According to Your Faith - Matt 9:27-31

According to Your Faith

January 23, 2011

Matt 9:27-31

Introduction

• Jesus was in Capernaum, where he lived
• He appears to have had a home in this town
• Peter had a house here too, this was his home town
• Andrew, James and John also lived there
• Capernaum at that time was not large
• Its population in Jesus day is estimated between 600-1200
• Jesus was at home there, he probably knew everyone in town, more or less
• This day, Jesus had just visited the home of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue
• His daughter had died, and he asked Jesus to raise her to life. Jesus went to his home, and the young girl was raided from the dead
• On his way back to his home, two blind men followed Jesus
• As he gets indoors, they come in too, and have a request to make

Jesus is Messiah

• These two blind men repeatedly called Jesus the son of David
• This was a term used for the Messiah
• One of the prophecies of the Messiah was that he would make the blind see
• Isa 35:5
• These two blind men believed first of all that Jesus was the Messiah, and secondly, that the Messiah would heal the eyes of the blind
• So they based their faith on a scriptural promise
• We too need to find God's promises for our situation
• There are verses which give a general answer to us
• There are also verses which are specific, seemingly just for us and our situation
• It may be no verse seems to cover our situation.
• Ask the Lord for a word
• He will respond, he loves it when we communicate with him
• That word may be in different forms, but it may often be in the Bible

Jesus is God

• Jesus asks them if they believe that he is able to do this
• This question implies, do they believe that he is divine, and having the power to heal
• So they identified him as one whom the Bible promises would heal the blind, and they also believe he has the power to perform the miracle
• How does this relate to us?
• We need to be in a relationship with Jesus, knowing and believing he is real
• We need to be seeing his fingerprints in our life, seeing areas where he has changed situations or healed relationships, without our doing

According to your faith be it unto you

• Because they had recognized him as the Messiah, the one who would bring restoration to people's lives, and healing to the blind, Jesus wanted to help them
• Because they had pursued him and persisted, he saw their deep desire for healing, and he had compassion opn them
• Because they believed he was divine and had the power to actually heal them, Jesus desired to grant their request
• These three things added up to faith
• They had faith that Jesus would heal them
• One final quality was apparent
• In calling out, have mercy on us they showed they needed mercy and grace
• They could not take healing for granted

Conclusion

• If we find a word in scripture, or in our relationship with God, that applies to our situation, we can expect that God will fulfill our request
• If we are close to God and he is real to us, and we know beyond doubt that he has the power to answer our prayer, we can expect a response
• If we pursue healing and persist in our prayers, even if the answer does not come immediately, it will come
• If we recognize our need for grace, God will see our humble heart and he will be delighted to give us our heart's desire

A Cripple Jumps to his Feet - Acts 3:1-10

A Cripple Jumps to His Feet

January 23, 2011

Acts 3:1-10

Introduction

• We sometimes hear that miracles were something that are no longer for today, because the age of the the apostles is past
• The truth of the matter is that miracles still happen today
• Reinhard Bonke ministers mainly in the third world, and hundreds of thousands of people have been healed in his crusades
• Even the dead have been raised to life.
• This has happened many many times
• The Bible does not say that the miracles recorded in the New Testament were only for that period of time
• When we say that they were to cease when the apostles died, we are adding to scripture, we are speaking our own words and not those of the Bible
• The truth is that history records miracles continuing in the early church, centuries after the apostles died
• People were healed, demons cast out, people were filled with the Spirit and received the spiritual gifts, including tongues, prophecy, interpretation
• It was normal practice for lay members to exercise these gifts - it was only during the reign of Constantine around 325ad that these gifts were concentrated in the clergy - he wanted them to have more power in the church
• Now let's read the passage

