2026-04-19

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 18:1–6 (NKJV)I will love You, O Lord, my strength. ²The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. ⁴The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. ⁵The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

⁶In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

Erwin Lutzer said, “Until we have learned to be satisfied with fellowship with God, until he is our rock and our fortress, we will be restless with our place in the world.”[i]

1. Knowing my path in life requires me to know my strength in life

Psalm 18:1–6 (NLT) I love you, Lord; you are my strength. ²The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. ³I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. ⁴The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. ⁵The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. ⁶But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.

• 9 descriptions of who God is in your life.
  • My strength – hezěq – to grow or make strong
  • My rock – sělǎ – the rocks of a cliff
  • My fortress – msûdãh – a mountain stronghold
  • My deliverer – mpalti (plt) – to be free, to bring out
  • My God
  • My strength – sǔr – a boulder, rocky ground
  • My shield – mãğēn – scales of protection
  • My salvation –
  • My stronghold – miśgãb – inaccessible, unattainable , elevated
• Abide in Jesus, the sinless one—which means, give up all of self and its life, and dwell in God’s will and rest in his strength. This is what brings the power that does not commit sin.[ii] – Andrew Murray

2. Knowing my path in life requires me to see the way out

Vss 16–19 (NLT) He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. ¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. ¹⁸They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lordsupported me. ¹⁹He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

• The Christian life is so full of pressures and pains, we often are consumed by the danger of the moment rather than the deliverance which is promised
• To truly navigate life’s challenging moments, we must remember we have never been alone

3. Knowing my path in life requires me to seek the way-maker

Vss 20-29 (NLT) The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. ²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. ²²I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. ²³I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. ²⁴The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. ²⁵To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. ²⁶To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. ²⁷You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. ²⁸You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. ²⁹In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

• This passage clearly indicates David’s reminder that while God is our refuge and strength, it does require a clear decision and intention on our part
• It is not that God will abandon you unless you do what He says but to fully enjoy the power of His presence requires our attention
• Verse 27 echoes James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 and Matthew 23:12:
  • James 4:6 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
  • Matthew 23:12 (NKJV) And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

4. Knowing my path in life requires me to accept there’s only One who can give my life meaning

Psalm 18:30–32 (NLT) God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. ³¹For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? ³²God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.

• “perfect” (tãmîm) – complete, unscathed, impeccable

The Message paraphrases it: “Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction?”^[iii]

[i] Erwin Lutzer (Quoted by Edythe Draper), Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992.)

[ii] Andrew Murray (Quoted by Mark Water), The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations (New Alresford, Hampshire, England, 2000.)

^[iii] J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 132.

2026-04-05

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Luke 23:39–47 (NKJV) Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” ⁴⁰But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” ⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” ⁴⁴Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. ⁴⁷So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

1. The condition of us all

• Then one…but the other
• All of creation is represented by these two individuals who have been nameless for 2,000 years
• But when we recognize who He really is…Certainly this was a righteous man!
  

Thabiti Anyabwile said, “The Lord speaks only one line in the entire conversation: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43). Put the scenes together: Judgment is coming. God is forgiving. Paradise is offered. But the only ones who receive it are the humble who admit their sins and confess that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to atone for their sins and was raised from the grave three days later. If you…are humble enough to confess your sins and turn away from them, calling on the name of the Lord, God promises he will forgive you of your sin and robe you in his righteousness. And that day paradise will be your home”.^[i]

Luke 24:1–7 (NKJV) Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ²But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. ⁵Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

2. The deliverance of us all

• Being that we all fall into one of two categories, we must recognize the deliverance Christ offers
• What we do with that gift makes all the difference in the world

Vs. 5b-7 …“Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

3. The hope for us all

• That deliverance is not simply a guarantee of a future opportunity; it is a call to action for the rest of our days
• We were DEAD, now we have been made alive

Ephesians 2:1–9 (NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

²in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, lest anyone should boast.

• A. Carson said, “This is the fear of God that recognizes that he is matchlessly holy, righteous, and just—and we are not. God is our judge as well as our only hope. There lies the beginning of wisdom.”[ii]

Our Response:

1. Finally Believe
2. Totally Commit

Ephesians 4:17–24 (NKJV) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the restof the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ¹⁹who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²²that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

^[i] Thabiti Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018), 347.

[ii] D.A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, (Ada, MI, 2010).

2026-03-22

Charles Billingsley

Matthew 11:25-30

This invitation is a very special one.  Some of the most beloved words our Savior ever spoke. 

It is the invitation to Come and Rest.  

Let’s open it up.  

^{Matthew 11:25} At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Modern technology can do a lot of things…but it cannot quiet your soul.

1. What is this invitation for?  

2. Who is the invitation from? 

3.  When is the invitation for? 

This invitation is both:
Timeless
Timely 

4.  Who is the invitation to? 

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

It is a call that is both:
Personal
Universal 

5.  What is purpose of the event? 

It’s more of a promise than an event. 

^11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Rest from: 

The burdens of our past – 2 Cor. 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The worries of our present – 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

The questions about our future – Hebrews 4:9-10 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

6.  What do I need to wear?

7.  What do I need to do to RSVP? 

²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Galatians 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 

One more question:

8.  Where do we go to find this rest? 

^{Joshua 1:9} Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 23:4

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”

What is this invitation for?
Come 

Who is the invitation from?
Jesus – only Jesus

When is the invitation for?
Right now

Who is the invitation to?
All of us – the weak and the weary

What is purpose of the event?
To Find Rest 

What do I need to wear?
Come just as you are

What do I need to do to RSVP?
Let down your burdens and take up His yoke.

Where do we go to find this Rest?
In His presence

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

2026-03-08

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Matthew 9:9–13 (CSB) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. ¹⁰While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

1. Jesus calls you where you are, not where you think you ought to be

vs 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

• As in Luke 19, Jesus calls a tax collector to follow Him. This seems to be a trend as Jesus will state in vs 13.
• Jesus, of course, knew Matthew as the local Capernaum tax collector. He had seen him many times sitting by the shore collecting customs or taxes from those who arrived. Matthew clearly had a “reputation” in the city. Yet Jesus called him just as he was.
• Donald Hagner said, “That Jesus should call a tax collector to be his disciple must have been in itself scandalous.”[i]

2. Jesus will come to find you

Vs 10 While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.

• Luke 5 tells us that sometime after Jesus called him, Matthew threw a “grand banquet” for Jesus with all his sinner friends
• The most important takeaway is this: Jesus attended!
• Jesus went where the “sinners” were.
• Ben Witherington III said, “What is nonetheless striking is that Jesus appears to not require repentance in advance of having table fellowship with sinners and tax collectors.”[ii]

3. Jesus wants to find you…and others

Vss 11-13 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

• As was their normal course of action, the pharisees questioned Jesus’ motives and His methods. They couldn’t believe someone who claimed to be a religious person would dare go near the people known as sinners.
• Jesus corrected them when He heard of their disbelief, the sick are the ones who need the doctor!
• Then He uses a rabbinical statement to the pharisees. He tells them to “go and learn” what the Scriptures say.
• Howard Hendrickson – “It was to save sinners that Christ Jesus came into the world. He did not come to help them save themselves, nor to induce them to save themselves, nor even to enable them to save themselves. He came to save them!”[iii]

Application:

1. Everyone is of value to God, regardless of their past or present

2. His desire is to “go and find” not to “wait and see”

3. You are called to serve in His stead

[i] Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 33, Word Publishers, 1993.

[ii] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Eerdmans Publishing, 2001.

[iii] John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, Evangelical Press, 2006.

2026-02-22

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Today, we’ll continue our series started last week entitled “Invitations.” And today, we will look at a much-beloved Bible story that many first heard when they were in Sunday School as a child. A story of childlike faith which changed everything. And ultimately, that type of faith is what God desires from all of us. It most certainly is the response God is looking for in His invitation to all of us.

Luke 19:1–10 (CSB) He entered Jericho and was passing through. ²There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. ⁴So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.” ⁶So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. ⁷All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.” ⁸But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” ⁹“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

1. Anyone can see Jesus

Vss 1-3 He entered Jericho and was passing through. ²There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

• Zacchaeus was mentioned as the “chief tax collector” which means he held the franchise in the area to collect taxes for Rome. There was a certain amount he had to send to his Roman bosses, but he kept the rest for himself. This was not a government job, it was a business.
• He had heard about this man Jesus, maybe from the healing which is recorded in chapter 18. The crowds had gathered to see this man, Jesus, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what it was all about.

2. It might take some action on your part

Vs 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way.

• Zacchaeus, who was a powerful man, humbled himself just to get a glimpse of Jesus.
• Warren Weirsbe stated, “In the East, it is unusual for a man to run, especially a wealthy government official; yet Zaccheus ran down the street like a little boy following a parade. And he even climbed a tree! Curiosity is certainly characteristic of most children, and Zaccheus was motivated by curiosity that day. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God like a little child shall in no way enter therein” (Luke 18:17). Perhaps more than anything else, it is pride that keeps many “successful” people from trusting Jesus Christ.”[i]
• It is important we all recognize we must strip away the pride which keeps us from truly encountering Christ.

