Faith Free Will Baptist Church

*HOW TO BECOME BETTER STEWARDS OF THE GOSPEL*

(Matt 28:16-20)

*Jesus not only has given the church power, but also a great responsibility.

*The word “steward” carries a great meaning: One who watches over the affairs of another.

(I Cor 4:1,2  Read)

*The Apostle Paul was clear in these verses that the saints have a great responsibility, that is to be faithful in the handling of the things of God.

*In (Luke 12) Jesus gives a parable concerning a wise and faithful steward and their reward (vs 48). Some of you have talents and are not using them.

*Unknown writer once wrote “A Christian is a mind thru which Christ thinks, a heart thru which Christ loves, a voice thru which Christ speaks, and a hand thru which Christ helps”.

With this said, “How can we become better steward of the gospel?”:

(1)    Know the gospel

(II Tim 2:15  Read)

*In these last days that are filled with false doctrines, I believe it is of utmost importance for Christians to know why they believe as they do.

* I cannot stress enough the need for us to read and study the bible daily.

*There are two main cults with false doctrines in the US.  In a survey taken from these two, they admitted that most of their growth comes from people in mainstream churches.  Who are they: Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses.

Question:

1)      What do you know about Jesus’ life?

2)      What do you know about why He came?

3)      What do you know about His death, His burial, His resurrection?

(Acts 17:10,11 Read)

(2)    Live the gospel

(Matt 5:13-16  Read)

*What good is it to say we believe the gospel if it does not bring a change in our lives, how we live, why we do or don’t do certain things?

(I Cor  4:9   & Col2:6   Read)

*People, families are watching how we live, how we handle things: some will mock us, but some will take notice we are true to living for Christ.  (I Pet 3:16  Read)

(3) Love the gospel

(Psalms 119:97,103,105  Read)

*I know I’ve talked about reading the bible, but do we love God’s word, do we see its work in our lives, do we see the necessity of it?

*Job who experienced such troubles as losing his children, his possessions said this : (Job 23:12 Read) .

1) Do we love it enough to think on it daily? (Psl 119:11 Read)

2) Do we love it enough to let it direct our life’s decisions?  (Psl 37) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

3) Do we love it enough to attend preaching?  (Rom 10:17  Read)

(4) Give the gospel

(Matt 28:20  Read)

(Psl 107:2  Read)

*Isn’t it amazing the many things we tell people about that comes into our lives?

1) Announce our engagements in getting married

2) Announce the birth of a baby

3) Buying a new car or house

*But yet we struggle with telling others of Christ.  (I Pet 3:15  Read)

Have you asked God to help you be a good steward of the gospel?

*THE LOSSES OF LOT*

(Gen 19:15-25)

It is tragic to see people lose things due to some great trouble that can sometimes come into our lives.

*You pick up the paper or see on the TV a family that lost all their possessions due to a fire or tornado or some other terrible event.  And if you have a heart, you are saddened for them.

*But more heartbreaking is to see a Christian brother or sister lose those things God has blessed them with thru sin and spiritual neglect.

*Sometimes Satan makes things look so good that we don’t take time to count the record and see there are more losses than gain is listening to his lies.

*Sin never adds but subtracts, takes away the blessings of God.

*In talking about Lot the Apostle Peter says: (II Pet 2) “That righteous Lot was vexed by the wicked living of those in Sodom and Gomorrah”. But as we will see Lot lost something very precious in his life, as do some Christian who slides backward from God.

(1) Lot lost his faith

*Lot was the nephew of Abraham who the bible calls “The Father of Faith” and “The Friend of God”

*There can be no doubt Lot knew about the things of God thru Abraham.

1) He knew what it was to talk with God

2) He knew what it was to worship God

3) He knew what it was to feel  God’s  presence

Yet Lot lost faith in God.

(vs 17-19 & 30  Read)

*Lot feared the place of protection God had established but also he feared Zoar the place he had chosen.

*Fear comes from the devil (I John 4:18 ) “fear hath torment”

(II Tim 1:7  Read)

*How tragic to see Christians lose faith, confidence in God and His word.

(2) Lot lost his finances

(vs 16  Read)

*In (chpt 13) we not only see Abraham was rich but also Lot.  God had richly blessed them both.

*In (chpt 14) we see Lot lose his entire possessions  due to an enemy King taking all his goods.  But Abraham gets them back for Lot.

