Does God Know, Does He Care?

 

Scripture Texts Matt. 10:29-31; Psalm 139:1-7, 16-18

Intro: Have you ever wondered if God had lost your address, or that He has forgotten you, or He doesn't care about you or your situation? Have you honestly ever had those thoughts? If you think God has forgotten you or He doesn't know or care about you or what's going on in your life, then His word to you is no, you are not forgotten or lost from God, and He does care.

I. Does God care about you? Matthew 10:29-31 (NKJV) ²⁹  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. ³⁰  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. There are over 7½ billion people on earth and yet God has His eyes on you and His eye is on the sparrow!

a. If you feel estranged from God, you have gotten away from Him and His care. Verse 30 says that God knows so much about you He has every hair on your head counted. So does God know and does He care? Jesus asks a question in verse 29 and then He answers that question in verse 31. You are very valuable to God and He delights in you. He gave His Son for you because you are priceless to Him.

II. Does God know about you? Psalm 139:1-7 (NKJV) ¹  For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. ²  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. ³  You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴  For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. ⁵  You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. ⁶  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. ⁷  Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

a. King David answers that question in verse 1 of Ps. 139. It was revealed to him that God has a thorough and infinite knowledge of mankind. He not only knows you, He knows what you are experiencing right now at this stage in your life. He knows everything about you and He does care. In verse 2 look what it says! God knows your every thought. He knows your every move. Even if you are not aware of His presence, He's not only by your side if you are a Christian, He lives in you by His Spirit. If you are not a Christian, I will tell you how you can be at the end of this message.

In 139:3 God has laid out a path for your life. He will help you through the hard times and the good times. Does God know? Every moment God knows where you are.

In 139:4 God knows what you are going to say even before you say it. He knows what's on your mind and in your heart at all times.

In 139:5 God precedes and follows you. You are constantly surrounded by His Spirit. His Spirit is not only in us, His Spirit also surrounds us. His hand of blessing is on your head. Yes God knows and He cares. Do you recognize His hand of blessing on you? In 139:6 All of this is to wonderful and glorious to believe and yet it is all true.

In 139:7 you can not ever be lost to God's Spirit and you can never get away from God's presence. No matter where you go, God is there! Does God know about you?Psalm 139:15-18 (NKJV) ¹⁵  My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. ¹⁷  How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! ¹⁸  If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

In 139:15 God formed your inward parts and covered you in your mother's womb.

In 139:16 God saw you before you were born and scheduled every day of your life before you took your first breath. Every day of your life is recorded in His book.

In 139:17 God thinks about you constantly. How precious that is to know. He knows what's going on in your life every moment. Does know and does He care?

In 139:18 God's thoughts toward you each day can't even be counted. His thoughts are continually toward you and you never leave His thoughts 24/7's. He watches over you while you sleep protecting you from all harm. When you wake up in the morning God is still thinking of you, charting your path for the day.

Conclusion: Yes God knows and God cares for you. Turn to Him each day in bible reading, meditate on His word, and commune with Him in prayer. You will find strength, comfort, and rest for your soul that you didn't know you could have.

Invitation: Does God personally know you as His child? John 3:16 says “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you and you will have eternal life and you will know His power and presence in your life. Christians, let's make a new determination right now to live the rest of our lives in the power of Christ to be able to overcome everything that comes our way. Let's be aware of His presence in us and around us each day and night.

How God Feels About You!

 

Intro: A sad reality is that many believers don’t actually know how the Father feels about them. We imagine that God responds to us the way that we would respond to us. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us exactly how God feels about Israel and all of His children. Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV) The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

I. The Lord is in your midst. God is in our midst right now as we meet. When we leave here God will go with us wherever we go. He is in the midst of the political situation. He is your God; yours in covenant. We Christians have a covenant with God Almighty through the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ. He Is the mighty One who will save. He can do all that is required for our benefit. He can restrain and destroy enemies, can support and defend his own people. He can save you and I from our fears, worries, doubts and the rage of those who come against us.

