ROM-455-240107 - length: 91:26 - taught on Jan, 7 2024
Class Outline:
Greetings to righteousness.
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!
OPENING AGENDA
You may be wondering some things about Barah Ministries…
Who is the God we worship?
What is our source of truth?
Who is our enemy?
I agree with the apostle Peter in Second Peter, Chapter 1, Verse 13…
SECOND PETER 1:13
I (Peter) consider it right(believers in Christ)…as long as I am in this earthly dwelling (my physical body)…to stir you up by way of reminder…
…sowe start every lesson by reminding you of the answers to these three questions.
Who is the God We Worship?
We worship a Triune Godhead. There is One God who expresses Himself to mankind as three separate, distinct, co-equal, co-infinite, co-eternal Persons…God the Father…God the Son… and God the Holy Spirit.
We worship GOD THE FATHER…the author of the Triune Godhead's plan for all
Creatures. What did God the Father do for believers in His Son Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 13 and 14…
COLOSSIANS 1:13
For God the Father rescued us believers in Christ from the domain of
darkness…and He transferred us into the kingdom of the Son God the Father loves unconditionally…(the Lord…Jesus)…
COLOSSIANS 1:14
…the Christ…(into His kingdom of light)…in Jesus we believers in union with the Lord Jesus Christ we have redemption…the forgiveness of sins.
We worship GOD THE SON (the Lord)…who volunteered to execute God the Father's plan for mankind. Jesus Christ is God just as He claims to be in John, Chapter 6, Verses 38 and 39…
JOHN 6:38
For I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have come down from heaven…not to do My own will…but to do the will of Him who sent Me (God the Father).
JOHN 6:39
This is the will of God the Father who sent Me…that of all those that He has given Me (believers in Christ) I lose nothing…but I raise them all up (in resurrection from the dead) on the last day.
There is ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY to heaven. You invest your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, asking Him to save you. Jesus is the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…and by believing in Him, you instantly have the resurrection life…eternal life… in His name.
We worship GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT. He is our Mentor and Teacher, a guide who is the rudder of aChristian's life. The Lord Jesus Christ made a promise to His apostles in Acts, Chapter 1, Verse 5…
ACTS 1:5
…John baptized with water…but you will be baptized with God the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
As believers in Christ, we are baptized by God the Holy Spirit at the moment of
salvation As a result, we are placed into a permanent union with the Lord Jesus Christ…and no one can snatch us out of the Lord's hands.
What is Our Source of Truth?
As Christians, we can develop a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the
entire Godhead through the study of THE WORD OF GOD…THE BIBLE.
The BIBLE is our source of truth. It is the least-read best-seller in human history. It has been attacked by individuals, by thosecalling themselves scholars, by philosophers, by world leaders, by governments, and by-laws with the intent to dismiss the Bible's importance and to destroy its very existence. None of this has been,nor will it ever be,successful.
The Bible is a supernatural work protected by an omnipotent God who has all the power, especially the power to protect His thinking from infiltration by the enemy. First Corinthians, Chapter 2, Verse 16 tells us exactly what the Bible is…
FIRST CORINTHIANS2:16b
…(in the Bible) we (believers in Christ) have the mind of Christ.
The Bible guides us, inviting us to a life beyond our wildest dreams when we obey its precepts. We teach the Word of God from God's perspective and not from man's perspective.
Who is Our Enemy?
GOD HAS AN ENEMY…Satan…whom God made 'the ruler of this world' for a finite period. He is the enemy of believers in Christ as well. With eight words, Satan rejected a relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe…Isaiah, Chapter 14, Verse 14…
ISAIAH 14:14
"I (Satan) will make myself like the Most High (the Lord Jesus Christ)."
Satan committed figurative suicide by rejecting a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is the great counterfeiter. He could never be worthy enough to be God, nor would He ever do what God does for believers and unbelievers alike. He would never love ANYONE unconditionally. He would never forgive anyone. He would never give grace to people when they make mistakes. Instead, he is a destroyer, a deceiver, and an accusernot worthy of being listened to. Reject his temptations.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
An Introduction to Paul's Epistle to the Romans
LESSON INTRODUCTION
The next Biblical book we'll be studying is one we have studied before… it'sPaul's letter to the Romans. It will be great to study this letter again...first, because we're more mature than when we studied it the first time. Second, because studying it again lends insight, we may have missed the first time. Third, Romans is likely the most important letter in the New Testament. Through it, the Lord uses the apostle Paul to introduce Himself and His graceful approach to the salvation of the human race.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let's hear some music. Paul's letter to the Romans carries the gospel message to the world. God makes it clear who the gospel message is for…John, Chapter 3, Verse 16…
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."
