Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Basic Christianity, Topical Study | 10-28-2018 – Principles Really Do Matter…

Elections are nine days away. How does the Bible tell us to vote? Today Pastor Mike reminds us of seven principles that really matter. Here is the bulletin insert; the full sermon notes are downloadable as well.
10.28.18 ~ Principles That Really Matter…
1. All human life is sacred ( Psalm 139:13-16).
Murder is forbidden (Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:21-22).
2. Marriage is the union of one man to one woman (Genesis 2:22-24; Ephesians 5:22-25, 28-33).
3. Common decency calls for the covering of gender specific body parts (Genesis 2:25; 3:7-11, 21-24).
Although humanity is “fallen,” God’s people are called to a much higher standard (Ephesians. 5:1-5, 15-17).
4. Sin brings work (Genesis 3:17-19); God brings joy (Ecclesiastes 2:22-25) and dignity (2Thess. 3:10).
5. God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), would bless every true Christian (Galatians 3:26-29).
God destined a people for His own (Ephesians 1:4-5; 1Peter 2:9-10); through His own Son (Hebrews 9:15; 1Corinthians 11:23-26; John 1:12-13).
6. God desires Biblical instruction for our children (Deuteronomy 6:4-8; Proverbs 22:6).
7. God ordained Home, Church, and Government.
A. The family is the basic unit of society; a father and mother raising their children by the principles and precepts found in God’s Word (Ephesians 6:1-3).
B. The church is those individuals committed to Christ (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1Corinthians 12:12, 14, 18, 27).
The church is at odds with Satan and the world, as it carries out God’s plan, purpose, and provision through Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).
C. God established civil government (Romans 13:1; 1Peter 2:13-17); we pray for our leaders, but we obey God’s Word. Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but give to God what is God’s” (Mark 12:17).
Peter Marshall, was elected Chaplain of the U. S. Senate in 1947. In his acceptance speech he said,
“The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come – it now is – when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government.”
Before you cast your ballot, find out how the candidates and measures line up with God’s principles, and then vote accordingly.

Bible Text: Topical Study | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity

What do you say to someone who hasn’t expressed a belief in God or a need to

be forgiven of their sins?
What are some of the biblical truths a person must know and believe, in order

that they might receive forgiveness and eternal life? (see Romans 1:18-20; 2:12-15; 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 8:1)

What is the Gospel? See 1Corinthians 15:1-4 Is it prudent to speak to people about God’s forgiveness without talking about sin? How about explaining trusting in Christ to someone apart from describing faith?

When we share God’s message of salvation, we must emphasize the need for a person to surrender to the Lordship of Christ, to fully receive Him as Savior.

We must be clear – salvation is not merely believing some facts about Jesus, but is to genuinely repent of sin and turn away from it, turning to God, completely trusting in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, as total payment for your sins (see John 5:39-40).

Only a genuine heart response to the true gospel of Christ can bring salvation to an unbeliever; any diluted, redacted, or corrupted gospel message can create a false sense of conversion, leaving that person separated from God, without hope and eternally damned.

Can anyone come to Christ apart from confessing that they are a sinner? NO! And so, we must teach the need for repentance; to repent means to do a total about face — to turn away from sin and self and turn toward God; to be born “from above” [born of the Spirit] into God’s family (see John 1:12-13); a genuine change of heart belief will be verified in a person’s life by a change in their behavior (see Mark 1:4-8, 14-20).

True repentance is the work of God’s Spirit convicting us of our sin (see John 16:8-9; also 12:32; 6:44; 3:14-16). The cure for sin is to respond to God’s gift by confessing and following Christ (see 1John 1:5-10).

It takes “faith” to believe God (see Hebrews 11:1-3, 6). Faith is a gift from God (see Ephesians 2:8-9). Never forget this – God’s desire is to save us, to spiritually heal us granting us eternal life (see 1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9).

Faith in Jesus means to believe in and receive Him, confessing Him as Savior and yielding to Him as Lord; true repentance and belief take place in your heart not in the head (see Romans 10:9-10, 13).

True belief will produce clear evidence of salvation, there must be a demonstrable change in one’s life. To say that a person can be genuinely saved and yet not desire to obey God’s Word, is absurd, a lie from hell!

There are many contemporary preachers who take the position that it is possible for a true believer to turn from Christ to unbelief, to deny God, and to become an atheist – yet still possess eternal life. B-a-l-o-n y!

That kind of apostasy proves a person was never saved (see 1John 2:18-19).

Scripture is very clear that a saved person can never become unsaved or fall back into total unbelief; a Christian cannot lose, have taken away, or give back, their salvation (Romans 11:29).

God is sovereign in salvation, and salvation cannot be revoked, i.e., once saved always saved. When you repent and believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in you, and you become completely and eternally God’s possession.

Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of His glory.” (You see, we are marked, sealed, redeemed)

1Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

In John 18:37 Jesus said, “for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.”

Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), everything He said and did is Truth; the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), lives in each and every genuine believer and follower of Christ. The Bible is the Word of Truth (John 17:17), by which God’s people are set apart, protected, directed, and provided for.

As you study and apply God’s Word to your life, you are spiritually transformed by a desire and propensity to serve, honor, and obey your Father in heaven, and the greatest thing you and I can do is to introduce someone to God’s Son, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.
2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

We become spiritual children of God.

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

We are to serve and honor God.

John 8:32-33, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

We are bond slaves, we have been given our freedom, yet we serve God.

