Philippians: How Do Christians Conquer Worry?From panic to purpose.
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RORY CLARK Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
I’m Pastor Rory Clark welcoming you to a Bible lesson with Barah Ministries, an intimate online Christian community teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse to the hearers the Lord provides.
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TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON How Do Christians Conquer Worry?
LESSON INTRODUCTION
You’ll remember the Bobby McFerrin song Don’t Worry…Be Happy. Worry is a sin. Sin is an archery term. It means “to miss the mark.” Sin misses the mark of the Plan of God of God for your life. The Lord wants the Christian’s life to be worry free, filled with JOY regardless of circumstances.
So how does a Christian conquer worry? The apostle Peter has a recommendation in First Peter, Chapter 5, Verse 7. He says…
FIRST PETER 5:7 …cast all your anxiety (your cares…your worry) on God the Father, because He cares for you.
“He cares for you” is a Greek idiom. It means God considers your problems to be His responsibility. When we slam our problems on God’s back, there’s no need to worry. Our problems are easily solved in His hands.
In today’s lesson, the apostle Paul shares a few recommendations with his Philippian friends for conquering worry. Let’s learn what Paul has to teach as we begin the fourth and final chapter of his letter to the Philippians.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music! Worry is a very real part of the human experience. But the Lord has advice about worry in Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 25 to 27…
MATTHEW 6:25 “I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to all of you, do not be worried about your life as to what you will eat, nor as to what you will drink, nor for 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…they do not sow…nor do they reap…nor do they gather into barns (they don’t 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?
The singers at Highfield Baptist Church say of the Lord, “There’s no need to worry when we TRUST IN YOU!”
MUSIC - OPENING SONG Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises
TRUST IN YOU Highfield Baptist Church
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…thank you for giving us the antidote to worry…the Word of God…which edifies our minds and our hearts…thank you for Your plan for our lives that gives us the opposite of worry…security…thank you for Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…who has broad shoulders on which we can lay our cares…
Father…make the things we study today a permanent part of our lives…sear these ideas into our souls so we can live the worry-free lives You planned for us in eternity past…and encourage us to follow the guidance of God the Holy Spirit who mentors us and teaches us how to live lives of JOY…
…we ask these things through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON How Do Christians Conquer Worry?
LESSON PART ONE
We’re coming to the end of our study of a brief but powerful letter from the apostle Paul to his friends at Philippi. In the first passage of chapter four, Paul tells his friends how to conquer worry, and we get the benefit of his wisdom. What is worry?
WORRY An anxious way of thinking about self, about circumstances, or about environment that pulls us in different directions at the same time…mental distress…agitation… anxiousness…anything that tears at, snaps at, or bites at us…
WORRY …to disturb us repeatedly…to assail us…to torment us…to choke us…to strangle us…to allow our concerns to persistently nag at our consciousness…to fret
Hope pulls us one way. Fear pulls us the other way. Worry pulls us both ways simultaneously…moving us in two directions at once…pulling our mentality apart. The apostle James describes this as double-mindedness.
Paul had plenty to worry about…his time in prison…his impending death…the problems in the Christian church at Rome…the division we’ll learn about in this passage in the church at Philippi…and the lies of the Judaizers…the false teachers attempting to lead believers in Christ astray. These were just a few things on the apostle’s mind, and despite these issues Paul thought…
…what…me worry?
Worry robs us of JOY!
Let’s hear Paul’s recommendations to conquer worry in Philippians, Chapter 4, Verses 1 to 9…
PHILIPPIANS 4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I (Paul) long to see…my joy and my crown…in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
PHILIPPIANS 4:2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to live in harmony with the Lord.
PHILIPPIANS 4:3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel of Christ, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4 REJOICE in the Lord always. Again I will say…REJOICE!