II. The Lord rejoices over you with gladness. The word rejoice means God experiences glad joy over you His child. Too many Christians either are ignorant of this fact or reject what God says about them. Just think of God rejoicing over you. He knew all about you before you were ever born and He still rejoices over you despite all your failures. His love is not earned. His joy over you is not dependent on your works. He rejoices over you because Jesus made you His and He sees the future for you. Your future includes an eternity in heaven with Him. Quit listening to people and the devil.

III. The Lord will quiet you with His love. Are you troubled in your soul over a circumstance in your life? Allow God to quiet your soul. Let God renew his love for you each day. He will show the same love to you that he did of old to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the Israelite's. When things aren't going right and you are in the midst of a storm, He will gently quiet you with His love. By His Spirit He will speak peace in your heart. He will let you know how much He understands what you are going through and He will assure you He is present to help in the midst of your situation. Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV) ¹  God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. ²  Therefore we will not fear.

IV. The Lord rejoices over you with singing. When God looks at you He breaks out into singing. There is a great joy in God's heart towards His people, and so He expresses it; He rejoices with joy, and expresses it with singing; which shows how delighted He is with His people. We are His chosen, redeemed, and called ones; as we have God's own righteousness upon us, and His own grace in us because of what Jesus did for us. We are His in whom He delights; His "Bride" to whom He is married; and it is His love of satisfaction and delight, which is the source of all the grace and glory He bestows upon us. Not only does God sing, but you are the object of His song, simply because you are His redeemed child. His love for you causes Him to sing, not because of who you are or what you have done, but because of what Jesus did for you on the cross, that has brought you together into a mutual relationship of love with Him and the Father God. Imagine the river of God’s love, compassion, mercy and grace that streams toward you expressed through His singing voice right now.

Invitation: For God to look upon you with favor, you must know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. You simply confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and then invite Him into your life to lead, guide and direct you by His Spirit. Then the Father God will rejoice over you.

Don’t Be Deceived!

 

Intro: We need to pay close attention to what is being said and taught as truth today, in the media, our government and churches. We need to be ready for the deception going on now and that which is to come in the future. God does not want us to be deceived so He warns us in His word.

I. The bible warns there will be much deception in the last days. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, The bible warns that there will be many false prophets in the last days. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

II. Satan’s goal is to deceive the whole world. Satan is brilliantly clever at taking age-old lies, disguising them as realities, and gradually introducing them to even those churches who insist that they believe in the infallible authority of the Bible. Revelation 12:9 speaks of, " that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world." To deceive means to lead astray. Devil tries to lead astray by contradicting and twisting the word of God to say something other than what is true as he did Eve. The Lord put this and similar verses in his Word to warn us of a reality of world history: Global deception. Even those who profess to be Evangelical Christians are susceptible to the Serpent's lie. We already are and will continue to be exposed to deception about the intentions of other religions that are trying to establish a one world religion. There is deception by our government leaders about their intentions for a new world order to get control of the people.

III. Some examples of Satan’s deception. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) ⁸  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹  not of works, lest anyone should boast. Satan deceives people by the teaching of salvation by works instead of God’s grace. The bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 the true way of salvation. What all the world’s religions and philosophies have in common is a form of self-righteousness that teaches salvation by works, that you earn salvation by what you do. They deny the Biblical Jesus and salvation by grace through faith in Him which is not of works lest any should boast. Jesus prayed to the Father that if there was any other way for mankind to be saved remove this cup from me. Jesus would not have had to go to the cross if there was any other way. Satan's is infiltrating the church with error through pastors and false teachers. Not only is Satan the "Father of lies," but he is also the "Author of confusion." It is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the world views and the liberal church. The message and the priorities of the Church are becoming just like the World. There are books that teach on many different religions, philosophies and ideas. Beware of what you read and fill your mind with! Remember books written by mankind cannot replace the gospel. Only the gospel is error free. Christians are being deceived more and more with religious groups and movements which teach a mixture of beliefs and compromise of God's truth and priorities. The different religions are uniting for the purpose of solving the problems that create differences of religion in the world, thus one world religion. They do this in the name of God and peace. The only one world religion that will work is when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom on this earth. The bible warns in; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NLT) ¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? Any religion that denies Jesus as God and Savior of the world is anti-Christ, evil and deceptive. It is of the devil. There is no harmony between Christ and the devil.

