ROM-491-241117 - length: 88:00 - taught on Nov, 17 2024
Class Outline:
We should share the Truth.
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.
Forgetting.
In our last lesson, Guest Speaker Al Gleason taught us about the power of remembering. Just as important as the power of rememberingis the power of forgetting. God is great at forgetting, and He wants us to be great at forgetting, too.In Philippians, Chapter 3, Verses 13 and 14the apostle Paul instructs us…
PHILIPPIANS 3:13
Brethren (fellow believers in Christ)…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…
PHILIPPIANS 3:14
…I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God the Father for
those of us in union with Christ Jesus.
Forgetting.
What is it that the Lord wants us to forget?
He wants us to forget our own sins. If He forgets our sins, why wouldn't we? We don't because people keep reminding us of our mistakes. Is there anything compassionate or enlightening about that?
The Lord wants us to forget oursorrows…our suffering…our grief…and our pain. He wants us to forget injustices. He wants us to forget our spiritual failures.We come to Bible study to let the truth of God’s word erase from our memories of the negative things that impede our spiritual progress.
Who is the God We Worshipat Barah Ministries?
We worship a Triune Godhead. There is One God who reveals Himself to
mankind as three beings who are 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.
Even though we offended God the Father with sin, He is a perfect forgetter…Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 31 and 32…
EPHESIANS 4:31
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice (fuh-ged-abowd it!).
EPHESIANS 4:32
(Instead) … Be kind to one another…tender-hearted…forgiving each other…just as God the Father…through your union with Christ…also has forgiven you.
Forgiveness is forgetting.
GOD THE SON (the Lord) volunteered to execute God the Father’s plan…taking on human form as Jesus…the Christ (the Jewish Messiah). Jesus Christ is God.
Our Lord is great at forgetting…Isaiah, Chapter 43, Verse 25…
ISAIAH 43:25
“I…the Lord…even I am the One who forgets your transgressions for My own sake…and I will not remember your sins.”
If the Lord forgets your sins, then you can, too. Of course, that is not a license to sin, and no one with a grain of sense would think so.
There is ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY to heaven. If you invest your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ…asking Him to save you…He will save you. When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you instantly have the resurrection life…eternal life…in His Name.
We worship GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. He is our Mentor and Teacher. He is a guide who is the rudder of a Christian’s life. He is fully God, equal in every way to God the Father and God the Son.He is a Person. He is not a “ghost” as some like to call Him.
After the rebellion of angelic creatures, where all the angels turned on the Lord and fell, God the Holy Spirit was willing to forget. He restored the planet…Genesis, Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2…
GENESIS 1:1
In the beginning (not a beginning)…God (the Son…the Lord…Jehovah Elohim) created (bara) the heavens and the earth.
GENESIS 1:2
But the earth became formless and void…and darkness was over the surface of the deep…and God the Holy Spirit was moving over the surface of the waters (forgetting the rebellion of angelic creatures and restoring the planet).
In God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit…believers in Christ have a power team that is always on their side…a team specializing in the impossible…a team you can call on for help in times of trouble.
What is Our Source of Truthat Barah Ministries?
The Bible is the Word of God, and as such it is our source of absolute truth. As Christians, we develop a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Godhead…and we get to know God as a Person… through studying the Word of God.
The Word of God heals the hurts of our lives with the truth…Psalm 119, Verse 105…
PSALM 119:105
Your Word…Lord…keeps on being a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.
What is your source of truth? Your source of truth for eternal matters is not an
insignificant thing because it has eternal consequences.
The Bible is a supernatural work…breathed into human writers by God. It does not come from man, and it provides the only source of absolute truthabout eternal things.
Since the Bible is the Lord’s exact thinking, and since God is right all the time, the Bible is right all the time. It contains no errors or contradictions. You can trust the Bible as your source of truth. At Barah Ministries, we teach the Bible from God’s perspective…not from man’s perspective…because we refuse to teach as doctrinal truth the very fallible precepts of men.
The best thing you can do for yourself EVERY DAY is to spend time reading, studying, and reflecting on God’s Word. Schedule time to study, and let God’s Word set the direction for your day. The Bible changes your mind!
Who is Our Enemyat Barah Ministries?
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. Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 10…
REVELATION 12:10
Then I (John) heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and Father…and the authority of His Christ (the Jewish Messiah) have come…for (Satan)…the accuser of our brethren…has been thrown down from heaven…Satan…who accuses believers in Christ before our God…day and night.
