The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST TO YOU? (John 8:24-41)

This is the single most important question that each of us must answer. No other question has your eternal destiny in the balance. It is the one question that Jesus will look at when you stand before Him to be Judged.

John 5:22-24
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
KJV

Today’s message is one with three powerful statements by our Lord Jesus.

The first one is a declaration that Jesus is God, and if you fail to believe that He is God, then you will die in your sins.

John 8:24
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
KJV

The second is that if you truly accept Jesus, the Son of God, as the Lord and Master or your life, then that truth will set you free from the bondage of sin.

John 8:31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
KJV

The third statement is that if you commit sin, then you are the slave of sin. If you do the works of Satan, then you are the slave of Satan.

John 8:34
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
KJV

With these three statements, Jesus Christ is laying out the gospel message of the Bible right here in this set of verses. These are powerful statements that are meant to convict the hearts of each of us.

Click on the link below to hear a powerful testimony as to who Jesus Christ is. Jesus declares Himself to be God. You may want to call Jesus a good man, a prophet, a teacher, or a healer, but until you call Him God, Jesus says “that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” If you refuse to accept Jesus as God, then you are still without a passport to an eternity in heaven. Deny Jesus as God, and you will spend an eternity burning in the fires of Hell. Is just doesn’t get any plainer, any more powerful, than that.

Amen.

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12-24)

When Bible talks about Jesus being the light of the world it has several meanings, but essentially it means that Jesus is God. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the light of the world? If not, then how long have you been rejecting Jesus as the light of the world? How many times do you believe that the Holy Spirit will stand knocking on the door of your heart asking to come in? Everyone wants to believe they have forever to decide about Jesus, but the truth is, that there comes a time in everyone’s life when their refusal to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, becomes final, and the Holy Spirit walks away never to return. When this happens, the eternal destiny of that person is sealed forever.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how Jesus is the light of the world, and how the rejection of that truth will cause God to leave you to die in your sins.

Amen.

WHY DID JESUS CHOOSE JUDAS (John 6:70-71)

When you think about it, it may be hard to understand why Jesus would choose Judas to be in the select group of men that were to represent Him to the world. Was Jesus fooled by Judas? Was Jesus surprised by His betrayal by Judas? Does this mean that Jesus was a bad judge of character? Did Jesus make a mistake? Absolutely not, Jesus never made a single mistake in His whole life. The Bible says he doeth all things well. He knew exactly what he was doing when he chose Judas.

So, the question is why did Jesus choose Judas? Why would Jesus choose to have a man like this knowing that He would be betrayed? Well, let me ask you why Jesus did anything during His earthly ministry? So that the will of His Father might be fully accomplished, and so that we might know that Jesus was the Son of God. We also know that everything Jesus did was to be a lesson for us as believers in how we are to live the life of a victorious Christian.

Click on the link below to hear a message concerning religious hypocrisy, a message concerning the divine sovereignty of God, a message concerning our personal responsibility and the tragedy of sin, and a message concerning the security of the believer. Those are the four reasons to explain why Jesus chose Judas, and those are the four lessons that Jesus would have us learn from that choice.

Amen.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD (INCLUDING ME) (John 3:16)

What was the very first Bible verse that you can remember memorizing?

It would be John 3:16 for me. In fact, with my memory going away in my old age, it is probably the only verse I still have memorized. I know lots of verses by their context, but if it wasn’t for the internet search engines and the Bible concordance on my computer, I would have a hard time finding them. But John 3:16 is one I still remember.

So, why do you think that is? Why would this verse stay with me so readily, when others do not? It is because it tells me of God’s love for the whole world, but it is written in such a way, that it seems like He is talking to just me. God loves the world, but the word whosever means including me.

Who does the verse say loves this poor lost world? The one, true, almighty God. The eternal, self-existing, uncreated, and having need of nothing, God. It is God, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. It is God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is God, who takes the initiative. It is God, who loves and gives. It all begins with God.

That God is “not willing that any should perish” is a great Biblical truth that is revealed to us. John tells us in 3:16 that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That is God's earnest desire for all the children of Adam. The gospel invitation is extended to all. If you want to make the invitation of this verse personal, then put your own name in the verse. For example say, For God so loved the world (including Keith Martin), that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever (including Keith Martin) believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God’s plan for salvation, includes me, even me. God does not want me, or you, or anybody else to perish.

The word Perish is a word that should make us all tremble as we think of the consequences of our sin against God. The word perish reveals the other side of God's character. He is not only a God of immeasurable love, he is also a God of infinite holiness. It is the finality of the word that terrifies us. Death, and what occurs on the other side of death, is a mystery to the lost person, but John 3:16 brings clarity to the mystery. In it, God puts a choice before us. He says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The choice that God gives us is to believe in Jesus Christ or perish. If we reject Christ, then God will allow sin to complete its work beyond the grave of condemning the soul to an eternity in torment.