IV. The solution for avoiding deception is the Holy word of God. Christians are much more likely, these days, to not read their Bible for their convictions and world- view, but instead they follow the opinions of leaders they look up to. Celebrity preachers and some T.V. Ministers are likely to draw our attention and our allegiance. In these last days we cannot afford to follow human leaders as if they were experts; no matter who they are. We are to be disciples of Jesus and follow him alone. So how can we be sure we are not being deceived? The only way we will be able to spot deception is by having encounters with the truth. Knowledge of the truth exposes lies. Our only hope to not be deceived in these last days is to "abide in Jesus and His words"; according to John 15:7 We must surrender our hearts moment by moment to the Holy Spirit. We need to be like those in Acts 17:11 (NKJV) They searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. We should read our bibles every day if possible. That's the only way we will be able to spot deception is by having regular encounters with the truth of God’s word. When we read the bible John 8:32 says “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Invitation: Do not be deceived about your salvation. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.” Romans 6:23 says “The wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, In Christ Jesus our Lord.” Be sure you have confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you so you can receive the gift of eternal life. Then invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life. Be baptized in His name to show you are sincere.

What If No Christ in Christmas?

 

Intro: Before Christmas, I saw on one particular news program an interview with an atheist. They had paid for a big sign in New York Times square. It read “Who needs Christ in Christmas?” It had a big X through Christ’s name and it said under it, nobody! Does mankind really need Jesus? What if we didn’t have Jesus Christ? How bad do we need Christ? The New Testament would not have been written? We would not have this New Testament or Covenant with God if Jesus was not needed. Without the New Testament the O.T. would be incomplete. It does not have the O.T. in it, but it has references to it. It is the complete fulfillment of the O.T. prophecy showing a person how to be saved and forgiven of their sins. Have you ever stopped to think about this? What would we have if we didn’t have Christ?

I. Without Christ we could not be justified or made right with God. Romans 5:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [Ro 5:9] Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

II. Without Christ “There would be no Immanuel, God with us” as Isa. 7:14 & Matt. 1:23 say. If Jesus had not come there would be no mercy, grace, truth, and forgiveness as John 1:14 says. There would be no fulfillment of the wonderful promises in John 10:10b of Jesus coming to give us life and that life more abundant.                                                                                                                  

III. Without Christ there would be No comfort that we find in the New Testament for those that are rejected by the world, spiritually lost, suffering, hurting, and dying without hope and help.                                                                                             

 IV. Without Christ There would be no salvation from the penalty of our sins. Animal sacrifices in the O.T. could not forgive or permanently remove the guilt and penalty of sin, They were only types that pointed the real thing, the forgiveness and removing of the guilt and penalty of sin found in only in the blood of Jesus Christ. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Acts 4:12 (NKJV) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

V. Without Christ There would be no Holy Spirit in our lives to lead, guide, and direct us. There would be no fruit of the Spirit in our lives. No love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

VI. Without Christ and His resurrection, There would be no hope of the resurrection or eternal life. At death, we would have to bow our heads say an eternal goodbye and weep as those without hope while being cast into hell. The apostle Paul wrote about this in 1 Cor. 15:12-28.

VII. Without Christ There would be no book of Revelation which tells us about our future with Him, or about His coming back to rule and reign and how we will rule and reign with Him over this earth. (Rev. 20:4)Revelation 20:4 (NKJV) And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

VIII. Without Christ there would be no promise of a new heaven and earth where sin and death does not dwell. Revelation 21:1 (NKJV) Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah who gives life and who has the right to judge life. He is the One who knows the future and can warn man and tell man how to prepare for the devastating events of the end time. Being the true Messiah, He is bound to declare the truth to us, so we can take of the water of life freely, without cost.

Invitation: So who needs Christ? Everybody does. Let us rejoice today because Christ has come. Revelation 22:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶ "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." ¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Do you have Jesus Christ in your life to forgive you of your sins against God? Have you taken of the water of eternal life freely? The Spirit says come and the church says come! Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life so when your time comes to die, you will have an eternal home with God the Father and Jesus His Son.