1John 2:4, “We know that we have come to know Him [Jesus] if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’”

We are to obey God’s Word.

Christians are free from sin’s penalty, commissioned to proclaim the gospel [the good news] of Christ. We are commanded (Matthew 28:19-20a), to go and make disciples of all nations [i.e., proclaiming Christ], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [immersing them into all that the Bible says about the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit], teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded [i.e., about Sin, Salvation, Life, Death, Prayer, Service, Marriage, Parenting, Helping the Poor, Protecting the Weak, Hating Evil, Holding up the Truth, Rebuking False Doctrine, Exposing False Teachers, etc.].

Jesus’ first command was (Mark 1:15), “Repent and believe the good news,” then (v. 17), “Come, follow Me!”

The message you and I are to proclaim must be God’s plan, purpose, and provision of Jesus Christ, He is (John 14:6), “the [only] way, the [only] truth, the [only] life [concerning God]. No one comes to the Father [goes to heaven or receives eternal life] except through Jesus Christ (crucified, resurrected, coming again).”

Salvation is free through Jesus, that is the message we must share;, for there is no salvation apart from forgiveness, and no forgiveness apart from repentance for sin and confession of Christ as Lord and Savior.
Acts 2:21 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved.” And in Acts 16:30 the jailer asked Paul and Silas, ”Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They responded (v. 31), “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

The most important Truth of all time is this, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity |

November 13, 2016
The Fundamentals of Spiritual Gifts: Part Two

Last week we studied the temporary gifts of the Spirit that were given to the church during that 1st century, prior to the completion of the New Testament: signs & wonders, miracles, healings, speaking in tongues, etc.

Today I’m going teach about the permanent gifts of the Spirit, present in the church until the return of Christ, when He will call all true believers to Himself, first those who have already died and then those who are still alive.

The gifts of the Spirit that are still active today are in two major categories, speaking gifts and serving gifts, and these are listed in Romans 12. But before we look at those, I want to share with you some thoughts about the recognition, distribution, and use of these spiritual gifts.

1Corinthians 13:1-7 tells us that no matter what our gift is, if we don’t offer and exercise it in love, we are like “a noisy gong or clanging symbol,” i.e., we are not a pleasant benefit to the body of Christ, but instead we are out of tune, out of step with the plan and purpose of God.

Every believer is meant to be a unique blessing to the body of Christ, living in harmony with other believers, single minded and unified in purpose, as we individually, yet corporately, serve the Lord as one people, through the bond of peace, in one body, through one baptism, with one faith, one hope, one God and Father Who is over all (Ephesians 4:3-6).

The unique giftedness God grants to every believer is similar to an artist who takes a pallet, with small amounts of many different colors on it, dips a brush into one of the colors, and then another, and perhaps another, creating a unique color, different from all the others.

Each member of the body of Christ is a unique gift to the other members, with various talents, attributes, experiences, weaknesses and strengths.
1Corinthians 12:18, “But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be,” 27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” [placed where you are by God, in order to serve Go. Romans 12:6a… Paul begins by stating the different gifts in the body of believers are provided by the grace of God; for it is God alone Who determines what gifts His children will have and exercise (1Corinthians 12:7), “for the common good,” and (v. 11) “[God] gives them to each one just as He determines.”

1Peter 4:10 tells us that God gives us spiritual gifts in order that we might “serve one another.” John MacArthur says it this way, “God gives His gifts to us for others.”
Romans 12:6b… prophecy – to speak forth, proclaiming publicly God’s Word by revelation (prior to the completion of the Bible), and reiteration [repeating, explaining, re-emphasizing], after the completion of the Bible.

1Corinthians 14:3, “Everyone who prophecies speaks to men for their strengthening [instruction, edification], encouragement [exhortation], and comfort [consolation, support].”
Romans 12:7a… service – This is every kind of practical service, [like table waiters and dishwashers], this same Greek word gives us the term “deacon” [lit. servant] i.e., wherever there is a need among the body of believers.

In 1Corinthians 12:28 it is called the gift of “helps,” i.e., helping in the church (social committee, buildings & grounds, music, slides, janitorial, visiting the sick and shut-ins, giving to the poor, helping those in need, ushering, greeting, arranging flowers, paying the bills, preparing and serving communion, making refreshments, serving in Sunday School and the nursery, etc., etc.).

Romans 12:7b… teaching – This is the ability to interpret, expose, clarify, systematically explain God’s Word in public proclamation, “house to house,” or more privately, i.e., individually, person to person.
Acts 20:20-21, “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

This is pastoral teaching from the pulpit, at Bible College or Seminary, in Sunday School, at VBA, i.e., wherever God’s truth is taught, as well as proclaiming the Good News to individuals; as Jesus commanded.
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Romans 12:8a… encourage [exhortation]– This is the ability to come alongside other believers, exhorting (strongly encouraging) them to obey and follow God’s Word; warning and reproving them concerning sin in their lives, and also consoling and strengthening those who are struggling or injured, in order to bring comfort and counsel from the Word of God.

1Corinthians 4:14, “I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn [counsel] you as my dear children.”
1Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage one another and build each other up.”
Hebrews 10:24, “let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds…,” “let us encourage one another.”

