The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

ARE YOU IN FINANCIAL BONDAGE (Proverbs 3:7-10)

Have you ever had a time when you were sitting there working through paying your bills, and you just thought “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to never have to worry about whether there would be enough?”  What if something happened to my health, or a family member’s health?  What about losing my job, with no prospects of finding another?  What if your brother-in-law came back, again, needing to borrow more money?  I mean, he is your wife’s only brother, and it really doesn’t matter that he has never paid back the other loans you have made to him.

One of the leading causes of divorce is financial stress.  If you allow it to, worrying about having enough money to meet your needs can consume you.  Dreaming about financial freedom is a natural result of that worry.

God knows that these things are all true, problems occur, you have needs, and so the question is, what does God have to say in His word about true Financial Freedom?  Does God have a financial plan for you and your family?  Well, of course He does.  God has a plan for every aspect of your life, and your finances are part of His plan.

Well, in this section of verses God has a very important message for each of us, as believers.  God wants you to know that He has a plan for you, and His plan for you is not to be in bondage; God’s plan is for you to have liberty and freedom. God does not want His children in bondage to anything or anybody other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you’re in bondage to the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s perfect liberty, for the Bible says,

John 8:36
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
KJV

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can determine if you are out of God’s will for your life and in financial bondage.  God loves you and He does not want you to be in bondage.

Amen.

WHAT IF THERE HAD BEEN NO EASTER?

How many of you have heard of a man named Harry Houdini? Most of you have.  Houdini died in October of 1926. But his claim to fame was that he was a magician who specialized in spectacular escapes.  It was said of Houdini that he had the flexibility of an eel, and he had the lives of a cat. They did all kinds of things to try to trap him. They would seal him in coffins—he would escape. They riveted him into a boiler—he escaped. They sewed him up in canvas bags—he escaped. They locked him in a milk can—he escaped. They sealed him in a beer barrel—he escaped. They put him in a maximum-security prison, and old Harry somehow got out. 

But then, in October 1926, Death laid his hands upon Harry Houdini, and put him in a grave; and, he has yet to escape.  But I am sure not for a lack of trying on Houdini’s part.  As a matter of fact, he told his wife, “If there is any way out, I will find it. If there is any way out, I’ll make contact with you—and, we’ll do it on the anniversary of my death.” For 10 years, she kept a light burning over his portrait. At the end of 10 years, she turned out the light because death had Harry, and he couldn’t escape.

Now, death also laid his hands on the Lord Jesus Christ, and death put Jesus in a rock-hewn tomb. And there was a stone in the mouth of that tomb, and the seal of the Roman government was placed upon that tomb. But on the third day, Jesus Christ stirred Himself. He rose from the sleep of death. And He left those grave clothes that were wrapped around him like a butterfly would forsake a cocoon. And Jesus Christ passed through the walls of that rock-hewn tomb. By the way, the stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out—it was rolled away to let the disciples in to see that Jesus had come back.

And the wonderful good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ is alive today. He is not behind us in a tomb; He is before us on a throne. We thank God for that. But, suppose that had not happened. Suppose death still held Jesus, like it does Harry. Then, what? Suppose there had been no Easter.

Well, no resurrection, means no Savior. No Savior, means no forgiveness. No forgiveness, means no justification. No justification, means no cleansing. No cleansing, means the penalty of your sin is still upon you.  If the penalty of your sin is still upon you, then you are destined for death and Hell, and you’re still in your sins.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how our world, our future, and our lives, would be different if there had been no Easter.

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.

TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD (Proverbs 3:1-6)

Each of us, as a believer, is seeking the will of God for our lives.  We ask, are we doing what God has planned for us?  Are we touching the people around us with the gospel message of the cross?

As husbands, are we prayerfully leading our families in the path that God has chosen for us?  Are we the spiritual leaders of our families?  Does our family even know that we think about the will of God for the family?  Do they ever see us praying?  Do you pray together as a family seeking God’s will?

As wives, are you the prayer warrior that God wants each of us to be, but so often it is the wife and mother of the family that fills this role?  Does your family know that God is the one making the choices in your life?  Can they see God in the way you conduct yourself on a daily basis?

