Author: E. DeWayne Swann

 

THE BELIEVERS AND HIS PRAYER LIFE Part 3

We saw:

1. The Challenge to Prayer
2. The Character of Prayer

And now I want to look at;

III. V. 17-18 THE CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER

James 5:13-18 (NKJV) ¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

 

1. God’s Promises in Prayer
2. To Hear Us –

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Isaiah 65:24 (NKJV) “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

 

2. To Help Us –

Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Mark 11:24 (NKJV) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

God’s Performance in Prayer – We have a God who is able to do, as Paul says, “Exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think.” Eph. 3:20. What James tells us about Elijah. God, moved in response to his prayer of faith!)

God does not always answer prayers to our liking, or on our timetable, but He does answer the prayers of His children!)

The Property is at Calvary Baptist Church, in Powder Springs, Georgia.  When I was a child and at Church during prayer services on Wednesday nights, I remember hearing the men crying out to God for the property behind the Church. Some 30 years passed and I got to see the Lord answer those prayers.

I sat as the CFO of the Church at the lawyer’s office and had the privilege of signing the paper and receiving the deed to said property. God hears and answers PRAYER.

This truth is also seen in the two following illustrations:

For several years after her conversion, Mrs. Hanover had prayed earnestly for her husband’s salvation. Then one day he was killed in an automobile accident. She thought God had not answered her prayers, so she became disillusioned with God and stopped living for Him.

Five years later, she met a man named Roger Simms, who told her an amazing story. The day Mr. Hanover was killed, he had picked up Roger, who was hitchhiking. When Roger, who was a Christian, witnessed to him about Christ, Mr. Hanover was so convicted that he pulled off the road, wept, and prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior. Hearing this, Mrs. Hanover wept for joy and grief–joy that her husband had been saved, and grief that she had stopped obeying God and had given in to discouragement.

And,

While Josh McDowell was attending seminary in California, his father went home to be with the Lord. His mother had died years earlier, but Josh was not sure of her salvation. He became depressed, thinking that she might be lost. Was she a Christian or not? The thought obsessed him. “Lord,” he prayed, “somehow give me the answer so I can get back to normal. I’ve just got to know.” It seemed like an impossible request.

Two days later, Josh drove out to the ocean. He walked to the end of a pier to be alone. There sat an old woman in a lawn chair, fishing. “Where’s your home originally?” she asked. “Michigan–Union City,” Josh replied. “Nobody’s heard of it. I tell people it’s a suburb of–” “Battle Creek,” interrupted the woman. “I had a cousin from there. Did you know the McDowell family?” Stunned, John responded, “Yes, I’m Josh McDowell!”

“I can’t believe it,” said the woman. “I’m a cousin to your mother.” “Do you remember anything at all about my mother’s spiritual life?” asked Josh. “Sure–your mom and I were just girls–teenagers–when a tent revival came to town. It was the fourth night–we both went forward to accept Christ.” “Praise God!” shouted Josh, startling the surrounding fisherman.)

God’s People in Prayer – According to James, Elijah was not perfect, but was subject to the same passions that afflict us all. However, God used Him to do great things through the prayers of faith. You see, God deals with us based on the here and now, He never holds our confessed past against us. This encourages me, because all of us a prone to failure, but it is a comfort to know that when we get into sin, we can come back to the Father and have our prayer lives restored by simply repenting before Him.

1 John 1:9-10 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you take the time to look at others in the Bible, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Hezekiah, etc., you find that they were all men who failed God at one time or the other, yet they were all great men of prayer. I am grateful that we have a God who invites us to join Him bringing our needs to His attention –

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NKJV) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Great things happen when a saved people call on an omnipotent God!)

As we have considered the subject of prayer today, I hope your own heart has been stirred to think about revamping your personal prayer life. I would like to see us get back to a genuine prayer meeting before the Lord. Let us respond now as He has led us. Will you do that?

Three Prayers that we pray, I believe every prayer falls into one of these categories.

Prayer of Acceptance (Salvation) Repent = verb feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.

Prayer of Petition Your request

Prayer of Praise. Your Worship.

Adoration (Thanking Him for who He is)

Thanksgiving (Thanking Him for what He has done)

PRAY

THE BELIEVERS AND HIS PRAYER LIFE Part 2

1. The Type of Prayers to Pray – James says that our praying is to be “effectual fervent.” These 2 words are the translation of a word that means, “to display one’s activity; to put forth power.” It simply means that we are to pray in faith and then put our legs on our prayers for God’s glory. We have a tendency to ask, then sit and wait. God’s plan is that we ask, thank Him for the answer that is coming, and then get up and live as though the prayer had already been answered!

In Bristol, England, George Mueller operated an orphanage for two thousand children. One evening he became aware that there would be no breakfast for them the next morning. Mueller called his workers together and explained the situation. Two or three prayed. “Now that is sufficient,” he said. “Let us rise and praise God for prayer answered!” The next morning, they could not push open the great front door. So, they went out the back door and around the building to see what was keeping it shut. Stacked up against the front door were boxes filled with food. One of the workers later remarked, “We know Who sent the baskets, but we do not know who brought them!”)

