Carolina Baptist Church: Recent Episodes

Carolina Baptist Church

Seeking to be a light in a dark world, Pastor Marc Williamson preaches the Word of God unashamedly to Christians and non-Christians every week.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." - 1 John 1:7

As we approach Thanksgiving, Pastor Marc Williamson calls us to pause and embrace an essential biblical command: Remember and forget not. This Thanksgiving, let’s take time to reflect on the importance of gratitude in our faith journey. Drawing from Deuteronomy, Pastor Marc emphasizes that thankfulness is foundational to a believer's life and calls us to remember God’s hand in both the struggles and blessings. With wisdom from Scripture, he encourages us to recall how God led us through our "wilderness" times, providing, protecting, and humbling us for our good and His glory.

This sermon is a timely reminder to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and to recognize God as the ultimate source of our blessings. Join us to reflect on how remembering God’s faithfulness can keep our hearts aligned with Him and guard against ingratitude. Don't miss this powerful message!

In this powerful conclusion to the "So Great A Salvation" series, Pastor Marc explores the essential role of evangelism in the life of every believer. In "The Evangelism of Salvation," he underscores that, as recipients of God’s great gift of salvation, we are entrusted with a responsibility to share this life-changing message.

Pastor Marc explains that evangelism isn’t just about knowledge; it’s about proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a clear purpose. Using scriptures from Acts, Romans, and Corinthians, he delves into the biblical definition of evangelism, illustrating that it is about "bringing, declaring, and sharing the good news" of salvation through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. He challenges believers to invite a response from those who hear the message—calling people to faith in Christ as Savior.

With powerful examples from Paul’s letters, Pastor Marc emphasizes the motivation for evangelism: the love of Christ, the accountability of the Judgment Seat, and the reality of eternal separation from God for the unsaved. He also reminds us of our responsibility to model a transformed life, urging believers to back up the Gospel message with lives of integrity and holiness.

Key Verse: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14, KJV)

Join us for this impactful message on how we can each be partakers in the work of evangelism, sharing the love and truth of God with a world in need.

In this message, "First Things First," Pastor Marc leads us through 1 Timothy 2:1-4, emphasizing the priority of prayer in the life of every believer. Reflecting on a time of political transition, Pastor Marc shares how Paul’s instructions to young Timothy serve as a powerful reminder to prioritize prayer—not only for personal needs but for all people, including leaders in authority.

With deep passion, Pastor Marc explores the “call to prayer” that Paul places before the church, urging us to place supplications, intercessions, and thanksgiving at the forefront of our spiritual lives. He breaks down the types of prayer mentioned in 1 Timothy, reminding us of the privilege and purpose of praying with compassion, empathy, and gratitude. He calls us to pray beyond our immediate circle, for the salvation of others and for peace in our communities.

Pastor Marc also discusses the critical consequences of faithful prayer: it brings about a peaceful society, strengthens believers, and aligns us with God's heart. As he explains, praying for all—including those in authority—transforms our own hearts, making us peacemakers who serve God’s purposes here on earth.

Key Verse: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1, KJV).

Join us for this impactful teaching on making prayer the foundation of our faith and our response to a world in need. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this message to inspire others!

In Hope in Uncertain Days, Pastor Marc delivers an encouraging message for believers navigating challenging times. With current events and cultural shifts feeling unsettling, Pastor Marc draws from Jeremiah 29 to remind us that even in difficult circumstances, God has a plan. Just as God gave Israel hope while in exile, He offers His people today a future filled with peace and purpose, regardless of worldly chaos.

This message explores the struggles that lead to feelings of hopelessness: divine judgment, dislocation, and deception. Pastor Marc highlights how, in times when it seems like the world is drifting further from God, Christians can cling to God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you... thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Pastor Marc challenges us to focus not on our past but on God’s future for us.

Join Pastor Marc as he delves into The Glorification of Salvation, the climactic message in his series So Great a Salvation. In this powerful sermon, Pastor Marc unpacks the biblical promise of glorification—the future phase of salvation where believers are transformed to be like Christ, perfectly reflecting His holiness and freed forever from sin. Glorification is the ultimate goal of God's saving work, ensuring every believer will one day be free from sin's presence and effects, living eternally in the fullness of God’s presence.

Pastor Marc guides us through scripture, showing how justification (freedom from sin's penalty), sanctification (growth in holiness), and glorification (perfection in Christ’s likeness) form the complete picture of God’s saving plan. Rooted in passages like Romans 8:29-30 and 1 John 3:2, he reminds us of the certainty and hope we have in Christ's promise to glorify all who believe in Him.

Be encouraged to live in light of this amazing future, embracing God’s call to holiness and faithfulness as we look forward to the day when we will fully reflect His glory.

In this powerful message, Pastor Marc delves into Jesus' intercessory prayer from John 17, prayed just hours before His crucifixion. Through this passage, we catch a glimpse of Christ’s deep love and ongoing intercession for His people, offering us both comfort and a model for our own prayers.

In this sermon, Pastor Marc breaks down five essential areas of Jesus' prayer for His followers:

Safekeeping – Jesus prays for His disciples' protection in a world filled with challenges.

Joy – Jesus desires His joy to fill and strengthen His people daily.

Unity – Jesus emphasizes the importance of unity among believers, reflecting the unity between Him and the Father.

Sanctification – Jesus prays that we would be set apart by God’s truth, continually growing in holiness.

Service – Jesus sends us into the world as His representatives, called to live out and share the Gospel.

Pastor Marc reminds us that Jesus’ prayer is ongoing; He intercedes daily for each believer, desiring that we walk in joy, unity, and purpose. We hope this message encourages you to embrace the strength and hope found in Christ’s continual prayer for you!

In this powerful message, we explore the often overlooked but crucial process of sanctification—the work of God in a believer's life that begins after salvation and continues until we are glorified. Sanctification is the bridge between justification, where God declares us righteous, and glorification, when we are made perfect in Christ. Discover what it means to be ‘set apart,’ the purpose of sanctification, and how it transforms us daily into the likeness of Jesus. Learn about the three phases of sanctification—positional, progressive, and perfect—and how this ongoing process shapes the life of every true believer. Join us as we dive deep into the Word and uncover God’s ultimate goal for His people.

Join us as Pastor Marc Williamson delivers part 1 of a powerful and convicting message, "Fruitless Trees & Triumphant Faith" In this sermon, we explore what true worship looks like in the eyes of God. Pastor Marc challenges us to move beyond the external rituals of religion and examine the true spiritual fruit in our lives. With powerful examples from Scripture, including Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple, this message warns against superficial religion and calls believers to experience God’s transformative power.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re going through the motions without seeing real change in your life, this sermon will inspire and challenge you to pursue a faith that bears genuine fruit. Don’t miss this life-changing message on what pleases God, what disappoints Him, and how we can live a life of triumphant faith.

In Part 2 of "Fruitless Trees & Triumphant Faith," Pastor Marc Williamson continues to unpack the events of Jesus' Passion Week, focusing on the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple. He explains how Jesus used the fig tree as a powerful illustration of fruitless religion—outward appearances of spirituality without true life or fruit. Pastor Marc also draws attention to the cleansing of the temple, where Jesus condemned false worship and religious pretense. The sermon challenges believers to examine their faith, making sure it is rooted in genuine spiritual life, prayer, and God's presence. Ultimately, Pastor Marc emphasizes the importance of true faith in God—faith that has the power to move mountains and produce real, lasting fruit in our lives.

In this powerful and timely sermon, Pastor Tyler Gaulden draws parallels between the days of Noah and our present times, highlighting the increasing wickedness and hopelessness in the world. Preaching from Genesis 6:5-8, he explores how Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord amidst widespread corruption and evil.

Pastor Gaulden emphasizes three key points from the scripture:

The Call of the Almighty: Despite the prevailing darkness, God called out to Noah, offering a place of rest and salvation.

The Compassion of the Almighty: Noah didn't find grace by his own merit; rather, grace found him. This unmerited favor is available to all who seek God.

The Concern of the Almighty: God's eyes were upon Noah, just as they are upon us today. He cares deeply for each individual, understanding our struggles and offering hope.

Through engaging stories and heartfelt illustrations, Pastor Gaulden encourages listeners to respond to God's invitation—to enter the "ark of safety" before it's too late. He reminds us that no matter how dire the circumstances, God's grace is sufficient, and He desires a personal relationship with each of us.

This message serves as a call to salvation for those who have not yet accepted Christ and a source of encouragement for believers to trust in God's unfailing love and grace.

In a powerful message from 1 Chronicles 12, Pastor Kenny Baldwin emphasized the need for believers to unify under the true King, Jesus Christ. Drawing parallels between David's rise to kingship and today’s divided world, Pastor Baldwin urged Christians to align their lives fully with Christ. He reminded us that confusion and chaos in life stem from not recognizing who our King is. Just as Israel found clarity and strength when they made David king, we too must crown Jesus as Lord in every area of our lives. Only then can we experience joy, unity, and become effective soldiers in God's army.

“Is He King or not? Let’s stop playing both sides and make Him Lord of our lives!”

In this moving sermon, Evangelist Jared Dixon takes us through John 19, focusing on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Dixon vividly paints the scene of Christ’s scourging, the crown of thorns, and His ultimate crucifixion, reminding us that Jesus wasn’t just a healer or a teacher—He came to die for our sins. Drawing attention to Pilate’s statement, "Behold the man," Dixon challenges us to look beyond the miracles and Behold the Savior who bore our curse, endured unimaginable suffering, and paid the ultimate price for our salvation.

A powerful reminder of Jesus’ love, sacrifice, and victory, this message will stir your heart to reflect on the depth of Christ’s work on the cross and His sovereignty as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In this powerful sermon, Evangelist Jared Dixon preaches from 1 Kings 17, focusing on the prophet Elijah and his journey to the Brook Cherith. Dixon highlights how God commands Elijah to "get there" – a place of provision and preparation. He emphasizes that while we may not always see the next steps in our lives, God has already commanded His blessings and provision for us when we follow His direction. Using vivid examples from Elijah’s life, Dixon encourages believers to trust God's timing and positioning, reminding us that God's provision is already in place—we just have to be there to receive it.

A message of faith, obedience, and God’s unfailing provision, this sermon will inspire you to step out in trust, knowing that God's plan is already in motion.

Join us as we kick off Camp Meeting 2024 with a powerful message from Evangelist Billy Sampson. He shares a transformative sermon titled "Planning for a Successful Revival" based on James 1:19-22. Through thought-provoking insights and real-life examples, he challenges us to prepare our hearts, listen well, control our tongues, and allow the Word of God to take root in our lives. If you're looking for direction, inspiration, or revival, this sermon is a must-watch!

In this week's sermon, we explore how God doesn't simply offer a "get out of hell" pass—He offers a complete transformation. Just as our government wouldn't grant citizenship to criminals, God will not allow unchanged sinners into His Kingdom. Regeneration is the miraculous act of being born again, where God imparts new life, cleanses sin, and creates a new heart in the believer.

Through spiritual rebirth, resurrection, and renewal, though who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are made into new creations fit for God’s Kingdom.

Discover how this divine process occurs and what it means to truly be saved. We invite you to learn about the Bible’s teaching of regeneration, the necessity of this new life in Christ, and the hope it brings for eternity.

We began looking this morning at salvation’s reconciliation which GOD accomplished & provides through the sacrificial death of His Son. The reconciling of man’s relationship to GOD is one of the great transactions that occurred at the cross which we personally experience when are saved by the grace of GOD through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Reconciliation has to do with the removal of hostility in a broken relationship & the restoration of harmony in a renewed relationship. It means that the wall separating the hostile parties (the wall created by sin) has been broken down & completely removed. Now that the breach between the 2 parties has been healed, the alienation ends & fellowship is restored. Reconciliation is GOD’s saving work & His initiative to reach out to sinners through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ & reunite the severed relationship. Salvation is great because Christ’s death provided for us sinners the healing of the relationship between GOD & man which Adam, our first father of the human race, had completely shattered through his deliberate sin.

It is a great, high, joyful, & humbling privilege to teach & declare the glorious aspects of GOD’s salvation. Why? Because in declaring these glorious aspects of salvation, we are declaring the glory of GOD Himself. You see, GOD alone is the One who saves, salvation is of the Lord, so when we talk about this great salvation we have received, what is on display is GOD's own person, His character, His nature & His will at work, accomplishing His eternal redemptive purpose in time, which He planned before the world began. This is not simply a study of impersonal doctrines; this study is a declaration of glorious GOD. He alone is the GOD who saves, & our great salvation reveals & magnifies Him.

When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison & had a lot on his mind. If anybody had an excuse for worrying, fearing, grumbling, or complaining it was the Apostle Paul. His Christian friends at Philippi were in conflict with one another & he was not there to help settle the dispute. Two women in the church, Euodias & Syntyche, could not resolve their dispute (we don’t know what it was over) & it was affecting the church. Paul had to be disappointed because at least one of these ladies should have been spiritual enough to address & resolve the issue.

We’ve begun a study in which we are looking into the wonderful aspects of our so a great salvation. Last week, we considered the beautiful doctrine of redemption. Today, we are going to discuss the glorious doctrine of justification. Justification is an essential Bible doctrine (truth & teaching) that has sharply divided professing Christians like no other. Just as the Bible teaches that to be saved is to be redeemed, it also teaches that to be saved is to be justified. And this justification is by faith alone in Christ alone. This doctrine of salvation is so important that if you remove it or distort it, then the Gospel will not save you. The Apostle Paul made that clear time & time again. So, this aspect of salvation is very important to understand. Let’s discuss it this morning.

