Author: Thomas E Meyer Jr

John 7:37-39 GOD’S WORD Translation

³⁷ On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus was standing ⌞in the temple courtyard⌟. He said loudly, “Whoever is thirsty must come to me to drink. ³⁸ As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.’ ” ³⁹ Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom his believers would receive. The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Jesus had been glorified.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Christianity, though under constant attack, has steadily flourished over the last 2,000 years since it began soon after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the center point of the Christian creed, and it is in Jesus that Christians have confessed with their lips, bent their knees, sacrificed everything, put all of their faith and all of their hope for that eternal salvation which awaits them all.

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God.
(Refrain)

While Jesus walked this earth, His whole ministry, His whole mission involved urging people to “come to Him” “come to believe, to faith and to follow Him.”

John 7:37-39 The Message

^37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

As we now contemplate the state of our Christianity, is this invitation still at the heart of the Gospel and becoming a Christian – to believe in Jesus, follow Him?

By what measure and degree do we believe and follow Jesus because it was He who has done what no other has done, that He died to save the world, He invites us to believe, faith, He invites us to follow, and He is the only way to the Father?

Do We Still Ask Ourselves and Others – Who Is Jesus?

To understand why we should still ask ourselves, even us “mature Christians,” why we believe and follow Jesus, its vital to understand who 1st Century Jesus is.

From the Bible, we know that Jesus walked this earth around 2,000 years ago.

He was from a small town called Nazareth, He was born to a virgin named Mary.

He was an itinerant Rabbi who had 12 disciples who walked away from the lives they were living to follow Him – they came to believe that He was the Messiah.

We know that during three years of ministry and mission throughout His home regions, occupied and governed by the Roman Empire – he performed miracles.

We know that after three years of ministry, Jesus was repeatedly tested by the Temple Authorities, plotted against, arrested, wrongly accused, and sentenced to death – He was publicly beaten, publicly nailed to a cross upon which he died.

It is not simply this information about Jesus that has captivated generations of faithful people, but rather, it is also what this Jesus has claimed about Himself, along with His miraculous resurrection, that propelled millions and millions of people, believers and nonbelievers around the world to believe and follow Jesus.

John 1:1-14 GOD’S WORD Translation

The Word Becomes Human

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was already with God in the beginning.

³ Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.

⁴ He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.

⁵ The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.

⁶ God sent a man named John to be his messenger. ⁷ John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message. ⁸  John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light.

⁹ The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him. ¹¹ He went to his own people, and his own people didn’t accept him. ¹² However, he gave the right to become God’s children to everyone who believed in him. ¹³ These people didn’t become God’s children in a physical way—from a human impulse or from a husband’s desire ⌞to have a child⌟. They were born from God.

¹⁴ The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness ^[a] and truth.

Scripture declares with boldness the truth that Jesus is God.

He was sent by the Father to take away the sins of the world (see John 1:29).

John 1:29 GOD’S WORD Translation

John Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God

²⁹ John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, foretold by the prophets, who resurrected from the grave to conquer sin and death.

Through Jesus all was created and through Him the only way to the Father is found – John declared Jesus brought salvation, redemption, and eternal life.

Then John immediately humbled himself, his humanity, against that divinity.

John 1:30-34 GOD’S WORD Translation

³⁰ He is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘A man who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ ³¹ I didn’t know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel.”

³² John said, “I saw the Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him. ³³ I didn’t know who he was. But God, who sent me to baptize with water, had told me, ‘When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, you’ll know that person is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen this and have declared that this is the Son of God.”

God Sent His Only Son, Jesus Came to Save the World

John 3:16-18 The Message

^16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

Christians will believe and Christians will follow because by Faith Christians believe with their hearts Jesus was sent by God the Father to save the world.

Each of the four Gospel narratives teach that Jesus ministered for three years, walked everywhere, preached everywhere and taught, sent out His disciples, transformed lives through conversations, healings, and miracles performed.

God’s great love for humanity was shown through Jesus, who came to save the world from death – He did not come for His own glory, nor to live a comfortable life in royal palaces, nor be served – instead, Jesus came to love, humbly serve, and save the world through a gruesome death on the cross and resurrection.

By His resurrection, Jesus defeated evil and sin and crushed death, and these no longer have any grip on those who confess and believe, put 1000% faith in Him.

Even in these times when the message of Christianity is under vigorous attack, the message of Jesus Christ, the empty tomb, the resurrection, still remains the very best Good News that inspires people to give their hearts and lives to Him.

In These Perilous Times-We Are Yet Invited to Believe

Mark 1:14-15 GOD’S WORD Translation

Calling of the First Disciples

¹⁴ After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and told people the Good News of God. ¹⁵ He said, “The time has come, and God’s kingdom is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News.”

In Peace or Perilousness, Christians believe because Jesus invites us to believe.

Jesus’ heart and hope is for people recognize the time is now to come, repent, and to believe that He is the Son of God bringing the good news of salvation.

This was His continuous message for three years on His way to the cross before He finally surrendered and laid down His life to die for the sins of all humanity.

Jesus began with an invitation to come and believe in Him.

Jesus longs for as many people as possible to have a saving belief in Him.

Before He departed from the earth, before He ascended to the right hand of His Father in Heaven, He covenanted His disciples with the Great Commission.

They were to go into all nations, telling people about Him and making more disciples, and baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus began the work of helping people to believe, come to faith in Him and passed on the torch of this important mission to His disciples, all Christians.

In These Perilous Times, Jesus Invites Us to Follow

Luke 9:23-26 GOD’S WORD Translation

What It Means to Follow Jesus

²³ He said to all of them, “Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses every day, and follow me. ²⁴ Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me will save them. ²⁵ What good does it do for people to win the whole world but lose their lives by destroying them? ²⁶ If people are ashamed of me and what I say, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes in the glory that he shares with the Father and the holy angels.

Christians follow because Jesus invites us to follow.

Jesus did not just invite people to believe, but also to follow Him.

With faith in Jesus comes empowerment through the Holy Spirit to live the righteous ways of Jesus and partner with Him in furthering His kingdom.

Following Jesus means denying ourselves and living for His glory instead.

Following Jesus will be hard, there will be a cost, but through Him is eternal life.

Jesus gives humanity hope, light, and peace to those who follow Him.

Jesus loves humanity profoundly; so much so that He went to the cross and laid down His life.

Jesus did the unimaginable so that humanity would know the unimaginable God and have the perfect opportunity, chance to believe, follow, enjoy eternal life.

In All Times this Jesus Is The Only Way to The Father

John 14:6-7 GOD’S WORD Translation

⁶ Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you know him ⌞through me⌟ and have seen him ⌞in me⌟.”

Christians believe and follow because Jesus is the only way to the Father.

Some believe there are many paths or religions that all lead to the one true God.

However, from the mouth of Jesus we learn that this is not true.

There is only one way to the real God and that is through Jesus Christ.

He alone is the way, truth, and life.

We cannot save ourselves. False gods or other religions cannot save anyone.

Only Jesus has given up His life, satisfied the debt of sin, and overcame death so that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.

God did not want humanity to simply perish and be eternally apart from Him.

He made the only way, through the death, resurrection of Jesus, for humanity to be forever saved – as a result, all have that opportunity to believe, follow Jesus.

In These Perilous Times – It’s Still Good News for All

Romans 15:4-6 GOD’S WORD Translation

God Gives Us Unity

⁴ Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. ⁵ May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus. ⁶  Then, having the same goal, you will praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It cannot be understated, it can never be preached or never taught enough that even in these perilous days when Christianity is being twisted and turned, our our biblical understanding who this 1st Century Jesus is, makes complete sense of why millions and millions of Christians throughout hundreds of generations until this day, and generations to follow have chosen to believe and follow Him.

Christians across the globe, underground, in freedom of worship, throughout history faithfully believe and follow Jesus because He has invited them to do so.

It was Jesus who gave up everything, saved the world by His death on a cross and made it 100% known that He alone is the way to the Father and eternal life.

Jesus spent His final years sharing the Good News of salvation through Him.

