EZ Sermons Online

The Ten Commandments Series Part 6 Taboo

2012-02-05T06:55:00.002-06:00

Gtcotr/ss020512

Today we will be reading a passage from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 7, before going to Exodus 20:12 for our study of the Fifth Commandment. While you turn to Mark allow me to share a brief bit of historical trivia.

During the US war for independence from Great Britain in the late 1700’s, it was imagined that England’s naval forces ruled the waves. However, just prior to the revolution the Prime Minister of the British Empire appointed Lord Sir John Montagu to the all important position of First Lord of the Admiralty to oversee all of England’s naval operations. It is now suggested that Lord Montagu was most inept at his duties and his leadership is credited by some for the loss of many naval advantages ultimately contributing to the loss of the war for Great Britain.

You may not recall the name, Lord Sir John Montagu, but you may recognize him by another title he also held – the 4^th Earl of Sandwich. And as you may question … yes, he is the person responsible for the invention, creation or discovery, whichever may be appropriate, of the sandwich. It is reported that he loved to gamble and so he found it most convenient to request meat be placed between two slices of bread so that he could eat his meals without having to cease playing his cards.

Also of note during this time in history is Lord Montagu’s enthusiastic support and government funding of the famous Captain James Cook’s pacific explorations. In 1778, Captain Cook was the first European to come into contact with a chain of Islands which he aptly named “The Sandwich Islands”, after his benefactor the Earl of Sandwich. Today these islands make up the 50^th state of the United States of America; of course I refer to the islands of Hawaii.

It was on Captain Cook’s expedition to the pacific that he heard a certain term being applied by the island natives to various animals, pieces of ground, certain foods and even activities. The word – “Taboo” (Tabu) … it seemed that the natives believed that some things were “taboo”.

Upon further investigation into their culture it was discovered that the word “taboo” was associated with the native’s religion. Both Kings and Priests had the power to proclaim something as “taboo”, meaning that it was holy, dedicated, separated and set apart for the gods and thereby claimed for exclusive use only by the priests. The punishment for partaking of or even touching something which had been proclaimed taboo was certain death.

Now I’m not suggesting that dedicating or pledging lands, goods or other assets to God is wrong. However, the practice of declaring something to be holy and set apart for God’s use only as a practice to preserve it for your own enjoyment is above scandalous, it’s downright pagan!

You see, the island priests in Captain Cook’s day were only removing items which they wanted from the unfettered access of those who otherwise could have and should have benefited from their use. More than anything else, those things which were supposedly dedicated to a god of the island were thereby available for use by the priests and/or king. All in all, it was just a scam – a religiously backed way to cheat others out of the things which were legally theirs under normal circumstances.

The practice of making personal gain out of declaring something taboo was not first used in the pacific. By the 1700’s this scam was already at least 1700 years old. In fact we find Jesus speaking to the very same issue during His earthly life and ministry as recorded in:

Mark 7 NKJV

10 "For Moses said, ’Honor your father and your mother’; and, ’He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

11 "But you say, ’If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" — ’(that is, a gift to God),

12 "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,

13 "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

In this sense - Corban = Taboo … to pledge something as dedicated to God so that it can become or remain available for personal benefit instead of being accessible to those who would have otherwise had rightful claim.

Jesus called these people “Hypocrites” - Those who divorce themselves from the responsibilities of which their relationships rightly demand.

Whether talking about the native spiritual leader of a primitive pagan tribe in the pacific islands or the son or daughter of a poor man living in Jerusalem, relationships have responsibilities. And, we cannot sidestep those responsibilities, not even in the name of religious worship.

What we owe to God cannot be taken from Him and given or reserved to some other personal effort or benefit, not even in the name of Jesus. As well, what we owe others, including our parents, must not be withheld for any reason.

Let’s open our hearts and minds this morning to discover the New Testament revelation and the grace-filled application of this truth in our lives while we turn to review the first commandment of God to be given with a promise. (This might well be the scripture of the year …Next year we may well be discussing “Hate Crimes” – 20:13???)

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

Have you noticed that the Ten Commandments seem to deal almost exclusively with relationships? The first three deal with how to treat God; the fourth tells us how to treat ourselves; the 5^th is about how to treat parents and the last 4 tell us how to manage relationships with others …

The Ten Commandments are a roadmap to relationships and, relationships are keys to our success.

Relationships carry responsibilities. The Apostle Paul uses this 5^th Commandment as a proof text in which to anchor his teachings concerning the responsibilities which are inherent in various types of relationships.

Ephesians 6 NKJV

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:

3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh …

From husbands and wives in Chapter 5, to slaves and their masters – every relationship has a God expectant responsibility. And, we are to honor each relationship in its proper place – taking no advantage and leaving none in disadvantage.

The position of Father and Mother are no less than God-given positions and as such, God decided they would be His designated positional representative in every child’s life. Therefore God demands us to honor our father and mother and promises it will go well with us if we do.

If we were to read the whole Bible today, from cover to cover, focusing on all God has to say concerning this issue, we would readily understand what God expects. He expects that:

· Young children are to respect and obey their parents just as they are expected to respect and obey God.

· Once grown and gone from the home, a son or daughter should continue to foster relationship, seek counsel and follow the instructions they learned from their parents while growing up.

· To marry is to become one with another and therefore enjoin yourself to love, care and honor the parents of a spouse as you would your own.

· A child must always honor, respect and appreciate their mother and father and never speak ill, evil or disrespectfully to or about them. It’s a matter of the heart.

· If a parent becomes poor, ill of health or in need, a son or daughter owes both concern, care along with a willingness to share whatever they have, for without the parent, there would be no life and no increase at all.

· Honor does not always equal obedience but it always equals respect and responsibility for the relationship.

· We often reap what we sow – every child’s potential is to become the parent – even your children … instruct them well!

So what does the 5^th Commandment teach the Believer? – That God-given responsibility comes along with each and every relationship. Worship God and treat your parents with honor.

The Ten Commandments Series Part 5 Made for Man

2012-02-02T08:53:00.003-06:00

Gtcotr/ws020112

So far in our study of The Ten Commandments, we have discovered that the law is a shadow set in stone and intended by God to be a schoolmaster bringing us to faith. Furthermore we understand that just because God does not actively punish us according to the law, violations of the law still have their own potential consequences.

For further clarification I’ll refer you to the first 4 Parts in this series. Visit our website, watch the archived messages, download the notes or stop by the information desk and order a CD or DVD of these messages.

This evening we are going to review the evident fact that:

What God set up for a specific purpose in Israel, (the law), never fully reflected His own mind.

However, we can ill afford to minimize the temporal intent or the eternal benefits of these life instructions given to us by our Heavenly Father.

Commandment Number One:

You shall have no other Gods before Me.

No other god brought you out of Egypt. It was Almighty God.

No one loves you like He does!

Commandment Number Two:

You shall make no graven images nor bow yourself down to them.

Don’t fashion a god for yourself.

Commandment Number Three:

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

It is vain to profane or to falsify or idly or casually associate ourselves with the Name of the Lord.

Commandment Number Four:

Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

On the first Wednesday night of this year, January 4^th, I taught a lesson entitled: The Rest of 2012. We discussed the Sabbath and realized that we enter into God’s rest when we first begin to trust Him. God wants us to know the rest He has made available to us through faith in His finished work.

There is no subject and no commandment which Jesus dealt with so often as the subject of the Sabbath. Yet, not once did Jesus condemn someone, criticize them, judge them or even instruct them concerning what should not be done on the Sabbath. Each time the subject came up, it was brought up as an accusation by the religious sects against what Jesus was doing or allowing to be done by His disciples.