3. But Jesus will always see you

Vs 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”

• Jesus didn’t need someone to point out the short man in a tree. Regardless of the large crowd which followed Him, Jesus always sees the one who seeks!

4. And He will always accept you as you are

Vss 6-7 So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. ⁷All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.”

• In chapter 18, we read a story Jesus shared about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Jesus made it clear the path to salvation.
• Luke 18:11–14 (CSB) The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
• God is not looking for those who put on a show of their faith, He is looking for those show their faith through genuine repentance.

5. So, turn to Him today

Vss 8-10 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” ⁹“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

• While this account doesn’t report the words Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus, but it is clear it was a message of repentance. Jesus told him it was time to turn from his wicked ways and believe in Him.
• Vernon McGee said this, “Zacchaeus showed his faith by his works. He did not talk about his faith; he demonstrated it. The world is not listening for something today; it is looking for something.”[ii]
• He was a changed man because of an invitation from Jesus

“The scene with Zacchaeus provides Luke’s Gospel with its ultimate statement about Jesus. Jesus knew his purpose on earth. His purpose was not to reform the Jewish religion. His purpose was not to prove the Pharisees wrong. His purpose was not to bring in a military, political kingdom. His purpose was to bring salvation to lost people. Jesus dedicated the three years of his earthly ministry to finding people who knew they were lost and showing them God’s way of salvation—the way of repentance and faith.”[iii] – Trent Butler

[i] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 251–252.

[ii] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Gospels (Luke), electronic ed., vol. 37 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 236.

[iii] Trent C. Butler, Luke, vol. 3, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 315.

2026-02-08

Derik Idol

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.’” (Matthew 4:17)

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

1. THERE ARE TWO KINGDOMS: The Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of the world.

A. The Kingdom of Heaven and the world are at odds.

John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world, My kingdom is of another place”.

B. The Kingdom of Heaven and the world are opposites of one another.

The values are opposite:
Want to be first—be last. (Mark 9:35)
Want to be great—be servant. (Matt. 20:26)
Want to find your life—lose it. (Matt. 16:25)
Want to be exalted—be humbled. (Matt. 23:12)

“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” – Matt. 5:41

2. INSIDE THE KINGDOM OF THE WORLD IS THE KINGDOM OF ME

1 John 2, “the kingdom of the world and its desires WILL pass away.”

“The most miserable people in the world are half committed Christians. You’re just enough into Jesus that you are miserable in the world, and just enough into the world that your miserable in Jesus.” – JD Greear

HOW DO YOU GET ACCESS TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?

John 3:16-17 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

“From that time on Jesus began to Preach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. Matt.4:17

2026-01-25

Dondi Costin

Hebrews 11:24-28 

Even the most skilled pilot can experience spatial disorientation in certain situations if they rely on their subjective feelings rather than the objective facts displayed on instruments in the cockpit. Because gravity is not your friend when you’re flying by the seat of your pants, knowing which way is up and which direction you’re headed is a matter of life and death. Faith in feelings rather than facts can be fatal.

In the same way, even longtime Christians can experience spiritual disorientation if they put their faith in someone or something other than the Lord. Every day offers multiple opportunities to either trust your fickle feelings or trust the facts in faith. In life as in flight, the key element is not so much the strength of your faith but the Object of your faith.

The life of Moses tells both sides of this story, but as we see in Hebrews 11:24-28, his faltering start culminated in a faithful finish. If we follow his example, we can do the same.

1. Leave your comfort zone. (vv. 24-25)

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” (vv. 24-25)

Life is a series of choices you make to either follow God’s way or go your own way. Moses gave up the good life in Egypt, where he could have lived a life of luxury as an heir to the Egyptian throne (Acts 7:20-22), and obeyed God to accomplish a greater mission instead. Why? Because he had faith in God and lived by way of an eternal perspective.

God took Joseph from his family in the wilderness, placed him in the courts of Egypt by way of hardship, and left Joseph to accomplish God’s purposes there (Gen 37-50). But God took Moses from his family, placed him in the courts of Egypt by way of hardship, and then took Moses to the wilderness to begin accomplishing God’s purposes out there. The important question in both cases was whether or not they would have enough faith in God to obey God for His glory and others’ good.

“At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house. When he was placed outside, Pharoah’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:20-22).

After 40 years in the wilderness, God called Moses by way of a burning bush to leave his comfort zone once again, this time to lead God’s people out of slavery into freedom.

“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’” (Acts 7:30-35)

Moses was not an early adopter. Even though he ultimately made the right choice, he tried everything he could think of to convince God that He had picked the wrong guy for this mission (Ex 3-4). He doubted God more than he doubted himself.

–When Moses questioned God’s authority (Ex 3:13), God said “Tell them I AM has sent you” (Ex 3:14).

–When Moses questioned God’s sufficiency (Ex 4:1), God gave him a series of miraculous signs (staff, hand, water-to-blood) to persuade him (Ex 4:2-9).

–When Moses questioned his own ability (Ex 4:10), God asked Moses, “Who gave man his mouth? … Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Ex 4:11-12).

–But when Moses revealed his lack of propensity [“O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Ex 4:13)], “then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses” (Ex 4:14).

Most of us probably think we would do exactly what God wanted if He would only speak to us through a burning bush. But God knows us better than we know ourselves. If Moses back-talked a burning bush he knew for sure was revealing the very voice of God in real time, even having the nerve to say, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Ex 4:13), it’s no wonder that we do the same.

Here’s the bottom line: You can make a difference, or you can make excuses, but you can’t do both at the same time.

“[Christ] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again….Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:15, 17)

What sinful pleasures are you nursing because your love for and dependence on those things is greater than your love for God? Some besetting sin you really don’t want to shake? A lack of confidence in your ability that is really a lack of confidence in God’s ability to use you? An unwillingness to give up something you enjoy even though you know it’s standing between you and God? If God calls you to leave your comfort zone for His glory and others’ good, just do it.

2. Look to your reward. (v.26)

“He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” (v. 26)

This approach provides clear evidence that Moses lived by faith, even if it took him a while to get there.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1)

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb 11:6)

We see in Moses’ example patterns of our own. Henry Blackaby’s landmark book Experiencing God points out 7 Realities that allow us to exercise the kind of faith God wants us to have in Him:

1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

Moses weighed “disgrace for the sake of Christ” on one side of the scales and “the treasures of Egypt” on the other side and correctly decided that going God’s way wins every time. Following Christ might lead to temporary inconvenience as the world understands it, the treasures of Egypt can’t hold a candle to the eternal reward God has promised to provide.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-36).

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” (Henry Ford)

Which is a lesson the Rich Young Ruler learned the hard way. When Jesus said he had to be willing to forfeit the things of this world and allow Jesus to be Lord of his life, “he went away sad because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’” (Matt 19:22-24).

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…. No one can serve two masters. Either he will  hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matt 6:19-21, 24)

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13-14)

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. … we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. (2 Cor 4:7-9)

What earthly treasures are you holding onto with a death grip because your faith in those things is stronger than your faith in God? Your money? Your job? Your house? Your routine? Your popularity? Your complacency? When God calls you to trade the temporal for the eternal, just do it, because the joy you can have in Him is far superior to the “enjoy” you have in lesser things.

3. Live by faith not by sight. (v. 27)

“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” (v. 27)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

“…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16-18)

“We live by faith, not by sight….So we make it our goal to please him…for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ….” (2 Corinthians 5:7-10)

Most people won’t believe it until they see it. But God’s people won’t see it until they believe it.

Faith may be expressed in different forms, but the Object of biblical faith is always the same: The God of the Bible. If you trust your feelings in your situation, you will eventually falter. But if you trust by faith in your Sovereign Savior, ultimately you will not fail.

Different expressions of faith in God, always leading to the question of whether or not we truly believe (1) God is who He says He is, and (2) God keeps His promises:

SAVING Faith – trusting God to save you from your sins.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

SANCTIFYING Faith – trusting God to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor 10:13)

“[I am] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

SUFFERING Faith – trusting God to grow you through every trial.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

Paul said, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [my suffering] away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:8-10)

“…those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Pet 4:19)

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” (1 Pet 5:10)

SERVING Faith – trusting God to empower you for every good work.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:8-10)

SATISFYING Faith – trusting God to satisfy every hope we have in Him.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore … that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” (Phil 3:20 – 4:1)

“God is faithful… For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:18, 20-22)

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal 6:9)

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Rev 21:3-5)

We tend to hold fast to the Lord and His promises when it comes to Saving Faith (the beginning) and Satisfying Faith (the end), but there’s plenty of doubt between the two. Yet living by faith requires us to believe just as fervently in the God Who sanctifies us, sustains us through suffering, and calls us to serve as we do the God who saves and will one day satisfy our every longing in eternity.

Are you holding so tightly to what you can see that you’re holding too loosely to the God of heaven you can’t yet see with your physical eyes? God has called you to persevere regardless of your circumstances, so do it because one day your faith will become sight.

4. Let God be the Hero of your story. (v. 28)

“By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”  (v. 28)

“This is how you are to eat [the Passover lamb]: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.” (Ex 12:11)

“Remove the evil from among you, so that you can stay pure. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us feast upon him and grow strong in the Christian life, leaving our old ways behind.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

Moses kept the Passover by faith. He followed God’s plan, not his own, simply because (1) it was God’s plan and (2) He had already seen what God could do.

