Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 01, 01/13/2008
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again in the same manner expecting a different result. I sometimes feel we are bordering insanity within the church system. We’ve actually become paranoid of change. Yet change real God led change is what we need, if the church is to survive.
Certainly God is challenging us as individuals to be more than a “Sunday Christian”! Without doubt He has been trying to show us that church is more than a four walled meeting hall.
But what does all that mean? What does that look like?
Chances are God’s already tugging on you to step out for Him and change your world. Note I said your world not the world.
You have a world outside these walls! Do you realize that we spend 70% of our life working in the Marketplace.
In the last 30 plus years in the ministry as a pastor, I have realized that fewer and fewer people are actually coming to church without a connection with that church, and that connection needs to be someone that they trust.
When I read the gospels and watch Jesus in His ministry here on earth, He spent little time in the temple and mega time in the marketplace.
It was in the marketplace that He connected with the people and it was in the marketplace where He healed, performed miracles and raised the dead.
I think we’ve gotten things a bit backwards in our ministries in the church in the last few decades. We’ve thought that if we can get a crowd in church, Jesus will show up and people will get saved healed and set free. I read in the Gospels that where Jesus showed up, on the street or in the church, crowds gathered and people were healed, saved and set free.
Each one of you has God given or God empowered gifts and abilities. You have hobbies and skills, if you as a believer take them into the marketplace, people will get to know you and begin to trust you and you’ll win the privilege of being heard.
This is a wonderful thing, to impact your community for the Lord. God wants us to shape and influence our co-workers. He is calling us to move from being a “Sunday Christian” to working for Him everyday.
To help us get a grip on this turn to Luke Chapter 19.
Luke 19:12-13 Jesus said, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said to them, Occupy till I come.
Luke 19:15-26 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds. And he said, you good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, you now have authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, you are over five cities. Another came, saying, Lord, behold, [here is] thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up that which you did not sow. And he said to him, Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Why did you not then give my money to the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with interest? And he said to them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that has ten pounds. And they said to him, Lord, he has ten pounds. I say to you, That to every one which has shall be given; and from him that has not, even that he has shall be taken away from him.
The key being 13b "Put this money to work until I come back" - which in the KJV is translated as "Occupy till I come"
Each of us will have to give a personal account for the extent to which the gift we have received of Christ has actually been put to use.
This parable holds a very important key for us today. It shows the challenge and the responsibility, that all of us face.
Salvation is a gift - what have you done with it?
We dare not give into the temptation to simply wait for the Lord’s return. To us, as to them, Jesus says, Put what I’ve given you to work until I return" or, "Occupy until I come".
I believe 2008 is to be the year of this type of Christianity to flow into our communities. We need to renew our expectation for amazing things to happen. We need to think outside the box!
Think - what that servant felt when his master said to him Because you’ve been trustworthy in a very small matter, I give you charge over 10 cities (v17)
But for the one who simply kept his gift in a cloth there was a harsh judgment. In fact even what he had been given him was taken away. He was described as an unprofitable servant, standing empty-handed before his master.
As we look ahead to another year, the question is what sort of return will there be for that which the Lord has placed in our hands: as individuals, and as a church?
Will it reflect faith-filled living that results in multiplication?
Will others be impacted by the consequences of our relationship with the Lord?
I believe we must resolve to take actions that open up the possibility of God-honoring multiplication.
The Lord has kingdom ground for us to take, but it will only happen in so far as we take steps into it. We need to get off of our butts, casting off the insanity of the same old same old and grab hold of Almighty God with a renewed resolve!
The Lord wants us to take whatever He has put in our hands, to, in the words of the parable, "trade with" or "do business with." You’ve heard it said, “use it or lose it!”
If we don’t make right choices our money - just like our time, will be wasted before we know what's happened to it
I pray that we together will for the glory of God by encouraging, equipping and mobilizing Christians bring Christ into the marketplace. Be yourself and let Jesus love them through you!
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23, NIV
"Final Encouragement"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 47 12/30/2007
Consider if you would; Jesus coming into this room today, looked you straight in the eye and said, "Hello friend." And then He had you stand up and He put his arm around you and looking at the rest of us He said, "This is my friend."
On what basis would Jesus say that about anyone of us here?
Take a look at John 15:12-17.
We could call this portion of scripture "What friends of Jesus look like”. Of course we are talking about character not in their appearance.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."
Jesus equates friendship with Him on the basis of how we love each other, as well as Him.
This is a great note for us to go out on!
Loving one another is the first priority of life in the church community.
Love is the greatest gift of all time. The Bible says that love will never end.
The proof of our friendship with Christ is demonstrated by our loving one another in the family of faith.
When it comes to human relationships there is a single commandment; That is to love one another.
And not just to love, but to love one another as He (Jesus) has loved us. He wraps up all the commandments into one. This is it. This is the big one.
God is love. And to love each other as He has loved us is the priority that Jesus sets out.
I remind you that He does not end the sentence with just love each other. He ends it with love each other, as I have loved you.
We cannot love each other the way that Jesus loves us, unless He lives inside of us. I have to die to myself and ask Christ to come into my life and love others through me.
As goes my relationship with Jesus, so goes my relationship with others!
Sometimes what we call love may be activity designed not to lose somebody's affection or approval. Or maybe we feel guilt and so we try to do good things for people.
The love, which Jesus speaks of is so different from anything else.
How did Jesus demonstrate His love?
First, He freely gave. Jesus did what he did for us without coercion. That's a great question to ask ourselves ...am I doing what I am doing freely?
Love, if it is truly divine is given freely.
The divine love that Jesus talks about is active goodness.
Jesus freely laid down what?
He freely laid down his life.
Divine love is sacrificial. In other words, when we love it's going to cost us something. It's may be time, or money. We may be discomforted in some way. There may be blood sweat or tears shed.
Among the many descriptions of love, Paul said that love does not insist on its own way.
True love does not insist that everyone fits the same spiritual mold. We need to move each other towards Christ, but there may be differences of opinion, like in a good marriage.
So here's how it works: "A loving community is a place where there can be difference, but one can still belong. It becomes a healing place and a converting place when its members have learned to stop trying to heal and convert."
See, if you believe something differently than I do, and I spend all my energy trying to get you to be where I am, I get in the way of love. But if I accept you where you are and we just say, let the Lord work it out, then love flows freely and people can share their opinions and they can share themselves.
They can share who they are and what they think without worrying about being devalued or judged. Even a person who comes in who is not a believer and says, You know I don't believe this and I don't believe that. That's okay, we love you. It's all right, come on, have coffee with us.
See, it is not our job to convert. It's only God's job to convert. Our job is to be the vessel of love that God does that through.
We are here because God called us and chose us to be here. And who is going to say to the Lord, you chose poorly?
As we accept and love each other especially in our differences, God can draw others to Christ through us. So loving each other, how we are with each other is our first form of witnessing to a hurting world.
Drill that into your mind. Our first form of witnessing, is how we are with one another.
At the 100th anniversary of the arrival of missionaries in what was once called the Belgian Congo, Christians gathered to celebrate. The festivities lasted all day with music, preaching, food, conversations and many reminisced about all that God had done and the progress of the gospel in that part of Africa. Near the end of the program a very old man stood up and said that he had to say something, or else a secret would go to the grave with him. It is something that nobody else knew and he felt it important to tell. He explained that when the first missionaries came to the Belgian Congo that the people didn't know whether to believe the message of Jesus or not and so in sort of a diabolical way they devised a plan to slowly and secretly poison the missionaries who had come to their shores. One by one, children and adults became ill and died and were buried. And it was when his people saw how the missionaries died and how they loved each other even in the midst of distressed they finally believed and they became Christians. Think of it, those missionaries never had a clue as to what was happening. They didn't even know they were martyrs. They didn't know they were being poisoned and didn't know why they were dying, but in the midst of their distress and their stresses, they continued to love each other. They loved Christ and they trusted him and so in their dying they taught others how to live. You know, sometimes we are not aware of why we go through troubles, why we go through struggles, but if we will love through them, if we will love through them, then a watching world will notice and will believe.
So my final charge, my final call, my final encouragement to you and I am speaking to myself, is that we love one another as Jesus loved us.
Freely.
Sacrificially.
Graciously.
So that the world might know that He has been sent. This is my command, love each other.
Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Puts up with anything, Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best, Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 47 12/30/2007
Consider if you would; Jesus coming into this room today, looked you straight in the eye and said, "Hello friend." And then He had you stand up and He put his arm around you and looking at the rest of us He said, "This is my friend."
On what basis would Jesus say that about anyone of us here?
Take a look at John 15:12-17.
We could call this portion of scripture "What friends of Jesus look like”. Of course we are talking about character not in their appearance.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."
Jesus equates friendship with Him on the basis of how we love each other, as well as Him.
This is a great note for us to go out on!
Loving one another is the first priority of life in the church community.
Love is the greatest gift of all time. The Bible says that love will never end.
The proof of our friendship with Christ is demonstrated by our loving one another in the family of faith.
When it comes to human relationships there is a single commandment; That is to love one another.
And not just to love, but to love one another as He (Jesus) has loved us. He wraps up all the commandments into one. This is it. This is the big one.
God is love. And to love each other as He has loved us is the priority that Jesus sets out.
I remind you that He does not end the sentence with just love each other. He ends it with love each other, as I have loved you.
We cannot love each other the way that Jesus loves us, unless He lives inside of us. I have to die to myself and ask Christ to come into my life and love others through me.
As goes my relationship with Jesus, so goes my relationship with others!
Sometimes what we call love may be activity designed not to lose somebody's affection or approval. Or maybe we feel guilt and so we try to do good things for people.
The love, which Jesus speaks of is so different from anything else.
How did Jesus demonstrate His love?
First, He freely gave. Jesus did what he did for us without coercion. That's a great question to ask ourselves ...am I doing what I am doing freely?
Love, if it is truly divine is given freely.
The divine love that Jesus talks about is active goodness.
Jesus freely laid down what?
He freely laid down his life.
Divine love is sacrificial. In other words, when we love it's going to cost us something. It's may be time, or money. We may be discomforted in some way. There may be blood sweat or tears shed.
Among the many descriptions of love, Paul said that love does not insist on its own way.
True love does not insist that everyone fits the same spiritual mold. We need to move each other towards Christ, but there may be differences of opinion, like in a good marriage.
So here's how it works: "A loving community is a place where there can be difference, but one can still belong. It becomes a healing place and a converting place when its members have learned to stop trying to heal and convert."
See, if you believe something differently than I do, and I spend all my energy trying to get you to be where I am, I get in the way of love. But if I accept you where you are and we just say, let the Lord work it out, then love flows freely and people can share their opinions and they can share themselves.
They can share who they are and what they think without worrying about being devalued or judged. Even a person who comes in who is not a believer and says, You know I don't believe this and I don't believe that. That's okay, we love you. It's all right, come on, have coffee with us.
See, it is not our job to convert. It's only God's job to convert. Our job is to be the vessel of love that God does that through.
We are here because God called us and chose us to be here. And who is going to say to the Lord, you chose poorly?
As we accept and love each other especially in our differences, God can draw others to Christ through us. So loving each other, how we are with each other is our first form of witnessing to a hurting world.
Drill that into your mind. Our first form of witnessing, is how we are with one another.
