God of Love

 

Scripture Text

John 3:16 (NKJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I. We all must make a decision about God's love. The most important decision you will ever make in this life is a decision about love, whether to receive God's love in salvation. The choices that follow are like it. To love God in return, and then because of your love for Him, begin to love others.

II. Remember our God in Christ washed human feet. I don’t know of any other gods that would do that. Many times it is our own unyielding personalities that become hindrances for the world to see Jesus who lives in us. They can’t see Him for us, they just see a non-conformed personality. The bible teaches that we are to be Christ like and treat others as He treated us. Jesus was full of God's love and shared it with mankind.

III. God's love is absolute. It is divine, everlasting, and sacrificial. His care for you does not waver or change over time. His love is not influenced by circumstances or situations. His love for you cannot be diminished in any way. God's love is powerful, wise, and ever present with us. His love penetrates our deepest wounds and causes us to heal. God's love changes us and helps us to grow in our love for others. If we allow it, His love will overtake us completely, heart, soul, mind and strength.

IV. When people meet you today, what kind of god will you represent? Will they see a loving and merciful God, patient and full of grace? Will they see a God who is willing to serve rather than be served? Will God's love be reflected in your life before others?

Invitation: Are you willing to accept God's love and let it reach into every area of your life and transform you? If you would like to accept God's love in your life, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life right now. You should because absolutely nothing fills the emptiness like God's awesome love and you are assured of a home in heaven when this life is over.

How to Avoid Deception

 

Intro: No one is exempt from being tempted and deceived.  Christians who are not prepared are being swept into the streams of deception that are being spewed out by many different voices.  Many believers are filled with fear and worry.  They are following deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. (1Timothy 4:1) Here are 4 keys you can use to avoid falling into the trap of the enemy;

1. Be Alert and Watchful. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong”. Romans 13:11, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”  And Jesus encouraged us to, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) In other words, as followers of Christ we need to wake up and be on guard.  Too many of us have become apathetic and complacent.  We are asleep. It’s time to wake up and be aware of what is going on around us and sensitive to what spirit is at work.  We need to be aware of the tactics and devices of the enemy, so we are not out witted and become a victim of deception.  (2Corithians 2:11)

2. Know the Word of God and Do the Word of God. You must know God’s word. You will be susceptible to being deceived if you do not know what God has said. The Word is the plum line.   It establishes true north in our life.  Jesus said, “Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks” (Mt 4:4).  We must feed upon God’s word every day – read it, meditate upon it, speak it, hear it. Then, we must do what God’s word says to do not be just hearers only.  James makes this very clear, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  (James 1:22) So, stay immersed in the word and walk in all the light God gives you, and you won’t have to worry about being deceived.

3. Guard your heart. Deception usually begins in the heart as a result of honoring one’s personal will above the will of God. The will of man by nature does not love the truth.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Even those who are religiously minded can have their hearts deceived (Jas. 1:26).  The heart can be polluted by pride, greed, apathy, unforgiveness, and offense.  These are all breeding grounds of deception. Not only can the devil deceive us, but others can deceive us, and we can be self-deceived – if, we don’t guard our hearts.

4. Stay in right relationship. God created us for relationship.  Relationship with Him and relationship with others.  It starts with our relationship with the Lord.  You will not be deceived if you commune with the Lord, pray, and worship Him.  You will remain sensitive to His voice and the leading of the spirit. Then, we need to be in right relationship with other believers.   We need each other.  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  (Proverbs 27:17)   Fellowship provides encouragement and strength.   We need people in our life to hold us accountable and to help us grow. One of the biggest traps and dangers for deception is going it alone.  When a believer becomes isolated, separated from God and others they become an easy target for deception. This is what church is all about; fellowship with other believers!

Invitation: If you have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins, you are being deceived by the devil because without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will be eternally lost in hell. God wants you to spend eternity with Him and has provide the way to heaven through Jesus Christ His Holy Son. Ask Jesus to forgive you and save you from hell. Invite Him into your life right now if you have never done that before its eternally to late! Then you will spend eternity with God and His Son Jesus!

Our Personal Shepherd

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 23

Intro: A lot of people think God is way up there somewhere in the blue and He doesn't care what happens to me. Yet scripture shows God to be a very personal God. The fact that He is personal distinguishes Him from all false Gods. Notice the personal aspect of a Christians relationship with God in Psalm 23. Seventeen times David uses personal pronouns such as I, me and my. We see God active in the affairs of His people in Ps. 23.

