The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

TO BE A SERVANT OF GOD (Acts 6:1-7)

TO BE A SERVANT OF GOD (Acts 6:1-7)

As a Christ follower we are all servants of our Lord Jesus.  We are all expected to serve to meet the needs of the church, both the local church, and the church that is made up of all true followers of Christ.

I believe that when properly qualified, and Holy Spirit called, people are chosen to perform the duties of a servant, then they can have a powerful affect on the unity of the church. Spiritual service is the major emphasis of the Christian life. Anything we do in obedience to God's Word is service. In that sense we are all in the ministry.  In no sense do we find in the Scriptures that Pastors, church staff, teachers, elders or deacons, serve and everyone else watches. There isn't a leadership level made up of pastors, a service level made up of deacons, and a spectator level made up of all other believers.  There is no audience in the church; we are all in the ministry. We have all been called to submit ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are all His servants.

We are under orders. Christ is our Lord and master. He has called us into spiritual service. We serve Him by obeying the Word of God, following the promptings of the Spirit of God, coming under the authority of the church, and meeting the needs of those around us. 

It is one thing to say, "I'm proud to be able to serve my country," or "I'm proud to have served this great cause." But that doesn't even come close to being able to say, "I have been called into service by the King of kings and Lord of lords-Jesus Christ Himself."  That is our high and holy calling, it is the vocation to which we are called. 

Click on the link below to hear a message on what it means to be a servant of God.  All hell cannot stop a church that will keep its eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for a growing church. I know where there’s life, there’s growth. Where there’s growth, there are problems. Where there are problems, there are solutions. And where there are solutions, there’s greater growth. 

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD (Acts 5:27-29)

WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD (Acts 5:27-29)

As we study the book of Acts, we have been building a bridge, and this bridge is supported by three pillars.  This bridge starts on the side where we are today in our spiritual lives, and is anchored on the other side where we need to be in our relationship with God.  This is what I call a bridge to the future. And there are three pillars that hold up this bridge. 

The first pillar is vision, and it tells us of God’s plan, what God wants us to do. And it is our responsibility to get alone with God, in such a way that we can hear God and have a vision, a dream, not a daydream, not autosuggestion, but to hear from God. For where there is no vision, the people perish. 

But once we’ve caught the vision, God’s plan, then we need the power. That is the second pillar, and the power is faith, faith to believe God.  Because when we believe God, God comes in with His mighty power. And God energizes us to do what we need to do. And a vision without faith is not really a vision at all. But, there can be no faith until we have the vision, because faith is a response to God. Faith is getting a word from God and believing it.

But now, wait a moment. Yes, there must be a vision. Yes, there must be faith. There must be a plan, and there must be power. But here is where the rubber meets the road. There must be a third pillar and that is performance.  Three pillars, vision, power, and performance.  For there to be performance, there must be obedience. You see, without obedience, vision and faith are empty words.  There can be no real obedience until we hear from God. And, we cannot obey without faith. But oh, if we would learn today the expedience of obedience!

In Acts chapter five, we are going to find this word: “we ought to obey God”. That is the title of the message: We Ought to Obey God. 

There is a great old hymn that says, “Trust and obey; for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” As a matter of fact, if you don’t obey, then you are really not trusting. Our English word “believe” comes from the old English phrase, “by live”.  Which just means that what we really believe we live by. The rest is just religious talk. “Trust and obey; for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” 

Click on the link below to hear a message on how this church is no greater than the faith and obedience of its people. In your family, in your personal life, your personal life is no greater than your trust and your obedience. 

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

A WITNESSING LIFESTYLE (Acts 5:19-20)

A WITNESSING LIFESTYLE (Acts 5:19-20)

The thing I love about the book of Acts is that it teaches us the Biblical truths about what I want to call “That Old-Time Religion.”  It teaches us the concepts about the power of the Holy Spirit and the overwhelming love of Jesus Christ that our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents learned, believed, and taught.  These are not new, socially adjusted, truths about what is right and wrong in the eyes of God that we are learning about.  These truths have been ours to apply to our lives from the time that Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden.  There is no changing or turning with God.  Today, His Word is just as applicable, and His promises are as secure, as they have always been, and always will be.  

Today, I want to ask you a question: Did you know that there is something that you are privileged to do that the angels are not privileged to do?  Did you know that there is something that you are commanded to do that no angel has ever been commanded to do?  Angels are not allowed to preach and witness about the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  Why is it that angels can’t preach the gospel of Jesus? It is because when we preach the gospel of Jesus, or when we are soul winners, what we are doing is this: we are sharing what Jesus has done for us. Jesus said, “Ye shall be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)

When you go out tomorrow to live a witnessing lifestyle, and you see anybody coming down the street, I want you to know that people all have the same heartaches, and they all have the same hunger, because down in their hearts they need to know God, and the things of this world cannot satisfy. And they may not even know that it is God that they are searching for, but they need to know Him.  They also all have the same hope—and His name is Jesus. Jesus will save anybody. The hope of the world is Jesus. All men have a common hope, this same hope; there is no other way apart from Jesus.  Jesus is not the best way to heaven; He is the only way.  