At the 100th anniversary of the arrival of missionaries in what was once called the Belgian Congo, Christians gathered to celebrate. The festivities lasted all day with music, preaching, food, conversations and many reminisced about all that God had done and the progress of the gospel in that part of Africa. Near the end of the program a very old man stood up and said that he had to say something, or else a secret would go to the grave with him. It is something that nobody else knew and he felt it important to tell. He explained that when the first missionaries came to the Belgian Congo that the people didn't know whether to believe the message of Jesus or not and so in sort of a diabolical way they devised a plan to slowly and secretly poison the missionaries who had come to their shores. One by one, children and adults became ill and died and were buried. And it was when his people saw how the missionaries died and how they loved each other even in the midst of distressed they finally believed and they became Christians. Think of it, those missionaries never had a clue as to what was happening. They didn't even know they were martyrs. They didn't know they were being poisoned and didn't know why they were dying, but in the midst of their distress and their stresses, they continued to love each other. They loved Christ and they trusted him and so in their dying they taught others how to live. You know, sometimes we are not aware of why we go through troubles, why we go through struggles, but if we will love through them, if we will love through them, then a watching world will notice and will believe.
So my final charge, my final call, my final encouragement to you and I am speaking to myself, is that we love one another as Jesus loved us.
Freely.
Sacrificially.
Graciously.
So that the world might know that He has been sent. This is my command, love each other.
Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Puts up with anything, Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best, Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
"Gifts"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 46 12/16/2007
It is the season of Christmas…. a wonderful time of year. A time for peace on earth and goodwill toward men.
Ask people about Christmas and most will say something about the giving and receiving of gifts.
When I purchase gifts for people, I try to be sensitive to their likes and dislikes, but I’m not nearly as good as Judi. She is the Queen of gift purchasers. Not only gifts, but stocking stuffers as well. We are so pathetic she buys for us to put in her stocking! God bless her.
I’m not sure how many of you remember the commercial where several people upon opening their gifts state sarcastically, “Thanks Santa, ya thanks Santa.”? It still cracks me up.
Although I am not always “right on” with my purchases I can thankfully say I haven’t heard too many of those comments.
How many of you find it easy to purchase gifts for people?
How many struggle with it?
I’d like to talk with you a few minutes regarding giving a gift to a very special person.
My foundation for this message comes from a blog posting by Max Lucado I read on a young lady’s blog. This posting is significant not only that it fits my message for today, but that it was posted by a single mom who we had the distinct privilege of helping find the Lord.
Not that long ago she and her two daughters were in a terrible state. Now praise the Lord, she is attending church. She prays on a daily basis and is surrounded by a tight support group.
Since she has received the gift of salvation, the gift that keeps on giving, her focus is now on pleasing God, rather than the darkness that was around her and her kids.
She in fact, prays nightly for the very ones that hurt her. That is what having God in us does.
Think about what God has done for you.
For this particular young lady there are no more lonely nights cowering behind a locked bedroom door. No more having to run barefoot through the snow, a child in each arm seeking a safe haven at the neighbor’s. She is no longer kept isolated from her parents and friends. Now she is enveloped in the arms of a loving God and kept by His saving power, supported by the family of God in her new community.
At Christmastime in our family, we draw names. This year I drew my daughter Rebecca’s name. I get to spoil her. I love spoiling her.
Suppose that within the family of God you of all people drew the Lord’s name.
What would you get him?
How could you possibly pick a gift for the One who not only has everything, but who made everything?
As a biblical example, we can look to the Wise Men. In addition to the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they gave the Lord some gifts that we can also give him today: their hope, their time and their worship.
The wandering wise men gave Jesus their hope.
When everyone else saw a night sky, this small band of men saw the light.
The sight of the star sparked a desire in their hearts that sent them packing. They went, seeking Jesus the King of Kings.
When night comes to your world, what do you see?
The darkness or the stars?
Hopelessness or hopefulness?
Now, my family lives on a ranch way out in what you town folk would call the sticks. When night falls and it gets dark, it gets dark! Black dark, not this sort of grayish charcoal. We are not subject to the street lights or the marquees.
For us, it is that darkness of the night that really defines the brightness of the stars.
There is something breath taking to see the thousands of twinkling stars on a dark, moonlit night.
Sometimes, just as He did so long ago, God uses the darkness to reveal His stars.
I remind you of John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness.”
Give God your hope for Christmas.
The wise men also gave God their time. Before they gave God their presents, they gave their presence.
It’s likely that these men traveled as long as 2 years before finding the prince of heaven.
Before that one incredible moment when they knelt before Jesus, the wise men spent many moments, months, perhaps years searching, in anticipation of that meeting.
Just as the wise men devoted themselves to seeking the Savior, so can you: “You will seek him and find him when you seek him with all your heart.”
Deuteronomy 4:29
And when they did find him, the wise men gave Jesus another gift: their worship.
Men of wealth, influence, and intellect….. what did the wise men do when they found Jesus? “They fell down and worshiped him.” Matthew 2:11
Worship! It’s a gift that extends to the giver as well.
Through worship, we come to see God more clearly.
God invites us, through worship, to see His face….. so He can change ours.
In worship, we simply stand before God with a prepared and willing heart and let God do His work. And He does.
He wipes away the tears.
He mops away the perspiration.
He softens our furrowed brows.
He touches our cheeks.
He changes our faces as we worship.
The wise men sought the child of God, just as God seeks his children.
“The Father is actively seeking such people to worship him.” John 4:23
The gifts of hope, time and worship are 3 gifts the wise still give.
May God add His blessing to this
wonderful Word!
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 46 12/16/2007
It is the season of Christmas…. a wonderful time of year. A time for peace on earth and goodwill toward men.
Ask people about Christmas and most will say something about the giving and receiving of gifts.
When I purchase gifts for people, I try to be sensitive to their likes and dislikes, but I’m not nearly as good as Judi. She is the Queen of gift purchasers. Not only gifts, but stocking stuffers as well. We are so pathetic she buys for us to put in her stocking! God bless her.
I’m not sure how many of you remember the commercial where several people upon opening their gifts state sarcastically, “Thanks Santa, ya thanks Santa.”? It still cracks me up.
Although I am not always “right on” with my purchases I can thankfully say I haven’t heard too many of those comments.
How many of you find it easy to purchase gifts for people?
How many struggle with it?
I’d like to talk with you a few minutes regarding giving a gift to a very special person.
My foundation for this message comes from a blog posting by Max Lucado I read on a young lady’s blog. This posting is significant not only that it fits my message for today, but that it was posted by a single mom who we had the distinct privilege of helping find the Lord.
Not that long ago she and her two daughters were in a terrible state. Now praise the Lord, she is attending church. She prays on a daily basis and is surrounded by a tight support group.
Since she has received the gift of salvation, the gift that keeps on giving, her focus is now on pleasing God, rather than the darkness that was around her and her kids.
She in fact, prays nightly for the very ones that hurt her. That is what having God in us does.
Think about what God has done for you.
For this particular young lady there are no more lonely nights cowering behind a locked bedroom door. No more having to run barefoot through the snow, a child in each arm seeking a safe haven at the neighbor’s. She is no longer kept isolated from her parents and friends. Now she is enveloped in the arms of a loving God and kept by His saving power, supported by the family of God in her new community.
At Christmastime in our family, we draw names. This year I drew my daughter Rebecca’s name. I get to spoil her. I love spoiling her.
Suppose that within the family of God you of all people drew the Lord’s name.
What would you get him?
How could you possibly pick a gift for the One who not only has everything, but who made everything?
As a biblical example, we can look to the Wise Men. In addition to the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they gave the Lord some gifts that we can also give him today: their hope, their time and their worship.
The wandering wise men gave Jesus their hope.
When everyone else saw a night sky, this small band of men saw the light.
The sight of the star sparked a desire in their hearts that sent them packing. They went, seeking Jesus the King of Kings.
When night comes to your world, what do you see?
The darkness or the stars?
Hopelessness or hopefulness?
Now, my family lives on a ranch way out in what you town folk would call the sticks. When night falls and it gets dark, it gets dark! Black dark, not this sort of grayish charcoal. We are not subject to the street lights or the marquees.
For us, it is that darkness of the night that really defines the brightness of the stars.
There is something breath taking to see the thousands of twinkling stars on a dark, moonlit night.
Sometimes, just as He did so long ago, God uses the darkness to reveal His stars.
I remind you of John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness.”
Give God your hope for Christmas.
The wise men also gave God their time. Before they gave God their presents, they gave their presence.
It’s likely that these men traveled as long as 2 years before finding the prince of heaven.
Before that one incredible moment when they knelt before Jesus, the wise men spent many moments, months, perhaps years searching, in anticipation of that meeting.
Just as the wise men devoted themselves to seeking the Savior, so can you: “You will seek him and find him when you seek him with all your heart.”
Deuteronomy 4:29
And when they did find him, the wise men gave Jesus another gift: their worship.
Men of wealth, influence, and intellect….. what did the wise men do when they found Jesus? “They fell down and worshiped him.” Matthew 2:11
Worship! It’s a gift that extends to the giver as well.
Through worship, we come to see God more clearly.
God invites us, through worship, to see His face….. so He can change ours.
In worship, we simply stand before God with a prepared and willing heart and let God do His work. And He does.
He wipes away the tears.
He mops away the perspiration.
He softens our furrowed brows.
He touches our cheeks.
He changes our faces as we worship.
The wise men sought the child of God, just as God seeks his children.
“The Father is actively seeking such people to worship him.” John 4:23
The gifts of hope, time and worship are 3 gifts the wise still give.
May God add His blessing to this
wonderful Word!
"Staying The Course"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 45 12/09/2007
In the first chapter of Nehemiah, Nehemiah was told of the great affliction and reproach brought upon the remnant people of God! He heard also that the wall around Jerusalem was broken down and that the gates of it were burned.
The Word tells us that when he heard these things he sat down and wept. He mourned, fasted and prayed for days.
He then reminds God of His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments, Nehemiah then confesses the sins of the children of Israel. He included himself; “...both I and my father's house have sinned.“
A righteous man always examines his own life first.
Nehemiah does not demand his rights, rather he reminds God of His great mercy!
Now Nehemiah was a cup bearer for the king and he prayed for something specific Nehemiah 1:11 grant me mercy in the sight of the king…
The king noticed something different about Nehemiah and asked what was wrong? The king listened to Nehemiah’s story and then asked how he could help… But before Nehemiah answered he prayed 2:4.
And then answered the king in the next verse. The king gave him time to go, letters of reference to be given to the governors beyond the river, a letter to the keeper of the king's forest, for timber to make beams, gates and the wall of the city, and for a house for Nehemiah. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God on me. The king even sent a small army of horseman to protect him.
So God set a plan into motion for Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. Now for the sinister twist.... when Sanballat and his servant Tobiah, heard of all that, it grieved them exceedingly! We’re not sure why, but they were ticked!
WHENEVER you try to repair the broken alter of your life;
WHENEVER you seek to do something about this temple (flesh);
WHENEVER you begin to build a wall of separation
You can bet the enemy of your soul will seek to turn up the heat of opposition!
He’ll try to get you to compromise.
He wants you to turn away from God’s calling. He wants you off the wall of God’s divine purpose.
WATCH and PRAY!
I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
You dare not neglect to WATCH and PRAY!
Satan’s bag of tricks has not changed - just as he tried with Nehemiah so he’ll try with you.... take a look and see if his tricks aren’t the same today:
RIDICULE AND MOCKING
Nehemiah 4:1 when Sanballat heard that we had built the wall, he was angry and took great indignation, mocking the Jews.
He said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Are they going to revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish?
Tobiah his servant so as not to be out done said, Even what they do build, if a little fox were to climb up on it, he would easily break it down!
Perhaps the devil has ridiculed or mocked you when you’ve taken a stand for Jesus!
