarge =OT:7337 rachab (raw-khab’); a primitive root; to broaden (intransitive or transitive, literal or figurative): KJV – be an en- make) large (-ing), make room, make (open) wide.

(Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

 

1). The Possibility of Being Enlarged by the Lord

To the chief Musician on Neg’-i-noth, A Psalm of David.

OT:5058 negiynah (neg-ee-naw’); or negiynath (Ps 61:title) (neg-ee-nath’); from OT:5059; properly, instrumental music; by implication, a stringed instrument; by extension, a poem set to music; specifically, an epigram: KJV – stringed instrument, musick, Neginoth [plural], song.

We often talk too much and pray too little!

Psalm 4:1 (NKJV)
¹ Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

This was a common plea for psalms because it was a common beginning for prayers.

When you are offended or hurt, however, be assured that God is working.

He is working on your life and in the life of the one who offended you.

He will answer your prayer, your call, when you pray about the offense and the offender.

He has and will act righteously in your life and the life of your offender.

He has and will move in a way to give you relief from the pain and distress.

He is gracious and He hears your prayers.

The answer is either Yes, No, Wait, or He has something better!

Psalm 4:2 (NKJV)
² How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah

In David’s prayer, he expresses his discomfort. Yes, it hurts.

Heart pain can be slower to heal than body pain.

David’s focus here, however, is on two things; those who hurt him and how long he will be suffering this offense.

We often ask, oh how long will this hurt?

Some grief never ends we just learn to accept it.

Or we ask, how many times will I have to endure this disrespectful treatment from this person?

Peter asked this question in Matthew 18:

“How many times should I forgive my brother? Seven times? (meaning completely)

Matthew 18:22 “And Jesus said unto him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.’”

Not just completely, but completely forever.

We often talk too much and pray too little!

“Selah,” the best we can tell, is a musical pause representing a change.

2). The People God Enlarged

The Lord works in and through the lives of people

Psalm 4:3 (NKJV)

³ But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.

“has set apart” = “Has sanctified”.

After the “Selah,” you can often recognize a shift: A shift in position, a shift in thought, a shift in attitude, a shift in focus, etc…

In verse 2, the focus is on self and pain.

In verse 3, after the “Selah”, the focus is on the sanctification process of God in our lives.

Same subject (pain and offense), but a different focus (from my hurt to what God is doing).

God sanctifies His children. God allows offenses in our lives for our good, our purifying, our sanctification.

It is not a matter of God not hearing our prayers, but God is going to continue to allow us to be hurt and offended until He accomplishes His purpose in our lives.

Psalm 4:4 (NKJV)
⁴ Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

The Hebrew word “Ragaz”, “Be angry”, stand in awe, means tremble (in fear or anger).

In The Psalmist saw the secret. When you ponder, don’t ponder on the offense. Don’t think about the offender.

Ponder your own heart.

Ponder what God is doing.

Search for God’s hand in your life.

I assure you, if you are offended and have hurt feelings, you “in all your ways acknowledge Him, He will direct your paths,” to healing and recovery.

 

I Can See Clearly Now, Part 3

We saw D. L. Moody claim the power of The Holy Spirit and receive His Power. And now we look at Dr. Walter L Wilson:

They Found the Secret

Chapter 18 The Yielded Life

Dr. Walter L Wilson:

Then came January 14, 1914. Dr. James M. Gray, at that time a clergyman of the Reformed Episcopal Church, and later the beloved and revered president of Moody Bible Institute, was speaking in Kansas City on Romans 12:1. Dr. Wilson recalls the impact of that message:

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

“Leaning over the pulpit, he said, ‘Have you noticed that this verse does not tell us to whom we should give our bodies? It is not the Lord Jesus Who asks for it. He has His own body It is not the Father Who asks for it. He remains upon His

throne. Another has come to earth without a body God could have made a body for Him as He did for Jesus, but He did not do so. God gives you the privilege and the indescribable honor of presenting your bodies to the Holy Spirit, to be His

dwelling place on earth. If you have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb then yours is a holy body, washed whiter than snow, and will be accepted by the Spirit when you give it. Will you do so now?'”

At the conclusion of the service, Dr. Wilson and his father in-law, who had attended the meeting with him, returned home. Each went at once to his own room. Utterly heartbroken over his fruitless life, yet filled with a great hope because

of the message he had heard from a teacher in whom he had all confidence, Dr. Wilson lay upon the carpet of his study, prostrate in God’s presence. Hear his testimony:

This next prayer just totally destroys me. Remember in the last chapter where I, well it was John the Baptist that said it, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Here is how to do that, but careful you better make sure you mean it before you dare pray it, I recommend reading over it a few times. This is Him increasing, and you decreasing.

