Bible Text: John 7:14-24 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John |

01-21-2018

Jesus: God’s Sovereign Servant

John 7:14-24

Last week we studied about Jesus being in Galilee with His disciples and how He was not going to go up to the Feast of Booths with His family, but instead He stayed in Galilee for a time and went up later, it would seem, by Himself.

There is no mention of Jesus’ disciples in chapters 7 or 8 of John and it appears that we will not hear of the Twelve again until chapter 9. Chapters 7-8 are an ongoing confrontation between Jesus and the Jews (Religious Leaders).
Read John 7:14-16… Jesus shows up at the temple in Jerusalem, in the middle of the feast, and He begins to teach. The Jews are amazed and somewhat alarmed at Jesus’ understanding of, and ability to instruct from, Scripture.

The first thing the Jews do is to pronounce doubts concerning Jesus’ credentials and His authority to teach publicly. They are saying that Jesus had not received training from any of the established schools of rabbinical instruction they were aware of or had approved.

They knew nothing about His education but they didn’t approve of Him and therefore, they challenged His right to speak at the synagogue.

You have to love Jesus’ response to them in verse 16…

Jesus didn’t acquire His knowledge of the Scriptures and authority to teach, from any human institution, school of rabbinical training, or from any Chief Priest or Pharisee. Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of, and ability to teach, the Scriptures, came directly from God the Father in heaven, who had sent Him.

Jesus’ awareness and acceptance of His submission to the Father is repeatedly stated in the Scripture, we have already looked at many of those recorded narratives in John’s Gospel (cf. 3:17; 4:34; 5:24, 30, 36-37; 6:38-39, 44, 57); there are many more to come (cf. 7:28-29, 33; 8:26, 38, 40; 14:10, 24; 17:8, 14)

Jesus taught as one innately empowered with sovereign knowledge and authority. Jesus’ teaching was very different from that of the rabbis and teachers of the law, for they would often quote other teachers like themselves as the authority for their teaching; whereas, Jesus spoke His words with the authority given to Him by the Father whom He was serving.
Matthew 7:28-29, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as
their teachers of the law.”

Read John 7:17… If anyone is willing to receive God’s Word, they will know that Jesus Christ is speaking the truth, in fact, He is the truth.

In John 6:28-29 the people ask what they must do to do what God requires, i.e., what must they do to do God’s will? Jesus answers the people saying, ”The work of God [God’s will] is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

Do you see? If the people will but believe what Jesus is telling them about Himself, they will understand that He is from God, that He is God!

In John 5:39-40 Jesus says to the Jews, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.”

God’s revealed plan and provision of forgiveness and eternal life is embodied in a person, that person is Jesus Christ the Lord (see Colossians 1:15-20)!

Read John 7:18… Many false teachers have come and gone, and there will be more as it draws near to the end of this age. You can recognize these false teachers, false prophets and wannabe messiahs by the fact that they always speak on their own authority, seeking their own glory, and their teachings do not align with the inerrant, infallible, sovereign and eternal Word of God; but instead their teachings are from their father, satan himself (John 8:44), “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Instead of feeding and caring for the flock, these liars and deceivers fleece and slaughter the sheep (Romans 16:18), “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people,” (Philippians 3:19), “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things,” (Matthew 23:5-7), “Everything they do is done for men to see…” “…they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’” [Teacher].

Jesus came seeking the glory of His Father who sent Him, and in Him there is no fault, no unrighteousness, nothing that is displeasing to the Father.
Read John 7:19-20… The Religious Leaders of Israel prided themselves on keeping the Law of Moses (in an effort to earn salvation through self-righteous works); but Jesus declares, no one keeps the Law and no one will be made righteous by doing so!

Romans 3:10-12, “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’”

Romans 3:20, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Galatians 3:24, “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”

Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.”

The Law of Moses cannot save anyone, but condemns everyone, the Law reveals sin (in us), making us unacceptable to God (cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Look again at John 7:19-20… Jesus asks the Jews why they are trying to kill Him, the crowd declares that He must be possessed by a demon, otherwise why would He say that anyone was trying to kill Him (see John 5:16-18; 7:1).

Read John 7:21-24… Jesus pays no attention to the crowd’s ignorance in saying that He must have a demon; instead, He goes right to the heart of the problem, the hypocritical self-righteous elevation of law keeping.

The “one miracle” Jesus is talking about is the one we studied in John 5, when Jesus healed the invalid man on the Sabbath at the pool of Bethesda (see John 5:5, 8-9).

You would think that miracle would be enough for the religious leaders to believe in Him, but instead they sought to kill Him because in their twisted minds, Jesus was breaking the Sabbath (John 5:16-18).

Back to John 7:22-23… Jesus explains that the Jews have totally misunderstood Sabbath regulations. He reminds them how they adhere to the practice of circumcision (all male children must be circumcised on he eighth day), even if that day falls on a Sabbath.

Circumcision came through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; but it was later included in the Law of Moses (cf. Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3; Luke 1:59; 2:21).

Circumcision seems to take precedence over Sabbath regulations, as the Israelites “break” the Sabbath by doing work (the circumcision of a baby), in order to keep the Law of Moses. Why then are they so angry at Jesus (to the point of wanting to kill Him) for healing a man on the Sabbath, when it is always okay to do a good deed on the Sabbath (see Matthew 12:1-13; Luke 13:10-17).

Jesus gives a strong exhortation to the Jews (John 7:24); that they should not make superficial, ritualistic or legalistic judgements about God’s will and God’s ways; instead, they should find out what pleases God and seek to do it!
1Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Served His Father completely by dying for our sins and granting us eternal life.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: John 7:1-13 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John |

01-14-2018

Jesus, Good Man or Liar?

John 7:1-13

Read John 7:1-5… “After this,” or “After these things,” is speaking of all that happened in chapter 6, which was around the time of the Feast of Passover (cf. 6:4). It is worth noting that as John opens chapter 7 he says that the Feast of Tabernacles (literally, Feast of Booths or Ingathering) was near.

