Thursday, May 31, 2012
Update
I've not been feeling well since Memorial Day. Going out to the cemetery and seeing my folk's graves really got me down this week. I'm also having a lot of physical problems as well. I'm going to take the week off from posting the Weekend Sermon. Next week, I'll start back up with our study through I John. We will finish chapter one and start on chapter two.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Weekend Sermon--I John 1:5-7
Last week, we began a series of messages on the book of I John. We specifically focused on verses 1-4 where John wrote about the fact that Jesus had truly come in the flesh. John had seen Jesus and heard Jesus' teaching.
John's mission was to proclaim the wonderful message of Jesus so that people might be able to experience real joy. We can only find true joy through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Continuing in verse 5, John states, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
God is perfectly pure and holy. There is no imperfection or sin in God. Everything that God does is perfectly good, just and righteous. God acts in perfect love.
There are several places in Scripture where God is spoken of in terms of light. One of my favorite references is found in Revelation 21:22 which says, "And the city had no need of the sun neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
Jesus Christ is the Lamb. While Jesus was on earth, He referred to Himself as the light of the world. Jesus was the light come into the world. He put it this way in John 3:19-20, "...light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Light exposes the darkness, and the darkness wants to carry out its sin without being exposed. When Jesus came into the world, His righteous and holy life showed the world the proper way of behavior. His righteousness put to shame the most righteous sinner.
This is why the Pharisees and the other religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. His light exposed their evil deeds. It exposed their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. They hated His light and wanted to extinguish Him forever. Thank the Lord they were unsuccessful because Jesus rose again and is alive.
John goes on in verse 6 to say, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."
In order to have fellowship with God, we cannot have fellowship with darkness because darkness can have no part in the light of the glory of God. Sin separates us from God. This is the reason that Jesus needed to come into the world. There needed to be a reconciliation between God and man. The problem of sin had to be dealt with. Only the light of Jesus Christ could deal with the darkness of sin.
When someone claims to know Jesus as Savior, they are freed from the darkness of sin and transported into the kingdom of God's marvellous light. A transformation takes place, and the believer becomes a new creation in Christ. The old has passed away, and all has become new.
Anyone who is living in sin and living in disobedience to the teachings of Jesus is walking in darkness and cannot rightly claim to have fellowship with the Lord. Anyone who claims otherwise is not telling the truth.
There are many people today who claim to be followers of God and are even the leaders of entire denominations who are walking in darkness because they teach that which is opposed to the will of God.
I'll give you an example. A denomination that many in my family are a part of has stated for several years that they are pro-choice on the issue of abortion. This is something I can't understand at all. How can a religious body claim to be followers of Christ and at the same time be pro-choice? It is not possible.
I think that this is just one example of what John is talking about. However, we can bring it down to the personal level. How can we be dishonest or greedy and claim to have fellowship with the Lord? It can't be.
John goes on to say, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."
The evidence of true conversion and fellowship with the Lord is walking in the light. We walk in the light when we follow the perfect example given to us by Jesus. Walking in the light means loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We walk in the light when we produce the fruit of the spirit such as love, joy and peace.
When a person has been truly redeemed by the blood of Jesus, there life will show the difference. I know of no better example of this than my Dad.
Before my Dad became a believer, he walked in darkness. He drank a lot, hung out in bars, and was a very rough character. But one day a minister shared the Gospel with my Dad, and my Dad got down on his knees and prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
From that day on, my Dad was a changed man. He quit drinking. Instead of hanging out in bars, he became a church officer involved in evangelism. He became a good, kind and nice person to be around.
My Dad went from darkness to light. He went from enmity with God to fellowship with God. His life showed that he was walking in the light.
Let us each examine our walk in the light of the life of Christ. Amen.
John's mission was to proclaim the wonderful message of Jesus so that people might be able to experience real joy. We can only find true joy through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Continuing in verse 5, John states, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
God is perfectly pure and holy. There is no imperfection or sin in God. Everything that God does is perfectly good, just and righteous. God acts in perfect love.