“There, in the quiet of that late hour, I said to the Holy Spirit, ‘My Lord, I have mistreated You all my Christian life. I have treated You like a servant. When I wanted You, I called for You; when I was about to engage in some work, I beckoned You to come and help me perform my task. I have kept You in the place of a servant. I have sought to use You only as a willing servant to help me in my self-appointed and chosen work. I shall do so no more. Just now I give You this body of mine; from my head to my feet, I give it to You. I give You my hands, my limbs, my eyes and lips, my brain; all that I am within and without, I hand over to You for You to live in it the life that You please. You may send this body to Africa, or lay it on a bed with cancer. You may blind the eyes, or send me with Your message to Tibet. You may take this body to the Eskimos, or send it to a hospital with pneumonia. It is your body from this moment on. Help yourself to it. Thank You, my Lord, I believe You have accepted it, for in Romans twelve and one You said “acceptable unto God.” Thank You again, my Lord, for taking me. We now belong to each other.'”

And what were the results of that surrender of body and appropriation of the fullness of the Holy Spirit?

The very next morning two young ladies came to the office to sell advertising, as they had done previously. Up to that time the doctor had never spoken to them about the Lord Jesus because his lips had been his own and he had used them for

business purposes. Now that his lips had been given away, the Holy Spirit was to use them; and He did so at once. Out of brief conversation and testimony to his visitors. Dr. Wilson led both of them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They were the first fruits of a great harvest of souls that Dr. Wilson won for the Savior.

Hundreds of thousands have been thrilled and challenged by the doctor’s experiences in soul winning.

And now we see Dr. Walter L Wilson do as I had to do and what you too will have to do to receive the power and indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit and that is Surrendering All.

“All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”

We saw Oswald Chambers obedience to Ask for The Holy Spirit. And D. L. Moody Seek (claim) the power of The Holy Spirit. And now Dr. Walter L Wilson Knock, and surrender to The Holy Spirit. And when these men did take that “Breath” the whole world took notice. Like I said I believe that we have all the Holy Spirit of God within us we will ever get at the moment of salvation but the question is, does He have all of you that He, will ever get?

Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened…13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” NKJV

In the story in Luke about “The Road to Emmaus” we can see clearly.

Luke 24:30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. NKJV

Can You See Clearly Now with the Indwelling of The Holy Spirit?

If so, rise and go, and tell others what Christ Jesus has done for you!

For,

The Lord Is Risen Indeed!

I Can See Clearly Now, Part 2

They Found the Secret

Chapter 11 The Dynamic Life

Dwight Lyman Moody

 

“Has there ever been a more enthusiastic, energetic and enterprising soulwinner than Dwight L. Moody?

As soon as the young shoe clerk in Boston came to assurance of faith in the Savior, he began to seek others who likewise should be saved. With little education, but with great earnestness, he sought the wanderer and the wicked that they might

know the forgiveness of God and newness of life in Christ. He was a layman at work, a witness for the Savior in his place of employment and in all of his associations.

By day and by night Moody was a personal worker, and a promoter of mission Sunday schools, especially for the needy and neglected. In the dreadful days of the War between the States he was active in witnessing among the troops and the

prisoners of war, and he served with the Christian Commission in its ministry of mercy to the wounded and dying.

Providentially he was led to the ministry of an evangelist, to present the claims of Christ to large audiences both in America and in the British Isles. He was a dynamo of feverish activity and apparent effectiveness in those early years, yet

deep in his own heart there was a dissatisfaction that increased to the point of desperation. As is so often the case, the Almighty used a humble man to bring Moody to the end of his own resources, and then to realize the riches of God’s glorious power. This elderly man, whose name history has not recorded, was the first to indicate to the rising evangelist that the anointing of God’s Spirit was absent from his ministry. It happened on an occasion when Moody went down from Boston to New York to speak, and while there was invited to address a little

Sunday school. In speaking of the incident, Moody said that it probably influenced him more than any other single experience in his life. As he was getting into the carriage to hurry from the Sunday school to another service, he was touched on

the shoulder by an old man whose white hair was blowing in the wind. With his finger pointing at Moody, he said, “Young man, when you speak again, honor the Holy Ghost.” ” I got into the carriage,” said Moody, “and drove away, but the voice was continually ringing in my ears; yet I did not understand it. It was six months afterwards before God revealed to me the meaning of that message—that I was entirely dependent upon the Holy Spirit. From that day to this, I seldom stand before a great audience where I don’t see that old man, with his outstretched finger, and hear his voice, ‘Honor the Holy Ghost.'”

In Chicago, there were two godly women, Mrs. Sara A. Cooke and her friend, Mrs. Hawxhurst, who attended Moody’s meetings in Farwell Hall, and on whose hearts, there came a great burden that this precious man of God be filled with the Spirit. On more occasions than one, Mr. Moody made reference to them, as he did at a meeting in Glasgow:

“I can myself go back almost twelve years and remember two holy women who used to come to my meetings. It was delightful to see them there, for when I began to preach, I could tell by the expression of their faces they were praying for me.

