Have we Trials and Temptations? Absolutely.

 The following is a transcript used for the basis of the sermon preached at GracePointe Church in Springtown, Texas on September 22, 2024.

Why are so many pastors falling (Satan). A recent news story said there were 14 individuals who have resigned from churches due to some sort of scandal over the summer in the DFW area alone. That is a staggering number to me, but then I looked up that there are 5,842 Christian non-profit centers in the Metroplex, including Fort Worth, meaning that the number of churches affected represents 0.2 percent of all churches. One church is too many but that equates to 2 out of every thousand congregations.

Someone has said that if there is a mist in the pulpit, there will be fog in the pew. While that generally refers to confusion over a biblical passage, I think the same truism could be related to moral failures and falling in temptations. In other words, there are untold thousands of moral failings and fallings in churches, and tens of thousands of failings inside and outside the church.

If pastors of the pulpit are falling prey to falling to temptation, what is going on with the people in the pew? There are good and bad cops, good and bad teachers, construction workers, farmers, and lord help us good and bad lawyers and politicians. At least I have heard of good lawyers and politicians.

So, the title for my message is Have we trials and temptations? Absolutely! The title is taken from a hymn and the background to the hymn is as follows (found at this webpage )...

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In the vast canvas of historical figures, some remain hidden in the background, their tales whispered among only a few. Joseph Scriven is one such name. His life was a complex tapestry of faith intertwined with profound sadness.

 Early Life of Humility and Service

Born in Ireland on September 10, 1819, to an affluent family. He grew up as a noble man with a heart of mercy, always looking to help the destitute. A story is told of him where a man looks at him carrying a wood saw and a sawhorse, “That looks like a sober man,” the man exclaimed. “I think I’ll hire him to cut wood for me.” The response from the other man was, “That’s Joseph Scriven. He wouldn’t cut wood for you because you can afford to hire him. He only cuts wood for those who don’t have money enough to pay.” Joseph was a devoted man of the Plymouth Brethren Church. A man of high aspirations who was regarded with favor among all those he met. He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin.

Tragedy Strikes

While still in Ireland, he got engaged to be married to his childhood love. He had great hopes of a family who would serve the Lord together. Tragedy struck his life as his bride-to-be accidentally drowned the night before their wedding. She fell from her horse while crossing a bridge over the River Bann. Joseph arrived seconds later only to find her knocked out, drowned in the river. Her death was swift. He described his sorrow this way: “The bottom of my world seemed to disappear.”

A Man Acquainted with a Heavy Heart

This led to a life of depression, sorrow, and devotion. Like so many others who wrestle with God emotionally, he held his head above water and continued to walk with Jesus and serve the Lord. He wandered the land to ease his pain and traveled across the Pacific. He became a leader of a Plymouth Brethren fellowship and started a school for orphans in Canada. He would often read the Bible to railway construction workers who were building the Grand Trunk Railway across the Canada West. He was known to all for his selfless service, his continued battle with physical ailments, and his heavy heart.

 Unrelenting Storms of Life

In 1857, at the age of 38, he moved near Port Hope, Ontario where he fell in love again with the 23-year-old aunt of a young child he was tutoring. Her name was Eliza. They were promptly due to be married. His pain was briefly abated with the renewed prospect of a family. But in August 1860 his fiancée fell ill with pneumonia and unexpectedly died.

 Even through this, Scriven continued to serve all those who were in need. He was known for never turning down anyone who needed help. He was often sick with bodily ailments. These plagued him his whole life. But he was devoted to walking with the Lord. Even though he was a man with deep spiritual wounds, he never stopped groping for his confidence that Jesus was a friend who would never leave him.

 One day a close companion was visiting and happened across a poem on Joseph’s bedside table. He asked him who wrote it. Joseph said, “The Lord and I did it between us.” The poem was titled “Pray Without Ceasing.” He wrote it for his mother, believing the poem would bring some spiritual comfort to his mum, who lay ill in Ireland. He had not intended that anyone else should see it.

 “Take Me Home”

Later in life, he was very ill with a fever and had been brought to a friend’s home to recover. This friend observed Joseph prostrate on the ground, imploring God for something. Soon his friend realized that he was asking Jesus to take him home. His companion was not overly alarmed as it was typical for Joseph to break down in such ways. Later that night, it was very hot. Joseph may have gone outside to cool down, or to get a drink of cold water from the spring. His friend reported, “We left him about midnight. I withdrew to an adjoining room to watch and pray. You may imagine my surprise and dismay when upon visiting his room I found it empty. All searches failed to find a trace of the missing man until a little after noon his body was discovered in the nearby river, lifeless and cold in death.”