There are several places in Scripture where God is spoken of in terms of light. One of my favorite references is found in Revelation 21:22 which says, "And the city had no need of the sun neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
Jesus Christ is the Lamb. While Jesus was on earth, He referred to Himself as the light of the world. Jesus was the light come into the world. He put it this way in John 3:19-20, "...light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Light exposes the darkness, and the darkness wants to carry out its sin without being exposed. When Jesus came into the world, His righteous and holy life showed the world the proper way of behavior. His righteousness put to shame the most righteous sinner.
This is why the Pharisees and the other religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. His light exposed their evil deeds. It exposed their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. They hated His light and wanted to extinguish Him forever. Thank the Lord they were unsuccessful because Jesus rose again and is alive.
John goes on in verse 6 to say, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."
In order to have fellowship with God, we cannot have fellowship with darkness because darkness can have no part in the light of the glory of God. Sin separates us from God. This is the reason that Jesus needed to come into the world. There needed to be a reconciliation between God and man. The problem of sin had to be dealt with. Only the light of Jesus Christ could deal with the darkness of sin.
When someone claims to know Jesus as Savior, they are freed from the darkness of sin and transported into the kingdom of God's marvellous light. A transformation takes place, and the believer becomes a new creation in Christ. The old has passed away, and all has become new.
Anyone who is living in sin and living in disobedience to the teachings of Jesus is walking in darkness and cannot rightly claim to have fellowship with the Lord. Anyone who claims otherwise is not telling the truth.
There are many people today who claim to be followers of God and are even the leaders of entire denominations who are walking in darkness because they teach that which is opposed to the will of God.
I'll give you an example. A denomination that many in my family are a part of has stated for several years that they are pro-choice on the issue of abortion. This is something I can't understand at all. How can a religious body claim to be followers of Christ and at the same time be pro-choice? It is not possible.
I think that this is just one example of what John is talking about. However, we can bring it down to the personal level. How can we be dishonest or greedy and claim to have fellowship with the Lord? It can't be.
John goes on to say, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."
The evidence of true conversion and fellowship with the Lord is walking in the light. We walk in the light when we follow the perfect example given to us by Jesus. Walking in the light means loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We walk in the light when we produce the fruit of the spirit such as love, joy and peace.
When a person has been truly redeemed by the blood of Jesus, there life will show the difference. I know of no better example of this than my Dad.
Before my Dad became a believer, he walked in darkness. He drank a lot, hung out in bars, and was a very rough character. But one day a minister shared the Gospel with my Dad, and my Dad got down on his knees and prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
From that day on, my Dad was a changed man. He quit drinking. Instead of hanging out in bars, he became a church officer involved in evangelism. He became a good, kind and nice person to be around.
My Dad went from darkness to light. He went from enmity with God to fellowship with God. His life showed that he was walking in the light.
Let us each examine our walk in the light of the life of Christ. Amen.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Weekend Sermon-I John 1:1-4
Last week, we looked at Jesus' encounter with the Pharisees over the issue of paying taxes to Caesar. The important idea in this encounter is that we owe everything, all that we have, to the Lord. Caesar is not Lord. Jesus is Lord.
This week, I had a hard decision to make. Part of me wanted to begin an in depth series of messages on the Sermon on the Mount. I also felt like focusing on some of Jesus' teachings as found in Luke chapter 11.
I'm definitely going to talk about these themes, Lord willing, in the future. However, for the new few weeks of the Weekend Sermon, I'm going to focus on the book of I John. Several years ago, I taught through I John, so it will be good to get back into this important book of the Bible again.
I John is the first of three epistles named for John. The other are II and III John which I wrote about last year in our series on the little books.
The author of I John is most certainly the Apostle John who also wrote the Gospel which bears his name and the book of Revelation. There is a stream of belief that holds the position that there was an elder named John, not the apostle, who wrote I, II, and III John and Revelation. As we shall see, the evidence from the book seems to point to the Apostle John as the author.
John begins in verse 1 by stating, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life;"
John is speaking about Jesus in this verse. John is saying that the pre-incarnate Christ existed at the beginning. These words in I John echo the teaching of the first chapter of the Gospel of John. It say in John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Jesus is the Word of God incarnate. He existed as the second person of the Trinity before His incarnation on planet earth.
