SEPTEMBER 3, 2006
“WE ARE THE APPLE OF GOD’S EYE”
SCRIPTURE READING:
PSALM 17:1-9
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
PSALMS 17:8-9 (KJV) Keep me as the
apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy
wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my
deadly enemies, who compass me about.
INTRO:
David was faced with
many different kinds of enemies:
-
The
Philistines
-
Saul
-
Absalom
In spite of all that
surrounded David, he never lost sight of God’s love
for him or God’s power of deliverance for very
long.
There may be times
we second guess our relationship with God and His
love for us and His willing to grant us victory.
Times of:
-
Temptation
-
Trials
-
Persecution
-
Pain & sorrow
-
Disappointments
In spite of all
these adverse circumstances we must never forget
that we are very special to God.
I. WE ARE UNDER
ATTACK FROM THE ENEMY.
PSALM 17: 9
From the
wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who
compass me about.
NOTE:
David Psalm may have
been referring to physical enemies but it also
referred to our spiritual enemy, Satan.
EPHESIANS
6:12 (KJV)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
As Christians we are
relentlessly under attack from Satan.
Satan has one
desire and that is to destroy the human race,
especially those who are seeking to serve and
worship God.
He comes against
us in various ways:
1 PETER 5:8 (KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
NOTE:
These are attacks
from without the Church.
-
Persecution
-
Sickness
-
Discouragement
-
ridicule
-
As a wolf in
sheep clothing
MATTHEW 7:15 (KJV)
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves.
NOTE:
These come from
within the Church.
1.
Backbiting
2.
Gossip
3.
Exclusiveness
4.
Rejection
5.
Judgment
2 CORINTHIANS 11:14
(KJV)
And no marvel; for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
NOTE:
This is false
teachers and teaching that seek to corrupt the Word
of God.
1.
Denying the Truth of God’s Word
2.
Teaching the dogmas of man instead of the Doctrines
of God.
3.
Twisting God’s Word to fit their teaching.
NOTE:
David sought God to
protect and deliver him for his enemies, we must
seek God to do the same for us against Satan and his
attacks.
II. WE ARE THE
OBJECT OF GOD’S AFFECTION.
PSALMS 17:8-9 (KJV)
Keep me as the apple of the eye…
LUKE 12:7 (KJV)
But even the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value
than many sparrows.
NOTE:
David wanted God to
KEEP him as the apple of His eye, the center of
God’s affection.
In times of
trials and difficulties we must trust in the KEEPING
power of God.
-
He has all
power
-
He will never
leave us
-
He is always
watching us
-
He is always
concerned what is happing in our lives.
In times of trials
and difficulties we must trust in the LOVE of God.
-
He loved us
before the world began
-
He loves us
in spite of our failures and weakness
-
He loves us
so much He paid the highest price possible for
our redemption
-
He loved us
so much that He made a way that we could become
His child.
1 JOHN 3:1-3 (KJV)
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew
him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is. And every man that
hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he
is pure.
How can we ever
doubt His love towards us.
III.
GOD OFFERS PROTECTION FROM OUR ENEMIES.
NOTE:
David sought God’s
protection from his enemies.
PSALMS 17:8 (KJV)
…hide
me under the shadow of thy wings,
PSALM 9:9 (KJV)
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
PSALM 46:1 (KJV)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble.
PSALM 57:1 (KJV)
To the
chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David,
when he fled from Saul in the cave.
Be merciful
unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul
trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings
will I make my refuge, until these calamities be
overpast.
NOTE:
God longs
to gather us under His wings to protect us from the
enemy but too often we refuse to come to Him for
deliverance.
MATTHEW 23:37 (KJV)
O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the
prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under
her wings, and ye would not!
God is a sure refuge
if will we go to Him in times of need.
PSALM 59:16 (KJV)
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing
aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast
been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
PSALM
62:8 (KJV)
Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out
your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
ISAIAH
4:6 (KJV)
And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in
the daytime from the heat, and for a place of
refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
ISAIAH
25:4 (KJV)
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a
strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from
the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of
the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
CONCLUSION:
Don’t
forget that no matter what you may be facing, you
are the object of God’s affections and He longs to
protect and deliver you from Satan’s attacks.
SEPTEMBER 10,
2006
“FAITH HAS FOUR LEGS”
SCRIPTURE READING:
HEBREWS 11:1-10
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
HEBREWS 11:6 (KJV) But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.
INTRO:
Have you heard the saying, “It doesn’t have a leg to
stand on.”?
The foundation of
anything is of the utmost importance.
