New Beginnings - Rev 21:5

New Beginnings
December 30, 2012
Rev 21:5

Introduction

• As people gathered in churches on the night of Dec. 31, 1862, they held hope against hope that their prayers finally would be answered.
• When midnight struck, congregations caught their collective breath, and it wasn’t until a man ran into the church waving the awaited telegram, that the crowd erupted into cheers: President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Confederacy, had become law.
 
• A fatal blow against slavery, it led to the 13th and 15th Amendments, which outlawed slavery, and granted blacks American citizenship, respectively.
• Blacks were given freedom and equality with whites and they now had a new beginning in life
• This is how the practice of watch-night services on New Years Eve, started
• We all need new beginnings
• This is the start of a new year and an opportunity to make a fresh start in life

When Jesus came into our life something changed

• Eph 2:1-10
• Suddenly, we became alive!
• Lifesavers story
• Something happened inside, the dead became alive
• But more than that, we became a new creation!
• That new creation happened in our spirit. That which was dead, now became a new creation
• Unfortunately, our mind was not yet recreated
• That happens over a period of time, as we follow the Holy Spirit and are obedient to Jesus
• Paul tells us in Romans 7 about the battle that goes on in his mind, between his spirit which is now under Jesus' control, and his carnal mind which pulls him down
• It is because of this struggle between good and evil, that we need new beginnings

We need periodic new beginnings

• The first thing is to recognize that we need a fresh start
• Very few of us have it all together, and don't need to exclaim with Paul, "Who will rescue me from this body of death!"
• We need periodic new beginnings
• On a daily basis we need to refresh our commitment to our Lord Jesus, because on a daily basis, we sin and fall short of God's intention for us
• Derek Prince wrote an excellent short book titled "Surrender"
• After I read that book, I surrendered all to Jesus
• It changed my life, and I periodically consciously surrender everything to Him
• A ship sailing through the ocean gathers barnacles and seaweed, which slow it down in the water.
• Periodically, it needs to go into dry dock and have these impediments scraped away
• We too need to ask Jesus to clean us up
• Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
• The month God was speaking of was the Hebrew month Nisan, which means green ears. In other words it was around Passover or Easter time
• At that time, the Hebrews commemorated the Passover lamb that was slain so the Israelite firstborn could escape death in Egypt.
• At Easter time we commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is referred to in Revelation as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world

We ask God to show us where to change

• There are many areas in our life that need changing, it is a lifelong process
• But where does God want us to focus?
• That is the important question
• This requires hearing from God and knowing what His answer is to that question
• The most important thing to God is not how many verses we have memorized, how many meals we have served to the homeless, how much we have donated to charities, how many people we have visited in hospital
• The most important thing is our relationship with Him
• Prayer is obviously a key in this
• If we don't pray we do not have much of a relationship
• Listening to Him speak to us is just as important
• He speaks to us in many ways, but one important way, is through the pages of the Bible

Reading through the Bible together

• This is why I have placed a bookmark in each bulletin
• These bookmarks will be handed out each month, giving the scripture verses we will be reading each day
• On the other side I have listed the books of the Bible so we can easier find things in God's Word
• I encourage us to journal each day about what the Lord says to you from these passages
• This will become a precious time for each of us as we spend this time in close communion with God

Conclusion

• At the start of this year, let's make a fresh start, a new beginning
• When we reach December 31, we can look back and say, I did it! I have drawn closer to God in my relationship
• It is not about having read right through the bible, that can be legalistic
• But it is about a fresh surrender, a new beginning in our walk with God

Got Joy? - John 8:12

Got Joy?

Bill Loucks

December 23, 2012

John 8:12

 

Introduction

• Christmas joy?? It’s why some go to church…
• Some feel it as they give gifts to others
• Some feel it walking in the snow
• Some feel it listening to Christmas songs
• Joy to the world…joyful and triumphant…joyful all ye nations rise…
• How many of us feel joy this morning?
• Some find joy in a Christmas tree.  
• Lisa and I struggled with this concept.