*But in (chpt 19) when God brings judgment we see nothing taken by Lot as he flees nor restored back to him.  As a matter of fact the only thing mentioned taken out by Lot is the wine he got drunk with.

*God desire is to bless His children thru His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

(III John 2) “Beloved I wish above all thing that thou mayest  prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth .

*To that one who has drifted away from God, your soul is no longer prospering:

1) You have lost the riches of joy

2) You have lost the riches of peace

3) You have lost the riches of fellowship with God. God wants to restore you.

(Rom 8:32  Read)

(3) Lot lost his family

(vs 14,26,36  Read)

*Lot’s family had no confidence in his warnings.

*Lot’s family had no confidence in his leadership.

I believe Satan is working overtime to destroy the family.

To disrupt and corrupt the home: adultery, divorce, sanctity of marriage, rebellion, overcomes many homes, even Christian homes.

*The bible say “Husbands love your wives, wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord, children obey your parents “.

*How sad it is to see a Christian father or mother backslide on God and lose their testimony with the family.

*Trust broken, love hurt: all because of drifting away from the Savior.

(4) Lot lost his fruitfulness

(chpt 18:32  Read)

*Abraham knowing God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah pleads for their mercy: From 50 to 10 righteous and God would not destroy them.

*According to (II Pet 2:8) they only needed nine more righteous souls and they would be spared.

1) Sodom could have had a testimony if Lot had not compromised.

2) Sodom could have had more time to repent if Lot had prayed for them like Abraham did.

But Lot’s life had no effect on anyone. Does yours?

1)      Has anyone found Christ because of your testimony?

2)      Has anyone been encouraged to draw closer to Jesus because of your testimony?

(Phip 4:9) Apostle Paul said “Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you”.

*WONDERFUL AND HORRIBLE*

(Jer 5:30,31)

Brief history:

1)      Jeremiah was a young teen man and preached 40 years in Israel

2)      He prophesied the captivity of Judah

3)      For the most part his message to call the people to repent was largely rejected

4)      The word “repent” appears eleven times

5)      He is called the weeping prophet because of his brokenness for God’s backslidden people

6)      He is considered one of the most hated OT prophets because of his rebuke to the false prophets priests and kings.

*Every preacher of this generation would do well to live near the Book of Jeremiah in keeping their focus on truth.

(vs 30  Read)

*I think we all understand the word “horrible” but “wonderful” needs explaining: It actually can mean something good or bad.

*Meaning: That which causes surprise, amazement, appalling or astonishment.

This morning I want us to see both meanings of this word in (vs 30,31).

(1)    The bad of wonderful and horrible

(vs 30,31  Read)

Notice three statements:

1)      “The prophets prophesy falsely.”

*Matthew Henry states “Religion is never more dangerously attacked than under the color and pretence of divine revelation”.

*Jeremiah called them false prophets,  said God was giving them the words but they were not from God: (Jer 14:13-15  Read)

*Charles Lindbergh said “We must understand spiritual truths and apply them to our modern life”.

*Today the spiritual truth is we are flooded with false prophets: (II Pet 2:1,2  Read)

*It is not the big names of false prophets like Jim Jones, David Karesh or Sun Moon that trouble my heart the most; it is those in the pulpits this morning who:

1) Deny that the Word of God is without error

2) Deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God

3) Deny His blood shed for our sins

4) Deny His resurrection

5) Deny His coming again

(2)  “The priests bear rule by their means”

*Simply put this means: the priest who should hold up the cardinal truths of God’s Word and doctrine defile it by compromising.

(Jer 6:10) “The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

*How sad that today there are those who call themselves “Men of God” and in their pulpits reject the Word of God and compromise and accept wickedness:

1) Preach homosexuality as normal

2) Who do not cry out over the murder of 1 ½ million innocent babies a year

3) Who would accept a skunk as a member as long as they get money

(Jer 6:14,15  Read)

*God help those in leadership who are not broken over sin.

(3) “And My people love to have it so”

Notice the charge God brings against His so called people

(Jer 6:16,17  Read)

*Listen: We have people today who don’t mind preaching on sins as long as you don’t preach on their sins.

*How sad that there are those in churches today who are living in open sin and rebellion that are not broken over it.

*If it were possible they would do as King Jechakim did in (Jer 36) and take a knife and cut out the parts of the Word of God they don’t like.

*Must we compromise the have large churches?

(2) The Good of wonderful

*Jeremiah though hated of men, priests and kings stood faithful, though mocked and imprisoned with only water to drink and bread to eat stood faithful.