Tonight, I want to discuss a principle that runs throughout the Bible—Righteous living results in effective prayer whereas unrighteous living results in ineffective prayer. How many of you have known some great prayer warriors in your lifetime? I mean, when these Christians prayed you knew GOD heard them & was going to answer. If you have personally known believers such as this, let me ask you 2 questions—What was their character? What kind of a life did they live? I would dare say that all of us who have truly known some great prayer warriors would all testify that these believers were all godly in character & lived Christlike lives. What you saw on Sunday was what you saw on Monday. These believers lived according to GOD’s Word. They were not hypocrites. I’m not saying they were perfect by any means, but they did live righteous lives.

What did Christ’s redemption accomplish for us? We’ve answered this question in multiple ways through this morning’s message. But let me give you two specifics things the Bible says resulted from Jesus’ redemption.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one

that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

To break any point of GOD’s Law is to come under the curse. The curse is GOD’s judgment & the consequence of sin. Because we’ve all sinned, because we’ve all broken GOD’s Law, we are all under its curse. But here’s the good news of redemption:

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written,

Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

In this series we are going to explore some of the wonderful aspects of our great salvation beginning today with redemption. We don’t use this word enough when we speak of salvation & perhaps it is because many don’t really understand it. Christians, we need to study out this truth because it’s at the core of the gospel. Christ is our Redeemer & we have been redeemed. To appreciate our great salvation, we need to know what the redemption involved in it is all about.

Tonight, I want to discuss a command the Lord gives His disciples with regard to prayer. The command is clearly focused on evangelism. Since Christ came to seek & to save the lost, it’s not surprising that evangelizing the lost is a concern that He expects His followers to not only have but also to be praying about. However, what is surprising is this request itself because, if we truly think about it, it does not match up with our normal methods of evangelism nor with our praying. I’ll explain why that is a little later, but let’s first consider the context of this very important & insightful instruction for evangelistic praying.

Today, more than ever, we need a generation of believers who will stand for Christ & His Word unashamedly & unapologetically. As the world’s attack upon all that the Bible proclaims is true & virtuous is growing more heated, we need Christians who won’t fold in the face of the fire. We need true children of GOD whose convictions won’t bow nor their faith fizzle when the flames draw near.

Sadly, in this culture, men & women with such resilient faith & real Biblical convictions are few & far between. Instead, what’s more common in our day are people who claim to have faith & are one way in church on Sunday but change once they leave. Can I tell you something—Nobody is buying into that kind of faith. That kind of faith doesn’t pass the test of genuineness & certainly it doesn’t impact others for Christ. And most importantly, GOD does not reward shallow, inconsistent, frail faith that folds when put to the test. The faith that GOD rewards is that which stands the tests of trials & temptations.

When all those thousands of people who had assembled to fall before Nebuchadnezzar’s idol & worship it bowed, it left 3 Hebrews standing all alone. Why did they remain standing & refuse to bow? Because the Lord GOD was their GOD & they bowed only to Him.

They were not going to bow to an idol because their GOD, the Lord GOD whom they served, He alone is the one they worshipped & He has specifically commanded that there be no other gods in His people’s lives & He has also commanded that they bow not to any other image or idol (Exodus 20:3-5). This was a stand of faith based upon the Word of GOD. This was real faith in action. This kind of faith, while it is smiled upon by GOD in heaven, on earth it only angers & aggravates.

Tonight, I want to speak on the subject of worship. You ask, “Pastor, I thought we are in a series on prayer, why are you speaking on worship?” Because the Bible clearly shows us that worship & prayer go hand in hand. They are 2 sides of the same coin. To worship GOD is to come into agreement in your recognition of Who He is & of His Ways. To pray is to come into agreement in your requests with Who GOD is & His Ways. And GOD’s glory is the aim of both worship & prayer.

Every true believer should have a desire to grow. I’m speaking of growing in the sense of becoming like our Lord Jesus Christ in His attitudes, affections, & actions. No Christian should be satisfied with remaining a spiritual baby. Babies cry when they do not get their way. Babies need to be constantly cared for & they don’t serve others. Babies have outbursts & temper tantrums. Babies think only of themselves. Babies are messy. And these things are to be expected with babies. But many things which characterize a baby at birth should start fading, should start disappearing with time as they develop. With that being said, after you have been born again, your goal is to grow up. There should be old things disappearing & new behaviors & attitudes developing. And you should be satisfied with nothing less than growing spiritually so that you resemble the selfless, sacrificial, servant-minded, self-restrained, sanctified-living, Spirit-filled Christ.

Habakkuk is a prophet who is perplexed; he is confused. Like many of us as we look around at our world, at our nation, at the churches declining & now embracing sinful lifestyles, at some of our family members, perhaps at our own children or grandchildren or spouse or parent, Habakkuk has got some questions. The reason is that he’s been watching the sinful decline of his nation & he’s been praying for GOD to do something. And evidently, he’s been praying what seems to be a longtime from his perspective.

We’re in a series dealing with the believer’s spiritual growth. In our first message of this series, we discussed the believer’s responsibility to commune daily with the Lord openly & honestly (not veiled) as we behold (look & meditate upon) the glory of the Lord revealed in Jesus Christ. To do that, as we saw last week, we must spend time in GOD’s Word. Thus, our second message dealt with the requirement of GOD’s Word we must feed upon for spiritual growth. As we continue to discuss the Christian’s spiritual growth, we now come to the subject of the role that GOD’s Holy Spirit plays in our growth.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have been born again, if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious through salvation, then you are to be a growing Christian. Last week, we learned how that growth (being conformed to the likeness of Christ) is both a sign of spiritual life & also a process that believers are exhorted to contribute to. Just as the natural growth process in our human body is not something we decide to make happen but without question can aid or hinder it, similarly, spiritual growth will occur in true children of GOD, but at the same time we too can aid or hinder our own growth. So, in our first message we discussed the believer’s responsibility in his growth. This morning, we are going to look at the requirement of GOD’s Word for growth.

I would dare to say that the majority of us in this sanctuary understand the importance of GOD’s Word to our own country. The Bible has been the greatest & most powerful factor in shaping our nation’s constitution & legal system. It has historically been the most influential factor in this nation’s moral progress. If you remove from our legislation every law founded upon The 10 Commandments & from our society every principle from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, you will have removed the very cornerstone which upholds our nation & American society. Do this & everything will come crashing down. And yet, that is what we have been doing in our legislation & in our culture here in America. We have systematically removed the Bible from every public place where it could make a positive impact upon our culture. And now look at what is happening to our country by the removal of GOD’s Word from the people. It’s amazing that we can’t we connect the dots. Today, we have more spiritual, moral, physical, & psychological problems than ever before. Why? Because the removal of GOD’s Word from any place of influence in any culture or society is disastrous & devastating.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? I am not simply asking if you believe the facts about Jesus because the devils believe. I am asking if you have truly been born-again which produces an unending desire to worship the Lord Jesus & an unquenchable love for Him that shows up through obedience to His Word. If so, you need to ask yourself 2 questions: 1) Am I going? 2) Am I growing?

GOD’s purpose for a believer’s life is to both be a witness for Jesus Christ & to grow into Christ’s likeness. We’ve spent a couple messages on the subject of going (taking the Gospel to all the world) & now we will spend a few weeks examining the subject of growing (being conformed into the image of Christ). This morning, I am going to discuss the child of GOD’s responsibility with regard to his own spiritual growth. In the next message, I will discuss the requirement of GOD’s Word for the believer’s growth. And then we will wrap it up with the role of GOD’s Spirit in the process of the believer’s growth.

Let me tell you why believers like the prophet Jeremiah are sustained & able to soar above their circumstances when adversity comes while others sink under the waves of adversity & their faith is shipwrecked. Mature believers really believe their GOD is great & thus turn instinctually to the Lord in the moment of need, they fix their eyes upon His greatness, & begin to worship Him rather than focus on their difficult situation & sulk in faithlessness. Jeremiah believed & acknowledged that the Lord his GOD was all powerful & praised GOD for His underserved lovingkindness (from prison) instead of becoming bitter about his undeserved treatment & the many injustices he had suffered. This takes faith which recognizes GOD’s greatness in the darkest of settings & chooses to praise GOD for who He is rather than limit it to what’s going on in our lives.

Father’s Day is special because it is our opportunity to recognize & encourage all of you dads & also remind you of your vitally important role in the home. Sadly, we live in an age that has intentionally minimized the importance of the father in a family & instead has redefined the family. Though we’ve been told that having a present & involved father in a child’s life is not essential, the decades of data that we now have collected says just the opposite. GOD has designed the father to play a critically essential role in the

family. And dads, we need you more than ever to step into that role & be what

GOD has called you to be. If you’re wondering what that role is & what it looks like, the good news is that GOD has not left us without instruction to figure it out.

Christian, whether you’re a teacher, technician, waitress, construction worker, truck driver, nurse, doctor, lawyer, therapist, housewife, or student—no matter what you do in life—that’s incidental to your mission on earth. If the extent of your involvement & participation with Christ after getting saved is simply going to church, then you have missed the point of your life on earth. You see, the Lord has given His church a supreme mission, a priority assignment, & He calls every believer to do their part in fulfilling this mission, to do their part in accomplishing this assignment. Do you understand that? This supreme mission is what our Great Commission recorded in this text is all about. It is the church’s marching orders. Believers, we are commissioned to take the Gospel to all the world. We are tasked with evangelizing sinners with the aim of making disciples. Church, this morning we are going to review our marching orders. Why? If we are to faithfully fulfill our assignment on earth, we must get this right.

I want to stay in this text again tonight because evangelism (fulfilling The Great Commission) is so important to the life of the church & to your life personally as a believer. If I am to set you up for success when your life is reviewed at the Judgment Seat of Christ, I must continually emphasize & exhort you to evangelize the lost. And there are some things in this text that I want to go back & highlight because they are essential if you are going to stay focused & fulfill your personal responsibility to be a witness for Jesus Christ. There are some things that must happen before you go out to witness, so that you will be the witness that GOD calls you to be.

The morning of Jesus’ resurrection was a time of indescribable joy – Jesus, the Lamb of GOD slain for the sins of the world, had risen from the dead. Of course, the previous Friday & Saturday had been dark days for the disciples, days filled with sorrow, tears, fear, & doubt (doubts arose in all of Jesus’ disciples after His arrest & execution). But, on the 3rd day, on the Sunday following the crucifixion, the funeral dirge turned it into a glorious worship service!

Jacob’s prayer in Genesis chapter 32 is one of the great prayers that has been recorded in GOD’s Word. However, this prayer was made by Jacob not when his faith was great but rather when his faith was extremely weak & he was overcome with fear. Yet, he prayed to the Lord in humble honesty like the father who came to Jesus because his child was demon-possessed & sincerely cried out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). And just as Jesus responded to that man’s cry & delivered his child, though his faith was weak, the Lord would answer Jacob’s desperate prayer, though his faith at this time was small & struggling. Church, while this prayer is not recorded to condone weak faith, it certainly does illustrate what Jesus taught His disciples when they failed to deliver a demon-possessed child & then asked why they weren’t able to:

Mat 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as

a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall

remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Today, I want us to consider the kind of mother & grandmother that GOD honors & uses to raise up some “Timothies”. To begin let me read a passage that introduces Timothy & his mother while Paul is on his 2nd missionary journey.

Act 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Tonight, I want us to consider this man named Jabez & his prayer which the Bible says GOD answered. Because his prayer was for GOD to intervene & get involved with different aspects of his life & the conclusion of it, the fact that GOD answered his prayer reveals that this prayer changed his life completely. What’s fascinating is that all of the information we have concerning Jabez & his life changing prayer come in the midst of what most people would consider, if they’re honest, an uninteresting section of the Bible that we don’t really care to read. The first 9 chapters consist of genealogies (From Adam to Abraham; from Abraham to Jacob; the genealogies of the sons of Jacob; the line of David; etc). While they are very important in Scripture, most people do not enjoy reading genealogies. It takes discipline & determination to make your way through a list of more than 600 names. If, as you read the Bible, you skip over sections like this, then you miss out on wonderful verses like 9 & 10 in chapter 4.

Why have we assembled today? Why not Saturday? Why not Monday? And why is it a big deal for believers to assemble together? Well, our text will illustrate & give understanding to these questions. But before we get into our message, let me say upfront that GOD’s people, the church, the ekklesia (in Greek) or called-out assembly, has been congregating together on Sundays since that first Sunday when Jesus arose from the grave. Jesus appeared to His disciples on that first Sunday & did not reappear to them until they assembled the following Sunday. From that moment forward, the disciples established the pattern of assembling on Sundays & the result was that the first day of the week (Sunday) became known as “The Lord’s Day.” Therefore, when the Apostle John wrote to the 7 churches in Asia Minor (6 decades later), the Christians in those churches knew exactly what day of the week he was speaking of when he said:

Rev 1:10a I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day…

Assembling on Sunday was fully embraced by the early church, only their assembly lasted a lot longer, & we see this in the NT beginning in Acts.

The story of these disciples on the road to Emmaus is extremely important for a couple of reasons. First, it provides further evidence of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who was seen by many eyewitnesses on different occasions. Second, it reaffirms the significance of the OT Scripture because it predicted the coming Christ & His ministry which now have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, this story provides a model of the spiritual journey that all believers are on today beyond the death, burial, & resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will see this clearly as we move through the text.