Perhaps the reason Jesus had to spend so much of His time defending Himself against these erroneous charges of violating the Sabbath is because there is such little true revelation concerning this commandment.

Case in point – turn with me to:

Mark 2 NKJV

23 Now it happened that He went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.

24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"

25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:

26 "how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"

27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

28 "Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

Mark 3

1 ¶ And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."

4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent.

5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Mark 2:27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Jesus attempting to reveal that the Sabbath is a blessing, not a burden. Which one of us would not consider it a blessing to be given a day off work with pay or double pay? What does TGI Friday mean? Thank God It’s Friday! Why??? Because it supposes Saturday to be a day off. In fact, we like days off so much that it has become a standard in the western world to take at least 2 days off each week. Which of us want to work at a job which demands we work 7 days per week without ever having a day off? Days off are a blessing – this is the intent of the Sabbath.

The Sabbath expresses God’s merciful consideration for man.

The merciful consideration is in respect to our health and well being, teaching us patience, trust, hope, faith and giving - time for family and reflection on personal and spiritual matters. All of these are not to be forgotten but remembered weekly.

Deuteronomy 5:14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

The observance of Sabbath makes us consider our philanthropic and humanitarian responsibilities in that it also gives others around us a day of rest. Even if we don’t think we need it … others need it - Family, animals, strangers and even the land.

I am more and more convinced that the reason for the observance of the Sabbath lies deep in the everlasting necessities of human nature, and that the blessedness of keeping it, not as a day of rest only, but as a day of spiritual rest, will never be without lasting benefit.

The spirit, the soul and the body wither without rest.

Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed. (caught His breath)

The Sabbath was made for man and the need, therefore, must be deeply hidden in human nature.

If we feel we can do without it, we cast ourselves wiser than our Maker.

Sure, the Sabbath principle seems a bit legalistic when viewed as a law.

But what is the New Testament revelation and grace-filled application of keeping the Sabbath?

God wants His children to trust and honor Him with 1 day of their week, just as He hopes they will trust and honor Him with the first 10% of their income. God is committed to insuring that the 90% blessed by His hand will go farther than the 100% without His blessing. He is convinced that the 6 days work, blessed by the 1 day given to Him, will provide more health, wealth and spiritual peace, than if we used all 7 days for our own pursuits. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy – separated – set apart.

God knows that it is best for us to set aside one day each week to leave off our own secular pursuits and concentrate ourselves on focusing on and resting in what God has done, is doing and will do. It is a Spiritual Day of Remembrance and Rest. Yes we need it …The Sabbath was made for man!

The Ten Commandments Series - Part 3 False gods

2012-01-22T06:41:00.002-06:00

Gtcotr/ss012212

There is a right way and a wrong way to get anything – including the things God wants us to have …

Some of the greatest temptations come not from the devil trying to make us bad but rather from our own attempts to get what we feel we should have.

Many times we are tempted with a sense of entitlement. This is the reason why most people feel justified in their sin. It’s an “I’m doing this because” or “I deserve it” or “It’s mine” kind of justification.

Sometimes the devil tries to make us fail and at other times he tries to make us succeed. However, he is powerless to do either without our help.

These truths are mirrored in the account of the temptations of Christ. “The devil took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain, (Matthew 4:8), and showed Him all of the kingdoms of this world and their glory.”

Matthew 4

9 And the tempter said to Jesus, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ’You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’"

I was 14 years old the first time I remember seeing a person do something wrong for what they said was the right reason. I was working hauling hay for a guy who was 19 years old and admittedly the wildest boy I knew. My mom didn’t like me being around him because he was so unpredictable. I’m going to call him Bill instead of using his real name because 15 years later he and I had both changed and I became his pastor and he often still watches me preach online. And, I have never shared this story with anyone, including him, but perhaps he will remember it, or maybe not. Nonetheless, it was a singular moment frozen in time for me … we all have them.

I always remember being a deep thinker. I hardly allow a moment to go by in my life which I am not analyzing to see what wisdom or understanding I can squeeze from it. I don’t always follow the wisdom I glean from these moments but I do catalogue it and am able to vividly replay it over and over in my mind. That summer day holds just such a memorable molten moment for me.

Bill, as I’ll call him, owned a 1955 Buick 2 door hardtop with a 322 cubic inch V-8 that turned out a whopping 236 horsepower. Buick boasted it to be the fastest model on the market, series for series. My dad had owned one just like it in 1959 and 1960 when we lived on Peyton Street, just off Homestead, right down the road from Houston Gardens Elementary in east Houston, where I went to 1^st grade. That year I rode with my dad from Houston all the way to Plattsburg, NY in an emergency run to help his little sister who was about to deliver her 3^rd child when her Air Force husband was killed in a car wreck. Man that car would run! I’ve got some other memories of that car I think about on occasion.

Well, Bill did have a wild nature and living with his sister he was void of any parental oversight as well. He was a strong and good looking boy, intelligent but quick tempered and a bit of a smart-aleck. We broke off hauling hay for lunch that day and hopped in the Buick for a fast ride to the only store in Corley, Texas - population - maybe 50. The whole store was only 20’ by 30’ and stacked high with food and supplies the owner thought the little country community might need. The coke box was on the back wall, hidden from view of the cash register and lunch meat counter.

When we walked in Bill told the owner that we wanted two thick bologna and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise, and then we proceeded back to the coke box. Bill pulled out an RC Cola for himself, opened it quickly, looked to see if he was hidden from the owner’s view and drank it like he was pouring it down a hole. He then put the bottle in the case of empties which always sat beside the coke box, got out two more, opened them and handed me one. He noticed the look on my face and said: I’m not going to pay for that first one because I was in here yesterday and he overcharged me for lunch. I’m just making up for it.

I can remember it like it was yesterday. All of the sudden I felt challenged to make a judgment. Was this right or was this wrong? I mean, if the man overcharged Bill why not simply even the odds by taking something from the store. My thoughts demanded attention and decision. I felt, like at other times before and since, that whatever I decided was going to last me a lifetime. That’s not the kind of decision I could make in 10 seconds while standing at a coke box waiting to get accused of stealing. I decided that I would have to chew on this one a while to come up with the right answer. Like I told you earlier, I am by nature a deep thinker. To give you a little insight into how much I like to think: my oldest grandson gave me a riddle to think on over a year ago and although I haven’t had the time to devote to figuring it out, I still won’t let him give me the answer – I want to save it to think about when I get some time … I like to think.

Well I finally made a decision in the coke box incident. Without a doubt:

· It is wrong to do something wrong because you were done wrong

and even bigger than that – I decided:

· It is wrong to knowingly do wrong even if you know your wrong will accomplish something right

It’s wrong to do bad to accomplish good. The good you accomplish will always have a bad shadow over it. I decided that there just had to be a better way, even if it cost more or even if some things don’t ever get fixed.

Now you might think, “Everybody knows these things!”, but you would be mistaken. Many people live their lives justifying their behavior because they feel some sense of entitlement to do whatever they need to do in order to get whatever they feel they deserve. And it is sad to say that they often surround themselves with friends who agree with them and often, in their minds, they even imagine that God agrees with them.