Trevin Wax recently reframed a series of questions posed by Christopher Wright in the second edition of Wright’s book, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. The gist of Wright’s book is that God “is the originator of the story, the teller of the story, the prime actor in the story, the planner and guide of the story’s plot, the meaning of the story and its ultimate completion. He is its beginning, end, and center.” Or, as I once heard a preacher say: God is sum and substance of the Bible. He is its theme and text, its center and circumference.

In other words, this is God’s world, and we’re just living in it. There is a God, and we’re not Him. But if we’re not careful, we put ourselves at the center and give God a bit part in our story.

Reflecting on this all-too-common reality, Trevin Wax reframed Christopher Wright’s questions like this:

We often ask: Where does God fit into the story of my life?
Better to ask: Where does my little life fit into the great story of God’s mission?

We often ask: What is God’s purpose for my life?
Better to ask: What purpose does my life have within God’s purpose for all life, wrapped up in his mission for the whole of creation?

We often ask: How can I apply the Bible to my life?
Better to ask: How can I apply my life to the Bible?

We often ask: How can we make the gospel relevant to the world?
Better to ask: How does God intend to transform the world to fit the shape of the gospel?

We often ask: What activities and priorities make up the mission God expects from his church?
Better to ask: What kind of church does God desire for his mission?

We often ask: What kind of mission does God have for me?
Better to ask: What kind of me does God want for his mission?

When all is said and done, the answers we get are a function of the questions we ask. If you want to walk with God in the life of faith, ask the right questions. The answers you receive will lead you straight to the God of the Bible.

One of the most powerful sermons I’ve ever heard was preached by a college campus pastor named Jon Davis two days before surgery to remove a massive tumor from his brain. Not long after praying over his Christian brain surgeon who made a point to attend that service on that day for that purpose, my friend Pastor Jon preached a message from Mark 9 about the faith of a father concerned about the healing of his demon-possessed son. Jon landed on these words in verses 21-24:

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘Lord, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”

There’s something special about that semi-colon, which separates our belief from our unbelief. As we fight the good fight of faith, may God allow us to spend more time on the left side of that semi-colon (“Lord, I believe”) than the right side, knowing all the while that He knows our tendency to straddle the semi-colon as we walk with God. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Pastor Jon was in town last week dropping off his youngest son for his first semester at Liberty. After 4 years of fighting this fight, I thank God he’s still praying that prayer.

Every second of our lives presents an opportunity to choose God’s plan by faith or choose our own plan by foolishness. To which plan are you committed in this season of your life? God has called you to faith in Himself and His plan, so do it God’s way rather than your own. Then you will truly walk with God.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:1-3)

2025-01-11

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Last week, we talked about the importance of living with faith. We found the Hebrews 11 describes faith as the “foundation” of our lives. It is vital in our desire to follow Christ. Today, let’s discuss how faith impacts in a practical way through specific moments in life.

1. Trusting no matter the circumstances

Hebrews 11:5 (CSB) By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God.

• Enoch walked in faith regardless of his daily situation
• Enoch was clearly a man who loved and served God
• Enoch is mentioned in five verses in four books of the Bible (Genesis 5, Luke 3, Hebrews 11 and Jude)
• Key thought is that Enoch “walked with God” in the good days and the bad

Genesis 5:24 (CSB) Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.

2. Trusting when it makes no sense

Hebrews 11:7 (CSB) By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

• Noah was told by God to build an ark, so at 500 years old, he did so and he took him about 100 years to complete it
• God told him in Gen. 6 He was going to destroy the world
• Noah didn’t question God, He simply obeyed. Why? Noah trusted God no matter what.
• Key thought is there are times God tells you to do what doesn’t make sense and others make criticize you, do it anyway

3. Trusting when you’re stepping into the unknown

Hebrews 11:8 (CSB) By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.

• Abraham had traveled from Ur to Haran and in Gen. 12, God told him to go to Canaan
• These were not short journeys. About 500 miles from Ur to Haran and another 400+ from Haran to Canaan
• Yet Abraham did exactly as God told him, without questioning
• Key thought is that God at times will call you to go where you may not have planned, and maybe where you don’t desire, go anyway

4. Trusting when you feel there’s no hope

Hebrews 11:11-12 (CSB) By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful.¹²Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.

• As God promised before, God gave Abraham and Sarah a child
• This was clearly an impossible feat in their eyes. They were too old, it was too late, it couldn’t be done; yet God delivered.
• Key thought is never stop seeking God’s deliverance even when it seems to be too late, because nothing is too hard for Him

Genesis 17:15–19 (CSB) God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name. ¹⁶I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” ¹⁷Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” ¹⁸So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to you!” ¹⁹But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.

Genesis 18:9–15 (CSB) “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he answered. ¹⁰TheLord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. ¹¹Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. ¹²So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?” ¹³But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ ¹⁴Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” ¹⁵Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid. But he replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Key Thoughts:

1. Always trust God on the mountain tops and in the valleys
2. Always trust God even when everyone around you tells you not to
3. Always trust God’s calling and obey immediately
4. Always trust God’s ability to do the impossible

2025-12-28

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Hebrews 10:19–25 (NLT)

We are ready for whatever tomorrow holds. Why? Because of Christ in us!

As we approach a brand-new year, let’s be reminded of what Christ has done for us and what Christ expects from us.

1. Our position

Vs 19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus

• Vernon McGee said, “You and I have the privilege of worshiping God, not because of the life of Jesus, but because of His death for us upon the Cross.”^[1]

2. Our access

Vs 20-22a By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. ²¹And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, ²²let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him…

3. Our redemption

Vs 22b For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water

• “Because Jesus already has ascended into heaven and entered into God’s rest, believers can be confident that they, too, will have a share in God’s rest.”^[2] – John Barry

4. Our commitment

• Our commitment is based on His invitation
  • Warren Weirsbe put it this way, “This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest (verse 19).”^[3]
• We must be fully devoted followers of Christ

Vs 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise

• John Robert Stevens said, “It is the stabilizer that will hold you steady and keep you from wavering and swerving. Hold fast to your hope without wavering, because that is your stabilizer.”[4]

• We must be fully committed to working together

Vs 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works

• We must be fully together

Vs 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

• An unprecedented 15,000 churches are expected to shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.[5]

• In essence, here is our commitment for 2026:
  • We will go deeper in following Christ
    • Bible Study
    • Prayer
    • Fasting
  • We will focus our efforts on building strong relationships rather than avoiding them
  • We will be active members of the local church

^[1] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (Hebrews 8-13), electronic ed., vol. 52 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 56.

^[2] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 4:14.

^[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 315.

[4] John Robert Stevens, This Week, Volume XI (1980), (North Hollywood, CA: The Living Word, 2007).

[5] https://www.axios.com/2025/12/26/great-unchurching-america-religiously-unaffiliated

2025-12-21

Scott Bullman

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Joseph was of the house and lineage of David

Luke 2:4 – ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David

This gives Jesus legal claim to the Davidic throne, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah being a descendant of King David.

Joseph probably had family still living in Bethlehem

 Luke 2:7 – “She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (NKJV)

 “kataluma” = a room in a house.

The NIV more accurately translates this. “…there was no guest room available for them.”

Joseph was a Carpenter

Mark 13:55 – “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary?” (NKJV)

The Greek word translated carpenter is “tekton”.

tekton = a skilled craftsman / masterful artisan who possessed the abilities to envision what others could not see and then create with their hands a fabulous final product.

Joseph and Mary were Betrothed

In those days, marriages were arranged

Marriage was more of a transaction. The woman was considered property and it was considered an exchange of goods.” Thus the “purchasing family” would pay a dowry.

Two forms of “dowries” provided to the woman and her family:

“mohar” – paid by Joseph’s father to Mary’s father

“mattan” – given by Joseph and intended for Mary.

After the dowries were confirmed and paid, an official document called the “ketubah” would be signed. It was a “marriage contract” detailing the groom’s obligations and the wife’s dowry, making the union official.

Mary is found to be pregnant

 ¹⁸ After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”

Joseph has a decision to make

 He basically had 3 options:

1. Expose her publicly
2. Privately divorce her
3. Marry her

¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

 ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

God’s intervention always comes at the right time

God spoke to Joseph on 4 separate occasions by way of a dream.

1. Fear not, take Mary as your wife
2. Warning that Herod is trying to kill him
3. Herod is dead…you can go back home
4. Go back to Nazareth so that prophesy could be fulfilled.

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Joseph was obedient

Were it not for Joseph’s obedience, we wouldn’t have Christmas as we know it. He knew the voice of the Spirit and was quick to obey.

1. He married Mary…as the Angel commanded
2. He left Bethlehem for Egypt…as the Angel commanded
3. He returned to Israel…as the Angel commanded
4. He returned to Nazareth…as the Angel commanded, fulfilling the OT prophecy that the Messiah would be called “a Nazarene”

Obedience to God is seldom easy. Often the right thing is the hard thing.