Passover is cerebrated in April and the Feast of Booths is celebrated in October, so it would seem that about six months have passed since the events of chapter 6. We don’t know exactly what happened during the six months, but we do know that Jesus was preaching, teaching and healing in the area of Galilee, during that time.

The other gospel writers tell us where Jesus went in Galilee, during that time: Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 8:22-26 tell us He traveled from Sidon, northwest of of Galilee, to Decapolis, in the southeast.

Matthew 15:29-38; 17:14-18 record that Jesus was healing people, He fed a crowd of four thousand, and He was casting out demons. It would seem that during the six months in Galilee Jesus was discipling the Twelve.
Several times in the gospel accounts we find Jesus with large crowds surrounding Him, as He taught, healed and cared for them; after which, Jesus would go away to have intimated time with the Father and then time with His disciples.

God’s Son did not come to entertain crowds, neither did He commission His Church to do so; but instead, (Matthew 28:19) to go and make disciples; usually one to one, e.g., in John’s gospel we have Christ’s example: (3, Nicodemus; 4, Samaritan Woman; 5, Invalid; 8, Adulteress; 9, Blind Man; 11, Martha).
Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Discipleship happens when we influence and encourage others to know, believe and obey God’s Word, while we are influenced and encouraged to do the same.

Discipleship is growing in our personal walk with Christ – believing, following and honoring Him, and there is not anything more important or of higher priority for us than discipleship – discipling others while being also being discipled ourselves.

Notice in verse 1, Jesus is staying away from Judea because the Jews there wanted to kill Him (cf. John 5:18), “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” In other words, Jesus was not publicly ministering in Judea because of the increasing hostility toward Him.

Read John 7:2-5… The Feast of Booths, according to first-century Jewish historian Josephus, was the most popular of the three “pilgrimage feasts” (including Passover and Feast of Weeks), which all Israelite males are required to attend.

Jesus’ brothers didn’t understand His mission or God’s purpose (see verse 4). Jesus isn’t interested in being a public figure or gaining popularity among the people. His brothers have no clue about the threat to Him, for they encourage Him to go to Judea and perform miracles, so the people will seem them.

Verse 5 says, “His own brothers did not believe in Him.” And you know, the biblical record shows us that they would continue in unbelief until after His death and resurrection (see Acts 1:8-14).
Read John 7:6-9… Jesus basically tells His brothers that it is not yet time for the Son of Man to be revealed. Jesus will not be coerced by anyone, as He is in total submission to the will of the Father, and the Father is working things out according to His own sovereign plan.

Jesus’ brothers were unbelievers at this time, and they gave no concern to God’s will or God’s itinerary, but did whatever pleased them; in fact they fit right in with unbelieving “worldly” religious system of Judaism, for it was at enmity with God’s plan, purpose and provision of His own Son, as the payment for our sins.

Jesus tells His brothers (verse 8) to go up to the Feast, because He (verse 9) is staying in Galilee, for a time.

Jesus will not enter Jerusalem and publicly declare Himself to be the Messiah for six more months (from the events in John 7); He will arrive during Passover, riding on a donkey’s colt (cf John 12; 11:55-57).

Read John 7:10-13… Jesus’ brothers and other family members would probably go up to Jerusalem together. Jesus did not want to draw attention to Himself so,

He waited until after His family departed, we don’t know how long afterward, but we do know Jesus arrived in the middle of the Feast of Booths (cf verse 14), and that the Jews (religious leaders) were looking for Him (verse 11). John tells us (verse 12) people expressed opinions about Jesus: some saying He was a good man, while others said He was a liar, deceiving the people.

Note: Some say He was just a good teacher, but good teachers don’t claim to be God. Some say He was just a good example, but good examples don’t mingle with prostitutes and sinners. Some say He was a madman, but madmen don’t speak the way He spoke. Some say He was a fanatic, but fanatics don’t draw children to themselves or reach out to touch lepers and heal them. Some say He was a religious phony, but phonies don’t rise from the dead. Some say He was just a phantom, but phantoms can’t bleed or die. Some say He was just a myth, but

myths don’t set the date for our calendar: BC, before Christ; AD [Anno Domini] “in the year of our Lord”.

If Jesus was merely a good man, or perhaps a liar who purposely deceived people, why would so much attention be given to Him by the three major religions of the world (Christianity, Judaism, Islam), and the two major Cults (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons).

Notice (verse 13), the people weren’t openly [publicly] speaking for or against Jesus; the reason being, their fear of the Jews [the religious leaders].

To publicly speak against the religious leaders of Israel could lead to excommunication from the synagogue which would basically cut one off from all Jewish life; for Israel was a Theocracy, of which the Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes held positions of prominence and authority over the people.

Many of the religious leaders spoke against Jesus, but the Sanhedrin (the ruling court of Israel over public, civil, cultural and religious issues, much like our Supreme Court), had not yet made a public statement concerning Jesus of Nazareth; therefore the people were guarded in what they said publicly, so as not to contradict the religious leaders or oppose any ruling of the Sanhedrin.

But you know, Jesus was not in submission to the religious leaders of Israel or subservient to the rulings of the Sanhedrin, for He had come to do the will of His Father in heaven, which was completed at the cross when Jesus said, “It is finished!” and validated at the tomb, when Jesus rose form the grave and then appeared to many over a period of 40 days, before ascending back into heaven, to sit at the right hand of the Father.

Look at John 7:12-18… Jesus is not only a good man, not only a man of truth; He is the Truth and there is nothing false in Him, for He does not seek His own glory, but the glory of His Father in heaven, the One who sent Him to earth to save us (John 20:31), “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: John 1:1-3 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | 01-07-2018

God’s Message: Jesus Saves!

