Romans 3: The Lord's Supper Celebration; Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Gave Us Hope

Class Outline:

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Saints stand eternal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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, like…

 

Who is the God we worship?

What is our source of truth?

Who is our enemy?

 

We're always happy to begin each lesson by answering these questions.  The apostle Paul prayed for believers in Christ in Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 18 to 21…

 

EPHESIANS 1:18a

I (Paul) pray that the eyes of your heart (your spiritual eyes…you believers in Christ) may be enlightened by God the Father so that you will know what is the HOPE of God the Father’s calling (you to a “so great” salvation)…

 

EPHESIANS 1:18b

…so you will know the wealth of the glorious riches of God the Father’s inheritance provided to all the saints…

 

EPHESIANS 1:19

…and so you will know the surpassing greatness of God the Father’s divine power

directed toward those of us who are the believing ones in union with Christ. These things are in accordance with the manifested strength of His might…

 

EPHESIANS 1:20

…which clearly visible strength God the Fathermade manifest through the Christ (the Jewish Messiah) when God the Father raised Jesusfrom the dead and seated Him at God the Father’s right hand in the heavenly places…

 

EPHESIANS 1:21

…giving Jesus power over and above every government and every authority and every power and every lordshipand far above every name that keeps on being named…not only in this age but also in the age to come.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Sovereign God of the Universe…He is our Head…He is our Bridegroom (and as Church Age believers we are His bride)…and everyone and everything is in complete subjection to Him.Because of our God we have hope…the assurance of an amazing and eternal future.

 

Who is the God We Worship?

 

We worship a Triune Godhead.  There is One God who reveals 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.

 

GOD THE FATHER is the author of the Triune Godhead’s plan for all creatures.

God the Father protects His children…Matthew, Chapter 26, Verse 53…

 

MATTHEW 26:53

Or do you think I (the Lord Jesus Christ) cannot appeal to My Fatherand He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?(144,000)

 

God the Father’s power…as used for His believers…gives us hope.

 

GOD THE SON (the Lord) volunteered to execute God the Father’s plan…taking on human form as Jesus…the Christ (the Jewish Messiah)…He is the ONE AND ONLY WAY to heaven.  In Galatians, Chapter 2, Verse 20 is an indisputable, unchangeable, and established fact…

 

 

GALATIANS 2:20

I (Paul…and all believers in Christ) have been crucified with Christ…and it

is no longer I who live…but Christ lives indwelling me…and the life which I now

live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God…who loved me unconditionally

and who gave Himself up as a sin substitute for me.

 

When you invest your faith in the Lord…Jesus…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…asking Him to save you…by believing in Him you INSTANTLY have the resurrection life…eternal life…in His name.  Believing in Him gives us hope.

 

We worship GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.  He is our Mentor and Teacher…the guide who is the rudder of a Christian’s life.  God the Holy Spirit provides believers in Christ with His enabling power that can be directed to every concern we have in life.  Acts, Chapter 1, Verse 8 assures us just as the Lord assured His apostles…

 

ACTS 1:8

…you will receive divine power when God the Holy Spirit has come upon you…

 

God the Holy Spirit has come upon us…He indwells us…and His power gives us hope.

 

What is Our Source of Truth?

 

It’s important to get to know Your Godas a Person.  As Christians, the way to develop a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with theentire Godhead is through the study of the Word of God.  The Bible is the Word of God.

 

The Bible is a supernatural work…inspired by God…and it is the source of absolute truth.  Through Isaiah the prophet, the Lord assures us in Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verses 10 and 11…

 

ISAIAH 55:10

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear fruit and sprout grain…furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater…”

 

 

 

 

ISAIAH 55:11

“…so will My Word be…which goes forth from My mouth…it will not return to Me emptywithout accomplishing what I desire…and it will not return to Me without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

 

The Word of God gives us hope.  At Barah Ministries, we teach the Bible from

God’s perspective and not from man’s perspective because we refuse to teach as doctrinal truth the precepts of men.