PHILIPPIANS 4:5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6 Be anxious for nothing…but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
PHILIPPIANS 4:7 And the peace of God…which surpasses all comprehension…will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
PHILIPPIANS 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Here’s the structure of the passage…
STRUCTURE OF THE PASSAGE
Paul’s Encouragement to his friends Verses 1 to 5
How to Conquer Worry BY PRAYING Verses 6 and 7
STRUCTURE OF THE PASSAGE
How to Conquer Worry WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET Verse 8
How to Conquer Worry BY LIVING Verse 9
Now let’s study the passage verse-by-verse. Philippians, Chapter 4, Verses 1 to 5 is the introduction to the passage and it is Paul’s encouragement to his friends…
PHILIPPIANS 4:1 Therefore, my brethren whom I (Paul) long to see…you are my joy and my crown…keep on standing firm in union with the Lord as beloved ones.
PHILIPPIANS 4:2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to live harmoniously in union with the Lord. PHILIPPIANS 4:3 As your true companion, I ask you to keep on helping these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel of Christ, and I ask you as well to keep on helping Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4 REJOICE in union with the Lord always. Again, I will say it…REJOICE!
PHILIPPIANS 4:5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Division in a church is both common and inevitable because God has an enemy who is always sowing the seeds of discord among us brethren. At the base of division is a thought by those who are divisive…“I’m right and you’re not!” Ever wonder why so many religions splinter into other religions? Division is at the heart of it.
Ever wonder why the divorce rate is so high? Division is to blame. When two people are not of the same mind, this division tears the relationship apart. Seldom do married couple assess whether they are of the same mind. More often there is the thought, “I’ll win the other person to my way of thinking.”
We don’t know what the division was in the Philippian church, but it worried Paul. Division can create worry. Worry has physical consequences…illness like backaches, neck aches, headaches…mental instability…and a host of other physical manifestations.
Worry takes over our thinking and replaces it with unbridled emotion. Worry is wrong thinking in the mind and wrong feeling in the heart. Worry robs us of JOY. Interestingly enough, the things we worry about rarely happen.
Fortunately, as believers in Christ, we have the God of peace to guide us and the peace of God to calm us. Paul has a few recommendations to conquer worry… praying…thinking…and living.
First…praying…Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 6…
PHILIPPIANS 4:6 Be anxious for nothing (stop worrying about anything) … but in everything by prayer and supplication (a sincere request where you are begging the Lord for help) … starting your prayers with thanksgiving…let your prayer requests be made known to God the Father.
Prayer is an underutilized weapon in the spiritual battle. What is prayer? When praying you interact with the Lord, making requests. Our God is capable enough to handle any problem, and He is eager to solve your problems. He just wants you to ask. Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 7 to 11…
MATTHEW 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you…seek and you will find…knock and it will be opened to you.”
Ask, seek, and knock are all in the imperative mood in Greek. The Lord is commanding us to do these things. Why?
MATTHEW 7:8 “For everyone who keeps on asking receives…and he who keeps on seeking finds…and to him who keeps on knocking it will be opened.”
MATTHEW 7:9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread will give his son a stone?”
MATTHEW 7: 10 “Or if his son asks for a fish, the man will not give his son a snake, will he?”
MATTHEW 7:11 “If, for the sake of argument, you…being evil…know how to give good gifts to your children…how much more will your God and Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?!”
He will!
Prayer is done in scheduled time…alone…with no distractions. Prayer allows you to stop worrying about anything because in prayer you to hand your problems to someone competent enough to handle them flawlessly…our Almighty God! Prayer is directed to God the Father. The structure for prayer is simple…it has four parts. Give God the thanks He deserves…ask for things for yourself…it’s called petition…ask for things for others…it’s called intercession…and pray for the well-being of your enemies. Wait what? 😊
Prayer can be done lying down, standing up, on your knees, or in a bar! Prayers do not have to be said out loud. Often, prayer involves simply sending our thoughts to God the Father. In Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 7 and 8 the Lord says…
MATTHEW 6:7 …when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose they will be heard for their many words.
MATTHEW 6:8 Do not be like them…for your God and Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Once again…Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 6…
PHILIPPIANS 4:6 Be anxious for nothing (stop worrying about anything) … but in everything by prayer and supplication (a sincere request where you are begging the Lord for help) … starting your prayers with thanksgiving…let your prayer requests be made known to God the Father.