Reading

• Acts 3:1-10

They were doing their normal business

• Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at the ninth hour, or 3pm
• The apostles had not yet been weaned away from temple worship, though Jesus had told the Samaritan woman in John 4 that the day would come when people would no longer look to the temple at Jerusalem as the center of worship, but that believers everywhere would worship in spirit and in truth
• The Jews had three different times of prayer
• They recognized that this was not a Biblical standard, but that it had a basis in scripture
• David says he prayed morning, noon and night - Psa 55:17
• Daniel says it was his custom to pray three times daily - Dan 6:10
• They would pray at 9am, or the third hour - Acts 2:15
• They would pray at noon, or the sixth hour - Acts 10:9
• And in this passage it mentions the time of prayer as being 3pm or the ninth hour - Acts 3:1
• Later, Paul tells us not that we should pray three times a day - instead he tells us to pray without ceasing - 1 Thes 5:17
• The point is, that Peter and John were going to the temple for prayer
• They were not going out to look for someone to heal
• It was in the course of their normal, customary schedule that suddenly they were confronted by this situation
• Jesus had walked by this man many times, as he lay at the entrance to the temple
• But the time had come for this man to be healed
• The Holy Spirit prompted Peter to speak to the man

The man was not a believer

• This man was not a believer in Jesus
• He was not expecting to be healed, he was begging for money
• Peter spoke the words "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk" He helped him to his feet, and the miracle happened!
• Peter and John ascribed the healing to Jesus, not themselves
• The man's healing convinced him of the reality of God and he latched onto Peter and John
• Peter had to have faith that God was going to back him up
• And God did so

The healing led to the man's conversion

• In the early church, miracles were signs for unbelievers
• Justin Martyr (c.110-165) wrote about the gifts of the Spirit in the churches with which he was familiar. He noted that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including exorcism, were widely in use.
• For one receives the spirit of understanding, another a counsel, another of healing, another of strength, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching and another of the fear of God. The prophetic gifts remain with us to the present time.
• For some [believers] do certainly cast out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits do frequently both believe and join the church. Others have knowledge of things to come; they see visions and utter prophetic expressions.
• Justin’s comment that the exorcism of unbelievers was a frequent occurrence and in some cases led to conversion is significant. It contrasts sharply with contemporary Pentecostal and Charismatic churches where much of the focus has been on the exorcism of members of the believing community.

Miracles are a confirmation of the Word

• Mark 16:19-20
• When a person is confronted with the reality of a living God who has intervened in their life, there is a step that follows
• People can argue till they are blue in the face, but a healing or a deliverance is real
• If you have experienced this, you know, your life changes
• Example of Evelien
• 1Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
• This same Peter who said this also was the Peter who spoke to the cripple, and helped him to his feet

Conclusion

• As Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, we should follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us
• When we are prompted by the Holy Spirit, we should be obedient
• When we hear of someone at work who is sick, ask if we can pray for them, and expect God to respond
• When we are at the supermarket, and some one needs prayer, offer to pray for them
• We are the salt of the earth, it is our responsibility to represent the Savior King and lead people to Christ

My peace I give to you - Gal 5:20

My peace I give to you

January 16, 2011

Gal 5:20

Introduction

• How many of us here could use more peace in our life?
• Peace seems to be less available as the years progress
• Each time Dianne and I visit our kids in LA, we are so aware of the frenetic pace of life
• It is as though each time we go there, there are more cars on the freeway
• Shops are open 24 hours and it is as though there is no time for rest any more
• Here in Susanville, things are not quite so much in the fast lane
• But even here, the pace of life pursues us
• I find that it takes all my available hours to get everything done
• It is not easy to balance work responsibilities with wife and family
• Each summer, Susanville seems to empty and people move to the lakes, at least for the weekends, to enjoy a hard-earned rest

What things detract from our peace?

• Things that get in the way of peace are :
  • the demands of a job
  • time required for education - classes take time and the homework itself can swallow us up
  • the family requires time and emotional involvement
• On top of these scheduling things that stop us from having peace and quiet, other things intrude
  • Relationship problems can take away our peace
  • Maybe fear can get in the way of peace
  • Fear about losing our job, that our home may be repossessed
• We may be afraid of any number of things
• But this is not the way God intended for us to live

In the Beginning

• God created man and placed Adam and Eve in a wonderful garden, a paradise
• The animals did not hurt each other, there was perfect peace and harmony
• God had created everything that was necessary for a peaceful existence
• Adam was the gardener in this utopia
• Gardening is a peaceful kind of job
• It provides time for reflection and thinking, it quiets your senses
• The garden of Eden was a peaceful place

What happened then

• Once Adam sinned, things changed
• The vegetation changed and weeds and thistles started to grow and take over
• The ground became hard and difficult to work with
• The nature of animals and insects changed, and they now turned on each other, and man
• The peace that was once in the garden, was no more
• Man was evicted from the garden, and now had to fend for himself
• Man's nature had now changed as well
• Jer 17:9 – the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure – who can understand it
• Rom 8:7 – the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so
• Adam and Eve's son Cain murdered his brother
• Violence came into the earth and it became so violent that God had to start things over through Noah
• Peace had gone for good.