As married couples are you walking in the same direction, yoked together, pulling in the same direction, with your eyes on God?  Are you both surrendered to God?  Not just committed, but completely surrendered to the one, true, living, almighty God of all creation.

How to decide when and where to move in the work of Lord?  That is always a crucial question facing those that would do the Lord’s work.  Certainly, for most believers, the most difficult part is separating the desires of our own heart from the desires of the Lord.  Sometimes they coincide, sometimes they do not.  

Seeking the Lord’s will is something each Christian should be doing on a daily basis.  

Finding the Lord’s will is the result of quiet, careful, meditation on the Word of God with a surrendered heart.

So how do you know which way is right?  You start by asking yourself whether your heart is in a condition that can even hear the will of God?  In other words, are you speaking from a surrendered heart that is fully obedient to God?  If your heart is not surrendered to God, if you are not obedient to God’s Word, then you cannot know the will of God.  

Then, have you prayed and asked God to reveal the sin that is in your heart, and then confessed and repented of it?  If there is unconfessed and unrepented sin in your life, that sin will keep you from hearing God’s will.

Isaiah 59:2
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
KJV

In my experience, this is the single biggest block between the prayer of the believer and the answer from God.  Many people want to live in sin, knowingly, and then expect God to ignore it and act like it doesn’t exist.  That will not happen.  God knows every sin, in every dark corner that you have placed it.  If you want to know the will of God, then you must first confess and repent of your sins.

Next, ask yourself, have you prayed about the question and then listened for God’s response, or have you simply told God the answer you want to hear?  

Then ask, is what you want meeting the purpose of Christ for this church being here, or for you still being on this earth?  Will it bring lost people to know Him?  If it doesn’t, then you need to rethink, and change your desires.  

Are you willing to accept God’s answer, whatever it may be?  You cannot know the will of God by intuition, or based on past experience, you must be willing to pray and accept God’s will, or it will never be revealed to you.  Why should God reveal His will if He knows you will not accept and be obedient to it?

Now, we have been talking about how to have God’s wisdom in our lives.  We need God’s wisdom in order to discern God’s will in our lives.  Our study over the next couple of weeks will be on how to determine the will of God in our lives, and the very first thing we must do is to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.  You cannot know the will of God unless you have made the Holy Spirit the president of your life, not just a resident in your heart, but the president of your life.  Then, once you are saved, once you have completely surrendered to the Holy Spirit, the very next thing you must do is to be obedient to the Word of God.  You must obey God’s commandments.  In order to do that, then you must have God’s Word hidden in your heart.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to determine the will of God for you life.

Amen.

HOW WISDOM LIGHTS OUR PATH (Proverbs 2:9-22)

One of the luxuries of being a seasoned citizen is that we can look back on the choices we have made in our lives and see how our decisions impacted our lives for the better, or the worse.  If you are like me, I have made my share of poor decisions, and a few really good ones.  The wisdom to choose right from wrong, good from evil, and truth from lies, is something that each of us desperately need in our lives.  The Bible describes this as choosing between light and darkness.

John 1:5
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
KJV

Notice what John says here about the light that shines in the darkness, he says, the darkness comprehended it not.  Now, other Bible translations render this phrase in various ways:  “the darkness has not overcome it,”  “has not put it out,” or “can never extinguish it.”

Whatever the exact words, the message is the same.  Jesus Christ stands as the unconquered Ruler of time and eternity, and all of history is a battle between light and darkness.  God’s kingdom is a kingdom of light, and Satan’s kingdom is a kingdom of darkness.  

But, and this is important for us to understand, don’t ever get the idea that the kingdom of darkness is somehow as strong as the kingdom of light.  Satan is a formidable foe, but the grand truth is that darkness is totally powerless against the light.  

Satan’s darkness is not the opposite of God’s light, but the absence of it.  A lost person’s heart does not know God’s light, because it is filled with nothing but darkness.  God’s light is absent from the lost person’s heart.  A believer’s heart has a light within it that no lost person can ever know.  A believer has the light of the Holy Spirit of God within them, and no amount of darkness can ever overcome that light.

Have you ever been in a room or place where the darkness is just so great that you can almost feel it? It oppresses you, it weighs down on you.  For example, have you ever walked in a cemetery on a dark moonless night and felt the darkness surround you?

