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Text: Philippians 1:21-27

Introduction

Paul was facing death at the hands of the Roman government. It would not have been a self-imposed death except that he could probably have escaped it by denying his faith in Christ. In this passage he discusses his ambivalent feelings about life and death. In a small measure, Maurice (not his real name) must have felt similar feelings.

Eulogy: It has been my privilege to be pastor and friend to Maurice Lamb for most of his adult life. He has served with distinction on the deacon board of this church for a number of years, and played on our church softball team. Unfortunately, Maurice got his eyes off Jesus and drifted away from Him and the Church. But about six months ago he realized what had happened to himself and he rededicated his life to Jesus. In January of this year, he formalized that rededication by praying a prayer of repentance with me in my office. I am convinced of his sincerity, and a visible change came over Maurice at that time.

The unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death on Thursday night give rise to a lot of questions. I don’t presume to have all the answers, but I believe I do have some. Let’s look at some of the questions and their corresponding answers:

I. Isn’t suicide a slippery slope into hell?

A. The logic on which this assumption is founded.

1. Suicide is the murder of one’s own life

2. Murder is a sin

3. One cannot repent after death

4. Therefore, that sin can never be forgiven

5. Un-forgiven sinners go to hell

B. That logic appears to be sound but fails to take into account one very important thing: the GRACE OF GOD!

C. God’s grace is big enough that it covers every sin you committed in the past, in the present, and in the future.

II. Then, isn’t suicide a cheap and easy ticket to heaven?

A. It isn’t cheap: the cost in human suffering is immeasurable. Look at the impact on those who love you and depend upon you.

B. It isn’t easy: it may be the easy way out for the individual, but somebody else ends up paying the price.

C. The price is protracted: this family will now grow up without a husband and father. Something will be missing from their lives, for all their lives.

D. If Maurice had stopped to think about all this, he never would have taken his own life. He loved his family too much to submit them to this pain.

E. He was a baby Christian who had not learned how to apply Christian principles to solve the problems of life.

F. More often than not, suicide is a costly way to die, in long-term human pain and suffering.

G. It forever closed the door of opportunity to be of service for the Kingdom of God.

III. Did Maurice go to heaven?

A. As with anybody, only God knows that answer for sure, but…

B. I believe Maurice had made his peace with God 6 months ago.

C. There was an obvious change that came into Maurice’s life (even those of you who are not ready to meet God probably saw that change in Maurice.)

D. Even though the last six months were a time of personal turmoil in Maurice’s life, that Christian grace showed through in his life.

E. In my mind there is no doubt about where Maurice is today.

IV. What would Maurice tell you today?

A. How much he regrets giving up the gift of life Thursday night. And how he wishes he could change that.

B. What a fool he was to walk away from God several years ago.

C. That he regrets all the years he wasted living in sin.

D. How thankful he is that he came back to God 6 months ago.

E. How important it is that you get ready today

V. How do you do that? Salvation is as simple as ABC

A. Accept the fact that you are lost without God (Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”

B. Believe that God loves you and will forgive you (Romans 10:9-10) “… if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

C. Confess Jesus as Lord of your Life

Conclusion and alter call…

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Introduction

The Bible’s references to the life and ministry of John the Baptist are very brief when compared with the written records about other men and women of God. But the practical lessons we can draw from his life and ministry are plenty. In today’s sermon I want to dig the scripture for these spiritual diamonds. (It’s more appropriate to preach this message in a gathering of Christian leaders rather than in a Sunday service. Yet feel free to use it for any occasion of your choice.)

Text: Matthew 3:1-10

1. His irresistible desire to serve God

A. Not worried about luxuries – Clothes made from camel hair. A leather belt around his waist. These were the clothes worn by poor people. (A note to the Preacher: The food he ate should not be considered odd. OT permits Locusts as a food: Leviticus 11:21-23)

B. Danger – The land adjacent to the Jordan river, covered with bushes and heavy undergrowth was inhabited by wild beasts. (Source: The Expositor’s Bible Commentary by Zondervan)

C. Lesson for us: I am not telling God’s servant should return to stone age. The point is what motivates your service for God? Is it a craving for wealth and comfort or a thirst to see souls getting saved for God’s kingdom?

