The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

WHICH CHOICE HAVE YOU MADE? (Acts 13:40 to 14:6)

The Bible teaches that every person must make a choice about Jesus Christ.  It is the most important decision that you will make in your entire life.  Will you accept the offer of salvation provided by Jesus, will you choose eternal life, or not?  The alternative is to reject Christ and perish in your sin.  

For such an important question, the natural response is to try find the absolute truths about sin and eternal life.  Yet, if you turn away from Jesus, where will you turn?  Where can you go for truth if not to Jesus?

One of the places people turn to is the emptiness of atheism.  When someone turns to atheism, they choose to believe that in the beginning, the heavens and the earth created themselves, and then created man.  Now, this just doesn’t make sense at all, and anyone who tells you it does, is just not being intelligent.  

Another place people turn to is the buttery cloud of philosophy.  Do you remember your philosophy classes in school?  Did it seem like they provided answers, real truths about life or eternity, or did they just raise more questions than answers?

The next place that people turn to is the futility of materialism.  Do you think you can find absolute truths in the riches of the world?  The sad truth is that materialism can never satisfy the deepest longing of your heart.  God made you for Himself, and even if you have material things, you will still find your heart and life empty without Him.  

The next place people look for truth is the dead end of false religions.  Many turn away from Christ to another religion.  But remember what Peter said to Jesus: “To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”  You can go to another religion, but it is Christ alone that has the words of eternal life.  

So, who can you turn to for the words of truth and eternal life?  Nowhere, but Jesus.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the choice about Jesus Christ that every person must make.  

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.

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 GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 10:24-48)

THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 10:24-48)

In today’s message, we have two men, one lost, one a man of God, and we have the Holy Spirit of God, and the Word of God, all coming together to bring about the conversion of a group of Gentiles.

What I like about this section of verses is that they are a tremendous example of how to witness to a lost person that has been prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the Word of God. Peter is given the chance to answer the question of why he believes in Jesus Christ, and then he tells Cornelius why it is important for him to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior, as well.  Peter proclaims that he saw what Jesus did, he saw the miracles, he saw Him crucified, and then best of all, he saw Jesus resurrected from the dead, walking amongst us.

It is with this foundation that Peter brings Cornelius to the decision point of choosing to accept Jesus, or to reject Him.  It is the same decision that each person must ultimately make, for it is our acceptance or rejection of Jesus as our Lord and Master that will determine our fate in eternity.  

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.  

Peter declared that God raised Jesus up on the third day, and it is this resurrection fact that sets Christianity apart from all of the other religions.  We do not preach a religion filled with rituals and rules.  We preach a risen, living Christ.  

Christianity does not say, “Come and keep these commandments,” or “Observe these ordinances,” or “Worship these relics,” or even “Perform these penances.”  

Christianity says, “Come meet the risen, living Jesus Christ in whom salvation rests.”

Our relationship as believers is with a risen Savior, and it is that relationship that determines our eternal destiny.  Jesus died for our sins, and He was raised again for our justification.  It is the blood of Jesus Christ that purchased our redemption, and it is the living Christ that sits at the right hand of the Father.  It is the living Christ that will clothe us with the robes of righteousness and proclaim us to the Father.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on the grace of the Holy Spirit.

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

Amen.

HEARING AND DOING THE WILL OF GOD (Acts 9:1-27)

HEARING AND DOING THE WILL OF GOD (Acts 9:1-27)

I want to talk today about Hearing and Doing the Will of God.  Scripture tells us that we are all called to be missionaries.  However, not everyone is called to be a fulltime vocational missionary.  But, whether it is across the street, or around the world, we are all called to carry the light of Jesus Christ.  And I know that if you are a child of God, and understand the Bible, then you believe that.  

If I were to ask you, who is the world’s greatest missionary that has ever lived, I think we would all say that his name was Paul, a missionary named Paul. Without a doubt, without equivocation or contradiction, I believe that we would have to say that the Apostle Paul was the world’s greatest missionary, and what I want us to do today is to hear how God laid the missionary call on the heart of the Apostle Paul. Now, as we do that, it is going to speak to us because we are going to find some principles as to how God works and how God speaks.