John is pointing out that this Word which was made flesh and dwelled among us is someone who John had really seen. Jesus really existed as an historical person.
John heard the teaching of Jesus. Some of this is recorded in his Gospel. John also saw Jesus in the flesh. He saw Jesus open blind eyes and feed the five thousand. John touched Jesus. He knew first hand that Jesus actually existed. John was a witness.
Jesus wasn't some kind of phantom or just a spirit. He really existed in the flesh. John is trying to point out the error of many gnostic belief systems that denied the true nature of the incarnation. Jesus truly was the God-man.
In verses 2 through 4, John continues to detail what he witnessed of the ministry of Jesus Christ. John was a witness of the eternal life that Jesus came to bring. John not only saw and heard the message of Jesus, he told others of the life Jesus came to bring. He was a faithful follower of Jesus' Great Commission.
John's mission was to tell others about Jesus so that others could come to have fellowship with Jesus and the Father just as John, and other believers, experienced.
We should have the same attitude about spreading the message of Jesus to others that John had. We haven't seen and experienced Jesus in the flesh as John did, but those of us who believe have experienced the presence of the Risen Christ within our hearts. We have experienced forgiveness of sin, and we have been made new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Believers today can tell their story of what Jesus has done in their life to those within their circle of influence.
Lately, the Lord has really been dealing with me about being more of a witness. I'm trying to get the word out on the blog and in my writing. However, I believe that God is leading me to do more.
I'm feeling more and more like I should be involved in missions. I continue to pray and seek the Lord's guidance on this matter. Until I know something more, I will continue to preach and teach where I can. That is what all Christians need to do.
In verse 4, John speaks about our joy being full. That is the purpose of I John. Within this book, we will find the key to joy.
People can only find true joy through a relationship with Jesus. I've said this many times in the past, but I just don't see how people without Jesus in their lives make it in this world.
Only the hope of an eternity with Jesus can fill the heart with a joy and peace that passes all understanding.
As we continue to study I John in the weeks to come, we will learn more and more about Jesus' love and how we can please the Lord.
The first step in walking with Christ is accepting Jesus as your Savior. If you've never turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, I invite you to do it today. Then, you will experience the love, joy, and peace only Jesus can bring. Amen.
This week, I had a hard decision to make. Part of me wanted to begin an in depth series of messages on the Sermon on the Mount. I also felt like focusing on some of Jesus' teachings as found in Luke chapter 11.
I'm definitely going to talk about these themes, Lord willing, in the future. However, for the new few weeks of the Weekend Sermon, I'm going to focus on the book of I John. Several years ago, I taught through I John, so it will be good to get back into this important book of the Bible again.
I John is the first of three epistles named for John. The other are II and III John which I wrote about last year in our series on the little books.
The author of I John is most certainly the Apostle John who also wrote the Gospel which bears his name and the book of Revelation. There is a stream of belief that holds the position that there was an elder named John, not the apostle, who wrote I, II, and III John and Revelation. As we shall see, the evidence from the book seems to point to the Apostle John as the author.
John begins in verse 1 by stating, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life;"
John is speaking about Jesus in this verse. John is saying that the pre-incarnate Christ existed at the beginning. These words in I John echo the teaching of the first chapter of the Gospel of John. It say in John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Jesus is the Word of God incarnate. He existed as the second person of the Trinity before His incarnation on planet earth.
John is pointing out that this Word which was made flesh and dwelled among us is someone who John had really seen. Jesus really existed as an historical person.
John heard the teaching of Jesus. Some of this is recorded in his Gospel. John also saw Jesus in the flesh. He saw Jesus open blind eyes and feed the five thousand. John touched Jesus. He knew first hand that Jesus actually existed. John was a witness.
Jesus wasn't some kind of phantom or just a spirit. He really existed in the flesh. John is trying to point out the error of many gnostic belief systems that denied the true nature of the incarnation. Jesus truly was the God-man.
In verses 2 through 4, John continues to detail what he witnessed of the ministry of Jesus Christ. John was a witness of the eternal life that Jesus came to bring. John not only saw and heard the message of Jesus, he told others of the life Jesus came to bring. He was a faithful follower of Jesus' Great Commission.
