Philippians: How Does the Lord Use Your Life to Advance His Purpose?

Class Outline:

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God didn't save you to be a slug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

An Online Christian Church Teaching the Word of God

RORY CLARK

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries, an online Christian Church teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse to the hearers the Lord provides.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  No matter where you are in the world, thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

How Does the Lord Use Your Life to Advance His Purpose?

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

As a Christian, you’re on God’s team.  You’re important to Him.  How is He using your life to advance His purpose?  In today’s lesson, we’ll learn from the apostle Paul about how the Lord uses us, even in the most trying of circumstances.

And as we do regularly, honoring the Lord’s command, we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper today.  Get your bread and your wine ready…settle in…and join us.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!  What is your purpose in life?  That can be a paralyzing question for most of us, as we seldom stop to think about it.  The Lord thinks about it for us, and He definitely has a purpose for each of us.  Lauren Daigle sings about it in her song A LIFE WITH PURPOSE.

 

MUSIC - OPENING SONG

Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises

 

A LIFE WITH PURPOSE

Lauren Daigle

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful to You Heavenly Father for providing us with the absolute truth of the Word of God…

 

Thank you, Father, for being purposeful…both in Your plan for all mankind and in your personal plan for each of us…thank you for helping us identify the purpose You have for us…thank you for providing God the Holy Spirit to help us live our purpose…

 

…as we learn from the apostle Paul today in his JOYFUL letter to the Philippians, help us see the benefits of the single-minded purpose of Paul’s life…encourage us to take time out to work ON our lives rather than just running around IN our lives…and as we discover the purpose You have for us through the study of the Word of God, give us the courage to live as You intended for us to live…

 

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

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

How Does the Lord Use Your Life to Advance His Purpose?

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

Let’s begin our study of the second passage of Paul’s letter to the Philippians in Chapter 1, Verses 12 to 26.  Here’s the passage…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:12

Now I (Paul) want you to know brethren (believers in Christ) … that my circumstances (my being imprisoned) have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:13

…and my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard…and to everyone else…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:14

…and most of the brethren here in Rome, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:15

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also are preaching Christ from good will…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:16

…the latter do it out of unconditional love, knowing I (Paul) am appointed for the defense of the gospel…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:17

…the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, wanting to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:18

What do I think about this, then?  Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, when Christ is proclaimed, in this I rejoice.  Yes!  I rejoice…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:19

…for I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and through the provisions of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (God the Holy Spirit)…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:20

…according to my earnest expectation and hope…that I will not be put to shame in anything…but with all boldness, Christ will now and always be exalted in my body…whether by life or by death.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:21

For to me…to live is occupation with Christ…and to die is profitable.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:22

But if (1) I am to live on in the flesh, and of course I am, this will mean fruitful labor for me…and I do not know which to choose.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:23

But I am hard-pressed from both directions, both having the desire to depart to be with Christ, for that is very much better…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:24

…and wanting to remain on in the flesh, for that is more necessary for your sake.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:25

I (Paul) know I will remain on in the flesh and I am convinced of this…and I will continue with you all for your progress and for your JOY in the faith…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:26

…so that your proud confidence in me may abound though our union with Christ Jesus and through my coming to you again.

 

Here’s the simple structure of the passage.  It talks about…

 

STRUCTURE OF PHILIPPIANS PASSAGE TWO
 

Paul’s Chains

Verses 12 to 14

 

Paul’s Critics

Verses 15 to 19

 

Paul’s Crisis

Verses 20 to 26

 

You’ll remember Paul’s letter to the Philippians is about JOY regardless of circumstances.  In Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 11 the apostle Paul articulates the essence of JOY.  He says….

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:11b

I have learned to be content (joyful) in whatever circumstances I am.

 

In Philippians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 11 Paul shared three keys to JOY when dealing with people.  We keep people in our minds, in our hearts, and in our prayers, and we don’t require anything from others.  We simply love them unconditionally.  The control of our mental serenity remains in our hands when dealing this way with the difficulties of people relationships.

 

Today’s passage helps us to understand some of the things that are important to Paul.

 

As you know, Philippians is one of Paul’s four prison epistles.

 

Paul is an EVANGELIST.  That’s not obvious to the untrained Bible reader.

Sometimes it’s not even obvious to those of us who are trained Biblical scholars.  It took me years to realize that someone like Paul, who constantly is on the move planting churches, is an evangelist.

