Podcasts about gospel paul

Garth Heckman the David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com  The reason I offend you is because my whole-hearted belief in God and my actions, that are in line with his word, call out your watered-down, self-induced reasoning of why you DON'T follow his word… It is also why you don't get the results, the joy, the power and the fulfillment that I experience daily. So keep making your excuses, keep watering down his word with popular opinion and keep your lukewarm lifestyle — and stay out of my way. I'm trying to reach the world for Jesus. Does my arrogance offend you? That's because what you see as arrogance is faith that moves mountains… but I get it, it's easier for you to call me out than for you to live it out!  Im all about the Gospel… you are all about a self appeasing entitled excuse.    Gospel - Paul gives us 4 tenets of the gospel 1 Good news   2 It's simple.   3 From faith to faith to faith to faith etc…  Go NOW - Jesus sends out the disciples to preach the good news… first MK. 9 then 10 (12 and 70) Go out and preach GK - *same word as when he cast out demons   4 And for everybody   5 Power Jesus said to his disciples you will receive power when you preach the gospel that's not just power for the words and for the message that's power to be used in every area of your life!

Dr Rabbi Joshua Garroway uncovers the importance of the minor character, Melchizedek. Dr. Rabbi Joshua Garroway is the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. He holds a Ph.D. from the Religious Studies Department at Yale and ordination from HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. He is the author of, The Beginning of the Gospel: Paul, Philippi, and the Origins of Christianity. 

Sunday morning sermon by Tim Alsup. The New Testament tells us a lot about Paul's conversion to Christianity, the best-known conversion in history, and one that God used to help change the world. What happened, and what do we learn from it?

We all need to be saved from various things in our lives. In some cases, we need somebody with knowledge and skill to save us. Other times, we need someone with wisdom and prudence. Or sometimes, we need somebody with connections and influence to save us.--But sometimes, we need a savior with the power and strength to save us---What is the nature of our salvation from sin and death and hell by Christ's Gospel----Paul reminds us that the Gospel of our salvation is, that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures- that He was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures- and that He was seen alive again by numerous witnesses.--But that raises the vital question- where is the power of Christ in His dying-- Dying seems to be weak and powerless to us. How can a dead savior rescue anybody----Paul underlines this strange counter-intuitive juxtaposition of our weakness, and Christ's dying to save us, in Romans 5-6 -- when we were without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly---We were dying in our weakness, without strength, because we couldn't keep the law for our own righteousness, and therefore we could never escape the subsequent wrath of God against us.--We needed strength, we needed power, so Christ died for us in our place. The love of God for us was thereby displayed, that Christ died for poor, helpless, lost sinners.--Notice that Christ's salvation for us was His assumption of our weakness, and our sin, and our powerlessness to save ourselves. Christ swallowed it all up by dying in our place---Thus we are justified by His blood, shed for our crimes, and we are saved from wrath through Christ's dying for us.

How do we testify to the saving grace of Christ in our lives while living in a generation that largely rejects the Gospel-- Paul teaches us that cultivating the three -social graces- of longsuffering, kindness, and goodness will make a real impact. These virtues please God and effectively commend the Gospel to a sceptical audience around us.

How do we testify to the saving grace of Christ in our lives while living in a generation that largely rejects the Gospel-- Paul teaches us that cultivating the three -social graces- of longsuffering, kindness, and goodness will make a real impact. These virtues please God and effectively commend the Gospel to a sceptical audience around us.

Gal 1:11-24

2/18/24 Rev. Clint Smith Sermon Direct Link A Resurrected Christ is Fundamental to our Faith (1 Corinthians 15:12-34) At the very heart of the Gospel Paul preached, was a resurrected Christ. Since the time Christ ... Read More The post A Resurrected Christ is Fundamental to Our Faith (1 Corinthians 15:12-34) appeared first on Town Creek Baptist Church.

Summary: Join us on the Death to Life podcast as we unravel profound stories of transformation and faith. From Paul Rayne's skeptic-to-believer journey sparked by a misplaced flyer to trials in the Zambian mission field and our own leap of faith, each narrative illustrates how life's unpredictability fosters spiritual growth. Through discussions on ministry, family dynamics, and the discovery of renewed purpose, we explore the resilience of faith amidst challenges, culminating in a journey that redefines grace, freedom, and the power of transformation.View more resources on our website!Timestamps:0:00 - Transformation Through the Gospel10:55 - Rapid Engagement and Mission Field Challenges17:15 - Illegal Currency Exchange and Spiritual Transformation21:01 - Door-to-Door Sales to Moving to Montana30:33 - God's Expectations and Misconceptions About Performance40:06 - Ministry Breakup and Pursuit of Bigger Events56:04 - Transitioning to a New Ministry1:13:32 - Discovering a New Understanding of God1:25:16 - Freedom From Sin and Control1:32:09 - Misunderstandings and Redemption in ParentingKeywords: Transformation, Faith, Redemption, Skepticism, Spiritual Growth, Ministry, Challenges, Resilience, Grace, Belief Evolution

How do we live our lives pleasing to God? What are the truths we need to continually live out the gospel? Join us at our Saturday Night Service as we study the book of 1 Corinthians, with Paul De Vera ✨ Want to get connected? Chat us at these ff links: ➡️ m.me/CCFMain ➡️ m.me/BeOneWithGod ➡️ m.me/ElevateMain #CCFSNS

Magkaibang bagay ang malaman kung paano tayo iniligtas ni Hesu-Kristo, at ang paniniwalang totoo ito at hayaang baguhin nito ang ating buhay.Ano ba ang mag-uudyok sa atin na isama ang ebanghelyo sa pang araw-araw na buhay, hanggang sa wakas?Tuklasin natin ang isa sa mga pinakamatimbang na motibasyon kung paano nanatiling tapat ang mga dakilang lider ng Kristiyanismo, sa papamagitan ng kaalaman, paniniwala at pagsasabuhay ng ebanghelyo. Speaker: Bro. Paul De Vera Series: Make Your Life Count: Watch The Full Message here: https://go.ccf.org.ph/11122023Tag

by Craig Smalley

by Craig Smalley

Acts 21:1-16 | The Call of the Gospel - Paul demonstrates the call of the good news of Jesus on the believer is to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Message by Anthony Webb, Pastor Ariah Park Baptist Church

