The Greatest Story Ever Told (Part 3)

SERMON               GMT15-037

SERIES:              Topical Messages:  God: His Love For Sinners

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM (November 29th, 2015)

SUBTITLE:        The Greatest Story Ever Told: The Parable of the Loving Father

SCRIPTURE:     Luke 15:17-32 (Part 3)

SUBJECT:          God loves sinners

SUMMARY:       The proof of the Father’s love is demonstrated by the father’s acquiescence to the son’s request, in the reception by the father when the son returned to repent, when the father restored the son to an exalted position, and in the face of the younger son’s reaction.

SCHEME:           To provide evidence, or proof of God’s love for sinners

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Our theme is:  God loves sinners

Proposition: 

Interrogatory Sentence:  How does God prove that he loves sinners who repent?

Transitional Sentence:  The passage before provides seven (7) proofs that demonstrates that God loves sinners who repent:

·        Is seen in the request

·        Is seen in the response

·        Is seen in the rebellion

·        Is seen in the result

·        Is seen in the repentance

·        Is seen in the rejoicing

·        Is seen in the reaction

Happy Thanksgiving To You All!

Obedience in the Face of Danger

Scripture:  Matthew 26:47-56

"Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?"

Peter, don't resist, don't fight, is it not right that I submit to the will of my Father and be obedient to what He has determined for me?

Observation:

Jesus did not shrink back from being obedient to God's will even in the face of betrayal and arrest. He was resolved to be obedient to God. Danger could not keep him from His commitment. He could have called on heaven for help but he did  not seek relief but was obedient.

Application:

That kind of obedience and commitment is the epitome of obedience. There is no greater commitment than to be obedient to God and His will even in the face of grave danger or death. How many times am I confronted with the choice to be obedient or suffer some form of negative consequence. I have yet had to face arrest or even death. This is the type of obedience that I need in order to effectively serve God.

Prayer:

Father, may I be so committed to you that I would always be obedient to you regardless of the danger or consequences.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (Part 2)

SERMON GMT15-036

SERIES: Topical Messages: God: His Love For Sinners

SETTING: North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE: Sunday AM (November 22th, 2015)

SUBTITLE: The Greatest Story Ever Told: The Parable of the Loving Father

SCRIPTURE: Luke 15:19-32

SUBJECT: God loves sinners

SUMMARY: The proof of the Father’s love is demonstrated by the father’s acquiescence to the son’s request, in the reception by the father when the son returned to repent, when the father restored the son to an exalted position, and in the face of the younger son’s reaction.

SCHEME: To provide evidence, or proof of God’s love for sinners
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No Service Today

There will be no service nor message this Lord's Day. I am out of the pulpit. Lord willing I will be back for the service on November 22, 2015. I intend on bringing the second and final part of the message entitled, "The Greatest Story Ever Told."

The Experience of the, "But Now," Moment!

How do you know if you are a genuine believer? This is the most important question that you will ever need to answer. It is the same question that Jesus asked in Matthew 22:42 - "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"

There are certainly a number of biblical "tests" that can be applied to answer this all important question. One of the "best" tests is found in Romans 3:21 encompassed in the words, "But now..." Is there something that emanates from your soul that compels you to say, "Thank God!" Do you have a "but God" moment in your life?

Beginning in chapter 1, verse eighteen and running through chapter 3 and verse twenty, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has been demonstrating the absolute hopelessness and sinfulness of every member of the human race. Get this straight, no one, no Jew or Gentile can ever become a Christian without coming to a realization that you are utterly hopeless, enslaved in and by sin, and unable to merit, earn, or otherwise obtain the righteousness required by God to be fit for His presence.

The Holy Spirit must work a work in your heart convincing you of the strategic fact that apart from Christ you are utterly hopeless and infinitely helpless. When you are brought to this point this is only fitting to see the "but now" of God.

Lloyd-Jones once wrote that these two words are the most wonderful words of Scripture. This is how Paul chose to introduce the gospel to the Romans. First hopelessness, then "but now..."

This is why I ask if there is a but now moment in your life. This is why it is such a great test of determining whether you are a genuine believer accepted by God according to the Scripture. If you have never been brought to utter helplessness before God then you have never had a "but now" experience. You have flunked the "test." You need to cry out to God, "O God what must I do to be saved?" The answer is ask God for the "but now" moment. But now the righteousness of God is revealed - cry out to God for salvation through Jesus Christ.

Let's Represent!

First of all, please forgive me for borrowing this annotated photo.

Second, of all this photo expresses concisely and exactly what my motivation is behind this blog and why I have "failed" at being a "talking head," an "editorialist," or a "humorist." I have wanted to "sound-off" with humor and common sense with rebuttals to many posts on social media. 

I recognize that my opinion does not matter very much. What does matter, is the Word of God. For this reason I respond with comments to a number of posts on other blogs or Face Book. I want to defend, expound, or represent the Word of God. And I now that many times my comments are built upon:

 2Ti 3:16: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness..."

