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Genesis 3:1-13

¹ “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, ³ but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” ⁴  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. ⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

I often hear people ask, “Why didn’t God create a perfect world where there would be no sin, suffering, sorrow, and death?” I always use Genesis 1 – 2 to remind them that HE did just that! The original creation was indeed perfect.

The more pertinent question is, “Why did God create a perfect world and then put into that world humans who had the ability to choose to sin and bring suffering, sorrow, and death into the world?”

By the way, I answered that last week. I hope you were paying close attention. (See Rule #1) If you are not satisfied with that answer, see Rule #2.

The good news is (and it is very good news indeed) that one day God will replace this present fallen world with a New Heaven and a New Earth in which no sin, suffering, sorrow, or death will exist!

I believe the more practical and therefore more useful issue is how did the temptation take place, and how does that apply to our life today? We all face temptation and the “Satanic Strategy of Temptation” has not changed in the past 6,000 years! If we can understand the temptation in the Garden of Eden, we can understand the temptation we face in the 21^st Century…

Here it is:

In 3:1a, we see that the sources of temptation are still the same. Eve and Adam faced five specific sources of temptation with which we are still faced today:

Before I write anything else, let me be clear: God is never a source of temptation! The Word of God is clear when it says, ““Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13 ESV). God does not tempt us to test us!

There are (as I said earlier) five sources of temptation and God is not one of them:

The primary source of our temptation is our self! In 1:14-15, James explains this clearly when he writes, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” I realize that comedian Flip Wilson made a fortune by saying, “The Devil made me do it” but, the reality is that he was tragically wrong about that.

Almost all of my temptation finds its source in me and almost all of your temptation finds its source in you!

While he is not the primary source of temptation, we see in this passage that Satan is still “a” source of temptation. In 2^nd Corinthians 11:3, Paul warns the Corinthians and all believers of this reality when he says, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

I am sure that Satan (who cannot be in more than one place at one time) spends his efforts on men and women whose temptation and fall will do the maximum harm to the Kingdom and only some PFC demon is assigned to me. Yet, since 2^nd Corinthians 11:3 is true, we must admit and be aware of the fact that satanic temptation is real and does still exist.

* By the way, I am guilty of not praying nearly enough for our Christian Leaders that they will be protected from temptation! I hope you will join me in taking time to pray for Christian men and women to whom God has given a national or international platform that they will remain pure and faithful to God and His Word.

Satan is a source of temptation!

In 3:1b, we see that the subjects of temptation are still them same. Those who are tempted in the Garden are a woman and a man; humans are still the subject of temptations today.

It is vitally important that you and I understand that as we see in 3:1c-6, the strategy of temptation is still the same! I have often heard it said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  Satan obviously believes in this because over the past 6,000 years he has not “fixed” the system of temptation. It works well; so, he just keeps using it over and over and over again…

Here is the strategy: (These are the three other Sources of Temptation)

In 3:6, we see “The Lust (or cravings) of the Flesh” “The Lust (or cravings) of the Eye” and “The Pride of Life.” The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was… “good for food” “a delight to the eye” and “desired to make one wise.”

In the locus classicus of verses on temptation, John the Apostle tells us in 1^st John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Please take careful note that “all that is in the world…” consists of these three areas of temptation: “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions…”

When we hear Bible teachers of the past and present talking about “worldliness” this is to what they refer! When we hear these teachers speak of “worldlings” (a very British word not heard much here in the Colonies) they speak of people who are focused on these three things, rather than being focused on God and the things of God!

The final illustration is powerful: this is the very same strategy of temptation the Devil used when tempting Jesus! The temptation of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”

Read over these verses carefully and see if you can find each of the three primary areas of temptation that Eve and Adam and you and I also face!

Think about how Jesus overcame these temptations and think about how you and I can use that same method to overcome the temptations we face from day to day.

Finally, notice in Genesis 3:7-13, that the shame of giving into temptation is still the same today as it was then. In sin, both they and we stand naked before God! Both they and we have nothing to offer God but excuses.

I hope you will carefully, prayerfully, and frequently read through and think over these verses as your prepare to hear the Word of God preached on this coming Lord’s Day… as the LORD allows!

As Pastor Tom Rains often says, “I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!”

Beyond any and all doubt, the Fall of Adam and Eve into sin is the greatest catastrophe to occur in all of time and eternity:

The destruction of the Created Universe is a direct result of this event!

All crime, injustice, sorrow, and brokenness is the direct result of this event!

All sin, sickness, suffering, and death is the direct result of this event!

The damnation of millions of eternal souls is the direct result of this event!

The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the direct result of this event!

But, we cannot possibly understand this catastrophic event unless we understand the events that preceded it:

It appears that at some point prior to the Creation of the physical universe God created angelic beings in the spiritual universe. Among these angelic beings, God created three “Archangels” named Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer.

After the Creation of the physical universe, these angelic beings had access to the physical universe; and at some point after the Creation of the physical universe, (either before or after the Creation of Mankind) God assigned these angelic beings the task of serving humans.

It appears that at the time God assigned these angelic beings the task of serving humans, the Archangel Lucifer and a legion of other angels, (possibly as many as one-third of them) rebelled against God and were cast out of heaven! These fallen angels are now called “demons.”

Adam and Even chose to disobey God thereby falling from their state of “Unconfirmed Holiness” and bringing about the curse of God upon them, their progeny, and the physical universe!

Years ago in school, I learned that anyone doing an investigation should answer five key questions: who, what, when, where, and why!

Who? This story involves two Spirit Beings: God, and Lucifer. It also involves two key human beings: Adam and Eve.