John's mission was to tell others about Jesus so that others could come to have fellowship with Jesus and the Father just as John, and other believers, experienced.
We should have the same attitude about spreading the message of Jesus to others that John had. We haven't seen and experienced Jesus in the flesh as John did, but those of us who believe have experienced the presence of the Risen Christ within our hearts. We have experienced forgiveness of sin, and we have been made new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Believers today can tell their story of what Jesus has done in their life to those within their circle of influence.
Lately, the Lord has really been dealing with me about being more of a witness. I'm trying to get the word out on the blog and in my writing. However, I believe that God is leading me to do more.
I'm feeling more and more like I should be involved in missions. I continue to pray and seek the Lord's guidance on this matter. Until I know something more, I will continue to preach and teach where I can. That is what all Christians need to do.
In verse 4, John speaks about our joy being full. That is the purpose of I John. Within this book, we will find the key to joy.
People can only find true joy through a relationship with Jesus. I've said this many times in the past, but I just don't see how people without Jesus in their lives make it in this world.
Only the hope of an eternity with Jesus can fill the heart with a joy and peace that passes all understanding.
As we continue to study I John in the weeks to come, we will learn more and more about Jesus' love and how we can please the Lord.
The first step in walking with Christ is accepting Jesus as your Savior. If you've never turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, I invite you to do it today. Then, you will experience the love, joy, and peace only Jesus can bring. Amen.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
An Interesting Discovery
Last week I was looking on ebay for some pictures of corgis. I saw an old photograph of a corgi who was a champion in 1936. His name was Ch. Wolfox Redfern, and he is one of the finest looking corgis I've seen. I decided to do some research, and to my surprise discovered that the dog in the photograph was my dog Toby's 9x great grandfather. I did a little more research, and I found Toby's 11x and 12x great grandfathers as well. As many of you who read this blog know, I consider Toby to be my greatest friend. Seeing these dogs that looked so much like my friend was amazing. I never took Toby to any dog shows, but to me he was the greatest champion because he kept me going everyday. I was never depressed when he was around. Sometime I'll write more about him, and the trips we took and the fun times we shared.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Weekend Sermon--Matthew 22:15-22
A few weeks ago, I asked those who read this blog to pray that I would find additional employment so that I can make ends meet. Since then, I've had a couple of interviews, but I still haven't had any offers yet. So, please keep praying. Thank you.
Last week, I talked about crowns and rewards. We saw that those who faithfully follow the Lord Jesus while on earth will be rewarded in Heaven. Let me state unequivocally, lest there be any confusion, doing good works cannot bring anyone to salvation. Salvation is by grace alone apart from works. We are saved unto good works that our lives might bring forth good fruit and bring glory to God.
Today, I'd like to focus on an encounter Jesus had with the Pharisees and other religious leaders over the matter of paying taxes. Sometimes, I think that this passage of Scripture is greatly misinterpreted.
As usual, the Pharisees were once again trying to trap Jesus in order to discredit Him in the eyes of the people. They were always looking for some way to get Jesus in trouble with the civil authorities in order to silence Him.
On this particular occasion, they asked Jesus a question about paying taxes. As Matthew 22:17 states the Pharisees asked, "What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?"
The Pharisees really thought they'd trapped Jesus this time. They figured that no matter which way Jesus answered the question, He would be in trouble.
If Jesus said that the people should pay their taxes, the people would become angry because the people hated Romans and the onerous taxes that the Romans placed upon them.
On the other hand, if Jesus said that the people should not pay their taxes, the Roman authorities would view Jesus as a rebel, and they would put Him to death.
Things didn't work out the way the Pharisees expected. Jesus said, "Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites." Then Jesus said in verse 20, "Whose is this image and superscription?" They told Jesus that it was the image of Caesar. Jesus responded by saying, "Render therefore into Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."
After the Pharisees heard the words of Jesus, they were amazed and left Jesus alone.
So, what does Jesus statement mean? First of all, I believe that Jesus statement means that believers should pay their taxes.