Acts 20 | The Urgency of the Gospel - Paul preaches and encourages the believers knowing it was His last opportunity with them before heading to Jerusalem. Message by Anthony Webb, Pastor Ariah Park Baptist Church

Pastor Bryan White https://hillspringtc.org/sermons

What is the True Gospel Message? Is it salvation, or is it WHY we were created? Follow along at our social outlets: https://joylandlife.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joylandlife/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5-vPe7h_wjctIQxnaUQSnQ?view_as=subscriber Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joyland-life/id1494637858 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6gCbEDE8pgrNhHlG0WM0fo?si=6fSKeO87SoGrx2BOUveHfQ&nd=1 Zoom: https://www.zoom.us/j/3377733377 Joyland App: https://tithely.app.link/joyland (You must follow this through your phone.) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joylandlife/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoylandLife Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joylandlife

Paul's Ministry at EphesusActs 19:1-7“Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.”  (Acts 2:46-47). “And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly . . .”  (Acts 6:&). “So the church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”  (Acts 9:31). “So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”  (Acts 16:5). “So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”  (Acts 19:20). WOW!!   Just about on every page of the book of Acts we see the amazing story of THE TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL even in the darkest of times.   So what did the early church as described in Acts have that the modern church today doesn't have?  Answer:  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!  God has given to us today the very same thing that He gave the early church.  As we begin our journey into this faithful and carefully written history of the early church by Doctor Luke, let's pray that God will instill a new excitement and joy for what He has done and can continue to do by His Holy Spirit through the Church of Jesus Christ today, so that the TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL  can be experienced even now in the dark days in which we live.

From Sunday 25 June 2023, Pastor Jason Clark CONTINUES A SERMON SERIES TITLED “ROMANS VOL.4-”The Power of the Gospel”:"Paul's Final Appeal" Romans 16:17-27fbcmw.orgOriginally recorded on 06/25/23 at First Baptist Church in Mount Washington, KY.

Paul's First Missionary Journey, Part 2Acts 13:14-13:41“Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.”  (Acts 2:46-47). “And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly . . .”  (Acts 6:&). “So the church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”  (Acts 9:31). “So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”  (Acts 16:5). “So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”  (Acts 19:20). WOW!!   Just about on every page of the book of Acts we see the amazing story of THE TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL even in the darkest of times.   So what did the early church as described in Acts have that the modern church today doesn't have?  Answer:  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!  God has given to us today the very same thing that He gave the early church.  As we begin our journey into this faithful and carefully written history of the early church by Doctor Luke, let's pray that God will instill a new excitement and joy for what He has done and can continue to do by His Holy Spirit through the Church of Jesus Christ today, so that the TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL  can be experienced even now in the dark days in which we live.

Nick Shalna interviews Dr. Paul Gould, author of Cultural Apologetics, on how to accurately and creatively engage a lost culture with the good news of Jesus Christ. How can we reach people where they currently are with the gospel? How do we be careful not to compromise the gospel and proclaim God's Word accurately? How does the Apostle Paul use this approach in Acts 17? Join us in discussing the way forward to reaching this generation with the gospel. Send your questions about faith and worldview to information@apologetics.org for our Q&A on Friday, March 31!Cultural Apologetics Book:https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Apologetics-Conscience-Imagination-Disenchanted/dp/0310530490/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LIC62T28E1X5&keywords=paul+gould&qid=1678996730&sprefix=paul+goul%2Caps%2C341&sr=8-1Good and True Story Book:https://www.amazon.com/Good-True-Story-Understanding-Universe/dp/1587435195/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2LIC62T28E1X5&keywords=paul+gould&qid=1678996766&sprefix=paul+goul%2Caps%2C341&sr=8-2Support the show

In an effort to bring unity, Paul speaks of his travels to Jerusalem and what the leaders there thought of his ministry (they validated it). He ends with this line: Gal 2:10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. An issue at the beginning of Galatians 2 was whether the Gospel Paul preached among Gentiles was sufficient, or whether something needed to be added to it. While the church leaders in Jerusalem agreed with Paul about the sufficiency of the Gospel, they did make a request: They asked Paul to remember the poor! WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH THAILAND INFO MEETING DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, guest and author Dr. Andrew Das and host Elizabeth Pittman examine the Biblical book of Galatians. Packed with vital issues concerning the Christian faith, the pair dive into who the Galatians were, the issues they faced, and how believers can relate to them today. Dr. Das wrote the Concordia Commentary edition on the book of Galatians, which is available on the CPH website. He also did a series on Galatians on the CPH YouTube channel that you can watch here.  Show Notes: The central issue in Galatians can be seen as a matter of identity. As the author of the letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul speaks of embodying Christ in his own life and in the lives of the Galatians. In this episode Dr. Das shares his knowledge into this prevalent theme that is present throughout Galatians and talks about how it relates to our lives as Christians living in the modern world. Dr. Das also analyzes several concepts in Paul's writing, dissects Martin Luther's commentary on Galatians, and more in this episode. Learn more about Dr. Das: http://andrewdas.net/                            Read Dr. Das's bio on cph.org: https://www.cph.org/m-124-a-andrew-das                                                            Questions CoveredWho were the Galatians? What is “the Gospel” Paul preached versus the “different gospel” to which the Galatians turned? Galatians is loaded with vital issues for the Christian faith. What particular issues plagued the church in Galatia, and are there equivalent issues plaguing the church today? Luther's commentary on the Galatians is usually considered a classic, why is that? Are we saved through faith alone (“Abraham believed … and it was credited as righteousness”) or through faith plus doing “works of the Law”? Which came first, the Law or the Gospel promise?  What does it mean for Paul and for us to say “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20)? What does Paul mean when he says “there is neither male nor female” but those baptized into Christ “are all one”? What are “the works of the flesh” and “the works of the Spirit” (Galatians 5)?  About the GuestConsidered among the leading Pauline theorists of the last century, Dr. A. Andrew Das is the Donald W. and Betty J. Buik Chair and Professor of Religious Studies at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. He teaches in biblical studies, early Christianity, and Second Temple Judaism. Dr. Das was an invited member of the Society of Biblical Literature's Paul and Scripture Seminar and has presented at the Society of Biblical Literature; the African Society of Biblical Scholars; the Chicago Society of Biblical Research; the international Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, of which he is an elected member; and the Evangelical Theological Society. He is also a member of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and serves on the Holman Christian Standard Bible revision committee. Dr. Das is a prolific writer, having authored several books and articles, including his major academic commentary on Galatians (CPH 2014). Dr. Das received his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, and did his graduate work at Yale University, Duke Universit

