The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

Today, we are going to talk about why the resurrection of our Lord Jesus is so important to our faith. The simple truth is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and then on the third day, He rose bodily, physically, from the grave so that we might have everlasting life. We stand on a foundation; that foundation is the Rock, and the Rock is Christ. He came back from the dead, and Christianity rises and falls on that Rock.

It is a result of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that all of the great doctrines of the New Testament faith ring out like a church bell with truthfulness to a lost world.

Not just forgiveness, but justification.

Not just redemption, but regeneration.

Not just remission of sin, but adoption into the family of God.

We are God’s children. We are joint heirs with Christ.

This is the importance of the Resurrection of Christ. It is an undeniable and indisputable fact in history. Everything hinges on the Resurrection. Do not insult my intelligence by saying that I believe this just because I wish it were so. I would not dedicate my life to the service of a man in a grave, and if you are in a religion where the founder of your religion is still in the grave, then your hope rests in that grave. It rests in a body that has turned to dust.

My faith rests in a risen Christ. My faith rests in a living Christ, therefore, my hope is a certain hope of eternal life with Him. Christianity is not just a creed, a code, a cause, or a church. It is a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. He alone has the words of eternal life. In Him dwells all the fullness and the wisdom of God. Only Jesus can meet the deepest desires of the human heart. Only Jesus is worthy of our faith, and it is in Jesus whom my faith rests.

Click on the link below to hear a message on why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so important to the Christian faith. If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, ask the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t just say you must believe, but if you can’t believe that is just your hard luck. God says if you want to believe, He will help you understand and know that these things are true. If you want to know the truth about Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit will speak to you and confirm to you that Jesus is the risen Christ, the Son of the Living God.

THE FALSE PROPHET (Revelation 13:13-18)

We are continuing our study of the future period called the Tribulation Period. This period is described in the book of Revelation. During this time Satan will have a False Prophet that will serve as the anti-Holy Spirit. There is the Antichrist, and this False Prophet will be the anti-Holy Spirit. His purpose will be to cause the world to worship the Antichrist and glorify Satan. He will be a servant of Satan.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the characteristics of this False Prophet. He will be a master of miracles. Not the fake, showboat, type of miracles, but real miracles such as calling fire down from heaven. In this message we talk about how you can determine if the miracle you are seeing is of God, or if it is of Satan. Don't be led astray by miracles. Don't put your eyes on miracles. You'd better put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

Amen.

IS IT NICE TO BE NARROW-MINDED PART 2 (Revelation 2:18-29)

One of the greatest lies that Satan has put in the minds of Christians is that it is not right to stand up for the absolute truths that are found in the Bible. Satan, and the world, say that it is not nice to narrow-minded in our beliefs, for we might offend someone. They ask how can you, as a Christian, possibly be so sure that you are right, that you would take such an offensive stance as to say that another person’s religious beliefs are wrong? Are there not many ways to please God and have eternal life?

I am here to tell you today, that there is only one way to find eternal life and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ. God tells us in His Word that it is ok for us to confront error in the church when it raises it head. In fact, He commands it and that we commit a sin when we fail to do so. Now, it must be done Biblically, and lovingly, and firmly, but it must be done.

Click on the link below to hear the second part of a sermon about a church which thought it was nice to be broad-minded about their faith, and what the Lord had to say about that. What the Son of God says about being tolerant of those who would teach something other than what is in the Scripture.

IS IT NICE TO BE NARROW-MINDED PART 1 (Revelation 2:18-29)

Is it nice to be narrow-minded? Is it ever nice to be intolerant? I looked up the definition of the term narrow-minded, and it was not willing to listen to or tolerate other people’s views. The opposite of narrow-minded would be broad-minded, which surprisingly is defined as tolerant or liberal in one’s views and reactions. It actually used the example of a broad-minded approach to religion. Certainly, in today’s politically correct society, being a conservative and being narrow-minded about things like politics, morality, the meanings of the words found in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the right to life, and your religion is a good way to find yourself the target of a bunch of intolerant, socialist, progressives who feel it is just fine to be narrow-minded about the things they believe in. But, is it a good thing to be narrow-minded?

