9/7/14     YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

LIVE IT!!  Alive - Not Dull

    WOW!!  That’s really living!!  What are the circumstances that cause people to say that?  Ask for response.
Fancy cars, mansions, private jets, a staff of personal servants, ???
German Company Develops $4,000 Toothbrush
    In January 2013, a team of “dental hygiene experts” and design gurus gathered in Germany and decided the modern toothbrush needed a makeover. The resulting product: a $3,200 Euro (about $4,300 USD), full-titanium toothbrush. The company’s website offers a video that likens its creation to a world-class sports car:
    Undulating curves of the sleek and slender body encompass elegance and sumptuousness. A unique design … German precision engineering … A decisively lightweight full-titanium body which has unparalleled durable strength. The accomplished silhouette captures elegance and timelessness where beauty, functionality and utility complement each other. A timeless luxury is now an option.
    Their entry-level “Premium” package price includes one “everlasting” titanium toothbrush in a color of your choice, one titanium toothbrush holder (with “anti-slip pad”), a bumper, and what they call “Fresh Service” for three years—every six months, they’ll send you six bristle heads (choice of soft or medium) and a new bumper. You can also personalize it with an engraving for an extra $540. But keep in mind that after the three year “Premium” plan runs out, you’ll need to pay a few hundred bucks for another upgrade. Who said luxury was cheap?
Adapted from Zachary Crockett, “The $4,000 Toothbrush,” Priceonomics blog (8-7-14)
    The December 2013 issue of GQ magazine quoted actor Matthew McConaughey, named GQ’s “Man of the Year,” argues, “I’m a fan of the word selfish. Self. Ish. When I say I have gotten a lot more self-ish, I mean I am less concerned with what people think of me … Selfish has gotten a bad rap. You should do for you.”
Jessica Pressler, “Man of the Year,” GQ (12-13)
    What do you think of that attitude?  Would you like to have that person as your best friend?  Do you think that would make a pleasant atmosphere to be in?  What about that toothbrush that cost more than my first car, which was brand new?  I wonder what happens when you lose it?
    As believers in Jesus, as Christians, we have a life in Jesus that is what the world is really seeking.  There are many times that might not seem to be true on the surface.  But the issues of serving Jesus and growing a strong personal relationship with him make the true Christian life the most awesome life possible.  The by-products of peace, hope, joy, etc. that come with following Jesus are amazing.
    As we enter this fall season, we are going to take some time to look at the life we have as Christians.  We are going to look at the thought of Live It!!  We are Alive -- Not Dull.  God has given us His power and Word and we are to be equipped to live this awesome Christian life.  The supernatural power of God has NOT diminished one bit.
    Here’s a challenging, as well as awesome, passage to start out.  These are the words of Jesus just before He was arrested and crucified.  These are some of His final parting words to His disciples.
John 14:12-14 NKJV
12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
    This statement needs to get our attention.  Jesus said “greater things” would be done by His followers.
    It is Jesus’ plan that Christians do what He did.  The gospel will be  spread and people will be saved.  Miracles will continue to happen.  We have just spent several weeks going through the Book of Acts and we saw the supernatural was a normal part of the life of the church.  We can expect that many will come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
    The power of the Holy Spirit will flow through believers and things beyond our belief will happen.  God will do amazing things.
    Jesus told us to ask in His name.  We recognize that He is fully capable of doing what His plan is.  We stand in His name and authority.  God’s power is greater than any other source.  Our faith must continue to grow.  There is no limit as to what God can do.  We pray with trust in God.
    We must take doubt out to the dumpster and get rid of it.  We must get beyond the thought, “I know God can do this, but He probably won’t”.
Ephesians 1:15-23 NKJV
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
    One of Paul’s purposes for writing this letter to the Ephesian Christians is found here.  He longs for every believer to grow in their walk with Jesus.  To grow in faith, love and wisdom in what God has already done.  He wants them to know Jesus more and understand his purpose for them.  All believers need to learn to live a life that is worthy of identifying with Jesus the Leader of their lives.
    Paul wrote to strengthen their faith and spiritual foundation by showing a complete picture of God’s eternal purpose of  salvation in Christ.
    God has called us to LIVE the life that He gives when we make Him our Lord and Savior.  This means living it daily.
LIVE IT!!  Alive - Not Dull
APPLICATION & DISCUSSION
What has God done in our lives, in our fellowship?  Supernaturally?
Let’s talk about the miracles.  Let’s talk about the expectation of the awesomeness of God’s involvement in the challenges of life.  It is too often too easy to think that nothing really happens here.  That is a mentality that God wants us to dump.

PRAYER
What do we need to see that doubt would convince us can’t happen?  We need to pray for those things and ask God to help us increase our faith.