*The Apostle Paul gathered together the ministers of Ephesus and made this statement : (Act 20:26,27  Read)

*Living for Christ may not win you a popularity contest but it will bring God’s approval and blessings in your life.

*To the preachers, ss teacher and deacons:

1) Declare salvation thru Jesus Christ alone because you’ve experienced it

2) Teach tithing because you do it

3) Proclaim church attendance because you’re there when the doors are open

4) Tell others to pray because you spend time doing it

5) Uphold the Bible because you believe it is the True Word of God

*Let your life reveal what Apostle Paul said (Act 20:27  Read)

*Make the Good News Wonderful

*THE GUILT, THE GRACE, THE GLORY*

(Luke 23:32-46)

According to the scripture read, this is the day of the crucifixion of Christ.  A lot has taken place in a short time.  Just 33 ½ yrs before, God Immanuel was born of a virgin in a stable.  3 ½ years before this day Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry.  During that time He healed the blind, the cripple walked, the deaf were made to hear, the dead was raised, the hungry was fed, storms were made calm, the sinful were forgiven, but now He is being crucified, put to death between two thieves.

(I Pet 3:18  Read)

*Three hanging that day between heaven and earth:

One dying in sin

One dying because of sin

One dying for sin

*Much has taken place during the early morning hours before Jesus was led to Golgotha Hill.

*He had been questioned, beaten, spit upon, His beard plucked from His face, dressed in a royal robe and mocked.

*Now hanging upon the cross, He is stripped before all, His robe gambled for as people mocked Him.  (vs 35-37  Read)

*According to scripture both thieves also mocked Him.  (Mark 15:32) “and they that were crucified with Him reviled Him”

*Yet thru all this Jesus cried out to God for all those people (vs 34  Read).

1) Before He said “I thirst” he said “forgive them”

2) Before He said “My God, my God why has thou forsaken me” he said “forgive them”

3) Before He said “Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit” he said “forgive them”

*Because of this cry of love, of compassion, of mercy, a thief’s heart is broken and his eyes opened.

(Three things to notice about this thief):

(1)    His Guilt.

*He was out of Christ that morning  (vs 39-41  Read)

*This same man earlier that morning was mocking and ridiculing Jesus the same as the others, but now sees himself guilty and condemned justly.

*Sin brings guilt to:

1) To the married man or woman in adultery there is the guilt of betraying their spouse.

2) To the drunkard there is the guilt of hurting family.

*To those who have not believed upon the Son of God, there is the guilt, the condemnation of unbelief  (John 3:18  Read)

*The scripture declares all guilty before God (Rom 3:10  Rom 3:23   Rom 6:23  Read all)

(2) His Grace

*He was in Christ at noon.

*This man in the previous verse recognized his own guilt and unworthiness to live.

*But in Jesus Christ he saw hope, peace, forgiveness and life.

*Though he once mocked Jesus to save him from the cross: he now asked Jesus to save him by the cross (again read I Pet 3:18).

(3) His Glory

*He was with Christ at evening  (vs 43  Read)

*This thief condemned by man and without God who faces eternity in hell and anguish separated from the Lord, will now be with Him beholding the glory of Jesus for all eternity.

(John 14:1  Read)

*We don’t know much about this man, we do know he probably had a mother and father somewhere that loved him very much but maybe he was told he could never come home again because  he was a thief.

*But now he has found him a new home.  He has gone from quilt to glory by Jesus Christ.

*AT WITS END*

(PS 107:27,28 )

What have you given to the Lord?

1)      Your Life

2)      Your  family

3)      Your worries and cares

4)      Your failures

Whatever we are troubled with again and again is evidence that we need to commit those things to the Lord.

(vs 27) “at wits end”

The meaning carries an understanding that there is a situation we are trying to deal with but are unsuccessful.  It means:

1)      Nothing I can do

2)      I cannot work it out

3)      It is bigger than me but not bigger than God (Ps 108:12)

We need to be reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in (Rom 8:28 )

1)      There is no greatness without trouble  (Act 14)

2)      There is no growing without trouble (Act 12)

3)      There is no developing the Christ-like life in us without troubles (Act 28 )

(1)    The Lord we know

(vs 1)

Notice two things:

1)      God is good

The worst thing that could happen to us is listening to the devil and thinking God is not

as good toward us as He is toward others.

