The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

A TALE OF TWO TREES (Genesis 2:15-17)

A TALE OF TWO TREES (Genesis 2:15-17)

In today’s lesson we are going to be talking about a couple of very important trees that God has given to mankind.  

For the first tree, God had created man, and He placed man there in the beautiful Garden of Eden and gave him absolutely everything he needed for indescribable happiness and for joy and fulfillment. But in order that man might have a will—and a free will—God gave him the moral opportunity of a choice. And so, God created a tree and planted that tree in the Garden of Eden. It was called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” and man was absolutely forbidden to eat the fruit of that tree.  That was the first tree.

For the second tree, we have Calvary’s tree, which is a tree of life.  Now, don’t be confused, this is not the tree of life that was also placed in the Garden of Eden, but it is “The” tree of life.  The tree of eternal life.  The tree that Christ died for our sins on. when you see the cross, and when you see what it did to Jesus, and when you see the wrath of God being poured out, there you have a knowledge of evil. That tree, Calvary’s tree, was a tree of the knowledge of evil, but it was also a tree of the knowledge of good. When you see the cross, when you see Calvary’s cross, there and there alone do you behold the goodness of God, the glory of God, the grace of God, the righteousness of God, the majesty of God—the glory of God—as you’ve never beheld it before, by beholding the cross. 

Click on the play button above to hear a message on the two trees that God has given man.  Trees that give the knowledge of good and evil.  With the first tree we see the sinfulness of man, and with the second tree we receive the wonderful grace of God.

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

Amen.

A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN (Genesis 2:18-25)

A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN (Genesis 2:18-25)

The message that I am going to teach today, will be called “Old Fashioned,” or “out-of-touch,” by many today.  I understand that, and I really had to question whether I wanted to teach it or not, but I believe we live in a time when God’s plan for marriage has been put aside and forgotten.  Now, I want you to understand that I know that many people are in marriages that are nothing close to this, or they are now single parents, but this lesson is about what God teaches us that His plan for marriage was when He created it.  God created marriage for man.  It is man that has corrupted this plan to what it is today.  So, I thought it important that we reset the standard of what a marriage is supposed to be, when it is the way that God planned it.  

Now, if you’re married, you have a potential of great, great wealth—and I don’t mean financial wealth. I mean you can be a marriage millionaire if you understand the value there is in a true, true marriage, based on God’s intent for marriage. Don’t be like the man who used to run his wedding movies backwards so he could see himself walking out of the church a free man. Let me tell you that there is a wonderful, wonderful, value in this thing called marriage, properly understood.

Click on the play button above to hear a message about God’s plan for marriage. I want to tell you that all true marriages are made in heaven. Marriage did not come from the swamps of evolution. It is not the product of societal folkways and mores. Marriage is the most basic instinct in the heart and mind of human beings.

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

Amen.

GOD’S COVENANTS WITH MAN (Genesis 2:15-17)

GOD’S COVENANTS WITH MAN (Genesis 2:15-17)

When God created man, He blessed man with the perfect spot to live, the perfect job, and the perfect mate.  So, what is there that could be missing?  Well, the next thing I want us to realize about Adam and Eve as God placed them in the Garden of Eden is the relationship that God gave them with Him.  Adam enjoyed a relationship with God that we only partially see now as a Christian through the blood of Jesus Christ.  

I believe that we will see the fulfillment of this relationship when we go to be with the Lord, and we are perfected.  In some ways, I believe our relationship will even be better than the one Adam had with God.  Actually, it will be the relationship that Adam could have had if he had obeyed God.  I also believe that the covenants that God has established with man, from the Old Testament through the New Testament have been a progression toward obtaining that perfect relationship with God.  

Generally speaking, God’s relationship to man has always been based on a covenant.  The New Testament is actually a New Covenant which God has made, and it is in contrast to the Old Covenant of the Old Testament.  

Click on the play button above to hear a message that describes the eight covenants that God has made with man and how they change the way that we approach God.

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

Amen.

GOD BLESSES MAN (Genesis 2:1-25)

Today, we are going to talk about two topics; the first is God’s rest.  This is an interesting Biblical concept that I want you to know about because it really has tremendous application to us.  Next, we are going to talk about how God established Adam, and then blessed him with a perfect home, a perfect job, and then a perfect mate.  For all those social workers and psychologists that believe that man’s sinful behavior is simply a result of a person’s environment, this should be their prime example of how wrong they are.  Unfortunately, man doesn’t sin because of his environment, man sins because he chooses to sin.  