 

Evangelists are like bees.  They flit from one flower to the next.  Pastors are like slugs. 😊  We just settle in at one location.

 

Paul flitted from area to area planting churches and raising up Pastors to run those

churches.  Paul was single-minded, and all he thought about was communicating

the gospel of Jesus Christ to win souls for Christ, especially among the Gentiles (non-Jews).

 

It was always Paul’s desire to win souls in Rome.  Look at Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 15…

 

ROMANS 1:15

So, for my part, I (Paul) am eager to preach the gospel as a minster to you who are in Rome.

 

It makes sense!  Rome was the center of civilization in the first century, so there were plenty of unbelievers with whom to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Luke, the author of ACTS, noticed Paul’s desire to go to Rome in Acts, Chapter 19, Verse 21…

 

ACTS 19:21

Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

 

So why didn’t Paul get to Rome?  In Romans, Chapter 15, Verses 22 to 24 he says…

 

ROMANS 15:22b

…I (Paul) have been prevented by God many times from coming to you in Rome…

 

ROMANS 15:23

…but now, with no further place for me to preach in these regions (no virgin

evangelistic territory) … and since I have for many years had a longing to come to

you believers in Christ in Rome…

 

ROMANS 15:24

…whenever I go to Spain (an unevangelized Roman colony…virgin territory for Paul)—I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—

 

The Lord wanted Paul to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles in areas where there were no established churches.  Rome itself had several established churches, thus Rome was not virgin territory.  So the Lord directed Paul to other areas.

 

Funny thing…Paul wanted to go to Rome as a preacher and he ended up going to

Rome as a prisoner.  Rome was like Jerusalem.  It was THE place to go if you wanted trouble.  😊  The Lord was wise to keep Paul away from Rome.

 

If you want to know the things Paul went through leading up to his imprisonment in Rome, read Acts, Chapter 21, Verse 17 to Acts, Chapter 28, Verse 31.  You’ll find it fascinating how he was treated by the Pharisees.

 

Paul’s Chains

 

Let’s begin the verse-by-verse study…Philippians, Chapter 1, Verses 12 to 14 describes a man in chains…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:12

Now I (Paul) want you to know brethren (believers in Christ), that my circumstances (that is, my being imprisoned, chained to a Roman guard) have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:13

…and my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:14

…and most of the brethren (believers in Christ), trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ can use His followers in ANY circumstance.  Paul’s

imprisonment was no exception.  In this circumstance, the Lord used the apostle Paul to evangelize to the Praetorian Guards to whom he was chained.  It was pure JOY for Paul to oblige.

 

The Praetorian Guards were elite among Roman soldiers.  They were the best trained guards of the Imperial Roman army, and they served the Roman emperor in various roles:  as bodyguards, doing crowd control, and gathering military intelligence.  They were the equivalent of the Secret Service here in the United States of America.

 

Because Paul was a high value prisoner, he was chained to one of these highly trained guards twenty-four hours a day.  The guards would be executed if they let Paul escape (see Acts Chapter 16).

 

Paul neither complained about being imprisoned, nor did it stop him from winning

souls for Christ.  There was a shift change among the Praetorian Guards every six hours, so Paul evangelized to four different men every day.  Many of the guards responsible for Paul are in heaven today because of his evangelism.  Conversely, those who rejected Paul’s evangelism are regretting it in the Lake of Fire this very moment.  See how our Lord works?

 

Since Paul’s case was the talk of the town, he had access to Roman government officials as well.  Paul could have been “sucking his thumb” and ruing his fate if he chose to be self-focused.  He chose to see his imprisonment as a divine appointment, which gave him great JOY because it was a chance to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who were lost.

 

Seeing his JOYFUL attitude, the believers in Christ in Rome felt emboldened to speak of Jesus Christ to others at a time when being a Christian could easily be a death sentence.

 

How do you use your life circumstances to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, first to your family and friends and second to your enemies?

 

 

Paul’s Critics

 

In Philippians, Chapter 1, Verses 15 to 19 Paul says…

PHILIPPIANS 1:15

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife (legalism)…but some also are preaching Christ from good will (grace orientation) …

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:16

…the latter do it out of unconditional love, knowing I (Paul) am appointed for the defense of the gospel…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:17

…the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, wanting to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:18

What do I think about this, then?  Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in

truth, when Christ is proclaimed, in this I rejoice.  Yes!  I rejoice…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:19

…for I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and through the provisions of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (God the Holy Spirit)…

 

The people who were most critical of Paul’s imprisonment were legalistic believers in Christ.  Legalists approach Christianity as a series of made-up rules that do not connect to the Lord’s commands in Scripture.