At the close of the Sabbath evening services, they would say to me, ‘We have been praying for you.’ I said, ‘Why don’t you pray for the people?’ They answered, ‘You need power.’ ‘ I need power,’ I said to myself, ‘why, I thought I had power.’ I had a large Sabbath school, and the largest congregation in Chicago.

There were some conversions at that time, and I was in a sense satisfied. But right along these two godly women kept praying, for me, and their earnest talk about ‘the anointing for special service’ set me thinking. I asked them to come and talk with me, and we got down on our knees. They poured out their hearts, that I might receive the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

And there came a great hunger in my soul. I knew not what it was. I began to cry as never before. The hunger increased. I really felt that I did not want to live any longer if I could not have this power for service. I kept on crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit.”

Then came the great Chicago fire. On the evening of that memorable night in 1871 when one-third of the city was laid in ashes and thousands were left homeless, Moody had preached in Farwell Hall. With the institutions which he had founded in ruins. Moody went East to appeal for funds, but he said:

“My heart was not in the work of begging. I could not appeal. I was crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit. Well, one day, in the city of New York—oh, what a day! —I cannot describe it; I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to name. Paul had an experience of which he didn’t speak for fourteen years. I can only say that God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to stay His hand. I went to preaching again. The sermons were not different; I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not now be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you should give me all the world—it would be as the small dust of the balance.”

 

The sermons were not different; but the servant was!

The truths were not new; but now they were pungent and penetrating!

A few had been converted before; now converts came by the hundreds!

Before, it had been the earnest energy and tireless drive of the man; now it was the dynamic of the Holy Spirit!

 

Moody rapidly became famous in his work for the Lord. Two years after his deep spiritual experience in New York City (he was walking on Wall Street at the time that the Holy Ghost came upon him in special power) he and Ira Sankey went to England. After three years of ministry in the United Kingdom, Moody returned to Chicago.

“The announcement was made,” wrote Mrs. Cooke, “that on a certain morning Mr. Moody would speak in Harwell and all the religious elite of the city were there to greet him. The platform was filled with preachers and leaders in the Christian world, but none had a deeper interest than the writer who looked on that scene with trembling solicitude, fearing lest this wonderful popularity and success might have puffed him up in any way. Mr. Moody spoke with more unction than of yore but at the same time in childlike simplicity When the meeting closed, we noted amid all the congratulations such a look of humility, as though he would gladly have slipped away from it all. His childlike spirit was his shield and defense. Truly, he was ‘clothed with humility as with a garment.'”

More and more Moody’s preaching became characterized by the spirit of love. Declared the evangelist:

“The only way any church can get a blessing is to lay aside all difference, all criticism, all coldness and party feeling, and come to the Lord as one man; and when the church lives in the power of the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians I am sure that many will be added daily to the flock of God. I would like to have the church read that chapter together on their knees . . . and, as you do so, pray God to apply it with power. Of late my earnest prayer to God has been that He would help me to save more, and I cannot tell you how wonderfully He has answered my prayer. It seems as if you were all much nearer and dearer to me than ever. My heart goes out to you, and I long to see you all coming constantly to God for a fresh supply of love”.

 

I Can See Clearly Now, Part 1

With My Glasses On!

From Chapter 22 of “Something to Ponder”

 

With the last name of Swann I have had my share of problems, I never could understand why college graduates like doctors, nurses, and school teachers, and at times people who even knew my name well and said it out loud before on more than one time, could not pronounce a simple thing as my name when reading it, and in case there are any of you wondering it is pronounced like the big beautiful bird “Swan” you just add another “N” and you have my name.

My name is not Swain, Shawn or even Swannnnn, and I have been called each one of those on more than on one occasion. But since the name that I go by is DeWayne I guess they think my name should rhyme, so we get DeWayne Swain more than any. Or even Dewand Swand. I just don’t get it.

But my most difficult problem was when the teachers would put us in alphabetical order, not a lot of last names that started with T, U, V, W, X, Y, or even Z. So, as one could guess, I ended up in the back of the class on most occasions. Which gave me more opportunities to talk and play than if I were on the front rows. So, I took advantage of that more than not.

When I arrived in the third grade the teacher did just that, she put us in alphabetical order, and in the back of the class I went. I did pretty well in science, math, and even history, but my problems were in English and spelling and still is. (Thank the Good Lord for spell checkers and grammar checking programs.) The teacher would write the spelling words and grammar sentences on the chalkboard. (Yes, I am so old that we used chalkboards)

The teacher would write the things down, and we had to copy them in her words “just as they are on the board.” And I did just that, and then we were to study them, and we would have a test on Friday. We were then instructed to get a parent to go over the words and help us and make sure we were spelling everything correctly.

