John: A Conversation with God is Greatest When He Answers Back!

Class Outline:

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Are you listening when the Lord reveals the truth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

An Online Christian Church

Teaching the Word of God

Verse-by-Verse

 

RORY CLARK

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

I’m Pastor Rory Clark welcoming you to a Bible lesson with Barah Ministries.

 

This online ministry is a great place to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ and to be introduced to the sacrifice He made for all human beings so we could have a relationship with Him.

 

As a Christian, when you study the Word of God, you develop a deep, intimate and personal relationship with the Savior of the world and the Sovereign God of the Universe, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   You get to know Him as a Person so you don’t think of Him as a concept.

 

Studying the Bible is one of the best gifts you give yourself every day.

 

At Barah Ministries, we’re glad to provide accurate teaching that paints a vivid picture of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, to show you how He matters in your life.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

A Conversation with God is Greatest When He Answers Back!

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

When we pray, we get a chance to talk to God.  However, in this age, the Church Age, God does not answer back in ways we can hear.  He answers with actions.

What a privilege it must have been for Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of John, Chapter 3 and 4 when they got to have dialogue with Jesus.

 

In today’s lesson, we continue our study of John, Chapter 4.  It’s an intriguing look at how the Lord Jesus Christ makes us aware of our need for a Savior.

 

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

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!

 

God has given us the gift of prayer, allowing us to talk to Him.  The result of talking to God is amazing according to Matthew, Chapter 21, Verse 22…

 

MATTHEW 21:22

“And all things you ask in prayer…believing…you will receive.”

 

When is the last time you did what Stevie Wonder suggests?  When is the last time you had a talk with God?

 

MUSIC - OPENING SONG

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

 

HAVE A TALK WITH GOD

Stevie Wonder

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

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

 

Father, we thank you for gifting us with Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins…we know none of us would want to sacrifice anything for our enemies, especially not our son, yet that’s exactly what You did in unconditional love…thank you for God the Holy Spirit who infuses our souls with the truth and helps us understand everything spiritual…for God the Holy Spirit knows we don’t pray as we should so He helps us with groanings too deep for words…

 

…thank you for Your plan for the human race and Your plan for us personally… thank you for your provisions which are always enough, even when we don’t realize it…thank you for prayer, the vehicle we use to talk to You…thank you for all the things You do for us that gratitude in words cannot express…

 

…as we continue our study of the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, give us wisdom and insights into how You choose to evangelize to the human race, even to the most lowly among us…

 

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

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

A Conversation with God is Greatest When He Answers Back!

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

We continue eavesdropping on a conversation between Jesus Christ and a Samaritan woman beginning at John, Chapter 4, Verses 7 to 14…

 

JOHN 4:7

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water from Jacob’s well.  Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

 

JOHN 4:8

For Jesus’ disciples had gone away into the city of Sychar to buy food.

 

JOHN 4:9

The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

 

JOHN 4:10

Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God the Father…and if you knew who it is that says to you, ‘Give Me a drink’ … you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

 

 

JOHN 4:11

She said to Jesus, “Sir, You have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep…where then do You get this living water?”

 

JOHN 4:12

“And as for You, you aren’t greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank of it himself, along with his sons and his cattle, are You?”

 

JOHN 4:13

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water in Jacob’s well will thirst again…”

 

JOHN 4:14

“…but whosoever drinks of the water that I (the Lord Jesus Christ) will give him shall never thirst…but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water gushing up eternal life.”

 

Here is today’s passage…John, Chapter 4, Verses 15 to 24…

 

JOHN 4:15

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.”

 

JOHN 4:16

He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.”

 

JOHN 4:17

The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’”…

 

JOHN 4:18

“…for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband…this you have said truly.”

 

JOHN 4:19

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.”

 

 

 

JOHN 4:20

“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

 

JOHN 4:21

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this

mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”

 

JOHN 4:22

“You worship what you do not know…we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”

 

JOHN 4:23

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

 

JOHN 4:24

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 

Let’s take a surface look at today’s passage and then we’ll go more into depth in the next lesson as we continue to study this conversation verse-by-verse.  John, Chapter 4, Verse 15…

 

JOHN 4:15

The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, give me this living water so I will not be thirsty nor have to come all the way here to this well to draw water every day.”