2. He was anointed by God

A. Anointed even before his birth, (Luke 1:15)

B. Expressed in his influence (…people from Jerusalem, as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him…)

C. Lesson for us: A word of warning. What drives your ministry? if it is something less than the anointing of the Holy Spirit you will fail miserably. A ministry driven by pure personality, gifts, mere charisma, fame wont last longer.

3. A preacher of righteousness

A. Rebuked the top religious authorities of his day. Emphasized on repentance.

B. “The brood of vipers” – The Baby Vipers carry venom from their birth. A harsh statement John used to confront the wicked nature of Pharisees and Sadducees.

C. Confronted rulers of his day which cost him his life, (Mark 6:17-29).

D. Lesson for us: Ministers of God should confront and condemn sin boldly, regardless of the cost involved.

4. He respected God’s calling

A. Did not compromise, (Luke 1:15)

B. Lived a holy life.

C. Lesson for us: God demands that his servants be holy. It’s one of the many keys for a successful ministry. There are ministers who live sinful lives while leading successful ministries. But they are doomed (Matthew 7:21-23).

5. Prepared the way of the Lord

A. It was his top priority.

B. “…Make the crooked paths straight…” – means call sinners to repent.

C. Jesus is coming back. We are responsible for preparing the world for his second coming.

D. Lesson for us: The Gospel – is it a top priority in your ministry? You and I are the heralds of the Lord’s second coming? Do you teach and practice the great commission, (Acts 1:8)? Do you call sinners to repent!

6. Gave glory to God

A. Never claimed God’s glory to himself, (John 1:26-27)

B. Exalted Jesus, (John 1:29)

C. Possessed a humble attitude, (Matthew 3:14)

D. Lesson for us: There’s nothing wrong in entertaining a sense of achievement with what you are doing for the expansion of God’s kingdom, but the glory isn’t yours. People should exalt Jesus when they see your work. Possess a humble attitude so that spiritual pride will not overcome you.

Conclusion

The unique qualities of John the Baptist and his philosophy of ministry made him an insignificant man with an outstanding ministry. His life span was very short. His ministered for very short period. Still God rewarded him for his faithfulness.

Example: Jesus said,

While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. (Matthew 11:7-11, NET)

What would Jesus say about you and me????

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Introduction

Previously I shared with you how Jesus healed a woman suffered from “haemorrhage”. Jesus healed her while he was on his way to the house of a synagogue ruler called Jairus whose daughter was about to die. Today let’s see what followed this great miracle and what can we learn from the incident?

1. God shows mercy to people of humility and sincere faith, (Mark 5:22-24)

A. Jairus – a man of humility

I. I am sure Jairus found it much harder to come to Jesus.

II. He was a synagogue ruler and synagogues were virtually closed to Jesus because of his activities on Sabbath and opposition to the Pharisees.

III. Such a man coming to Jesus shows that he had a humble heart.

IV. He fell at Jesus’ feet: Jairus was a man of authority. But he acknowledged the greater authority of Jesus.

B. Sincere faith

I. Unlike the Centurion who had faith to believe that Jesus could speak the healing word at a distance Jairus pleaded with Jesus to come to his house. But Christ, although he applauds strong faith, does not discourage or reject weak faith, providing it is sincere.

II. Therefore Visit God in all of your troubles. (Of course this doesn’t mean God will always change circumstances to suite us. But most of the time he will change us to suite the circumstances.)

2. God is never too early – Neither he is too late, (Mark 5:35-37)

A. Nothing is beyond God’s control

I. As soon as Jesus dismissed the woman, messengers came from Jairus’ home. They said, “Don’t bother the Teacher any more. It was too late, nothing could be done, and the child’s life had gone.”

II. They didn’t believe that even death is under Jesus’ control.

B. We have God’s assurance regardless of our situations

I. Notice Jesus’ words to Jairus. “Fear not. Just believe she will be healed.”

II. Don’t let fear to rise against your faith in God. Rather remember that you have God’s assurance and that he work in his own perfect  timing.

3. See differently, (Mark 38:42)

A. God sees things differently – Can we see things through God’s point of view?

I. Those days it was a custom to hire professional mourners to bemoan the death of an individual. There was a terrible frenzy about it. They would actually rip their garments apart, tear out their hair, and cry out with loud shrieks and howls.