Here's June Murphy to reinforce the Lord's message in her song WHOSOEVER.
MUSIC
OPENING SONG
Let's Sing the Lord's Praises
WHOSOEVER
June Murphy
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 the Bible because it provides us with spiritual nourishment that feeds our souls and our spirits…thank you that the Bible is as relevant today as when it was written over two thousand years ago…thank you for protecting the Bible from countless infiltration attempts by liars who seek to destroy its message…thank you for sending Your Son, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ, to saves us…thank you for a supernatural written work introducing the Lord so we can get to know Him intimately…thanks also for God the Holy Spirit, who helps us understand Biblical truth…
…encourage us, Father, to schedule time every day to study the Word so our livesare edified by this daily routine…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's name...Amen.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
An Introduction to Paul's Epistle to the Romans
LESSON PART ONE
In many respects, first-century Rome was a lot like the United States today. We have everything at our disposal, yet we are one of the most corrupt societies on the planet, So it was in RomeThis letter to the Romans was an arrow from the Lord and was fired into a culture that was filled with sexual immorality and idolatry The sexual immorality was pederasty and orgies The idols were false godsToday we see the immorality in the transgender revolutionThe false gods are more subtle.
The largest and most influential false god is social media, and people worship it.
Think about it. There is nothing people focus on more today than social media. Imagine if we used our focus for studying the Bible as intensely as we invest our time andfocus perusing social media on our "smartphones." We'd be Biblical scholars in a week.
At Barah Ministries, we study the Bible verse-by-verse. We have studied Romans, First Corinthians, Colossians, Philemon, and Galatians. Every Biblical letter contains valuable lessons.
In First Corinthians, we learned about a church filled with sins and congregation members who mistreated each other.
In Colossians, we learned about the Lord, and we saw how the church handled attempts at infiltration from false teachers and false teaching.
In Philemon, we learned about forgiveness.
In Galatians, we saw what happens when false teachers and false teaching is embraced.
In Romans, we learn about the Lord's provision of the ONLY way to be saved.
Here are the questions to consider as we begin the study of this Biblical letter.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
1
Who wrote the letter we are about to study?
2
Who is the letter directed to?
3
Where do the people live who are receiving the letter?
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
4
What do we know about the author of the letter?
5
When did the author write the letter?
6
Where was the author when he wrote the letter?
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
7
What was God's purpose in getting the author to write the letter?
8
What does God want the author to communicate to the intended audience of the letter?
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
9
What is the main message of the letter?
10
What relevance does the letter have to our lives today?
Let's answer these questions.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
1
Who wrote the letter we are about to study?
The letter was written by the apostle Paul as directed by God the Holy Spirit. Paul is about fifty years old at the time, thirteen years before he went home to be with the Lord He has been a Christian for about twenty-five years.
In some of his other New Testament epistles, Paul mentions being with other believers in Christ, like Timothy and Silas. In this epistle, Paul stands alone as one selected by God to deliver the gospel for this dispensation, the Church Age, to
a group of believers who are known as the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
2
Who is Paul's letter to the Romans directed to?
Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 7 makes it clear this epistle is for believers in Christ in the Christian churches in first-century Rome…
ROMANS 1:7
…this letter is to all of you who are the divinely loved ones of God the Father…you believers in Christ living in Rome…saints by calling…the set-apart ones. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
As of this writing, Paul had never been to Rome.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
3
Where do the people live who are receiving the letter?
They live inthe largest city in Italy and the capital of Italy…Rome In the first century, the city had nearly one million inhabitants. At the time, Rome was also the capital of the free world. Today, as the most populous city in Europe, the city houses nearly three million people.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
4
What do we know about the author of the letter?
Paul is hand-picked as the Lord's chosen replacement apostle for Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed the Lord. Paul describes himself in Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verses 8 to 10…
EPHESIANS 3:8
To me (Paul)…the very least of all the saints…this grace was given by God…to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ…
EPHESIANS 3:9
…and to bring to light the dispensation of the mystery (the Church Age) which for ages has been hidden in the God who created all things (the Lord…God the Son)…
EPHESIANS 3:10
…so the manifold wisdom of God the Father might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
Galatians, Chapter 2, Verse 7 announces Paul's assignment…
GALATIANS 2:7
…I (Paul) was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised (the Gentiles)…just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (The Jews)…
Paul's job is to spread the gospel to the entire inhabited world.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
When did the author write the letter?