 It was never determined whether his death was accidental or a suicide. He was buried in an unmarked grave.

 What a Friend We Have in Jesus

The poem entitled “Pray Without Ceasing” was soon changed to “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” It became one of the most popular Christian hymns of all time.

 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer! 

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

 Are You Weak and Heavy-Laden?

Amidst life’s darkest storms, the story of Joseph Scriven stands as a testament to the enduring faith of a man acquainted with loss and a man who held Jesus’ hand until the end. You’re not alone in your struggles, and like Joseph, you too can find peace and purpose amidst the pain. Hang on. Joseph’s life encourages us to look beyond our sorrows and see the broader tapestry of life, where faith, service, and love intertwine to bring comfort and hope to our souls. I know it is hard, but take it to the Lord in prayer and pray without ceasing.

You and I are undoubtedly victors as well as victims from some of the spiritual skirmishes, and today we will examine specifically and explicitly what the Bible says we can do emerge from these battles as victors rather than victims.

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Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Dear Lord Jesus, we come to you today as you are the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. You know what it was like to walk this world in the flesh. You faced down temptations and spiritual oppositions on all sides and as a result you are certainly more than able to come to the aid of those who are fighting the battle. There are more dangers and distractions today than ever in my lifetime and perhaps greater than even in the history of humanity. Please God, use Your word and the preparations I have made in this sermon to come to the aid of myself, our members, and anyone who is struggling to be victorious in the spiritual battles with the wiles of the devil. In the mighty and majestic name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Our passage today begins with that very rich, respected and significant word of Therefore. I firmly believe that the Old and New Testaments are very relevant in our lives. The Therefore in this passage is referring to the previous 12 verses which state that the Old Testament examples are given to us so that we can learn from them. So are the examples from the Gospels and the New Testament. In Paul’s final epistle to Timothy, he said that ALL SCRIPTURE is God-breathed for our teaching (DOCTRINE), our reproving or rebuking from what is bad, our correction to what is good, and our training in right living.

Look to Job for patience. Look to David for praise and worship. Look to Solomon and proverbs for wisdom. Look to Joseph on handling adversity. Look to Abraham for faith. Look to Deborah for how to lead as a woman. Look to Hannah for prayer. Look to Esther for Courage, to Mordecai for guidance for the family and yes look to Nehemiah to see how teamwork makes the dreamwork.

Having explained what that therefore is there for, let’s look at verse 12.

#1 Be Humble. Point number 1 in your struggle with temptation, in steps to being a victor rather than a victim, is first of all BE HUMBLE. 2C10:12 does not say that this can happen to you, but rather this WILL happen to you. Every church member. Every attender. Every child. Every deacon, teacher, every staff member.

Humility is at the heart of true discipleship because humility is at the heart of who Jesus is. No, Jesus did not fall in temptation, but he certainly FACED it and won the battle.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 that he was lowly and humble in heart and before we point our finger at a fallen, failing, faithless sinner, we should pray to God and look to Jesus and say, “Lord Jesus vanquish pride from my heart.”

1a. How can we be humble? 1^st Look to Jesus. They say never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. The same can be said about fighting temptation. Find a righteousness fulfillment from Jesus. Stay in the Word. Stay in Prayer. Stay in Church. Seek the Holy Spirit’s filling. When you look to Jesus, and are seeking the Holy Spirit’s filling, He will not lead you into temptation.

1b. Identify your enemy. Humility comes when we see that easily besetting sin is lurking at the door of our hearts. Before Cain killed Abel, God said sin was crouching and lurking at the door of his heart, waiting to pounce and spring into action. Sin is lying before you and lying to you, desiring and lusting after your heart and the first invitation you can give to your temptations is to deny that it is there. Hebrews 12:1 says “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.”

Jeremiah 6:14 says, “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!” Call it out by name. Don’t deny it. Identify it.

Pride is the root with many fruits. Greed. Lust. Selfishness. Arrogance. Laziness. Gluttony. Atheism. Agnosticism. When Jesus met the demonized man at the Decapolis, He asked what His name was to identify the sin. When you identify your sin by name, it’s easier to defeat it. Identify it for what it is EVIL. Only then can he deliver you from evil, when you identify it.

You know I would love to tell you that I have really defeated the sin of pride, but to be honest, I am way too humble to brag about that!!