Satan doesn’t want anyone to forget our flaws, not even God. The Lord is having none of it. He paid for our sins and the matter of our mistakes is settled.
The biggest enemy of believers in Christ is IGNORANCE OF THE ENEMY. Don’t be ignorant.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Calls Church Age Believers to Evangelize to the Jews
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Salvation is easy! Once we are gifted with salvation, what does God want us to do? Hewants us to teach others the easy way to salvation. In today’s lesson, we’ll learn how salvation is shared with others in our periphery. And obeying the Lord’s command,we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. At the Cross, the Lord taught us a valuable lesson…ACCEPTANCE…and it’s worthwhile to learn the value of acceptance.Get your bread and your wine ready…settle in…and join us for this monthlycelebration of remembrance.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music!June Murphy says God is aperfect forgetter in her song HE REMEMBERS TO FORGET.
MUSIC
OPENING SONG
Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
HE REMEMBERS TO FORGET
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 making salvation so easy…thanks especially for giving us salvation when we were your enemies…thank you for demonstrating true compassion and unconditional love…thank you for sending Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to die for us on a Cross…shedding His blood as the perfectly satisfactory payment for our sins…satisfying Your need for justice in a way only He could…
…help us to demonstrate the same compassion for those we love and for those we don’t…help us to be ready in every moment as You provide us with divine appointments to share the gospel message, the good news concerning how easy it is to be saved…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Calls Church Age Believers to Evangelize to the Jews
LESSON PART ONE
We continue our study of the apostle Paul's letter to the believers in Christ in first-century Rome, and to believers in Christ throughout the generations, in Chapter 10. We're eternally grateful that the Lord picked such an imperfect person to share the gospel message so that all would know that our goodness is not what gets us saved. It's the Lord's goodness toward us that saves us. He was good enough to pay the penalty of our sin...so we wouldn't have to…and all He asks is that we place our confidence in Him without any work.
Salvation? It’s easy!
EASY BUTTON
If you remember the movie The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith, you’ll remember his son telling an interesting story…
“Dad…there was a man who was drowning…and a boat came…and the man on the boat said ‘Do you need help?’ and the man said ‘No thank you…God will save me.’ Then another boat came and tried to help, but the man said ‘No thank you…God will save me.’ Then the man drowned and went to Heaven. The man asked God, ‘Why didn’t you save me?’ And God said, ‘I sent you two boats, you big dummy!’”
Salvation is easy!
EASY BUTTON
Let’s remember how easy it is by remembering the first passage of Romans, Chapter 10…in the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION…Verses 1 to 11…
ROMANS 10:1
(Paul says) … Dear brothers and sisters (believers in Christ)…the longing of my heart and my prayer to God the Father is for the people of Israel (the Jews) to be saved.
Here’s what not to do…
ROMANS 10:2
I know their enthusiasm for God…but it is misdirected zeal.
ROMANS 10:3
They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself.
Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the Mosaic Law.
ROMANS 10:4
But Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the Mosaic Law was given.As a result, all who believe in Him (only through faith) are made right with God.
ROMANS 10:5
For Moses writes that the Mosaic Law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to ALL of its commands (which no one has done except the Lord Jesus Christ).
ROMANS 10:6
But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ to bring Christ down to earth.
ROMANS 10:7
And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ to bring Christ back
to life again.”
Salvation is not that hard! Here’s what to do…
ROMANS 10:8
Faith’s way of getting right with God says, “The gospel message is very close at
hand…it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the verymessage about the faith that we are preaching…
ROMANS 10:9
…that if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord (that He is Deity)…and if you believe in your heart that God the Father raised Him from the dead…you will be saved.
ROMANS 10:10
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God…and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
ROMANS 10:11
As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ will never be disgraced.”
Today’s passage is a continuation of the previous passage…Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 12 to 15 in the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION…
ROMANS 10:12
Jews and Gentiles are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to ALL who call on him.
ROMANS 10:13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
ROMANS 10:14
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
ROMANS 10:15
And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the
Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring the good news!”
Let’s study this short passage verse-by-verse. Romans, Chapter 10, Verse 12…
ROMANS 10:12
Jews and Gentiles are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to ALL who call on him.
Why is salvation easy? God is not willing for any to perish. There is no favoritism. No one is excluded from the opportunity to be saved. The Lord says, The only way for you to be forgiven is if I take your punishment…this is the only way for you to be saved…it’s an exclusive path and an inclusive invitation.” WHOSOEVER…ALL…EVERYONE can be saved.