His ministry 1000% testified to who He was and the love He had for humanity.

It is the Good News faithfully shared that moves people to believe, follow Jesus.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New King James Version

The King of Glory and His Kingdom

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
² For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the ^[a]waters.

³ Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
⁵ He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶ This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

⁷ Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
⁸ Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
⁹ Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
¹⁰ Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Psalm 51:10-12 Authorized (King James) Version

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Several years ago, while I was preparing to preach a sermon on this psalm, I received an anonymous letter from someone in my congregation saying that he was a Christian but was involved in a very serious and continuing moral failure.

The letter was truly an attempt to be honest and tell me the trouble in their life.

I didn’t have any idea if that person would be in the service the next Sunday or not, but I fervently hoped for Holy Spirit intercession and they would be there.

I decided to refer to the letter in my sermon for two reasons: first, because it was anonymous, and I could do it without betraying a confidence; and second, because the problem was of such a serious nature I wanted to help the person.

The writer had acknowledged that they knew the action was wrong but finally excused themselves from following through on the basis that God had not yet touched their heart not spoken to them” given them the power to break away.

That was misinformation, that was a vulnerable soul in need of intercession.

The truth is that God has given us the power to break away from these things.

In their state of vulnerability, in our state of vulnerability there is a place, there is a person we can turn to, a person we are invited to engage with, connect to.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 (AKJV)

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Apostle Peter clearly declares: His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4 AKJV).

³ according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴ whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

The very possession of the precious promises of life of Jesus Christ in us is the power that it takes for we who are vulnerable, to break away from habits of sin.

No one will ever be free from the awful grip of sin and evil upon their lives until they come to the place and time and moment they understand that they already have from Father God all that it takes to be free, if they will but step out upon it.

Throughout Psalm 51 Shepherd, Poet Warrior King David is also asking for help – “Lord, uphold, give me this willing spirit” he says, and God immediately gives it.

Then upon God giving it and us prayerfully receiving it, it must now be acted on.

That is one of the most important points of the Psalm the vulnerable King David makes by causing words to be heard and scribes putting all words to parchment.

Through these words of David, by God causing them to be included in the canon of our bibles, we don’t have to wait for “feeling” to come know we are forgiven.

God by His Love, through the Resurrection of Jesus, has said “we are forgiven.”

Beloved friends, Do not wait for a feeling of resurrection power to possess you.

God has declared He has already given you the power.

As we each come to believe Him and in Him (and that is what faith is), we each can do what we need to do, what God wants all of us to do – speak with Jehovah.

That is what happened with David, and as I found out, that is what happened eventually with the anonymous letter writer.

After preaching that sermon, I found out the person had been in that service, because they later wrote a second anonymous letter which was in the offering.

This time they shared how God had used that message to deliver him, uplift him from the grip of the deep sin of a criminal relationship he had described before.

Listening to “Nathan” Beginning Our Breakthroughs: Stepping Away from ‘Self’, Starting Our Day with God.

Psalm 51:10-12 Authorized (King James) Version

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Most of us get out of bed each morning and jump right into the daily routine and responsibilities ahead.

Sometimes, we may give little thought to how we should start our day.

But as Children of God, it can be life-changing, spiritually renewing, to create the habit to start our day with God – we actually find this concept in Scripture.

Psalm 5:1-3 English Standard Version

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my groaning.
² Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
³ O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you^[a] and watch.

David wrote starting your day with God simply means spending time with Him.

We can do this in various ways, but however you do it, the most important thing is to intentionally start the process of cultivating this sacred rhythm in our life.

There is no better way to start ours day than to start it by connecting with God.

7 Reasons to Start Your Day with God

Before the day takes off and you begin to tackle your to-do list and tasks, as a believer, it is spiritual edifying and beneficial to start your day with God.

This will make a powerful impact on how you go about your day.

There is an account in the Gospel where Jesus even got away in the early hours to spend time with God (see Mark 1:35).

The life of Jesus has set such a wonderful example for Children of God to follow.

Here are seven reasons to begin your day in fellowship with God.

1. God Desires Relationship with You

God loves humanity.

God loves you.

He wants a relationship with you in which you spend time with Him in prayer, Scripture, and worship.

God delights in His children, He notices when we wake and go about our day.

God has always been intimately involved in each person’s life.

We find in Scripture stories of God drawing people into relationship with Him.

Start your day of spiritual refreshment and renewal connecting and conversing with God, He longs to hear from you, be in a connectional relationship with you.

2. You Were Made for Fellowship with God

God is our Creator.

He knit and weaved each person together in their mother’s womb. (Psalm 139)

We were made to be in a right relationship with God.

Just as God desires a relationship with you, He made you to be in fellowship with Him.

We were not made to do life alone or apart from God.

We are innately being drawn to God and want to know Him.

Starting our day with God satisfies the deepest thirsts we have for connection and belonging.

3. You Can Ask God to Guide Your Day

When you start your day with God, you can ask the Lord to help you through struggles you will encounter, through challenges you know are ahead, for help in a specific situation, and for overall help to guide you through the day.

If we are genuine, God can be a source of strength for hard times, wisdom for decisions that need to be made, and protection as you come and go – start your day off with God because you can commit your day to Him and ask for His help.

4. You Will Feel at Peace

Jesus gives His followers peace over all things (Philippians 4:7).

If we start our day with worries and concerns, feelings over fear and anxiety will surely, inevitably plague the day ahead.

However, when we start our day with God, we will take hold of and enter into ultimate place of the ultimate peace God has set aside for each and everyone.

His ultimate place of His ultimate Peace is a precious gift from God that we can have from the very exact moment when we wake up by spending time with Him.

5. You Can Give Thanks

When we, like David in Psalm 51 intentionally approach God, we can come to Him with grateful hearts no matter what is going on in our lives because the goodness and faithfulness of our Jesus endures through life’s ups and downs.

There is always something for which we can give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

By starting your day with God, instead of hiccups and hang-ups, we give soul the chance to give thanks to the Lord and reflect on His grace and love for us.

6. It Can Help You Have a Right Perspective

We are prone to put ourselves first, or worry, or think that we’re in control.

However, when we start our day with God, it will give us a right perspective and mindset (see Colossians 3:1-2 ESV).

Put On the New Self

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

This practice will serve as a recognition that Jesus is in control and has good plans for you.

We need to remember that God is God and we are not.

This will help us to surrender our day to the Lord and approach each person, task, or circumstance with more of His grace, wisdom and understanding.

Having His right perspective can make big differences in all the right ways.

7. It Will Transform Your Heart

The habits we practice shape who we become.

Implementing this type of routine to start your day with God will absolutely transform your heart for the Lord.

We will seek God, we will grow in love for the Lord, and we will recognize more and more of our absolute need for the sovereignty of our Savior Jesus Christ.

When we intentionally spend time with God each day, our hearts become more like His.

When we start our day with God, we are allowing the Spirit to work in us and through us.

Tips to Start Your Day with God

If we are feeling even .01% more excited and inspired to start our days with God, here are some more tips I fervently pray will help to make that happen.

Starting this spiritual practice may come to feel intimidating or challenging, but the best thing you can do is to ask for the Holy Spirit to enable you and to help you to utilize some of these tips to begin starting each day with God.

1. Pray about It

Any new practice takes time and is more likely to take root in your life if you don’t overwhelm yourself.

So pray about it and see how God is leading you to start your day with Him.

Maybe it’ll be small changes at first, and that’s OK -just starting is the first and most important “baby sized” step to beginning your day in such a blessed way.

2. Make a Plan

When you plan something, it is more likely that it will happen.

Plan ahead the night before how you will start your day with God.

Perhaps you will wake up a bit earlier to spend time with God, or plan to have worship music playing while you make breakfast.

Whatever it will be for each day, intentionally planning ahead is a great tip to make it more likely to start connecting yourself and your whole day with God.

3. Set Your Mind on Jesus

Sometimes, starting a new habit or practice can feel overwhelming.

You want to, but perhaps aren’t sure where to start or how to fit it into your already busy life.