Romans 12:8b… giving – This is not giving out of your abundance, but sacrificially sharing your resources with those who are in need; with openhearted generosity, not looking for recognition, but giving quietly, out of a genuine concern and compassionate response to needs.
Acts 2:44-45, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

Romans 12:8c… leading – Literally “to stand before,” to steer, pilot, guide or govern, with dilligence. This describes leadership in the home and church. 1Timothy 3:1, 4-5, “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” He must manage [lead] his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?).”

Romans 12:8d… showing mercy – This is to express sympathy and sensitivity to those who are suffering, in a way that helps lessen their afflictions or sorrows. James 2:15-16, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”

1John 3:16-18, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Showing mercy is expressed when we visit those in the hospital, or those confined to their home, those in jail, those who are homeless and perhaps friendless, those who have or are suffering loss, those with special needs that aren’t commonly met or fulfilled by others.
Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors God.”

Showing mercy is most exemplary of Christ Himself, and if it were up to me to pick a gift from God that all believers would have in abundance and would use with great frequency, it would be showing mercy.
Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What a different world it would be, if Christians would exercise mercy frequently and cheerfully; there would be fewer needy, especially among the Family of God; and perhaps more would come to salvation through the mercy shown them by those who have received God’s mercy.

All spiritual gifts (and natural talents ) are given by God, to be used for the edification of the whole Church, through which we are to honor and serve God by loving and encouraging one another.

The Bible does not tell us exactly how to determine our or anybody else’s spiritual giftedness; nor does it instruct us to take some type of spiritual gift inventory, go to a spiritual gift seminar, or waste our time seeking out what our giftedness is to the church.

What it tells us to do is to prayerfully study and apply God’s Word to our lives, while also actively participating in fellowship and serving in the local church, as we serve, our giftedness becomes quite clear; for we are many members, in one body, with a diversity of gifts seeking a unity of purpose — caring for one another, while sharing the message of Christ with anyone who will listen, so they might receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life.
Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The greatest work we can do is to love one another, serving God, telling others about God’s Son, Jesus Christ, Who was put to death in order to make full payment for all our sins, according to the scriptures, He was then buried, and raised from the dead on the third day, according to the scriptures, in order to grant forgiveness for sins and eternal life to all who believe in Him.

At the moment of genuine repentance (Romans 10:9-10) confessing Christ as Lord, believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved.

1Corinthians 12:13 says, that at that moment, God’s Spirit fills us, so that we are equipped to serve, and places us in the body of Christ, of which He is the head, where we are to serve.
1Peter 4:10-11, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike | Series: Basic Christianity

November 6, 2016,
“The Fundamentals about Spiritual Gifts: Part One”

As Christians, if it were not for the gift of God’s Spirit we would have nothing, we would be nothing, and we could do nothing pleasing to God.

God gives spiritual gifts to believers, so that we might serve in God’s church. (1Corinthians 12:1, 4-7, 11), “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”

And so, we see that the gifts are given by the God’s Spirit, and that they are given for the “common good,” and (1Peter 4:10-11) they are given to every believer, for the purpose of serving one another.

Just as there are many different organs and parts in a single physical body, there are also many diverse gifts and functions among the members of Christ’s body.
1Corinthians 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” 27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Some of our physical body parts are more obvious and seemingly more important to the function of the body (eyes, ears, mouths, hands, feet, brains); but there are organs and parts of our body that are hidden(kidneys, liver, bones, muscles, blood vessels); that is, until those less noticeable parts begin to fail or not function properly.

Just as all of our physical body parts work together and are contained in one body, connected together and created to work in unity; so it is with the spiritual body of Christ, the church, and with the use of spiritual gifts.

There are two major passages where spiritual gifts during the church age are listed, 1Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. Romans was written after 1Corinthians, and it is worth mentioning that none of the sign gifts mentioned in 1Corinthians 12:9-10 (the gifts of healing, miracles, speaking in tongues, etc.) are found in Romans 12; nor are they found in other books written later, but instead these later books mention only the speaking and serving gifts.

There are two major categories of spiritual gifts, those that were temporary, during the 1st century church, and those that are permanent, until the church is taken to be with the Lord.

Before the New Testament was completed, there was no standard or authority by which to judge the preaching or teaching of someone, as to whether or not they spoke the truth of God; and so, God gave sign gifts to the apostles and prophets, to verify that they were proclaiming God’s message.

2Corinthians 12:12, “The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were done among you with great perseverance.”

Hebrews 2:3b-4, “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.”

Ephesians 4:11-14, “It was He [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful

scheming.”

The signs and wonders gifts were used by the Apostles in the New Testament; but these gifts came to an end when the apostles passed from the scene and the New Testament was completed; signs and wonders were given to the apostles to validate their authority, since there was no way, apart from the written Word of God, to test their teachings or approve their authority from God.

The next time “signs and wonders” appear, will be after the church is caught up to be with Christ; the Antichrist, along with false christ and false prophets, will perform signs and wonders empowered by Satan himself.

Matthew 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect — if it were possible.”

2Thessalonians 2:9-10, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

Revelation 13:13-14, “And he [the False Prophet] performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast [the

Antichrist], he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.”

On another note, the gift of “speaking in different kinds of tongues” (cf 1Corinthians 12:10) allowed a person to speak a language unknown to him, but known to his hearers in their own native language, proclaiming the works of God.

Tongues [lit. languages], was never intended to be permanently effectual in the work and function of the church.

1Corinthians 14:22, “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.”

The Book of Acts (the History of the Church), has 28 chapters; but chapter 19 (which takes place around 60 A.D.) is the last time the gift of tongues is recorded as happening, this “gift” ceased to be operative by 100 A.D., after the completion of the New Testament.