Within the heart of true believers is a longing for a new season of refreshing, a longing for spiritual reviving. The reason is that our old nature constantly wars against our new nature & it does not take very long for things to slip, decline, or deteriorate in our spirituality if we are not disciplining & safeguarding our lives every single day. Even then, as we put these daily disciplines & safeguards in place, we’re still susceptible to losing our spiritual vibrancy as passion is replaced with methodical routine. GOD knows this & therefore has given us a recipe for reviving our hearts as often as is needed. The recipe involves prayer.

When the Lord Jesus arose from the grave 3 days after being betrayed, forsaken by all, falsely condemned, scourged, crucified between 2 thieves, made a sin offering for sinners, & buried in a rich man’s grave, He not only proved that He is the Son of GOD & evidenced that His sacrifice for sin satisfied GOD’s wrath, but He also demonstrated that He can turn any situation around by His divine power (no matter how dark or bad it is). When Jesus came out of the grave alive, He displayed the greatest comeback in history. I came this morning to tell you that the Lord Jesus is the GOD of the comeback. He is the GOD of the reversal. When it looks like it is over, GOD has proven that He has the final say. The resurrection is all the proof you need for this!

In this chapter, Jesus discusses 2 parables associated with prayer. The first was about a persistent widow & the message was, according to verse 1, “men ought always to pray, & not to faint.” Immediately on the heels of that teaching, Jesus gives another parable about a Pharisee & a Tax Collector who went up to the temple to pray. The clear message of this story is that repentant, humble faith is what GOD accepts in exchange for salvation (justification) & that proud, unrepentant, self-trust will leave you in your sins, alienated from GOD, & headed for eternal damnation.

The Apostle Paul gave his understudy, the young pastor named Timothy, a description of conditions that will exist in the world prior to the Lord’s coming. As in his previous letter, Paul warned Timothy about the moral & spiritual collapse that GOD says will characterize the last days. The last days, according to GOD’s prophetic Word, will see terrible times of societal degeneration around the world. So apparent will this collapse be that Paul gave an extraordinary list of 19 characteristics that believers can & should expect to see as we draw closer to the Lord’s return.

This morning, I ask those of you who profess to be saved, “What is your purpose right now on earth?” Why are you still here seeing that your Lord & Savior has already returned to His Father’s house, your eternal home, & things are so much better there? The answer to that is found in our text this morning & we’re going to discuss it. But, before we dive into our study, let me go ahead & inform you that the reason you & I are not transported immediately to heaven after salvation is so that we can evangelize this lost world. Now, what is meant by evangelism? Evangelism is the spreading of the Gospel. It is witnessing of the good news of Jesus Christ with the intent of bringing sinners to Christ. It is what Paul, in these verses, calls the ministry of reconciliation.

Have you ever prayed with another believer, sharing a burden or request with them, one with whom you agreed on some matter, one who believed with you for the answer to the request? Have you ever had someone come beside you at the altar while you were praying & join in praying with you? Does it not encourage you & also embolden your praying as you unite with a prayer partner?

Believers, we cannot live the Christian life as we ought apart from our prayers unto GOD & apart from the prayers of others lifting us up.

There’s much ignorance concerning the true Gospel of Jesus Christ today among those who profess to be Christians. This is serious because when we lose the Gospel, we have lost the only means of salvation. As a preacher of the Gospel & as a pastor, I have the responsibility to continually declare the Gospel in clarity & plainness of speech. And that’s just what I intend to do today. For those who are saved, this review should renew your appreciation for the Gospel which has rescued & transformed your life. For those who are not saved, this is both a presentation & invitation to receive GOD’s salvation by embracing the Gospel by faith.

Church, prayer is where communion takes place between us & the Father,

it’s where we spend time worshipping the Lord, it’s how we bring our needs & requests to GOD, it’s how we intercede on behalf of others, & it’s how we obtain the Spirit’s energy & empowering for spiritual warfare. Christians, we are in a spiritual battle (our minds are under attack; our spirituality is under attack; our marriages, children, & churches are under attack) & we cannot fight this battle in our own energy no matter how strong, intellectual, talented, or seasoned we may think we are. We set ourselves up for failure, like Peter & the disciples in their hour of temptation, when we neglect prayer. We are removing the “spiritual batteries” so to speak from our lives when we are not praying. What is it that energizes the believer’s life & enables him to wear the armor of GOD & wield the sword of the Spirit? It is the Spirit of GOD. And how do we experience His enabling power? Through prayer!

The Apostle Paul gave his understudy, the young pastor named Timothy, a description of conditions that will exist in the world prior to the Lord’s coming. As in his previous letter, Paul warned Timothy about the moral & spiritual decline that GOD says will characterize the last days. The last days, according to GOD’s prophetic Word, will see terrible times of societal degeneration around the world. So apparent will this collapse be that Paul gave an extraordinary list of 19 characteristics that believers can & should expect to see as we draw closer to the Lord’s return.

This morning I’d like to start out by asking, “What difference does the Gospel of Jesus Christ make to a person’s life after they are saved? Is the Gospel just a set of facts that we must believe to receive GOD’s salvation, but after we’re saved it has no relevance to the everyday life of a Christian? And if the Gospel should impact my life as a believer, which specific areas should it be affecting?” I’m going to answer this in a message I’ve titled Gospel-Driven Living.

Tonight, I want to speak to you about intercessory prayer & the impact it can have. Now, what do we mean when we speak of intercessory prayer? Simply this—intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. Christian, intercessory prayer is when you become a mediator between the Lord & another person.

The world is filled with countless people who believe that if there is a GOD, that He obviously does not love them personally. Satan does his best to sell that lie to everyone, including GOD’s own children. But I came to tell you that GOD does love you personally, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, & no matter what you have or haven’t done. I know that it is hard to grasp that the holy, sinless, eternal, self-existent Creator of everything, who sustains everything by the power of His own Word, deeply loves us personally. Although this may seem too good to be true, …it’s not. In fact, GOD loves you & me infinitely more than we can ever comprehend. But just as with the man who stumbled into Moody’s church was greatly impacted by the banner that read “GOD is Love,” when this truth is believed by faith & shaped correctly by the Scripture, the love of GOD will transform a life & impact everything about that person.

One of the problems we make in our humanity is assuming GOD is like us & therefore His love is like ours. Consequently, we often hold many wrong perceptions of GOD & His love. For example, many people feel like GOD loves us less when we fail to obey Him & more when we do as if His loving passion for us increases or decreases with our degree of faithfulness to Him. Why do we do this? Because through life we watch people who say they love someone today & walk away from them tomorrow. Human love is so flawed we’ve come up with phrases like “falling in love” & “falling out of love” to describe the unstable & insecure nature of our love. But friend, I want you to know that GOD & His love are not unstable nor insecure in nature. We make a great mistake when we let anything other than GOD’s Word shape our understanding of Him & His love.

Just as an instrument has to be continually examined & retuned, so too do our priorities. When you get saved, GOD is your top priority, isn’t that true?! But, as you continue in your Christian experience, it does not take very long before self & other things begin to compete with GOD for that top spot & we find our lives “out of tune” spiritually. Because this is an ongoing struggle for every believer, every area of our lives must be constantly examined & re-tuned when we discover that we have allowed our own desires or other things to take the center place in our hearts. One area we should always start is in our giving.

Did you know that a righteous person who has an effectual & fervent prayer life which avails much, which sees GOD move in response to their praying, can have their prayer life shut down overnight & end up in a cave of despair? You say, “I’m not so sure about that, brother Marc.” Well, let me present “Exhibit A” to the court. In fact, I’d like to call brother Elijah to the stand to testify of this reality. You see, Elijah is the Bible’s own example of the spiritual principle which states—“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much ” (James 5:16-18). After that statement, Elijah is given as the example of what prevailing, effectual-fervent prayer of a righteous man looks like. James has 1 Kings chapters 17 & 18 in mind when he writes of Elijah. Elijah, according to the Word of the Lord, prayed & GOD closed the heavens up so that it would not rain upon the land of Israel. 3.5 years later, according to the Word of the Lord, Elijah prayed again & the heavens opened & brought forth rain.

Tonight, we need to go back & observe some things about Elijah’s praying at the time James points to so that we can see what effective praying consists of. Since he gave us an example of the type of praying that works, that avails much, we need to see the principles that characterize or mark effectual fervent prayer.

We’re continuing in our series of renewal messages for 2024. And this morning I want us to look again at what is a very familiar passage to some of us. However, I want us to listen to it again with a fresh understanding & renewed desire to hear from GOD & receive the important instructions contained here. And the reason is that the clear message in our text deals with the heart of the matter when it comes to our relationship with the Lord & our service for Him.

Friends, prayer is not only our communion with the Father through the Son, but it is also our connection to the power of GOD made available in Christ. The Christian life starved of prayer is like a lamp that that isn’t plugged into an electrical outlet. While it could shine & make a great impact in this dark world, it doesn’t because it doesn’t have Heaven’s electricity. However, if you find a believing man or woman who is a true prayer warrior, you will discover a person who has the power of GOD on their life because of their great faith in Him & a person whose prayer life moves the heart of GOD to make a difference in lives & earthly situations. Tragically, too many Christians treat prayer as an insignificant accessory to the Christian life when it is a critical ingredient that can bring GOD’s power into any circumstance. What I’m saying is that prayer is too big of a deal to ignore or give little attention to! We need to see prayer just as essential to our spiritual lives as breathing is to our physical lives!

Since we’ve begun a new year, we have been discussing some very basic but essential principles for living the Christian life to help us all get back on track in some areas & also reinforce others. We’ve discussed the hunger for GOD we should live with; we’ve discussed the focus of our faith that we must keep; today, we’re going to consider the surrendered mindset that we should never lose. Now listen carefully—The key living & serving our Lord Jesus Christ in an acceptable, in a pleasing manner, is surrender. In other words, if we are to please the Lord in anything we do after salvation, we must first relinquish our self-will & self-rule.

Tonight, I want to do a full body checkup. Obviously, I’m not speaking of examining physical bodies, but rather our local body, our assembly of believers. Why do we need to do this? Well, one reason is exactly the same reason you’re advised by medical doctors to have a full body checkup performed on your physical body. They say, “A full body checkup is a proactive approach to healthcare. It helps in identifying potential health issues before they become serious problems. By addressing these issues early, you can prevent major health crises down the road.” For that reason alone, because we want to please Christ as a body, we need to periodically examine our assembly to see how it is function, not simply as individuals, but as a whole. And so, while we are all individual members, I’m speaking to us as a whole body tonight.

In verse 8, Jesus asks a seemingly strange & troubling question after teaching a parable about prayer: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” When Jesus Christ returns, will He find genuine faith on the earth? In other words, when Jesus comes back, will He find true believers who sincerely look for Him, live for Him, worship Him, serve Him, witness for Him, & depend upon Him by faith. Or will iniquity so abound, will following Christ become so difficult & intimidating in days of tribulation, will people be so self-consumed as in the days of Noah that those who truly possess saving-faith will be so few & scattered that it’ll seem as if true saving-faith has all but evaporated from the world. We have to ask why did Christ ask this question about finding true faith at His return after telling a story about a persistent woman to illustrate prayer? At first glance the question seems almost out of place; it doesn’t appear to flow with the point He’s making. However, upon deeper consideration you find it fits perfectly with the subject of prayer. There’s a connection here. One of the marks of real, genuine, authentic faith is a continual life of dependent prayer.

Church, if we’re going to run our Christian race successfully in 2024, if we’re going to stay on course & be found standing faithful when this year is over, we need to take the 3 looks which the writer of Hebrews pointed out to those early believers. Refocusing our faith will prevent us from growing weary & protect us from getting off course or becoming sidelined by hard circumstances.

As we embark upon a New Year, I want to speak to every believer about the importance of carrying some memorials into 2024 & establishing some new ones. You may think that’s silly or not important, but I beg to differ. And if you don’t think memorials are not important, Joshua chapter 4 is “exhibit A.” Church, I want to assure you that if memorials are important to GOD, & they are as we shall see, they should be important to us. And I’m going to show you why they matter to GOD, but first let’s walk through the story before the memorials.

As we look back at the birth of Christ, we’re reminded that Christmas isn’t about all of the external accoutrements; & while they’re nice they’re not necessary. Ladies & gentlemen, if you strip away the trappings from the way we celebrate Christmas today, you discover that the reason for the celebration which should carry on beyond Christmas is what Mary held in her arms on that first Christmas. The meaning, purpose, & joy of Christmas, & the Christian’s life, are all wrapped up in one name which defines the essence of our celebration—that name is Emmanuel which means “GOD with us.” Jesus Christ is GOD with us; & having Him at the center of our thoughts & worship is the purpose of it all; however, many tend to lose sight of that. Similarly, the perception of what it means to be a true Christian is lost in our Biblically shallow culture. Tonight, we get to peel away the materialistic veneer so that we can see what the coming of Christ should truly mean to a believer by considering Mary’s experience when the angel Gabriel appeared to her to announce the Incarnation of GOD’s Son.

It was so essential that the Son of GOD be rightly named that GOD the Father gave the command—Thou shalt call His name JESUS—to both Joseph & Mary through His angel. This name was sovereignly chosen by GOD to carry a special meaning. So important is this name that we are going to spend all of our time together this morning considering just it—the name JESUS. Why did GOD choose this name? What is significant about it? What is GOD saying to mankind & His people with this name? What do we need to know about the name Jesus?

