Tag Archives: Preach the Word

Pride Promotes Strife

by Pastor Pete • on 8:33 PM • in James

“Pride Promotes Strife”

James 4:1-6

1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

A. Now it may surprise some of you this morning;

1. But not all Christians are perfect!

2. In fact there’s OFTEN STRIFE w/in the BODY of CHRIST

I think that sometimes we’d like to DENY that wouldn’t we?

I think that sometimes we’d like to PRETEND that STRIFE really doesn’t happen in the body of Christ!

C. Unfortunately, for SOME CHRISTIANS;

1. They’re pretty NAÏVE & WHEN strife DOES HAPPEN…

It really throws them for a LOOP!

Somebody once said:

“If you ever find the perfect church, don’t join it. Because if you do join it, it will no longer be a perfect church!”

E. You see, we’re all sinners saved by GRACE!

1. I still have my OLD NATURE

2. YOU still have YOUR OLD nature

And every once in a while our OLD NATURES MEET! And it’s NOT a PRETTY SIGHT!

If we’re mature, when we come to our senses, we apologize and ask one another’s forgiveness.

If we’re not mature, we hold grudges and don’t forgive. And then we wonder why our relationship with Christ dies?!

When I PRAY, why does it feel like God ISN’T LISTENING to me?

And when I READ my BIBLE, why doesn’t it SPEAK to me?

UNRESOLVED —- WARS and FIGHTS—

Strife IN and AMONG BELIEVERS

ILLUSTRATION:

Many years ago a man was found living on a DESERTED island.

When the captain arrived, he saw 3 huts and so he asked the man:

“Are there any other people here?” To which the man replied, “Nope, just me!” So the captain said, “Well then, why do you have 3 huts?” The man replied, “Oh that’s simple, this is the hut that I LIVE IN; and this hut is where I go to church”. Well, said the captain, that’s great, but what’s the 3^rd hut for? “Well” Said the man, “that’s the church I used to go to!”

Strife is really a FELLOWSHIP DESTROYER

And what’s the BASIS for STRIFE/ WAR /FIGHTS?

It’s COVETOUSNESS / ENVYING our PRIDE

It’s the desire to POSSESS that which someone else possesses

All wars and fighting, even globally are based on ENVYING. One person desiring the possessions of another; or to CONTROL them

Warring and fighting with one another in the church is rooted in ENVY:

“I want what you have”

“I want your ministry”

“I want to your family”

“I want your gifts”

So the BATTLES that we ALL FACE, Really take place when we allow ourselves to be GOVERNED by our OLD NATURE

That’s what Paul talks about in ROMANS 7 –

That BATTLE between the NEW and OLD NATURES

When we RECEIVED CHRIST as LORD and SAVIOR; a NEW NATURE was CREATED within us and it is at CONSTANT WAR with the OLD NATURE

And when we YIELD ourselves to our OLD NATURE; we then are GOVERNED by ENVY / LUST / COVETOUSNESS

So then James goes on to say in Verse 2:

2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

A. When we are REGULATED by our OLD NATURES;

1. Something INTERESTING takes place….

ODDLY, we discover that we are NEVER SATISFIED!

You can’t HAVE enough POSSESSION

You can’t MAKE enough MONEY

You can’t ENJOY enough ENTERTAINMENT

Because once we get what we are seeking, the THRILL leaves us, and then the SEEKING BEGINS again

Both unbelievers and carnal Christians are much the same in that they are SEEKING…

SEEKING the next FIX

The next FLING

The next PLEASURE

The next EXPERIENCE

But NEVER SATISFIED – As James says here:

“You LUST and you DO NOT HAVE”

We will NEVER be SATISFIED as long as we are REGULATED by our PASSIONS

When we are REGULATED by our LUSTS, we’ll never find satisfaction

And all we WILL FIND is that we are CONSTANTLY FIGHTING with our-

FAMILY; FRIENDS; CHURCH MEMBERS

So the 1^st OPTION is to be a SEEKER:

Unsatisfied

Miserable

Discontented

The 2^nd option is to become an ASKER

Notice here in the LAST part of VERSE 2

“The ALTERNATIVE to being a SEEKER, is to become an ASKER!”

We need to START ASKING GOD for things and stop being regulated by our LUSTS/ ENVY / covetous hearts

Maybe the 1^st thing that we all should ask the LORD for is:

“that He would take away our ENVIOUS hearts. That we’d stop being JEALOUS of one another. When one PROSPERS, don’t COVET, REJOICE!

Now some people will say, “Yeah, well PRAYER DOESN’T WORK!”

To which James responds in Verse 3 -

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

A. What’s our MOTIVES for PRAYER?

1. What’s behind our MOTIVES in ASKING?

Here James says that GOD EDITS a LOT of our PRAYERS!

Big RED PEN… NOPE! Not a chance! Not My will

If we are PRAYING according to OUR FLESH, then we Might as well SAVE OUR BREATH!

Jesus said in John 3:

“That which is BORN of the FLESH will always be of the FLESH”

So if it’s MY FLESH prompting my ASKING, then I can be assured that God will NOT FULFILL my request!

EVERY ministry that is BORN OUT OF THE FLESH will NOT SUCCEED!

I believe that we have seen a LOT of ‘MINISTRIES’ born out of the FLESH here at CCB!

People who have BEGUN ministries only to FAIL or DROP them off on my door step to CLEAN UP THE MESS;

Because they were MINISTRIES born out of the FLESH!

They were ministries BORN out of ENVY & STRIFE & they FAILED

Just because we PRAY ABOUT SOMETHING doesn’t make it FROM GOD!

I think that too often we can be in the FLESH, motivated by LUST / EMPTINESS, which prompts us to PRAY that GOD WILL OPEN the DOOR for us to TAKE OVER or START a MINISTRY

And when God doesn’t OPEN the DOOR, too often, people attempt to FORCE the HAND of God, or CLAIM that God ‘LED THEM’ to this

Do you realize that a person can even seek to be in MINISTRY, and be motivated by LUST / GREED / ENVY?