The devil tempted Jesus to do just that; to get what He deserved the quick and easy way – a shortcut to success without all the paperwork – all of the kingdoms of the world and all their glory … it is what Jesus wanted and what He deserved and all Jesus had to do to get it was … just do a little wrong. Certainly God would understand …

Oh come on now – Jesus was out in the wilderness by Himself – who was going to know how He got what was rightfully His anyway. There was nobody there to tell on Him and really, who would care anyway. Wouldn’t He make a better king than all the other kings who were in place? What was the downside … it’s not like Jesus was going to continue worshipping or listening to satan – all He had to do was bow just this once and from here on out He could do whatever He wanted … and besides that – nails hurt and people don’t like Me anyway! Surely God understands – can’t you see - we both get what we want and nobody has to get hurt. I can’t imagine God being against the devil losing all of those kingdoms … what kind of God would want His Son to be crucified anyway if He didn’t have to be? Who would want to serve a God like that?

That’s just not the picture of “my god”. “My god” wouldn’t be that way

Well, this is the problem – it may not be the picture of “your god” but the picture of your god might not be an accurate portrait of the one and only, true and living, ever faithful “Almighty God”, Ruler of heaven and earth, Supreme Creator of the Universe. Only God can paint that picture.

Don’t work on your own or with others to create and fashion an image, even if it is a mental image, of a god who agrees with your notions, your morals or your standards of life. Rather, fashion yourself to agree with Him, Almighty God. Don’t paint your own picture of God and:

Refuse to create an image of God for yourself.

Hence, our Commandment for the Day: The Second Commandment

Exodus 20

4 "You shall not fashion for yourself any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

I would venture to imagine that your spouse would not want you to be carrying around a picture of another man or woman in your wallet, or even in your head, thinking they were better looking, more desirable or wishing you could be with them – neither will God put up with it. He is a jealous God!

Love Him and keep His commandments …

There is no justification for continuing in sin!

Even though every one of us has sinned and God is yet willing to show each one His mercy. Today, if you will not harden your heart, allow the Holy Spirit to mercifully convict you of sin – repent – and commit to living a life pleasing to Him.

Don’t allow anyone to fashion a false god for you to serve.

There is only one God, worship no other!

The Ten Commandments Part two: A Shadow set in Stone

2012-01-18T14:20:00.003-06:00

Teaching Series - Part 2

A Shadow Set In Stone

Gtcotr/ws011812

Production Note: (Once we go live I am going to ask someone to come to the platform to assist me. I will give them a flashlight and ask that the house lights be dimmed. My assistant will attempt to shine the flashlight in such a way that I can make some shadow hand puppets on one of the big screens. We will want to capture these images on camera for viewers and post production edit potential. After making a few, hopefully recognizable shadow puppets and getting the congregation to guess what they are – I will conclude by revealing what they already know but aren’t focused on. These are neither dogs, nor rabbits and turtles … rather they are all shadows of my hands. I will conclude and lights will come up and I will make brief application as we turn to our beginning text.)

Colossians 2

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

At one time, a shadow set in stone was the only reality known to the children of God. However, just as a shadow is but a dim outline of a body, the law was but that same dim outline – a shadow of the truth – but now we have the body, Christ Jesus, with all the clarity and detail which no shadow could ever reveal. The law was but a shadowy resemblance of a solid substance upon which the light was shinning.

Why embrace an obscure representation or attempt to make a lasting relationship with but a dim outline of the truth when the truth itself has been revealed unto us. The law is the shadow of Christ, the shadow of truth, set in stone, without depth, without dimension and without life.

Hebrews 10: 1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

A shadow set in stone can no more save a man than can the blood of bulls and goats. It takes life to begat life and no stone has that power. The law was meant only to represent a truth which it could never reveal. A shadow cannot touch you, comfort you or have relationship with you. We know the difference between a solid substance and a mere outline set once and for all in stone. Christ is the truth revealed while the law was but a shadow of that truth during which time the truth was kept concealed.

Hebrews 10

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.

Only when the light is come and we have seen the substance can we ever truly understand the shadow. And by the way … the shadow is not alive and the shadow knows nothing … it is but a shadow. The shadow does not determine nor design the body, rather the body defines the shadow.

Tonight we will continue our study of The Ten Commandments to help us discover the New Testament Revelation and the Grace-Filled Application of the law – A Shadow Set In Stone

Part One of this series asked and answered the question: Why? Why did God give us the law? As the Apostle Paul put it: What purpose does the law serve? (Galatians 3:19ff) Our studies Sunday revealed the law was a schoolmaster which was designed to bring us to faith. Once we come to faith, we are no longer under the law or its punishments, penalties and curses. However, this in no way encourages a person to become lawless.

When I was a child my mother taught me it was wrong to lie. When I lied she punished me. Today I am no longer under her law or subject to her punishment. However, it is still wrong to lie and lying can set me up to fail in life. She taught me right and it is now my responsibility to live right.

Let’s begin this evening’s study with a simple survey of the First Table of the Law as recorded in: Exodus 20

By the time the Children of Israel get to Mt Sinai in Exodus 20 it has been 45 days since they celebrated the first Passover and came out of Egyptian slavery, crossed the Red Sea and began their journey through the wilderness. God had provided manna in the mornings and meat in the evenings. The number of days are important here because they are a shadow of things to come. They will add up to 50 days between the killing of the Passover Lamb and the appearance of God in the fire on Mt Sinai.

The New Testament revelation of this Old Testament shadow confirms that Salvation came at Passover but the Power and Presence of God comes at Pentecost – 50 days after Passover, both in the OT and in the New!

It was on the day of Pentecost that God gave the Ten Commandments to His Children at Mount Sinai.

The Ten Commandments were written on two tables of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)

When Jesus was questioned by the young rich ruler, recorded in Matthew 19, Jesus first recounted those commandments which were listed on the Second Table of the Law – those Commandments which deal with how man should treat man. Even though the young rich ruler had kept those specific commandments, he still felt empty and unsatisfied with his life and relationship with God. It was then Jesus pointed the way to eternal life … the key to eternal life is contained on the first table of the law – let’s read:

Exodus 20

1 ¶ And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

It is vitally important in understanding the law that we understand God’s intent and how God is revealing Himself, His heart and His hope for the relationship He is offering to His Children. He begins:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

When I was a much younger man, serving in the military, I was continually around very important and high profile world leaders. As a body guard for high ranking US and Foreign dignitaries and a personal driver and primary security for the Commander in Chief of All Allied Tactical Air Forces in Europe who was also the Vice Commander of NATO during the Cold War, I was continually surrounded by the most important figures and decision makers of the day.

Although I was a nobody, my boss was a somebody. Once while I was visiting with him in his office I saw a plaque on his desk, it read:

“In an official society where one man is officially superior to another, the superior, if he is a gentleman never thinks of it, and the subordinate, if he is a gentleman, never forgets it.”

In other words, you should never make your boss feel like he has to say, “I’m the boss!” It is a bad feeling to be forced to defend yourself or remind your followers that you are in charge. And yet, this is exactly what God is doing … why … evidently because He feels they need to be reminded.

It is important to remember who paid the price when they didn’t have to … at least, God thought it an important prelude to giving His commands.

· I am the Lord your God

· I’m the One Who brought you out of Egypt

· It was Me Who brought you out of slavery

Nobody else did this for you – it was Me! That should be enough to show you how I feel about you … when I could have chosen anybody … when others would have loved for Me to choose them … I chose you! (Deuteronomy 7:6-11; John 15:16; 1 Peter 2:9)

Now all God wants is for us to choose Him back! He is fully committed to the relationship, first and most, and He is asking for the same level of commitment from those whom He has rescued.