“Joseph was more than just a father… he was a mentor and an example of how to live a life of faith, work and humility.  His actions spoke louder than words shaping not only Jesus’ childhood but also the foundations of his future mission. He was a father who through the quiet strength of his actions helped mold the character of the one who would change the course of humanity.

 Joseph never sought glory or recognition. Instead, he invites us to embrace a life of service and faithfulness where impact is felt through small acts of love and obedience.

Joseph’s quiet demeanor was a powerful reminder that true greatness lies not in titles or status but in a life of service and obedience to God…not in being seen, but in making a difference.

With his calloused hands and generous heart, he reminds us that holiness is not reserved for extraordinary figures.  For even in silence there is greatness. Joseph shows us that a true legacy doesn’t come from applause but from daily faithfulness to God’s call!”

                                                                           adapted from Scripture Journey

2025-12-07

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” ¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

This heavenly appearance occurred to the most unlikely of characters. Shepherds were not considered leaders or respected members of the community. They were looked down upon. Yet, it was to this group God first revealed His greatest gift.

Luke 1:52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.

1. The power of fear

Verse 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

• In this moment, the shepherds were mostly likely more fearful than they had ever been
• As a result, their fear kept them from running and made them stop in the moment
• The “glory of the Lord” is a representation of the presence of God in this place

2. The power of listening

Verses 10-12 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

• Now stopped, they listened to the words of the angel…and what a message they heard
• What started as fear quickly turned into the greatest moment of their lives
• “Good tidings” – euangelizō = good news, Gospel
• This was a declaration of the beginning of the Messianic age foretold in the O.T.
• “In a manger” was a directional sign to the Shepherds
• Vernon McGee – “He did not lay aside His deity; He laid aside His glory.”^[1]

3. The power in a promise

Verses 13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

• Just as quickly as their fear subsided, they got a little glimpse of heaven as the angels appeared in the greatest night of worship the world had ever seen

Verse 14 (NASB95) “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

• This peace referred to is the gift of salvation. The only peace to be had in this broken world is through salvation.

• John Walvoord – “peace” speaks both of their standing with God and their experience of divine peace.”^[2]

4. The power of obedience

Verses 15-17 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

• Through that moment of worship, the only thing they could decide to do was run to see this Child
• They didn’t ask for a sign or proof, they simply believed and obeyed
• “This thing” – rhẽma = a word, a statement
• They “came with haste” and found Him just as the angels had promised
• They couldn’t help but tell others what they had experienced

5. The power of our story

Verses 18-20 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

• The message shared by the “lowly” shepherds was one which changed the lives of everyone who heard it
• Mary “pondered” these things because she was still trying to understand all that had happened to her
• This story started the life of worship in every one of these shepherds. Their story was now the guiding light for the rest of their lives

Takeaway for us all:

^[1] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Gospels (Luke), electronic ed., vol. 37 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 41.

^[2] John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 928.

2025-11-23

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Galatians 5:22–25 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Today, we are going to discuss faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the last three words used to describe the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. Each of these nine attributes, or graces, are evidence of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. When walking in the Spirit, these attributes will naturally be on display. Not because of our goodness, but because of His work.

Vs 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

David Guzik said, “The flesh battles against God because it does not want to be crucified and surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not want to live out Galatians 5:24.”[1]

1. Faithfulness

Pistis – the state of being someone in whom complete confidence can be placed; trustworthiness, dependability

• 1 Sam. 12:24 (NKJV) Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth (faithfully) with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
• No matter the circumstances, the Holy Spirit’s work in us produces a person who is faithful in thought, belief, and action
• “Every thought we think, in every hour we live, must be, not necessarily about Christ, but it must be the thought Christ would think were he placed in our circumstances and subject to our condition…Only our disobedience and distraction can keep us from experiencing the Spirit’s work within us.”[2] – Hannah Whitall Smith
• Faithfulness takes intention

2. Gentleness

Prautēs – gentleness of one’s attitude and behavior, in contrast with harshness in one’s dealings with others

• 3:12 (NKJV) Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness (gentleness), longsuffering
• Gentleness (or meekness) is not weakness, it is Christlikeness
• Gentleness is strength under control
• “Meekness is power under control. Biblical meekness, or gentleness, is power under the control of God.”[3] – John MacArthur

3. Self-Control

Enkrateia – to exercise complete control over one’s desires and actions, especially sinful desires and temptation

• Proverbs 25:28 (NLT) A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
• We all struggle with various temptations, the Holy Spirit’s work within us gives us what we need to overcome temptation
• “Nothing is more powerful to overcome temptation than the fear of God.”[4] – John Calvin
• Again, only our disobedience and distraction can keep us from experiencing the Spirit’s work within us

Action Points:

1. Let your words and actions define you…reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit

2. When anger or disappointment are possible, slow down and let His Spirit take over

3. You will be tempted in sin in the coming days, stand firm against giving in to what the flesh desires

[1] Guzik, David (2002). Romans Commentary. Enduring Word Media.

[2] Bunn, I. D. (2006). 444 Surprising Quotes about Jesus: A Treasury of Inspiring Thoughts and Classic Quotations. Bethany House Publishers.

[3] MacArthur, J. F. (2015). Ephesians: Our Immeasurable Blessings in Christ. Harper Christian Resources.

[4] Blanchard, John (2024). The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians. Reformation Heritage Books.

2025-11-09

Charles Billingsley

^{Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT)}

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 

Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV

^5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

So what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?   

The key to bearing any fruit in your life is to walk in the Spirit . 

How do we walk in the Spirit?

Let me give you another picture of this before we get to our 2 key words for the day in this list of virtues that we call the fruit of the Spirit.   

Observations on Fruit

– Fruit is always visible.

– Fruit is always consistent with the plant from which it was produced.

–  Fruit does not exist for itself.   

– Fruit eventually dies once it is detached from the vine.  

– Fruit doesn’t try to be anything that it is not. 

John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything 

Me + Everything = Nothing 

1. Peace

You will never know the Peace of God until you have Peace with God

A. Peace with God 

Do you have peace with God? 

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 2:14-18  For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

A beautiful illustration of this is the cross itself. 

The only way you can have peace with God – is through His son Jesus.  Have you accepted the grace and the love of Jesus in your life?  

B. The Peace of God

The peace of God will: 

Quiet your Spirit 

Calm your Soul

^{Philippians 4:6-7} Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It is in His perfect presence that we find perfect peace which allows us to rest in His perfect plan.  

^{John 14:27} Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

Guard your Heart 

^{Phillipians 4:7} and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 4:8 paints the picture of this peace: 

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”

2. Patience 

^{Galatians 5:13-15} For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

When we walk in the spirit this kind of Patience or longsuffering will do several things. 

A.  Patience will help us see others through God’s eyes – rather than judging them through our own.  

Romans 2:1-4   You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. ² And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. ³ Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? ⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Judge less.  Love more.  

B.  Patience allows us to love others the way God wants us to love them.  

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NLT)

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

C.  Patience will bring you Peace with other people 

^{Colossians 3:12-15  (NLT)}

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

2025-10-26

Matt Willmington

• Acts 1-7 – “The Birth of the Church” (A.D. 30-33, Jerusalem)
• Acts 8-12 – “The Growth of the Church” (A.D. 34-44, Judea-Samaria)
• Acts 13-28 – “The Spread of the Church” (A.D. 45-62, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Rome)

Ch.12 is the book “hinge”. The story shifts = Jerusalem to Antioch, 12 apostles to Paul, Jerusalem/Judea/Samaria to whole earth

Acts 1:8 = The POWER of the Spirit, the unstoppable gospel message.

1.  Herod Persecutes the Apostles (AD 44)

12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. ² Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. ³ And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

• Why persecution? Popular with Jews
• Why James? The “Big Three”
• Why Peter – same as Jesus – Passover

2.  God Delivers Peter to a Praying Church

⁵ Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. ⁶ And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. ⁷ Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. ⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” ⁹ So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. ¹¹ And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

• “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.” – Thomas Watson, Puritan preacher
• Here the 5^th 6^th angels in Acts (7^th in ch.23)
• These angels physically deliver / destroy
• 2^nd of 3 jail breaks in Acts (apostles ch.5, Paul ch.16)

¹² So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. ¹³ And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. ¹⁵ But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶ Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place. ¹⁸ Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

• Mary’s house = John Mark’s mom, Barnabas’ aunt
• Finish line Prayers!
• Pastor James – FIRST mention
• Next to LAST mention of Peter

3.  God Judges Prideful Herod

²⁰ Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. ²¹ So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. ²² And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

• Josephus records this

²⁴ But the word of God grew and multiplied. ²⁵ And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

• God’s Word grows – Luke’s 4^th of 6 “growth” reports

Lessons

1. James – How YOUR chapter ends is not how the STORY ends.
2. Peter – When Herod threatens and the night is dark, heaven will help and God will deliver!
3. Rhoda – Don’t let us squelch your joy! Testify Gods truth.
4. Mary’s house – Enjoy God’s surprise, but don’t doubt His answer. Faith opens the front door.
5. Herod– Power down or face GOD’S power.