There is a vast
difference between worldly faith (positive thinking)
and Biblical faith.
The foundation of
Faith has four legs, each one sharing the load with
the others.
There is grave
danger in having strong faith but weak theology.
We must have a
good understanding of Who God is and what His Word
teaches us about Him.
The more we know
about God and the more we understand His Word, the
stronger our faith will be.
There are four
basic ingredients in Biblical faith for it to
produce proper results.
I. HOPE
HEBREWS 6:18-19
(KJV)
That by two
immutable things, in which it was impossible for God
to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have
fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before
us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into
that within the veil;
NOTE:
Biblical Faith is
based only on God and in His promises.
ROMANS 8:24 (NIV)
For in
this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no
hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
NOTE:
For our faith to be
productive it must put its hope in God and God
alone.
JEREMIAH 17:5-8 (NLT)
This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those who
put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts
away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in
the desert, with no hope for the future. They will
live in the barren wilderness, on the salty flats
where no one lives. "But blessed are those who trust
in the LORD and have made the LORD their HOPE
and confidence. They are like trees planted along a
riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the
water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or
worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay
green, and they go right on producing delicious
fruit.
II. VISION
NOTE:
It is our vision
that gives our Faith its goal.
Where there is
no vision there is no need for faith.
Where there is no
faith there will be no Godly vision.
A. A VISION
GIVES OUR FAITH ITS PURPOSE.
PROVERBS 29:18
(KJV)
Where there is no
vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the
law, happy is he.
Unless there is a
vision for growth or change, none will come.
ILL:
Paul had a vision.
PHILIPPIANS 3:10,
14 (KJV)
That I may know
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable
unto his death…I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
B. OUR VISION
BRINGS UNITY.
PROVERBS
29:18 (NLT)
When people do not
accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever
obeys the law is happy.
NOTE:
When a
Church sees the vision God has for the Church it
will bring all true Believers into unity.
III.
COURAGE
NUMBERS
13:20 (KJV)
And what the land
is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood
therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and
bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the
time of the first ripe grapes.
NOTE:
We can say we have
put our trust in God, we can claim to have a vision
of what God will do for us, but unless we have the
courage to step out in obedience to the will of God
we do not have faith.
When the Children of
Israel stood on the brink of entering the Promise
Land they lacked the courage to
step out in obedience to God.
DEUTERONOMY
31:6 (KJV)
Be strong and of
a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for
the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee;
he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
ILL:
Peter had
the courage to step out of the boat and walk on the
water towards Jesus; it was when he took his eyes
off Jesus that fear took control.
PSALMS 118:6 (KJV)
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can
man do unto me?
ISAIAH 12:2-3 (KJV)
Behold,
God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be
afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my
song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with
joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of
salvation.
IV.
PATIENCE
LUKE 21:19 (KJV)
In
your patience possess ye your souls.
NOTE:
One of the hardest
things to do is to wait.
Whenever God is
slow to answer our prayers, what we believe about
God is revealed. Do we change our plans and move in
a different direction when pressure mounts? Or do we
continue on the path God has directed for us?
EPHESIANS 6:13
(KJV)
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that
ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.
ILL:
Lack of
patience, Abraham
NOTE:
The
failure to wait for God to work things out in His
way and according to His time will always lead to
disaster.
ILL:
Possession of faith,
David
Although David
had been anointed king, and had opportunities to
kill Saul, he waited until it was God timing.
PSALMS 62:5 (KJV) My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
PSALMS
123:1-2 (KJV)
Unto thee lift I
up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand
of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto
the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the
LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
ISAIAH 40:31 (KJV)
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint.
CONCLUSION:
We each
need to examine our hearts and see which of the four
legs of faith we need to build up.
-
Are we
trusting God or leaning on the arm of flesh?
-
Do we have a
vision or see a need that must be met?
-
Do we have
the courage to step out and obey the voice of
God?
-
Are we
willing to wait for God’s timing?
SEPTEMBER 17,
2006 (AM)
“THE BY-PRODUCTS OF FAITH”
SCRIPTURE READING:
PSALM 46:1-11
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
HEBREWS 11:23 (NIV) By faith Moses'
parents hid him for three months after he was born,
because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they
were not afraid of the king's edict.
INTRO:
It is
critical that we understand that Faith is an
imperative part of the Christian’s life.
The Christian
lives his life by Faith.
HABAKKUK 2:4b (KJV)
…the
just shall live by his faith.
This is repeated
three times in the New Testament (Rom.
1:17, Gal.
3:11 & Heb. 10:38).