The Christmas Gospel - Paul Nichols - 12-25-22 by Border City Church

The Eikon team arrives at the end of Mark and explores where Mark ended his gospel and why. Did he intend a somewhat puzzling ending in verse 8 that challenges readers or a more triumphal ending in verse 20 that inspires readers?Please consider supporting this podcast: www.patreon.com/eikonpodcastJason's Favorite Reads of 2022:The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology - Kevin VanhoozerFor the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio - W.H. AudenHow to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now - James K.A. SmithOpen Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel - Thomas KeatingMy Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer - Christian WilmanMichael's Favorite Reads of 2022:What if Jesus Was Serious About the Church - Skye JethaniDear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and GraceBecoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission - Michael GormanThe Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire - Alan KreiderYou Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World - Alan Noble

This week in Acts 28 we’ll cover superstition, Malta vs Melita, how God can be said to be the author of everything, while never causing evil or sin, Bible Translations, and which Gospel Paul preached to the Jews in Rome. … Continue reading → The post Weekly Bible Study Acts 28 first appeared on Conservative Talk - The Weekly Worldview.

Scripture and Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Galatians 1.1. In today's passage, Paul is speaking against a false gospel preached by missionaries sometimes referred to as “Judaizers.” Why do you think they were called “Judaizers”? Why does Idleman call the gospel they preach a “Jesus-Plus” gospel?2. Why do you think Paul is so “astonished” at the way the Galatians are receiving the Judaizer's message? In what way is the Gospel Paul preached so much better?3. In this week's study guide, Idleman says, “By returning to the moral aspects of the Law, the Galatians were committing treason against God and the freedom they had received through faith in Jesus Christ.” What does he mean by that? Do you agree? Why/why not?4. Read Romans 8:1-4. How does that relate to today's passage?5. Idleman gives two reasons for the “Lure of Legalism” we all tend to experience now and then. Do you remember those two reasons? Do you agree with them? Which one resonates with you the most?6. Idleman tells a story of a man, with a prodigal daughter, who said, “We raised her in church but we didn't raise her in Christ.” What did he mean by that? How does that story relate to today's passage? Can you relate?7. What are “Embedded Theologies”? In what ways were the Judaizers influenced by embedded theologies? What embedded theologies do you have that might need to be rethought?8. Have you ever acted like a Judaizer? Have you ever tried to put a “Jesus- Plus” theological yoke on someone? If so, when? Why? Has anyone ever tried to do that to you?9. What has happened in Paul's life that makes his testimony about the Gospel so much more believable and powerful?Prayer for the Week:Gracious and loving God, Your grace truly is sufficient. Forgive us for the times we try to earn Your forgiveness or try to make others earn it. Protect us from the lure of legalism. Remind us that Jesus truly is enough. His life, death and resurrection are enough. Through our relationship with Him we are new creations. Through our relationship with Him we are set free. Help us to truly live in that freedom, so that our testimonies might help others do the same. We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

This is the 3rd message concerning the Gospel Paul was called and ordained of Christ to preach to the Gentiles. It is part of an ongoing verse by verse exposition of the Epistle of Galatians.

This is the 3rd message concerning the Gospel Paul was called and ordained of Christ to preach to the Gentiles. It is part of an ongoing verse by verse exposition of the Epistle of Galatians.

The John A. Widtsoe Foundation is deeply committed to elevating dialogue between members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other religious communities. This year's Church-wide study of the Old Testament presents a unique opportunity for members to better understand and learn from our Jewish neighbors, who have engaged with these scriptures for thousands of years. Each month, the Widtsoe Foundation will host a live online conversation and Q&A with a leader or scholar from the Jewish community about an upcoming topic from the Church's Come, Follow Me curriculum. . This series will serve to educate Latter-day Saints about the rich history of Jewish scriptural interpretation and application, while at the same time modeling meaningful interfaith conversations and empowering Latter-day Saints to do the same in their own communities. These events will be made available on The Widtsoe Foundation YouTube Channel and podcast soon after the live event. For this live event, we'll talk about Isaiah's message of comfort and victory (Isaiah 40-45) from a Jewish perspective with special guest Rabbi Josh Garroway, and Widtsoe Foundation Board Member Laura Redford. Dr. Rabbi Joshua Garroway is the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. He holds a Ph.D. from the Religious Studies Department at Yale and an ordination from HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. He is the author of, The Beginning of the Gospel: Paul, Philippi, and the Origins of Christianity.

