Satan's Tactics

Intro: Just because you are a Christian, doesn't mean that the devil will leave you alone. We who are Christians must fight him everyday. He can't take our souls if we are saved, but he can keep us from living the abundant life Jesus died to give us, and he can keep us from the blessings of God. If you listen to him he will make life miserable for you.

I. First Tactic of the Devil. Genesis 2:15-17 (NKJV)15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. ¹⁶  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 3:1-5 (NKJV)¹  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" ²  And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³  but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " ⁴  Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. ⁵  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The devil Cast's doubt on God's word. Did God really say? In these verses the devil's favorite tactic is to question what God said and cast doubts in Eve's mind. Then he out right contradicted the truth of God with a lie. He convinced Eve God was hiding something from her that would be good and exciting for her and make her wise.

A. The Devil's Doubt Will Encourage You to Disobey God's Word. Genesis 3:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Eve made a choice to listen to Satan instead of God. We all have a choice to make when it comes to God's word. We either totally believe God no matter what the situation looks like or we can listen to the devil and lose the fellowship and blessings that God has for us. Disobedience has consequences.

B. The Result of Disobedience. Disobedience causes spiritual and physical death. Adam and Eve's choice to disobey God resulted in a threefold death 1. It brought about spiritual death; at that instant they were dead in trespasses and sins according to Ephesians 2:1. 2. It brought about physical death of the body, which right then begin to age, decay, and deteriorate. 3. It brought death to their relationship with God. Their sin had separated them from God. Genesis 3:8 (NKJV)And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. They tried to excuse their disobedience by covering themselves with leaves. But their sin caused them to be afraid of God and so they hid from Him. They didn't walk with God anymore. They were banned from the garden. Genesis 3:24 (NKJV) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. People today are still trying to excuse their sin and hide from God and are under God's condemnation according to John 3:18 (NKJV) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

II. Second Tactic of the Devil. Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT) ¹  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ²  For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. ³  During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴  But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁵  Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶  and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” ⁷  Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” ⁸  Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. ⁹  “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” ¹⁰  “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’” ¹¹  Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. The devil will try to undermine what God has said about you. Jesus had just been baptized by John in the Jordan river. As Jesus came up out of the water God said “Matthew 3:17 "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Then the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. The devil tried to undermine the identity God had just given Him. The devil said twice “If You are the Son of God.” When the devil couldn't undermine what God had said about Jesus, the devil tried to get Jesus to avoid the cross and worship him to gain authority over all the kingdoms of the world. But Jesus did not let Satan undermine His identity or get Him to avoid going to the cross. He clung to the word of God and that is what we must do to be victorious in this battle against Satan. God's word confirms we are His children if we believe in Christ as our Savior. 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. The devil will also try to discredit God's word to us. Did God really mean that? That sounds to easy. He will cast doubts on your salvation. Are you truly saved? After what you have done can Jesus really forgive you for that? He will tell you that you can get away with sin, no one will ever know. If God loves you why is this happening? Satan doesn't want you and I to know that we have power over him. But Jesus tells us Christians we have authority over all the enemy? Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The devil will laugh at your situation and discredit what God has said. That's when we should be like Jesus and cling firmly to what God has said in His word. God's word is true! Faith in God's word will help us overcome the devil's temptations. The devil will always try to undermine what God has said about us and what He has blessed us with. God says We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) ³  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We have been blessed with everything we need for this life and the life to come. [Eph. 2:6] says we have been raised up together with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realm. In God's eyes it is already done. Satan will try to convince you that you are hopelessly earth bound. But God counts the Christian as having already died to sin and has been raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realm. The believer physically lives on earth, but spiritually he has already been placed "in the heaven realm together with Christ."

Conclusion: All God's word to us will be brought to pass. In the intensity of the battle, never let go of what God has said about us and promised us. Every day We should resist the devils attempts to discredit God's word and not let him get a foothold in our lives. God's word assures us in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Invitation: Has there been a time in your life when you stopped and confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you for those sins and save your soul from hell? If not you really need to do it now before it's eternally too late! Please for your sake do it now!

