Legalism…………

Today I am going to speak to you about a problem in the Church….. I call it a cancer. Some people think that this is too harsh, but as we go through todays sermon we will see that it is not.

 

The problem I am going to speak about today is LEGALISM.

 

There are so many Churches today that adhere to legalism. They say if you don’t follow their way, their rules then you are not a Christian. This my friends is WRONG.

Legalism is not a new problem. In fact, we can trace it all the way back to when our Lord Jesus walked this earth. Jesus had legalistic problems with the Scribes & the Pharisees….

As we know from the Gospels, Jesus came to earth to fulfill the law. Why? Because no person could keep the entire law. It was impossible for a normal human being.

 

Many legalistic denominations use Matthew 5:17-18 as the justification for telling people that they must follow the law. It can be a bit of a confusing passage:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

 

 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 

There are some big problems with this:

The first is the fact that Jesus DID in fact fulfill the law. By His death He fulfilled the key part of the law which was the sacrifice that had to be offered for the atonement of sins. Once He did this we no longer needed to offer a blood sacrifice for sins. The blood of Jesus,  who was and always will be the only person to ever walk this earth that did not know sin, fulfilled the law by taking the sins of the world on himself.  ONCE & FOR ALL TIME. That was it. Period.  Anyone who tells you that you still need to offer a blood sacrifice is wrong.  My friends the blood of Jesus was shed once,  I can not stress this enough. This was a one time event that has never happened since and will never happen again. Jesus Christ IS NOT  sacrificed day after day after day. To even suggest this makes the sacrifice of Jesus in vain…….

 

 
Galatians 2:21
 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Then there is the fact that many of these laws, that these legalistic Churches want you to keep were not given by God. They were made up by men. They were debated, voted on, and “passed” by a group of men who thought that they knew better than God. These same “laws” have been amended, voted out, changed, etc. over the centuries. Just as the Pharisee’s of Jesus time changed things as they saw fit, so do these legalistic Churches. In Matthews Gospel, Jesus again lets the Pharisee’s have it over this issue……

Matthew 15:9

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

BAM…….. It cant get much more plain than that. All of these rules and regulations,  everything from how to dress to how to pray that are being taught as Doctrine but they ARE NOT found in the Bible or they stem from a twisted interpretation of Scripture are nothing but commandments of men.
People will say but preacher, Jesus kept the law while He was on earth… Sorry but this is wrong as well. Jesus did not keep the law as handed down by the “spiritual” leaders of the day.  As seen in Marks Gospel, Jesus “violated” their law by healing a person on the Sabbath……

 

Mark 3:5

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And what did they do after our Lord did this?

Mark 3:6

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

Of course we know that they were not successful (because it was not yet time for our Lord to lay down His life).  The point is that the Pharisees had their rules and Jesus violated them so in their minds he needed to die.

Today in the Church, we have much the same thing. And although these legalistic denominations may no longer try to physically kill a person for not following their rules, they try and spiritually kill you by teaching that you are going to hell if you don’t line up to their rules.

 

Paul said in best in his letter to the Galatian Church…..

 

Galatians 2:18-20

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me

By believing in Christ and placing your Faith in Him, you have destroyed the curse of the law on your life. That my friends, is THE ONLY WAY to find salvation and to find peace. You must place your face in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Nothing else is required.

John 14:6

 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

Place your Faith in Jesus today. Leave the rules & regulations aside…… Follow the teachings of our Lord because as He said above, that is the only way……………

 

Dont Let Your Heart Be Troubled…….

Todays Sermon is one that I preached earlier this year regarding the state of world affairs, specifically the rumors of war. I am re-sharing today due to what is going on with Syria and all over the Middle East. I ask all of you to join me in prayer for our world, and to keep the words of our Lord in mind as we listen to the news and as events unfold…….. 

 

 

With the current state of the news and events around the world and here in the US, many people are talking and are worried about what is going on with Syria………

This morning, I would like to get into what Jesus had to say on this subject.

Right before the verses that we are going to look at, Jesus had just let the Religious leaders of the day have it right between the eyes…. Calling them hypocrites, liars, serpents & vipers.  He was done with them and told them that they would not see Him again until they said Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. This can all be found in Matthew 23.

