The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

TO KNOW JESUS AS GOD (Acts 16:35 to 17:25)

In today’s lesson, the apostle Paul tells us how we can know Jesus as God.  Many people know about God, and they may know a little about Jesus, but they do not know Jesus as God. Others, know a great deal about man-made gods, but they do not know the Creator, the true and living God, nor do they know Jesus as God.  

They do not know the gospel message of the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  They do not know that Jesus Christ has provided them with the very thing they need most of all, a perfect, completed salvation, which is given only by the grace of God.  

They do not know that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah, whom the whole creation is groaning for, waiting for, and looking for.  This is what today’s lesson is about.  Bringing the gospel message to a world that does not know Jesus as God.  

Paul’s sermon takes place in Athens, which was the university city of the world.  Art, literature, philosophy, religion, mathematics, science, and democracy were all the stuff that Athens was made of.  When you think of the liberal theology and philosophy that exists in our universities today, this is what the entire city of Athens was like.  It was a place where the absolute truths of God’s Word had been replaced with the absolute chaos of man’s basest desires being met at his own whim.  For all its knowledge, Greek civilization was spiritually bankrupt.  

God’s Word tells us that Jesus came to reveal to men the true God, and Paul had come to Athens to proclaim Him.  Paul wanted to tell them about Jesus as God.  Paul knew Him as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, as the rock of ages, the Shepherd of Israel, and the fountain of living water.  He knew Him to be the incarnate Word, God manifest in flesh, Jesus Christ the Lord.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can know Jesus as God.

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.

ISRAELS MOMENT (Acts 13:30-43)

In today’s lesson, the Apostle Paul will present the nation Israel with a choice, a moment, when they must choose or reject the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  Paul is telling the Jews what the resurrection of Jesus meant to them.  It was an opportunity for salvation.  

This is the good news of the gospel message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.  The best news this world has ever heard came from a graveyard just outside Jerusalem: “He is not here … he is risen” (Matthew 28:6).

The gospel is good news. The bad news is that we are sinners.  Sinners by birth, sinners by nature, sinners by choice, sinners by practice, and sinners under condemnation. All of us, without the Lord Jesus Christ, are in debt to God, defiled by sin, and sin has dominion over us.  That is the bad news about sin.

So, what is the good news that obliterates the bad news?  The Good news is that Jesus died for our sins. Jesus died because of our sins, and for our sins. It was our sins that were the nails that held Him to the cross. Our hard hearts were the hammers that drove those nails into His quivering palms and feet. He died for our sin.

When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), that literally means “it is paid in full.” Jesus paid it all. The sin debt is blotted out by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus also deals with the defilement of sin. It is not enough to be pardoned from our sins, for there is still that defilement, that sentence of death in our body.  Jesus, by His sacrifice, not only pays our sin debt, but Jesus also deals with our sin defilement.  And then, by His resurrection, Jesus conquers death, and sin no longer has dominion over us, and we will have eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you will believe it, and receive it, then you will be saved. There is no other way that you can be saved apart from the gospel.  

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

Amen.

ISRAEL'S MISTAKE (Acts 13:26-29)

In today’s message we are going to talk about Israel’s mistake, which was the murder of the Son of God, the Promised Messiah. It was their crowning act of defiance and wickedness against God.  But they were not alone. The same attitudes of ignorance of the Scriptures, and willful disobedience are attitudes that we find in each of us.  They are the sinful attitudes that nailed Jesus to the cross. 

Self-righteous religion crucified Jesus.  Religion without true repentance and change of heart is a dangerous thing.  You have religion, but you don’t have righteousness.  You have Christian culture, but you don’t have Christ.  

Hypocrisy crucified Christ.  The real danger of hypocrisy is what it does to others around the hypocrite.  Some people will miss heaven because they have judged Christianity on the basis of what they see in a hypocrite. 

Cowardly compromise crucified Jesus. Fear is the number one reason many Christians do not take a stand for Jesus when they are out with their friends.  It is that fear of being separate, and different, that leads many into sin.  

Thoughtless conformity crucified Jesus. The biggest cult in America is the cult of conformity.  You can listen to the crowd and form your opinions from the polls of the day, or you can say, “I will follow Jesus, come what may.”

Hard-hearted cruelty crucified Jesus. We live in a world today where some people are absolutely coldhearted, especially when it comes to Jesus and His crucifixion.  A person does not have to kill someone to be hard-hearted.  They just have to reject the love of the Father.