I would say that we would prefer our doctor to be narrow-minded in the prescriptions that he writes for us. If we went in and we said we were hurting all over, and the doctor, said well, Ok, what color of pills would you like today, the pink, the blue, or the purple ones? I think we would all tell the doctor that we wanted him/her to be more narrow-minded in their treatment of us. When I get on an airplane, I want the pilot to be narrow-minded about who he lets fly the plane. If he came back and just picked a passenger at random to fly the plane, in the spirit of being broad-minded, I would likely find a way to get off that plane. Most of you know that I handle firearms quite a bit. I shoot at ranges, at competitions, in practice, and in training. I will tell you that I am very narrow-minded about how the people around me are handling their firearms. I will even speak up and get on to somebody when they are doing something I think is dangerous. So, I am narrow-minded in that situation, and I believe it is a good thing to do.

So, there are certainly times when it is nice to be narrow-minded. How about in our church? Should we be narrow-minded in our church?

What if a member accepted the position of a Bible study teacher and began teaching a doctrine that was different than one of our core doctrines. I don’t mean something like eschatology, we can disagree on eschatology, but what if they were teaching the doctrine of salvation by faith and works, instead of salvation by grace and not works? Should we be narrow-minded or broad-minded about that? Should we stop the teaching of that doctrine, or allow it in the spirit of being open-minded, or broad-minded in our approach to our faith? If you believe we should stop it, whose job would it be to stop it?

Click on the link below to hear a sermon about a church which thought it was nice to be broad-minded about their faith, and what the Lord had to say about that. What the Son of God says about being tolerant of those who would teach something other than what is in the Scripture.

A WORLDLY CHURCH (Revelation 2:12-17)

A worldly church is one that has compromised its doctrines to be acceptable in the world around it. A church that says they don’t want to preach a message on sin that might offend people. It is a feel-good church. A church that doesn’t teach about the importance of the soul cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, because it is too graphic. A church whose message about Jesus is that He just wants to be your best friend, not your Savior, not your Master and Lord, but your best friend?

Today’s lesson is about a church that had compromised with the ideas and morals of the world around it. It is about a church, like many of our churches today, that no longer feels the great commission of winning souls for Christ is the most important mission they have, but it is one of entertaining the members, and getting along with everyone.

Click on the link below to hear a sermon on what the Lord Jesus thinks of a church that has turned away from the absolute truths about right and wrong found in the Bible, to the social ethics of the world.

CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN (2 Peter 3:1-6)

With each new presidential campaign, comes a new catchphrase. President Trump’s catchphrase is “Make America Great Again.” President Obama’s catchphrase was “Hope and Change,” other presidents have had the New Deal, A thousand points of light, and a New World Order. Each man promised something new by mixing up what exists in the world today, and restacking it. Someone once said that you can’t make a good omelet out of bad eggs, and you can’t make a new world using the corrupt world that we live in today as the material for the new world.

I believe that there will be a new world order, but it won’t come from the hand of man, or the politicos in Washington, or Paris, or London, and certainly not from the UN. Jesus Christ is coming again, and He will indeed establish a New World Order. In fact, the Bible says that there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

Rev 21:1
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
KJV

So, not only will there be a new earth, Jesus Christ is going to create a new heaven, as well. It will not just be a remixing and a covering of the old, it will all be brand new. The old will be consumed in fire, and the new will be created.

This is the fervent hope of every believer, the Second Coming of Christ. No matter how difficult it gets, no matter how full of sin the world becomes, we have this promise from our Lord. We don’t have to worry about what the world is coming to, because we can look forward to Who is coming to the world. Jesus Christ is coming again in power to judge the wicked, to reward the saints, and to create a brand-new world.

Satan hates the teaching of the second coming of Christ because he knows that all of his power and all of his kingdoms will come crashing down in the judgment of the Lord. Satan knows this and so he marshals all of his cohorts to deny and disgrace the idea of the return of Christ.

