The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

STUBBORN UNBELIEF (John 12:37-50)

Jesus Christ has been my Lord and Savior since I was a young man. His Holy Spirit has lived in my heart for more than 50 years. In fact, it is hard for me to remember a time when the Holy Spirit was not my constant companion in everything that I did. I have chosen to live my life in the center of God’s will. I am God’s servant and that is the desire of my heart, to serve God in all that I do. However, that has not always been the case. There have been periods of my life when I have ignored Holy Spirit who lives within my heart. I have put Him in closet within my heart and told Him that He was not welcome in certain areas of my life. I wanted Him close by if I needed Him, but otherwise I didn’t want to be bothered. I wanted to live my life, my way. Now, every single time I did that, the Holy Spirit convicted me, chastised me, even took me out to the woodshed to discipline me. In short, I failed in all aspects of my life when Jesus was not first in my life. It is when Jesus is the President of my life, not just a resident, that I truly live an abundant life in the way God wants me to live.

As a result of this lifelong relationship with Jesus, it is sometimes hard for me to understand why someone would choose to reject Jesus as the Son of God, as their Lord, and as their Savior. Knowing what I know and what it has meant to me, it just doesn’t make sense to me why the vast majority of people would turn away from the free gift of eternal life in heaven with Jesus. It boggles my mind. Yet, it is true. Whether it is for self-centered reasons, or to chase after a false religion, they deliberately, willfully, and knowingly, choose to reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It doesn’t mean they cannot be reached. It doesn’t mean that they are morally bad people. It just means that, so far, they have made a deliberate decision to reject Christ. It means that if they were to die today, they would spend eternity in Hell, without God. Unfortunately, the longer a person lives rejecting Jesus, the harder it gets to ever reach them with the truth of who Jesus is. In other words, their mind is set in its ways. Their heart becomes hardened to the gospel message that is found in the Bible. They say, it cannot be true. That the words of the Bible have been corrupted by man. When you die, you die, and that is it.

Listen to me, the Bible is the one true word of God, and the God that I believe in, is powerful enough to protect His word from any efforts by man to corrupt it. If you believe that man can corrupt God’s Word, then you do not believe in the same almighty Creator of all things that I do. You do not believe in the God of the Bible.

I also believe that there comes a time in everyone’s life when they must choose Jesus as their Savior, or to reject Him. The Holy Spirit is patient with each of us.

2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
KJV

Jesus declared that He stands at the door knocking.

Rev 3:20
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
KJV

Jesus wants you to choose Him, but when the Holy Spirit determines that your decision is final, He will stop convicting you, and walk away. He will harden your heart to the word of God, and you will be doomed to die and go to Hell.

Click on the link below to hear a message about how the Jews, in their stubborn unbelief, finally rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus stopped knocking, stopped pleading with them, and then hardened their hearts.

Amen.

A LAST ATTEMPT (John 12:23-36)

Have you ever had an event or an experience that you knew was going to be really, really, bad in front of you? You knew it needed to be done, people were depending on you, but you had a few days that you had to get through before it would begin? The waiting, the dreading, the sheer horribleness of it playing on your mind. I can think of things like watching my mother’s last few days on the earth, and the suffering she was dealing with. I knew her death was imminent. I knew it would happen in the next few days. I knew she would be in heaven soon, but I had to steel myself for the emotions that would come.

A soldier facing some kind of really tough battle. He knows the chances were slim that he was going to make it, but he couldn’t let his brothers in arms down. These were men he depended on, and they were the ones who depended on him, so he prepared himself to deal with it.

This is what our next few messages are going to be about for Jesus. He knew this was the reason that He had come to earth. His whole life had been about this coming hour. The entire human race depended on Him completing the work of salvation. He knew that He was about to carry the burden of every sin that had ever been committed and would ever be committed. He knew the ugliness of the world’s worst sins was about to be thrust upon Him and He would have to die as punishment for that sin. He dreaded the hour, but He knew the whole world depended on Him, and so He prepared Himself. There was so much He needed to do before that hour came, but His disciples needed to hear what He had to say. These next several weeks are going to be a study in how much Jesus loved each and every one of us, even the Jews and the Romans who would crucify Him.

Click on the link below to hear a message on what is likely the Lord’s last attempt to convince the Jews that He was the Son of God, the Promised Messiah.

Amen.

