ROM-147-151108 - length: 55:39 - taught on Nov, 8 2015
Class Outline:
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
a Christian Church
Rory Clark
Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a worldwide Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.
You’ve probably heard the song THE WAY WE WERE at some time in your life…usually sung by Barbara Streisand…the opening lyrics are these…
THE WAY WE WERE
Memories…light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were…
Today we celebrate the Lord’s Supper…a remembrance meal. We eat, by breaking bread; we drink, by tasting the fruit if the vine…and we remember the way we were.
How were we? We were innocent. At least that’s the lie we tell ourselves. We like to think that at one time in our lives we were innocent. The truth is we were selfish. There are probably no two more selfish groups of people than babies and old people. We come into the world as babies, and no matter how cute we are, our parents know a certain truth very quickly…you can tell they are learning the lesson from the bags under their eyes and the deep irritation that is just under the surface of every interaction with them…that babies are completely self absorbed. What are babies all about? My toes. My fingers. Me. Change me. Feed me. Wake up and be with me. Hold me. Complete self absorption. And as much as parents want to avoid the truth, they now the truth. They have to love a very selfish being unconditionally, and it’s a twenty one year sentence, and they have to pay for the privilege.
So it is with God. At a fundamental level, the Lord Jesus Christ went to the
Cross to solve two problems that we are unable to solve…the problem of self, and the problem of the need for forgiveness. In the Garden of Eden, we see the illustration. First, God gives the man clear instruction…Genesis, Chapter 2, Verses 16 and 17…
The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely…”
“…but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
God provided everything, including one tree to illustrate the need for obedience. The creature was asked to obey His Creator. In Genesis, Chapter 3, Verses 6 to 10 we find the result of the admonition…
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Self. From perfection to disobedient, naked, afraid, hiding, covering self. Man’s two basic problems in full view after one selfish act…Addiction to Self and the need for forgiveness…a complicated mess for all mankind.
The Cross was the simple answer to both problems. The Lord Jesus Christ was the solution.
…and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the Cross, so that we might die to the sovereignty of sin and so that we might live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Healed from self. Healed from the need for forgiveness.
Welcome to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper…a time when we remember the way we were, and what the Lord Jesus Christ did about it.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION
Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US
Phillips, Craig and Dean
The opening song is HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US
sung by Phillips, Craig and Dean.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute truth...the Word of God…
Thank you for giving…in this season of thanks and in this season of giving we look to the ultimate gift that You gave us, sending Your Son in the likeness of sinful flesh so that we could die to self and live to righteousness…so that we could be forgiven for our willful disobedience which we experience multiple times on a daily basis…so that we might know that You have loved us unconditionally when we were at our worst, and that You keep on loving us unconditionally every moment.
Light the corners of our minds today with loving memories of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and help us to adopt His spirit of giving as a regular part of our everyday life…show us the opportunities to reflect His goodness by loving others around us unconditionally.
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
To Jesus, the Cross is All About You
How many times have you heard the opposite said? How many times have you heard someone say, “It’s not about you!” Well it’s important that you know that the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t feel that way. To the Lord, the Cross is all about you.
Every day is another day of getting out of bed and slipping into the façade of self. What do people think of me? How well am I doing compared to the Joneses? What did so and so do to me? How did so and so make me feel? What do I want? What kind of car am I driving? What kind of house do I have? How much money do I make? I. I. I. We are addicted to SELF. At the center of us, indwelling our bodies, in “the flesh” is the same self interest that Adam and Eve demonstrated in the garden. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 1 to 6…
But realize this, that in the last days (in every generation) difficult times will come.
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…
…unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good…
…treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…
…holding to a superficial form of godliness (religion), although they have even denied its power; avoid such men as these.
Self. Addiction to self. At the root of all evil is addiction to self. Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 5 to 8…
For those who are walking ACCORDING TO THE FLESH set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who walking ARE ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
For the MIND SET ON THE FLESH is death, but the MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT is life and peace…
…because the MIND SET ON THE FLESH is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so…
…and those who are IN THE FLESH cannot please God.
Isaiah, Chapter 53, Verse 6a…
All of us like sheep have gone astray…each of us has turned to his own way…
Self. Addiction to self. At the root of all evil is addiction to self. Unfortunately for us there is no way out of the predicament. We can’t save ourselves from ourselves. Thanks be to God that we don’t have to…Isaiah, Chapter 53, Verse 6b…
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
The Cross made it possible for us to shift from SELF to OTHERS. Because at the Cross the Lord Jesus Christ showed us the power of giving. Let’s take a moment for the offering. Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
OFFERING
FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE
Dave McClure, Instrumental
Thank you for your generosity. Let’s enjoy the elements, and then we’ll move on to discover the solution that the Cross provided for our selfishness.