 

The Samaritan woman has met Jesus and she has started a conversation with Him.  She sees Him as a man, as a thirsty traveler, and as a Jew.  She is intrigued that He would even bother to talk to her.

 

The Lord violates cultural taboos by talking to a Samaritan and to an unaccompanied woman.  Jesus has a divine purpose in interacting with her.

 

Her concern was less work.  She didn’t want to have to come to the well to draw water every day.  Her concern was water for the body.  The Lord’s concern was to give her water for the soul.

 

With the introductions out of the way, the Lord begins evangelism in earnest.  John, Chapter 4, Verses 16 to 18…

 

JOHN 4:16

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband and come back here.”

 

JOHN 4:17

The Samaritan woman said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say, ‘I have no husband,’”

 

JOHN 4:18

The fact is you have had five husbands…and the man you have now is not your husband.  What you have said is quite true.”

 

The Samaritan woman is an unbeliever.  She is a sinner and needs a Savior.  The first order of business in evangelism is to make the person you are evangelizing to aware of their sinful condition from birth.  It’s not their fault, but it is their circumstance.  A person who didn’t think they had a problem wouldn’t be looking for a solution.

 

Without judging, the Lord Shifted the conversation with the Samaritan woman from pleasantries to eternal seriousness.  When you see yourself as a sinner, you have the chance to see God as your Savior.

 

Why does the Lord ask the woman to go get her husband?  By doing so He unearths the truth.  This woman, an unbeliever, is a sinner.  She may think she is blameless because she could easily hide behind her religion.  With God there is nowhere to hide.  The Samaritan woman is lost.  Fortunately, the Lord found her.

 

What do you do when you realize the road you are on is leading to your destruction?  Detour!  The Detour…

 

THE DETOUR

 

STOP

You’re a sinner who needs a Savior

 

 

 

THE DETOUR

 

REPENT

Change your mind about having a relationship with the Savior of the world…The Lord Jesus Christ.

 

THE DETOUR

 

ACCEPT

Take the free gift of salvation for which you have to do no work

 

John, Chapter 4, Verse 19…

 

JOHN 4:19

The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “Sir, it’s obvious to me You are a prophet.”

 

Then she changes the subject.  John, Chapter 4, Verses 20 and 21…

 

JOHN 4:20

“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain (Mt. Gerizim), and the Jewish people and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men must worship.”

 

JOHN 4:21

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the time is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship God the Father.”

 

The Samaritan religion was man-made and was created as a result of the historic rivalry between the Jews and the Samaritans.

 

Religion, Satan’s strategy against the human race, is an “I’m better than you” approach to spirituality.  My religion is righter than yours.  It’s amazing how many people think they are better than others.

 

 

Jesus was telling the Samaritan woman that He is the One who established what it takes to be saved and what is a true religion.

 

In the Old Testament, the Gentiles had to become Jews to be saved.  After the

Cross, everything changed.

 

Translation…“The only way to be saved is to be Jewish.”>

 

In John, Chapter 4, Verses 23 and 24 Jesus says…

 

JOHN 4:23

“But a time is coming…in fact it now has come…when true worshipers of God will worship the Father in spirit and in truth…for these are the kind of worshipers God the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”

s

JOHN 4:24

“God the Father is spirit (He is divine in nature) … and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit (the divine gift from God to us) and in truth.”

 

What is worship?

 

WORSHIP

Reverent honor and respect directed toward God.  Acknowledging the worth in someone, especially God.

 

As we’ll learn when we study this passage in depth, worship is bigger than where you worship, when you worship, and how you worship.

 

What is not worship?

 

Rituals…like lighting a candle, making the sign of the cross, singing, going to church, arousing feelings by raising your hands over your head and speaking in tongues.

 

In the Church Age, true worship has God at the center of it and it can be done anywhere, anytime, in many ways.

