Philemon 1: According to the Lord, Forgiveness Doesn't Take Two

Class Outline:

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Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

Why did God the Father create Barah Ministries?

 

God the Father provided this ministry as a place where you can be reminded constantly that Jesus Christ is God.  The Lord calls Himself many things in Isaiah, Chapter 44, Verse 6…

 

ISAIAH 44:6

“Thus says the Lord (God the Son)…the King of Israel…the Redeemer…the Lord of hosts…‘I am the first and I am the last (I am eternal)…and there is no God besides Me.’”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure in divine history and He is the still point in a turning universe.

 

God the Father allows us to learn about His Son through the study of the Word of God.  At Barah Ministries, we make a difference by teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse from the Lord’s perspective and not from man’s perspective.

 

Barah Ministries benefits both unbelievers and believers.  Unbelievers get the gospel message…the good news concerning Jesus Christ’s salvation offer.  Believers in Christ learn the Word of God through studying the Bible…the inerrant Canon of Scripture…so they can know the Lord and have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with Him.

 

If you want to know the Lord, the Bible is your source of truth about Him.

Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2 warns us…

 

ROMANS 12:2a

…do not be conformed to this world (by Satan, by his cosmic system of thought, and by the flesh resident in you)...instead, keep on being transformed by God the Holy Spiritthrough the renewing of your mind (by studying the Word of God)...

 

ROMANS 12:2b

...so that you may see clearly...through the testing of experience...what the will of God is...and the will of God is that which is good for you…and that which is acceptable to Him…and that which is perfect in result.

 

God has an enemy, Satan, whom God made ‘the ruler of this world’ for a finite time.  Satan encourages people to reject the Lord and His people.  Here’s a post from the internet…

 

A POST

How do Christians, these armchair charlatans, know what their god wants, thinks, and does?

 

Just so you know, a charlatan is a person who claims to have more knowledge than he has.  Here was my response…

 

A PASTOR’S RESPONSE

If we didn’t know what God wants, thinks, and does, why bother worshipping Him?Fortunately, we do know what He wants, thinks, and does because He delineates it clearly in the Bible…His mind…His Word…His exact thoughts.

 

THE RESPONSE

“He does no such thing except in your mind. The Christian Bible is not the word of a god…it is the word of man. The holocaust, for most logically thinking people, destroyed all belief in divinity.”

 

People who place their eyes on mankind forget that God has an enemy who both sponsors and perpetrates evil.  God gets blamed for what His enemy does.  Even though God allows evil, He does not sponsor it.  How do we know?  The Bible tells us so.  James, Chapter 1, Verses 13 and 14 say…

 

JAMES 1:13

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” …  for God cannot be tempted by evil…and God Himself does not tempt anyone.

 

JAMES 1:14

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

 

Don’t let Satan’s false teachers ruin your victory party with their evil speculations about God.  They don’t know God, and they don’t know anything about what God thinks.  Those of us who study the Word DO know what God thinks!

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

According to the Lord, Forgiveness Doesn’t Take Two

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

Why does God forgive us?  According to Isaiah, Chapter 43, Verse 25…He does it for Himself…

 

ISAIAH 43:25

“I (the Lord)…even I…am the one who wipes out your transgressions FOR MY OWN SAKE…and I will not remember your sins.”

 

An omniscient Lord certainly knows your sins…and He certainly has an infinite ability to remember…yet He forgets our sins for His own sake, giving Him total control over His own mentality.  He releases us from debt.  The Lord wants us to forgive in the same way, so that we are never in bondage to the mental prison created by bitterness and unforgiveness.  In today’s lesson, we’ll assess the message of Paul’s letter to Philemon about forgiveness.  And, as we do every month, we’ll celebrate The Lord’s Supper.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!  God places His believers in a sphere of protection…a geodesic dome…and the atmosphere in the dome is unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace.

 

 

In grace, God is always giving His believers all the things we can’t earn and don’t deserve.Here’s Chris Tomlin to remind us about God…YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH!  Is God’s grace enough for you?