Paul wrote the letter about 56AD. The letter was carried to the Christians at Rome by one of the deaconesses of the church at Cenchrea…Roman, Chapter 16, Verse 1…
ROMANS 16:1
I (Paul) commend to you our sister Phoebe who is a servant of the church (a diakonosmeaning deaconess) which is at Cenchrea...
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
6
Where was the author when he wrote the letter?
Paul was in Corinth, a city located in south-central Greece,about fifty miles west of Athens, Greece.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
7
What was God's purpose in getting the author to write the letter?
The Lord commissioned Paul to introduce Him to the Gentile world and to present them with the gospel message…the good news about the Lord's salvation offer.
Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 16 and 17…
ROMANS 1:16
For I (Paul) am not ashamed of the gospel of God the Father…for the gospel is the power of God the Father for salvation to everyone who believes…to the Jew first (chronologically)…and also to the Greek (the Gentiles).
ROMANS 1:17
For in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ the righteousness of God the Father is revealed, from faith (in the Lord for salvation) to faith (in the Lord for all things)… as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN (any believer in Christ) SHALL LIVE BY FAITH (by placing his confidence in Jesus Christ for salvation)."
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
8
What does God want the author to communicate to the intended audience of the letter?
The gospel message is that everyone isa sinner in God's eyes. Therefore, all need a Savior. The Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, who offers a "so great" salvation to all who want it, free of charge. First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4 say…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3
This is what is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4
…who desires for all men to be saved and who wants all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The gospel message is for WHOSOEVER…all can be saved by its power.
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
9
What is the main message of the letter?
Righteousness…the admission ticket to heaven…comes only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and never by works Romans, Chapter 4, Verses 4 and 5…
ROMANS 4:4
Now to the one who works for salvation, his payment is not paid as if it were a gracious favor, but his payment is paid because it is what he is due...it is paid to him as what he has earned because of his work.
ROMANS 4:5
But to the one who does not work for salvation…who instead believes in the Lord Jesus Christ who justifies the ungodly (unbeliever)…this person's faith is credited as righteousness (the admissions ticket to heaven)...
QUESTIONS TO BEGIN THE STUDY OF A BIBLICAL LETTER
10
What relevance does the letter have to our lives today?
In Satan's kingdom, false teaching from false teachers exist to convince people that salvation is earned by their good works. Satan's strategy against the human race is RELIGION, which deceive people into thinking they can save themselves by being "basically good people."
The Lord'sgospel message, sent through Paul, is quite different. It says there are no good people, so salvation is a free gift through the grace of God to ANYONE who wants it, with no requirement on anyone's part except to believe in Christ. 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)."
When we return from the break, we'll take the offering, and we'll look at the first
passage of the letter where the apostle Paul introduces himself and provides his credentials to the believers in Christ at Rome. Take a five-minute break.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
NOBODY
Casting Crowns
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
An Introduction to Paul's Epistle to the Romans
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
Christians are to follow the Lord's example in everything, especially in giving John; Chapter 3, Verse 16 says…
JOHN 3:16
"God the Father loved the world unconditionally…and He loved the world so much…that He GAVE His uniquely born Son…
What are you willing to give to the God who gave His Son's life for you?
Giving is a form of worship. Giving expresses your faith in God. Giving communicates your gratitude to God for all He does for you.
What's the best time for Christians to give? There must never be a time when we don't give. Everything we have comes from God. When we give, we are simply redirecting the resources God has given us to His purposes. Don't worry about the amount you give; God will return it and more to you abundantly. Let your giving rival God'sgiving,and watch what flowsinto your life. Give something…give anything…give now…and keep on giving.
Let's welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
ROMANS 6:23
For the (earned) wages of sin (the compensation paid for your sinful works) is (the second) death (in The Lake of Fire)…but the free (and gracious) gift of God the Father is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
OFFERING SONG
THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
Instrumental Version
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
An Introduction to Paul's Epistle to the Romans
LESSON PART TWO
What is the structure of Paul's letter to the Romans?