8/31/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Eternal Priorities

    What are the most important things in life?  We probably all heard the story last January of a man visiting in Chicago when his cell phone fell on the ice.  In trying to retrieve it he fell in.  A friend tried to help and she fell in.  A third person fell in.  Two died because someone dropped their cell phone.  In their hindsight, I wonder their response to how important is a cell phone?
    Let me share a story of two brothers.
    Benjamin Kwashi, a Christian leader from Nigeria tells the story of how the gospel came to his part of the country:
    Missionaries came to my home area of Nigeria in 1907. One of them was a man named Reverend Fox. Reverend Fox was a professor at Cambridge University, and when he arrived his walk with Christ was so deep that he led many people to Christ. He founded a church and moved about 10 kilometers away to Amper, my own hometown, and founded the church there too. How a first-class person from the University of Cambridge was communicating to illiterates, I don’t know, but God suddenly gave him favor and people were turning to Jesus Christ. So many people came to Christ that he wrote to his younger brother, who was a physician also in Cambridge, and asked him to come and help him because medical practice was needed. As his brother started the journey from England, Reverend Fox fell ill and died. Soon after his brother arrived, he also fell ill and died.
    The Church Mission Society wrote to their father, who was also a pastor. When they told him he had lost two sons, he and his wife cried, but then they did something astounding. They sold their land and property, took the proceeds to the mission society, and said, “As much as we grieve the death of our two sons, we will only be consoled if the purpose for which they died continues.” They gave that money and walked away.
    Recently I looked through the profile of those two missionaries who came to my hometown. They both had first-class educations and degrees from the best schools. They died as young men—the oldest was only 32. They gave up everything to serve Jesus and bring the gospel to my country. Were they crazy? No, they had heard what Jesus had said, they believed it, and they were willing to stake their whole lives on the truth of Jesus’ words. These men wanted to end their lives well. No matter how long or short their life, it wasn’t going to be wasted, but they would invest it for eternity.
Benjamin Kwashi, “Where Do You Want to Finish Your Life?” PreachingToday.com
    To this family, their priorities were eternal.  When faced with challenges and difficulties, they kept the eternal focus.
    Earlier I asked the question: what are the most important things in life?  Another question that we must think about: what is the absolutely most important choice any person can make in life?  To receive Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord.
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
    With this as the priority, we must be ready to help people know that they, too, can and must come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
1 Peter 3:15 NIV
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
    One more time in this series we want to look at the story of the early church in the Book of Acts.
    The short form of telling the background of this specific story is that Paul had been arrested for preaching the gospel of Jesus.  He had been taken to the beautiful sea-side of Caesarea, along the Mediterranean coast.  He was being brought for trial before Felix, who had the power to release him.
    The thing that stands out to me as I read this is that Paul didn’t go into a defensive mode.  He saw the need of these leaders to know Jesus. That was his goal.  We will read sections of these chapters to see the main points of the story.
Acts 24 NIV
1 Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor.
5 “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect 6 and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.”
10 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. 12 My accusers . . . 13 . . .  cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. 14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.”
23 He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.
24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.
Acts 25
1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”
7 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.
Acts 26:1-32
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,
4 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, . . . 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 . . . I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 . . . I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. . .
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29 Paul replied, “Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
DISCUSSION
What are the main points of this message?
What impact should John 14:6 have on us today?
John 14:6 NIV
6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Look at these verses.  See how they apply to this message.  Feel free to share your thoughts.
Jesus provided the only way out of a life of:
Spiritual Darkness     1 Peter 2:9 NIV
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Lostness       Luke 19:10 NIV
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Slavery To Sin       Romans 6:6 NIV
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
Guilt         Hebrews 10:22 NIV
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Condemnation     Romans 8:1 NIV
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
PRAYER
Lord, you called some believers to vocational ministry.  We see you have called us all to ministry to reach people for you.  Help us be burdened to reach the lost.

8/24/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Spreading the Gospel to a New Continent

    It is easy to see the heroes of the Bible and think they were special people. They were ordinary people who were submissive to God and willing to be used by Him.  God is still using ordinary people who have a heart and desire to see the supernatural happen.  It is through the supernatural power of the Spirit of God that the world will be changed.  More than ever we need the power of God’s Spirit to work in and through us.  The battle is worse and worse.  The enemy wants us to quit and doubt that God can do anything.
    Let me share a few quick testimonies of what God is doing these days.
BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. Gustave Lefrère Tshimbalanga, National Youth Chairman, recently sent in this exciting testimony: “We have continued to pray for Holy Spirit revival in our meetings here in the CAR. And we continue the work of missions by planting new churches. God has answered our prayers, and a new church was established here in the city. And God answered another prayer. Last week we received the leaders of our Central Africa Assemblies of God. This will help to advance God’s kingdom in CAR and will reverse what the enemy wanted to do to end the work of God here. Each time we pray for the requests you send to us in the Intercessory Prayer Call, we see the Holy Spirit work in the lives of believers, especially the youth. We ask you to pray much for God’s work in Central African Republic.  Glory to God!”
UGANDA:  “Thank you for what God is doing through the ministry of Acts in Africa. I am encouraged to read what He is doing through the Acts 1:8 Conferences being conducted throughout Africa.  I have been personally blessed, and students are being filled with the Holy Spirit with miracles following their ministries. The Uganda Assemblies of God is engaged in reaching every village with the gospel through rapid church planting, and we are experiencing God’s faithfulness.” —Pastor Henry Elem
MASERU, LESOTHO:  “The Lesotho Assemblies of God has taken up the call of a Decade of Pentecost to the high level it deserves. Pastors in each of our 80 churches throughout the country are preaching about the Holy Spirit and how Christians can experience this wonderful gift of God. Our theme for the past national Easter Conference was “Preach The Word through the Empowerment of the Holy Spirit.” In the past year, the Lord has filled 253 people with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues according to Acts 2:4.”
Rev. Gift Ntsonyane, General Supt, Lesotho Assemblies of God
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN:  “Greetings in Jesus’ name from Peshawar, Pakistan. I join you in prayer for the Africa AG “Decade of Pentecost.” I pray that God will send revival and the rain of Holy Spirit upon Africa and the Arabic world.”
—Rev. Dr. A. R. Hashmat, Chairman, A/G, Pakistan
Info taken from the Decade of Pentecost newsletters.  Edited
    Awesome things are happening.  I trust the challenge of the last thought will stir you -- prayer for the Arab world.  Please, never write off anyone as a person Jesus can save.
    The last time I spoke we looked at the launch of missions.  Today we want to look at part of Paul’s second missionary journey.  It is the time of the church launching to Europe.  This Holy Spirit-guided step is a critical part of church history, literally impacting the rest of human history.  Look at map on powerpoint slide.
Read passage from my Bible and talk about it.
Acts 16:6-40
    We will see:
□    Paul and Silas’s call of the Holy Spirit to Europe.
□    The first convert in Europe, a woman named Lydia
□    The power of God to set a demon-possessed slave free
□    The persecution of Paul and Silas
□    God’s supernatural impact continued as people were saved and Paul and Silas were delivered.
Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
James 1:2-4 NKJV
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Romans 8:35-39 NKJV
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
DISCUSSION
What are the main thoughts that have jumped out to you today?
What are specific applications you can make that will impact western Wisconsin now?
What do we have to do to see the impact happen?
A question for you to ask yourself, not particularly for discussion:  “Do I really want to see the supernatural changes that God can make in our area?”  (Let’s take a moment to think about this.)
PRAYER
Lord, we pray for You to supernaturally touch lives in our area and let us see your power change people.