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
Enjoying the Elements
Let’s enjoy the Lord’s Supper elements…
Following God’s request, we keep on celebrating CHRIST and His Cross on a regular basis…we eat to remember who He is…His PERSON…we drink to remember His WORK, the voluntary sacrifice He made at the Cross on our behalf as our substitute…and we are grateful for what God has done for us. First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 23 and 24 say…
For I, Paul received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus Christ on the night in which He was betrayed took bread…
…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is, and keeps
on being My body, which is broken for you; keep on doing this celebration
for the purpose of remembering Me.”
When we eat the bread during the Lord’s Supper Celebration, we remember THE PERSON of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we drink the cup, we remember THE WORK of the Lord Jesus Christ. First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 25 and 26 say…
In the same way the Lord Jesus Christ took the cup after supper, representing His death on the Cross, saying, “This cup is a new testament forged with My blood; keep on doing this celebration, as often as you drink it, for the purpose of remembering Me.”
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
As you enjoy the bread and the cup, enjoy the memory of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as well. Now and always, as the Lord’s Supper song reminds us to keep on giving thanks.
LORD’S SUPPER SONG
Give Thanks
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
To Jesus, the Cross is All About You
It takes along time to realize that selfishness doesn’t work. Some people never do. But for the one who do, these are the ones that realize that the Lord Jesus Christ and His Cross are the only answers for selfishness…
For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
The answer to selfishness is submission. We are to forget self and let God the Holy Spirit use us. Galatians, Chapter 2, Verse 20…
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
GAL 2:20 (a different translation)
The “I” life has been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer the “I” life that lives, but Christ lives indwelling me; and the life which I now live in the flesh (this body of corruption) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me unconditionally and who gave Himself up for me.
Christ and His Cross settled the SELF problem once and for all.
The greatest gift you can give the world is the gift of Christ and His Cross. There will be ample opportunities in the next forty-five days for you to invite others out of the self life. Let’s take a look at how the Lord Jesus Christ made this invitation when He was on the earth. John, Chapter 3, beginning at Verse 1…
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews…
Nicodemus was a Pharisee…a religious leader who had been studying Scripture for over twenty years…he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. He was one of the top one hundred most respected men in Israel.
…this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
Nicodemus was wrong. The Lord Jesus Christ did not come FROM God…the Lord Jesus Christ IS God…a fact that Nicodemus could have and should have easily known as student of Scripture…and the signs that Jesus was performing were the dead giveaway that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah whom the Jews were eagerly awaiting. Jesus ignores the slight and gets right to the point.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again (from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The natural man does not understand the things of God the Holy Spirit. The tension rose in the interaction. Nicodemus was uncomfortable with his own ignorance, and had no choice but to attempt to deflect the conversation with humor.
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of the water of the Word and the baptism of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
“That which is born of the flesh (mortal) is flesh (mortal), and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (immortal).”
Imagine thinking one way for your whole life, and then having someone come along and tell you that the way you’re thinking is 180 degree off point. BAM! Nicodemus’ jaw dropped.
“Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”
“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This is the idea of control…man does not control the wind…nor does man control salvation. To think you can save yourself is idiocy. Nicodemus had such thoughts. He though his self-righteous following of the Mosaic Law, as inadequate as he was at following it, would save him. Finally, Nicodemus’ jaw dropping astonishment comes to his mouth…
Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can these things be?”
The Lord couldn't resist the sanctified sarcasm…
Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?”
Nicodemus clearly did not understand these things. He, like the other Jews who had rejected Christ, had completely ignored the Lord’s witnessing.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.”
“If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”
At a most basic level, Nicodemus did not understand how to be saved. He certainly could not be taught more complex matter so f spirituality.
“No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.”
No man has ever gone to heaven and then come back to tell people about the things he has seen…except Christ. Christ originated from heaven and is telling the truth about heavenly things. Now a visit right onto Nicodemus’ turf…the Old testament. He should clearly understand this analogy…
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up…”
“…so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”
“For God the Father so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten (uniquely born) Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
“For God the Father did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Nicodemus became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He abandoned the SELF life and took on the life which Christ provides through salvation.
The SELF life is a life of death…Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 12 and 13…
So then, brethren, we believers in Christ are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to guidance from the flesh—
…for if you are living according to guidance from the flesh, you must die; but if you are living by the agency of God the Holy Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, and you will live the resurrection life.
As a result of the Cross, when we accept a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we die to the addiction of self…we are forgiven, once and for all time, and we are free to become vessels for the use of our God…and when we look back to the Cross, we see the ultimate example of usefulness…the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When the Lord Jesus Christ
Promises Salvation, It’s a Guarantee!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel message, for the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
My soul waits in silence for the Lord only; from Him is my salvation.
‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.’
The Lord Jesus Christ is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but is patient toward you (all mankind), not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (a change of mind about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
CLOSING SONG
WHEN I SAY I LOVE YOU
June Murphy
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
THANKS- INTERCESSION- PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are an accurate reflection of You…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit, in Christ’s name, Amen.
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
www.barahministries.com
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