The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

WHEN FAITH SEEMS TO FAIL (Hebrews 11:32-40)

WHEN FAITH SEEMS TO FAIL (Hebrews 11:32-40)

What happens when faith seems to fail? Sometimes we pray, and God doesn’t seem to answer our prayer the way we wanted.  Maybe we’re going to have an outdoor event, and we say, “Lord, give us beautiful weather,” and the storms come and chase us back indoors. Has that ever happened to you? I mean, it turns everything into a swamp, but you prayed and asked God for it to be a bright sun-shiny day. Sometimes you pray, “Lord, I want to marry that person. Give them to me as a spouse,” and instead, they marry your best friend.  You say, “Lord, how could you?  I prayed and I had faith.”

Then, on a more serious note, sometimes we have a loved one who is sick, and we come to God, and we say, “Oh, God, heal my child. Lord, heal my wife. Heavenly Father, touch with Your healing hand,” and they don’t get better; they get worse, and it seems like some greedy malady is just eating away at those that we love the best, and we see them wind down to the grave. And we’ve tried to believe, we’ve tried to trust, and faith seems to fail.  As a result, we are ready just to throw in the towel, and say, “What’s the use? It’s not working.” Have you ever been there? If not, then just hold on, because your time is coming that you will be. 

There are times that come where the answer doesn’t come exactly as we think that it ought. Sometimes trials, temptations, tribulations, heartaches, tears, fears—they come, and faith doesn’t seem to remove them.

Click on the play button at the top of this episode to hear a message on how you can have a mature faith.  Many people have a superficial faith, and a superstitious faith, rather than a strong faith, and a spiritual faith, and a biblical faith. So, if you’re about ready to throw in the towel, if you prayed for your child and your child didn’t get well, and you’re ready to quit coming to God and to church, then I want you to listen to this message.

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

Amen.

LEARNING TO LEAN ON GOD (Hebrews 11:21)

LEARNING TO LEAN ON GOD (Hebrews 11:21)

Many of us think that self-sufficiency is a virtue, and at many a high school graduation ceremony, there will be speakers telling young people to learn to be self-sufficient. The truth of the matter is that self-sufficiency is not a virtue; spiritually, it is a vice.  In fact, if you are a follower of Christ, then God is working on you. God is working on each of us, and He will not be finished with us until our total, complete dependency is not on self, but on Him.

In our message today, Jacob tells God, “Lord, I trust you, but …” Have you ever done that? “Lord, I trust you, but, Lord, I don’t trust You completely. And now, Lord, You help me out. But Father, You know, I’ve got to rig this thing first and you just make my efforts work.”  But that is not the way God works.  Did you know that God likes broken things? Men throw broken things away, but God never really ever uses anything until He first breaks it. David said, in the Psalms, “A broken and a contrite spirit thou wilt not despise, O God.” Most of us are not being used of God because we’ve never been broken. 

One of these days, if God breaks you and you become broken bread and poured out wine, God can use you. God took a little lad’s lunch, and broke it, and fed the multitudes. Mary took an alabaster box of ointment, and she broke it, and lavished her love upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among the thorns.” You’ll never have the crop you ought to until you put the plow in, until the old clods are broken. Even the Lord Jesus Christ took that Last Supper and said, “This is my body which is broken for you.” Men throw broken things away. God never ever uses anything or anybody until they’re first broken.

Click on the link below hear a message on how Jacob loved God, and he had to be delivered from his self-sufficiency. He had to learn how to lean on Jesus. 

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

Amen.

HAS YOUR FAITH BEEN TESTED? (Hebrews 11:17-19)

God is going to give you some trials, some tests, to see if your faith is real.  Not for Him to know anything about your faith, for He already knows all about your faith, but for you to know that your faith is real and that it can be trusted no matter what.  Warren Wiersbe said that “A faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted.”

Tests, and trials, and temptations come in two kinds. The devil solicits us, tempts us to do evil, to cause us to stumble. God tests us to do good in order to cause us to stand.  What God wants to accomplish by testing us is to make our faith strong and pure. How will it be tested?  It will be tested by fire.  Then, what is the purpose of the testing?  God is going to put your faith in the fire to purify it, to make it stand no matter what comes.

God is going to test your faith by asking you to do something that may surprise you—not by giving up the wrong things and the bad things, but by giving up the good things. It would be relatively easy if God asked us to give up the bad things, to give up lying, and stealing, and cheating, and pride—to show that we love Him. But that’s not what God is asking.

There are some things that we give up for the Lord. But the test of faith that God will give you is not what you are willing to give up for the Lord, but are you willing to give back to the Lord of the blessings that you have received.  Are you able to give your blessings back to God? Not, are you willing to give up your sins for God? Are you willing to give your blessings back to God? The test of faith is not primarily between love and hate, but between two loves, those things we love dearly and that which we must love supremely.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how God wants you to be strong in faith. For without faith, it is impossible to please God.

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

Amen.

A DYNAMIC LIFE OF FAITH-PART II (Hebrews 11:8-13)

Without faith it is impossible to please God. You will never succeed in your Christian life without believing God.  Faith is the mark of a Christian. Christians were called believers before they were called Christians. It is our chief duty to believe God, and in order to believe God, then you must hear from God.