For some, simply beginning with setting your first thought on God can be a good way to start your day with God.

Wake up and simply say hello to the Lord and thank Him for a new day.

Let your mind go to Jesus first as you open your eyes, and this will start impacting and renewing , refresh and training your heart to start with God.

4. Spend Time in Prayer

As you get ready in the morning, brush your teeth, or make breakfast, you can use this time to talk to Jesus.

This is a fairly easy and simplified way to start your day with God by being in prayer as you complete these daily tasks – God is already there with you, so start the day off by praying and talking to Him as you go about your routine.

5. Read Scripture

In the morning, before you check out what’s happening in the world of social media, you can head over to a Bible app or website to read a chapter instead.

Perhaps read one psalm every morning, or a chapter in one of the Gospels.

By reading and connecting with Scripture, you are starting your day with God, letting the power of His word give you peace and perspective. (Hebrews 4:12)

6. Listen to an Audio Bible

If you prefer listening to the Bible instead, turn on the audio Bible while you get dressed, exercise, or eat breakfast.

You can even listen to the audio Bible on your way to work or school, or while you take your morning walk.

Listening to Scripture is an easy way to help you start your day with God, and you will be filled with the sovereign power of His truth and His coming hope.

7. Meditate on a Verse

Oftentimes, a quick way to start your day with God is to sign up for an email list for a verse of the day email.

As you start your day, you can check your email and have a verse to think about or memorize for the day.

This is a great way to start your day with the Lord and set your mind on Him.

8. Worship

Putting on worship music can be an easy way to start your day with God.

Instead of turning on the TV, a podcast, or talk radio, begin with some worship songs on in the background as you begin your day.

This will give you sacred moments to praise the Lord and spend time with Him through worship.

Psalm 51 teaches we are never alone when it comes to drawing closer to God.

Isaiah 41:8-10 English Standard Version

⁸ But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
⁹ you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
    and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
    I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
¹⁰ fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God always has His arms open to us, to renew us, to refresh us, to uphold us, as the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and empowers us to be more like Christ.

As we connectionally, intentionally, prayerfully discern how to start our days off with God, consider these reasons and tips to make this happen in your life.

It will be a critical way that you can get closer to God and to deepen our faith.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 32 English Standard Version

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil^[a] of David.

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up^[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
⁷ You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
⁹ Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
¹¹ Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Romans 4:9-12 GOD’S WORD Translation

⁹ Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of God’s approval.” ¹⁰ How was his faith regarded as the basis of God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. ¹¹ Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God. ¹² He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Paul’s letter to the followers at Rome gives each reader a step by step logical sequence to show that salvation is by grace only through faith in Christ Jesus.

It tells us that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus (to those that are born again), because they are positioned in Christ, imputed with His righteousness, baptized into the Body of Christ (which is the Church) and accepted in the Beloved – and it is all strictly by grace through faith in Him.

Paul uses the great historical figures of Abraham and David to demonstrate that it is not through righteous living or good works that we are declared righteous, but that it is by faith in the Son of God Who died for the sin of the whole world.

And it is not by being born a Jew or by being circumcised on the 8th day as the Law required, that qualifies sinners to be declared righteousness – but by faith alone in the Son of Man Who came to earth, loved us and gave Himself for us.

As a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a highly educated Pharisee who held the most advantageous Jewish pedigree, Paul took pains to emphasize that although the Jewish nation was God’s chosen people, they do not hold a monopoly on God’s justification and redemption, for justification and redemption is only by grace alone strictly through faith in Savior Christ Jesus to both Jew and Gentile alike.

To continuously hammer this truth home, Paul the Pharisee of all Pharisees, reminds all those who seek to elevate their physical genealogy of Jewish people to their forefather Abraham above the rest the nations and to magnify their importance in God’s redemptive program, that they are all badly misguided.

Paul reminds them that Abraham was an uncircumcised Gentile when God called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees, and Abraham believed God and was therefore credited with righteousness, due to his faith in God’s promise.

It was by grace though faith in the coming Messiah that Abraham and David were credited with their righteousness, and it is by grace through faith in the finished work of the Messiah that you and I are credited with righteousness.

Praise God that He is no respecter of persons and all He requires of you and me is to unequivocally trust in His Word and also believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Should we not, even in these most faithless of times seek to only glorify His holy name in all we say and do, for without Him we would have remained dead in our trespasses and separated from God forever, but ultimately IN Christ we are imputed with His righteousness – by God’s grace through faith in Him.

Romans 4 is Paul’s proof that faith has always been the means for justification.

Paul reflects back to the Old Testament patriarchs who were justified by faith, not works, to illustrate his theological point.

Paul uses this ancient illustration from Genesis, an illustration very familiar to every Jew, to prove all the Gentiles were part of this promise given to Abraham.

The whole world was blessed through Abraham because he chose to believe God rather than the high stressors of his present ever changing circumstances and, because of this “circumcision,” his faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Our Baptism: Our Own Sign for Our Today’s Like Our Father Abraham’s Sign of Circumcision for His Days

Romans 4:9-12 New International Version

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. ¹⁰  Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The water of baptism is a physical “sign” that points us symbolically to the washing away of sin, death to sin, through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

It is also a spiritual “sign” of the renewing work of God’s Spirit in all our lives.

So in the way we live, think, speak, and act it should be clear that, only but by the grace of God, we are different, set apart (“holy”) – as a song puts it clearly, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”—of our Father God and all people.

Water baptism, then, is really important.

The sacrament of baptism is public and experiential, and it awakens, it engages our imaginations.

When an adult or baby is baptized, the congregation is asked to make promises to nurture that person in the faith, to help them as they follow God’s calling.

Making these vows and seeing the ritual reminds us of the promises that were made over us at our own baptism, and the entire sacrament reminds us of the ancient covenant promises of God going all of the way back to the Patriarchs.

Abraham’s circumcision, our Baptism, all road signs of the day, something that points the participant beyond “self” to a destination, guiding all those who see.

Baptism is like that, life lived beyond baptism, pointing the community of faith to the reality of God’s grace found in the saving work of Christ for us – It guides us ever forward in the life of faith until the day Jesus returns to renew all things.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Our Heavenly Father, thank You that You are no respecter of persons, and that You stooped down to save the whole world, Jew and Gentile alike, from our sins, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for all of the wonderful examples throughout Your Word, that repeatedly demonstrate that salvation is through faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ, and that I am imputed with His righteousness and indwelt by His Spirit, by grace through faith. May the new resurrection life of Christ in me glorify You, in thought, word, and deed. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me

Song by CityAlight

Lyrics

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing, “All is mine”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing, “I am free”
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Michael Farren / Rich Thompson / Jonny Robinson

Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me lyrics © Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, Cityalight Music

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Colossians 2:20-23 Christian Standard Bible

²⁰ If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: ²¹ “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? ²² All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. ²³ Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.^[a]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Have we ever come to that place in our “Christian walk” and wondered about our salvation; about just whether or not we are going to heaven when we die?

Some questions we might have in such a moment are,

“What am I supposed to do in order to gain God’s acceptance and love?”

“Do I have to read the Bible all the way through?”

“Do I have to knock on a million doors?”

Allow me to begin enlightening our understanding by sharing an illustration:

Think about a small lake frozen over in the dead of winter. A young boy walks out on a boat dock over the ice, but suddenly his sister calls from the shore. As he turns around to see her, he loses his balance, one of his feet lands on the ice, and he crashes into the icy water. You see, as long as both his feet were solidly planted on the wooden dock, the boy stood securely. But as soon as he shifted one foot onto the ice, even though by mistake, he toppled into the water.

As long as we keep our trust totally on Christ’s finished work on the cross, we stand assured of God’s promise of eternal life.

But as soon as we rest any burden or weight on the thin ice of our own efforts, we will stumble and topple ourselves into the icy waters of our own insecurity.

Some of us might think we have to do many different things to gain God’s love, but there is only one requirement, and that is to know Jesus Christ as our Lord.

