The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

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.

DISHARMONY IN THE HOME (Proverbs 15:13-22)

When a man and woman are married, there is to be what is called the “The Music of Marriage.” You have the husband, or the father, who is the leader of the band.  It is the father who sets tune in the home. He is the leader of the band.  Now the Music of Marriage requires that there be “Harmony in the Home,” and if there is to be harmony in the home, then husbands and wives must sing the same song, but they sing different parts. That’s what makes it harmonious, and not a mere melody, but wonderful harmony.  

Now, this harmonious Music of Marriage occurs when we play the part that God has equipped us to play. So, husbands and wives are singing different parts of the same song, but hopefully they are singing in the right rhythm, so they sing it together. But, the message today is on this subject: “Disharmony in the Home” I’m really talking about tension in the home, and what can we do to deal with it.  How can we have the harmonious music of marriage that God wants us to have?

As a young man I tried to learn to play the guitar, and I have dabbled trying to play the piano.  I was not successful in either endeavor.  I can’t seem to tap my foot to keep time and play the notes at the same time, and a metronome drives me crazy.  But, playing the guitar did teach me a few things besides having sore fingertips.  I learned that in order for the music coming from the guitar to sound harmonious, each of the strings have to be in tune.  Now, to tune those strings you have to adjust the tension on it.  If the string is not tight enough, then the music is flat and dull.  But, if the string is too tight, then the music is shrill and high-pitched. But if the string is even tighter, the string will snap.    

One of the major obstacles to the harmonious Music of Marriage is tension in the home caused by stress and strife. Stress is related to raising your voice, to raising your pulse, and raising your children. Listen, if you’ve got children, then you have stress just built in, and being in today’s home, the string can get mighty tight, and sometimes it can snap.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how God intends for you to deal with the stress in your home, and how you can have that harmonious Music of Marriage that God wants for your home.  

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.

DON‘T MISS GOD‘S SPECIAL BLESSING (Proverbs 5:1-23)

This week my wife and I celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary, and if you add the years that we dated before we got married, it has been 47 years.  At the age of 16, I fell in love with a young lady that I met in church, and then we happened to go to the same high school as well.  She was the first girl I ever dated, in fact, she has been the only girl I have ever dated, and the only girl I have ever wanted to date.  There has been no other in my heart, but her.  God’s special blessing has been on our relationship from the very beginning.  

The topics of love, and romance, and marriage, and all of the things associated with them, are subjects that everybody is interested in. At least, you ought to be interested.  It is a universal subject, no matter who you are, or where you live; and you never really outgrow it. Now, the girls get interested a little bit before the boys because they mature a little earlier.  This means that the girls start thinking about the boys before the boys start thinking about the girls.  That is a good thing because the girls need a head start before the hormones start raging in the boys.  But, it is not long before the boys are catching up with the girls, and from then on it is “neck and neck.”

Love, romance, and marriage, are very wonderful things, and we need to find out what God has to say about them, because God has some very definite wisdom on the idea of romance and love, and how to be blessed by your marriage.  Now, contrary to popular belief, God is not some kind of “cosmic killjoy.” Don’t get the idea that God is against love and romance and marriage. He is not.  Yet, when God says, “Flee fornication, and “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” God is not trying to keep sex from us. He’s trying to keep sex for us.  Because it is a wonderful gift of God.  

God has a special blessing for you when you allow God to choose your mate.  God wants you to be fulfilled. God wants you to have sexual fulfillment. God wants you to have real joy. God doesn’t want you to miss His best.  Don’t miss God’s special blessing for your life.

When God says, “Thou shalt not,” what He is really saying is, “Don’t hurt yourself.” When God says, “Thou shalt,” He’s saying, “Help yourself to happiness.” God wants you to have satisfaction. God wants you to have joy.  This is God’s plan. This is the design that we should follow.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can receive this special blessing by finding the right spouse, and then how to keep from destroying, or ruining, this wonderful gift of God.  

Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER FOR YOU (John 17:1-13)

Imagine this, the Son of the Almighty God, the Creator of all things, stood in a street and prayed for you.

John 17:9
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
KJV

When Jesus says, “I pray for them,” He means that He is praying for those who have believed on Him. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then Jesus is praying for you. That doesn’t mean that the Lord does not love the lost. He so loved the world that He came to die on a cross for their sin. But this prayer was about the people who would take the good news of the gospel of Christ to the world.

What did Jesus pray for?

John 17:13
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
KJV

It was for joy that Jesus endured the cross. Jesus wanted that same joy to fill the souls of his saints. His joy could not be full if their cup was not full too. So, he prayed that "they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

Click on the link below to hear a message on what Jesus prays for you. He prayed that you might have everlasting life and to have your cup filled with His joy.

Amen.

THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS (John 16:12-24)

Well, the world has certainly changed since the last time we met to study God’s Word. Instead of being in a building full of people, I am speaking to an empty room because of the coronavirus pandemic. From the looks of things, it may be this way for some time to come. As a result, I want you to know that I will continue our study of the Book of John with a new podcast posted each week. I also want you to know that God is in control. If you are worried, let God take that burden from you. If you are afraid, let God comfort you. If you are sick, let God work His will in your life. God is in control.

It shouldn’t, but it always amazes me when I see God’s timing play out in our lives. For example, prior to all of these events occurring related to the virus outbreak. Before we had even heard the word coronavirus. God has had me teaching about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He knew this time of trial was coming. We didn’t, but He did, and He wanted to remind us of how He will be here with us. He wanted to bring to our remembrance all that He has said about how He was indeed in control and that we can depend on Him. If there is nothing else that you walk away from this message with, it is that God is in control, and that He will give you the strength you need to get through this time of trial.

Isa 40:28-31
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
KJV

This virus did not take God by surprise. He is in control. If you will wait upon the Lord, if you will let Him have control of your life, then He will renew your strength.

In chapter 16 of the Gospel of John, we have been talking about three truths that the Lord Jesus Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us. They are the truths about sin, righteousness, and judgment. In today’s message, Jesus is going to tell His disciples another truth that the Holy Spirit will reveal unto them.

It is A truth about the new age of Grace, and the church of true believers, the body of Christ. It is through this body of true believers, that the Holy Spirit will bring the gospel message of Jesus Christ to the world, and bring words of life and hope to those who need to hear them during the times of tragedy that we face.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the work of the Holy Spirit as He reveals the truths of our Lord Jesus.

Amen.

A LIFE FULL OF JOY (John 15:11)

Many people would define the word joy as happiness. So, what's the difference between joy and happiness? Someone once said, “Happiness may give smiles, put laughter on our face, but happiness is just what the word describes. Happiness depends on what happens. Therefore, you call it happiness. If your hap is good, then you're happy. If your hap is bad, then you're unhappy. It all depends upon happenstance and whatever happens.” But joy depends upon the Lord. It is supernatural. It is not natural. And, therefore, because that joy is supernatural, that joy is steadfast. It is not happiness.

For a believer, joy is more than an emotion. It is a strength. It is the power of our Lord Jesus Christ flowing through us. It is a continuous, contagious, and conspicuous, source of strength for the believer to deal with the tribulations and persecutions of this world. When Christ’s joy emanates from you, people see it, and they want what you have. It is what draws people to you to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Joy is a joy that should be a part of every Christian’s life. It is not an automatic gift when you become a Christian, but it is a necessity to anyone wishing to live a victorious Christian life. The problem is that many Christians look for that joy in all the wrong places. They look for it the circumstances they are in. They look for it in their job, their hobbies, the people that they know, such as family members and friends. But those are all the wrong places to find Christ’s joy.

Click on the link below to hear a message on where to find real joy. It is when we abide in Christ that we find the unending love of Christ. It is also where we find true joy, in Christ.

Amen.