One major interpretation of this passage I strongly disagree with is that Jesus is claiming that there is a worldly sphere to which we owe allegiance and a Godly sphere to which we owe allegiance. In other words, there is a duty we owe to government and a duty we owe to the Lord.
I do not believe that is what Jesus is stating here. The Roman coin had the image of Caesar on it. Caesar was claiming his ownership over the money, so to speak. What Jesus is saying is that if Caesar is claiming this money give it back to him. It is of little importance as far as eternal values are concerned.
Then Jesus says to give to God what belong to God. Everything in creation is marked with the imprint of the hand of God. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. Human beings are created in the image of God. What Jesus is teaching is that everything that exists belongs to God. We belong to God.
It is our obligation as followers of Christ to give everything we have to the honor and glory of the Lord. The Apostle Paul makes this clear when he states in Romans 12:1-2, " I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is you spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
The obligation of the Christian is to serve God not a nation. Jesus is Lord of all. Nothing in our lives should be placed above our duty to Jesus.
The Pharisees were worried about the unimportant things like taxes and the accumulation of wealth and political power. In view of eternity, these things have very little meaning. Governments will rise and fall. Fortunes are gained and lost.
The only thing that will remain forever is what is done to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.
Our duty as Christians is to give our all in service of our true and eternal king who has called us to be His ambassadors in a fallen world. This mission should be our chief concern in this life.
So many people are worried over so many things that in reality don't matter in the long run. Many of the decisions we fret and are anxious over don't really matter much with eternity in view.
I encourage you as I encourage myself to make the service of Christ the goal of life. Work to spread the Gospel and see souls brought into Christ's Kingdom. Strive to make this world a better place in imitation of the works of Jesus.
Whatever we do, let's do it all for the glory of the only one who is worthy of glory, adoration and worship. Amen.
Last week, I talked about crowns and rewards. We saw that those who faithfully follow the Lord Jesus while on earth will be rewarded in Heaven. Let me state unequivocally, lest there be any confusion, doing good works cannot bring anyone to salvation. Salvation is by grace alone apart from works. We are saved unto good works that our lives might bring forth good fruit and bring glory to God.
Today, I'd like to focus on an encounter Jesus had with the Pharisees and other religious leaders over the matter of paying taxes. Sometimes, I think that this passage of Scripture is greatly misinterpreted.
As usual, the Pharisees were once again trying to trap Jesus in order to discredit Him in the eyes of the people. They were always looking for some way to get Jesus in trouble with the civil authorities in order to silence Him.
On this particular occasion, they asked Jesus a question about paying taxes. As Matthew 22:17 states the Pharisees asked, "What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?"
The Pharisees really thought they'd trapped Jesus this time. They figured that no matter which way Jesus answered the question, He would be in trouble.
If Jesus said that the people should pay their taxes, the people would become angry because the people hated Romans and the onerous taxes that the Romans placed upon them.
On the other hand, if Jesus said that the people should not pay their taxes, the Roman authorities would view Jesus as a rebel, and they would put Him to death.
Things didn't work out the way the Pharisees expected. Jesus said, "Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites." Then Jesus said in verse 20, "Whose is this image and superscription?" They told Jesus that it was the image of Caesar. Jesus responded by saying, "Render therefore into Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."
After the Pharisees heard the words of Jesus, they were amazed and left Jesus alone.
So, what does Jesus statement mean? First of all, I believe that Jesus statement means that believers should pay their taxes.
One major interpretation of this passage I strongly disagree with is that Jesus is claiming that there is a worldly sphere to which we owe allegiance and a Godly sphere to which we owe allegiance. In other words, there is a duty we owe to government and a duty we owe to the Lord.
I do not believe that is what Jesus is stating here. The Roman coin had the image of Caesar on it. Caesar was claiming his ownership over the money, so to speak. What Jesus is saying is that if Caesar is claiming this money give it back to him. It is of little importance as far as eternal values are concerned.
Then Jesus says to give to God what belong to God. Everything in creation is marked with the imprint of the hand of God. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. Human beings are created in the image of God. What Jesus is teaching is that everything that exists belongs to God. We belong to God.