HOW DO YOU WORSHIP JESUS? (John 12:12-26)

As Christians, we have chosen to worship God on Sunday. It is to be a special day to us. The Bible says "one man esteems one day above another, another man esteems every day alike, but every man be fully persuaded in his own heart." So, we are instructed by God to seek out our own heart as to what days are important to us. The day we select as dedicated to worship is one that we are to be “fully persuaded in our own heart.” Of course, we are not limited to worshiping God on just one day, in fact, we should be worshiping God on every day of the week, but traditionally, we choose to gather together as a group to worship God on Sunday. We choose the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. The Bible says that on the third day Christ arose, and that day is Sunday.

The problem is that there are a lot of pressures that come on us during the weekend. We all have so much to get done in just a couple of days that we call the weekend. I mean there are football games, yard work, family Bar-B-Q’s, and a host of other things that need to get done. But we have chosen to set aside one of those days, Sunday, to worship God.

In our message today, Jesus gives us two things that we need to do in our worship service to make it a right worship. Glorify Jesus and follow him. If Jesus is your Master, if Jesus is the reason that you go to church to worship, then I want you to beware of the following traps that will destroy that worship:
• A superficial Sunday of worship.
• A self-centered worship.
• A short-sighted worship.

Click on the link below to hear a message on what it takes to worship Jesus in the way that is pleasing to God.

Amen.

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? (John 11:45 to 12:11)

What would it take to make you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? What words would you need to hear Him say? What words would you need to hear from God? What sign would you need to see?

How about Jesus, himself, proclaiming to be God? Here is just one of the many times Jesus has said this in our study so far.

John 10:29-30
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
KJV

Would that be enough to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God? No? Well how about the time God spoke from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be His Son?

Matt 3:16-17
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
KJV

Would this be enough? You have the sky opening up, the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and the voice of God telling you that Jesus is His Son. Would that be enough?

Well, how about watching Jesus raise Lazarus from the tomb after he had been dead for four days?

John 11:43-44
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
KJV

Would seeing a miracle of this magnitude be enough to convince you that Jesus was the Son of God?

Click on the link below to hear a message on how people who have heard the words of Jesus, they have heard the words of God from heaven, and they have seen Jesus perform thousands of miracles, and some believed, and some did not. In some respects, this lesson saddened me. I know why it occurred, I know the purpose of our Lord coming, and for that I am forever happy and grateful, but it saddens me that people could know all of this and still turn away from Christ as their Savior.

Amen.

TO LIVE ABUNDANTLY Part 2 (John 11:25-44)

This is the second part of my message on how to live abundantly. Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life, and have it abundantly." What does it mean to live abundantly? It means to live the way the Bible teaches. Well, Ok, what does it mean to live the way the Bible teaches? It means several things, but the basic foundation is that you must live before you die, and live after you die. How do you do that?

Let me ask you a question, have you exercised faith in Jesus? Have you? Well, this is the time for you to do it. I want to tell you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus will save you today and He will keep you saved. Jesus is not a probation officer. Jesus is a Savior. He will see you through all the way. Now you might have to be unwrapped. You might have some hangover sins for a while, but He will save you. And the One who gives you life will give you liberty, and you can feast with Him and you can witness for Him. Now you might be a seasoned individual. You might think I'm too old for this. Well, it's never too late with God.

If you believe that you are dead in trespasses and sins. If you want a new life. If you want to be saved so you can have fellowship with Jesus and live with Jesus. Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. If you would believe me, you would never die. If this is how you feel, then exercise faith in Jesus.

Now, you may be already be a member of a church. Unfortunately, some church members never really understood how to be saved. They were good folks in their own minds and the minds of their neighbors when they joined the church, but they never really, honest-to-goodness got saved. You need today to trust Christ.

For others, it may be their first time in a church, and they might say, "Well, you know, I need Jesus, but I need to wait till I get more acquainted with the church."

Let me tell you, it's not the church that saves; it's Jesus. This may be the last opportunity you'll ever have to give your heart to Jesus. It may be your first time here, but it may be your last opportunity.

Others of you are intimidated by the devil. He whispers in your ear and says, "You'll never make it. You're too bad. You don't deserve it. You'll never be able to live it." Listen to me. Satan is a liar. Jesus died for you on the cross, and Jesus said, "Whosoever will, may come."

There is a deep desire in my heart that each of you learn to live abundantly in Jesus. That you learn to live life in the way the Bible teaches you to live.

Click on the link below to learn, if you want to live before you die, and live after you die, then you must apply these four principles to help you to have, a truly, abundant life:
1) You must exercise faith in Jesus.
2) You need to have freedom through Jesus.
3) You need to enjoy fellowship with Jesus, and
4) you need to exhibit faithfulness to Jesus.

Amen.

