Episodes
Sunday Sep 29, 2019
A LAST ATTEMPT (John 12:23-36)
Sunday Sep 29, 2019
Sunday Sep 29, 2019
Have you ever had an event or an experience that you knew was going to be really, really, bad in front of you? You knew it needed to be done, people were depending on you, but you had a few days that you had to get through before it would begin? The waiting, the dreading, the sheer horribleness of it playing on your mind. I can think of things like watching my mother’s last few days on the earth, and the suffering she was dealing with. I knew her death was imminent. I knew it would happen in the next few days. I knew she would be in heaven soon, but I had to steel myself for the emotions that would come.
A soldier facing some kind of really tough battle. He knows the chances were slim that he was going to make it, but he couldn’t let his brothers in arms down. These were men he depended on, and they were the ones who depended on him, so he prepared himself to deal with it.
This is what our next few messages are going to be about for Jesus. He knew this was the reason that He had come to earth. His whole life had been about this coming hour. The entire human race depended on Him completing the work of salvation. He knew that He was about to carry the burden of every sin that had ever been committed and would ever be committed. He knew the ugliness of the world’s worst sins was about to be thrust upon Him and He would have to die as punishment for that sin. He dreaded the hour, but He knew the whole world depended on Him, and so He prepared Himself. There was so much He needed to do before that hour came, but His disciples needed to hear what He had to say. These next several weeks are going to be a study in how much Jesus loved each and every one of us, even the Jews and the Romans who would crucify Him.
Click on the link below to hear a message on what is likely the Lord’s last attempt to convince the Jews that He was the Son of God, the Promised Messiah.
Amen.
Monday Sep 23, 2019
HOW DO YOU WORSHIP JESUS? (John 12:12-26)
Monday Sep 23, 2019
Monday Sep 23, 2019
As Christians, we have chosen to worship God on Sunday. It is to be a special day to us. The Bible says "one man esteems one day above another, another man esteems every day alike, but every man be fully persuaded in his own heart." So, we are instructed by God to seek out our own heart as to what days are important to us. The day we select as dedicated to worship is one that we are to be “fully persuaded in our own heart.” Of course, we are not limited to worshiping God on just one day, in fact, we should be worshiping God on every day of the week, but traditionally, we choose to gather together as a group to worship God on Sunday. We choose the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. The Bible says that on the third day Christ arose, and that day is Sunday.
The problem is that there are a lot of pressures that come on us during the weekend. We all have so much to get done in just a couple of days that we call the weekend. I mean there are football games, yard work, family Bar-B-Q’s, and a host of other things that need to get done. But we have chosen to set aside one of those days, Sunday, to worship God.
In our message today, Jesus gives us two things that we need to do in our worship service to make it a right worship. Glorify Jesus and follow him. If Jesus is your Master, if Jesus is the reason that you go to church to worship, then I want you to beware of the following traps that will destroy that worship:
• A superficial Sunday of worship.
• A self-centered worship.
• A short-sighted worship.
Click on the link below to hear a message on what it takes to worship Jesus in the way that is pleasing to God.
Amen.
Sunday Sep 15, 2019
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? (John 11:45 to 12:11)
Sunday Sep 15, 2019
Sunday Sep 15, 2019
What would it take to make you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? What words would you need to hear Him say? What words would you need to hear from God? What sign would you need to see?
How about Jesus, himself, proclaiming to be God? Here is just one of the many times Jesus has said this in our study so far.
John 10:29-30
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
KJV
Would that be enough to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God? No? Well how about the time God spoke from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be His Son?
Matt 3:16-17
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
KJV
Would this be enough? You have the sky opening up, the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and the voice of God telling you that Jesus is His Son. Would that be enough?
Well, how about watching Jesus raise Lazarus from the tomb after he had been dead for four days?
John 11:43-44
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
KJV
Would seeing a miracle of this magnitude be enough to convince you that Jesus was the Son of God?