If we put any weight on the thin ice of our own efforts, we will surely drown in sin and never make it to heaven; but, if we stand upon the promise of the cross, then we will be firmly secure in our salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today we are going to try to see how the apostle Paul addressed the issue of our salvation in Jesus.

In our passage of Scripture, Paul encountered some believers who thought they had to continuously do more to gain their salvation, than just believe in Christ.

So let’s see what Paul revealed about our salvation.

Walk in Jesus, and Be Rooted in Him (Colossians vv. 2:6-7)

6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Paul said in verse 6, that we need to walk in Christ.

Walking in Christ will keep us from being deceived by the world; for when we are deceived by the world we begin doubting our salvation in Jesus.

Believers can avoid being deceived by maintaining a strong stand, and by moving forward with steady progress.

“When we stop going forward, we stall; [and] when we stall, we can fall.”

When we accept Jesus into our heart (Romans 10:9-13) we can’t just simply stop there and then instantly expect all our life to be perfect from that point onward.

We have to continue growing into our relationship with our Jesus by studying the Scripture, by spending time with God in prayer, and by intentionally putting our time and resources into practicing what we are taught by the Holy Spirit.

We have to walk forward in our Savior Christ; not stand still in the world.

Paul said in verse 7, that we must be rooted in Christ, be built up in Christ, be established in Christ, and then be abounding or overflowing in thanksgiving.

We see here a steady progression that we are to have in our Christian walk, or our growth process.

Steady progress is [only] possible when we are grounded or rooted.

Christians are not to be tumbleweeds with no roots, blown about by every wind of doctrine.

We avoid this when we are firmly rooted in Jesus Christ.

Roots don’t exist for themselves: they exist to give the plant strength and help the plant grow – we are to be deeply rooted, then built up and strengthened.

So how are we to grow?

We are to grow in the “faith [we] were taught,” as Paul said.

We have no need to seek any other kind of knowledge besides what is revealed by Jesus and the Bible.

We are to grow in knowledge of the truth already revealed in Christ . . . [and] Paul wants us overflowing with thankfulness.

This comes when we recognize that we are complete in Christ.

By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have everything needed to gain eternal life.

Sometimes we fail to realize this truth, and so we try to do other things to gain God’s acceptance.

Right now, let’s look at some of the things Paul identified as ways that we try to gain God’s approval.

We Are Already Complete in Jesus (Colossians vv. 2:8-10)

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

When we fail to realize that everything needed for eternal life and God’s acceptance is found in Jesus, we can be cheated of our freedom through philosophies and the traditions of men.

In the New International Version, Colossians verse 8 reads, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.”

The word “captive” here means ‘to carry away’ or ‘kidnap.’

Here it refers to someone being carried away from the truth in Christ into the slavery of error . . . The hardcore bondage attached to the hollow and deceptive philosophy of the false teachers which promises much but delivers nothing.

We need to realize “Jesus Christ is completely God, we are complete in Him.

We just need to grow [in Him].

A tree gains strength and nourishment from its roots, and the Christian always grows stronger by “root” nutrition (or feeding on God’s Word) not from leaves.

We cannot do anything extra, or add anything to our life that will make God favor us more.

You see, it’s not about Jesus plus; it’s about Christ alone.

We need to realize that we have all we will ever need in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:20-23 GOD’S WORD Translation

²⁰ If you have died with Christ to the world’s way of doing things, why do you let others tell you how to live? It’s as though you were still under the world’s influence. ²¹ People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” ²² All of these things deal with objects that are only used up anyway.  ²³  These things look like wisdom with their self-imposed worship, ⌞false⌟ humility, and harsh treatment of the body. But they have no value for holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature.

Every member of the human race is connected to Adam by birth. 

All are imputed with a sin nature, and the wages of sin is death.

As members of the first fallen creation, we are all irrevocably identified with Adam and the eternal consequences of his rebellious fall.

However, through spiritual rebirth, we are immutably connected to Christ and imputed with His perfect righteousness.

Our sins have been forgiven by faith, and our eternal citizenship is secured for us in heaven.

The moment we were saved, we were transferred into the Body of Christ and became members of a new creation in Him.

Today, we are permanently identified with all that Christ alone is and all that He alone has done, through time and into eternity.

As members of His Body, we are to steadfastly and immovably hold fast to our only Savior Christ, our living Head, draw all the strength we need from Him.

His grace is sufficient for every eventuality we may face.

As individual members of His Body, every believer is identified with His death, for Jesus went to the Cross on our behalf.

His death became our death and His resurrected life became our everlasting and abundant life.

His Resurrection from the dead imputes His resurrected life into those that are His; for His eternal life is a free gift of God’s grace, through faith in Him.

By faith we are forgiven of our sins, identified with His perfect righteousness. 

By faith we were transformed, then transferred our allegiance from Satan, our citizenship of this fallen world system, and the eternal punishment that surely follows, into, unto, the kingdom of God and the glorious future we have in Him.

But the hardcore truth is this; the hardcore influence of the world is very strong and hardcore religious formality resides deep inside the heart of all humanity.

Participation in man-made rules and regulations and adherence to legalistic practices combine with men’s imputed sin nature, causing many believers to be too easily pulled back into worldly deeply rooted ways and reverted to the basic rudiments of this world’s adherence to the all too ritualistic religious systems.

But Paul scolds such shallow resolve in our Christian commitment: 

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why are you living like the world? Why do you submit to regulations such as, ‘do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’ in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?”

Paul is pointing out because we are born again and ‘in-Christ’: “We are dead to prideful principles, man-made customs, and religious practices of the world.”

Psalm 139:23-24 English Standard Version

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!^[a]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!^[b]

We are called to examine our lives and ask,

“WHY am I living as though I am still part of the world?”

“WHY am I still behaving as if I am a member of this world’s system?”

“Why am I continuing to adhere to worldly practices and religious ordinances?”

Religion, its rituals, are the false gospel the world has adopted to save itself.

Religion is man’s attempt to save himself without being accountable to God.

It is strict adherence to man-made rules and regulations and traditions, but faith in Christ, Christ alone, is the only way that God ordained for man to live.

Ephesians 2:8-10 GOD’S WORD Translation

⁸ God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. ⁹ It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it. ¹⁰ God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.

As God’s Children, As baptized members of Christ’s Body in the world, it is by His grace we are saved, through faith in Him, and it is also by grace through faith in Him that we are all to continue to live our lives – may each we live each day through faith in the Person and work of Christ Jesus, our God and Savior.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, help us, we who are Your Body of Christ in the world to reject the basic principles and religious practices of the world that are rooted so deeply and so strongly in the sinful hearts of fallen man. Thank You for reminding us once again, that by faith alone I died with Christ, and my life is hid with Christ alone. May we never again come to forget that we are no longer part of this fallen world system, but we are citizens of heaven and identified with Christ’s righteousness. May we live in a way that genuinely demonstrates that we are part of the new creation in Christ, and One with Him alone in thought, word, and deed. This we ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Ephesians 5:11-16 GOD’S WORD Translation

¹¹ Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. ¹² It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. ¹³ Light exposes the true character of everything ¹⁴ because light makes everything easy to see. That’s why it says:

“Wake up, sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” ^[a]

¹⁵ So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. ¹⁶ Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

This life is marked by a single choice: who or what or where or when or why we will we center our lives around really the one thing in our worlds that matters?

This choice takes each of us down either a wide a path or a narrow of decisions that shape who we are, what we feel, who or what we value, and what we will have accomplished at the end of our days.

To make the choice to exclusively center our lives only around ourselves or the things of this world leads only to the widest possible paths of our destruction.

But, to center our lives around meeting with God fills each moment with the glorious abundance of God’s love, provision, and transcendent peace.

I pray that just today, may your life be marked by union with your Creator as we explore what it means to intentionally centering our lives around meeting God.

Ephesians 5:15-16 warns us, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” 

Our time is of the utmost importance here on earth.

We can never get back the days we spend frivolously pursuing the things of the world.