Without Faith we
cannot please God. Heb. 11:6
Too often we seek
to please God by our works instead of by our faith.
Remember, Faith
has four legs:
-
Hope
-
Vision
-
Courage
-
Patience
The question we wish
to ask today is, “When we live by Faith, what will
it produce in our life?”
What are some of
the by-products of Faith?
-
Victory
-
Joy
-
Peace
The story of
Amram & Jochebed, Moses’ parents, reveals what Faith
is and what it will produce in the heart and lives
of those who walk by Faith.
Let us consider
their walk of faith.
I. THE
CIRCUMSTANCES THEY FACED.
EXODUS
1:22 (KJV)
And Pharaoh charged
all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye
shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye
shall save alive.
A. IT WAS
CRITICAL
NOTE:
Often times the
things we think we really need or only things we
want.
Often times it is
only when we are faced with desperate situations
that we begin to call on God to meet our need.
B. HOPELESS IN
THE EYES OF MAN
EXODUS 2:1-2 (KJV)
And
there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to
wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived,
and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a
goodly child, she hid him three months.
NOTE:
They had done all
they could do.
Too often we want
God to step in and meet the need while there are
things we can do ourselves to address the situation.
When faith had
done all she can, she looks up.
II. THE ACTION THEY
TOOK.
EXODUS 2:3-4 (KJV)
And when she could not longer hide him, she took for
him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime
and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she
laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his
sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to
him.
Their Hope
was in God.
Their Vision
was that God will save Moses from death.
Their Courage
was preparing the basket and placing it in the
river.
There Patience
was waiting on God for his deliverance.
III. THE
BY-PRODUCTS OF THEIR FAITH.
A. VICTORY
EXODUS 2:6 (KJV) And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe
wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, “This
is one of the Hebrews' children. “
NOTE:
Faith will always
produce victory but not always the way we expected.
ILL:
Man on an uninhabited island.
Victory does not
always mean deliverance from the circumstances we
might be in.
2
CORINTHIANS 12:7-9 (KJV)
And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was
given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above
measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,
that it might depart from me. And he said unto me,
My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will
I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
The victory we
have knows that God is in control and that He will
bring us through and whatever happens will be for
our betterment and His glory.
1 THESSALONIANS
5:18 (KJV)
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
This is the
secret of real victory, trusting God with the
results.
B. JOY
NOTE:
Faith will always
produce joy and often greater than we expected.
EXODUS 2:7-9 (KJV)
Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I
go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women,
that she may nurse the child for thee? And
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid
went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s
daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and
nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And
the woman took the child, and nursed it.
NOTE:
God often gives us
more than we ask of Him.
PSALMS 30:5b (KJV)
…weeping
may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning.
God always gives
back to us more than we give to Him.
ILL:
Hanna and Samuel.
After Hanna gave Samuel to the Lord He gave her
three sons and two daughters. I SAMUEL 1 & 2
PSALMS 30:11 (KJV)
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing:
thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with
gladness;
C.
PEACE
EXODUS 2:10 (KJV) And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and
he became her son. And she called his name Moses:
and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
-
The peace of
knowing God is in control
-
The peace of
knowing God loves us
-
The peace of
knowing God knows best
JOHN 16:33 (KJV)
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye
might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world.
JOHN 14:27 (KJV)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The world’s peace
is based on circumstances; God’s peace is based on
relationship.
CONCLUSION:
Let us walk in
Faith and enjoy its by-products.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2006 (PM)
“FOUR PRAYERS FOUND IN JONAH”
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
THE BOOK OF JONAH
INTRO:
When we consider the
book of Jonah, we often see it as a good story,
which demonstrates the power, and mercy of God, but
how often do we try and consider what practical
purpose it has for us today?
From 2 Kings
14:25 (He restored the coast of Israel from
the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain,
according to the word of the Lord
God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his
servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet,
which was of Gath-hepher.) Jonah’s
prophetic ministry is known to have been during the
reign of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.). He was from
Gath-hepher, a border town in the territory of
Zebulun, mentioned also in Joshua 19:13. His ministry would have occurred not
many years after the death of Elisha. Amos and
Hosea also prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam
II, but there is no way of knowing whether the three
prophets knew each other.
Jonah is a
strange paradox:
v
A
prophet of God, and yet he runs from the call of
God:
v
A
man drowned, and yet alive:
v
A
preacher of repentance, yet one that does not want
the people to repent.
Jonah, saved from
the jaws of death himself on repentance, was the
fittest to give a hope to Nineveh, doomed though it
was, of a merciful reprieve on its repentance. The
patience and pity of God stand in striking contrast
with the selfishness and hard-heartedness of man.