As I arrive home hoping and praying my Mother could help me with what I had written down, so I could study, and maybe pass the test on Friday. But as my Mother looked over the page, she asked me what this was. I said my homework to study what the teacher put on the board. She then said that she could not read it, and I said neither could I but it was as close as I could get to what I saw written on the board, I didn’t understand why the teacher wanted us to scribble down, but she did. I guess it did look like scribbling, but it was what I saw, and that what I tried to put down.

The next day on our way to Marietta, to go to the eye doctor we discovered what my Mother had already figured out on her own and that was that I couldn’t see too well, so bad that what the teacher wrote down was just lines and scribbling to me because that is what I saw. I am sorry to say I had to wait a week for my glasses to come in so the teacher, with a note from my Mother put me on the “you have to behave” front row.

My Mother recalls the day that we went back to Marietta and picked up my glasses. She said that I was reading every sign, every road post and looking from side to side to see what I have been missing all this time. To this day I have a pair of glasses on my nose, sometimes I wear contact lenses, which are called mono vision because, I need to have bifocals now. But without them I still can’t see too well.

And that bring me to the next pondering point I wish to make. Again, I am not trying to start an argument over what you believe. That takes me back to the chapter “It’s Not My Fault” I would like for you to study this out personally and if you still believe the way you do then that is fine I am not trying to convert anyone from their denomination, I just want you to “Ponder” on the rest of this chapter by putting on your Spiritual glasses, and let us see where we end up.

As you may recall in the last chapter “Is the Honeymoon Over” the song I Surrender All by Judson W. Van DeVenter, the question is had you surrendered all, I could have gone the rest of my life never receiving my glasses, or even having access to them after receiving them and never wearing them, and as a result going around half-way seeing all that I needed to see. Do you see?

I believe it’s the same for Christians they get their ticket into Glory, and for some, that’s all that they want. But for God, I believe that’s not all that he wants, He wants us to be wholly sold out to Him. As I said in the last chapter that I was searching for something and as a result that got me deeper in the Word and I started reading every Christian book I could get my hands on, thinking and hoping that the answer was in them somewhere and somehow. I asked my friend Snyder Turner what to read, never letting him know what I was going through. He recommended to me the book “They Found the Secret”. “They Found…” sounds exactly what I needed. Someone to FIND my happiness, because I seem to have misplaced it somewhere.

The book helped me; I mean that it really helped me. As a Baptist, I was taught that once we accept Christ, we get all the Holy Spirit we will ever get. I do believe that at the moment of conversion, we are filled with His Holy Spirit, just as I believe that at the moment of conception life begins. But don’t get me wrong I also believe that the moment we take our first breath do we put into practice of that life. I believe that we have all the Holy Spirit of God within us we will ever get but the question is does He have all of you, that He will ever get? So, the question is had you taken that first breath?

In the book “They Found the Secret” story after story we see them surrendering more of themselves to God and then God using them and flowing through them with His Holy Spirit. So, if you will, I took a few excerpts from “They Found the Secret” of we see Oswald Chambers, Dwight Lyman Moody, and Walter L Wilson just as an example of the book:

They Found the Secret

Chapter 5 The Highest Life

Oswald Chambers,

“But how could I, bad motivated as I was, possibly ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit? Then it was borne in upon me that I had to claim the gift from God on the authority of Jesus Christ and testify to having done so. But the thought came—

if you claim the gift of the Holy Spirit on the word of Jesus Christ and testify to it, God will make it known to those who know you best how bad you are in heart. And I was not willing to be a fool for Christ’s sake. But those of you who know

the experience, know very well how God brings one to the point of utter despair, and I got to the place where I did not care whether everyone knew how bad I was; I cared for nothing on earth, saving to get out of my present condition.

“At a little meeting held during a mission in Dunoon, a well-known lady was asked to take the after meeting. She did not speak, but set us to prayer, and then sang ‘Touch me again. Lord.’ I felt nothing, but I knew emphatically my time had

come, and I rose to my feet. I had no vision of God, only a sheer dogged determination to take God at His word and to prove this thing for myself, and I stood up and said so. “That was bad enough, but what followed was ten times

worse. After I had sat down the lady worker, who knew me well, said: ‘That is very good of our brother, he has spoken Uke that as an example to the rest of you.’

“Up I got again and said: ‘ I got up for no one (else’s) sake, I got up for my own sake; either Christianity is a downright fraud, or I have not got hold of the right end of the stick.’ And then and there I claimed the gift of the Holy Spirit in dogged

committal on Luke 11:13”.

Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” NKJV

“I had no vision of heaven or of angels, I had nothing. I was as dry and empty as ever, no power or realization of God, no witness of the Holy Spirit. Then I was asked to speak at a meeting, and forty souls came out to the front. Did I praise God?  No, I was terrified and left them to the workers, and went to Mr. MacGregor (a friend) and told him what had happened, and he said: ‘Don’t you remember claiming the Holy spirit as a gift on the word of Jesus, and that He said: “Ye shall receive power . . .?” ‘This is the power from on high.’ Then like a flash something happened inside me, and I saw that I had been wanting power in my own hand, so to speak, that I might say—Look what I have by putting my all on the altar.”