James says in Verse 4

4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Friendship with the world speaks of-

“Friendship with the WORLD SYSTEM; or the world’s way of THINKING – lust; greedy; envious; deceitful; dishonest”

Those are symptoms of the world’s way of dealing with life

And God says, if you are a FRIEND to that kind of thinking, then you have made yourself an enemy of God!

WOW! That’s serious isn’t it?

And all the time, we were just thinking that ‘I’M JUST GETTING AHEAD’

And all we’ve really managed to do it make ourselves an ENEMY of God’s!

Jesus said in -

Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Sometimes the REASON that a person is being CONTROLLED by the LUSTS of their FLESH is because –

They were NEVER REALLY SAVED in the first place

The word ‘ADULTERERS and ADULTERESSES’ , not only has to do with SEXUAL IMMORALITY, but also and maybe even more specific in this instance…has to do with –

—–SPIRITUAL ADULTERY—-

The leaving of one’s 1^ST LOVE

Having DEPARTED from the FULFILLMENT of WALKING with Christ

“It used to be enough, JUST TO BE WITH JESUS…anymore, I just can’t find SATISFACTION!

“I guess I’ve become a SEEKER…always SEEKING the NEXT EXPERIENCE; next TOY; next PLEASURE”

“I’ve lost my 1^st love with JESUS CHRIST!”

“He used to be ALL I NEED; now I have EVERYTHING and I’m still empty!”

Jesus said in –

Revelation 2:2-5
²I know your works, your labor, your patience (busy beaver: SERVING; studying; praying), and that you cannot bear those who are evil (hate sin). And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars (great discernment);
³and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary (when everybody else QUIT serving; you kept on).
⁴Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works (fall back in love with Christ. It’s NOT about SERVING; it’s about LOVING), or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent.

Those who EMBRACE the WORLD’S SYSTEM, make themselves an ENEMY of God

WHO is James speaking to here??? BELIEVERS!

Believers have the opportunity to make themselves an ENEMY of God’s

Christ’s ANTIDOTE to WORLDLY living was given in –

Matthew 6:19-24
¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²²“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
²⁴“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

In James 4:5, James says -

5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

God loves you so much, that He jealously watches over you!

He does NOT want you to GIVE your HEART away to anything else

Think of a person you really love and really desire their attention and affection.

Now think of that person, knowing how much you love and care for them, yet they really don’t place much value on your love

They spend time with other people, doing other things and they’re really missing out on being with you and being loved for who they are

That’s a SMALL illustration of how God feel about you!

He loves you so much, and He jealously yearns for the spirit that He has created within you

Now that’s love!

DON’T THROW PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Don’t give your love away to another

Love the LORD thy God W/ all thy heart and SOUL and MIND!

When we HUMBLE ourselves and REPENT, James says in verse 6 -

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

GOD GIVES MORE GRACE!!!!

No matter how long you’ve been the PRODIGAL son/daughter

GOD’S GRACE is GREATER than ALL your sin!

What is GRACE?

It’s God BLESSING us when we deserve to be PUNISHED!

MERCY is the WITHHOLDING of JUDGMENT

GRACE is the FAVOR of God in lieu of PUNISHMENT

Maybe you say today:

“Well, I’ve been away from God A LONG TIME… what then?”

All I can say is:

HE GIVES MORE GRACE!

A ‘PROUD’ person sees themselves in the MIRROR and says:

“I see my sin, but I’m not too bad” and they REMAIN as THEY ARE

Where the HUMBLE person says:

“Today, I’ve seen myself in the MIRROR of God’s Word, and I FALL SHORT!”

“I’ve left my 1^st love; I’ve become a SEEKER; I’ve stopped ASKING; I’ve become controlled by my passions and I’m ANGRY and at WAR with God and always FIGHTING with my neighbor.”

To the HUMBLE…God grants His GRACE, His MERCY, His LOVE

CONCLUSION:

Where are you at today?

Always looking for the next fix?

Never satisfied?

COME BACK TO JESUS

Come back to YOUR 1^ST LOVE!

Have you been committing SPIRITUAL ADULTERY?

Giving away your heart to the things / pleasures of this world?

God loves you, and He wants you back

Maybe you’ve become a FRIEND to the WORLD’S VALUES

Jesus is JUST a part of your LIFE

He no longer DOMINATES your PLANS

He no longer DICTATES your GOALS

Return to Him today

“God gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, But He gives grace to the humble”…shall we pray?

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

“Preaching With Power” 1 Cor. 2:3-5

by Pastor Pete • on 11:35 AM • in 320, Life Journal

Scripture

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 (NASB)
³I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, ⁴and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Observation

The Apostle Paul was an incredibly intelligent man, yet he did not trust in his own wisdom, power or strength. His preaching and his message were solely dependant upon the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. When he came, he came in fear and trembling, preaching the Word of God. His desire was not to manipulate the minds of men, or to talk them into anything. Paul realized with his knowledge and training, that he could easily talk someone into being saved, but eventually someone would then talk that person out of their salvation. Any work that God does must be by His Spirit, otherwise it’s wood, hay and stubble in the wisdom of man. When Pau got done preaching, he wanted people’s minds thinking about God’s Word, not him or his preaching style.

Application

God doesn’t want me to preach or teach in the power of my flesh. He doesn’t want me to rely on my own resources, or commentaries, or on what man wants to hear. When I approach the teaching of God’s Word, I must rely solely upon His Spirit and His power to convert the lost, soften the hearts of the carnal, and encourage the hearts of the downcast. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts.”

Prayer

Father today, I call upon Your Holy name as I study and prepare to preach & teach on Sunday. May I look totally to You for Your wisdom, Your power, and Your insights into Your Word. May people be blessed, fed and challenged in their walks with You. May I know today that I have met with You, and may Your wisdom flow from my pen as I write today. Give me divine insights as I seek Your face. May hearts be moved, challenged and encouraged, starting with mine today. Amen.