 

There is much more for us to learn in this passage, and we’ll get to it in our next lesson.

 

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

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

COME INTO YOUR PRESENCE

June Murphy

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

A Conversation with God is Greatest When He Answers Back!

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

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

 

PROVERBS 11:25

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

 

Be generous so those you help with your contributions may receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ implanted…and let the Word of God sprout 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.

 

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

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 1:16

Yet for this reason I (Paul) found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner, the Lord Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

At the Cross the Lord Made It Possible for Those Who are Lost to be Saved

 

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 Celebration in 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 unbelievers…the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  A relationship with the Lord is 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 when He turned us into eternal companions of Christ.

 

It is not wise to celebrate The Lord’s Supper on the move.  The Lord’s Supper is a chance to be still and to reflect on the blessings the Lord directs to us.  So get your bread and wine ready and join us for the feast.

 

At the Cross the Lord Jesus Christ saved those who are lost.

 

You love people who are lost, not because they went on a trip without a global positioning system (GPS).  They were born lost, as were you, according to Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 12…

 

ROMANS 5:12

…through one man…Adam…sin entered into the world…and spiritual death

entered the world through his sin…so spiritual death was credited by God to all

men…because all men were considered by God to have sinned when Adam sinned.

 

Sin is spiritual deadness.  Those who are spiritually dead in the eyes of God are sinners…they do not have a relationship with the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ…they are spiritually blind…they are unbelievers.  Sinners are lost.

 

As we study the Gospel of John, Chapters 3 and 4 we are introduced to two such

people…Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman.  They are lost.

 

You love people who are lost.  At one time in our lives all of us were sinners…unbelievers…thus lost according to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…

 

ROMANS 3:23

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

 

That’s bad news.

 

The people you love who may be lost could be your father, your mother, your spouse, your kids, your grandkids, your best friends, your co-workers…anyone you care deeply about.

 

What does it mean to be lost?  Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 12 describes it…

 

EPHESIANS 2:12

…remember that at one time you believers in Christ were SEPARATE FROM CHRIST…excluded from the commonwealth of Israel…strangers to the covenants of promise…HAVING NO HOPE…and WITHOUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD in the world.

 

The people you love who are lost have no relationship with God and they have no hope.  Having no hope means their eternal destination when they close their eyes in this life is the Lake of Fire, a place we commonly refer to as hell.  Those you love who are lost are targets of the wrath of God the Father.

 

Think about that for a second.

 

The people you love most, if they are unbelievers when they die, will spend all eternity separated from God in a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Remember what the rich man said from the compartment of hell called Torments?  Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 24…

 

LUKE 16:24

“The rich man cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus over here (into Torments) so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’”

 

Being lost is a state of agony, with prolonged pain and intense mental suffering forever.  None of us, if we really could really grasp the severity of it, would wish the Lake of Fire on our worst enemy.  We would NEVER want this for those we love.

 

If we have shared the good news…the Gospel of Jesus Christ…with those we love and they have had a negative reaction to it, we may be reluctant to share again for fear of rejection.  Doesn’t it seem strange we would value acceptance over the chance for eternal salvation for those we love?  Isn’t it weird we would hand off the task of evangelizing our loved ones to others?

 

The good news is in Luke, Chapter 19, Verse 10…

 

LUKE 19:10

“The Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) has come into the world to seek and to save those who are lost.”

 

The Lord, God the Son, came down from heaven to save all who are spiritually dead.  He came to offer spiritual life, free of charge.  In Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 4 to 7 the Lord asks…

 

LUKE 15:4

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

 

LUKE 15:5

“When he has found the lost sheep, 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 (unbeliever) who repents (who changes his mind about having a relationship with Christ) than over ninety-nine righteous persons (believers in Christ) who need no repentance.”

 

As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper today, remembering what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us through His life, His death on a Cross, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead…let’s also remember those in our periphery whom we love…and let’s take special care to find every way we can to get the Gospel of Jesus Christ in

front of them.