John 1:1-3

Read John 1:1-3… The Word [Logos] refers to the ultimate expression,
representation and revelation of God in word, form, essence, nature, being,
authority.
The Word was with God – this means “face to face,” the Father and Son have
been together in fellowship, since the beginning, eternity past.
The Word was God – Jesus is God… (Colossians 2:9), “in Christ all the fullness of
the Deity lives in bodily form.”
Jesus and God are called by the same titles:
Holy One (Isaiah 10:20; Acts 3:14-15)
I AM (Exodus 3:14; John 8:24)
Judge (Genesis 18:25; 2Timothy 4:1)
Light (Psalm 27:1; John 8:12)
Lord of lords (Deuteronomy 10:17; Revelation 17:14)
Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14; 48:17; Ephesians 1:7)
Savior (Isaiah 43:11; Acts 4:12)
Jesus and God have the same attributes:
Eternal (Isaiah 9:6)
Immutable (Hebrews 13:8)
Omnipotent (Jeremiah 32:17)
Omnipresent (Proverbs 15:3)
Omniscient (1John 3:20)
Jesus does things only God can do:
Creates all things (John 1:3)
Sustains all things (Hebrews 1:3)
Forgives sin (Mark 2:6-12)
Raises the dead (John 5:21)
Receives worship (John 9:38)
Receives prayer (John 14:13-14)
John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have
seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth.” 18, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is
at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”
The Word of God put on flesh and was given the name Jesus; He lived among us
to show us the Father, that we might believe and be saved through Him.
John 1:29, 34, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” “I have seen and I testify
that this is the Son of God.”
John 3:14-15, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man
must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”
John 6:46-47, “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only
He has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”
Those who believe in God [those who obey God] will be rewarded with eternal
life. True Belief is pleasing to God and is synonymous with true Faith (Hebrews
11:6), “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek
Him.”
John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Did He mean He would help us to enrich or improve our life? I don’t think so
John 20:31, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
The Greeks use three different words to describe life: Zoe, Bios, Psuche.
The Greek word translated “life” in both the above verses is Zoe, referring to the
uncreated, eternal life of God, the divine life uniquely possessed by God, granted
only to those who believe in Him, e.g., (John 1:4), “In Him was life, and that life
was the light of men.”
All living humans have “life,” but this is normally expressed in Scripture through
the other two words that are translated life:
Physical life of the material body is expressed as bios, from which comes the
word biology, e.g., in the parable of the sower (Luke 8:14), those who fall away
from true salvation do so because of “life’s worries, riches and pleasures,” those
things that feed the flesh.
Psychological life of the immaterial body is expressed as psuche [our soul, our
emotion and will] from which we get the word psychology, e.g., speaking of true
discipleship Jesus said (Matthew 16:25), “Whoever wants to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it,” that which we set our heart on.
Natural birth, includes both, physical life (bios) and immaterial life (psuche).
But when we trust and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are not only
forgiven our sins, we are granted eternal life (zoe), supernaturally born by divine
life from God.
John 1:13, “children born not of natural descent, F3 nor of human decision or a
husband’s will, but born of God” [from above, by the Spirit].
John 3:6-8, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You
should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You 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.”
See John 6:28-29… God wants His divine life to be in us, in order that we
might live by and live out our lives for Him, so that it will be evident to those
around us (cf. 2Corinthians 5:17; Romans 3:10-12; 3:23-24; 5:8; 6:23: 8:1;
10:9-10, 13).
In the beginning (cf. Genesis 1:1) God created the heavens and the earth and ll
that is within them. After six days of creating the light, the heavens, the seas, the
plants, the fish, the birds, and all the animals, by simply speaking them into
existence:
Genesis 1:26, “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness.’”
Genesis 2:7, “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, the man became a living being.”
God formed man, with His own hands, and then life was breathed into him by
the very mouth of God, face to face (cf. John 1:1).
Although the details of our individual lives may be very different, and we all, no
doubt, have different abilities, talents, strengths and weaknesses, essentially, God
wants the same for all of us.
God’s plan was to live in us and through us as we (Philippians 2:15-16),
“shine like stars in the universe [holding] out the word of life,” in our daily living,
while working, recreating, shopping, spending time with our families, time with our
brothers and sisters in Christ, and serving in and through our local church.
Our greatest duty to God is to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, who is (John
14:6), “the way and the truth and the life.” For no one will be saved, no one will be
made acceptable to God, no one will go to heaven, except by believing in [by
obeying] Him.
Our greatest duty to humanity is to tell them about this One who came to
forgive all our sins and provide eternal life, so that the divine nature of God might
live in us, now and forever, through Jesus Christ, our Lord: crucified, resurrected
and coming again.
We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves, Jesus saves!
Spread the gladness all around: Jesus saves, Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land, climb the steeps and cross the waves;
onward! ’tis our Lord’s command: Jesus saves, Jesus saves!

Pator Mike
<‘(((><

Bible Text: Selected | Preacher: Pastor Mike | Series: Christmas, Christmas Topical, New Year

12.31.17 ~ First a Baby, Next a Warrior King!
Read Colossians 1:15… The word “first-born” refers to the position in reference to the legal rights of inheritance and authority, rightfully given to a firstborn son. God’s kingdom will one day be given completely and eternally to Jesus Christ, for it has always been God’s plan to turn everything over to the one through whom it was all created.
Read Colossians 1:16-17… The earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5°, spinning at approximately 1,000 mph (making one full rotation every 24 hours), while orbiting at about 67,000 mph around the sun every 365 days. The earth’s atmosphere (3 parts nitrogen, 2 parts oxygen) is perfectly balanced to sustain all life, and life has not been discovered anywhere else in the universe.
Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities –His eternal power and divine nature –have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

Creation provides such clear and convincing testimony about its Creator, that only through willful rejection and disbelief can anyone deny this truth.
Read Colossians 1:18-19… Christ has supremacy over everything. God’s full authority, character, nature, exists in Christ; He has supremacy over the dead and living, the visible and invisible, the past, present and future.

Read Revelation 1:5-8… Jesus alone is “the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is the Creator, Sustainer, Ruler and Judge over everyone and everything: Satan, sin, death, and judgment.