And, by the way, He has rescued you and me … all He still wants is for us to choose Him back! This is the shadow of a marriage to come – God is talking to the Body of Christ and every member in particular.

Commandment Number One: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Every commandment, each set of instructions, all laws of God and any decision God makes is always aimed at the good and the future of His Children.

God knows that no other god will love you, care for you, devote themselves to you or treat you the way He will. He can’t stand the thought of you marrying or being devoted to something else you worship more than Him. He is a jealous God … but a God who love you and is wholly devoted to you. (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24; Exodus 34:14 – His Name is “El Qanna” – A Jealous God {not the God of jealousy, but a jealous God})

God is acutely aware that all other gods are false gods with empty promises who are only in the god business for their own benefit and who in the end will leave you out in the cold to fend for yourself.

One of the gods men choose to replace the Lord of Glory is money. There are others, but money is at the top of the list. In fact, God says that the love of money is the root of all evil. ( 1 Timothy 6:10) And, those who serve money will end up straying from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. Jesus further said:

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)

What is the NT revelation and grace-filled application of this first shadow set in stone?

Don’t let anything or anyone take the place of your first love.

Don’t allow anything to become more important to you than God. God does not like anything that demands or receives His time, His attention or His affection from you. He loves you and He knows:

“Ain’t nobody gonna treat you like Jesus …”

You don’t go a treatin anybody like Him!

Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. (Matthew 16:24;19:21)

Is that clear enough for you? … just in case it was still a bit shadowy!

You shall have no other gods before Him.

The Ten Commandments Part One: Why?

2012-01-14T20:19:00.002-06:00

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I will venture to say that many people, most of them Christians, are afraid of the Ten Commandments. They are concerned that God might really mean them. One reason why pastors don’t often teach on them is because many don’t understand them and how they apply to the Believer’s life. Yet, the Bible is very plain when it comes to explaining the continuing role of God’s law in our lives.

Matthew 19 NKJV

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"

17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "’You shall not murder,’ ’You shall not commit adultery,’ ’You shall not steal,’ ’You shall not bear false witness,’

19 ’Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"

20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"

21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

This morning it will become clear, once and for all, why God gave the law to His Children. Before we attempt to understand the law itself, we need to understand what God intended when He first decided to give it. Without this knowledge it may be impossible to embrace the New Testament revelation and the grace-filled application of the 10 Commandments. So today we will discover: Why?

It’s not hard to imagine that there was a time when people did not know what God expected of them. (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 10:16) For generations their hearts had been darkened by sin and separation from God and they had no inner witness guiding them in the right ways, (Ephesians 4:18; 1 John 2:27), and - there was no Bible … no written record of God’s interaction with man. Left to themselves, people have no chance of finding, understanding, or pleasing God. (Proverb 29:15)

When we first meet the chosen people in the Bible, it speaks of them as children, God’s Children, (Psalms 82:6), – but children nonetheless and children who need a teacher to instruct them. (Galatians 4) It is no different with anyone’s children, including God’s. Children possess an innocent, although destructive, “self will”. The deficit of wisdom and the knowledge which exists in a child’s mind serves to make them dynamically unprepared to successfully manage life and its complexities. In addition, as children grow through adolescence and into adulthood, their life experiences don’t always serve to make things better – life, left as the only teacher, often results in people being wounded, disappointed and bitter.

Children cannot be left alone to guide, guard or grow themselves by themselves. Children are incapable of making the right decisions at the right time for the right reasons without being given guidelines. The dangers were just too many and the risks too great for God to abandon His Children to the elements of this world and leave them without instructions for life. For this reason, God gave His Children the law.

Once, when my children were children, there was a law in my house. In fact, in the summer of 1981 Brenda and I took a sheet of paper from a legal size yellow tablet and thereon we inscribed our law and posted it on the bedroom door as a reminder for our 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter. They could not even read but I hoped that someday they would. But even though they could not read, they could understand that we had clear expectations for their lives and that we intended to govern their behavior.

Now some might think it strange or overkill to write out a set of rules for young children to follow but I think it more strange to raise a family with no defined expectations and no clear instructions. The scriptures tell us that before the law there was no sin. (Romans 7:7ff) This simply means that where there are no expectations there can be no infractions. In other words: Instruction before correction. Children should be taught the unchanging rules of life.

And, lest someone think that 2 year olds are too young to learn the do’s and don’ts of life … rethink – By the time a child is two they learn to recognize people, eat, sit, crawl, walk, talk, form their own opinions, make their demands known and even have the capacity to speak multiple languages. Don’t imagine they can’t understand what “no” means! Say it early and say it kind … but mean it when you say it. Nothing will pay off quicker, better and longer than kind yet firm consistency.

On the top of this yellow sheet of paper we wrote our heading in big letters. It said, “Hammonds’ House Code of Conduct”. Below was a written list of rules to follow along with a punishment assigned to each rule if the rule was broken. The list contained things which would be wrong in anybody’s house and also things which we considered wrong and would not allow from our children in our house.

Lying was on the list … it would get you 2 spats with the well respected, “Rod of Correction”. Stealing was also on the list as was disobedience and being disrespectful. Along with the biggies, there were also some annoyances I wanted to curb. Among these were fussing, whining, allowing the screen door to slam behind you, having to be told twice and getting back up out of bed … which only received 1 spat, never aimed at hurting but only as a consistent form of discipline to remind and train their soul to obey the rules. (Proverbs 22:15; 23:13)

Every time there was an infraction of a rule, Brenda or I would calmly and kindly remind them that the behavior was unacceptable, take them to the door and show them where it was on the list, (providing we were home), ask them to get the “Rod” and bring it to us, administer the proper correction, set them in our lap, verbally forgive them, then pray for them to remember the rules in the future, give them a big confirming hug, put it behind us and forget it.

One night I had to administer that same discipline 21 times in a row to Ashley for getting back up out of bed – and we had company … it was another pastor friend and his wife. They were amazed with the level of kindness and consistency which we administered correction. Years later they commented how it affected them and their image of God as a loving Father who patiently corrects His Children whom He loves. (Hebrews 12:6-11)

You know what the hardest part was? Brenda and I disciplining ourselves to follow the rules. You see, we committed to each other, to God and to our children that we would also follow the rules which demanded each time our children broke one that we stop what we were doing and pay attention to them. Letting it slide because we were too busy would send the message that we were not committed to our word or that they were not important.

You might think that this took a lot of time from our family but you would be mistaken. It so happened in our family and in every family that I have ever seen employ this tool, that if consistently followed by the parents, every home will come into order and be a peaceful and happy place with happier children and healthier relationships within 6 weeks. I would trade 6 weeks of work for a life time of rewards in any arena of life. And, that’s what happened in our home. We realized that we weren’t raising children, we were raising adults – adults who would hopefully one day be raising our grandchildren and perhaps decide what nursing home we live in.

So, if my son disobeyed the rules, I taught him it was wrong and I disciplined him; If my daughter hit her brother, I taught her it was wrong and I disciplined her; If one of them lied, one of us would teach them it was wrong and discipline them; If they disrespected or talked back to their mother, I taught them and disciplined them. Never to hurt them and not one time did I discipline either of my children in anger.

We consistently taught them and disciplined them, not for our own good but for theirs. It was our hope that they would have a good life and it was up to us to give them the keys to this good life.

Today they are sitting here at 32 and 34 years old with kids of their own. You know, I’m not going to punish them for fighting with one another but I sure do hope they don’t … I certainly taught them that it was wrong.