(John 8:44)

(Rom 2:4)

2)      God is merciful

In (Ps 136) All the verses contain “His mercy endureth forever.

(Ps 23:6)

(2)    The life we live

Notice four groups of people:

1)      People needing direction

(107:3-8 )

2)      People in need

(107:9-12)

3)      People who are healed

(107:17-21)

4)      People in trouble

(107:23-27)

These people are not brought low by sin but trouble in life.

(Job 14:1)

Are you at wits end, are you ready to say “Lord, I can’t handle this, I need help”.

*BUT SATAN HINDERED US*

(I Thess 2:18)

America has faced many enemies in our short history: Germany in WWI, Japan in WWII, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, the heartless terrorist of this generation.  But there is an enemy craftier, more hateful, and more destructive than any this world has ever faced.  He is the enemy called Satan, the devil whose ultimate goal is to bring God and any associated with Him down.

*In spite of the persecution and affliction the church at Thessalonica was doing quite well.  But in the text, we read how Satan successfully hindered the men of God at they attempted to reach more people for Christ.

Today I want us to notice how Satan hinders the unbelievers from coming to Christ.

(1)    He hinders by afflicting Christians

(Vs 14,15  Read)

*There is no doubt in my mind that Satan is behind the persecution and afflictions of the Church.  Both physically and spiritually.

*We also need to realize the Lord allows a certain amount of liberty in this.

*The best example of this is in the life of Job.

*Probably no one suffered more in such a short period of time than Job.

(Job 1:13-19)  Reveals two losses to Job:

1)      Property and servants: Job lost 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 she-donkeys plus servants.  In one day Job was completely bankrupt.

2)      Sons and daughters

(Job 2:7  Read)

*We cannot begin to understand the agony he must have been in.  Surely there was one who could offer a world of comfort, one he had know for many years, one who had seen him live for the Lord and encourage him to trust God.  But look at the word of his compassionate wife  (Job 2:9)

*The wealth and health preachers today say if you are sick you have no faith, but let them say that to:

Paul who said to Timothy “Take a little wine for his stomach sake”  (I Tim 5:23  & II Tim 4:20)

Paul who left Trophimus sick in Miletus

Paul who said Epaphrodutus fell ill and almost died  (Phil 2:25-30)

(2)    Satan hinders us from doing the work of God which would benefit us

(Matt 26)  Peter, James and John go with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Our Lord is in great distress in (vs 38) He tells them “watch with Me” after praying He returns to where they are and finds them sleeping (vs 40) “What could ye not watch with Me one hour” but notice what else He says (vs 41  Read)

*The Lord wants you to witness, read His Word, pray each day, attend church and do His good works and you would like to do those things.  You’ve mad promises to yourselves to serve God more faithfully.

1) You intend to talk to someone you know about Christ but something hinders you.

2) You want to come to more church services but something keeps coming up.

3) You want to tithe your income but your car broke down, or plumbing went bad.

4) You want to read your Bible daily but get busy and the day ends without you doing it.

*Satan will do his best to make you sleep when you should be watching, praying or working.

(3) Satan hinders us by keeping us from spreading God’s Word

(I Thes 2:16  Read)

*Satan will go to great lengths to keep you and I from sharing Christ with others.

*The ACLU and others will go to great lengths to keep the Gospel confined in the four walls of the local church.

*Several years back, a dean at Stanford University began to pressure Christian groups on campus to stop the practice of witnessing to other students.  He was angered not by the content of the message but the practice of telling others.  His opinion “You are implying that a person’s beliefs are inferior to your own.  It is self-righteous, biased and intolerant”.  Is it self-righteous and intolerant to want to see others know the joy of Christ and escape Hell?

(4) Satan hinders by sowing tares among the wheat

(Matt 13:25,39  Read)

Two questions:

1)      What is a tare?  It is a poisonous weed that looks very similar to the wheat.  At the beginning you can’t tell them apart and by the time they have grown together it would endanger the wheat if you try to separate it.

2)      What is a tare in the church?

*It is unsaved church members and unfortunately we may have some in this church.  They come regularly, they speak words which insinuate they are Christians.  But outside of these walls, their words, their deeds prove otherwise.

* How sad that the Holy Church of Christ is made to look hypocritical, a fake because  those professing to be Christians are seen staggering down a street in drunkenness .

*I cannot always see the difference between the tares and wheat but God can.