As John writes the Revelation of Jesus, he is reminded of all that he has seen, heard and touched (see 1John 1:1-3), all that Christ has done (see 1John 5:11-13).

We are not only forgiven our sins, but we are set apart as a kingdom and priests for the purpose of serving God the Father, through Christ the Son.
1Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

When Jesus came the first time, just a few shepherds looked upon Him; when Jesus ascended back into heaven, only a few disciples witnessed it (cf. Acts 1:9-11); but when Jesus returns to the earth at the close of the Tribulation (Revelation 1:7), “Every eye will see Him,” i.e., those who believe in Him and those who don’t; but it also says the “peoples of the earth” will mourn.

When Jesus returns, Israel will recognize Him as their Messiah and realizing that they rejected and put to death their own Savior.
Zechariah 12:10-11, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great.”

God loves us so much, He came down from heaven, put on flesh and took our punishment for sin, His own death on the cross. The night before His arrest, Jesus encourages His men, telling them, He is going to leave, He was going to die, but He would one day return for them and take them to be with Him in heaven.

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.’”

John 14:27-28, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.’”

John encourages us concerning the return of Christ (see Revelation 1:8), God is speaking by His own sovereign authority, as the divine LORD of All.

Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet; their mention here is similar to the “First and the Last in Revelation 1:17 and the “Beginning and the End” in Revelation 21:6.

It is only the Book of Revelation that refers to God as the “Alpha and the Omega.” God is the absolute source of all existence, all creation, all authority, and He will rule and judge every one and everything, forever!
Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Revelation 19:11 “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself.”

Note: “A name that no one but the Lord knows?” This is a reference to the tetragrammaton (the Hebrew name of God transliterated in four letters as YHWH or JHVH, articulated as Yahweh or Jehovah). The Jews never pronounce this name, and when they meet with it in the Scripture, they read Adonai for it; but they declare that no man can pronounce it, as the true pronunciation was lost after Babylonian captivity; God alone knows its true interpretation and pronunciation (Revelation 19:11), “the name which no man knows but He Himself.”

He is the “Lord God,” ” Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.” “Jehovah God,” “Yahweh,” “the Great I Am,” “the Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Judge of All.” God validates that everything revealed to John and written down here, in this great Book of Revelation, is to be read, heard, taken to heart and responded to.
1John 5:1-5, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves His child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

He came the first time a vulnerable baby boy, God’s Son, protected and provided for by the Father. But when He returns, He will come as the eternal and sovereign (Revelation 19:16), “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

God will guide, strengthen, protect and provide for His people as we seek to honor and obey Him (Read Revelation 22).

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: Hebrews 1:1-3 | Preacher: Pastor Mike | Series: Christmas Topical

12.24.17 ~ Hebrews 1:1-3, “God’s Final Message Proclaimed!”

Christmas celebrates God’s greatest Gift to the world, but God’s gift (Jesus Christ) was not fully understood or appreciated until He died on the Cross, as payment for our sins, was buried in a tomb and three days later He sovereignly rose from the grave.

About 2700 years ago, two of God’s prophets (Isaiah and Micah) wrote about the future birth of a male child, to a virgin, in Bethlehem, in Judea; this child would be called Immanuel, for He was God in human flesh; He would be given the name Jesus, because He would save us from our sins.
Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, Whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Isaiah 7:14, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel [God with us].”
Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, the government will be on His shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 53:4-7, “Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.”
Isaiah 53:11-12 After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied… because He poured out His life unto death… He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors [sinners].”
Read Hebrews 1:1-3… God repeatedly announced to the world the coming of His Son (Hebrews 1:1), “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,” i.e., God used different people, languages, places, events, ceremonies, and covenants to present His plan, purpose and provision through His Son, Jesus, the Christ, Lord and Savior.

Hebrews 1:2a says, “in these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son.” God has fully revealed all we need to know and do, in response to His greatest gift, His Own Son (no more signs, cf. Matthew 12:38-40).

Jesus’ birth happened just as God announced through the prophets, everything being made ready for the advent of God’s Son, at just the right time (Galatians 4:4-5), “when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

Politically – Rome as the world Ruler, had provided good roads and a time of relative peace, allowing safe travel throughout its territories. The message of Christ could now be taken to the rest of the world.

Culturally – The world’s people were more educated and unified then at any other time in history, and Koine Greek (the basic dialect of the Roman Empire) was common in most of the world at that time; it also happened to be the language that the New Testament would be written in.

Spiritually – The world was more accepting of different religious beliefs, philosophies and practices; and the Jews had a renewed interest in the OT Scriptures that pointed to Immanuel, the Savior who would come to us in human flesh.

Israel had long waited for its Messiah; repeatedly God had announced His coming, giving special details about His arrival, and then delivering Him just as He had said it would happen (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2).

Last week, in Luke 2, we read how only a small group of shepherds came to look upon and worship the Savior.

Jesus was raised in obscurity, but Luke 2:52 tells us, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 3:22 records that when Jesus was baptized at he Jordan River by John, God declared from heaven, “You are My Son, whom I love, with You I am well pleased.”

Soon afterwards, Jesus began His mission, and was rejected in His own hometown (see Luke 4:16-22, cf. Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:28-30)

Hebrews 1:2b, says God appointed His Son to be “heir of all things,” and through Him the universe was made, for Jesus, is both Lord and Creator of all. Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.”

In Revelation 5, God is pictured sitting on His throne in heaven, with a scroll in His hand, the deed to the earth, the heavens, and all they contain, but it seems no one has the authority to take the scroll and open it, but then we read:
vv. 5-7, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne… He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” At that point a new song is sung in heaven (v. 9) “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Jesus came (Colossians 1:20), “to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” God’s plan was to provide forgiveness for sins through the shed blood of His Son (cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1).

Hebrews 1:3a… Christ is “the radiance of God’s glory” (lit. “brightness”) meaning Jesus is the Light of God, sent to mankind. “Light” is the revelation that brings “Life from God” to all who are being saved.
1John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.”