Paul said that tongues-speaking would cease (1Corinthians 13:8).

Therefore, it is very significant that of the seven gifts mentioned in Romans 12:6-8, there is no mention of the gifts of healing, miracles, or speaking in tongues; but instead, all the gifts listed there fall into the two categories of speaking gifts and serving gifts. Any idea why that might be so? Perhaps because it is the speaking and serving gifts that are used

Ephesians 4:12-14, “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and

craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

Next week I want to spend the time looking at the importance of these permanent gifts, and how you are to know your gift and to use it to bring honor, glory and praise to God and benefits to God’s people.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: Topical Study | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity

Fundamentals of the Church

Preacher: Pastor Mike | Series: Basic Christianity

10.02.16 ~ The Fundamentals of Prayer

Through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, every person who repents of their sins and confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, comes into an intimate relationship with God the Father, who loves us eternally and unconditionally.

Prayer is communicating with God, and God loves to hear your heart in prayer. He loves to answer our prayers according to His own mercy and grace.
Isaiah 65:24, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”

See Acts 12, especially verses 12-17…

See Matthew 6:7-15… Our conversations with God should not be filled with “meaningless repetition” like the pagans (v. 7), who babble with many words.

Nowhere in the NT is a prayer repeated or used in a repetitious and/or ritualistic manner. We don’t need to try and convince God of a need we have (v. 8); for He knows what we need, even before we ask Him!
Matthew 6:9a… This is how you should pray: The Lord’s Prayer is given as a guide on how we should pray. There are six petitions in this prayer; three toward God’s Sovereignty, that being, His Name, His Kingdom, and His Will; and three toward Man’s needs, that being, daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from evil. Matthew 6:9b… Our Father in heaven: God is the Creator of all but the Father only of those who come, through faith in Jesus Christ, into the Family of God, born of God’s Spirit (cf. John 1:12-13; 3:5-8).

Matthew 6:9c… Hallowed be Your name: God is Holy and we are to revere, honor, worship, and glorify Him. We must prayerfully acknowledge Him in every detail of our thoughts, our words, and our actions (1Corinthians 10:31), “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Matthew 6:10… Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven: Those who belong to Christ will want to live in a manner that expresses God’s rule in their lives, as He already rules in heaven. You see, God’s ultimate will is not being exhibited on earth: men sin, men die, and men go to hell. But God’s will is that people won’t sin, die, or go to hell. We pray for God’s will be done on earth:

God’s will is for everyone to repent, believe, and be saved (see 1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9-10).

Those who are saved, all true believers and followers of Christ, will seek to obey God, with willing hearts, in all that we do (see Romans 12:1-2; 2Peter 3:11-12).

We are to faithfully pray according to God’s will, while seeking to obey God’s Word.

Matthew 6:11… Give us today our daily bread: Bread here is symbolic of the food we need, not just for our physical needs, but also our spiritual needs. Bread was a staple food, eaten daily, in Palestine for biological life. Jesus is the bread of life who has come down from the Father to grant us spiritual life, sent from the Father to supply all our needs.

Philippians 4:19, “God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (cf 2Peter 1:3).

The schedule for God’s provision is clearly a daily one, meaning, we need to come to Him on a regular, day-to-day basis for the provision of our needs, not weekly, monthly, or yearly…but daily.
Matthew 6:12… And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors: This is not talking about financial debts, it is talking about sin — our moral and spiritual debt to God, paid in full by Christ.

Sin separates man from God and is man’s greatest enemy. Therefore, man’s greatest need is forgiveness, and that is what God provides when we confess our sinfulness (Romans 10:13), “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”; (1John 1:8-10), “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and purify us of all unrighteousness.”

The Father is forgiving, His children are also (Ephesians 4:32), “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Matthew 6:13… And lead us not into temptation, but rescue us from evil: This has to do with trials and testing, through which we are enticed to sin. God tempts no man, but He does allow us to be tested (see James 4:7-10). We pray for God to place a guard over our eyes, ears, mouths, feet, hands, minds and hearts — so that, we will not give in and do that which is sinful (see 1Corinthians 10:13; Romans 12:9).

There is really only one hindrance to prayer: SIN!
Psalm 66:18-19, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.”

What you believe and how you behave will affect your prayer life. Prayer is conversation with God; we share our heart and mind with the Father, asking Him to forgive our sins and to equip us that we might forgive others; we ask Him for the wisdom to know and the courage to obey His will; so that He might receive glory, honor and praise, in every situation of our life.

We live in a cursed world, evil is all around us. Our flesh is weak and we are not equipped in our humanness to combat sin, and so, we should confess our need for the protection and deliverance only God can give.

This sovereign lesson in prayer concludes with a reminder of how our forgiving others is an illustration and reflection of the Father’s forgiving us.
Matthew 6:14-15… For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses: Please don’t misunderstand what this verse is saying. God has forever removed the penalty of sin from all true Christians (cf. Romans 8:1). However, sin does effect our present joy and ability to serve God, therefore, we confess our sins in order to remain cleansed from sin’s corruption, much like washing our face, hands, and feet when they have become soiled by dirt or contaminated in some way.

Having been cleansed by God, i.e., having received God’s forgiveness, we forgive others; for an unforgiving spirit is inconsistent with one who has been forgiven (cf. Matthew 18:21-35).