What is supplication? It is earnestly begging for something with no half-heartedness. Remember Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified? Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 42…
LUKE 22:42 Jesus said in prayer, “Father, if You are willing, and I know You are, remove this cup from Me…yet not My will, but Your will be done.”
What was God the Father’s will for Jesus? Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…
ROMANS 5:8 God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankind in that while we were yet sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly unbelievers), Christ died a sacrificial death for us. The Father wanted Jesus’ sacrifice to save us.
Prayer includes thanksgiving which is adoration for, devotion to, reverence for, and worship of God. A great practice during prayer is to write down one thing you are grateful for every day. As always, the Lord is our example…Hebrews, Chapter 5, Verse 7…
HEBREWS 5:7 In the days when He was in His flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to God the Father…to the One able to save Him from death…and Jesus was heard because of His piety.
Piety is reverence for God the Father and devotion to God the Father in the practice of living. Hebrews, Chapter 5, Verses 8 and 9…
HEBREWS 5:8 Although Jesus was God the Son, He learned obedience to God the Father from the things which He suffered.
HEBREWS 5:9 And having been made perfect, Jesus became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation…
When you pray, Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 7 lets you know the result…
PHILIPPIANS 4:7 And the peace of God the Father…which surpasses all comprehension…will place a garrison around your hearts and your minds for those of you who are in union with Christ Jesus.
What does it mean to garrison?
GARRISON To guard as a soldier does…troops stationed in a place to defend.
The Christian’s mantra? “I’ve got nothing to worry about.” Prayer gives us a calm mind which defeats worry. Since we have God’s protection in ALL things, there is no need to worry.
By the way, in prayer, we don’t treat God as if He is an ATM machine. Prayer is not a transaction and it is not only for withdrawals. Many come to God ONLY when there is a problem. God also likes hearing from us when things are going well. God is ALWAYS eager to grant our requests.
So one way to conquer worry is prayer. When we return from the break, we’ll request an offering and then we’ll hear about two other ways to conquer worry.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK HAVE A TALK WITH GOD Stevie Wonder
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK NOBODY
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON How Do Christians Conquer Worry?
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
When God blesses us financially, He wants us to raise our standard of GIVING, not our standard of living. Remember, God is the One who seeks and saves the lost…the lost don’t seek Him…Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 11 says…
ROMANS 3:11 There is no creature who understands God or any divine thing…there is no creature who seeks a relationship with God…
In Luke, Chapter 15, Verse 4, Jesus says…
LUKE 15:4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine sheep in the open pasture and go after the one sheep which is lost until he finds it?”
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Shepherd. As His creatures, we are the sheep. What does the Shepherd do for the sheep who are not seeking a relationship with Him? He goes after them. Your generosity creates the opportunity for Barah Ministries to provide the gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unbelievers God brings to this ministry. You get a chance to help those who are lost.
Let’s listen to Deacon Denny Goodall present one of his always thoughtful and always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in union with Christ, and all believers in Christ are, there is a new creation…the old man things passed away…behold, new self things have come.
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU Instrumental Version
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON How Do Christians Conquer Worry?
LESSON PART TWO
Let’s continue learning how to conquer worry. What’s the right mindset to conquer worry? Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 8…
PHILIPPIANS 4:8a Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true…whatsoever things are honorable (honest)…whatsoever things are right…whatsoever things are pure…whatsoever things are lovely…whatsoever things are of good repute…
PHILIPPIANS 4:8b …if there is any excellence in these things, and there is…and if there is anything worthy of praise in these things, and there is…let your minds keep on dwelling on these things.
What you think matters.
Your mindset provides you with serenity…Isaiah, Chapter 26, Verse 3…
ISAIAH 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You Lord will keep in perfect peace, because his mind is steadfast from trusting in You.”