I believe that these words are an encouragement to us to be fervent, or excited about our praying. We should pray with a zeal of soul and a burden of heart. Prayer should never be a humdrum undertaking.)

1. The Type of Person Who Prays – James calls the effectual prayer a righteous man. This refers to a standard of life that reflects a commitment to God and His word and will. In other words, God has respect for the prayers of the holy. However, He does not hear the prayers of the sinful –

Psalm 66:18 (NKJV) If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

Proverbs 1:28-33 (NKJV)
²⁸ “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
²⁹ Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
³⁰ They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.
³¹ Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
³² For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

1 John 3:22 (NKJV) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

John 15:7 (NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

If we are determined to be effective in prayer, then we must get our lives in line with God and His will for our lives.

1. The Type of Power in Prayer – James tells us that proper and God-honoring prayer “availeth much.” This simply means to “put forth much more than was expected.” When we pray in faith, it unlocks the great potential of God to work in our world. God honors the praying of His people because His people praying honors Him!

John Newton had received from the Lord some almost unbelievable answers to his petitions, and so he often engaged in “large asking.” In support of this practice, he would frequently tell the story of a man who asked Alexander the Great to give him a huge sum of money in exchange for his daughter’s hand in marriage. The ruler consented and told him to request of his treasurer whatever he wanted. So, he went and asked for an enormous amount. The keeper of the funds was startled and said he could not give him that much without a direct order. Going to Alexander, the treasurer argued that even a small fraction of the money requested would more than serve the purpose. “No,” replied Alexander, “let him have it all. I like that fellow. He does me honor. He treats me like a king and proves by what he asks that he believes me to be both rich and generous.” Newton concluded the story by saying, “In the same way, we should go to the throne of God’s grace and present petitions that express honorable views of the love, riches, and bounty of our King!”)

A missionary family in Africa years ago had 2 small children. The second being born after they arrived on the mission field. The youngest was sickly and needed much care. It had to be wrapped in blankets most of the time to ensure that it stayed warm enough. The mother was heard to say, over and over, “I wish we had a hot water bottle.” Her thinking was that a hot water bottle, she could place it next to the child and provide it with some heat. After a few weeks, a package arrived from England. In that package were several items that were sent to the family anonymously to help them in their new location. Among the items, there was a hot water bottle. The mother thanked God, but couldn’t recall having prayed for it. As the last of the items were taken out of the box, the oldest child came to her mother and said, “Where’s my new baby doll?” Her mother responded, “There isn’t a doll in here.” The little girl asked them to look again, and when they did, under all the packing material was a little, new baby doll. The mother asked the girl how she knew there was a doll in there. She said, “Well when I asked God to send a hot water bottle for the baby, I asked Him to send me a dolly.” This story becomes even more remarkable when we stop to consider that this package had to travel to Africa first by ship, then by pack animals until it reached the family. It began its journey some 6 months before the baby had been born and before the little girl had ever begun to pray for those things! What a God we serve!)

THE BELIEVERS AND HIS PRAYER LIFE Part 1

As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools. — Author unknown

Prayer. Seems like it should be a simple enough topic. But just take a little sample of what people say about it:

• “God punishes us mildly by ignoring our prayers and severely by answering them.”—Richard J. Needham
• “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” —Soren Kierkegaard
• “Practical prayer is harder on the soles of your shoes than on the knees of your trousers.” —Austin O’Malley
• “I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” —Frederick Douglass, escaped slave
• “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Give him a religion, and he will starve to death while praying for a fish.” —Author unknown
• “When we talk to God, we are praying. When God talks to us, we are schizophrenic.” —Jane Wagner

Jesus had a lot to say about prayer, too. In John 15, as He finishes explaining the vine and the branches, He offers us another important facet of prayer to consider:

John 15:7-8 (NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

This passage is so much more than some sort of formula to get what we want.

Note the preconditions to answered prayer: “If you remain in me … if my words remain in you….” Jesus is talking about an intimacy so real that our will becomes conformed to His—so that anything we ask will be a reflection of who we are in Him and who He is in us.

Isn’t this the vine-and-branch relationship at its simplest, most profound level?

If you are living in the context of His love, there will be joy, sacrifice, and obedience… and whatever you pray, consider it YES, because you will be praying the right things!

True Vine, align my desires with Your will! I want my mind to be renewed and my life to be transformed so deeply that my prayers will be a natural reflection of Your will. I understand that this will require many things to be pruned from my life as You lead me and empower me for obedience to the Father’s glory. Amen.

James 5:13-18 (NKJV) ¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

I would like to take just a few minutes to investigate these verses and see what James is trying to teach us about prayer. Join me as I search The Word for a while on The Believer and His Prayer Life.