I taught them how to have a good marriage, deal with disappointments, keep a job and manage life – if they don’t, I’m not going to hope they depressed, divorced, get fired or fail in life. In fact, I’m going hope the opposite. I was given to them by God to teach them and guide them in their formative years and to hopefully be a trusted counselor to them for the rest of their life. But, they are no longer little children, they are still my children, but grown children, and I no longer have any desire to punish them. If I hear them cuss, I no longer wash their mouth out with soap – why … because they are no longer under my law – I taught them right and it will be best for them if they do not forsake instructions.

Our rules protect and guard our children while they are children. If they are given no laws, where is their guard? If, when they are older and on their own, they stray from the commandments of their father or the instructions of their mother, it is their choice – but we hope they don’t. (Proverbs 6:20-23)

So, why did God give us the law?

The Apostle Paul asked the question:

“What purpose then does the law serve?” (Galatians 3:19a)

He answered this question in the continuing verses:

Galatians 3

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Schoolmaster: Tutor; Guardian; Guide

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

The whole reason I taught my children right is so that when they grew up they would live right and establish righteousness in the earth.

It’s the same with the law.

Why did God give us the law? To show us the way He expects His Children to live.

Once we lived under the penalties, under the punishments, under the curses of the law. (Galatians 3:13) However, when we come to Christ, we are no longer under the law,(Romans 6:14), neither are we expected to become lawless, (Romans 6:1-2), however – God is not out to punish us … but … living without respect to the commandments of God will set a person up for failure in life. God is not the sinner’s enemy, but rather His friend.

God won’t make you fail, but He might allow you to fail … the choices in life are squarely yours. God loves you and hopes you will follow His instructions. That’s grace! But, if you are His Child, He will love you whether you do or don’t!

In case you aren’t sure how the law of God applies to you as a Believer under grace. This Wednesday evening we will begin to discover the New Testament revelation and the grace-filled application of each one of the Ten Commandments.

We will start where Jesus left off talking to the young rich ruler of Matthew 19, with what is referred to as the first table of the law. If you want to study and get ahead, read Exodus, chapter 20.

However, to leave you with something of value to consider this week, let me say: You know right from wrong. (Hebrews 10:16) Stop justifying your wrong decisions like a little kid and start doing what you know is right. (Isaiah 1:16-20)

God’s grace is sufficient!

Timeline

2012-01-11T13:32:00.002-06:00

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Genesis 5

1 ¶ This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.

3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

4 After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters.

5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.

6 ¶ Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.

Name Year Born Age Son Age @ Death Yr Died

God eternal Adam God is life

Adam 0 130 Seth 930 930

Seth 130 105 Enos 912 1042

Enos 235 90 Cainan 905 1140

Cainan 325 70 Mahalaleel 910 1235

Mahalaleel 395 65 Jared 895 1290

Jared 460 162 Enoch 962 1422

Enoch * 622 65 Methuselah 365 987

Methuselah 687 187 Lamech 969 1656

Lamech 874 182 Noah 777 1651

Noah 1056 500 H/S/J 950 2006

*Gen 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Genesis 7:11 Noah entered the ark in the 600^th year of his life which was 1656 years after God created Adam.

Genesis 11:10 This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.

Name Year Born Age Son Age @ Death Yr Died

Shem 1558 100 Arphaxad 600 2158

Arphaxad 1658 35 Salah 438 2096

Salah 1693 30 Eber 433 2126

Eber 1723 34 Peleg 464 2187

Peleg 1757 30 Reu 239 1996

Reu 1787 32 Serug 239 2049

Serug 1819 30 Nahor 230 2049

Nahor 1849 29 Terah 148 1997

Terah 1878 70 Abram 205 2083

Abram 1948 100 Isaac 175 2123

Isaac 2048 60 Jacob/Esau 180 2228

Jacob 2108 90 Joseph 147 2255

Joseph 2198 ? Eph/Man 110 2308

It is interesting to realize that the history of the creation of man did not have to be passed through 20 different people to get the story to Abraham, the 21^st person in the genealogy. Rather it went from:

Adam told it to Methuselah for 243 years

Methuselah told it to Shem for 98 years

Shem told it to Abraham for 50 years before Abraham moved to Haran

Shem outlived Abraham by 35 years

Jacob was already 50 years old when Shem died.

Abraham was taught by Shem, the man on the ark.

Shem was taught by Methuselah – he was the oldest man in the Bible but he didn’t outlive his father.

Methuselah was taught by the guy with no belly button.

The factual account of creation only passed through two people to get to Abraham. It is an amazing realization to see how God protected and preserved the account of creation.

More Interesting Thoughts

Genesis 16:16 Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born: 2034

Abraham died 35 years before Shem died.

Gen 12:4 Abraham was 75 when he left Haran: 2023

Gen 17:24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised: 2047

This is the same year that Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed!

Gen 17:17 Sarah was 90 when Abraham was 100 yrs old

Gen 23:1 Sarah was 127 when she died: 2085 (born in 1958)

Gen 25:20 Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah: 2088

Gen 47:9 Jacob was 130 when he took 70 of his descendants, known as the household of Israel, into Egypt in the year 2238

The children were to stay in bondage in Egypt for 430 years or until 2668

Moses was 80 years old when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, so he was born in the year 2588

Deut 34:7 Moses lived to be 120 yrs old, so he died in 2708.

Joshua 14:7-10 Caleb was 40 yrs old at Kadesh-Barnea: 2668/69 and he was 85 when he took Hebron for an inheritance from God in 2713/14. So conquering the land of Canaan lasted about 5 years up to that time.

Note: All dates are approximate, not knowing the exact times of each year, but – these dates are strictly based on scripture references.

Acquire The Target

2012-01-07T15:07:00.002-06:00

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I want to say a special thanks to all of our college students who came home and to Church during the Christmas holiday break. We love you and pray for you continually. I understand that many of you are waiting until after Friday the 13^th to return to school so that you can attend our awesome and powerful “Night of Worship”. I agree, it’s going to be great! We love you and bless you in Jesus’ name and trust you to God’s care.

And … while I have you here, let me give you a new assignment for this semester.

Find something that God said to somebody so you will have something worth something to say to others.

I want to encourage everyone to invite a friend and attend Night of Worship this Friday evening beginning at 8. It will be an awesome spiritual experience much like what you would have experienced if you had lived in Jerusalem in King David’s time and they would have had electricity!

Also men … it was great to see so many out at 5:40 this past Thursday morning. Don’t forget what we are meeting each Thursday morning … set you clocks and come on out for “Man talk”, “Man scriptures”, “Man prayer” and afterwards some “Man food”. Why not invite a friend … as we continue, it will become the most powerful 20 minutes of your day!

And you know, I am excited about next Sunday as well …

First: Church On The Rock South in the City of Groves, Texas, will enjoy their first official Sunday Morning service, kicking off the birth of a new congregation, bringing the number of our family of Churches back up to an even dozen – not counting our local and world mission efforts or our Church’s ministry outreaches. Currently our immediate Church family meets at:

1. Church On The Rock North in Beaumont

2. Church On The Rock Vidor, Texas

3. Church On The Rock Bridge City, Texas

4. Rock Church Southeast in Port Arthur, Texas

5. Real Life Family Church On The Rock in Conroe, Texas

6. Turning Point Church On The Rock in Cleburne, Texas

7. Church On The Rock Sour Lake, Texas

8. Cowboy Church On The Rock China, Texas

9. God’s House, Beaumont, Texas

10. Church Online around the globe on the World Wide Web

11. Golden Triangle Church On The Rock here in Mid-County

12. Church On The Rock South in Groves, Texas

I’ll have some more exciting things to share with you the first Sunday in February about some new responsibilities our Church will be embracing this year. God has prepared and positioned us to have a greater influence in his Kingdom. I don’t want to get ahead of what God is doing or let the cat out of the bag too early but suffice it to say that the work you have done both here in Southeast Texas and around the world has not gone un-noticed, neither in heaven nor in the earth. … more about that later.