Why should we pray? Well, first of all, God commands us to pray (1Thessalonians 5:17), “Pray continually!” And also, prayer unburdens us from our anxieties and fears; in fact (Philippians 4:6-7) tells us that through prayer we receive “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” and this “will guard [our] hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer allows us to draw close to and realize God’s presence; that we might know Him more intimately and (Hebrews 4:16), “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

What do we pray? That God’s will might be done in and through every situation in our life and in the lives of God’s children; so that men, women and children of age might come to know Him now and forever (Ephesians 3:18), “together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

How do we pray? Constantly and reverently, laying our requests and our praises before Him, so that everything we do, think, and say, is prayerfully communicated to God, for He is sovereign in all things (Jeremiah 33:3), “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Let me ask you something – have you ever wondered whether or not there is a right or wrong physical position to pray in? The Bible records a variety of positions in which people prayed: Genesis 18:22 says Abraham prayed standing up; 1Chronicles 17:16 says King David prayed sitting down ; Matthew 26:39, says Jesus prayed while lying face down on the ground.

The physical position you pray in isn’t important; but your spiritual position is very important – only Christians can pray to God, and we pray out of reverence for God’s holiness, with honest recognition of our own sinfulness, for only then can we truly be thankful for His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace.

The Holy Spirit will instruct us to pray for those things that bring glory and honor to God, as we exalt the character and nature of God: Who He is, How He has revealed Himself to us, Why He has saved us, and What He desires us to do, as we live out our lives on this earth, expressing thanksgiving toward Him for His mercy and grace, while trusting Him for our eternal life in heaven.

Prayer is the means by which we come into and remain in God’s presence, while separated from Him on earth.
Revelation 21:3-4, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear form their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for he old

order of things has passed away.”
Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom power

and love, our God is an awesome God…

Pastor Mile <‘(((><

Bible Text: Topical Study | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity

“The Fundamentals of Salvation”

In previous studies we have looked at the Work of God in Salvation, the Work of Christ in Salvation, and the Work of the Holy Spirit in Salvation.

We have studied how God the Father initiated salvation (by sending His Son), how God the Son paid the full price for our salvation, taking our punishment (by His death on the cross), and how God the Holy Spirit made our salvation effectual (birthing us into God’s family by indwelling us and making us a new creation).

But today, I want to look at salvation from a little different perspective with you. I want to consider what the Bible says about our salvation being real, being eternal, and also being experienced while we are still on this earth.

What makes all of mankind guilty of sin (Romans 5:12-21)?

Salvation is never accidental! No one has eternal life, no one goes to heaven, neither by mistake or coincidence, for to be “saved,” “born again,” “born from above,” or “born of God,” is sovereignly done by God (John 1:12-13; 14:6).

When a person acknowledges and repents of their sin, believing in and confessing Christ as Savior and Lord, they are eternally saved (John 3:16; 11:25-26; Romans 10:9-10, 13).

Biological conception is often the result of accident, mistake, or irresponsible behavior, as is evidenced by the 1.6 million abortions each year.

Spiritual birth is never a mistake; but is the result of God’s mercy and grace being accepted by faith.

Every person born into the family of God, personally receives God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life, this can never be lost by us, given back, or taken away from us.

What about someone who says, “I used to be a Christian” (see Romans 8:28-30; 1John 2:18-25). Can a true believer in Christ ever depart from saving faith? (See Romans 8:35-39;11:29).

Listen, salvation can’t be received by a nation, a race, a family, or a group; it must be accepted one person at a time; just like coming through the small gate onto the narrow road (cf. Matthew 7:13-14).

We have a great example of what is necessary for salvation, in the story of a jailer in the book of Acts (see 16:25-33). Notice (v. 30), the jailer asks Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?”

The jailer in Acts 16 was just doing another nights work when his whole life (and that of his whole family) was about to be changed: there was an earthquake, prisoners were freed, and the jailer was going to end his own life. At that moment, God reached out to the jailer’s heart and offered him forgiveness and eternal life.

Many times it takes a tragedy or calamity before a person gives any thought to God’s existence, let alone to His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

The jailer was at the point of death (v. 27) when he asked what he needed to do to be saved, Paul and Silas replied (v. 31), “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved — you and your household.”

Most humans have never come to the point of realizing, let alone acknowledging, their need for forgiveness, the payment Christ made for their sins, let alone that they must believe in and confess Him as their Savior and Lord, and then follow Him by obeying God’s Word.

There was urgency in the jailer’s question!

Less than four months ago. Moon Kim, a dear sister in the Lord, died and went to heaven. She fell asleep, and she woke up in the presence of the Lord.
Psalm 17:15, “And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.”

There are many people who walk away from an encounter with the gospel message who don’t have a tomorrow or another chance to accept God’s offer.

Salvation is the most important thing in all of eternity.
On October 8, 1871 D.L. Moody had just given a stirring message to challenge the hearts of his listeners in the large meeting hall in Chicago, IL; in closing, he said, “I want you to take home the question ‘What shall I do with Jesus?’ and come back next week with your answer.”

That very night (in fact, screams and sirens could be heard at the closing of Moody’s message) the great fire which destroyed Chicago began to rage.

Many of the people Moody challenged to come back the following week with their answer concerning what they would do with Jesus, well, they didn’t have another week, for many of them died that very night, apart from the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Never again did Moody close a message without making clear the urgency with which every individual must personally decide, “what they are going to do with the gospel message about Jesus Christ.”

