SPEC-69-230122 - length: 87:40 - taught on Jan, 22 2023
Class Outline:
Are you comparing apples to Apples?
If you’re in the resident congregation turn off your electronic devices and put them away. Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!
People often ask me why I ask the same questions at the beginning of every lesson. The questions are…
Who is Jesus Christ?
Why does Barah Ministries exist?
Why do Christians study the Word of God?
Who is God’s enemy?
Quite often, people either tune out or fast forward through these questions because intellectually, they know the answers. But when the questions are asked live to believers in Christ, they can’t seem to get the answers to their mouths, or worse, they can't cite verses to answer the questions. The apostle Peter has sound advice in Second Peter, Chapter 1, Verse 12…
…I (Peter) will always be ready to remind you of these things (biblical truths)… even though you already know them…and even though you have been established in the truth which is resident in you.
Christians don’t get bored with the Word of God. Never tire of these questions, and never tire of learning the different ways the Bible answers these questions. Join me in never being bothered by repetition.
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
At Barah Ministries we know this truth…JESUS CHRIST IS GOD. We worship the one and ONLY true God. He is the Lord…God the Son…as it is written in John, Chapter 1, Verse 1…
JOHN 1:1
In the beginning (not really a beginning) was the Word (ho logos…God the Son…the Lord) … and the Word was with God the Father…and the Word was God (the Lord is Deity).
The Lord…God the Son…is the Creator of the heavens and the earth…as it is written in John, Chapter 1, Verse 3…
JOHN 1:3
All things came into being through Him (ho logos…the Word…the Lord…God the Son) … and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being.
The Lord took on the form of a human being to save us from our sins and to repair the broken relationship with God that was caused by Adam’s sin…as it is written in John, Chapter 1, Verse 14…
JOHN 1:14
And the Word (ho logos…the Word…the Lord…God the Son) became flesh
(entering a new mode of existence…true humanity…as Jesus…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah) … and He lived in a physical body among us…and we (the apostles and the writer John) saw His glory (with our own eyes) … glory as of the uniquely born one from the source of God the Father…full of grace and full of truth.
WHY DOES BARAH MINISTRIES EXIST?
This ministry is provided by God for your benefit to give you a sanctuary…a refuge in which to learn. At Barah Ministries we teach the Word from God's perspective and not from the human perspective, which is flawed. In Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verse 9 the Lord is clear…
ISAIAH 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth…so are My ways higher than your ways…and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
God does not think like us. How would you explain having unconditional love for a person like Adolf Hitler? You can’t! Because NONE OF US love him. But God does…even to this day. God is not like us and we can’t reduce Him to our level.
WHY DO CHRISTIANS STUDY THE WORD OF GOD?
We get to know the Lord Jesus Christ by studying the Bible which is His EXACT thinking revealed…and we develop our relationship with the Lord as we get to know His mind. The Lord says the Bible is NOT just a book, so studying it is a supernatural experience…Second Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 20 and 21 say…
SECOND PETER 1:20
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of any person’s own private interpretation…
SECOND PETER 1:21
…for no prophecy of Scripture was ever made by an act of human will…but men directed from the Source…God the Holy Spirit (the One who leads us into all the truth) … spoke directly from the exact thinking of THE God...the Lord Jesus Christ.
We study the Word of God to get our next dose of divine viewpoint. The Lord provides supernatural answers to our human problems. Study demands your focus and your concentration.
WHO IS GOD’S ENEMY?
God has an enemy, Satan, whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’ In John,
Chapter 16, Verse 11, the Lord says…
JOHN 16:11
…concerning judgment…the ruler of this world (Satan)…already has been judged.
Satan is a very real creature, and his fate is sealed. He and his fallen angels were sentenced to the Lake of Fire in eternity past, and their appeal, accusing God of being unloving and unfair, will be struck down in the Supreme Court of Heaven at a future time. Satan is powerless against God…thus He is powerless against us.
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Why do many Christians operate like unbelievers? It’s because they have abandoned the power of Christianity to settle for perversions of Christianity. In today’s lesson, we’ll get insights on how to reside in the sphere of our victorious, simple, and pure Christian life.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
God’s relationship with you is deep, intimate, and personal. Every hair on your head is numbered. He knows you better than you know yourself. Here’s Francesca Battistelli with a reminder…the Lord even knows your name!
