The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

JESUS IS THE SOLUTION (Romans 5:15)

Sin has caused the death of every human that has ever lived.  So you might ask Is there a solution to the problem of sin and death?

The answer to this question is found in the love and grace of God.  God loves us so much that He planned the solution to the problem of sin and death before the world was ever formed.  

The answer is where one man created the problem, a second Man is the solution, or a last Adam.  Jesus Christ.  The One who through His obedience to will of the Father restored all that the first Adam threw away by his willful rebellion against the command of God.  

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE OF GOD (Romans 1:2-7)

Each of us make important decisions that will have an impact on the direction that our lives take.  For example, the career path that you choose determines what kind of training, education, and work that you will do.  

Your choice of career determines your financial position in society, how you will spend your work day, whether it is on a construction site, in a hospital, or in an office for the next 40 years of your life.  

Choosing the person whom you will spend the rest of your life married to is an important decision as well. Choosing the mate that God has for you will lead to a relationship that is only excelled by our relationship with Jesus.  

On the other hand, choosing the mate that satisfies your earthly desires will lead to a life full of sorrow and pain. When you are ready to dedicate the rest of your life to being one with another person, you must consider that choice very carefully.

But the single most important decision that each one of us will make is what we will do about Jesus Christ.  All of the other decisions that you make, career, marriage, or education, will have an impact on your life here on earth, that brief period of about 70 years that you live.  

The decision you make about what to do with Jesus Christ will impact your life for all of eternity.  It will decide where you will spend eternity, either heaven or hell.  It will decide whether you will spend eternity either with God, or separated from God.  

The decision of whether you will spend eternity in heaven or hell has nothing to do with how good or bad you are.  It rests solely on your acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ as your Savior.  The penalty of sin is death.  We are all sinners and we are all going to die, unless the Lord comes first.  However, not all of us are going to heaven.  In fact, many more are going to hell.

Jesus tells us 

Matt 7:13-14

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

KJV

The critical decision that determines which gate you will go through, and therefore, where you will spend eternity must be made while you are still alive.  God has given you a finite time to make your choice about Jesus Christ.  

This is the gospel message of God.  It tells you that you must make a decision about Jesus Christ.  

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD (Mark 16:19-20)

There are many things that I am grateful to God for, the love of my family, the love of a wife that I have been married to for 35 years, and a loving God that uses me to teach and preach the Word of God.  God has truly been gracious to me and my family, but most of all He has been gracious to each believer for we serve a risen Lord.

Listen to this podcast to learn how the ascension of our Lord is as significant to our faith as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is.  Jesus is alive and working for us today.  Jesus did not just go off into heaven and leave us never to be heard from again.  His work on earth has provided us with a perfect and complete salvation.  His work in Heaven continues our salvation as our great High Priest in the Holy Tabernacle in Heaven.

Jesus is alive.  Jesus is working for us in Heaven, and Jesus is coming back.  These are things that distinguish our faith from all other religions. These are things we base our faith on.  Join me as we give thanks to a gracious and loving God.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST PART II (Mark 16:6-18)

One of the most important events in the life of a believer is the resurrection of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ provides each believer with a living Jesus Christ sitting on the right hand of God the Father.  He is sitting because He has accomplished the work of our salvation.  

The resurrection of Jesus Christ provides us with a message to tell others about eternal life, about power over sin in our lives, and about our ability to stand before God clothed in the robe of righteousness purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 

Listen to this podcast to learn the message that Jesus has commanded us to go out into the world and preach about the gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection, baptizing them in the name of the Lord.  

This is why the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ are so important to us as believers.  Jesus Christ is alive and because He is alive, and I have made Him my Savior, I know that I know, that I know, that I am going to be with Him for all of eternity.

It is my prayer that each of you will be there with me.

JESUS PREPARES FOR THE CROSS (Mark 14:1-21)

Who was in control of the events that led to Jesus dying on the cross?   

Was it the Jewish religious leadership?

Was it the Romans?

Was it Judas who betrayed Jesus?

Listen to this podcast to discover the answer to this question is that Jesus was in complete control of the events that led to His death on the cross.  He deliberately, knowingly, and willingly walked to the cross.   God so loved each of us as humans that He sent His only begotten Son to die so that none should perish and each of us should have the opportunity for everlasting life. 

Jesus tells us that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Jesus went to the cross to make that possible. 