Seriously, get over yourself and your righteous indignation about the sins and failures of other and pray to God that you would not fall.

2. Don’t bring a knife or a gun to a spiritual fight   . Take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). When an ungodly thought, a worrisome fear, a lying spirit comes to mind, cast it out, cast it down to the pit of hell where it came from. What tempting strongholds are in your mind? Look at verse 4. With the right weapons, we can pull down those strongholds. What are those weapons?

2a. Scripture meditation. If I were to tell you to memorize verses, you probably wouldn’t do it, so really more important than memorization is meditation. It means saying it over and over again until it goes from your head to the heart. Do you struggle with envy, desires, being discontent. Meditate on 1 Tim. 6:8 “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” Heb. 13:5 “be content with such things you have.” 1 Tim. 6:6 says “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

2b. Break curses. You know we believe in blessings. We say God bless you. We speak blessings. But some of you have curses put on you, even from childhood. “You’ll never change!”  Curses can be broken! “You’re just like your father.” “You’ll never amount to anything.”

1) First, let Jesus free you. As a believer, your chains are gone, you’ve been set free, but like Otis the drunk on the Andy Griffith show, you take the key and lock yourself up. When Jesus preached in his home town, He quoted Isa. 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”

Jesus’s hometown crowd was no advantage. They started putting curses on Him, saying, you’re  just a carpenter’s son. but He wouldn’t let them and neither should you.

2c. Reverse the curse with blessings. Bless those who curse you and not with “bless your heart”. When Satan or demons or people try to curse you and you bless in return,  pretty soon, Satan will stop cursing you.

Remember Balam and his donkey? Balak wanted to curse on Israel, so he hired the prophet Balaam. But every time Balaam went to curse Israel, God put blessings instead of curses in Balaam’s mouth. Four times this happened and finally Balak gave up. Get rid of temptation by reversing the cursings in your life.

1. Be Humble

2. Use Your Weapons 

3. Submit to God & Resist the devil. That sounds silly, because it’s so simple. It’s not silly, it’s not simple, but it is Scriptural. “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.”

When you give in to temptation, the temptation will stronger, and you’ll get weaker. But if you resist, just for a minute, an hour, a day, you will find that you get stronger, and the temptation gets weaker. Remember the first part though: Submit to God. Submission and resistance.

This formula is found in 1 Peter 5:6-9 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,” that’s obviously the humility part. “that He may exalt you in due time,” That’s using his weapons, His power. “⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” This is submitting to God. ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

This is where partners come in. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, ⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!... ¹² though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

God's Plan for the Family

The following is the manuscript used in basis for the sermon given on September 15 at GracePointe Church.

 

Sermon Outline: “God’s Plan for the Family”

Good morning, Church. Wow it’s good to be back. As most of you know, last week I was not able to be here, and I am so grateful that Bodie Beaman not only came in at the last minute to preach, but out of 66 books of the Bible, God led Bodie to preach the same text of Scripture as I had two and three weeks prior from the book of Nehemiah.

Bodie didn’t know I had already preached out of Nehemiah. But he said this in his sermon, “If you have read Nehemiah, go back and read it again with this in mind. You may read the scripture in one season and then the next season you read it again and that same scripture will say something different to you. That's the Living Word of God. That's what I love about God because his Spirit speaks to us and His word speak to us differently in different seasons.”

So, what is God saying to GracePointe? We need to get out and rebuild the walls of protection around our church, our community, our country, and today, I want to talk about building a wall around our families.

The Government does not produce families. The government schools do not produce families. Only God produces families.

The Government is not the parent of families. If we ever get to the point where we call the Government “Mother Russia” or “Mother America” we have gone to communism. If we go and let society dictate what we as families should and should not do or be, then we’ve gone to socialism.

No, we are not communists. We are not socialists. And when it comes to families, God’s plan is not even a democracy. In the family, we don’t pledge allegiance to the republic for which it stands. God’s plan for the family is that we are to be a theocracy where God reigns and rules. The problem with the family is we are not following the rule, the reign of God, found in the Bible.

No, the government does not produce families, it’s not the parent of families, Government is the product of families. Our families are foundational to our church and to our state.

So, the title of the message today is God’s Plan for the Family. Turn with me to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 6.