Singing the Lord’s Praises
HE KNOWS MY NAME
Francesca Battistelli
Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, thank you for opening our spiritual eyes as we learn…thank you for the power that Christianity provides when we rest in its provisions powered by God the Holy Spirit instead of relying on self-will and human ideas of what constitutes Christianity…thank you for giving us spiritual ears to hear Your truth…thank you for teaching us how not to make additions to and subtractions from the perfection of the Christian Way of Living that You offer us…thank you for sending Your Son as our Lord, our ruler, our reconciler, and our redeemer…
Keep us free from distractions as Your Word gives us the strength, joy, and peace we experience when we realize that You love us unconditionally, that you forgive us totally, and that you are gracious toward us as we learn from our mistakes. Help us to enjoy being in union with You, Father, and with the other members of the
Godhead…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
Today's lesson asks you a simple question…and as Christians, we must be able to answer the question… "What is Christianity?"
Christianity is NOT a religion as God’s enemy, Satan, would have you believe… Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What is a relationship?
RELATIONSHIP
A state of being connected…as in marriage…an implied closeness powered by mutual respect, supportiveness, commitment, and fulfillment.
At the moment of our salvation, God the Holy Spirit places the new Christian into a relationship with Christ which the Bible describes as “union with Christ”… we are IN CHRIST…we are married to Christ…Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse
17…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:17
…if anyone is IN union with CHRIST…and all believers in Christ are…there is a new creation…
Christianity is a relationship. At the moment of salvation, God changes our status…from being out of a relationship with Him to being in a relationship with Him…a relationship we cannot exit. We are Christians, chosen to serve the Sovereign God of the Universe.
Christianity…a gift from God to Christians…is like this apple.
It’s perfect. It needs no additions. It needs no subtractions. For believers in Christ, Christianity is your possession. Just as an apple can be held in your hand…just as you know when you buy an apple it is yours alone…so can
Christianity be grasped and held as a gift from God to you. It’s something you can use to guide your life. Second Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 3 says…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 11:3
But I (Paul) am afraid…that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness… your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Christianity is simple. It’s devotion to CHRIST…it’s devotion to the WORD OF GOD which is described as “the mind of Christ”… and it is personal…custom made for YOU…the Christian. Christianity is deep, it is intimate, and it is personal.
What does Christianity require of the Christian? The Lord made the simplicity of Christianity clear in Mark, Chapter 12, Verses 28 to 31…
MARK 12:28
One of the scribes came and heard the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees arguing, and recognizing that Jesus had answered their arguments well, asked Jesus, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
MARK 12:29
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord (He is unique…100% God and 100% human…with the two natures combined into one person forever)…”
MARK 12:30
“…and it is a command from God that you shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart…and with ALL your soul…and with ALL your mind…and with ALL your strength.’”
MARK 12:31
“The second commandment is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor unconditionally as you love yourself...unconditionally.’ There are no other commandments greater than these.”
The requirement for being a Christian is simple…ALL IN. Christianity is simple and it’s pure because it is powered by God and truth. Christianity is very much like the navigation app in our smartphones…it has a destination…heaven…and it guides us through a series of maneuvers to ensure that we get to the destination. Fortunately for us Christians, God the Holy Spirit is responsible for getting us to the destination, and He doesn’t make wrong turns as we might.
As Christians…we can relax knowing that God will get us where He wants us to go…and where He wants us to go is detailed in Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 29…
ROMANS 8:29
For those whom God the Father foreknew (all believers in Christ) … He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) …with the result that the Lord would be the firstborn among many brethren...
As Christians, we don’t have to be sucked in by the false hope that we can make ourselves “Christ-like.” We are perfect in God’s eyes from the moment of salvation because at salvation He gave us His righteousness. Manufacturing some false human version of being “Christ-like” is not on focus. If you commit personal sins, you are NOT Christ-like. As Christians, we can count on it that we will keep on sinning right up to the moment of our physical death.
So Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship. God wants us to nurture the relationship with Him, with others, and with ourselves. He wants Christians to reflect His unconditional love, His forgiveness, and His grace to a lost and dying world. How well are you living this standard in your relationship with Him, with others, and especially with yourself?
NOBODY
Casting Crowns
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
I asked a friend if he thought Jesus ever thought about money. He said, “NO!” I completely agree. What the Lord thought about most was giving. As you think about giving, let your attitude reflect the Lord’s attitude as communicated in Acts, Chapter 20, Verse 35…
ACTS 20:35b
“…remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Since you benefit from the Lord’s work in these Bible lessons, it makes sense to contribute to the workers who produce them. Give generously.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
LUKE 6:38
"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure— pressed down…shaken together…and running over. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return."
THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
Instrumental Version
Most Christians are living a perversion of Christianity instead of real Christianity. What does it mean to pervert? It means…
PERVERT
To alter something from its original form to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended.
What happens when you add gasoline to a pound cake recipe instead of water? It is PERVERTED. What happens when you take something out of a pound cake recipe…like flour? It is PERVERTED. The additions and subtractions change the original thing into something else.
That’s what most Christians do to the perfection of Christianity. They add to it. They subtract from it. This is expected from unbelievers. This is not the lifestyle
of the believer in Christ. When believers embrace a COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY, they live PERVERSION.
Satan offers Christians two perverted lifestyles…LEGALISM and LASCIVIOUSNESS. God’s enemy uses these lifestyle offers to PERVERT Christ, to PERVERTS the WORD of GOD, and to PERVERTS you.
What is LEGALISM?
LEGALISM
Adding to the perfection that is Christianity with an overfocus on the rules… turning Christianity into a perversion of self-righteous superiority and into a series of steps we could never follow successfully.
LEGALISM is self-righteousness, and self-righteousness is condescending.
Legalism is like a caramel apple…
False teachers with their false teaching proclaim that Christianity is good, but it could be so much better if things were added to it. As we study Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’ll see false teachers assail the simplicity and purity of Christianity with additions that pervert perfection.
Matthew, Chapter 15, Verses 1 to 3 highlights the legalistic approach to life. Selfrighteous legalists "look down their noses" at others.
MATTHEW 15:1
Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said…
MATTHEW 15:2
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
MATTHEW 15:3
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”
In other words, why don’t you look at yourselves? In Matthew, Chapter 15, Verses 7 to 9, Jesus says…
MATTHEW 15:7
“You hypocrites (you actors talking from behind a mask) … rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you…”
MATTHEW 15:8
“‘This people honors Me with their lips…but their heart is far away from Me.”
MATTHEW 15:9
“‘But in vain do they worship Me…teaching as truth the precepts of men.’”
Those who engage in LEGALISM add to the supernatural power of Christianity… but perfection needs no additions. Additions to Christianity are for superiority… it’s the idea that “I’m better than you” if you don’t live up to my standards. Many Christians think they are better than others. Evidently, they don’t own mirrors. These Christians see and point out the flaws in others while conveniently ignoring the flaws in themselves. LEGALISM is NOT Christianity. It's poison.
Paul dealt with LEGALISM in a group of churches he founded in modern-day
Turkey…a region called Galatia. Let’s hear what Paul has to say in Galatians, Chapter 1, Verses 6 to 10…
GALATIANS 1:6
I am absolutely astounded that you believers in Christ are so quickly deserting God the Father who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different (false) gospel…
GALATIANS 1:7
…which is really not another gospel at all…only there are some (false teachers…the Judaizers) who are disturbing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
To pervert Christianity is to desert God’s Person and His work!
GALATIANS 1:8
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
GALATIANS 1:9
As we have said before, so I say again now, if any false teacher is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, and some are, he is to be accursed!
GALATIANS 1:10
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or am I seeking the favor of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond slave of Christ.
The second lifestyle offer from Satan is called LASCIVIOUSNESS. What is
LASCIVIOUSNESS?
LASCIVIOUSNESS
Subtracting from the perfection of Christianity with rebellion against the perfection of God’s commands…it involves taking out the things in Christianity you don’t agree with or ignoring the things in Christianity you don’t like… it’s disobedience to the Word of God…it’s an insatiable lust for all things sinful.
LASCIVIOUSNESS is like an apple with parts discarded or eaten away.
LASCIVIOUSNESS is the SELF-LIFE…a life of REBELLION toward God. This way of being is not Christianity…it's a formula for misery. From unbelievers this conduct is understandable. For believers in Christ, this kind of conduct is an abomination.
False teachers with their false teaching proclaim that Christianity is good, but it could be so much better if a few “out of date” things were removed from it. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verses 1 to 5 highlight what perversion looks like when “anything goes” … when it’s eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:1
But realize this… in EVERY generation…hard to deal with and savage times will come.
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:2
For men will be lovers of themselves…lovers of money which is covetousness… boastful…arrogant…revilers who use mean and bitter words…disobedient to parents, turning away from God to attack family members…ungrateful…unholy…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:3
…unloving…irreconcilable…malicious gossips (slanderers)…without self-control (untamed…as we see in children today) … brutal…haters of good who despise what is right and embrace what is wrong…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:4
…treacherous traitors who betray others… reckless…conceited, puffed up with self-importance…lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God…
SECOND TIMOTHY 3:5
…holding to a superficial form of Christianity (an outward form of phony religiosity) … while denying supernatural, divine power and replacing it with mediocre human power…turn away from such men as these.