II. “Stop all that noise!” Jesus said, “She is not dead but asleep”.

III. Instantly, the mood changed from grief to ridicule. From being the wise teacher, Jesus was now considered as foolish and ignorant. The crowd knew better than him. They had the evidence, and he was just speaking words. (besides the mourners shall not be paid if the person is not dead).

IV. However, as we shall see, the words of Jesus would be much more powerful than the evidence of a lifeless corpse.

V. Jairus’ was challenged to see differently. Not even the disciples believed. Jesus called only three of them into the house to act as witnesses. We know what happened next. The dead girl was brought back to life.

B. Sometimes our faith is controlled by what we see

I. Knowing better than God’ is at the core of our sinful nature. We can always find evidence to prove that we are right, even when we are wrong!

II. Because we cannot know the future, we usually predict the future on the basis of our past experience. We do not allow the possibility that God will change the course of our present circumstances.

4. Conclusion

We are called to better things! He has the power to change anything that is outside of His will. So He asks us to put our faith in Him, to believe His promises and to live in the confidence that He is in control of the future: because His Word is all-mighty. Many will discourage us from doing so, but it is only the Lord’s voice we need to hear above the din of worldly hopelessness. (Certain portions in this sermon were taken from a devotional message by Word@Work )

Introduction

Recently one of my readers emailed me asking what are some strategies Christians can use to guard their eyes from looking at porn and nudity? So in today’s article I  want to answer this question.

1. How does your brain respond to nudity/pornography?

As Christians usually we tend to look at such issues from a spiritual point of view, which is not wrong. However for the sake of this study first of all I want to talk about an individual’s biological reaction to porn and nudity? After all God intended sex to be a biological factor also, right? Let us see.

Naturally the masculine brain responds to visual stimulation in a very strong manner. During puberty it further improves itself and becomes cued in to sexual maturity. Once this process is complete the brain’s response to visual stimulation becomes even sharper.

Tests performed based on these biological inventions have revealed that when a man looks at nudity or porn the visual part of his brain reacts much faster than it does under normal atmospheres. Then it draws the viewer in reflexively and takes hold of him.  Why this happens is a mystery. Science have not been successful in discovering the actual reasons behind it.

2. How does this principle work in the spiritual realm?

We know that accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior transforms us into a new creation, (2 Corinthians 5:17). But does this mean we become perfect and get rid of our fallen nature? It exists in every one of us even after the salvation experience (at least till the day we will see Jesus face to face). Every time we look at nudity or porn it begins to communicate with our fallen nature.

We encourage this conversation to grow when we refuse to take our eyes away from what we see. Ultimately our fallen nature starts to ask for more. The more we feed the craving more hungrier it becomes.

I said that science can’t explain how porn/nudity takes control over the masculine brain. It appears to be a mystery to science because the above process is something related to our spirit. Obviously science can’t explain things that happen in the spiritual realm!

3. Looking at porn/nudity – Is it really a sin?

Some people would justify this claiming it’s innocent fun, because no body gets hurt. But does the Bible agree with this kind of attitude?

“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart, (Matthew 5:28, NET).”

The fact whether you are looking at a real naked woman or porn is immaterial. To look at porn or nudity of a woman other than your lawful wife is a sin.

4. Then how can I guard my eyes?

A. Avoid compromising situations

I. This is what Jesus meant, when he said, “If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out!” (Mark 9:47)

II. Lets read Genesis 39:1-12 also. Bible commenter’s say probably Potiphar’s wife stood before Joseph naked or semi naked when she attempted to seduce him one last time. But Joseph ran out from the house.

III. David did the opposite. He gazed at naked Bathsheba and gave in to the temptation.

B. Modern examples for compromising situations

I. Exercising with other women.

Never exercise with a woman who is not your wife. (If you need explanation, then you’ve never been a guy going to a gym where girls are in workout clothes. Trust me!) I realize this is not popular in these days where men and women are searching for equality in the workplace. Honestly, some women never understand this. I had one woman tell me recently that I “think too highly of myself”, but my family is too important to me not to take this precaution. (Pastor Ron Edmondson)

II. We are living in a sex culture. Business world is using sex oriented TV commercials to sell their products. Most of the music videos feature naked women dancing around. Avoid looking at such TV commercials, magazines, music videos and promotional material.

