(#023) - What Does Jesus Want His Believers to Know in Times of Crisis?Don't forget...the Lord has not forgotten you.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God. As Lord He is 100% Deity…He is God the Son. He is also 100% human just like you and me and His name is Jesus Christ. The Lord…God the Son…became flesh…Jesus Christ...and lived among us. He is the Sovereign God of the Universe…He is the Savior of the whole world…and He is the Jewish Messiah.
Those who make Barah Ministries their spiritual home are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is a relationship…not a religion. As Christians, we have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ is a Person. He’s not a thing, and He’s not a concept. Just as we would do with any person we love, we spend time getting to know the Lord through the study of His Word. You can’t get to know the Lord without knowing His mind, and the Bible is His exact thinking.
The world is in crisis. Here in the United States of America, the crisis is severe, hard-hitting, and frankly, it's shocking! People who sell “insurance” and other investments always have a line they throw around in a cavalier manner when they are selling… “If this investment goes bad, then the whole U.S. economy has gone bad…and all of us are in big trouble.” Yet none of them, and none of us, ever envisioned that such things could come true in our lifetimes. At least we wouldn’t think these things could come true unless we knew what the Word of God has to say…and the Word says that events like these would be a certainty.
At some time in our lives, all of us have lost jobs. All of us have been hungry. All of us have lost money in investments. All of us have been thirsty. All of us have had our movements restricted by some crisis. All of us have been sick. All of us have spent prolonged times at home. All of us have had too much month at the end of the money. All of us have wondered if we were going to have enough money to make it through the year. All of us have been out of toilet paper. All of us have encountered natural disasters. All of us have had dirty hands. Yet none of us ever envisioned that all of these things could happen simultaneously, and especially not in the United States…the land where dreams come true. Never could we have imagined this nightmare coming. People are scared to death.
Over the past two decades, we have voluntarily surrendered our right to privacy. We have voluntarily allowed ourselves to become obsessed with electronic devices. Some electronic devices even record everything we say in our homes. We think it’s cute. We have ignored the lack of objectivity from the news media in such a way that they feel free to propagandize us with falsehoods. We have allowed a few companies to become powerful enough to control the information flow. We have treated church as optional, and instead, we have replaced taking in the truth with "so-called" pleasures. Anyone who was warning us about the dangers of such an approach to life… someone like me…was met with pseudo-concerned looks face-to-face… while in the background we were spoken of with disdain.
Here we are in a time when the nest has closed in to blot out the sky. The economy is deteriorating faster than expected. People are getting sick. People are confined to their homes. Businesses are shut down. We can’t work. People are losing their jobs in record numbers. Access to stores is being restricted. Access to our assets, including cash is being restricted… we’re being encouraged to distance ourselves from each other. There is no place to gather. All the things we enjoyed as avocations…sports…movies outside of the house…restaurants…have all been taken away. The government we elected to protect us and to guide us is in a panic, and as a result, they have become more afraid than we are. All the news is bad.
For those of us who are spiritual…for those of us who have a relationship with the Lord…for those of us who have been storing the Word of God in our souls for quite a while…we have a different world view than the rest. Yet our countenance and our mindset IS affected by the chaos around us. At Barah Ministries, we make a difference by teaching the Word of God…and we teach it from the Lord Jesus Christ’s perspective…not from man’s perspective. We search the Scriptures to learn who the Lord is as a Person, and to learn what our God has to say about Himself, about His plan for all mankind, and about His personal plan for each of us. We are here to look at our lives from His perspective. We are here to learn how to enjoy the sphere of grace, and forgiveness and unconditional love in which we stand…especially in the midst of complete chaos. Welcome!
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON What Does Jesus Want His Believers to Know in Times of Crisis?
LESSON INTRODUCTION
For this week, at least, we are interrupting our study of First Corinthians to reflect on what the Lord has to say to His believers in times of confusion and crisis. Those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ remember Hebrews, Chapter 1, Verse 3, reminding us that…
HEBREWS 1:3 …the Lord Jesus Christ is the radiance of God the Father’s glory and He is the exact representation of God the Father’s nature…and the Lord Jesus Christ UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER.
Nothing happens in this world without the Lord’s permission. What do we need to know about our God at a time like this? First Corinthians, Chapter 14, Verse 33 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 14:33 …for God the Father is NOT a God who is the author of confusion (disorder)…but He is a God who is the author of peace…as in all the churches of the saints (His believers).