Testimony

• Lisa’s Testimony
• Lights were symbolic of Jesus, Light of the World. 
• John 8:12, 9:5
• Story of the Three Trees
• Tree can be symbolic of whatever we choose
• Joy…How do we get it if we don’t feel it

Follow the Light

• Read Luke 2:10-11. "But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ”
• The angel announced the most joyous and important event in the history of mankind. 
• A way to a joyous life forever.
• Luke 2:1-19 Story of birth of Jesus
• Mary and Joseph were betrothed…custom says: married but not having physical relations for 12 months.

Many references to “light” surrounding the birth of Jesus

• Glory of the Lord “shone” all around the shepherds. Light
• The 3 wise men (kings, magi) followed a star. Light
• Matt 2:1-10 The chief priests and scribes knew where Jesus would be born
• They chose not to follow the star…didn’t want a disruption to their rituals? 
• Didn’t follow the Light

It’s not so much what you know as what you do with what you know.

• Go back to Luke ch2
• Look who God chose to reveal the birth of His Son to…shepherds
• Shepherds considered outcasts, thieves, nomads, unclean.
• Our Lord came for the forgotten people of the earth…most of the time they are the most ready.
• It’s the outcasts in the Bible and today who make the greatest contribution to the Kingdom.
• Sometimes it takes living in darkness before we really see the Light

He came for us

• Jesus came to be our Savior…for those who turn to Him
• He also came to be Lord of the Universe
• Today He is Lord of Heaven…some day – soon – He will return to set up His Kingdom on earth
• Between now and then, we are called to confess with our mouths that He is Lord of our lives (Rom 10:9)
• Surrender…let Him lead

Invitation

• True heart and joy of the Christian
• He loved us enough to send His only Son. He sent Himself. Immanuel “God is with us.”
• Are you ready today to follow the light? 
• Confess Jesus as Lord?

Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven - Matt 19:14

Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 19:14

December 16, 2012

Introduction

• This last week has been horrific
• During this past week there have been three mass shootings
• One was in Portland, OR, when a 22 year old shot two people and himself
• Friday 20 young children and 6 adults were shot at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, CT
• And yesterday there was another shooting in a parking lot outside a mall in Newport Beach near Los Angeles, but with no fatalities
• This is a crazy world
• Today we are mourning all those who lost their lives in these events this week
• As we do so we wonder, how could this happen?
• Why would God allow things like this to happen to such innocent young lives, in particular
• Today we will take a look at this question which has been asked so many times this week, why does God allow such terrible things to happen?

The core of the question

• During this week, particularly after the Conneticut shooting, I have heard this question so many times
• And this question needs to be considered at two levels - mentally and emotionally
• First of all we need to understand what brought this about
• We don't know all that much about Adam Lanza
• Police have been delving into his past in an attempt to discover why this happened
• My comment at this time is only, that this has become a violent society
• Video games our children and grandchildren play have become more and more gruesome and sadistic
• The bible tells us about this in a description of our society
• 2 Tim 3:1-3 perilous times will come
• This society has become like this
• Life is about self-gratification, about taking care of self
• 2Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
• Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
• Society has become like this, emotions have been shut down, and people have become desensitized to other peoples feelings
• But not all of us go around shooting people
• This is something deeper, something which causes people to overstep all boundaries

How it all started

• Let's go back to Gen 3
• Here we see the account of how things went bad
• This is why it is in the Bible, to show us the origin of things
• God gave man some instructions - the principle was, be obedient, do what I say and all will be cool
• God had every right to say this!
• He had just taken red earth and created a statue in the shape of a man, and then he breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul
• Man was God's project, God had the right to tell him hopw to conduct himself
• But man chose to rebel against God
• He ate from the forbidden fruit, he tried to evade responsibiliy, and he hid from God
• As a result a curse came upon the world
• The nature of things changed
• Vegetation changed, and weeds and painful stuff took over
• The nature of animals changed and some became predators and carnivores
• And mankind's nature changed to become hostile to God
• As a result of this, he became a fallen being, unable to please God, even if he wanted to
• Being hateful towards God, put him totally under the sway of satan the devil
• God's intention for man was that he would inherit all things, but by choosing for satan, the world became a painful place
• This world is now under the sway of the devil
• I believe these crazy incidents are because people have surrendered to the devil
• John 10:10 He is the one who wants to kill, steal and destroy
• He shares this nature with the whole world
• Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:

But what happened to these little children?

