The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

THE BRIDE FOR THE BRIDEGROOM (Genesis 24:28-67)

Today, I want to talk to you about a love story of a father finding a bride for the son that he loves dearly.  Actually, I want to talk about two love stories, with two Fathers, two Sons, two Servants, and two brides.  

One is Abraham, who, as a father, sends his servant back to the land that Abraham came from to find a bride for Isaac.  This unnamed servant is following the leading of the God of his master, Abraham, when he comes upon the house of Bethuel, where Rebekah lives.  His mission is to find the bride that has been selected by God for his master’s son, Isaac.  

The story of Abraham’s search gives us the type, or symbol, of a much greater, second, love story.  This second love story is the description of God the Father, determining from the foundations of time, that He would choose a bride for His Son, Jesus Christ.  Upon the completion of Jesus’ work at Calvary, which was the finished salvation that He has provided for each of us, God the Father sends the Holy Spirit as His Servant to gather together the bride for Jesus.  This bride is the church of the body of Christ, which is made up of believers that have come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior during this age that we live in today.  It is called the Church Age.  

Two tremendous love stories, two Fathers, two Bridegrooms, two Servants, and two brides.  Isaac loves Rebekah, but that is pale in comparison to the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit for the Bride of Christ.  

Click on the link below to hear about the greatest love story that has ever been told.  God has commissioned to me today to ask you a question. Are you ready for it? My Heavenly Father has said to me, “Keith, go teach this lesson. Tell people about Jesus. I want them to be Jesus’ bride. Tell them how wonderful Jesus is. And then, tell them that He who loves you is coming back for you one day.” My question to you is, will you receive Jesus as your Savior and seek to make His will yours?  God said, “Tell the people, Keith, that whosoever will may come.”  Don’t be left out of this love story.  Accept Christ today and be with Him for all of eternity.

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

Amen.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC (Genesis 20:1 to 21:34)

Today’s message is about spiritual highs and lows.  If you have been a Christ follower for very long, then the mountain top experiences when you feel so close to God, are right there alongside the deep valley experiences when you feel so far from God.  The Bible describes Abraham as a hero of the faith, and I certainly agree with that description.  Some of the things that we have seen Abraham do in our study of the book of Genesis, and some of the things that he will yet do in this book, are truly remarkable examples of a man who is filled with the Spirit of an all-powerful God.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I never like to see my heroes stumble.  I mean, the Lone Ranger never told a lie, he was never mean to people, and he always rescued the girl, and defeated the bad guys.  That is just the way it works, our heroes are not supposed to do the same kind of foolish things that we do, especially twice.

So, when you have the type of expectations that I do for my heroes, chapter 20 of the book of Genesis is a chapter that you would like to just skip over.  That is because Abraham does all of the things we just talked about.  He lies, and he is mean to Hagar and Ishmael.  Worse, he repeats the same sin that he committed when he went down into the land of Egypt and lied concerning Sarah, saying, “She is my sister.” It is the same story, all over again. But in the end, Abraham defeats the bad guy, or the sin that has been in his life, he obeys God’s commands, and he gets the only girl God has wanted for him from the beginning, which is Sarah.

Yet, this story tells the truth about all of us as Christians.  No matter how great we think we are, each time we try to solve our problems using the world’s methods, using our own strength, instead of depending on God, we will fail.  And there is nothing more miserable than a Christian who has failed because he did not depend on God.  The lost see this person as the hypocrite they are, and they want nothing to do with that kind of shallow belief.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how our faith and trust in God is the foundation for living a victorious Christian life.

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

Amen.

THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE-PART II (Hebrews 10:38 to 11:6)

Life is a journey. We are headed somewhere, and it is not a casual journey. It is a race.  The life of faith, the only way to live, is a life that has a destination. It is like a race. It has a goal. Now, faith helps us to find that goal, which is the will of God.  Do you know what life is all about? It is to find, to follow, and to finish the will of God. That is the destination of faith. That is what faith is all about.

God tells us “Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.”—looking unto Jesus.  This is telling us something very important.  It is not great faith in God that you need. Oh, we all want great faith in God. But that’s a by-product.  It is not great faith in God that you need.  It is faith, in a great God.  It is faith in a great God. 

Do you know what faith is? It is the by-product of looking unto Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of our faith. He’s the Alpha, the Omega. He’s the one that fires the gun. He’s the goal to which we run. He is the coach that coaches us as we run. Put your eyes upon Jesus Christ.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to live a life of faith.  You will not live without faith.  The question you need to ask is, do you know Jesus?  You can exist without faith, but you will never live without faith. Jesus said, “I’ve come that you might have life.” You put your faith where God has put your sins: on Jesus Christ.

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

Amen.

JESUS, OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST (Hebrews 4:13-5:4)

Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest, that is the role that Christ is playing in our lives today.  He has completed His work of salvation, and now He is in heaven as our Great High Priest.  

