The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

THE FAITH THAT CANNOT BE TESTED, CANNOT BE TRUSTED (Genesis 22:1-18)

In today’s message, I want to talk to you about your faith.  The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 16:13 to be strong in faith.  I want us to think about our faith, and I want us to look at our faith. I want us to examine our faith. I want us to test our faith, because, you see, the faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted.

How do you know that your faith is real and strong? Well, would you like to fly on an airplane that had never been tested?  Would you like for it to be built, but never once put to any test?  Would you want to get on it and commit your life to that airplane, and it had never been tested?  I don’t think so, right?  Would you like for a doctor to do surgery on you who went through medical school without a test?  He just got a diploma as a participation trophy?

Do you want to put your faith, and your confidence, in something that hasn’t been tested? Again, the faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted.

If you were to measure faith, how would you measure it? Well, you could measure it with the dimensions of faith. You could measure it by its depth. You could measure it by its height. You could measure it by its length. Or you could measure it by its wideness.  And that is exactly how we are going to measure faith today.  We are going to study how God tells us in His Word how Abraham’s faith was measured.  He is going to tell us how it was qualified.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how our faith is measured by the depth of its devotion, the height of its sacrifice, the length of its obedience, and the wideness of confidence.

Let me ask that the next time you pray to your Heavenly Father, pray these words, “Lord, increase my faith. And, Lord, when the test comes, when you ask of me something—to go somewhere, to give something, to sacrifice something—Lord, help me to obey. May my obedience be quick, intentional, instantaneous, impassioned, intelligent.” You don’t have to think up things to sacrifice. You just have to say, “Lord, all that I am, all that I have, belongs to you.”

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

Amen.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC (Genesis 20:1 to 21:34)

Today’s message is about spiritual highs and lows.  If you have been a Christ follower for very long, then the mountain top experiences when you feel so close to God, are right there alongside the deep valley experiences when you feel so far from God.  The Bible describes Abraham as a hero of the faith, and I certainly agree with that description.  Some of the things that we have seen Abraham do in our study of the book of Genesis, and some of the things that he will yet do in this book, are truly remarkable examples of a man who is filled with the Spirit of an all-powerful God.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I never like to see my heroes stumble.  I mean, the Lone Ranger never told a lie, he was never mean to people, and he always rescued the girl, and defeated the bad guys.  That is just the way it works, our heroes are not supposed to do the same kind of foolish things that we do, especially twice.

So, when you have the type of expectations that I do for my heroes, chapter 20 of the book of Genesis is a chapter that you would like to just skip over.  That is because Abraham does all of the things we just talked about.  He lies, and he is mean to Hagar and Ishmael.  Worse, he repeats the same sin that he committed when he went down into the land of Egypt and lied concerning Sarah, saying, “She is my sister.” It is the same story, all over again. But in the end, Abraham defeats the bad guy, or the sin that has been in his life, he obeys God’s commands, and he gets the only girl God has wanted for him from the beginning, which is Sarah.

Yet, this story tells the truth about all of us as Christians.  No matter how great we think we are, each time we try to solve our problems using the world’s methods, using our own strength, instead of depending on God, we will fail.  And there is nothing more miserable than a Christian who has failed because he did not depend on God.  The lost see this person as the hypocrite they are, and they want nothing to do with that kind of shallow belief.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how our faith and trust in God is the foundation for living a victorious Christian life.

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

Amen.

GOD'S JUDGEMENT OF PERVASIVE SIN (Genesis 19:1-29)

There are those who believe that you can become a child of God and continue on in sin. God says that is impossible.  You cannot do that. Paul asks the question, 

Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
KJV

The idea that you can be a Christian and go on living in sin, or support and condone the sin of those around you, is a tremendous mistake.  Don’t tell me that the book of Genesis describes a primitive view of God, and that we have a better, more enlightened one today. Don’t argue that, after all, Jesus received sinners.  That is absolutely true, He certainly did, but when He got through with them, He had changed them.  The harlot who came to Him was no longer in that business. When she came to God, she changed.  A tax collector named Matthew came to Jesus, and he gave up that which was crooked when he came to the Lord. If you have come to Christ, you will be changed. 