God made an easy way for all mankind to be right with Him, and It is not a works-based path. The Lord Jesus Christ did the work…He laid down His life for us.
Salvation depends on God…and it’s only a prayer away. God doesn’t want you to climb to heaven nor does He want you to descend to hell to bring God to a place where He can save you. The Lord can save you right where you sit with no work on your part. All He wants from you is a simple prayer of request. Romans, Chapter 10, Verse 13…
ROMANS 10:13
For “EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Christianity is for responders…not for initiators. Those who initiate want to do the work to save themselves. Those who respond simply follow the Lord’s direction. We are offered eternal life by God and we simply accept it. How easy is salvation?
THE TWO CHOICES
Be Saved or Perish
The doubters ask, “Is it really easy to be saved by the Lord?? They ask because they have been filled with religious nonsense that makes salvation seem complicated. The apostle Paul asks four rhetorical questions to stimulate the thinking of the doubters. Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 14 and 15…
ROMANS 10:14
But how can they call on the Lord to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?
ROMANS 10:15a
And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?
The questions are in interesting sequence…believe…hear…get told…by a preacher. The sequence is backward! What do unbelievers need? The need a preacher who is familiar with the gospel message…they need the preacher to tell them the message…they need to hear what the preacher says…they need to believe…simple faith invested in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
The result? Justification by faith…a full pardon from God. Your bag of sins is exchanged for God’s righteousness on request.
God expects Church Age believers to share the gospel message with those in our periphery, especially the Jews. You don’t have to be a Bible expert to evangelize. The message is simple.
The problem?
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
The wages of sin?
Spiritual death
How did God solve the problem?
In unconditional love for sinners, God the Father sent His Son to solve the problem.
What did the Lord Jesus Christ do to solve the problem?
He was crucified…He shed His blood as payment for our sins…He experienced the wrath of God the Father for us…He died on a Cross….He was buried…He was resurrected from the dead…He offers salvation to WHOSOEVER.
Don’t complicate the gospel message. Evangelism is an opportunity provided by God. He wants us to…
Listen to unbelievers
Follow God’s prompts (God the Holy Spirit gives you the words)
Be compassionate
Think about those around us we are connected with
Get over your trepidation
God uses us to save souls from eternal demise. Romans, Chapter 10, Verse 15 (the second part)…
ROMANS 10:15b
That is why theScriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring the good news!”
God is calling on Church Age believers to evangelize to the Jews. The Lord is calling them to freedom. He’s calling you to evangelize. Will you come? When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering and then we’ll celebrate The Lord’s Supper.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
CALLING YOU TO FREEDOM
June Murphy
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Calls Church Age Believers to Evangelize to the Jews
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
When God blesses us financially, He wants us to raise our standard of GIVING, not our standard of living. Remember, God is the One who seeks and saves the lost…the lost don’t seek Him…Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 11 says…
ROMANS 3:11
There is no creature who understands God or any divine thing…there is no
creature who seeks a relationship with God…
In Luke, Chapter 15, Verse 4, Jesus says…
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 sheep which is lost until he finds it?”
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Shepherd. As His creatures, we are the sheep. What does the Shepherd do for the sheep who are not seeking a relationship with Him? He goes after them. Your generosity creates the opportunity for Barah Ministries to provide the gift of the gospel message to the unbelievers God brings to this ministry.We go after unbelievers on behalf of God as if God were entreating through us…because He is!
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
JAMES 1:2
Consider it all joy…my brethren…when you encounter various trials…
OFFERING SONG
THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
Instrumental Version
THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION
At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ BLANK
Welcome to The Lord’s Supper Celebration, the most intimate expression of our deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this celebration, by sharing His body and His blood with us, the Lord reminds us of the unity all believers in Christ possess. In First Corinthians, Chapter 11,
Verse 26, the apostle Paul says, on behalf of the Lord…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26a
…as often as you eat this bread (representing His body)…and as often as
you drink this cup (representing His blood)…as part of the Lord's Supper Celebration…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26b
…you proclaim as a reality and you announce the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ's death on the Cross…and His resurrection from the dead…until He comes again at the second coming.