Eagerly Awaiting our Savior 😊

 

Scripture Text

Phil. 3:17-21

1 Cor. 15:51-53

Intro: As we live our lives here on earth we should always be looking and eagerly waiting for our Savior and Lord Jesus to come for us. We should be good examples of Christ while we are eagerly expecting and awaiting His return to take us home.

I. We need to follow true Christian examples. Philippians 3:17 (NLT) ¹⁷  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.
Paul said: he and others followed Christ ever so diligently; therefore, they were dynamic examples as to how people should walk and live. When a person lives a life on the highest plane—when he lives like Christ said to live—he is an example. He is living just like we all should live: just as Christ said. The point is this: the life we live sets a pattern for others to follow. Others are going to follow us no matter what we do. This says something of critical importance: we must live lives on the highest plane possible. We must set the most dynamic example possible. We must set the most perfect pattern possible for others to follow. But it also says something else: we must follow after those who live on the highest plane of life. We must mark those who walk as examples and follow after the great traits of their lives. We must take those who live as examples and dissect the traits of their lives, and apply those traits to our own lives. When we see a person living for Christ with such commitment and energy, that person is an example for us. We should follow that person. He is following after Christ, doing the very thing we should be doing. Therefore, he is a living example for us.

II. We are to avoid those who are enemies of the cross.    Philippians 3:18-19 (NLT) ¹⁸  For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
¹⁹  They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. We are to mark those who walk in opposition to the example that Paul set, he calls them the enemies of the cross. We are to beware of false hypocritical believers and deceivers within the church who really doubt that salvation is found only in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead. There is no other way to salvation except through Jesus Christ alone. Every unbeliever and deceiver both in and out of the church walks as an enemy of the cross, whether it be the leader of a nation, a movement or another religion that is set on wiping out the church and the cross. In verse 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, their glory is in their shame and they set their minds on earthly things. We are not to just listen to a person's talk. Talk can be deceiving, but we are to watch how they live their lives and what they put their trust in and follow after and not be led astray. Why?

III. Our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 (NLT) ²⁰  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. We are in the world, but we are not to be of the world. We are not to be Thinking and acting like those whose minds are set on earthly things. We are to live heaven centered lives. We are to live as citizens of heaven where we have all the rights, blessings and duties in God's kingdom. A true Christians life is to be focused upon the return of Christ. We are to be looking for the Lord's return, living for Him, yearning for Him and constantly looking every day for the return of our Savior.

IV. At His return our bodies are to be transformed. Philippians 3:²¹  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. The human body in which we live is so lowly and humiliating because its made of dirt, flesh and bone. It is subject to sin and selfishness, evil and destruction. It is so weak: it becomes sick and diseased, injured and maimed, aged and deteriorated. It is corruptible and dying, aging and mortal, offering no hope of ever lasting beyond a few short years. Our dying bodies can't inherit what is eternal. When Jesus comes we will have bodies like His resurrection glorious body. How is this possible? By the power of God, the very power which is able to subdue all things to Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NLT) ⁵¹  But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵²  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
⁵³  For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Invitation: Are you living your life as if Jesus could come at any minute? The apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:10 That “We are to understand what really matters, so that we may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus then you are not ready for His coming and you are an enemy of the cross. To be saved for heaven you must confess your sin to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you so you will be prepared for His return. Then be baptized as a public testimony of your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord!

God Alone

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 62:5-8

Intro: God has said about King David that he was a man after His own heart, and these scriptures for today help us to understand why God might have said this about David. He had put God first in his life and even though David was going through a time of great danger and distress when he penned this Psalm, he kept his faith in God and looked to Him alone no matter what.

