The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

GOD REVEALS HIMSELF (Acts 17:26 to 18:11)

Man was created to worship God, but his sin has placed him under Satan as his Master.  Man, by nature, wants to worship something, you can see that in all of the religions that are created.  There has been only one God given religion, and that was Judaism, which is no longer valid.  All other religions are created by man.  Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Yet, these man-made religions are created by Satan to deceive man from the worship of the one true living God.

While man may not be searching specifically for the living and true God, he is searching for a god, and he is willing to put up an idol and worship it.  Man is also not searching for salvation, for it is not until the Holy Spirit convicts the heart of the lost person that he begins to realize his sin, his responsibility for that sin, and the punishment that he will ultimately face for that sin.  

Paul says, “and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” Paul was telling the Athenians that the God of Creation, the God revealed in nature, providence, and circumstance, was not far away.  He had revealed Himself in those things.  Indeed, nature is God’s oldest testament.  His eternal power and Godhead are revealed in His creation and in His providential dealings with man.  

The next question is how has God shown Himself? Paul states that it is by the “the invisible things,” (love, goodness, power, judgment).  “From creation” (the very beginning) are “clearly seen,” and “understood,” by creation. 

Has God revealed Himself to man? Have all men had a revelation of God, from God? YES!

The Scriptures make it very clear that through many means God has revealed Himself to all men through creation, law, conscience, spirit, prophet, seasons, and on and on. He has done this “so they are without excuse.”  

Click on the link below to hear a lesson on how God has revealed Himself to all of mankind.

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

Amen.

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? (Acts 16:11-34)

This question is asked by the Philippian jailer in our lesson today, but it has been asked by millions, upon millions, of lost people over the last two thousand years.  For it is the single most important question that a person must ask in their lifetime.  The answer to this all-important question is provided for us in God’s Word, and our response is what determines how we will spend eternity.

It is important to understand that it is not the amount, or kind, of sin in our life that condemns us; it is the fact of sin in our life that condemns us.  Yet, we will not be judged and sent to an eternity in hell because of our sin.  We will be judged and sent to an eternity in hell because of our rejection of Jesus Christ and the light of salvation that He has provided to us through the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Silas provided a two-part answer to the jailer.  The first part was “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” There is only one way to come to God, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ, and not works.

Charles Spurgeon stated the following: “It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ.  It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee, it is Christ.  It is not even thy faith in Christ that saves thee, though that be the instrument.  It is Christ’s blood and merit.”

It is Christ’s blood that saves us, faith just grabs hold of it for us—that is all.  

The Word of God is the second part of the answer. The question for the jailer, and any lost person, becomes do you believe God or not?  Our faith comes from our heart.  It is by knowing that the Bible is the Word of God that our faith can be based on knowledge.  It is not some mystery that we cannot know.

Click on the link below to hear a message that answers the question, “What must I do to be saved?”

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

Amen.

THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS (Acts 15:36 to 16:10)

Just because something looks like the right thing to do, just because all the circumstances point that way, just because one’s own desires affirm the move, and just because everyone else urges it as the sensible thing to do, it does not necessarily follow that it is the will of God.  The important question to ask is, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”  

Your great desire ought to be to know His will.  Your great delight will be to do His will.  Your great danger is to refuse His will.  

The truth about God’s will is that guidance is promised.  God wants you to know His will for your life.  He will make it known to you, if you are willing to fully surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Now, it may sound simplistic, but the will of God for you is Jesus, just Jesus.  Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is the body.  What is the will of my body? My head.  Who is my head? Jesus. What is the will of the church of the body of believers? Jesus, the head of the church.  The will of God for your life is Jesus.  He is your Lord.  Know Him, know the will of God.

Here are three principles about the will of God:

• The will of God is for your welfare.  It is not something you have to do; it is something you get to do.  

• The will of God will never take you where the power of God and the grace of God cannot enable and keep you.

• You are free to choose.  God will never force His will upon you.  You are free to choose His will.  You are not free not to choose.  You have to make a choice.  When you say, “Well, I just won’t choose anything.” You just made a choice.  You are free to choose, you are not free to choose the consequences of your choice.  You make a choice and the choice chooses the consequences for you.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can know the will of God for your life.  

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

Amen.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER (Acts 15:13 to 18)

For many years we have heard so much about a new world order. And with the war in Iran, and the attacks on Israel leading the headlines in our news media, there is talk, once again, from the politicians about a new world order. Well, it is not a new world order. It is the old disorder that has been in the world, and will be in the world, until Jesus comes. 

We have been astounded as we have seen the upheavals that are occurring everywhere, even in our own country.  A country that once stood for liberty is now driving head long toward socialism.  There is more and more disorder. 

The reason why we cannot make a cosmos out of this chaos is what C. S. Lewis said, “You can’t make a good omelet out of bad eggs.” And the more we stir, the more we try to arrange things, it seems like the worse we get. And all of us have the idea in these last days that we are looking into the muzzle of a loaded cannon. But behind it all is Almighty God. And so, we need to understand this, because if we don’t understand it, we can get very discouraged. 