 

For example, there are Christians who are Roman Catholic (the great oxymoron…a Catholic Christian) who at this time of the year are observing Lent, a forty-day period of self-denial (which is asceticism).  They contend that if they abstain from worldly pleasures through “self-discipline,” they are more spiritual.

 

As a former Roman Catholic, the self-sacrifices of Lent just made me even more phony than I already was.  I pretended to give up something for God while secretly indulging in the thing I gave up.  Giving up candy for Lent didn’t make me more spiritual.  It made me more irritable.

 

One of the decisions we make as Christians, especially as Pastors, is wanting people to follow Christ or wanting people to follow us.  Legalists want a following of their own.  They contend, “Look at me and do what I do.  I am a role model.”  No Christian did anything worthy of being saved, and no Christian does anything worthy of becoming spiritually mature.  Christians ARE NOT role models.  The Lord, through God the Holy Spirit, does everything for us.

 

So, what’s your approach to Christianity?  Are you grace oriented or legalistic?  Do you understand how unworthy you are of being saved, marveling that God saved a wretch like you?  Or are you doing things to save yourself…to make yourself worthy as a role model Christian?

 

Paul put it well…as long as people are talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s something to be happy about.  Paul didn’t concern himself with critics.  Single-mindedly, he concerned himself with Christ.

 

Paul’s Crisis

 

Philippians, Chapter 1, Verses 20 to 26…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:20

…(I’m sure)…according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything…but with all boldness, Christ will now and always be exalted in my body…whether by life or by death.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:21

For to me…to live is occupation with Christ…and to die is profitable.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:22

But if (1) I am to live on in the flesh, and I am, this will mean fruitful labor for me…and I do not know which to choose.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:23

But I am hard-pressed from both directions, both having the desire to depart to be with Christ, for that is very much better…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:24

…and wanting to remain on in the flesh, for that is more necessary for your sake.

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:25

Convinced of this, I (Paul) know I will remain on in the flesh and I will continue with you all for your progress and for your JOY in the faith…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:26

…so that your proud confidence in me may abound in union with Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

 

One day, if you are a believer in Christ, you will close your eyes in this life.  Your work here on earth will be complete.  You may think you’re on earth to go to school, to get a job, to bring home a paycheck, to buy a house, to raise a family, to go on trips, and to do the things which you consider fun and entertaining.

 

The truth?  You’re here to make a single decision.  Are you for or against a relationship with the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ?  How often does this fact come up in your daily life?  My guess is not much.

 

If you are a Christian, and you are still breathing, the Lord wants you to speak up for Him to unbelievers after you are saved.  He wants you to have a ministry just as the apostle Paul has a ministry.  Your ministry is to share your faith in Christ with those who haven’t taken the time to get to know Him.

 

You may not want to tell others about your relationship with Christ, because some people you’ll talk to are quite antagonistic to the idea of a spiritual life.  Perhaps you perceive evangelism as conflict producing activity, and you don’t like conflict because you have never learned to handle it.

 

 

Perhaps those you would talk to have been traumatized by legalistic people.

 

How often this year have you shared the gospel message with those you care about?  You may want to make it a practice to never take another person’s salvation for granted.  No matter how often I’m thought of as a hypocrite or a “Bible thumper,” and I am both, I’m willing to speak up for God.  I’m saved, and I know who saved me.  I didn’t save myself.

 

Why was Paul joyful despite his circumstances?  It was because of his single-minded devotion to Christ and to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers.  Follow his example!

 

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

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

How Does the Lord Use Your Life to Advance His Purpose?

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

Nike has it right about athletics…JUST DO IT!  At Barah Ministries, we have this thought about generosity…JUST GIVE IT!  In Proverbs 3, Verse 9 the Lord says…

 

PROVERBS 3:9

Honor the Lord from your wealth…and from the first fruits of all your produce…

 

The Lord doesn’t NEED us to give. He wants us to WANT TO give.  Don’t ever underestimate the power of your giving.  Of course, Satan, the enemy of God influences you to be reluctant to give, inciting thoughts like. “What are they going to do with the money?”  “Why are they always asking for money?”

