Anger ... ( Greg Laurie )

Ephesians 4 26-27  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:  Neither give place to the devil.

Normally on a Sunday, I like to write a sermon review from my home church. But this weekend has been a stormy one here where I live so I was not able to get to church. I listened to an online sermon by Greg Laurie and I thought I would share some thoughts from his message.

Greg Laurie began by asking the question - What makes you angry? We all have our boiling point. What is yours? It might be another person's cellphone that gets on your nerves. The cellphone being set to the loudest ring and he or she does not answer till like the 5th ring. Or it may be when you travel, and on the airplane you find yourself seated behind a person who reclines back in his seat and you are left to stare at his greasy scalp the rest of the flight.
We all have things that irritate us. We also are aware that anger can cause illness and heart attacks.
Greg Laurie stated that the angrier we become the more stupid our actions become. Never try to write an email while you are angry. There is no retrieving it once you have clicked the send button.

In the Bible we learn there is also a righteous anger. This is the kind of anger that Jesus demonstrated when he cleansed the temple in Luke 19:45-46  And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

This was not an uncontrollable outburst of anger. Jesus was showing his authority here and was putting a stop to the evil of those who were buying and selling there in the temple.

We learn in the Bible that Jesus is meek but meekness is not weakness. 

Matthew 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Meekness is not weakness but it is power under constraint, under control.

eg, is a horse under control.

In the Easter story, Jesus allowed himself to be captured and nailed to the cross. We know that Jesus is the great I AM so no chain or nail could really hold him. He stayed there on the cross of his own free will to save you and I. Jesus did not defend himself but allowed these things to happen for our salvation.

God is angry when people stand in the way of others coming to know Him.

The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.

Each of us who are Christians are a witness for the Savior - What kind of a witness are you?

Be a bridge to bring others to Jesus and not a barrier.

Just as Jesus cleansed the temple, so he also brings about change in our lives when we come to him for salvation. He cleans house. We are the house in which his Spirit comes to dwell.

Sin doesn't belong in our lives. We need to be constantly confessing our sin to Jesus - sin that we commit and sin of omission. 

1 John 1:5-10  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.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

 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 cleanseth us from all sin.

 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Sermon Review - Friendship..

Sunday August 19, 2012 - Sermon Review - Friendships

The service began with singing several songs which included  "To the River, I am going, bringing sins I cannot bear" and also the song "Great is Thy Faithfulness".
This was followed by a children's feature encouraging children to pray when they wake up at night.
The focus of the service today was worshipping in Relationships using Hosea 12:6 as the basis for the message. Pastor Ben was speaking today and he started out by repeating the definition of  worship as our reponse to who God for who He is and all that He has done for us.
Hosea 12:6 says Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually. That is from the King James Bible.
Pastor Ben used the NIV version of Hosea 12:6 and it reads a bit different there - But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always
Here is what Pastor Ben said-
Turn back to God, Maintain Love and Justice.
Isaiah and Hosea were contemporaries and both warned that God was not pleased with how worship was being given. God detested the worship since the people had abandoned love and justice
Cling as a kitten clings - hang on to love and justice
Bring love into justice
Love and justice is about right living
Cling to both love and justice

Becoming Practical
Cling and hold fast to love
Love is fragile and can seem to disappear
Love is to risk ourselves - to let people in to see what we are thinking and feeling
Love is a risk and we can get hurt - our heart could get broken
The alternative to risking love is to build safety walls around ourselves and we end up alone
Many adults have no friends
We need to allow people to be vulnerable with us.
There is more to people than we can see on the outside
We need to encourage people to open up in our friendships, and allow them to be different
Allow people to share their opposing views in our friendships
Ask people questions
Allow them to change to become closer to the Lord.
Draw Closer to God
God wants to change us to the image of Christ.
Love is not about power

1Corinthians 13: 4-7
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

The service ended with singing.

Peter Pan Christians - Sermon Review

Sunday Sermon Review - Peter Pan Christians

This Sunday, the church service was cancelled in my home church that I attend. So on days when that happens, I listen to a sermon on the internet. Today I listened to a sermon by David Jeremiah. I like his style of preaching because he chooses a passage from Scripture and then picks up points and lessons from that passage and applies it our daily walk with God.

So from a message taken from Hebrews 5:11-14
Hebrews 5:11-14 says -
¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

David Jeremiah began by discussing the problem of our day of the Peter Pan Syndrome. You may have heard of it before. It is the difficulty that young people have of growing up - from moving from adolesence to adulthood. Peter pan could fly, fight Pirates in Neverland and so also today people refuse to grow up but rather spend hours playing video games and think they should be able to eat pizza for every meal.
A person must grow up and become responsible in life. Adults should not act like children. A person must grow up and take responsiblities upon onself  and do what needs to be done.

David Jeremiah warned us to not drift in our faith and to not be entangled in unbelief.
Verse 11 - "dull of hearing" . A person who is dull of hearing wants to be left alone, is lethargic, does not have a desire or have motivation to learn more things of faith, especially the deeper truths in the Word. Becoming dull of hearing is a process in which a person drifts away from faith taking his faith and what Christ has done for granted.

In the Great Awakening of the past, people studied shorthand in order to be able to take sermon notes. They were hungry for the Word of God and didn't want to miss anything.

