The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD (Genesis 1_1)

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD (Genesis 1:1)

In today’s message, I want to spend time settling the question of who God is and does He exist.  For you see, if you believe in God, then all of the questions you have about the Creation are answered.  If you do not believe in God, then you will never have the answers to your questions about how this universe came in to being.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the Bible just presents God? There He is in the very first verse of the Bible, “In the beginning God.”  He is simply presented. The fact of God is never explained in the Bible. The existence of God is never argued in the Bible. The Bible does not try to teach against atheism. God is simply presented. Now God, therefore, must be accepted by faith. Sometimes a skeptic will come and say to you, “Prove there is a God.” Don’t try, because you can’t prove that God exists, for the finite can never prove the infinite.  But not to worry. After he says, “Prove that God exists,” you say simply with a smile on your face and much confidence in your heart, “I can’t. Now, sir, will you prove that God does not exist?” And he can’t do that either.

If a person does not believe in God, it is not that he cannot believe; it is that he will not believe. He chooses not to believe. All people are believers. Some believe there is a God; some believe there is no God. 

The Bible says that “In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.” He’s presented. Now, in the beginning God did what? He created, and what mighty power is seen in His creation! Only God has creative power. 

Click on the play button to hear a message on why the almighty God created all things. He did it for His pleasure.  He did it for His praise, and He did for you. This is our mighty God. He loves you and He wants to save you and give you everlasting life. 

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

Amen.

HOW TO WALK WITH GOD (Hebrews 11:5-6)

The Bible tells us that we are to walk humbly with thy God, and it also says that the only way to walk with God is to be in agreement with God.  Agreement about what?  Agreement about how we live a life of faith in obedience with God’s will for our lives.  Now, it takes faith to walk with God. To walk with God, the first step is the step of faith.

So where do we get this faith?  God tells us that our faith cometh by hearing, and what we hear is the Word of God. You cannot have faith without hearing from God. You cannot. You must personally hear from God. God is speaking to you personally. God is speaking to you intimately. It may be through His Spirit, it may be through the Bible, but God has spoken to you.  For example, the Scripture you read will have a specific meaning to you.  It is personal.  Now, you’ll never walk with God, you’ll never have faith, until you hear, personally, from God. 

Why did God save you? Why did Jesus Christ step out of the glory, come to this earth, bathe this world with His blood—why are you redeemed? Why are you here today? Well, you ask the average person, why did God save you? And they’ll say, “To serve Him.” Listen, if God had wanted servants, He could have gotten a lot better people than us. Angels will serve Him much more obediently than we do. Angels are perfect servants, if servants are what He wanted. God is not looking for servants. God is looking for men, women, boys, and girls who will walk with Him, who know Him intimately.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to walk with God.  How to have a life of faith that is so rich, so strong, so true, so God-centered, that you will be able to say Jesus Christ is a bright, living reality to me, and I walk with Him, and I talk with Him, and He tells me I am His own; and the voice I hear falling on my ear is His voice.

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

Amen.

WHAT IS MAN THAT GOD WOULD CARE? (Hebrews 2:5-9)

The only way we can truly understand what man is, is to understand what the Bible says about man.  It is from the Word of God that we learn the truth of how God views man.  How God answers the question, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou [didst visit] him?”  From a biblical perspective, the key question that we need to consider is why do all the worlds of space exist?  What is their purpose?  Has God any pleasure in dead matter? Is He not the God of the living? Can inanimate matter praise Him, the Lord of all life?  No, they cannot, and so there is man.  

When God made man, God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living, eternal, soul.  It is your soul that makes you of infinite worth.  Your soul will be in existence when the sun, and the moon, and the stars have turned to cinders. Your soul will go on endless, timeless, dateless, measureless, for God breathed into you the breath of life.  Man was created in the image of God, and you could no more cease to exist than God Himself could cease to exist.  

God is mindful of you. He sees you now—He’s looking at you right now. He desires you; He loves you. God doesn’t love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because He loves us. The dignity of man is that God is mindful of man, that God desires man.

Click on the link below to hear a message on why God loves you so much that He would send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross to pay the penalty of your sin. 

Amen.

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

OUR SUPERLATIVE SAVIOR - PART II (Hebrews 1:4-12)

Heb 1:8
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
KJV

I want you to notice something very important here, God the Father calls God the Son, God. Now, the eternal claim of Jesus is that He is God. Jesus is forevermore God. A billion, billion years from now, He still will be God. Look at this verse: “Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever and ever and ever.”  Jesus will still be King forever more.  