 

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.  Satan seeks to rob us of hope…First John, Chapter 3, Verses 7 and 8 say…

 

FIRST JOHN 3:7

Little children (immature believers in union with Christ)…make sure no one deceives you…the one who practices righteousness is righteous…just as the Lord is righteous…

 

FIRST JOHN 3:8a

…the one who practices sin is of the devil…for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

 

FIRST JOHN 3:8b

The Son of God appeared for this purpose…to destroy the works of the devil.

 

Whenever Satan rises up to obscure the hope believers in Christ have in union with Christ, the Lord handles him because the Lord IS our living hope.  He takes care of the things we don’t see coming.

 

Today’s lesson is…

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Gave Us Hope

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

As believers in Christ, we have hope.  In English, hope is not always a powerful expression. You’ve heard people say, “I hope so” … and what they mean is that they want something to happen but they don’t think it will.  In the Koine Greek language, the word hope means “absolute confidence” …the assurance of a great and certain future.

 

As believers in Christ, we have absolute confidence of an amazing and unseen

Future, and Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 24 reminds us…

 

ROMANS 8:24

For in hope (for the unseen future) we believers in Christ have been saved in the past…but hope that is seen in the present is not hope…for who hopes for what he already sees?

 

Today’s lesson lends insights into the things all believers in Christ confidently wait for that we have not yet seen.  It promises to be exciting!

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!  One of the things believers in Christ hope for is the time when we are absent from the body and face-to-face with the Lord for all eternity.

We have not experienced this reality, but inhope we have absolute confidence it is coming because the Lord always keeps his promises.The group MercyMe wonders what eternity will be like in their song I CAN ONLY IMAGINE.

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

MercyMe

 

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 things we don't see that You have planned for us…with eagerness, we await the manifestation of Your grace in every area of our lives… thank you Father for never giving any of us what we deserve and especially Your believers…because of Your graciousness we get to keep on learning through our mistakes…and because You work all things together for our good so we actually prosper despite our mistakes…thank you for working everything out…thank you for always giving us opportunities to learn and grow…

 

…as we take in today’s lesson, let our spiritual eyes be enlightened as we study

Your Word so that we know how exciting the future is for those of us who are in union with Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…help us to hear the still small voice of God the Holy Spirit as He directs our lives…and help us to mature every day so that we see the world from Your perspective…

 

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

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Gave Us Hope

 

Welcome to the Lord’s Supper Celebration!

 

As we remember the Lord, let’s enjoy recalling the things the Lord has done for us, especially His work on the Cross on our behalf.  The Lord’s Supper gives us a chance to direct our focus to the Lord alone.

 

Concerning the Lord’s Supper, our God commands us in Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 19 to…

 

LUKE 22:19c

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

 

In celebrating the Lord’s Supper, the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to make time to think about everything special in our lives, especially the most important relationship in our lives…whether we are believers in Christ or even unbelievers… the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  A relationship with the Lord is critically and eternally important.

 

Yet the Lord’s Supper Celebration is for the born-again ones…for spiritually alive believers in Christ who were placed into union with Christ through the baptism of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of their salvation.  God the Holy Spirit turned us into eternal companions of Christ.

 

It is not wise to celebrate The Lord’s Supper on the move.  It’s a chance to be still and to reflect on the blessings the Lord directs to us.

 

LORD’S SUPPER LESSON-PART ONE

Because of what the Lord did at the Cross, the whole world…believers and unbelievers alike…have HOPE.  First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 3 to 9 say this…

 

FIRST PETER 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again ones…and He has given believers in Christ a hope that is alive…a living hope…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead ones…

 

FIRST PETER 1:4

…as a result, we have an inheritance (we are co-heirs with Christ)…an imperishable inheritance…an inheritance that is undefiled and will not fade away…an inheritance that is reserved in a safe place…heaven…an inheritance just for believers in Christ…

 

FIRST PETER 1:5

…just for those who are protected by the power of God the Father through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…

 

Believers in Christ have hope for a VERY CERTAIN future.