Kenny Stokes | Acts | Downtown

Kenny Stokes | Acts | Downtown

Kenny Stokes | Acts | Downtown

Kenny Stokes | Acts | Downtown

Professor Rabbi Joshua Garroway discusses Balaam as the prototypical Gentile seducer. Professor Rabbi Joshua Garroway is the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. He holds a Ph.D. from the Religious Studies Department at Yale and ordination from HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. He is the author of, The Beginning of the Gospel: Paul, Philippi, and the Origins of Christianity.

Picking up in Acts 13:16, Paul gets into the meat of the Gospel.  As we saw last time, Paul preaches nothing new, but the same Gospel which the other apostles have preached all along.  And this Gospel is not rooted in any new information or in human invention; rather it is rooted in the Scriptures.  So as Paul preaches to the Jews and the God fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, he brings them to the Scriptures.  Rehearsing their own history, Paul recalls that Jesus is the fulfillment of the magnificent promises made to their forefathers centuries prior; the fulfillment of the promises made to David. He reminds them of John the Baptist, of whom this group must have heard the stories coming out of Israel.  John, the prophet who came after 400 years of silence, pointed to the one who would come, "the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie."  John pointed to Jesus, but when Jesus did come, the rulers recognized "neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him" without cause.  But God raised Him from the dead, after which He appeared to many. This is the Gospel Paul preached.  It is the Gospel to which the prophets pointed centuries before.  And it is the same Gospel which has been preached for nearly two millennia.  And so as we consider this same Gospel, may we be emboldened to preach the Gospel, turning to Scripture as the basis and foundation for our teaching. Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.  

Glory be to God! **

Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"? --as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. In verses 3:5-8 Now Paul answers the objection that his teaching speaks against the holiness and purity of God's characterObjection 3  If our unrighteousness shows the righteousness of God then isn't it unjust for God to punish our sinV-5 demonstrates the righteousness of GodIf the unrighteousness of the Jews gave occasion for God to call the Gentiles then why are the Jews so blamed and criticizedJude 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.The diamond is often laid on a black cloth to make it appear even more beautifulI speak as a man-- Paul is emphasizing the fact that this unbiblical train of thought comes from unregenerate or corrupt mindsV-6 Certainly not...If God condoned sin then He would have not right and fair way of Judging all menGenesis 18: 25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"Objection 4 If the truth of God's glory and faithfulness has increased through my lie or sin then why am I judged as a sinner…. Luke 7:47V-7 Charles Hodge --according to this reasoning, says Paul, the worse we are the better. For the more wicked we are, the more clearly will the mercy of God be seen in our pardonV-8 Unfortunately some had perverted the Gospel Paul preached. They argued that it not only provided a license to sin, but encouraged them to do so.This argument is called Antinomianism if we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, by Christ alone,  totally apart from works then why does it matter whether we live a righteous life or not. Isn't it good that we sin since God will be given even greater glory as our Savior? If you are a real Christian you will hate sin, and be angry when you and others sin. You will feel bad because you have sinned. Men will use any excuse to justify their sin1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.Exodus 34:7 "keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty,But Paul says that your sin is not justifiable in any way and God who is righteous and holy will judge itMark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  hisloveministries.podbean.com

This Sunday we continued our 'Church Alive' sermon series. We explored the story of Saul. Saul had been persecuting the church but was changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ. How did it happen? Listen to this sermon about Saul's conversion and how it illustrates the power of the gospel to change a life.

Do you know what Gospel Paul the Apostle preached? Listen in and discover the New Covenant gospel and why it is so important.

The Gospel Paul Preached - Galatians 1:11-24 | Benny Ho by Faith Community Church (Perth)

From Sunday 12 September 2021, Pastor Jason Clark continues the sermon series titled "ROMANS, The Heart of the Gospel". Today's message is “Paul's Tremendous Heart”.fbcmw.orgOriginally recorded on 09/12/21 at First Baptist Church in Mount Washington, KY.

Acts 19:23-41 (NIV) Do you think the Gospel you've heard or live out has the power to disrupt cultural and economic structures that don't honor God? Cities today are known for their architecture. Think of iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Empire State Building in New York City, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. For Ephesus, the building that would have come to mind was the enormous temple to the Goddess Artemis. People from around the region would travel here to worship at her temple seeking fertility in their crops or their business or their families. And not totally unlike we do today, people would take a miniature version of whatever it is they came to ephesus to see home with them. Metal workers across Ephesus would cash out on the sale of miniature replicas of the Goddess Artemis. But ever since this guy Paul showed up talking about the risen Jesus, fewer and fewer people seem to be interested in buying their replicas. In today's passage this causes a riot, and it brings into sharp focus the reality that following Jesus has had an impact in society from the very beginning, and it should today too. ----------REFLECT---------- 1. As you listened, and imagined yourself there, what if any emotions came up for you? 2. The cultural and economic realities of Ephesus were disrupted because people started to follow Jesus. What cultural or economic realities do you think would rightly be disrupted if people began to follow Jesus in your context? 3. The Gospel Paul preached was indeed to blame for challenging the status quo, but was preached in a way that didn't allow anyone to hold anything against them. This often isn't true of us, we're either not challenging what we say and do, or we say and do things in such a way that people rightly find fault in us. Ask Jesus to help you walk this tension out today. ----------GO DEEPER---------- Bible Project: Acts 13-28 Overview >> InterVarsity Press Selections: Acts >> ----------CONNECT---------- Find an InterVarsity Chapter >> Start an InterVarsity Chapter >> Learn More >> --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dailyread/message