We once took a tour of Fantastic Caverns in Missouri, and at one point in the tour, the guide shuts off the lights and you are surrounded by complete darkness.  They do this, because in a cave underground, you can learn what real darkness is.  Yet the simple light of a candle can dispel even the worst darkness, and no amount of darkness can overpower that candle.  Satan and his kingdom must bow before God and the majesty of His light.  When God’s light comes, Satan’s darkness must go.  

It also means that there is only one way to get rid of Satan’s darkness; the light of the Word of God.  We have victory in Jesus because no force on the earth, or below the earth, can stand against the mighty majesty of God’s light.  When our lives are filled with sin, it is the light of the Word of God that will give you victory over that sin in your life.  In fact, it is the only light that will give you victory over Satan and sin.  You cannot live the Christian life without the power and light of the Holy Spirit in your heart. The concepts of God’s wisdom and God’s light are intertwined.  They are both based on the Word of God, and they both come from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  But, most importantly, they enable us to determine right from wrong, good from evil, and truth from lies.

Click on the link below to hear a message about how God’s wisdom, God’s light, can deliver us from evil.  For it is when we acquire wisdom, that we will have light in darkness.

Amen.

THE INFALLIBLE PATH TO WISDOM (Proverbs 2:1-9)

If you are searching for wisdom from God because you have a question, you have a problem, or you have a need, then there is good news for you.  God desires that we have His wisdom so much that He sent His own dear Son, the Lord Jesus, to die upon Calvary’s cross that you might know His wisdom; and He sent His dear Holy Spirit to teach it.  The book of Proverbs is indeed God’s book to health, wealth, and wisdom for His children.  These proverbs are God’s ways for God’s people.

If you want this wisdom, then God tells us that the first step on this infallible path to His wisdom is that you must pursue the Scriptures.  God says, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words …” It’s all predicated on that. If you choose not to receive God’s Word, then you will never have God’s wisdom.  God’s Word, the infallible, inerrant, Word of God, is God’s handbook of wisdom for His children. You must pursue it. You must pour over it. You must study it. You must saturate yourself with it.

In order for you to receive God’s Word, then you must appreciate God’s Word.  You must be willing to receive it with an open heart.  You must welcome it into your heart. Yet, appreciating God’s Word is not enough, you also have to appropriate God’s Word.  That means, not only do you need to let it get in, but you have to let it get down deep inside of you.  Then, once you have appropriated the Word of God, then you must assimilate it.  The word assimilate means to take in information, ideas, and understand it fully.  Then, you must activate the Word of God in your life.  You must apply it in your daily life.

God says that we must,“…apply thine heart to understanding.”  When you apply it—when it gets out of the notebook and into your head, and then when it gets out of your head and into your heart, and when it gets out of your heart and into your life, and you begin to live it, and you begin to apply it, and you begin to activate it—at that moment, it becomes wisdom to you. 

Listen, there is no finer food known to man that a plate full of biscuits and sausage gravy, at least the way my wife makes it.  But it is not enough for me to simply appreciate that plate of biscuits and gravy.  I can sit there and say how wonderful it is all day, but that is not enough.  It is also not enough for me to appropriate it by sitting it down in front of me, possessing it.  No, that is not enough.  It is also not enough for me to assimilate it, to bend down and smell that wonderful aroma of goodness.  It is not until I activate my hand to put that biscuit and gravy into my mouth and let it settle down in my stomach that I have put that food into my life.  It is the same with God’s Word.

Jer 15:16
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
KJV

You must activate the Word of God in your life.  You must apply it in your daily life.  Now, when you come to God with fervency, consistency, expectancy, and after you have received the Word of God, then you can pray to God for wisdom, and it shall be given. God’s not going to scold you. He’s not going to say, “Is that you again, pestering me?” Oh no! God is pleased when I come to Him daily and say, “God, I need wisdom here.” “Lord, I’m preparing a lesson; Lord, help me.” “Lord, I’m making a decision; Lord, help me.” “Lord, I’m seeking a college, a wife; I need to buy a home; I want to win souls; Lord, I want to be used; God, give me wisdom!” God will give it. God wants you to have wisdom.