How can we hear the voice of God?  The Bible tells us that God speaks to us by His Son.  So, how does God do that?  The Bible teaches that we have three things. We have the written Word of God. We have the mind of Christ, and we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Now, the wonderful good news about having these three things to hear from God, is that it gives us such an advantage over what the Old Testament prophets had to hear from God.  You see, these Old Testament characters, before they had the Bible, before they knew what we know by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they had to wait for God to break in with some open revelation, some vision, some ecstasy. We don’t have to do that.

Listen, don’t just miss this Biblical truth by nonchalance. We have the inspired, inerrant written Word of God, and we have the mind of Christ, and we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, all speaking to us and sharing the will of God in our lives.  You have such an advantage today in being able to know the will of God.  You don’t have to guess at the will of God, you can know the will of God.  You can have the confidence to say to God as you pray, “Lord, this is Your will, and I thank You for it, and I stand on it.” 

How can you have this confidence?  You can have it because you have the written word of God, the Holy Spirit of God, and the mind of Christ.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to have a dynamic life of faith that pleases God.

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

THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE-PART I (Hebrews 10:38 to 11_6)

How to live a life of faith.  We live in an age where we have a lot of people who are called stars, these so-called movie stars.  We have a lot of people who are called idols, these so-called sports idols. In my humble opinion, we have too many stars, and too many idols, and not enough heroes. I’m going to be talking to you today about heroes, Bible heroes.  

Faith is a confidence that rests in hope. It is not a will-of-the-wisp sort of a thing. It is substance.  When we live by faith, it’s not smoke and mirrors.  There is, substance, there is confidence that rests in hope.  The word “hope” doesn’t mean perhaps. Nor does it even mean wish. Nor does it mean desire. The word “hope,” in the Bible, means “rock-ribbed assurance based on divine revelation.”  For example, the Second Coming of Jesus is called the what? The blessed hope.  Now, is that the blessed maybe? No. It is rock-ribbed assurance based on the promises of the Word of God.  Jesus Christ is coming again, and that is our blessed hope, our rock-ribbed assurance based on divine revelation.

Faith, therefore, is the title deed, the confidence, that what God has said is true, and God will perform it. There is no legitimate faith without hope. And there is no legitimate hope without faith. These cannot be separated. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present, and the invisible as seen.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how the Bible says that you are to live by faith, by a confidence that rests in hope.

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

Amen.

PATIENCE (Hebrews 10:32-37)

In today’s message we are going to be talking about patience.  Oh my, how many times have you heard the saying “Don’t ever pray for God to teach you patience, because He certainly will.”  Patience.  The Bible actually has a lot to say about patience.

Heb 10:36
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
KJV

There is not a one of us that does not need patience.  Now, let me tell you something “With God, timing is more important than time.” So many of us, we want it, and we want it now.  We want instant credit.  We want instant food. Why do you think the fast food industry is so big?  Because we want what we want, and we want it now.  We want instant service everywhere we go.  Nobody likes standing in line waiting on the things we need.  We want instant gratification.  Tomorrow is almost a dirty word in today’s vocabulary. Yet, so many times, with God, there is a time of waiting between asking and receiving. 

The Bible tells us that, if we know the Lord Jesus Christ, our standard of living may change, but our standard of life will not.  You have need of patience, that you might inherit the promises of God.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to develop patience in your life as you look forward to receiving the promises of God.  First, remember yesterday’s provision. He saw you through then; He’ll see you through again.  Second, resolve today’s patience—not just hunkering down. Remember, it is not patience that solemnly waits in the dark; it is patience that gloriously anticipates the dawn. And then, rest in tomorrow’s promise: “though it tarry, it will come.”  Get a hold of the Word of God and never, never, never let it go. 

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

Amen.

A CLEAN CONSCIENCE (Hebrews 9:7-10; 14)

A CLEAN CONSCIENCE (Hebrews 9:7-10; 14)

How does the Bible teach us to face the trials of life?  It says that you can face those trials if you have a good conscience, if you have a great hope, and a gracious companion in the Holy Spirit of God.  When the Bible talks about our conscience, it is really talking about our soul, and the worst pollution of all is the pollution of the soul. Now, all pollution is bad, but the worst pollution is not the kind we breathe, and it seems like we’re just being polluted to death.  But, may I tell you that the real ecology problem is that of Satan and of sin, and the real pollution problem is that of sin.

The word uncleanness stands for a state of mind, and a state of soul, and a state of spirit, that is not right with God, and it stands for sin. Sin makes us unclean.  In our study today, God will make the point that death and sin, or death and uncleanness, are inseparably linked together. Sin causes death, therefore, death is the visible sign of sin.

We often pray for the families of people who died, and sometimes we talk about people who die of sickness, and then we talk about other people who die a natural death. May I tell you that there is no such thing as a natural death, for all death is unnatural. It is not what God planned for us. All death is the result of sin.  Now, listen to me carefully, all death is the result of sin, but not necessarily your personal sin. But, had there been no sin, there would have been no death. There was no sin in the Garden of Eden, and as a result, there was no death in the Garden of Eden, until sin came.  Therefore, death is the visible sign, and the object lesson, of sin.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on what the Bible tells us about the causes of our soul becoming unclean.