8/10/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

The call of Missions

Why would churches spend hundreds of millions of dollars to send thousands of well-qualified people all over the world?  Many of these places are dangerous and thousands of these sent people have given their lives.  Why such an emphasis on what we call missions?
    What did Jesus have to say about this?  One day Jesus went to eat lunch with Zacchaeus, a well known reprobate.  When He was criticized for consorting with a “sinner”, Jesus replied:
Luke 19:10 NKJV
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
    This thought of being spiritually lost is at the heart of missions.  It must stir us and challenge us.
❏    What does it mean?
❏    What are the implications of a person being lost spiritually?
❏    How long does lost last?
❏    Is there an end to being lost?
❏    What impact should lost people have on believers?
    Jesus is the way to life and peace.  Jesus gives us eternal life.    He commanded and commissioned:
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
    Luke recorded:
Luke 24:46-48 NKJV
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.”
    What has missions accomplished?  Is the world any better off because of missions?  Let me share a missions update.
Tanzania Assemblies of God Celebrates 75th Anniversary
    One of the fastest growing national churches in the world, the Tanzania Assemblies of God, has planted more than 4,000 new churches in the last five years.  The church celebrated its 75th anniversary from the time the first Assemblies of God missionaries brought the gospel to Tanzania.
    In 1939, AG missionaries Paul and Evelyn Derr went and a few small churches were birthed.  Fourteen years later, the vision and passion of three African believers would result in the formation of what is now the Tanzania Assemblies of God.
    Driven by a sense of urgency, three men walked 160 miles to a missionary outpost to request that a missionary come to them.
    The missionaries sent a telegram to the Missions Department of the Assemblies of God. Wesley and June Hurst had already raised their funds and packed to journey as new missionaries to South Africa. After receiving the telegram, H. B. Garlock, regional director for Africa, called the Hursts and asked them if they would be willing to go to Tanzania instead. After praying, they felt God confirmed to them that this was His will. They arrived in 1953 and founded what became the Tanzania Assemblies of God.
       To lay a strong foundation for the churches, the Hursts opened a Bible school.  Soon they were joined by other missionaries.  The national church now celebrates 6,200 churches, 32 church planting schools and seven Bible colleges.
Information taken from article written by Kristel Ortiz, AGWM website
    I wonder if those three men who walked 160 miles to ask for missionaries had any idea of how it would grow.  A thought to ponder: Never limit God.
    We have been looking at the book of Acts.  We are going to look at a few verses that show us the launch of missions by the church.
Acts 13:1-3 NKJV
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
    Paul and Barnabas were called by God into missionary service.  The believers commissioned them to go.  In the gathering we read about, God confirmed what He had been working in their hearts.  Paul and Barnabas knew that God wanted them to travel and win people to Jesus.
    God called Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel.  Their message was God’s good news of forgiveness and new life through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  They would lead people to a personal relationship with Christ.  The missions purpose was to bring people to Jesus as Savior and Lord so they would be rescued and freed from Satan’s power.
    As people were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, churches were planted.  They taught people to grow in the Lord and local leaders were trained and commissioned.
    God is still calling missionaries today.  The task is far from being completed.  As we think of missions, we must start at home and think around the world.  Wisconsin is as big of a missions field as Africa and Asia.
    The primary purpose of missions, wherever it is, must always be to bring people to Jesus.  He is the only One who can rescue them from the consequences of sin and from Satan’s power.
    As people are won to the Lord, they must be taught the Bible and helped to mature as new believers.  This is why we spent two months of our Wednesday Bible study showing you how you can help new believers.
    Verse 3.  The church sent them off.  We see the beginning of the Christian missionary movement.  The Bible says missions starts -- in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8).
    Sending missionaries.  We are blessed to be part of a fellowship that gives a high priority to sending people to every conceivable place and need.  This is the heart of God.  We are blessed because of having a heart to help people reach lost people around the world.
    Let’s look back again at Luke 24, one phrase.
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations
    Repentance:  repent - verb
1.  feel or express sincere regret or remorse.
2.  feel regret or remorse about.
    The thought that comes to me with repent is that I’m sorry I did it and I don’t plan to do it again.  Turn around and go the other way.
    Repentance must be proclaimed to the world, because the world is guilty of sin.
    Remission: the cancellation of a debt, forgiveness of sins.
    Sin must be forgiven, the debt of sin paid.  Jesus did it.
An old chorus: Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.
    Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
Anyone who has not had their sin washed in the blood of Jesus, who has not received the gift of eternal life from Jesus, is lost in their sin.  This is a powerful motivation for missions.
    Ask yourself: am I really listening to God’s call regarding my involvement in missions?
DISCUSSION
What questions do YOU have about missions?
Is this statement true?  Through our involvement in missions, we are changing eternity.  It is?  Then what impact should that have on us?
Prayer: what missions involvement is God calling YOU to?

8/3/14 Breakthrough Prayer

    Jesus said “My house shall be called a house of prayer”.  He expected His people to be people of prayer.
    James wrote in his book:
James 5:16 (B) NKJV
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
AMP
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
MSG
The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
NLT
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
    Prayer is a powerful weapon God has given to His church.  Prayer accomplishes many things.  God expects his people to pray.
    Let me tell you two stories about prayer.  Several years ago, one night, I got extremely sick.  By the next morning I couldn’t take it any more and went to the hospital.  I was barely able to walk in, I looked horrible.  Early the next morning they determined I must have surgery and I went in as they discovered that I was poisoning myself with a major blockage.  They repaired it and the doctor said I would go home in a few days.
    Well, my inside system shut down and I was extremely sick.  I couldn’t even keep jell-O down.  Nothing they did worked.  On day nine of this saga, my brother, Roger, called me.  He asked how I was doing.  I told him how bad it was.  He prayed for me over the phone.  As he prayed I felt something lift out of my body.  The next morning I ate some kind of mushy cereal.  A few hours later I ate some ice cream.  Then the doctor came in and I told him about eating.  He said he was waiting for that to happen and I could go home.
    Fast forward to two years ago.  I got the call that Roger had a heart attack.  He was in the hospital and they did surgery to repair the blockage.  He laid there unresponsive.  We watched him for thirteen days, and then watched him die.  During this time there were literally thousands of people praying.  We had powerful times of the presence of the Lord in his hospital room.  Yet, he died.
    Why the two different results?  God knows.  Hold on to this thought as we look at the book of Acts again.
Acts 12:1-4 NKJV
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
    James was the first of the Apostles to be martyred.  Herod was an evil leader who was only playing political games.  When he saw he got political brownie points for James’ death, he put Peter next on the list and had him arrested.  If you are not familiar with the story, you are going to see that the outcomes were completely different.
    What was the response of the church?
Acts 12:5 NKJV
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
    The early church faced much opposition.  They responded with earnest and intense prayer.  Their situation looked impossible.  James had been killed.  Herod took Peter in custody and guarded him with  sixteen soldiers.  The church lived with the absolute assurance that “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”.  What did the church do?  They prayed.
    Let’s look at the story of what happened.  It is found in Acts 12:6-17.
    What do we learn from this?  We don’t always know the outcome.  We have to trust God to do what He knows best.  However, this is not an excuse to not do anything.  This is not an excuse to not pray and pray intensely.  The early church set the pace and this example is what has worked down through the centuries.
    This story is one illustration of what the church did.  They were serious about intense corporate prayer.  Remember, Jesus said His house would be a house of prayer.
    God’s powerful presence and prayer to together.  Prayer meetings are where the battle is fought.  Without prayer, preaching, teaching, singing or spiritual activities will never bring the true power and presence of God.
    Because we are in a spiritual battle, we must fight with spiritual weapons. The conflict is intense and the enemy is powerful.  God is more powerful.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
    This describes the battle.  It is against evil forces that influence the world around us.  The battle we fight is not political.
    What are we to do?
Ephesians 6:13 NKJV
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
    Take up God’s armor and use it.
Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, God’s Word.
    Ending with:
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
    Pray in the Spirit.  Persevere with the saints and be a powerful force of prayer.
    I would guess that the majority of believers say their prayer life needs improvement.
Questions:
Why is it so hard to pray?
What can we do about the level of our prayer lives?
What is it going to take to make the necessary changes in our prayer lives?
    I don’t know if we can really answer this question with words, but -- do you really see the power of prayer and the necessity of growing in our prayer lives?  Do you really hunger to have a powerful corporate prayer life together?  Do you think God wants to fill us with His power and presence as we get serious about prayer?