Job 12:4 the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
FEAR AND INTIMIDATION
Nehemiah 6:1-9 When Sanballat and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall... they sent me an invitation, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But they thought to do me mischief. (Discernment!)
So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you? They sent the same invite four times and each time Nehemiah answered the same way!
Nehemiah 6:5-8 Sanballat sent his servant in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah.. So come now and let us take counsel together.
In today’s language Nehemiah’s reply would simply have been - NOT!
These things are untrue, you imagine them.
“An open letter” is a very divisive tool. Pastor on death bed - Pillow case
Nehemiah was then tempted to hide in the temple. But, because he had learned early to WATCH AND PRAY God was able to warn him.... “I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me.. he was hired, that I should be afraid and then in hiding in the temple I would sin.. giving them a matter for an evil report to reproach me.”
In our watching and praying God’s purposes can be distinguished from our enemies purposes and even from our own purposes!
The devil's plot was revealed in verse 19 to put me in fear.
The devil controls people through fear!
As a point of interest... Sanbal'lat means a thorn in secrete.
Let me encourage you with this truth, When someone persecutes a child of God, God Himself, personally takes up the cause!
When Paul was persecuting the church Jesus stopped him right in his tracks and said, Saul why do you persecute me!
THE JOINING
If you can't beat him, join him method.
Ezra 4:1-5...when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the temple walls were being built.. they came to Zerubbabel and said, Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and sacrifice to him.. But, the chief fathers of Israel, said, You have nothing to do with us building a house to our God; we ourselves will build for our God.
The devil’s true colours will show: Then those people who had offered to help began to oppose and weaken the hands of God’s people and troubled them in the building of the wall.
They even hired counsellors to frustrate their purpose!
HERE IS A KEY:
The agenda of our enemy is still to frustrate our God given purpose!
How did Nehemiah and his brethren finally complete the work?
The answer to this question will hopefully give us some good council tonight!
Here is the answer - They watched and prayed. Nehemiah 4:9 we prayed to our God, and set a watch day and night.
Most Christians are far too nieve when it comes to spiritual warfare! We far too often get involved way beyound the boundaries - the safe boundaries of watching and praying....
Nehemiah 4:16-21.. half of my servants continued in the work and the other half held the spears, the shields and the bows... the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
Nehemiah and his brethren put into effect God’s principle: WATCH & PRAY. The importance of WATCHING AND PRAYING cannot be over emphasized!
Refuse to be distracted! Refuse to get offf the wall of God’s purpose!
Job 17:9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.....
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 45 12/09/2007
In the first chapter of Nehemiah, Nehemiah was told of the great affliction and reproach brought upon the remnant people of God! He heard also that the wall around Jerusalem was broken down and that the gates of it were burned.
The Word tells us that when he heard these things he sat down and wept. He mourned, fasted and prayed for days.
He then reminds God of His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments, Nehemiah then confesses the sins of the children of Israel. He included himself; “...both I and my father's house have sinned.“
A righteous man always examines his own life first.
Nehemiah does not demand his rights, rather he reminds God of His great mercy!
Now Nehemiah was a cup bearer for the king and he prayed for something specific Nehemiah 1:11 grant me mercy in the sight of the king…
The king noticed something different about Nehemiah and asked what was wrong? The king listened to Nehemiah’s story and then asked how he could help… But before Nehemiah answered he prayed 2:4.
And then answered the king in the next verse. The king gave him time to go, letters of reference to be given to the governors beyond the river, a letter to the keeper of the king's forest, for timber to make beams, gates and the wall of the city, and for a house for Nehemiah. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God on me. The king even sent a small army of horseman to protect him.
So God set a plan into motion for Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. Now for the sinister twist.... when Sanballat and his servant Tobiah, heard of all that, it grieved them exceedingly! We’re not sure why, but they were ticked!
WHENEVER you try to repair the broken alter of your life;
WHENEVER you seek to do something about this temple (flesh);
WHENEVER you begin to build a wall of separation
You can bet the enemy of your soul will seek to turn up the heat of opposition!
He’ll try to get you to compromise.
He wants you to turn away from God’s calling. He wants you off the wall of God’s divine purpose.
WATCH and PRAY!
I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
You dare not neglect to WATCH and PRAY!
Satan’s bag of tricks has not changed - just as he tried with Nehemiah so he’ll try with you.... take a look and see if his tricks aren’t the same today:
RIDICULE AND MOCKING
Nehemiah 4:1 when Sanballat heard that we had built the wall, he was angry and took great indignation, mocking the Jews.
He said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Are they going to revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish?
Tobiah his servant so as not to be out done said, Even what they do build, if a little fox were to climb up on it, he would easily break it down!
Perhaps the devil has ridiculed or mocked you when you’ve taken a stand for Jesus!
Job 12:4 the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
FEAR AND INTIMIDATION
Nehemiah 6:1-9 When Sanballat and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall... they sent me an invitation, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But they thought to do me mischief. (Discernment!)
So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you? They sent the same invite four times and each time Nehemiah answered the same way!
Nehemiah 6:5-8 Sanballat sent his servant in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah.. So come now and let us take counsel together.
In today’s language Nehemiah’s reply would simply have been - NOT!
These things are untrue, you imagine them.
“An open letter” is a very divisive tool. Pastor on death bed - Pillow case
Nehemiah was then tempted to hide in the temple. But, because he had learned early to WATCH AND PRAY God was able to warn him.... “I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me.. he was hired, that I should be afraid and then in hiding in the temple I would sin.. giving them a matter for an evil report to reproach me.”
In our watching and praying God’s purposes can be distinguished from our enemies purposes and even from our own purposes!
The devil's plot was revealed in verse 19 to put me in fear.
The devil controls people through fear!
As a point of interest... Sanbal'lat means a thorn in secrete.
Let me encourage you with this truth, When someone persecutes a child of God, God Himself, personally takes up the cause!
When Paul was persecuting the church Jesus stopped him right in his tracks and said, Saul why do you persecute me!
THE JOINING
If you can't beat him, join him method.
Ezra 4:1-5...when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the temple walls were being built.. they came to Zerubbabel and said, Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do and sacrifice to him.. But, the chief fathers of Israel, said, You have nothing to do with us building a house to our God; we ourselves will build for our God.
The devil’s true colours will show: Then those people who had offered to help began to oppose and weaken the hands of God’s people and troubled them in the building of the wall.
They even hired counsellors to frustrate their purpose!
HERE IS A KEY:
The agenda of our enemy is still to frustrate our God given purpose!
How did Nehemiah and his brethren finally complete the work?
The answer to this question will hopefully give us some good council tonight!
Here is the answer - They watched and prayed. Nehemiah 4:9 we prayed to our God, and set a watch day and night.
Most Christians are far too nieve when it comes to spiritual warfare! We far too often get involved way beyound the boundaries - the safe boundaries of watching and praying....
Nehemiah 4:16-21.. half of my servants continued in the work and the other half held the spears, the shields and the bows... the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
Nehemiah and his brethren put into effect God’s principle: WATCH & PRAY. The importance of WATCHING AND PRAYING cannot be over emphasized!
Refuse to be distracted! Refuse to get offf the wall of God’s purpose!
Job 17:9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.....
"Hinderances To Serving"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 40 11/04/2007
Galatians 5:13 “…… by love serve one another.”
I don’t know about your response to last week’s message regarding serving others as a way of life, but for me it was a definite YBH moment. Yes But How?
I think it would be good to know what hinders our serving God. Perhaps by knowing what not to do, we can discover what we should be doing.
Your first step is prayer…serious prayer. I realize that some of you may find it difficult to change, but don’t just reject this challenge for Christian service by saying, “I can’t do that”!
Psalms 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation; uphold me with your free spirit. Then I’ll teach transgressors your ways; sinners shall be converted to you.”
You must take this before the Lord with an open and willing heart. Check to see if you have any attitudes or fears that we address this morning. If you do, deal with those things first, so your prayers will not be hindered.
10 hindrances to serving God:
1. Covetous Heart Desiring for yourself the gifts that God has given others. If we are jealous of others, we won’t be able to develop or be grateful for our own unique gifts.
Run from covetousness! I Corinthians 5:11 “Do not keep company with any man who is called a brother, if he is a fornicator, covetous, an idolater, a railer, a drunkard, or an extortioner; don’t even eat with them.”
I Corinthians 6:10 “No thief, or covetous, or drunkard, or revilers, or extortioner, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Ezekiel 33:31 “They hear my words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after what they covet.”
2. The “Baby Attitude” This person is set on serving God in a certain way, whether they are called or not. If they can’t do it their way, they won’t do it at all. This is
obviously an immature attitude, overflowing with selfishness, ego and pride.
I Corinthians 3:1 “I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.”
3. Blaming God Having the perception that if God wanted you to serve Him full time, He would have given you the gifts to do it. This is just a process for making excuses. Don’t blame God for your laziness and lack of creativity. Jesus has given us all gifts to use - not excuse.
Matthew 25:24-25 “Then he which had
received one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not plant. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: lo, here is what is yours.”
4. Unbelief The enemy has lied to many a saint - telling them that they are worthless, and have nothing of value to offer anyone. He has told you that you will fail at anything you attempt.
The sad part is that you believe it!
Matthew 13:58 “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Far too many of God’s children are being crippled by a lie. Each of us is infinitely valuable and precious to the Lord. We all have something to give. If you believe the scare tactics of the enemy the work will never get done.
5. Fear Of Man You care more what people think about you than what God thinks about you. So you settle for being complacent and have rendered yourself nearly useless to the Lord.
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
6. Unwilling To Count The Cost Many are just too selfish and self-centered to give up their plans and their dreams. BUT this is a very real part of being a Christian.
If you need money to do what God directs, then you may have to get a job, or sell some of your possessions. Many people stop right at that point.
It doesn’t bother them to spend money on themselves, but paying tuition or air fare to go somewhere their flesh doesn’t really want to go, is just too much to ask.
Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful: for he had many possessions.”
7. Delayed Obedience Delayed obedience is flat out disobedience!
Many of you already know what God wants. You are just putting it off. Anything not done in faith is sin!
Romans 14:23 “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
If you are not doing what you know the Lord wants you to do, skip the rest of this message and get right with God as quickly as you can.
8. The Normal Life Syndrome Deep inside you desire to live a “normal” life. Well, I think the disciples led normal Christian lives.
We should look to Jesus and the disciples as our example of “normality”.
Find something you believe in and give it all you’ve got! One hundred and ten percent…..24-7.
That is the example the scriptures give us. A “normal” life by our standards will not upset your family, or the devil for that matter. It is a life that won’t leave its mark on the world. It just kind of comes and goes…. Unnoticed, unproductive and uninspiring to all.
9. Unwilling Heart With their lips, this person says, “Lord please tell me what to do, but their heart says, “And then I’ll decide if I’m going to do it.”
Do not expect an answer from God if you have not decided before hand to obey whatever He asks of you.
I Kings 11:6 “And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD.”
10. The “Spiritual Stargazers” God probably won’t lay your whole future out before you as you pray about this. He may only show you one step at a time. If He tells you to “get some training”, don’t insist that He tell you exactly what you’ll be doing afterwards. He may not tell you that until you need to know.
Just purpose to take one obedient step after another as God reveals it to you.
Acts 1:11 “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 40 11/04/2007
Galatians 5:13 “…… by love serve one another.”
I don’t know about your response to last week’s message regarding serving others as a way of life, but for me it was a definite YBH moment. Yes But How?
I think it would be good to know what hinders our serving God. Perhaps by knowing what not to do, we can discover what we should be doing.