It is our obligation as followers of Christ to give everything we have to the honor and glory of the Lord. The Apostle Paul makes this clear when he states in Romans 12:1-2, " I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is you spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
The obligation of the Christian is to serve God not a nation. Jesus is Lord of all. Nothing in our lives should be placed above our duty to Jesus.
The Pharisees were worried about the unimportant things like taxes and the accumulation of wealth and political power. In view of eternity, these things have very little meaning. Governments will rise and fall. Fortunes are gained and lost.
The only thing that will remain forever is what is done to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.
Our duty as Christians is to give our all in service of our true and eternal king who has called us to be His ambassadors in a fallen world. This mission should be our chief concern in this life.
So many people are worried over so many things that in reality don't matter in the long run. Many of the decisions we fret and are anxious over don't really matter much with eternity in view.
I encourage you as I encourage myself to make the service of Christ the goal of life. Work to spread the Gospel and see souls brought into Christ's Kingdom. Strive to make this world a better place in imitation of the works of Jesus.
Whatever we do, let's do it all for the glory of the only one who is worthy of glory, adoration and worship. Amen.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Weekend Sermon--Crowns
Revelation 4:10-- "The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne..."
I Corinthians 3:12-15--"Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw--each one's works will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire...if the work anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward."
In the book of Revelation, we see a magnificent scene of the worship given to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In an act of worship, the elders cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus.
In a previous message, I mentioned the Judgment seat of Christ. Paul is speaking about this in the I Corinthians passage. All of our works will one day be judged by Jesus. Only the good works done for Christ will remain. Paul represents these as gold, silver, and precious stones.
The Bible speaks about crowns that the believer in Jesus Christ can receive on the Day of Judgment. Today, I'd like to focus on what these crowns are and the way Scripture says a believer in Christ receives them.
Like the twenty-four elders in Revelation, it is my hope to have a crown or a treasure to lay at the feet of Jesus who is seated on His throne.
The first of the believer's crowns mentioned in the New Testament is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:8 which states, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will reward to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."
Paul is writing here about the fact that the course of his life is almost over. He is looking forward to Heaven and being with Jesus. Paul lived His life to please Jesus and to obey Jesus' words. Paul expected to be rewarded for his service and perseverance in the faith. He longed for Christ's return, and lived each day so as not to be ashamed if Jesus were to return at any moment.
The crown Paul mentions here is available to all believers who long for Jesus' return and live in righteousness.
Some my say, "Don't all Christians long for the return of the Lord." I don't think so. At least that's not been my experience. Many find great enjoyment doing those things contrary to Christ's teachings. They love the tings of this world more than the values of the world to come. Paul speaks of this in verse 10 of the same chapter in reference to Demas being in love with this present world.
I believe that this crown is reserved for those who want Jesus to come at any moment and bring deliverance to a world of ungodliness. The cry of their heart is, " Come quickly, Lord Jesus."
In I Peter 5:4, Peter speaks about a crown that will only be given to pastors who faithfully serve as under-shepherds of the the Great Good Shepherd Jesus. The verse states, "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will achieve the unfading crown of glory."
There are two other crowns both known as the crown of life. James mentions one in James 1:12, and Jesus speaks of the other in Revelation 2:10. Although both are given the same name, they are awarded for different reasons.
The crown of life mentioned in James is given to those who remained faithful and withstood testing.
I know that I am going through some hard tests right now both physically and financially. My legs are in terrible pain everyday, and I can't find a job to make ends meet. At times like these, sometimes it's hard to maintain trust in God and His promises as everything in your life just keeps getting worse and worse all the time.
The Bible says that these times are tests. If we are faithful, we will be rewarded. Unfortunately, as Jesus spoke about in the Parable of the Sower, many people in the time of testing fail the test and become unfruitful. I struggle on believing in the Lord. Pray for me as I go through the trials I face.
The crown Jesus speaks of in Revelation 2:10 could be referred to as the martyr's crown. Those who give their lives in witness to Jesus will be awarded this crown on the Day of Judgment.
Throughout the centuries, countless thousands have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel. All of the Apostles except John suffered a martyr's death. Many believers died in the Roman arenas because they would not deny Jesus and praise Ceasar as lord.