God offers us peace

• And yet, God wanted man to have peace instead of warring against God and man
• Jesus came to bring us peace
• One of his names is Prince of Peace – Isa 9:6
• That peace came by forgiving us our sins
• Eph 5:1 – Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
• v8 – God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
• When our sins are forgiven, that enmity that came between God and us is removed, and we can now have peace with God

What is peace?

• Strongs – Gr eirene -
  1) a state of national tranquillity 1a) exemption from the rage and havoc of war
  2) peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
  3) security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
  4) of the Messiah's peace 4a) the way that leads to peace (salvation)
  5) of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
  6) the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

Why is peace with God so crucial?

• When we don't have peace with God, we are subject to our sinful nature that is hostile to Him
• If we are hostile to God, it will be impossible to live at peace with others, because man does not know the way to peace
• The fruits of the flesh are given in Gal 5:19
• These lead to the kind of society we see around us

But God gives us the Holy Spirit

• When we repent and turn to God, he comes and dwells in us through his spirit
• He sends us the Comforter, Helper, the One who comes alongside
• The Holy Spirit in us starts to produce outward evidence of His inward presence
• This is through the fruits of the Spirit
• This is why Jesus said in Matthew 7, you will know them by their fruits
• The tree will produce fruit according to its nature
• Hostility, fear and anxiety belong to the sinful nature
• But the fruits of the Holy Spirit's indwelling, are listed in Gal 5:22-23

And so God gives us peace

• That peace, is the absence of rage, and warring
• It gives us harmony between individuals
• It gives us assurance of our salvation
• It gives security, safety, prosperity
• It gives a sense of God being in charge of our lives, and that He will take care of us

Psalm 46

• We do not need to fear
• The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress (v7, 11)
• God tells us “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (v10)
• So whatever we are going through, we can be still, and look to God for help – he will be exalted and show himself strong on our behalf
• I can be at peace because my God is on my side and will work out all things for good in my life, because I am called according to His purpose - Rom 8:28

"I Have a Dream" - Heb 11:10

“I have a Dream”January 16,2011

Heb 11:10

Introduction

• Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Day
• “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal."
• “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
• “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
• “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”.
• “I have a dream today. “
• Martin Luther King had a dream, a dream which has largely become reality
• But I too have a dream
• And every Christian has a dream
• That dream is of a nation we belong to, where there will be no more tyranny and viol;ence and hatred
• This dream is true and faithful and it too will become reality
• Hebrews 11 describes the heroes of faith, the hall of fame of those who endured to the end, who stayed true to their dream

What is a dream?

• A dream is a goal to which we aspire
• without a dream, we will accomplish little
• a dream burns in your heart and seeks expression in action
• Abraham had this dream
• Heb 11:8-13
• Abraham at this moment has not yet received that inheitence, he is waiting for the day he will receive it together with us
• Heb 11:39-40
• Hebrews 11 is full of examples of people who followed their dream
• A dream is worth fighting for
• It is something you desire so much you can taste it
• Example: Remember when you were a kid an mom made chocolate chip cookies, and you ate some, straight out of the oven
• Or what about freshly baked bread
• You think back to that and it is as real to you as the day it happened
• That is what faith is all about
• it is about following a dream
• but this dream is real

A dream is worth it

• it is not a vapor, but it has substances
• This dream enables us to go thru hard times
• It makes the suffering worth it
• Because God id doing something in us
• He is preparing a place for us
• and he is preparing us for the place
• We go thru hard times and when we lose sight of the dream we wonder what its all about
• but suffering and dfreams go hand in hand
• something of value is worth sacrifice
• Jesus tells of a man who sold all that he had, in order to buy a field in which there lies a treasure
• this dream is worth sacrificing all that we have, for