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH

Chris Tomlin

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father…thank you for forgiving us…when Adam sinned, You certainly had an open and shut case against him and against the whole human race…yet You did not hold Adam’s sin against him…instead, You did what only You would do… You gave him mercy…You gave him what he didn’t deserve…a second chance…and that is Your attitude toward all of Your creatures…thank you for loving us unconditionally and for loving us so much that You gave your uniquely born Son to die so that the relationship between You and all mankind could be repaired…You directed Your wrath toward Jesus…so that every one of Your creatures could choose to be saved…

 

…as we study the Word today, help us to have Your perspective about forgiveness…teach us to forgive as You forgive…help us share Your goodness with others so they can be saved as well…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

According to the Lord, Forgiveness Doesn’t Take Two

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

Paul’s letter to Philemon is a letter about forgiveness and reconciliation.  Paul is suggesting to a friend how he ought to handle a situation in which he has been wronged.  Paul reminds Philemon while simultaneously reminding us that in God’s plan, the forgiven must forgive.  Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 14…

 

MATTHEW 6:14

For if (3) you forgive others for their transgressions…your heavenly Father will also forgive you for your transgressions.

 

When we seek to punish the one who deserves it because he has wronged us, we put ourselves in a mental prison of bitterness which turns over control of our serenity to others.

 

Who needs forgiveness in your life?

 

What is forgiveness?

 

FORGIVE

An intentional decision to let go of resentment or angerfor an offense, for a flaw, for a mistake, or for a betrayal perpetrated against you.  When we forgive, we cancel a debt.  To forgive lessens the power of an act’s grip on you by dismissing it, even though the scar the act caused may never go away.

 

We are to be as God is in the matter of forgiveness.  The apostle Paul was willing to pay Onesimus’ debt.

 

Why do we forgive…for the same reason God forgives…Isaiah, Chapter 43, Verse 25…He does it for Himself…

 

ISAIAH 43:25

“I (the Lord)…even I…am the one who wipes out your transgressions FOR MY OWN SAKE…and I will not remember your sins.”

 

Without forgiveness, relationships cannot last.  Here is the human approach to forgiveness.  In Matthew, Chapter 18, Verses 23 to 30 the Lord says…

 

MATTHEW 18:23

“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.”

MATTHEW 18:24

“When the king had begun to settle the accounts, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.”

 

MATTHEW 18:25

“But since the slave did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.”

 

MATTHEW 18:26

“So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before the king, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’”

 

MATTHEW 18:27

“And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.”

 

The king did more than he was asked to do.

 

MATTHEW 18:28

“But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii…and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’”

 

MATTHEW 18:29

“So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’”

 

MATTHEW 18:30

“But the slave was unwilling to have patience and went and threw the other slave in prison until he should pay back what was owed.”

 

How soon we forget.  The forgiven must forgive.

 

Forgiveness is a choice.  It does not take two.  It takes one.  As such, it puts you in complete control of your own mental serenity.When we are wronged, the easy choice is resentment…the desire forvengeance…the demand for justice…the bitterness…the disruption of a relationship…and most times the relationship never recovers.

Isn’t it great that the Lord doesn’t treat us that way?  Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…

 

ROMANS 5:8

God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankind…in that while we were yet sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly, unbelievers), (God the Father sent the) Christ to die a sacrificial deathfor us.

 

John, Chapter 3, Verses 16 and 17…

 

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 haseternal 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.

 

Forgiveness is given.  That’s why the word GIVE is buried inside the word forgiveness.  Forgiveness is totally in your control.  It is impossible to be in a relationship with another person without being hurt by the other person.  Can you forgive when you are wronged?

 

What I want you to notice as you reread Paul’s letter to Philemon is the parallels between how Paul suggests how forgiveness ought to be handled and how God handles forgiveness.

 

How you handle forgiveness sets you apart from other people in the world.  It’s you saying, “You don't deserve what I am about to do…but I’m going to do it anyway.”  The people you forgive aren’t getting away with anything.  God handles them.  They will learn the lesson.  Forgiveness frees you.

 

Isn’t it time to refresh someone who has hurt you?  Proverbs, Chapter 25, Verses 21 and 22…

 

 

PROVERBS 25:21

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat…and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink…

 

PROVERBS 25:22

…for in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head…and the Lord will

reward you.

 

Forgive as the Lord forgives you.

 

In this letter, you get to see a real Christian living Christianity and asking a fellow Christian to do the same.

 

Teaching you with this letter to Philemon, the Lord is asking the same of you…forgiveness.  How will you respond to the Lord’s request?  Forgiveness doesn’t take two…it only takes YOU.