A basic truth of our created universe is that things change.  All created things change.  This universe is going to wear itself out. This universe is going to run down, the second law of thermodynamics tells us that it’s on its way down. It is burning out.  Another basic truth is that anything that moves makes friction, and anything that makes friction wears, and anything that wears, disintegrates. And that’s the reason that this universe that is moving and pulsating is wearing down, it is wearing down like a garment that wears out. It’s going to wear out. But Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting. A billion years from now Jesus is the same from age to age;

Click on the link below to hear a message on Jesus Christ, our Superlative Savior.

Amen.

 

CROSSING GOD’S DEADLINE (Proverbs 29:1)

The subject of today’s lesson is a very serious and somber matter.  It is one that we don’t like to think about, and it is something that is hard to reconcile in our mind, because we have the misconception that every person can put off getting saved until the moment right before they die and then rush to get saved so they can go to heaven.  The Bible says that is not true and that is what we will talk about today.

There is in the mysteries of God’s omniscience a certain point in your life, a certain place in your life, where God has placed a deadline for you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  This is one of those lessons that if you have family members, or friends, that are lost, then you will want to get this in front of them, because the stakes are eternal, and they know not where God’s deadline is in their life.  

Prov 29:1
1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
KJV

The Bible teaches that in front of every unsaved man there is a deadline.  It teaches that if he crosses that deadline, he is just as lost, just as certainly doomed, just as destined for hell as though he were already there and as though the iron gates of hell had already clanged shut behind him. It is possible for a man to commit a sin in this life; it is possible for a person to come in this life to a point which, if he commits that sin and transgresses and goes beyond that point, he can never; no, never; no, never be saved. He will cross God’s deadline.  Now, just to be clear, this is not about any so-called unpardonable sin, it is about you rejecting God more times than God is willing to let you pass, and God makes the sovereign decision to turn His patience to wrath.   

Click on the link below to hear a message on what God’s Word says about Crossing God’s Deadline.

Amen.

THE LOST OPPORTUNITYOF ETERNITY (Proverbs 27:1)

Today, I want to talk about the lost opportunity of living every day for the rest of your life, and then all of eternity, with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  

Now, when you think of all the people in just the last 20 years who have heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ, I would have to guess that there have been millions upon millions, upon millions of people who have heard this wonderful gospel of forgiveness and eternal life in heaven with Jesus Christ.  I would guess that millions of those people came to know the Lord Jesus Christ through the ministry of God’s Word.  

However, and I hate to say it, but I have to believe that millions of those people, in fact the vast majority, who heard the gospel message of Christ preached to them, go away unsaved.  They go away having not received the Lord Jesus Christ. There has been no change in their lives. They have heard the Word of God, and they’ve gone out unsaved. Now, I have to ask myself, “Why do some people hear the gospel and not receive it?”  God, in His Word, provides a compelling answer to that question.

Prov 27:1
1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
KJV

I believe far and away, the majority of the people who hear the gospel message and go out unsaved, and remain unsaved, are lost because of procrastination. They believe the gospel, and they are not self-righteous. They know that they need to be saved, and they say, “One of these days, I’m going to get saved.” But they keep putting it off. 

Click on the link below to hear a message on why you should ask yourself these questions, why should I not have the joy of knowing Jesus now? Why should I not have the peace of knowing Jesus now? Why should I not have the fulfillment of knowing Jesus now? Why should l not have the love of knowing Jesus now? Why should I not have a God that I can pray to now? Why should I wait to be saved?  Why put it off till tomorrow? Being saved is not like taking bad medicine in order to get well.  It is like that first taste of ice cream on a hot summer day.  It is so good, you have to eat more.  That is what being saved is like, it is so good, you want even more.

But most of all, ask yourself, Why should I miss the opportunity of eternity?

Amen.

HOW TO FIND GOD (Proverbs 8:27-36)

Gods’ wisdom is evident everywhere in God’s creation.  The promise of God’s Word is that if we seek Him, then we will find Him, and when we find Him, then we will obtain life everlasting.  

Deut 4:29
29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
KJV

God is not hiding from us.  He can be seen in all the wonders of the world we live on.  

Rom 1:20
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
KJV

Then, when we find God, we find life everlasting.

Prov 8:35
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
KJV

There is a God sized hole in every individual.  We were created to have God living in us to fill that hole.  You can spend your entire life trying to fill that hole with the things of this world, but you will never be satisfied, you will never be complete, until you find God and make His Son, Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior.  Now, all you have to do to find God, is to seek Him with all of your heart.  

Where do you look for God?  God’s Wisdom tells us that God is all around us in the universe that He has created.  God’s Wisdom is available to be seen and found by whosoever chooses to love God and seek Him.  God promises that if we will love and seek Him, then we will find Him and find life.  

Amen.  