Confidence in God

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 138: 7-8

Intro: King David is a good example of one who had great confidence in God. The scriptures for this message tell us we too can have great confidence in God.

I. Christianity is not trouble free. Psalms 138:7 (NKJV) Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. Our hope is not in the absence of trouble. David walked daily in the midst of trouble and trials. So do Christians! Every day we face all kinds of troubles, distresses, different risks, sicknesses. So, we shouldn't expect an absence of trouble. Our hope is in God. He will revive us [cheer our spirit] in the midst of trouble. He will stretch out His hand against the wrath of our enemies. He will bring us victory in the midst of troubles. God says in Psalms 23:4 (NKJV) 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. If one finds their self in a valley of deep [trouble, distress, sickness, anxiety] , you need not fear. The Lord is with you and will protect you with His glorious provisions. A. God gives the victory in the presence of our enemies. [Psalms 23:5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. The psalmist here rejoices in the Lord’s provision. What was comforting to David was that the victory was in the presence of his enemies. Despite impending danger, the Lord spread out a table for him, that is, God provided for him and anointed his head with oil which is symbolic of the anointing of God's favor and blessings in which comes our victory. In view of the table and the oil, David knew that his lot in life (his cup) was abundant blessing from the Lord. His right hand will save us. The same hand that strikes out against our adversaries will save us from disaster. 1 Peter 3:22 (NKJV) Jesus has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. Romans 8:34 (NKJV) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

II. God will complete that which concerns us. Psalms 138:8 (NKJV) The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. This is the same confidence that Paul expressed in; Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. We can be sure God will complete His work in us because His steadfast love endures forever. [In Heb. 13:5 God says] “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” God's word says in; Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

III. God never can or will forsake the works of His hand. We Christians are the work of His hands. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV) ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion: God works constantly to bring beauty out of pain. The question is not “Will He succeed?” But rather, “Will we trust Him until He completes that which concerns us?” The answer is up to us!

Invitation: Confidence in God begins with being born again by the Spirit. When we confess our sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save us, we can have confidence that He will hear us and save us. Once we have taken this first step we can have confidence that God will take care of us and deliver us through whatever we have to face in this life because He will never leave us nor forsake us. We can have then confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are His now and throughout eternity! Praise God!

Complete Freedom

 

Scripture Text

Rom. 8:1-11

Intro: Thank God for your spiritual freedom. Freedom means to be liberated from whatever has you in bondage. Sin had us in bondage. Complete freedom comes from only one source, and that is God Almighty. Are we truly thankful for the spiritual freedom we have in Christ? We can not lose sight of the One who died to set us spiritually free. Let us thank Him for the spiritual freedom we enjoy today. Let us not take it for granted.

I. Trying to keep God's law brings us into bondage. Romans 3:19-20 (NKJV) ¹⁹  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰  Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. We are unable to keep the righteous requirements of God' law. The law was given to show us what sin is. No one has been able to fully keep God's law since the creation of mankind. Therefore all mankind needs to be set completely free from this bondage because the penalty for sin is eternal separation from God and His Heaven. Because of the weakness of the flesh, we are unable to fulfill the righteous requirements of God's law. Therefore, All are under God's condemnation.

II. Jesus sets us completely free from God's condemnation. Romans 8:1 (NKJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The condemnation that the law brings can only be changed by Jesus Christ and by walking or living our lives in the power of His Spirit instead of the sins of the flesh. A lot of Christians are still in bondage by believing they have to perform some kind of good work to please God. They never know when they have done enough good works and so they live in bondage to the devil.

III. We are completely free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2-4 (NKJV) ²  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴  that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. What the law could not do for us, Jesus did in setting us free from the law of sin and death. The law of God was just and right in telling us what God wanted us to do and not to do but it did not give us the power to keep those perfect laws of God. We could not keep God's law because of the weakness of our sinful fleshly nature. Christ took on humanity in order to be a sacrifice for our sins. God condemned sin through the flesh of His perfect Son Jesus Christ. Jesus took the full wrath of God against our sin and gave us who live according to the Spirit His righteousness. Because Christ was sinless, his death passed the “death sentence” on sin for all of us, destroying sin’s control over us. For mankind to be able to reach the righteous requirement of the law takes more than our sinful nature can produce. Only through Christ’s death and the resulting freedom from sin can we no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit and thus fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us become holy. The Holy Spirit provides the power we need to help us do what the law required of us.