Casual indifference crucified Jesus. It takes more than sentimentality or crocodile tears to change a life.  Some people come to church every Sunday, listen to the message, and maybe even make a few notes.  But it never changes their lives.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on the mistakes we have each made that led Jesus Christ to the cross.

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.

STEPHEN SEES THE MASTER (Acts 7:38-60)

STEPHEN SEES THE MASTER (Acts 7:38 to 60)

As we go through this lesson today, I want you to think about what your faith is in.  Is it in God, or in the religious traditions, buildings, and ceremonies that we have created and become accustomed to.  

Do you know how you can tell what your faith is in?  Let me ask you a series of questions.  First, why did you choose the church that you are attending?  Was it because of a particular pastor or staff member?  You like their style of preaching, or they moved to another church, and you followed them.  Was it because of the denomination, or lack of denomination, of the church?  You wanted to be in a Methodist church, a Baptist church, or an Assembly of God church.  Maybe you didn’t want to be part of any denomination?

Was it the building that you worship in?  Is it a beautiful building, or simply functional?  Was it because of the type of music that is sung, hymns or more contemporary music?  Do you claim that you can’t worship God unless you get to sing the type of songs that you like?  Was it because you read the statement of faith of that church and agreed with it? How many of you read the statement of faith of your church before you joined?  Was it because of how the church is organized and structured?  Is it a pastor led church, or an elder/deacon board led church?  Did you read the By-Laws of the church to learn about the organization?

Understand that I am not saying these things are not important, because they are.  They can certainly be a guide to what God’s will is not.  I mean, why would you join church that did not follow God’s Word.   But, they should never be the reason for choosing a church to worship God in, and they are not what your faith should be in.  You should always choose a church because God led you to it.  You should always join a church because He called you to serve in that church.  Your faith is in God, it is in the Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ, whose blood purchased your salvation and is now sitting on the right hand of God.  If you follow God’s leading, then all of those other things will fall in line because God would never lead you to a church that was not following, teaching, and preaching, God’s Word.

That was the very problem of the Jews that Stephen is preaching to.  They chose the traditions of their childhood over the God that had chosen them.  They chose to worship man-made things, like the Temple and it’s rituals, rather than God.

Click on the link below to hear a message on who your faith should be in.

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

Amen.

THE REJECTION OF MOSES (Acts 7:17-38)

THE REJECTION OF MOSES (Acts 7:17 to 38)

Last week we studied how Stephen, who was one of the seven men chosen as a servant to meet the needs of the church, has been arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin.  The Sanhedrin realized that it would take more than threats and beatings to stop the growth of the new church, and it was Stephen that became the target of a well-planned, Satan led, attack.  They began by sending out religious experts from the various synagogues to debate with Stephen.  Yet Stephen, full of the power of the Holy Spirit, defeated them handily with their own Scriptures.  

In today’s lesson, Stephen will use the story of Moses to reiterate the lost condition of the Jewish nation.  Stephen will describe how Moses, as a God chosen savior, was rejected by Israel when they were mired in slavery.  As a result of this rejection, Israel was forced to suffer 40 more years of persecution, only to have the very same rejected savior return to deliver them and rule over them.  

The Holy Spirit is using Stephen to make one last attempt at a national confession of sin and repentance for their rejection of Jesus as the promised Messiah.  Stephen has seen the judgment that is coming to Israel, and he is offering God’s plan of salvation to them.  A plan that they will reject.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the parallels between the rejection of Moses and Jesus.  The Scripture tells us that Moses returned as a deliverer to free the Hebrews from the Egyptian captivity.  And it was Moses that prophesied that Jesus would be just such a Savior that would come to deliver the Hebrews from the persecution of the Romans. 

Moses declared that they would hear the Messiah.  Stephen declares that they heard Him, then they rejected Him.  Yet, they were not finished with Jesus.  The day will come that the Son of the Almighty Living God, the name above all names, Jesus Christ, will demand that they hear Him, and they will.  

Israel is a called out group. They were called out of Egypt, by God, for a particular purpose.  Israel was a called out group that was supernaturally gathered around the Lord, who took His place in their midst.  The threefold movement in the redemption of Israel was similar to ours.  God put His people under the blood, brought them out through the water, and baptized them in the cloud and in the sea, and gathered them around the table.  

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

Amen.

