PREACH

We preach to reach each of those in need of the Saviour.

1 Corinthians 1:18, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

            While some think we need some new methods to get the lost man to trust Christ, the Bible proclaims it’s by preaching that they will get saved. It’s not by the music, social networking, dramas, or dancing in the House of God that a lost sinner will see their need of the Saviour; it’s by preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

            Not only does the lost sinner need to hear preaching but the saints of God need to hear it long after they get saved as well. They need to be in church hearing the Word taught so they will grow and learn. They need to be there to get settled in their walk with Christ.

            What excuse do you have for not coming to church? What keeps you from following God’s Word? Make plans today to be in church tomorrow!

TEACH

The teacher is like the candle that lights others in consuming itself. -Ruffini

2 Timothy 2:2, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Oh, that we would learn to convey to others what someone conveyed to us. The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not need to find a logging place in our heads; It needs to find a longing in our hearts so that we would tell others about Him. If we don’t, who will? Who’s going to fill the shoes of those who stand up and proclaim the Gospel today? Who’s going to go to the lost and dying world ten years from now. For many of us, our current pastors will be dead and gone. Are we training the next generation of preachers, teachers, evangelist, and missionaries? Hey child of God, maybe He is calling you to step up, step out, and step into the greatest things anyone can do; teaching others about Jesus!

I WANT ANSWERS

Truth lies in character. Christ did not simply speak the truth; he was Truth-Truth through and through, for truth is a thing not of words but a life and being.

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

Tired of hearing this is the way to Heaven and this is what you have to do to get there? Don’t know much about truth? Don’t know what the Bible says about truth? You never will have the answers you’re looking for if you don’t open a Bible. You never will have the answers you’re looking for if you continue to sleep in on Sundays; never going to church! So, GET UP, GET READY AND GO TO CHURCH to get the answers you’re looking for!

AGED CHRISTIAN

An aged Christian, with the snow of time upon his head, may remind us that those points of earth are whitest which are nearest to heaven. -Chapin

Proverbs 16:31, The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

            How white is the top of your head this morning? Do people look to you as a source of wisdom, leadership, and direction for their own life? Do you have phone calls, text messages, emails, or letters asking for your prayers? Friend, if so, you have been found in the way of righteousness and people find confidence in you.

            Don’t take it for granted! God can use anyone, but He has chosen you to help those who have found confidence in you. So, don’t let your guard down! Be mindful that Satan would love to sift you as wheat, causing you to be of none effect in the lives of those who are coming behind you. Remain steadfast in the work of the Lord friend! Life gets sweeter as the days go by!

NEW BEGINNINGS

If Christ comes to rule in the hearts of men, it will be because we take him with us on the tractor, behind the desk, when we're making a sale to a customer, or when we're driving on the road. -Nunn

2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

            I was reminded of something last night while on social media; if a person is saved, they will be showing Jesus in everything they do. But last night, some friends were praising the bottle of hard liquor sitting on their table. Some friends were praising their year of sexual sins. One friend was even calling for the killing of congressmen and women. Now, not every one of these friends proclaim Jesus as Saviour but many of them did and those are the ones that I want to call out.

            You see, if a man or woman has been born again, their character has had a new beginning. They will desire to please God with their life. They will not be promoting sin. Jesus will be paramount in their life in such a way that their friends will notice, their family will notice, and most importantly, the lost man in need of Jesus will notice.

            Were you out there last night enjoying your season of sin? You might want to check up on your salvation. You might want to make sure your calling and election is sure. If you come to the conclusion that you are saved, you need to ask God to forgive you. Then you need to get back on social media explaining to your friends and family how you blew it. Yes, it’s humbling. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it is what is needed. Are you “BIG” enough to do what’s right? (1 John 1:9)

DESPISE WISDOM

The hatred of wisdom is leading a multitude to Hell.

Proverbs 8:36, But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

            Throughout the Bible, we have several characters we can look to that I believe despised wisdom. Those who had counsel from God, His Prophets, or even the Scriptures, yet they rejected the Truth and wisdom given to them and they suffered for it with their life. Here’s a few to look at:

            Noah’s generation denied Noah’s wisdom- they were swallowed up in the flood.

            Pharaoh denied Moses’ wisdom- he was swallowed up in the Red Sea.

            Korah denied Moses’ wisdom - The ground opened and he was swallowed up in the depths of earth.