But that is not what God wants for us. God would have every person come to repentance. That is why the invitation of John 3:16 is universal, hinging on believing in him. Those who do, become heirs of everlasting [eternal] life. God created us with eternity in mind. We have an immortal soul and spirit that will exist for all of eternity. This great verse, which summarizes the whole gospel story, begins with God and ends with everlasting life. It begins with one who had no beginning. It ends with that which has no ending.

The fact that Jesus Christ has come into the world provides each person with the ultimate test of believing or disbelieving, of choosing whether to continue in their sins and surely perish, or whether to believe in him and pass from death to life. The coming of Christ into this world is the single decision point of eternal destiny for each of us.

This great verse is the essential foundation of the gospel of Christ. God loved the world, including me, so much that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever, including me, believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Don’t walk away and reject such a gift. Choose Christ. Choose eternal life.

Click on the link below to learn just how much God loves you.

Amen.

THE LAST PROPHECY OF THE BIBLE (Revelation 22:1-13)

Last words are very important. I can remember the last night I spent with my father. Neither one of us knew that it would be our last night together, but it was. He had been rushed to the hospital after being diagnosed with an aortal aneurism. Surgery was planned for the next day, so I sent the rest of the family home while I stayed with him for the night. We just talked into the night about work, family, and other casual things, but it was an easy, good, conversation. He went to sleep, and before the night was over, he was gone. The words we had spoken were our last words together, and they are important to me. The last words of the Bible are vitally important to us as Christians, but also to every living person who still has a chance to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

The last prophecy of the Bible predicts the sudden return of the Savior. Jesus said, "Look! Listen! Pay attention! Behold, I come quickly..." That is an ironclad promise from the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, none of us know when Jesus Christ is coming. However, we all know, if we believe the Bible, that He is indeed coming, and your destiny is determined by what you've done with Him before He comes. Jesus says that when He comes He is bringing something with Him. He says, “and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

It is a fact that Jesus Christ is coming back. Are you ready for His return? With your eternal destiny at stake, it would be extremely foolish to not be ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Today, not tomorrow or next week. Today!

2 Cor 6:2
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
KJV

We are living in this space of time. The word now speaks of the present time. When your eternity begins after death, you will not have another chance to be saved. Now is the time. If you do not choose now, then there will be no salvation for you. One of these days there will be no more days. If you want to be saved, you can be saved, but you must remember that Jesus Christ is the only hope. There is none other.

Click on this link to hear a message on the last prophecy of the Bible, Jesus Christ is coming again. Amen.

THE FINAL JUDGMENT (Revelation 20:11-13)

The simple truth is that we live in a world full of evil. Evil lives in the heart of man. Evil doesn’t care who it harms, it just wants to harm someone or something. When a young man takes a gun to school and kills other students, that is evil living in the heart of that young man. I don’t care what you believe you are a victim of, there is no rational reason for killing others. It is just plain evil. No law can change the evil that lives in our hearts. Creating a perfect environment to live in cannot change the evil that lives in our hearts. You can make the world a Garden of Eden, and evil will still bubble up out of the heart of man.

There is only one way to change the heart of man, and that is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Yet, this world rejects the free gift of salvation, and being given a new, godly, nature that the gospel of Christ offers to a lost world. So, evil grows and grows. The world gets darker and darker with sin. It seems that there is no answer to the problem. It seems that evil will eventually win and shut out the light of all that is good.

As believers in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we know that the answer is not to be found in man, but in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again, He will deal with evil of every kind. He will deal with Satan and all of his followers, and He will deal with the evil that resides in the heart of man. A day of judgment is coming, when Christ will deal with the evil of this world, forever.

Today’s message is about that final judgment of the unsaved dead. It is called the Great White Throne Judgment. Satan has persuaded mankind for centuries that there is no future punishment, no final accounting before God. It is a lie that has allowed evil to grow. The Bible tells us over and over again that there is a judgment day coming. There is coming a time when God will put the final period upon the final paragraph, upon the final page, upon the final chapter, upon the final book of human history. This judgement will include every person who has ever lived that rejected God’s free gift of salvation. If during your life on this earth, you said no to the gospel message of Jesus Christ, then you will stand before Christ as your judge at this final judgment.

The time of this final judgment will come and every scheme, every plan, every desire, that men sold their souls for, will turn to rust, and dust, and mold, and corruption. The unsaved dead will be raised from their graves to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged.

You may make the choice not to be a Christian. You may choose to never give your heart to Jesus Christ, but one day you are going to meet Jesus Christ. Every person who has ever lived has an appointment already set on the calendar to meet Jesus Christ. He is inescapable, and He is unavoidable. You will meet Jesus Christ. If you don't meet Him as Savior, then you will meet Him as Judge. You may have ignored Him, you may have denied Him, you may have disbelieved Him, you may even have cursed Him, but one day you will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the Final Judgment.