We will pick up then right after all this in Matthew 24:

Matthew 24:1-5

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many

There have been literally hundreds of people over the past 100 years (and even before) who have claimed to be Jesus reincarnated (or the second coming of Jesus).  Of course Jesus knew that this would happen, and is warning the Disciples and us not to be deceived.  Many people have been deceived by these men, and tragically, many lives have been lost because of it. I myself met one of these people when I was very young…. His name was Jim Jones, and I am sure most people know what happened to him…..

We must follow the teachings of Jesus and do not be deceived by anyone who claims to be Jesus. My friends, when Our Lord comes to this earth again there will be no mistake. He will not come this time humble and in a manger. This time Our Lord will come in all His Glory and will take His rightful place as the King Of Kings and The Lord Of Lords.  How wonderful and glorious will that day be!!

 

But back to current events.  In verse 6, Jesus tells us:

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet

For many years there have been wars & rumors of wars. From WW1 & WW2, to Vietnam & Korea. In more recent times there is the wars in the Middle East. Now we have North Korea making threats…. But What does Jesus tell us?
see that ye be not troubled

Cant get much more plain than that. Jesus is telling us that these things, these wars and rumors of wars must come to pass. Why? Because He prophesied it in this verse and my friends JESUS CHRIST CAN NOT LIE.

 

So today as you go about your day, and you hear these things on the news or read about them online, I ask you to not worry, and to say a prayer for those who are in harms way. Our Lord will keep us in His arms. We may face trials, we may face wars, we may be persecuted, and yes a time may come when we as Christians may be called upon to give our life for our Faith….. But the hope that we have is in the promise of Our Lord in Verse 13:

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

 

God Bless you all and you are all in my prayers for Peace, even the Peace that passes all human understanding….

 

 

Pastor Brian

Labor Day, A Time To Reflect…………..

WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

 

This s a question that I always find myself asking when Labor Day weekend rolls around.  Why? Because I know that change is in the air………..

The days are getting shorter, the trees are starting their transition, and even though the days may be very warm (and sometimes downright hot), the early mornings and the late evenings have a briskness to them that has been absent for the past few months.  In short, we know that fall is on its way and will inevitably lead to winter……

 

Already in the stores Halloween and Thanksgiving merchandise in on the shelves.  The summer clothing, outdoor gear, ice chests and other  trappings of outdoor vacations are being marked down.

The Children are back in school, from the youngest pre-schooler, their faces freshly scrubbed, their eyes wide, excited and scared at the same time, their parents beaming with pride but also going through that bittersweet moment of and sadness that their baby is no longer a baby,  all the way up to the teenager starting their final year, who, like their younger counterparts also feel that mixture of excitement and fear……

Yes fall is in the air, change is coming, and this weekend, Labor Day weekend is a great time to reflect.

For some people it is a chance to have one last blast of summer, to get outdoors and camp before the weather gets too cold. For others it is a time to begin stowing away summer clothes and bringing out the things you will need for the coming fall and winter.  It is a time to bring those jackets and sweaters to the front of the closet and check them to see if they are still in good condition or if they need to be cleaned, mended or even replaced. And just as these things are checked out in preparation for your outward appearance and protection from the elements, so should you check your heart and soul.

Are there things there that need to be mended? Are there things there that need to be thrown away?

My friends, I ask you all to take a moment from whatever your plans are this weekend and do an inventory on your heart. Turn those things over to God that He has been telling you to. Dedicate (or re-dedicate) that part of your life that you have been holding back from Him. Reflect and listen to that still, small voice………………

 

God Bless you all and you are all in my prayers…..

The Love Of God Or The Love Of Wealth……..

Todays sermon is a sort one because of all the activities today. However that does not mean that it is not packed with wisdom from the Scripture.

 

In this day and age there are far too many Churches, Pastors, Evangelists and so on that seem to be very concerned with money.  Yes I know that it takes money to run a Church, I get that…… But that should never be your primary focus.

Now, for those who are not in the Ministry,  maybe you think that they are exempt from this? Sorry, but that is not the case. I also fully understand that it takes money to live, and that you have to work to provide for your family and yourself. But when the pursuit of wealth gets in the way of your service to The Lord, there is a problem.

 

So my friends, I ask you to do this in this upcoming week. Examine your heart, and look at your work. Are you working to provide or are you working to build wealth? If your focus is on building wealth, then there is a problem and you need to hit your knees.

