The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

ARE YOU THIRSTY? PART II (John 37-39)

Is your life a fruitful life for Christ or is it a barren life? Galatians 5:22 speaks of the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Is there a river flowing out of you that causes fruitfulness where there was once barrenness?

This world that we live is sick and barren desert that needs life. It needs the fruit of the Spirit. It needs healing. There is a dead sea out there, and Jesus said, "If you thirst, come to me, and drink, and you'll be satisfied." As believers we need to come to Jesus and drink from Him by faith, and then where there was death, there'll be life. Where there was barrenness there'll be fruit.

The truth is that there are members of our churches today who have never been saved. If you are one of these people, then you need to come to Jesus today, and stop enduring religion, and start enjoying salvation. Then there are others who have been saved, but they have only been drinking in such a shallow way. You come each Sunday morning with a shallow thirst and you go home with a shallow satisfaction. In other words, you are only ankle deep. You need to drink deep of our Lord, and let this river flow deeply out of you.

You need to stop coming to church only seeking a blessing, and you need to come to church seeking to bless others with the river of living water that is flowing out of you. Now, don’t misunderstand me, all of us, at one time or another, need to be the one receiving the blessing, but Jesus is telling us that if we will drink fully from Him, then we will have rivers of living water flowing from us to bless all of those around us. We will be a source of life in a sick, dead, world.

Click on the link below to learn how you can be a source of living water for those around you.

Amen.

THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES (John 7:25-44)

This is a message about the power of God, the obedience of our Lord to the will of His Father, and to the decisions that we must make about who Jesus is in our lives. No other decision that we make is as important as the one to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. To make Him our Master, and to accept the work of salvation that He has completed for us.

Click on the link below to hear a message about Jesus Christ forcing people to choose who He was, a good man, a prophet, or the Promised Messiah and the Son of God.

Amen.

A DECISION ABOUT JESUS (John 7:1-24)

At some point in our lives, each of us has to make a decision about who Jesus Christ is to us, personally. Is He the Son of God and our Savior, or just a prophet, a teacher, or a good man? Each of us comes to this decision from different viewpoints and different life experiences. Yet, we must all ultimately answer the same question, who will Jesus Christ be in my life? My Savior, or just a figure in history? Will He be someone I give my life to, or someone I reject, claiming my life as my own?

Our eternal destiny, either heaven or hell, will be decided by the decision we make about Jesus Christ. Nothing else matters. Not the religion we choose. Not the church we attend. Not the good things that we have done in our lives, or will do in the future. Not the bad things that we have done in our lives, or will do in the future. Not murder, not adultery, not prostitution, not lying, not suicide. Other than rejecting Christ, the Bible does not state an unpardonable sin that prevents you from being saved, or forces you to lose your salvation. You will not find a verse in the Bible that says in order to be saved you must believe on Jesus and you must not have done this particular sin at any time in your life. What the Bible does say is:

John 5:24
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

The one requirement for salvation and eternal life is that you make a true heart trusting decision to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, truly repent of your sins, and accept that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. That’s it. Nothing else matters. To say one sin is greater than another sin is to not understand the perfect holiness of God. Any sin, from the smallest to the worst, must be judged and condemned by a Holy God. Any sin that you commit demands that the penalty for that sin be paid, and the penalty is the same for all sin, an eternity in Hell. The only question is who will pay the penalty for that sin. Jesus Christ as your Savior, or you when you decide to reject Jesus.

Click on the link to hear a message on how the nation of Israel, and most of the people, rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah. They made their choice about who Jesus was in their lives, and they are spending an eternity in hell as a result of that decision. The apostle Paul tells us to examine ourselves to determine if we are in the faith. There is no more important decision that you will make at any time in your life than who Jesus is to you. Choose wisely. Choose life.

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.

THERE IS WONDER WORKING POWER IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LAMB (John 6:63)

I know a lot of Christian people who are living painful lives because they have let toxins build up in their lives. They have let the sins of worry, envy, jealousy, fear, pride, bitterness, and doubt, build up in their lives. They build up more and more of these toxins in their lives. If you don't allow the blood of Christ to be constantly cleansing you, then you are going to be living a life of pain. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Now, you may be saved and on your way to heaven, but you're miserable, you're miserable because you are not letting the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse you, and so you're just miserable. You see, not only is there the constant provision of the blood, there is the cleansing property of the blood. It is the body’s blood that cleanses us in the physical world, and it is the blood of Christ that cleanses us in the spiritual world.

This is the reason that many Christians are failing. They are not living in victory because while they understand the saving blood, they have never understood that everything that I need to live the Christian life is in Jesus.

Click on the link below and you will hear a message on how the wonder-working power of the precious blood of the Lamb can give you victory as you walk with Christ. Listen as God tells us in His Word that Anything Jesus has overcome, we can overcome, and Everything that I need to live the Christian life is in Jesus, and Jesus is already in me.

There is power, wonder-working power, in the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

THERE IS LIFE IN THE BLOOD (John 6:52-53)

Are you in the secret service? I know a lot of Christians who are in the secret service. Now, they may be saved, but you would never know it by looking at them and the way they talk, the way they walk, the way they act, and the way they live. They do not have that power that God wants them to have. The life of Jesus Christ is not evidenced in them, and the difference is that they have never discovered the power of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave Himself for us in order that He might give Himself to us. He wants to share the power and life that is in His blood with us.

This is why we are failing to walk victoriously in Christ. We can be going to heaven, and we can thank God for the shed blood, which is saving blood, but there is more to it. He gave Himself for us, that He might give Himself to us, that we may eat of His flesh, and drink of His blood. Jesus is saying that we are to do this so His life might be in you.