Deuteronomy means the second reading of the law, given after the 40 years of wandering are about to be over. The people of God are about to go into the Promised Land. In chapter 5, Moses reminded them of what the ten commandments were.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Father God, open our ears this morning. This message is for us and for our children. We don’t know what is going on in this world, but you do, and you know the urgency of our times. We got to get this message, the Good News of the Gospel, out. More than that, we have to live it out ourselves. Let us be better listeners than Israel was; let us be better hearers than our parents were. Bring us to restore the walls of our family for our part of the wall. We pray this desperately in the name of Jesus. Amen.

THIS was the centerpiece of Deuteronomy, the second hearing of the Law, and the famous line is called the Shemah, which means hear or listen.

Moses says, “Listen, Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone, and you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your might.” This became a very important daily prayer in Judaism, and it brings all of the themes of the book together.

So, the word “listen” or Shema in Hebrew, means much more than just to hear; its meaning includes responding to what you hear, or in English we would say obey.  It means to TAKE heed

I. The Command to Obey (Deuteronomy 6:1-3)

Notice this is not just a good Idea. This is not just a suggestion. It’s not a hopeful pep talk from a 120-year-old man who led Israel for the last 40 years.

These are commands. God wants His people to obey. They are about to be in battle of their lives and the previous generation did not leave much of a legacy of obedience for the future generation.

All of the people who were 20 years old and older had all died and now Moses would not be there to lead them. The next generation needed to take the lead.

FAMILIES: Do you hear? Are you listening?

In order for us to conquer the land, to possess the land, our families, our children and grandchildren, our future need to listen, to hear, and to do what God says.

Has anyone ever gone to IKEA? Have you ever bought a new gadget and right on top of the gadget is the instruction manual. How many of you love an instruction manual? You know what I don’t like about an instruction manual? I hate it when they put it in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, all on the same sheet or book.

But more than that, I hate not getting the instructions. If I don’t get the instructions, I’m calling the manufacturer. You see, if I get the instructions and I don’t follow it, that’s on me. But if I don’t get the instructions, that’s on the manufacturer.

Our families got the instructions. The people of Israel are getting the manual. Did you see that in verse 3. It’s not the government. It’s not the church or synagogue. It’s the families who are to be teaching our children and grandchildren to take over our land. We need to get serious. There is a great shaking coming. There is an impending battle is coming and our families need to get ready.

II. Not only is some commands of God that need to be obeyed, there is a commitment than that needs to be made and that is LOVE.

God’s plan for the family is that we understand that the Lord Our God is ONE. Now we know that God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all three of these are ONE, right?

When for the family, the HUSBAND, the WIFE needs to be under the LORDSHIP of God in a holy reflection of the TRIUNE God. Look at your sermon notes.

Do you see our PURPOSE STATEMENT?

Our purpose is to glorify the Triune God through fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission

The plan for the family is for the family to reflect the triune God. Three in One. One in Three. I did a marriage this summer for my daughter, and I said that the purpose of a marriage is to procreate, but even more important than that it is to provide and protect, but even more important than that we are to be a parable, a picture to the world of what Jesus Christ is to the Bride the church.

God is looking primarily to the men to be a parable a picture to the world of what God is to us. Yes, we have the instructions but the instructions are based in the language of LOVE.

We got the instructions, we have the commandments, but if we are not reading them in the language of love, we are never going to put this IKEA furniture of family and society together.

Men it starts with you. There are FAR too many examples of men who do not step up to the plate and being the godly leaders in their family. Moses looked to the men to love their God and love their wives.

Men, God looks to you to be the spiritual leader. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. ³ But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Men, the families are not under the authority of the pastor. MEN, you are under Christ. If you want your wives and families to get under your headship, then you need to get under the headship of Jesus Christ, who is under the headship of God the Father.

It doesn’t say the head of every man is the pastor. The Pastor is not the head of the family. God is. And under the Father is Jesus, who is called the WORD. The Revelation of God. And men, Do you know what the most recurring command for the man is in relation to the family.

To love his wife as Christ loved the church.

Men does Christ love the church? How much? Enough to die for her?  Enough to live for her? Men Love you wives by first loving God with all your heart Soul and Strength.

Not your jobs. Not your gaming. Not the finances. Not sports. LOVE YOUR WIVES. To Live and Die to yourselves for her.

It’s a commandment. It’s a commitment.

Encourage the congregation to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength.

III. Thirdly, it’s a commandment, it’s a commitment, but it is also a continuation that needs to be laid for future generations.

 (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Verses 6-9: Look at this: The Bible is the inerrant infallible and inspired word of God, and it tells us that it’s not the church’s job to teach the next generation. It’s the Dad’s job and not just to little johnny when he’s three years old. It’s all the way until he’s a dad himself.