Many people try to explain that we are living in a new day and that we need to wake up. That is true, we are living in a new day, but it just happens to be the same old sin.  Today, it is the same for us as Christians.  The world has a lot of attractions.  Many people want to have one foot in the world and the other living in God’s will.  But it doesn’t work that way.  In order to become saved, we are commanded to repent of our sins.  The word repent is an expression that always has been given to God’s people as a challenge to turn around, to stop what they are doing.  The word repent can be defined as walking down the road in one direction, stopping, and turning back to go in the opposite direction, never looking or going back the way you were going. This word is much more than just saying you are sorry, it is agreeing with God that what you did was wrong and committing not to do it again.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how God will bring judgement on pervasive sin. As Christians, our love cannot be of the things of this world.  Our home is no longer here on this earth.  We are pilgrims on this earth.  We are here for one purpose only, to bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ.  

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

Amen.

TO PRAY AS AN INTERCESSOR (Genesis 18:1-21)

Have you ever asked the question, how does a mature, obedient Christian react to the truth that a terrible judgment is about to happen to a world of sinful men?  The Bible gives us examples of such reactions.  Jonah was happy when he heard about the Ninevites.  Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever said, “Boy it is about time God did something about so and so.”  On the other hand, Jesus was moved to tears when He looked ahead and saw the destruction of Jerusalem.  

In today’s message, I want to talk about the great Biblical truth that we can pray an intercessory prayer for those who face the judgment of God.  I want to talk about our critically important role of praying intercessory prayer for our loved ones and the world around us. 

Do we know today of any such upcoming judgments? Yes, we do.  God has promised a day of Tribulation, when judgment will come to this earth in such proportions that if He did not come to stop it, all of mankind would be destroyed.  But, right now, we live in a day of grace.  A day in which man can choose to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior.  What are we doing to be concerned about those we know are lost?  Are we concerned enough about those around us that will be left behind to suffer, and likely die, in this period of Great Tribulation, to share the Gospel message of Jesus Christ?  Are we delighted as Jonah was when God said that He was going to destroy the Ninevites, or are we moved to compassion as Jesus was at the destruction of Jerusalem?

When we think about intercessory prayer, we have to think about who it is that can pray such a prayer.  Who can be an intercessor between God and man?  They must truly be important people in the eyes of the Lord.  So, we have to ask the question who are These most important people on earth?  Are they politicians, star athletes, movie actors, the billionaires of the world, or other famous people that we read about in the news every day?  No, there are some people who are much more important than any of those so-called important people.  And many of them are unrecognized, unnoticed, unappreciated, and unpraised. They are Christians, not mere Christians, they are Christians who have learned the ministry of intercession. The most important people on earth are those who know how to pray intercessory prayer, not just any kind of prayer, but intercessory prayer.

Click on the link below to learn how you can be the friend of God and pray an intercessory prayer for those that you love, and for the world around you.  How you can be one of the most important people on the earth.

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

Amen.

THE LAUGH OF FAITH

Have you ever thought of laughter as a part of your faith?  To be honest, I think it is easy for us to forget that our faith is supposed to bring happiness into our lives.  God is truly a wonderful and gracious God, and He blesses us with so much that we don’t deserve.  But from the way most of us walk around, you would think that we have the weight of the world on our shoulders, when instead our problems are supposed to be on God’s shoulders, not ours.  One of my life verses is:

Ps 55:22
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
KJV

When I really apply this verse to my life, it simply changes my entire outlook on life.  For, I have to ask myself, what burden do I have that God cannot handle?  Is there anything too hard for God? And if God is handling it, then why not be happy about it?  Why not have the joy of the Holy Spirit in my heart and on my face for the world to see?  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how God has worked in Abraham’s life.  How God has told Abraham on multiple occasions that he will have a son named Isaac, and that he will be the father of many nations.  In this message we get a chance to see the joy of having a God that loves us and fulfills all of His promises to us.  