Revelation 21:22-23 tells us that in the future, the Lamb of God will light the universe, there will be no need for sun or moon or stars, and there will be no more darkness, no more night, nothing offensive to God.
Hebrews 1:3b… Christ is “the exact representation [icon or imprint] of God,” (cf. Colossians 1:15), “He is the image [exact representation] of the invisible

God,” (Colossians 2:9), “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”

Jesus is the express image of God [Immanuel-God with us] and without Him we could not be exposed to nor could we recognize God’s light.
John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” 4-5, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood [overcome or comprehended] it.”

John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Hebrews 1:3c… God’s Son is “sustaining [upholding or maintaining] all things by His powerful word,” by which, He created the heavens and all that is in them, which includes the earth upon which we live, which just happens to be placed the right distance from the moon and the sun (so that we don’t freeze solid or burn up), the earth’s tilt of precisely 23.5 degrees allows its whole surface to receive the suns rays, as the earth rotates at 1,000 mph, making one complete revolution every 24 hours; and at the same time it is traveling 67,000 mph, as it makes a full orbit around the sun every 365 days.

All this happened by coincidence, evolution, or some other random circumstance. Right!

Thank God for the provision of His Son (Colossians 1:17), “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Hebrews 1:3d… “God’s Son provided purification for sins then He sat down at the right hand of the Father.” Wow! Jesus Christ fulfilled His sovereign work by taking the punishment for our sins, upon Himself. He did this (Hebrews 9:12), “once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Jesus was born in a stable and raised in obscurity; He fed and healed the multitudes, was put to death on a cross, and on the third day He rose from the grave, after which He showed Himself to His followers over a period of 40 days, then He ascended back into heaven, to the highest place of honor, having (Hebrews 10:12) “offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.”

700 years after Isaiah and Micah foretold it, a young woman, named Mary, said to be a virgin, gave birth to a boy in Bethlehem, in Judea, just like Isaiah and Micah had said: the baby was named Jesus (God’s Salvation), and was called Immanuel (God with us); He was the fullness of God in human flesh for the purpose of being the Savior to all who would believe in Him.

The full and final message from God is Jesus, God’s indescribable Gift: Christ is the LORD of Lords, the KING of Kings, Creator, Sustainer, Judge over all, and Savior to everyone who genuinely believes and trusts in Him.

God’s plan was to provide forgiveness for sins through the shed blood of His own Son, to all those who repent of sin and confess Him as Lord, that we might live with Him in heaven, forever to be in the presence of the Lamb of God, the One born for the purpose of dying for our sins, the very Life and Light of God, Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:8, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” 17-18, ”I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
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.”

If you have believed in and received Jesus as Lord, you are able to celebrate Christmas; if you have never repented of your sins, confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in Him as Savior, why haven’t you? I mean, really? What do you have to lose?

Is there any good reason not to believe in God’s Son for salvation? Why not do that right now? Simply acknowledge that you are a sinner, ask God to forgive your sins. He turns no one away!

The reason for the season is Jesus, please, don’t reject God’s Marvelous Gift!

Christmas is in recognition and worship of God’s magnificent, indescribable, irrevocable, supernatural, and eternal Gift: Jesus Christ, the Lord of all and Savior to everyone who genuinely believes.

It is because of Jesus that we celebrate Christmas! And so, it is my great joy to wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Bible Text: 12.17.17~God’s Peace Provided | Preacher: Pastor Mike | Series: Christmas Topical

12.17.17 ~ God’s Peace Provided!

Eight days from today, many of us, I hope most of us, will celebrate Christmas in a manner that brings honor and praise to God’s Son, Jesus, the Christ.

Sadly enough, most of the world’s 7 billion people will not acknowledge the birth of the Savior; and much like that first Christmas, 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, the majority of the world’s people won’t give attention to Immanuel; but instead, they will either reject or neglect God’s Son. It is indeed a joy for me, today, to be among many who do believe in and have received God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Read Luke 2:10-18… The shepherds are given a divine message that the Savior has been born in Bethlehem and will be found lying in a manger, so they hurried off to see this marvelous thing God had told them about; after which, the shepherds went about telling everyone they met what they had seen and heard.

How about you? Have you taken time this season to share the marvelous message of Christ’s coming? Or have you been too stressed out with your own personal or family issues? Maybe you have gotten so caught up in the celebration of the season, that you have not taken the time or opportunity to tell someone about God’s greatest gift – His own Son’s sacrifice for our sins.

Until we die, or Christ returns, we are to be His witnesses, telling others how God came to earth, paid the penalty for our sins and provided the only way we can receive forgiveness and eternal life.

The first time Jesus came, He came as a baby, born to a virgin, in a place where animals were sheltered; and only a few came to worship Him; for God chose, from all the earth’s inhabitants, a small group of shepherds, to witness the Savior’s birth.

Jesus fulfilled God’s sovereign and eternal purpose, just as the prophets foretold; and although only a few shepherds witnessed His first coming, as a baby boy; later, some of His disciples witnessed His death, His resurrection and His departure back into heaven; but His return will be a worldwide event (Revelation 1:7), “Look, He is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth (unbelievers) will mourn because of Him [i.e., they will realize their guilt for sin, and fear the coming judgment]. So shall it be. Amen.”

Jesus came first time as a baby boy, He will return as King, Judge, and Lord over All (Philippians 2:10-11), “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

The Christ child was God’s once for all and forever provision of forgiveness and eternal life. In Jesus, God lived among us, died for our sins, and then rose from the grave by His own power and authority, just like He said that He would (see Luke 24:45-48).

Isaiah 9:6a announces, “For to us a Child is born,” (cf. Matthew 1:18, 22-23). Jesus began life like all humans, conceived in the womb of a woman.

Isaiah 9:6b declares, “to us a Son is given,” (cf. Luke 2:4-7, 11). The Son of God came in the body of a human baby boy. More than any other title for Himself, Jesus used “Son of Man,” for He loved humanity.