LET GOD SIT IN THE DRIVER‘S SEAT (Proverbs 3:5-6)

There is a popular bumper sticker out there that says “God is my Copilot.”  Well, if that is true in your life, then you better swap seats.  God needs to in the driver’s seat of your life.  We all like to be in control of our lives, but if you are to know God’s will, then you must let God be the one who chooses your way, not you.  You see, finding God’s will is not something that you are to figure out in your flesh.  It is not a puzzle that we need to figure out.  God is not leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow.  No, instead, we are called to trust in the Lord.

Someone once said, “To know the Lord Jesus is to love Him. To love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to obey Him. To obey Him is to find God’s will for your life. And to find God’s will for your life is to be blessed.”  The Word of God says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” No ifs, ands, and buts about it. If you let Almighty God choose the way, control the way, confirm the way, and clear the way, then you will know the will of God for your life.

Now, let me just give you some very practical advice and I want you to think about it. The way to know the will of God for your life is to do the will of God immediately and in all things. In all your ways acknowledge Him. Don’t wait till tomorrow morning. I mean, starting now! Number two: Obey Him in the small things; then the big ones will take care of themselves. Everything big is made of little things. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” (Luke 16:10) 

It’s hard to steer a ship that’s not moving, that means that God can’t steer a life that is not moving towards Him. I want to repeat again, the way to know the will of God for your life is to do the will of God immediately and to do it in all things. Obey Him in the small things; then the big ones will take care of themselves.

Amen.

THE DEATH OF A FOOLISH MAN (2 Samuel 3:32-34)

Have you ever known someone who did something foolish?  Most of us have, and we generally only have to look in the mirror.  Now, have ever known someone who died foolishly?  They may have been a very intelligent, successful, and well liked, person, but they died foolishly.  I have known some.  They did things like jumping out of perfectly good airplanes for the rush of seeing the ground come up at you really fast.  I just never understood someone who would do that.  But generally, people die a foolish death because they got their priorities out of order.  The forget what is really important and choose to follow something that promises a quick rush of pleasure.  They live for today.  They allow greed, or addiction, or self-gratification to become the most important thing in their lives, even it means destroying their family, or hurting their loved ones.  

But there is something even more basic than that where people choose to die foolishly.  When it comes to choosing eternal life in heaven, or eternal death in hell, people will foolishly choose to reject God’s free gift of eternal life, and choose death instead.  Whether it is because they think they have all the time in the world to choose, or they just don’t want to believe in life after death, death comes, and they die a foolish death.  Our message today is about just such a foolish man.   

Now, I have said before that all of the Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the theme of the Bible is salvation, or how to be right with God. The hero of the Bible is Jesus. The villain of the Bible is Satan. The story of the Bible is salvation.  God has packed salvation stories from Genesis all the way through to Revelation.  It is within the pages of this Holy Bible that we can find the words of eternal life.  We can find the story of how to be saved and how to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the foolishness of spending an eternity in Hell.  Don’t believe the lie of the devil when he says that he is your friend, and that God is your enemy.  The devil will tell you that it is hard to be a Christian.  That is not what Jesus Christ tells us.

Matt 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
KJV

John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
KJV

Contrary to what the devil says, it’s not hard to be a Christian. The Bible says, “The way of the transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15).

If you are looking for eternal life, come to Jesus Christ.  

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
NIV

Amen.

JESUS IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR DARKNESS (John 20:30-31)

John had a purpose when he gave us the gospel of John and it was that we might believe in Jesus, and that by believing, we might be saved. God wants us to know that Jesus is the answer to man's darkness.

John 20:30-31
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
KJV

Jesus Christ is the light of men.  Now there can be no greater sin than to reject the light that is Jesus Christ. Once a man hears the gospel and his heart is open to the Word of God, if he does not act upon that light, and go from faith to faith until he believes in Jesus Christ, his condemnation is doubled. Because not only is he judged for his sin, but he is also judged that he refused the cure for that sin.  He refused to believe in Jesus Christ.

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

When God comes to judge the world, he's not going to judge the world primarily by the sin that was committed, but by the light that was rejected.  Jesus is the Light of the world. We are born as spiritually blind beggars, but those blind eyes can be opened and will be opened by the grace of God. It's not just turning on the light, the heart and the mind have to be opened and quickened to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. And once the heart, once the mind, are opened and quickened, then we go stepping into the light we are given until we come to Jesus. Man's greatest need is to come, admit and confess his spiritual blindness, his spiritual darkness.  When he says God help me, I'm blind, then God opens his eyes and gives him light.

John tells us that the purpose he had in writing this gospel was “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”  God wants us to know that Jesus is the answer to man's darkness.  

Click on the link below to learn how you can find God’s answer your darkness.  That answer is Jesus Christ.

Amen.