Listen to this podcast as we find the apostate’s argument against the second coming of Christ. Next week, we will have the apostolic response and confirmation of the second coming of Christ. This is an exciting and incredibly important chapter of the Bible to study. Every believer needs to learn and apply these promises in their hearts.

LIBERTY TO DO AS YOU WANT (2 Peter 2:19-22)

Liberty to do as you want, that is the promise of the false teacher and the apostate. It is a lie that is as old as mankind. No more following the rules of your parents. No more following the rules of your religion, the church, God, or the Bible. It is a lure that draws people within its trap doors, and once there, they find themselves deeper and deeper into the bondage of sin.

How many alcoholics feel free from the bondage they are in? How many drug addicts feel free from the bondage they are in? How many sexual addicts feel free from the bondage they are in? They were free to choose, but they were not free to choose the bondage brought on by the consequences of their sin.

People who are trapped in sin often try religion out for period of time. They commit to cleaning themselves up. It becomes their New Year’s resolution. How many New Year’s resolutions have you kept? My guess is not many. So, they fail in their cleanup efforts and then they go back to their lives of sin and they are worse off than they were before. They are trapped, they are in bondage.

Let me tell you something, I sin all I want to. You say, really? If I sinned all I wanted to, I would be deep in sin. My answer to that is you need to get your wanter fixed, in fact, you need a brand new wanter. You need to be saved. A child of God can sin. They can lapse into sin, but when they do they loathe it. When a lost person sins, they love it.

This is the reason that Peter has instructed us to make our calling and election sure. It is not enough just to go to church, or to be baptized. You must be sure that you are sure. You must be truly born again. One does not become a child of God by cleaning up his life. If we try to clean up our life without filling it with the Holy Spirit, Satan will fill it with many more sins than we had before. Knowledge of salvation is not salvation. In order to live in the Father’s house, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. You must make certain that you have authentic Christianity.

If you are not sure that you are sure, then you come find me, or find a pastor of the true gospel of Christ, such as we have at this church, and you make sure that you have the authentic Jesus Christ in your heart as your Lord and Master.

Listen to this podcast to learn that Jesus Christ can give you the liberty to do as you ought, rather than to do as you want.

FAKE COLA, FAKE NEWS, and FAKE GOSPELS (2 Peter 2:14-18)

Coke-Cola used to have a slogan saying that it was the Real Thing. This inferred that all of the other colas were fake colas or not real. Now, I know there are people with strong preferences of one cola over another, but to be honest, I don’t drink enough of it to be able to tell a Coke, from a Pepsi, or a Shasta.

In our news media, there is talk of fake news, and there certainly is. Truth seems to be at premium in our news and social media applications. Political bias, ideology, hunger for power and the wealth that comes with that power, and a desire to live a lifestyle that has been considered immoral, and often illegal for most of this country’s history, all seem to be the drivers of wanting to push the general public into supporting one political group, agenda, or person, or another. They want you to believe they are the real thing, and all the others are fake, or not real. The news media blatantly say they no longer have an obligation to report the truth. Instead, their purpose is to destroy the values and morals that have been the foundation of this country.

When a nation rejects God, gross immorality is usually at the heart of that nation. When a politician embraces liberalism and progressivism, gross immorality and corruption are usually at the heart of that person’s desire to do so. You cannot believe in the liberal, progressive, political platform and believe the Words of the Bible. You are deceiving yourself if you think that is possible.

These progressive leaders know that this is true so they plan, and they strategize, on how they can lure people away from the truth of God’s Word. They don’t want to destroy Christianity, as much as they want to corrupt it, to draw it away from the teachings of God, to lay alongside it their own corrupted ideology and religious teachings. They want to so corrupt the corporate world of Christianity that they can use it to move their own agenda forward. They want to make their own ideas on what is right and wrong the accepted, or normal, behavior in our society. They want the power that comes with drawing people to their movements, and they want the money that comes from these people.