Isaiah 9:6c foretells that, “the government will be upon His
shoulders,” (cf. Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 19:15-16). The Son of God will one day serve as King of earth, the government of the whole world will rest upon Him; but, eternally, only those who trust Him as Savior and confess Him as Lord, are part of His heavenly and eternal kingdom.

Isaiah presents some marvelous names/designations for this Child who was born, this Son who was given to ultimately rule all that is in the universe, all of creation.

Isaiah 9:6d… “He will be called Wonderful [Supernatural] Counselor.” Isaiah 28:29, “the LORD of Hosts has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.” (cf. John 14:16-17, 25-26; 16:8-9).

Jesus encountered beggars, kings, maidservants, soldiers, blind men, children, religious leaders, paralytics, fishermen, lepers, dead people – and to each one Jesus spoke the supernatural words and divine wisdom of God, always saying just the right thing (cf. Mark 1:21-22).

Only God’s Word makes sense out of life’s confusion and chaos, only God’s Son provides strength for today, hope for tomorrow and life for eternity.

Most of the world’s people turn to psychiatrists, therapists, philosophers, astrologers, and a variety of other so-called experts, instead of turning to God. Isaiah 9:6e… “Mighty God” (cf. Deuteronomy 10:17; Revelation 1:8,

17-18). God forgives sin, answers prayer, heals broken hearts, defeats Satan, and brings order and purpose to our lives; all this, while preparing eternity for those who are His (Revelation 22:12-13).

Isaiah 9:6f… “Everlasting Father,” [Father of Eternity] Isaiah 63:16, “You, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your name.” (cf. Micah 5:2; John 1:1-2; 10:30; 14:1, 6-7; 18-21).

God the Son has made God the Father known to us; for He is the Eternal and Almighty Creator, and yet only Christians can call Him “Father,” for only through Christ do we become God’s children, inheritors of eternal life.

Isaiah 9:6g… “Prince of Peace,” (cf. Luke 2:14; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:13-14a; Philippians 4:6-7). Jesus is God’s peace to all who believe and confess Him as Lord. God places Peace in our hearts through His own Son.

Christmas is about a male baby given the name Jesus, born in Bethlehem to a virgin, named Mary. This child was God in the flesh, God’s Salvation come to earth. He was raised in obscurity in and around Galilee and would later travel throughout Palestine, the length and width of Israel (for about 3 1/2 years), comforting the

broken hearted, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, speech to the mute, hearing to the deaf, raising the dead, and most importantly, proclaiming God’s wonderful message of forgiveness to all who would believe in God’s Son.

At the end of His ministry of teaching, healing and feeding the multitudes, He went to the cross and laid down His life for our sins; three days later He rose from the grave, appeared to many over 40 days, then He ascended back into heaven, as His disciples watched.

As we celebrate Christmas, we proclaim that God sent His One and Only Son to earth to save us, providing for and protecting us as His dearly loved children, that we might be His witnesses. He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

There is no love, no hope, no peace, no joy, no forgiveness and no eternal life, apart from Him. Jesus is the Reason for the Season, God’s Greatest Gift to us. Luke 2:11, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”

If you have never asked God to forgive your sins, do it right now, freely receive God’s gift, forgiveness for sins and eternal life, all this through His Son, Jesus Christ.

There is no other way for you to know, experience and be able to tell others, the real meaning of Christmas.

Let us, be like those first shepherds, who (Luke 2:15-18), “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

Pastor Mike <‘(((><

Preacher: Jim Shepherd | Series: Christmas Topical

Jim Shepherd brings this Christmas message while Pastor Mike is away.

Preacher: Pastor Mike

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that

whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God’s greatest expression of love for us is the giving of His own Son, as a

sacrifice for our sinfulness.
About 2700 years ago, two of God’s prophets wrote about the future birth of a

male child to a virgin, in Bethlehem, in Judea.
Isaiah 7:14, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. ”

About 700 years after these prophecies were made, a young woman, said to be a virgin, gave birth to a male child in Bethlehem, in Judea.

The baby was given the name Jesus and He was called Immanuel [God with us]. This child would be the source of salvation for all mankind, the fullness of God in human flesh, just as God had told the world ahead of time, so people would believe and trust in God’s Son, Jesus, the Christ [Messiah], for salvation.

Some Rabbis, long before the birth of Jesus, wrote,“The Messiah is to have no earthy father. The birth of the Messiah will be like that of no other man.”

In Genesis 2:7, the first man, Adam, was formed out of the dirt of the ground by the hands of God, then life was breathed into him by the mouth of God. God then formed Eve, from some of Adam’s own flesh, and brought her to Adam as a suitable helpmate, perfect for him.

All humans since Adam and Eve have been born of a man and a woman, that is, all but One!

Read Matthew 1:18-21… Notice, Mary was pregnant “before [she and Joseph) came together” (before they had a sexual relationship), i.e., Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant with Jesus, her conception by the Holy Spirit is a great and marvelous mystery.

Joseph was a good man and a devout worshipper of God, he clearly did not want to publicly expose Mary, in what appeared to be a “sinful condition” [being pregnant out of wedlock = adultery = stoning], so Joseph considered how he might “put her away quietly,” i.e., divorce her, and send her away to safety.

While Joseph was struggling with this situation, verse 20 tells us an angel came to him in a dream declaring that Mary’s pregnancy was from God; and in fact, verse 21 tells us that Mary will have a son and Joseph (although he is not the biological father of Jesus) will have the responsibility to give her baby the name God had told them.

The name Jesus [Yeshua] means “Jehovah saves” or “God’s salvation,” God’s Son was sent to earth as Savior of the whole world, and Joseph was divinely chosen

to raise Him as his very own son. Interestingly enough, Jesus is never called the son of Joseph (see Matthew 1:16), and Joseph is never called the father of Jesus (see Luke 3:23).
Matthew 1:22-23… The virgin birth was predicted in the OT “All this” (verse 22) refers to the specific facts spoken through Isaiah and Micah; the greatest being that the mother of God’s Son would be a virgin, the Father is God Himself.