Of course, God will be blamed for all of this, even by the atheists who think there is no God. Allowing this chaos does not make God the author of it. God has done His job. In peacetime, He has been offering the Word of God to edify our souls…to stabilize our souls. You have exercised your choice… to take in the Word of God or to reject it, by considering some other use of your time more important. God has commissioned people like me to provide you with His truth. I agree with Paul’s assessment in Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 1…
PHILIPPIANS 3:1 Finally, my brethren (believers in Christ)…rejoice in union with the Lord. To write the same things (over and over) again is no trouble to me…and it is a safeguard for you.
To teach the same things over and over is not a problem for me, either, because now you’re listening. I agree with the apostle Peter’s assessment in Second Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 12 and 13…
SECOND PETER 1:12 Therefore, I (Peter) will always be ready to remind you of these (biblical) things…even though you already know them…and even though you have been established in the truth (of the gospel message) which is present with you (believers in Christ).
You are believers. You are saved.
SECOND PETER 1:13 I (Peter) consider it right…as long as I am in this earthly dwelling (the physical body) … to stir up you believers in Christ by way of reminder…
Welcome to a place where you can be reminded that your God is in control of the universe…that He has you personally in mind…by name…and that He will provide all of your needs before this crisis, during this crisis, and after this crisis.
SONG INTRODUCTION
During trying times, a great question to ask yourself is, “What is your source of truth? John, Chapter 16, Verse 13 reminds us of the Lord’s provision of truth…
JOHN 16:13 But when God the Holy Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you believers in Christ into all the truth…for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak…and He will disclose to you what is to come.
Here’s Casting Crowns to remind us who to listen to during a crisis…reminding us of the Source…in their song VOICE OF TRUTH.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
VOICE OF TRUTH Casting Crowns
OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Thank you for being a God we can count on in times of trouble…thank you for Your Word which promises a bright future for believers in Christ…thank you for loving us with an amazing love…unconditional…unchanging… unfathomable…
Amid the chaos, we tend to think only of ourselves, Lord…let our conduct be a beacon of light in this dark world so that by reflecting You, we lead people to You and to Your Word, especially the gospel message…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON What Does Jesus Want His Believers to Know in Times of Crisis?
We’re pausing our study of the fourth passage of the apostle Paul’s first letter to a church he established in Corinth to bring you the good news that comes from situations like this. Here’s what the Lord says is the Pastor’s job in John, Chapter 21, Verses 15 to 17…
JOHN 21:15 So, when Jesus and His disciples had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love Me more than these (other disciples love me)?” Peter said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord…You know that I love You.” The Lord said to him, “Tend My lambs.”
JOHN 21:16 The Lord said to Peter again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter said to Him, “Yes, Lord…You know that I love You.” The Lord said to him, “Shepherd My sheep (herd them and lead them to pasture).”
JOHN 21:17 The Lord said to Peter the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because the Lord had said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And Peter said to Him, “Lord, You know all things (you’re omniscient) … You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
My job is to lead you to the pasture of God’s Word. Let these Words be soothing to your soul. Truly, monetary possessions become irrelevant at a time like this. What is most important is our relationships, especially our relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We rest in Him. Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 25 to 34…
MATTHEW 6:25 “For this reason, I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you…do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink…nor be worried about your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
MATTHEW 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns (harvest)…and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”
MATTHEW 6:27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”
MATTHEW 6:28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow (in splendor)…they do not toil nor do they spin…”
MATTHEW 6:29 “…yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”
MATTHEW 6:30 “But if God the Father so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, and of course He does, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”
MATTHEW 6:31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’”
MATTHEW 6:32 “For the Gentiles (unbelievers) eagerly seek all these things…for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
MATTHEW 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom (the gospel message) and His righteousness (learning the Word of God)… and all these other things will be added to you.”
MATTHEW 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow…for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
We need to realize that we can only take this crisis one day at a time. As believers in Christ, we live by faith in Him and in His Word. Our faith is not in things. Our faith does not come by sight. If God says He is for us, and He does, then who can be successful against us? What can be successful against us? Nothing, of course! Rest in this fact…the Lord will supply us with everything we need in His timing. Worrying doesn’t work at all. We worry when we read the projections and when we listen to the statistics provided by human beings, who are not omniscient…who don’t know all that is knowable…and we let them be our source of truth. In Isaiah, Chapter 41, Verse 10, the Lord tells us…
ISAIAH 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I (the Lord) am with you…do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you…surely I will help you… surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
We rest in that promise, and in all the promises of the Bible…one day at a time. Yes…the road ahead will be rocky…the Lord will do some shaking, as we learn in Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verses 26 to 29…
HEBREWS 12:26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
HEBREWS 12:27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken…as of created things…so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
HEBREWS 12:28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God the Father an acceptable service with reverence and awe…
HEBREWS 12:29 …for our God is a consuming fire.