Tonight, we return our attention to Luke’s Gospel to see how GOD moved in preparation for the arrival of His Son. Specifically, we’re given the account of John the Baptist’s announced birth & the fulfillment of it. His birth is significant because GOD had promised to send a forerunner to prepare the way for Christ.

When we left off last week, the angel Gabriel had appeared to Zacharias to deliver him this glorious message & that’s where we will pick up in our study.

Over the last couple weeks, we have been giving our attention to the 3 significant titles of Jesus which were delivered by an angel of the Lord to shepherds on that first Christmas night. Each of these names communicate very important, fundamental truths about Jesus regarding His nature, His authority, & His ministries, & His mission. When we truly understand these different titles, we begin to actually see what GOD wants us to see about this One born in a manger.

In our first message we considered the title Christ. This designation means anointed or chosen one. It connects Jesus with all of the OT prophecies given about the promised Messiah (the Anointed One) who fulfills the role of Prophet, Priest, & King of His people. Then we considered the title Savior. This wonderful designation reveals the mission for which the Messiah came—He was chosen to seek & save the lost. This title also expresses the compassion of GOD for His fallen creation. Today, we’re going to consider the name & title Lord.

When the angel of the Lord appeared on the right side of the altar of incense, Zacharias was terrified. Notice he was troubled & then fear fell upon him. Obviously, seeing an angel would trouble anyone, but beyond the natural fear of being startled, a greater fear gripped him. Why is that? Zacharias was a man of the OT Scripture. He knew very well that an angel’s appearance is not always to bring good tidings. Sometimes their appearance means divine judgment as when the death angel passed through Egypt or when a single angel slew 185,000 Assyrians in 2 Kings 19. At this point, Zacharias has no idea as to the nature of this angelic appearance. What a relief he must have felt when the angel said unto him in verse 13, “Fear not, Zacharias.”

After this initial command to “fear not”, the angel would announce the

coming fulfillment of the OT prophecy of Malachi & end the 400 years of silence from GOD. And here is where I want us to pick up tonight in verse 13 & consider the specifics of this angelic message.

Throughout church history, Christians have had to deal with false teachers, false doctrines, & false converts. However, in the last days, in these perilous times (demonically energized times), the traits which Paul lists will become prevalent characteristics of many people who call themselves Christians & enter the church. Once again, it is important to note that these people pretend to be believers & pose as religious: “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” Though they act “religious,” they are spiritual impostors in all reality.

To see what Christmas is all about, we’re considering the 3 significant titles given by GOD through an angel to shepherds which describe the One who was born on that first Christmas day. Each of these names convey certain wondrous yet distinct truths about Jesus regarding His nature, His authority, & His mission. Now the birth of a child is nothing unusual, even one born into abject poverty is not uncommon; but One whose birth has been foretold many hundreds of years before the event, & whose birth was attended by heavenly beings which sang His praises & declared Him to be a Savior, the Christ of the OT Scripture, & the Lord of glory, is both infinitely unique & significant. Friends, to truly see what GOD wants us to see is wrapped up in those 3 designations: Savior, Christ, & Lord.

When Luke wrote his Gospel, more than 400 years had passed since Malachi’s time without a word of prophecy or any sign of a prophet of GOD. But the long wait was finally over. Great plans, devised in eternal ages past, now began to unfold in time with the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth. John the Baptist would be the fulfillment of Malachi & Isaiah’s prophecies; he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our GOD.” Simply stated, he was the preordained herald, the forerunner who was prophesied of to come & prepare the people (morally & spiritually) for the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Thus, Luke, under inspiration, begins his Gospel by giving an introduction of John the Baptist & recounting how John came on the earthly scene because his birth & ministry was an essential part of GOD’s preparation for His Son’s first coming.

“This know also,” Paul told Timothy, “that in the last days perilous times shall come.” To Timothy & many of his brethren during that time, it must have seemed that they were in the perilousness of the last days & that there could be no more perilous times than those that gripped the world as Nero & the Roman government were going after Christians & Satan, through His false teachers, were infiltrating congregations. Paul, however, had Holy Spirit illumination & inspiration which allowed him to see even greater & more perilous times coming. And he did not keep this understanding of the last days to himself. Thus, he wrote: “This know also…”

most people have lost sight & understanding of what this festive celebration we call Christmas is all about. That’s why every year we take the opportunity to remediate all of us on the significance of Jesus & His birth. GOD broke His 400-year silence when Christ entered our world & He spoke through His Son. As we peer into the manger once again, I pray that we see, with pristine clarity, what GOD wants the whole world to see. To see this event with eyes of understanding we must consider those 3 titles in verse 11: Jesus is the Christ, He is the Savior, & He is the Lord. We’re going to look at each of those titles over the next 3 messages because they individually convey a wonderful truth about the One whose birth we celebrate, & together those 3 titles explain the full meaning of Christmas. This morning I want us to first consider the title of “Christ.” The angel said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is CHRIST…”

As we approach a new year, many of us have already done some self-examining, & some of us have repented of some things or we have purposed within our hearts to repair some areas of our lives, & many of us have resolved to start developing some spiritual disciplines in 2024. I applaud all who are doing these things, & making changes, & setting goals. However, tonight, rather than give you another challenge, I want to sound the warning.

I’ve come this evening to warn every believer of the real possibility of backsliding in 2024. Like the disciples who were feasting with Jesus in the evening at sundown during Passover & then fleeing His side (just a few hours later) somewhere around midnight, I’m here to show you the steps to backsliding overnight. My prayer is that this message will create awareness within everyone here & cause us all to guard our lives from these things.

Today, on this final day of 2023, as we prepare to enter a new year, it is a good time to do some reflecting upon our lives & examining of our hearts. If we find that we have lost our passion for Jesus, we need it reignited. And if we find that the flame of our passion for Christ is burning as it should, we need to renew our determination to tend to & protect it from every wind that tries to blow it out.

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges of a believer (if not the greatest), & yet, it is without question the greatest area of neglect in most Christian’s lives. As we have already discovered, Jesus not only commanded His disciples to pray, He also taught them how to pray. I think one of the big reasons behind both the inconsistency & ineffectiveness of many believers’ prayer lives is the fact that so many Christians do not know how to pray. As a result, many Christians grow weary in praying when they don’t see anything happening, when they don’t see answers, & rather than question whether they’re praying the wrong way, they immediately conclude that praying is pointless. Well, prayer works, or the Bible would not instruct us to pray. There’s no doubt about it.

David starts out this Psalm with personal praise & thanksgiving in verses 1 through 6. He speaks to his own soul about his individual need & responsibility to bless the Lord & not forget all that the Lord has blessed him with. Psa 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and (my soul) forget not all his benefits:

Last week we started looking at this wonderful Psalm that expresses praise & thanksgiving to the Lord. This Psalm should characterize the life of a true believer because his life should be one of continual praise & gratitude unto the Lord who has saved him. Although perpetual thanks should be upon our lips, we often fail in this area when we allow circumstances to dictate our thanksgiving. This is a big deal whether we understand it or not. As we noted Wednesday evening, when we become unthankful it is sin & we are out of GOD’s will.

“How can we give thanks in everything?” How does the believer, who hears that he has cancer, give thanks? How does the married believer give thanks when they come home & discover that their mate has abandoned them & wants a divorce? How does the believing parent give thanks when their child rebels & heads for the far country? Well, we’re going to see from Jesus’ example & His words how that His followers can give thanks in every situation of life.

In a day when the world wants to bypass this time set aside to give thanks that we might hurry to the materialism & social entertainments which now consume the Christmas season, I feel the responsibility of calling GOD’s people to stop, reflect, & give true thanksgiving to GOD. Though we should be giving thanks every day of our lives, I’m glad we live in a nation that observes a day of Thanksgiving. This celebration can be traced back to 1621, when the Plymouth colonists from England & a group of Native Americans shared a 3 day feast together after surviving a harsh winter & then having a successful harvest. While the Thanksgiving celebration would continue for 2 centuries, it was not until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln made the celebration an official day of observance by proclaiming a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

Tonight, I want to spend some time explaining why we believe in a Pretribulational Rapture. In other words, we believe that the Bible teaches that the Rapture will take place before the horrific tribulation period – the 7 years of demonic wickedness & the pouring out of GOD’s wrath. Now, the Rapture is that glorious event in which the Lord descends from heaven to the clouds in the atmospheric heaven to resurrect the bodies of the saints that have died in the church age & catch up the living Christians from earth to meet Him in the air. The Bible says that believers will be instantly transformed, changed in the twinkling of an eye, into their glorified state during this event. The reunion of the believers with the saints that have died & the Lord occurs in the clouds, & from there they are taken back to heaven to be with the Lord forevermore.

Tonight, I want to spend some time explaining why we believe in a Pretribulational Rapture. In other words, we believe that the Bible teaches that the Rapture will take place before the horrific tribulation period – the 7 years of demonic wickedness & the pouring out of GOD’s wrath. Now, the Rapture is that glorious event in which the Lord descends from heaven to the clouds in the atmospheric heaven to resurrect the bodies of the saints that have died in the church age & catch up the living Christians from earth to meet Him in the air. The Bible says that believers will be instantly transformed, changed in the twinkling of an eye, into their glorified state during this event. The reunion of the believers with the saints that have died & the Lord occurs in the clouds, & from there they are taken back to heaven to be with the Lord forevermore.

On the night before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in GOD, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” The place Jesus referred to is the New Jerusalem. This is the capital city of Heaven. Presently, it is where GOD dwells with His holy angels, & where the saved go when they die. In the future eternal state, this glorious city will descend from Heaven to earth, where it will be the capital city of the new heaven & the new earth. Believers, this is our future, eternal home, & words could never adequately describe this place. But knowing the longing of His people’s hearts to see & know more about their eternal home, GOD gave the Apostle John a small glimpse of the heavenly city that he might share the details with the church, & through his experience, give us a little taste of heaven’s glory.

Tonight, we come to the end of the Lord’s instruction on prayer which concludes with the familiar doxology we all have recited since we were children [a doxology simply means an expression of praise]. In Jesus’ teaching, which we have been looking at, He has given us an outline, a model, a pattern of what our prayers should contain. Since Christ has shown us that our Heavenly Father is the focus of real prayer, it only is fitting that He concludes His teaching on prayer with praise; that’s what we find here in the doxology.

Knowing the truth about hell is important, no matter how intense or difficult that truth may be. And sadly, more people are going there than we can imagine. But the good news is that you do not have to go to hell. I’m so grateful that GOD hasn’t abandoned His fallen creation & so hell isn’t GOD’s last word on eternity! That’s why we are going to talk about heaven today. Though none of us deserve to go to GOD’s heaven, GOD has graciously granted entrance into it, for any sinner who will repent of sin & believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that I see you in that wonderful place of GOD’s presence & glory when this life is over.

A few weeks ago, several hundred Jewish young adults went to a music festival in southern Israel. They called it a “peace festival”. What they didn’t know was that just a few miles away, on the other side of the border, enemy terrorists were assembling & planning to attack them. That same night, many Jewish families in nearby communities, went to sleep thinking everything was ok. But here is the point I want to make: These Israelis had no idea that something so violent, evil, & deadly was so near the area they were assembling & others living. Yet, despite being blissfully unaware, the danger was present.

Words like Jihad, Caliphate, Sharia Law, & Islamic extremism are now common in our vocabularies. Before 9/11, words such as these were foreign to most people living in Western civilization. The reason for this is because militant Muslims are making world headlines everyday with their shocking violence. Many seem to have forgotten that Hamas militants, the radical Muslim group in Gaza, are the ones who sparked the current war in Israel. In fact, after their terrorist attack on Israel (on Oct. 7th), they posted videos of themselves torturing, capturing, beating, & parading innocent Jewish civilians through the streets of Gaza while chanting “Allahu Akbar” — Arabic for “God is great.” Make no mistake, the turmoil in the Middle East is being fueled by Islamic ideology. Naturally, you may be wondering, “What does radical Islam have to do with end time events & the return of Jesus Christ?” Well, we are going to answer that.

Everyone would agree that we should warn children about the danger of talking to strangers. We agree as a society that we should warn everyone about the dangers of smoking & doing drugs. We’ve legislated laws which require pharmaceutical companies to warn people of a prescription drug’s side effects in their commercials. Yet, for some odd reason, we feel it is offensive to warn people about the danger of eternal Hell which is far worse than any of these.

What would you say about a doctor who knew you had cancer & knew of a cure, but only discussed politics or the weather with you? What would you say about a fireman who saw a house on fire & said, “Well, I hope those inside figure things out for themselves before it’s too late?” What would you say about a policeman who saw a man with an assault rifle walk into a school & just shook his head & drove on past the school? We would be outraged by such people! We’d want to throw them into prison because we believe their neglect to warn or do something about the impending danger is itself a crime against humanity. You see, we all, innately, feel that every person has certain moral responsibilities like warning a child to look both ways before crossing the street.

Bro. Clemon Chappell preaches from Matthew 7:24-26 on How to Stop Your House from Falling Apart.