III. If you have a Computer hooked up to the internet – please don’t keep it in a private place. Keep it in a public place instead. So everyone can see what you are browsing? Do you know that temptation to view porn lasts only for 10-15 minutes at a given time? If you can resist the desire for 15 minutes you are done until it will come back later. Keeping the computer in a public place helps you to overcome this 15 minute battle.

C. Try not to look at women

When an attractive woman catches your eye, try to bounce your attention elsewhere. Job said,

“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin?” (Job 31:1)

If an attractive woman catches your eye accidently, avoid looking at her for a second time. Trust me, most of the time sin starts with the second time you look at her. Now is it wrong to admire a beautiful woman? Certainly not. However be careful not to let your feelings go wild.

D. Hold yourself accountable to someone

All the above boundaries can help you to guard your eyes. However no matter what we do or how much we pray, some times we are most likely to get distracted.

Otherwise think about it this way. I am a Pastor, youth leader, cell leader and a Bible teacher responsible for helping people whom God has trusted to me. I am helping them in their journey of faith. But who is going to help me when I am tempted? This is one reason why accountability partners are important. Read how to choose an accountability partner?

4. Seek counseling

If the situation is so bad prayers alone can’t help you. The only way out is seeking professional Christian counseling.  May be you should avoid secular counseling. I don’t know if they take issues like pornography very seriously.

5. Strengthen your personal relationship with God

Potiphar was a man of influence. I am sure his wife must have been a very beautiful woman. I was wondering what was the exact source of Joseph’s strength that enabled him to fight back such a strong temptation?

Actually Joseph’s relationship with God was his source of moral strength, (Genesis 39:2). Ancient Egypt – where Joseph lived after being sold for slavery was a land where sexual immorality was a way of life. However Joseph was not effected as he had a strong relationship with God.

The low of ancient Egypt demanded that any one charged with sexual harassment against the wife of a government official or a nobleman must be put to death. But Potiphar instead of executing Joseph threw him in to prison. Do you want to know why? Potiphar did not trust his wife! You see – God blessed Joseph for his faithfulness right there.

D. How to strengthen your personal relationship with God?

I. Start your day with devotions. Read your Bible according to a systematic reading plan (Click here to read about YouVersion the free Bible reading planner). Ask the Holy Spirit to help understand the life application of the scripture portion you read. Then pray and ask for divine wisdom to apply the truth you learned.

II. Don’t miss a single opportunity you get to learn God’s word. Attend Christian seminars, conferences, youth camps etc.

III. Never be a lonely Christian. Make godly Christian friends who would like to pray with you and discuss God’s word (boys with boys and girls with girls). Be a part of your Church’s youth ministry.

Conclusion

This is a very long article (approximately 3 pages of writing) but still what I have covered here is just a glimpse of the solutions. If you have anything to add please please let me know in the comments.

Other recommended resources

I. Setting captives free – A Christianity-based interactive 60-day course to find freedom from pornography and sexual addiction.

II. XXX Church – A Christian anti-pornography website that aims to help those who struggle with pornography overcome their addiction.

III. What’s really good about porn by Shaun King

IV. 7 ways I protect my heart and ministry from an affair by Ron Edmondson

V. Pleasuring ourselves to death – How porn harms us by Luke Gilkerson

VI. 3 steps to kick the habit of masturbation – by Luke Gilkerson

VII. Dirty girls ministries – Helping women overcome pornography addiction

VIII. X3 Watch (Free edition) – Internet accountability software

1. What’s an accountability software?

With accountability software, a user has an accountability partner who is sent copies of the web pages the user looks at. The idea is that if the user knows the accountability partner will be keeping track of his or her Internet usage, the user is less likely to visit sites that will not be approved by the partner.

2. What is it not?

An accountability software is not an internet usage monitor. Neither it’s designed to block the user from  accessing inappropriate web sites.

3. What is X3 Watch?

X3watch (provided by XXX Church)  is a software that does exactly what I mentioned above. Whenever you browse the Internet and access a site, which may contain questionable material, the program will record the site name, time, and date the site was visited.