Amen.

UNRELENTING DISBELIEF (Romans 10:16 to 11:6)

When presented with the simplicity of the gospel message, that salvation, eternal life in heaven, and God’s acceptance, are the gifts of God, freely given to anyone who will make Jesus Christ their Lord and Master, why do people dogmatically, stubbornly, and unreasonably, refuse to believe?

The answer is different for each person, but many simply prefer their lives as they are.  They are happy with their life.  They find fulfillment in their work, in their social life, or in their hobbies.  They are not in need of anything, certainly not a Savior, and they ask what do I need to be saved from?  Eternal life is a sketchy, made up thing, so why do I need to worry about it?  Is heaven or hell even real?

Others might say that they simply don’t want to give up the way they live their lives.  Religion is a bunch of “No’s”, don’t do this, don’t do that, essentially don’t do anything that is fun.  I can’t believe in anything that says I can’t be happy.

Still others would say that they don’t like the idea of owing something to a Creator.  For if a Creator does exist, and that Creator made them, then that Creator has the sovereign right to establish the absolute truths about right and wrong.  He decides what is a sin, and what is righteous behavior, and the social morals of today are not valid.  If this is true, then God has the right to decide the path to eternal life, and nothing made up by man will get the job done.  It’s God’s way or an eternity in hell.  

A large number would probably say that they have their own faith, their own idea on eternal life, and this is just too simple to be true.  Nobody does anything for free.  You have to earn your way into heaven.  Jesus was just a prophet, so who is He to be my Savior?

Jesus was absolutely right when He said:

John 3:19-20

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

KJV

This podcast describes the unrelenting disbelief of the Jews in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and the consequences they face as a result of that disbelief.  But this message has just as much application to anyone today who has heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ and they simply refuse to believe it.  The Bible declares that eternal life can only come to those who accept God’s free gift of salvation by believing that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, and that He died on cross for all our sins, and that He was bodily resurrected by God.  God’s way says that the only path to heaven is through making Jesus Christ your Lord and Master.  

The question is, will you believe God or not?

THE ROLE OF GOD'S LAW IN OUR LIVES (Romans 7:1-9)

What is the role of God’s Law in our lives?

Is it to establish the absolute truth about what the Creator of all things, including man, declares as right and wrong?

Is it to define the punishment for violating God’s Law?

Is it to define sin in the eyes of God so that man can know that he has missed the mark of the holiness and glory of God?

Is it a tool to reveal the sin in your life?

The answer is yes to all of these, but the most important role of God’s Law in our lives is to bring us to an awareness of our need for a Savior.  That Savior is Jesus Christ.  The Law says that all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God and the penalty for that sin is death and eternal separation from God.  The Law says that we are hopelessly lost and doomed forever.  Yet God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 

The role of God’s Law in the life of a non-believer is to bring them to Jesus Christ for salvation from the condemnation of the Law.

Listen to this podcast to find out that the role of God’s Law in the life of a believer is to demonstrate the wonderful love of God for a sinful man.  As a believer you no longer need to fear the power of the Law.  As a believer you no longer need to be dismayed by your inability to meet the perfect standards of the Law.  When Jesus Christ died on the cross He broke the power of the Law over the believer.  He paid your penalty.  He satisfied all of the demands of the Law so that you are now free from the Law.  He died and rose again so that you might have eternal life.

THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE (Romans 6:19-23)

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

KJV

This is one of the verses of the Roman Road to salvation.  It is familiar to anyone who has led someone else to the Lord, for it is in this verse that Paul summarizes the contrast between the ultimate goal of the lost person and that of the believer.

Paul says For the wages of sin is death:  A wage is the pay distributed by a paymaster, and the paymaster, which in this case is God, only pays for what you have earned.  A lost person believes that they can earn God’s wages.  Paul says that if you want to be paid by God, then He will only pay you for what you have earned by your sin.

What is the proper wage for sin, death.  If you demand payment from God for what you deserve, then the wages of your sin is death. 

But the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  For a life of sin, God will deliver payment for the wages earned.  But for those who believe in Christ, God gives a gift that is not deserved.  It is not earned.  It is a gift of God.

The word gift carries the force of a free gift.  The free gift of God compared against the earned wages of sin.  

Listen to this podcast to learn that God’s gift of eternal life is a life of the highest quality.  It is a life that endures throughout all ages. 

USING GOD'S POWER TO DEFEAT SIN

In a break from our traditional Bible study lesson, here are three scenarios that will help you understand how the believer is dead to the power of sin in their lives.  If you can apply these concepts in your life, then the Holy Spirit can give you victory over any sin.  There is no sin too big for God to remove from your life.