Communion - a time of searching our hearts and remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Prayer

7/27/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God wants to save him???????  Her???????

God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
    Last week we looked at the fact that God wants to use all believers.  Today we look at the fact that God wants all to come to Him to receive salvation.
Some historical foundation.  A quick review of thousands of years of history.
    God spoke to a man named Abram.
Genesis 12:1-4 NIV
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
    This began an amazing journey that is still impacting the world today.  Abram and Sarai were old, too old to have children. Their descendants today are too numerous to count.  God promised to be with them and their descendants.  God promised a Redeemer, a Messiah to restore what was lost when Adam and Eve sinned.  The prophet Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

    Abraham’s descendants had their spiritual ups and downs.  But, they looked forward to the time when the Messiah would come.  Finally, that day arrived.
Luke 2:6-7 NKJV
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
    There was a heavenly celebration.
Luke 2:13-14 NKJV
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
    Jesus went to the cross and rose from the grave.  He ascended to heaven and the church was born.  Many miraculous signs were happening and thousands were believing.  There was persecution against the believers by those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.  Yet, the church moved on.
    ***One very interesting fact: the church was made up totally of Jews, the descendants of Abraham.  Jesus was Jewish and the Jews were looking for the promised Messiah.  Many believed in Jesus.  They didn’t realize that something was missing.  That something was the rest of the people in the world, known as the Gentiles.
    ***Continuing to look at the Book of Acts --
Enter: Peter and a man named Cornelius.
    Peter was visiting a friend in Joppa.  It was lunch time and God gave Peter a vision.  It included many animals the Jews were not allowed to eat.
Acts 10:13-16 NKJV
13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
    Cornelius had been seeking God, to know the true God.  God gave him a vision to send to Joppa to find Peter.  He did this.  Peter responded to the invitation and went to his house.  He began to preach to them.
Acts 10:34-43 NKJV
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all-- 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
The response of the hearers: they believed the message and believed on Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Acts 10:44-48 NKJV
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
    After this adventure to the home of a Gentile, Peter was in trouble with the folks at the home church in Jerusalem for going to the home of a Gentile.  But, when he told them the Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Spirit just as they had been, they accepted the fact that Jesus could save Gentiles as well.
    Question:  What’s the point of what I have talked about so far?  There are many ways we could go.  I want to focus on two things.
1.  God loves the whole world and Jesus died on the cross for everyone.
    The early church had a steep learning curve to recognize that Jesus really did die for the whole human race.  They had to grasp the concept that “whosoever” calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  There was no elitism that put them above the rest of the nations.
    So, we see the concept of missions.  That is both home and foreign missions.  Efforts must be made locally, regionally and internationally.  We must see people in the same way Jesus sees them. Without salvation, they are lost.  This includes the “strange” people you see regularly.  There is one way to heaven, His name is Jesus.
    There is no one we see that can’t be saved. The foundational need for anyone is to be saved.  That decision will put them on the right track to turn their life around.  Yes, Jesus died for EVERYONE and our heart must be focused on that.  We must be involved in activities that will help lead people to Jesus.
Jesus said:
Acts 1:8 NKJV
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
    This verse ties these two thoughts together.  We are to reach out to all people.  And, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to do God’s work.
2.  The baptism in the Holy Spirit is for all believers.
    What happened at Cornelius’s house?  They were saved.  How did Peter verify that to the skeptical church in Jerusalem?  The Gentiles received the baptism in the Holy Spirit the same way they had.  They had the sign, the evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance.
    The power in the early church was the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers.  The battle was hard and nasty back then.  There was persecution.  There were many unbelievers.  Yet, the church grew and overcame the forces of evil.  The power of the Holy Spirit gave them what they needed to do God’s work.
From the writings of one of our AG missionaries, Denny Miller:
In the Purpose of His Ministry
    The Bible says that one of the purposes of Jesus’ coming was “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). Even the demons understood that He had come to destroy them: “Just then 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?’” (Mark 1:23-24).
In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus revealed His agenda for ministry. He would focus on six things:
1.  Anointing:  He would minister under the anointing of the Spirit. (“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me...”)
2.  Preaching:  He would preach the gospel. (“...to preach good news to the poor.”)
3.  Setting the prisoners free:  He would liberate those bound by sin and the devil. (“He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners...”)
4. Healing:  He would heal the sick. (“...and recovery of sight for the blind...”)
5.  Releasing the oppressed:  He would liberate those in bondage—spiritually, physically, emotionally, religiously, and socially. (“...to release the oppressed...”)
6.  Proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God: He would announce that the time had arrived for the coming of God’s kingdom. (“...to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”)
Power Encounter, Denzil R. Miller, pp 19-20
    Jesus came to give salvation to the world.  He gave the power of the Holy Spirit to the church to equip us for God’s work.  How can we apply this today?
Two statements we looked at.  Think: What do they say to you?  What difference should they make in our lives?
1.  God loves the whole world and Jesus died on the cross for everyone.
2.  The baptism in the Holy Spirit is for all believers.
    Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  What specific works of evil do you see that need to be destroyed in our area?
1 John 3:8 NKJV
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
PRAYER. Lord, we know that it is through your power that the victory will come.