 

When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering and then we’ll celebrate The Lord’s Supper.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

According to the Lord, Forgiveness Doesn’t Take Two

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

When we give at the offering, God wants us to give abundantly, voluntarily, thoughtfully, cheerfully, prayerfully, generously, and enthusiastically…just as He does.  Second Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verses 6 to 8…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:6

Now this I (Paul) say…he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly…and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:7

Each one must give just as he has purposed in his heart (by choice)…not

grudgingly or under compulsion…for God loves a cheerful giver.

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:8

And God can make all grace abound to you…so that always having all sufficiency in everything…you may have an abundance to givefor every good deed…

 

Believers in Christ, check your attitude as you give.  Make sure your attitude is an EXACT reflection of the abundant, voluntary, thoughtful, cheerful, prayerful, generous, and enthusiastic sacrifice that our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ has toward you, which He made clear at the Cross.

 

Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

PROVERBS 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge Jesus, and He will make your paths straight.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

The Lord Wants You to Experience the True Freedom Forgiveness Provides

 

LESSON PART TWO

 

Welcome to the Lord’s Supper Celebration!  As we remember the Lord, let’s relax and enjoy memories of the things the Lord has done for us, especially His work on the Cross on our behalf.  Concerning the Lord’s Supper, the Lord commands…

 

LUKE 22:19c

“…keep on doing this Lord’s Supper Celebrationin remembrance of Me.”

 

The Lord wants you to keep on thinking about Him.  He is the SOURCE of everything special about you and He is the provider of everything special in your life, especially your “so great” salvation.  Here’s what the Lord says in John, Chapter 6, Verses 51…

 

JOHN 6:51

“I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am the living bread that came down out of heaven (Jesus announcing that He is Deity)…if (3) anyone eats of this bread he will live forever…and the bread which I will give is My flesh…which is given to provide the resurrection life for the whole world.”

 

The Lord’s Supper Celebration reminds us that the Person and Work of our Lord at the Cross provided the opportunity for every creature to be saved.  The Lord was ALL IN for us.  Jesuscreated the opportunity for anyone willing to trust Him just once for eternal life can be saved for all time and can live forever with Him.  He is the Light for all who are in spiritual darkness.

 

Your relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the most important relationship in your life.  That’s true if you are a believer in Christ…and it’s even more true if you are an unbeliever.  No matter who you are, the Lord said at the Cross, “I will pay the bill for your sins.”

 

The Lord’s Supper especially is for the Lord’s born-again ones…those who are

spiritually alive…those who were placed into union with Christ by God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation through the one true baptism…the baptism of God the Holy Spirit, who turned us into eternal companions of Christ.

 

Today’s Lord’s Supper is about FORGIVENESS.  The Lord wants you to experience the true freedom forgiveness provides.

 

Do Christians need to ask God for forgiveness after every sin?

 

Perhaps a better question…do Christians EVER have to ask God for the forgiveness of any sin?

 

The loud and resounding answer is, "NO!”Yet how many times have you done it?

 

Christians who do this are not looking at forgiveness through God’s eyes.  They're imputing to God their attitude toward forgiveness, which is conditional and arbitrary.  When Christians ask God for the forgiveness of sins…when Christians, especially Pastors, talk about the need to repent of our sins (whatever that means)…it demonstrates a complete ignorance about who the Lord is as a Person and about what the Lord’s Work did for us at the Cross.

 

Let’s be clear.  At the Cross, the Lord paid for every sin every creature would ever commit…past…present…and future.  His work is ALWAYSperfect.  His work was done once.  His work is totally sufficient.  His work is completed for all time.  Why?  Because the Lord Jesus Christ is totally sufficient in everything He does.

 

From the Cross, the Lord said seven things…the greatest of which is the Greek word “tetelestai.”  In English, we translate this expression, “It is finished.”  In the Koine Greek language, the expression is a financial idiom…it means “PAID IN FULL.”  In other words, the sins of every creature are paid in full.  When a debt is paid in full, you owe nothing else on the debt.  It is paid for all time.  Hebrews, Chapter 10, Verse 14 says…

 

HEBREWS 10:14

For by one offering…the Lord Jesus Christ has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

 

Who are the ones who are sanctified?  Believers in Christ are sanctified…set apart

for amazing privileges…once…and for all time…from the moment of salvation.