Click on the link below to hear a message on what it means to find life in the blood of Jesus. Just as in my human body everything that my body needs to exist is delivered to me by my blood, so everything I need to live the victorious Christian life is in Jesus. There is life, and there is power, in the blood. The life of Christ is in that blood, life everlasting, and there is power in that blood for you and me to walk victoriously in our work for the Lord.

Amen.

JESUS WAS SENT FROM HEAVEN (John 6:37-51)

When a person rejects Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are rejecting Him as the Son of God. They are rejecting Him being anything more than just a prophet, a teacher, or a good man. They are rejecting Christ as being sovereign. They are saying that He is nothing more than a man, that He was born as a baby, just like the rest of us. Therefore, He cannot be God, so He must be a man.

Yet, Jesus says “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” The Bible is clear that Jesus is the Son of God, and that His Father giveth Him people for salvation. There is no other path to salvation than through believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He alone is the way, the truth, and the light.

John 6:47
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
KJV

Click on the link below to hear a message on how Jesus is the bread of everlasting life. Jesus tells us, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.”

Amen.

JESUS IS GOD'S ANSWER TO MAN'S DESPAIR (John 6:15-21)

Each of us face times of great trouble and despair. Maybe you're not there right now. Maybe everything is fine for you. Maybe it is smooth sailing for you right now. If so, just wait, just wait, sooner or later you're going to find the wind is going to begin to blow and things are going to seem to reverse on you. If you're having smooth sailing now, I'm grateful. I want you to enjoy it. But, the day will come when you face a time of despair.

The Bible says that you will have trouble in this life. You will have tears and heartaches. But, if the Lord Jesus Christ is your Savior, then I'm going to promise you something on the authority of the word of God. You are predestined to be like Jesus. Paul tells us in the book of Romans "all things will work together for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." One of these days your destiny will be fulfilled. For the Bible says in Philippians one six, "he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it." If you're in trouble right now, God’s eyes are on you. He's praying for you. He will come to you and I can promise you this, He is going to see you through. God does not promise you a life of smooth sailing, but He does promise you a safe landing. God said in His Word, "I will never leave thee or forsake thee." He will see you through to a safe landing.

Click on the link below to hear a message about six anchors for your soul that will help you to ride out the storm. When the storm comes, these are six things for you to learn so you can say with real meaning that Jesus is God's answer to man's despair.

Amen.

JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE (John 6:8-36)

Are you willing for God to use you? If you are, then ask yourself, have you given everything to Jesus Christ? Some might say, “Whoa, wait a minute, That's absurd! I need some for myself. I have a family to take care of.” Well, if that is your response, then I have to tell you that you have got a real problem. If you want God to use you, then you need to give everything, I mean everything, I mean totally, one hundred percent of all that you have, all that you are, your family, your friends, your reputation, totally to Jesus Christ.

Matt 16:25-26
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
KJV

One of my favorite quotes from Adrian Rogers is, “If Jesus Christ is not Lord of your all, then He is not your Lord at all.” Do you believe that? Really, truly, believe that? Do you live your life with that as a truth in your life? Let me tell you something, Jesus already owns everything you have, whether you believe that or not. It is all His, but we don’t act like that is true. Yet, when we live our lives like it is true, then you don’t bargain with God about how much you tithe, when you tithe, or whether you tithe at all. When that is true, you don’t go places and do things that God would not have you do. When that is true, you love your neighbor as you love yourself, because, the very first thing that you did was to love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul. You love God with all of you and all that you have. If Jesus Christ is not Lord of your all, then He is not your Lord at all. Put that in your heart, and live your life with it.

Click on the link below to hear a message how Jesus is the bread of life. You are hungry for more than fish and bread. You are hungry for Jesus. Whether you know it or not, Jesus is life's hidden hunger. What you really need, the only thing that will satisfy the deepest longing of your heart and your soul, is Jesus Christ. Men are searching everywhere for satisfaction, but they will never find it until they find it in the Lord Jesus!

Amen.

WHO IS JESUS? GOD. (John 5:31-47)

Over the last several weeks, I have posted messages based on the truths found in the fifth chapter of the gospel of John. This chapter is one of the most powerful declarations that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and as the Son, He is equal to the Father in all things. If you do not believe this is true, then you do not truly believe in the deity of Christ, and you cannot be a child of God. Neither the Father nor the Son was created. Neither the Father nor the Son existed without the other. The Father is not anymore God than the Son, and the Son is not any less God than the Father.

On this podcast site, I have received a great deal of negative comments to my assertion that Jesus the Son is equal to God the Father. Many of them placing human limitations on the three parts of the Trinity. They ask is the son equal to the father in a human relationship, or is a servant equal to the master of a household? When we put human limitations and characteristics on God, then we deny the sovereignty and divine nature of God. It is an age-old attempt to deify man to the same level as God.

The ultimate secret of the universe is God, one God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of three are equally God. All three make up the One true God. To not believe this is true is to not truly believe in the Holy Trinity. There are not three Gods, there is one God. Therefore, each of the three parts of God, are equal as God, and are identified and worshiped as God. To not believe this is true, is to not believe the words of Jesus Christ that are found in this fifth chapter of the gospel of John.

God the Father directly testified that Jesus was His beloved 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

When Jesus claimed to be Son of God, and that God was His Father, the Jews fully understood that He was claiming to be equal to God.

John 5:17-18
17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
KJV

The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus was equal to God,

Phil 2:5-6
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
KJV

This is how the Bible reveals who Jesus Christ is. He is God.

Click the link below to hear a message on the how the Word of God describes who Jesus is.

Amen.