Click on the link below to hear a message on how people who have heard the words of Jesus, they have heard the words of God from heaven, and they have seen Jesus perform thousands of miracles, and some believed, and some did not. In some respects, this lesson saddened me. I know why it occurred, I know the purpose of our Lord coming, and for that I am forever happy and grateful, but it saddens me that people could know all of this and still turn away from Christ as their Savior.
Amen.
Sunday Sep 08, 2019
TO LIVE ABUNDANTLY Part 2 (John 11:25-44)
Sunday Sep 08, 2019
Sunday Sep 08, 2019
This is the second part of my message on how to live abundantly. Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life, and have it abundantly." What does it mean to live abundantly? It means to live the way the Bible teaches. Well, Ok, what does it mean to live the way the Bible teaches? It means several things, but the basic foundation is that you must live before you die, and live after you die. How do you do that?
Let me ask you a question, have you exercised faith in Jesus? Have you? Well, this is the time for you to do it. I want to tell you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus will save you today and He will keep you saved. Jesus is not a probation officer. Jesus is a Savior. He will see you through all the way. Now you might have to be unwrapped. You might have some hangover sins for a while, but He will save you. And the One who gives you life will give you liberty, and you can feast with Him and you can witness for Him. Now you might be a seasoned individual. You might think I'm too old for this. Well, it's never too late with God.
If you believe that you are dead in trespasses and sins. If you want a new life. If you want to be saved so you can have fellowship with Jesus and live with Jesus. Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. If you would believe me, you would never die. If this is how you feel, then exercise faith in Jesus.
Now, you may be already be a member of a church. Unfortunately, some church members never really understood how to be saved. They were good folks in their own minds and the minds of their neighbors when they joined the church, but they never really, honest-to-goodness got saved. You need today to trust Christ.
For others, it may be their first time in a church, and they might say, "Well, you know, I need Jesus, but I need to wait till I get more acquainted with the church."
Let me tell you, it's not the church that saves; it's Jesus. This may be the last opportunity you'll ever have to give your heart to Jesus. It may be your first time here, but it may be your last opportunity.
Others of you are intimidated by the devil. He whispers in your ear and says, "You'll never make it. You're too bad. You don't deserve it. You'll never be able to live it." Listen to me. Satan is a liar. Jesus died for you on the cross, and Jesus said, "Whosoever will, may come."
There is a deep desire in my heart that each of you learn to live abundantly in Jesus. That you learn to live life in the way the Bible teaches you to live.
Click on the link below to learn, if you want to live before you die, and live after you die, then you must apply these four principles to help you to have, a truly, abundant life:
1) You must exercise faith in Jesus.
2) You need to have freedom through Jesus.
3) You need to enjoy fellowship with Jesus, and
4) you need to exhibit faithfulness to Jesus.
Amen.
Sunday Sep 01, 2019
TO LIVE ABUNDANTLY (John 11:25-36)
Sunday Sep 01, 2019
Sunday Sep 01, 2019
Would you like to live abundantly? Not just to be successful in your life, make lots of money, have a big family, or an important job. Those are all good things, and there is nothing wrong with them, but that is not what I am talking about. I mean would you like to live the way the Bible teaches us to live?
Now, that is a different way of saying it, isn’t it? To live the way the Bible teaches us to. Well, you might say, “Now, Bro. Keith, I already live a life where I obey all of the commandments, at least most of the time. I am a good person, I don’t do mean things, I go to church on Sunday, I give my tithes, I even help my neighbors. Isn’t that living the way the Bible teaches?” Yes, it is, but it is not living your life abundantly. If you think that living a good life is all it takes to live the way the Bible teaches, then you are in the right place this morning to learn what it truly means to live abundantly. But to do so, you will have to be ready to be changed by what Word of God has for you today.
People get comfortable in their lives, and change requires you to be uncomfortable. If want to be changed by a message like this, then you have to be willing to change, and you have to feel the need to be changed. A lot of people, Christians included, see life as something to be endured. But Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life, and have it abundantly."
Click on the link below and hear a message on what this miracle tells us about living the way the Bible teaches, living abundantly.
Amen.