TIMELINE:

30 Jesus’ Ascension (ch.1)

30 Pentecost (ch.2)

30 Peter and John heal in the Temple (ch.3)

31 Ananias and Sapphira (ch.5)

31 Deacons, Stephen (ch.6-7)

34 Philip in Samaria, Ethiopian official (ch.8)

35 Saul’s Conversion (ch.9)

37 Peter and Cornelius (ch.10-11)

44 Herod Agrippa I persecutes church (ch.12)

46-48 Paul’s 1^st mission trip (ch.13-14)

49 Jerusalem Council (ch.15)

50-52 Paul’s 2^nd mission trip (ch.15-18)

53-58 Paul’s 3^rd mission trip (ch.18-21)

59 Paul arrested in Jerusalem (ch.21-23)

59 Paul’s Caesarean imprisonment (ch.24-26)

60-62 Paul’s journey to Rome (ch.27-28)

2025-10-12

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Acts 9

1. The Conversion of Saul

Acts 9:1–9 (NKJV) Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” ⁶So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” ⁷And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

• Saul’s mission to destroy the church continued and even grew
• During Saul’s travel to Damascus, Jesus speaks directly to him
• Kent Hughes said, “… Saul now knew he was not merely attacking those belonging to the Way—he was persecuting Christ.”[1]
• Tony Evans said, “Jesus so identifies with his people that to persecute them is to persecute him.”^[2]
• The elements of his conversion:
  • Awareness
  • Recognition
  • Submission
  • Repentance

2. The Obedience of Ananias

Acts 9:10-17 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹²And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” ¹³Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” ¹⁷And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

• God uses Ananias to help Saul during this confusing season
• The ministry of encouragement was vital in helping bring Saul to the Lord
• Saul’s ministry began with a promise of trouble
• Vernon McGee – “What a change! He is still Saul of Tarsus, but now he is Brother Saul. He is not the enemy. He is a brother. Any person who loves the Lord Jesus Christ is a brother to any other believer.”^[3]

3. The Urgency of Saul

Acts 9:18-Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. ¹⁹So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. ²¹Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” ²²But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. ²³Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. ²⁴But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. ²⁵Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

• Saul didn’t wait to get involved in the work
• He was not ashamed of the Gospel, even though he had spent significant time attempting to stop it

4. The Partnership of the Believers

Acts 26-31 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. ²⁹And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. ³¹Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

• People shied away from Saul out of fear of his past, yet Barnabas believed in this new brother
• After those in Jerusalem heard of the impact of the Gospel on Saul, they welcomed him into the fold
• Because of this partnership, the region began to be blessed with the power of the ministry
• Augustine said, “The martyrs were bound, imprisoned, scourged, racked, burnt, rent, butchered—and they multiplied.”^[4]

Lessons for us all:

1. No one is too far outside the reach of the Gospel
2. God has called us all to the ministry of reconciliation
3. From the moment of salvation, God has a job for us to do
4. We can get more done together than apart

[1] Hughes, R. Kent. Acts: The Church Afire. Preaching the Word, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2014.)

^[2] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1084.

^[3] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: Church History (Acts 1-14), electronic ed., vol. 40 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 110.

^[4] Martin Manser, ed., Christian Quotations (Martin Manser, 2016).

2025-09-28

Charles Billingsley

Acts 6

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

2 types of Jews 

Hellenists – they were no less “jewish” than the Hebrews when it comes to birth and bloodline.  However, they had been raised elsewhere, and as a result, had adopted Gentile customs – they spoke greek, dressed like gentiles.  Many were part of the ” diaspora” – the scattering of Jews that had taken place many years prior, and had now come back to their promised land to be apart of the Jewish culture – and in the process had become believers in Jesus.  So the Hellenists were Christian Jews – who spoke Greek and dressed like gentiles.   As a result, they used the septuagint as their scripture – It is in Greek.  

Hebrews – raised in Israel – more traditional in their dress and customs.   The read from the Torah – written in Hebrew.  As a rule, they despised anything that hinted of Gentile.  they were very strict and very nationalistic.  they spoke Hebrew or aramaic, and Greek only when necessary.  

Disagreements will happen. Division should not. 

Psalm 133:1

1Behold, how good and how pleasant it  is

For brethren to dwell together in unity!

Acts 6

2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;

4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,

6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

Luke gives us a summary statement here:

7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

John 13: ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Tertullian – “The Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”

In Rome, Georgia – The Local Steak and Shake sponsored a billboard in honor of Charlie Kirk 

Stand Up

Speak Out 

Stay Bold 

1.  Stand Up

Acts 6

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.

10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.

13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;

14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”

15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

Beautiful comparison and remembrance of Moses! 

7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

That’s all the window of opportunity Stephen needed!

Stephen then launches into an 1100 year history of their people – the Jewish nation – in full witness of the full gospel. 

2. Stay Ready 

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear”.

3. Speak Out

2 And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

3 and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 

4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.

6 But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years.

7 ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ 

8 Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him

10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

11 Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.

12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

13 And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh.

14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people.

15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.

16 And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

17 “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt

18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph.

19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.

Next, he makes his defense against their charge of blasphemy against Moses. 

He challenges them to remember the prophets

20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months.

21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.

22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

23 Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian.

25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.

26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’

27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 

29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

30 And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.

31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him,

32 saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers–the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look.

33 ‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

34 I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” ‘ 

35 This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36 He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’ 

38 This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, (The Law)

39 whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,

40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 

41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

42 Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’ 

Stephen now begins his defense against their charge of blasphemy of the temple. 

He challenges them to remember the place of worship. But specifically reminds them that God is not confined their fancy temple. He reminds them in vs 49 

but none of these – the patriarchs, the prophets or the places can save you!

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen,

45 which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David,

46 who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.

47 But Solomon built Him a house.

48 However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest?

50 Has My hand not made all these things?’ 

God cares much less about where we worship than in how we worship and in who we worship! 

But the temple was the sacred ground of the sanhedrin. Not because of their love for God – but because it was their den of iniquity – where they made their money. They were the Mob of the 1st century. All under the guise of Godliness. 

Had Stephen stopped right here, there would be no issue.  They would have all been in agreement with him.   

But then Stephen pulls no punches and launches directly into harms way with his next words – and lets them have it!  

4.  Stay Bold 

51 “You stiffnecked (term Moses used to call his own people) and uncircumcised in heart and ears! (you are all about outward show) 

You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,

53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”   

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 

56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1. The same Holy Spirit that Empowered Stephen, is the same Holy Spirit that empowers Every Believer  

2. The Call of God is a call to die. 

Galatians 2:20

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

Do I love God more than my own life? 

3.  It is in dying to ourselves that we become servants of God. 

Will you die to yourself in order to live for something greater? 

Do I love God more than my own life?

What am I willing to risk for the sake of His call?   

Stand Up

Stay Ready 

Speak Out

Stay Bold 

I was inspired last Sunday to write a little thing I’m calling 

The Alphabet of Boldness 

As the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

We must not, We cannot…

A – We will not Be Afraid 

B – We will not back down, back up, or back out.

C – We will not cower in the face of evil.

D – We will not dilute, deny, or disquise the truth!

E – We will move forward with excellence and energy and not Exclude anyone from our message of Hope

F – We will face our fears in faith

G – We will not give in to the winds and the whims of culture

H – We will not hold back

I – We will not be Intimidated 

J – We will fight for justice and Live for Jesus

K – We will build His Kingdom 

L – We will love our God and love our neighbors

M – We will stay on mission 

N – We will help the needy

O – We will offer all of ourselves and all we have when necessary

P – We will Pray – and pray some more – for revival across our land, for the power of the Holy Spirit, and for boldness 

Q – We will never ever ever quit.

R – We will not rest until everyone has heard the Gospel

S – We will speak the truth, stand up for what is righteous, and daily surrender our hearts to our Savior – Jesus Christ

T – We will Trust the Lord God almighty to guide us, protect us, and use us. 

U – We will stay under the authority of God’s word, seek to understand the mind and the heart of the lost, but never Undermine the power of His word

V – We will not play the victim, because in Christ We are the Victors! 

W – We will not whimper in difficult times and WE will not waver from The truth! 

X – We will be Xenial to those who hate and persecute us. 

Y – We will not yield to temptation and the evil one

Z – And we will preach the Gospel with our lives with all the zeal of the martyrs who have gone before us. 

2025-09-14

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Acts 3 & 4 (NKJV)

1. Peter delivers a powerful sermon on the power of the Gospel

3:11-26 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. ¹²So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. ¹⁷“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, ²¹whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. ²²For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. ²³And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. ²⁵You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

• After the miracle of healing, Peter was quick to point people to the source of this miracle. It was not found in man, it was found in Christ.
• Peter uses a clear connection drawn from their Scriptures (the Old Testament) to help them draw a line from the law to the fulfillment of the law.
• Here, Peter gives a clear presentation of the Gospel.

2. When the Gospel is proclaimed, the enemy attacks

4:1-3 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, ²being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

• Peter and John threatened the authority of the religious leader and their teaching, so they threw Peter and John into jail.
• This is the first record of Christ followers being jailed for the faith.
• Peter and John were locked up to keep them from continuing to preach in the Temple. The leaders knew they must stop the spreading of the “lie” that Jesus was the Messiah.
• Remember, at this point, Peter and John had no assurances what the outcome of their incarceration might be. It was not long ago they saw Jesus in the same situation which led to His death.