 

I know that this short message (and the ones to follow) will not be popular with everyone, but what I will say and preach to you comes directly (as always) from The Bible, and sometimes my friends the truth can hurt……….

God Bless You All,

 

Pastor Brian

 

Proverbs 15:16
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

 

5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

 

1 Timothy 6: 6-11

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

 

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

 

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

 

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

 

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Part The Red Sea Of Your Life…..

Today I want to share with you a story from the Old Testament. It is an event that shows Gods awesome power. I am talking about the parting of the red sea. This whole ordeal is such a beautiful and raw story of fear, faith, grace, and salvation.

 

Take yourself back to that day and try to put yourself in their shoes…….

The Israelites had just been in captivity for generations. God miraculously saves them, brings them out of the desert, and they come to the red sea.

 

They are just coming down from the high of coming out of captivity when they run into a huge roadblock, The Red Sea.

 

 

Of course, the red sea is an ominous obstruction that they know they can’t cross, Then it gets even worse.

They turn around and see the Egyptians actually chasing them! The Egyptians realized they missed the Israelites and their slave labor. So Pharaoh got His armies and chased them.

 

What did the Israelites do?

 

 

With a vast ocean in front of them, and a violent army chasing behind them, they freak out..

 

Exodus 14:11-12, they start talking to Moses and what they say is not too nice……

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

Notice a pattern here? Something that (sadly) goes on even today……

 

Immediately they doubt God…….

 

 

Immediately they react in bitterness and fear towards the Leader that God has appointed to be shepherd over them…..

 

 

Notice verse 12? The Israelites were (it infers from the text) already making excuses to not follow Moses out of bandage. Yes they were slaves, but their way of thinking is that it is better to be a comfortable slave than to give up their life or live on the run……

 

 

Too many times in our lives we are just like this moment with the Israelites. A difficulty comes our way, something comes up in front of us, and we think God isn’t there. On top of that, we turn around and look at the things that the Lord has delivered us from chasing us. We were delivered from it so we thought it was gone. Yes we are free from it, but when we look back at our past, it can seem like it’s coming back for us. This is why we should NEVER look back (that is a Sermon unto itself), but far too many times we do…. So what happens?

 

We freak out.

We get terrified.

 

We forget that the Blood Of Jesus redeemed us and set us free. Even hundreds of years before Jesus walked this earth,  God told His people (through Moses)

 

Exodus 14: 13-14

 13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

 

14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Does that last verse strike anyone as peculiar? God says He will fight for us, and the only thing we are required to do is STAND STILL. Some Bible translations read be silent, which is also a very good translation and very good advice…..  The Lord doesn’t say work harder,  He doesn’t say pray harder,  He doesn’t say try harder. He says be silent. Just sit in silence, rest in His peace and above all, TRUST HIM.

And what happens when they do this? When they decide to listen to Moses (who was taking his instruction from The Lord?

 

Exodus 14:21

 21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

 

Once the children of Israel decided to trust God (through the word s of Moses), God  does what to a human is impossible. He parts the sea.

 

God  fought for them, He did it for them, He won the battle for them.

 

They pass through by faith (which by the way think how much faith it must have taken to walk on dry ground with hundreds of feet of water walls on your left and on your right).

 

It is a fact, God fights for us. When we are weak,  when we are feeble, when we feel like we cant take another step forward because of the challenges and the mountain ahead,  and we think of turning back and see our past chasing us, all we need to do is cry out to God and He will fight for us. What is impossible for us, He does for us……..

 

Today my friends, I ask you to do this. Those things in your life (and we all have them) that we are trying for, that we are fighting for, turn it over to The Lord and let Him fight for you.

 

From our text today, and many, many other places in the Bible, when we face a mountain, when we face a battle, in most cases  the only thing God  wants us to do BE STILL (silent)  and HAVE FAITH in Him…..

Freedom is in the silence, He will fight this battle for you just have FAITH…………

Matthew 17:20 (paraphrased)

For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you

 

Search your heart and your life today……..What in your life are you not letting God fight for you? When you find it (and you will), turn it over to Him. You WILL be happy with the results……….