We have way too many Dads and Moms who stop being parents to are training their adult children to Love God with all their heart soul mind and strength.

We have to continue to the next generation.  Do you know when we fumble the ball? It’s when they are little, we don’t show them. It’s not telling. Telling is not teaching. And Listening is not learning. We have to show them how to love God. How to love our neighbors. How to love the lost to bring them the great commission.

I feel for Moses. He’s at the endzone. It’s the fourth quarter. It’s the final countdown. And he wants the people to go into the promised land.

We have to continue this on to the next generation. It is not the church. It’s the family. The dads and Moms to convey the importance of instilling God’s commandments in the hearts of children.

Teach diligently, talk about them at home and on the road, bind them as symbols.

I want to ask you. How are you showing and incorporating Loving God, loving your neighbors, loving the lost in your lives.

Finally let’s look Commands that need to be obeyed, the Commitment that needs to be made in Love, the Continuation that needs to be laid for the future generations, but church hear Moses, Hear the word of the Lord. Let’s look at the consequences when the commands are disobeyed.

Do you want to really mess up a child? Do you know what is the worst thing for a child and really for us if we don’t follow God’s plan for the family?

Deuteronomy 6:10-12: Warning against forgetting God in times of prosperity. Remember God’s deliverance and blessings.  Encourage gratitude and remembrance of God’s faithfulness. Every Wednesday night we start off with praises to the Lord.

Verses 13-19: Avoid idolatry and remain faithful to God. Serve God alone and avoid the gods of surrounding nations. There are modern-day idols and how to stay faithful.

No matter what, God is there

Romans 15:1-8; 13-20

Years before Chan Gailey became the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1990s, he was the head coach of Alabama’s Troy State football team.

They were the unlikely team playing for a National Championship.  It was the week before the big game . . . interview requests were pouring in from everywhere.

A few days before the championship, Gailey was heading to the practice field when his secretary called him and wanted to transfer a call to him.  Somewhat irritated, Gailey told her to take a message because he was on his way to practice.  She responded “Are you sure?  It’s Sports Illustrated.”

“I’ll be right there,” he said.

As he made his way back to his office, he began to think about the article.  It would be great publicity for the program at Troy State, in fact, 3 pages wouldn’t be enough to cover the great story.

Coming even closer to his office, he started thinking that he might even end up on the cover.  “Wow . . . should I pose or go with some kind of action shot,” he wondered.  He wrote that his head was spinning with all the possibilities.

When he picked up the phone and said hell, the person asked, “Is this Chan Gailey?”

“Yes, it is,” he replied with a measure of pride.

“This is Sports Illustrated, and we’re calling to let you know your subscription is running out . . . do you want to renew?”

·        Coach Gailey concluded that story by saying, “You are either humble or you will be humbled by life.”

Follow the Bible, no matter what (1-4)

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 15:4

There is a parallel passage in 1 Corinthians 10: ⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷ And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ⁸ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

And again in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

·      Fellowship with Believers, no matter who (5-7)

Be likeminded…with one mind and one mouth glorify God…
Therefore receive one another 15:5-7

This too has a parallel reading in other writings of Paul. Philippians 2 says, ¹ Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ² fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 

·        Fulfill your calling, no matter the cost (13-20)

​​“by the power of the Spirit of God,
so that from Jerusalem and round about to
Illyriccum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

Now THERE’S a memory verse for you!

With the Gospel, we have a ministry (14-16)
Even though Paul did not specifically know the Roman church, he knew many of them and their character: verse 14 said they were

1.                       good,

2.                       knowledgeable, and

3.                       able to instruct others.

I’m sure he was thinking of Priscilla and Aquilla, of Phoebe, who came from Corinth. Many of the Jews had been cast out of Rome in the late 40s, coming among other places, to Athens, just about the same time as Paul was coming to Greece. (ACTS 18:1-2)

​​“ that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God,
(NIV, ‘He gave me a priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel”;
ESV, ‘the priestly service of the gospel of God’
BBE, ‘doing the work of a priest in the good news of God,’ 
that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

What is your purpose for being on earth? 

In other words he's saying the God of Hope is going to give you hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and then he says this and I want you to look at the map.

Paul said “I am confident in you my brethren that you are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one another. Paul had never been to Rome. In the late 40s A.D. Emperor Claudius the Caesar of the time cast out all of the Jews but it wasn't just his will to do this; it was God's doing.