3. When the enemy attacks…

• Any person who stands up for their faith will face persecution.
  • John 15:20a (NKJV) Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…
• That persecution is not a cause for fear, it is a promise of blessing.
  • Matthew 5:11–12 (NLT) God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. ¹²Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
• So, what must our response be when the enemy attacks?

A. Be Loud

Vss 4-12 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. ⁵And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, ⁶as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. ⁷And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ⁹If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, ¹⁰let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹²Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

• “Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults. “- John Calvin^[1]
• The leaders had hoped after a night in jail, Peter and John would be scared to continue to preach this dangerous message of the Gospel.
• However, their voices were louder. They preached Jesus.

B. Be bold

Vss 13-20 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” ¹⁸So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

• The leaders gave them an order, “don’t talk about Jesus any more!”
• Verse 17 tells us they were severely threatened.
• Peter and John made it clear, regardless of what might be done to them, they can do nothing but preach the name of Jesus.

C. Be blessed

Vss 21-31 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. ²²For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. ²³And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? ²⁶The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ ²⁷“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. ²⁹Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” ³¹And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

• The result of their boldness for Christ was the greater awareness of the presence of Christ.

^[1] Martin Manser, ed., Christian Quotations (Martin Manser, 2016).

2025-08-31

Charles Billingsley 

1. Create Margin for Interruptions

God often does His most magnificent work in and through interruptions 

A.  Satan interrupts 

^{Ephesians 6:13} Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

B.  Jesus Interrupted Others 

C.  Others Interrupted Jesus 

When Satan interrupts:  resist

When Jesus interrupts : surrender 

When people interrupt :  embrace

Jesus used every interruption to make an impact 

2. Shape moments for Influence

Mark 4:³⁵ On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

You can change the world right from where you are!

3. Focus Resources for Investment

^{Mark 6:39} Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. ⁴¹ And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. ⁴² So they all ate and were filled. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

^{Ephesians 5: 15} See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Dave Ramsey time quadrant  – Entreleadership book

Square with 4 squares inside:

Urgent and Important!!   – Heart attack 

Not Urgent, but Important – test coming next month

Not Important, but Urgent – hair appt, tickets for a concert

Not important, not Urgent – social media, hanging out, killing time 

4. Plan time for Intimacy

A. Intimacy with Others 

B. Intimacy with God  

^{Ecclesiastes 12:13  (NLT)}That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

WE do this through: 

1. Time in His word
2. Time in prayer
3. Time in fasting
4. Time in worship

These four things are the footers to building your life of purpose and meaning. 

James 4:8a – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

Oh how He wants us – to know Him

You want a life of purpose and meaning? 

There’s part of the blueprint – but it starts here. 

Every builder will tell you before you can raise a building, it must start with a proper foundation. The foundation for our lives must be built on this one thing: Knowing God. 

Do You truly Know Him? 

To Know Him 

There’s a temple of God’s presence

That’s always been

A sacred place for those who choose to enter in

There is a light of grace that reaches far 

beyond what we can see

Welcoming the weary

Calling out to you and me

To know Him

it is the life He calls us to

Just to know Him

To only hunger for His truth

Until we see with unveiled faces

all that life can be

And follow in His presence where the journey leads

oh I want to know Him

My heart knows how it feels to search 

for peace outside His will.

to reach the end of who I am

yet hunger still

But when I put aside my doubts and fears

and step inside the door

Standing in His presence

I’m determined even more

Just to know Him

It is the life He calls us to

Just to know Him

to only hunger for His truth

Until we see with unveiled faces

all that life can be

And follow in His presence where the journey leads

Oh I want to know Him 

We’ve walked different roads

to get where we are standing

We have different needs 

and yet we are the same 

There’s a longing here 

that binds our hearts together 

To live where He is leading

the cost has never changed

To know Him

it is the life He calls us to

Just to know Him

To only hunger for His truth

Until we see with unveiled faces

all that life can be

And follow in His presence where the journey leads

oh I want to know Him

2025-08-17

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Romans 14:1–23 (NKJV)

Romans 14 is a clarion call to unity and acceptance within the body of Christ. There have always been divisions among believers. In fact, many of Paul’s writings are a direct result of the division within the local church. Here, Paul clearly states we are not permitted to allow our personal beliefs to determine the commitment or sincerity of other believers.

1. We’re all part of the family

Vss 1-4 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ²For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. ⁴Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

Vs 1 (NLT) Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them

about what they think is right or wrong.

• Paul is encouraging unity within the body of Christ
• In these verses, we are told not to allow our own view of what is right and wrong cause us to look down on another
• In the early Roman church, there was clearly a dispute among those early Christians over the edicts of the law. These included what you can eat, what days must be kept holy, etc.
• The mention of “eating” refers to the practice of the foods which are or are not permitted by the law
• Verse 4 tells us God is the master and only judge, not us
• Augustine said, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”^[1]

2. Different but equal

Vss 5-9 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

• Paul refers to the sabbath day and other holy days in the Jewish calendar in verse 5
• These were throwbacks to the “old days” of following the prescriptions of the law in order to have fellowship
• In these 5 verses, the word “Lord” is used to describe our responsibility to submit to Him alone and not allow our traditions or preferences to dictate our “faithfulness”
• We may all have differing views on issues, but we cannot allow those things to cause division, as long as we are not dealing with clearly delineated sins

3. So, give each other a break

Vss 10-13 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” ¹²So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

• “Judge not” is the message here (Matthew 7:1)
• Paul clearly is telling us all we are not to judge others within the body of Christ
• Robert Mounce writes, “Since that is true, it is highly questionable, to say the least, for us to be involved in judging one another. Judging is a divine prerogative. To take up that role is to usurp the place of God himself.”^[2]
• Verse 13 refers to the “stumbling block” (Gk-proskomma) which is a literal picture of a stone placed in the path of another which causes them to fall and be injured
• Paul clearly is telling us all we are not to judge others within the body of Christ

4. From a heart of love for one another

Vss 14-23 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; ¹⁷for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. ²⁰Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. ²¹It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. ²²Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. ²³But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

• This is a call for respect and patience for others (verse 14)
• It is also a call for us to recognize the responsibility we have to one another in our faith walk
• Paul tells us in verse 17, our preferences do not the church make, rather it is how we live
• So, don’t allow your preferences to damage your testimony and the “work of God”
• Paul underscores the importance of unity in these verses because of the damage which could be done by the actions of the strong or the weak
• Kenneth Boa said, “He wants no division to enter the church in Rome, no opportunity for the devil to get a foothold (Eph. 4:27) and perpetrate his schemes among people who all thought they were ‘right’”^[3]

^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 559.

^[2] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 255.

^[3] Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier, Romans, vol. 6, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 426.

2025-08-03

Matt Willmington

Ch.1-11 Doctrine, Ch.12-16 Duty

MY Body (v. 1-2)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

• Therefore
  
• Present
• Bodies
• Living Sacrifice = ongoing. Jesus said ‘deny, die DAILY’. SURRENDER
• Service = Worship (Heb.9, priests)
• Conform / Transform (Matt.17)
  • Formed – Genesis 2:7
  • Deformed – Genesis 3
  • Reformed – 1 Corinthians 5:17
  • Conformed – Romans 8:29
  • Transform – Romans 12:2
• Renew – Romans 1:28
• Will of God

HIS Body (3-8)

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

• We’re HIS body – 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4
  • Eastern mind, strong family = WE not ME
• Gifts – what we do for the FAMILY. GIVE not RECEIVE
  • What are YOUR gifts?
  • “One Another”
• Offer your body to God and your gift to each other

OUR Body (9-21)

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

• Exhortations: Love, cling, honor, prefer, fervent, serve, rejoice, patient, pray, share, bless, weep, unify, humble, peace, overcome
• Warning: Hypocrisy, evil, lazy, curse, exalt,

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

• “Enemy” (Prov.25:21, 1 Thess.5:15, Matt.5:44)

• He offered HIS body, so I can present MY body, so we can serve OUR body

2025-07-20

Charles Billingsley

Romans 9-10

Romans can be divided into 4 distinct sections.

Romans 1-3:20 is about the wrath of God

Romans 3:21-8 is about the Grace of God

Romans 9-11 is about the God plan for the Jew and Gentile

Romans 12-16 is about God’s righteousness being lived out in a practical way in all of our lives

For the first 8 chapters of Romans, Paul builds this powerful and persuasive mountain of truth pertaining to God’s righteousness, His provision for our salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, and the problem of our sin.

We Ended up at the end of Chapter 8 with this wonderful reminder of that fact that as believers, we are more than Conquerors in Christ.  We have been given  ultimate victory over evil!

In romans 9 we come to a shift in Paul’s emotions.  He is about to change the subject from being “more than conquerors” and turn his attention to his own people and their lost condition.    He begins to show a great concern for them because they have been offered the greatest gift known to man, and many of them refused to receive it.

there has also been a shift in the church culture in that there are more Gentile Christians now than Jewish Christians.

Chapter 9 – Israel’s past

Chapter 10 – their present

Chapter 11 – their future

When we say Israel – we are talking about the ethnic group of Jewish people.