He then went on to say:

“It was with implicit obedience that Oswald Chambers learned, on the basis of Luke 11:13, that by faith we receive the fullness of God’s Spirit, just as by faith we receive the Lord Jesus as Savior And what did the immediacy of God mean in the life of Oswald Chambers? He himself said again and again, “It is no wonder that I talk so much about an altered disposition: God altered mine; I was there when He did it ”

This was Oswald “My Utmost for His Highest” Chambers. And he came to understand that through obedience all we have to do is ask.

 

Next week we pick up with D. L. Moody.

Who Is Jesus? Part 3 of 3

From “Study and Obey”

Conclusion

Colossians 1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This is perhaps the richest passage on Christ anywhere in the Bible. But why is knowing these things important? There are many, but I will leave you with three reasons.

1. Knowing Jesus protects you from error.

Almost every single cult in the world gets it wrong about Jesus. They say He wasn’t man. Or He isn’t God. Or He didn’t rise from the dead. When you are confronted with odd teachings about Jesus, come back here. Knowing the truth will protect you from false teaching and error.

“If you don’t embrace a Christ that is big enough and clear enough, you will be a sitting duck for Christ-diminishing, Christ-distorting philosophy, empty deceit, and human tradition.” – Piper

False teachers will seek to distort and minimize Christ. Have no part of it.

2. Knowing Jesus helps you depend on Jesus.

When deep inside of us, we acknowledge the fact that He made us, that He sustains us, that He every breath we have is from Him, and that without Him we would disintegrate, that makes us humble. And we learn to stop trusting in ourselves, but to fall at His feet and say, “we need you.”

“If you don’t embrace a Christ that is big enough and clear enough, you will stop holding fast to Christ as the great, all-supplying Head of the body, and take up sectarian strategies of self-improvement.” – Piper

3. Knowing Jesus encourages you to worship Jesus.
4. Knowing Jesus strengthens our hope in Jesus.

Seeing Jesus’ power from eternity past, reminds us that the hope we have is sure. Everything He has promised will come to pass. And that hope helps us press on. The bigger Jesus is in your sight, the smaller everything else will be.

Reflection Questions

In what specific way will you change your priorities or actions in the next week so that Christ will have His rightful first place in your life and heart?

What aspect of Jesus’ character touched you the most today? Why?

Besides the three mentioned (protection from error, increased dependence on Jesus, a strengthened hope), why else is having a deep and exalted view of Jesus important?

Copied from “Study and Obey”

 

Who Is Jesus? Part 2 of 3

6-10 of 10 points

From “Study and Obey”

 

6. He is the Head of the Church –

He is over the universe as a whole and He is also over the church specifically. The universe was created through Him and for Him and the church was also created through Him and for Him. This is a simple, but important truth. Christ is over the church.

The head of the church is not any person, whether a prophet, a pastor, no matter how dynamic. It is not my church. It is not your church. It is not the pope’s church.

The head of the church is not any organization, denomination, or institution, including any governments.

We cannot serve two masters. Neither can a church serve both God and government. A church will face many problems and be tempted to compromise if it accepts government control.

There is only one head, and it is Christ. This does not mean that leaders aren’t important. Leaders (appointed in biblical ways) are very important and are used by Christ to shepherd and lead this vast body.

Hebrews 13:17 – Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

We are commanded to submit to our leaders. But this is akin to a parent who asks the younger children to follow the instructions of the oldest child while he is gone. The younger children need to obey not because of any inherent authority in that oldest child, but because of the command of the parent, in who rests all the authority over the children.

The church and people in the church belong to Christ, not to us. It is not your church or your fellowship or your convert in the sense that those things belong to you. They don’t belong to me. Or to you. Everything belongs to Christ.

That is important. It changes the whole mindset of how we serve. We should not compete with other groups to get more numbers. We should not demand personal loyalty from those we are called to serve. We should not take offense if someone we have discipled or taught, moves on to another church or lighthouse God has called him to. Because they don’t belong to us.

Some time ago, in one rural village area of Asia there were two preachers. One had been sacrificially serving the community for years. He gave up a career and his own pursuits to serve the Lord. He held revivals. He mentored people. Then a new preacher came into the area. He also preached to big crowds. He also mentored people. His teaching style was a bit different, perhaps more engaging. But the content was basically the same. His persona was more attractive. Soon large numbers of people left the ministry of the old preacher and joined the new preacher’s ministry.

Some of his closest followers were upset. They complained to him, “Our meetings are much emptier than before. You are not as popular as before. You have given everything to this community, and now they have all abandoned you and gone over to this new guy.”

How did he respond?

“He must increase and I must decrease,” answered John the Baptist. John the Baptist understood. It wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. His entire ministry was to point people to Jesus because Jesus is the head. We must be willing to decrease in every way so that all the spotlight, all the glory, all the praise is on Jesus.