We may lose some things during this shake out. But the things that remain are the things eternal. Ultimately, all we need is our God and His Word. When we return from our five-minute break, we’ll take your offering, and then we’ll see what else our God has to say to calm us during this storm.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON What Does Jesus Want His Believers to Know in Times of Crisis? Since getting the Lord’s Word out by means of the internet is going to be one of the only ways to get the message out, we ask for your continued support to advance the work of our God’s kingdom. Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
PROVERB 3:25-26 Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes…for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU David Bauer, Instrumental
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON What Does Jesus Want His Believers to Know in Times of Crisis?
SONG INTRODUCTION
Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 3 and 4 say this…
EPHESIANS 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…who has blessed us believers in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in union with Christ…
EPHESIANS 1:4 …just as God the Father chose us believers in Christ to be in union with Christ before the foundation of the world…that we would be HOLY AND BLAMELESS before the Father.
Laura Story knows the truth…the Lord has a ton of BLESSINGS in store for His believers…let’s listen to Laura sing her song about her thoughts during a personal crisis.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
BLESSINGS Laura Story
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON What Does Jesus Want His Believers to Know in Times of Crisis?
How should we, as believers in Christ proceed, when faced with a crisis like this one…that we have never seen before? Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 31 and 32 tell us…
ROMANS 8:31 What then shall we believers in Christ say face-to-face with all these things? (We say) … If God the Father is for us, and of course He is, who can be successful against us?
ROMANS 8:32 God the Father…who did not spare His own Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) … but delivered Him over (as a sin substitute) for us all…how will the Father not also, now that we are in union with the Son, freely give us all things?
Frankly, it’s ridiculous to think that God would let His Son die for us, and then think that God couldn’t figure out a way to clothe us, to feed us, and to pay our bills. So, we rest…taking the life we have remaining one moment at a time, one day at a time, KNOWING that our God has already provided the victory for us…and His provision will keep on showing up on a day-by-day basis.
First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 13 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:13 But now faith…hope…and unconditional love…abide in the sphere of these three…but the greatest of these is unconditional love.
In FAITH, we place our confidence in a God who created us, and who has never let us down. Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verses 1 and 2…
HEBREWS 12:1b …let us believers in Christ run with endurance the race of our lives that is set before us…
HEBREWS 12:2 …fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of faith…who for the joy set before Him…endured the Cross…despising the shame…and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God the Father.
What’s it to be believers? Faith in Christ or fear?
In HOPE, we are absolutely confident of a bright future because of our God and His Word. Romans, Chapter 5, Verses 3 to 5…
ROMANS 5:3 …as believers in Christ, we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance…
ROMANS 5:4 …and perseverance brings about proven character…and proven character brings about hope…
ROMANS 5:5 …and hope does not disappoint…because the unconditional love of God the Father has been poured out within our hearts through God the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
First Peter, Chapter 5, Verse 10…
FIRST PETER 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God and Father of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in union with Christ, will Himself perfect…confirm…strengthen and establish you.
What’s it to be believers? Hope or despair?
Finally, let your hearts be filled with UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 33 to 39…
ROMANS 8:33 Who will bring a charge (a formal accusation) against God’s elect (the ones whom God has chosen for the privilege of salvation)? God the Father is the one who justifies (the Father considers us legally righteous on the basis of faith in Christ) …
ROMANS 8:34 …who is the one who will condemn? Christ Jesus is the One who will condemn (as the Righteous Judge in the future)…Christ…who died, yes, more than that…who was raised from the dead…the One who is seated at the right hand of God the Father…the One who also intercedes for us believers in Christ.
ROMANS 8:35 Who will separate us believers in Christ from the unconditional love of Christ? Will tribulation separate us…or distress…or persecution…or famine…or nakedness…or peril…or a sword?
ROMANS 8:36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake (Lord) we believers in Christ are being put to death all day long…we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
ROMANS 8:37 But in all these things we keep on conquering…overwhelmingly…through Him who loved us unconditionally.