Your first step is prayer…serious prayer. I realize that some of you may find it difficult to change, but don’t just reject this challenge for Christian service by saying, “I can’t do that”!
Psalms 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation; uphold me with your free spirit. Then I’ll teach transgressors your ways; sinners shall be converted to you.”
You must take this before the Lord with an open and willing heart. Check to see if you have any attitudes or fears that we address this morning. If you do, deal with those things first, so your prayers will not be hindered.
10 hindrances to serving God:
1. Covetous Heart Desiring for yourself the gifts that God has given others. If we are jealous of others, we won’t be able to develop or be grateful for our own unique gifts.
Run from covetousness! I Corinthians 5:11 “Do not keep company with any man who is called a brother, if he is a fornicator, covetous, an idolater, a railer, a drunkard, or an extortioner; don’t even eat with them.”
I Corinthians 6:10 “No thief, or covetous, or drunkard, or revilers, or extortioner, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Ezekiel 33:31 “They hear my words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after what they covet.”
2. The “Baby Attitude” This person is set on serving God in a certain way, whether they are called or not. If they can’t do it their way, they won’t do it at all. This is
obviously an immature attitude, overflowing with selfishness, ego and pride.
I Corinthians 3:1 “I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.”
3. Blaming God Having the perception that if God wanted you to serve Him full time, He would have given you the gifts to do it. This is just a process for making excuses. Don’t blame God for your laziness and lack of creativity. Jesus has given us all gifts to use - not excuse.
Matthew 25:24-25 “Then he which had
received one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not plant. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: lo, here is what is yours.”
4. Unbelief The enemy has lied to many a saint - telling them that they are worthless, and have nothing of value to offer anyone. He has told you that you will fail at anything you attempt.
The sad part is that you believe it!
Matthew 13:58 “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Far too many of God’s children are being crippled by a lie. Each of us is infinitely valuable and precious to the Lord. We all have something to give. If you believe the scare tactics of the enemy the work will never get done.
5. Fear Of Man You care more what people think about you than what God thinks about you. So you settle for being complacent and have rendered yourself nearly useless to the Lord.
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
6. Unwilling To Count The Cost Many are just too selfish and self-centered to give up their plans and their dreams. BUT this is a very real part of being a Christian.
If you need money to do what God directs, then you may have to get a job, or sell some of your possessions. Many people stop right at that point.
It doesn’t bother them to spend money on themselves, but paying tuition or air fare to go somewhere their flesh doesn’t really want to go, is just too much to ask.
Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful: for he had many possessions.”
7. Delayed Obedience Delayed obedience is flat out disobedience!
Many of you already know what God wants. You are just putting it off. Anything not done in faith is sin!
Romans 14:23 “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
If you are not doing what you know the Lord wants you to do, skip the rest of this message and get right with God as quickly as you can.
8. The Normal Life Syndrome Deep inside you desire to live a “normal” life. Well, I think the disciples led normal Christian lives.
We should look to Jesus and the disciples as our example of “normality”.
Find something you believe in and give it all you’ve got! One hundred and ten percent…..24-7.
That is the example the scriptures give us. A “normal” life by our standards will not upset your family, or the devil for that matter. It is a life that won’t leave its mark on the world. It just kind of comes and goes…. Unnoticed, unproductive and uninspiring to all.
9. Unwilling Heart With their lips, this person says, “Lord please tell me what to do, but their heart says, “And then I’ll decide if I’m going to do it.”
Do not expect an answer from God if you have not decided before hand to obey whatever He asks of you.
I Kings 11:6 “And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD.”
10. The “Spiritual Stargazers” God probably won’t lay your whole future out before you as you pray about this. He may only show you one step at a time. If He tells you to “get some training”, don’t insist that He tell you exactly what you’ll be doing afterwards. He may not tell you that until you need to know.
Just purpose to take one obedient step after another as God reveals it to you.
Acts 1:11 “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
"Remembering"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 41 11/11/2007
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go; to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3
My prayer is that our hearts will be rekindled with a new flame concerning the blessed hope of our Savior's return.
The apostles had a lot to say about our Lord's return.
Paul shows us the resurrection of the dead and the translation of the living saints at our Lord's return in I Corinthians 15.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gives the great assurance of the coming of the Savior… We’ll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Peter writes that there is a new world coming. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. II Peter 3:13
The apostle James believed in the second coming of the Lord. Be patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. James 5:8
Hebrews 10:35-38 certainly encourages and warns us not to cast away our confidence in His coming.
Paul calls the second coming the Blessed Hope. Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13
John in his book of Revelation wrote 22 chapters having to do with salvation, signs of Christ's return and the actual, literal, personal, visible and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that the Lord is coming very soon.
We’ve only a little time left to present the truth that is able to convert souls. We are to present it in the utmost simplicity, even as Christ presented it, so people can understand it.
There are basically four themes between the covers of a Bible: Creation, Sin, The First Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christ came the first time He took care of the sin problem; when He comes again He will take on sorrow and death.
I heard of an old preacher who was presenting a powerful sermon on the Second Coming, and a man who did not believe it rose to his feet and said, You can't get that out of the Bible. The preacher paused and said, You sir are right, you can't. It's in there and you can't get it out. It is in there to stay.
If we believe Jesus died and rose again, then those which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him I Thessalonians 4:14
Every time the gospel is preached, every time a person comes to know the Lord through the saving grace of the gospel, it reminds us of His return. In the gospel, we find the sin of the sinner forgiven and the salvation of the Lord bestowed.
His first coming was promised in Genesis 3:15 and that promise was kept by a real and literal advent. Now, friend, since God kept His first promise of the Savior's first advent, we can be assured that He will keep His second promise of the second advent. I WILL COME AGAIN John 14:3
There are several reasons why the Lord must return.
First, He must return because of the flood and because of Sodom and Gomorrah! If the Lord doesn’t return and punish sin in our world today, He’d need to apologize to the people of Noah's generation and the people of Lot's time.
Second, the Lord must keep faith with the dead saints. Those blessed saints who died in the Lord were promised a resurrection from the grave and life without end. He will come again to keep that promise and to keep faith with the saints.
Third, the Lord must secure the universe. Satan, sin and sorrow have marred the universe and this must be brought to an end. His return and the creation of a new world will take care of this: There is a new world coming.
Fourth, He is coming again because love cannot tolerate separation. Love cannot put up with separation, it cannot endure separation. The Lord longs to be with His people.
And fifth, He must return to finish what He started. What He began must be ended. Sin was taken care of at the cross. John 19:30 Now, He will return to change these vile bodies and give us a body like His. Philippians 3:21
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:16,17
His coming will be PERSONAL. Verse 16 the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
His coming will be SUDDEN. Be ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes Matthew 24:44
A Scotch preacher asked some people, Do you think Jesus will come today? They said, No, we think not. The preacher replied, In an hour that you think not the Son of man comes.
When Noah was expecting the flood, he went ahead building the ark and preaching concerning the coming flood.
While he waited, he worked, and while he worked, he witnessed.
And that is how it should be with the church today.
We must occupy until He comes.
His coming will be VISIBLE. There will be no secret rapture.
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kinds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so Amen. Revelation 1:7
What kind of people should we be?
II Peter 3:14 says, Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be DILIGENT that you may be found of him in PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, and BLAMELESS.
DILIGENT: It is a sad, tragic thought to know that many will be left behind because they haven’t made preparation for that day.
PEACE: Peace with God and peace with others. Every sin confessed, every sin forgiven, every sin washed by the blood.
WITHOUT SPOT: When we come to God through His Son, we are clothed with the robe of His righteousness just like in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) and the robe for the marriage supper. (Matthew 22:11)
BLAMELESS: John, the beloved, was standing on the Isle of Patmos when Jesus came to him and said, Behold, I come quickly The old saint of God looked up longingly and cried, Even so come, Lord Jesus.
John Newton the converted slave-dealer, who wrote the universally loved hymn "Amazing Grace," wrote, if I ever reach heaven, I expect to find 3 wonders:
to meet some I had not thought to see there
to miss some I had thought to meet there
the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there!
And it is that greatest wonder that will cause all of God's children to fall on their knees in gratitude for God's amazing grace. But why wait, now is the time to begin expressing our gratitude.
Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Let each of us be there.
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 41 11/11/2007
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go; to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3
My prayer is that our hearts will be rekindled with a new flame concerning the blessed hope of our Savior's return.
The apostles had a lot to say about our Lord's return.
Paul shows us the resurrection of the dead and the translation of the living saints at our Lord's return in I Corinthians 15.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gives the great assurance of the coming of the Savior… We’ll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Peter writes that there is a new world coming. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. II Peter 3:13
The apostle James believed in the second coming of the Lord. Be patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. James 5:8
Hebrews 10:35-38 certainly encourages and warns us not to cast away our confidence in His coming.
Paul calls the second coming the Blessed Hope. Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13
John in his book of Revelation wrote 22 chapters having to do with salvation, signs of Christ's return and the actual, literal, personal, visible and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that the Lord is coming very soon.
We’ve only a little time left to present the truth that is able to convert souls. We are to present it in the utmost simplicity, even as Christ presented it, so people can understand it.
There are basically four themes between the covers of a Bible: Creation, Sin, The First Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christ came the first time He took care of the sin problem; when He comes again He will take on sorrow and death.
I heard of an old preacher who was presenting a powerful sermon on the Second Coming, and a man who did not believe it rose to his feet and said, You can't get that out of the Bible. The preacher paused and said, You sir are right, you can't. It's in there and you can't get it out. It is in there to stay.
If we believe Jesus died and rose again, then those which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him I Thessalonians 4:14
Every time the gospel is preached, every time a person comes to know the Lord through the saving grace of the gospel, it reminds us of His return. In the gospel, we find the sin of the sinner forgiven and the salvation of the Lord bestowed.
His first coming was promised in Genesis 3:15 and that promise was kept by a real and literal advent. Now, friend, since God kept His first promise of the Savior's first advent, we can be assured that He will keep His second promise of the second advent. I WILL COME AGAIN John 14:3
There are several reasons why the Lord must return.
First, He must return because of the flood and because of Sodom and Gomorrah! If the Lord doesn’t return and punish sin in our world today, He’d need to apologize to the people of Noah's generation and the people of Lot's time.
Second, the Lord must keep faith with the dead saints. Those blessed saints who died in the Lord were promised a resurrection from the grave and life without end. He will come again to keep that promise and to keep faith with the saints.
Third, the Lord must secure the universe. Satan, sin and sorrow have marred the universe and this must be brought to an end. His return and the creation of a new world will take care of this: There is a new world coming.
Fourth, He is coming again because love cannot tolerate separation. Love cannot put up with separation, it cannot endure separation. The Lord longs to be with His people.
And fifth, He must return to finish what He started. What He began must be ended. Sin was taken care of at the cross. John 19:30 Now, He will return to change these vile bodies and give us a body like His. Philippians 3:21
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:16,17
His coming will be PERSONAL. Verse 16 the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
His coming will be SUDDEN. Be ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes Matthew 24:44
A Scotch preacher asked some people, Do you think Jesus will come today? They said, No, we think not. The preacher replied, In an hour that you think not the Son of man comes.
When Noah was expecting the flood, he went ahead building the ark and preaching concerning the coming flood.
While he waited, he worked, and while he worked, he witnessed.
And that is how it should be with the church today.
We must occupy until He comes.
His coming will be VISIBLE. There will be no secret rapture.
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kinds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so Amen. Revelation 1:7
What kind of people should we be?
II Peter 3:14 says, Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be DILIGENT that you may be found of him in PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, and BLAMELESS.