All of the Jewish people left Rome and came to Corinth,  came to Athens, including Priscilla and Aquila. At the same time Paul was being obedient, going on missionary journeys. You've heard of the first missionary journey, the second missionary journey. Paul was going to all these places while all of the Jewish people are being cast out of Rome. There in Corinth, he's able to meet with them and convince them to accept Christ.

 God is working through all of this and Paul said I have this burden for the Gentiles to convert them so he's telling the Jews but also telling the Gentiles he said I've written you boldly on some points reminding you because the grace given to me that I as a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministering the gospel that may be an offering to the Gentiles might be acceptable and Sanctified in the Holy Spirit

Paul gives five instances of the Old Testament which says that the Gentiles are to be included in Grace. We say, “well duh,” we're all Gentiles. God wants to save all of us. But they didn't know that at the time. Paul's trying to convince them for the Jewish people to accept the Gentiles and the Gentiles to accept the Jews and then he says this: that I as a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministering in the gospel of God might be able to give an offering to the Gentiles.

Now what's my point? The point is fulfill your calling no matter what the cost. Paul said I want to fulfill my calling but what's your calling? What's your purpose of being here what's your point of being here on Earth?

God has a reason for you to be here you know if we read verse 19 . It’s not a very great memory verse not all that Earth shattering. You wouldn't find that on a coffee cup or on a t-shirt but I want to tell you here's what it is Paul saying, “Hey! I'm doing my part how about you? How about you?

I remember that one evangelist named David Ring.  He was famous for saying, “I have cerebral palsy! What's your excuse?”

He would say it, even less intelligible than I could imitate. But he would win people to Christ. (for more on David Ring, go to David Ring's homepage)

So what, even if you have an excuse, so what if you have a problem? Paul had a ministry and he said “I have fully preach the gospel of Christ.”

Paul was saying to them I know you maybe he had seen them in Athens he said you're good and you're knowledgeable and you're able to instruct others but I'm sure there for all of the Priscillas and Aquilas and Phoebes that we see in chapter 16, there was a number of people who said “Man, if you'd just give over your life to the Lord you could be doing so much more.”

 I want to ask you what's your excuse? Paul fulfilled his ministry at a cost at a cost. What's your excuse?

When we look in Acts chapter 18, verses 1 and 2, it said that they were ministering the gospel and Claudius had expelled out the Jews so that they could come to Christ perhaps through Paul's ministry, then go back and fulfill their ministry.

Paul said “I hope I will just be stopping at Rome and going all the way to Spain.” Now why Spain? That was the extent of the Roman Empire. Paul wanted to go where the gospel was still news. The good news was still news. I want to ask you if Paul was willing to do that, are you? Am I? Is this Church willing to serve God no matter what. Are we willing to Fellowship together no matter who?  Are we going to share the gospel no matter the cost?

It's tough. it's scary, but God can move that mountain!

The other side of Good News: The Wrath of God

The Wrath of God

Romans 1:18-24

Today we are going to go from midway through the 1^st chapter of Romans all the way to the end of the third chapter of Romans.

I would really encourage all of you to read through Romans yourself throughout the week to get the finer details of what Paul is saying, but I will state this. If you do not see chapters 1, 2, and 3 as one single unit, you will likely become confused.

I say that because if I were to bog down in one aspect of Romans 1 through 3, I would likely get confused. Not really, but there are some devices Paul uses in communicating with the Romans that if we were to look in isolation of some of those arguments, it would seem to say the opposite of what the final conclusion is.

So rather than do what I have seen some preachers do and go painstakingly through Romans verse by verse and even spend weeks or months on a single verse, I want us to look at it with the bottom line in view. What is the point.

Last week I preached on the Good News, the Gospel, which is God’s Only Son Provides Eternal Life. Eternal Life is not simply going to Heaven when you die. Eternal Life is knowing God intimately as the only true God. It’s having a relationship right now with Jesus Christ. Eternal Life is having God’s Holy Spirit in you, the God of the universe living through you. Christ in You, the Hope of all Glory.

In your bulletin, you will see an outline of chapters 1b through 3,

1. The Wrath of God and the immoral/unrighteous Romans 1:17-32

2. The Wrath of God and the moral/self-righteous    Romans 2:1-16

3. The Wrath of God and the religious/overly righteous              Romans 2:17-Romans 3:6

When I read the book of Romans, I’m reminded of a little story I read when I was a kid about a man telling a friend about his adventure of getting to fly in an airplane and his friend said well that’s good.