A mindset of serenity is a reflection of the peace of God. Wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling which leads to worry…being torn apart in your soul. Someone once said, “Thoughts are things.” They are. They are as tangible as a wall. Take care of your thoughts. Second Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verse 5…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 10:5 We believers in Christ are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…
What are the things we ought to think about? The troof! Whatsoever things are true, like the Word of God, let your mind dwell on these things.
Satan wants you to think about things that are false. He wants you to run your life with lies.
How can you have a relationship with a thought like that running in the background?
In John, Chapter 8, Verse 44, the Lord describes Satan…
JOHN 8:44b …Satan was a soul murderer from the beginning, and he does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his very nature, for he is a liar and he is the one who keeps on fathering lies.
In Second Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 3 Paul expresses worry…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 11:3 …just as the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve by his craftiness…I (Paul) am afraid that your minds will be led astray by Satan from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
The Lord prays to His Father to help us believers get right thinking in John, Chapter 17, Verse 17…
JOHN 17:17 Father…sanctify believers in Christ in the truth (set them apart in truth)…Your Word is truth.
We are to think of things that are honest, right, pure, lovely, virtuous, and of good reputation instead of things that are dishonest, wrong, immoral, ugly, and perverted. We are to “keep our minds out of the gutter.”
The Word of God gives us right thinking. Right thinking results in peace.
What’s the right way to live to conquer worry? Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 9…
PHILIPPIANS 4:9 Practice the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…and the God and Father of peace will be with you.
We take in the Word of God and then we live the Word. James, Chapter 1, Verse 22 exhorts us…
JAMES 1:22 …prove yourselves DOERS of the word…not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Self-deception is self-betrayal. Right living is right thoughts which lead to right actions…The Christian Way of Living. The peace of God flows from right thoughts and right actions are the result.
We ingest the truth and make it our mindset (we learn)…we internalize the truth in the inner man…in the heart (we receive)…we keep on taking in the Word of God (we hear)…and right living is the result (we see). In First Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Verse 13 Paul says… FIRST THESSALONIANS 2:13 For this reason, we believers in Christ keep on thanking God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
Colossians, Chapter 3, Verse 15…
COLOSSIANS 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body…and be thankful.
So heed the warnings from James in the fourth chapter of his letter. Beware of wrong praying. James, Chapter 4, Verse 3…
JAMES 4:3 You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your lusts.
Beware of wrong thinking…James, Chapter 4, Verse 8…
JAMES 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners…and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Beware of wrong living…James, Chapter 4, Verse 4…
JAMES 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with Satan’s world system of thought is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
How do Christians conquer worry? We conquer worry with prayer, with the right mindset, and with right living. And we remember, when we pray especially, to not be eager to ask and slow to appreciate. We have a God who wants our lives to be filled with JOY. Let’s adore Him for all the things He gifts to us.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race The final ten minutes of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU! He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
…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. Roman Catholicism is one of the many religions, and it is bought “hook, line, and sinker” by 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 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 Law no flesh (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 disagrees…
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.
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 message in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) … and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but through believing in Me.”
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (the apostle Paul) delivered to 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! 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! It was obvious to Lauren Daigle’s Mom she had musical talent. Yet Lauren had no real interest in music until at age fifteen she found out she had cytomegalovirus…a condition usually with no symptoms. If symptoms do occur in healthy individuals, they resemble mononucleosis, including fever, sore throat, fatigue, and swollen glands.
We’re glad her illness gave her an interest in music because she has created musically pleasing Christian songs. Her adversity became prosperity for those who love hearing her sing. Here’s one of her best…no doubt inspired by a medical condition she couldn’t beat on her own…her song I WILL TRUST IN YOU.
MUSIC - CLOSING SONG Let’s Hear the Singing of the Lord’s Praises
I WILL TRUST IN YOU Lauren Daigle CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
Thank you for always showing us a way out of our problems…thank you for the thoughts that put worry to rout…thank you for unburdening us of our cares when we realize that You care for us and You consider our problems to be Your responsibility…our financial problems…our relationship problems…our family problems…our every problem…
…as we return to the world to begin another week, keep the things You have taught us at the forefront of our minds so we can keep on living the life of JOY you have set before us…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
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