The jailer in Philippi had no desire to wait until tomorrow or next week. He wanted to know right then, right now, what he had to do to be saved. Every man, woman, and child of age must personally respond to this very same question and believe in Jesus Christ.

Paul didn’t tell the jailer he needed to change jobs, take a bath, or start going to church. Paul directed the man to Jesus and told him that he must believe in Jesus Christ, the only One who could set him free, forever.

Not only the jailer (vv. 32-33), but every member of the jailer’s family also “believed” was “saved,” and immediately identified with Christ in baptism.

In John 11, Jesus was speaking to Martha about Lazarus who had been in the grave for four days:
John 11:25-27, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God.”

In John 11:43-44, Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave and he came out, alive!

There is not a more important question to ask than this one, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer has always been the same, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

If you want to spend eternity in heaven with God, you must believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
1John 5:11-12, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Jesus never has, nor will He ever, turn anyone away who is seeking forgiveness for their sins through Him; after all, He is the Savior, God’s Salvation.

You can study the fundamentals of salvation indefinitely, but the question you must answer is this. Have you received it? Have you asked Jesus Christ to forgive your sins? Have you believed in Him as Savior and Lord? I urge you today, if you have not already done so, to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

Do you remember why God’s Son was given the name Jesus? When the angel Gabriel came to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, he said, “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Acts 4:12, “There is no other name under heaven given to men, by which they must be saved [only Jesus Christ the Lord].”

The fundamental teaching on salvation is expressed in Acts 2:21, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” and Acts 2:38, “Repent… in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”

Why does God save us? So we will tell others the message of salvation, that they too might be saved.
2Corinthians 5:14-21, “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity

The Holy Spirit is God, He is one of the three Persons of the Godhead, existing as one God, and yet a Trinity, made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the

Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit as God… He is also called the “Spirit of the Sovereign

LORD” (Isaiah 61:1), the “Spirit of God” (1Corinthians 2:11), the “Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9), and the “Spirit of Truth” (John 14:17).

The traits attributed to Him are the same ones attributed to God: Omniscient = all-knowledge (see Isaiah 40:13-14)
Omnipotent = all-power (see Romans 1:4; 1Peter 3:18) Omnipresent = all-present (see Psalm 139:7-8)

Eternal = no beginning or end (see Hebrews 9:14)

Some statements on the deity of the Holy Spirit: 2Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit.”

See Isaiah 6:8-10; Acts 28:25-27.

In Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira sold some property and brought what was thought to be all the money from the sale to the Apostles. In verses 3-4, Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Both Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead that day, because lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God.

The Holy Spirit as a Person… He is characterized as a male (as are all of the members of the Godhead).

See John 14:17, personal pronouns “He” and “Him” are used 4-5 times, depending on the translation you have. As a person, there are certain attributes and characteristics clearly expressed by the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at a few:

Intellect… The Holy Spirit is able to reason, for He has intelligence and understanding, and He makes judgements based on sovereign wisdom.
John 14:26, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Romans 8:27 tells us the Spirit has a mind, and He “intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

In 1Corinthians 2:9-16, we are told that the Spirit makes known to us the mind of God, “as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words

taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Emotion… The Holy Spirit both experiences and enables emotions. Ephesians 4:30 tells us He can experience grief. And Galatians 5:22 tells us the effect of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Free Will/Volition… The Holy Spirit deliberately and intentionally determines and or acts accordingly.
1Corinthians 12: 7, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 11, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”

Remember in Acts 13, the church in Antioch had several prophets and teachers, and in verses 2-3 it says, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

The Holy Spirit as the Agent of Creation…

Remember Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Check this out! Psalm 104:1-29 reminds us of all the marvelous things God has created — the heavens and all that is in them, the seas and all that is in them, the earth and all that is upon it — and then, speaking of all that was created, verse 30 says, “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit as the Agent of Prophecy – both the spoken and the written Word of God.
2Peter 1:20-21, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit as the Witnessing Agent of Christ.

John 15:26, Jesus said, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth [Holy Spirit] who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me.”

Again in John 16:8-9, “When He [Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me.”

And again in John 16:14, “He [Holy Spirit] will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”

The Holy Spirit as the Agent of Birth into the Family of God and God’s Kingdom.

In John 1:12-13, we are told that “to all who received Him [God’s Son], to those who believed in His name [Jesus-Savior], He gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

In John 3:1-8, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, telling him that no one will enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again, and that he must be born of the Spirit of God. must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit [born of God, born from above].”

Romans 8:9 declares that the Holy Spirit lives in all those who belong to God, because you see, the Holy Spirit guarantees our salvation by marking [sealing] us as God’s possession, filling us with Himself, and placing us in the Body of Christ, the Church, which is the living and eternal family of God.
Ephesians 1:13-14, “You were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.” 1Corinthians 12:13, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Colossians 1:18, “And He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church.”
Ephesians 5:23, “Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.”

In closing today, I want to try and help you grasp and understand the eternal and intimate relationship within the Godhead, in reference to the salvation and eternal exaltation we have freely received, because of God’s loving mercy and grace.

Think of it this way — God the Father initiated the plan to save us; God the Son fulfilled the requirements for our salvation, and God the Holy Spirit effectually and eternally transformed us from those who were dead to God in sin to those who are alive to God in Christ.