We will never get back the time we spent outside of God’s purposes of receiving God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness and giving and sharing in that perfect love.

Our time here is too limited and too important to spend on burdens, stresses, sin, and worldly pursuits.

If we’re going to make the most of this life, we must learn to center our time around the eternal value of meeting with God.

It’s for this reason James 4:13-15 says,

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

“Search me O’ God and know my heart, and see if there is any evil way in me” Exclusively seeking God, not self, looking at all the ways in which we spend our time is one of the best ways to assess the posture and the priorities of our heart.

If we spend all our time working for and thinking about the things of the world, we know we haven’t yet come into a right revelation of God’s purposes for us.

If we spend the majority of our time simply getting through our days trying to find “happiness” rather than seeking the face of our heavenly Father that we might receive sustaining, transcendent joy, we can know that we have yet to surrender ourselves to God’s searching our souls and our lives fully to our King. 

The great thing about the nature of time is that it is completely ours to do with what we will.

We can, right now, decide to make the best use of our time according to the purposes of God as revealed to us through Scripture.

We can, right now, decide to stop wasting precious minutes on that which is fleeting and temporal and instead invest our days in the lasting, eternal, and fruitful purposes of our heavenly Father.

Psalm 90:12 , “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” 

God longs to teach us how to use our days wisely.

He longs to give us a heart of wisdom that we might center our lives around meeting with him.

You and I have God himself dwelling within us, ready to guide us into a lifestyle of intentional and purposeful living.

I pray we will choose today to more fully open our hearts and minds to the Teacher, the very Spirit of God, and live according to his will – may we find peace, joy, and purpose in the ways in which we will invest our time today.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of using your time wisely.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any ways in which you’ve been using your time unwisely. 

Know that he is not a God who takes away all the things you enjoy.

He’s not anti-entertainment, friends, and parties.

He’s a fun God who truly loves you.

Don’t mix religion and the heart of your heavenly Father.

Trust that whatever he leads you to change will result in the absolute most fun, fruitful, and satisfying way you can live.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15

3. Ask God to help you spend your time wisely today. Ask him to help you follow his direction as you go about the day set before you.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7           

You can trust that God has the absolute best plan for your time. 

Matthew 6:8 promises, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” 

He has every one of your needs sorted out.

He will provide for you perfectly.

We can trust him with our complete life, we can know our jobs, family’s, and circumstances are better in the capable, loving hands of our heavenly Father.

Pray today we can choose to devote our time, job, money, and relationships to Him who is our Savior Jesus that they might be filled with the blessing of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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John 14:1-6Authorized (King James) Version

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Many of us are familiar with John 14, where Jesus tells His disciples that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

But what did that saying really mean for them, and what does it mean for us?

This short conversation happens on the last night before the crucifixion, during the Passover meal. 

Before this, Jesus had washed all of the disciple’s feet, predicted his betrayal by Judas, predicted his denial by Peter, and told each of the disciples he would soon be going away (John 13) absent his specifying where exactly he was going to go. 

All of this naturally prompted some direct questions from the disciples about where Jesus was going, and why it was that they could not follow with him:

John 14:1-7 Revised Standard Version

Jesus the Way to the Father

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe ^[a] in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ^[b] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.”

By him using this phrase, Jesus is establishing that knowing Him is not only the ultimate meaning and the ultimate fulfillment of life on earth, but it is the only way to really know the Father in heaven.

“I Am the Way”

As Jesus tells his disciples that he is the way, there are multiple meanings involved. 

First off, he directly and decisively addresses our very human instinct to know where we are going before we start a journey. 

The disciples wanted to know the next step, the next turn, the ultimate destination of where this journey in faith would lead them. 

When we have a long trip ahead of us, we want to turn on our GPS and get an idea of how long it will take and the roads we will travel on to get there. 

We determine the best, fastest routes and then start our journey. 

Thomas was looking for the same kind of information.

However, Jesus makes it clear that they (or we) won’t know the defined way we are supposed to travel in life. 

We are instead tasked with simply knowing and trusting in Jesus daily, and walking in faith that HE is, in immutable truth and undeniable fact, the way. 

When we abide in him, we will not know a defined course, but we can rest in the comfort of faith – he will lead us exactly where we need to go as we walk in him.

This leads to the second meaning. 

In John 10, Jesus compared himself to a good shepherd:

John 10:1-9 New American Standard Bible

Parable of the Good Shepherd

10 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. ² But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them ^[a]meant.

⁷ So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Jesus is comparing himself to a shepherd and us to his sheep.

Sheep do not choose their own path to safety and protection, but rely on the shepherd to guard and care for them. 

In order to be safe, we have to trust the shepherd, and not wander off on our own adventures and try to find out own way. 

That will lead us to danger and pain. 

But when we follow Jesus, he leads us to exactly where we need to be.

Finally, he is making clear he is the way to the Father, by extension, to heaven.

He further says he goes ahead to prepare a place for us, and this suggests after we have completed the journey of this life, he would have already gone ahead, prepared that place, we’ll find ourselves in a place of rest where the Father is.

“I Am the Truth”

What is truth?

And how can we know truth?

After Jesus had been arrested, He found Himself standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea.

He had been accused of blasphemy, of stirring up the people to revolution, and it was rumored He called Himself a King.

In speaking to Him, Pilate found no evidence of any crime worthy of death, but was fascinated by His bold talk of a Kingdom “not of this world” (John 18:36). 

Pushing back on the idea of whether this lowly carpenter from Galilee truly considered Himself to be some kind of King, Jesus replies, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Pilate’s response comes in the form of a question, the exact same question that humanity has been asking for centuries, the same response to Jesus that keeps so many from faith: “Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?'” (John 18:38)

Jesus answered this question in John 14 with only the disciples present when he tells them “I am the truth”. 

Jesus can testify to the truth, teach the truth because he himself is that truth. 

In him there is nothing false, there is nothing misleading, and there is nothing even remotely fake or even remotely uncertain. 

Each and every single of us are capable of knowing truth, but none of us can claim to actually be truth. 

There are too many things we don’t know, too many things we will never come to understand and by far, too many things we get wrong throughout our lives.

Yet here, Jesus claims to be truth, and in doing so claims to be One with God. 

The words of John 1:1 set the stage for this very fact: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In this one sentence, John is proclaiming Jesus as ‘the Word’, which would have suggested that Jesus is the beginning and culmination of all that has been true throughout eternity, and that to seek the truth ultimately leads us to seek him.

When asking God to “search our hearts”(Psalm 139:23) we seek to figure out just what is the truth, what is a lie, we can then try to measure it against the words of Jesus, who himself is the truth – “to lead us in the way everlasting” (139:24).

“I Am the Life”

This saying also draws us back to the shepherd analogy of John 10:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. … “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (emphasis added)

Here Jesus is not only painting a picture of how he leads, guides, defends and knows his sheep, but also foreshadowing his coming brutal death on the cross.

But if this is true, why do Christians still continue to struggle so much in life? 

Why do we still endure pain and heartache?

Because, ultimately, this life is not the point. 

This life is not our ultimate goal, doesn’t encompass the entirety of who we are.

This life is a mere drop in the ocean of eternity and serves as the starting block on the marathon that leads us to our ultimate goal of our eternal life with God.

We can try to slow it down, we can spend time money and energy working to fight tooth and nail against it, but we cannot stop it from marching forward. 

Jesus is ultimately teaching us what we are to really be ultimately concerned with is not this life, but with eternal life. 

Scriptures speak frequently and often of the life to come after our life on this earth, and as we seek after the Truth, following the voice of our shepherd, we can grasp what that “ONLY Way” to eternal life, is in the here and the now.

We can live this life in such a way that we are not chasing things that don’t last but chasing the things that ultimately do last and will have eternal significance.

This type of life has eternal impact not only for us but untold others around us.

When Jesus refers to himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, he is giving us an infinitely better way to ultimately live our lives penultimately through him.

He is showing us that through following him daily in faith, he will lead us to a fuller, better, richer, more meaningful life than we could ever find on our own.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 61 English Standard Version

Lead Me to the Rock

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.