Introduction Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening Amen. So turn in your Bibles to James 4, continue our study in James, incredible book, so convicting and so powerful. In April of 1734 the greatest revival of the Christian religion, arguably in church history began in a quiet hamlet in Western Massachusetts where Jonathan Edwards was pastor of a small church in Northampton. And it began in that community for that time, with a shocking event, the sudden death of a teenage boy. And Edwards spoke about that. “There happened a very sudden and awful death of a young man in the bloom of his youth who being violently seized with a pleurisy, and taken immediately very delirious died in about two days. Which together with what was preached publicly on that occasion much affected many young people." Edwards biographer, George Marston, says this, "Jonathan Edwards’ whole life had prepared him to seize this moment. Having been twice on the verge of death himself in his teenage years, he had spent much of his own youth reflecting on the folly of loving earthly pleasure when on the brink of eternity." Edwards preached the funeral sermon for that young man from the text in Psalm 90:5-6. “In the morning they are like grass which groweth up, in the morning it flourisheth and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down and withereth.” That's the text that he preached. And this poignant sermon brought many of the friends of the dead young man to tears. Edwards went on, at length, with the experiences many of them had had of walking through a field of wild flowers, which look beautiful but which soon wither. Recently I was in a beautiful mountain area in Europe and I saw these vivid purple flowers. And I wanted to bring a small bunch of them home to my wife, so I picked them and brought them to my hotel room. That evening I couldn't recognize them, I actually didn't know the color, so I threw them in the trash and my wife never knew anything about it. Sorry hun, that I didn't bring you your flowers, but they were withered within hours. And so it is these young people at this funeral had this sense of walking through a field of wildflowers and perhaps they've even picked them and had the same experience I had within hours. He then turned from that image to warn the youth of Northampton against squandering their lives in the pursuit of worthless things. This is in the funeral message. He said this, "Consider, if you should die in your youth how shocking would the thought of your having spent your youth in such a manner be to them that see it. When others stand by your bedside and see you gasping and breathing your last, or come afterward and see you laid out dead by the wall and see you put into the coffin, and behold the awful visage which death has given to you, how shocking will it be to them that think, 'This is the person that used to live so vain and frothy a life. This was he that was so lewd a companion. This is he that used to spend of his time and his leisure hours in so much frolicking.'" He then concluded this funeral sermon very sweetly. "If you have gained an interest in Christ by faith,” that means become a Christian, “if you have gained an interest in Christ, your body shall flourish again, in a glorious manner. If you should die in the flower of your days when the body is most attractive and beautiful, it will actually rise again a thousand times more attractive and beautiful. Your happiness would be far greater than that of simply being fondly remembered for a time. Your glory will last forever." Well, Edwards used this occasion to gain a foothold in the lives and hearts of the young people in Northampton, and to minister the Gospel to them deeply and widely. Over the next few weeks they would gather together in small groups to pray, and it wasn't long before many of them were savingly converted. This was the beginning of the Great Awakening. Right there in Northampton, it transformed the youth culture in that town, and it was soon spreading to many other communities around. And when he wrote about it, and it was published in England it kindled similar effects in that country and it began to cascade around the English-speaking world. I. Salvation: Rescued from Being the Master of Your Fate Invictus Now, this morning's text tells us that “our lives are a mist, a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” And therefore the wisest thing that any of us mortals can do is flee to Christ while there's time. To come to Christ for the forgiveness of our sins for eternal life. And I believe a good way to look at salvation is mirrored in the attitude of the text. It's being rescued from being the master of your own fate and the captain of your own soul. This phraseology came from a different kind of man than Jonathan Edwards. In 1894 William Ernest Henley lost his precious six-year-old daughter, Margaret. And in his grief and anger, he rather defiantly wrote a poem called “Invictus”, which means I have not been conquered. And this is what he wrote, "Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul. It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishment is the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Well, the essence of the rebellion of the human race against Almighty God is autonomy. That word literally means “self-rule.” Being the master of your own fate and the captain of your own soul. You can determine therefore what you will be and what you will not be. Where you will go, what you will do with your time, you'll decide all that for yourself, and how long you will live. So there's an essential arrogance and defiance about all that, about autonomy. One of the key ingredients to this human self-rule, this autonomy, is presuming upon tomorrow. Presuming upon tomorrow. Assuming that we will be alive tomorrow, and in the text, even a year from now, just assuming that we'll be alive. And that if we'll be alive a year from now, we get to choose to do whatever we want with our time on earth, and whatever we want in whatever city we go to. We get to make that decision. That's what autonomy is all about. We see it in our text. Saved from Autonomy Now when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ saves a sinner, He saves that sinner out of autonomy. He actually comes and takes our stiff necks and puts them under his kingly yoke, under his kingly rule. And we, by the transforming work of the Spirit, consider that the greatest thing that has ever happened to us, that we've been delivered from being masters of our own fates and captains of our own souls. We actually have repented for the kingdom of Heaven has come near, Mark 1:15, that's how Jesus began His preaching ministry, "Repent, the time has come, the Kingdom of God is near." He didn't say these words, but he could have. And at the center of the kingdom of God is God the king. So repent and believe the Gospel, believe the good news. And as he says, so sweetly in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” For many years I didn't understand what that yoke was all about until I did a biblical word study and found that when it wasn't a literal physical piece of wood, put across the necks of beasts, it was generally a metaphor for kingly rule. Again and again, kingly rule, and Jesus is saying, "Take my kingly rule upon you and learn from me. You have been serving another king, a wicked tyrant, Satan who flogs you and beats you, but I'm here to break and shatter that yoke off your shoulders and put another yoke on you.” Not no yoke, that's the lie from Satan. "You have no yoke on you, you're free." No, you're not. But you will find if you take your stiff neck, and yield to me and submit to me and put my yoke upon you, you'll find rest for your souls, and you'll find that my yoke, my kingly rule is easy, my burden is light. That's salvation. And therefore, we learn to say that God the creator, God the king, God the law