1. V. James 5:13-16a THE CHALLENGE TO PRAYER

(James is speaking primarily about prayer and healing of the sin-sick believer. However, he also gives us some insight into our own daily prayer life. The challenge set before Christians in these verses is to pray!)

1. Subjects for Prayer
2. Affliction – Afflicted means to “endure hardship.” Those who are walking through the valleys and trials of life are to pray.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

2. Sickness – When we, or others are sick, we are to call out their names in prayer. God is a healer! Therefore, we are to go to Him in prayer on behalf of those who are afflicted with sickness.
3. Brethren – We are to be in prayer for one another in the family of God. We have a duty to one another to prayer fervently about the needs, burdens and lives of our fellow believers. (Gal. 6:2)

Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

4. Joy – It is implied that when there is joy, that too should be expressed. What better place to express than before the Lord in prayer?

Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV) giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

22. The Strength of Prayer – Back to James In verse 15, James mentions the “prayer of faith.” Faith is what gives prayer strength and effectiveness. God answers prayer, but He does so in response to the faith of His people – Matt. 21:22.

Matthew 21:22 (NKJV) And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

James makes it clear that faith is an essential ingredient in effective praying –

James 1:5-8 (NKJV) ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing ship. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship.

“Mr. Taylor,” he said, “we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals.”

“What can I do?” asked Taylor.

“I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind.”

“All right, Captain, I will, but you must set the sail.”

“Why, that’s ridiculous! There’s not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I “m crazy.” Nevertheless, the captain finally agreed. Forty-five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. “You can stop praying now,” said the captain. “We’ve got more wind than we know what to do with!”)

All I am saying is that if you need something from God, then it must be asked for in faith. God does not simply respond to our asking; it is our faith in God that moves God into action.)

1. The Source of Prayer – All prevailing prayer has its roots in the written Word of God. What I mean is this, you cannot simply pray for something frivolous and expect God to grant it. However, when He has specifically spoken to something in His Word, then you can pray with confidence. It is His will and He will answer it. Faith is always based on the Word of God –

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

If there is a need, God will meet it – Phil. 4:19.

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

If there is fear, God will replace it –

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

If there is a burden, God will lift it –

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

If there is a need for someone to be saved, God will deal with them –

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

If there is a sin, God will forgive it –

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

All I am trying to get us to see is that when we pray, we can only pray in faith if we can base our prayers on the revealed will of God, His Word as found in the Bible. Anything else is merely something based on our own wants, our own desires, or our greed. Often, these things are not wrong and God may grant them. However, we can have absolute assurance that He will always answer those prayers that are prayed as a result of His promises.)

Philippians 4:20 (NKJV) Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

This is “The Challenge to Prayer” Next week we will look at “THE CHARACTER OF PRAYER”

Cross View Part 3

1 We need to get to the Cross in view.

2 We need to have the Cross in view.

3 We need to keep the Cross in view.

 

Take up your CROSS

Significance of the Cross. The authors of the gospels tell us that the Lord Jesus spoke of the cross before His death (Matt 10:38; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:27)

Mark 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”  NKJV

Luke 14:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.           NKJV

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

[And he that taketh not his cross …] When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. See notes at Matt 27:31.

The cross was usually composed of two rough beams of wood, united in the form of this figure of a cross It was an instrument of death. See the notes at Matt 27:31-32.

 Matthew 27:31, And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Matt 27:32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.  NKJV

[As they came out] That is, either out of the governor’s palace where he had been treated with such cruelty and contempt, or out of the gates of the city, to crucify him.

[A man of Cyrene] Cyrene was a city of Libya, in Africa, lying west of Egypt. There were many Jews there, and they were in the habit, like others, of going frequently to Jerusalem.

[Him they compelled go bear his cross] John says (John 19:17) that Jesus went forth “bearing his cross.” Luke says (Luke 23:26) that they laid the cross on Simon, that he might bear it after Jesus. There is no contradiction in these accounts. It was a part of the usual punishment of those who were crucified that they should bear their own cross to the place of execution. Accordingly, it was laid at first on Jesus, and he went forth, as John says, bearing it. Weak, however, and exhausted by suffering and watchfulness, he probably sunk under the heavy burden, and they laid hold of Simon that he might bear “one end” of the cross, as Luke says, “after Jesus.” The cross was composed of two pieces of wood, one of which was placed upright in the earth, and the other crossed after the form of the figure of a cross. The upright part was commonly so high that the feet of the person crucified were 2 or 3 feet from the ground.

On the middle of that upright part there was usually a projection or seat on which the person crucified sat, or, as it were, “rode.” This was necessary, as the hands were not alone strong enough to bear the weight of the body; as the body was left exposed often many days, and not infrequently suffered to remain till the flesh had been devoured by vultures or putrefied in the sun.