A person of your choice (an accountability partner) will receive an email containing all possible questionable sites you may have visited within the month. This information is meant to encourage open and honest conversation between friends and help us all be more accountable.

Covenant Eyes is the most popular software of it’s kind, but “X3 Watch” offers a free edition also.

4. How do I install it in my computer?

I don’t know how many of our readers are comfortable with downloading software from the internet and installing in the local PC. Therefore I wanted to give some brief instructions.

I. Download the setup file

Go to X3 Watch download page and click on the “Download Free button” (Scroll down to the bottom) It has mobile versions for iPhone and Android but I don’t know if those are free as well.

II. Open the downloaded file

Once the download is complete you should get a file called “Setup.exe”. Double click it to start the installation. You might get this warning message. “The publisher could not be verified. Are you sure you want to run this software?” Click Run.

III. You should see the following screen. Click next.

IV. End user license agreement.

Select “I accept the agreement” and press the “Next” button

V. Selecting a start menu folder

In this step just leave the default values as they are and hit “Next to continue

Now at the next screen hit the “Install” button.

The Installation starts. Wait till it completes. This wont take long.

You should get the following screen if the installation was successful. Make sure that the option “Launch X3Watch” is checked. Then hit the “Finish” button.

Configuration

Now X3Watch will prompt you to enter some information.  Enter your email address and First name in the relevant fields. Click ok.

A message appears saying you need to register and configure the software. Click ok.

Now, enter the email addresses of your accountability partner. Free version of X3Watch allows only up to 2 partners. If you have only one accountability partner, don’t worry. Just enter his email address. Make sure that you have their permission to do this. Enter a user name in the relevant field.

Then set how often X3Watch should report to your accountability partner(s) by selecting “Reporting frequency”. If everything was successful you should see a tiny green colored “x” icon in the system tray. That’s it. You are good to go.

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Introduction

In the U.S, the Assemblies of God  has  tradi­tionally  adopted  a position of “teetotalism”  when  it comes  to the use of alcoholic beverages. Our  church is  no exception to that rule. But, in  this  age  of moral  permissiveness, how have we come to that  position and how can we defend it?

Text: Proverbs 23:29-35 & Ephesians 5:18

I. The need for this message

A. The obvious damages inflicted in our society by the use of alcohol

1. Traffic fatalities.

2. Family breakups.

3. Loss of moral inhibitions.

B. The growing number of membership applications where the issue arises

1. The use of alcoholic beverages in our own church family.

2. The standard imposed upon candidates for leadership in our church.

II. From the Biblical perspective

A. What the Bible does not say?

1. One would be hard-pressed to prove a position of total abstinence from the Bible.

2. I have heard the arguments about “wine” Vs.  “new wine”, (fermented  Vs. unfermented) but they are weak and futile attempts to support a position which the Bible does not support.

3. The master of the wedding feast at Cana would certainly have been able to tell the difference if there had been one.

B. What the Bible does say?

1. Warns of the dangers of alcoholic drinks: Proverbs 20:1 “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” (NIV)

2. Isaiah 5:11 “Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine” (NIV)

3. Proverbs 23:29-32 (See text)

4. Leviticus 10:9 (Aaronic priests forbidden to drink wine)

5. Nazarites were never to drink

6. John the Baptist was never to drink, (Luke 1:15).

III. Why then total abstinence?

A. Because it is the standard agreed upon by God-ordained authority, (Romans 13:1-5)

1. Whether you agree with the standard or not is irrelevant.

2. (4-fold standard imposed on the Gentiles in Acts 15:20)

B. That standard is irrelevant today.

1. Food offered to idols.

2. sexual immorality.

3. strangled food.

4. food prepared with blood.

5. Yet it was right and imposed at that time.

6. The A/G and our local church have agreed upon this standard. You have a scriptural responsibility to comply if you wish to be a member.