7/20/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Jesus used HIM?????????  HER?????????

    “The most unlikely candidate.”  That is a theme we see often in the Bible.  The weak, the unknown, the rejected -- used by God.
Matthew 4:18-22 NKJV
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Matthew 9:9 NKJV
9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
    Jesus called twelve men to be his Disciples.  They spent three years traveling with Jesus, learning at His feet and became the foundation for leading the early church. They had a very intense spiritual education in the foundational teachings of the church.
Two of the Disciples
    Matthew was a tax collector for the Roman government.  They were hated people who were generally dishonest.  They manipulated people and abused their position to get rich.
    Simon, the Zealot.  What do we know about zealots?  The Zealots were fanatical Jewish nationalists.  They hated the Romans and the Roman government.  The historian, Josephus, said the Zealots were reckless persons zealous in good practices and extravagant and reckless in the worst actions.
    So, Jesus must have goofed.  Among the twelve apostles He picked two sworn enemies.  Matthew was collecting taxes for Rome. Simon was committed to destroy the Roman government.  No, Jesus didn’t goof up.  He brought the twelve together and taught them.   They became new as they served God.  They were changed and unified in Jesus.  Jesus saw their potential.
    What is all this saying?  Jesus took ordinary people and used them in supernatural ways.  He is still doing that today.
    Let’s continue looking at the Book of Acts.  God used the most unlikely candidate anyone could pick. He used a man the Christians were afraid of.
Acts 9:1-18 NKJV
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Tell story.
    God uses ordinary people.  God uses the most unlikely candidates.  I would guess that there was not one believer in Acts 8 who ever said, “Saul is going to become one of the most dynamic leaders and missionaries the church will every know”.  Yet, God used him and we quote his writings all the time.  He wrote most of the epistles in the New Testament.
Read story from Remembering Nigeria, by E.V. Phillips, P. 63
DISCUSSION
What do you think it is going to take for God to get the attention of Christians so they will really believe that God wants to use them?
Admit it, we put up obstacles.  If the obstacles that we put up were not there (money, training, time, etc.), what do you desire to be able to do for God?
Did God give you those dreams?  Seek HIM to find out His leading.
Yes?  He gave you those dreams?  Step out and follow His leading.
PRAYER.  Lord, show me your dreams.

7/13/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God’s Victory When All Looks Bad

    When the outlook is bad, when the enemy is strong, when there seems to be no hope, what should Christians do?  Give up?
Chinese Church Growth Based on Prayer
    In 1949, George Roy and Elizabeth Wood, an American missionary couple serving in northwest China and Tibet, were forced to leave the area. A local leader named Pastor Mung took over the church of 200 people. The Woods returned to America and by 1985 both of them had passed away without ever knowing what had happened to the church they started.
    In 1988 the Wood’s son, George, returned to China and met with Pastor Mung and his wife, who were now in their 80’s. For 28 years the Communist government had done their best to extinguish the church. Pastor Mung wasn’t allowed to preach and he spent nine of those years in prison for his faith. It was illegal to baptize or “indoctrinate” anyone under 18. When the government finally allowed Pastor Mung to reopen the church in 1983 there were only 30 (mostly older) people in attendance.
    Assuming that the church was on its last leg, George Wood asked, “Pastor Mung, how many believers do you have today?” Pastor Mung’s wife brought them a cardboard roll held together by yarn. The first page was filled with writing—five columns: name, age, gender, address, occupation. There were around 20 names. George Wood continued turning over page after page with the names of the baptized. Finally he asked the Mungs, “How many believers do you have now?” He said, “One thousand five hundred baptized believers.” In disbelief George Wood asked, “How did this happen?”
    Pastor Mung smiled as he shared his secret for church growth. It wasn’t a technique or a program. He simply said, “Oh! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we pray a lot!” Then he went on to describe what the Lord had done.
    Pastor Mung died in 2006 at the age of 96. But when he passed, the number of baptized believers stood at over 15,000!
Adapted from Dr. George Wood, The Assemblies of God Minister's Newsletter (January 2012)
    This is impossible.  This can’t happen.  It doesn’t make sense that in a communist nation one church could grow to 15,000.  It is impossible, except for God.
    Last week we looked at a man of the Spirit named Stephen.  He became the first Christian martyr.  One of the witnessed cheering on Stephen’s death was a young man named Saul.  Let’s pick up the story.
Acts 8:1-3 NIV
1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
NKJV  3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
    Here we see the beginning of a great persecution of believers in Jesus. Saul appears to be the leader of this widespread and severe persecution. It was intense and many were put in prison and beaten. This resulted in the deaths of many.
    God does amazing things.  He used the persecution to launch the missionary outreach to the world. This persecution was the beginning of the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers became bold for the Lord.
Acts 8:4 NKJV
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
    What happened?  This dispersion of believers caused the message to be spread all over.  So, the message of salvation through Jesus went all over the known world. Acts 8:5-8 NKJV
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
    This city was turned upside down.  The city was impacted and many changes happened.  It was through the power of the Holy Spirit anointing and empowering that Philip was able to preach.  God will use submissive and willing believers.  Many believed and were baptized.  They made a public confession of their faith in Jesus.  God gave them a spiritual breakthrough.
Acts 8:14-17 NKJV
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
    These believers received the power of, the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit is one of the keys to spiritual power and victory.  We must seek to receive and remain full of the Holy Spirit.
    The battle is strong.  The battle is mean.  Satan is the accuser and intimidator.  We must rest in God’s power and stand up against evil.  God gives us His victory when it all looks bad.
Satan’s Four Fiery Darts
    In his book By Grace Alone, Sinclair Ferguson identifies four major “fiery darts” Satan uses to unsettle believers and rob them of their assurance and peace in the gospel:
    Fiery Dart 1: “God is against you,” Satan says. “He is not really for you. How can you believe he is for you when you see the things that are happening in your life?”
    Fiery Dart 2: “I have accusations I will bring against you because of your sins,” Satan argues. “What can you say in defense? Nothing.”
    Fiery Dart 3: “You can say you are forgiven, but there is a payback day coming—a condemnation day,” Satan insinuates. “How will you defend yourself then?”
    Fiery Dart 4: “Given your track record, what hope is there that you will persevere to the end?” Satan asks.
Sinclair Ferguson, By Grace Alone (Reformation Trust, 2010), p. 68
    Persecution started early in the history of the church.  It is still strong around the world.  We are seeing it more and more in our country.  There are many who hate Jesus and all He stands for.  Therefore, they hate those who follow Jesus.
Discussion
What did the early church do when they were persecuted and scattered to many places?
How did Philip have such powerful results when he went to Samaria?
The church in this chapter didn’t have any gimmicks or fancy programs to attract people.  They were living in “The strong sense of the power and presence of God.”  This is what we see in these stories.  How does the church achieve that?
    The strong sense of the power and presence of God is what we need, it is what New Richmond and Western Wisconsin desperately need.
PRAYER
Lord, fill me with your Spirit.