I. God Alone Provides Soul Rest and Hope. Psalm 62:5 (NKJV)
⁵  My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. People look many places and try many things to find rest for their souls, but they will never find soul rest in anything on this earth. King David also needed soul rest and he knew the only place a person can find that rest, and he shares with us what he had discovered in his life. We would be wise to heed his advise. Read verse 5a! David had learned to wait upon the Lord and find rest for his troubled soul in God alone. Where are you looking to find rest for your soul? You can take a vacation or time off from work, but then you have to come back and face the realities of life all over again. God's rest for your soul will completely satisfy you and give you the strength you need to face every situation or circumstance. David said in the last part of verse 5b “my hope (confident expectation) comes from the Lord.” David was a man of God who was committed to Him and would go with God regardless of what the outcome might be. Other men would have become bitter, but not David. You can never be disappointed when your hope comes from God and your expectations are placed in Him.

II. God Alone Provides Security and Stability. Psalm 62:6 (NKJV)
⁶  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. The metaphor of a rock symbolizes something that is secure and stable in a persons life and never moves. That something in David's life was God alone. God can be counted on through every storm one has to face in life. There's a hymn we sing “When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace, In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” David says not only is God his rock, but He is also his salvation. He knew all salvation comes from God, whether it be soul salvation or salvation from the things we face in this life. David then says God is his defense, his fortress or security. What or who are you placing your security and stability in? Everything and everyone on earth will fail you. Only in God alone can we look for security and stability, and when we do David says we will not be shaken. Isaiah 40:25 (NLT) “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. God cannot be compared to anyone or anything. He knows everything about His Creation and sustains it. There is no real security and stability apart from God.

III. God Alone Provides Salvation and Glory. Psalm 62:7 (NKJV) ⁷  In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. David knew without God's innumerable deliverance's, he would have been crushed by his foes. The same is true for us. God saves us every day from things we don't even realize. The devil would destroy us if God wasn't protecting us. If God was not our Shepard, we would get into situations that would bring us harm or destruction. The only honor or glory we have comes from God. He made us in His image and crowned us with His glory. The metaphor of a mighty rock symbolizes God is mighty in our lives and He is our strongest support through all we will ever face. He is our refuge or hiding place. When we are seeking a place of peace and safety from the storms of life, we find it in God our refuge.

IV. God Alone Can Be Trusted At All Times. Psalm 62:8 (NKJV)⁸  Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah! David says to us by his example to be encouraged and learn to trust God at all times. Because God is all the things mentioned in verses 5-7 David instructs all God's people to pour out their hearts before Him in continual trust, making known all the desires, cares, and griefs of our hearts to him freely and frequently, with confident expectation of obtaining what we want or desire from him, realizing He is our Refuge, which means "shelter from all danger."

Invitation: Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you, and are you trusting fully in Christ the solid Rock for your salvation and security? If not, now is the perfect time to do that. Be baptized to show your sincerity. You'll be thankful you did.

Bless the Lord

 

Psalm 103:1-2 (NKJV) ¹  Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! ²  Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Bless means to praise highly as holy; to glorify, which means to honor with praise, admiration, or worship. Our problem is we forget so easily! We must think before we can thank. We must ponder before we can praise. We must remember before we can rejoice. Here are five blessed benefits of the Lord that we must not forget.

I. There’s the Benefit of Pardon [v:3] “Who forgives all your iniquities!” David begins by reminding us that God forgives all our iniquity (sin -wickedness). Our greatest problem is the guilt we feel because of our sin, and our greatest need is to know we have been forgiven by the Lord. David says that God forgives “all” our iniquity. That’s good news, isn’t it? Some of us have really blown it big time, and we have messed up over and over and over again. And we’ve done the same dumb things repeatedly even after promising never to do them again. I’m glad the word “all” is included because it means that God intends to forgive my future sins. When Christ died, all our sins were in the future. And when we come to Christ, all our sins are forgiven, even the yet-to-be-committed sins. But we must not let our forgiveness be a license to sin! What a God we serve! What grace! He forgives all our sins—past, present and future. He’s more willing to forgive than we are to be forgiven. He is eager and ready to forgive us all.