IV. The benefits of our spiritual freedom. [Rom. 8:5-11]Romans 8:5-11 (NKJV) ⁵  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the flesh, the things of this world. But we who have been set free live by the Spirit by setting our minds on the things of the Spirit who lives within us. Even though our bodies will die because of sin, the Spirit gives us eternal life because we have been made right with God thru Christ. Spiritual freedom means the same Spirit of God who raised Christ from the dead lives in us and will also raise our mortal bodies to glorious resurrected bodies that will live forever. So we do not do what our sinful nature urges us to do. We are free from bondage to live for Christ.

Invitation: Are you completely free from the bondage of sin and death? If not, Jesus waits to free you from all that has you bound. Simply right where you are, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and then invite Him into your life and help you live in complete freedom. Be baptized to show you are sincere! You will be glad you did!

THE THRONE OF GOD

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 93

 

INTRO; We see, hear and experience many things in this life that are not right. Every day some evil and wrong is before our eyes. We don’t understand how a people can drift so far from the truth of God’s word and way. Question is, how are we to live in this world with all that is going on around us on a daily basis? We can't live relying on anything in this world, but there is one thing for sure that we can rely on, and that is our God reigns from His throne on high. Let’s look at the world from a viewpoint of God’s throne instead of man.

 I. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY. Psalm 93:1 (NKJV)
¹  The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. We can take comfort in the truth that Jehovah has supreme overall and reigns gloriously from His throne in Heaven. His royal power and authority prevail everywhere over all His creation. There is no earthly or heavenly power greater than God. He clothes Himself with Majesty- [Glory, honor, beauty, splendor, excellence in form and appearance]. He is Very grand, dignified, and exalted above all others. None like Him. He girds Himself with strength just like putting on a belt. His unlimited power can resist any attack, and by that power He can act upon and change things. God has a plan for this world, and He will carry it out, we can be sure of that. He made the world and holds it in place. Jeremiah 10: 12 He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. All things are created by Him, for Him and are under His authority.

II. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S STABILITY. Psalm 93:2 (NKJV) Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. Nothing down here is ever stable, it's constantly changing, but God's throne is unchanging, firm in the heavens. His throne has no beginning or end. Established from everlasting past to everlasting future. All false gods are man made. All other thrones have a beginning and an end. His throne has always been and will always be. There can never be a period in which he shall cease to exist as God.

III. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S STRENGTH. Psalm 93:3-5 (NKJV)
³  The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. ⁴  The LORD on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea. ⁵  Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. Floods represent the enemies of God's kingdom. People, terrors and uproars rise against Jehovah. There are those who want to do away with God and His Son Jesus. People have always resisted God and His way from the beginning of time. God's word declares that His enemies will rise up against Him, His Son, His people and His throne. War in Israel! His enemies don’t want God reigning over them. Still goes on today! Psalms 2:2-3 ² The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ³ "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." The Lord is amused and angered at those who rise up against Him. Psalms 2:4-5 ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: distress means great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical and mental suffering. Since Jehovah reigns triumphantly, Jesus will eventually rule over all the kings and people's of the earth because God has decreed it. Psalms 2:6 -9 ⁶ "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." ⁷ "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' " God the Father has given all dominion over the earth to Jesus. No one can change that! God’s unlimited authority and irresistible power is a comfort to all His people. God rules over Satan and all is evil angels. He limits Satan’s power and influence. We can be assured of that fact from the book of Job, chapter 1:12. One day God will cast Satan into the lake of fire to be tormented forever. Revelation 20:10 (NKJV) The devil, who deceived the people, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. No one can change that established truth! The bible says the devil and his angels tremble knowing their final destination.