I. The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23:1 (NKJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The term my Shepherd means you must have a personal relationship with God. That can only happen when you confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you. Then God becomes very active in your life as your personal Shepherd. A shepherd meets all the needs of his sheep such as guidance, food, shelter, protection and health. They want for nothing. Phil. 4:19 says My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

II. God fills my life with overflowing abundance. Psalm 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; Green pastures symbolize abundance provision. God makes me to lie down and rest in my spirit because of His abundant provisions for my life. I have been given every spiritual blessing in the heaven places in Christ. [Eph. 1:3]

III. God leads me into peace and tranquility. Psalm 23:2b He leads me beside the still waters. Running water scares the sheep. They are afraid of drowning. Still waters bring contentment to the sheep as they nourish themselves. When the situations in my life are running out of control, God leads me to a place of peace and tranquility which is found in meditating on His word to me.

IV. God restores my soul and leads my path. Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Sometimes my soul gets worn out. It becomes weary and anxious due to the demands of life. When I do God restores my soul through the promises in His word and His continual presence in my life. God's Spirit inside of me takes God's word and leads me in the way I should go to enjoy the blessed life. Without God's leadership in my life, I would go astray and find myself in a dangerous position which would bring me harm. He does this for His name's sake. When He became my Shepherd, He promised me His blessings and that He would take care of me. God fulfills His word in me for His names sake because He can't lie and in order to prove Himself as He has declared Himself to be.

V. God comforts me in my trials. 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. I will not give way to my fears but will confidently rely upon the word and promises of God, persuaded that his grace shall be sufficient for me, His Spirit is my Comforter, so support and comfort cannot be wanting. His gospel is the rod of his strength, and there is enough in that to comfort me, both while I live, even in my greatest troubles, and also when I am dying. His upholding grace under all my trials is sufficient for me. [2 Corinthians 12:9] His grace brings me sufficient protection, comfort and guidance regardless of what I have to face.

VI. God provides me victory. Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. God prepares a table for me with every spiritual blessing and promise of victory over the world and the devil. He does this in the presence of my enemies. They see and envy me as God anoints me with His Holy Spirit. My cup runs over because He has blessed me above all that I could even ask or think.

VII. God's goodness and mercy follow me. Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. God is ready to do good and have mercy on me All the days of my life here on this earth. I conclude that from the past instances of God's favor to me and because of His unchangeable nature, and the stability of his covenant and promises. I have a covenant with God through Jesus Christ's shed blood. I am His child. And I have the promise of an eternal home in God's kingdom when this life is over. [John14:1-3]

Conclusion: We conclude from these passages of scriptures that God is very concerned about His people, and He is active in our lives every day working out His will for us. Romans 8:31-32 ³¹  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Invitation: Is God your personal Shepherd? Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive and save you from hell? If not now is the appointed time. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you save you and invite Him into your life. Then you will know Him as your personal Great Shepherd.

A Full Reward

 

Scripture Text

2 John 1:8 warns us to, "Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what you have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward" (Amplified Bible).

There are many ways to lose your rewards. Being seduced by false teachers is one way that Christians can lose their reward at the judgment. With this in mind, John writes that the reason to guard against deceivers is our own desire not to lose our reward at the judgment seat of Christ. Another way to lose rewards is listening to what people say instead of what God says in His word. Other ways of losing your rewards is not praying or reading God's word and putting other things before God. Habitual sin will also rob us of our full reward. Jesus cautioned the church at Philadelphia to “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (see Rev. 3:11). Every believer has the potential of a full reward or a complete loss of reward.                        1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV) ¹¹  For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³  each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴  If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵  If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. The determining factor is our faithfulness to Christ. Justification is not in view here because it is not something we worked for, but something we received as a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-10 (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. ¹⁰  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. One thing is certain, no one wants to lose their full reward! Our desire is to run our race, finish our course, and receive our full reward. Paul did exactly that: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7 NAS). We can receive our full reward just like Paul! But we must be attentive to the things that come our way just like he did. We cannot allow ourselves to be sidetracked or distracted by sin or the things of this world. We cannot lose what we have accomplished. We want to receive our full reward! Our first priority is to focus on the task which God has assigned to us, whatever it is. Then, we must make frequent "checks" along the way. We must be certain that we have not allowed something that is second or third in importance, to take first place in our lives. We must pay close attention to what we do in life in order to continue in the right direction. There are signs to help to gauge our progress. Should we see an unfamiliar sign on our path, something that does not point in the direction of God's will, we must stop and see if we have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. We must continually ask for God's guidance in our lives. We must obey the commandment to love God with all we are and our neighbor as ourselves. Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV) ³⁰  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. ³¹  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Invitation: If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you will not even make it to heaven, much less have a reward. To receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord simply confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you and save your soul from hell. Be baptized to show you are sincere. Then you too, can begin to lay up treasures and rewards in Heaven.