II. The Benefit of Healing [v:3] “Who heals all your diseases.” After doctors and nurses have done all they can do, and after we have used all the latest technology and taken the newest drugs, healing must come directly from the Lord. Good medicine and good prayer go together. That’s why we pray for the sick. We may be healed by medicine or by surgery or by some other course of treatment or we may find healing through prayer or by a miracle from the Lord. All of those things are possible. And remember that any healing in this life is limited and temporary. Our ultimate healing comes when we are raised immortal and incorruptible. Then at last we will be totally, completely, and finally healed once and for all. Between now and then give thanks to the Lord for every bit of healing you experience. “Do you believe in divine healing?” That’s the only kind there is. It just comes in many different ways.

III. Benefit of Deliverance from Destruction [v:4] “Who redeems your life from the destruction.” To redeem means to rescue from danger in the time of trouble. Destruction refers to death itself. That you are here today is proof positive that you have been saved from destruction. God has preserved you to this very moment and has protected you every step of your journey. If God willed it to be so, you would die today, but it cannot happen without God’s permission. Satan himself cannot touch you without God’s permission. We have been saved from the destruction of hell. Since all our days are written in God’s book according to (Psalm 139:16), and He alone knows how our earthly journey will end, we don’t have to live in fear of the future. Every day the Lord rescues us in a million ways that we don’t see. Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. When the time comes to die, we will die, but we are immortal until our work on earth is done. God is constantly at work behind the scenes, working to protect us from trouble, to clear the way ahead, and to give us strength for each new day.

IV. Benefit of a Coronation [v:4] God crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies. We are crowned with loving-kindness, the loyal, unending, affectionate, unchanging love of God. He heaps up his blessings—and then he pours them out on us. Then he crowns us with “tender mercies.” Mercy implies our failures and defeat. God doesn't give us what we deserve. Tender mercies means God knows what we are going through and He meets us where we are. He is sensitive toward us. If we were to receive what we truly deserve from God, we would stand no chance. Instead of justice or fairness, God give us “tender mercies.” The crown reminds us of our position as the children of God. Only kings and queens wear crowns, but it is the privilege of every Christian to be crowned with loving-kindness and the tender mercy of God.

V. Benefit of Satisfaction ” Psalms 103:5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So your youth is renewed like the eagle's. God satisfies your life with good. That means there is nothing on earth that can satisfy us deeply except God Himself. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights with whom is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17) But the emphasis is not on what we possess but on what possesses us. To be satisfied means to be so full of God that you need nothing else. Here David speaks of satisfaction deeper than anything the world can offer. God says to His children, “I will give you whatever you need so you can soar like the eagle.” All of us need this. I know I need it. There is a way to renew yourself, your energy, your outlook and your attitude. And what is this “miracle cure”? Fill your life with God and His good gifts to you. If you will let him, the Lord will give you something the world cannot match. The end result will be blessings now and also everlasting immortal life.

Conclusion: We need to daily thank and bless God for all His benefits toward us and show our thanks by living for Him each day.

Invitation: Have you taken advantage of God's love in the salvation of your soul? If not, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life right now. Don't put it off. It's later than you think.

Importance of Consistent Prayer

Intro: As we prioritize our time spent with God, we will be given new strength, deeper peace, and greater wisdom not only for ourselves but also for others. May we create and maintain a daily consistent practice of prayer and watch things change for the better.                                Consistent prayer is important because;

I. It is what God ordained for His people. Jeremiah 33:3 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' God challenges us to call to Him for understanding. God promised to answer by revealing great and unsearchable things. We need His wisdom for the challenges of life! God has established prayer as the means by which we receive his supernatural help. And without supernatural help, we cannot live a life worthy of the gospel. Everything that distinguishes Christians from the world in a Christ-exalting way is a work of God’s supernatural grace, And God has ordained that this grace flows to us through prayer. James 4:2b (NLT) ^2b  You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

II. Consistent prayer is the way we receive from God. [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.

III. Consistent prayer helps my faith to grow. Mark 11:22-24 ²²  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

IV. Consistent prayer helps us draw closer to God. James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. We draw closer to God when we submit to Him and take time to consistently pray!