Click on the link below to hear a message on how the Bible tells us that there are four things that are out of place in this world, and until those four things get in place, this world will never come to order. 

First, The bride is out of place. That is the Church, she belongs with the Bridegroom.  Second, The owner is out of place, the Jew.  They belong in their land.  All of the land promised to them by God. The third thing is, Satan is out of place, because the criminal belongs in prison. The fourth, and most important thing, is that the King is not on His throne.  The Lord Jesus is coming again, and He will sit on His throne.  Then, when all of that happens, that is when you are going to have a new world order, when the King is on His throne.

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

Amen.

GOD'S PLAN PREVAILS (Acts 15:12 to 35)

One of the greatest things about being a Christian is knowing that God’s plan will always prevail.  Amen?  What is sad about this knowledge is that the lost people I know do not have this comfort.  They either have been told about God and rejected Him, or they simply do not know Him.  

The Holy Spirit always has His way in the end.  He does not force His will, He does not coerce.  He remains invisible, inaudible, but infinite, inescapable, and infallible, guiding all things to work out His sovereign will.  This is something that should fill us with joy and praise for God.  

When everything seems to be going wrong, when truth seems to always be playing with a handicap, when the right seems to be outmaneuvered by the wrong, when misguided men have somehow seemingly been able to destroy or disrupt that which was of God, we need to remember that the Holy Spirit is at work and all things will work out to His sovereign will.  The Holy Spirit never loses, never fails, and never deviates from His purpose.  His will always prevails in the end.  

The battle between God and Satan is not a battle of equals. It is a battle between the Creator, and the created.  Satan was created by God, and he will be destroyed by God.  Satan is absolutely no match for the almighty power of God.  

Click on the link below to hear a message about God’s plan for both the Gentiles and the Jews.  How God is visiting “the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.” This is why we should feel anxious to share the Word of God. Right now, there are people of every color, every race, and of every nation who need to hear the Word of God.   

What does God do with that Word? He is calling out a people for His name.  Not everyone who hears believes the Word. Not everyone accepts the good news of Jesus Christ. But of those who hear, God calls out a people for His name. 

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

Amen.

ISRAEL'S MISSION (Acts 13:14-25)

ISRAEL’S MISSION (Acts 13:14-25)

Today’s lesson is about Paul beginning his first missionary journey. It is when we know the will of God, and we are obedient to it, that there is no challenge too great, no danger too hard to face, the key is seeking and finding the will of God. The question becomes how do you decide when and where to move in the work of Lord? Certainly, for most believers, the most difficult part is separating the desire of our own heart from the desires of the Lord. Sometimes they coincide, and sometimes they don’t.

Seeking the Lord’s will is something each Christian should be doing on a daily basis. Finding the Lord’s will is the result of quiet, careful, meditation on the Word of God with a surrendered heart, and an open ear. So how do you know which way is right? Ask these questions:

1) Is your heart in a condition that can even hear the will of God? In other words, are you speaking from a surrendered heart that is fully obedient to God?  

2) Have you prayed and asked God to reveal the sin that is in your heart, and then confessed and repented of it? If there is unconfessed and unrepented sin in your life, that sin will keep you from hearing God’s will.

3) Have you searched God’s Word for the answer to your question of God’s will for your life? The answer to most of life’s questions can be found in the Scriptures that God has given us.  

4) Have you prayed about the question and then listened for God’s response, or have you simply told God the answer you want to hear?  

5) Is what you want meeting the purpose of Christ for this church being here, or for you still being on this earth? For example, Will it bring lost people to know Him?  

6) Are you willing to accept God’s answer, whatever it may be?  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how Finding the Lord’s will is the result of quiet, careful, meditation on the Word of God with a surrendered heart, and prayer with an open ear.

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

Amen.

VICTORY THROUGH PRAYER (Acts 12:1-11)

Today, I want to talk to you about prayer, not just “now-I-lay-me-down-to-sleep” kind of prayer, but victorious prayer. As you read the Book of Acts, there is the shout of victory, the ring of victory, and the shout of triumph on every page in the Book of Acts. These people learned how to pray, and they saturated their lives with prayer. And, God gave the victory.

Compare that with the average Christian today. Compare that with the average church today. We are failing in our battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. And, the reason that we fail, is that, primarily and fundamentally, we do not know how to pray.  

Now, this next statement that I am going to make is one of the most important Bible truths that every Christian needs to understand all the way down into their heart of hearts.  And without a doubt, it is most staggering thought that you could ever have in your life.  When I really stop to consider the impact of this truth on my life, I cannot describe in words the weight of that thought as it settles on me.  I am going to tell you what it is, and when I tell you what it is, you are going to say, “Well, everybody knows that.” And so do I, but yet, I cannot tell you how important this truth is. Are you ready for it? 

Here it is: “God answers prayer.”  Ask yourself “Is that really true?  That the One who made the universe, the God of all eternities, will hear me, and I can have influence in His court? Me—He will hear me! I can pray, and He will hear me and answer me.”  

God said, 

Jer 33:3
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
KJV

What a thought!  That we can have the privilege to pray to Almighty God! Now, if that is true—and it is true—then we had better learn how to pray.  We can have an audience with the King of kings.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can have victory through prayer.

