Living Waters
John 7:32-44, 7:37-39 I: Jesus the Center of Controversy: 1. The People were divided as to his person, teaching, and his purpose. 2. The leaders sought to remove him. 3. They sent Officers to arrest him. 4. His power of speech and personality stopped them. “Where I am you cannot come.” II: “The Last Day.” vs. 37 1. Water was carried each day for 7 days from the Pool of Silom and poured out in the presence of assembled worshipers. 2. Remembering that God had supplied water in the wilderness. 3. Looking forward when rivers of water would make the desert lands live. 4. On the 8th day, no golden vessels of water. The commission was to show that they had reached the land of plenty. III: In the 8th Hour of Silence. “No Water.” 1....
Good Works
Acts 9:31-43, James 2:14-26 I: Phillip the Evangelist. Among Active Faith has Moved Us this Past Week, and Our Nation Mourns. 1. A deacon called to full time. 2. Held a revival in Samaria. 3. Phillip won many to Christ, and left them active in Christian service. 4. Every man leaves a trail of Blessings or Cursing behind him as he travels thru life. People are left closer to Heaven or Hell by our passing. II: Peter the Apostle. 1. Peter entered into the results of Phillips Ministry. 2. Eneas was held and Peter stayed in the Home of a Tanner. 3. There was no antagonism between Peter and Phillip. They were Laborers together. 4. The work of Phillip needed the finishing touch of Peter. 5. Peter was continuing the work of Jesus. 6. Here was proof of Spirit lead...
Fields White for Harvest
John 4:27-42 Who is a Missionary? “One who is sent to preach the Gospel.” Where would one need to go to become a Missionary? Some of our Missionaries stay home. I: “There are Yet Four Months.” 1. Eyes shut to the Spiritual Harvest. 2. When the fields are white for harvest, they wont wait, (Japan, China, and others of our life time: South America). 3. Many dangers beset a field ready for harvest. (Ada) 4. “The night cometh when no man can work.” II: Harvest Field We Ought to See. 1. 70 million without Christ in America. 2. Thousands of Foreign Students among us that need to know Christ. 3. Hundreds of new churches and missions need Pastors and Leaders. 4. 45 Missionaries could be added to Missions. 5. 18 million foreign-speaking...
Conversion Baptism Service
Acts 9:10-25 I: Saul of Tarsus Saved. (Arrested at the Height of his Zeal). 1. The proud humbled. 2. The Destroyer of the Church meets its head. 3. The entering into Damascus led by friends. 4. 3 days of soul searching. 5. All his life brought to a standstill and turned about. II: “Brother Soul.” (The 1st Face He saw was Ananias). 1. A proper subject — Repentance, and Salvation. 2. Not a part of Salvation. 3. A definite part of Obedience. 4. A sign of obedience, acceptance, and identification. 5. When Paul became a brother, he accepted Baptism immediately. III: “And Straight Way He Preached Christ…” 1. “A chosen vessel” to preach to the Gentiles. 2. God had a special work for Paul. 3. The life of Paul was one of...
Faith, Boldness, and, Conviction
Acts 3:1-11, 4:1-22 You may mention my name. Phil 2:9-10 Peter and John demonstrated faith, boldness, and conviction when the lame man was healed. I: “Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God.” 1. Faith is never strong or abiding until it’s founded upon the word of God. 2. The word of God must be planted in the heart and allowed to strengthen our faith. 3. Peter and John were students of the Master for many months. 4. They never grew a strong faith by staying away from prayer meeting (They were on their way to pray). 5. Peter could never have healed this man a year before. (Faith based on Gods promises and the power of the name Jesus). II: Boldness was Manifested Before the Opposition. 1. These two men were bold to do such a thing...
“Things He Must Suffer”
Acts 9:16, Cor. 2 11:23-29 If Christians would learn to be content in serving God even in the difficult times, the World would be compelled to hear us. More people would be compelled to investigate what makes us tick. It is the human thing to grumble and complain; it is divine to “Rejoice in times of testing.” I: Paul’s 1st Instructions Were: 1. He was a chosen vessel — set aside. 2. “To bear my name before the Gentiles.” 3. “And Kings.” 4. “And the children of Israel.” II: “Great Things He Must Suffer.” 1. He was to be a Soldier at War, not on parade. 2. He was to be a Boxer fighting for his life. 3. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels…” Cor. 2 4:7-8 a. We are...
The Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Control
Timothy 2 1:1-15 I: The Spirit of Fearfulness. 1. The fear of Man brings a snare. 2. The fear of Insecurity can wreck ones life. 3. The fear of Poverty can make money our God. 4. The fear of Failure can keep us from attempting greater things. 5. The fear what others may do or think may cause us to conform to the crowd. 6. Fear can rob us of faith, make us timid spineless complaining. 7. It is fear that sings the Blues and Beats. 8. Is such a spirit from God? II: The Spirit of Failure. 1. It is not always the Servant that makes the least mistakes that is the most useful. 2. Faint-heartedness can’t be strong. 3. The faint-hearted mistrust themselves and others. 4. They anticipate dangers and failures and sometimes create them. III: The Spirit of Power. 1....
Come over and Help Us
“The steps of a righteous man are ordered by God.” Acts 16:1-10 I: Closed Doors Disciplines the Man of God. 1. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psa. 46:10 2. Paul wanted to go to Northern Asia Minor. 3. Gods does not discipline his Servants. 4. The journey began under a cloud and new God said NO!!! 5. At the borders of Bethina, God said no. 6. Sickness drove him to a different field of service. 7. In his restlessness, Paul turned in humble obedience. 8. Paul learned that disappointment can reveal the Will of God. II: Closed Doors Promotes the Plan of God. 1. God had brought him to Troas, Timothy, Silas and Luke. 2. Before Him was Athens, the Citadel of Pagan Culture. Rome the seat of Imperial Power, Spain the limit of the Mediterranean...
Learn of Me
Matthew 11:28-30 In the Foyer of John Hopkins University, facing the entrance, stands a marble statue of Jesus. It portrays him leaning forward, arms outstretched as though he were reaching for some wounded, staggering suffer. On the base of the statue is Matthew 11:28-30. I: The Divine Invitation to Rest: 1. “I know people that are tired of sickness and pain.” Dr. Dodd 2. Our world is sick and weary. 3. Habits that enslave. 4. We all need Spiritual rest from the burdens of life. “My burden is heavier than I can bear.” (The young woman that was afraid to live in Grover City). II: “There are required courses in the school of Life.” 1. We have to live! No choice of arrival, no way of escape. 2. Death is a required course. Fight...
Buzzards or Bees
God is the woodlands two went for a walk. They were not of one mind on what they should talk. With the beauties of Nature one was on fire, While the other saw briars and thistles and mire. One found fault with the clouds and the showers, the other rejoiced in the Crops and the flowers. The other saw honey and sipped like the bee. Into Church Sabbath morning, these two people went. They differed on what the Church Service meant. One joined in the Worship in the Spirit of prayer, which the other one somehow seemed not to share. One sought the truth in which to delight, the other sought errors against which to fight. One found meat to strengthen his life. The other found bones for contention and strife. Let’s talk of the noble, the good and the pure. Never...
How They did it
Acts 20:17-20 Paul with Aquila and Priscilla turned Asia upside down in 2 yrs. I: How did They Do it? 1. What kind of church house did you have? a. For 300 yrs. they had no houses. b. They rented buildings and met in homes. c. To them Church meant “Gods called out people.” 2. What kind of facilities did you have? a. No great choirs, no musical instruments. b. No Sunday School rooms, no paper and pencil. c. Many times little heat and poor lighting. 3. What was your program? Our Preachers gave themselves to prayer and Ministry of the Word. Deacons and Church protected their Pastors time of prayer and preparation. Acts. 6:1-4 Our Preachers could pray and preach. Everyone of our members was a witness from house to house. We had a visitation program. We...
“But Who Are You?”
Acts 19:8, Cor. 2 11: “A great door and effectual is open unto me.” The difficulties of the situation created the Greatness of the Opportunity. I: The City of Ephesus was A Challenge: 1. A great trade center. 2. A religious city of immoral religious practices. 3. The practice of Magic cast its dark shadows. 4. Here was the Center of Worship of Dian. 5. Wealthy, Profoundly Religious, and Rotten to its core. II: “We Wrestle not against Flesh and Blood…” 1. Here Paul came up against Satan in his Strong Hold. 2. Paul dared not take Financial Aid from the Christians. (No Seller of Magic). Financial gain was the inspiration of all religions of Ephasus. 3. He taught for 2 yrs. in the School of Tyrannies. 4. “God wrought Special...