7/6/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Stephen - Full of Faith and Power

    Power is an amazing thing.  With the right kind of power we can accomplish many things.  What if you had to cut a large log?  How would it go with a very small hand saw?  What if you had a large chain saw?  The power makes the difference.
    People can do amazing things when adrenalin kicks in.  Just recently in the twin cities a man stopped to help at a burning vehicle.  The driver was trapped.  The stranger who stopped literally bent the door frame with his hands and pulled the man out.
    I have experienced a unique form of power.  Modern airports are huge, and my flight usually is on an end gate.  But, many airports have moving sidewalks that get you to your destination quickly with much less effort.  It is power to make you walk much faster.
    We are familiar with many forms of power in the physical world.  There is also spiritual power.  The Bible tells us there are two kingdoms that wage war against each other.  When we get drawn into the spiritual battles, we must use God’s power to win.  We can’t do it on our own.  The Bible tells us that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood and but against principalities and powers.
Power Encounter in Ghana
    A Christian from Ghana, West Africa, was studying at the School of World Missions at Fuller Theological Seminary. During a trip home, he attempted to share the gospel with several people who lived in his community. Although they listened respectfully, no one turned to Jesus Christ. He later learned that they were intimidated by a witch doctor who lived nearby. The witch doctor kept a symbol of his authority hanging outside his home: a lattice basket, filled with water, that never leaked.
    This believer decided to pray that God would empty the basket.
    He stayed outside the home of the witch doctor and prayed all night that God would demonstrate his power. At some point he fell asleep. The next morning he was awakened by a commotion. The basket was empty. That town saw a mass revival as people learned about the God who caused the water to come out of the basket. There had been a power encounter—and God had won.
Brenda Salter McNeil, "Behold, the Global Church," Christianity Today (November 2006), p. 45
    God has the power and He wins the power encounters.  HE is greater than the forces of evil.
    The Bible tells us that God will empower those who believe in Him.  Christians can and must walk in God’s power.
    Last week we looked at the selection of believers to serve the needs of the widows in the church.
Acts 6 Amplified
3 Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty.
5 And the suggestion pleased the whole assembly, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith (a strong and welcome belief that Jesus is the Messiah) and full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte (convert) from Antioch.
    What was happening in and through the church at this time?  Amazing and powerful things were happening and there were many who were getting saved.
7 And the message of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; and [besides] a large number of the priests were obedient to the faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom is obtained eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].
    The things we long to see were happening.  Many were coming to Jesus.  They were making a powerful impact on the city and the surrounding area.
8 Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing and favor) and power (strength and ability) worked great wonders and signs (miracles) among the people. 9 However, some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), as it was called, and [of the synagogues] of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians and of those from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, arose [and undertook] to debate and dispute with Stephen. 10 But they were not able to resist the intelligence and the wisdom and [the inspiration of] the Spirit with which and by Whom he spoke.
    There is a strong spiritual battle. And, the enemy fights dirty.  We see it here in this passage.  We see the mean and nasty spiritual battles in our world today as well.  Satan is a liar and deceiver.
11 So they [secretly] instigated and instructed men to say, We have heard this man speak, using slanderous and abusive and blasphemous language against Moses and God. 12 [Thus] they incited the people as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came upon Stephen and arrested him and took him before the council (Sanhedrin). 13 And they brought forward false witnesses who asserted, This man never stops making statements against this sacred place and the Law [of Moses]; 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down and destroy this place, and will alter the institutions and usages which Moses transmitted to us.
    The Bible says Satan is the father of lies.  If he has to, he will simply make something up and convince people it is the truth.
15 Then all who sat in the council (Sanhedrin), as they gazed intently at Stephen, saw that his face had the appearance of the face of an angel.
    The power and presence of God in a person changes them.  The circumstances can’t destroy what God has done in a person.  When they looked at Stephen they saw that he was different.
    Accusations were brought against Stephen.  When given an opportunity to defend himself, he didn’t plead for his life. Instead, he showed them that God’s plan pointed forward to Jesus.  He proclaimed God to them through their history as a nation.
    This godly man became the first Christian martyr.  He saw Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand to welcome him.
    Let’s look at the application of this story and biblical principles to our lives today.
**What spiritual battles does the church face today?
**What made Stephen stand out from the body of believers?
**Can God use YOU as He did Stephen?
**Apply what we saw in Stephen to each one of us today in the battles we face.  We know in theory that God wants to use us all.  What do we have to do so that God will use us?
    The Battle and the Weapons
Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

6/29/14   YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Involvement - The Work Won’t Get Done Without Workers