61 Hear my cry, O God,
    listen to my prayer;
² from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I,
³ for you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy.

⁴ Let me dwell in your tent forever!
    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
⁵ For you, O God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶ Prolong the life of the king;
    may his years endure to all generations!
⁷ May he be enthroned forever before God;
    appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

⁸ So will I ever sing praises to your name,
    as I perform my vows day after day.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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John 14:1-6 English Standard Version

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;^[a] believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.”^[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The question is always asked: Why did God provide only one way to heaven?

Wouldn’t it have been more “user-friendly” to create many individualized narrow paths for God’s individualized children leading to eternity with Him?

In an honest attempt to illustrate God’s perfect plan, I picture a kingdom on a mountain – there is one well walked, well surveyed road to the summit, leading right to the kingdom’s front gates – a free map is offered to anyone who asks.

Yet, most people do not follow the map.

Yet most people will want to trod down their own paths figuring them to be well tamped down with those experiences successfully getting them into their gates.

Wide roads are so much easier for people to walk on because there are probably uncountable numbers of people struggling for their own individual space on the road-nobody want to bump into anyone else, no one wants to trip over another.

Wide roads hold more cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks and busses and motorcycles and God knows what else, their drivers and all their passengers.

Traffic Gridlock: Everyone is trying to get to their own destinations all at once.

For the road to the kingdom is narrow, gridlocked not always easy to navigate.

Instead, the travelers choose other roads.

Wide and easy, relaxed smooth driving, with beautiful scenery on the way, they convince themselves, the road they’re on must genuinely lead to the kingdom!

However, those winding individualized paths never truly reach the summit.

Inevitably, at some highway off ramp, they either take a detour or get off at the wrong exit, getting lost and cannot find their way back or they simply dead end.

As people continue to trek up, down and all around the mountain, I picture the Savior calling to all travelers, “Come, this is the way. Follow Me.” Yet, many go their own way, forging other paths and avoiding the One True Road at all cost.

So as those twelve disciples are all sitting together in that Upper Room, Jesus says the Way, the Truth and the Life – His way is sure and His path is open to all.

All twelve of these disciples will each walk out of that Upper Room on different paths in their coming ministries and missions on earth – and Jesus is #1 focus!

Acts 2:43-47 English Standard Version

⁴³ And awe^[a] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 8:4-8 English Standard Version

Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria

⁴ Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. ⁵ Philip went down to the city^[a] of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. ⁶ And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸ So there was much joy in that city.

So many children of God each individually commissioned by their Savior Jesus.

Acts 1:8 English Standard Version

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Different, individualized ministries and missions-yea unto all ends of the earth.

To all of those so many points of the globe a simple compass carries their feet.

Isaiah 52:6-8 English Standard Version

⁶ Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

⁷ How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
    who publishes salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
⁸ The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
    together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
    the return of the Lord to Zion.

So much good to be done, much grace, forgiveness and love of One God to share.

But One Message on Earth to reach literally all ends of earth – “Our God Reigns!

Only One Way for each of us to reach our promised heavenly homes –

John 14:6 English Standard Version

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

“Turn right and Go Straight!”

What a divine blessing to be given the exact directions to eternity!

There is no guesswork!

There is no “re-calculating” the journey.

Only Jesus paved the only way once and for all without mistake.

God didn’t send His Son to provide only one way to heaven out of a sense of arrogance or control, as some might believe.

He lovingly and painfully carved out the only path that would reach.

Across the impassable chasm of man’s sin and straight on up to the top of the mountain of our individual life’s journey, God gave His Son—the perfect Way.

Every other road, every other highway man travels will fall short of His glory.

It will dead-end.

But, there is One who calls… “Come and follow Me.”

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16The Message

16 ^1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
    I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
    Without you, nothing makes sense.

³ And these God-chosen lives all around—
    what splendid friends they make!

⁴ Don’t just go shopping for a god.
    Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
    like brand-names.

^5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
    And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
    And then you made me your heir!

^7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

^9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
    and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
    that’s not my destination!

¹¹ Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
    all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
    I’m on the right way.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Mark 1:21-28 GOD’S WORD Translation

Jesus Forces an Evil Spirit out of a Man

²¹ Then they went to Capernaum. On the next day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.

²³ At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. He shouted, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ Jesus ordered the spirit, “Keep quiet, and come out of him!” ²⁶ The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out of him with a loud shriek.

²⁷ Everyone was stunned. They said to each other, “What is this? This is a new teaching that has authority behind it! He gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him.”

²⁸ The news about him spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Babe Ruth was the great home run hitter for the New York Yankees baseball team.

During one particular at-bat, the umpire, called Ruth out on strikes.

There was a stunned silence in the stands. Ruth turned to the ump and said, “There are 40,000 people here who know that last one was a ball.”

The umpire replied, “Maybe so, but mine is the only opinion that counts.”

We live in a world of thousands of opinions.

Whose opinion counts?

Who has the authority that matters?

There are experts in every field imaginable, some of whom say conflicting things.

There are authoritative figures in command of those many imaginable fields and they have the authority to give commands, to promote and also to punish.

How well did we listen to the voices that said we should wear masks?

Or how well or better did we listen to the voices that told us wearing a mask is ineffective in spreading COVID – 19?

Do we listen to the authorities, the voices telling us climate change, is real and we need to act immediately, preferably sooner, if we hope to save our planet?

Or how well do we listen to the “authoritative” voices that debunk the idea of climate change as a hoax?

Who is in charge of the truth of these matters and who do we listen to when so many allegedly, or obviously smart people just espouse differences of opinion?

Who do we look to as our authority? 

So when a person (like any of us in the room) has a difficult decision to make during a stressful time in life… like their marriage, personal finances, personal or professional conflicts or whatever, who do they listen to? Oprah? Dr. Phil? “Dear Abby”? Parents? Friends? Pastor? the Judge? Whose opinion counts?

When I’m deciding which movies I’ll see or preferred TV programs I’ll watch who do I turn to? Celebrities? Promos? Word-of-mouth among my friends?

Whose opinion counts?

When I am trying to decide what books I would like to read, who do I ask for a good review?

The New York Times Bestseller List? Good Reads? Amazon Book Reviews?

If I were making decisions about how to start a business or advance my career or handle a sticky situation at work—where do I get direction? Mentors? Fast Company or Forbes magazines? Pod Casts? TED Talks? United States Congress?

Who’s my authority? Who do I listen to?

In our text today, Mark 1:21-28, we read of some people, who though living in a different time, shared all of our same concerns and were pleasantly surprised to discover a person who had genuine authority and could answer their questions.

In our Gospel Narrative, there were people who were attending a service in their local synagogue and Jesus Christ just happened to be the teacher that morning.

From the Biblical account this is my first observation:

Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum.

When the Sabbath day came he went into the synagogue and began to teach.

The people were amazed at his teaching for he taught with real authority – quite unlike the teachers of religious law. Mark 1:21-22

At the time there was no resident teacher at any synagogue.

The teaching was done by lay-people.

A coordinator or facilitator supervised the services and scheduled the speakers.

Word had spread wide about Jesus, because he had been doing a lot of preaching throughout area.

When he came to Capernaum, they immediately invited him to be the speaker for as many times as he wished.

Verse 22 tells us that the people were blown away by his teaching.

Amazed – they didn’t know what to make of it.

His words had authority.

The scribes or teachers of the law knew the Jewish teachings of the elders.

They knew the different biblical interpretations that had come down through the centuries.

They could tell you, “Rabbi so-and-so said this.

But Rabbi such-and-such thought it meant this instead.”

They could teach you the options, but they couldn’t decide among them.

All they could do was repeat the traditions of the fathers long ago.

But when Jesus taught, he spoke with a certainty that came straight from God.

His words had authority.

They had the ring of truth.

And the people said: This is different than what we’re used to.

He’s not like the scribes or teachers of the law.

His words have an undeniable irrefutable authority.

When Jesus comes on the scene, something new happens.