The second reason I am looking forward to next Sunday, January 15^th, is because we will use that Sunday to begin a teaching series on the Ten Commandments. Recently God moved me through prayer and study of His Word to begin developing a foundational spiritual life series based on the New Testament revelation and grace-filled application of the Ten Commandments. Prepare now and make plans to attend these Sunday morning and Wednesday evening teachings. God has something powerful in store for us.

But, that’s next Sunday … what about this morning??? … well let’s begin today by reading a contextual paraphrase of 2 Timothy 4:2-5

Publicly proclaim the word of God. Be prepared, when others want to hear it and even when they don’t. Patiently point out the wrong, challenge people to change, and encourage them with good teaching. For the time has come when many no longer listen to sound and wholesome instructions. They follow their own desires and look for leaders who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They reject the truth and foolishly chase after empty dreams. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of being embarrassed or rejected for being the witness others need. Endure that hardship as you work at telling everyone the Good News and you will accomplish the ministry God has given you.

This year it is God’s will and my hope that you would find at least one individual and purposefully make a spiritual investment in them.

This is nothing short of discipleship, which is our Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-19 (NKJV)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Each one of us is responsible to God for advancing His Kingdom in the earth. Every Believer is called to be an Ambassador for Christ. Not one of us is excluded in salvation’s plan – we are not excluded when it comes to our own salvation and we are not excluded when it comes to the salvation of others. What we often lack is a target … and … something meaningful to say.

That’s one reason why earlier I told the college students to:

Find something God said to somebody and you will have something worth something to say to others.

Not only do we need to find something to say but we also need to find someone to say it to. Every Believer needs to acquire a target for the Gospel – a person purposely pointed out to you by the Holy Spirit. Either a God given relationship or a God give responsibility. Just as iron sharpens iron, we have the capacity to sharpen our friends. (Proverbs 27:17)

Paul told Timothy to:

· Patiently point out the wrong

· Challenge to change

· Encourage with good teachings

Don’t be afraid of being embarrassed or rejected for caring and sharing.
Avoid becoming critical or judgmental, don’t condemn or get angry – just be kind and speak the simple truth in the love of God. You don’t have to get on a soapbox and you don’t have to be loud or speak long, but you do need something meaningful to say.

And remember: People will care what you know when first they know you care!

The Apostle Paul had earlier encouraged the Believers in the Church in Thessalonica with much the same word:

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts … as you know we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:4-12)

· Exhorted – Encourage

· Comforted – Care

· Charged – Urge

I may not be your Father, but I am responsible to speak on His behalf.

So, your Kingdom mission, should you decide to accept it, is to acquire a target before the end of January. This process will begin with a prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide you to the right person, or guide the right person to you, and open a door of opportunity for you to:

· Patiently point out the wrong

· Challenge to change

· Encourage with good teachings

Before you speak – Find something God has said to somebody so you will have something worth something to say.

You will find a whole list of things God has said to others in the Bible. And remember – it’s the Gospel … the Good News … Keep it so!

The Rest of 2012

2012-01-04T17:54:00.001-06:00

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We are already 4 days into this new year – my how time flies! Most of us managed to get the year started off right but:

What are we going to do with the rest of 2012?

This past Sunday was the 1^st … not only the first day of the week but the first day of our 2012, and we began the new year strong by proclaiming it as a year of Jubilee.

That sounds good and all, but what does it really mean? When Jesus preached His first in His home Church in Nazareth just after He was baptized by John in the Jordan River, He referenced one of Isaiah’s prophecies as His text. We read a portion of that prophecy Sunday. You remember:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." (Luke 4:18-19)

The “acceptable year” of the Lord is the year of Jubilee. Out of the 20 times the word Jubilee is mentioned in the Bible, 19 of those times are found in only 1 book, Leviticus, and 14 of those references are contained in only 1 chapter. Let’s turn there now to discover the intent of Jubilee:

Leviticus 25

1 ¶ And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying,

2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ’When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD.

3 ’Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit;

4 ’but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

5 ’What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land.

6 ’And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you,

7 ’for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land — all its produce shall be for food.

8 ¶ ’And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years.

9 ’Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.

10 ’And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.

11 ’That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine.

12 ’For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field.

13 ’In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.

14 ’And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.

20 ’And if you say, "What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?"

21 ’Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.

These Sabbaths were very important to God, His Children and His land. Sabbath refers to a ceasing of labor and an observance of rest.

God worked six days and on the 7^th day He rested. The 4^th Commandment of God was to observe a day of rest in remembrance of God ceasing from His labor on the 7^th day of creation.

Jubilee is a Sabbath of Sabbaths – The Ultimate Day of Rest

That’s what Jesus proclaimed with His message – The fulfillment of God’s intent to offer unto man an ultimate day of rest. (Adam Clarke’s bible commentary on this subject says that this rest is a “state of blessedness” which “procures and communicates the eternal glory” of God.)

Hence my title for tonight’s message: “The Rest of 2012”

What will you do with the rest of 2012?

To conclude our thoughts on this subject for tonight, allow me to read a passage from the New Living Translation.

Hebrews 4

1 ¶ God’s promise of entering His place of rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to get there.

2 For this Good News—that God has prepared a place of rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t believe what God told them.

3 For only we who believe can enter His place of rest. As for those who didn’t believe, God said, "In my anger I made a vow: ‘They will never enter My place of rest,’" even though his place of rest has been ready since He made the world. (NLT)

The scriptures tell us that the Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and then centuries later went into captivity all because they would not enter into God’s rest. The rest which only comes by faith – believing in and trusting upon God’s finished work.

Verse 11 of Hebrews 4 begins, “Let us be diligent and do our best to enter that rest”.

How can we make the most of “The Rest of 2012”? – We enter God’s rest by trusting Him and relying on the fact that He has had everything ready for 2012 ever since He first made the world. Trust Him, obey Him, be diligent and do your best … Put your trust in God and let the rest begin!

God Has A Dream

2012-01-01T06:56:00.001-06:00

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Philippians 1:6 I am confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Just living is not enough – I want to live for something greater than my life.

Life should be a script which only God can write.

One month after I turned 18 Brenda and I got married. The moment we were pronounced man and wife fulfilled every dream I had ever had up until that point. It was all I could remember wanting and the only thing I had ever prayed for. The day after we were married Brenda told me that she had made a terrible mistake – she realized that she did not love me. But since she had a hatred for divorce she decided to stay with me and try to make the best of it. This was not the new adventure either of us expected.

I really don’t know what I expected from marriage other than you got to be with the one you love every day, and I loved Brenda. Neither one of us had any idea about our future - we just fell into the routine of living. There was nothing special about us, week in and week out we just kept going to school and work then on the weekends we partied like everyone else. Little did we realize that God had plans for our life. He had a dream …

If someone had given me Aladdin’s Lamp and a Genie appeared to grant me three wishes, no doubt I would have wasted them all on something temporary and stupid. If God had have sent a prophet to tell me I could have anything I wanted, I might have gotten a new car or a house for Brenda. I couldn’t imagine greater. Certainly I had needs but I was truly unaware of most of them and I viewed life only from my point of reality. My reality limited me … but thankfully my reality did not limit God.