Tonight, I feel impressed to reteach the significance of Israel to GOD, to Biblical prophecy, & the future. It’s important, in a day of growing anti-Semitism, to understand that the Jewish people are GOD’s chosen people & that they have a special program in GOD’s plan for history. If you want to know what GOD is up to in this world, in this in this age, pay attention to the land of Israel & the people of that land, because “the Jews are GOD’s yardstick in history; they are GOD’s outline for time; they are GOD’s blueprint for what He is up to in the rest of the world.” In the words of one scholar, “GOD has a plan & Israel is His Timepiece.” Why is Israel so important? Tonight, I feel impressed to reteach the significance of Israel to GOD, to Biblical prophecy, & the future. It’s important, in a day of growing anti-Semitism, to understand that the Jewish people are GOD’s chosen people & that they have a special program in GOD’s plan for history. If you want to know what GOD is up to in this world, in this in this age, pay attention to the land of Israel & the people of that land, because “the Jews are GOD’s yardstick in history; they are GOD’s outline for time; they are GOD’s blueprint for what He is up to in the rest of the world.” In the words of one scholar, “GOD has a plan & Israel is His Timepiece.” Why is Israel so important?

2,500 years ago, the Lord spoke through the prophet Zechariah & said that in the last days Jerusalem will be a cup of trembling & a burdensome stone for all the nations of the world. And all that try to uproot this nation or destroy it, GOD says that they themselves will be cut in pieces (destroyed). Friends, we are watching these Scriptures & so many more unfold before our eyes. Once again, Israel, this tiny nation about the size of the state of New Jersey, is the focus of the global community & the world’s pressure to deal with the escalating conflict between Israel & its enemies is increasing rapidly. These things should be getting our, every believer’s, attention.

Tonight, I want to inform you of how things are shaping up prophetically.

Bro Michael Lambert preaches on the need for us to spread the gospel.

One of the greatest enemies that comes against the human heart & mind is unforgiveness. So many people down through history have been destroyed by the toxic poison of bitterness which flows from unforgiveness. Many today are locked in a prison of misery (emotionally, physically, mentally, & spiritually) because they simply refuse to forgive.

Well, Jesus deals with this very matter in His teaching on prayer. And we had better listen carefully if we expect to have an effective prayer life. Listen to these verses & how that Jesus stresses the significance of forgiveness.

This morning, I want to remind you & I who are Christians that we are to be actively engaged in rounding up the lost. While salvation is the Lord’s work, He has commissioned His church to go into all the world & preach the Gospel. In other words, we are to be involved in the Lord’s work of rounding up the lost & bringing them to Him for salvation. This is what we call evangelism.

If you are one of Christ’s own sheep, you have some assurances in this life & the next. In this life, we can be confident, we can be sure that GOD’s goodness & mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd. What does that mean? It means that I belong to the Lord; I’m a sheep in His flock (purchased & birthed into it); I’m one of His own. Because believers are pictured as sheep, it reminds us that we are wholly dependent upon our Shepherd for everything, for our very survival. And because the Lord is our Shepherd, it means that He is personally committed to taking care of His sheep & supplying their needs. Thus, every believer, like David can say, “I shall not want.” Truly, the Lord is sufficient for every need of His people & they shall never lack the necessities of life because they are under the personal care of the Good Shepherd.

This morning, I feel impressed as the pastor to give some comfort & encouragement to GOD’s people. For many of you here today & for some listening at home & perhaps in the hospital, the last few days & weeks have been extremely difficult. Many of us feel tired, weary, & spent. Some have heavy hearts & the waves of sorrow just keep washing over your mind. I’ve had a few tell me recently they’re discouraged about situations they’re facing. And some are anxious, even fearful, about the uncertainty of what the coming days might bring.

Because of this, the Lord has led us back into this very familiar Psalm in order to refresh us. Since ministering from this passage again last Tuesday while standing by the graveside of a faithful servant of GOD, I’ve been greatly helped & encouraged by this wonderful portion of GOD’s Word. And with the help of the Lord, I want to give you a fresh drink from the well of Scripture by looking again at this chapter from which I have been drinking the last few days.

Tonight, as we continue to consider what it means to be one of the Lord’s own sheep, I want to draw your attention back to verse 3. If the Lord is your Shepherd, you can be sure that He will lead you into rest & in paths of righteousness. He does this for His name’s sake. For all of eternity, the faithfulness of the Shepherd will be on display by the fact that all of His sheep are with Him. Now, not only does the Good Shepherd lead His sheep, but you can also be sure that He restores them.

It is interesting & extremely insightful that the Lord in His teaching on prayer moved immediately from “give us our daily bread” to “forgive us our debts.” In fact, if you read too fast or too casually through these 2 short petitions without pausing to reflect on them, you’ll miss the important truths Jesus was teaching. So, before we dive into verse 12, you need to understand that since the petition “give us this day our daily bread” emphasizes our most urgent & fundamental of physical needs, the petition “forgive us our debts” emphasizes our most urgent & fundamental spiritual need.

I read an article last week about how to freshen the air in your home or office without resorting to artificial chemicals. Since fake scent sprays like Glade contain harmful chemicals, the article listed several herbs which provide some of the very best aromas. As I read the article a statement caught my attention. It said that “to fully release the natural fragrance contained within herbs & certain flowers, they must be crushed.” In other words, until the herbs & certain flowers are broken, while they may have a mild pleasant scent, the fulness of their fragrant potential is limited & greatly concealed.

Brothers & sisters, for GOD to release the aroma of His grace into our lives & from our lives, He must do the same thing—He has to crush & break us. He has to crush our pride; He has to break our self-sufficiency. It’s then that His grace flows into our lives & is released from our lives as a sweet-smelling fragrance in the smell of GOD & the many around us.

Brothers & sisters, prayer is not an exercise where we bend GOD’s will & make it fit our will. Too many people believe that prayer is talking GOD into doing something that He ordinarily wouldn’t want to do. That isn’t real prayer. Prayer is seeking the will of GOD above all & submitting to it.

This morning, I want to continue this message by discussing the consequences of praise. In other words, what difference does praising the Lord make? It might surprise some of you to know that it makes a world of difference. So, let’s spend a little time discussing some specific consequences of praise!

This morning, I’ve come to call GOD’s people to praise the Lord. If you’re already praising Christ, I encourage you to keep on. If you’re sitting here today like a spectator, I exhort you to start praising the Lord. If difficult circumstances have silenced your praise, I’m here to tell you that you need to learn to praise your way through the storm. If your fear of others or some religious tradition has shackled your praise, then it’s time to throw off those chains & be set free.

This morning, I want to follow up the message last week with a very important matter. My concern is that you have the right source of motivation to serve the Lord with. Last week, I challenged you to get into the fight for Christ, to stand up & make a difference. But this week, the Lord wants me to preach about how to stay in the fight, how to finish your course. You see, how you finish is far more important than how great of a start you have.

Now this is hard to imagine because we can’t see the spirit realm & it’s hard to comprehend because one of the last places that we would expect to find a war is in heaven; but according to verse 7, there is going to be a war that is fought in heaven. As we dissect this text, let me begin by pointing out the sphere of Satan.

On this back-to-school Sunday morning, Pastor Marc will be preaching on, “What difference can a youth make?” God has used the young, the disadvantaged, the untrained, and the unlikely, to do HIS will before. Despite our doubts, weaknesses, lack of popularity, lack of life experience, and lack of communication skills, we ALL can make a difference in this world. Your ability to make a difference for Christ is not contingent on your age, abilities, advantages, connections, or life experiences. Our GOD can use nobodies to lift up THE SOMEBODY (Jesus Christ)!

In our text we find a blind man who was touched & healed by Christ; he received his sight. However, the man required another touch from Christ, after being made to see, to add clarity to his vision. I wonder if we have any sinners, any spiritually blind people here today, people who need the Savior to open their sin-blinded eyes? And I also wonder if we have any believers, those who have received sight through the miracle of salvation, that need another touch because things are out of focus? I mean, though you are saved, your spiritual perception is dull; though you are spiritually whole, the focus of your life isn’t sharp; though your spiritual eyes have been opened, you know something just isn’t quite right.

In our text we find a blind man who was touched & healed by Christ; he received his sight. However, the man required another touch from Christ, after being made to see, to add clarity to his vision. I wonder if we have any sinners, any spiritually blind people here today, people who need the Savior to open their sin-blinded eyes? And I also wonder if we have any believers, those who have received sight through the miracle of salvation, that need another touch because things are out of focus? I mean, though you are saved, your spiritual perception is dull; though you are spiritually whole, the focus of your life isn’t sharp; though your spiritual eyes have been opened, you know something just isn’t quite right.

Friends, I have good news. The Lord Jesus Christ stands ready to give you that initial touch of salvation to open your sin-blinded eyes. And He is also ready & committed to touching again the eyes of those who, though they have sight, find that their vision is not perfect. Church, the Lord will continue to apply His healing hand to those eyes until He completes the work which He has begun. This morning, I pray that we all receive whatever touch it is that we desperately need.

Church, prayer is not a ritual or some mystical experience. It is simply talking with GOD our Father. Oh, what a privilege it is to be able to speak with Holy GOD & oh what power is available from the throne of GOD when we pray. Sadly, prayer, is one of the most neglected resources that GOD’s people have. My goal through this series is to motivate us all to increase & intensify our prayer lives both personally & corporately. We will also be looking at many different prayers recorded in the Bible through this series to instruct our praying so that we can be sure we are praying according to GOD’s will. Why is that important?

In the beginning of His public ministry, the Lord Jesus announced that He, in the prophetic words of Isaiah, was the anointed Messiah who had come to preach the gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, & recover sight to the blind (Luke 4:18). While the Lord would heal many of physical blindness, that miracle symbolically communicated a greater lesson—Man is spiritually blind & in need of GOD’s healing. Since the fall, sin has blinded the eyes of all people. Consequently, they cannot grasp or comprehend spiritual truth & their sin-infected flesh causes them to love darkness rather than light. To add to man’s desperate situation, Satan intensifies man’s blindness by clouding his mind with human philosophies & demonic doctrines.

In Psalm 85 GOD's blessings and mercy in the past inspired this prayerful song in the heart of the psalmist who longed for national and spiritual restoration. The psalmist describes how he desired to see GOD's glory dwelling in his nation again.

Christians, this should be our prayer for America. While our country has been far from perfect, none can legitimately deny that GOD has richly blessed this nation. Why? Not because our founders were perfect but because they recognized and determined that Sovereign GOD and His Word would be the basis of forming what they called a "more perfect union."

Sadly, we live in a day that has turned its back on GOD. Is there hope for America? Yes, there is hope --- and it is GOD. However, GOD is not only our hope but also our nation's greatest threat. Unless we see revival in this land, we can only expect GOD's judgment. I pray that this psalm will inspire you to join me in praying for our nation.

You may recall that just 2 chapters back we studied the feeding of the 5,000 (6:30–44). Now we come to an almost identical miracle, the feeding of the 4,000. Because there are so many similarities between the 2 miracles, many do not take the time to teach this passage. However, as William MacDonald writes, “There is a danger in treating incidents like the feeding of the 4,000 as insignificant repetition. We should approach Bible study with the conviction that every word of Scripture is filled with spiritual truth, even if we can’t see it at our present state of understanding.” We dare not dismiss this miracle as unimportant for everything our Lord did was significant & it would not have been recorded & preserved in Scripture had GOD not wanted us to study & learn from it.

Nothing can knock you down in life like unexpected tragedy or catastrophic bad news. It can rattle you to the core, overwhelm your emotions, cause your soul to faint, & send you spiraling downward into despair. It might be a tragedy like a health problem, a home destroyed by fire, the death of a loved one, a prodigal child, etc. Then the questions begin to arise: Why did this happen? What is GOD trying to tell me? How am I going to make it through this crisis?

That’s where David is in the opening of chapter 30. David literally finds himself in the midst of disaster & ruin. He’s lost his family. He’s lost his home. He’s lost his possessions. And he’s lost all of these things for his soldiers too.

We’re celebrating Father's Day today & it's something we should do. GOD commands us to honor our fathers & mothers. Fathers, you are more important, more influential, & more instrumental to your home & children by GOD’s design than you realize. And so, I want to encourage every father to embrace the role you have & encourage you to be the father that GOD has called you to be. To aid you in this, I want us to consider the marks of the perfect Father. Of course, I’m speaking of our Heavenly Father.

From the very beginning, GOD has made it clear that the only true worship that pleases Him & is accepted by Him is that which springs from a heart that genuinely loves Him & seeks to obey His Word. Moses summarized the essence of GOD’s true worship with these words:

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, & with all thy soul & with all thy might

True worship encompasses the whole person; it moves from the inside out: from the heart (the inward seat of emotions & desires), & soul (the innermost being where the intellect & will reside), to one’s might (their strength; their obedience). GOD made it clear to His people that this was what He desired.

In the OT, the Ark of the Covenant symbolized the presence of GOD (the Shekinah glory of GOD hovered over that piece of furniture), & it represented the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything from the mercy seat on top of the Ark to its contents (Aaron’s rod that budded – the resurrection power & life of Jesus; the manna in a golden pot – the sustenance of Jesus for spiritual life; & the 10 Commandments engraved in stone – the righteousness of Christ in fulfilling the Law) signified something about Jesus. That’s why GOD gave Moses instructions for having it built & said that it would be the place where GOD would meet with His people & speak to them.

This morning we are looking at the event when Jesus came walking on the water to His disciples. What was the significance of this miracle? It was another proof to the Lord's disciples that He was God. The disciples needed this truth cemented in their hearts if they were to be effective witnesses for Christ after His crucifixion and ascension. In addition to confirming Jesus' deity, there are many more lessons to be found in this text.