When Christians embrace either of these lifestyles…LEGALISM…the lifestyle of RULES…or LASCIVIOUSNESS…the lifestyle of REBELLION…we voluntarily
forfeit the supernatural power of Christianity and settle for a lifestyle powered by human power. We live in PERVERSIONS of Christianity.
Christians have a choice to tap into two power systems…
WHAT POWER SYSTEM DO YOU TAP INTO?
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God’s enemy does not want you to get to know the Lord or His Word, so he sends false teachers with false teaching to pervert Christianity…to advance the spread of his perverted lifestyles. Second Peter, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 3…
SECOND PETER 2:1
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring alongside the truth destructive heresies…even denying the Master who created them…bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
SECOND PETER 2:2
Many people will follow their sensuality…and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned…
SECOND PETER 2:3
…and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words…
What happens when Christianity is turned into a design of your own making? It is PERVERTED. It changes the supernatural life of Christianity into a lifestyle that operates like the natural life of the unbeliever. It doesn’t turn believers into unbelievers. We’re still going to heaven. It’s just that we deny the supernatural power of the spiritual life that we Christians have at our disposal every moment of every day, settling for a counterfeit.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
How do you choose to pervert your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?
How do you choose to pervert your relationship with the Word of God?
Even though LEGALISM (an overfocus on the rules) and LASCIVIOUSNESS (an overfocus on rebellion and the lustful self-life) are lifestyles we died to when we became Christians…many Christians are returning to the vomit of these lifestyles.
Christianity is a lifestyle of freedom according to Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 1…
GALATIANS 5:1
It was for freedom that Christ set us believers in Christ free…therefore keep on standing fast in the freedom and do not ever again be entangled in the yoke of slavery.
What does it mean to be entangled?
ENTANGLED
To become twisted together with or entrapped in something.
Christianity is perfect. Christianity is powered by a relationship with Christ. It needs no additions or subtractions! It does not need our customization. The power behind Christianity is divine and supernatural…it taps into the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit, who does not need our help to make Christianity effective. No additions…no subtractions.
Here’s what the Lord wants from you…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verses 17 and
18…
SECOND PETER 3:17
…therefore, beloved…be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness (in the freedom of Christianity) …
SECOND PETER 3:18
…instead, grow in the sphere of grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Let’s not just BE Christians. Let’s embrace The Christian Way of Living…a lifestyle of unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace. Let’s reject the natural and count on the supernatural. Get to know the Lord…spend time with Him…listen to Him…hear Him…and study His mind…the Word of God. Your life will be changed forever.
The closing moments of today’s lesson are dedicated to anyone, anywhere, who is undecided about having a relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU!
He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
Even if you don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you still matter to God. He created you…you are one of His creatures…and He wants the highest and best for you. Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…
SECOND PETER 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead, He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
The bad news is that all of us are born in a state of unrighteousness. We are born physically alive and spiritually dead as ungodly, unrighteous unbelievers. We’re born on Satan’s team. It’s not our fault, but it is our circumstance. In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22, the bible says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a
For all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…
To God’s enemy, Satan…the ruler of this world…you don’t matter at all. First Peter, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…
FIRST PETER 5:8
Be of sober spirit…be on the alert! Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
You are the “someone” on Satan’s list. Satan despises you so much he doesn’t want you to be saved….he doesn’t want you to be with God in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. Instead, he wants you to be with him in the Lake of Fire. He wants you so badly that he sends false teachers with false teaching to deceive you. In Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 15…the Lord Himself warns about this…
MATTHEW 7:15
“Beware of the false teachers…who come to you in sheep’s clothing…but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
When an animal is ravenous it has an insatiable desire to tear you apart. So it is with false teachers who pretend to be for you, yet truly they want you to be twice the sons of hell that they are.
This gospel message offers GOOD NEWS to rescue you from the kingdom of death and darkness you were born into, inviting you to be born again to the spiritual life available in God’s kingdom of light. You can choose to be on God’s team. John, Chapter 3, Verses 16 and 17 highlight Jesus’ mission concerning you…
JOHN 3:16
“For God the Father loved the world unconditionally…and He loved the world so much…that He gave His uniquely born Son (the God-man…the Lord Jesus Christ to be crucified on a Cross) … so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but has eternal life.”
JOHN 3:17
For God the Father did not send God the Son (the Lord) into the world to judge the world…but the Father sent the Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him.