It was not that I had no imagination but rather that I never did imagine for myself what God was imagining for me and my family.

God did what I had asked Him to do … He gave me the woman I loved for my wife and in return I had pledged to serve Him. Even without my knowledge He guided my decisions and directed my steps. He picked me up when I failed and encouraged me to imagine a greater day.

In 1976 Brenda and I were on the verge of divorce. It seemed we had nothing in common and we fought all the time. We were living just outside of London, England, and one day a missionary came to visit some friends and ended up talking to Brenda in a little café. He challenged her to make Jesus the Lord of her life. No doubt God had been preparing her heart for some time and when she prayed with this missionary, she changed.

For the next three weeks I witnessed what God was doing in her life and finally came to the place of repentance myself. Together we began learning how to live a life pleasing to God. Soon we began to see the evident hand of God’s blessing on our lives. We prayed and read the Bible together and God healed us of our wounds. Looking back I now can see just how much the hand of the Lord was on us with each step we took. Occasionally Brenda and I will re-visit the houses we lived in during those early years and reminisce as we sit in front of each one in amazement of all the God had to do to get us where we are. He had a dream for us …

In the summer of 1979 I was standing in a Baptist Church in Simms, Texas during the invitation when I felt the call of God to go forward and submit my life to the ministry of the Gospel. I did not hesitate … people came up after church to shake my hand and all I could do was cry.

When I got home that day I felt so scared and a little embarrassed. There was just no way that I could ever be a preacher I thought – not me! I knew me and I could not imagine that God could use anyone like me.

I went into the house and fell onto my back on the sofa. It was unusual for me not to help Brenda get our two kids out of the car and in the house … but I was unable … all I could do was to cry and wish I had never walked up that isle. I laid on that couch talking honestly as I could with the Lord. I told Him that most of all I was sorry that I had made such a mistake and I hoped it did not bring embarrassment to Him or to the Church or Pastor. I repented of everything I could think of that would make me do such a thing or think that God could use me like that.

Finally I told the Lord that I really believed I had missed Him, I didn’t know what I had felt during the invitation but that I did not want to let it go until I had given Him one last chance to have His say. Laying there on my back I had the Bible which my mom had given me for my 16^th birthday sitting on my chest. I told the Lord that this was His chance … I was going to throw that Bible up in the air above me and when it came back down I was going to put my finger on a verse on the page it flew open to and if that verse did not confirm my calling then I was going to phone the pastor and deacons and go back to church that night and repent in front of the whole congregation. I would just have to suffer the humiliation but I had rather do that than to presume God had called me to be something I was not.

Without waiting for any feedback concerning my plan, I quickly threw my Bible up as high as I could and caught it with my arms fully stretched towards the ceiling. I put my finger on the page that was open and brought the Bible down to my face so I could determine my fate. When I blinked to clear the tears and began to focus, my left index finger was perfectly positioned at the very beginning of Luke chapter 4, verse 18.

Luke 4

18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

I have had several life experiences since that sofa moment which directly referencing this same passage confirming this is my life scripture. I know I am a teacher and I am anointed to put life’s truths into meaningful stories. However, I have also been blessed with a great supply of passion … but … no passion is greater within me than the passion of compassion.

At least 5 times in the Gospels we are told that Jesus, or a representation of Jesus, was “moved with compassion”.

1. Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, Jesus was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

2. Matthew 14:14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

3. Matthew 18:27 "Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

4. Mark 1:41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

5. Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

In some instances Jesus was moved to pray, in others moved to heal, to forgive, to feed the multitudes or simply to teach someone a simple truth.

When I was 18 I never imagined that God would work so much compassion in me as I have today … or … get so much work out of me because of that same compassion. All this week I have been struggling to know how to best serve you in this New Year. I realized late last night that what I need to do is to simply love you and let the compassion of Christ flow through me to you. Today I am living a dream, God’s dream for me.

God has a dream for you and it’s greater than you can imagine! However, right now you may not see it. You may be poor, brokenhearted, in a prison, blind, or bound in oppression. Allow me to move with a shepherd’s compassion and pray for you right now. What better way to start the New Year than to give you everything He has given me. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to help Him meet your needs. Let the dream begin!” – Pray for:

· Financial needs

· Broken-heartedness

· Deliverance from sickness, diseases and addictions

· Recovery of Sight Physically and Spiritually

· Oppression, Depression, Worry or Fear

Proclaim the year of Jubilee & Dedicate this New Year to God!

Quality Decisions

2011-12-28T17:58:00.001-06:00

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1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Life is designed by God so that no door closes without opening another, no moment ends without introducing the one which comes after, and the conclusion of each season is but a signal that all is prepared for the next to begin.

The old is the only seed bed which can bring life to the new.

Tonight will conclude our Church’s services for the year 2011. This is the last time we have planned to meet together as a group this year. So, for all practical purposes our Church year is over and the next time we meet we will begin a new adventure together.

Life requires change; time facilitates change, and along with each New Year comes a God given opportunity for us to change our lives.

All over the world this week people are preparing for the New Year. Many are considering their New Year’s resolutions, trying to make up their minds what they want to stop and what they hope to start. Some will decide that 2012 will be the year they get out of debt, lose those extra pounds, defeat their addictions or mend relationships. All worthy goals which many will set and some will achieve simply because they made a quality decision.

A quality decision is the right decision made at the right time for the right reasons.

Quality decisions don’t always guarantee success but they do give a great advantage to those who are willing to work hard at making the most of their new day opportunities.

I hope that you are considering at least one or two New Year’s resolutions yourself. Especially since this year New Year’s Day is on a Sunday, which is not only the first day of the week but the first day of the year as well. What better time to make a quality decision and take full advantage of this God-given opportunity to change some things.

Quality decisions, remember …

Right decisions made at the

Right time and for the

Right reasons

… most often point the way to success. When people look back to see what made the real difference in their life, they find certain critical turning points, points at which they made quality decisions which put them on their pathway to success.

Our lives follow the pathways of our decisions. You have heard it before: We can’t always choose what we go through but we do choose how we will go through it.

Quality decisions are not only made by individuals but are also milestones for families. One such quality decision is recorded in:

Joshua 24:15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Quality decisions give direction to individuals, families, businesses, corporations, communities, governments and even to Churches.

Right decisions made at the right time for the right reasons.

Even though we are very happy with the last year of ministry in and through our Church, we nonetheless want 2012 to be better and we believe it can be. All it will take is a few quality decisions and a lot of hard work. But, without some change – we have been to our greatest day and we’re not ready for that.

We want our Church to be more spiritually and practically productive in 2012 than in any year previous. We want to please God more and make the most of every opportunity God gives us to make a difference with each individual and every family we touch. 2011 was great but we have even greater plans for 2012 and we have made some quality decisions for the New Year.

In order to sharpen the focus and increase the effectiveness of our ministries we have decided to make some changes in several departments of our Church. Let me tell you about a few of them.