Read full story • Comments { 2 }

Sunday 1/2/11

by Pastor Pete • on 2:21 PM • in Announcements, Exhortation, Sunday Teaser

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Just a reminder that we will be celebrating the Lord’s table tomorrow during our regular worship service. All believers are welcome and invited to participate. Also just a reminder that there will be no children’s worship tomorrow, as we will all be worshipping together in our sanctuary.

As you probably know, tomorrow will be our (Friese family) last Sunday before we take our 30 day Sabbatical rest. Come out and worship the Lord with us, who knows…it may be our last time before our precious Lord returns!

As we begin our new year, the Lord has truly impressed upon my heart today this scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2010, in many ways was a hard year for many of us – but it’s done now…old things have passed away, and behold our Lord has made all things new. A new year, new blessings, new Hopes, a new future.

As we begin the new year of 2011, I pray this prayer of the Apostle Paul upon our lives –

Philippians 3:13-14
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

May the grace of God abound upon your life in the year of 2011. Trust Him, call upon Him, and expect great and mighty things.

Pressing on,

Pastor Pete

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

“The Battle For My Heart” 1 John 2:15-17

by Pastor Pete • on 7:03 PM • in 1 John, Sermon Notes

¹⁵Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world.
¹⁷And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

A. John now beings with this statement:

1. “Do not love the World or the things in the world.”

B. In the N.T., the word ‘WORLD’ has at least 3 different meanings:

‘World’

Physical World: the earth, Cosmos (Acts 17:24)
- God, who made the world and everything in it…
Human world: mankind (John 3:16)
- For God so loved the world
World’s system (1 John 2:15)
- “Do not love the world…”

¹“The word ‘world’ here is not the planet on which we live, or the natural creation about us. Rather it is the system which man has built up in an effort to make himself happy without Christ. It may include the world of culture, the world of opera, art, education; in short, any sphere in which the Lord Jesus is not loved & welcomed. Someone has defined it as ‘human society insofar as it is organized on wrong principles, & characterized by base desire, false values, & egoism.’”

B. We often use the word ‘WORLD’ in the sense of system in our daily conversation

1. “The Wide World of Sports”

a. Which is obviously not another planet or universe

“World of Sports”

It’s an organized system
- Constructed of ideas, people, activities, purposes, etc.

“World of Finance”

Again, it’s an ‘organized system’
- Constructed of investors, principles, laws, regulations, rules, etc.

“World of Politics”

‘The Political World’

C. Behind each of these ‘Worlds’ are rules, regulations and laws that we cannot see

1. There is a SYSTEM or a STRUCTURE that CONTROLS each ‘World’

2. Like the FRAMEWORK of a building – can’t see it, but holds it all together

²“The ‘world’ is Satan’s system for opposing the work of Christ on earth. It is the very opposite of what is godly and holy and spiritual.^”

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

D. In Ephesians 6:10, Paul teaches us that -

1. Satan has an organization of evil spirits

Ephesians 6:12.
¹²For 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.

E. This is an ORGANIZED WORLD SYSTEM –

1. Constructed, organized and run by Satan, whom the Bible calls

a. “The prince of the power of the air”

I. It is a ‘World system’ that attempts to take the place of God

1. It is really everything in life that becomes an idol…

a. Something that is substituted for God in our hearts;

b. In search of happiness

J. Just as the Holy Spirit uses people to accomplish God’s will on earth;

1. So too Stan uses people to fulfill his evil purposes

L. As God is working out His plans;

1. Satan is working out his plans, seeking to thwart the will of God

M. Unsaved people belong to “this world.” (Eph. 2:1-2)

1. In Luke 16:8, Jesus calls them “the children of this world”

N. As Christians, we are a part of this PHYSICAL WORLD;

1. Yet we are NOT a part of the WORLD SPIRITUALLY

“This World is Not My Home”

This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you; If Heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door; And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

(15b) If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

²“Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of: attitude OR focus.”

I can be living w/ the appearance of a real godly life
- But yet have a very WORLDLY HEART

‘Worldliness’ – “Materialistic; much more interested in everyday materialistic concerns than in the spiritual side of life.”

This does not necessarily mean that a person is consumed with what they want to buy;
- Gucci hand bag; Armani Suit; Million dollar home; Job on Wall Street
Worldliness can simply be, being worried about paying bills, eating, shelter, work, etc…
- “My mind is so consumed by the temporal, I’ve lost focus on the eternal
  - This is a Trap of the Devil
    - “As soon as I get caught up on my bills Lord, I’ll be back”

Matthew 6:19-21; 24-34¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also….²⁴“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. ²⁵“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁸So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

A. If you notice there in V17:

1. Worldliness will not only affect your response to the LOVE of God;

2; It will also affect your response to the WILL of God

C. If we are in love with God, it will be a joy to do His Will

1. But if we love the World, we will find it hard to obey God’s will

D. Ultimately, a love for the world, and the things in the world will develop:

1. Worldliness

E. Worldliness is anything that draws our hearts away from God;

1. And keeps us from doing His will

F. Anything that keeps us from:

1. Our daily devotions

2. Our prayer closets

3. Keeps us out of church, especially on Sunday mornings

H. It’s this WORLD SYSTEM that draws our hearts away from Christ

1. Whatever we allow to come between us and our LOVE FOR GOD

a. Is of the WORLD SYSTEM

“Sometimes if we are not careful, even a good thing may rob us of our enjoyment of God’s love and his desire to do God’s will.”

ILLUSTRATION:

A senior student in a Christian college was known for his excellent grades and his effective Christian service. He was out preaching each weekend and God was using him to win the souls and challenge Christians.

Then something happened: his testimony was no longer effective, his grades began to drop, and even his personality seemed to change. The president called him in.