DILIGENT: It is a sad, tragic thought to know that many will be left behind because they haven’t made preparation for that day.
PEACE: Peace with God and peace with others. Every sin confessed, every sin forgiven, every sin washed by the blood.
WITHOUT SPOT: When we come to God through His Son, we are clothed with the robe of His righteousness just like in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) and the robe for the marriage supper. (Matthew 22:11)
BLAMELESS: John, the beloved, was standing on the Isle of Patmos when Jesus came to him and said, Behold, I come quickly The old saint of God looked up longingly and cried, Even so come, Lord Jesus.
John Newton the converted slave-dealer, who wrote the universally loved hymn "Amazing Grace," wrote, if I ever reach heaven, I expect to find 3 wonders:
to meet some I had not thought to see there
to miss some I had thought to meet there
the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there!
And it is that greatest wonder that will cause all of God's children to fall on their knees in gratitude for God's amazing grace. But why wait, now is the time to begin expressing our gratitude.
Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Let each of us be there.
"Revive Us Oh Lord"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 43 11/25/2007
We are in the final days before revival right now, and we are asking God for something more than an emotional high. I do not believe that revival will come until we are broken over our sin. This morning, I want to prepare you for Revival.
There are several principles regarding revival:
God Is Looking to Do a Great Work
II Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.”
God Is Attracted to Brokenness
Psalm 51:16-17 “You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.”
God Is Found When Sought
Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
The Effects of Revival:
Revival Turns Away God’s Anger
II Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
A Personal Hope and Future
Revival is the people of God living in the power of an ungrieved, unquenched Spirit.
Vance Havner: I had a friend who once asked me why God wasn’t blessing him, but all he meant was financially. My response to him was, “What if God’s idea of blessing you means that you are head-over-heels in love with your wife?” This is what God can do for you.
A Religious Hope and Future
Revival is the church falling in love with Jesus all over again.
Revival leads churches to fight hell rather than each other
Revival leads churches to fulfill the Great Commission
Revival leads churches to worship God
Revival leads churches to train leaders
Revival leads nations to repentance
Revival leads to a renewed commitment to God
Jonah 3:1-10 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you. So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the Lord’s command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk. Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, In 40 days Nineveh will be overthrown! The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least. When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he issued a decree in Nineveh: By order of the king and his nobles: No man or beast, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water. Furthermore, both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish. Then God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.”
Revival Releases God’s Power on Earth
Psalm 34:3-7 “Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard [him] and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”
Focus on the need for Revival
Immorality is high. It is estimated that more than 30 million babies are aborted each year world-wide, and as a nation we ponder whether it is ethical. Our country has legalized same-sex marriages. The porn industry booms because of freedom of speech while Christian boys and girls have been reprimanded for bringing Bibles to schools. The religion of atheism is forced on students, while the Ten Commandments are removed to prevent offending someone.
We call ourselves a Christian nation,
but we have not had a significant
movement of God in this country in more than 100 years and it shows.
We need to see the lost turn to God and be saved. We need to see the church stand up and do it! The greatest need in the church is: REVIVAL!
The church has lost its focus and is so busy squabbling over the color of the carpet or “he-said” - “she-said”, that the Great Commission is going unheeded. The church is in an apathetic, powerless state so that the gospel is rarely shared, let alone lived. As a result, conversions and baptisms are down. The reputation of the church to the outside world is that of a people judging, money begging, disinterested, irrelevant and compassionless.
We need to get our focus off the junk and back on reaching the lost for Jesus Christ!
The greatest need in your life I believe, is a brokenness that leads to weeping over your sin. I am talking about a turn from sin to Godliness, resulting in you walking with God in a meaningful and powerful way.
Isaiah 1:16-20 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause. Come, let us discuss this, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
God has taken your sins which were like scarlet and made you white as wool! This comes through repentance and brokenness.
Some folk don’t like to hear much about repentance; but it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I’d want to die preaching repentance, and if die out of the pulpit I’d desire to die practicing it.
In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior.
Allow God to deal with your Hard Heart:
You don’t have to be an atheist to have a hard heart towards God.
When was the last time you couldn’t wait to open your Bible to see what God has to say?
When was the last time you prayed to God, and focused only on Him?
When was the last time you sang a song and didn’t think about whether you liked the sound?
A.W. Tozer,said, “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.”
The Revival Prayer: Start with Me!
Once a man asked an evangelist, “How can we have revival?”
The evangelist answered by asking, “Do you have a place where you can pray?”
“Yes”, the man replied.
“Here’s what you need to do. Go to that place and take a piece of chalk along. Kneel down there, and with the chalk draw a complete circle around you and pray for God to send revival on everything inside that circle. Stay there until He answers, and you will have your revival.”
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 43 11/25/2007
We are in the final days before revival right now, and we are asking God for something more than an emotional high. I do not believe that revival will come until we are broken over our sin. This morning, I want to prepare you for Revival.
There are several principles regarding revival:
God Is Looking to Do a Great Work
II Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.”
God Is Attracted to Brokenness
Psalm 51:16-17 “You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.”
God Is Found When Sought
Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
The Effects of Revival:
Revival Turns Away God’s Anger
II Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
A Personal Hope and Future
Revival is the people of God living in the power of an ungrieved, unquenched Spirit.
Vance Havner: I had a friend who once asked me why God wasn’t blessing him, but all he meant was financially. My response to him was, “What if God’s idea of blessing you means that you are head-over-heels in love with your wife?” This is what God can do for you.
A Religious Hope and Future
Revival is the church falling in love with Jesus all over again.
Revival leads churches to fight hell rather than each other
Revival leads churches to fulfill the Great Commission
Revival leads churches to worship God
Revival leads churches to train leaders
Revival leads nations to repentance
Revival leads to a renewed commitment to God
Jonah 3:1-10 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you. So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the Lord’s command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk. Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, In 40 days Nineveh will be overthrown! The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least. When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he issued a decree in Nineveh: By order of the king and his nobles: No man or beast, herd or flock, is to taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink water. Furthermore, both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from the violence he is doing. Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish. Then God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.”
Revival Releases God’s Power on Earth
Psalm 34:3-7 “Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard [him] and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”
Focus on the need for Revival
Immorality is high. It is estimated that more than 30 million babies are aborted each year world-wide, and as a nation we ponder whether it is ethical. Our country has legalized same-sex marriages. The porn industry booms because of freedom of speech while Christian boys and girls have been reprimanded for bringing Bibles to schools. The religion of atheism is forced on students, while the Ten Commandments are removed to prevent offending someone.
We call ourselves a Christian nation,
but we have not had a significant
movement of God in this country in more than 100 years and it shows.
We need to see the lost turn to God and be saved. We need to see the church stand up and do it! The greatest need in the church is: REVIVAL!
The church has lost its focus and is so busy squabbling over the color of the carpet or “he-said” - “she-said”, that the Great Commission is going unheeded. The church is in an apathetic, powerless state so that the gospel is rarely shared, let alone lived. As a result, conversions and baptisms are down. The reputation of the church to the outside world is that of a people judging, money begging, disinterested, irrelevant and compassionless.
We need to get our focus off the junk and back on reaching the lost for Jesus Christ!
The greatest need in your life I believe, is a brokenness that leads to weeping over your sin. I am talking about a turn from sin to Godliness, resulting in you walking with God in a meaningful and powerful way.
Isaiah 1:16-20 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause. Come, let us discuss this, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
God has taken your sins which were like scarlet and made you white as wool! This comes through repentance and brokenness.
Some folk don’t like to hear much about repentance; but it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I’d want to die preaching repentance, and if die out of the pulpit I’d desire to die practicing it.
In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior.
Allow God to deal with your Hard Heart:
You don’t have to be an atheist to have a hard heart towards God.
When was the last time you couldn’t wait to open your Bible to see what God has to say?
When was the last time you prayed to God, and focused only on Him?
When was the last time you sang a song and didn’t think about whether you liked the sound?
A.W. Tozer,said, “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.”
The Revival Prayer: Start with Me!
Once a man asked an evangelist, “How can we have revival?”
The evangelist answered by asking, “Do you have a place where you can pray?”
“Yes”, the man replied.
“Here’s what you need to do. Go to that place and take a piece of chalk along. Kneel down there, and with the chalk draw a complete circle around you and pray for God to send revival on everything inside that circle. Stay there until He answers, and you will have your revival.”
"The Power Of Friendship"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 42 11/18/2007
The Scribes and Sadducees of Jesus' day debated about which was the greatest commandment and they asked Jesus about it. He told them, first, to love the Lord, with all their heart, soul, mind and strength; and second was to love their neighbor as themselves. Matthew 22:37-38
People in the world are looking for real answers. They want to be part of something that works. Too much of what they've seen called "Christianity" hasn't worked.
We've disappointed them for one reason or another and they just don't believe our message. The number ONE reason people give for not being interested in receiving Christ is the lives of Christians they've known.
Unsaved people hear us "talk" about how God changes us but they don't see a real change in our lives. We have to "walk the talk." If there's no real change in us, if unsaved people look at us and believe they're just as good or even better than us, why would they want to change to be like us?
The first step in evangelism is living a changed life; living a "reconciled" life. The second step is becoming their friend.
That brings me to the importance of Friendship Evangelism. It begins with our having a deep and viable relationship with God. If your life is full and rich, it's just natural to tell others about what's so great about your life. But if it isn't, well, there's not much you can say. Start by enjoying your relationship with God.
Remember that "evangelism" is more than just leading someone to receive Christ as their Savior. The "good news" of Christianity is more than just starting with Christ. It's "finishing" with Christ.
The best evangelism takes place in a context of mutual trust and respect. It takes place between friends.
Christians need to care about the people they hope to reach.
Christians need to accept the people they hope to reach.
Christians need to love the people they hope to reach.
Christians need to establish meaningful relationships with the people they hope to reach.
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
The best evangelism comes when you really love and care about someone. Demonstrate your love for others. Show them, don't just tell them.
How do you do that? Lots of ways:
Think about them.
Pray for them.
Look for opportunities to show His love for them.
Go out of your way to do good things for them.
Be the best friend they have ever had.
Let God's love pour through you to them.
Share God's truths with them. Keep in mind that we are God's "ambassadors”, as though God Himself was making His love appeal through us.
An ambassador speaks on behalf of the leader of his nation and makes an appeal to the one in opposition. Unsaved people are just like what we once were: lost, separated from God, in the dark, dead in sin.
God makes His appeal to them through us. We are conduits of Grace. This means you need to know what the Bible teaches.
Show them the way to Christ, by sharing with them how you started your relationship with Christ.
Once they begin their own relationship with Christ, stay close to them, like you would a newborn baby. A new Christian needs lots of guidance. Continue to be their friend. Remember what it was like when you were a new believer.
Help them become grounded in God's Word. Show them the kind of life God has for His children. Demonstrate it.
Pray for them day and night. Never give up.
Being a friend is something we can all do.
You and I can make the difference in a the lives of a lot of people during our lifetime. If every believer would be a friend to someone and gently lead them into a relationship with Christ ... what a world we would see!
God's eternal purpose is the redemption of man Ephesians 3:8-11.
God gave His only Son to die on our behalf Romans 5:8.
There is nothing dearer to the heart of God than the salvation of lost souls John 3:16.
Q. Who do we have the greatest influence over? A. Our relatives, friends and associates.
Friendship evangelism is the most effective and the simplest way to bring people to the Lord. There are husbands and wives who have been won to Christ by their spouses; there are children who have been won by their parents and perhaps grandchildren. Others have been won by their friends and associates on the job. Older Christians have a wonderful opportunity to have a positive influence on the generation behind them.