Click on the link below to hear a message where God is describing the ideal marriage. It took place in the perfect spot to live, each with the perfect job, and most of all with the perfect mate.  It was planned by God, blessed by God, and created by God.  If we do not have this today, it is only because we have strayed so far, as a race, from the perfect will of God. 

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

Amen.

A CHURCH WITH DOMINION (Genesis 1:26)

Today, I want to talk about how man lost the dominion that was given to him by God, how it was restored, and how it now rests with the church.  Today, I want to talk to you about a church of conquest—a church with dominion.  God’s plan for LifeChange Church is that we move forward, not backward. God’s plan for you is that you be victorious day by day.

When God made Adam and Eve, He made them king and queen of His domain, and God gave them rule.

Ps 8:6
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
KJV

That was God’s plan. That’s why God made man. Man was designed for dominion. He was made for mastery. Do you think that is true today?  Well, I think it would be hard to say that it is, when we read the headlines and see the rape, the murder, the war, the riots, the famine, the disaster, the heartache, the tears, the fears, and the failures of mankind. Man, given dominion, has lost that dominion. 

Click on the link below to hear a message that looks at how Adam lost the dominion that was given to him by God, and how our dear Lord has bought it back for us and given it to this wonderful church—to LifeChange church, and to every Bible-believing church—and to every Spirit-filled Christian, that we might live and walk in victory.

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

Amen.

IS MAN JUST A CLEVER ANIMAL? (Genesis 1:27-30)

IS MAN JUST A CLEVER ANIMAL? (Genesis 1:27-30)

Today’s message is about the supreme question that divides the secular world that believes in evolution, and those who believe in the creation of all things by God.  The Bible tells us that on the sixth day, God created the man and the beasts of the field.  Now, that means that there must be a relationship between the two.  Today, I want to look at that relationship and answer the question, Is Man Just a Clever Animal?

When we stop and compare men and the animals, we can see a similarity in design, a similarity in diet, a similarity in death.  Now, we need to recognize the similarities between man and the animals, but I also want you to see the differences between men and animals.  

Not only does man have a craving for Deity, and not only does man have a capability for dominion, but man also has a capacity for depravity that animals don’t have. Animals cannot sin, but on the other hand, animals can’t love God.  In order for men to love God, they have to have the capacity, or the capability, to sin. God gave man that ability. You ask, “How could men sin if God made everything perfect?” Well, when God made man, God made him with the capacity to choose. And God had to make him with the capacity to choose. If he didn’t have the capacity to choose, he wouldn’t be a man.

But, most importantly, man has a conception of his destiny. He has a comprehension of the fact that he is going to die. But he knows that doesn’t end it all. You cannot crawl up in the grave and pull the dirt over your face and hide from God. When God made you, God made you in His image. God breathed into your nostrils the breath of life.  You could no more cease to exist than God Himself could cease to exist.  You’re going to exist somewhere—dateless, timeless, endless, measureless. Your soul is worth more than all of the stocks, the bonds, the gold, the silver, the schools, the railroads put together. 

Animals are not going to live forever. When an animal dies, he’s dead.  There was a time when you were not, but there never again will be a time when you shall not be. You were created in the image of God. God says something about man that He doesn’t say about the animals. The Bible says that He made the animals, but He created you. He took animals and made them out of preexisting stuff, but God did a unique creation when He made you, and you are made in His image, and man has a concern for his destiny. I hope you have a concern for your destiny as well. 

Click on the play button to hear a message that answers the question, Is Man Just a Clever animal?

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

Amen.

THE WORLD IN A WEEK (Genesis 1:3-27)

THE WORLD IN A WEEK(Genesis 1:3-27)

Today we are going to discuss the creation of the world by God as He prepares the earth as the place for mankind to live.  Over the last couple of weeks, we have been building the foundation for how we are to understand the Creation story.  We have talked about the meaning of the words “light” and “day.” and we have talked about who God is.  Now, it is time to apply those lessons as we learn about the almighty power of the God we serve.  The God of All Creation.

God begins the creation process of turning chaos into order. First, God dealt first with the darkness.  In the second step, God dealt next with the disorder, itself. He began by raising the clouds. Then, the third step in the process was for God to raise the continents.  That brings us to the next step in the process of bringing order to chaos, God dealt with the deadness of the planet.  He created the plants and the animals.

The next step was to create man, God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  In his nature, person, and personality, in his moral and spiritual capacities, in his emotions, intellect, conscience, and will, man stands apart from the animal world.  God created man as being threefold in nature, we have a spirit, soul, and body. 