(5) Satan hinders the unsaved by stealing the seed or Word of God

(Luke 8:11,12  Read)

1)      He will try to keep your heart unprepared to receive God’s Word.  Got along with spouse all week till Sunday and argued all the way to church.

2)      He will try to keep you from hearing the Truth when it is offered.

Keep you daydreaming or occupied with something else in church.

Story is told of a minister that was preaching a church that had a wall pipe organ and he said “ I don’t know how many pipes are in the organ”.  A man hollered out “53”.

*FOUR BIBLE FACTS EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW*

(Job 14:1-7,14)

*Our world is faced with many questions: job, bank stabilities, safety of our people and children.  Sadly there are not many easy answers.

*The Book of Job is considered one of the oldest books in the Bible; it answers a lot of questions concerning man and God.

Yet, there are four great facts Job reveals that every generation needs to know:

(1)    Man’s frailty

(vs 1) “Man born of a woman is of a few days.”

*No matter the age we live to be, it never seems long enough.

*As flowers bloom in spring showing their radiant colors, soon fall comes and they wither: So is our life, time seems to move fast.

(Jam 4:14  Read)

*Our bodies as we get older are troubled by afflictions yet God has prepared us for incorruption (II Cor 5:1)

(2) Man’s troubles

(vs 1) “full of trouble”

(Job 5:7) “Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward.”

*No matter our age or nationality troubles, sorrows, disappointments come sometimes into our lives.

*Sometimes we say “Why me?”  The devil tells us something is wrong with our spiritual life.

*Yet rough times have come into the lives of good people: Joseph, Daniel, Paul; but the greatest of men knows our troubles and sorrows.

*In 33 ½ years Jesus lived on this earth.  He faced many troubling times

(Isa 53:3) “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”

*As Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, He came to His disciples Peter, James and John and said (Matt 26:38) “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful”.

(3) Man’s destiny with death

(Job 4:15  Read   &  Job 12:10  Read)

*No matter your status in life, rich or poor, king or servant, male or female: God knows your days (Job 7:1 Read)

*Our days are appointed and we must face death and God  (Heb 9:27)

*It is how we live and who we live for that determines whether we are ready to face death and God.

(Amos 4:12) “Prepare to meet thy God.”

(4) Man’s hope

(vs 7,14  Read)

*Since man’s creation he has looked for the Fountain of Youth.

*Ponce Deleon spent his life looking for that which did not exist, death crushed all his hopes.

*Billions of dollars are spent on creams and plastic surgery, but age takes all who use them, hopes.

Yet the greatest need, the greatest hope is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  (John 11:25,26  Read)

*SANCTIFICATION*

(I Thess 5:23)

Sanctification is a word rarely used in Christian circles.  I have rarely if at all heard a sermon or even a Sunday School class taught on this subject.  Unfortunately because of this its meaning is not clear to most Christians.

Notice three thoughts on Sanctification:

(1)    What is sanctification?

Four thoughts noted on this

1)      To be sanctified mean to be set apart.

*This is illustrated in the OT more frequently than the NT

Seventh Day (Gen 2:3) “And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”

*Even though we no longer worship on the Jewish Sabbath, we worship on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, it is a day set apart.  Not today, the world has taken over.

(Exo 13:2) tells us the first born of man and animal was to be sanctified.

(Leviticus) tell us of the sanctuary, the vessels in it to be sanctified.

2)      Sanctification is the work of God (vs 23 A)

*Sanctification is a matter of you allowing God to work out His will in your life.

3)    Sanctification is a continuous process

(Phil 1:6 )  “being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will

perform ( perfect) it until the day of Jesus Christ.

*Regeneration (being saved) is instantaneous but sanctification takes time.  There is the song “He’s Still Working on Me” and He will continue to do so till Jesus comes or you are taken in death.

4) Sanctification helps prepare the Christian for heaven

*Most people hope to go to heaven but few take the time to think whether they will enjoy heaven when they get there.

*By this I mean they are carnal Christians:

1) They enjoy listening to questionable music

2) They attend or watch questionable movies

3) They dress immodestly before others

*Heaven is a Holy place to be inhabited by Holy people.

(2) The Results of sanctification

Basically two results:

1)      You will grow spiritually  (Matt 5:48  Read)

*In life some things  grow stronger than others and usually it is due to what we eat and exercise.

*This is true in the Christian life, no one gets saved and is immediately a fully mature Christian.  It takes time to grow Christians.