In the Old Testament, one of the functions of the priest was to hear the confession of sins so that a sacrifice could be made to obtain forgiveness of that sin.  Un-confessed sin was and is a burden upon the person who sins.  However, as a believer that has made Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, in this age of grace, we know that all of our sins have already been forgiven.  We already know that we will not have to face the penalty of our sin, for Christ has already done that for us.  Yet, sin is still a burden on our spirit, and we are certainly told to confess our sins. 

We confess our sins out of obedience and a desire for cleansing.  If we do not acknowledge our sin, it becomes like a malignancy which spreads to consume our energy, our spiritual zeal, and it is always present with us draining our ambition to serve the Lord.  It robs us of the joy of being in God’s will, and for the Christian, being in God’s will is the zone, it is that special place we want to be.

Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
KJV

This is telling us that we can come with great freedom unto the Throne of Grace.  We can speak freely to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can tell Him things we wouldn’t tell anyone else.  He already knows everything there is to know about us, so why not speak freely with Him.  Christ understands us; He knows all of our weaknesses.  And when we approach that throne of Grace it is so “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We can come with full confidence that He will hear us, and He wants to extend to us His Grace, and Mercy, when we are in a time of need.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the fact that our sin is not a secret, God sees it all, and God expects us to confess that sin.  The message today is about the One who now stands in the office of High Priest, and to whom we must confess.  Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the Supreme High Priest.

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

Amen.

THE WORD OF GOD (Hebrews 4:8-12)

God’s favorite characterization of His Book is the phrase, “The Word of God.” God’s favorite title for the Bible is the Word of God.  Did you know that nowhere in the Bible will you find that God calls this book “The Bible?”  Now, I am not saying that the Bible is not an appropriate title for this book, because it is.  It recognized the world over as God’s book.  Yet, it is not what the Bible calls itself.  Over and over and over again you can find where the Bible calls itself the Word of God. 

Now, that’s very important because when it is the Word of God, then it is what? God speaking. Now, if it is God speaking, then we have to pay attention to it. You see, God gave the same name to His own dear Son. Jesus Christ is called the same thing that the Bible is called. Jesus is called the Word of God. For example, in Revelation 19, verse 13, speaking of Jesus when he comes again:

Rev 19:13
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
KJV

Now, that’s also very important because the character of both are linked together. The Bible is called the Word of God; Jesus Christ is called the Word of God. One is the written word; the other is the living word. The Bible is the Word of the Lord, and Jesus is the Lord of the Word. And so, the living word, Jesus, honors the written word. The written word, the Bible, presents the living word, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Click on the link below to hear a message that tells us there is no way possible that you are going to be a growing Christian if you neglect the one book that God has provided to give you energy, power, sustenance, and strength, wisdom, knowledge, and faith; and that book is, the Word of God.  If you do not spend time daily in the Word of God, then you cannot lead a victorious Christian life.  

Amen.

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

THE PERIL OF UNBELIEF (Hebrews 3:13 to 4:7)

Have you ever asked yourself what is one of the most serious sins that we as either, a lost person, or a believer, can commit against God?  As a believer, we know that our salvation is secure, we cannot lose it no matter what we do, but we can still sin.  So, what do you think would be one of the worst sins that a believer could commit? Murder, lying, stealing, adultery, worshipping idols, all very serious, but what could be more serious?

The sin of unbelief, the sin of not trusting God with your whole life, is one of the most serious sins that a believer can commit.  It is serious because your unbelief will keep God from using you to do His work, and from blessing you.  A Christian that does not trust God, is totally useless.  For the lost person, unbelief is even more tragic and dangerous.  It is the one sin that will close the door to salvation.  Unbelief leads to denial and rejection of God, which leads to judgment and an eternity in darkness without God.

The writer of Hebrews is warning believers not to make the same mistake.  Don’t doubt God.  Come enjoy the rest of obedience, the rest of enjoyment of a Christian life.  Learn what it is to have the full joy that comes with being in the Will of God.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the great failure of believers today is unbelief.  They have received the rest of salvation, but they have not trusted God to do everything He says He will do.  They still want to handle their problems all on their own.  They have not found the peace and comfort, the rest, that comes from living a life of obedience and faith.  The rest of obedience that an all powerful God can give you.  

Amen.

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

JESUS IS SUPERIOR TO MOSES (Hebrews 3:1-13)

The Bible talks about entering into God’s Rest. There is the “rest of salvation” spoken of in:

Matthew 11:28
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
KJV

Then, there is “the rest of redemption.”  The Israelites that came out of bondage knew the rest of redemption.  They were no longer slaves of Egypt.  They came out by blood, blood on the doorposts.  They came out by power---the power of God.  God had brought them across the Red Sea.  God had delivered them.  

Then, Jesus spoke of “the rest of obedience, the rest of enjoying a Christian life.”  