 

FIRST PETER 1:6

In this certain hope, wemust keep on greatly rejoicing…even though for now…for a little while as necessary…wekeep on being distressed by various trials…

 

FIRST PETER 1:7

…so that the proof of our faith…which is more precious than gold which is perishable…even though our faith keeps on being tested by fire…may be found after scrutiny to result in praise and glory and honor at the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ…

 

 

FIRST PETER 1:8

…and though we have not seen Jesus…we love Him unconditionally…and though we do not see Jesus now…but believe in Him…we greatly rejoice with inexpressible joy and we are full of glory (and HOPE of a certain future which is unseen at the present time)…

 

FIRST PETER 1:9

…obtaining as the outcome of our faith when it is fully consummated…the

salvation of our souls.

 

As believers in Christ, through the work of the Lord at the Cross, we have HOPE.  What is hope as God describes it in the Bible?

 

HOPE

The absolute confidence and full assurance of a certain yet unseen future…because it is provided by the predetermined plan of God the Father…paid for by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross through His shed blood which paid for our sins and removed sin as a problem in our lives…and backed by the signature guarantee of God the Holy Spirit.

 

Abraham puts it best in Romans, Chapter 4, Verses 20 and 21…

 

ROMANS 4:20

... concerning the promise of God the Father…Abraham did not vacillate…nor did he reside in the sphere of unbelief…instead, Abraham was strengthened in his faith inwardly by God the Father…resulting in Abraham giving glory to God...

 

ROMANS 4:21

...and Abraham was fully persuaded that what God the Father had promised…He was able also to perform.

 

Abraham had hope in all that he was not able to see.  His hope will pay off because everything God promised Abraham will come to pass.

 

When believers in Christ say we have hope, we know it means we have a certain future even though we don’t see everything right this moment.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 24…

 

 

ROMANS 8:24

For in hope (for the unseen future) we believers in Christ have been saved in the past…but hope that is seen in the present is not hope…for who hopes for what he already sees?

 

There are many things Christians have that require no hope because we see them clearly in the present.

 

THINGS CHRISTIANS SEE NOW THAT REQUIRE NO HOPE

 

We have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who is God.

 

The Lord came to earth in human form as Jesus…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…

 

THINGS CHRISTIANS SEE NOW THAT REQUIRE NO HOPE

 

The Lord’s death on the Cross paid for ALL our sins…past, present, and future…so we could have a relationship with God.  In God’s eyes we have a clean slate.

 

Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are saved.

 

THINGS CHRISTIANS SEE NOW THAT REQUIRE NO HOPE

 

Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will live with Him in heaven for all eternity.

 

Believers in Christ are children of God.

 

THINGS CHRISTIANS SEE NOW THAT REQUIRE NO HOPE

 

Believers in Christ have the righteousness of God imputed to them.

 

Through the justification by faith provided to us by God, in God’s eyes it is as if we have never sinned.

 

THINGS CHRISTIANS SEE NOW THAT REQUIRE NO HOPE

 

Believers in Christ are in union with Christ through the baptism of God the Holy Spirit, and it is a union from which we cannot exit.

 

God considers our problems to be His responsibility.

 

There are many things Christians see which require no hope.  The things Christians don’t see require hope.

 

Many biblical heroes come to mind when I think of hope.  David is one of the

people who come to mind.  He is much like each of us.  His life is a reflection of the best of times and the worst of times.  Let’s remember one of his best moments as we look at First Samuel, Chapter 17, Verses 40 to 54…

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:40

David took a stick in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brookand put them in the shepherd’s bag which he hadin his pouch…and his sling was in his hand…and he approached the Philistine (Goliath).

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:41

Then the Philistine came on and approached Davidwith a shield-bearer in front of him.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:42

When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him…for he was but a youth…ruddy in complexion and handsome in appearance.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:43

The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his (false) gods.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:44

The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field.”

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:45

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.”

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:46

“This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a (true) God over Israel…”

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:47

“…and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear…for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:48

Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:49

And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into Goliath’s forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

 

The bigger they come the harder they fall as my Mom used to say.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:50

Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him…but there was no sword in David’s hand.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:51

Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took Goliath’s sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him…cutting off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:52

The (army of) men from Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:53

The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps.

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:54

Then David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

 

David is much like us.  There are times in our lives when we have successes.  During those times, it’s easy to forget where the success comes from.  David did not.  David said in First Samuel, Chapter 17, Verse 47…

 

FIRST SAMUEL 17:47b

“…the battle is the Lord’s…and He will give you into our hands.”