 

Todays sermon was inspired by and some quotes in it were taken from a blog by JEFFERSON BETHKE

Lay The Law And Disision Aside……………

A mother looked out a window and saw Johnny playing church with their three kittens. He had them lined up and was preaching to them. The mother turned around to do some work.

A while later she heard meowing and scratching on the door. She went to the window and saw Johnny was BAPTIZING the kittens. She opened the window and said, “Johnny, stop that! You’ll drown those kittens.

Johnny looked at her and said with much conviction in his voice: “They shoulda had thought about that before they joined MY church.”

 

This story, although funny, shows a real problem in the Church today. Now when I say “The Church”, I am talking about the ENTIRE body of believers from every Denomination. From Catholic to Pentecostal…

And yet, even though we are all walking the same road and believe in the same Lord, we tend to forget who the Church belongs to…. Like little Johnny in our story above, we do things and tell people who come into our Church doors that they must do things because it is OUR Church and that is just how it is.  Maybe because of tradition that has been taught and handed down for generations, maybe because we have a very charismatic (in the physical sense not the denominational sense) Pastor who teaches things that way and people follow them to a fault, or for whatever reason, the fact is that many people think just like little Johnny and forget that the Church is not ours, it belongs to Jesus. The Church is HIS Bride and like any good husband or fiancé, He will not put up with another usurping HIS place……….

As I spoke about in last weeks sermon there are an estimated 30,000+ Christian Denominations active today, each one conducting their Worship services a little differently, and yet they all Worship the same God.

Here is a question; have you ever seen a person, maybe a co-worker that you do not know all that well, that has a cross on their desk or some other Christian symbol near them. You strike up a conversation and usually the first thing you ask (because you see the symbol) is “Are you a Christian?”. What answer do you get? When this has happened to me, I normally get answers such as “I am Catholic” or “I am Pentecostal, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, whatever”…… My point is that they did not answer your question. Instead of saying “Yes I am”, they instead told you what Denomination they claim.

The biggest problem facing The Church today is this sort of thing. These Denominations claiming that they are the only way. They claim that if you do not do things their way then you are not truly saved…. My friends nothing could be further from the truth.

If we turn to Pauls letter to the Ephesians, we will see that he lays it out. This is what we called in my teenage years “straight up talk”:

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians 4:2-6

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

 

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

 

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

 

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

When this Epistle was written, it was to address a newly formed, multi-cultural Church. There were some problems that were arising in this Church because new converts were separating themselves from others IN THE SAME CHURCH based on their culture.

If we look at the Church today, it is plain to see that most have forgotten or choose to ignore verses 2-3…

2- With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love

Way too many Pastors/Leaders and even members of Churches today are not practicing lowliness and meekness. Instead, we see their faces plastered on billboards, their pictures displayed as soon as you walk into the Church, and even printed material that tells you how to be a Christian (from their perspective, not from a Biblical perspective).  That is not lowliness, that is self-promotion…..

If we look at the word meekness, we will see that it is an even stronger warning to the Church. In the English language today, meekness has become something of an insult. People equate being meek with being week. But if we look at the original Greek word that was used we find a whole different meaning…

In the original Greek, the word translated as meekness is “prautes”, and its meaning is “openness to God and man.”  In the context then that Paul used it in this letter,  it implies a determined effort toward a conciliatory attitude, involving tolerance and flexibility towards our fellow man, and a readiness to accept the Word and the will of God.  So if we apply that to the Church, it means that even though we may not agree with some of the things that people do in their Worship services and we may do things differently, as long as they hold to the core belief of the Christian Faith, they are still or Brothers and Sisters in Christ and we should not be fighting with them. What is the core belief? That easy as it is probably the most quoted and memorized scripture:

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

You will notice that it does not say “whosoever believeth in him AND speaks in tongues, whosoever believeth in him AND recites the Lords Prayer, whosoever believeth in him AND takes communion each week, whosoever believeth AND ANTHYING….” No, it says WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH.

In a nutshell my friends that is the whole message. If you believe in Jesus and you accept Him as your Lord & Savior, then everything else is man-made doctrine and dogma that has nothing to do with the core message.

So instead of getting hung up on all these man made things that people try and tell you that you must do or follow, we need to get back to the basics of Scripture.

Galatians 2:18-21

 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

 

19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

 

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

 

God Bless you all and I ask today that you go in peace with a new found love for our Christian Brothers and Sisters.