“There’s been a change in your life and your work,” the president said, “and I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.”

The student was evasive for a time, but then he told the story. He was engaged to a lovely Christian girl and was planning to get married after graduation. He had been called to a fine church and was anxious to move his new bride into the parsonage and get started in the pastorate.

“I’ve been so excited about it that I’ve even come to the place where I don’t want the Lord to come back!” he confessed. “And then the power dropped out of my life.”

His plans—good and beautiful as they were—came between him and the Father. He lost his enjoyment of the Father’s love. He was worldly!

ILLUSTRATION:

A. Today the MN Vikings are playing the NY Giants

1. And let’s say that the GIANTS only had 3 plays

2. And the VIKINGS knew all 3 PLAYS…

a. WHO do you think would WIN the game?

i. The VIKINGS, right?

B. This is really what JOHN is telling us here in V16:

1. We’re the Vikings, and God is REVEALING to us –

a. ALL 3 OF SATAN’S plays, they are:

#1. The lust (desire) of the flesh

A. Refers to the debased, ignoble cravings of evil hearts

1. Which includes, but is not limited to sexual immorality

B. God has given us all NORMAL / HEALTHY desires, such as:

1. Hunger, thirst, weariness and sex

C. None of these things in and of themselves are bad or wrong;

1. But when the old nature controls them, they become sinful “lusts”

D. Hunger is not wrong, but GLUTTONY is sinful

1. THIRST is not evil, but DRUNKENNESS is a SIN

2. SLEEP is a gift of God, but LAZINESS is shameful

3. SEX is a wonderful gift from God WHEN USED RIGHTLY;

a. But when it is used UNLAWFULLY, it becomes IMMORALITY

³“This sort of lust is usually called LUXURY.”

#2. The lust of the eyes

A. This is the lust of COVETOUSNESS

1. We forget that our eyes have an appetite

B. This really has to do with-

1. SOPHISTICATED and INTELLECTUAL PLEASURES

C. Back in the days of the Apostle John, the Greeks & Romans lived for –

1. ENTERTAINMENTS & ACTIVITIES that excited the eyes

Psalms 119:37
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.

D. In Joshua 7, the soldier Achan brought defeat to Joshua’s army because of the lust of his eyes

1. God had warned Israel NOT to TAKE any spoils from the condemned city of Jericho

a. But ACHAN did NOT obey

E. When his sin found him out and he was called before Joshua, this is what he said:

Joshua 7:21 (NKJV)
²¹“When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.”

F. THE LUST OF THE EYES led him into sin

1. And his sin led the army into defeat

#3. The pride of life

A. This has to do with personal AMBITION

B. The Greek word for “pride” was used to describe a braggart who was –

1. Trying to impress people with his importance

C. People have always tried to OUTDO others in their SPENDING & their GETTING

1. This has to do with the PRIDE OF LIFE

D. Why is it that so many people today BUY:

1. Houses, Cars, Clothing, Possession…

a. That they REALLY CANT AFFORD?

E. Why do so many people succumb to the ‘BUY NOW, PAY LATER’?

1. In many cases it is because they want to IMPRESS OTHER PEOPLE-

a. Because of the PRIDE of LIFE

b. They want others to notice how AFFLUENT / SUCCESSFUL they are

F. Some people will even sacrifice honesty and integrity –

1. In return for notoriety and a feeling of importance

H. These are the 3 gates of appeal that Satan will always try to trip us into

1. A LOVE FOR THE WORLD & the THINGS of the WORLD

I. If he can stumble us into a LOVE for the WORLD and its ways;

1. He knows that will CROWD OUT our LOVE for our HEAVENLY FATHER!

J. If we FALL IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD & it’s SYSTEM;

1. We will LOSE our enjoyment of our Father’s LOVE

2. And our DESIRE to DO His will

SYMPTOMS of WORLDLY LOVE:

Bible becomes boring, hard to read
- Prayer life becomes difficult, laborious
  - Church becomes empty and disappointing
    - SERMON’S TOO LONG; Worship needs more Hymns
    - Amazing how people can spend 3 hrs in a movie theater watching garbage, but they can’t endure 45-60 minute bible study – Carnality; Worldliness.
    - Easy to spend time doing the things we love; even after a full day, we wish the day wasn’t over!
    - Lose interest in Christian Fellowship
      - Rather be hanging out w/ non-believers, participating in worldly activities

K. It’s not that there is something wrong with others

1. What’s wrong is that our Christian hearts have become worldly;

2. And we’ve become carnal-calloused to the love of God and desire to do His will

L. It is also very important that we understand that –

1. No Christian becomes worldly all of a sudden

2. Worldliness creeps up on a believer; it is a gradual process

The Process of Worldliness:

First is the friendship of the world (James 4:4)
Second we become “spotted by the world” (James 1:27)
The world leaves its dirty marks on one or two areas of his life. This means that gradually the believer accepts and adopts the ways of the world
When this happens, the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to love him! So John warns us, “Love not the world!”—but too often our friendship with the world leads to love.
Third, the believer becomes conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2) and you can hardly tell the two apart

Fleshing out Worldliness (what it looks like in many Christians)

Idolization of an athlete, TV / MOVIE star, Political leaders who profess to be Christians
- News flash! “Even if Sarah Palin gets elected President, she can’t save USA!”
- Only JESUS SAVES!
- Many Christians today have fallen prey to trusting in the World’s system
Catering to the wealthy & influential person
- “We need to figure out how to get more people to come to CCB! We’ve lost a bunch, and now God is concerned how we’ll pay our bills!
- WORLDLINESS seeks to build a ministry, when only God is able to!
Many forms of worldliness do not involve:
- reading the wrong book, indulging in carnal amusements
  - Worldliness can simply be to love/trust anything more than God

¹⁷And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

A. John gives another wonderful reason here, why NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD;

1. It’s passing away!

B. The world is like a PARADE;

1. And we’re the CHURCH standing on the CORNER –

a. Watching the PARADE as it is PASSING AWAY

“To put your trust in the world that is passing away, would be like arranging the lawn chairs on the deck of the Titanic!” (Hopeless!)