 

7. He is the beginning –

He existed from the beginning. John said, “in the beginning was the Word.” He is the cause of this world. He is the cause of our physical life. He is the cause of our spiritual life.

When you see a ball rolling down the street, you might ask, “what caused that?” Probably a person rolled it. Then you go back, where did the person come from? And you keep going back, back, back. Finally, you would arrive at a point in time when there was nothing except the Trinity. He set things into motion.

Everything we see around us has a cause (cause and effect). But He is the first cause or what theology calls the “uncaused” cause.

 

8. He is the Firstborn from the Dead –

1 Corinthians 15:20 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

It is because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead that we know we too will be resurrected one day. His new life guarantees our new life. He is the proof that the promise of eternal life and salvation is true. 1 Corinthians 15 makes it clear that if Christ was not raised from the dead then we have no hope and our faith is useless. His resurrection is the lynchpin which holds together the whole gospel and all the promises in the gospel.

If you go back in time all the way to the beginning, Jesus is there. He is like the Mt. Everest, which fills up your entire view. He is the “Wow of all wows.” And if you go forward in time, Jesus is the first one to be raised from the dead. And He is also the best/highest rank (remember that word firstborn can mean either). But that resurrection is also our hope. It is the guarantee of something better. In Revelation 20-22, we can see the final result. Eternal life. Perfect righteousness. Glorified bodies. New Jerusalem. New Heaven. New Earth. He will bring all of it.

Our hope is made sure because of Jesus’ resurrection.

It says here, “that in everything, He might be preeminent.”

 

9. He will take His place in Pre-Eminence –

” So that He will come to have first place in everything”

At every point in time, Jesus is supreme. He is the priority.

But sometimes there is a gap between reality and how reality is perceived. Although Christ is the Creator of this world, most people do not recognize Him as such. Although He holds this world together, most people do not recognize this or accept it. Although He is the rightful ruler and authority of this world, most people do not submit to his authority or recognize Him as the ruler.

One day this gap between who Jesus is and how this world perceives Him will be bridged. One day we will see Him as He really is (1 John 3:2.) One day in the future every person will bow the knee to Christ and confess that He is the Lord (Philippians 3:10-12).

He is the Lord already. Let’s make sure that we are putting Him in first place in our lives.

 

10. He is 100% God –

In Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell – Similar to the fact that He “is the image of the invisible God.”

Paul states the same truth in multiple ways to make sure you don’t miss it. Someone might say, “Well, He is only the image of God. That is just something about the surface. He is not really God.”

 

So here, Paul says, “all the fullness of God” was pleased to dwell, “In Him.” It is not just a surface thing. He doesn’t just look like God. He is God. The second member of the Trinity, who existed from eternity past, as an invisible spirit, chose to condescend to take on human flesh. He did not do this reluctantly or under compulsion, but He was cheerful giver. He gave Himself to us.

 

Not just a piece of Himself. Not just a reflection. He didn’t just anoint or empower a man. He became one. The Son of Man was not just a shell. He was the living God.

 

Why did He do this? The next verse gives the answer, for our reconciliation.

 

In order to represent us, He had to become one of us. In order to save us, He had to be sinless and divine. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker. He gave up His life to make peace between us and God.

 

Who is Jesus? He is God.

Who Is Jesus? Part 1 of 3

1-5 of 10 points

From “Study and Obey”

Colossians 1:15-20 Sermon

Clearest Christological Passage in The Bible

Introduction –

Once a Sunday School teacher asked the class, “What is brown, furry, and has long ears?” A student responded, “It sounds like a dog, but it must be Jesus.” The student realized that in Sunday School answering “Jesus” to almost every question can be the right answer.

Our entire faith is about Jesus. We call ourselves Christians which means “followers of Christ.” But who is He? Who are we following? What is He like? What is His essence? What is His nature?

Today I have the privilege of sharing with you one of the deepest and most theologically rich passages in the entire Bible. It answers that question, “who is Jesus?” Knowing the profound weight and importance of the text I am sharing with you today is a very humbling thing.

Colossians 1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

 

Many commentators believe this was a hymn or confession in the early church that Paul was quoting. Perhaps so. Either way, we are glad it’s here. It teaches us who Jesus is in crystal-clear clarity. It cannot be divided easily into a tidy 3-point sermon. Instead, we will go through one statement at a time and unpack them. In all, we will look at ten points about who is Jesus.

 

1. He is the image of the invisible God –

What does it mean that Jesus is the image of God?

The word used in Greek means “likeness,” statue, profile, or representation.

He is not just similar to God, but He is in fact God. They are of the same essence. He is the manifestation of God. Jesus reflects all that God is. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immutable, just, loving, compassionate, holy, etc. God the Father does not have any qualities or abilities that Jesus the Son does not have.