 

Of course, the way uniformed Christians look at the god they have manufactured is that he does things progressively.  Their god is waiting for them to ask so he can forgive them.  These Christians see sin as a debt THEY have to pay.  Like a loan from a bank, they think of themselves as having to make payments for their own sins, one payment after another.  So they sin…and then they feel bad (as if this impresses God)…they feel sorry…and then they ask their god, “Will you forgive me?”  Of course, the outcome of their forgiveness is in doubt because they are not sure what the god they have manufactured is going to do.

 

Hebrews, Chapter 10, Verse 14 says that the real Lord has perfected once, and for all time those who are sanctified…and that is every believer in Christ.  Your forgiveness for every sin you have committed in the past, for every sin you are committing now, and for every sin you will commit in the future have already been paid for by God.  Your sin debt is settled.  Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 20 to Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 2 say this…

 

ROMANS 5:20

The Law came in alongside sin so that law-breaking (sin) would increase…but where law-breaking (sin) increased…God's grace overflowed even more…

 

ROMANS 5:21a

…the Lord provided grace abundantly in the presence of sin so that, as sin reigned as king in death (our spiritual death “in Adam”)…even so (by means of the Lord’s) grace we believers in Christ would reign (as kings) through imputed righteousness (+R)…

 

ROMANS 5:21b

…(we are spiritually alive and perfect “in union with Christ”)…and we have  eternal life from God (the resurrection life) through our union with Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

ROMANS 6:1

What shall we believers in Christ say then (face-to-face with these things)? Are we to continue sinning so that God’s grace may increase?

 

ROMANS 6:2

May it never be (absolutely NOT)! How shall such ones as we believers in Christ

(the children of a King)…we who died to sin as an established fact at the moment of our salvation…still live in sin as if sin is still our master?

 

WE SHALL NOT!

 

Is it okay with you that the Lord paid for your sins once and for all time?  Is it okay with you that the matter of your sins is settled?  Is it okay for you to enjoy the fact that an omniscient God knows the sins you will commit even before you commit them?  Is it okay with you that the Lord understands that you will continue to make mistakes as you learn after salvation?  Is it okay with you that the Lord has your sins covered?

 

There’s a reason the Lord Jesus Christ is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.  In Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 69 the Lord Himself says…

 

LUKE 22:69

…from now on the Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) will be seated at the right hand of the power of God the Father.”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is not sitting down on the job.  His work on your behalf is finished, especially the work of paying for your sins.  Are you willing to simply enjoy what God has done for you, or do you need to keep being miserable because of your disappointment with yourself that you are not perfect?  In Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 1…the Lord says…

 

GALATIANS 5:1

It was for freedom that Christ set us believers in Christ free…therefore keep standing fast in the freedom, and do not ever again be subject to the yoke of slavery.

 

God’s enemy, Satan, inspires you to disregard your freedom and to keep yourself in a state of mental slavery.  Say, “NO THANKS!”  Let’s enjoy the freedom the Lord’s Person and His Work provide.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Enjoying the Elements

 

Bread and wine.  The Lord gave us these things to remember Him.  We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.

Matthew, Chapter 26, Verses 26 to 28 tells us the reason the Lord wants us to

celebrate this meal together…

 

MATTHEW 26:26

While the apostles were eating, Jesus took some bread…and after a blessing, He broke the bread, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take…eat…this is My body which is being broken for you.”

 

MATTHEW 26:27

And when Jesus had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it…all of you…”

 

MATTHEW 26:28

“…for this is My blood…the blood of a new covenant…My blood…poured out for whosoever…for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

In His body, Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God the Father.  With His blood, Jesus Christ covered our sins.  With His death, Jesus Christ ushered in a new covenant of grace…not law.  Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 14 says…

 

ROMANS 6:14

For sin shall not be master over you believers in Christ…for you are not under law…you are under grace.

 

We celebrate to remember our sin substitute, the One risen from the dead to prove His Deity…the One who will come again to gather us unto Himself…Jesus…the Christ (the Jewish Messiah)…who forgives us once and for all time through His Work on the Cross.  We celebrate Him and we are grateful for what He keeps on doing for us.

 

Enjoy the elements as we listen to Crowder remind us…we are FORGIVEN.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG

 

FORGIVEN

Crowder

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

The closing moments of our lesson today could be the ten most important minutes

of your life.