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

Amen.

THERE IS NO PROBLEM GOD CANNOT SOLVE (Genesis 17:15-17)

These three verses contain four wonderful, wonderful, truths that you need to learn.  I want you to get these four things about a strong faith emblazoned in your heart, etched upon your consciousness.  I want them to reverberate through your soul, because I want for you what I want for myself, a strong faith.

The first is that Strong Faith Releases the Grace of God. Faith is the key.  It just opens the door and gets you in there where grace is, or it gets grace out here where you are. 

The second is that Strong Faith Relies on The Guarantees Of God.  Strong faith always relies on God’s guarantees. It does not rely on you, on what you wish, or what you want, but on what God has said. 

The third is that Strong Faith Recognizes the Greatness of God.  True faith is rooted in the promise, but not only in the promise, but in the One who promised. And so, if you are to have faith, not only must you have the Word of God, and a word from God, you must also understand the character of the God who gives this Word.

The fourth is that strong faith reveals the glory of God. The greatest way that you can glorify God is to believe Him.  

Click on the play button above to hear a message on the most important part of God’s grace that we can apply to our hearts and lives.  It is the foundational truth that we need to understand that our faith is based on. That truth is that There Is No Problem God Cannot Solve.  You will never have to say that something is too difficult for God to do in your life.  It is that truth that lets the peace of God rest in our hearts, for we have the omnipotent, the omniscient, and the omnipresent, God who can solve any issue, and any problem, that we might face as we serve the loving, living, God of all creation. 

God said to Abraham, “Abraham, I’m going to give you a son.” Abraham was 100 years old. Sarah was 90. It was humanly ridiculous, so much so, that Abraham laughed, and yet he turned, and he believed God.  How did he do it? Well, first of all, he said, “I know God that you want to do it by your sheer grace. And so by faith, I’m going to release that grace.”

Faith releases grace. It relies on God’s Word. It doesn’t look for anything else. It just simply takes the Word of God and gets a word from God. And, thirdly, the faith that relies on God, relies on God because it knows God’s character. It just simply is aware of who God is and what God can do. And, therefore, it just glorifies God. It just simply says, “God, I want to give you the praise. I’m going to give you the glory. I’m not going to stagger in unbelief.”

Now, if you’ll do that, then God will make you a person of strong faith. 

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

Amen.

TO BE STRONG IN FAITH (Genesis 17: 15-17)

Archimedes was a philosopher and physicist, and he said, “If you will give me a lever long enough, if you will give me a fulcrum with something to rest it on, and if you will give me a place to stand, I can move the earth.” He was right.  For us, that lever is faith, that fulcrum is the Word of God, and that place where we stand is in His grace.  With it, not only can we move the earth, but we can move heaven as well, if we learn to be strong in faith.

It is strong faith that releases the grace of God.  Rom. 4:16 says, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace …” meaning that without faith, you will never know grace, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure.” 

What is grace? Grace is “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” Grace is God giving us and showing us His great wonderful love. There’s nothing we can do to deserve it, or to earn it.  Grace is the unmerited love and favor of God that is just given to us. 

Now, how can you get in on this unmerited love and favor of God?  Only by faith! If you begin to work for it, if you begin to pay for it, then it is no longer grace.  It is no longer grace. If it is by grace, then by definition, it is no longer works, otherwise work is not work.  And, if it is by work, then by definition of the word work, it is not by grace, otherwise grace is no more grace. This is what the Bible says. You can’t mix grace and works, so the only way that grace can be grace is through faith.  That is the only way that grace can be grace.

Now, it is important to understand that unbelief holds grace prisoner.  If you are an unbeliever, grace will never work in your heart and in your life. The Bible says it is by faith so that it can be by grace. 

Click on the play button above to hear a message on how a strong faith is the key to unlock God’s grace in your life.

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

Amen.

ABRAHAM’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Genesis 15:6 to 16:6)

The story of Abraham gives us an opportunity for God to show us the power of His grace, and the power of His silence.  There are lessons for believers in both of these Biblical truths.  