Every month, we celebrate The Lord’s Supper to REMEMBER…we remember that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dependent on Him for our so great salvation;we remember that we are in union with Christ and we nothing can separate us from our union with Him; we remember that the Lord loves us unconditionally; we remember that we are forgiven for every sin past, present, and future; and we remember that we have the Lord’s grace to help in times of need, especially when we make mistakes.
The Lord’s Supper Celebration is often called communion. It’s our chance to commune with the Lord.
The Lord’s Supper Celebration is sacred, so it’s not something we take for granted. It’s not something we do “on the fly.” So have bread and wine in front of you, and as we enjoy the elements, let’s remember our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, both for our physical and our spiritual sustenance.
As we celebrate The Lord’s Supper, we ask ourselves in reflection, "What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for us at the Cross?"
This month we acknowledge that at the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ taught us ACCEPTANCE.
As He hung from a Cross, here are a few of the words He said in Luke, Chapter 23, Verse 34…
LUKE 23:34
“Father, forgive them…for they do not know what they are doing.”
While suffering the worst torture in human history, the Lord remembered to forget.
Acceptance.
The Lord consented willingly to suffer for our sakes. Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 42…
LUKE 22:42
“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me (the crucifixion on a Cross and being at the wrong end of God the Father’s wrath)…yet not My will…but Your will be done.”
The Lord accepted His fate on our behalf by accepting God the Father’s instructions. The Lord’s work on the Cross provides us with the lesson of acceptance.
God the Father wants us to accept the peace we have through Christ. Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 1…
ROMANS 5:1
Therefore, having been justified on the principle of faith in the past, we believers in Christ now and forevermore keep on having peace with God the Father through our union with the Lord Jesus Christ…
God the Father wants us to accept the spiritual blessings we have through Christ. Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verse 3…
EPHESIANS 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…for all in union with Christ…
God the Father wants us to accept His grace. Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 2…
ROMANS 5:2
…and through our union with Christ also we believers in Christ have obtained our direct access to a Person of privileged rank, God the Father, who placed us into this sphere of gracein which we presently stand…and through our union with Christ also we keep on exulting in the future hope of the glory of God.
God the Father wants us to accept His unconditional love. First John, Chapter 4, Verse 9…
FIRST JOHN 4:9
By this the unconditional love of God was manifested in us believers in Christ, that God the Father has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live the resurrection through our union with Him.
God the Father wants us to accept His forgiveness. Psalm 103, Verse 3…
PSALM 103:3
He forgives all your iniquities…
Most of all, God the Father wants us to accept His Son and the Lord’s “so great” salvation… John, Chapter 3, Verse 17…
JOHN 3:17
For God the Father did not send the Son into the world to judge the world…but that the world might be saved through Him.
We find it hard to accept generosity. God wants us to accept His peace, His spiritual blessings, His grace, His unconditional love, His forgiveness, His Son, and His “so great” salvation. As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper to remember the lessons the Lord taught us, we accept the lessons and we pass along to others the things He gifts to us.
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…that Jesus Christ’s BLOOD paid for our sins…that Jesus Christ died as our sin substitute…Jesus Christ is risen from the dead to prove His Deity…that 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 are grateful that His work on the Cross gives us hope...the assurance of an amazing future.
Enjoy the elements as we listen to Israel Houghton and The New Breed sing…I AM ACCEPTED.
THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG
I AM ACCEPTED
Israel Houghton and the New Breed
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The next ten minutes 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
…and what He wants for you is that you 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…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 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.”
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! The God who accepts us just as we are is masterful at forgetting. Here’s Red Worship encouraging us to emulate our God with the song FORGIVE AND FORGET.
MUSIC
CLOSING SONG
Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
FORGIVE AND FORGET
Red Worship
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
Thank you for reminding us to be alert to the opportunities you give us to evangelize…especially to our Jewish friends…thank you for choosing them and the nation Israel as your favorites…and thank you for including us in Your plan of salvation…making the two groups one and breaking down the barrier of the dividing wall…
…grant us divine appointments so we can be of assistance to god the Holy Spirit in the work of salvation…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please make it a habit to listen to the announcements. They are posted separately. Keep current on the things going on and coming up in Barah Ministries.
DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE
Join us Live or on ZoomImmediately Following the Lesson
GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?
Ask the Pastor
pastor@barahministries.com
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Send your request to pastor@barahministries.com
KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
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1220 S. Alma School Rd. Suite 102 Mesa, AZ 85210 |
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(480) 237-9903 |
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info@barahministries.com |