Certainly, an important question that people have, who are sincere in their desire to serve God, is “How can I know the will of God for my life?” And, that is an excellent question, and there is a Biblical answer.  This question is important because, as servants of God, we must know the will of God for our lives. Success in life is not necessarily making a lot of money or being famous, but it is the progressive realization of the will of God for your life. That is success. And, who doesn’t want to be successful?

Click on the link below to hear a message on Hearing and Doing the Will of God in your life.

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

Amen.

THE DEVIL'S RELIGION (Acts 8:5-25)

THE DEVIL’S RELIGION (Acts 8:5-25)

In today’s lesson, we will be talking about false religion.  The title of the lesson is The Devil’s Religion” for the simple reason that all false religion comes from the Devil.  

I want you to recall that the general heading of our study of the book of Acts is “That Old-Time Religion.” For that is exactly what we are learning about, that Old-Time Religion that so many of our parents, and grandparents, and great grandparents worshipped in.  However, in many churches, that Old-Time Religion has not been carried forward into the worship services of today.  Today, progressivism and social ethics have infected many of our churches and denominations.  

So, what do I mean when I use the term “Old-Time Religion?”  I mean a religion that is based on the inerrant and infallible Word of God.  Where the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and the bodily, physical, resurrection of our Lord, and what it means to us, is preached regularly.  That Jesus is the Son of God, and that salvation can only by obtained through Jesus Christ, and your sins are forgiven because God sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  That your sins are redeemed by the washing of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  That salvation is given by grace and grace alone, not by works.  Now, I could go on, but that is the general idea of what I mean when I talk about that Old-Time Religion that so many churches have pushed to the wayside in favor of the Devil’s religion, which is based on selective parts of the Bible, ignoring the parts they don’t like, and being deceitful about the parts they do like.  You see, if you don’t teach the whole Word of God, then what you teach is a false religion, or the Devil’s Religion.  

Click on the link below to hear a message where we ask the question, Do you know God? I’m not asking you, are you a member of this church or any other church. I’m not asking you how religious or upstanding you are. Simon the sorcerer was religious, and he was in bondage, and in bitterness. He didn’t know Jesus.

If you want to live a victorious Christian life, then beware of the devil’s religion, and come find the truth of God’s Word and promises found in that Old-Time Religion, that Bible religion.

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

Amen.

DISCERNING BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN (Acts 5:12-42)

DISCERNING BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN (Acts 5:12-42)

Today’s lesson is about choices. The choice of following God, or of following Satan.  Now, you would probably say, “Well Keith, of course I will always make the choice of following God.”  But in reality, is it always that clear cut and that easy to determine which church we ought to attend, and which pastor is truly preaching God’s Word, or which gospel ministry we should support with our money?  

To recognize the works and will of God requires three things:

The first is that you must have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master.  You cannot find God’s will until you do that first.

Second, you must know God’s Word.  To discern truth from evil, requires that you have constantly studied and applied God’s Word to your life.  This is important because God will never ask you to do something that is against His revealed Word.  

And then third, you must have fully surrendered your life to God.  God does not speak to a Christ follower that is in rebellion to Him in any part of his life.  Why should He tell you more, if you don’t obey Him with the things that you already know are His will?  

To hear the Holy Spirit speak and guide you to the things of God, requires that you be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.  If the Holy Spirit is locked away in some deep, dark, closet that you only let out on Sunday, then you will not be able to discern the works and will of God, from those of Satan.

Satan is walking among us like a roaring lion, looking for those that he might devour.  Satan’s greatest tool is deception and in today’s world we see this manifested in the occult.  The occult is active on our college campuses today and in the best sections of our cities. People are given over to witchcraft today. It is amazing how many people will buy their daily horoscope, which they will then follow. Many people carry amulets, good luck pieces, charms, little dolls, and patron saints of this or that. This is growing by leaps and bounds in a materialistic age and culture such as ours.  

For what is the gospel?  It is a person, and that person is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living and true God.  Do you have Him today? You either do, or you don’t. You either trust Him, or you do not trust Him. Either He is your Savior, or you do not have a Savior. That is the message. The apostles did not cease to teach and to preach Jesus Christ.

Click on the link below to hear a message to learn how you can make sure that you do not miss the signs and miracles of a gracious God in your life.  Do not be deceived by Satan, the master of lies.  Find God’s will and surrender to it.