This is my heart beat. This is what makes me tick. My motivation is the correct explanation and application of the Word of God. When I see it mishandled I am compelled to say something, I cannot be silent. I know this offends many of you. You have a certain shallow, sweet, syrupy, or sensual view of God and His Word. I must agree with this quote of MacArthur's:

"My function is very clear: I simply want to disclose to my church, in every environment, what is the mind of Christ." — John MacArthur

So, I will not attempt to be a Christian "Will Rogers," or a "Tim Hawkins." I am not going to attempt to be dry, witty, humorous, and satirical.

By God's grace, I am going to spend and be spent representing the Word of God. I love the Word of God!

Cups & Christmas (Part 2)

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Birthday!

November 10th, 1775 - November 10th, 2015 

I proudly honorably served October 1972 - October 1975

Platoon 2134, MCRD San Diego

HMM 261, New River Air Station

HMH 461, New River Air Station

VMA 211, MCAS Iwakuni (Japan)

VMA 311, MCAS Beaufort

National Defense Medal

Good Conduct Medal

Cups and Christmas

Come on people will you get a grip on Biblical reality? Who cares if Starbucks, which the last time I looked was a secular company, does not put a Nativity Scene or print "Merry Christmas on their "holiday" cups?

First of all people, get a grip, it is their company. They can do whatever they want to do with their cups. What if they wanted to put a devil on their cup, what then? How many of you who are complaining about the cup design have a "Dirt Devil vacuum in your house?

Second, why do you think a non-Christian, secular, and capitalistic company should put "Merry Christmas" on their cups anyway? What if they wanted to come to your house and print something foul or evil on your cup-ware? You can't expect non-believers to behave in the way that you want them to behave.

Third, why are you so easily offended or thrown off keel? Are you really bent out of shape because a secular company does not print "Merry Christmas" on their cups? Why Merry Christmas? Why not "Happy Hanukka", or "Eid ul Adha"? It makes no sense to me when so called Christians get so bent out of shape over something so trivial. Seems Satan wins again when Christians can forget to be loving, patient, kind, and share the gospel when it is so much more easier to get in a knot over what is left off a cup.

Fourth, will you really let this ruin your holiday, oops I said holiday instead of Christmas, season? Why do you want the cups to say "Merry Christmas anyways?" We don't celebrate the mass, as a matter of fact we reject the mass. So why do we want to wish people to have a merry mass anyways?

Folks get a grip. Starbucks doesn't want you or money anyway. They have said more than once that if you support traditional marriage they don't need you or want you and you can buy your coffee somewhere else. So, go get a paper cup, write what you want on it and pour your coffee in it. Leave poor secular, non-Christian, plain red coffee cup Starbucks alone.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (Part 1)

SERMON GMT15-035

SERIES: Topical Messages: God: His Love For Sinners

SETTING: North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE: Sunday AM (November 8th, 2015)

SUBTITLE: The Greatest Story Ever Told: The Parable of the Loving Father

SCRIPTURE: Luke 15:11-19

SUBJECT: God loves sinners

SUMMARY: The proof of the Father’s love is demonstrated by the father’s acquiescence to the son’s request, in the reception by the father when the son returned to repent, when the father restored the son to an exalted position, and in the face of the younger son’s reaction.

SCHEME: To provide evidence, or proof of God’s love for sinners
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The World Hates Believers

Scripture:  John 15:18-25

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you."

If the unconverted people in this world hate me, I already know that the unconverted people in the world hated Jesus before it hated me.

Observation:

The world does not know that they are considered to be sinners by God unless God informs them of their sin and their status as sinners. While the unconverted remain blissfully in their darkness they do not know that they have been condemned and are lost.

But when the light comes through Jesus Christ and exposes their sin and their status then they respond by hating Jesus Christ. Because I represent Christ, the world hates me also. The comfort or consolation in this awareness is that although the unconverted hate me, they hated Jesus first. So, if the world hates Christ, they will hate me also.  The world's sin and lost condition is revealed by Christ.

Application: 

Since this is such an important point, I need to be aware that since the lost hate Christ and the things of Christ, they will hate me, therefore, I must remain faithful, obedient, and aware of the fact that the hatred that the world has towards me is because the world hated Christ first for exposing their sin and their status as lost and condemned.

Prayer:

Father, may I always be mindful of the fact that when the world hates me it is because the world hates you for revealing to them their sin and their status.

Now Hear This...

Beginning November 8th I will be posting my Sunday morning message to the North Kelso Baptist Church blog site only. 

It will no longer appear on the Gospel-driven Disciples blog. Please bookmark or add to your blog roll www.northkelsobc.blogspot.com. 

The job of "reformatting" and making corrections of the format has grown wearisome for each blog. I hope those of you who read and comment on the weekly message will, first of all, not find this to be inconvenient, and second, that you will continue to follow and read each message.

I truly appreciate each and every one of you! I thank God for your support. I hope that something in each message feeds your soul and draws you closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heaven: Our Heart and Our Home (Part 8)

SERMON GMT15-034

SERIES: Topical Messages: Heaven

SETTING: North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE: Sunday AM (November 1st, 2015)

SUBTITLE: Heaven: Our Heart & Our Home (Part 8)

SCRIPTURE: Selected Scriptures

SUBJECT: Perspective for heaven

SUMMARY: Having a proper perspective of heaven governs your daily living

SCHEME: To exhort genuine believers to live in light of their hope of heaven