 

Then we sit back and watch God the Holy Spirit use His convicting ministry to bring the salvation offer to them, in ways they will understand it, over and over  again.  Our fair God will do everything to get the salvation offer across without coercing anyone’s will.  All praise be to our God.

 

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 died as our sin substitute…that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead to prove His Deity…that Jesus Christ loves us unconditionally…that Jesus Christ forgives us once and for all time through His work on the Cross…that Jesus Christ’s BLOOD paid for our sins…that Jesus Christ saved us from the wrath of God the Father…and that Jesus Christ will come again to gather us unto Himself.

 

As believers in Christ, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and we are grateful His work on the Cross gives us hope, the assurance of an amazing future.

 

The spiritual life is a gift.  Let’s be grateful for all good gifts that come from our God in heaven above.

 

Enjoy the elements.

 

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.

 

God wants a RELATIONSHIP with you!  The Lord’s half-brother says in James, Chapter 4, Verse 8…

 

JAMES 4:8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

 

The enemy of God, Satan wants you to be part of a RELIGION.  Religion is Satan’s strategy against the human race and it is designed to make you either indifferent or antagonistic to God, and it works very well!  The Bible describes religion in Second Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 5 as…

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 3:5

…a superficial form of godliness (a counterfeit to Christianity) … that denies godliness’ divine power…

 

You have a choice…RELATIONSHIP or religion…what’s your choice?

 

Religion can’t get you to heaven!  Religions propose that if you don’t do everything their “god” expects, their god will be disappointed.  Regardless of your best efforts to follow religious rituals, which CAN’T and DON’T get you a relationship with God, even IF you do them, the religion does not GUARANTEE you will get to heaven.

 

Every time a Pope of the Roman Catholic church dies, the whole world turns in fascination to a false church that sells a counterfeit to Christianity.  Romans Catholicism is one of the many religions, and it is bought “hook, line, and sinker” by nearly a billion and a half people…nearly 20% of the world’s population.

 

Roman Catholicism is a COMPLETE DECEPTION.  In Matthew, Chapter 23, Verses 27 and 28, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself excoriates religion…

 

MATTHEW 23:27

“Woe to you religious scribes and Pharisees…you hypocrites! For you are like

whitewashed tombs…which on the outside appear beautiful…but inside they are

full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

 

MATTHEW 23:28

“Outwardly you appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (in other words you are ungodly, unrighteous unbelievers).”

 

The Bible is a gift from God that introduces you to the possibility of a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 12 describes the power of the Bible…

 

HEBREWS 4:12

For the Word of God is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword…and it’s piercing…even as far as the division of soul and spirit…of both joints and marrow…and it’s a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

God’s plan is to provide the Bible to teach you the truth about how to have a relationship with Him.  Satan’s plan is to teach you lies that obscure the truth of the Bible.

 

One day, each one of us will die.  What happens when we close our eyes in this life?  If you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, counting on Him to save you, good things happen.  If you are counting on religion to save you, bad things happen.  Let’s examine Luke, Chapter 16, Verses 19 to 31 to see the difference between relationship and religion.

 

LUKE 16:19

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple (the color of royalty) and in fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.”

 

LUKE 16:20

“And a poor man named Lazarus laid at his gate every day, covered with sores…”

 

LUKE 16:21

“…longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table…and besides, even the dogs were coming and licking the poor man’s sores.”

 

LUKE 16:22

“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom (a compartment of Hades called Paradise) … also, the rich man died and was buried.”

 

LUKE 16:23

“In Hades the rich man lifted up his eyes, being in Torments (a compartment of Hades reserved for dead unbelievers) … and the rich man saw Abraham far away…and he saw Lazarus, the poor man, in Abraham’s bosom (a place of comfort).”

 

LUKE 16:24

“And the rich man cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus over here so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’”

 

LUKE 16:25

“But Abraham said to the rich man, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things (you had wealth) … and likewise Lazarus had bad things (he was poor and sick)…but now Lazarus is being comforted here in Paradise, and you are in agony (in Torments).’”

 

LUKE 16:26

“‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a GREAT CHASM FIXED, so

that those who wish to come from over here to you will not be able…and none may cross over from where you are to us.’”