However, there is one thing above all else that you must have if you are to have the wisdom of God, if you would know wisdom.  There must be the presence of the Savior in your heart.  You see, a man can have knowledge, but he needs understanding. He needs wisdom!  In order for you to know the secrets of the universe, you have to know the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Bible says,

Col 2:3
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
KJV

Jesus is the secret of the universe. Jesus is the glue of the galaxies. Jesus is the secret of it all, and the only way that a man can know it, is not by books, but by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. There are some things that you cannot learn from experience.  Wisdom is the presence of the Savior. You will never have real wisdom until you know the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart.  

Prov 2:7-9
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
KJV

Who is our righteousness? Who is our wisdom? It is the Lord Jesus Christ.  God is telling us that in Christ, there is soundness; in Christ, there is strength; in Christ there is security, and in Christ, there is satisfaction.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can have the wisdom of God.  Do you want God’s wisdom? Then you must follow the infallible path to that wisdom.  You must know Jesus.  Christ must be in your heart!

Amen.

THE INCOMPARABLE WORTH OF WISDOM (Proverbs 2:1-10)

There is an old proverb—not a biblical proverb, just a proverb—that says, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” But the problem is that a lot of people who go to bed early and get up early, they’re not healthy, they’re not wealthy, and they’re not wise. Going to bed early and getting up early doesn’t make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.  However, what is taught in God’s Word will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise, at least by the standards of God’s word.  Not by the world’s standards, but by God’s standards.  

So, what is a proverb, anyway? Somebody once said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience—that is, it is a lot of wisdom that has been distilled, crammed into, packed into, a sentence. That is, by a proverb, we can learn from the experiences of other people. Somebody else said, “You’d better learn from the mistakes of others, because you’ll not live long enough to make them all by yourself.”  That is probably a wise statement for most of us, but I know of some people who are definitely trying to do it alone.  They like making their own mistakes.  

But the proverbs that we find here in the Bible are not like earthly proverbs. Earthly proverbs are learned from experience. But that is not what Biblical proverbs are.  Biblical proverbs are truths that are given to us by divine revelation. These are not just simply things that are being worked out by human ingenuity; these are God’s words of wisdom given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

This is telling us that Jesus is wisdom personified. Let me tell you about wisdom. It commences at conversion, and it deepens by discipleship. 

Prov 9:10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
KJV

That is, a man does not even have a modicum of wisdom until he knows the Lord. When a man reverences God, when a man receives Christ, when a man has a personal encounter, that man receives the wisdom of God. 

This is the incomparable worth of wisdom, it is provided by the Father; it is produced by the Spirit, but only by the presence of the Son. When you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, then you are ready to have that real wisdom.

Click on the link below to hear a message on the incomparable worth of wisdom.

Amen.

WIDSOM CRIES OUT TO YOU (Proverbs 1:23-33)

In our message today, Solomon discusses wisdom.  The interesting thing is that while we think of wisdom as something we obtain or achieve, Solomon describes wisdom as a person.  A person who cares for you and wants to teach you and guide you.  But most of all, the image that we are given is that of someone issuing a warning to those who are headed down a path that will lead to their destruction.  

It is like the lighthouse that shines its light out to the ships to warn them of dangerous reefs or shoals.  It reminds me of the old-time railroad switchmen who would signal trains with a green or yellow light to signal that all was well on the tracks, or a red light when there was danger ahead, like a bridge being out.  I think of wisdom as that switchman standing by the tracks with his red signal light, just to watch the train speed on by ignoring his signal.  I think of the tragedy of the people on board that train who will die because the train engineers disdained the warning from the switchman in their arrogance and pride.  

This is what our lesson is about today, God has given us His wisdom, in the form of His living Word, and it cries out to us to stop heading down a path to our certain destruction.  People ignore the cries of God, they disdain those who share His word, and they will lead themselves, and their families, friends, and loved ones to tragedy because of their own pride and arrogance.

Wisdom looks at the simple, the scornful, and the foolish.  She cries out to them, but these people cannot be bothered with wisdom.  They are so wrapped up in the world around them, that they do not have time to stop, look, and listen to her words of life.  Having money is more important than listening.  Succeeding at their job is more important than listening.  Going to school is more important.  Life in this world is demanding, keeping up with the Jones’ is hard, keeping the family fed, the clothes washed, the car running, and the dogs walked and fed, is hard.  There is no time to stop to look at some person standing by the road shining her red warning light, and listen to their words of life.  So, they go on in their self-centered, pride, and arrogance.  