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

Amen.

HOW TO PUT POWER IN YOUR PRAYER (Acts 4:23-33)

HOW TO PUT POWER IN YOUR PRAYER (Acts 4:23-33)

The progressives in our country have recently been disparaging prayer as weak and powerless to stop tragedies from happening.  For example, a recent incident occurred at a Catholic school while the children were praying in a sanctuary.  The progressive’s argument was what use was prayer, for it did not protect those innocent children.  It became a talking point for several members of congress castigating those who asked for prayer for the families that lost a child, and for our nation that is being consumed by evil.  

It is hard to believe that we, as a nation, have come to this point, but when you consider that these people do not believe that God exists, then it is logical that they do not believe in the power of prayer.  They miss the point that prayer is not a talisman to protect us, it is a direct communication with the Almighty God to provide strength to get through the tragedies, and evil, of this world.  Prayer is our fellowship with God who loves us, and whom we love.

More than ever, I am totally convinced that the need of the hour is power in prayer.  Not merely to pray, but to pray with power—to pray so as to get your prayers answered.  You see, prayer is not getting God to agree with you.  Prayer is getting you to agree with God about what He is going to do.  God is absolutely sovereign.  We do not change God’s mind about things that He has foreknown from the foundation of time.

Many of you know that my brother died a couple of weeks ago, and it was not because we did not pray with enough faith to heal him.  There were literally hundreds of people praying for him to be healed.  He died because it was God’s will that my brother would come home to be with Him.  And that was my prayer, that God’s will would be done in my brother’s life.  God, as our Creator, decides in His sovereign will, what will happen in this world, and nobody is going to name it, and claim it, to occur differently.  

I firmly believe that in order to get our prayers answered, we need to first find out what God’s will is, and then pray for that to occur.  Do I believe that we should pray for God to heal those who are sick?  Absolutely.  Do I believe that God heals people today?  Absolutely.  But when we pray for God’s will to be done, then we can rejoice and praise God just as loudly when He heals someone, as when He chooses to bring someone home.  And I did exactly that, I praised God’s name when God chose to take my brother home.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how prayer is a means of bringing the power of heaven into our lives.  

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

Amen.

THE ALMIGHTY GOD (Acts 4:23-5:11)

THE ALMIGHTY GOD (Acts 4:23-5:11)

The message today speaks of how the early Christian church praised God for what He is, the omnipotent Creator of the universe.  They proclaimed “Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.” Sadly, this is something that most churches do not really believe today.  And you can know this is true, for if they did believe it, then they would not be taking the liberal positions in direct conflict with God’s word that they are taking.  

You cannot believe that God is truly the Omnipotent Creator of the universe and then not accept His absolute truths about what is right and wrong.  God is unchanging, as are His truths, they do not change with the changing of society mores.  God as the all powerful Creator of the universe is the fundamental building block of the entire Bible.  Satan will do all he can to create lies and deceptions about who God is, and what the Holy Spirit says that He is in His Word.  

God is the all powerful Creator of this universe, and since this is absolutely, wonderfully, magnificently, true, then Satan is no more than a second hand loser.  No wonder Satan hates this basic truth!  No wonder he has brought up his heavy artillery to discredit it in the minds of men.  

For you see, if you abandon what the Holy Spirit says in Genesis 1 as not factual and unreliable, as mere mythology, as totally unacceptable to modern science, then satan has won.  

If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted when He tells of creation, then how can He be trusted when He tells of salvation?

If what He says about earth in Genesis 1 can be questioned, then what He says about Heaven in Revelations 22 can be questioned.  

If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted in Genesis 1, then how can He be trusted in John 3:16?

So, when someone tells you that the creation account in the Book of Genesis is just a theory, you must understand they are questioning the entire message of the Bible, including the Gospel.

Click on the play button to hear a message that says, if we believe that God is the Creator.  If we believe that God deserves our worship and praise.  If we believe that all other beings, both spiritual and physical, are subject to the commands and permissive will of God.  Then, our fears should go away, and our faith should rise up in times of trial.  For who can harm us that is not under the permissive will of God?  And that knowledge is what gave these early believers holy boldness in the face of persecution, and it can give you that same holy boldness.

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

Amen.