Paul quotes the OT many times in Romans, but half of Paul’s OT quotes in Romans are in chapters 9-11.  And 40% of those quotes are taken from Isaiah.

In chapter 9, Paul reminds us all of:

The Sovereignty of God  – one having all power and authority

1. God is sovereign and always Has a plan

9 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen (my family.  I grew up with them) according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Paul makes the statement that He would gladly take their place in torment in order to see them saved.  But what irony!

Someone had already taken that punishment for them!  Jesus!  And yet they rejected Him.

So Paul lists 7 advantages the Jewish people have over any other people group  – and yet they still were blinded to the truth of the Messiah – who had walked among them – performed miracles in front of them – even rose from the dead !  And still they rejected Him as Messiah.

Israelites – they would be blessed for generations simply because they were Jews.

Adoption – special relationship as adopted people – Exodus 4:22 – God proclaims the people of Israel as “His children”

Glory – reference to the physical glory of God – pillar of cloud / pillar of fire  – reminded them that God was with them  – a manifestation of His presence

Covenant –  covenant with Abraham, Moses, David, the Messiah.  Was always conditioned upon their obedience to God

The Law – the Torah – the had the privilege of absolute truth as their foundation and basis for justice.  No other nation could claim that.  We have the Bible because God chose these people. America is founded upon Judeo, and later, Christian ethics that are based from the Bible.

The Service of God (worship) – God allowed the people access to Him through the tabernacle/ temple  – by way of the tribe of Levi.  God’s means of restoring the people into a right relationship with Him.

The promises – land , a future kingdom , the Hope of the Messiah – who ushered in a New Covenant – based on Grace instead of the Law .  Those promises are still available through Christ  – He is the true Bar Mitzvah – “son of the covenant”

They had everything going for them.

The nation of Israel , as a majority , still  rejected Christ as the messiah.

**Rejection by the majority does not negate God’s promise to the minority – there will always be a few who believe.  A Remnant.

But because of their many blessings, It leaves them without excuse for failing to believe.  The gospel was presented to them first.   But what they failed to see is that it is not their heritage as God’s chosen people that will save them.  It is by Grace alone, through faith alone,  in Christ alone that is the only thing that will save them.

Many people in our churches today have this same mindset.

Just because your daddy or your momma came to church and were Christians, doesn’t make you one – any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Your heritage doesn’t save you.

Your upbringing doesn’t save you.

Your Good works don’t save you.

It is only by grace alone, through faith alone,  In Christ alone that we are saved.

2. God is Sovereign – His plans have a purpose

God gave them their identity through His plan.

6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (This is a play on words here.  Israel means “governed by God”. Paul is saying not all of Israel is actually governed by God.  you are only truly governed by God when you are surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” Not all Israelites in the flesh were Israelites of the spirit). 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”

Abraham had many sons, not just Isaac.   But the promise of the covenant, of the messiah – would go through Isaac.

Their identity should have been found in their God-determined purpose, not simply by the offspring of one another.

Just because you are born a Jew, you are part of a chosen people but that does not automatically lead to your salvation.

Replacement theology – vs. 6 this false doctrine states that the Church has replaced or superseded Israel in terms of the promise and blessings of Israel because the Jews were the ones who crucified Jesus.  And So replacement theology says that God has replaced Israel by giving the Church those blessings.

We are seeing a rise in the popularity of this theology right now because of the Gaza conflict.

It was this very theology That the Catholics bought into that caused the crusader wars in the 12th century leading to the slaughter of thousands of Jews.

Even Martin Luther, despite all the good that he did, he also bought into this theology which led him to write many horrific anti-semetic things about the Jewish people – leading Adolf Hitler to quote him in MeinKampf – which led to the slaughter of 6 million Jews

But God still has a plan for His people.

You find the answer in the first 2 verses of the next chapter 11:1-2

11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.

remember:  God’s choices are not made based off of a majority opinion or human preferences.  God chooses who He will use to fulfill His plans. He chooses His timing. And He chooses his ways according to His own purposes and His mercy.

It’s not really up to us to vote.

He chose only Isaac to establish His covenant.  We don’t necessarily know why.  He just did.

another example :

10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Prothesis – Greek word for “purpose” in vs. 11. It means “setting forth, having a plan, a design”

Not “hate” in the sense that we use the word today.

In ancient eastern culture – to hate or despise something was more with priorities than emotions.

What we are talking about is not personal – it’s national.

God is referring to two nations here.

God preferred Jacob over Esau to build His nation.

Luke 14 – Jesus – “if any man comes to me and hates not his family…”

NLT – if you want to be my disciple, by comparison, you must “hate”.

Jesus wasn’t telling us to despise our children or our parents.   But he IS telling us that He must be our preference and priority if we are going to follow Him in extreme devotion.

Paul is underlining the fact that just because you were born a Jew, it does not automatically put you under the blessing of the Covenant.  Not by merit or by the rights of your heritage.

God chose Jacob even before the two boys were born.  Why?   Simply because God decided that’s the way it was going to be.

Jacob certainly didn’t earn it.   He was a conniving , deceiving, lying individual.

I don’t know why he chose Jacob over Esau, but he did.  And His plan proved to be the right one – as it always is.

3. God is Sovereign –  His character is perfect

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. (The MSG – “Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy.)

17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

Exodus

Pharaoh hardened his own heart first.   That was pharaoh’s choice.

Then God allowed Pharaoh’s heart to harden even more – two different words.  this one means – God firmed it.   in other words, God saw his hardness – and hardened it even more.   Romans 1 – He “gave him up” to his own hardness.

This does not say that God is not going to give you mercy.  but it is saying that He will give you mercy according to His will, not ours.

You might say – “that doesn’t seem fair!”

But do we really even have grounds to say that?  To question God’s plans or His motives?

4. God is Sovereign – His plans are merciful and just

Notice I did not say ‘fair.’   If you think God should be fair – then you might think that God owes you something.  The better word is “just”.  But the truth is, God doesn’t owe us anything.

Mercy isn’t something that God owes us – it is something He gives freely. If it were earned, it wouldn’t be Mercy.

Imagine if you walked out into the parking lot today and saw a man giving away $100 bills to random people. If you didn’t get one – would you accuse the man of injustice? no, you’d be more in awe that the man was giving $100 bill out at all!

Maybe we should stop wondering if God is fair or not and start considering the fact that God is a just God.

The truth is, none of us deserve any salvation or mercy at all!   But He is just to forgive us and offer us mercy we don’t deserve and could never earn.  The fair punishment for our sin is death – as Paul stated in chapter 6. But God is merciful and just, in that He treats His creation in His perfectly righteous way.

We will NOT always understand this.

God is God. And we are not.  He does as he pleases and answers to no one.

Job 38:4

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

“If the job of “Supreme Judge of the Universe” ever opened up, here are the necessary qualifications.

You must be:

Omnipotent – all-powerful

Omniscient – all-knowing

Omnipresent – present everywhere at once

Immutable – unchanging

Eternal – above and beyond the bounds of time

self-existent – needing nothing, and nothing created you

Holy – the very definition of purity  and goodness

Just – absolutely right in every decision

Not only is all of humanity woefully unqualified for this position, we have no basis or right to question the ONE and ONLY ONE who is.” – Charles Swindoll

So Paul uses these examples of how God chose Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, and the allowing of Pharaoh’s heart to harden as a big reminder to the Jews that God has always had a plan and that He has provided for them a way of salvation through that plan all along.   But it is not up to us to second-guess that plan.

God chooses.

God uses.

9:19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” (The MSG – So how can God blame us for anything since he’s in charge of everything?  If the big decision is already made, what say do we have in it?).

The Message-

20-24 Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn’t that all right? Either or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people.

Remember, Paul is talking about the history of the Jewish people.  But many have turned this personal and believe that these verses are more about personal salvation and that God pre-determines only a select number of individuals that will be saved

The Doctrine of Pre-destination / Election

Calvinists vs Arminialists

There are wonderful men and women of God who fall on both sides of this argument.

Calvinists – followers of John Calvin got together after his death to express Calvin’s doctrine of salvation in five main points.

Calvinism places strong emphasis the Sovereignty of God – in that some people are destined by the sovereign will of God for heaven, and others are destined for Hell – that it has all been pre-determined by God and you have no say in the matter.

Some go so far as the say that Jesus did not die for the whole world, but He only died for the elect – those pre-determined to be saved.

R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Jonathan Edwards, the recently deceased John MacArthur

Arminians – Jacobus Arminius – Same thing – their followers came up with 5 points to express Arminius’ views on the doctrine of salvation.

Armenians place a strong emphasis on the Responsibly of Mankind. God knows all things, including who will be saved, but even though God desires all to be saved, He gives mankind the freedom to either choose Him or reject HIm.  Armenians believe Jesus died for the whole world and will save anyone who calls upon His name.

Charles Wesley, John Wesley, A.W Tozer, CS Lewis, J Vernon McGee, etc…

Both sides are man’s attempt to articulate and make sense of the mystery of God and His  magnificent plan for salvation.

So which side is right?   BOTH!

We must embrace the whole counsel of God.