When God made Adam He commanded him (Genesis 2:17), “not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

We know what happened (Genesis 3:6), Adam and Eve ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing sin’s consequences upon them and all of mankind.

In Genesis 3:7-19, Adam blames Eve, she blames the serpent, God (vv. 14-15) curses the serpent, saying He will put enmity [hostility] between the offspring of the serpent and a certain male offspring of the woman’s seed, who will crush the serpent’s head.

God makes it clear throughout the OT, that the Savior of the world, the Messiah, would be born to a woman who was an ancestor of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and King David.
Isaiah 53:5-8 tells us God’s punishment for sin would be placed upon the Messiah/ Christ, who would be pierced for our sins; He would sovereignly be led like a lamb to the slaughter, being put to death as payment for our sins.

See Luke 1:26–2:19… Mary treasured up all that had happened: the angel’s announcement, Joseph’s response to her pregnancy, Elizabeth’s greeting, the shepherds proclamation of the Savior being born in Bethlehem; quite a bit for a teenage girl to consider, yet there was more.

See Luke 2:25-35… Mary had birthed God’s Son, she would raise Him and love Him, knowing that through Him salvation was made available to the whole world, by His death on a cross at the hands of evil men (pierced, verse 35; cf John 19:26-35).

In John 1:29, seeing Jesus coming toward him, John said, “Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Philippians 2:5-11 tells us, through Jesus Christ, God put on flesh, that He might go to the cross and die for us.

Hebrews 9:15 tells us that Christ “died as a ransom to set [us] free” from the penalty we deserve for our sin; verse 22 declares “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness,” and for that reason verse 26 says, “[Christ] has appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” verse 28 says, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (most people will not receive His forgiveness).

Hebrews 10:4 declares, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” [therefore], (verse 10) “We have been made holy through the sacrifice

of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,” (verse 14) “by the one sacrifice [God] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy,” (verse 17), quoting from (Jeremiah 31:34) says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more”. Romans 4:25, “He (Jesus Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

This child (God’s One and Only Son) was born to die, but He could not be kept in the grave because He is God.
Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” 18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

There is not a more important message for you and I to share with those we love and care about.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, sent to die for our sins, to set us free from the penalty and punishment of an eternal hell; granting us forgiveness and eternal life in Christ. 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 him.”

This male baby born in Bethlehem, in Judea, over 2000 years ago, was given the name Jesus and called Immanuel; He grew up and was put to death on a cross, only to rise from the grave on the third day; He is God’s Son, Savior of the world, to Whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

Have You done that?
What about those you love and care about? Do they know the Good News?
The Savior has come, and everyone who repents of their sin and believes in Him

will be forgiven and will receive eternal life, ultimately to live in heaven with God.

Pastor Mike >‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Thanksgiving

11.26.17 ~ Ephesians 1:1-6, “The Reason for THANKS-GIVING.”

Read Ephesians 1:1-3… God doesn’t necessarily bless His children with good looks, intelligence, health, wealth, or long life here on earth; but He does provide us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, i.e., everything we need to know Him, love Him, trust Him and serve Him while enjoying life on this earth, as we wait to go to heaven to be with Him forever (see 1Peter 1:3-5).

If you are a Christian, you belong to God and your eternal home is in heaven, but you are on temporary duty assignment here on earth (cf. 1Peter 2:11-12).

The phrase “Inhabitants of the earth,” used 7 times in the Book of Revelation, refers to those (Revelation 17:8), “whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world…” These are people who will never come to God’s Son as Lord and Savior.

At the present time it appears that the inhabitants of the earth (the unbelieving majority) have more wealth and influence then God’s people; but God has blessed His people with wisdom, power and eternity with Him.
Ecclesiastes 2:26, “To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.”

God doesn’t choose wise, strong, rich, handsome, or influential people, to serve Him; instead, He chooses regular people like you and me, people who are forever changed by Christ, people who will testify to the world how the holy and almighty God of Creation is reconciling lost sinners to Himself (see 1Corinthians 1:18, 26-31; 2Corinthians 5:17-21).

As a Christian you have everything you need to serve God victoriously, as you grow in a personal and eternal relationship with Him, through Christ (see 2Peter 1:3-4).

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and save your soul, please consider it as we study the Scriptures together today.
Read Ephesians 1:4-6… It is not my intention today to try to settle the issue of God’s sovereignty vs. human responsibility; but I do want to cite what the Scriptures clearly declare about believing in Jesus Christ, for which we are thankful.

God is sovereign and has given man free will to obey or disobey God’s commands; those who reject His Son will be condemned, those who believe in and receive Him will be saved (see John 1:11-13; 3:16-18; 14:6; Acts 2:21; 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13).
Revelation 1:8, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” 18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Notice again (Ephesians 1:4-6), God has sovereignly determined that people from every nation and tongue will believe in His Son. In fact, God chose us before there were any people on the earth.

The Greek word for “chose” infers that the One making the choice is selecting a small number out of a larger number for a specific purpose. God is the Creator, Savior, Sustainer and Judge over All for Eternity, and He has sovereignly determined that out of all those who have and/or will live on this earth, He would set apart a people of His own for the purpose of knowing Him intimately.

God predestined us (all Christians) to be saved and adopted into His eternal family, that we might be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. The word “predestined” means “to mark out ahead of time,” to “predetermine” some who would belong to God.

It is sovereignly God who has determined (9 times the pronouns He, Him, and His are used to express God’s divine act in choosing) those who would be saved and set apart for His intended purpose, to glorify God.

Before Adam and Eve were created, God determined to have for Himself, out of all those who would be born on earth, a people of His very own, a people who would become His children and recipients of His unconditional and eternal love expressed in and through Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures are very clear that God has predestined a people to be set apart for salvation, and to live with Him forever in heaven; but do the Scriptures also teach that God has sovereignly set apart a people to be lost and separated from His love, condemned to an eternal hell?