Tonight, we continue our look at the event when Jesus came walking on the water to His disciples. What was the significance of this miracle? It was another proof to the Lord's disciples that He was God. The disciples needed this truth cemented in their hearts if they were to be effective witnesses for Christ after His crucifixion and ascension. In addition to confirming Jesus' deity, there are many more lessons to be found in this text.

It’s possible to grow up with a knowledge of GOD & yet not know Him personally. It’s possible to have parents with an authentic relationship with the Lord & their children not. Jacob is a classic example of this. Throughout the narrative of Jacob’s life, up until chapter 33, Jacob always referred to the Lord as the GOD of Abraham & the GOD of Isaac, but never as his own GOD.

On this Mother’s Day, I would like us to consider a mother who had the kind of faith that Jesus is looking for, the kind of faith that pleases Him. The Bible records that this mom’s faith elicited this compliment from the lips of The Lord Jesus Christ: “O woman, great is thy faith!” (Mat. 15:28). Church, this commendation demands our closest attention. Mothers, the faith of this mother is the kind of faith you should be striving to have & display. As we shall see, it’s the kind of faith that impacts their children’s lives. Now, don’t assume that this message is just for mothers, I assure you that it is for us all. You see, thousands of named & unnamed people appear in the Bible. However, only a few are ever commended for their faith. Yet, here in our text, Jesus held up this woman’s faith like a priceless jewel so the church could see how beautiful true saving faith is.

Transitions are a part of life. You grow up, get married, & move out of your parents’ house. You change jobs. You have a child & become a parent. You take on a ministry. Many of these transitions are exciting & we welcome them when we have a choice in the matter. However, some transitions in life are forced upon us & it’s these that produce fear & often overwhelm us. For example, a spouse dies & the other is left to do life by themself. You get fired or laid off & you must start looking for a new job or career. You have a loved one whose age &/or health thrusts new responsibilities upon you. You experience an injury or sickness that altars everything in your life. You find yourself assuming the care of someone else’s children. These forced transitions produce fear because we often do not feel equipped, experienced, or ready for them. But, ready or not, here they come.

Among the followers of Jesus Christ are many counterfeits. While they identify as Christians, in reality they are deceived phonies; they are fakes. Externally, they may appear to be Christ’s disciples, but upon closer investigation they prove that inwardly they have never been regenerated. Church, this is not a new problem & it will persist until the Return of Jesus Christ.

John chapter 6 highlights the fact that not all disciples are true. While all believers are disciples, not all disciples are believers. The Lord Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not possess saving faith & He still offered Himself as the Bread of Life to them. To their own peril, according to verse 66, when the Truth of Christ became too difficult for them to hear, many of Jesus’ disciples defected & walked away from Him. They evidenced that they were not true disciples, they had never been saved.

This morning & tonight we will look at this passage to hear Jesus’ invitation as the The Bread of Life & also identify the distinctions between true & false disciples.

I want to talk to you tonight about unshackled rejoicing. This is one of the passages every believer should turn to when they feel like they’re losing their joy. You see, sooner or later, you’re going to find yourself seemingly incarcerated, feeling imprisoned, perhaps shackled, & these moments threaten the experience of our joy as believers. You say, “Pastor, I’m not in prison, & I don’t intend to go.” Friend, there’s more than one kind of prison. There are some here tonight who are in a dungeon of despair, they are shackled with stress, they are caged in by negative circumstances. And it seems you cannot escape or break out of these prison walls. There are others who are in the chains of poor health. Others are behind iron bars of disappointment, disappointment from family members far from GOD. Some are in the bondage of a bad situation that you can’t get away from. Am I talking to anyone here tonight?

Sometimes we're faced with an impossible situation, a need which cannot be met through our own resources, a problem with no earthly solution. When this happens, the Lord is observing His people. He’s inspecting & exposing faith. Brothers & sisters, our text this morning reminds us that there are times when our difficult circumstances are designed to shift our focus from the situation to the Savior. You see, GOD does not want us simply looking for answers to our problems, He wants us to seek after Him. And His goal is to strengthen our faith in Him through the tests & trials that come our way. We’re going to see that & also learn some other very important lessons from this miracle of Jesus.

It’s not hard to understand that we are living in the last days, not even for sinners. The Bible warned long ago that the “end of all things is at hand [near]” (1 Peter 4:7). But the demise of earth & end of time as we know it won’t transpire because of climate change, nuclear war, or genetically engineered viruses; instead, the end will come with the long-awaited return of Jesus Christ. And what’s interesting is that COVID-19, which shook the world & shut everything down temporarily, gave us all a preview of things to come, a glimpse of the days which will proceed the Lord’s return. It was truly a sign of the times.

This morning, as we return to our study of the life & ministry of Jesus, we come to a solemn text which details the murder of John the Baptist. Scholars tell us that this event occurred at the close of Jesus’ second year of ministry. It’s not by chance that at the end of the Lord Jesus’ second year of ministry & as He begins His final year that He & His disciples receive the report that John was unjustly put to death. The death of Christ’s Forerunner providentially

foreshadowed what awaited Christ at the close of His ministry. The news of John’s death would bring Christ personal sorrow & also increase the weight upon His mind about His own impending death which He constantly bore.

Most teaching & preaching during the Easter celebration ends with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, that’s not the end of the story. If we stop at the empty tomb we will miss out on some beautiful truths about the Lord’s Ascension & miss the important instructions He gives to His followers. So, we’re going beyond the empty tomb this morning.

Too often we rush into the Easter morning service without a lot of thoughtful contemplation of the cross. When we do we miss out on the richness & reward that’s continually rediscovered by those who stop to linger before Christ crucified. In a culture that’s busier, more distracted, & self-absorbed than ever, we need to heed the exhortation given in Hebrew 12:3…

Heb 12:3a For consider (contemplate) him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself…

Church, we live in a day that embellishes gold-plated crosses as stylish pieces of jewelry & architecture. The cross has become so common that I’m afraid we can see it & wear it today without it having any deep impact upon us. This morning, in apostolic tradition, according to the NT pattern & mandate, we are going to preach “Christ crucified.” For our time together this morning, we are going to consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners. We are going to gaze upon the Christ & His cross in all of its ugliness & beauty, in its shame & glory, in its condemnation & grace, in its costly payment & free gift. Lest we pass by callously or carelessly, we are going to fix our thoughts upon Christ crucified.

All of the details of the Triumphal Entry —Jesus on a colt, the coats of people strewn on the road, the palm branches being waved & cast before the Lord, & the words from Psalm 118 used by the shouting crowds— indicated the arrival of the Messiah into Jerusalem. This entire scene revealed that the Lord was in sovereign control of every single detail of this event, & He was making a statement to the nation. The donkey He rode prophesied of His position as King & His lowly character as servant— He came to be a burden-bearer. The Hallel Psalm repeated on the people’s lips, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord,” declared His Messiahship. This was the moment that Jesus was presented publicly to Israel as her Messiah — a moment predetermined before the foundations of the world.

The final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry was filled with many events, all setting the stage for GOD’s redemption plan. While the climax of this plan would playout at the cross of Calvary, Gethsemane was the doorway of Calvary. Before the Lord’s hands & feet were pierced at Calvary, His soul was pierced in the garden called Gethsemane. In those few hours at Gethsemane, when Jesus reaffirmed, “...not My will but Yours be done,” He won the battle over His own humanity which removed His final obstacle on the way to forging an eternal communion between GOD & repentant sinners. For this reason, many scholars have said, “Victory was paid for at Calvary, but it was won in Gethsemane.”

At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is at the end of His earthly ministry. 3 ½ years earlier, following His baptism by John, Jesus purposefully began to evangelize Judea, then Galilee, then regions around Galilee, then Judea again, & finally Perea. During those years of His public ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ literally saturated the entire nation of Israel with the preaching of the Gospel & the performing of countless miracles which validated His Messianic claims. But now the time had come for Christ to do that for which He ultimately came to do – to die upon the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. So, after healing two blind men in Jericho (Mtt. 20:30) & saving a tax collector named Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:2), the Lord made His final journey to Jerusalem. Jesus, fully conscious of the divine timetable for GOD’s salvation plan, had timed the journey just right in order to end up in Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover. Accompanying Jesus to Jerusalem were His disciples & an enormous crowd of people.

This message is to prepare our minds to be focused in on evangelism as we prepare for our upcoming Missions Conference. Evangelism is simply the spreading of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. And that’s what our Missions Conference is all about. While we are responsible to evangelize here at home, through our partnership with missionaries to other countries, we are able to send the Gospel into all the world. This message contains reasons why evangelism is so important for every believer.

Though the Son of GOD came to the world He created for the purpose of saving fallen man, the reception He received is shocking to say the least. The reason I say that is because Jesus was rejected by the very people who should have recognized Him & rolled the red carpet out to receive Him. Yet, we read:

Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Is there a “Giant” in your life that’s hindering your spiritual progress? Is there a “Giant” that shows up in the morning when you wake up to intimidate you & seems to harass you all day long? Is there a “Giant” that has you discouraged, that’s frustrating your life, & has you living in defeat? And it seems you’ll never get the victory over it. It may be the giant of loneliness, guilt, anger, failure, jealousy, doubt, laziness, resentment, discouragement, or fear itself. Let’s face it, life comes with “giants” & being a Christian doesn’t give us a pass, it just means that we will face more of them because we have a new enemy who leads an army against us in an aggressive warfare.

Believers, do not ever underestimate the power of your own testimony.

GOD has called each of us to be witnesses for Him, not lawyers. A lawyer is one who argues a case. But a witness is someone who testifies of what he’s seen & heard. Church, we are witnesses for our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus said:

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses

unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

A real Christian with an authentic testimony is of greater worth than a 1,000 books full of arguments as to why Christianity is the only true faith. Now I’m not against apologetics, I use it all the time. We ought to be able to give a Biblical defense & well-ordered, logical presentation for the things we believe. But you do not have to be theologically to be a great witness for our Lord. Some of the greatest witnessing for Christ occurs right after a person is saved. While their faith is still in its infant state, the passion & excitement of their testimony along with their transformed life is powerful & it arrests people’s attention.

This morning we are picking back up where we left last week. Recall, Jesus & His disciples had just returned from the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee where He had healed a demoniac. Shockingly, the response by the community was rejection of Christ (vs.17). So, Jesus & His disciples got back into their boat & set sailed back to Capernaum. As before in this area, a large crowd had assembled on the shore awaiting His arrival.

Amid this predominantly superficial crowd stood 2 people who were especially anxious to see Jesus—Jairus, a socially esteemed man with a dying daughter; & an unnamed woman who had become a social outcast due to her incurable disease. These 2 stories, united by GOD’s providence, not only evidence Jesus’ power over disease & death, but they also reveal how that GOD can use desperate situations to bring faith into a life (as with the bleeding woman) & also to grow faith in a believer (as with Jairus).

Tonight, I want to deal with the serious subject of despair & depression. Why both? Because lingering despair can lead to depression. And both must be addressed the same way Biblically. Having read a recent report of escalating depression among young people & adults, I feel compelled to speak on this matter. Is this necessary? A pastor friend whose daughter took her life not long ago would say “yes.” According to the Mayo Clinic, “Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness & loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think & behave & can lead to a variety of emotional & physical problems. More than just a bout of the blues (or having a bad day), depression isn't an emotion you can simply "snap out" of.” Facts—“Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression is the cause of over 2/3’s of the 30,000 reported suicides in the U.S. each year. For every 2 homicides committed in the United States, there are 3 suicides. Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 & 34. From 2001 through 2017 for the total population, the total suicide rate increased 31%.”

The final 2 events recorded in this chapter complete a series of miracles designed by GOD to reveal the power & identity of His Son, Jesus. At the close of chapter 4, Jesus demonstrated His authority over the natural realm by calming a great storm on the Sea of Galilee with His Word. The following morning, Jesus exercised His authority over the supernatural realm by dispossessing a man of a legion of demons. In this next section, Jesus will display power over disease & then death. Mark has not recorded these miracles to merely entertain us, but rather to give ample evidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of GOD, that we might believe in Him.

Though the love of GOD cannot be fully fathomed or exhausted by an endless study of it, what GOD has said & displayed is sufficient for us to know Him intimately & to understand just how extraordinarily He does love us. So, where do we begin such a sermon? Well, the starting point is always GOD.

When it comes to Satan & the demonic realm, there are two extremes, two traps that many fall into. Some fall into the trap of simply disbelieving in the reality of the devil. Others go to the other extreme & fall into the trap of developing an unhealthy interest or obsession with the dark world of demons. Satan loves both extremes because they allow him greater opportunities to fortify strongholds in a person’s life. As we study this passage, our goal is to stay Scripturally balanced by affirming the reality of demons without going overboard & also to declare the truth of Jesus’ power over the devil & his domain.

All of us can feel overwhelmed at various times in life. There’s some of us who are honestly stressed out. Others feel weary because of the constant pressure they live under, the continual strain of being a caregiver, the continual strain of an ongoing health issue, the continual strain of a difficult marriage, the continual strain of prodigal children, the continual strain of a demanding job, etc. Many people today just feel zapped either emotionally, mentally, spiritually, &/or physically. Good news—GOD has a Word for those who wait upon Him.