Friendship evangelism was practiced in New Testament times. In John 4:53, there is a story about a man whose son is healed and he and his whole house believed. Andrew followed Jesus and brought his brother Peter to Him. John 1:40-42
Philip introduced his friend Nathaniel to Jesus John 1:43-45
In Acts 10 we read how Cornelius sent for Peter to come and tell him words whereby he might be saved. When Peter arrived, Cornelius had gathered his friends and family together to hear what Peter had to say.
Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching Christ. an earthquake came causing the prison to be opened the prisoners were loosed from their chains and the doors to be opened.
The jailer was about to take his life. They said, Do yourself no harm: for we are all here. Then he invited them to his home. In a short time, this man became a believer in Christ and was baptized along with all his family Acts 16:22-31.
What about our friends and associates? In Mark 5:19, we read of a man who was healed and then wanted to go with Jesus. But, Jesus replied: Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.
The Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well, Jesus was there and He engaged her in conversation and she soon decided he was from God. She left her water pot and went back into the city and brought her friends to hear Jesus. Many became believers because of her influence. Although she was not a disciple at that time, she did believe that He was sent from God and she led others to believe upon Him John 4
When Jesus was going through Jericho there was a little short man named Zacchaeus who climbed up into a tree to get a better view.
Jesus saw him and said, Come down, for today I must stay at your house Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was a tax collector an occupation that was despised among the Jews. I don't know what all Jesus said to him, but he made a friend of him very quickly and the man showed repentance and a desire to change his life.
Use every single opportunity to spread the gospel with everyone that comes my way. We need to be soul-conscious. Often we never get around to doing what we know we ought to do. We may wait until it is too late. I mean who knows whether that person is going to live another day? Who knows whether they will ever hear the Gospel?
True Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth and wherever they go they ought to touch every life with the Gospel. Studies have shown that the fastest growing churches are loving churches.
I believe that love is the root of friendship evangelism. Something in your heart has to say that you care about the other person. I wish we could love all people as we see them and have concern for where they will spend eternity.
We can hold the right doctrinal positions, come to every service of the church, take the Lord's Supper every Sunday, and give of our means, but if we do not learn to love it is not worth anything.
"Remembering"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 41 11/11/2007
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 41 11/11/2007
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go; to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3
My prayer is that our hearts will be rekindled with a new flame concerning the blessed hope of our Savior's return.
The apostles had a lot to say about our Lord's return.
Paul shows us the resurrection of the dead and the translation of the living saints at our Lord's return in I Corinthians 15.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gives the great assurance of the coming of the Savior… We’ll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Peter writes that there is a new world coming. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. II Peter 3:13
The apostle James believed in the second coming of the Lord. Be patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. James 5:8
Hebrews 10:35-38 certainly encourages and warns us not to cast away our confidence in His coming.
Paul calls the second coming the Blessed Hope. Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13
John in his book of Revelation wrote 22 chapters having to do with salvation, signs of Christ's return and the actual, literal, personal, visible and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that the Lord is coming very soon.
We’ve only a little time left to present the truth that is able to convert souls. We are to present it in the utmost simplicity, even as Christ presented it, so people can understand it.
There are basically four themes between the covers of a Bible: Creation, Sin, The First Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Christ came the first time He took care of the sin problem; when He comes again He will take on sorrow and death.
I heard of an old preacher who was presenting a powerful sermon on the Second Coming, and a man who did not believe it rose to his feet and said, You can't get that out of the Bible. The preacher paused and said, You sir are right, you can't. It's in there and you can't get it out. It is in there to stay.
If we believe Jesus died and rose again, then those which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him I Thessalonians 4:14
Every time the gospel is preached, every time a person comes to know the Lord through the saving grace of the gospel, it reminds us of His return. In the gospel, we find the sin of the sinner forgiven and the salvation of the Lord bestowed.
His first coming was promised in Genesis 3:15 and that promise was kept by a real and literal advent. Now, friend, since God kept His first promise of the Savior's first advent, we can be assured that He will keep His second promise of the second advent. I WILL COME AGAIN John 14:3
There are several reasons why the Lord must return.
First, He must return because of the flood and because of Sodom and Gomorrah! If the Lord doesn’t return and punish sin in our world today, He’d need to apologize to the people of Noah's generation and the people of Lot's time.
Second, the Lord must keep faith with the dead saints. Those blessed saints who died in the Lord were promised a resurrection from the grave and life without end. He will come again to keep that promise and to keep faith with the saints.
Third, the Lord must secure the universe. Satan, sin and sorrow have marred the universe and this must be brought to an end. His return and the creation of a new world will take care of this: There is a new world coming.
Fourth, He is coming again because love cannot tolerate separation. Love cannot put up with separation, it cannot endure separation. The Lord longs to be with His people.
And fifth, He must return to finish what He started. What He began must be ended. Sin was taken care of at the cross. John 19:30 Now, He will return to change these vile bodies and give us a body like His. Philippians 3:21
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:16,17
His coming will be PERSONAL. Verse 16 the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
His coming will be SUDDEN. Be ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes Matthew 24:44
A Scotch preacher asked some people, Do you think Jesus will come today? They said, No, we think not. The preacher replied, In an hour that you think not the Son of man comes.
When Noah was expecting the flood, he went ahead building the ark and preaching concerning the coming flood.
While he waited, he worked, and while he worked, he witnessed.
And that is how it should be with the church today.
We must occupy until He comes.
His coming will be VISIBLE. There will be no secret rapture.
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kinds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so Amen. Revelation 1:7
What kind of people should we be?
II Peter 3:14 says, Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be DILIGENT that you may be found of him in PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, and BLAMELESS.
DILIGENT: It is a sad, tragic thought to know that many will be left behind because they haven’t made preparation for that day.
PEACE: Peace with God and peace with others. Every sin confessed, every sin forgiven, every sin washed by the blood.
WITHOUT SPOT: When we come to God through His Son, we are clothed with the robe of His righteousness just like in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) and the robe for the marriage supper. (Matthew 22:11)
BLAMELESS: John, the beloved, was standing on the Isle of Patmos when Jesus came to him and said, Behold, I come quickly The old saint of God looked up longingly and cried, Even so come, Lord Jesus.
John Newton the converted slave-dealer, who wrote the universally loved hymn "Amazing Grace," wrote, if I ever reach heaven, I expect to find 3 wonders:
1. to meet some I had not thought to see there
2. to miss some I had thought to meet there
3. the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there!
And it is that greatest wonder that will cause all of God's children to fall on their knees in gratitude for God's amazing grace. But why wait, now is the time to begin expressing our gratitude.
Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Let each of us be there.
"Things That Hinder"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 40 11/04/2007
Galatians 5:13 “…… by love serve one another.”
I don’t know about your response to last week’s message regarding serving others as a way of life, but for me it was a definite YBH moment. Yes But How?
I think it would be good to know what hinders our serving God. Perhaps by knowing what not to do, we can discover what we should be doing.
Your first step is prayer…serious prayer. I realize that some of you may find it difficult to change, but don’t just reject this challenge for Christian service by saying, “I can’t do that”!
Psalms 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation; uphold me with your free spirit. Then I’ll teach transgressors your ways; sinners shall be converted to you.”
You must take this before the Lord with an open and willing heart. Check to see if you have any attitudes or fears that we address this morning. If you do, deal with those things first, so your prayers will not be hindered.
10 hindrances to serving God:
1. Covetous Heart Desiring for yourself the gifts that God has given others. If we are jealous of others, we won’t be able to develop or be grateful for our own unique gifts.
Run from covetousness! I Corinthians 5:11 “Do not keep company with any man who is called a brother, if he is a fornicator, covetous, an idolater, a railer, a drunkard, or an extortioner; don’t even eat with them.”
I Corinthians 6:10 “No thief, or covetous, or drunkard, or revilers, or extortioner, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Ezekiel 33:31 “They hear my words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after what they covet.”
2. The “Baby Attitude” This person is set on serving God in a certain way, whether they are called or not. If they can’t do it their way, they won’t do it at all. This is
obviously an immature attitude, overflowing with selfishness, ego and pride.
I Corinthians 3:1 “I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.”
3. Blaming God Having the perception that if God wanted you to serve Him full time, He would have given you the gifts to do it. This is just a process for making excuses. Don’t blame God for your laziness and lack of creativity. Jesus has given us all gifts to use - not excuse.
Matthew 25:24-25 “Then he which had
received one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not plant. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: lo, here is what is yours.”
4. Unbelief The enemy has lied to many a saint - telling them that they are worthless, and have nothing of value to offer anyone. He has told you that you will fail at anything you attempt.
The sad part is that you believe it!
Matthew 13:58 “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
Far too many of God’s children are being crippled by a lie. Each of us is infinitely valuable and precious to the Lord. We all have something to give. If you believe the scare tactics of the enemy the work will never get done.
5. Fear Of Man You care more what people think about you than what God thinks about you. So you settle for being complacent and have rendered yourself nearly useless to the Lord.
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
6. Unwilling To Count The Cost Many are just too selfish and self-centered to give up their plans and their dreams. BUT this is a very real part of being a Christian.
If you need money to do what God directs, then you may have to get a job, or sell some of your possessions. Many people stop right at that point.
It doesn’t bother them to spend money on themselves, but paying tuition or air fare to go somewhere their flesh doesn’t really want to go, is just too much to ask.
Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful: for he had many possessions.”
7. Delayed Obedience Delayed obedience is flat out disobedience!
Many of you already know what God wants. You are just putting it off. Anything not done in faith is sin!
Romans 14:23 “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
If you are not doing what you know the Lord wants you to do, skip the rest of this message and get right with God as quickly as you can.
8. The Normal Life Syndrome Deep inside you desire to live a “normal” life. Well, I think the disciples led normal Christian lives.
We should look to Jesus and the disciples as our example of “normality”.
Find something you believe in and give it all you’ve got! One hundred and ten percent…..24-7.
That is the example the scriptures give us. A “normal” life by our standards will not upset your family, or the devil for that matter. It is a life that won’t leave its mark on the world. It just kind of comes and goes…. Unnoticed, unproductive and uninspiring to all.
9. Unwilling Heart With their lips, this person says, “Lord please tell me what to do, but their heart says, “And then I’ll decide if I’m going to do it.”
Do not expect an answer from God if you have not decided before hand to obey whatever He asks of you.
I Kings 11:6 “And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD.”
10. The “Spiritual Stargazers” God probably won’t lay your whole future out before you as you pray about this. He may only show you one step at a time. If He tells you to “get some training”, don’t insist that He tell you exactly what you’ll be doing afterwards. He may not tell you that until you need to know.
Just purpose to take one obedient step after another as God reveals it to you.
Acts 1:11 “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
"Occupied!"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 39 10/28/2007
John 3:16 says: for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
Folks I need you to ask you a very important question. What is the most important word in this verse? I believe this is so important so profound that most everyone who reads this verse misses it.
Here it is are you ready? The most important word in this verse comes after the word "world." It says, “For God so loved the world “that”. God loved so much He did something about it. He actually manifested and demonstrated His love.
In his song, "Asleep in the Light," recording artist Keith Green raised the question: Do you see, do you see, All the people sinking down? Don't you care, don't you care, Are you going to let them drown? How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.
I have come to the sad realization that most of Christendom has turned inward. Yet we are to be outward. We suffer from selfishness. Keith Green goes on; Oh, bless me Lord, bless me Lord! You know that's all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, No one even sheds a tear. But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, And He cares for your needs. And you just lay back and keep soaking it in.
I fear we do not understand the power of Christ's words when He said we must die to live and give to gain.