God wants you to respond positively to the good news of this gospel message so He can save you!
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus
Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3
For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4
…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…
If a gospel message makes it sound like you have to work to get to heaven, it’s a false gospel message from a false teacher. Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says you don’t have to work to be saved…
ROMANS 11:6
…if salvation is by grace (a free gift from God) … and of course it is…it is no longer on the basis of your works…otherwise grace (as a free gift) is no longer grace (it is not free).
Romans, Chapter 4, Verse 4 says you CAN'T work for salvation…
ROMANS 4:4
Now to the one who works for salvation, his wage for his work is not credited to his account as a favor from the grace of God, but his wage is credited as what is due for the work.
Your hardest work is not perfect enough to earn you a spot in heaven. So relax!
You can get to heaven when you close your eyes in this life free of charge. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…
ACTS 16:31
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 warns…
JOHN 3:36
“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
If you choose, you can spend eternity with God's enemy, Satan, in the Lake of
Fire…OR…you can have the free gift of eternal life right this minute! RIGHT
WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW, God can save you if you let Him. You can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you. In John, Chapter 6, Verse 37 the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, says…
JOHN 6:37
All those that God the Father gives Me will come to Me…and the one who comes to Me (for salvation) … I will ABSOLUTELY NOT cast out (into the Lake of Fire).
Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 9 and 10 exhort you…
ROMANS 10:9
…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord (that He is God) … and if you believe in your heart that God the Father raised Him from the dead…you will be saved…
ROMANS 10:10
…for with the heart, a person believes…resulting in the imputation of absolute righteousness by God (your admission ticket to heaven) … and with the mouth, a person confesses (admitting faith in Christ alone) resulting in salvation.
Satan, the enemy of God, who is a very real being, not a concept…sends false teachers to give you a false gospel message. If you’ve ever had Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your door, they are false teachers giving you a false gospel message. If you’ve ever had members of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints come to your door, they are false teachers giving you a false gospel message. But they seem so sincere. So how do you know they are false teachers? Just ask them if they think Jesus Christ is God.
Unfortunately for you, both of those groups are inviting you to spend eternity with them in the Lake of Fire! Neither of these groups believes that Jesus Christ is God. I have family members who are part of one of these religions, and in spite of my best efforts, even my family members don’t want to hear the good news God is offering them.
The Lake of Fire…that place we call hell…is real. In Matthew, Chapter 8, Verse 12, the Lord says…
MATTHEW 8:12
"…the sons of (Satan's) kingdom (unbelievers) will be cast out into the outer darkness…in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Many parents are false teachers leading their children to an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Do you want to know if you’re a good parent? Just ask yourself a simple question…are you influencing your children to have a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Sovereign God of the Universe?
He is the ONLY WAY to get to heaven according to John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6
Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the gospel message…the Word of God), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”
There’s no time to waste! God wants you. If you want to go to heaven when you close your eyes in this life, simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! Take His word for it concerning salvation, and the resurrection life is yours free of charge!
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
His is the name above every name…His name is Jesus. Here’s June Murphy with one of our favorite songs and one of the best songs she has written…COME SEE A MAN.
COME SEE A MAN
June Murphy
Words of Praise to Our Lord
Let us offer words of praise to our Lord…
PHILIPPIANS 4:6
Stop worrying about anything…instead, in everything by prayer and petition with an attitude of thanksgiving…let your requests be made known to God the Father.
PHILIPPIANS 4:7
And the peace of God the Father, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds (flooding your souls with peace) … you who are in union with Christ Jesus.
JUDE 1:24
Now to Jesus Christ…the One who is able to keep you from stumbling…and to the One who is able to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy…
JUDE 1:25
…to the only God…our Savior…through our union with Jesus Christ our Lord…be glory…majesty…dominion…and authority…before all time…and now…and forever. Amen.
Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father, thank you for giving us a true lifestyle…Christianity…a lifestyle that leads us to our highest and best life…thank you for making us aware that there are counterfeit lifestyles offered by your enemy…legalism and lasciviousness…help us to reject these lifestyles and to make no mixture between perfection and perversion…make us aware of the guidance of God the Holy Spirit who leads us away from these counterfeit lifestyles.
As we go back into the world this week, remind us to schedule time to interact with you, to learn from you, and to be filled with divine power instead of human power…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?
Ask the Pastor
pastor@barahministries.com
KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD!
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
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1220 S. Alma School Rd. Suite 102 Mesa, AZ 85210 |
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(480) 237-9903 |
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info@barahministries.com |