TO LIVE ABUNDANTLY (John 11:25-36)

Would you like to live abundantly? Not just to be successful in your life, make lots of money, have a big family, or an important job. Those are all good things, and there is nothing wrong with them, but that is not what I am talking about. I mean would you like to live the way the Bible teaches us to live?

Now, that is a different way of saying it, isn’t it? To live the way the Bible teaches us to. Well, you might say, “Now, Bro. Keith, I already live a life where I obey all of the commandments, at least most of the time. I am a good person, I don’t do mean things, I go to church on Sunday, I give my tithes, I even help my neighbors. Isn’t that living the way the Bible teaches?” Yes, it is, but it is not living your life abundantly. If you think that living a good life is all it takes to live the way the Bible teaches, then you are in the right place this morning to learn what it truly means to live abundantly. But to do so, you will have to be ready to be changed by what Word of God has for you today.

People get comfortable in their lives, and change requires you to be uncomfortable. If want to be changed by a message like this, then you have to be willing to change, and you have to feel the need to be changed. A lot of people, Christians included, see life as something to be endured. But Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life, and have it abundantly."

Click on the link below and hear a message on what this miracle tells us about living the way the Bible teaches, living abundantly.

Amen.

JESUS GIVES LIFE (John 11:28-44)

Last week we started a study of the miracle of the Lord Jesus Christ raising Lazarus from the dead. Now, this is a familiar story to all of us. So, if we are going to study this story again, what should we be sure that we learn from it? Jesus defines it for us when He says, “but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” Jesus is telling us that this was an occasion to declare His oneness with his Father at all times and in all situations. It was an opportunity, as God, to convince people that he was all he claimed to be; an occasion to demonstrate the power and effectiveness of prayer, an occasion to make a solemn appeal to those who were His enemies.

In order for this to be true, in order for Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead, then there is something else that we need to know about Lazarus while he was in the grave. We need to know that Lazarus was dead. He wasn’t sick. He didn’t faint. He was really dead. He had been dead for four days and then Christ raised him to walk again.

Click on the link below to hear part 2 of a message that will bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones. Death is not final. The grave is not final. The Bible says that for the believer to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That loved one of yours is still living, and if they had Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, then they are present with Him in heaven. If you have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you will join them for all of eternity. Death is but a moment. Life with Jesus is eternal.

Amen.

JESUS, THE MASTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (John 11:1-27)

Over the next few weeks we are going to be talking about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Why am I going to spend so much time here? Because we should never get tired of hearing this story. Why? Because it has so much for us to learn and commit to our hearts about death, resurrection, and the realm of darkness. It brings life where death reigns, and it robs the tomb of its terror. Jesus is going to show Martha, Mary, all of His disciples, and the entire world that He is indeed the Son of God with the power over death, and that He alone holds the keys to eternal life, heaven and hell.

Click on the link below to hear a message that will bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones. Death is not final. The grave is not final. The Bible says that for the believer to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That loved one of yours is still living, and if they had Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, then they are present with Him in heaven. If you have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you will join them for all of eternity. Death is but a moment. Life with Jesus is eternal.

Amen.

JESUS AND THE FATHER (John 10:30-42)

In our study today, we look at the Lord Jesus Christ’s word in John 10:30 and He says, “I and my Father are one.” Indeed, they are. They are one in mind, thought, heart, will, purpose, and action. While that is a true description of what Jesus has just declared, it goes beyond that. Jesus and The Father are not one in person, but in essence. God the Father and God the Son are two separate persons, but they are two parts of the one Triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus will tell us that all we have to do to know this is true is to look at His works to know that that He is of God. Jesus and the Father are God, Jesus and the Father are one.

Amen.

KNOWING YOU ARE ETERNALLY SECURE PART IV (John 10:27-29)

Today, we will finish this series on knowing you are eternally secure. As I have said over the last couple of weeks, I am doing this series because I believe that God has laid a burden on my heart to share this gift of security in your salvation that He has shared with me. I want you to know this is true, but most of all, God wants you to know this is true in your heart.

In this message we look at several of the verses that people will point to and say that they indicate that a person can lose their salvation. Last week we looked at 2 Peter 2:20-22. This week we look at Matt. 24:11-13, John 15:6-8, and Heb. 6:4-9. As we look at these verses, we will discover what God is really trying to say. One thing I know for sure, God’s Word is infallible and inerrant. He will not tell us in one verse that we are eternally secure, and then in another tells us that we can lose our salvation.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can know in your heart that once you are saved, you are eternally secure, and cannot lose that salvation.

Amen.