V. Consistent prayer helps us to trust God more. Proverbs 3:5-6 ⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. We acknowledge God when we go to Him in prayer. Consistent prayer shows our trust is in God to lead and direct our path thru this life.

VI. Consistent bold prayer releases God's mercy and grace. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)¹⁴  So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. ¹⁵  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Jesus has turned the throne of God from one of judgment into a throne of grace. Therefore, "let us come boldly before the throne of grace." Jesus provided the way, so let us do it. God's throne is now a throne of mercy and grace; it is now opened up for any person to approach. Let us approach God through Jesus Christ. Prayer is more powerful than the laws of nature that rule the universe today. When we learn to pray faith-filled prayers, we release God's might and power and bring Him on the scene on our behalf or on behalf of others. Under the New Covenant we have with God, sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we have a legal right to enter the throne room of God.

Conclusion: We can stand in God's presence without fear and be completely free from a sense of guilt. We can ask God to intervene supernaturally in our behalf, our families, our church, our nation and the nation of Israel. Prayer changes things! Prayer is designed to work in every area of life. Prayer isn't limited by time or distance. Consistent effective prayer using God's Word to guide us will destroy the kingdom of darkness and release the awesome power of God in the earth. May we determine to use consistent prayer to obtain victory over Satan and the obstacles and difficulties in life.

Invitation: If you have never prayed and asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, simply confess to Him you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you and save you from hell and for heaven. Then go to church and be baptized to show you are sincere about your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You will be so thankful you did.

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!

Freedom

 

Scripture Text

Titus 3:3-8

Intro: This Thursday we celebrate our freedom and independence. Many men and women have died to make sure we stay free from bondage to another nation. As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper here today, we want to remember the freedom that God has given us through the gift of His Son, the wonderful Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Remember our former way of life before Christ. Titus 3:3 (NLT)
³  Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. a. Without God, all of us were unbelievers enslaved to our passions and desires. Left alone, all human nature can only go from bad to worse. Instead of living for God, our lives were full of evil and envy before Christ. No matter how much “love” we tried to create without God, the overriding power of our sin produced a greater amount of hatred. We needed to be set free from this bondage to the devil. Thus there was no hope for us apart from the intervention of the holy God, the Creator and Savior.

II. We were set free from bondage by God our Savior. Titus 3:3-6 (NKJV)³  For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.⁴  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,⁵  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. a. All of our former bondage changed when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. What we could in no wise do for ourselves, God did for us through Jesus Christ His Son. God freed us from bondage to Satan and sin. He freed us in His kindness, love, and mercy. God in His grace saves and sets free those who believe, not because of any righteousness in them, but because of His mercy, love, and kindness. The three words, “kindness,” “love,” and “mercy” all represent aspects of God’s grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. The dual means of grace through which He accomplished this salvation are (1) the rebirth spoken of as a washing from the filth of our sins, past, present, and future. (2) We were renewed by the Holy Spirit ( 2 Cor. 5:17). The moment we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord we were washed clean from the filth of our sins and we were given new birth and new life by the power of the Holy Spirit which God generously poured out on us Paul says in verse 6.

III. We have been justified by God’s grace. Titus 3:7 (NLT)  Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” a. From Adam we inherited a sinful nature (the tendency to sin), and we were under God’s wrath and due His punishment. Because Jesus took the punishment we deserved for sin and made us right before God, we are now free from all bondage. We have been declared not guilty. We can trade our sin for Jesus’ righteousness. When we do that, we know that we will inherit eternal life. Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Eternal life began the moment we gave our life to Christ, but there is more to come! Our experience now is only a foretaste of what God has guaranteed to us in the future! Praise be to God!