Titus 3:4-7, “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity

Last week we studied the Person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is His human name [meaning Savior] and Christ is His title [meaning the Anointed/Chosen One of God]. Jesus Christ is God’s Son, God’s Servant, God’s Savior, and God’s Sovereign Ruler and King over all Creation.

Today we are going to study just what Christ did for us. In 1Corinthians 15:3-5 Paul tells us, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.”

That says it concisely: we are all sinners deserving death, so Christ died for our sins, just like the Scriptures say He would; then He was buried and on the third day He came out of the grave alive, just like the Scriptures said He would.

Why we need the Work of Christ (see Romans 3:10-12). 1.

2.

there is no one righteous, not even one

there is no one who understands

3. there is no one who seeks God

4. All have turned away

5. they have together become worthless

6. there is no one who does good, not even one

A little farther in 3:23-24 we read, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of

God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by

Christ Jesus.”

God’s marvelous grace has come through Jesus Christ, apart from which we

would receive death, for James 1:15 tells us the result of sin is death.

There are many Christians in this room, everyone who has sincerely confessed

their sins to God and heartfully believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, is

a Christian, for a Christian is one who has received forgiveness for sin and eternal

life through Christ (cf. Romans 10:9-10).

Before you accepted the work of Christ in salvation, you were dead to God

because of your sins, in fact (Ephesians 2:1-3), “we were by [our sinful] nature

deserving of [God’s] wrath [His punishment],” which is (Romans 6:23a) “death,”

and (2Thessalonians 1:9) adds, sinners deserve to be “punished with everlasting

destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord.”

But thanks to God (Romans 6:23b), “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus

our Lord,” (Romans 5:8), “While we were still sinners Christ died for us,” (Romans

5:10), “We were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.”

1. 2. 3. 4.

Apart from the Work of Christ on the cross, there is no hope for anyone!

And God’s Son did this at great cost to Himself (see Philippians 2:7-8).

He made Himself nothing, setting aside His majesty

He took the form of a slave

He put on flesh

He humbled Himself and willingly died on the cross

This is hard to fathom, God put on human flesh, only to become (Isaiah 53:3),

“despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.”

Christ’s major Work was to pay the divine price required by God for our sins

(1Peter 1:19), “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Hebrews 9:22 says, “the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with

blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:12

says Christ has, “once for all by His own blood,” obtained eternal redemption for

those who believe in Him (1Peter 3:18), “For Christ died for sins once for all, the

righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

The Work of Christ forced the Son to be separated from the Father, for the one

and only time in all of eternity. That is why Jesus, while on the cross, cried out

(Matthew 27:46), “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” You see, God is

holy and righteous and perfect, and sin can not coexist in the same space as God.

While Jesus was on the cross He became sin for us (Isaiah 53:6), “the LORD

has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” (Isaiah 53:10), “it was the LORD’s will to

crush Him and cause Him to suffer, …making His life an offering for sin.”

Sin must be punished, and the punishment for sin is death; if Christ didn’t take

your punishment for sin, you will personally be found guilty and sentenced to an

eternity in hell, because (Ephesians 1:7), “In Him [Jesus Christ] we have

redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

John 16:8 says the Holy Spirit will convict the world of its guilt concerning sin,

and John 16:9 makes it clear that sin is simply not believing in God’s Son.

John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the

Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

The Work of Christ is to make us acceptable to God by the sacrifice of Himself,

to redeem us from this corrupt world, in order that we might serve and worship

God honorably, bringing praise and glory to Him.

Galatians 1:3-4, “Jesus Christ, …gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

2Peter 1:2-4, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of

God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for

life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and

goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so

that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the

corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

Christ’s substitutionary payment for your sins must make a difference in your

life. Paul writes (Romans 6:5-14), “If we have been united with him like this in his

death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know

that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away

with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has

been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live

with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die

again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin

once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves

dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your

mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to

sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who

have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as

instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not

under law, but under grace.”

The Work of Jesus Christ is not only the divine solution to man’s problems, it is the only solution to man’s problems. Remember back in Romans 3:10-12:

1. 2.

there is no one righteous, not even one

there is no one who understands

3. there is no one who seeks God

4. All have turned away

5. they have together become worthless

6. there is no one who does good, not even one

In Christ alone we are made righteous, given understanding, compelled to seek

and turn toward God, becoming precious to God (Ephesians 2:10), “created in

Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Why did God send His Son to save us, besides the obvious fact that we are

sinners, unacceptable to God, deserving of God’s condemnation and eternal

punishment? Because He loves us, and there was no other way for us to be saved

(Acts 4:12), “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under

heaven given to men by which we must be saved [only Jesus Christ the Lord].”

Why did the Son of God willfully set aside His own majesty, put on flesh, live

among us, allow Himself to be rejected, arrested, mocked, unjustifiably sentenced,

severely beaten, and then hung on a cross until He died? Because He loves us, and

there was no other sacrifice acceptable to God, no other payment that could be

made to God for our sin debt.

Hebrews 9:26-28, “He [Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to

do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once,

and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins

of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring

salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”

The night Jesus shared communion with His disciples, changing forever the

Passover meal to the Lord’s Supper, He explained to them that it was His own body

that would be given, and His own blood that would be shed, to save them and to

provide for them, now and forever.

John 14:1-6, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In

my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am

going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I

will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You

know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t

know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am

the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Listen, if you have never asked God to forgive your sins, confessing Jesus Christ

as Lord, and believing in Him as Savior, do it now!

2Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him [Jesus Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us

[taking our punishment, paying our penalty], so that in Him we might become the

righteousness of God.”

1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this

life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of

God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the

Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Why did Christ come to earth? What did Christ do for you?

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who is both Lord and Savior, has provided forgiveness

for your sins and eternal life. He has made you acceptable to God [righteous], and

He has provided a way for you, and for all who believe in Him, to have a personal,

intimate and eternal relationship with God, as dearly loved children of God (John

1:13), “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s

will, but born of God.”

Pastor Mike

<‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Basic Christianity

Jesus Christ is the most central figure in all of human history, there has never been anyone like Him. He has been hailed as a good man, a great teacher, a prophet, a religious leader, the Son of God, and even God Himself.

Jesus Christ is God’s Son, God’s Servant, God’s Savior, God’s Sovereign Ruler. Jesus is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Yeshua [Joshua]. This is the

name that the angel Gabriel commanded Joseph to name Mary’s child (Matthew 1:21), “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

The name Jesus means “The Lord Saves” or “The Lord Is Salvation,” or “God’s Salvation,” or “God Saves” often it is shortened simply to, “Savior.”

“Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one.” This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah.”

“Jesus” is the Lord’s human name, “Christ” is His title, for Jesus was sent from God to be a King and Deliverer [Savior] (cf Daniel 9:25; Isaiah 32:1). “Jesus Christ” means “Jesus the Messiah” or “Jesus the Anointed One.”

Jesus came into the world in the flesh of a human baby, (Luke 1:34-35) conceived in the womb of a virgin, named Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit; to Mary Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you and. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” This is called the “incarnation,” in that, Jesus was both fully man, while also being fully God.

John’s Gospel tells us (cf John 1:1-4) that Jesus is the Word of God, that He was with God in the beginning, that He is the Creator, that “in Him was life, and that life was the light of men,” and (v. 14) that He put on flesh and lived among us, (v. 18) in order to show us, and make known to us, the Father, who no one has seen.

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ voluntarily set aside the independent use of His divine attributes and took the form of a human creature, submissive to the Father while He was in human flesh (see Philippians 2:6-11).

Concerning Jesus’ humanity as a child, Scripture says very little, but we do know (Luke 2:40), “the child became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him,” (Luke 2:52), “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Scripture tells us some marvelous things about the person of Jesus Christ: Mark 4:38 says, when Jesus got tired He slept.
Luke 4:2 says, when Jesus went without food He got hungry.

John 4:6 says, when Jesus traveled far, He became exhausted and needed to rest.

John 11:35 says, when Jesus suffered grief, He wept.

Jesus acted like a man when it came to normal responses to normal life situations and experiences; and yet, He was fully God.

Hebrews 13:8 tells us He is Immutable [unchanging], “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Colossians 2:3 tells us He is Omniscient [all-knowing], “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

2Corinthians 5:21 tells us He is Perfect [without sin], “God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

John 6:69 tells us He is Holy, as Peter declares, “You [Jesus] are the Holy One of God.”

Revelation 1:18 tells us He is Eternal and is, “alive for ever and ever!”
John 11:25-26 tells us He grants eternal life to those who believe in Him. Matthew 28:18 tells us He is sovereign, “all authority in heaven and on earth

has been given to [Him].”

Jesus Christ demonstrated His omnipotence [all-powerful nature], in a variety of ways, while He was living on the earth:

Mark 4:39 tells us He had power over creation, even commanding the wind and the sea to be still, and immediately the storm was calmed, to which the disciples pondered (v. 42), “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

John 5:8-9, tells us He had power over disease and sickness, healing a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years.

Luke 4:33-36 tells us He had power of demons, casting them out of a man.

John 11:43-44 tells us He had power over death itself, calling Lazarus, who had been dead and buried for four days, out of the grave alive.

Mark 2:1-12 tells us He had authority to forgive sins, and since God alone can forgive sins; Jesus Christ is God!

There are marvelous Titles/Names of Deity given to Jesus Christ:

Matthew 1:23 says He is Immanuel, which means, “God with us,” the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, proclaiming that the Lord God Himself would give this sign to the world, “a virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and she will call Him Immanuel.”

In Acts 2:36 says Jesus is both Lord and Christ, and Paul (Philippians 2:11) says, “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

John 8:58 says He is there great “I Am,” a name that is reserved for God alone (Exodus 3:14), “I AM WHO I AM,” in Revelation 1:8 He declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega [the beginning and the end] says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty!”

There are some magnificent statements in the Scriptures declaring the Deity of Jesus Christ, let’s look up a few of them: Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9-12; Romans 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3.

Titus 2:11 says, “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” 13, “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Christ is God’s Salvation, God with us, He is both Lord and Christ, as the Scriptures declare about Him:

John 1:29 says He is the Lamb of God, coming into the world to die for our sins.

John 6:35 says He is the Bread of Life, providing everything we need for eternal life, now and forever.

John 14:6 tells us He is the only Way, only Truth, only Life from God, and therefore, no one receives forgiveness, no one is acceptable to God, no one has eternal life, and no one goes to heaven, except through Him.

Jesus Christ is (1Timothy 6:14-15), the King of kings and Lord of Lords, and Daniel 7:14 says He has been given all glory and power, His authority is eternal, and His kingdom can never be destroyed.

See Revelation 1:5-8, 18a; 5:1-14
Jude 24-25, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before

His glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory , majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><