The Christmas Spirit of God and His Church
Corinthians 2 9:8, Luke 1:67-79, and 2:1-15 Before the foundation of the Earth was laid, God made plans for that 1st Christmas. Rivers of blood and yrs. of prophecy pointed to that 1st Christmas. The great commission was given to the Church that the true spirit of Christmas might be felt by a dying world. I: Christmas meant sacrifice to God. 1. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Chrust that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye thru his poverty might be rich.” Cor. 2 8:9. a. “I have glorified thee on Earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” b. “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was.” John 17:4-5. 2....
The Christian & the Church
Ephesians 5:21-30 I: Jesus depended upon laymen: 1. He selected groups of men for special assignments. 2. Early in his ministry he chose the 12. 3. 6 months before the crufixition he chose 70 and sent them out 2 by 2. 4. On the evening of the Resurrection, he commissioned 10 of the original 12. 5. 6 weeks later he appointed 11 men to carry on. II: To each Group he gave the command “Go ye.” 1. The Master knew that a going Christian is a growing Christian. a. A going Church is a growing Church. b. The yrs. when the Church stopped growing is called the Dark Ages. 2. When a Christian or a Church loses a concren for the lost, they stop going. 3. It is unscriptural and rebellion against a command of Jesus to fail or refuse to go. 4. When God calls, he...
The Church
Ephesians 4:11-14, 5:25-32, and Philemon 2:12-15 Conversion is just the beginning of the Christian life. The journey begins here. The new birth brings us the possibility of becoming Christ-like. The new birth revolutionizes ourselves, our motives, hopes, desires, our aim in life, but these must be worked out in our lives; they must grow. In working out our salvation, we must have a plan and that plan is a Church. Man can’t work out his salvation by self any more than he can be a husband or father by himself. You must live in a home and have a family to be a good husband, so you must live in a church and be a good Christian in the fullest sense of the Word. I: The difference between Sinner and Saint: 1. The spirit of God works thru the Christian. 2. God...
Sound of Rain
Kings 1 18:41-46 I: “The Prayers of a Righteous Man:” 1. Elijahs prayers were proceeded by work, (clearing and plowing). 2. Prayer was no lazy substiture for service. 3. It always puts fire in our prayer to be expecting something. 4. He knew which God he prayed to, (Abraham). II: “There is a sound of abundance of rain.” 1. The brazen sky didn’t stop him. 2. The dry desert of 3 yrs. failed to weaken his prayer. 3. It was as easy to pray for water as fire. 4. A small cloud was enough. III: Before the Chariots of Ahab: 1. A 17 mile run of pride. 2. Nothing wears out the Man of God more than to run before the Chariots of Ahab. 3. The hand of God was upon him, but we are not told of God commanding the race. 4. Elijah was out of company at...
Proof of Faith
A converted cowboy once gave this very sensible idea of what “being faithful” consisted in: “Lots of folks think that being faithful to the Lord means shouting themselves hoarse praising His name.” “I’ll tell you how I look at it. I’m working here for Jim. Now, if I’d sit around the house, talking what a good fellow Jim is, and singing songs to him, and getting up in the night to serenade him, I’d get my discharge. But when I buckle on my straps and hustle among the hills and see that Jim’s herds are all right, and not suffering for water and feed, or being branded by cattle thieves, than I’m serving Jim as he wants to be served. That’s what I call being faithful to Jim.” No, the Lord...