C. Because otherwise you may become a stumbling block to weaker Christians. 1. Romans 14:13-21 (Read this)

2. Note: What you do may not be wrong, but the fact that you do it is very wrong! 3. Your love for your brother should be more important to you than your own pleasure. (See Romans 15:1,2)

4. You may have discretion enough to stop with one social drink, but what about others who justify their abuse by your use? (See next point)

5. I Corinthians 8:8-13 (Read this). Our liberty must never become a stumbling block to others.

6. When we offend a weaker brother, we sin against Christ! (I Corinthians 8:12)

IV.  Invitation

This  message does not  lead  to  a traditional invitation. However, if you feel that you have  sinned against this body and you need to  repent to  them, I invite you to come. If you need  only  to make a personal decision, then please do so today.

Recommended reading

How much is too much? – Alcohol and the Christian by Michael Patton

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5. Consequences of poor preparation

I. People will leave your Church Often a sermon preached without preparation leads the congregation to boredom. "Preach It" tells what happens when the Pastor preach boring sermons.

People leave the church because of boring sermons. Some people can tell when a preacher is shooting from the hip or preaching to the choir. ‘…Study to show yourself approved…’ (2 Timothy 2:15). You are not going to keep some people unless your messages are getting into their heart and mind. They have come to hear a Word from God. Get one from the Lord for yourself and then give it to the congregation.

II. You make a clown out of yourself An unprepared Preacher would do any thing and everything to cover the poor condition of his sermon. In his effort to convince the congregation there’s a good chance he will sound like a joker.

III. People will loose their trust on you You can preach a thoroughly prepared sermon the next time. But you will have a hard time drawing people’s attention. They don’t trust you anymore because of the poor sermon you preached previously. IV. Immature congregation When a congregation sees that their Pastor takes God’s word for granted, chances are higher they do the same and end-up being an immature bunch of nominal Christians.

6. Excuses for not preparing

I. I am too busy This is the most common excuse Pastors give for failing to prepare. It’s true that most Pastors have a tight schedule. This is what Dr. Jeorge O. Wood says about the problem (General Superintendent – Assemblies of God, USA)

They are counseling people, visiting people, and giving attention to the day-to-day details of the church. The Pastor in a smaller church in particular does not have a staff to attend to those other responsibilities and can’t think of spending twenty four hours on one sermon. You have to find the right balance.

Repeating Dr. Wood in my own words, the Pastor is responsible for arranging his priorities.

Conclusion

Pastors must present the meat of the word. If you want to be a Pastor who connects with your congregation you must offer a solid word with integrity and excellence. This series about the importance of preparation before preaching ends today. If you are a Pastor or one training to be a Pastor and followed all the parts of this series I hope you will have a good understanding why preparation is crucial for any Preacher.

Works Cited

Rowlands, Gerald. "A Simple Guide to Preaching." Ministry Principles & Church Planting - Module 2

Wood, George O., and Randy Hurst. "Skillful Resourcing." Core Values. Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House, 2007.

Unknown, Author. "Why Do People Leave The Church? - Newsletter Issue 133." Preach It, 28 May 2009. Web. 28 May 2010. <http://www.preachit.org/newsletter.cfm?record=133&mode=31>.

Boyd, Ann. "How Not to Prepare a Bible Study - Student Leadership Journal - " Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship/USA - Home Page - InterVarsity.org. 15 Sept. 2004. Web. 28 May 2010. <http://www.intervarsity.org/slj/article/4052>.

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Introduction

1. Did you ever wonder why do bad things happen to godly people?

2. When many innocent people in Sri Lanka and other countries of Asia were affected by Tsunami in year 2004, many claimed it to be God’s wrath that came upon sinners. If this is true what about the Christians that died?

3. What would be your response to such a situation?

4. God has already answered these 2 questions in the book of Job.

5. In today’s sermon I want to bring these answers before you.

Answering the question why? – Read Job 1:6-12

1. Satan’s aim is to destroy our joy in God

A. He hates God and his children. He hates us so much some times we have more problem in life than the heathen does.

B. Satan can’t do any good. He is wicked in nature.

C. He uses calamity as a weapon to drift God’s children away from him, (Job 1:11-12)

2. God allows his people to be tested

A. Satan challenged that Job will reject God if he was tested.

B. God accepted the challenge, (Job 1:12).

C. It happened then – it can happen now, (Luke 22:31).

D. Satan is roaming the earth like a roaring Lion seeking to devour someone, (1 Peter 5:8).

Why does God allow His people to be tested?