FINDING JOY IN THE VINE (John 15:5-11)

True joy is something that every Christian needs in their lives. It is the lubricant of your life. The joy of the Lord is indispensable in serving the Lord. The Bible says, "The joy of the Lord is what?" Your strength! The Bible says, “Serve the Lord with gladness..." The joy of the Lord will take the weariness, and the burden, and the labor, out of serving the Lord. But there are many Christians who do not have this joy. They want it, but they do not have it. Why is that? Why can’t they find this joy?

Have you ever lost something, and you looked, and looked, for it but you couldn’t find it? You looked in almost every place that it could be, but you didn’t find it, and then you found it. Now, why didn’t you find it when you looked in all of those other places? Because it wasn’t there. You were looking in the wrong places for it. Why can’t some people find this true joy that is so important to their lives? Because they are looking for it in the wrong places. They're trying to find it. They are looking, and looking, and looking, but they will not find it because it is not in the places that they are looking. They will never find it until they look into the place where true joy is. You have to look in the right place.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the true source of joy. It is a supernatural source. It is Jesus Christ. If you want to have true joy in your life, stop looking in all the wrong places and come to the source. Come to Jesus.

Amen.

ARE YOU THIRSTY? PART 1 (John 37-39)

Let me start by asking a question, how important is religion in your life? You see, I would say that religion is really only a small part of my life. I come to church on Sunday and participate in the form and the structure of a typical Protestant church. Certainly, there are differences in the religious rituals that are performed between the different Christian religions, but there are some basic similarities as well. Now, I am no expert on all Christian religions, but there is generally a sanctuary where everyone meets, there will be some music, some Bible verses read, and some preaching of one kind or another. The music may be contemporary, or it may be traditional hymns. It could be lively, with a bunch of dancing and shouting, or it could be almost silent whispers. The preaching may be fire and brimstone, or much more formal. It could be topical in nature, or it could be expository in nature. It could be entertaining, or it could be a real snoozer. Hopefully, it is someplace in the middle, but I have to admit that I have slept through a good share of the services I have been in. While there are differences, the basic building blocks of a worship service are all there in one form or another.

So, let me ask that question again, but just a little differently, how important is the style of the religion to you? How important are the traditions that created that style to you? How important are the rituals that are performed in that service to you?

Now, most people don't need more religion. We've got enough religion. What we need is a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What we need is true salvation with joy. We need to draw water from the wells of salvation.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how we should stop enduring religion. You need to ask yourself, why do you come to church on Sunday? Do you come to be blessed, or do you come to bless others? The importance of that answer is critical to your attitude as you walk into the doors of your church. Are you coming as a taker, or as a giver? Are you coming to check the box of obedience, or are you coming as a servant?

Are you thirsty?

Amen.

TRUST IN JESUS (John 6:25-36)

Have you been looking for true happiness, true joy, true peace, and just not been able to find it? It is because you are looking for the wrong things in the wrong places. If you want true happiness, and joy, and peace, then trust in Jesus Christ.

Happiness, joy, blessedness, and satisfaction, are never things that you find by searching for them. They are the things that you stumble over when you serve the Lord Jesus Christ. You are to seek Him preeminently. It is Jesus that you need, and it is in Jesus that you will find all that you have been searching for.

The people of this world want fame. They want fortune. They want friends. They want fashion, and they want fitness. Jesus tells us that they are seeking after the wrong things. Yet, these are the things that most people want. They are what they seek most of all in their lives. Jesus tells us that they are looking for satisfaction in the wrong places. Listen now, none of these are wrong in themselves. Fame and food and fashion and fitness and friends, they're all fine in their place, as long as that place is second place.

Matt 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
KJV

Jesus tells us to seek God first, seek God preeminently, and all the things that God has planned for you shall be added unto you.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to find the satisfaction, the happiness and joy, that you have been searching for. Most people today are working hard at changing their lives, trying to make them better using the things of the secular world, but all they are doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. All they are interested in is making the world a better place to go to hell from. What our Lord Jesus Christ is offering, is everlasting life. He is talking about getting a person saved. Jesus is spiritual bread that gives everlasting life.

It is in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, that you will find what you are looking for.

Amen.