Children occupied a very insecure, uncertain, & dangerous position in the ancient Greek & Roman cultures. Children were sometimes loved if they were perceived as beneficial to the family, but they were often treated as property, discarded, or in some way exploited if they were seen as not being beneficial. For example, a letter (written on papyrus) that archaeologists found, dating back to 1 B.C., was from a man named Hilarion to his pregnant wife. He instructs her with these words: “if [the baby] was a male child let it [live]; if it was female, cast it out.” Infanticide was legal & common throughout the Roman Empire & wasn’t outlawed until A.D. 375. But, until then, Roman law gave the father absolute power over his family—which extended to life & death. That meant that a child’s life was determined by what the father determined about his particular child.

We’ve all heard the old saying, “The neighborhood is going downhill.” Well, Israel never watched its neighborhood go downhill because from its very beginning they lived in a bad neighborhood. Jeremiah’s prophecy is simply that the bad neighborhood is going down. These last few chapters of Jeremiah serve as a reminder that the Jews were surrounded by fierce enemies all around. They constantly lived with the threats of violence & warfare at their borders. Five of Israel’s enemies are mentioned in Jeremiah 49: to the east, the Ammonites (vv. 1–6); to the south, the Edomites (vv. 7–22); to the north, the Arameans (Damascus) (vv. 23–27); to the far east, the Elamites (vv. 34–39); & scattered throughout the area south & east of Israel, the tribesmen of Kedar (vv. 28–33). These are areas from which people have afflicted & threatened the Jews throughout history, down to this very day—Jordan, Syria, Iran, & the area occupied by Palestinian Arabs.

We’ve returned to our study of Jesus’ life & ministry. We have just a few messages left before we conclude the 2nd year of His public ministry. By this point, the Lord’s fame has spread throughout Israel & spilled beyond its borders. But along with his growing popularity is growing opposition among the religious leaders of His nation (Mk.3:6). Jesus has already called 12 apostles from among His many disciples (Lk.6:13). These 12 men have been personally selected for companionship & special training that they might be sent out to preach the Gospel as His personal ambassadors. As part of their training, because of what lie ahead of them, the 12 disciples/apostles needed to learn the truth of the Lord’s keeping power. That is the lesson this storm teaches.

As we return to our study of the Book of Jeremiah let me remind you that when GOD called Jeremiah that He commissioned him to be a prophet to the nations of the world.

Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I

sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Because Judah was GOD’s covenant nation, His chosen people, the largest portion of Jeremiah’s preaching & writings were directed to the Jewish people (c.2-45). However, the LORD GOD is sovereign over all nations. Therefore, if GOD would judge His own covenant people for their sin, how could the other, godless, Gentile nations around Judah hope to escape GOD’s judgment when their sins were even more prominent. Well, GOD does not turn His eye to sin, not anyone’s, thus, in chapters 46–51, Jeremiah shifts the spotlight of GOD’s judgment from Judah to her Gentile neighbors.

This morning I want to conclude our stewardship series with some reasons why this issue, specifically the issue of financial stewardship, matters to real believers. False converts do not truly care to know GOD’s Word & obey it, they’re simply satisfied with an external association with Christ that doesn’t affect their lifestyle, but true believers want to know their Lord’s commands & obey them. The Scripture is clear, true believers are characterized by obedience to our Lord, to the author of our salvation.

Whenever we say, “my this” or “my that,” we reflect a godless, worldly view of wealth & possessions—the view that what I have is mine. In reality, the opposite is true: Everything belongs to GOD, & we are only stewards (temporary managers) of it on His behalf. Christian Stewardship regards the obligation of Christians to manage, use, & honor GOD with the temporal & spiritual gifts He has entrusted to us. And while stewardship includes everything we possess, I want to deal specifically with financial stewardship the next two weeks because wealth poses a great problem for people. GOD knows this & thus deals with the subject of money extensively in His Word. For example, the Bible contains around 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, & more than 2,000 verses on money & possessions. The reason for this emphasis in Scripture is that GOD created us & He therefore understands the fundamental connection between our spiritual lives & how we think about & handle money. Our use of & attitude towards money is an indicator of our spiritual health. Whether we realize it or not, our giving is literally an external manifestation of our internal condition.

The supreme purpose in life for every person is to glorify GOD. The start of a new year is the perfect time to remind ourselves of this truth and refocus our aim in every area of life to this one purpose. No doubt we’ve missed some opportunities to bring GOD glory in this past year. As we examine our lives & face new opportunities, we need ask only one question. Does this glorify GOD? This test should be applied to every thought, word, & deed.

Many of us talk about how expensive this time of year is because of the gifts we buy for others. However, there was no greater price paid than that which the Lord made for our salvation. The price tag on our sinful souls was so costly that it would require GOD’s own Son taking a body to die. His shed blood was the currency our redemption demanded. And amazingly, GOD the Father was willing to give His Son to pay the price and GOD the Son was willing to come to be the payment. Make no mistake about it, Christmas was costly for GOD Himself. And it’s no wonder why the preferred and dominant color of Christmas is red. Red is the reminder of Jesus’ blood which He came to shed for you and me. When you see the color red, always stop and reflect upon The Cost of Christmas. That’s the subject of our message this morning.

Christmas is all about Christ. It is not the story of a man in a red suit, it is the story of the Christ. Now, I hope you all realize that Christ is not Jesus’ last name, it is one of His titles. Just as Jesus is The Lord, He is also The Christ. If we do not fully understand this very important title, then we won’t fully appreciate Jesus’ person & work as The Christ, & we will not see the significance of Matthew’s words in the opening of his gospel because he wants us to know that Jesus is The Christ.

To understand the meaning of the Christmas story you have to start at the beginning. By that I mean Genesis. In the opening of the Bible we are informed of the conflict between Satan and humanity through the fall of man. This conflict presents us with a dilemma. Will God abandon His creation to the consequences of their own sin or will He intervene. Thankfully, God in grace gave a promise to send a Redeemer to rescue fallen man, crush his evil enemy, and destroy the works of the devil. The Redeemer that God promised would be His own Son as Isaiah would later prophesy. On that first Christmas night, God kept His word by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to save repentant, believing sinners. In this series we will walk through the 4 important Truths of Christmas which unfold the glorious plan of God in the Christmas story.

We’re calling this series The Four C’s of Christmas. Each “C” represents one of the important aspects of the Christmas story.

Our first lesson is on “The Conflict of Christmas”

Tonight, we want to conclude our first message in this Christmas series which has dealt with the conflict of Christmas. As we stated this morning, the story of Christmas didn’t begin in a manger, but rather a garden. In the Garden of Eden man fell prey to Satan & a resulting conflict between Eve’s offspring & Satan’s was birthed. This presented a real question—Would GOD abandon His creation to its own ruin & deserved destruction? The answer is “NO”! Instead of washing His hands clean of rebellious humanity, GOD mercifully entered the conflict by promising to send a Redeemer through the seed of Eve to deliver mankind. Then He pictured the future substitutionary sacrifice of Christ before banishing Adam & Eve from the Garden.

Have you noticed that there are many different responses to the same message? Some shout, some smile, some sleep, some shed tears, some stare intently, some get offended. Some repent, some reject, some resist, and some receive. Some enjoy, some are entertained, & some endure. My point is this—The responses to the same message vary greatly & the reason for that is the condition of the heart.

On this occasion, the Lord Jesus used an agricultural illustration in one of His parables, revealing what happens when the Gospel is shared. This parable is very helpful for all believers to understand as we labor in the Lord’s work, whether preaching, teaching, or evangelizing. You’ll see why as we make our way through the Scriptures.

Because the Bible speaks very strongly to the Christian about being thankful, I want to discuss this very important subject today. Now, I’m glad we have a holiday that reminds us as a nation to give thanks. But if we are true believers, then we need to understand that thanksgiving is more than a holiday, it is a responsibility that should characterize our lives. So, let’s begin our study this morning right here with a reminder about our responsibility of thanksgiving.

In my estimation, apart from Jesus Christ, there is no New Testament personality that has been more maligned & misrepresented than Mary Magdalene. She has often been wrongly identified by many as the prostitute who washed, anointed, & kissed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:36-50. The argument behind that illegitimate assumption is that Mary is mentioned in the text immediately following that account. That’s foolish because there are also other women mentioned in these same verses as Mary (Joanna or Susanna), & if Mary was the woman in Luke chapter 7 then it would make no sense for Luke to have left her anonymous in the story, only to mention her name a few verses later. Despite the lack of Scriptural support, many down through history have embraced the falsehoods fabricated about Mary. That is why you discover a lot of art (such as the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci) & literature that depict Mary Magdalene as an immoral woman. Though this false depiction of Mary is not supported by the Bible, it hasn’t stopped countless infidels from trying to promote it. This misrepresentation has birthed many lies such as the suggestion that Mary Magdalene was the Lord Jesus’ secret lover.

As we study the judgments of the 7-year Tribulation, we have arrived at this parenthetical section between the 6th & 7th Trumpet Judgments which gives us additional information. Chapter 11 is very important because it reminds us that even in the midst of GOD’s just wrath being poured out upon this world, though it is long overdue, that at the core of His being, He is a saving GOD. During the darkest hour of history, GOD will raise up 2 powerful witnesses to preach the gospel & the judgment of GOD. These 2 preachers will be one of the final expressions of GOD’s mercy & grace offered to sinful humanity. If you are looking for a bright spot in the Tribulation Period, here it is. During this future time of shocking, horrific, & frightening divine judgments on the earth, while countless hordes of demons are torturing & killing millions of people, while murder & all manner of evil is wreaking unrestrained havoc, GOD sends 2 preachers to proclaim His Word to sinners. What mercy & grace!

As we noted last week, when GOD called Jeremiah, He commissioned him to be a prophet to the nations of the world. Thus, in chapters 46–51, Jeremiah shifts the spotlight of GOD’s judgment from Judah to her Gentile neighbors. The first nation that was addressed concerning divine judgment was Egypt in chapter 46. Next up is Philistia in chapter 47.

With all of the natural disasters & demonic activity on earth, it would be awful discouraging for those who are saved during the Tribulation & living through all of these things. That’s why this chapter is so important. It’s GOD’s reminder to His people that He has not lost control. In contrast to the powerful demons running wild on earth, GOD reminds us that He has His mighty, holy angels, & they are doing His bidding in the Tribulation.

Seeing that we’ve entered the Thanksgiving season, the providence of GOD has brought us to a very timely & appropriate occasion in our study of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. For in this passage, we are reminded that forgiveness is a gift of GOD’s grace through His Son Jesus. Some people ask, “How can a good GOD send people to hell?” That is the wrong question. A better & more correct question is “Why would a good GOD allow any sinner into heaven?” Friends, it is according to GOD’s mercy & grace that any sinner is saved. When you truly understand this truth & experience the forgiveness of GOD in salvation, it produces overflowing gratitude like we see in our text.

Because Judah was GOD’s covenant people, the majority of Jeremiah’s prophetic activity was directed & addressed to it. Jeremiah’s prophecies concerning the nation of Judah are grouped together in chapters 2–45. However, the other nations of the world did not escape GOD’s eye. If GOD would judge His own covenant people for their sin, did the heathen nations around Judah think they would escape GOD’s wrath when their sins were even more obvious & openly practiced with no shame or fear of GOD? Well, in chapters 46–51, Jeremiah, a prophet ordained by GOD unto the nations, shifts the spotlight of GOD’s judgment from Judah to her Gentile neighbors.

Luke chapter 7 begins with Jesus commending a centurion’s great faith. That’s what every believer should long to have—great faith in the Lord Jesus. However, in this same chapter, GOD’s Word helps us see that even some of the greatest believers have had moments when their faith was not so great & they struggled with doubts. The astonishing surprise in the text is that it was John the Baptist who was battling doubts. The good news here is that there is help for the honest doubter. The Savior will help the sincere believer dealing with doubt, those who want His truth to dispel their doubts. But, on the other hand, there is no help for the skeptical unbeliever (ie. the Pharisees) who refuses to believe the Word of GOD & the evidence before him.

As we noted in this morning’s message, John was in prison. During this period, he began to experience some doubts because Jesus’ ministry did not meet the expectations he had about the coming judgment of the Christ. No doubt he was also perplexed by his present situation. Therefore, he sent 2 of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Christ or should they be expecting another. In response, the Lord graciously demonstrated His divine power through many miracles of healing & then quoted some prophecies from the Book of Isaiah. Jesus sent John’s messengers back to him with overwhelming empirical & Scriptural evidence which validated Him as the Messiah. He told these messengers to go back & tell John what they had seen & heard. This would be sufficient to stabilize John’s faith through his fiery trial & settle all of his doubts. Evidently, after John’s disciples left, Jesus sensed that many in the crowd began to question & depreciate John the Baptist, & He would not let their wrong opinions of him go unchecked.

In Luke chapter 7 we witness Jesus’ power over death. This is the first miracle where Jesus raised someone who had died back to life. If this was the only miracle that Jesus ever performed, it would be sufficient to reveal just exactly who Jesus is. Why? Because raising the dead is the ability of GOD alone.