No! Again, I say emphatically, “No!” The Scriptures do not promote any such teaching or imply that God has set apart a person or a group of persons to be “marked out ahead of time,” specifically for condemnation, to spend eternity apart from God in a place of torment.

However, the Scriptures do repeatedly instruct (1Timothy 2:3-4) that, “God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”; and (2Peter 3:9) that, “[God] is patient not wanting anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance.”

God has not predetermined that anyone go to Hell; but instead, He has sovereignly determined that some will spend eternity in heaven with Him.

And all this (Ephesians 1:6), “is to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves,” Jesus Christ: God’s Son, Savior and Lord.

God is, by His very nature, loving, merciful and gracious, blessing those who obey Him; but God is also just, holy and righteous, and must therefore render judgment and bring punishment upon all those who disobey Him, those who reject His Son.

By His own pleasure and will, God sovereignly determined that He would have a people of His very own, a people who will love, praise and honor Him.
Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for ‘Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.’”

Question: What is the Biblical definition for good? Answer: Anything and everything that pleases God.

God is sovereign in salvation, yet He holds every person responsible for their response to Jesus Christ.

The greatest reason in all the world for giving thanks, is this: Although we are all sinners, unacceptable to God, He loves us so much that He sent His Own Son to take our punishment for sin and to provide forgiveness and eternal life to anyone, to everyone, who will believe in and receive Him as Savior and Lord.

No wonder Paul exhorts us (1Thessalonians 5:17-18), “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
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.”

If you know that you have eternal life, you are indeed thankful; but even if you don’t know for sure that you have received forgiveness for sins and eternal life, you can ask God right now, to save you; He turns no one away, and for that, even those who don’t believe in Him can be very very thankful!

Pastor Mike >‘(((><

Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: John

Read John 6:56-59… Jesus was speaking to a mostly unbelieving audience; so He used some very poignant and offensive metaphors to confront those who only wanted to see miracles and to receive earthly benefits from Jesus, continuing to reject Him as Messiah.
Read John 6:60-66… Notice their response to Jesus (verse 60), “This is a hard teaching [difficult statement]. Who can accept [listen to] it?” As we studied last week, Jesus is basically telling them that they must make a decision to commit to Him; for apart from believing in Him, there is no forgiveness, no salvation, no one will be made acceptable to God.
Jesus challenges their comfort zone, i.e., if what He has already said offends them (verse 58), that He came down from heaven; what He is telling them now is really going to upset them, (verse 61) that He will go back into heaven to be with the Father, where He was before He came down to earth.
These people are already upset with the metaphors He has been using (eating bread that came down from heaven, eating His flesh, drinking His blood), and now (verse 63) He tells them these are only symbols, that the priority is the spiritual meaning of the words He has spoken, not literal bread, flesh and blood.
The priority work of God (verse 64), is and has always been to believe in the One who came from the Father full of grace and truth, Jesus, God’s Son.
Numerous times in John’s gospel, already, we have noted the people’s inability or unwillingness to grasp spiritual truth (see 2:13-22; 3:1-8; 4:7-15).
In chapter 6 Jesus uses difficult and hard metaphors: His flesh, His blood, and Himself as the bread that came down from heaven. Jesus does this to separate those who genuinely believe in Him from those who do not!
Verse 65 makes it clear that genuine saving faith is the work of the Father Who draws true believers to Christ.
For a person to be in the crowd among those who witnessed miraculous healings or were fed a supernatural meal, does not equate to saving faith, e.g., going to church, having a Bible, or teaching a kid’s Sunday school class, by itself, is not evidence of salvation.
Look again at verse 66… Many of those who had been “following” Jesus, turned away and no longer walked with Him, i.e., they never really believed in Him.
1John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”
What appears to be irreconcilable tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is found throughout the Scriptures; God’s desire is (cf. 1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9) for all people to be saved and for none to perish; but (cf. John 3:36; Acts 2:21) whoever rejects God’s Son will be eternally condemned, while everyone who calls on Him for forgiveness, believing in Him, will be saved.

Read John 6:67-69… This is the first time John uses the designation of “the Twelve” to speak of the disciples. It would seem that the majority of those following Christ leave Him at this time, and so Jesus asks the Twelve if they also want to leave Him.
Peter responds, “where would we go Lord,” “to whom could we possibly go?” “You alone are the means of eternal life, for You are the Holy One of God.”
You can sense Peter pondering something like, “Your words speak to our hearts as well as our minds. No one does miracles like You, and no one speaks with authority about the things of earth and the things of heaven, about the present and the future, the way you do.”
Notice, in verse 69, Peter says “we” believe and have come to know that You are the Son of God.
Read John 6:70-71… Jesus sovereignly chose the Twelve, knowing that Judas Iscariot, would betray Him.
Jesus knew the enemy of God, the devil, would use one of those who was close to Him, one who had been taught by God’s Son, one who witnessed the same miracles and enjoyed the same small group fellowship with Christ that the other eleven experienced; and yet, this one, right in their midst, was “a devil!”
Note: When we get to John 13 we will study much more about Judas and his betrayal of Jesus, along with the prophecies that predicted his treachery
God chose Judas, knowing that he would betray Christ, and that he would aid bringing about Christ’s death, by which we receive forgiveness for our sins.
Jesus had twelve core disciples, Judas was one of that small number who were very close to Christ; and yet, although Judas posed as a believer and follower of Jesus, he never really embraced Christ as Lord, let alone as Savior.
As far as the biblical record goes, none of the other eleven disciples ever suspected him; he was a skilled imposter who fooled everyone except Jesus, who of course knew his heart.
We should take note that whenever God’s work is being done, there will most likely be imposters, hypocrites, like Judas, among the flock of God. Satan often disguises his servants (sons and daughters of disobedience), so that they (2Corinthians 11:15), “masquerade as servants of righteousness.
1Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
1Peter 4:7-11, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self- controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 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 <‘(((><