The feet were fastened to this upright piece either by nailing them with large spikes driven through the tender part or by being lashed by cords. To the cross-piece at the top, the hands, being extended, were also fastened, either by spikes or by cords, or perhaps, in some cases, by both. The hands and feet of our Saviour were both fastened by spikes. Crosses were also sometimes made in the form of the letter X, the limbs of the person crucified being extended to the four parts, and he suffered to die a lingering death in this cruel manner. The cross used in the Crucifixion of Christ appears to have been the former.

The mention of the cross often occurs in the New Testament. It was the instrument on which the Saviour made atonement for the sins of the world. The whole of the Christian’s hope of heaven, and all his peace and consolation in trial and in death, depend on the sacrifice there made for sin, and on just views and feelings in regard to the fact and the design of the Redeemer’s death. See the notes at John 21:18.

(from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

 

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

To carry it was burdensome, disgraceful, was trying to the feelings, was an addition to the punishment. So “to carry the cross” is a figurative expression, denoting that we must endure whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ. It consists simply in doing our duty, let the people of the world think of it or speak of it as they may.

It does not consist in MAKING trouble for ourselves, or doing things merely “to be opposed;” it is doing just what is required of us in the Scriptures, let it produce whatever shame, disgrace, or pain it may. This every follower of Jesus is required to do.

(From Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

 

It is a symbol of the necessity of full commitment (even unto death) for those who could be His disciples. But the major significance of the cross after Jesus’ death and resurrection is its use as a symbol of Jesus’ willingness to suffer for our sins (Phil 2:8; Heb 12:2)

Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. NKJV

Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV

so that we might be reconciled (2 Cor 5:19; Col 1:20)

2 Cor 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. NKJV

Col 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. NKJV

to God and know His peace (Eph 2:16).

Eph 2:16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. NKJV

Thus, the cross symbolizes the glory of the Christian gospel (1 Cor 1:17);

1 Cor 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. NKJV

the fact that through this offensive means of death (1 Cor 1:23; Gal 5:11),

1 Cor 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, NKJV

Gal 5:11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. NKJV

the debt of sin against us was “nailed to the cross” (Col 2:14),

Col 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NKJV

 and we, having “been crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20),

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. NKJV

has been freed from sin and death and made alive to God (Rom 6:6-11).

Rom 6:6-11

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

 

The cross, then, is the symbol of Jesus’ love, God’s power to save, and the thankful believer’s unreserved commitment to Christian discipleship. To those who know the salvation which Christ gained for us through His death, it is a “wondrous cross” indeed.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

Close: Rom 12-13

Living Sacrifices to God

12:1 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. 2 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.

 

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

Behave Like a Christian

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 13

Submit to Government

13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

 

Love Your Neighbor

(cf. Mark 12:31; James 2:8)

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”   10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Put on Christ

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. NKJV

CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST

The cross has been a major stumbling block in the way of the Jews, preventing the majority of them from accepting Jesus as the MESSIAH. The apostle Paul summed up the importance of the crucifixion best: “We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:23-24).

1 Cor 1:23-25

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. NKJV

 

 Out of the ugliness and agony of crucifixion, God accomplished the greatest good of all-the redemption of sinners.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

Don’t worship the cross worship the Savior!!!! Keep the Cross in View. And see the Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins.

I will glory in the Cross

By Dottie Rambo

I boast not of works or tell of good deeds
For naught have I done to merit his grace
All glory and praise shall rest upon him
So willing to die in my place

My trophies and crowns, my robe stained with sin
Twas all that I had to lay at his feet
Unworthy to eat from the table of life
Till love made provision for me

I will glory in the cross
In the cross
Lest his suffering all be in vain
I will weep no more for the cross that he bore
I will glory in the cross

1 We need to get to the Cross in view.

2 We need to have the Cross in view.

 

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross

 

John 12:27-36

27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.  28 Father, glorify Your name.”

 

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

 

29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

 

30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

 

34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

 

35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

NKJV

 

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

 

Luke 19:41-44

 

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,  44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 

NKJV

 

1 We need to get to the Cross in view.

2 We need to have the Cross in view.

next week;

3 We need to keep the Cross in view.

CrossView Part 1 

 

I will glory in the Cross  By Dottie Rambo

I boast not of works or tell of good deeds
For naught have I done to merit his grace
All glory and praise shall rest upon him
So willing to die in my place

My trophies and crowns, my robe stained with sin
Twas all that I had to lay at his feet
Unworthy to eat from the table of life
Till love made provision for me

I will glory in the cross
In the cross
Lest his suffering all be in vain
I will weep no more for the cross that he bore
I will glory in the cross

 

CROSS

Death on a Cross. Those sentenced to death on a cross in the Roman period were usually beaten with leather lashes-a procedure which often resulted in severe loss of blood. Victims were then generally forced to carry the upper crossbeam to the execution site, where the central stake was already set up.

After being fastened to the crossbeam on the ground with ropes-or, in rare cases, nails through the wrist-the naked victim was then hoisted with the crossbeam against the standing vertical stake. A block or peg was sometimes fastened to the stake as a crude seat. The feet were then tied or nailed to the stake.