Our hope, our longing for change, takes on a radically different shape.

On the sounds of His words, on His authority behind them, the hurting people, sinful temptations, human brokenness, disease are con­fronted with ­authority.

The people in this Gospel story recog­nized Jesus’ authority in regard to two specific things: his teaching and his power over impure spirits (demons).

There was something about Jesus that made him different from all of the other religious teachers of his day.

In fact, this is the first thing mentioned in Mark’s gospel about Jesus’ public ministry: it was a ministry of authority – the authority of God and not of man.

Without any exception, we long to witness the authority of Christ confronting diseases, financial hardships, broken friendships, injus­tices of all kinds today.

But we do not pause as often to ­consider the spiritual dimensions of our suffering.

The apostle Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12).

Rather, we contend with demonic powers that want every single one of us to continuously think that all our circumstances, not our hearts, are the problem.

It’s worth noting that Jesus’ teaching, not just his healing, triggered a reaction from the crowds.

But “being amazed,” by itself, is not a response to authority.

Jesus’ teaching demands either submission or rebellion-He calls us to bring our hurts, our diseases, and our hearts under his authority.

How will we respond?

How do we typically respond?

The fact that while most everyone hung on every word that Rabbi Jesus spoke… not everyone was impressed by him or pleased by his popularity which leads me to a second observation.

II. Jesus experienced resistance to his authority.

Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed with an evil spirit began shouting, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23-24

Jesus cut him short.

“Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered.

At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and came out of him. Mark 1:25-26

So one Sabbath, something happened during one of their services that was definitely out of the ordinary.

A man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,

“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him.

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other,

“What is this? A new teacher—one who speaks with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

In verse 22 when Jesus taught the people were amazed.

It means they were blown away… astonished.

But in verse 27 where Mark wrote, “Amazement gripped the audience”

The word “amazed” in verse 27 is very different than the word used in verse 22.

Here in verse 27 the word amazement carries with it the idea of fear… that what they had just seen and heard was scary and they did not understand what had happened. It was a bit more than they could handle.

With us, it’s the other way around.

The contemporary thought of a demon actually being in someone, making them do something, sounds strange, even scary, to us-straight out of the “Exorcist.”

We seldom explain anyone’s behavior as being caused by a demon.

But at the same time, we have these unusual phrases that we use:

“What’s gotten into you?” or “What’s come over you?”

We use these phrases when the behavior is something we can’t explain.

It’s an indication that we know something else is seriously going on.

There are times when we come across some, what I think of as big time evil that is beyond our ability to comprehend or explain — evil that’s out of the ordinary, a thousand thousand thousand times far beyond any normal human sinfulness.

Adolph Hitler. Joseph Stalin, Mao, Charlie Manson. Ted Bundy. Jeffrey Dahmer. Brian and Wanda Mitchell… Elizabeth Smart kidnappers. Pedophiles. Rapists.

White collar cheats that devastate your retirement funds.

People like Ken Lay of the Enron Scandal and Bernie Madoff who easily bilked people of all they had conscientiously squirreled away for their retirement….. what kind of “possessed” person finds it in themselves to do that to anyone?

On a lesser scale, we sometimes encounter self-destructive behavior that just doesn’t make sense.

We observe people acting out in anger.

We do not appreciate a mean-spirited person who seems driven by the desire to humiliate or hurt others.

Narcissists and liars are not people we care to hang out with.

Sometimes we shake our heads and wonder, what makes them be like that?”

There is evil that doesn’t make sense.

In our passage today, Jesus shows for the first time his power to do something about evil.

He has absolute authority over the demon.

He simply speaks, and the demon has to leave.

There is no drawn-out ritual to cast the demon out—no incantation, mumbo-jumbo, incense, props, lengthy prayer, no prolonged struggle.

Jesus simply makes the decision that demon will no longer have control, and the matter is settled.

He just gave the order—”Come out of him”—and the demon obeyed. Jesus had authority!

We must come to grips with the authority of God Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit – choose to live accordingly.

I would like to make a third observation.

That was then and this is now and the question for you and me is a simple one…

III. Are we willing to live according to Jesus’ remarkable level of authority?

Amazement had gripped the audience and they began to discuss what had happened.

“What sort of new teaching is this? It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” And the news spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee. Mark 1:27-28

Their amazement has a bit of fear in it.

They’re not sure how to handle this level of authority.

As we ourselves grapple with the implications of this for us, are we prepared for this kind of authority in our lives?

Are we ready for an authority where his word makes it true and his decision makes it happen?

An authority where when he says something, we respond with obedience?

What does Jesus say about how I treat my spouse and family and co-workers and neighbors?

What does Jesus say about what I think about, read and watch and talk about?

What does Jesus say about my professional and business relationships?

What does Jesus say about my personal pursuits?

My goals in life?

What does Jesus say about my personal habits?

Internet use?

Do I just use my own “best” judgements?

Maybe ask ourselves, am I really the captain in complete command of my soul? 

There is a point at which we all must decide if we are going to go with our own best effort or choose who will be the ultimate authority in our lives… who is the captain of my life and the commander of my heart and the Admiral of my soul?

If we are at all wise we will recognize our ultimate need for the grace and mercy and guidance of God.

We desperately need to intentionally hear the voice of authority and listen to Jesus and allow the Spirit of God to guide us as we read, study the Word of God.

Jesus has authority.

Not just rank so he can give orders.

Not just power so he can cast our demons or to just obliterate his enemies.

No, Jesus has true divine authority — rank, power, and integrity so that he can authentically subdue and destroy evil.

This authority should not just be admired.

This authority should not leave us spell-bound.

No, this authority should lead us to watch Jesus and learn from his actions, because they are gracious and compassionate as well as mighty.

This authority should make us listen to what he says because Jesus’ words are not only true, but they are also life-giving and liberating.

We should be hyper excited.

Matthew 28:16-20 English Standard Version

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.  ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,  baptizing them in^[a]  the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We should go out into the world as we have been commissioned, to teach others all about Jesus, we should obey him, following his example of sacrificial service.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

My dear and precious Father, the one true and living God, please give me the courage to believe and obey the words of Jesus and to follow his example of sacrificial service. Savior Jesus, you rule over all things by your Word and Spirit. Enter our lives with your authority today, in the divine authority of Jesus’ mighty name, I pray. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Matthew 28:16-20 English Standard Version

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a]  the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Jesus came to live among us as the promised Messiah of God’s people.

Many of the people thought the Messiah would be a political king who would, free them from the grip of the Roman Empire.

But Jesus’ mission was not political.

He came to free sinners from the tyranny of sin and to give them new life with God forever.

In his teaching ministry Jesus clashed with the religious authorities.

He directly challenged them because they were more concerned with physical power and position than with leading people to live God’s way—by loving God and loving their neighbor first.

The religious leaders felt threatened by Jesus, so they plotted to kill him.

And they managed to get him executed by the Roman government.

So Jesus laid down his life for us by dying on a cross, and he was buried.

But then Jesus rose to life again, victorious over sin and death for our sake!

Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus told his disciples (and us!) that against all appearances, and against all odds, and at all costs, in a world full of tyrants and brutally powerful and lethal politics, all authority had been given over to him.

Then he said that as we are moving about in the world, we are to make disciples.

How?

By going into the world, among all of the nations.

Making disciples of all the nations they go into.

By baptizing them into the family of God,

and by teaching them to be obedient to his teachings.

And if we ever grow afraid of this task (for we will meet opposition), to recall that Jesus promised that he will always be with us through his Holy Spirit.

He will be with us – until the end of all the ages – meaning essentially forever.

Christ fulfilled the righteousness of the Law, which qualified Him to pay the price for our sins on the Cross.

His death, burial, and Resurrection conquered sin and Satan.

His death, burial, and Resurrection broke the power of sin and death forever in the lives of all who would believe on His name.

And as a result, God gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth.

Because of His coming, His life, His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, God has ascribed all authority to the Lord Jesus Christ Who was to become the federal head of a brand new creation of humanity – a new-creation ‘in-Christ’.