 

It’s pretty easy to forget that the battle is the Lord’s.  The Lord considers our problems to be his responsibility, and He always gets things done for us when we let Him.  Unfortunately, we like helping.  Our help only interferes with the Lord’s deliverance.

 

When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering…we’ll enjoy the elements of the Lord’s Supper, and we’ll hear about David’s dark side…we’ll see how Satan keeps on enticing us to sin so that he robs us of hope.  Take a five-minute break.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET

Danny Gokey

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Gave Us Hope

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

God always encourages generosity.  Proverbs, Chapter 11, Verse 25 says…

 

PROVERBS 11:25

The generous person will be prosperous…and he who waterswill himself be watered.

 

Be generous, so those you help with your contributions may receive the gospel message implanted…sothe Word of God sprouts from within them through the seeds nourished by God…and let the Word of God give them the strength to put one foot in front of the other during times of spiritual turmoil…especially our brothers and sisters in the persecuted churches around the world.  Your contributions give those you don’t see hope.

 

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

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

ROMANS 10:13

“...for ‘WHOSOEVER’ will call on the Person of the Lord will be saved.”

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Gave Us Hope

 

Before we continue with the second half of the lesson, let’s enjoy the Lord’s Supper elements.

 

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.”

 

We celebrate to remember.  Jesus Christ died as our sin substitute…Jesus Christ is risen from the dead to prove His Deity…Jesus Christ loves us unconditionally…Jesus Christ forgives us once and for all time through His work on the Cross…Jesus Christ’s BLOOD paid for our sins…Jesus Christ saved us from the wrath of God the Father…Jesus Christ will come again to gather us unto Himself.  As believers in Christ, we celebrate through this Lord’s Supper and we are grateful that His work on the Cross gives us hope...the assurance of an amazing future.

 

Enjoy the elements as June Murphy reminds us THERE’S JUST ONE HOPE.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG

 

THERE'S JUST ONE HOPE

June Murphy

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Gave Us Hope

 

LORD’S SUPPER LESSON-PART TWO

 

Let’s take a look at the side of David most Pastors don’t want to teach…the human side…the sinful side.  Let’s begin at Second Samuel, Chapter 11, Verses 1 to 27…

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:1

Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab…and he sent his servants with Joab…and he sent all of Israel’s army… and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

 

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:2

Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof, he saw a woman bathing…and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:3

So David inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba…the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

 

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:4

David sent messengers who brought Bathsheba to the palace, and when she came to him, David had sex with her…and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:5

Bathsheba conceived…and she told David, “I am pregnant.”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:6

Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:7

When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:8

Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your houseand wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and a present from the king was sent out after him.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:9

But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:10

Now when the servants told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:11

Uriah said to David, “The ark of the covenant and the army of Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field.  Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to have sex with my wife?  By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:12

Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today and tomorrow I will let you go.”

So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:13

Now David called Uriah, and David ate and drank before him, and David made Uriah drunk…and in the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants, but he did not go down to his house.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:14

Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:15

He had written in the letter, saying, “Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:16

So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men (of the enemy…their best soldiers).

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:17

The valiant men of the city under attackwent out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell…and Uriah the Hittite also died.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:18

Then Joab sent a report to David all the events of the war.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:19

He charged the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king…”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:20

"…and if the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?’”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:21

“Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’”—then you shall say, “‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:22

So the messenger departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:23

The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate.”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:24

“Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall…so some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:25

Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another…make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it’ … and so encourage him.”

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:26

Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

 

SECOND SAMUEL 11:27

When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife…then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.

 

So as we learn about David, it was the best of times and the worst of times.  Like us, he was sometimes a hero and sometimes a goat.  You can read on in Second Samuel about what happens next, but how do you think David felt about this?How would you feel if you perpetrated this?  What happens inside of a commander of an army when he fails to be with his army on the battlefield and it costs many lives…when he conceives adultery in his heart…when he commits adultery…when he impregnates a friend’s wife…when he conspires to murder his faithful friend… when he ensures the friend is murdered…and when he marries the friend’s widow?All of this while having seven hundred concubines in the palace.  Any one of these things would be too much to bear within our consciences.  But all of them together?