ROMANS 8:38 For I (Paul) am convinced that neither death nor life…nor angels nor demons…nor things present nor things to come…nor powers (angelic officers or governments) …
ROMANS 8:39 …nor height nor depth…nor any other created thing…will be able to separate us believers in Christ from the unconditional love of God the Father, which is a gift to those in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
What’s it to be believers? Unconditional love or selfishness?
Relax in union with the Lord. Rest in your position in union with Christ. Love others most by leading them to Christ and His Word. Most of all, follow Moses’ advice to the believing Jews at the Red Sea…Exodus, Chapter 14, Verses 13 and 14…
EXODUS 14:13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today…for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again…forever.”
EXODUS 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”
Keep silent in the matter of anxiety. Don’t keep silent in the matter of spreading the gospel message to everyone you meet. They’re listening. Don’t forget…the Lord has not forgotten you.
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
The closing moments of our study are for the benefit of anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that GOD WANTS YOU.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign God of the Universe and the Savior of all mankind says there are two destinations for your eternal future…either heaven (the small gate and the narrow way) or the Lake of Fire (the wide gate and the broad way) … described in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 13 and 14…
MATTHEW 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate…for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction…and there are many who enter through the wide gate.”
MATTHEW 7:14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to the resurrection life…and there are few who find the small gate.”
Which road will you choose for your eternal life?
Those who are on the broad way that leads to destruction may think there is strength in numbers. Yet it is not true…believing what everyone else believes does not save you. Placing your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ saves you.
The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God…that’s why we call Him Lord…and He is 100% Mankind…true humanity like you and me…that’s why we call Him by His first and last name…Jesus Christ. Jesus says HE is the small gate… 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 (eternal life)…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”
Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
Those on the broad way that leads to destruction place their confidence in liars. The Lord Jesus Christ warns you about them in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 15…
MATTHEW 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets (false teachers) … who come to you in sheep’s clothing (appearing harmless) … who inwardly are ravenous wolves (out to destroy your eternal future).”
As ravenous wolves, false teachers rip your eternity to shreds by deceiving you with a false gospel message. Proverbs, Chapter 14, Verse 12 illuminates the issue…
PROVERBS 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man (saving yourself by thinking your good deeds will earn your salvation) … but its end is the way of death (the second death in the Lake of Fire).
God’s enemy, Satan, is the sponsor of false teachers and false teaching. You have to be able to discern the difference between God’s truth and Satan’s lies…John, Chapter 8, Verses 31 and 32…
JOHN 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word (the Word of a true teacher), then you are truly disciples of Mine…”
JOHN 8:32 “…and you will know the truth (the gospel message) … and the truth will make you free.”
Don’t wait until it’s too late to consider what road you are on! Mark, Chapter 1, Verse 15 says…
MARK 1:15 “The time is fulfilled…and the kingdom of God is at hand…so repent (change your mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ) and believe in His gospel message.”
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 you as of first importance what I also received (the accurate gospel message) … that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the 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 Scriptures… The Lord Jesus Christ has a true gospel message…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.”
Another warning for those who choose the broad way is Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 21 to 23…
MATTHEW 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven (by obeying the gospel message) will enter heaven.”
MATTHEW 7:22 “Many will say to Me on that day (of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name…and in Your name did we not cast out demons…and in Your name did we not perform many miracles?’”
MATTHEW 7:23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…depart from Me…you who practice (a lifestyle of) lawlessness.’”
The will of God the Father is that you believe in His Son…that you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who choose the narrow way have decided that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the ONLY ticket to heaven…Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 8 and 9…
EPHESIANS 2:8 For by God’s grace you have been saved through faith (in Christ for salvation) … and that grace and that faith and that salvation are not from the source of yourselves…it is the gift of God….
EPHESIANS 2:9 …therefore, being saved is not as a result of works (deeds you have done in self-righteousness) … so that no one may boast (about saving himself). Get yourself on the narrow way that leads to an eternal life in heaven right this minute. Tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.
SONG INTRODUCTION
Fear is the sin that cuts off thinking. That’s why God discourages the practice. Isaiah, Chapter 41, Verse 10, the Lord tells us…
ISAIAH 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I (the Lord) am with you…do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you…surely I will help you… surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Here’s June Murphy to encourage you with her song…FEAR NOT.
CLOSING SONG FEAR NOT June Murphy
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
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