· Children’s Department

o New Children’s Church Format

o Facilities Remodel

· Pre-Teen

o Dedicated focus on this particular age group needs

· Youth

o Increased personal discipleship opportunities

o Increased group oriented activities

· Sunday School

o Re-alignment & Teacher Training

· Weekly Men’s Early Morning Bible & Prayer Time

o The Most Powerful Minutes of Your Day!

o 5:40am each Thursday morning

· New Church Family Assistance Ministry

o Acts 6

· Visitors and New Members Pastor – Kenneth Woof

· New Church Service Prayer Time/Ministry

· Night Of Worship NOW –

· COTR South – January 15^th – The First Sunday

· Israel Group Tour – October

· Philippines Mission’s Trip – March

· Thailand Pastor’s Conference – April

· 30 Steps to Success Book - 100% to Local and World Missions

· Iran TV

o Middle East; North Africa & Eastern Europe

· Devotional Translation into Chinese

o Potential 1 Billion people we cannot minster to presently

These and many other quality decisions have been made to coincide with this New Year, God given opportunity. As well we are continuing to do all the things we have been doing in 2011 and the past with the drilling of water wells, the continued outreach to Laos and Cambodia and Thailand via our Radio Station; the local COTR Food Bank, our Jail and Prison ministries, the Bible School and Orphanage in Nepal, the Churches and outreaches in East Africa, Russia, Israel, and many other countries, the work done through KE Resources, the weekly broadcast of our television program over TBN, our Church Online ministries, EZ Sermons.com resources website, the training of local pastors, youth pastors, praise and worship leaders and musicians, children’s workers and more.

Each one of the works in which we are already vested was simply the result of a quality decision we made in our past.

Never underestimate the power of a quality decision. It will inspire, motivate, re-inspire, direct and guide you to the finish line.

What is it in your life that God has been preparing you to change?

· Financially

· Spiritually

· With your family

· Friends

· On the Job

· Your place of service at Church

· Perhaps in a relationship that needs to change …

God is encouraging each one of us to make at least one or two quality decisions and take advantage of this new year opportunity.

Decide which New Year’s Resolutions are best for you and your family and make the:

· Right Decision at the

· Right Time for the

· Right Reasons

In the future … it will pay off and you will be glad you did!

The Unfolding Plan

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(Note: Each Senior Staff member will have an opportunity to address the congregation during transition. We will not receive an offering in the service today – there is an offering receptacle in the foyer for those who wish to give. Our service will begin at 10:30am with Christmas worship and will conclude at 11:30am for the convenience of our families celebrating with us this Christmas morning.)

The Drama Series

Part I: We Need A Savior

Part II: How Can This Thing Be?

Part III: The Unfolding Plan

(Note: I will ask the cast and crew to come up on the platform so I may introduce and thank them for their contribution to this Christmas Season’s production.)

Luke 2

6 So it was, that while they were at Bethlehem, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Today is Christmas Day – the day we set aside each year to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus was but one day in the plan of God – it was a great day – but only one day! The birth of Jesus was not the end of God’s plan but the means to an end.

The reason why God sent His Son into the world is because:

We Need A Savior

· Without a Savior, this world is the best place we will ever live.

Even though Mary did not know how it could happen, she trusted God. Throughout her life she learned that:

· Every question, trouble and trial of life has a spiritual answer.

We need submit ourselves to the Word of God, have faith, be patient, and:

· Let the plan of God unfold.

So, how can we sum up the Christmas story?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This is the Christmas Story!

(Note: I will invite the staff, staff families, elders and their families to come to the stage to lead in the first verse of “Silent Night” as the congregation stands. After the first verse, I will dismiss the congregation to “Go in Peace, Not in Pieces” as those on stage begin to sing “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”)

How Can This Thing Be?

2011-12-21T10:10:00.001-06:00

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With the world in the shape it is, families torn apart, 395 million starving around the globe, near 40 ongoing armed conflicts, 1/3 of America’s children living in homes without fathers, 1 out of every 8 youth in the US destined to become homeless during their lifetime, the increase in unemployment along with a rise in alcoholism and drug addiction while literacy rates are noticeably declining – it’s no wonder – “We Need A Savior”.

Last Sunday we agreed that the answer does not lie in the wisdom or counsel of man. In fact, the greatest minds in history and the most brilliant ideas ever laid forth have gotten us to where we are today.

It’s like King Solomon declared: “There is a way which seems right to man but the end thereof is the way of destruction.”

It is evident that the reason why God sent His Son is because:

We Need A Savior!

Without a Savior, this is the best life ever gets!

Without a Savior, this world is the best place you will ever live!

We need a Savior but, how? How can it happen? How can this thing be?

Before we go further this morning I wish to thank all who participated in making the three part drama series to compliment the messages this Christmas season. Last week we saw Part One: We Need A Savior; This week we watched Part One and Part Two: How Can This Thing Be?; and next Sunday morning in a brief, but special Christmas Sunday morning message, we will view Parts 1, 2 & 3 and then hear The Unfolding Plan of God.

I will also take time next week to introduce the cast and those behind the scenes who made this drama series possible. It was a tremendously successful first attempt in a long line of many more to come.

The fact that We Need A Savior is evident – but what is not as evident is: How Can This Thing Be?

If the most brilliant minds the world has ever known and the best leaders mankind could afford have gotten us into this mess, how in the world will we ever get out?

For our answer, let’s turn in our bibles to the Gospel of:

Luke 2

1 ¶ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

It just so happened …

Nope – it was a plan all along – it came to pass …

Nothing, and I mean nothing, happens in God’s world without a plan!

2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

This was not something that God just thought of on the spur of the moment. It was a long time in the making but God has a lot of patience – and persistence. And, the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord.

I’m sure that it was a hardship for many to participate and some most likely thought that the Roman rulers had ulterior motives in demanding a census. Conspiracy theorists of the day were no doubt running rampant with this one. Why register? Always consider that:

What seems like a surprise to us is often a plan to God!

3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

There are a lot of “so’s” in life … the result of something else …

God sets us up or moves someone else’s heart and – so …

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Of course he was!

This had been in the works for generations … It was a plan !!!

Salmon & Rahab – from the tribe of Judah, inherited there …

Boaz & Ruth continued the family in Bethlehem …

All the way to David and

Mary & Joseph

Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David, through Judah back to Abraham – just so if anything happened, there was still a claim and still a need to go to Bethlehem – God triple stacked His success!

5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

Fulfilling the prophecy which Isaiah spoke:

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Many miracles are but fulfillments of God’s promised word to His people. God still speaks and He still fulfills His Word today …

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

God is always on time … Never late & seldom early … right on time!

7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

How sad it is to see the world at Jesus’ birth, at His death and perhaps at His second coming, unaware of the Savior and perhaps even unaware they need saving! The world still has no room for Jesus. We see it most demonstrated in our schools and our government.

Because we needed a Savior and there was no other way, God sent His Only Begotten Son, to be born in a stable manger, live a sinless life and die an atoning death.

Once we realize that we need a Savior it is important to also realize that: Every question, trouble and trial of this life has a spiritual answer.

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she was to become the Mother of the Messiah, she had but one question …

Luke 1

31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.”

32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be …”, since I do not know a man?"

35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit … will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

The Christmas message is a message of miracles. We need a Savior – not a buddy, not a best friend, and not a bailout … we need a Savior. How can it happen? By the Holy Spirit … God has a plan which includes you.

In the end the simple willingness of Mary shines forth as perhaps one of the greatest prayers ever uttered:

“Be it unto me according to Your Word.” (Luke 1:38)

Would you dare pray that prayer with me now? Our salvation begins when we let God be God. He alone is wise and He alone can save. God has a plan for your life that has been long in the making. Call upon Him now and submit your life to Him. What the angel told Mary is still true today … "With God nothing will be impossible"