ROMANS, CHAPTERS 1 to 3
The Depravity of Man Incurs the Wrath of God
ROMANS, CHAPTERS 4 TO 8
God's GraceSaves All Who Want Deliverance From Sin
ROMANS, CHAPTERS 9 TO 11
God Still Has a Plan for the Jews
(who have been set aside for a time, but not forgotten)
ROMANS, CHAPTER 12 TO 16
The Will of God for the Human Race
Let's take a look at the first passage of this amazing letter, Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 7…the apostle Paul introduces himself and his credentials…
ROMANS 1:1
This letter is written by me, Paul, a bond-servant and voluntary slave of Christ Jesus, by calling an apostle, and set apart by God the Father for the dissemination of the gospel message of God the Father (to the Gentiles), as a minister…
Paul is telling us the same thing Father Cavanaugh, the priest in the movie Rudy, was telling us… "There is a God, and I am not him." Paul is given the spiritual gift of apostle, and he is called by God, set apart by God, sent forth by God as a benefactor for the saints at Rome and for all saints throughout human history…but Paul is not God. We are studying the same letter that has been studied by countless Christians before us: Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 2…
ROMANS 1:2
…and this is the gospel message that God the Father promised beforehand to the human race through His prophets in the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament…
In several places in the Old Testament…the Lord's coming and His impact was predicted…Genesis 3 (highlighting His virgin birth with a promise to crush Satan'shead)…Isaiah 53 (highlighting the suffering the Lord would go through for us)…Psalm 22 (His crucifixion)…Isaiah 9 (identifying Christ as Almighty God) Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 3…
ROMANS 1:3
…a gospel message concerning God the Father's Son, the Lord, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh as true humanity, whose name is Jesus Christ…
The gospel message is the Lord's salvation offer to the human race Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 4 and 5…
ROMANS 1:4
…and Jesus Christ was declared the Son of God with divine power by means of His resurrection from the dead, accomplished through the enabling power of the God who is the Spirit of holiness…God the Holy Spirit…we are talking about this Jesus Christ, our Lord, God the Son…
ROMANS 1:5
…through whom I, Paul, have received from God the Father both grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ's Person…
What you'll see over and over again in the book of Romans…almost two hundred times…is the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ is God, and this letter is about Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the God-Man…100% God and 100% Man in one person forever Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 6…
ROMANS 1:6
…among whom you (saints in Rome), as believers in Christ, also are the possession of Jesus Christ by calling…
Paulis writing to children of God…believers in Christ. We are owned by God.
ROMANS 1:7
…and this letter is written to all of you who are the divinely loved ones of God the Father…you believers in Christ living in Rome, saints by calling, the set-apart ones…grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Most of the people in Rome were atheists. It was a polytheistic culture…they believed in many gods
Thank you, Paul, for this brief introduction…a salutation to the believers in Christ at Rome. We look forward to hearing what God the Holy Spirit has to say to us through you in this thought-provoking and life-changing letter.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ's Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You'll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU!
He Wants ForYou to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
When food manufacturers noticed your fast-paced, mobile lifestyle, they created INSTANT food…instant coffee…instant oatmeal…instant potatoes…instant "TV"dinners…and instant gravy were among their initial culinary creations. Most of them were awful!
This message is for you if you want an INSTANT relationship with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You may be wondering what's going to happen to you the INSTANT you close your eyes in this life. There is an INSTANT answer to your curiosity, and the Lord Jesus Christ guarantees that in an INSTANT, you can become a child of God.
You may not know your unfortunate circumstance at the moment of your physical birth. It's called spiritual death. You were born physically alive and spiritually dead as an ungodly, unrighteous unbeliever.
It's not your fault, but it IS your circumstance.
First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 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…
Because Adam was appointed by God as the federal head of the human race, his first sin was credited to the account of all human creatures, resulting in spiritual death Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 12…
ROMANS 5:12
Therefore…just as through one man, Adam…sin entered into the world… and spiritual death entered the world through his sin…so spiritual death spread to all men…because all men were considered by God to have sinned when Adam sinned.
In addition, just so you don't have Adam to blame, you commit personal sins. Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…
ROMANS 3:23
…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Adam's sin credited to you, plus your personal sins, create an insurmountable barrier between you and God.