The recent discovery near Jerusalem of the bones of a crucifixion victim suggests that the knees were bent up side-by-side parallel to the crossbeam and the nail was then driven through the side of the ankles. Death by suffocation or exhaustion normally followed only after a long period of agonizing pain.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

View

view   [vyoo]

n (plural views) range of vision: the range or extent of somebody’s ability to see something

As we rounded the bend the mountains came into view.

 

2. scene: a scene or an area that can be seen, especially one that is pleasing or impressive

We have a wonderful view of the ocean from our porch.

3. opinion: somebody’s opinion or judgment on something or particular way of interpreting or thinking about something (often used in the plural)

His superiors took the view that he had made an error.

a person with strong political views

5. act of looking at something: an act of looking at or inspecting something
6. perspective: a particular position or angle from which something is seen

a bird’s eye view

7. pictorial representation: a painting, drawing, or photograph of a scene or building
8. survey: a general survey of a subject

v (past and past participle viewed, present participle view·ing, 3rd person present singular views)

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

Years ago at Calvary Baptist in Powder Springs, on the front of the Church, there was a huge Cross that stayed lit up at night. They say you could see it far miles from the air. A friend of mine was a pilot and said his instruments went out one night and he was trying to find his way back to McCollum airport in Kennesaw, his fuel was getting low and he was starting to panic when he saw the Cross. And then he knew where he was and he found his way back home.

 1 We need to get to the Cross in view.

How? Take a trip down the Romans’ road to salvation.

 

THE ROMAN ROAD

 Show that everyone is lost

Romans 3:10

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23

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

 Why they are lost

Romans 5:12

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:

Adam sinned and caused all man to be sinners by nature.

The cost of sin

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Genesis 2:17

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. NKJV

 

The price that was paid

Romans 5:8

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

How to respond

Romans 10:9-11

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

For ALL

Romans 10:13

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

then Pray!!!

 

1 We need to get to the Cross in view.

next week;

2 We need to have the Cross in view.

Facing “The mountains of life.”   

Elvis “This time you gave me a mountain” Born in the heat of the desert, My mother died giving me life Deprived of the love of a father, Blamed for the loss of his wife You know lord I’ve been in a prison, For something that I never done Its been one hill after another, I’ve climbed them all one by one  

But this time, lord you gave me a mountain, A mountain you know I may never climb It isn’t just a hill any longer, You gave me a mountain this time

 My woman got tired of heartaches, Tired of the grief and the strife So tired of working for nothing, Just tired of being my wife She took my one ray of sunshine, She took my pride and my joy She took my reason for living, She took my small baby boy 

But this time, lord you gave me a mountain, A mountain you know I may never climb It isn’t just a hill any longer,  You gave me a mountain this time.

Ever felt like God gave you a mountain? As we see about Job

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. NKJV

Ever felt like your name came up in that conversation ever felt like saying

” You gave me a mountain this time. “

Well, we need mountains in our life cause they build up your character, they make you what you are. God knew Job was good but did Job.

1. Intro.

Bible’s mountains

– Abraham offers Isaac upon Mount Moriah, afterward called Mount Zion, the site of the temple (later in the time of Solomon)

– Mount Horeb was appointed as a place for the Israelites to worship

– Jesus tempted upon

– Jesus preaches from

– Jesus goes up into, for prayer

– Is transfigured upon

– Removed by faith

– Mt. Calvary

 

1. What Mountains Are For
2. Mountains make you look up.
3. Mountains make you make decisions Around it, Over it, or Thru it.
4. Decisions build character (how you handle the mountain)
5. Mountains show how Small you are.
6. Mountains Get you ready for Bigger Mountains

 

The bear went up the mountain to see what he could see, he saw another mountain, what did he do then? The bear went up the mountain to see what he could see, he saw another mountain, what did he do then…

No matter the Mountains one has to face there is always another mountain to face.

III. Example

605 B.C. Daniel was taken captive

586 B.C. Judah falls; Jerusalem is destroyed and the temple

538 B.C. Cyrus’s decree allowed the exiles to return.

536 B.C. temple construction begins temple foundation was rebuilt after 2 years then the Samaritans’ delayed the building for 17 years then

 

Ezra 5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. KJV

ZECHARIAH  [zack ah RIE a] (Jehovah remembers) –

A prophet in the days of Ezra (Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Zech 1:1,7; 7:1,8) and author of the Book of Zechariah. A leader in the restoration of the nation of Israel following the Captivity, Zechariah was a contemporary of the prophet Haggai, the governor Zerubbabel, and the high priest Joshua. Zechariah himself was an important person during the period of the restoration of the community of Israel in the land of Palestine after the Captivity.