giver, God the judge, he's the center issue of my life and all that matters is His will. That's it. What is the will of the Lord for me in my brief time here on Earth? The Lord then brings a serious consideration every day of the best use of our time and our energy and our money and our gifts and all of that for His glory. Be Wise and Redeem the Time Wisdom then very much consists of making a wise improvement of our time and of the opportunities that we enjoy. This is often spoken of in scripture, a great part of wisdom. Deuteronomy 32:29 “O, that they were wise that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end." Wisdom is to know where you're going, where is all this heading? Or again, Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days properly that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Or as Ephesians 5 says, "Be very careful then how you live. Not as unwise, but as wise, Redeeming the time because the days are evil, therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." It's the same concept as the text we're looking at today. So that's what this text is about. Being saved from autonomy, self-rule, being saved from being the master of your fate, the captain of your soul, and learning to be wise about the fleeting time that we have here on earth, and the centerpiece of that wisdom is learning to say, "If the Lord wills, I will live, and if the Lord wills I will do this or that." II. The Arrogance of Presuming Upon Tomorrow Prideful Assurance About What is Uncertain Okay, so let's walk through the text, let's begin with the concept, the arrogance of presuming upon tomorrow, we'll look again at the words. James 4:13-17, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we'll go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money’ while you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it sins.” Alright, so we're picturing here, perhaps a businessman a merchant who travels a bit for his trade, goes from place to place, he's used to being prosperous and he's making plans for the future. And notice his attitude about the future. “Today, or tomorrow,” it doesn't matter, they're equally sure to him. “There's plenty of time. Actually, there's a limitless resource of time.” And notice his autonomous plans, "Well go to such and such a city, this city or that city, whatever I think is best. And we're going to spend a year there, and we're going to carry on business, we're going to make a trade and we're going to make a profit, we're going to make money, that's how it's going to go." Notice that this individual goes far beyond certainty about tomorrow to certainty about a full year beyond tomorrow. The one is as certain as the other in this mindset. In all of his plans, the will of God never enters in, and think about it, he is the master of his fate, he is the captain of his soul. He will live as long as he wants to live, I guess and spend his time as he chooses. He is presuming on the future. Notice also verse 16, one translation says, "You boast and brag or you boast in your arrogance," is another translation. So there's an essential pride to all of this. The human being is pridefully forgetting about God, he is making his own plans, he forgets that his very existence is in the hand of God. We Live and Die According to God's Will Look at verse 15, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will we will live.’" Let me just pause right there and just say this is probably one of the most helpful things you can begin to say to yourself, every day. “If it is the Lord's will, I will live.” I don't think it'll do you any harm to say it multiple times a day. You don't have to say it to others. It will alarm them. Maybe they should be alarmed, I don't know, but you should be alarmed at least into “numbering your days properly that you may gain a heart of wisdom,” just say again and again, "If it's the Lord's will, I will live." This is biblical theology for Paul said in Acts 17, "In him [God] we live and move and have our being.” Colossians 1:17 says, "In him [Christ] all things hold together." The very atoms of your body are being held together by the ongoing will of Almighty God, whether you believe in him or not. As Daniel the prophet said to the wicked king of Babylon, Belshazzar, who was holding a horrible, idolatrous, drunken feast, using the holy articles taken from the Holy of Holies in the temple, in Jerusalem, and using them to toast the gods of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. And then the hand, this mysterious hand appeared, and there was what we call, “he saw the writing on the wall,” comes from Daniel 5, and Daniel came in and said to this evil king, "’You did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.’ That very night, Belshazzar the Independent died.” So the arrogant man who presumes in the future forgets this one fact. Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed to each one of us to die, and after that to face judgment.” Or again, Ecclesiastes 8:8, “No man has the power over the wind to contain it, so no one has the power over the day of his death.” It's not in your hand. You don't control it. He also forgets that God is sovereign over the things that happen on his planet. He overrules every human decision for his own purposes and his own glory. Proverbs 19-21, "Many are the plans of a man's heart but is the Lord's purpose that prevails." So whether you believe in or not, God's purpose, every day, is being worked out providentially. So this arrogant person in the text boasts about something he doesn't possess, tomorrow. And he just goes out, and he's going to do what he's going to do. Now, I think James probably had this proverb in mind, Proverbs 27:1, "Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Sounds exactly like our text, doesn't it? “Do not boast about tomorrow for you don't know what a day will bring forth.” And why is this so foolish? Well, the boasting about tomorrow shows the independence from God, forgetting the transitory nature of our lives, forgetting how dependent on God, we are for our continued existence. The Brevity of Human Life And so James says it in verse 14. “What is your life? “It is a mist [or a vapor] that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” So our time here on Earth is extremely brief. God in judging the original sinner, Adam, said, "By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your bread until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return." Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2 had a vision, a dream in which he saw a statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, legs of iron, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet partly and partly, clay. Those different metals represented different empires, four mighty empires. And then in the dream he saw all of them became like chaff on a threshing floor, and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. That's four empires, the Babylonian empire, and the Medo-Persian Empire, and the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire blown away without leaving a trace. The Book of Ecclesiastes, one of the central themes, "Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity, it's meaningless," says the teacher. “What does man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.” Ecclesiastes 1:11, “There's no remembrance of men of old, even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I've seen all the things that are done under the sun, and all of them are meaningless. They are chasing after the wind.” So as I was meditating on this, "your life is a mist, it's a vapor," I was thinking about the parable of the rich man, you remember, whose fields produced a bumper crop and he had immediate logistical problem, “Where am I going to put it all?” “He didn't know what to do. He said, “Oh, I know what I'm going to do, I'm going to tear down my barns and build bigger