     That’s bad bc. the plane flew upside down and I fell out.

No, that’s good because I had a parachute.

   That’s bad because the parachute didn’t work.

no that’s good because down below I saw a haystack.

    That’s bad because I saw a pitchfork in the haystack

no that’s good because I missed the pitchfork.

     that’s bad because I also missed the haystack.

no that’s good because I landed in a lake right beside it.

     that’s bad because bad because I couldn’t swim.

no that’s good bc a man nearby jumped in to save me.

     That’s bad bc he was a lawyer and said I had to pay him

No, that’s good, bc he helped me sue the airlines and I got a million dollars

     You better believe that’s good.

What brings the wrath and judgment of God?

1.         Perversion of God’s Righteousness:

“suppress the truth” (v 18) and then later they “exchanged the truth of God into a lie…” (Romans 1:25a).

People exchanged the truth about God for a lie, embracing idolatry and false beliefs. When we distort the truth, we open the door to all kinds of immorality.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

2.         Progression of UnRighteousness:

God gave them over to their lusts and impurity. Sin begets more sin. Their idolatry led to shameless immorality and unnatural acts.

“God gave them up to uncleanness… dishonoring their own bodies” (Romans 1:24).

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

3.         Penalty of Rejection (26 items):

Humanity willingly forsook God, and He abandoned them.

Rejecting God leads to a complete moral breakdown.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

    In summary, Romans 1:24-32 serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. May we heed this warning and seek His truth and righteousness. To say that “I was born this way, so that makes it okay,” is not correct. We were born in sin.

    Paul was writing from Corinth in Greece where there were all types of immorality going on, temple prostitution, idolatry, rejection of virtually every one of the ten commandments. Pretty much like what we see today.

2. The Wrath of God and the moral/self-righteous    Romans 2:1-16

Paul recognized however within himself, that he too was a person who was born with a sin nature and he will get into that in chapter seven. He recognized as he was in Corinth that even though he knew what was the law (In other words, he reminds both sides of the church—that we are ALL sinners. We have the same problem—we are equally hopeless without Jesus.

In fact, of the three types of people he was speaking to, I think this category of the moral self-righteous people, Paul was speaking most to himself.

As your pastor, I have to caution myself in this area. I think bible study teachers, deacons, church leaders, all need to really consider this aspect more so than Romans 1 and more so than the end of Romans 2 and the first part of Romans 3.

Notice that the wrath of God is mentioned the most in this passage.  Read Romans 2, beginning in verse 5

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

What Paul is saying here is to the Romans and also to GracePointe, don’t forget that you goody two-shoes people who don’t struggle with the immorality and the irreligious things listed in Romans 1, don’t be so self-righteous because you needs God’s grace too.

Some of the hardest people to convert to Christianity are those who are morally good because they don’t compare themselves to God, but rather to other people.

But the wrath of God comes to everyone who does not rely on salvation by faith through Jesus Christ.

There is no partiality with God. Wrath comes to everyone but also so does grace.

3. The Wrath of God and the religious/legalist/overly righteous            Romans 2:17-Romans 3:6

Thirdly, Paul knew he was writing to Jewish believers in Rome. He knew what he was like when Paul was a legalistic, hyper religious, overly righteous person.

It was the religious Jewish leaders that Jesus had the greatest problem with and the most harshest criticism of.

In fact, if you read the sermon on the mount and the beatitudes and even beyond that, Jesus was raising the bar from the Old Testament, not lowering it.

You think you are doing great because you haven’t murdered? Don’t murder with having anger in your heart. You never committed adultery? Don’t lust in your heart. ]

Paul writes to those Jewish and religious people who are so busy keeping the law and reminding them that they too will face the wrath of God.

We often don’t read Romans 3:23 in context. The context is not so much the immoral but rather the overly moral, the hyper religious, that they too need grace because they too are sinners.

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all  who believe. For there is no difference (No difference in the irreligious, the religious and the hyperreligious); 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation (that means the sacrifice that brought sinner and savior together) by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Now I am going to jump over chapter 4 and come back to it next week just to give you an idea where we are going in the next few weeks. Before we leave the wrath of God, Paul brings it up again in chapter 5.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 

James Boice in his commentary about Romans chapters 1-4 concludes with the following true story from a time when Thomas Harris wrote a book of pop psychology called I’m Okay—You’re Okay.

Shortly after that book came out John Gerstner, Professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, used that book as a jumping off place for the story from when he and his wife had been in Kashmir.