And here’s the bottom line: All people need the same help. They need somebody to tell them about Jesus.  That somebody is you.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how we can live a witnessing lifestyle, by making ourselves available, expendable, and adaptable to the calling of God to witness to a world of people who have the same heartaches, the same hunger, the same hope, and the same need of help.

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 5:1-11)

LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 5:1-11)

Let me begin by saying that, as a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit is your very best friend, and the Holy Spirit is Jesus in you.  He is the one who makes manifest the life of the Lord Jesus in your mortal flesh. What a wonderful, wonderful, friend the Holy Spirit is.

In the passage of Scripture that I’m going to read to you today, we find a phrase about lying to the Holy Ghost.  Let me say this, all lies are serious.  Let me repeat that, all lies are serious.  Sometimes we tell little lies, we exaggerate a little bit, and we think that is not quite so serious.  For example, men, when your wife asks you if an outfit makes her look fat, do you tell the truth?  Of course, you do.

Some lies we think are whimsical and maybe even humorous. But, a lie is a very serious thing.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is known as the truth.  On the other hand, the Bible tells us that Satan is the father of all lies.  Therefore, when you tell the truth you give God an opportunity to work. When you tell a lie, you tell a lie because Satan has already been working in you.

God detests the sin of hypocrisy, the sin of pretense, the sin of saying we are one thing, but really being another. If you read about the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will find out that Jesus reserved his sternest words for hypocrites. There was one thing that Jesus Christ detested, and it was hypocrisy. 

Let me make four observations, and four pleas with you today.  Number one, if you are a child of God that sins among the saints it is more serious than sin among the lost.  And, sin when God is working in revival power, is the most dangerous of all sin. 

Number two, is that sin against the Holy Spirit is extremely serious. Do not tempt the Holy Spirit of God. Do not be a pretender. 

Number three, I urge you to be on guard against hypocrisy in your own life. It is far better not to be what you ought to be than to pretend that you are what you are not.

Preachers, and teachers, are often tempted to do that, to exaggerate, or to pretend devotion because we think that we are setting the example. In my estimation, I want my pastor, and my teacher, just to be honest and to tell it like it is in his heart. And, I want people to be honest. And, I believe when there is a spirit of honesty, even though there is a spirit of failure, God can work. 

Don’t pretend a devotion to Jesus Christ that you don’t have.  Don’t lie to the Holy Ghost. And, last of all, don’t let some hypocrite keep you from getting the best out of life.

Click on the link below to hear a message on what it means to lie to the Holy Spirit.

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

A GODLY CHURCH MEMBER (Acts 4:36-37)

A GODLY CHURCH MEMBER (Acts 4:36-37)

In today’s lesson, I want to talk about what it means to be a godly church member.  If you could just model and mold a church member, the church member of your dreams, what would he or she be like? Well, I believe they would be like the man that we are going to read about today, a man named Barnabas.

I love to be encouraged. I need encouragement. I am so grateful for people who encourage me. And I’ll tell you something else, I don’t like to be around discouraging people. Now, sometimes we have to. It comes with the territory. The fleas come with the dog.  But, here was a man named Barnabas who could lift your spirits.

Did you know the Bible calls God the God of all encouragement?  That means that God has cornered the market on encouragement. He is the God of all encouragement.  An interesting fact is that the word “encouragement” or “consolation”, as they are used in the Bible are translated from the Greek word parakletos, which is the same word that is used for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter. He is called the Paraclete, which comes from the Greek word parakletos. It’s the same word. 

And so, here is a man who is doing for other people what the Holy Spirit does for the child of God, who comes inside us, alongside us, to encourage us, to give us comfort, to give us hope, to give us health, to get us on our way. And I’ve come to live long enough to see that there is not a person in this world that does not need encouragement.  

Now, if God is the God of all encouragement, then the devil is the minister of discouragement. Discouragement comes from the devil. Let me tell you, discouragement is a major cause of failure.

Every church, wherever you are, needs some Barnabas's. How did Barnabas get to be Barnabas to begin with? How was he such a good man to begin with? Well, the Bible says very clearly and very plainly that Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and faith. He was a good man. Why was he a good man? He was a good man because he was full of the Holy Ghost. Why was he full of the Holy Ghost? Because he was a man full of faith. And that is what we are going to talk about today.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can be a godly church member.