The Book of Zechariah begins with a note concerning the prophet. He is returned with Zerubbabel from Babylon (Zech 1:1,7, also Ezra 5:1; 6:14). This means that Zechariah himself was probably a priest and that his prophetic activity was in close association with the religious center of the nation. His vision of Joshua the high priest (Zech 3:1-5) takes on added importance since he served as a priest in association with Joshua. Zechariah began his ministry while still a young man (Zech 2:4) in 520 BC, two months after Haggai completed the prophecies that are recorded in the Book of Haggai.

 

Zechariah is walking and talking to an Angel

Zechariah 4:1-10 (NKJV)
¹ Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. ² And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
³ Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” ⁴ So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”
⁶ So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

Might = chayil (khah’-yil);probably a force, whether of men, means, or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:

activity, (+)army, a band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+)valiant (-ly), valour, virtuous (-ly), war, worthy (-ily).

Power = koach (ko’-akh); or to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard: -ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power (-ful), strength, substance, wealth.

the LORD of hosts = Yehovah (yeh-ho-vaw’); from OT:1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: KJV – Jehovah, the Lord.

 

⁷ ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ‘ ”
⁸ Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.
¹⁰ For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

vs 10 ” small thing” Sometimes small things are our mountains (they look big to us.)

Dr. Charles Stanley wrote;

1.) When God calls you to a task, He assumes the responsibility of removing hindrances that would keep you from accomplishing that task.

A.) God is only committed to removing the obstacles and hindrances to those things which are the will of God for our lives

B.) Make sure you are not an obstacle or hindrance.

(God uses only clean pots) my dear friend Ben Bennett when he calls with a prayer request he always asks “Are you clean????”

Well, are you clean???

Hag 1:22 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.

back to Zechariah;

⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it…

Note:  Zerubbabel was building his own house at the time.

So do not let your plans get in the way of God’s plans.

2.) We are to face our task in the power of the holy spirit, not in our own energy and strength.

“God, in his love, always wills what is best for us.

In His wisdom, He always knows what is best,

And in His Sovereignty, He has the power to bring it about.”

Zechariah  ⁶ So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

1. How to face life mountains

Jesus just finished talking about John the Baptist then:

Matthew 17:14-21 (NKJV)
¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Amplified vs:20 “He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [ that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [ that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to younder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. ”

Matthew 17:²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

You have to get involved in a relationship with God.

Talk to your mountain and tell it what to do. STOP telling God how big your mountain is and start telling your mountain how big your God is!!!

Is your God too small?

God has a way of getting your needs met.

Your problem is solved.

That way is rooted in your faith becoming a seed, seed faith.

When you plant a seed,

God changes the nature of that seed so that becomes a plant:

 

Mustard seed:     A. THE PLANT ITSELF…

1. The mustard plant is well known for its hot-flavored seeds

2. Among seeds sown in a garden, it was generally the smallest

3. As a plant, it reaches ten, sometimes fifteen feet in height

4. In the fall of the year, its branches have become rigid, and the plant often serves as a shelter for birds of many kinds.  (William Hendricksen, Commentary on Matthew)

And the power of life surges in that tender young plant to such a great extent that even a mountain of earth cannot stop it from pushing upward!

Jesus says our faith is like a seed. When we put our faith into action, that is, when we release it to God. It takes on a totally new nature. It takes on the nature of a miracle in the making.

But I do not have faith, God says you do;

1. God says you must have a measure of faith.

Romans 12:3 (NKJV)
³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

It is resident within you.  So how do you get more?

2. God says that this faith comes alive by hearing.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

3. God says that you can apply your faith to see your daily needs met. How? You do something as an act of your faith. You sew the mustard seed smallness of your faith into an action of love. Then, when our faith has been planted and it growing, speak to your mountain and watch God set about its removal.

Watch it work in John with Jesus

John 6:3-14 (NKJV)
3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
⁴ Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. ⁵ Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. ⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” ⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” ¹³ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.¹⁴ Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

It is not the amount of faith but what you put your faith in.

Thin Ice vs Thick Ice; I can walk out on thick ice on a lake in the wintertime and have very little faith in the ice but it still holds me, or I can have an abundance of faith in thin ice and walk out on it and end up getting wet and cold. It’s what I put my faith in that matters.

 

Faith that appears small or weak to us still can accomplish the humanly impossible. This mountain was a figure for an obstacle, a hindrance, for a humanly insurmountable problem none of which is impossible for God to deal with through committed people who accurately understand their authority, and know his power, will, purpose, and provision.

Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷ ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NKJV)
²⁶ Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, ²⁷ “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

Is there anything too hard for God.????

Faith is not a dark room we walk in hoping to be ok. But a well-lit room with God’s hand leading all the way.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

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.

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 

I have seen God answer prayers years after someone died that prayed them.      By Faith…. 