 

God Bless You All

 

Pastor Brian

Having A Saul Moment, Sunday Sermon, 07/14/2013

 

At one point in my Ministry, I was heavily involved in the Christian Music Scene. This was during the infancy stage of Christian Rock and Christian Metal.  I also traveled the US & Europe with my Uncle who was at the time a CCM Artist as well. He would sing and I would preach and then we would join each other on the stage to pray for the people.

After many years I will admit that I became a bit jaded when it came to music.  Maybe it was the long hours on the road, maybe it was hearing the same songs over and over but mostly I think it was the fact that many of the artists that I was around and working with talked a good game but failed to live it out…..

Please do understand that by that last paragraph, I am not judging these artists or what is in their heart or their commitment to The Lord, because that is not (thankfully) my place, that is God’s place.  What I am saying by that last line above is that after the concert hall was empty and the roadies were busy tearing down & stowing the equipment, I witnessed many (not all but many) of these Christian artists go back to their rooms or to other places and there were parties going on that rivaled the most “notorious” secular rock/metal bands that I worked with (and for the hard partying, go-go 80’s, that is saying something).  SO yes, I was jaded, and this eventually led to me dropping music ministry and just preaching.  In the years between then & now, I have not paid a lot of attention to the CCM scene. Yes I love praise & worship music, but in my daily life my radio was always tuned to the news station….

This past weekend I drove from the San Francisco area to Santa Barbara in Southern California (a 5+ hour drive) to help with a kids fishing derby.  During this time my news station eventually faded and driving down the coast, I scanned for another to no avail.

When I a driving long distances (especially if I am alone), the radio in my car (whether it be the news station or something else) becomes little more than background noise. Something to fill the silence that is in the car. So when the station scanner landed on Christian Station KLOVE, I did not pay much attention to it. As it turned out this weekend that I was making this drive, they were re-playing an awards ceremony that they had held. As I drove, I listened to the names of bands (some familiar, most not) receive their awards.

At one point a band took the mic and introduced themselves as “For King & Country”, and they were presenting another artist called “Big Daddy Weave”. For an old guy like me, these names sounded very strange………. So I turned the radio up a bit not really expecting much (jaded remember), but what I heard shocked and humbled me and has changed me and my perception…….

You see this band “For King & Country” started talking. But instead of thanking everyone under the sun and tooting their own horn, they relayed a story. Once the audience quieted down, the first words they said were “there is a reason we do what we do”. They then went on to relate how a person that was connected with them in some way (I don’t remember how) was driving and was suddenly overcome with the urge to call a friend of theirs. This person talked to the friend and they sounded down but the other person brushed it off and hung up after a short conversation. A few moments later this same person was once again overcome by a desire to call the other back. This time they said the desire was so strong that they knew it was the Holy Spirit. So they called back and while the phone rang they prayed. When the person answered the phone they were very upset and crying and just broke down and said that they had just swallowed 70+ sleeping pills…………

The person who the Holy Spirit had told to call was able to pick up another phone and call for help while keeping their friend on the line. Paramedics arrived and their friend survived. It turns out that they had been having some difficulties that they were too embarrassed to share and had decided to end it all. Upon taking the pills though they had second thoughts and realized that it may be too late as they could not see straight enough to even dial 911. If the other friend had not followed the urging of The Holy Spirit, then things would have most likely turned out tragically.

 

Everyone was in tears by this point (including the artists who were relating the story), and it was with some difficulty that they went on to introduce the other artist “Big Daddy Weave”. Big Daddy, instead of brushing the story off and going into an awards speech,  stood up and said “wow”. He then began to sing a song called “I Am Redeemed”.

It was during Big Daddy’s song that I lost it and began to cry and that the Holy Spirit moved on me convicting me for lumping all of these Christian artists into what I had seen in the past.  I pulled the car to the side of the road and listened to the song and just Praised The Lord and asked His forgiveness for the hardness that had crept into my heart (even though I did not know it, I should have). ………….

You see, I had been judging these hard working Christian artists for a long time. Just as the Pharisee’s judged Jesus. These artists,  having what I considered to be “funny” or “unchristian” names, had put me right next to those high & mighty “religious” men who condemned our Lord to die….