C. The world is SIMPLY NOT PERMANENT;

1. The only sure thing about the WORLD SYSTEM is that is PASSING AWAY

2. One day, it’ll all be gone:

a. The World system and the things of this world

D. So what’ll last?

1. Only he who does the will of God abides forever!

E. Although we are to live in this world;

1. We are not to let this world LIVE IN US!

2. We are to live LOOSELY ATTACHED to this world –

a. Our ETERNAL TREASURES are coming

F. John is contrasting 2 ways of life:

1. A life lived for ETERNITY

2. A life lived for TIME

²“The WORLDLY PERSON lives for PLEASURES of the FLESH. But a DEDICATED Christian lives for the JOYS OF THE SPIRIT!”

G. Do you realize that there is a DIFFERENCE between being:

1. A CHRISTIAN; and being a DEDICATED CHRISTIAN?

H. A dedicated Christian does NOT love the World or the things in the world;

1. And he is the one who LOVES GOD and is DEDICATED to DOING His will

I. Whereas the Worldly Christians LOVE THE WORLD,

1. They are DRAWN AWAY from being DEDICATED to God because of:

a. The LUST of their flesh

b. The Lust of their eyes

c. The Pride of life

J. And they have little to no interest in –

1. Bible reading/prayer/fellowship/ doing God’s will

K. But a dedicated Christian lives for the joys of the Spirit

1. A spiritual believer lives for the unseen realities of God (2 Cor. 4:8–18)

2. A Christian who does the will of God lives for God’s approval, he “abideth forever”

Very Soon, the entire WORLD SYSTEM will be OVER:

Vaunted culture
- Proud Philosophies
  - Egocentric intellectualism
    - godless materialism

Long after this world system has been forgotten & replace by the new heavens & the new earth:

God’s faithful servants will remain forever
- Sharing the glory of God for all eternity

²“A Christian who loves the world will never have peace or security because he has linked his life with that which is in a state of flux.”

Jim Elliot once stated:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

L. The N. T. is full of scripture teaching on ‘The Will of God’

²“The will of God is not something that we consult occasionally like an encyclopedia. It is something that completely controls our lives. The issue for a dedicated Christian is not simply, “Is it right or wrong?” or “Is it good or bad?” The key issue is, “Is this the will of God for me?”

M. God wants us to understand His will for our lives

1. It is important that we understand God’s will for our lives

2. And see the purposes He is fulfilling

N. Once God reveals His will to us;

1. Then we should DO IT from the HEART

O. We don’t fulfill God’s will by TALKING ABOUT IT;

1. But by DOING what He TELLS us to do;

a. GOING where He sends

b. YIELDING to whatever CALL He puts upon our lives

P. The more we obey God

1. The more proficient we become in knowing what He wants us to do

2. God’s goal for us is that we will “stand … complete in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12)

Q. This means to be mature in God’s will

1. An immature Christian is always asking his friends what they think God’s will is for him

2. A mature Christian stands complete in the will of God

3. He knows what the Lord wants him to do

How to discover the will of God for my life:

Process begins with Surrender
- God’s will is not a “spiritual cafeteria” where a Christian takes what he wants and rejects the rest!
- No, the will of God must be accepted in its entirety
- This involves a personal surrender to God of one’s entire life
God reveals His will to us through His Word
- “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105)
- A worldly believer has no appetite for the Bible
- When he reads it, he gets little or nothing from it
- But a spiritual believer, who spends time daily reading the Bible and meditating on it, finds God’s will there and applies it to his everyday life
We may also learn God’s will through circumstances
- God moves in wonderful ways to open and close doors
- We must test this kind of leading by the Word of God—and not test the Bible’s clear teaching by circumstances!
Finally God leads us into His will through prayer & the working of His Spirit in our hearts
- As we pray about a decision, the Spirit speaks to us
- An “inner voice” may agree with the leading of circumstances
- We are never to follow this “inner voice” alone: we must always test it by the Bible, for it is possible for the flesh (or for Satan) to use circumstances—or “feelings”—to lead us completely astray.

CONCLUSION:

A. We are in this world physically;

1. But we are not of this world SPIRITUALLY

B. We can’t help being in this world;

1. But we must guard our hearts from the World

C. HOW DOES THE WORLD get INTO the Christian?

1. Through his heart

a. “Love not the world!”

D. Anything that robs a Christian of his enjoyment of the Father’s love,

1. Or of his desire to do the Father’s will, is worldly and must be avoided

2. Every believer, on the basis of God’s Word, must identify those things for himself

E. Each of us have to decide for ourselves:

1. “Will I live for the present only, or will I live for the will of God and abide forever?”

²“Love for the world is the love God hates. It is the love a Christian must shun at all costs!”

¹The Believer’s Bible Commentary; William MacDonald

²The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Vol. 2

³The New Matthew Henry Commentary, 2010; Zondervan

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Job 2:11-4:17

by Pastor Pete • on 10:06 PM • in Job Study

“God in the Dark”

Job 2:11-4:17

Introduction

For every ten people who can withstand the temptations of adversity, only one can stand prosperity-or so it is said. When life is good we have no questions, and when it is hard we have no answers-or so it is said.

Group Discussion

Drawing on your own life, talk about why you agree or disagree with the statements above.

Personal Reflection

Describe an experience in which you were tempted to doubt God’s goodness. What questions did you ask? What thoughts, if any, did you have of God?