3. To teach us faithfulness and loyalty, (Job 2:3-5)

A. God’s greatest joy is people who remain loyal to Him through situations in life.

B. God rejoiced in Job because Job remained faithful and loyal even in the midst of calamity, (Job 2:1-3)

Answering the question what to do?

4. Remember, God is sovereign

A. Sovereign: Above every one and everything (Romans 9:19-20; Psalms 115:3).

B. Submit to God’s will unconditionally, (Job 2:7-10).

5. Thank God and worship Him even in your greatest grief

A. Job thanked and worshiped God in his grief, (Job 1:21).

B. Job’s tears were not an expression of unbelief.

C. It’s not unspiritual to grieve at times of disaster. It’s not an indication of low faith.

D. Can you thank and worship God in times of grief? (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

6. Continue to trust in the goodness of God

A. Job’s wife rejected God. But Job did not, (Job 2:9)

B. Because experiencing your loyal love is better than life itself, my lips will praise you. (Psalms 63:3, NET)

C. The Lord is with you even in your sufferings.

D. Job was rewarded for remaining faithful in the midst of calamity

Invitation

The Bible says: “The LORD pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help.” (Psalms 34:15, NET) What a brilliant assurance!!!

Is there any one among you wondering, who these righteous and godly people are? Any one who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour is counted righteous and godly in the eyes of our almighty God. If you are looking for everlasting peace & joy in your life and righteousness even in midst of calamity – then this your opportunity.

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Introduction

Different people have different ideas about what the Christian life is all about. The politicians see us as “the religious right” to be courted or ridiculed. The liberals see us as “fanatic fundamentalists” who take a good thing to extremes. Even among ourselves there are differing attitudes as to what is involved in living the Christian life. I believe the normal Christian life goes through four phases.

I. Turning (Salvation)

A. Any journey begins with a first step. In this case, salvation. It’s as simple as ABC.

1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, lost without God.

2. Believe that He loves you and that Jesus died for your sin.

3. Confess Jesus to be Lord of your life.

B. Must involve turning away from sin!

1. In John 8, Jesus forgave the woman but told her to “go and sin no more…”

2. He does not forgive us to remain in our sin; He forgives us to take us out of our sins.

3. Does God love homosexuals? Certainly; but He doesn’t love their sin. The problem with the homosexual lobby is not that they don’t believe God forgives sin; it is that they do not accept that what they do is a sin!

C. Gradual improvement is not God’s way

1. When it comes to sin, some folks think that improvement satisfies God. “I don’t drink as much as I used to!” Guess what! Sooner or later there has to be a last time. Why not now?

2. The first step in the Christian walk is turning away from sin and turning toward God. Have you made that step?

II. Learning (Christian discipleship takes several forms)

A. Personal Bible study:

1. Psalms 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in my heart…”

2. Should be both REGULAR and SYSTEMATIC.

3. God’s primary way of speaking to our hearts

B. Regular church attendance (serves at least four purposes)

1. Sermons give insights we may have missed

2. Surround ourselves with godly influences

3. Gives opportunity to joyfully worship God

4. Gives us an outlet to minister to others

C. Becoming a part of a LIFE group

1. Building relationships with other Christians

2. Rise to their spiritual level

3. Learn from their Bible studies

4. Learn to give and receive Christian love

III. Yearning (Hunger for intimacy with God)

A. Strange phenomenon: the closer we come to God, the closer we want to become.

B. The more we have of Him, the hungrier we get for more!

C. Some may call it renewal, some revival, I call it maturity!

D. There is a juggling of our priorities in life.

E. Move from “phileo” love to agape love for Christ

IV. Burning (giving of our selves in service for Him)

A. The greatest joy in the Christian life comes in service for Him

B. Cannot be a contrived burning; without the three previous steps any attempts at burning will eventually fizzle out.

C. Burnout? Comes when people try to do God’s work in their own strength. Cannot effectively be done.

D. When you do God’s work, God’s way, in God’s time, He gives more than enough fuel for the burning.

V. Question: Where are you on this journey?

A. How many here are aflame, burning for service for God?

B. How many are in the yearning stage, hungry for more of Him?

C. How many are in the learning stage, you love Him, but you’re just learning how to live for Him.

D. How many are here and you are ready to turn to Him?