barns and there I'm going to store all of my grain and my goods and I'll say to my soul, ’Soul, you have plenty of good things laid up for many years, take life easy, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this very night your soul will be required of you. Then who will get all the things you have prepared for yourself?’" We ought to meditate in light of the text we're studying today on those words, “You fool, this very night your soul will be required of you [demanded of you.]” Friends, not requested, demanded of you. And when God demands your soul, you have no choice. You could be in the death throws and say, "I can't die, I was doing X." Does not matter what X is. "I had plans to do Y." Doesn't matter, when your soul is demanded you will die. And people die suddenly, all the time. They die of car accidents. Jonathan Edward's case, it was a pleurisy, a fever that came on two days later, dead, you know, it happens. The older you get, the more of those scenarios you hear about, or even are personally involved with with people we know. And so, we're aware of how individuals can go from prime health to sickness and then death very quickly. And even aside from immediate death, there is the process of aging, which comes on people faster than they think, and so, their capabilities get reduced. And then some injury or some other illness comes and then they're in physical rehab for a while and they never really quite return to that, and they never got back to their prime strength and health, and those days are quickly gone, in which we can energetically powerfully serve the Lord. So James wants us to be humbled by our transitory lives, by how brief our time here is on earth. We ought to realize every day that our life here as a mist, it is a vapor. When I drive to work in the morning, every morning, I cross a body of water, it's a reservoir near my house. And there are some mornings that the atmospheric conditions, the sun, everything, there's a thick mist that floats up and kind of hovers there over the bridge and over the lake. And you cut through it, you drive through it and then if you have the opportunity to come back even within an hour, it's gone, it's been burned off by the sun. Now, you've had that experience, and that's what James says our life is, it's a mist, it's a vapor, it's brief. And so, as Moses said, "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." We don't know how long we have. The Calendar of Our Lives Let me just give you a kind of a geeky image that stuck with me from my engineering days. Bear with me. It's one of the prices you have to pay to have me as your pastor. So, we used to have, in the engineering department I worked at, we had this big ugly calendar of the whole year. And it was given to us by a hardware supplier. It's one of the ugliest calendar's I've ever seen. I like calendars with mountains and rivers and beautiful things, but this was a 3 x 4 matrix for the 12 months. January, February, March, April, May, June, etcetera. So there are 12 months, and I remember somebody got up with a red pen and put an X through the day we just did yesterday, so we're on the next day that doesn't have a red X in it. It was kind of depressing. And you're looking at it, and the red X is just making progress through the 3 x 4 matrix. And one day in my weird sort of way, I looked at it and I said, “Suppose that calendar represented my whole life, with January 1st being the day of my birth and December 31st the day of my death, where am I?” I don't know. I know what the actuarial charts say about where I am, okay. The average lifespan of someone in my condition, I know that, but, I don't know. And I'm never satisfied, I always push it to the next level. I wonder if that represents the day I began working at this company and December 31st the day I'll stop working at this company, where am I? Or parenting, the day that they're born and the day that they grow up and leave our home. Our days are numbered friends and they're brief and they fly by. And so the Gospel lifts our eyes above this present age to eternity, and it shows us that the world to which we are going is entirely different. Our eternal life is not a mist or vapor, not at all. It's eternal. And the world to which we are going, we will be there for all eternity. If you have trusted in Christ, it will be glorious and beautiful and radiant. If you have not, it will be eternal conscious torment, that's the Bible's doctrine of Hell. Flee the wrath to come. III. What It Means to Presume Upon Tomorrow Be Wisely Prepared So, what do we mean by presuming upon tomorrow? Well, let's set up some boundaries, okay? It does not mean you shouldn't plan for anything. There's a big difference between saying, “I'm depending on, or relying on tomorrow for spiritual reasons, and I am preparing for a day, that may come, and I'm preparing wisely.” So the Scripture actually does commend that we prepare for the future. Proverbs 6:6, says, "Go to the ant you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer, or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” So I'm not arguing that you should sell all your possessions, buy a white robe, and sit on the roof of your house and wait for the second coming of Christ. Actually, in church history, some have done exactly that, and they eventually came back down and tried to buy back their things. So we are to live as though every day might be our last, but we're also supposed to prepare and store up for the future. All missions are done this way. You prepare a mission trip, you don't say to the people going with you on the mission trip, we don't know where we're going or how we're getting there, but come. We're going to get on a plane, and who knows what'll happen. That, we don't do that. We plan short-term mission trips, career missionaries plan, they prepare, they get trained and that's appropriate. That's how we live in this world. And so we do prepare for the future, but there's a difference between preparing for the future, and presuming on the future. And so, the most important thing that you can do in hearing this is, be certain that you are born again, that you have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Don't put that off to another day. Make Good Use of Today You remember Felix had the greatest evangelist in church history incarcerated with him. He was imprisoning him, and he had access to him, and he took advantage of it. So he sat with Paul, the Apostle, the one who wrote the Book of Romans. “Do you know anything about the Gospel Paul?” “I know a lot about the Gospel. Let's talk about the Gospel.” And so, He discoursed with Felix about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. And when Felix heard that, he became alarmed, and stopped him and said, "Stop. We'll talk about this at another time." Amazingly, God in His grace gave him another time, and actually many other times, maybe a year or more, maybe two. But in the end he never, as far as we know, repented and believed, and then handed Paul over to the next governor Festus and moved on. He put it off because he thought he would have more time. The Lord says to all of us, 2 Corinthians 6, “In the time of my favor, I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Then Paul says, “Behold I tell you now is the time of God's favor. Today is the day of salvation.” Or again, the author to Hebrew says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Repent and Serve God So the wisest thing you can do then is hear this Gospel message, hear of the atoning work of Christ, here that all you have to do is believe and not by works, but by faith are all your sins forgiven and flee to Christ while there's time. For us as Christians we're stronger every day by people who think just like the person in this text. You know it's true. We go to work in secular places that people are basically thinking this. “We're going to do this, we're going to