Having been subject to the judgmental actions of other Ministers many times throughout my Ministry,  I should have known better, I should have recognized the signs, but a hardness in my heart towards Christian music (due to what I had seen) blinded me…..

At that moment , sitting on the side of California’s beautiful Pacific Coast Highway (PCH-Highway 1/101), I felt  a bit like Saul. Yes the Saul who was jaded,  the Saul who was the top persecutor of Christians, but also the Saul who, after having a personal experience with the Risen Jesus,  was blinded so that the changes in his heart could be completed and he would become Paul and end up writing 2/3 of the New Testament that I have been preaching out of for years…….

Praise God, He always gives us another chance!!

 

 

So today my friends, I ask you to search your own hearts. If there is bitterness or judgment there, let it go. Have a Saul moment. You will be better off for doing so…. I know I am……

 

I am also sharing 2 of the songs that I have talked about in this sermon. I hope and pray that they bless you as they did me!!!

God Bless You All!!!

Pastor Brian

 

“Big Daddy Weave- I Am Redeemed”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSyLqbP8Z4I

 

“For King & Country- Busted Heart (Hold Onto Me)”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJvL9rHCpys

Fathers Day………..

Today is FATHERS’ DAY. I want to speak to you about a man – a FATHER – who is very often overlooked, I think. In some quarters he is overshadowed by the prominence given to his wife. I’m talking about JOSEPH, the husband of Mary and the adopted father of Jesus.

 

There was a film in the early 80’s called “Who Will Love My Children”. It tells the story of a young family with 10 children and the mother finds out she is dying and sets off to find parents for her children thinking that the father could not care for them all without help…

Just like that woman who loved her children so much that she wanted to personally choose parents for them, and not leave it to chance, Our Father in Heaven also  went looking for parents to raise His beloved, only-begotten Son. He searched the earth, and He found a young girl – a teenager engaged to be married – of whom the Bible says:  “found favour with God”. She was a choice young lady. A God-fearing young lady. But our Father in Heaven, who loves us so much knew that His only Son would need a Father. A protector and provider for this young girl who was to bear the savior of the world.  Of course, Jesus  was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Ghost – a miracle took place so there was no need for a  man to be involved in the conception. But a man WAS still needed to fill the role of father in Jesus’ childhood.

Now I do not want this Sermon to turn into a debate on single parents, dead beat dads, etc. That is an entirely different topic, and if that is the way that God has seen fit in His wisdom for your situation to be (whether temporary or permanent) then He will guide you and give you what you need.

 

Back to Joseph…..

 

So, Joseph was chosen. And just as God had looked for a godly young woman to bring forth the child, so He looked for a godly man to be the father. And what an inspiring model of fatherhood Joseph was. God made a good choice! (He is a WISE God.) Let’s look together, for a few minutes, at some things the Bible tells us about this man Joseph.

Firstly, would you note with me that he was:

 

 

1. A LOVING MAN.

 

The Scriptures draw the picture for us of a wonderfully caring and affectionate man. And we can see this, firstly, in his relationship toward Mary.

a.) TOWARD MARY.

 

Look at MATTHEW 1:19 for example.  Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant. He hasn’t had any great revelation yet. What is he to think? What would YOU think guys? You’ve fallen in love with this pretty young girl. You do all the right things. You pursue her in the proper customary way. In stolen moments you’ve talked with her about dreams for a future together. A cottage with a white picket fence. A family. A business. And then out of the blue you learn that this sweet girl (you thought you knew so well) is pregnant. NEWLY pregnant. And you don’t know who the father is – but there is one person you know you can rule out! How does it make you feel? Angry? Betrayed?

The penalty for adultery in the Old Testament was death by stoning. And this penalty applied to infidelity during betrothal as well as marriage. Now by New Testament times things had changed somewhat, but the matter was still treated as a grave offence. Upon discovery that Mary was pregnant, Joseph would have been obliged to divorce her (DIVORCE WAS REQUIRED TO BREAK OFF A BETROTHAL ENGAGEMENT), and this would expose Mary to public shame and humiliation.

 

BUT, even before God spoke to Joseph – Joseph didn’t have any vengeance or bitterness in his heart. The Bible says: he “was minded to put her away secretly”. (There were ways in which a divorce could be enacted very quietly, without the involvement of a judge, and Joseph was already considering the best way to do this.