    As believers, we all have a job to do.  God’s design for the church includes getting everyone involved.  We don’t have anyone who has mastered everything that needs to be done.  God’s work is as team effort.  It was never God’s plan that “professionals” would do all the work.  Church was never designed to be a spectator sport.  God’s design is for involvement.  Involvement doesn’t seek position, but work to do for the Lord.
    Here’s an interesting story on the benefits of being involved.
Research Study Uncovers the “Ikea Effect”
    A team of researchers from three universities have identified a phenomenon they call “The Ikea Effect”. The name derives from Ikea, the successful company whose products usually arrive with some assembly required. In a series of experiments, the researchers had participants assemble Ikea products, fold origami projects, and build sets of Legos. The study concluded, “[Participants experienced] the increase in valuation of self-made products …. [They] saw their amateurish creations … as similar in value to the creations of experts.” In other words, the researchers found that when we get personally involved in a project, we have a greater affection for the end product—even when we know it isn’t perfect.
    One of the researchers for the study described the Ikea Effect this way: “Imagine that you built a table. Maybe it came out a little crooked. Probably your [spouse] or your neighbor would see it for what it is—a shoddy piece of workmanship. But to you that table might seem really great, because you’re the one who created it. It’s the fruit of your labor. And that is really the idea behind the Ikea Effect.”
Matt Woodley, PreachingToday.com; sources: Michael Norton, Daniel Mochon, Dan Ariely, "The Ikea Effect," Social Science Research Network (3-4-13); Shankar Vedantam, "Why You Love That Ikea Table, Even If It's Crooked, NPR (2-6-13)
    Involvement.  I built that.  I worked on that.  There is a proper place for pride of accomplishment.  Involvement leads to ownership.  Ownership is important for more involvement and accomplishment.  It’s more fun to be involved and not just a spectator.
Acts 6:1-7 NIV
1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
What do we see here?  Some key points.
A Community of Fellowship of the Believers
    God made people with a need for fellowship.  We need to belong and have friends.  From the beginning, the church has put emphasis on community, on fellowship.  They cared about each other, they did what they could to take care of needs.  This is how they functioned. This is how the church must continue to function.
The Attacks Against Unity
    Because unity is so necessary, there have been and will continue to be attacks by the enemy.  When the church is fussing with the church, the work of the ministry doesn’t get done.  The amount of time that has been wasted over totally worthless issues is unable to be counted.  “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord” must not only be our theme, but our continued reality.
The Preservation of Unity
    Keeping an eternal focus and staying deeply in love with Jesus are keys to keeping unity.  Here’s a good verse to maintain unity.
Colossians 3:23 NIV
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
    Work for God.  Don’t care about getting credit.  Let God work out the details of rewards.  We are here to change eternity, not get a pat on the back.
Involvement of Godly People
    God’s people got involved in the practical aspects of the work of the local church.  The disciples understood something that the church has struggled with for 2,000 years.  Yes, God has called people to vocational ministry.  But, no, they are not expected to do all the work.  God’s design is that everyone gets involved.
    Let’s look again at these verses.
2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
    The disciples understood their responsibility to teach and give spiritual leadership.  Believers must learn what the Bible says and the spiritual battle must be fought.  Consistent and solid Bible teaching is critical if we are going to live a righteous life.  Spiritual compromise must always be rejected.
    The church selected a group of people to serve.
    The church selected people to serve tables.  They were selected to serve.  Yes, I am repeating myself, this is a position of service. They were selected to work and oversee an important ministry.  They did not obtain a position of power.  They were to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.
    Instead of only focusing on the administrative skills of these servers (note that it was not a political position they sought) they focused on their spiritual maturity.  Full of the Spirit!!  They must be empowered by the Holy Spirit.  These men selected had to give evidence of faithfully living under the Spirit’s influence.  They had Godly character and were faithful.
    These servers that were selected also had to have spiritual maturity.  They needed wisdom.  While Luke doesn’t specifically use the term deacon here, but the root word is the same.  Those who serve in the role of deacon carry a real responsibility before God.  They can’t be spiritual novices.  It was expected that they were people who lived for Jesus daily, not just when they church gathered.  They needed to live a continuing experience in the Lord.
Galatians 5:16-17 NIV
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
God expects His servant-leaders to live an overcoming life.
Romans 8:13-14 NIV
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
    So much stuff looks like so much fun.  Many activities are not all necessarily sin.  But, they don’t all bring benefit.  Some things become controlling in our lives.  We must kill off the sinful nature so that we can live in the Spirit.
    The disciples, the spiritual leaders, said they would be devoted to prayer and to teaching the Word of God.  God has called the local church leaders to devote themselves to prayer and to the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word.  They must give a continuous, focused and faithful commitment to getting God’s Word to people.  Prayer and the proclaiming of the Bible are the highest priorities of Christian leaders.
Former Hell’s Angel Member Joins Knitting Ministry
    I walked out of my office one morning, and a guy I had never met was just getting off the elevator. He was about six foot four, at least 250 pounds, and he wore cut-off jeans and a sweatshirt.  …. We talked down the hall together, and he told me he was going to his first ministry meeting, and he was really nervous.
    [I asked], “Nervous? How come you’re nervous?”
    “Pastor Miles, you always encourage us to do something, so I figured I got to do something. I want to serve the Lord.”
    Since our church has over a hundred outreach ministries, I asked him, “What’s the ministry you’re joining?”
    “The knitting ministry,” he said.
    He added, “Well, actually, I don’t knit, I crochet.”
    Here’s this huge guy who looks like he could be an NFL tackle, and he’s nervous about joining a ministry that makes blankets and hats for hospitalized children.
    Curious, I asked him where he learned how to crochet.
    “I was in the Hell’s Angels for 12 years,” he told me. “I learned to crochet in prison. I know it’s the one thing I can do for the Lord.”
    Just then the lady who heads up the knitting ministry walked toward us, said a quick hi to me, then asked the former Hell’s Angels, “Are you Jim?” She gave him a big grin and took his hand. I watched them go down the hall together. It may not seem like a unique ability to crochet, but when you package that with his life, the ripple effect can push countless others out of their comfort zone to step up and stand out the way God designed them to. Imagine if Jim was worrying about what others would think about him crocheting for Jesus!
Miles McPherson, God in the Mirror (Baker Books, 2013), pp. 51-51
    God never told us to pray for everything to go well or for us to have an easy life.  He did tell us to pray for workers.
Matthew 9:36-38 NIV
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
    God is calling for people to be involved.  This means we seek His direction regarding the areas where He has given us gifts and talents.  Then we are to develop them and use them for GOD.
DISCUSSION
What are the main points of this message?
How can you personally apply this message?  It is a challenge for all of us to be involved.
What equipping do you see needs to be done so we can all serve the way God wants us to serve?
PRAYER
Prayer for equipping.
Prayer for involvement.

6/22/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Acts 5 -- Whose Way?  How are you going to live life?