Consider - honestly consider Communion. How much time do you spend following our Lord’s example. No I’m not talking about the Bread and Wine, I’m talking about the wash basin and the towel. We unfortunately focus only on what comforts us. Bottom line - God calls us to "other-serve."
In Luke 19:12-27 Jesus tells the parable of a nobleman - who has gone to a far country to receive his kingdom.
He gives his faithful servants authority over cities in that land. He commands them, in the wording of the KJV, to "occupy" it until he comes.
This is the church's mission - it is our mission "to occupy the land" for the coming King. The key to this "occupation" is us.
God has given us life, talents, abilities and gifts. He wants us to use them humbly for His Kingdom.
Our lives are to make a difference!
With His life, Christ shows us how to serve—how to bring the process of restoration to a fallen world and hope to broken lives. Christ has called us to a basic task—service.
As we come to Christ, we are given new names - sons of God, children of light. Christians, the redeemed, new creations, and more. We like these, they bring identity and joy.
There are other titles that because of our negative understanding we tend to draw away from them.
We are:
prisoners Ephesians 4:1,
bond slaves Philippians 1:1,
workmen II Timothy 2:15,
and servants I Timothy 4:6.
As individual servants we have different jobs to do, different offices to fill, a variety of roles to play, yet we are equal before one Master.
Do not seek a title; we are to be satisfied as to having a place together as brothers and sisters.
I Corinthians 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more.
One of our problems today is that we're running an old Adam improvement society. An unsanctified flesh that has never died to sin and risen to walk in newness of life is running down church aisles to rededicate, and God wouldn't use it even if you rededicated it a thousand times.
Not many wise, mighty, or noble have been called. Why? "That no flesh should glory in His presence."
I wonder how long it’s going to take us to learn that they that are in the flesh cannot please God. I don’t think there has ever been as much flesh glorying in His presence as today.
The flesh wants to be served!
Yet look here at Isaiah 58:10-11 if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then, the Lord will continually guide you
Being a servant is a lifestyle. It is the functioning of our lives.
In this, each of us is the same. However, we are unique persons, and our service is unique - reflecting our unique set of spiritual gifts, personality, abilities, interests, and experiences.
Service is the common assignment of all Christians. Each of us is sent out and placed in different, strategic positions of service. Full-time servants wherever we are deployed.
Our Savior commissions us to represent Him in a hurting world. We are to bring Christ into our world, into the "market-places" of life.
However, in order to be affective we must deal with our apathy. We normally think of apathy as laziness, indifference, or lethargy. But, it is not a neutral word—it is an active word.
Consider apathy's Greek roots, "Apatheia" means the opposite of compassion. When you are apathetic you are basically unfeeling, failing to identify with, failing to act. In your apathy you fail to put love into action.
The work of the church corporately - our work individually is to be a servant to all. This is our God given responsibility, but we cannot fulfill our responsibility without His empowerment.
We need to be anointed by the Holy Spirit, I’m not advocating weird hallucinations or some work of the flesh pretending to be the work of the Holy Spirit.
We need the real deal, it is the only way that we can magnify Jesus Christ.
If you don't believe that the Scriptures are God-breathed and that Christ was virgin born, that He died for our sins and rose from the grave and is coming again, you can't live it like it is.
We're living in a terrible time, in a day of beasts and seals and trumpets and four horsemen and the harlot on the beast and scorpions and dragons and a sea of glass mingled with fire and earthquakes and falling stars and Babylon and the bottomless pit and the lake of fire and Gog and Magog and 666 and the downfall of the devil and the great white city coming down.
However I am living in a Hopeful and Great "until."
What I mean by that is, I am living in Philippians 1:6 He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
And He told me, Occupy till I come Luke 19:13
Even so, come, Lord Jesus….
Are you occupying?
Are you a servant of Jesus Christ?
If so, just how did you serve Him this week?
Jesus Christ was and is absolute. He said, He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters abroad Matthew 12:30.
I urge you to understand that there is no such thing as an inactive church member. If you're not gathering, if you're not drawing people to Christ, you are driving them away from Christ; you are scattering. I ask you again - are you occupying?
“A Worm Such As I”
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 38 9/30/2007
As I sat in my office on Thursday getting things ready for Sunday, I found myself fluctuating between a spirit of despair and a spirit of hopefulness.
As I try to follow the path God seems to be laying out for me, I feel that spirit of hopefulness and yet also a spirit of heaviness at the weight of the call.
I spent some time in John’s gospel where Jesus tried to help His disciples understand what was ahead. It was a bit dark because it was about death and dying. Not only Jesus’ death, but about our own need to die in order to find life. It is a powerful passage about the principle at work in our life and our faith journeys.
In the gospel of John, we are being prepared for glory by the teaching and actions of Jesus in the upper room as He demonstrated radical servant-hood by washing the disciples’ feet.
Earlier on, Jesus shared a parable about wheat, and the seeds that are buried in the ground so that it would bring much fruit. The significance of this parable for understanding Jesus’ death lies in the contrast between remaining as just a single grain of wheat and bearing fruit.
Except the seed die… Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and martyr during the 2nd World War, put it very starkly: “When Christ calls a man (or woman), Christ bids him (or her) come and die.”
For him the call was literal. He was imprisoned for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler and was executed just days before the end of the war. He understood the cost of discipleship and the cost of following Christ in a way most of us will never glimpse. He wrote about costly grace and the cost of following Christ in a way that disturbs and discomforts all of us in the modern day church.
But what does it mean for us to die in order to live? To lose our life in order to find it, to hate our life in order to keep it? It means to “let go” or “give up.”
An unconditional and totally humble surrender to God, a total acceptance of ourselves and of our situation as willed by God.
It means the renunciation of all the deluded images of ourselves and all the exaggerated estimates of our own capacities.
Friends, we each have to strip away the false ego, the false me, to discover who I really am. It has been said that the false ego is less visible than an ant’s footprint on a black stone in a dark night.
It’s about giving up control, about letting go of our own wills, our ambitions, our own desire to control our situations and the people around us, our relationships, our lives, the timing of when and how transitions happen. It’s about letting God be at work deep within us.
It’s a lifelong work of dying to ourselves and discovering the deep joy of freedom and new life as we do so, struggle by struggle, moment by moment, not always successfully but always in God’s grace.
I believe that the only way to even begin to understand how to do this letting go, is by living it out and working it out in community with those around us. We learn how to die to ourselves and live for Christ as we learn how to put ourselves second and the community first. This is the opposite of what comes naturally and is in many ways a battle within us.
It takes time for a heart to make this passage from egoism to love. It takes time and much purification and many deaths which bring new resurrections. To love, we must die continually to our own ideas, our own susceptibilities and our own comfort.
The path of love is woven with sacrifice.
And it all starts with baby steps, little steps taken one at a time.
Making the time to listen to God and ourselves and sit with God in prayer, with open hands and open hearts. At the same time, holding all that we have, lightly and loosely and allowing God to come to us in love and say, “That’s a lot you have in your hands. Here, let me take this one thing from you, so you can be more free in yourself, or, let me entrust this one thing into your care and your life, so you can live a deeper, more fulfilled life.”
In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus states that we cannot be His disciple unless: Christ is above all else in our lives We forsake ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him We forsake our material possessions
Whether self-denial, self-abandonment, self-sacrifice, or dying to self, One sure thing is the concept of self abandonment in Scripture. It is directly opposed to what the world promotes: self-fulfillment, self-esteem, self-worth, rights. Unfortunately, we the church of Jesus Christ have too often been influenced by the world’s self-esteem philosophy.
I am reminded of this when I notice that some hymns have been changed to make them less harsh. Take for example the hymn, At the Cross. When Isaac Watts penned those words in1885, he wrote, “Would He devote that sacred head, For such a worm as I?” The newer hymnals say, “For such a sinner as I? or such a one as I.”
Isaac Watts wrote the word “worm” because He understood his place before a Holy God.
What does is mean to forsake ourselves? Among other things it is, “the readiness to lay down my fixed notions, my objections and ‘what if’s’ or ‘but what about’s,’ my certainties about the rightness of what I have always done or thought or said. This must include my decisions: I will be meek. I will not sulk, I will not retaliate, I will not carry a grudge.”
One of the most precious gifts God has given believers is the sweet fellowship we should have with one another.
We are to be real with one another, holding each other accountable, sharing hurts and joys, giving grace to one another. However, many Christians lack these vital relationships with one another. Some Christians seem to have the attitude of: I’m not a bad person, I don’t kill, steal, or commit adultery.
But do we hold grudges? Do we feel resentful? Is bitterness eating us up? These indicate blatant disobedience to God. Is it any wonder we hate to risk “being real” when there is a possibility of messing up and having a Christian brother and sister never speak to us again?
The fact is that we are human. We don’t always use the best judgment. We don’t always present things in ways that are understood. But we must give grace to one another, forgive and restore relationships. If we cannot do this, the world will scoff, rightly so, at our hypocrisy.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” Colossians 3:12-14
Forgiveness is the unconditional laying down of the self. I Corinthians 6
This includes the desire for vindication, keeping accounts of evil, the right to an apology and bringing every thought under obedience to Christ. II Corinthians 10:5
Has some one wronged you? If he asks for forgiveness, forgive. If he doesn’t, forgive in a private transaction with God. Pray for him. Confess your anger, hatred, desire for revenge or self-pity.
“Bless the one who hurt you”. Ask for grace to treat him as if nothing has ever come between you and stand with Christ for him. Psalm 119:78
Wow, that’s a tall order! But to do anything less, is being disobedient to Christ and will only lead to our own misery and stagnation. Our obedience will not only benefit us, it will also benefit those who have hurt us. We need to give grace to one another.
None of us are perfect. We will have misunderstandings, we will have failures, we will mess up. But incredibly God can use all of that to help us grow, if we respond to them in a proper way. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17
In forsaking myself, I must also die to my emotions and feelings. That is not to deny they exist, they are God-given, but we must resist the temptation to be ruled by them.
I am reminded of a story that Corrie ten Boom related. Years after she was out of Nazi concentration camps, she was speaking to a large group. Afterward, a man came up to her, reached out for her hand, and asked her to forgive him. She recognized him as one of the guards in the concentration camp where she and her family had been sent because they had hidden Jews in their home – where her sister had died. Corrie confessed that the last thing she wanted to do was grasp that man’s hand. She felt contempt and bitterness. But this Godly woman also knew Jesus’ command to forgive, not if we feel like it, not when we are ready, but to forgive, period. Corrie ten Boom reached out in faith and took that former Nazi guard’s hand. With that act of obedience, the freedom came.
I am trying to put into practice the Biblical steps of reacting obediently when someone has hurt or misunderstood me. It is never easy, but it is right and it is freeing. I have no misconceptions about myself, I am a worm indeed. I know what I am without a Savior.
Praise God this worm has been redeemed by the Grace of God!
"Watch Your Mouth"
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 36 9/16/2007
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 36 9/16/2007
Our lesson today is from James 3:1-12. No one escapes the challenge of James today.
Not many of you should presume to be teachers my brothers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits in the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example, although they are so large and driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and as itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison. With the tongue, we praise our Lord and father and with it we curse man who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Watch your mouth, preacher. Lord, what an awful thing to be standing here and say something that would cause the church to divert off of the path or would cause trouble or strife.
Let's say that I had a package for you today.
But, before you open the package I will describe the contents and then after I describe the contents you can then determine whether or not you would want to open it.
This is what is in the package:
It has the power of life and death. It gets out of control very easily. It causes things around us to get out of control. It's linked to hell itself. It creates many problems.