 

Joseph was kind. He LOVED Mary. Forget the MILLS AND BOON” romance novels – this here is a fair-dinkum love story. It’s based on a real commitment. And husbands, the Bible says to US today that WE must love our wives with all that we have. [READ: Ephesians 5:25.] NB – the example is that we must love our wives sacrificially, even as Christ loved the church and lay down His life for it.

 

Joseph was a loving man toward Mary.

 

But we also see that Joseph was a loving man in his relationship toward Jesus

When the child came along – the child he had not conceived – there was no attitude in Joseph that “THIS BOY ISN’T MY FLESH AND BLOOD”. There was no resentment or indifference toward Him; no lack of love at all. JOSEPH ADOPTED JESUS AS HIS OWN. He protected Him from the hatred of Herod. He nurtured Him and cared for Him. Evidently he taught Jesus his own trade of carpentry. HE ADOPTED THE ONE THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD WOULD REJECT.

TODAY, by contrast, we see men who are prepared to abdicate their role even toward their own children. Men are opting out of the father role because of it’s costs. Do you know what the Bible says? [1 TIMOTHY 5:8]: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever!”

SECONDLY: Joseph was . . .

. A DEVOUT MAN.

 

a.) He was a man who OBEYED God.

 

He explicitly followed the Lord’s leading and direction. He didn’t follow his own marked-out plan for life – he wanted God’s plan for his life. So when God spoke to him in a dream and told him to marry Mary (even though she was pregnant) HE OBEYED.

 

Then when God spoke and said: “Take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt for safety” – he immediately obeyed. He closed up his business and left.

 

Then when God said: “It’s O.K. now, head back to Israel”. again he did as he was directed. He was a man of obedience

He was a man of FAITH.

 

It takes FAITH to pack your bags and head off to a foreign country with no prospects and no planning; simply on the basis that God said so. He had faith and obeyed the dream. He could have made excuses to stay where the prospects looked good, but NO – he was a man of faith.

JOSEPH WAS A WISE MAN.

 

Now listen to me carefully here. Joseph was wise because he lived as one who REDEEMED THE TIME.

 

By all accounts it seems that Joseph had a SHORTENED LIFE. We don’t read of him after Jesus’ childhood, and at the Cross Jesus charged John with the care of His mother – so it seems that Joseph was taken from them prematurely. But JOSEPH HAD USED WHAT TIME HE HAD BEEN GIVEN HONOURABLE – WISELY! He had provided for his family. He has set an example for them that they would remember. He had raised them in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.

 

Jesus was not the only child he had; he raised other boys for the Lord also, and possibly daughters as well. He had other sons – TWO OF THEM (at least) WERE GREATLY USED BY GOD. They wrote books of the Bible (James and Jude). James was leader of the church in Jerusalem.

 

Joseph raised his children in the ways of the Lord, and He left behind him a legacy after his lifetime.

 

So to you fathers here today I say this in closing. MAN UP, follow after our Heavenly Father, and TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS……………

 

(This sermon was inspired by a sermon written by Rev. Phil Morgan)

Ill Lead You Home……….

Sunday audio Sermon.

Please keep in mind that these sermons were recorded and originally broadcast in 2011 (that is why you will hear my mention October). The message however is still a good one.

 

We are currently working on some new audio and video sermons to share.
Also please feel free to take advantage of the FREE download of this (and any other) Sermon at the link below. You can save it onto your computer and listen to it anytime you want.

God Bless you all!!!!

Pastor Brian

http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/apps/podcast/podcast/158274

Shepherd Boy or King?

Todays sermon is another audio sermon. This time we look at the 23rd Psalms.

 

Written by King David this text is one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible. Written by King David, who as we know was a shepherd boy who was not thought to be worthy to even be brought before the Prophet Samuel. And yet when he was, God chose him as king.

This type of thing continues to this day….. There are people out there who dismiss and criticize other Christians and other Ministers because they dont belong to a particular Church or dont look or act they way that a set of man made rules say they should….

To all my friends, and fellow Minister/Clerics I say this; remember the story of David, because when others may see you as a shepherd, God may see a King…………

Pastor Brian

http://pacificlifechurch.webs.com/apps/podcast/podcast/160997