IV. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S WORD. Psalm 93:5 (NKJV) Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. God's throne is established in truth and holiness. The word from God’s throne is very sure because His promises stand true forever. Jesus said in John 17:17 Your word is truth. Psalms 119:89-91 ⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. ⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. ⁹¹ They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all are Your servants. God tells us how things will end in the book of REVELATION. In view of all these facts, we don't have to worry or rely on things of this world God has it all under His control. Because of this God is deserving of our deep respect, awe, reverence and adoration. Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord forever. God's holiness and divine nature adds beauty, splendor and distinction to our worship. Holiness is the quality that sets the Lord apart from all others.

Conclusion: No one can thwart the purpose of God. He is the Lord God, who reigns and is clothed with majesty. This psalm has praised God's unchanging nature and power, the evidence that He is alive and active, unlike pagan gods. Since He has supreme authority, Colossians 3:1-2, We are seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. The things above are revealed in God's word. With God in control from His throne we have nothing to worry about and much to be thankful for. God will work out His plan not only for this world, but for your life and mine as we trust in Him, and we can count on that.

INVITATION: God's word says that if you don’t know His Son, you cannot make it to heaven, but instead you are condemned and headed to a place called hell. God has given His Son Jesus Christ to save you from your sins. If you haven't been saved and you would like to be, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins against God. Invite Jesus into your life to take charge of you. Then you will not be condemned by God and He will allow you into heaven when this life is over. Be baptized to show you are sincere about your faith in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord.

 

Words to Live By

 

Scripture Text

Mark Chapter 5

Intro: No matter what situation you are in or what you are facing now or what you might face in the future, Jesus has some words of truth that you and I can live by. Jesus’ words will never fail you! He is the same yesterday, today and forever! What He speaks He brings to pass! He can not lie because He is the truth!

I. The problem. Mark 5:22-23 (NLT) ²²  Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, ²³  pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” V: 35 (NLT) While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” Jairus’ daughter was sick and he approached Jesus for help. While Jesus was speaking to the woman who had an issue of blood, his servants came and told him his daughter had died. This was a hopeless situation from a human point of view. I'm sure Jairus was saddened and thought now its too late, I've lost my daughter. Maybe you are going through a hopeless situation or circumstance right now.

II. Jesus reaction to our problems. Mark 5:36a NLT But Jesus overheard them talking. Messengers from Jairus’ house came with the word that his daughter was dead and Jesus heard them. Jesus had compassion on Jairus and was going to help him. He has compassion for us and is willing to help us. He tells us what we need to do. Jesus said to ask, seek, and knock on heaven’s door for all our needs. Luke 11:9-10 (NLT) ⁹ “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. When we pray, Jesus cares and hears our cry for help.

III. Jesus speaks words of faith. (Mark 5:36b) Don't be afraid,” Jesus knows our first reaction to a problem. Fear and faith can’t exist together. Fear cancels out faith! Fear paralyzes us, drags us down. Fear is all around us each and every day to some degree. How can we overcome fear? Jesus tells us how! “Only Believe.” (v:36b) Hymn we sing! All things are possible, only believe! Jesus says the way to handle our every problem is to have faith in Him and believe. Believe means to have complete confidence in the truth of Jesus' word. He only speaks truth. Believe also means to have a conviction that Jesus will be involved in a given situation. It means to have faith in the mercy, grace and compassion of Jesus. When we bring a problem to Jesus in prayer, we are to have trust and confidence that He has heard us, and He will take care of the problem. James 1:6-7 (NLT) ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

IV. Jesus powerful words. Mark 5:41-42 (NLT) ⁴¹ Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” ⁴² And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus demonstrated His great love and amazing power and raised Jairus' daughter from the dead, whereby showing us His great mercy and power. The angel Gabriel told Mary in (Luke 1:37) “nothing is impossible with God.” In Mark 9:23 There was a father who asked Jesus if He could do anything for his demon possessed son. Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

Conclusion: May these words of truth and faith dwell in our hearts from this day forward. When we face problems in this world and we take them to God in prayer, may we be able to remember the words of Jesus in each situation. “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”

Invitation: Have you placed your faith and belief in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? If not, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you from hell right now. “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” Invite Him into your life and know the love, peace and joy of sins forgiven!