Join us as we begin a series of lessons that describe the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Listen as God shows us just how much He loves us. 

JESUS CONFRONTS HIS ENEMIES (Mark 11:27 to 12:12)

How well do you choose the times to confront your enemies, and when it is time to walk away? 

Most of us are not real good at making that choice, we either let people walk all over us, or we tend to push our will upon others. 

Jesus had spent much of His ministry avoiding a direct confrontation with the religious leadership of the Jews.  His previous visits to Jerusalem had been subdued and quiet.  Jesus actually spent most of His public ministry walking the countryside between Capernaum and the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and all the points in-between. 

He would respond to direct challenges from the local leaders of the synagogue and the representatives sent from Jerusalem to see what was happening.  But when it became too contentious, He would simply move on to the next village.  Jesus devoted much of His time to teaching the people and performing wonderful miracles of healing the sick and raising the dead.  He was developing a great following among the people that would serve Him well at the end of His ministry. 

Jesus now becomes much more direct in His confrontation with the Jewish leadership.  He makes a triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, He cleans out the temple courts of the tradesmen that were managed by the chief priest, and then He teaches and heals in the temple without the approval of the chief priests. 

Listen to this podcast to learn how Jesus controlled His own destiny as He pushed the Jewish leadership into completing the tasks that the Lord’s Father had sent Him to do.  Jesus was driving to the cross.  He was in control.  He knew what He was doing and where it would lead, but He did it anyway so that you and I could have everlasting life. 

Jesus was never more Kingly during His public ministry than He was during this last week before the cross.

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD (Mark 10:23 to 31)

All things are possible with God. If it is not the strong, or the wealthy, or the sophisticated, or even the educated that can have eternal life in heaven with Jesus, then who possibly can? In our world these are the ones who are considered worthy of our admiration, our respect, even our worship, but Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than it is for one of these to enter into the kingdom of God. If that is true, then it is impossible for man to save himself, or to earn his salvation from God. Listen to this podcast to hear how what is impossible for man to accomplish, is simple for the almighty Creator of all things.  Learn how all things are possible with God.  Learn how Jesus Christ has already completed all of the work for you salvation, all you have to do is accept His free gift of grace.

WHO IS JESUS TO YOU? (Mark 8:27-38)

Who is Jesus to you? This is a question that each of us must answer, even if choosing not to answer the question is your response.  From an academic perspective, the world has debated who Jesus is for two thousand years.  Is He an important religious figure?  Is He a prophet, or a teacher? But the question of Who is Jesus to you is about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Listen to this podcast to learn how your decision to accept or reject a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is the single most important question you will answer in your life.  It is more important than choosing a spouse, to have kids or to not have them, or even the career choice that you make. This single decision will determine how you will live beyond the grave.  It will determine how you will spend eternity.

ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT THE RIGHT THINGS? (Mark 8:10-26)

How much of your time is spent worrying about things you cannot control? What is it that worrying is keeping you from doing? What are the top 10 things you worry about? Your job, finances, food, shelter, loneliness, or your health? What would it take to get you to stop worrying about these things? SomeOne you could trust to handle those problems for you. Listen to this podcast to understand how knowing Jesus makes a difference in what you worry about, how much time you spend worrying, and how much time you spend accomplishing the things that God wants you to do. Learn how Jesus is that SomeOne you can have faith in. Learn how to worry about the right things.

THE LORD OF OUR NEEDS (Mark 7:31 to 8:8)

How do you go about meeting your family's needs?  You anticipate them.  You plan for them.  You work for them.  You spend hours cooking, cleaning, and making the things that they need.  You get up early every morning to go to a job because you know they are depending on you.  You sacrifice for them.  You want them to be able to depend on you.  You want them to have faith that you will be able to meet their needs because you always have.   You dedicate your life to meeting the needs of the family that God has been gracious enough to give you.  You do this because you love them.  If you, as a parent are capable of doing this out of the love found in your human heart, how much more so can Jesus, as the Son of the living God, meet your needs out of the unlimited love found in His divine heart?    Listen to this podcast to learn how Jesus, as the Lord of our needs, plans methodically and miraculously for our needs.  He structures our experiences to build our faith, and He expects us to have faith that He will always be there for us.  That faith comes as we look back at the things that He has done for us in the past.  That faith comes because He has promised to never, never, never, leave us.