 

LUKE 16:27

“And the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father Abraham, that you send Lazarus to my father’s house…’”

 

LUKE 16:28

“‘…for I have five brothers—in order that Lazarus may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of Torment.’”

 

LUKE 16:29

“But Abraham said, ‘Your brothers have Moses and the Prophets…let your brothers listen to them.’”

 

LUKE 16:30

“But the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham…if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent (they’ll change their minds about having a relationship with Christ)!’”

LUKE 16: 31

“But Abraham said to the rich man, ‘If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 

When you die, you’ll go either to heaven or to the Lake of Fire for all eternity.  You get to choose where you spend eternity.  The determining factor is RELATIONSHIP or religion.

 

God wants a RELATIONSHIP with you because He doesn’t want ANYONE to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.  Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…

 

SECOND PETER 3:9

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

 

Believe the Bible.  Don’t believe the doctrines of your religion.  In fact, compare them!  For example:

 

The Bible says you are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Galatians Chapter 2, Verse 16…

 

GALATIANS 2:16

…nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Mosaic Law but through faith in Christ Jesus…since by the works of the Mosaic Law no creature will be justified.

 

Roman Catholicism says justification is conferred by the sacrament of water baptism (CCC, 1992).

 

“If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone…let him be anathema (accursed).” (Council of Trent, Canon 9).

 

Justification is an instantaneous change to your legal status before God whereby as a condemned sinner you are acquitted and declared righteous…Romans, Chapter 4, Verse 3…

 

 

ROMANS 4:3

For what does the Old Testament Scripture say (in Genesis, Chapter 15, Verse 6)? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED IN GOD THE SON...JEHOVAH ELOHIM...THE LORD…AND ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

 

Roman Catholicism says justification is a process that renews the inner man, and not his legal status before God.  (CCC, 2019).

 

Justification is permanent and is never lost by sin. The legal status of a justified man is as unchangeable as the righteousness of Christ.  Hebrews, Chapter 10, Verse 14…

 

HEBREWS 10:14

For by ONE OFFERING the Lord Jesus Christ has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

 

Roman Catholicism says justification is temporary…it can be lost by sin and regained through the sacrament of penance (confessing your sins to a priest) … and through good works (CCC 1446 and 1861).

 

The Bible and the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church are saying opposite things.  Romans Catholics call themselves Christians, yet their religion is not selling a relationship with the Lord.  It’s selling a relationship with the church.

 

If religion can’t save you, can a relationship with the Lord save you?  The Bible says YES in 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.”

 

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 Gospel of Jesus Christ 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 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…

 

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…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.”

 

For those who embrace a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, an eternity in heaven is their eternal future…Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 8…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:8

…we believers in Christ are of good courage, I say, and prefer to be absent from the body and to be at home face-to-face with the Lord.

 

For those who embrace religion, Torments to the Lake of Fire is their destiny at the end of this life.  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).

 

RELATIONSHIP or religion?

 

It’s your choice.

 

Make the right choice.  RIGHT NOW…RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT… RIGHT THIS MOMENT…you can choose a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

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

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!  If God doesn’t have a dialogue with us Church Age believers, how do we know what He thinks?  MercyMe tells us.  The WORD OF GOD SPEAKs.

 

MUSIC - CLOSING SONG

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

 

WORD OF GOD SPEAK

MercyMe

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

…thank you for supplying all our needs…thank you for guidance when we are lost…thank you for the relationships You give us, both the ones that edify us and the ones that torture us, for You have lessons in each of them…thank you for helping us navigate the challenges of family relationships…change our minds about family members with whom we want nothing to do…

 

…thank you for good health, especially for those battling cancer and other conditions which are beyond the realm of human understanding…

 

…Father we pray for persecuted Christians all around the world…keep them safe from harm and give them hope amid trying circumstances…we pray for our country’s leaders that they may reign in wisdom and discernment…we pray for the President…protect him from attacks and give him the discernment he needs to figure things out…

 

…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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