 

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Why am I still facing this mountain?

because you are letting Satin get the victory,

 

2 powers here working all the time and these mountains make you ineffective for Christ.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

Matthew 21:18-22 (NKJV)
¹⁸ Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
²⁰ And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.
²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

 

 

1. you say: to the mountain
2. you ask: In Prayer
3. you believe: God to handle the problem
4. you receive. Which builds more faith;

 

1. Identify you Mountain and deal with It.

What is the mountain of your life? Loneliness, Trouble on the job, Disease, A wounded relationship, Rejection, Trouble in your home? Money or the lack of. something else? Be Encouraged! Jesus shows a way to see that mountain Removed!

 

1. Tired of facing the same mountain??

 

Deuteronomy 1:6 (NKJV)
⁶  “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.

MOUNT HOREB,  [HOHR eb] (waste) – the “mountain of God” (Ex 18:5) in the Sinai Peninsula where Moses heard God speaking through the burning bush (Ex 3:1) and where the law was given to Israel (see Map 2, B-2).

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

Deuteronomy 2:2-3 (NKJV)
²  And the LORD spoke to me, saying:
³  ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.

or

You Have dealt with this enough!!! It is time to move on.

 

VII. Close Trust God.

He will not leave you alone.

Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

 

Deut 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”   NKJV

 

Josh 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. NKJV

 

1 Sam 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. NKJV

 

1 Chron 28:20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God — my God — will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.  NKJV

 

Isa 41:10  Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’    NKJV

Know this YOU are not ALONE!!!!

Not my Battle but God’s.

⁶ So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

Leave it there and move on.

1. Mountains make you look up.
2. Mountains make you make decisions
3. Decisions build character (how you handle the mountain)
4. Mountains show how Small you are.
5. Mountains Get you ready for Bigger Mountains

(The bear went up the mountain)

Are You Really Living? Part 3 of 3

III. ARE YOU LIVING WITH A DESIRE TO GLORIFY GOD

 

John 17:1 (NKJV) Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

 

As he faced the cross Jesus prayed, “glorify Your Son that Your Son also may glorify You.” Jesus’ overarching desire in life and in death was to glorify the Father.

 

The word glory has two primary meanings that are interrelated.

 

First, it refers to a manifestation of God’s presence.

 

Second, it means to give praise or honor.

 

Jesus experienced both. In his life, he revealed the presence of God.

He was the image of the unseen God.

When people saw him they saw the Father.

But his desire was that through the glory the Father gave to Him,

He might use it to bring praise and honor to the Father. Even in death, he sought the glory of the Father, or shall I say especially through death.

Look at what is going on around the world…  The clerk in jail… people killing Christians more now than at any time in history according to the “Voices of the Martyrs” website.

The desire to glorify God can be costly but it is very liberating. The opposite of the desire to glorify God is selfishness.

A selfish life is a miserable life.

Things won’t always go our way, circumstances of life will assuredly change, and people do not always treat us as we think we should be treated and this makes us miserable if we are primarily living for ourselves.

But when we can honestly say, “Lord no matter what happens to me, whether I live or die, whether I am treated fairly or unfairly, whether I endure affliction or comfort, Lord you be glorified in it” when this is our desire we are free of the misery of selfishness.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.   KJV

This is what Jesus means when he says, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Conclusion.

Are you living or existing?

Are you living with a dependence on the Father?

Are you Living with a Sense of destiny?

Are you living with a desire to glorify the Lord?

 

and Remember;

John 17:1-26 (NKJV)
¹ Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

 He prayed for Himself:

² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

⁶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

He prayed for His disciples:

 ⁹ I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Then He prayed for Us.

 ²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Are You Really Living? Part 2 of 3

 

The second question we might ask to ascertain whether or not we are Living is:

II. DO YOU LIVE WITH A SENSE OF DIVINE DESTINY

 

John 17:1 (NKJV) Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
 

Jesus said, “the hour is come”.

 

This is an interesting phrase that Jesus uses in this gospel. At the beginning of his ministry at a wedding feast, his mother wanted him to show himself as the Messiah and he said, “My hour has not yet come”.

On another occasion, his brothers urged him to go to the feast of Tabernacles if he was really who he thought he was and show himself as messiah.

He said then, “my time is not yet come.”

What was Jesus’ time, his hour?

It was his hour to be glorified and to glorify God.

What Mary and Jesus’ brothers did not know was that Jesus would be glorified and would glorify God through a bloody cross and the resurrection.

But Jesus knew.

He knew that he had come for the purpose of dying for the sins of the world. He had a sense of purpose of destiny, and everything that he did and said led to that moment, that hour.

And now the hour had come. Jesus’ life was one of direction, and purpose, and divine destiny.

One of the most miserable ways to live is to live aimlessly without a real ultimate purpose, not really knowing ultimately why we are here.

 

God wants all of us to live with a sense of divine destiny.

Why are you here?

Why are you a member of this Church?

 

Because your family belongs here, great.

But God has a greater purpose for you in the body of Christ.

He wants to use you.

He has a nitch for you in His body. He has given you a gift, a divine ability to carry out the purpose that He has for your life.

I’ve talked to many who don’t believe they have a spiritual gift, but that’s not what the bible says. “Each one has been given a manifestation of the Spirit”.