 

We know right from wrong.  And when we do the wrong things over and over

again, we become certain that we are disappointing God.  We lose our grip on hope.  Just as that starts to happen, the accuser of the brethren comes along and taunts us for our unfaithfulness to the Lord.

 

In assessing his own sin, David says to Nathan in Second Samuel, Chapter 12, Verse 5…

 

SECOND SAMUEL 12:5

As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.

 

Nathan assures David in Second Samuel, Chapter 12, Verse 13…

 

SECOND SAMUEL 12:13b

“The Lord also has taken away your sin…you shall not die.”

 

Blessed be the name of the Lord who covers our sins!  The law of double jeopardy says we cannot be tried for the same crime twice, although within ourselves we want to beat ourselves up and rehash our sins over and over again.

 

Perhaps David, while reflecting on the gravity of his sins, felt hopeless.  We do.  We lament within ourselves, “Why…oh why…can’t I ever seem to get it right?”  We sin.  The Lord rebuked David through Nathan, yet he comforted David through Nathan as well.

 

Don’t be deceived…God is not mocked…what we sow we shall also reap.  Thankfully God disciplines us when we sin…He trains us in a character pattern…the righteousness character pattern…He restores our hope.  Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verses 9 to 11…

 

HEBREWS 12:9

…we had earthly fathers to discipline us…and we respected them…shall we not much rather be subject to God the Father of spirits, and live?

 

HEBREWS 12:10

For our human fathers disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them…but God the Father disciplines us for our good…so that we may share His holiness.

 

HEBREWS 12:11

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful…yet to those

who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

 

David assessed his own conduct in prayer to the Lord in Psalm 51, Verses 1 to 4…he said…

 

PSALM 51:1

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness…according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

 

PSALM 51:2

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

 

PSALM 51:3

For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.

 

PSALM 51:4

Against You and You only have I sinned…and I have done what is evil in Your sight…so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.

 

As we regain our balance…as we begin to see the light again…we realize we have a God of hope.  We realize one of the many things that the Lord gave us as a gift from His work on our behalf on the Cross is HOPE…we have a certain future.  Philippians, Chapter 3, Verses 13 and 14…

 

PHILIPPIANS 3:13

Brethren, I (Paul) do not regard myself as having laid hold of spiritual maturity yet…but one thing I do…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead (HOPE)…

 

PHILIPPIANS 3:14

…I press on toward the goal…for the prize of the upward call of God of those in union with Christ Jesus.

 

Through the Cross, the Lord gave us HOPE.  Let's remember His work at the Cross which assured us of a very certain future.  We are no longer condemned… we will not be at the wrong end of the wrath of God…we will not pay even though there are fourteen indictments against us from birth.  Our faith in the Lord has set us free.  Enjoy the freedom and refuse to be entangled in the yoke of slavery.

 

 

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 You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Creator of the heavens and the earth… YOUR CREATOR…loves you unconditionally and wants a real relationship with you.  So here is a question that demands reflection…are you a sinner or a saint?

 

According to the Bible, all of us are born sinners.  Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…

 

ROMANS 3:23

…all creatures keep on sinning and keep on falling 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…”

 

Unfortunately, being a sinner has a penalty.  Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 23…

 

ROMANS 6:23

For the payment earned for being a sinner is both spiritual death and physical death…

 

Being a sinner is bad news, especially if you die a sinner.  Revelation, Chapter 20, Verse 15…

 

REVELATION 20:15

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life (at the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers)…and that will be true for all unbelievers…he was throwninto the Lake of Fire.

 

If you leave this life as a sinner, you’ll regret it for all eternity.

 

The Bible is a guide for sinners, and it contains good news!  If you’re a sinner and you’re still breathing, you can choose to become a saint!  God the Father has a plan for sinners… Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8…

 

ROMANS 5:8

God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love for all mankind…in that while we were sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly, unbelievers…enemies of God the Father…He sent His Son)…the Christ to diea sacrificial deathfor all of us.