What's in this package cannot be tamed, it can be contained. It's evil by nature.
It can deliver death-dealing poison. It can seem peaceful and sweet one moment, but bitter and harmful the next moment.
If I were to give you that package and told you all the things that were in it, would you open it? I think most of us wouldn't.
And yet, every one of those descriptions James uses to teach about the powerful and deadly nature of our tongue, of what we say, of how we speak.
Now I want you to consider this next question carefully and honestly. Do you think that you could go 24 hours, just one day, without saying any unkind words to or about anybody?
If you can't say yes to this question, then may have a problem. If a person can’t go 24 hours without a cigarette, we’d say they were addicted to nicotine, if they can't go 24 hours without a drink of alcohol, we’d say they are addicted to alcohol. So if we can't go 24 hours without speaking an unkind word to or about anybody, we have lost control of the power of our speech.
Think about it for a minute. In your own experience, unless you or someone that you dearly love has been subjected to terrible physical violence, the chances are the worse pains that you have ever suffered have come from cruel words, anger, sarcasm, public / private humiliation, hurtful nicknames, betrayal of secrets, rumors and malicious gossip.
The golden rule ought to apply as much to what we say as to what we do unto others.
Parent or child we are all guilty of saying hurtful things. One of my grandchildren said, “I hate you!” when being disciplined. A few minutes later they were saying, I love you. They were too young to know… but what about us parents. Are we saying things that encourage or discourage, build up or tear down?
According to James a mature Christian is one who is growing (it is a process), in the ability to control what they say.
To emphasize the tongue’s power James uses 3 analogies. First, he talks about a bridle in the mouth of a horse, a rudder to a large ship and the analogy of a spark to a forest fire.
The first thing he says is that the tongue wields great power and so it ought to be controlled.
Many times we irresponsibly use words because we think that the damage inflicted is less than hitting someone. However, the scripture in the Old Testament refers to words as arrows.
You may wonder, why an arrow?
Because if a person takes a sword out of the sheath and goes to kill somebody and the person begs for mercy, it can be returned. But an arrow, once shot, can't be returned.
Those words are weapons.
They are powerful.
They can wound and kill and Jesus said, "You have heard it said to you, that you shall not commit murder, but I say to you that if you say to your brother, you fool. You are libel to hell fire."
Jesus taught that we will be judged for every word we speak.
James describes the damage that the tongue can inflict by using the illustration of a forest fire, ignited by a tiny spark.
I see the tongue like an unattended campfire in a forest. The forest is beautiful and peaceful. Just like many of us appear from day to day. But let the winds of irritation blow on that campfire and it throws off sparks igniting near by fuels. Have you ever heard the terms, "walking on eggshells” or “fighting words?"
Do you know what I am talking about?
James then says that no one can tame the tongue. This again shows how much we need God’s help in this area.
The Psalmist said it well, "Set a guard O Lord over my lips, a sentry at the door of my mouth."
James also describes the tongue as being poisonous.
Words can inject an evil or an unhealthy substance into the life of another person. James says, "in one moment we can be blessing and praising God, and in the next moment we can be cursing."
We have two natures. Again, showing our need to seek the Lord’s strength and wisdom in this area.
It has been well said, "Nobody ever gossips about other peoples secret virtues."
"Don't pass on a bad report." It just doesn't help anybody.
In Leviticus 19, two verses before love your neighbor as yourself is verse 16 You shall not go about as a tale bearer among your people. Malicious falsehood destroys people.
You see a penitent thief can return money, but a malicious slanderer can never, ever undo damage. Which is why it is often referred to as character assassination. We actually kill people when we pass along that which is not true.
Let's end on a positive note and listen to the apostle Paul as he speaks about the power of words.
Just listen to this carefully. Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.
“Do Something About It”
Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place,
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 37 9/23/2007
They hear your words but they will not do them. Ezekiel 33:31
But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
The prophet Ezekiel ministered in an evil time. God called him to speak to a generation that sort of listened to his messages. The people said he had a pleasant voice and were quick to tell others about his preaching, however, they did nothing about his messages.
Ezekiel was not the only man of God whose sermons fell on unresponsive ears. God warned Isaiah that his message would blink eyes and shut ears and harden hearts.
James warns against the same evil. Unfortunately, we don’t quote the whole verse. We say, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only”, and there we stop. But it reads further, “deceiving yourselves”.
Hearing and not doing, we delude ourselves.
Jesus constantly warned against doing nothing about it.
· Everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
· If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.
· You are my friends if you do what I command you.
· Why do you call me Lord, Lord and don't do the things I say?
· Consider, to him that knows the good he ought to do and fails to do it, it is sin.
We are not much different than those in Ezekiel's day. We listen to preachers, invite others to hear them, congratulate them with that very doubtful compliment, "I enjoyed your sermon", but we do nothing about it. Let it never be forgotten that, although we may do nothing about the Word we hear, the Word will do something to us. Truth heard and not acted upon is a dangerous thing.
Sadly our response to the Word is like the way James Bond 007 orders his martinis - stirred but not shaken.
We have had our ears tickled and our emotions thrilled, but as with any stimulant the doses have to be increased and after awhile there is little if any effect.
An alarm clock that very nearly blows us out of bed on the first morning may eventually fail to arouse us. Something like that happens to those who hear and take no action on it.
The person who habitually hears the Word of God and does nothing about it is the greatest of fools, for he fools himself.
We have evolved into a generation of spectators. We sit by the thousands at sporting events, we sit by the hundreds at movies or concerts. We sit for hours watching television programs. Then on Sunday once again we sit as spectators before whom the minister is expected to perform. Many have no intention of doing anything about the sermon. Spectators, not participants.
It is very easy to hear the Word and do nothing about it. Preaching can be heard at church, on the radio or TV, even on the internet. Have sermons become so commonplace that we take the truth for granted?
God forbid that we should go out of our churches merely comparing one minister to another; like listeners in Ezekiel's day, complimenting the messenger without conforming to the message. Enjoying it when God meant to prick our consciences. The task of the preacher is "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable".
Consider that in the book of Ephesians alone, there are over 30 things to put on or put off.Ephesians 4 and 5
Put away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor.
Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands giving to those in need.
Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth, speak only edifying words.
Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
It is too often the case that the person who shouts "amen" through I Corinthians 15, (resurrection chapter), shuts their mouth as tightly as their pocketbook on I Corinthians 16 (collection chapter).
It is not the Word hidden in the head, but in the heart that keeps us from sin.
You can have a head full of Scripture and a heart full of sin!
Understand…..you can backslide with a Bible under your arm
We are certainly not suffering from a lack of sermons.
Maybe we have too many sermons.
There is enough of the Word of God stored in the heads of Christians, that if it were obeyed, we’d set Canada on fire. But hearing it isn’t enough! Something has to be done about the Word.
It is true, gloriously true, that God's Word will not return to Him void. Ezekiel was assured that although the people would not heed his message, they would know that a prophet had been among them.
The preacher may well have a responsibility to preach the Word, but his hearers have a responsibility to heed it.
There is another verse about the Word not profiting Israel long ago, "not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." We may have faith, but is it OBEDIENT faith? By faith Abraham OBEYED.
Are you obedient to the truth you know?
Let me ask you a few pointed questions from the book of James.
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Have you done anything about that lately?
You do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Have your prayers been unanswered because of sin?
Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
Have you done anything about your tongue or temper?
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.
Have you been proud? We are too often preoccupied with saving face!
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. Confess your faults one to another, pray one for another, so you may be healed.
Are you critical? Is there someone to whom you owe an apology?
These are but a few verses. Consider what would happen if the Church did something about one little book, the book of James! God help us to do something about it, lest we hear God's words and do them not, deceiving ourselves.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:17
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 37 9/23/2007
They hear your words but they will not do them. Ezekiel 33:31
But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
The prophet Ezekiel ministered in an evil time. God called him to speak to a generation that sort of listened to his messages. The people said he had a pleasant voice and were quick to tell others about his preaching, however, they did nothing about his messages.
Ezekiel was not the only man of God whose sermons fell on unresponsive ears. God warned Isaiah that his message would blink eyes and shut ears and harden hearts.
James warns against the same evil. Unfortunately, we don’t quote the whole verse. We say, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only”, and there we stop. But it reads further, “deceiving yourselves”.
Hearing and not doing, we delude ourselves.
Jesus constantly warned against doing nothing about it.
· Everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
· If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.
· You are my friends if you do what I command you.
· Why do you call me Lord, Lord and don't do the things I say?
· Consider, to him that knows the good he ought to do and fails to do it, it is sin.
We are not much different than those in Ezekiel's day. We listen to preachers, invite others to hear them, congratulate them with that very doubtful compliment, "I enjoyed your sermon", but we do nothing about it. Let it never be forgotten that, although we may do nothing about the Word we hear, the Word will do something to us. Truth heard and not acted upon is a dangerous thing.
Sadly our response to the Word is like the way James Bond 007 orders his martinis - stirred but not shaken.
We have had our ears tickled and our emotions thrilled, but as with any stimulant the doses have to be increased and after awhile there is little if any effect.
An alarm clock that very nearly blows us out of bed on the first morning may eventually fail to arouse us. Something like that happens to those who hear and take no action on it.
The person who habitually hears the Word of God and does nothing about it is the greatest of fools, for he fools himself.
We have evolved into a generation of spectators. We sit by the thousands at sporting events, we sit by the hundreds at movies or concerts. We sit for hours watching television programs. Then on Sunday once again we sit as spectators before whom the minister is expected to perform. Many have no intention of doing anything about the sermon. Spectators, not participants.
It is very easy to hear the Word and do nothing about it. Preaching can be heard at church, on the radio or TV, even on the internet. Have sermons become so commonplace that we take the truth for granted?
God forbid that we should go out of our churches merely comparing one minister to another; like listeners in Ezekiel's day, complimenting the messenger without conforming to the message. Enjoying it when God meant to prick our consciences. The task of the preacher is "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable".
Consider that in the book of Ephesians alone, there are over 30 things to put on or put off.Ephesians 4 and 5
Put away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor.
Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands giving to those in need.
Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth, speak only edifying words.
Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
It is too often the case that the person who shouts "amen" through I Corinthians 15, (resurrection chapter), shuts their mouth as tightly as their pocketbook on I Corinthians 16 (collection chapter).
It is not the Word hidden in the head, but in the heart that keeps us from sin.
You can have a head full of Scripture and a heart full of sin!
Understand…..you can backslide with a Bible under your arm
We are certainly not suffering from a lack of sermons.
Maybe we have too many sermons.
There is enough of the Word of God stored in the heads of Christians, that if it were obeyed, we’d set Canada on fire. But hearing it isn’t enough! Something has to be done about the Word.
It is true, gloriously true, that God's Word will not return to Him void. Ezekiel was assured that although the people would not heed his message, they would know that a prophet had been among them.
The preacher may well have a responsibility to preach the Word, but his hearers have a responsibility to heed it.
There is another verse about the Word not profiting Israel long ago, "not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." We may have faith, but is it OBEDIENT faith? By faith Abraham OBEYED.
Are you obedient to the truth you know?
Let me ask you a few pointed questions from the book of James.
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Have you done anything about that lately?
You do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Have your prayers been unanswered because of sin?
Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
Have you done anything about your tongue or temper?
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.
Have you been proud? We are too often preoccupied with saving face!
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. Confess your faults one to another, pray one for another, so you may be healed.
Are you critical? Is there someone to whom you owe an apology?
These are but a few verses. Consider what would happen if the Church did something about one little book, the book of James! God help us to do something about it, lest we hear God's words and do them not, deceiving ourselves.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:17
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