The major purpose
of the book is two fold:
-
A reproof of
Israel;
a heathen
people were ready to repent at the first
preaching of the prophet, a stranger to them;
but Israel, who boasted of being God's elect,
repented not, though warned by their own
prophets at all seasons.
-
To teach that
the message of God’s grace and forgiveness
should not be withheld from anyone.
The Hebrews had
been chosen by God as a special people but did
not understand their responsibility to share
their knowledge of him with other peoples. They
regarded their election as an exclusive
privilege. God desired to teach Israel through
Jonah’s experiences that God’s love and
compassion included all peoples and nations.
The book of Jonah
can easily be divided into four parts:
(1) Jonah in a
fix (Jonah 1:1-17)
(2) Jonah in a
fish (Jonah 2:1-10)
(3) Jonah in a
revival (Jonah 3:1-10)
(4) Jonah in a
rage (Jonah 4:1-11)
There are four
prayers found in the book of Jonah:
v
The
Prayer during the storm (Jonah 1:14-16)
v
The
Prayer of Repentance & Commitment
(Jonah
2:1-9)
v
The
Prayer of Repentance & Hope (Jonah 3:5-9)
v
The
Prayer of Disappointment & Dissatisfaction (Jonah
4:2-3)
The driving force
behind these four prayers is desperation.
When people
become desperate enough, even the unbelievers will
turn to prayer.
I. THE PRAYER
DURING THE STORM.
JONAH 1:14-16
Wherefore they
cried unto the Lord,
and said, We beseech thee, O Lord,
we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's
life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou,
O Lord,
hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah,
and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased
from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord
exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord,
and made vows.
When storms come
into your life how do you react?
v
Do
you stand and fight through it the best you know
how?
v
Do
you hide and try to deny that you are facing a
storm?
v
Do
you cry out to God for His deliverance?
NOTE:
The “True Believer”
was asleep in the bottom of the boat and did not
seek God’s deliverance; while the unbelievers were
praying to every god they could think of.
It wasn’t until
Jonah pointed them to God that they turned to Him
for help.
v
How
does your reaction, when God answers your prayers,
compare to the sailors responded to God answering
their prayers?
II. THE PRAYER OF
REPENTANCE & COMMITMENT
JONAH 2:1-9
Then Jonah prayed
unto the Lord
his God out of the fish's belly, and said, I cried
by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord,
and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I,
and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me
into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the
floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy
waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of
thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy
temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the
soul: the
depth closed me round about, the weeds were
wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms
of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about
me forever: yet hast thou brought up my life from
corruption, O Lord
my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered
the Lord:
and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy
temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake
their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee
with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that
I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
v
How
quick are you to pray when you find yourself in a
difficult situation?
v
Have you ever needed God to give you a second
chance?
v
Have you ever met anyone who was in serious trouble
but still refused to call upon God? What kept them
from calling upon God?
v
Have you ever promised God that you would do
something if He got you out of a jam? Did you keep
your promise?
III. THE PRAYER
OF REPENTANCE & HOPE.
JONAH 3:5-9
So the people of
Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put
on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the
least of them.
For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and
he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from
him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in
ashes.
And he caused it to be proclaimed and
published through Nineveh by the decree of the king
and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast,
herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed,
nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered
with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let
them turn every one from his evil way, and from the
violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if
God will turn and repent, and turn away from his
fierce anger, that we perish not?
v
Why
do you think the people of
Nineveh believe what Jonah said?
v
What do you think it means they believe God?
o
That
God was going to bring judgment
o
That
He was a God of mercy. (Where do you
think they got this idea?)
v
Why
did they fast and put on sackcloth and cause their
animals to do it as well?
v
What does it mean to you to fast & pray?
v
What must happen that will cause you to fast &
pray?
IV. THE PRAYER OF
DISAPPOINTMENT &
DISSATISFACTION.
JONAH 4:2-3
And he prayed
unto the Lord,
and said, I pray thee, O Lord,
was not this my saying, when I was yet in my
country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for
I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest
thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better
for me to die than to live.
v
Why
do you think Jonah was upset because God didn’t
destroy Nineveh?
v
Are
there people in your life that you would not want
God to save?
v
How
do you think you would react if the worst sinner
possible started coming to our church and got saved?
v
What would your reaction be if the person you
disliked the most, or maybe even hate, came to
church and got saved and God began to bless them?
v
What is God trying to tell us when He pointed out
that Jonah was more concerned over his own comfort
than the souls of Nineveh?