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

If you don’t yet have a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you have the chance to be precious in God’s sight…Psalm 116, Verse 15 says…

 

PSALM 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (His saints…His children…His believers in Christ).

 

The fact that GOD WANTS YOU is a great thing to know as you get older because there will be a day when it is apparent to you that no one gets out of this life alive.  What’s going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life?  Will you go to heaven or will you go to hell?

 

God has an enemy…Satan…the ruler of this world…and he offers a counterfeit lifestyle to blind your mind…religion…to mislead you into thinking you’re saved when you are not.  Roman Catholicism is one of those counterfeits.  Here is an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church…

 

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (Paragraph 2010)

Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can MERIT FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS the graces needed for our sanctification…for the attainment of eternal life.

 

Satan wants you to think you can work your way to heaven, earning your own

salvation.  He wants you to think you can pray for the salvation of others after they have died.  He’s lying.  You can’t.  Hebrews, Chapter 9, Verse 27 says…

 

HEBREWS 9:27

…it is appointed for men to die once…and after this comes judgment (God;s evaluation)…

 

Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says…

 

ROMANS 11:6

But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer based on your

works…otherwise grace (as a free gift from the source of God) is no longer grace (free).

 

If you have to work for a free gift then the work makes you deserve the gift.  In salvation, there is no work you could do that is impressive enough to God to save you.

 

The Lord provides us with the Bible to illuminate the path to heaven…John,

Chapter 20, Verse 31 says…

 

 

 

JOHN 20:31

…these things written in the Bible have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (The Jewish Messiah)…the Son of God (the Lord taking on human form)…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life (eternal life) in Hisname.

 

The Bible contains the Lord’s exact thinking.  It is your “owner’s manual”

for life, and it obliterates the delusion that any of us are good people in God’s eyes.  The Bible says we’re all “bad people!”  Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…

 

ROMANS 3:23

…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

 

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10 says…

 

ROMANS 3:10

…it is written, “There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…”

 

First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

…all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…

 

Your condition at physical birth IS NOT YOUR FAULT, but it is your circumstance.

 

The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ did something about your problem…

He has a plan for your salvation because He doesn’t want anyone to go to The Lake of Fire…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).

 

So, how can you get to heaven?  RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

The ONE WAY…the ONLY WAY to get to heaven is through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…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 Word of God)…and I am the resurrection life…and no

one comes to God the Father in heavenbut through believing in Me.”

 

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 primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament 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 Old Testament Scriptures…

 

Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgment that you can’t do a thing

to get to heaven on your own.  You confirm that being "a good person"

does not get you to heaven.  It’s wiser to let God save you because once God does something, He never changes His mind!  John, Chapter 10, Verse 28 says…

 

JOHN 10:28

“…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

 

You can’t lose your salvation.  If ANYONE tells you that you can lose your salvation, they are lying to you.

 

Many people in this world think they don't need a Savior because they are "basically good people."  These people are like those who defend themselves in a lawsuit.  The joke in the legal community is anyone who represents himself in a lawsuit has a fool for a client.  Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 says…

 

ACTS 4:12

“…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”

 

Reject a relationship with Christ?  In Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 30, the Lord shares the consequences…

 

MATTHEW 25:30

"Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness (the Lake of Fire) … and in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

So, heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

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.”

 

You can join me and a host of your believer friends in heaven when you close your eyes in this life!  Choose it now!

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!  One of the most disgusting aspects of being a parent is when your children consider you to be arbitrary with your love.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard children say, “I don’t want to disappoint my parents.”

 

Often, this false standard in a relationship extends long into adulthood.  To be fair, there are quite a few parents who express disappointment when their children make mistakes.  Let’s make one thing clear…God is not like that.  Here’s June Murphy to remind us how we must understand God with her song I CAN’T DISAPPOINT YOU.

 

MUSIC

CLOSING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

I CAN’T DISAPPOINT YOU

June Murphy

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

Thank you for offering Your creatures a lifestyle of freedom…thank you for being so gracious that You do everything for us so that we can’t possibly ruin what You have created for us…a “so great” salvation and a relaxing and restful life of freedom…as we go forward into the world this week, remind us to offer this rest to every person we meet…one person at a time…so that others may get to know you and so they can never again be entangled in a yoke of mental slavery…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE

 

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