*In (I Tim 3) Apostle Paul talks of not putting a novice (young in Christ) in a place of authority

2) The beginning of sanctification will radically change a life.  (I Cor 6:11  Read)

*The old nature is not eradicated but is counteracted.  That Adamic nature and the nature of the spirit of God are two different natures.  And I have found the one you feed the most will be the strongest.

(3) When does sanctification take place?

*This is a point of disagreement among bible believing Christians.

*There is a denomination that teaches a second work of grace after you get saved.  You first get saved and at some future time you will be sanctified.

*When you are sanctified the old Adamic (sinful nature) is eradicated (done away with) and you will no longer sin.

*I don’t believe that: I believe sanctification begins in the life of a person the moment they trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Question: How are we sanctified?   (Heb 13:12  Read)

*When we confess a sin and our desire is to let it go, Christ’s blood cleanses us and sets it apart from us.

(John 17:17) “Sanctify them thru thy truth; thy word is truth.”

The word has a cleansing effect, the more you know, the more you will mature.

*THE MEASURE OF A STRONG CHURCH*

(Heb 10:24,25)

*Someone once said “If absence makes the heart grow fonder, some people ought to love their church greatly” because they’re absent more than present.

*The practice of assembling with a church is important (Psl 122). Naturally we hope the congregation we assemble with is a strong one, but it may not always be the case.  In NT times there were many good congregations but some were not what they should have been.

(Rev 2) Church of Ephesus had left their first love

(Rev 3) Church of Laodiceans  had  become lukewarm

(Rev 3) Church of Philadelphia “thou has not denied my name”

*Question: What is the measure of a strong church?

*Some would say the building, some think the number of programs: Sunday School, choir, children’s church.

*Others think a smoothly run organizations without problems, but you can have all these things and still be dead.

*But I suggest a better measure is to be found when we think of the church in terms used in the Bible.

(1) A strong church functions like a body

1) The church is the body of Christ

(I Cor 12:27  Read)

*The church is an organism (it is living) not simply an organization.

2) The body of Christ has many members

(Rom 12:4,5  Read)

3) The body must have members who fulfill their function

(Eph 4:15,16  Read)

*We understand that a chain is as strong as its weakest link.  So is the body of Christ in the church.  We must all seek to do our part, if we are half-hearted then those who are doing all they can must also do your part.

(2) A strong church functions like a family

*The Apostle Paul told the church in Thessalonica they were good examples

(I Thes 4:9,10)

*A strong family is where there are certain things:

1) There is concern and care for each other.  Do we pray and lift up one another to God?

2) There is a genuine love that builds up each other.

3) There is a desire to spend time with each other.

(I Thess :12  Read)

(3) A strong church functions like a temple

*Temples were built to glorify and offer up praise to our Creator (I Cor 6:19,20)

(Psl 150:1) “Praise ye the Lord, praise God in His sanctuary.”

(Psl 145:3) “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

*Beloved:  When was the last time you just praised God? When was the last time you clapped in honor to Him?  When was the last time you just let go and let God take over?

(4) A strong church functions like a pure bride betrothed to Christ

Note two things:

1)      Christ offered Himself to enable His bride to be pure and holy

(Eph5:25-27  Read)

(II Cor 11:2  Read)

*He did this out of His great love for her.

2)  The bride makes herself ready

(Rev 19:7-9  Read)

*Are you ready for the marriage?

*Only thru the shed blood of Christ can you be made ready.

Does this church show;  The Measure of a Strong Church.

*INWARD PEACE THAT CONTROLS THE OUTWARD STORMS”

(Matt 8:23-27)

1)      Have you ever had a storm in your life?

2)       How many times have you faced problems, troubles, struggles?

(Phil 4:6,7)

The word careful mean worries.

(I Kings 19) Elijah’s troubles after a great victory.

Three thoughts to notice in (Matt 8:23-27):

(1)    The disciples followed Jesus

(vs 18,23)

(Psl 37:23)

(Rom 8:28 )

(Heb 13:5)

(2)    A great storm confronts them

(vs 24)

Notice two things:

1)      Storm represents troubles

2)      Ship represents our life

A physical, emotional, spiritual storm come into our lives and sometimes seems to knock the spiritual breath out of us.

(Matt 7:24-27)

Two things we can learn from the disciples:

1)      They knew Jesus was in the ship with them

2)      They called on Him, they knew He could help

(3)    The Master gives peace

(vs 26)

They acknowledge their own inability to control the storm.

(vs 27)