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

THE ALMIGHTY GOD (Acts 4:23-5:11)

THE ALMIGHTY GOD (Acts 4:23-5:11)

The message today speaks of how the early Christian church praised God for what He is, the omnipotent Creator of the universe.  They proclaimed “Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.” Sadly, this is something that most churches do not really believe today.  And you can know this is true, for if they did believe it, then they would not be taking the liberal positions in direct conflict with God’s word that they are taking.  

You cannot believe that God is truly the Omnipotent Creator of the universe and then not accept His absolute truths about what is right and wrong.  God is unchanging, as are His truths, they do not change with the changing of society mores.  God as the all powerful Creator of the universe is the fundamental building block of the entire Bible.  Satan will do all he can to create lies and deceptions about who God is, and what the Holy Spirit says that He is in His Word.  

God is the all powerful Creator of this universe, and since this is absolutely, wonderfully, magnificently, true, then Satan is no more than a second hand loser.  No wonder Satan hates this basic truth!  No wonder he has brought up his heavy artillery to discredit it in the minds of men.  

For you see, if you abandon what the Holy Spirit says in Genesis 1 as not factual and unreliable, as mere mythology, as totally unacceptable to modern science, then satan has won.  

If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted when He tells of creation, then how can He be trusted when He tells of salvation?

If what He says about earth in Genesis 1 can be questioned, then what He says about Heaven in Revelations 22 can be questioned.  

If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted in Genesis 1, then how can He be trusted in John 3:16?

So, when someone tells you that the creation account in the Book of Genesis is just a theory, you must understand they are questioning the entire message of the Bible, including the Gospel.

Click on the play button to hear a message that says, if we believe that God is the Creator.  If we believe that God deserves our worship and praise.  If we believe that all other beings, both spiritual and physical, are subject to the commands and permissive will of God.  Then, our fears should go away, and our faith should rise up in times of trial.  For who can harm us that is not under the permissive will of God?  And that knowledge is what gave these early believers holy boldness in the face of persecution, and it can give you that same holy boldness.

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

THE SECRET TO HOLY BOLDNESS (Acts 4:1-20)

THE SECRET TO HOLY BOLDNESS (Acts 4:1-20)

Today, I want to talk about The Secret to Holy Boldness, or the secret to witnessing for Christ, even in the face of persecution.  I believe that we need an epidemic of Holy boldness from believers in our world today.  And, if you are one of those who wish that you had more courage to testify and witness for Jesus, then I want you to pay attention. I am convinced that many of us want to share our faith, and want to tell others about our Savior, but we have been intimidated by our lost friends and family, and society as a whole.  We are more concerned about their reaction to our witnessing for Christ, than we are about their eternal life and destiny.  And that makes us cowardly Christians.  And I believe that there are a lot of people who when they go out to testify for Jesus.  On the one hand, their loyalty makes them go, but on the other hand, their fear makes them slow, and they just are not the vibrant testimony for Jesus that they ought to be.

Listen to me, if there is one message that the Church needs to preach today, it is that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Now, if you think that is narrow-minded, then don’t argue with me, go argue with God, because that is what He says in His Word.  

If I cannot teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven, then I am not going to teach at all, because if Jesus Christ is not the only way to Heaven, then Jesus Christ is none of the ways to Heaven. 

If Jesus Christ is not the only way to Heaven, then the Apostle Peter is a liar. Peter said in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Amen?

If Jesus Christ is not the only way to Heaven, then Jesus Christ Himself is a fake, a fraud, and an imposter, for He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). 

Holy boldness is saying, “Lord Jesus, If You are for me, then who can be against me? Lord Jesus, if You want to use me, then use me Lord. And I trust You to take care of me. And Lord, if You choose—if You choose to let me be put in jail—then I’ll rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer shame for Your name. If you choose, Lord Jesus, that I suffer bodily harm, then Lord, nothing will come to me that will not come through You first. And Lord, You are my Commander-in-Chief, and Lord, I submit myself to you, and I will speak at Your command.”  

Click on the play button to hear a message on the secret to Holy Boldness.

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

THE FIRST PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH (Acts 4:1-22)

THE FIRST PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH (Acts 4:1-22)

As believers we are to obey those that God has placed in power over us, whether they be Caesar, or Nero, or our current leaders.  Yet, there are times when Caesar so abuses his power as to command that we do something morally or spiritually wrong.  That is where the believer must draw the line, even at the cost of death.  The believer must respectfully, but firmly, refuse to obey the commands of human authority when it defies the laws of God.  And when the time comes, and it will come, that we are prohibited from preaching and teaching the name of Jesus, that is when we must refuse to obey the command of the rulers placed in authority above us.  

Peter does just that as he proclaims to the Sanhedrin, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  This was Peter’s and John’s reply when they were commanded by the religious leaders to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.  They declared that they would continue to teach, preach, and heal in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, no matter the cost.  