I have a dream

• I have a dream
• I have a dream of a nation that is one under God
• I have a dream of a city of Susanville that is drugfree
• I have a dream of a time when there will be no more crying, pain or hurt
• I have a dream of a body of believers that is united as one body
• I dreeam of a church that steps up to its God-given purpose to be a light in this city, and that will sacrifice itself to do so
• I dream of a city that opens its heart to God , where the heavens are open to God's blessing
• I dream of God's purposes to happen in each of our lives
• I taste this dream, I see it in fulfillment
• I see people kneeling on the sidewalks of Susanville, praying
• I see revival in our city, in our time.

Prayer

Dealing with Grieving

Sermon – Grieving
January 15, 2010
Phil 3:13-14

Introduction

• This morning Frank and I and maybe some of the rest of us were at the funeral for Officer Robbie McElrath
• Officer McElrath was shot in the face at point-blank range, in the morning of January 2.
• I know that many of us knew Joanna or Robin James or both
• we may even have been close friends with them, and have had close ties to them
• they have been arrested and are in custody, after an intense investigation into the killing
• we may wonder how could this happen?
• how could someone we know as a friend, do such a horrific thing?
• this evening, am not going to address how this could be possible, nor will I discuss the perceived rights and wrongs about the case
• instead I want to discuss how we can deal with grief
• because most of Susanville is in mourning right now
• what I do want to talk about, is how we can deal with the grief

Remember that which we have lost

• good memories
• bad memories
• tell stories
• learn lessons
• Psalm 78:3-4
• discuss, share
• talk to God about what you are feeling
• because we may become an emotional roller-coaster, depending on how close we were to the person
• find someone you trust who will listen to your emotional upheaval
• let the pain out of your system

Reconnect with good friends

• a good friend is someone you can go to and who will listen
• Prov 18:24
• a good friend is someone who will pull you up, and not down
• build bridges
• what kind of bridges do we build – solid or flimsy
• allow people into your heart
• learn to trust again

Refocus your life

• refocus your life
• Matt 6:33
• determine the direction you will take, and stick to it
• surrender your life to God and ask Him to direct your steps
• Prov 3:5-6
• accept the past as having happened, and then move forward
• Phil 3:13-14

Results

• as you work through this process, you will find your emotional episodes will start to become less intense
• a time will come to let go of the past and start reaching forward
• your grief will become manageable, and a natural part of life, that helps our emotions catch up with a new reality
• on the other side of your grief, is a richer life
• richer in the sense of depth
• we have been down the well, and we have gotten back out of it
• Rom 8:28
• God wants to make something special out of our lives
• the painful experiences are as important to us as the mountaintop experiences

Hope is the anchor - Rom 15:13

 

Introduction

- As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in 1982.
- Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow.
- She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest. 
- There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong.
- She hoped that there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband. 
- When faced by death, people hope that there is a better life beyond
- Today is the second week of advent, and we are going to talk about hope – the hope that Jesus brought to the world

1. The hope of the gospel

- The hope of the gospel is referring to the good news of the kingdom of God
- Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (yoo-en-gelion)
- The gospel is the good news that our sins can be forgiven, and we can be restored to a relationship with God
- This is refered to in the Bible as salvation
- It comes from the greek word “sozo”
- 1 Thes 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation
- This same word sozo, is also used for healing
- Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
- Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

2. The hope of eternal life

- We hope that this life is not all there is
- We have hope in eternal life
- John 3:16
- Titus 3:5-7
- Mankind has always sought to know about eternal life
- Greeks talked about man having an immortal soul
- The Druids believed in the transmigration of souls
- People want to believe in reincarnation e.g. hindus
- Satan started it all off by telling eve, you shall not surely die
- God says, he gives us eternal life
- But man has an emptiness inside, and knows when something is missing
- That element that is missing is God, he is the giver of life
3. The hope of the resurrection