            There is one that stood with, walked with, talked with, and served with wisdom in the flesh—Judas. Judas was with wisdom, person to person. He followed Jesus and saw Him do many miracles, yet he denied the Truth given to him. This denial of revealed Truth led Judas to sell Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver leading to His scourging, mocking, crucifixion, death, and burial. Swallowed up in grief for what he had done, Judas went out and hung himself.

            Have you had the privilege of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the Truth? Have you responded in faith, repenting of your sins and trusting Jesus Christ as Saviour? If not, be careful! I don’t want you to be swallowed up in your pride that will ultimately lead you to death!

JESUS' SACRIFICE

What sacrifice have you made that can compare to that of what Jesus has done?

1 John 3:16, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Many people brag about what they have done for the Lord. I gave this. I built that. I helped so and so. I’m a member of this ministry. What does any of that compare to what Jesus has done for us? It doesn’t. Nothing we can ever do will equal the sacrifice that Jesus has done for us. So, let’s put aside all of what we have done and just worship and praise Him for all He’s done for us! Give Him the glory due! Praise His Holy name!

JESUS- BEGINNING AND END

Worry is over when we understand Who Jesus is.

Revelation 1:8, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Understanding Jesus was before the beginning of time, space, and matter keeps us from worrying about the unknowns in life. It gives us confidence of His strength and power. It gives us help in having faith when we can’t see what tomorrow holds. It gives us an assurance of who we are and where we are going.

Have you forgotten who Jesus is? He was before there was a was! He will be after anything that will be. That should help you to not worry about anything if you’re in Him and He is in you!

CHRIST COMMITMENT

The faithfulness of Christ should be an example to every Christian to remain faithful, even on the darkest of days of life.

Philippians 2:8, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Knowing He was going to be beaten. Knowing He was mocked. Knowing He was going to be spit upon. Knowing He was going to be crucified. Knowing He would become sin for us. Knowing He was going to be buried. Knowing all of this, Jesus did it all; for you and for me.

Christ commitment to what the will of the Father is inspiring to those who love Him. It inspires them to remain faithfully committed to what His Word says.

How committed are you to Christ? Are you committed to Him? He was committed to you; all the way to the Cross!

JESUS’ HOUSE

Don’t just go to church—be the church!

Hebrews 10:25, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

In these days, when churches are closing more of their doors than they are being opened, let us, the blood bought, born again, children of God support the local church more fervently. Let us GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL. GO TO CHURCH SERVICES. SUPPORT MISSIONS. GO ON VISITATION. SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL!

There have been too many generations lost to Satan already that we must, for the very hope of mankind, stand up and be counted worthy to be called a Christian! Going to Jesus’ House, worshipping the only One true and living God, sharing the only Hope this World has—Jesus Christ; death, burial, and resurrection!

Will you be there this morning? Will you make it to Sunday School? Will you? Will you?

JESUS IS MOLDING HIS PEOPLE

From a lump of clay, to a life that is used every day, Jesus is molding us for His use.

Psalm 40:2, He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Recently, my wife, some friends, and I went to Pigeon Forge, Tn. While we were there, we did a little shopping. One of the stores we went into not only sold pottery but they sculpted, painted, and fired it right on sight. It was amazing to see that potter grab a lump of clay, throw it on the wheel, lay his hands upon it, and make the cup he had been trained to make. If something didn’t look or feel right, the potter would start over or he would remove part of the clay and continue on until the piece was finished.

Friend, I don’t know what you’re going through but if you’re one of Jesus’s children, He is molding you into what He wants you to be. Every once and a while He may have to remove some stuff in your life. You may even hit rock bottom and have to learn somethings again you didn’t learn the first time you heard them. But He is still working on you because you are one of His Children!

REMEMBER CHRIST'S WORDS

In remembering Christ’s Words; we are settled in our work for Him.

Luke 24:6, He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

Many days we forget the promises Jesus has given us in the Bible. We do this because we get busy and neglect reading His Word. We neglect hearing it preached. We neglect our devotions. We neglect spending time with fellow believers. But when we remember what He has done by doing those things, we have a settled heart, and we faithfully serve Him.

Don’t get so busy during this busy season forgetting Christ’s Words!

HEAVENLY HOST

God’s choir sings like no other!

Luke 2:13, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

I’ve heard some great choirs in my time! Some choirs sing some songs better than others. Some articulate every word, hit every note, and are in accord with one another so much, it’s like one person singing in a 100-person choir. But none of that compares to the choir the night Jesus was born! I don’t know exactly how many a “multitude of Heavenly host” are but if they were an army of angels, that would have been between 400,000 and 1,000,000 of angels bellowing out praises to the new born King! One commentator said, “It is amazing to consider that heavenly host stretched from horizon to horizon to witness the most amazing event in the history of the universe.”