There are 4 Causes of Spiritual Immaturity - 4 Causes of the Peter Pan Syndrome

1) Experience Unproductive Days
It takes time and effort to grow in maturity with Christ, To study and learn the Bible, and develop a relationship with Christ. As followers of Christ, we are all to become teachers, able to instruct others.  We are not just flipping days on the calender - there is work to be done for Christ in His kingdom.
There are three steps of growth in the Christian's life:
Step one - You need to be fed the Word of truth, the Bible
Step Two - You can feed yourself - you can study the Bible on your own
Step Three - Now you can feed others - share Biblical truth with other people

2) UnHeeded Doctrine
You need someone to teach you again the ABC's of Christ.
You need to relearn the basics of the Christian life\
Before you can teach others, you must be experienceing truth yourself

3) UnHealthy Diet
Spiritually immature feed only on milk
Solid food is not for Spiritual babies
It is an individual's choice whether he or she will do what it takes to grow and mature.
A heartbreaking thought to picture adults feeding as a baby does

4) Unnatural Delevopment
One must grow from baby Christian to maturity. It is not natural to stay on babyfood. Churches are filled with people who want just a tiny bit of truth, but not too much, not to the point of growth or to turn from evil ways.  Carnal Christians are full of envy and strife - " take my toys and go home"

There is a Cure for Spiritual Immaturity

Four Things that Mark Spiritual Maturity in a Believer

1) Exposure to Teaching that goes beyond the Basics -As we look back to our past,  we need to be able to see growth in our lives from where we've been to where we have come to.

2) Evidence of Growth in the Knowlege of Christ
Growing takes time but we need to know we are moving forward
Am I growing in maturity of Christ

3) Engage in the Challenges of Life
Practice your faith in the choices of everyday life

4) Exercising Discernment about Good and Evil
The Lord gives us like a 6th sense and that is discernment. You know when something is not the best God would have for you. Make choices that are God's best for you.

Note: Next Sunday, August 5,2012  my home church will be continuing the series on Worship - Worship in Marriage. Your comments are always welcome on all of my posts.

Sermon Review - "How Great is our Good Shepherd" ( Updated )

Sermon Review - "How Great is our Good Shepherd"   May 27, 2012   ( Updated  with lyrics from a song by "Sanctus Real" )

Preview - Have you ever felt alone and abondoned in your troubles and it seems as if God is not taking care of your situation? You ask - If He is the Good Shepherd, why does He seem distant from me in my struggles. The preacher went on to discuss his own experience of a concussion due to a mountain biking accident and the struggle to recover and feeling some abandonment from the Lord during this time. He reminded us that Jesus went through  more abandonment -(betrayal and loss of loved ones, suffering on the cross) than any of us will ever experience. The Lord cares for us. Matthew 6:26 -Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
The preacher proceeded to read the text from John 10 : 1-21 ( posted at the bottom) .
He discussed  the job of shepherding and what it involved. It is a 24/7 job, not glamorous, sheep are defenseless and unintelligent and need a constant protector. A shepherd must have a genuine love for the sheep, protecting them from danger with his own life at stake. At night a shepherd would bring the sheep into an enclosed area. The shepherd would physically lie down in the doorway and guard the door and the sheep with his own life. verse 7 - Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep

Three Reasons Jesus is that Shepherd:
1) He Cares and Knows us intimately - knows everything about us, knows us better than we know ourselves, loves us like His sons, knows us by name. A shepherd knows his sheep by name, not just as a number in a herd, he knows when and where he got each sheep.
2) He Protects the Flock - He guards the lives of the sheep with His own life, will stay and fight for his own sheep while a hired hand would leave the sheep when he fears for his own life. A hired hand would flee in a dangerous situation thinking he could get another job elsewhere. verse 13 -The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
3) He Provides - Jesus gives us what we need. Sheep need water, food and safety. We are needy, and a lost people whom Jesus came to save. Why would we die in sin when we can come to Jesus? Sin separated us from God  but through Christ we can be brought back to God into relationship with Him again. Jesus gave His life for us for that purpose.
Analogy of the mother Octopus: The mother octopus will find a safe place to lay her eggs. She will not leave the eggs for anything, not for food, not for water, but stays by the eggs the entire time to care for them and protect them from danger.  By the time the day draws near for the eggs to hatch, a mother octopus will be weakened to the point that she dies. She is devoted to those eggs and she gives up her life up for the life of her children. The  first meal the baby octopus will eat is the remains of his mother.  So also Jesus loves, guards and protects us as His children and He gave us His life so that we may have life to the full. verse 11 -  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep
Please take the time to read John 10:1-21, as there we can see "How Great our Good Shepherd" really is

John 10 : 1-21
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
⁶ This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
¹⁹ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
²⁰ And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
²¹ Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

The sermon ended with the preacher reading the lyrics to a fitting song by "Sanctus Real".  The song lyrics are as follows:

       Everything About You

Be my light in this darkened room
I'm on my face and I'm calling you
I can't fathom all you've done for me
Everytime it finds me on my knees

Like sunlight in the winter cold

Everything about you, it takes my breath
Away...Hallelujah
I tried this once without you and it was my
Great mistake...Hallelujah

Questions fade when you invade
You chase all my fears away
With your love in my atmosphere
All confusion disappears

And nothing but your truth remains

Questions fade, you remain
You are color on a page of white, bright
Like eyes beneath black lights
Like a glowing city on the plains, you call
My name

Hallelujah

Sunday Sermons

I have been thinking that I would like to write a weekly blog post regarding the Sunday sermon from the church we attend as a family. I will try to write the post either on a Sunday afternoon or Monday, depending on when time allows me to write.  I would like to weekly post some of the  basic points of the sermon in the church we attend. Today we were not in our own home church since our son was invited to preach today at one of the churches in our area. We wanted to show our support for him so we attended that service instead of the one in our home church. He preached on Jesus the Good Shepherd. So tomorrow I hope to give some points of the message.