In the Communist era, many believers died in Russia and the Eastern Bloc because they wouldn't deny Christ.
Today, all across the globe, many believers face persecution, discrimination and even death for their faith. Where would the church be today without people such as this.
As we live in this world, let us live our lives for the glory of God. Let each one of us strive to serve the Lord with all we have, so that our works may remain at the Day of Judgment, and then we can cast it all at the feet of Jesus who loved us and gave Himself for us so that we might be forgiven and live in His presence throughout all eternity. Amen.
I Corinthians 3:12-15--"Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw--each one's works will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire...if the work anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward."
In the book of Revelation, we see a magnificent scene of the worship given to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In an act of worship, the elders cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus.
In a previous message, I mentioned the Judgment seat of Christ. Paul is speaking about this in the I Corinthians passage. All of our works will one day be judged by Jesus. Only the good works done for Christ will remain. Paul represents these as gold, silver, and precious stones.
The Bible speaks about crowns that the believer in Jesus Christ can receive on the Day of Judgment. Today, I'd like to focus on what these crowns are and the way Scripture says a believer in Christ receives them.
Like the twenty-four elders in Revelation, it is my hope to have a crown or a treasure to lay at the feet of Jesus who is seated on His throne.
The first of the believer's crowns mentioned in the New Testament is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:8 which states, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will reward to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."
Paul is writing here about the fact that the course of his life is almost over. He is looking forward to Heaven and being with Jesus. Paul lived His life to please Jesus and to obey Jesus' words. Paul expected to be rewarded for his service and perseverance in the faith. He longed for Christ's return, and lived each day so as not to be ashamed if Jesus were to return at any moment.
The crown Paul mentions here is available to all believers who long for Jesus' return and live in righteousness.
Some my say, "Don't all Christians long for the return of the Lord." I don't think so. At least that's not been my experience. Many find great enjoyment doing those things contrary to Christ's teachings. They love the tings of this world more than the values of the world to come. Paul speaks of this in verse 10 of the same chapter in reference to Demas being in love with this present world.
I believe that this crown is reserved for those who want Jesus to come at any moment and bring deliverance to a world of ungodliness. The cry of their heart is, " Come quickly, Lord Jesus."
In I Peter 5:4, Peter speaks about a crown that will only be given to pastors who faithfully serve as under-shepherds of the the Great Good Shepherd Jesus. The verse states, "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will achieve the unfading crown of glory."
There are two other crowns both known as the crown of life. James mentions one in James 1:12, and Jesus speaks of the other in Revelation 2:10. Although both are given the same name, they are awarded for different reasons.
The crown of life mentioned in James is given to those who remained faithful and withstood testing.
I know that I am going through some hard tests right now both physically and financially. My legs are in terrible pain everyday, and I can't find a job to make ends meet. At times like these, sometimes it's hard to maintain trust in God and His promises as everything in your life just keeps getting worse and worse all the time.
The Bible says that these times are tests. If we are faithful, we will be rewarded. Unfortunately, as Jesus spoke about in the Parable of the Sower, many people in the time of testing fail the test and become unfruitful. I struggle on believing in the Lord. Pray for me as I go through the trials I face.
The crown Jesus speaks of in Revelation 2:10 could be referred to as the martyr's crown. Those who give their lives in witness to Jesus will be awarded this crown on the Day of Judgment.
Throughout the centuries, countless thousands have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel. All of the Apostles except John suffered a martyr's death. Many believers died in the Roman arenas because they would not deny Jesus and praise Ceasar as lord.
In the Communist era, many believers died in Russia and the Eastern Bloc because they wouldn't deny Christ.
Today, all across the globe, many believers face persecution, discrimination and even death for their faith. Where would the church be today without people such as this.
As we live in this world, let us live our lives for the glory of God. Let each one of us strive to serve the Lord with all we have, so that our works may remain at the Day of Judgment, and then we can cast it all at the feet of Jesus who loved us and gave Himself for us so that we might be forgiven and live in His presence throughout all eternity. Amen.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Verse For The Day
I read this last night, and I thought it was really good.
Romans 15:20-21--"And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."
Romans 15:20-21--"And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."
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