Hey friend, enjoy the miracles of God’s Work and quit trying to explain everything away with human possibilities!

BIRTH OF JESUS

The Bible described the birth of Jesus thousands of years before His birth.

Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

There are many prophecies about the Birth of the Saviour; the forerunner, the place He was to be delivered, the virgin birth, and more. All of them points to One person- Jesus. While there are naysayers, the fact remains that Jesus was born in Bethlehem on a starry night, with the heavenly host singing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Rejoice this week in the birth of our Saviour!

CHRIST WORD

The devil is not afraid of the Bible that has dust on it. -Anonymous

John 17:17, Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

We will end this week celebrating the birth of our Saviour. No, we don’t know for sure what day of the week He was born on but we set this day aside to celebrate His life. What’s so important about that? Well, God didn’t set Himself up as a king or military leader; He came as a lowly babe, wrapped in a manger. He came as a weak helpless babe that needed someone to take care of His needs.  

Since we are celebrating the birth of our Saviour, why not take an extra effort this week to read the Gospels through from beginning to end this week. Open up Christ’s Word beginning in Matthew and read through John reflecting one not just His birth, but His death, burial, and resurrection as well.

FOR THE EDIFICATION OF BELIEVERS

The first place of Christian service is the local church.

Colossians 3:16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

I have long advocated for the support of the local church. It was in the local church I heard the Word of God preached. It was in the local church the Lord taught me what the basic principles for Biblical living should be. (Serving, giving, ministering, fellowship, missions, etc.) It was in the local church He called me into the ministry. It was out of a local church God called me to pastor at where I serve now. So, yeah, I believe the local church is pretty important. It’s not just important to me though, it’s important to the Lord as well. It is the local church that God set up to be the means of help to the believers. And if you believe, it’s for YOU!

Have you set forth the purpose of attending your church this morning? If not, why? Don’t have a church to go to; send me a message, I can help! So, GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH THIS MORNING!

FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST

Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. -Spurgeon

Mark 16:15, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

We that are saved have a mission. It is not a mission that we can do on our own. It is not a mission that we have not been equipped to do. It is unlike any other mission in this world. This mission was declared by Jesus. It is displayed in the Gospel. It is to be distributed by every Child of God. It is to be received by whosoever will. That is the cause of Christ my friend, You and I that are saved are to be sharing that Good News to the lost, dying, and hurting world we live in. Will you go… Will you tell… Will you share… for the cause of Christ?

JESUS IS GOD

Jesus is not humanity deified. He is not Godhead humanized. He is God. He is man. He is all that God is, and all that man is as God created him. -Spurgeon

John 10:30, I and my Father are one.

If Jesus wasn’t God, we will stand before God giving an account of our sin before Him. What would you say? If you had to stand before God today, what would you say to Him that would allow you to enter through Heaven’s gate? I’ve done a lot of good things for the Lord. I was a member of such and such church. I was baptized when I was born. I, I, I…. isn’t going cut it! None of your good deeds will get you into Heaven. Church membership won’t get you into Heaven. Baptism doesn’t get anyone through the gates of Heaven.

So, what will get you into Heaven? Let’s look at Romans 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. When you hear the need, see the need, confess your need, repent of your sin, and trust Jesus as your Saviour. Jesus saves you because that’s why He came to earth. He saves you because He is God.

JESUS CAME ON TIME

Jesus came right on time and will come again right on time.

Galatians 4:4, But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

UPS, USPS, FEDEX, nor any other delivery company has anything on the Lord. He has never been late or early. He is right on time; all of the time. When you think He’s late; He’s on time. When you think He’s early; He’s on time. When you have given up; He is just getting started.

Hey friend, take a little free advice, don’t give up on God! Jesus came the first-time, right on time. Jesus is coming again, right on time. And He will be right on time in your situation!

JESUS’ MISSION

From the manger to the Cross; Jesus’ mission has never changed.

Luke 19:10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Social reform- no. Economic reform- no. Jesus had one mission and that was to make the way for lost man to be saved. It wasn’t a way or even one way, He is the ONLY way to be saved. He didn’t come to give you your best life now. He didn’t come to correct social injustices. He didn’t come to make you rich. He came seeking to save anyone who would call out to Him for salvation.

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour this month, don’t forget why He came!