Jesus lived a sinless life so He could willingly give His life as a sacrifice for us all, and Jehovah God raised Him from the dead, gave Him authority to bestow His own eternal life on all who would believe on His name, making Him Head of the Body, which is the Church, so He Himself would have preeminence in all things.

Jesus had already demonstrated His God-given authority in His teachings, for no man spoke the gracious words that He spoke.

Throughout His earthly ministry He displayed His full authority over sickness, disease, and those being afflicted with various ailments and pains, and those oppressed by demons, the epileptics, and paralytics: “And He healed them all.”

He demonstrated His complete authority over Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness, over the heavily demon possessed “Legion” whom he healed.

He proved His absolute authority on earth to forgive sins by saying to the paralyzed man: “Arise, and take up thy bed and walk,”

and He proclaimed His full sovereign authority in the Temple of God when He accused the rulers of Israel, with the blistering words: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of thieves.”

We can have absolute confidence in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for there is no power in heaven or earth or under the earth that has not been placed under His supreme authority, in time and through eternity, for at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of things in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the max glory of God the Father.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, I stand amazed at Your grace and goodness, and that You would give Your only begotten Son to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death for me. Thank You that all power in heaven and earth is His and that I am secure in His hand. Keep me from unfounded worry and foolish fretting, knowing that He is in ultimate control of my life and that Your perfect plans and purposes for all humanity will finally be fulfilled through Him. Lord Jesus, you have all authority. Help us to serve you faithfully, faith-filled in making baptized and educated disciples of all the nations under heaven and earth. To Him be all praise, glory forever and ever, AMEN.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Hebrews 10:32-39 New Living Translation

³² Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.^[a]  Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. ³⁴ You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

³⁵ So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! ³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

³⁷ “For in just a little while,
    the Coming One will come and not delay.
³⁸ And my righteous ones will live by faith.^[b]
    But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”^[c]

³⁹ But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Imagine that we wish that success would be ours every moment of everyday.

Imagine ourselves in a world where the word failure was never inserted into Webster’s Dictionary, than in all the history of mankind failure did not exist?

Imagine God withholding failure from the knowledge and awareness of man?

Imagine that our ever vigilant God never allowed the Serpent into the Garden?

Imagine your own existence where everyone knew success 100% of the time?

Its great that we can imagine ourselves successfully living in such moments.

Never thinking, even realizing, that there was never another way to live life?

I can allow such fights of fancy to run through my imagination from time to time when I am being cascaded and marauded by all of the negative moments.

The biblical reality is, of course, that the serpent did slither into the Garden of Eden and the serpent did open its mouth and speak alternative words to Eve.

Then the knowledge of good and evil and of failure and sin entered Webster’s.

The reality which we have now is that failure is a very common experience and very defeating experience, with God’s help we can keep failure from being final. 

Bob Hope, when asked about his early failures in stand-up comedy, said, “I would not have had anything to eat if it wasn’t for the stuff the audience threw at me.”

Do you consider President Abraham Lincoln’s life a life of success or failure?

a. Abe Lincoln once said, “I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so.”

b. Abraham Lincoln’s life is the best example of his own words, because he experienced more failure than success in most of his life.

c. Abraham Lincoln failed twice in business and had a nervous breakdown.

d. Abraham Lincoln was soundly defeated in elections 8 times for the seats in government that he ran for, and only won in the elections 3 times.

e. Two of those elections Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States.

The truth of the matter is that failure, even repeated failure, doesn’t have to be final or fatal because with confidence, endurance there can be success in failure.

1. Malcolm Forbes said, “Failure is success if we learn from it.”

2. Marilyn vos Savant said, “Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.”

Here’s a poem about failure that contains many truths:

Failing does not necessarily mean you have accomplished nothing;

It may mean you have learned something.

Failing does not necessarily mean you have wasted your time;

It may mean you have an opportunity to start afresh.

Failing does not necessarily mean you are inferior;

It does mean you are not perfect.

Failing does mean you are perfectly human;

All of us have felt the anguish and sting of failure, even repeated failure.

The ironic thing about failure is that “hindsight is 20/20 vision,” and with that hindsight we see very clearly how we could have done, should have done, would do things differently if we could go backwards in time and do them over again.

But since God did not put anyone else in charge of time, that is one more failure we repeatedly place in our path – that we know we can not change time, but we will certainly expend a great deal of effort to rent out space in our souls trying.

There are many different ways that we experience failure.

a. We make mistakes, we make bad decisions in good times and bad times.

b. We let ourselves down and we let others down and hurt those we love.

c. We don’t see or find success, we don’t live up to our goals and expectations.

d. We always successfully fail to live up to the life God intends for us to live.

But despite all of the ways we convince ourselves we have failed, the most important question we must answer is: What can we do about our failures?

Gaining Confidence Through Failure and Suffering

Hebrews 10:32-39 The Message

^32-39 Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse—some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn’t touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.

It won’t be long now, he’s on the way;
    he’ll show up most any minute.
But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust;
    if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy.

But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.

But We Are Not Quitters Who Lose Out ….

Oh, No!

We Will Stay With It and Survive, Trusting [God, Jesus, Holy Spirit] All The Way!

Here is a word of encouragement for those who grieve and for those who seek to comfort them.

Perhaps you or someone you know has faced personal tragedy recently.

Cannot get that tragedy out of their minds – walking through wet concrete.

Perhaps you yourself have unexpectedly lost a loved one, and the pain of the loss is so great, so catastrophically overwhelming, that you’re ready to quit.

Perhaps you’re feeling helpless, hopeless and burdened as you watch your brother or sister in Christ walk the painful road of failures and suffering.

Steady state, steady flowing and prolonged failure and intense suffering often causes us to stop our Christianity cold and question our faith and commitment.

But the author of Hebrews encourages us to remain steadfast as we call to mind our endurance through former hardship.

“Recall,” he says, “the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.”

And in light of this recollection, we must also avoid the temptation to “throw away … confidence,” knowing that our perseverance will be greatly rewarded.

The longer we go on in the experience of Christian life, the more trials we come through strengthened by God’s grace, and the more we can look back on them and think, “If I persevered through that, then I can keep going through this.”

You may be thinking, though,

“This is too much all at one time—perseverance is beyond me this time.”

If so, know this: acknowledge the feeling, then acknowledge it is in moments of great weakness that the Spirit strengthens us and helps us (Romans 8:26-28).

T often overlooked reality which is seldom recalled, taught or preached is that even when we do not know what to pray for or how to endure, the Holy Spirit of God simply intercedes for us and enables us to do the will of God (Romans 8:26).

The anonymous writer to the Hebrews exhorts us, as members of God’s family, united in Christ, to stand side by side and partner with those who are suffering.

Indeed, we are called by God, covenanted by God, to actively extend empathy and sympathy as we identify with our brothers and sisters in their affliction.

Proverbs 17:17 English Standard Version

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 18:24 English Standard Version

²⁴ A man of many companions may come to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:6 English Standard Version

⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 27:9 English Standard Version

⁹ Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.^[a]

Proverbs 27:17 English Standard Version

¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.^[a]

Such biblical partnerships may come at a cost of resources; early believers even had endured the “plundering of … property” as a result of their compassion for those already distressed, imprisoned-yet we must not let its costliness deter us.

In sorrow and in sympathy, we persevere because the Lord stands by us to strengthen and uphold us with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

As you and I successfully or in total failure, face life’s toils and troubles, don’t shrink from nor throw away your confidence or shrink back into the shadows.

Fix your eyes, and encourage those around you to fix their eyes, on a “better possession and an abiding one”: the true glory of eternity with Christ, who has walked the path of suffering before us and now beckons us on, on toward home.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 English Standard Version

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

⁴ Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
⁵ You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.

⁶ In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ear.^[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
⁸ I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I have told the glad news of deliverance^[b]
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰ I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

¹¹ As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
¹² For evils have encompassed me
    beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

¹³ Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
¹⁴ Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
¹⁵ Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

¹⁶ But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
¹⁷ As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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