 

When you give to Barah Ministries you’re giving to a financially responsible organization.  In addition, you change lives.  You may not get to know how you make a difference while you are here on earth, but God knows the impact you make and will share it with you when you get to heaven.

 

So give as if someone’s eternal life depends on it…because it does! Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

ROMANS 8:5

For those who are walking according to the guidance of the flesh (unbelievers) set their minds on the things of the flesh…but those who are walking according to the guidance of the God the Holy Spirit…(believers in Christ)…set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

OFFERING VERSE

 

ROMANS 8:6

For the mind set on the flesh is spiritual death…but the mind set on the Spirit is spiritual life and peace...

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

The Lord Jesus Christ Saw the Cross as JOY

 

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, the Lord reminds us of the unity all believers in Christ possess by sharing His body and His blood with us.  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…that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dependent on Him for our so great salvation; that we are in union with Christ and nothing can separate us from our union with Him; that the Lord loves us unconditionally; that we are forgiven for every sin past, present, and future; and that we have the Lord’s grace to help in times 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 to be joyful regardless of circumstances.

 

What is the source of your joy?

 

It’s a question worthy of reflection.  In Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verse 2 when the Lord calls the Cross “the joy set before Him,” it makes the Lord seem a little whacky, especially if our joy is rooted in circumstances…the philosophy that when we’re happy when things go well and sad when they don’t.

 

The Lord didn’t base His JOY on circumstances and neither did the apostle Paul. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a primer in JOY regardless of circumstance.

 

The Lord wants us to be as joyful at a funeral as we are at a wedding…as joyful in death as we are in life…as joyful when things aren’t going our way as when things are going just as we hoped.

 

As one Pastor puts it, “God is much more committed to the JOY of His children than His children are committed to finding it.”  So true.

 

So what is your source of JOY?

 

Is it Christ, or is it worldly things?  I can say with absolute conviction…if I didn’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ…if I wasn’t confident about our relationship…I would see no real reason to live.

 

That’s why I don’t watch the news.  The news doesn’t get to tell me what’s important in life in a series of two-minute soundbites.  What’s important in my life is what the Lord tells me is important.  The Omniscient One knows what He is talking about.  Newscasters don’t.

 

You can ask yourself three questions as you reflect on the JOY the Lord has set before you that is your life.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

 

1

What is the Lord’s purpose for the troubles He has given you in life?

 

It is not God’s will for us to live a trouble-free life.  He didn’t.  In Second Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verses 8 to 10 the apostle Paul reminds us…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 1:8

We do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia…we were burdened excessively beyond our strength, so much so that we despaired even of life…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 1:9

…indeed, we had the sentence of death placed within ourselves by God so that we would not trust in ourselves…instead we trust in the God who raises the dead…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 1:10

…the God who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will keep on delivering us…the God on whom we have set our hope…

 

There is JOY in total reliance on God for EVERY SINGLE THING.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

 

2

Do you see the Lord’s hand in everything you do?

 

Who is the giver of your JOY?  It’s God.  Do you see it when He brings circumstances in your life to help you practice being JOYFUL when things aren’t joyful?  Psalm, 19, Verse 10 says…

 

PSALM 19:10b

The Law of the Lord (His Word) is sweeter than honey and sweeter than the drippings of the honeycomb…

 

All good gifts come from God, and they are intended to be sweet.  Yes…it’s sweet when your spouse indicates that the children are more important than you when you’re the foundation of the household.

 

You don’t focus on your spouse’s opinion of you.  You focus on the Lord’s opinion of you.  He gave you this spouse and the challenges of being married so that any circumstance would taste as sweet to you as honey.

 

That’s what happens when you see God’s hand in everything.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

 

3

Is Bible study personal to you?

 

Bible Study is intended by God to be personal.

 

Do you see yourself in every lesson?  Do you think about how each word spoken to you through the Word by God the Holy Spirit applies to you and your life?  Do you read something from the Bible every day, knowing that God will lead you to the exact passages that apply to your life right this minute?  Are you getting to know the Person who saved you through the study of the Word of God?

 

When you make Bible study personal, you’ll have a deep, intimate and personal relationship with the Lord.  In addition, your life will take on new meaning.