    A very famous song recorded by one who sold more than 150 million records.   Frank Sinatra – My Way
    And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I’ll say it clear,
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.
    I’ve lived a life that’s full.
I’ve traveled each and ev’ry highway;
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
    Regrets, I’ve had a few;
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
    I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
    Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way.
    I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried.
I’ve had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.
    To think I did all that;
And may I say - not in a shy way,
“No, oh no not me,
I did it my way”.
    For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows -
And did it my way!
Songwriters: JACQUES REVAUX, CLAUDE FRANCOIS, GILLES THIBAUT, PAUL ANKA
My Way lyrics © CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP, S U I S A, COOPERATIVE SOC. OF MUSIC AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS, EMI Music Publishing
    This is a theme of a man who was arrogant and demanding that things go his way.  This message says “I am the standard for life”.  Get out of my way and let me live my life.
    This is the theme of people everywhere.  It is a popular theme of our modern culture.  I’m going to do what I want to do.
□    You can’t tell ME what to do.
□    I need my freedom.
□    That’s just the way I am.
□    God wants me to be happy, doesn’t He?
□    Since God is love He accepts me just the way I am, so leave me alone.
□    I don’t want any restrictions.
    This hunger to do anything we want is infiltrating churches across our nation.  Many things that the Bible calls sin are now accepted and promoted.  People have forgotten that God pays attention to what they do and holds them accountable.  It seems that the word “judgement” has been deleted from the dictionary.  Acts 5 gives us an amazing story of an attempt to deceive God and steal glory.
    At the end of Acts 4 we see a spirit of generosity and giving that came over the church.  They were giving many gifts to help out.  There was a couple who wanted to get in on the giving, but they weren’t really sold out to the sacrifice.  They thought they could get away with lying and deceit.
Acts 5:1-11 NIV
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
    What can we learn from this story?
    They schemed to lie and deceive, thinking they would get away with it.  The Bible says they lied to the Holy Spirit. Their desire was to gain honor and recognition (can you say pride?).  Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church about their giving trying to make themselves look very generous.
    Note: they did not have to give.  This was an offering the church was receiving.  God took note of their deception and  considered their lie a serious offense against the Holy Spirit.  This shows us a very important truth: sin is always against God.
    The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira show us God’s attitude toward pride and deceit among believers.  They forgot
Proverbs 16:18 NIV  Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
    This couple was guilty of conspiracy.  And they thought they could get away with it.  The basic cause of their sin against God was their love for money and the desire to receive praise.  When these prideful things take over -- the love of money and praise -- people become open to all kinds of evil influences.
I Timothy 6:10 NIV
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Matthew 6:24 NIV
24 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
    In verses 5 and 10 we see God’s judgement.  It happened right there and then.  Ananias fell over and died. God did this to show His deep hatred of sin, of deceit and dishonesty.  This has no place in His kingdom.  God despises self-promotion and a claim of deep spirituality that is not there.  This sin shows an absence of the holy fear and awe of the Lord that believers must have.  It brings dishonor to God.  As a result, these offenses bring God’s judgment.
    God has always judged sin.  Look at these biblical examples from the very beginning.
Genesis 3:23 NIV
23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
Genesis 4:13, 16 NIV
13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear.”
16 So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Jonah 3:4 NIV
4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”
    The story of Ananias and Sapphira must be told to our modern world, and especially the church world.  It should be combined with the story of Jonah.  Jonah was judged for his disobedience.  God got his attention and he went to Nineveh to give them God’s message.  It was a message of judgement.
    Our modern world needs to respond like Nineveh did.
Jonah 3:5 NIV
5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
    There was a call for repentance.
Jonah 3:8-9 NIV
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.
    This message desperately needs to be heard today.  The response of repentance desperately is needed.
    Back to Acts 5.  The response of the church, verse 11.
Acts 5:11 NIV
11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
    Great Fear!!  I would think this would be an obvious result of two deaths.  It is interesting to note that church growth continued.  Note that this was God’s judgment on sin.  His immediate judgement on the sin of Ananias and Sapphira caused a response of fear among the believers.  They were reminded of their accountability to God.  They were struck with a holy awe and reverence to God.  People need a proper fear of God and His anger against sin.  They must never forget His judgment of sin.
    When believers do forget about God’s judgement and anger against sin, they quickly tend to conform to the ungodly ways of the world.  Then they cease to experience the power and blessings of the Holy Spirit and God’s supernatural presence.  The fear of the Lord is a necessary component of faith.
    We have looked at two different approaches.  Living life:
My Way
God’s Way
    Everyone in the world must make a choice.
    I came across an old story, I can’t verify the source.  It has a good point.
    In the American frontier days, there was a settlement in the West whose citizens were engaged in the lumber business. The town felt they wanted a church. They built a building and called a minister. The preacher moved into the settlement and initially was well received. Then one afternoon he happened to see some of his parishioners dragging some logs, which had been floated down the river from another village upstream, onto the bank. Each log was marked with the owner’s stamp on one end. To his great distress, the minister saw his members pulling in the logs and sawing off the end where the telltale stamp appeared.
    The following Sunday he preached a strong sermon on the commandment “Thou shall not steal”.  At the close of the service, his people lined up and offered enthusiastic congratulations: “Wonderful message, Pastor.” “Mighty fine preaching.” “Keep up the good work.”
    It wasn’t the response he expected, so he went home to prepare his sermon for the following Sunday. He preached on the same text, the same commandment, but gave it a different ending. He said, “Yes, thou shall not steal, but thou shall also not cut off the end of thy neighbor’s logs.” When he got through, the congregation ran him out of town.
Haddon Robinson, “Grace and Truth in Application,” PreachingToday.com
Do we HAVE to do things God’s way?  Can’t we do what we want?

    The Law of the Stop Sign.  This law was written by people to control traffic.  It says the traffic safety requires drivers to stop at the intersection.  Those in authority declare that to run the sign will cost you a specific amount of money.  If the traffic changes, they can take the sign down.  The authorities control the law of the stop sign.
    The Law of Fire.  The law of fire says if you put your hand in the fire, you’ll get burned.  What if legislatures and dictators all around the world voted and declared that fire would no longer burn. What would happen?
    People would quickly discover that the law of fire is different than the law of the stop sign.  Within the nature of fire is the penalty for abusing it.  It doesn’t matter what anyone says or tries to change, fire burns.
    Here’s the critical application of this message:  the moral law of God is like the law of fire.  It doesn’t change.  You can try to break God’s laws.  You will get burned.  God never changes.  He won’t change the penalty, because the penalty for breaking the law is bound up in the law itself.

Discussion
Why is God so concerned with obedience and disobedience?
Where did Ananias and Sapphira go wrong?
What speaks to you about the two laws -- stop sign and fire?
Prayer for our world to see the necessity of repentance.
Prayer for the church world to see the necessity of submission to
God’s laws.