They were returning from a shopping expedition in a little boat that had just pulled up beside a larger junk near the shore. There was a bump, and some water splashed on them. The owner of the boat got very agitated, yelling and gesturing for them to get out. 

Gerstner told how said to his wife, “See how excitable this fellow is? We get a little water splashed on us, and you would think it was a catastrophe of the first order.” The driver got more and more agitated and Gerstner kept saying, “It’s okay…It’s okay.” 

Finally, the owner of the boat got so excited that he broke out of the dialect he had been using, which the Gerstners had been unable to understand, and shouted. “It no okay!!!” 

At this they got the message and quickly climbed onto the shore.  The owner then threw his grandchild up to them and climbed out himself.

When they turned around the boat was gone. The hull had been punctured in the collision and the undertow had quickly swallowed their boat. If the Gerstners had delayed a moment longer, they would have been swallowed up with it.

This is the message of these first chapters of Romans, “It no OK. Society no OK. I am NOT O.K. You are not O.K. Jew and Gentile—No one is O.K.” And the sooner we admit that we are NOT okay and turn to the One Who knows that we are not, but Who offers us a way of salvation anyway, the better off we will be.

When we prevail in prayer...

 On Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at GracePointe Church, we are going through the seven portraits of prayer. However, there is another portrait in prayer, perhaps the most famous prayer portrait of all, found in our Daily Audio Bible reading for today.

In Genesis 32 there is a fascinating story about Jacob wrestling with an angel, whom Jacob later identified as a bodily, human manifestation of God.

Jacob was about to encounter someone whom he thought was his mortal enemy: his own brother, Esau. Jacob sent his wives, his children, all of his possessions and was left alone to wrestle with God.

Jacob had been a deceiver. Jacob had also been deceived. However, it was time for Jacob to come home and face his past, but before he could face his past, God showed up so Jacob could face his God in prevailing prayer.

First, notice prevailing prayer can come upon us in an instant. The man/Angel of the Lord came upon Jacob suddenly. Jacob was no stranger to visiting with angels or messengers from God. Look at verse 1 earlier in the chapter. Even before that, he had seen angels going up and down on a literal, spiritual stairway to heaven (see Genesis 28:12 and following verses). But here, in Genesis 32:24, there was no warning that this man/Angel of the Lord was going to come upon him.

We need to be ready and prepared to be in prayer and even wrestle with God about our needs. Luke 21:36 says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

We also need to be prepared not only in prayer but also in the Word. 2 Timothy 4:1 says to “be instant” to preach the word. Be prepared to patiently encourage, correct, and even rebuke with the right doctrine.

Secondly, we need to not only be prepared, but we need to be persistent in prayer. Jacob wrestled all night in his struggle. Don’t you sometime wish God would just instantly answer us? If we are to be instant in prayer, why can’t He be instant in answering? The truth is God’s delays are not God’s denials, but in fact God’s delays are God’s desires!

God wants us to be persistent in prayer. Look at Luke 18 and the woman who kept coming to the unrighteous judge. How much more does God want us to come to Him, the righteous judge.

Thirdly, God was us to prevail. Have you ever play-wrestled with your kids? Isn’t it funny we don’t see moms doing it as much as dads? I’ve seen some dads who pin their kids down again and again and pretty soon, the kids don’t want to “play wrestle” because they always lose.

But what happens when dads let their kids pin the dads down? Nothing makes the kids squeal with delight than when that happens. And doesn’t that seem like what’s happening with Jacob and his all-night wrestling match? So much so that God changed the name of Jacob, the deceiver, to Israel, the Prevailer! “Prince of God”.

There’s one last lesson to learn from prevailing prayer and that is the price. The Angel of the Lord touched Jacob’s hip and caused him to henceforth walk with the limp. There’s a cost to discipleship. There is a price we pay in prayer. Life’s greatest lessons we learn often cause us to limp as reminder of the price, the sacrifice we make to see God face to face.

Jacob called the place Peniel, the Face of God. 2 Chronicles calls us to seek God’s face. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Psalm 27:8 cries out to us: When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

While Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God;

And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear,” Jesus promises us that the pure in heart are blessed because they will see God (Matthew 5:8)

Be prepared to wrestle with God, persistent in prayer, and even “prevail” with God, because He WANTS you to win. But there is a price to pay: the cost of us being pure and separating from our sins.

But don’t “let go” of God in prayer. If we hang on to Him, He’ll bless you with a new name, a new identity, and a testimony of us being forever changed.