There will always be false teachers, false prophets, and apostates, in our churches. Always. Therefore, we must be able to identify them, in order to remove them. That is the reason Peter is spending so much time on defining what these false teachers look like, act like, and talk like.

Listen to this podcast to learn how to identify that which false, from that which is the true Word of God.

WILL GOD JUDGE THOSE WHO LIE ABOUT HIM? (2 Peter 2:6-9)

It is easy to get discouraged when we look at the trajectory of the world around us. To wonder if God is really going to judge those who lie about Him. The news media, the entertainment media, and the social media, would all have us believe that Christianity is on the decline. That God’s definitions of right and wrong are outdated, hurtful, and bigoted.

But I do not believe that is the case. God’s purposes are on track to be completed, just as God planned it from the foundations of the world. God’s people are steadily marching toward the goals that God has laid out for them. The Word of God is being shared all around the world. People are coming to know Jesus Christ as their Savior by the millions around the world. It is important for us to remember, that in spite of all the bad things that surround us, God is still on His throne, and He is still in control of all things. God’s will, will be done on this earth and in heaven.

Isa 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
KJV

Isa 14:22
24 The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
KJV

Not one promise that God has made will fail to come true. Not one.

Not one reward that God has promised the believer will fail to come true. Not one.

Not one judgment that God has promised for those who reject Christ as the Son of God, and their Lord and Savior, will fail to come true. Not one.

The message that Peter has for us in this letter is that in spite of all of the persecutions that Christians face in this world, God knows how to deliver the righteous from temptation, and to judge those who lie about Him.

TO HAVE ITCHING EARS (2 Peter 2:2-5)

Why do people listen to false teachers? What is the appeal that they bring?

Certainly, nobody likes to hear that they are living a life that is displeasing to God. Most people’s first reaction to that message is that they live good lives, they help other people, they don’t do any bad things like steal, or lie, or hurt others. So, how could that be displeasing to God? People would rather hear that man is inherently good, that the meter which determines right from wrong, and good from bad, is an evolutionary thing, that it changes as society’s morals change. That which was wrong in our parent’s day is no longer wrong today, and they want to hear someone tell them that is a good thing. That those who preach and teach otherwise are homophobic, racist, and hateful.

People who want to have followers, lots of followers, know that this is true, and so they deliberately say the words people’s itching ears want to hear. We see this in the pulpits of our churches, and in politics, on every side. We see it in our colleges. We see it on our media, TV, movies, and social networks. If you want to get a bunch of likes in social media, say the politically correct things, say the things their itching ears want to hear.

However, the gospel message of Christ is not a negative message, it is a joyous message. It is not a message about do’s and don’ts, it is a message about life, eternal life. It is a message about the unconquerable love of God for His creation, man, even when man totally rejects Him. It is a message about the sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for the ruined human race. How He chose to die for the sins of the world so that man might find eternal life. How salvation from an eternity in Hell is a free gift of God, by the grace of God alone, through faith in Christ alone, and by Christ alone.

Yet, this is not the message that tickles the ears of those that want to hear the popular message, the feel good message, and the socially correct message. People want to hear that their destiny is within their ability to earn, by what they do, and by how much they give. The false teacher, or the predator teacher, knows this and gives that person tasks to perform, and places to send their money. They can then look at their fellow members and say, See what I have done, see what I have given. They feel good about themselves, right up to the point they stand before God on Judgment day.

We said last week that it is wrong to tell a lie, it worse to teach a lie, but it is monstrous to teach a lie about God. These false teachers know that the words they share are a lie about God. They know that their lies are drawing people away from the true gospel of Christ, and they know that people will spend an eternity in Hell because of their lies. They know this, and they count the money they have earned by these lies all the way to the bank. That is their motive. They covet wealth, power, and an immoral lifestyle.

Listen to this podcast to learn about how these false teachers, who are ever present, are deceiving many, and God’s assurance that He will judge them for their lies.