Snap Shot Summary

Job has handled his prosperity as a ministry and later defends his stewardship of abundance (29:7-25; 31:24-25). But now he is plunged into excruciating loss, a living death. Job’s new test will examine whether his belief in the goodness of God can be subverted by unalterably negative circumstances. Job will ask questions that are asked in wars and famine, when people are faced with congenital deformities and terminal illnesses. Job will later take up the cause of all the nameless, suffering poor (24:1-25). But in this study Job feels the weight of his own burden first.

Read Job 2:11-13

Questions

1. At this point in the story Job’s three friends travel a considerable distance to console Job. What actions of the friends indicate they understood how deeply Job was suffering?

For chapters 3 through 31 the story moves from prose to poetry as Job’s three friends discuss the meaning of his adversity and where-if anywhere-God was present in the darkness.

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Pastor Pete’s Study Notes 11/28/10

by Pastor Pete • on 4:19 AM • in 1 John

“True Love”

1 John 2:8-11

⁸Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

A. John now adds a ‘NEW COMMANDMENT’

1. This was a command given by Jesus to His disciples in -

John 15:9-17

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹²This is My commandment, (now here it is) that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷These things I command you, that you love one another.

B. In John 13:34-35, Jesus Himself called this a ‘NEW COMMANDMENT’

John 13:34-35A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

C. The Apostle John had seen Jesus with his own eyes

1. He’d seen Jesus offer up His own life, for the sake of others

“Jesus’ Love is true Love”

D. And John says that the TRUE LOVE is not only seen in Christ, but in His followers

1. That is, those who BELIEVE in Christ, will also display His love

“If the true light of Jesus is shining in our hearts, then His love will be in us, and darkness will be gone.” -Thomas Hale

E. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior;

1. The darkness is passing away

2. And the TRUE LIGHT of God’s LOVE begins to shine

F. Sort of interesting to note here that the ‘darkness is PASSING AWAY’

1. Just as it takes time for our eyes to ADJUST to light when we come out of the dark;

2. So too, it takes time to adjust to the LIGHT of GOD’S LOVE

a. As we’re ADJUSTING, we’re actually GROWING IN HIS LOVE!

G. In Verses 9-11, John now CONTRASTS between:

1. LOVE that is FALSE;

2. And LOVE that is TRUE

3. Sort of a BAROMETER TEST

⁹He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

A. In other words:

1. The person who claims to be a CHRISTIAN;

a. Yet HATES HIS BROTHER…Is still in DARKNESS

b. They are NOT REALLY SAVED

B. Now some people might say:

1. “Well, I DON’T HATE my brother/sister/spouse/neighbor…”

2. “I just don’t like them”

C. Maybe that was you RIGHT NOW?

1. May just now in your mind, God put somebody’s face in front of you…

a. And you just JUSTIFIED your HATRED by calling it something else?

D. We’ll let’s see if that’s true, based on what the word ‘HATE’ here means:

‘HATE’ : “To detest or despise, especially to persecute.”

Withholding of LOVE – (Can be INWARD or OUTWARD)

Refusing to TALK to them

Desire for HARM

Bitterness/ resentment / anger

Flying off the handle at the mention of the person’s name –“I’m not angry at….!!!!”

***OFTEN Hatred may display itself in strong emotion, but not necessarily

Malicious, un-justifiable feelings towards others

Whether towards the INNOCENT, or by mutual animosity

Ever been HATED by someone & you didn’t even know they were mad at you?

Opposed to both the love of NATURAL AFFECTION & Godly love

Webster’s New World Dictionary:

“To have strong feeling of dislike or ill will for or towards; To loath; To despise; To dislike; wish to avoid; shrink from. To look down upon with great contempt; feelings of malice; to detest; disgust; abhorrence.”

The opposite of LOVE – diametrically opposed

Look up LOVE and you see the ANT. Of HATE

Look up HATE and you see the ant. Of LOVE

E. Reminds me of what Jesus said in –

Luke 16:13No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

F. “You can’t say that you LOVE GOD;

1. And yet HATE your BROTHER

G. LOVE and HATE cannot CO-EXIST w/in the SAME HEART

1. You’ll either be given to LOVE

2. Or you will be DOMINATED by HATE

H. Jesus talks about a man HATING his brother in -

Matthew 5:21-26²¹“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²²But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

I. A lot of times, HATRED – CONTEMPT – RESENTMENT is:

1. The DIRECT CONSEQUENCE of UN-FORGIVENESS

J. At one point, a person FEELS as though they were WRONGED by SOMEBODY: (maybe)

1. Maybe a PARENT,

a. “You weren’t there for ME”

b. “you never showed any interest in my life”

c. “You always seemed to FAVOR my brother…sister…”

i. And it’s produced RESENTMENT, bitterness, un-forgiveness in you

K. Maybe you were WRONGED by SIBLING,

1. “Mom and dad always paid more attention to you, than any of us!”

2. “You stole my boy friend / girl friend”

3. She/he was always better at something

L. Maybe its resentment towards a FRIEND / another CHURCH member

1. They treated you WRONG/ UN-FAIR

2. Un-kind

3. Disliked by them

M. Maybe the REASON this morning you CAN’T BE FILLED with GOD’S LOVE is because;

1. You are BITTER towards you SPOUSE…

a. “You never loved me, you’re never kind, you always treat me so bad”

N. What about BITTERNESS or RESENTMENT towards GOD!

a. “My life is such a joke”

b. “Why didn’t God give me better looks, better health, better spouse”

c. “My life is so hard, God must get a real charge out of my problems”

O. TRUE or NOT, when a PERSON feels that they’ve BEEN WRONGED…

1. WITHOUT the LOVE of CHRIST in their HEART…

2. They FIRST WONT FORGIVE the WRONG DOER (even a perceived wrong)

“Then what happens is that UN-FORGIVENESS produces BITTERNESS; Which ultimately ends up DEFILING their RELATIONSHIP with GOD.”