IV. We are to devote ourselves to helping set others free from bondage. Titus 3:8 (NLT) This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. a. Believers must show their beliefs through their conduct. We must be careful to do good deeds all the time, wherever we are. Sound belief must manifest itself in good works. As we live a godly life before others, and help reach them with the gospel message, we will be helping to set them free from their bondage to sin and Satan.

Invitation: Allow the Holy Spirit to look into your heart and tell you whether you are a child of God or not. If God’s Spirit points out you are not His child, you need to correct that. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him for His forgiveness. Do it now. Don’t wait!

A Touch of Faith

 

Scripture Text

Mark 5:25-34

The bible says in Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1.  Faith in Christ shouldn't be last resort. Mark 5:25-26 (NKJV)²⁵  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶  and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

The woman had been hemorrhaging for twelve years; it was uncontrollable. No one could touch her or anything she had touched. This particular woman had tried all she knew. She had seen "many physicians" and "spent all that she had," and yet she "grew worse." She was to be totally cut off from society and religious worship. Her last resort was to turn to Jesus! Don't wait to call on Jesus. Do it now!

2.  By faith we activate the presence and power of God. Mark 5:27 (NKJV) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. Even though she couldn’t go to God’s house, by her faith she activated the very presence and power of God in her life and situation. We can activate our faith wherever we are. It's not the place but our faith and trust in God. She had a shy, embarrassed, unworthy attitude. Note the woman made her way through the crowd and came up behind Jesus. She wanted to touch Jesus without being seen or noticed because she was embarrassed and felt unworthy. Her hemorrhaging was a personal, intimate matter for her, something she did not want to be known and discussed. She was considered unclean; therefore, she felt unworthy to approach Jesus but she had an expectant, believing attitude. Maybe you feel unworthy, but don't let that stop you from touching Jesus. The poor woman believed what "she had heard of Jesus." (V:27) She believed the gospel that Jesus loved and cared and would make her whole. Mark 5:28 (NKJV) For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She believed in her mind, heart, and soul, with her whole being. She cast off all doubts! She believed two things: the gospel (what she had heard about Jesus) and the power of Jesus to make her whole. By her faith she activated the power of God in her life. We all must use our faith to activate God's power to answer each prayer that we have. When she touched Jesus' power in her life the answer came. Mark 5:29 (NKJV) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

3.  Her touch of faith moved Jesus. Mark 5:30 (NKJV) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" There was no way Jesus could have felt the touch to His robe. He was being pressed and thronged by the crowd, yet when she stepped up behind Him and touched His robe, He knew. How? It is faith that touches Jesus. Faith will never go unnoticed nor be ignored by Jesus.

4.  BY faith we activate the purposes of God.                                             a. Others must know of God's power. Mark 5:33 (NKJV) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. Jesus had made the way easy for her. He had allowed her to be healed without embarrassment, but it was not enough to believe in secret. The secret disciple had to be brought to the point of confessing her faith so that everyone could know God’s purpose for mankind. God's purpose is to bring glory to Himself through His salvation, love, care for people. We are to let others know what God wants to do. When a person or a group of people place their faith in Jesus and His power, it touches Jesus, and Jesus infuses His power and presence into that situation. Thus, the purpose of God was activated by this woman who was an outcast by society. Others must know God’s purpose for mankind is eternal life and salvation. It's also the infusion of His power, and abundant life and healing into the spirit, soul, mind and body of mankind.

5. Results of touching Jesus by faith.  Mark 5:34 (NKJV) And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." She was given comfort, joyfulness, courage, confidence, and boldness in her faith and healing. She was assured that she was whole permanently. Her deliverance would last. She became a daughter of God. She was given physical healing, soul salvation and peace with God. We all need something from God! It’s crisis time for your faith.

Invitation: Have you put your faith in Jesus for the salvation He provides? He provides salvation from the penalty of sins, just confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life and you will experience the saving power of Jesus. Do it now right where you are!