So, if you follow this miracle to its correct conclusion, you realize that Jesus is GOD in human flesh. This account is written that you & I might believe that Jesus is the Christ promised in the OT, that He is the very Son of GOD, & that through faith in Him we might receive eternal life.1 Corinthians 15 says that death is the last, the ultimate, the final enemy of mankind. What comfort we find in our text, for on this day, during the Lord’s 2nd year of ministry, death met its match & final enemy—Jesus Christ

Let’s remediate for just a moment. Jesus appeared in His glory to John in Revelation 1, & begins to dictate the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2, 3. Next the Lord Jesus raptures John into His heavenly throne room, & John then describes the worship of the Lord Jesus that he saw occurring in chapters 4, 5. Jesus also told John He was going to show him “things which must be hereafter” (4:1), & that begins in chapter 6 (Ch.6 begins to describe the Tribulation Period). In chapter 5, Jesus takes the book (the title deed to the earth in scroll form) from the Father, & in chapter 6 He begins to open its seals. With the breaking of each seal, a series of judgments is unleashed upon this world to punish it for sin. When the judgments of the 7th seal are completed (this section contains the 7 trumpets & vial judgments), the kingdoms of this world will have been reclaimed & Christ will return to establish His kingdom on earth.

Rev. Jonathan McNeese preaches at the Camp Meeting 2022 on The Table of Fellowship.

Rev. Barry Spears, Pastor of the Sonrise Baptist Church in Lugoff, SC preaches on "Sin is a Bear".

Bro. Billy Sampson preaches from 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 on How's Your Building Holding Up?

Dr. Brent Carr preaches on "You Don't Want to Miss This" from John 20.

Evangelist Billy Sampson kicks off the annual camp meeting with a timely message from the Book of Daniel on standing strong in our faith.

We’re on the brink of our annual camp meeting & I’m preaching this message in preparation of it. You see, I’m praying that GOD will send revival. Listen, the Christian church has never had so much, as far as resources are concerned. There are church buildings all around the world. There are plans for new constructions being laid out even as we speak. There are thousands of Christian colleges training people for ministry. There are online courses now available to anyone who wants extra Biblical education. We have hundreds of Christian publishing companies that are putting out Bibles, Gospel tracts, & all sorts of Christian literature. Not only that, but we also have religious broadcasts on tv & radio 24/7. We even have social media apps today that make sermons & religious blogs about every topic imaginable available at our fingertips.

With all that we have you might wonder what more do we need? Let me tell you up front—we need revival! You see, despite all that we have today, if the Spirit of the living GOD does not infuse the church with His presence & power, if there’s not a dynamic inflowing, outflowing, & overflowing of the Holy Ghost, this all that we have is worthless.

Do you want to know what the faith that GOD demands & rewards looks like? Would you like to see a living example of the kind of faith that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount, the faith which He said characterizes the true citizens of His kingdom? Well, we have such an example of faith in our text. The man’s faith that we’re considering this morning actually caused Jesus to marvel; it pleased Him greatly; it brought a smile to His face. Friend, that’s motivation enough for every true believer to study this man’s faith & then examine our own to see if our faith bears the same marks as this man’s.

We’re looking at the judgments of the Tribulation Period. We’ve made it through 6 seals & have arrived at the opening of the 7th & final seal. Through the various judgments unleashed during the Tribulation the Lord is punishing sin, hallowing His name on earth, & rightfully reclaiming this world. Jesus gained this legal right, as man’s Kinsman Redeemer, to reclaim the dominion that man surrendered to Satan at Calvary.

This past week the nation has been shocked by the pictures & footage that’s been coming out of Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. That storm is proving to be one of the deadliest storms to ever hit our nation. The death toll keeps climbing as rescue workers continue to deal with the ongoing situation. As I watched the news reports of that storm, I could not help but to think about the storm which Jesus warned of. The storm that just hit Florida is nothing compared to the divine storm that’s coming for this world. But before we get into the study of Jesus’ storm warning, let me give you the context of His warning contained in a parable about 2 builders.

We’re considering end time events. We’ve already covered The Rapture of the church & then we began to consider the judgments of the Tribulation. These severe judgments which unfold in the Tribulation have been predicted for 1,000’s of years by the prophets as part of what the Bible calls The Day of The Lord.

Last week, in chapter 43, we saw how that GOD warned the remnant of Judah not to go to Egypt, but they refused to listen. Instead of heeding the Word of GOD that Jeremiah preached, they slandered him & said, “We don’t believe you; GOD did not tell you to tell us not to go to Egypt,” & they headed for the far country. Now, we love the story Jesus told of the prodigal son because of how it ends. Recall, the wayward son hit rock bottom, then he came to himself, repented, returned to his father, & was graciously received, robed, & rejoiced over by his father. Tragically, that’s not the ending for every prodigal. As we shall see in our text tonight, the prodigal remnant of Judah would not return from Egypt (the “far country”). Instead, they would be divinely judged & die in that pagan land. As I stated last week, with regard to the remnant, this is a sad ending to a sad story.

We’re looking again at the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Though Jesus was speaking before a great crowd of people on a hillside in Galilee, His teaching was primarily for His true disciples, for those who had placed saving faith in Him. Because Jesus’ concern was for all souls, His teaching about the traits of true faith & godly living would expose the unbelieving & draw many of them, who were trusting in their own external righteousness, to Him by faith for salvation. But let’s be clear—the principles He teaches here are for true believers. They are impossible to live out apart from the Spirit of GOD’s power.

Tonight, we are reminded in this chapter that no matter how far away you run in disobedience to GOD that there is no escape from the judgment of that disobedience; there is no place safe. The path of disobedience to GOD, though the way may seem right in a man’s own eyes, is always doom.

This morning we are looking at one of the most misunderstood sermons that Jesus ever preached—The Sermon on the Mount. Some people say that this section describes the standard of life you must meet if you are to be granted entrance into heaven. That can’t be the interpretation because Jesus came preaching repentance of sin & belief in the gospel for salvation (Mark 1:15). Others say that this text merely describes the attitudes of citizens in the future Millennial Kingdom. That’s foolish because if that was the case, then Jesus’ words do not apply to us today & have no relevance to this life.

So, what is the point of this message? What do the Beatitudes describe? The key to understanding Jesus’ famous sermon is in verse 20.

Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

The main theme is true righteousness, that which is required to enter heaven. The true righteousness which Jesus offers is received by repentance of sin & faith in Him as Lord & Savior. In contrast, the religious leaders had an artificial, external righteousness based on the Law & their legalistic rules. But Jesus made it clear that their external righteousness was not good enough to get anyone into the kingdom of heaven. You need the righteousness of GOD which far exceeds the righteousness of the scribes & Pharisees. This righteousness is imputed by GOD into a believing sinner’s heart at the moment of faith in Christ.

The 1st four beatitudes are traits that deal entirely with inner principles of the heart &mind. They reveal with the way we see ourselves before GOD—poor in spirit; mournful over our sins; meek; hungering & thirsting after His righteousness. The last four beatitudes, as we shall see, are traits that deal with the outward manifestations of those internal attitudes. With that in mind, look at verse 7.

Sooner or later, most pastors will be approached by some distraught believer who thinks he might have committed the “unpardonable sin”. I’ve had that experience on more than one occasion. It is not surprising that many people worry about & wrestle with this issue because of its severity & because so many different explanations about it have been given. This morning we are going to consider this very specific sin which the Lord Jesus said will never be forgiven.

Many Bible scholars have suggested that one of the greatest miracles Jesus ever performed was His miraculous endurance of the 12 disciples He chose to personally train & make His apostles. “It took divine patience,” one writes, “for the Lord to put up with, pour His life into, & entrust His ministry with this group of unlikely men. How He must have groaned within Himself so many times as He witnessed their countless blunders all the way to the point of their desertion of Him as He went to the cross.” Never have 12 men ever been given greater privilege & responsibility than these (the Great Commission, the Gospel message, & the care of the church), & never have 12 people seemed so inadequate & unqualified for such a tremendous task. If there was anything extraordinary about these men, there is absolutely no evidence of it. If anything, the Bible highlights their many mistakes & weaknesses. The 12 apostles were uneducated & unrefined men. They were the commonest of the common. They were not the elite, aristocratic, & influential of society; instead, they were ordinary people from rural areas, some farmers & fishermen, with plenty of character flaws.

Jeremiah, the prophet of GOD, had been preaching faithfully for 40 years that GOD’s judgment was going to fall upon the nation if it did not repent of sin, turn from its idols, & return to the exclusive worship of the Lord. Well, the people did not hearken unto the Word of GOD & thus, on this infamous day in history, they learned from personal experience that all GOD’s promises of judgment come true. Friends, the fall of Jerusalem serves as a warning & a preview of the coming judgment which the Lord has promised will come upon the entire world when He returns.

The Bible warns of the fear of man. According to Proverbs 29:25, this fear is a trap. It says that the fear of man bringeth a snare. A snare is an instrument used for catching animals, particularly birds, by the leg. How many Christians have betrayed their loyalty to Christ, compromised their personal convictions, grieved the Holy Spirit, & consequently brought something damaging, defiling, or destructive into their life, all because they feared what others thought? How many people are in hell tonight because they feared what others thought or might do to them instead of fearing Almighty GOD? The fear of man is a powerful trap! Someone may ask, “how do you overcome this fear?” By trusting in the Lord.

As Christians, if we speak the truth & stand for Christ, sooner or later we’re going to find ourselves facing some degree of adversity, hostility, or slander. The reason is that we live in a sinful world that rejects GOD, loves sin, & hates the truth of GOD’s Word. It’s unlikely that because of our Christianity that we’ll be thrown into a literal pit like the prophet Jeremiah. Nevertheless, we may find ourselves in some type of pit (emotional, psychological, or spiritual) due to persecution at school or on the job, family rejection, abandonment by those closest to you, or social harassment or ostracism.

Since our youth are beginning a new schoolyear, I want to speak on the importance of living with a purposed heart. How many of you know that things in our culture & society are deteriorating spiritually faster than we’ve ever seen? That’s not by mere chance. Today there is a concerted effort by godless people who have infiltrated high places in every sector of society to advance their godless agendas through every sphere of influence from social media to school curriculums. My fear is that if our youth do not make some serious decisions now, if they don’t resolve in their hearts to be a real Christian & purpose within their hearts to take certain stands for Christ early on, then they will be swept away by these evil tides & conformed to this wicked world. And that will prove disastrous for their souls. I’m convinced that too many of us don’t start taking spiritual choices & decisions seriously until after high school, some not until after college, & others never seem to. Instead, we just sort of live our lives passively & without purpose not realizing that the forces of this world are pushing us along in a direction away from GOD & away from His eternal purposes for our lives.

This morning I want to challenge us all, especially our youth, to grab hold of GOD by making some serious determinations in our hearts concerning living our lives for Him. Living with a purposed heart, as we shall see through Daniel’s example, is the most profitable, fulfilling, meaningful, & safest way to live as a Christian in a godless culture. And, if you want to go deeper in your relationship with Christ, then you must determine to do so through some real choices & decisions.

Jeremiah was accused of being a traitor of Judah, unpatriotic, disloyal, a turncoat, & a supporter of Babylon. He would be arrested, beaten, & thrown into prison after being accused of trying to go join the Babylonian military forces. But Jeremiah was no Benedict Arnold. He was a patriot for GOD & GOD’s people. While the nation saw Jeremiah’s messages of judgment as demoralizing & disloyal, they were actually messages that could have saved the people had they hearkened unto them & repented. Despite the adverse treatment that came from preaching these messages, Jeremiah would stay faithful to declaring the truth of GOD without compromise.

From the end of chapter 36 we jump forward seven years, from King Jehoiakim to his brother King Zedekiah. The final siege of Jerusalem had begun. And I remind you that GOD is giving us these snapshots from history that we might see & learn from the mistakes of His people which led to their own deaths, captivity, & nation’s destruction. In these first 10 verses we have an example of what we see so often among those who profess to know the Lord—hypocrisy. Tonight, as we make our way through the text, I want to point out the marks of a hypocrite. Why is that important? Because our Lord said to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Lk.12:1). GOD hates hypocrisy & no true believer wants to be guilty of it. So, let’s consider these marks & examine our own hearts & deal with anything that might even remotely resemble hypocrisy.

Tonight, we’re going to discuss the church & the Tribulation—Why is it important to us? Well, let me begin by stating that Jesus wants the church to know about it; He wants us to know what’s ahead in His plan.

The Tribulation is a 7-year period that occurs after the Rapture of the church. These final days will be filled with indescribable, unprecedented natural disasters, religious persecution, murders, horrors, deception, violence, political chaos, reports of massive death tolls, big government takeovers, loss of individual rights, famines, wars, diseases, & the explosion of sin on such a level that will drown out all traces of morality. Thing will be that way & grow only worse until the Lord Jesus physically returns to earth at the end of the Tribulation Period. This will be a time like no other as GOD unleashes His holy judgment upon sinful, rebellious humanity. Whether people believe this is true or not, this judgment is coming just as sure as GOD warned & then sent the in flood Noah’s day. As a preacher of the Word, I’m simply following orders by sounding the alarm & giving the warning. Such messages spring out of GOD’s grace & mercy.

Tonight, I want to discuss this terrible time of divine judgment which is coming.

One day, every man, woman, boy, & girl who does not know Jesus as their Lord & Savior will be left behind at the Rapture of the Church. The news networks won’t be able to handle, much less cover, all the chaotic reports they will receive. The internet will be flooded with theories of a possible terrorist attack, secret government weapons that can vaporize people, UFO & alien abductions, you name it, in an attempt to make sense of what has happened.

While this event will shock the world, it will not surprise true Christians. Believers have been looking for this blessed event since Christ returned to heaven after His death & resurrection. You see, Christ gave the church the promise of the Rapture & it will occur just as He promised.