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 16 reiterates this amazing and compassionate fact…

 

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…the  Christ…100% God and 100% man in one Person…to be crucified on a Cross)…”

 

JOHN 3:16

“…so that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish…instead, he shall have the resurrection life (eternal life).”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ has His arms wideopen to welcome you into His kingdom RIGHT THIS MINUTE.  He wants a relationship with every sinner.  In John, Chapter 6, Verse 37, the Lord says…

 

JOHN 6:37b

…the ones who come to Me to believe inMe…I will certainly not cast out into the outer darkness…the Lake of Fire.

 

In fact, sinners don’t even have to look for the Lord because the Lord is ALWAYS looking for them!  Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 4 to 7…

 

LUKE 15:4

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine sheep in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

 

LUKE 15: 5

“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

 

LUKE 15:6

“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

 

LUKE 15:7

“I (the Lord Jesus Christ) tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (changing his mind about having a relationship with Christ) than over ninety-nine righteous persons (believers in Christ) who need no repentance.”

 

There are a few things you need to know about God’s plan to transform sinners to saints.  First, you can’t work to be a saved saint.  God does the work for you!  Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…

 

TITUS 3:5

The Lord Jesus Christ saved us…not based on deeds which we have done in self-righteousness…but according to His mercy (the choice not to give sinners what they deserve) …by the washing of regeneration and through renewing by God the Holy Spirit…

 

Second, to be a saint instead of a sinner, you need to have a change of mind…the Bible calls this repentance…and it has nothing to do with your sins as legalists claim.  Repent means to change your mind about your desire to have a relationship with Jesus Christ…moving from having no desire to have a relationship with Him to having an immediate desire to have a relationship with Him… Acts, Chapter 17, Verses 30 and 31…

 

ACTS 17:30

“Therefore, having overlooked the times of your ignorance, God the Father is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent…”

 

ACTS 17:31

“…because God the Father has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through the God-Man Jesus Christ…whom God the Father has appointed, having furnished proof that He is Godto all men by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.”

 

Finally, you need to acknowledge the truths 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…

 

So how does God move you from sinner to saint?  John, Chapter 1, Verse 12…

 

JOHN 1:12

But whosoever acceptsthe invitation to have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ…to them the Lordgives the right to become children of God the Father… even to those who believein Jesus Christ’s name…

 

Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31

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

 

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

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has eternal 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.”

 

The good news is this…Romans, Chapter 10, Verse 13…

 

ROMANS 10:13

…for “whosoever will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved by God.”

 

Saint!

 

As a reminder, once you have salvation, you CANNOT lose it.  An immutable God, who never changes His mind, saves you once and for all time.  Hebrews, Chapter 7, Verse 25…

 

HEBREWS 7:25

Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ is able to save forever (through His divine power…omnipotence) those who draw near to God the Father through believing in the Christ…since the Lord Jesus Christ always lives to make intercession for those who draw near.

 

In John, Chapter 10, Verse 28, the Lord 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.”

 

There is a consequence for rejecting a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is an eternal fate that none of us would wish for our worst enemy!  Mark, Chapter 9, Verses 43 and 44 warn…

 

MARK 9:43

If your hand (or anything else) causes you to stumble (to reject a relationship with Christ) cut it off… you should enter (eternal) life crippled rather than going into hell into an unquenchable fire…

 

MARK 9:44

…where their worm (a nagging conscience) does not die…and the fire is not quenched.

 

Take a moment out of your busy life and heed the suggestion in Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 9 and 10…

 

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 by God…

 

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.

 

BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST RIGHT NOW and you’ll become a saint!  There’s no time to waste.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

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

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music! As we get older, we lament the fact that there are more days behind us than there are in front of us.  But why?  What’s so bad about leaving this temporary life behind and going to the perfection of heaven for all eternity.  We have hope, and Dany Gokey sings about it…the HOPE IN FRONT OF ME.

 

MUSIC

CLOSING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

HOPE IN FRONT OF ME

Danny Gokey

 

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

…thank you for reminding us that your Son’s Cross provided us with HOPE…the assurance of things we can’t see…help us to remember our hope moment by moment as we go through the ups and downs of this life…remind us that we can have absolute confidence that Your promises are ALWAYS fulfilled and that You work all things together for our good…and help us to remind others of the magnificent that comes from believing in Your Son…

 

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

 

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

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DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE

 

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KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!

 

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