THE FIRST PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH (Acts 4:1-22)

THE FIRST PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH (Acts 4:1-22)

As believers we are to obey those that God has placed in power over us, whether they be Caesar, or Nero, or our current leaders.  Yet, there are times when Caesar so abuses his power as to command that we do something morally or spiritually wrong.  That is where the believer must draw the line, even at the cost of death.  The believer must respectfully, but firmly, refuse to obey the commands of human authority when it defies the laws of God.  And when the time comes, and it will come, that we are prohibited from preaching and teaching the name of Jesus, that is when we must refuse to obey the command of the rulers placed in authority above us.  

Peter does just that as he proclaims to the Sanhedrin, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  This was Peter’s and John’s reply when they were commanded by the religious leaders to stop teaching in the name of Jesus.  They declared that they would continue to teach, preach, and heal in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, no matter the cost.  

It is not by the name of Confucius, Buddha, or Allah, that a lost person can find salvation; not even by the name of one of the great heroes of the Bible, not Abraham, or Moses, can a lost person find salvation.  Only in the name of Jesus can salvation be found.  Jesus is the world’s only Savior. 

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

The law can’t save you. Religion can’t save you, and there is absolutely no ceremony that can save you. You cannot get to Heaven through the pope. You cannot stand before God clothed in the robes of righteousness by doing more good works than bad works.  Your friends and family cannot pray you into heaven.  You cannot buy your way out of darkness and an eternity in Hell.

There is only one way to get rid of Satan’s darkness, and that is the light of the Word of God, Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.  We have victory in Jesus because no force on the earth, or below the earth, can stand against the mighty majesty of His name.  When you come to Jesus for salvation, it is His blood that wipes away your sin.  It is His blood that provides eternal life for you.  

Click on the play button to hear a message about the first persecution of the church that would dare to teach about the gospel message found in the name of Jesus.

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

Amen.

THE GREAT DISPENSATIONAL CHANGE (Ephesians 2:11-22)

THE GREAT DISPENSATIONAL CHANGE (EPHESIANS 2:11-22)

Now, that is a great big word, dispensational.  So, what does it mean?  For purposes of studying the Bible, a dispensation is a period of time, and it defines how God deals with man during this time period, and how man interacts with God.  It has nothing to do with salvation, for salvation, throughout the Bible, has always been by God’s grace alone.  

When you think about it, those of us who were born and grew up in this age of Grace, take for granted the direct relationship we have with God, and the blessings of the Holy Spirit empowered life that we lead.  In today’s lesson, Paul is going to take us back in history and describe the relationship the Gentiles had with God prior to this great dispensational change.  And then he will describe the changes brought about by Calvary and Pentecost. 

Click on the play button to hear a message on how the church is the body of Christ, and in this body, all believers are equal members. There are no divisions based on denominations, racial origins, religious backgrounds, class distinctions, national boundaries, or color prejudices in the true church. All believers are equal members of this marvelous, mystical body. A new bond has been established.

The gospel reduces all people to the same level. All people are brought into the great equation of salvation through the same common denominator: repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Amen.

A BOX OF BONES (Genesis 50:22-26)

A BOX OF BONES (Genesis 50:22-26)

Today, we close out our study of the book of Genesis.  It has certainly been a good study about the power of God, and the faith of each of the people we have encountered.  We have studied about the wonderful creation of all things by the mighty power of God, and the destruction of The Flood as God’s judgment of evil man.  Then, we have studied about the faith of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  Each man giving us an example of how to live a life of faith in spite of the trials and tribulations that faced them.  In fact, our closing lesson is going to be another example of the faith of Joseph.  The title of our lesson today is, “A Box of Bones.” 

The very last words of the book of Genesis are “a coffin in Egypt.”  Now, that’s a strange way for a book to end.  It begins with creation, and it ends in a coffin. The devil said to Eve at the beginning of creation, “Ye shall not surely die; that you can sin with impunity.” But, the fact is the devil lied, because we have had one funeral after another. And so, the book that begins with a blaze of glory ends with a grave. The book that begins with the vastness of eternity, ends with the shortness of time. The book that begins in a garden, ends in a coffin. And the book that begins with a blaze of brightness, ends with a box of bones, the bones of Joseph.

Did you know that the bones of Joseph are mentioned not only in the book of Genesis, but in the book of Hebrews, as well? And not only in the book of Hebrews, but in the book of Exodus? And not only in the book of Exodus, but in the book of Joshua? God tells us about those bones, and then He tells us about them three more times.  Now, what have we said about what we need to do when God repeats something multiple times in the Bible?  We need to pay real close attention because God repeats the things that He feels are very important for us to understand.  

Click on the play button to hear a message on how the faith of Joseph can be found in a box of bones.

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

Amen.