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

Amen.

TO BE A GROWNUP-PART I (Hebrews 5:7 to 6:1)

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ died for your sins, my sins, the whole world’s sins, and then He rose again so that we might have everlasting life if we will make Him our Lord and Savior.  Jesus stands today, alive, in the Holy Tabernacle of Heaven as our Great High Priest so that our salvation will be a forever, and ever, salvation.  

So, now that you are saved.  Now, that you know all that Christ has done for you, what should your reaction be?  What should your duty to Christ be?  God answers this question with a command, not a suggestion, but a command to grow as a Christian.  To become a grownup Christian.

Heb 6:1
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
KJV

It is one thing to become saved, it is another thing entirely to become a full-grown Christian.  I want to put a thought in your mind, and I pray that it will bother you.  I pray that it will bother you so much that it will spur you into action.  I want you to write this down someplace that, every morning when you open your Bible for your quiet time, it reminds you of something very important.  It says, “When I cease to be better, I cease to be good.”

Click on the link below to hear a message that says, if you have stopped growing, then you have begun decaying. Decay always begins when growth ends. The Bible says we are to go on to maturity.  There is more to life than being born. A Christian is a tree planted, not a post stuck in the ground.  We are commanded to grow. There is a “must” about it.  The Holy Spirit of God has so much more for you to know about the grace of God, the blessings of God, and the work of God, but He cannot tell you these things until you are no longer a baby spiritually.

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

Amen.

JESUS, OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST (Hebrews 4:13-5:4)

Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest, that is the role that Christ is playing in our lives today.  He has completed His work of salvation, and now He is in heaven as our Great High Priest.  

In the Old Testament, one of the functions of the priest was to hear the confession of sins so that a sacrifice could be made to obtain forgiveness of that sin.  Un-confessed sin was and is a burden upon the person who sins.  However, as a believer that has made Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, in this age of grace, we know that all of our sins have already been forgiven.  We already know that we will not have to face the penalty of our sin, for Christ has already done that for us.  Yet, sin is still a burden on our spirit, and we are certainly told to confess our sins. 

We confess our sins out of obedience and a desire for cleansing.  If we do not acknowledge our sin, it becomes like a malignancy which spreads to consume our energy, our spiritual zeal, and it is always present with us draining our ambition to serve the Lord.  It robs us of the joy of being in God’s will, and for the Christian, being in God’s will is the zone, it is that special place we want to be.

Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
KJV

This is telling us that we can come with great freedom unto the Throne of Grace.  We can speak freely to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can tell Him things we wouldn’t tell anyone else.  He already knows everything there is to know about us, so why not speak freely with Him.  Christ understands us; He knows all of our weaknesses.  And when we approach that throne of Grace it is so “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We can come with full confidence that He will hear us, and He wants to extend to us His Grace, and Mercy, when we are in a time of need.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the fact that our sin is not a secret, God sees it all, and God expects us to confess that sin.  The message today is about the One who now stands in the office of High Priest, and to whom we must confess.  Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the Supreme High Priest.

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

Amen.

DISHARMONY IN THE HOME (Proverbs 15:13-22)

When a man and woman are married, there is to be what is called the “The Music of Marriage.” You have the husband, or the father, who is the leader of the band.  It is the father who sets tune in the home. He is the leader of the band.  Now the Music of Marriage requires that there be “Harmony in the Home,” and if there is to be harmony in the home, then husbands and wives must sing the same song, but they sing different parts. That’s what makes it harmonious, and not a mere melody, but wonderful harmony.  

Now, this harmonious Music of Marriage occurs when we play the part that God has equipped us to play. So, husbands and wives are singing different parts of the same song, but hopefully they are singing in the right rhythm, so they sing it together. But, the message today is on this subject: “Disharmony in the Home” I’m really talking about tension in the home, and what can we do to deal with it.  How can we have the harmonious music of marriage that God wants us to have?

As a young man I tried to learn to play the guitar, and I have dabbled trying to play the piano.  I was not successful in either endeavor.  I can’t seem to tap my foot to keep time and play the notes at the same time, and a metronome drives me crazy.  But, playing the guitar did teach me a few things besides having sore fingertips.  I learned that in order for the music coming from the guitar to sound harmonious, each of the strings have to be in tune.  Now, to tune those strings you have to adjust the tension on it.  If the string is not tight enough, then the music is flat and dull.  But, if the string is too tight, then the music is shrill and high-pitched. But if the string is even tighter, the string will snap.    

One of the major obstacles to the harmonious Music of Marriage is tension in the home caused by stress and strife. Stress is related to raising your voice, to raising your pulse, and raising your children. Listen, if you’ve got children, then you have stress just built in, and being in today’s home, the string can get mighty tight, and sometimes it can snap.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how God intends for you to deal with the stress in your home, and how you can have that harmonious Music of Marriage that God wants for your home.  

Amen.