P. Some of you may be STRUGGLING TREMENDOUSLY SPIRITUALLY;

1. And it all REVOLVES back to HARBORING UN-FORGIVENESS

Q. When we COME INTO THE LIGHT;

1. We KNOW that we are in the LIGHT –

a. When God enables us to FORGIVE those who sin against us

R. MANY PEOPLE claim that at one point in their life they CAME INTO THE LIGHT;

1. There was a time when they PRAYED A PRAYER…

2. But they NEVER REALLY GOT SAVED

a. They NEVER really CAME INTO the LIGHT

S. They may have had an INTELLECTUAL EXPERIENCE with God:

1. Heard the Gospel and intellectually received Christ

2. But they never TRULY CAME INTO a personal RELATIONSHIP with Christ

T. And as John says here, the MANIFESTATION or EVIDENCE of a FALSE CONVERT is:

1. The PERSON who HATES/ person who CANNOT / WILL NOT FORGIVE

U. And the EVIDENCE that they are NOT in the LIGHT;

1. Is DEMONSTRATED by their HATRED for their BROTHER

V. HATRED for your BROTHER/SISTER is:

1. NOT an indication of BACK SLIDING;

2. But rather of NO SALVATION AT ALL

W. John says that person was born in darkness, and remains in darkness even until now

1. They simply never were saved at ANY POINT in their life

X. UN-FORGIVENESS IS A CRUEL TASKMASTER!

1. Concerning UN-FORGIVENESS, somebody once said:

“Un-forgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die.”

“I refuse to give any control over my life by harboring un-forgiveness in my heart towards them!”

THE MODEL PRAYER

Matthew 6:9-15
⁹In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
¹²And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
¹³And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
¹⁴“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Y. Pretty serious REQUIREMENTS from God!

1. He who CANNOT FORGIVE their DEBTORS

2. God promises that NEITHER will HE FORGIVE their DEBTS

Z. As John is describing here in 1 John 2 –

1. The ABILITY/WILLINGNESS to forgive other people is a –

2. DECLARATION that you are WALKING in the LIGHT

a. And the TRUTH IS IN YOU!

Z1. However on the CONTRAST;

1. He who HATES his BROTHER (evidence that you hate is in your un-forgiveness)

2. And REFUSES to FORGIVE him his DEBT…is walking proof that…

a. That he is UNSAVED

Matthew 7:13-27¹³“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. ¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Therefore by their fruits you will know them. ²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ²⁴“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

“Not everyone who talking about heaven is going there.”

Z2. That’s why I’m lingering on this point…(REMEMBER I’m talking to more than CCB)

1. I’m pressing you by the power of God’s Holy Word—

a. Search your heart & be assured that you really are saved -

Z3. You really have NOTHING TO LOSE, but EVERYTHING to GAIN;

1. If you search your heart and find HATRED –

a. You could get SAVED TODAY

2. If you search your heart and find LOVE;

a. Well then you have the ASSURANCE of ETERNAL LIFE!!!

¹⁰He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

A. If you are a living, breathing, walking display of GOD’S LOVE;

1. Then you will have no occasion to STUMBLE yourself

2. And NEITHER will you STUMBLE ANYONE else

B. He who ABIDES in the LIGHT will ACTIVELY SEEK to keep from STUMBLING others

1. The man who abides in GOD’S LOVE…

2. Will NOT use his LIBERTY to give an OCCASION to STUMBLE others

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

1 Corinthians 10:23

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? ¹¹And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹²But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

C. Now that’s TRUE LOVE;

1. Even though we may feel that we have the PERSONAL LIBERTY to

a. Partake in various areas…

b. If we know that it will stumble a brother…

i. LOVE says – “Then I will never do that again”

ILLUSTRATION:

Charles Spurgeon used to smoke tobacco during his years of preaching and he thought nothing of it until one day he walked past his favorite tobacco shop and saw a sign posted stating “Players Cigarettes…the choice of C. H. Spurgeon”. After that, Spurgeon gave up smoking so that he would never again stumble anyone.”

B. That’s what LOVE looks like

1. “I’m not going to use my liberties to stumble someone w/ a weak conscience”

C. Let me ADD….

1. That INCLUDES what you POST of FACEBOOK & TWITTER & emails

Romans 14:12-23

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. ¹⁴I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; ¹⁷for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. ²⁰Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. ²¹It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. ²²Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. ²³But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

¹¹But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

“The darkness of sin, always makes men blind. Satan wants to blind you. He doesn’t want you to see his schemes. Above all, he doesn’t want you to see Jesus.”

Conclusion:

1. But you FACE A DECISION now, Will you RESPOND?

a. Are you walking in LOVE?

b. Or have you been SECRETLY HATING your brother?

2. I’m going to give you time this morning to deal with this issue before God;

1. You may need to get up and confess your attitude towards someone here

2. You may need to come forward and kneel at the altar & confess your sin

3. Or maybe this morning God has CONVICTED your heart & you now realize that-

1. You aren’t saved

2. “Behold today is the day of salvation”

4. If God has convicted you of an area of your life;

1. I’m going to encourage you to deal with it right now

5. Don’t let this GIFT of GOD’S CONVICTION pass you by!

1. You have a CHOICE…

a. RESPOND, or grow HARDER

“Repent of your bitterness & let Him fill you with HIS LOVE!”

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

America’s First Thanksgiving

by Pastor Pete • on 9:35 PM • in Holidays

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

In Richardson’s American School Reader printed in 1810, we have the following account written by Benjamin Franklin:

There is a tradition that in the planting of New England, the first settlers met with many difficulties and hardship, as is generally the case when a civilized people attempt to establish themselves in a wilderness country. Being piously disposed, they sought relief from Heaven by laying their wants and distresses before the Lord, in frequent set days of fasting and prayer. Constant meditation and discourse on these subjects kept their minds gloomy and discontented…At length, when it was proposed in the Assembly to proclaim another fast, a farmer of plain sense arose and remarked that the inconveniences they had suffered, and concerning which they had so often wearied heaven with their complaints, were not so great as they might have expected, and were diminishing every day, as the Colony strengthened; as the earth began to reward their labor and to furnish liberally for their substance; and above all, that they were there in the full enjoyment of liberty, civil and religious. He therefore thought that it would be more becoming the gratitude they owned the Divine Being, if, instead of a fast, they should proclaim a Thanksgiving. His advice was taken, and from that day to this they have, in every year, observed circumstances of public felicity sufficient to furnish employment for Thanksgiving Day which is, therefore, constantly ordered and religiously observed.