Click on the play button above to hear a message on how God prepared this earth for man to have dominion over.  Most importantly, don’t miss the all important message in these verses about the light that is Jesus Christ.  Don’t miss the message that we are creations of Jesus Christ, we owe Him our worship, our service, and our love.  Don’t believe for a second that some day, if you reject the light that is Jesus Christ, that you will not stand in judgment and be condemned to an eternity without His light.  Be sure you have the light that is Jesus Christ within your heart.  

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

Amen.

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD (Genesis 1_1)

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD (Genesis 1:1)

In today’s message, I want to spend time settling the question of who God is and does He exist.  For you see, if you believe in God, then all of the questions you have about the Creation are answered.  If you do not believe in God, then you will never have the answers to your questions about how this universe came in to being.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the Bible just presents God? There He is in the very first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning God.”  He is simply presented. The fact of God is never explained in the Bible. The existence of God is never argued in the Bible. The Bible does not try to teach against atheism. God is simply presented. Now God, therefore, must be accepted by faith. Sometimes a skeptic will come and say to you, “Prove there is a God.” Don’t try, because you can’t prove that God exists, for the finite can never prove the infinite.  But not to worry. After he says, “Prove that God exists,” you say simply with a smile on your face and much confidence in your heart, “I can’t. Now, sir, will you prove that God does not exist?” And he can’t do that either.

If a person does not believe in God, it is not that he cannot believe; it is that he will not believe. He chooses not to believe. All people are believers. Some believe there is a God; some believe there is no God. 

The Bible says that “In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.” He’s presented. Now, in the beginning God did what? He created, and what mighty power is seen in His creation! Only God has creative power. 

Click on the play button to hear a message on why the almighty God created all things. He did it for His pleasure.  He did it for His praise, and He did for you. This is our mighty God. He loves you and He wants to save you and give you everlasting life. 

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

Amen.

THE MEANING OF LIGHT AND DAY (Genesis 1:1-5)

THE MEANING OF LIGHT AND DAY (Genesis 1:1-5)

Today’s message is on the meaning of the words “light” and “day” as they are used in the Bible’s account of creation.  Two very simple words, that we use all of the time, but so many people have a hard time understanding when it comes to what God says about the creation of all things.  

In the book of Genesis, God said “let there be light.”  The word “light” stands for and performs so many different functions and things in the Scriptures.  The concept of light is described throughout the Bible, and it is first used here in Genesis.  Light truly is a unique creation.  The Holy Spirit chose light as a metaphor for God throughout the Scripture.  Like God, light is mysterious but glorious.

Light by its nature, just like our Lord, is constant.  The speed and the nature of light never change.  The speed of the light that leaves our sun millions of miles away is traveling at the exact same speed as when it reaches us as we stand outside and let it fall on us to warm and comfort us.  The light of our Lord is the same.  It is the same today as it was on creation day, and as it will be when He comes for us to take us home.  Satan and his kingdom must bow before God and the majesty of His light.  When God’s light comes, Satan’s darkness must go.  

It also means that there is only one way to get rid of Satan’s darkness, and that is the light of the Word of God.  We have victory in Jesus because no force on the earth, or below the earth, can stand against the mighty majesty of His light.  When our lives are filled with sin, it is the light of the Word of God that will give you victory over that sin in your life.  In fact, it is the only light that will give you victory over Satan and sin.  You cannot live the Christian life without the power and light of the Holy Spirit in your heart.

Click on the play button at the top of the post to hear a message on the meaning of the words “light” and “day” as they are used in the creation story found in the first few verses of the Bible.

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

Amen.

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD (Genesis 1:1-3)

As you study the Bible, it always amazes me how one part folds into and helps the understanding of another part.  For example, you must have an understanding of the Book of Daniel before you can understand the Book of Revelation.  In my opinion, there are two books which are key to the understanding of all of the Scriptures, the book that opens the Old Testament (Genesis), and the book that opens the New Testament (Matthew).

God had some definite purpose in giving the book of Genesis to us.  The first section of the book has to do with the universe and with creation, but the last part deals with man, with nations, and with the person of Jesus Christ. God was more interested in Abraham than He was in the entire created universe, and God is more interested in you and attaches more value to you than He does to the entire physical universe.

With Genesis begins the progressive self-revelation of God which culminates in Christ.  The three primary names of Deity-Elohim, Jehovah, and Adonai appear in Genesis and these in an ordered progression which could not be changed without confusion.  It also presents the problem of sin and how it affects man’s condition on the earth and his relationship to God.  It also presents the divine solution of that problem.  

Click on the link below to hear a message that describes what the book of Genesis is all about. Genesis is the “seed plot” of the Bible, and here we find the beginning, the source, the birth of everything. The Book of Genesis is just like the bud of a beautiful rose, and it opens out into the rest of the Bible. The truth here is in germ form.

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

Amen.