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

Amen.

FINDING CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Acts 10:43)

I want us to think about someone that I love, as well as something I love, because the something I love is the Word of God, and the someone I love is the Lord Jesus, who is revealed in the Word of God. And today, I want to talk to you about the Jesus of the Old Testament.

Would you like to be able to understand the Old Testament? Would you like to get into some of the mystery rooms of the Old Testament? Well, there is a master key that unlocks the doors to the mystery rooms of the Old Testament, and that master key is the Lord Jesus Christ. And, if you will use a Christcentric approach to the Old Testament, it will burst aflame in your hands. As a matter of fact, if you read the Old Testament and you don’t find Jesus, then you need to go back and reread it because you missed the message. The Old Testament is a “Him” book. It is about Him. It is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, without Jesus, the Old Testament is a book, of unexplained ceremonies. They won’t make sense. Without Jesus It is a book of unfulfilled prophecies. And, Without Jesus It is a book of unattainable standards. If you try to live by the Old Testament without the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will not make it.  That is what you find in the Old Testament. You’ll find all of these laws and ceremonies and practices, and these types, and illustrations. But, as you step back, there He is—Jesus, the Son of God.  Jesus is there in portrait. He’s the Prophet. He’s the Priest. He’s the King. And then, you look at the fulfilled prophecies, and you say, “How can this happen apart from divine inspiration?”

Click on the link below to hear a message on how the Old Testament says that somebody is coming. The New Testament says that somebody has come. And, the book of the Revelation says that somebody is coming again. And, the New Testament tells you how Jesus, who is coming, gets you ready for His Second Coming, how you can know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

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

Amen.

LEARNING TO SHARE YOUR FAITH (Acts 10:34-48)

LEARNING TO SHARE YOUR FAITH (Acts 10:34-48)

Let me tell you something very important, the door to salvation and eternal life in heaven with God is very wide.  The Bible tells us that, “There is no respect of persons,” and best of all it says in Revelation 22:17: “Whosoever will may come.”  The Bible also says that if anyone will believe on Him, that person will “receive remission of sins.”  

So, I want you to say to yourself this morning, “I can be saved if I want to be saved.” God did not say that only some people can be saved, and other people cannot be saved, that some are in a select group. No, “there is no respect of persons with God,” none whatsoever. If you go to hell, a brokenhearted God will watch you drop into hell. It is not God’s plan that you die and go to hell. “The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”(2 Peter 3:9) 

But, the second thing is, if you are going to be saved, then you are going to be saved by Jesus, or you are not going to be saved at all. Jesus is not a good way to go to heaven. Jesus is not the best way to go to heaven. Jesus is the only way to go to heaven. And, if Jesus is not the only way, then He is none of the ways. He is not just one of the ways; He is either the only way or none of the ways. 

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

Now, that is either true or false.  If it is true, then He is the only way. If it is false, then He is a liar and He is not any of the ways. So, you can’t just kind of tip your hat to Jesus; you have to bow your knee to Jesus.

And so, the door is very wide, but the way is very narrow.  Anybody can come through the door to Jesus, but the only way that you can come to God the Father is through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to share your faith and lead someone to that wide open door.

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

Amen.

THE HOLY SPIRIT PREPARES THE HEART (Acts 9:32 to 10:23)

THE HOLY SPIRIT PREPARES THE HEART (Acts 9:32-10:23)

Today’s lesson is a continuation of the three conversions that we began to study with the salvation experience of the Ethiopian eunuch, followed by the conversion of Saul of Tarsus as he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  

In each of these examples, we looked at the three elements that brought these men to the feet of the Savior.  It is through these three elements that we can see how God works to bring a person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It is through these three elements that man is given the choice to accept Christ and make Him their Lord and Savior, or reject Him.

First, the Holy Spirit of God who begins the work in the heart of the lost person.  This is essential, for without this work nothing will happen.  We will see a tremendous example of this as the Holy Spirit prepares the heart of Cornelius.

Second, the Word of God.  This is also essential, for it is the Word of God that provides the basis of our faith.  It is because we know that its promises are true that our faith in Jesus rests.  

Third, the man of God.  When God gets ready to save somebody, He uses human instrumentality.  God doesn’t reach out of Heaven and simply convict, and convert, and save a person without human instrumentality being involved someway. That is the plan of God.  Now, I am not saying that God couldn’t do it by Himself, for He can do anything He wants, but that is not His plan.  Listen, the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God is primarily a ministry of cooperation. He will not do it without you, and you cannot do it without Him.  He will not do it without you, and you cannot do it without Him.  The Bible tells us that faith cometh by the hearing of the Word of God, and in today’s lesson it will be Peter that the Holy Spirit prepares as the man of God.  

It is important to understand the concept that as a lost person it is our sins that condemn us, but that is not what sends us to an eternity in hell.  We will be judged and condemned to the fires of hell for the light of Jesus Christ that we have rejected.  It is the rejection of Jesus as our Savior that sends us to hell, not the fact of our sins.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how the Holy Spirit works to prepare the heart of a believer.

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

Amen.