Jesus made it clear in John 14:9 what that means –Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Those who saw Jesus, saw the Father (John 14:9). He is Immanuel, God with us.

Since we can’t see the Father, that results in many questions. What is God like? What would He do?

Jesus being the image of God answers those questions. He showed us God’s character, holiness, and wisdom.

This statement means that Jesus is divine. He is not just a good man or a good teacher. To put it simply, He is God. People could see God. Touch God.

When the disciples worshiped Jesus (Matthew 14:33), He received it, because He is God.

Hebrews 1 is one of the other beautiful Christological passages. And it teaches us the same point.

Hebrews 1:3 – He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is God. Not a reflection or piece of God, but God Himself in the flesh.

 

2. He Is The firstborn of all Creation –

This phrase has confused many well-meaning Christians over the years. It has also been used by false teachers to spread the lie that Jesus is a created being.

But this passage and many others, confirm the doctrine of the incarnation, that at the incarnation the invisible God took on flesh and became a man, wholly man and wholly God.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So what does “firstborn” mean here? In our culture, this means the one who is born first.

But in Middle Eastern culture, the firstborn does not always refer to the one born first, but is used as a title for the person who has priority or rank over the others. For example, when Jacob bought Esau’s birthright, the rank of the firstborn was transferred to him even though he was younger.

 

The Greek word used is “prototokos,” and can mean “first,” but it can also be used to emphasize one’s rank or priority.

Calling Jesus the “firstborn of creation” is emphasizing His sovereignty over creation. He is not part of it, but He does have rank and priority over it.

Another verse that shows this same concept is:

Psalms 89:27 – And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

This verse points to the Messiah, who will be given authority and rank over all the kings of the earth. Philippians 2 teaches us that after Jesus humbled Himself to the point of dying on the cross for our sins, the Father will exalt Him in front of peoples and nations. Every knee will bow to Him.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is higher than all of creation.

 

3. He is the Creator –

By Him all things are created – (John 1:1-4, Ephesians 3:9.)

In Genesis we learn that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Here we learn that Jesus did. Some verses ascribe Creation to the Father (Exodus 20:11, Psalm 33:6). Others ascribe it to the Son. The logical conclusion is that it was both.

We can see a glimpse of that in Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Already in Genesis we see the concept of the Trinity taught.

John 1:1-3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

He created everything that is not God.

When I was a teacher, I taught a class at 9:15 AM. Another teacher could also say she taught the class. Who taught it? Both of us did. We did it together. Both statements are accurate.

So who is Jesus? He is the Creator. His creation is ex-nihilo. That means that He created out of nothing. When people create things, we take something that already exists and reform it into something new. God is the only one who can create ex-nihilo.

And He created all things for Him.

These two little words are a very important addendum to this treatise on creation and Christ. From these words we know the reason the world was created. It was not created primarily for your enjoyment, although God does want us to enjoy it. It was not created primarily for your consumption, although you can consume some parts of it. It was not created primarily for people, although people are the highest of all God’s creation. It was created for Himself.

Christ created this world primarily for His own glory and His own pleasure. Psalm 19 says that the “heavens declare the glory of God.”

That means that you are not the center of the universe. He is. Turn to your neighbor and say, “it is not about you.” And reply, “It is about Him.”

If He was an evil master, that would be terrible news for us. But He is a good master. And He cares for us to the extent that He even laid down His life for His sheep (His creation).

Although God has created this world for Himself, He doesn’t forget us. He designed this world and us in such a way that we get maximum enjoyment and maximum benefit as we give him maximum glory. It’s a win-win situation!

Since the universe was made for Him, what is the application for us?

Application: Have you acknowledged in your heart of hearts that you were indeed created for serving God? Or do you resist this?

There is something in our sinful hearts that rebels against the idea that we were created for Him.

The very first sin was rebellion against God’s authority. They wanted to serve their own interests, rather than God’s. What they didn’t realize is that the two were perfectly aligned. What pleases God is also best for you.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Creator who made us. And he made us to serve Him.

Are you living your life in light of that truth? Which part of your life are you living for yourself? Think about that a moment. Confess that before the Lord this morning. And affirm your belief that you were created for Him.

4. He is Supreme –

Colossians 1:17 – He is before all things.

Jesus is superior to everything else in this world. He has the priority.

There will be many times in our lives when we need to make a decision between two choices.

What are your priorities?

For example, we may need to choose between career and family or mother and wife. When we face decisions like that, we will have to answer the question, “which one has the priority?” If you choose career over family, that won’t end well. If you choose mother over wife that also will not end well.

We will face the same type of decisions in regards to Christ. Career or Christ, pleasure or Christ, convenience or Christ? Comfort or Christ? Paul is telling us that Jesus IS before all things. He has the priority. He IS more important than these things. The question is, will we recognize this truth when we make these decisions?