It is by the power of God’s grace alone that our salvation comes.  Not by the works of man lest he should boast, but by the grace of our Heavenly Father that loves us.  It is the power of God’s grace that comes to us when we believe on the promises of God, when we believe what God has promised to accomplish in us through Jesus Christ.  It is when we believe that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins, and then died and rose again, that the power of God’s grace imputes righteousness to us.  

It is by the power of God’s silence that we learn patience; that we learn the value of faith; and we learn to depend on God rather than on our own wits, our own strength, or the things that the world values and believes as natural.  It is the power of God’s silence that creates a test we rarely pass. We fail this test because we want things on our timing, rather than God’s.  One of the hardest lessons we learn as believers is to wait on God’s perfect timing for His will to be accomplished in our lives.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on how God accounted Abraham as righteous.  Abraham believed God. He just accepted what God said, and he believed God. That is the way each of us get saved.  You must believe that God has done something for you, that Christ died for you and rose again. It is then that God will declare you righteous by simply accepting Christ.

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

Amen.

HOW TO MEND A BROKEN FAITH-PART II (Gensis 12:1 to 13:4)

I want you to imagine yourself being in the Biblical school of faith, and that’s a wonderful school, and if the truth were told, many of us have been in that school for a very long time.  The fact is that we often have to go back for some remedial training.  There are also times when God has decided to hold us back for a grade or two.  In fact, I am not too sure that I will ever officially graduate from the school of faith.  Amen?

Now, why is that?  It is because sometimes we don’t make very good grades. And I want to talk to you today about “How to Mend a Broken Faith,” because there are just times that we don’t do all that good in God’s school of faith.  Yet, this faith is so important for us to have in order to be successful in living the victorious Christian life.  

Ask yourself, did you once walk with God, but now you wonder why you’re even in church on Sunday morning because you’re so far away from God? Do you remember how it was when God was real to you? 

Ask yourself another question.  Was there ever a time where God was nearer, dearer, and sweeter, to you than He is right now? If so, you’re backslidden. Just remember what it was like, how sweet it was, when you walked with the Lord. Let God bring you back to His house. You say, “Bro. Keith, how can I get right with God? Where can I find God?” You’ll find him right where you left Him.  You don’t have to guess at it. You get on your knees, on your face, and God will show you. Go back to your first love.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to mend your broken faith.  First, there must be repentance, then remembrance, and then restoration.  If you want to mend your faith, just gave it all back to Jesus, and the Lord will cleanse you and restore your faith.

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

Amen.

HOW TO MEND A BROKEN FAITH-PART I (Genesis 12:1-10)

One of the great reoccurring lessons in the Bible is the need for the Christian believer to have faith.  Not a hope-so faith, but a know-so faith based on the promises found in God’s Word.  This know-so faith is absolutely required for the believer to live a victorious Christian life.  

Abraham is called “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11).  When we think of Abraham, we think of faith, and we can learn some incredible lessons about faith as we study how he struggled to become this great man of faith. And, by the way, when I’m talking to you about faith, I’m not talking to you about something insignificant like how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I’m talking to you about something that is so important that I can hardly think of an adjective to describe the importance of faith. It is of monumental, inestimable, importance.

Once you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, how are you going to live the Christian life? By trying? No. By trusting. The Christian life is lived by faith. Four times, the Bible says, “The just shall live by faith.”  God says it one, two, three, four times.  Now, do you think He’s trying to tell us something really important? I’m telling you, the way to live the Christian life is by faith.

Click on the link below to hear a message about the school of faith, and that’s a wonderful school, but sometimes we don’t make very good grades. And I want to talk to you about “How to Mend a Broken Faith,” because there are just times that we don’t do all that good in God’s school of faith.  Now, life is the classroom in the school of faith. Obviously, the Bible is the textbook in the school of faith. The faculty includes the prophets and the apostles. But the dean of the school of faith would have to be Abraham.  

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

Amen.