It is not by the name of Confucius, Buddha, or Allah, that a lost person can find salvation; not even by the name of one of the great heroes of the Bible, not Abraham, or Moses, can a lost person find salvation.  Only in the name of Jesus can salvation be found.  Jesus is the world’s only Savior. 

John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
KJV

The law can’t save you. Religion can’t save you, and there is absolutely no ceremony that can save you. You cannot get to Heaven through the pope. You cannot stand before God clothed in the robes of righteousness by doing more good works than bad works.  Your friends and family cannot pray you into heaven.  You cannot buy your way out of darkness and an eternity in Hell.

There is only one way to get rid of Satan’s darkness, and that is the light of the Word of God, Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.  We have victory in Jesus because no force on the earth, or below the earth, can stand against the mighty majesty of His name.  When you come to Jesus for salvation, it is His blood that wipes away your sin.  It is His blood that provides eternal life for you.  

Click on the play button to hear a message about the first persecution of the church that would dare to teach about the gospel message found in the name of Jesus.

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

JESUS IS OFFERED TO THE NATION (Acts 3:1-26)

JESUS IS OFFERED TO THE NATION (Acts 3:1-26)

The message today is about the rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah by the Jews.  As we talk about this, I want you to remember something.  The lesson focuses on the people of Jerusalem, because in the days immediately following the Day of Pentecost, that is where the church, the true body of believers, began. But this message is just as applicable to the people in the world today.  This message is about the rejection of Jesus Christ, and there are people all around us who have made the decision to do exactly that, to reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The Jews had bullied Pilate into crucifying the Son of the living God, even though they had Jesus walking among them, performing miracles, and still they rejected Him.  Yet, it is my sin that forced Jesus to go the cross.  The lost people of today, when they look upon a surrendered believer, they can see the light of Jesus Christ walking among them, and yet they reject the Prince of Life who is the author of the miracle of the new creation which is that believer.   

It is important that you understand that nothing that I am going to say today should make you feel in some way less responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  For it was your sin and mine that Jesus willingly went to the cross to die for.  He willingly chose to lay down His life for a lost and hopeless world.  Each one of us is just as responsible for the death of Jesus Christ as the Jews who were standing in front of Peter.

The events of Pentecost would have been the talk of all of Jerusalem.  There were people speaking in tongues, and a peasant fisherman preaching with power the word of God.  They had to be asking themselves, “How could this be happening?  What does it mean?  Is it true, as some have said, that we killed the Messiah?  No, that is not possible.”  The Holy Spirit has planted the seed of questions, and now He seeks them out to place a decision about Jesus Christ before them.  

Click on the play button to hear a message on how the choice between eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven, and an eternity in the Lake of Fire without God, depends on the decision you make about accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. 

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.

KEEPING YOUR SPIRITUAL FIRE BURNING PART II (Acts 2:1-4)

KEEPING YOUR SPIRITUAL FIRE BURNING, PART II (Acts 2:1-4)

If we are to live the victorious Christian life, then we must have the spiritual fire of God’s Holy Spirit burning brightly in our lives.  We are absolutely powerless to be in God’s will without the Holy Spirit.  

Fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit:

It spreads: Fire begins small, but it can devour a forest or destroy a city. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit begins as small spark in the heart of a lost person, and then it spreads, from person to person as the new believer tells of his wonderful salvation.

It burns:  Everything fire touches is transformed into fire.  The fire of the Holy Spirit transforms your old sinful nature into one that is righteous before God.
 
It purges: Fire sterilizes and kills germs, disease, and all impurities.  The Holy Spirit convicts the lost person of the sin in their lives, baptizes them into the body of Christ, and purifies them with the blood of Christ.

It illuminates: We take for granted the light that comes from the flip of switch, yet for thousands of years, fire was man’s only source of artificial light.  It allowed men to work and walk in a dark world.  In the same manner, believers walk in a world dark with sin.  It is the Holy Spirit living in their hearts that speaks to them, provides discernment to them, and illuminates the mind of Christ for them.

It warms:  Fire provides heat and comfort in a world full of cold and ice.  Jesus promised the disciples a Comforter.  The Holy Spirit is the Comforter to the believer in a cold, hard, world that has no love for them or their faith.  He comforts us when we are in trials.  He empowers us when we need Him most.  He enables us to live the Christian life.

It smolders:  Men can resist and quench ordinary fire, but the fire of the Holy Spirit can never be put out.  Once the fire of the Holy Spirit is in your heart it will never leave you.  But, you can make it inoperative in your life.  If you allow unrepented sin in your life, it will smolder quietly in the heart of the believer, ignored, and then suddenly begin to spread again. 

Click on the play button to hear a message on the four things that you must do to keep the spiritual fire burning in your life.  

This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.

Amen.