I heard one preacher say that he laughs whenever he hears the phrase “make Christ Lord of your life.” Christ is already the Lord. The question is not if He is the Lord, but it is if we will treat Him as Lord.

Application: Is Christ the priority of your life? You can examine someone’s priorities by the choices they make. How they spend their money. What they make time for or what they are “too busy” for. Let our lives reflect the fact that Christ is before all things.

5. He is the Sustainer –

“In Him all things hold together”

In previous verses we learned that Jesus is the Creator. The whole world around us was created by Him. Yet His relationship with this universe didn’t end there. He didn’t start the process and then let human decisions and the natural laws he set up take over. Deists believe that.

In the 1700 and 1800s, many of the founding fathers of the US were deists. They believed that God created the world and then left it to its own devices. Their idea of God was like a clockmaker who makes a clock and then sets it aside to run on its own or someone who makes a little sailboat and then sets it adrift. Many still have an idea of a god like this. An impersonal force who leaves the world to itself.

Yet here we learn that in Him all things hold together. This tells us that He is still very much involved in what happens in this world. He keeps this world from descending into complete chaos and disorder. The molecules of the chairs you are sitting on are held together by Him. The waters of the sea are kept from overflowing by Him. The blazing hot core of the sun is held in check from becoming a supernova by Him. Your skin and flesh stay together because of Him. So does the flesh of the staunchest atheist. Every second of our lives, we are dependent on Him.

Without Him, chaos would reign and life itself could not be sustained. Without His sustaining power, you would fly into a million pieces.

Think back on the most amazing sights you have seen. What did you see that made you go “wow?” Perhaps, it was the aurora borealis? Or maybe Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe? Mt. Everest? White Cliffs of Dover?

Well, the purpose of this passage today is to make us take a good look at Jesus and go, “wow!” The universe keeps running because of Him. He is powerful, beautiful, kind, and caring. He is our Sustainer. He is the one we should admire more than anything or anyone else. He is the one we should long to meet.

What is at the top of your bucket list of places to see? (Tell your neighbor.) That is nothing next to Jesus.

So what is our application? Exalt Him. Thank Him. Rely on Him.

Getting Caught in the Rough.

In early 1997, I was running the sound for my Church and our choir. We would often go on appointments to Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and all over metro Atlanta. I, as the “sound man,” was obligated to go and mix their sound.

We had a drummer, bass player, organist, and pianist. The drummer, Mark Drake, and I shared a room on most of those appointments.

He is a golfer and was watching a new young player named Tiger Woods playing in a tournament.  Mark told me I needed to watch this guy play because he was amazing. So, I sat down and watched, and finally they got back around to him teeing off.

 

Whhhhisssh.  He sliced the ball, and the ball went alright, straight into the rough. I burst out laughing and said, “Yep, he’s the one to watch alright.”

Then Mark said, “Wait.”

So, I waited and when he got down to the ball in the thick high grass I said, “Well, let’s see how he handles this.”

He lined up the ball with the flag, took a swing, and wow. The ball flew up and out of the rough, right onto the green and just inches from the hole. Tiger then walked up to the green and just tapped it in. Mark said something that day that has stayed with me all these years. He said,

 

“We all end up in the rough sometimes, but it’s how we handle it, that makes us what we are.”

 

Sometimes we are doing the best we can do, we are doing everything right, and it looks as if God is answering every prayer we pray for others and not hearing the ones for ourselves. Then we shank the ball and in the rough, we sit.

 

Paul told the Church in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, NKJV

 

Paul called it “light afflictions” check out Paul’s “light afflictions” in

2 Corinthians 11:22-29 “He said, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews 5 times he received 39 stripes, 3 times he was beaten with rods; 1 time he was stoned; 3 times he was shipwrecked; often he said in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness… and this is “light affliction” And then he added his responsibility that comes upon him daily: “my deep concern for all the churches”. He sounds like he was in the rough. However, he kept his eyes on what was important, so how did he handle it. Look at the next verse.

2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NKJV

 

It is not about what we get here but what we send there.

The things that are temporary are the things that we face here and now and Paul said do not let those things keep you pulled down but to look at the eternal things as he said in:

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Or in other words, don’t let yesterday rob you of what you can do today, and as far as tomorrow goes keep your eyes on the goal (or flag on the green) and keep pressing toward that goal. The eternal things.

 

Sometimes we end up in the rough to be taught.

Peter put it this way:

1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.  NKJV

 

We all end up in the rough sometimes, but it’s how we handle it, that makes us what we are. Don’t just stay there, knock that ball out, and if you don’t make it to the green, hit again, and again, and again, and again, whatever it takes. You just don’t give up.

 

Psalms 30:5b: …weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Joy is a coming, and it just may be sooner than you think. Please don’t give up on God, because I promise He hasn’t given up on you!

 

So how are YOU going to handle the rough?

“We all end up in the rough sometimes, but it’s how we handle it, that makes us what we are.”