• Mat 19:13-14 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
• When these children died, their spirit went to heaven
• Ecclesiastes 12:7 - spirit returns to God who gave it
• They are now with Jesus, in safekeeping, until; the day that we are reunited with them on the day Jesus returns
• They are not little angels, as one pastor said on the web, God has a higher calling for them than to be an angel
• But we will see them again
• Even if they had not yet formally accepted Jesus, we are told, of such is the kingdom of heaven
• They had not yet reached an age where they were accountable, and they still lived in relative innocence

How about our emotions in the face of these events

• Emotionally this is hard
• We particularly find it hard when these things happen to children
• As a result, we grieve, there is a sense of loss, an emptiness
• Today, Foursquare chaplains have flown to Conneticut to minister to the grieving parents and the children who were so brutally shocked
• We will pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to bring them comfort in this time of loss

Prayer

The Peace-Bringer - Luke 2:14

The Peace-Bringer

December 9, 2012

Luke 2:14

Introduction

• Peace
• We live in a world that does not know the way to peace
• Peace is an elusive commodity
• Ted Turner, founder of the Turner Broadcasting System & the Cable News Network, & owner of the Atlanta Braves. He is rich & powerful, & he is also strongly opposed to Christianity
• Some time ago in Atlanta, he told a gathering of contributors to CNN’s World Report that he wanted to see if anybody had a real vision for a world at peace & in harmony with the environment. So he bankrolled a competition to find & produce a book that would present a workable plan for world peace.
• He reported, "Out of 10,000 manuscripts submitted, we did not find one plausible treatise on how to get to a sustainable, peaceful future." Then he added, "Without a feasible plan, the prospects of creating peace are grim."
• And he is right. Man doesn't know the way to peace.
• On a personal level as well, people are plagued with anxiety, their lives are in turmoil
• They don't know the way to peace
• Even in the church, we are afflicted by similar things as the world experiences
• And we too, worry about how it will all turn out!
• But at the time of Jesus' appearance in Bethlehem as a baby boy, the angels sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men"
• Today we are going to take a look at three ways in which God wants to give peace in our lives

Jesus brought us peace with God

• At the root of our lack of peace, lies the unfortunate events of Genesis 3, when man rebelled against God and sided with the enemy
• That day a process was set in motion, which continues to the present time
• Each person, when they are born, has an inbuilt rebellion against God
• Romans 8:7 - "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God"
• There was no way in which man can rectify this in-built rebellion. We refer to this as the depravity of man
• No matter what I do to rectify this, the core reason always remains, I hate God
• The only way in which this can be overcome, is through Jesus forgiving us for our sins and our sinful nature
• He desires to change us and mold us into people who are no longer rebellious, but are at peace with Him
• Jesus came in the flesh, to make it possible for us to have peace with God!

Jesus gives us peace with each other

• James 4:1-3 "What causes fights and quarrels among you?"
• We are continually faced with situations where people cannot get along
• It usually has something to do with one or the other wanting to get their own way, instead of trusting God to take care of their needs
• Even in the church we have quarrels, and gossip and slander
• This is not God's intention for his people
• God intends for us to live in peace
• Once we have invited Jesus into our life as our Savior and Lord, we are to allow him to do his work inside us, rather than give in to our fleshly desires
• But so often we allow our inner man, that sinful nature, to get the upper hand.
• Jesus makes it possible for us to have peace with each other
• When we don't, we are listening to our carnal nature, not God

 

Jesus gives us peace inside

• The Bible is full of references to fear and anxiety
• But Jesus teaches us to be anxious for nothing
• Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"
• When we make our requests known to God, they are in the best hands possible
• God has promised to supply our needs, as we walk in synch with Him, putting Him first in our life
• We may not understand how he will do this, but that is what the walk of faith is all about
• We can have peace inside, no matter what the storm may be around us.
• God takes care of his children
• Matt 7:9-11

Conclusion

• So be of good cheer
• God's heart is for us, he sent Jesus his son, to this earth, to reconcile man with himself, so that man no longer needs to live in rebellion
• He gives us a new heart, a soft heart like His, so we can live at peace with those around us, by putting to death the heart of stone, our sinful nature
• And he gives us peace inside, a deep peace that conquers turmoil and anxiety
• John 14:27 "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