Matthew 11:29
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
KJV

The great failure of believers today is that they have received “the rest of salvation,” but they have not trusted God to do everything He says He will do.  They still want to handle their problems all on their own.  They have not found the peace and comfort, the rest, that comes from living a life of obedience and faith.  “The rest of obedience” that an all powerful God can give you.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how Christ is a superior Savior and Priest, who provides better security than anything offered by Moses and the Law that God gave the Jews through Moses.  How our belief and obedience to Christ, can bring us into the rest of obedience, the rest of enjoying a Christian life.

Amen.

GOD‘S MIRACLE MEDICINE (Proverbs 12:25; 15:13-15; 17:22)

We live in a world where a lot of people, including our Christian brothers and sisters, are living with a heavy heart.  The world has taken a pause this weekend to remember all of the of the people who were lost in the terrorist attack on 9/11.  The families of the soldiers and first responders who lost their lives responding to the attack over the last 20 years are dealing with the loss of their loved ones.  There is sorrow, worry, and stress that is weighing down on all of these people, and our lesson today is about God’s Miracle Medicine for people with heavy hearts.

Have you ever heard of a medical term called E.I.I?  E.I.I. stands for “emotionally induced illness.” That is, people are sick physically, but their emotions have made them ill.  Now, I had never heard of this term before, so of course, I went out on Google, the source of all untruth, and searched for articles on it, and there was quite the list.  Some described it as “A psychosomatic illness that originates from or is aggravated by emotional stress and manifests in the body as physical pain and other symptoms.”  Other articles just talked about the real physical effects of long-term stress on the body.  

In our message today, I want to give you a little G.M.M., or “God’s miracle medicine.”  I believe that God is leading me to teach us what God has to say about this idea of the impact our emotions can have, good or bad, on our health.  God tells us: 

Prov 17:22
22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
KJV

You see, right there in God’s Word, we learn that “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”  That is God’s Miracle Medicine.  A Christian without joy, a joyless Christian, is a contradiction in terms. Someone has well said, “A religion that wears grave clothes ought to be buried.” I say amen to that. 

Click on the link below to hear a message where God tells us in His Word that true joy is found in the Lord Jesus, and “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” I want to share it with you today. I want you to know the Lord Jesus Christ. And for all that E.I.I. that is weighing your heart down, I want you to take a good dose of G.M.M, God’s miracle medicine. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”

Amen.

TO WALK GOD'S PATH (Proverbs 3:23-35)

God wants us, as believers, to be free from the bondage of the world so that we might live a life that follows God’s chosen path for us.  But, have you ever asked yourself, how do we walk that path, and what should we expect as we walk that path?  That is the focus of today’s message, what does God’s Word say about what it is like to walk God’s chosen path for each of us.  God wants you to know that it is a peaceful life.  It is peaceful in the good times, and it is peaceful in times of stress. 

God’s path requires that you give the Lord your love and loyalty, and to put Christ first in all that we do. If we do these things, then we will have God’s peace.  As a result, we know that, come what may, all will be well.  There is no greater gift this side of Heaven than to have the peace of God standing watch over our hearts. 

Phil 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
KJV

When we walk along God’s path for our lives, His wisdom tells us that we can have peace in good times and times of stress because we know the place where faith stands:

Prov 3:26
26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
KJV

Faith takes its stand in the Lord.  Never believe that this struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, and truth versus lie, is a mighty battle between equals.  It is not.  It is not even close.  God is the omnipotent, omniscient, Creator of all things.  He has but to speak and all evil is defeated.   

Click on the link below to hear a message on what we should expect when we walk God’s path for our lives. The answer is that God does not ask us to walk that path without His promises to bless us with His wisdom and power to succeed on our course. The key to finding these promises, and to accomplishing His will, is to put Christ first in all things, and to hold dearly to the wisdom that comes with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. 

Amen.

TRUE FINANCIAL FREEDOM (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Last week we started talking about what it means for a believer to be in financial bondage to the world, and how that impacts their ability to do the work that God has for them to accomplish.  We said that God has a plan for every aspect of our lives, and our finances are part of His plan.  In fact, God promises that if you will follow His amazingly simple plan, then you will find true financial freedom.  

Prov 3:9-10
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
KJV

Look at the promise the Lord has given us in these verses.  He says, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”  

God wants you to know that He has a plan for you, and His plan for you is not to be in bondage; God’s plan is for you to have liberty and freedom. God does not want His children in bondage to anything or anybody other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you’re in bondage to the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s perfect liberty. 

Click on the link below to hear a message about six principles from the Word of God that you can use in your life to find financial freedom.  If you want to get out of financial bondage, or better yet, if you want to keep yourself out of financial bondage, to enjoy the freedom that comes from serving the Lord, then these six principles from the Word of God will make that happen for you.  

Amen.