- We look forward and hope for a day when we will meet Jesus and all our loved ones who have preceded us in death
- 1 Thes 4:13
- This will be a glorious reunion!
- It will be the greatest family gathering of all time
- Paul says, if we don't believe in the hope of the resurrection, we are to be pitied
- 1 Cor 15:12-21
- Jesus died for our sins, but then he was raised to glory to be with the father
- Each of us too, has thois same hope within us, looking forward to the resurrection when the body of this death will be clothed with glory
- Without the resurrectrion we cannot inherrit the kingdom of God
- 1 Cor 15:50-54

Invitation

Communion

Funeral service - Eunice Clark - 1 Cor 15:12-26

Eulogy

- We are assembled here together to pay our respects to Mrs. Eunice Doshia Clark
- Eunice slipped away into Jesus arms this last Tuesday November 30, at the age of 92, with her granddaughter Vicky by her side
- Eunice had accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior, and this is a great comfort.
- Eunice was born the daughter of Thomas Redmond and Effie Smith, on Nov 8, 1918 on the old Roberts place in Grant County New Mexico
- She was the youngest of 2 brothers and 7 sisters, and grew up mainly in Separ NM
- She met and fell in love with Jack Lester Clark II (whom she knew as Tex) at the age of 13 in her dad and mom's store.
- They eloped and married in Las Cruces in 1934, and were married for 61 years. Tex passed away in 1995
- Their door was alays open to anyone in need
- Visitors often stayed a while, and while sitting on the porch, Eunice would strum the guitar, and they would sing together.
- Tex and Eunice had 6 children – Leona Elizabeth, Jack Lester, Joseph Alfred, Daniel Carol, Eunice Lenora, and Jimmy Thomas
- They had 19 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 34 great-great-grandchildren. Plus many nephews and nieces living from California to Texas.
- Eunice had many accomplishments, among which were composing a song, writing 2 books about the family history of the Smith and Clark familes
- She drew a map of the little town of Separ where she grew up, which is now in the Lordburg NM museum.
- Because it was a railroad station, this map is also in the Southern Pacific Railroad Museum, in Washington DC
- She also put Separ on the internet, as a ghost town, with pictures of the old school house where she and her siblings went to school
- Eunice lived in Lassen County off and on since 1943 – which is before I was born!
- Her family and friends loved her dearly and have been praying for her during her illness, even when she herself was no longer able to do so.
- But she is now in a better place, with Jesus and many of her family around her
- Eunice loved Jesus, she would often say, Jesus belongs just to me
- When she got worried she would say to God, Now you promised to take care of the widows and orphans – I am a widow, so I am claiming your promise that you are taking care of me.
- Eunice that believed God always keeps his word
- We have a lot of family here today, would any of you like to say a few words about your memories of Eunice?

Testimonies
Message
- John 14:1-3 – Jesus preparing a place for us in heaven
- It will be a beautiful place, which is perfect for us
- We may be attached to our earthly home and possessions, heaven will be infinitely more wonderful
- In heaven, people who died having a relationship with their Savior, are now in the presence of Jesus.
- Revelation decribes a little bit about their state.
- It describes them as being in the presence of God, that they are speaking, that they are wearing white robes, and that they are waiting for a special day
- Paul talks about this day, in 1 Cor 15:12-23
- If there be no resurrection, Jesus himself was not resurrected, and so we would have no basis for our Christiuan faith
- But Jesus is alive, and we see this in the changed lives of Christians
- The Christian life is a changed life
- When a Christian dies, his spirit or his soul goes to be with God, until the day of the resurrection of our bodies to glorious life for all eternity
- This day is described in 1 Thes 4:13-18
- One more event will happen later on, when God moves heaven to be on this earth
- Rev 21:1-5
- And as Eunice said, God always keeps his word
- These words are a great comfort at this time

Invitation

- Jesus came to this earth as a baby in a manger, and grew up to be a man, both human and divine, who died on a cross so that our sinful ways might be forgiven
- If we would like to have a relationship with Jesus it will require that we surrender the rest of our lives to Him
- The way to do this is to quietly tell Jesus that you are sorry for the way you have lived your life, you ask him to forgive you, and to be a part of your life, from this day onwards.
- If you do this, you are now a part of a family relationship with God as our father and all other Christians as our brothers and sisters.
- At the close of this service, you will be able to surrender your life to Jesus

SONG – 23rd PSALM