Despite this unfortunate circumstance, there is good news from God that INSTANTLY frees you from the negative effects of sin, from spiritual death, and from the kingdom of darkness into which you were born. You're invited to be born again…the spiritual birth…into a spiritual life in God's kingdom of light where sin is no longer sovereign over you. The Lord Jesus Christ offers you a "so great" salvation, and it is His will that you accept the free gift He made possible for you at the Cross. 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 wishing for all unbelievers to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
If you end up in the Lake of Fire the INSTANT after your physical death, it will not be because the Lord wants you there. It will be your choice.
So, how can you get to heaven in an INSTANT when you close your eyes in this life? By obeying God's plan for your salvation RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW, you can be saved in an INSTANT. You can tell God the Father you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the INSTANT of eternal life for youActs, 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."
To BELIEVE means to accept God's word for what it takes to be saved. God says 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 apostleThomas, "I am the way (to salvation) … and I am the truth (through the gospel message in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) …and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but 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 (the apostle 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…
The Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead proved that He is Deity, and it qualified Him to save you.
Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgment that you can't do a thing
to get to heaven on your own. You can't buy your way into heaven…you can't"good deed" your way into heaven…you can't"be a good person" and get to heaven. You can only get to heaven by accepting the INSTANT gift of salvation from a God who loves you so unconditionally that He sent His Son to die for you on a Cross to pay your way into heaven. Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…
ROMANS 5:8
God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankindin that while we were yet sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly unbelievers), Christ died a sacrificial deathfor us.
God has an enemy, Satan, who deceives the whole world, including you, with a strategy to exploit human beings…RELIGION The religions of the world deceive you into thinking that you can work your way to heaven…that you can work to please God. No religious ritual has ever been good enough to get you to heaven.
It's wise 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 says you can, they're lying to you.
There is no reason to be uncertain about what happens at the moment of your physical death. So, accept the invitation and 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 (IN AN INSTANT) …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."
When you reject a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible makes it clear there is a consequence Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 40 to 42…
MATTHEW 13:40
…just as tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
MATTHEW 13:41
The Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) will send forth His elect angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (unbelievers)…and those who practice lawlessness (unbelievers)…
MATTHEW 13:42
…and the elect angels will throw unbelievers into the furnace of fire (The Lake of Fire)…and in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (for all eternity).
Believers in Christ have a different fate Matthew, Chapter 13, Verse 43…
MATTHEW 13:43
Then the righteous…(believers in Christ)…will shine forth as the sun shines in the kingdom of their God and Father.
What's your choice? Are you for or against Christ?
A relationship with the Lord does not require blind faith. In fact, there is no such thing as blind faith. For the wise, faith is invested after an examination. You have faith as a gift from God, and you can place your confidence in the object of your faith. To place your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and to let Him save you is a delicious move. You can reject a relationship with Christ, or you can make an INSTANT choice for Christ, and the result…your salvation…stands finished forever. Matthew, Chapter 13, Verse 44 encourages us…
MATTHEW 13:44
He who has ears…let him (really) hear (these things).
Some INSTANT things are quite tasty. Take a moment right now to wrap your mind around the only INSTANT thing that lasts forever…a relationship with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let's close with music. Here's what the Lord said to a self-righteous Pharisee, Nicodemus, in John, Chapter 3, Verse 3…
JOHN 3:3
"Truly, truly, I say to you, Nicodemus…unless you are BORN AGAIN (the spiritual birth)…you cannot see the kingdom of God the Father in heaven."
You've heard Christians called, "THOSEBORN AGAINS"… but maybe you didn't know what it means. When you are "born again," you have gone from spiritual death to spiritual life courtesy of the Lord's grace. Here's June Murphy to sing about it in her song BORN AGAIN.
MUSIC
CLOSING SONG
Let's Sing the Lord's Praises
BORN AGAIN
June Murphy
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
…thank you for Bible lessons, which help us look into the mirror of the Word of God to see who we really are…and when we see we are totally depraved, thank you for doing something about it whenever we ask You to help…thankfully You offer your own righteousness as a free gift to lift us out of spiritual death and into spiritual life…
…as we go forth into the week, give us spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear…help us see You in every one of our life circumstances…and show us how to follow God the Holy Spirit's guidance in every single thing we do so as believers in Christ, we can be a perfect reflection of You and Your will for the entire human race…and so we can communicate your gospel to a lost and dying world.
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's name...Amen.
DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE
Resumes Next Week
GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?
Ask the Pastor
pastor@barahministries.com
STUDY THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
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1220 S. Alma School Rd. Suite 201 Mesa, AZ 85210 |
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(480) 237-9903 |
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info@barahministries.com |