The days of our lives are short and hurried.  During these days, we search for the answers to many of life’s most important questions.  If we are wise, then we discover that, apart from divine wisdom, we have no satisfying answers to any of these questions of life: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? What is life all about? Why is evil so prevalent and triumphant? Is there life beyond death? Is there a God? How can God be known? 

Only the wisdom contained in the Bible can answer these questions with the wisdom of the Creator of all things.  Foolish answers to these questions are plentiful, but they are all wrong to a greater or lesser degree. Wisdom stands, calls, and is disregarded, so she reproves us of our foolishness for listening to the answers of man.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how wisdom stands by the roadway at the intersection of the broad way and the narrow way.  She is holding her warning light out to those who will heed her words.  Each of us have a choice, to follow God’s Wisdom or reject it.  The consequences of that choice have eternal implications.

Amen.

TO BE A FATHER-PART II (Proverbs 1:20-22)

This is the second message in a two-part series on the role of a father in the direction that a child will go as they get older, and our message today will be about the way parents can raise a child who is wise and loves God.  

Certainly, we would like to think that every parent, every father, loves their child and wants what is best for them.  And as believers, we want to believe that the deepest desire of every parent, every father, is that their children will love God with all of their hearts.  

But unfortunately, not all children have the benefit of loving parents.  Sometimes children are caught up in the mistakes and the pride and the arrogance of their parents, and more often than not it is the pride and arrogance of the father.  Sometimes it is the mother, or even both, but more often than not it is the father.

So, what happens to that child who was not taught by their parents to love God?  There is an evolution of that child into becoming someone who does not know the love that God has for them.  They become someone who lives their life without God.  The really sad thing is that they never learn what it means to have eternal life with God in Heaven.  

But that is not the way that child starts out.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  That is where a godly father, and a godly mother, come into the picture.  It is their responsibility to teach that child what it means to love God with all of their heart.  Now, the fact is that, ultimately, it is the child who must choose to accept or reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Even with the best of parents, that child still has to make their own choice, and some don’t choose Christ.  But as parents, we can have tremendous impact on the path that child will take.

Click on the link below to hear a message on what it takes to raise a child who loves God with all of their hearts.  

TO BE A FATHER (Part I)(Proverbs 1:20-22)

One of the greatest blessings that God has bestowed on me is that I am the father of two godly sons.  The fact that they both love God and serve Him is not a testament to anything that I have done, but to the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  They were also blessed with the love of a truly wonderful mother.  That undying love that she has for them has shaped them in many ways.  Now, it is true that I have loved them both with all of my heart since I held them in my arms on the day they were born.  It is also true that our deepest desire for our children was that they loved God with all of their hearts.  

Unfortunately, not all children have the benefit of loving parents.  Sometimes children are caught up in the mistakes and the pride and the arrogance of their parents, and more often than not it is the pride and arrogance of the father.  Sometimes it is the mother, or even both, but more often than not it is the father.

There are many children who are going to be shipwrecked because of the pride and the arrogance of their fathers, who willingly choose not to guide those children into a safe and secure haven.  Those fathers will shipwreck their own lives, and then the lives of their children who will suffer in their own ignorance because their father did not teach them the ways of God.  

You might ask, “Well what about the mother, isn’t she just as responsible?”  Yes, but the Bible is clear that the father is to be the major teacher of the family.  But, when the father doesn’t perform that role, whether it is because he is lost and does not know God, or he is too proud and arrogant to do so, or he just isn’t there anymore, then the mother has to step in.  But, God gives the role of the spiritual leader of the home to the father.

Our message today is on how To Be a Father, and it is part I of a two-part series.  In this first part I am going to describe what happens when a father fails to teach his child.  We are going to talk about what happens to that child as a result of that father’s failure.  

Click on the link below to hear a message on what happens when we do not teach our children.  When a father, who is so wrapped up in his own life, who is so proud and arrogant that he does not love God, and does not wish to teach his children to love God.  I hope you hear my words today, and I pray that you will not let this happen to your children.

Amen.