 

When you see the Lord’s purpose for you…when you see the Lord’s hand in everything…and when the Bible is personal to you…your death will be a pleasure.  It’s a true pleasure to experience the Lord’s final gift to you…an eternity face-to-face with Him.  Now let’s enjoy the 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 tell 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…that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead to prove His Deity…that Jesus Christ saved us from the wrath of God the Father… and this Jesus…the Christ…will come again in glory 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 Telly Leung sing about the Lord’s gifts to us, among them…JOY…inhis song ALL GOOD GIFTS.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG

 

ALL GOOD GIFTS

Telly Leung
 

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 to 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.

 

The Bible says God is clear-minded…First Corinthians, Chapter 14, Verse 33…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 14:33

…for God is not a God of confusion…

 

It's true!  God is so clear-minded He works in ones.  There is one category of unbelieving angels, the fallen angels; and there is one category of believing angels, the elect angels.  Here’s what the Lord has to say about the fallen angels in Jude, Chapter 1, Verse 6…

 

JUDE 1:6

And the fallen angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day…

 

Here’s what the Lord says about the elect angels.  Matthew, Chapter 24, Verse 31…

 

MATTHEW 24:31

And the Lord will send forth His elect angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect believers from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

 

The Lord categorizes His human creatures the same way, the elect and the fallen.

The Lord wants you to be one of the elect!

 

The bad news is you were born fallen.  You were born physically alive but

spiritually dead as a fallen, ungodly, unrighteous unbeliever.  You were born a

sinner in God’s eyes, in desperate need of a Savior.

 

It’s not your fault you were born this way, but it is your circumstance.

 

In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 the Bible says…

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

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

 

The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ knew you could not work your way out of this circumstance, so He decided to work everything out for you.

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

 

It’s a great thing to know, because no one gets out of this life alive.  What’s going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life?  Will you go to heaven or will you go to hell?  Will you remain fallen or will you choose to be elect?

 

God doesn’t want you to go to hell!  Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…

 

SECOND PETER 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of... instead, He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

The Lord has a plan to make you one of the elect so He can welcome you to heaven!  So, how can you get to heaven?  RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW you can tell God the Father you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that’s the moment of eternal life for you.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31

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

 

The ONE WAY…the ONLY WAY to get to heaven is through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation) … and I am the truth (through the Word of God)…and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”

 

Getting to heaven requires nothing of you except the expression of your faith in

Jesus Christ to save you.  You can’t work your way to heaven.

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

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

to be elect on your own.  You confirm that being fallen WILL NOT get you to heaven.  So it’s wiser to let God make you one of His elect, because once God does something, He never changes His mind!  John, Chapter 10, Verses 28 and 29 say…

 

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.”

 

JOHN 10:29

My Father, who gives believers in Christ to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch elect believers in Christ out of God the Father’s hand, either.|

 

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).”

 

What if you reject a relationship with Christ?  Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 40 to 42 communicate the consequences…

 

 

 

MATTHEW 13:40

…just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

 

MATTHEW 13:41

The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will send forth His elect angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (unbelievers)…and those who commit lawlessness (unbelievers)…

 

MATTHEW 13:42

…and the elect angels will throw (the fallen) unbelievers into the furnace of fire (The Lake of Fire) … and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Yes…there is a hell…and if you end up there it will be your choice.  So make the most important choice of your life!  Do what is suggested in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

Make the best decision for you!  Be an elect one, not a fallen one.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

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

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!

 

It’s not an accident that the Lord created you.  He created you for a purpose, and He can use you in every circumstance.  The Lord is the SOURCE of intention.

 

It’s the Lord’s intention that His JOY in you makes a difference to everyone you meet.  As people watch you handle your life in extraordinary ways, it makes them curious about the reason for the JOY that exudes from you.  It’s your chance to tell everyone about the Lord.

Here’s Lydia Kabs to sing about the essence of Christianity in her song…MY PURPOSE.

 

MUSIC - CLOSING SONG

Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises

 

MY PURPOSE

Lydia Kabs

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

…thank you for being our source of JOY…thank you for placing Your joy inside of us…and thank you for teaching us how to be joyful in every circumstance…

 

…remind us that it’s never too late for You to rewire our brains with Your supernatural powers…encourage us to ask You for this gift so that our eyes are open to the significance of every challenge You allow us to experience, knowing You designed every experience for our JOY…

 

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

 

GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS OR WANT US TO PRAY FOR SOMEONE?

 

Ask the Pastor

pastor@barahministries.com

 

KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!

 

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

 

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