 

Romans 12:1-21 (NKJV)
¹ 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. ² 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.

³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. ⁴ For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; ⁸ he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

 Hypocrisy or KJV dissimulation = hide something by pretense: to disguise or hide true feelings, thoughts, or intentions

¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

²⁰ Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 I believe that if a person will honestly ask God to show him or her what His purpose is for him or her in the body of Christ, and how He’s gifted them,

He will be faithful to reveal that to them. It may require you to step out in faith and try something you have never done before. It may stretch you; it may cause you to risk failure. But God will be faithful. He will show you. The truth is, He is more interested in revealing your purpose in His body than you and I are in knowing it.

I will never forget my first preaching experience I had a friend to call and say “Do you have butterflies?  Well, they will turn to crocodiles before it’s over.

I dreaded it for weeks.

It was terrifying.

When I got up and began to preach, I knew. I felt I was born for it.

I wanted to stay there, to live in that experience.

God confirmed to me what his plan was for my life and he will for you as well if you do not already know.

Jesus lived with a sense of divine destiny. Do you?

 

The third and final question next week is we might ask to determine whether or not we are really living is:

III. ARE YOU LIVING WITH A DESIRE TO GLORIFY GOD

Are You Really Living?

Jesus is an example of how to live an abundant Christian life.

Scripture: John 17

INTRODUCTION: I would like to begin today by asking you a question. Are you living or existing?

You see there is a difference.

The vast majority of people on earth today are existing.

They are waking up in the morning, going to work or school, keeping house, whatever the case may be.

They are going about their business but they have no real sense of purpose in their lives.

Their happiness and fulfillment in life depend largely on their circumstances or their achievements.

If they were completely honest with themselves, they would have to admit that inside they are empty.

That is existing.

Christ came however that we might have life and have it more abundant. If we are going to experience this kind of real life, we must look to Jesus as the source of life.

 

In John 17 Jesus is at the end of his life. He is facing the cross. He uttered these words on his way to Gethsemane. This chapter is known as the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. In this first verse, Jesus begins to look to God as he faces his hour of darkness. In this text, we see how Jesus lived.

READ v1

John 17:1 (NKJV) Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

 I asked the question, “Are you living or just existing?”

The answer to that question can be determined by three questions based on our text.

1. ARE YOU LIVING WITH A DEPENDENCE ON THE FATHER

As Jesus entered his hour of trial the bible says, “He lifted up his eyes to Heaven and said, “Father”. Jesus did not look at his outward circumstances and try to figure a way out. He did not even look inward for answers, even though he was the Son of God.

He looked upward to Heaven, to the one He knew as His Father.

Jesus lived with complete dependence, not on his own person, or his own humanity, but complete trust and dependence on the Father.

One of the most eye-opening verses I have ever read is John 5:30

 John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.   KJV

There Jesus says, “I can of myself do nothing”.

Every person Jesus ever healed when he was on Earth, every sermon he ever preached, every temptation he ever overcame, he did it not by trusting in who he was as the Son of God, but by depending on the Father’s strength and guidance.

If Jesus who is God’s Son could “Of himself do nothing” how much more can we of ourselves do nothing”.

The problem with many Christians today and churches is that we are depending primarily on our own natural abilities, our reasoning abilities, our talents, our education, and our financial resources to accomplish God’s work.

And we of ourselves are doing nothing.

We are existing by and large completely in the natural. But when we live with this dependence upon God that Jesus lived with, the natural begins to give way to the supernatural and God begins to work.

John 17:1 (NKJV) Jesus spoke these words,  lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

 I read all the texts where the bible says Jesus “lifted up his eyes”.

One time he lifted up his eyes to God and he stuck his fingers in a deaf man’s ears and the man received his hearing.

On another occasion, he lifted up his eyes in dependence upon God and thanked God, and called Lazarus forth from the grave.

On another occasion, he lifted up his eyes to God and took two small fishes and five loaves and fed thousands of people.

The life that is lived in dependence upon God experiences the supernatural power of God.

Can you say this about your life?

I am not asking if you have healed anyone lately or turned water into wine.

I am asking if you can look at your life and say God gave me victory over this temptation,

Only God could have done it,

God had his hand upon me and touched the lives of others and I know it was God that did it.

Can we say this about our Church?

We forfeit God’s power when we substitute dependence upon Him with dependence upon ourselves, other people, or other resources.

One of the Popes invited a theologian to the Vatican. Sitting amongst all the treasures of the church the Pope said, “The Church can no longer say silver and gold have I none”.

To that the theologian replied sadly, “Yes but neither can she say in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise and walk.”

We must take our eyes off the natural, off of that which can be seen, and lift our eyes in faith to Heaven.

Jesus lived with a dependence upon the Father.

The second question we might ask to ascertain whether or not we are Living is: what we will look at next week;

II. DO YOU LIVE WITH A SENSE OF DIVINE DESTINY