God does not want us to be continually dwelling upon our sorrows and trials, but rather to be meditating upon our blessings. Thanksgiving is one of the most delightful blossoms in the garden of sanctification. Few recognize that ingratitude is a grievous sin in the sight of heaven.

If words of complaint and bitterness of the past year were placed alongside of our expressions of gratitude, how truly thankful would we appear?

Count your many blessings, name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God hath done – J. Oatman, Jr.

“Pride slays thanksgiving. A proud man never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.” – H. W. Beecher (Our Daily Bread, Nov. 24, 1973)

God bless you as you celebrate all that He has done for you this Thanksgiving,

Pastor Pete

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Gospel For Asia Speaker

by Pastor Pete • on 11:10 PM • in Special Speakers

Please plan to join us for Sunday morning worship tomorrow morning, right here at Calvary Chapel Buffalo, 10 am. Tomorrow we will be having special speaker Taun Cortado, who is with GFA.

Taun heads up Gospel for Asia’s U.S. radio ministry. After he retired from 22 years in the Navy, Taun attended Calvary Chapel Bible college in California. Then he and his wife, Diana, raised their support team and moved their family to Texas to join the GFA staff.

In addition to his radio duties, Taun also presents the work and vision of GFA to churches and ministry organizations. He is an experienced speaker who shares with passion the reality of a lost world and our responsibility as God’s children to reach them. he travels throughout the United States, often with GFA President K.P. Yohannan, encouraging and challenging the Body of Christ to become personally involved in world evangelism.

Taun has also spent time in both India and Mexico and has worked alongside native missionaries in Asia.

“The commitment, love and humility I witnessed among the believers in Asia moved my heart like nothing else has before,” Taun says. “Their one goal-their single passion-is to love Jesus and preach His Gospel to those who have yet to hear of His forgiveness, love and salvation. Their simple faith, unwavering devotion to our Lord and love of His Word caused me to search my own heart-challenging my own walk with Him. It is my privilege, duty and honor to share with the Church in America what God is doing through their lives.

“I hope and pray that we in the Western Church will commit ourselves to an uncompromising walk with Christ, radically laying down our lives to win the lost in the 10/40 Window.”

We are so excited to have Taun come and share with us tomorrow, and pray that you too may be able to join us. If you do not live in or around the Buffalo Wyoming area, you can still join us either through KSLW radio broadcast of our service, or tune in right here to Preach The Word Radio & click on the “Listen Live” tab. We broadcast our entire Sunday morning service live, every Sunday morning, 10 am mountain U.S. time.

God bless, and so looking forward to another wonderful day of fellowship! Come expecting a blessing!

Pastor Pete

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Proverbs 3-4

by Pastor Pete • on 2:02 AM • in Men's Bible Study

Wisdom’s Benefits Continued

Proverbs 3:1-4:27

Again Solomon strives to convince his son that wisdom is worth pursuing. Ask God to impart His discernment and understanding to you, as well as a wise hunger for the knowledge that Proverbs offers.

1. What does God’s discipline have to do with wisdom?

2. In Hebrew, the short poem in 3:13-18 begins and ends with the same word: blessed. Why is wisdom worth more than silver, gold, and rubies?

3. Why do you think Solomon includes 3:19-20 in this discourse on wisdom?

4. What does Solomon promise to those who hold fast to wisdom (3:23-26)?

5. How would you summarize the kind of person Solomon is exhorting us to be?

6. How do the three contrasts in 3:33-35 give a strong incentive to choose the right path in life?

7. Solomon says that heeding wisdom yields a longer life (3:2; 9:11; 10:27; 14:27; 15:24). Do you think the longer life comes from God’s direct blessing, the fact that the wise avoid danger, or both?

8. Is God using any of your current circumstances to discipline you? If so, how should you respond?

9. What does it mean that God gives grace to the humble (3:34)? What is grace? What is humility?

10. What does it mean to guard your heart (4:23)? Why is it important?

Talk with God about which of the items from the list above He would like to write on your heart. Consider memorizing the relevant verses. Ask God to make you wise in this area, even if it takes discipline from Him. Jot here any thoughts about how you would like to respond to what you’ve studied.

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Proverbs 1-2

by Pastor Pete • on 12:55 AM • in Men's Bible Study

“Warnings against Rejecting Wisdom”

Proverbs 1-2

1. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (1:7) and of wisdom (9:10). Do you think knowledge and wisdom are essentially the same, or is there a distinction? Explain.

2. Would you say your lifestyle shows that you really fear God in a healthy sense? Why or why not? How can you grow in this area?

3. Accepting rebuke is a major virtue in Proverbs (3:11; 9:8, etc.). How are you at accepting rebuke?

4. How accessible is wisdom for those who really seek it (1:20-21)?

5. Observe how each of the three groups in 1:22 displays a lack of wisdom. What do they have in common?

6. How are the ways of wisdom and folly contrasted in 1:32-33?

7. Proverbs 1:33 says those who heed wisdom will “live in safety.” What about those godly Christians who suffer car accidents, violent crimes, and so on? Do these events prove 1:33 is wrong?

8. Why is it wise to pray passionately for wisdom?

9. Do you take personal responsibility for how your life will end up? (1:32-33)

10. What are the benefits of memorizing Scripture (2:1-5)?

11. How does receiving God’s wisdom affect one’s sense of personal well-being (2:10)?

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Older Entries »

Preach the Word Radio