Ministry

There is hope, through Jesus - 2 Thes 2:16-17

There is hope, through Jesus

December 2, 2012

2 Thes 2:16-17

Introduction

• Last week we took a look at world events, particularly in the Middle East, and how things could be shaping up for the prophecies of Revelation and Matthew 24 to go into fulfillment
• This could make us scared
• I remember one time when the church I used to attend thought that the Great Tribulation could be starting in a couple of months time
• We may think, that's crazy, that's scare-mongering
• But Jesus does tell us to watch for the events of prophecy that are being fulfilled, and he tells us to be awake and doing the task to which he has called us
• I remember being scared that I would not be accounted worthy, and I tried to get my spiritual life in order
• But we do not need to be scared, so long as we are walking in relationship with our heavenly Father
• It is when we walk away from him, that we are in danger, and yes, then we would have reason to be scared
• Today I want to share with you the hope that Jesus gives to all those who look forward to his appearing

Lamb slain from the foundation of the world

• Rev 13:8 - the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world
• Some things were set in motion right at the beginning of time
• Today we have a new courthouse here in Susanville.
• It looks beautiful, especially when the lights are all turned on
• When did that courthouse start its existence? When the construction company moved in its heavy equipment? When the mayor turned over a spadeful of soil? When the architect presented his plans to the committee?
• It started when the first thought arose in some one's head, we need a new courthouse. A plan was set in motion that day, which resulted in a beautiful building on Riverside Drive
• There was a day in heaven when Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit sat down together and thought about a plan
• They thought about creating a race of beings who would have relationship with God
• These beings would be created with some of God's own qualities inside of them, and through their relationship with God, he would open up the realm of the supernatural to them
• They would have the power of choice, and could choose to have this relationship or not
• God's intention and plan was that all men would have this relationship, and move into God's purpose for them - 2 Pet 3:9
• But not all would make this choice

Predestination

• Eph 1:11-14 We were chosen according to God's plan
• By looking into the future, God knew who would choose for Him and who would choose against him
• All men were offered this but not all accepted it
• But those who accepted this relationship, are incredibly blessed
• Eph 1:3-10
• God has called us to be a part of his purpose to bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ
• But God does not throw his lambs before the wolves, unprotected and unprepared
• He has given us power, the power that raised Jesus from the dead
• Eph 1:18-23
• So the church is the extent of his kingdom on earth today, but his intention is that all things come under the Lordship of Christ
• This gives us hope for the future
• Despair means we think there is no future for us
• Hope says we do have a future
• Jer 29:11 - for I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future
• We may be facing hard times today, struggles that we don't know how we will get through them
• But there is a future and a hope and a purpose for our being
• We are part of God's plan to bring all things under Jesus dominion

We have been enabled, empowered and prepared for his purpose

• In God's plan, put in motion at the foundation of the world, each of us was discussed by name
• God knew what kind of home we would grow up in
• He knew the events that would shape our lives
• He knew how someone would tell us about the gospel, and we would be purchased for his kingdom by the blood of his precious Son
• He knew we would receive the Holy Spirit of promise, guaranteeing our inheritance
• He planned thousands of years ago, what gifts he was going to plant inside us
• He knew the purpose he had for us and what gifts would be necessary for us top walk in this
• So he gave us gifts, gifts of service for others
• He gave us not just a future, not just a hope
• He gave us the means to make that future and hope a reality
• So that his kingdom could grow, for his glory and so that many sons and daughters could be harvested for him

So what if I feel hopeless?

• First of all, we are not without hope
• Eph 2:12 There was a time when we were without hope
• But that picture changed when we accepted Jesus, and surrendered our lives to him
• We now have a hope and a future
• God desires us to work in partnership with him, in reconciling all thin gs and all people to Jesus
• He came to dwell in us to make this possible
• We now need to take steps of faith, one after the other as we walk this out
• We live in hope, and in faith
• And we will not be disappointed in this
• Rom 5:5 Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts, by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us
• The work he has started in us he will bring to a successful conclusion - Phil 1:6
• Just as the Susanville Courthouse is now finished, a beautiful building, he will finish the task that started that day in heaven when Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit sat down and planned our future, way before the start of time
• He is working in us today, and will do so till the day we meet him face to face
• 2 Thesssalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word