There is obvious tension between God’s sovereignty and Man’s responsibility, but God does not owe any of us an explanation of how to figure that out.

The truth is, there are ample verses of scripture to support both.

The doctrine of election is a two-sided coin.  It is God’s choice of us.  And it is our choice of God.   God initiates, but we respond.

As a church, we have no definitive statements on this doctrine for this reason.  There are wonderful theologians and Godly believers on both sides of the aisle.

I am intentionally in the middle.

You simply cannot deny that this passage (chapter 9), along with several others, points to the very vivid fact that God is Sovereign and chooses whom He will choose and will do what He chooses to do.

Yet, at the same time, you cannot deny that there are many other passages in scripture that clearly point to the responsibility of man to follow God.  Chapter 10!

So is our salvation based off of God choosing us?   Or is it based off of us choosing God?

The answer:   YES!!   It is both.

You may not understand it.  And I don’t think any of us ever will totally grasp this.  But that is ok.  Some things are a mystery.   And always will be.

If God were small enough for us to figure out, then He would not big enough for us to worship!

Train illustration

trains leave at a predetermined departure time

Yet you can choose whether or not you want to be aboard that train.

You also get to choose your seat.

you can choose what you want to eat

you are operating on the parameters of your own choices

while at the same time riding on a train that left at a pre-determined time.

So we have both something pre-determined in advance, cooperating simultaneously with your own decision.

Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

Picture a door leading to a beautiful room.

ON the door front is a sign that reads:  “Whosever will may come.”

And so you choose to walk into that door.  As you close it, you look back and you notice another sign on the backside of that door:  “Chosen before the foundations of the world. “

Then you find a table with your name tag on it.

You chose to walk through the door – only to discover that God had chosen you to be there all along.

When it comes your salvation – God has already chosen you!

The question is, have you chosen to follow God?

It is a wonderful mystery.   We cannot fully fathom it, and yet every believer has experienced it.

So what shall we do with this?

All I know is, the more we preach the gospel around here, the more people are chosen.  The more people join the elect.  So we are going to keep preaching the gospel.

And if you are here this morning and you are not sure if you are part of the chosen – then surrender yourself fully to the Lord Jesus – choose to call on His name, believe in your heart that can save you – and then ask him to do so.   Then you too will become part of the elect – part of the Kingdom of God – fully chosen, fully forgiven, fully part of the family of God!

Pre-destination – that term is found 4 times in scripture.

Election – 27 times.

the Bible does not place a huge emphasis on this –

but what the Bible does emphasize about God – is mercy!

Another illustration:  Hosea

Hosea’s life and calling are a beautiful picture of the Gospel.

especially to the gentiles.

Hosea, commanded by God, marries Gomer, who then leaves him for other lovers, symbolizing Israel’s idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. Despite their betrayal, God’s love for Israel endures, and Hosea buys Gomer back, representing God’s promise to redeem His people.

The Message

9:25-33 Hosea put it well:

I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies;    I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved in the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!”   they’re calling you “God’s living children.”

Isaiah maintained this same emphasis:

If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered and the sum labeled “chosen of God,”They’d be numbers still, not names;  salvation comes by personal selection. God doesn’t count us; he calls us by name.  Arithmetic is not his focus.

Isaiah had looked ahead and spoken the truth:

If our powerful God  had not provided us a legacy of living children, We would have ended up like ghost towns, like Sodom and Gomorrah.

How can we sum this up? All those people (Gentiles) who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together:

Careful! I’ve put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion,  a stone you can’t get around. But the stone is me! If you’re looking for me,  you’ll find me on the way, not in the way.

Who is this Stone?   Jesus!!

My hope is built on nothing

than Jesus blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly trust in Jesus Name – the Cornerstone

NKJV

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,

And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

The Responsibility of Man

NLT

Romans 10 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.  As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth).

7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”

8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:

Paul is saying that we don’t need to go to heaven to recruit a Messiah.  And we don’t need to go down to Hell to rescue a Messiah.

The One who saves has already come and is as close as the heart in your chest!

Paul is heartbroken over the failure of his own people to recognize Jesus as the doorway to their salvation.  In their efforts to obtain righteousness through the law, they missed the fact that their salvation was not found in adherence to the law, but rather through placing their faith in Jesus as their Messiah.

So after building this tremendous argument that our salvation is the work of  the Sovereignty of God.  He now turns the coin over and makes just as strong an argument about the responsibility of Humanity in this equation.   So we embrace both sides without diminishing the other.

Leaning too strongly towards the sovereignty of God without the conviction of our own responsibility can lead us to a mindset that all that happens is from God and that we are merely puppets in his hands.  Therefore, everything we do is under grace, no need for aggressively sharing the gospel because we don’t have any choice in the matter, anyway.

But, leaning too strongly towards the responsibility of man can lead to a legalistic mindset that places all the pressure of living perfectly on your shoulders because if you earned your own salvation, who is to say you couldn’t lose it as fast as you earned it?   So we lean towards what we do instead of what He has already done.   It becomes a salvation that is more about works than grace.

I believe that a proper perspective is the balance of both!

Someone asked the great preacher Charles Spurgeon one time about how he reconciles these two truths about salvation:  the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of humanity.   His answer:  “I wouldn’t try.  I never reconcile friends.”

In chapter 10, Paul highlights our responsibility…our response to God’s call for our salvation.

1. The Gospel is available to all of us – therefore all of us are accountable

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Pisteuō – greek word for ‘believe’ – it means to trust fully – to trust with all of your heart and soul!

Parachute analogy – IF you go skydiving, you may say you believe that the parachute will save you , but until you jump out of the plane – you haven’t displayed your true belief.

Belief requires faith, trust and action!

2. The Gospel is Universal – therefore it is available to all of us.

10:11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

John 1:11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 3:16  – whosoever!

10:14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

It is not only our responsibility to place our faith in Him for salvation, it is also our responsibility to tell others about Him!

Evangelism isn’t a personality type – it’s a responsibility to all believers.

We have the gift of hope in our hands – we must share it!

Imagine a firefighter finding people trapped in a burning building saying – “well, I don’t want to make them uncomfortable by dragging them out – I’ll just live a good life in front of them.

That’s not compassion – that’s cowardice.

Tell everyone you know!  Tell everyone you can!

I’ve never met anyone who chose God – turn around to discover that He hasn’t chosen them.

You Choose God – and you will discover – that He has chosen you all along.

3. The Gospel is simple – therefore everyone can understand

The Gospel is so amazing in that we could write enough volumes about it to fill a library of Congress.

It is so complex that it has confounded the minds of philosophers and theologians for centuries

And yet so simple that a 6 year old little boy in Salt Lake City can grasp it’s meaning and life-changing power.   That boy was me.

Paul warns:

16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.18 But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:

“The message has gone throughout the earth,  and the words to all the world.”

19 But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,

“I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”

4. The Gospel is receivable – therefore we must open our minds and hearts in order to receive it.

20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,

“I was found by people who were not looking for me.  I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”

21 But regarding Israel, God said,

“All day long I opened my arms to them,  but they were disobedient and rebellious.”

Can that be said of you this morning?  God has used people, circumstances, situations, heartache, disease, trouble, addiction, divorce, emergencies, whatever it may be…to get your attention.  And yet you still ignore His call???

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Titanic Life Boat Illustration

On April 14, 1912 – at 11:40 pm – The Titanic struck an iceberg on her starboard side that gashed the side of the unsinkable vessel.

In less than 3 hours – at 2:20 am April 15, 1912 – the Titanic had sunk.

2,240 people on board.

1,534 perished

only 706 were saved.

The reason – there were only 20 life boats.   Enough space to hold only half of the ship’s passengers and crew.

But even of the 20 life boats, in the chaos and the panic only a few of the boats were filled to capacity.  The life boats could hold 65 passengers.  Yet many of them only had between 20-25 people in them when they entered the water.  Mostly women and children.

The reason:  many people were hesitant to get in the life boat because they still believed the sinking ship was the safer place to stay.

The crew was not adequately trained in lifesaving procedures.

But the main reason – Because the crew had been told that the lifeboats would not support the weight of 65 passengers being lowered that distance from the ship.

What they didn’t know, was that the boats had been reinforced with steel in further testing and had been proven to be strong enough.

Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell the crew.  So in their ignorance, they were keeping the number being saved to about 25 people per boat.

I estimate almost 595-600 more people could have been saved had those lifeboats actually been filled.

What a tragedy.

WE are all on the titanic.  This world is sinking in its own sin.

And yet, people every day all over this world are being offered a life boat – to save them from their own sinking  and drowning lives.   But because of fear, or ignorance, or their comfortable lives, or disbelief that Jesus really can change their lives, they simply turn away.

But God has given us a way of escape.  He has offered us life through His son Jesus.  Jesus is our lifeboat.

And Jesus is saying:  Whosoever believes in me shall not perish, but have everlasting life!!!

The gospel is for everyone.  It is the life saving life boat for your soul!!

And we have but one responsibility:   Jump in now while you still can!

God has chosen you!    Before the foundations of the world – He chose you!

There’s room in this boat for you!

He wants to save you!

Now all He awaits is for you to choose Him.