do that, etcetera,” and God never enters in. We're surrounded by people without hope and without God in the world. Our task in this Raleigh, Durham area, our task is to shine the light of truth into that darkness. So, I'm giving you kind of the talking points for tomorrow at work. Find some way to talk about the brevity of life. Find some way to talk to some lost person about their life is a mist, it is a vapor. Find some way. And then for you as Christians, put your own house in order. Put your own house in order. Don’t Procrastinate Is there something God wants you to do? You know there's something God wants you to do, do it. Do it. Don't wait. Some Christian people are postponing some spiritual aspect of their life, could be a sin pattern that they plan on repenting from and turning from, but they haven't yet. Or it could be a good ministry that God, they feel, is calling them to do, but they just haven't begun it yet, and they'll get to it, they plan of it, they have to arrange some things first. So we tend to do spiritual procrastination thinking we're going to have plenty of time in the future. And so, we procrastinate from addressing sins in our lives and from beginning positive, fruitful ministries that the Lord is calling on us to do. So, if you have a pulling, a magnetic pull towards some ministry, follow it, feed it, see where it will lay, don't postpone it. And if God is convicting you, if I say to you, "Is there some sin pattern by which you are violating your conscience?" And something pops in your mind right now, the Holy Spirit is convicting you right now, I don't know what it is. Don't delay repenting from it. Put it to death now, don't wait. But deal with it now. So, positively, if God's calling on you to do a ministry, don't delay, find out about it, take steps toward it, start doing it. Negatively, if there's some sin in your life, don't delay, repent. Put it to death. IV. Application Learn the Lord’s Will Now, there's some practical things that I want to give you about this. I believe you should have a quiet time every day. You should get up and feed your soul in God's Word. And in so doing, you'll do what it says in Ephesians, “find out what the will of the Lord is,” find out what His will is. So, you should say, If the Lord wills, I will live and do this or that. Okay? So, I've already covered, If the Lord wills, I will live. So, in your quiet time, you say, “Lord, thank you that I have this day, this is the day the Lord has made, you have willed that I'd be alive, at least to this point. If you will, I will finish the day out. So I'm putting my life in your hands. It is yours.” Secondly, if the Lord wills, I will do this or that. What are your plans? It's not wrong to have plans, but have you asked God for wisdom? Have you sought His face concerning your plans? Have you passed them by for his review? Have you said like Jesus did with the greatest single act of human courage there's ever been in history, “Not my will, but yours be done”? Jesus was exactly the opposite, he was saying to his father, If the Lord wills, I will die. And it was God's will that he died. And he was willing to drink that cup for us, that's how much he said, if the Lord wills, I will live and do this or that. So we follow after Him and say, if you will, I'll live for your glory. So what do you want me to do? And then, first and foremost, the Spirit speaks through his word, he's going to tell you what the Lord's will is. Just do a word study on, it is the will of the Lord to that, so that you be sexually pure, 1 Thessalonians, “that each of you learn to control his own body in a way that's holy and honorable, not in passionate lust, like the heathen, who do not know God.” So it is God's will that you be sexually pure and holy. So you can just go down. Find out, it is God's will, it is God's will that we serve Him with all of our time and our energy. It is God's will that we ask him, “Should I go to this or that city? Should I spend a year there if you give me that time? Should I make money? And if I do make money, what should I do with it?” And so, there are some clear things that God says, it is His will, well we'll just find out what the Scripture says. But then there are some things that are pertinent to you, they're unique to your life and you don't know. “Should I leave this church and go to this city and take a job offer that I have now that I finished my graduate program, or if there's an opportunity, should I or not?” The Bible is not going to tell you directly what to do, but it does say in James 1, "If anyone lacks wisdom, he should,” what? “Ask God.” Ask God. Should I take that job? Should I marry that person? Should I go on that mission trip? Should I do this, Lord? And listen to him. “And when you ask, you should believe and not doubt that he'll speak into the quietness of your heart and lead you and guide you.” Sins of Omission Finally, the text ends with an important statement on a category of sin called sins of omission. We tend to focus on sins of commission, things that you do that you know God doesn't want you to do. You violate some law. But this says, “if anyone that knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, he sins.” So, God wants us to be lights shining in a dark place. I mentioned this a few minutes ago. He wants us to be evangelistic. But are you evangelistic? Are you sharing the Gospel with lost people? Is this a regular pattern of your life? These were his last words to the church before he ascended to Heaven. Read the end of Luke 24, you know exactly what I'm talking about. He said, share the Gospel to the ends of the earth and then He ascended. So, if you know what you ought to do and don't do it for you, it is sin. So for us, let's not procrastinate. Is there a lost person in your life, somebody that you are focused on, somebody you're seeking to lead to faith in Christ? Don't wait, share the Gospel with them, be bold and see what God will do in and through you. Friends let's make the most of the time we have here as a church. Let's make the most of the days we have left together. Let's realize they're brief, they're fleeting, and let's live for the glory of God. Preparing for the Lord’s Supper Now we have an opportunity to prepare for the Lord's Supper. Let me say something about the Lord Supper. I believe that the celebration of this ordinance is an opportunity that we as believers in Christ have to encounter the living God. I do not believe in transubstantiation? I don't believe it actually becomes the body and blood of Jesus, neither do I take a bare memorial view, like we can't expect anything here. I believe that in proportion to our faith in the Word of God, we can have an encounter with the living God, prepare your hearts for it. You've already had the opportunity to confess your sin, but be mindful of the fact of any sins that you may have in your life. If you are not yet a Christian, if you've not testified to saving faith through water Baptism, we ask that you refrain, that you refrain and just observe. But we pray that in later months that you may actually be able to partake with us. But if you are a believer and you've testified to it by water baptism, we want you to partake. So let me this close this sermon time in prayer, and then I'll ask the helpers to come and I'll read the words of institution. Let's pray. Prayer Father, thank you for the power of your word, thank you for the clarity of your word. Thank you for the insights that it gives us about the brevity of our lives. Thank you for the Gospel that saves us from eternity and not apart from you. I thank you for this church, and now, Lord, as we have the opportunity to not just having fed on God's Word by hearing it, but that we can partake in the actual elements we pray that you would be glorified and send forth your Spirit. Be with us as we celebrate now in Jesus' name. Amen.

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