What? The “Drama of Redemption” begins when God allows Lucifer to possess a serpent and tempt Adam and Eve to sin. Once Adam and Eve disobey God and fall under the curse of sin, God immediately promises them that One Who will be the Offspring of the woman will come into the world to redeem them by crushing the power of sin and Satan! This is called, “The Proto-euangelion” or “The First Gospel.”

When? These events took place following the Six Days of Creation and the Fall of Lucifer and his demons!

Where? These events took place in the Garden of Eden, which was most likely located somewhere in Mesopotamia between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Why? THE BIG QUESTION! (ACTUALLY FIVE BIG QUESTIONS)

1. Why did God allow Lucifer and his host of demons live after they rebelled against HIM?

2. Why did God allow Lucifer to have access to the Garden of Eden after he rebelled against HIM?

3. Why did God allow Lucifer to tempt Adam and Eve?

4. Why did God allow Adam and Eve to disobey HIM?

5. Why did God bring judgment upon the entire human race because of the sin of Adam and Eve?

ANSWER:

RULE #1: ________________________________________

RULE #2: ________________________________________

(I cannot tell you everything!)

I hope you will read over Genesis 3 and these thoughts as you prepare your mind and spirit to hear the Word of God on Sunday!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side! 

Genesis 2:1-3

¹ “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

² “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

³ So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

As the LORD allows, we will continue through the first eleven Chapters of Genesis this coming Sunday morning with a sermon from 2:1-3 on the subject, “Understanding the Sabbath.”

Christians are not exempt from the inclination to disagree and even divide over deeply held opinions! Biblical doctrine is often an area of passionate disagreement. I have often said, “Doctrine does not cause division among Christians, doctrinal error is the cause of division among Christians!” When two or more Christians disagree about doctrine, both cannot be right – they may both be wrong – but, both cannot be right!

One area of disagreement is “The Sabbath.”

Christians disagree over which day is the appropriate day for worship;

Christians disagree over what they must do (or not do) on whatever day they set aside for their “Sabbath”;

Christians disagree over what they may do (or not do) on whatever day they set aside for their “Sabbath.”

I will endeavor to use this sermon to help you understand what day is the Sabbath; what we “must” do on the Sabbath; and, what we “may” do on the Sabbath. One of the great tragedies about this disagreement is that while many have a traditional view of this issue, they miss the true intent of the Sabbath in the life of Christians and the Church.

Southern Baptists have adopted an “Official” Doctrinal Statement that we call “The Baptist Faith and Message” (2000) and in that statement we take the following doctrinal stand of the issue of the Sabbath:

Article VIII: The Lord’s Day

“The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.

Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”

Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 12:1-12; 28:1ff.; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-3,33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1,19-28; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.

No statement, including this one, will satisfy all Southern Baptists. In this last update, (2000) the second paragraph was re-worded and was, in my opinion, watered down from previous statements. Christians usually fall into one of two philosophies about worship and ministry including the issue of the Sabbath. Those two competing philosophies are called:

1. The Regulative Principle: “We may do only on the Sabbath that which is explicitly prescribed in Scripture on the Lord’s Day.”

2. The Normative Principle: “We may do anything on the Sabbath that is not explicitly prohibited in the Scripture.”

I plan to conclude the sermon with an application of why God cares what we do on the Sabbath (Lord’s Day) and how that works out in our daily living. I hope you will read over, think over, and pray over these verses as you prepare your mind to hear the sermon on Sunday.

I hope to see you Sunday morning with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

Wednesday, January 1^st, 2014

Psalm 139:16

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

On this cold New Year’s morning, I am sitting beside Lin and I have just watched a gorgeous sunrise that has quickly dimmed as slowly building clouds pass between Sun and earth. This seems to be an appropriate metaphor for the most recent of God’s gifts to me: 2014.

Every day is a gift from God. As I learn more and more clearly with each passing day, we are not promised this or any additional days of life. As the Psalmist writes in Psalms 139, God knows the number of our days; but, we do not. HE knows them because HE has decreed them. Our days come to us from HIS hand. We will have no less and no more than HE has assigned to us.

God is sovereign over the “quality” of our days as well as the “quantity” of them. We live out our days in the hands of a Loving God.

In John 10:27-30 Jesus tells us, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

We live, more and more each day, leaning on the promises of God. None comes to mind more often than Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Slow down a moment and think about this sentence: God is for us and HE is for us because HE has chosen to be for us. He has chosen to love us; therefore, HE both desires and promises that HE is working all things together for our good!

So, we have today a new day and a New Year.

365 Days; 8,706 Hours; (although as I write this nine of those hours are already past) 525,600 Minutes. Some wonderful, some good, some not-so-good, and some that will break our hearts. I know this is true because this has been true for all of my sixty-three and one-half years of life. Every year taught me this lesson and 2013 was no exception.

2013 was a mixture of wonderful, good, not-so-good, and heart-breaking days. Along with many undeserved joys, including many new friends and members at our happy Church; 2013 was a year of great sorrow and loss for me. This past year I lost my last surviving Uncle; my 1^st Cousin Lois lost her son and then her own life; My 1^st Cousin Faye lost her daughter and her sister; my 1^st Cousin Billy Dean’s son also passed away; yesterday, my sister Patty’s children lost their Dad; and, one of my dearest friends, Ralph Buckley, lost his beloved wife, Faye.

Among the wonderful people God allows me to serve, Kenny Hug, Sue Hahn, and Mildred Bennett passed away this year. I also conducted funerals or Memorial Services for several former members and others in 2013. Our prayer list at Church continues to be filled with the names of far too many beloved people who are hurting terribly.

Lin’s illness continues to be the deepest and darkest valley of my life. While her prognosis is thankfully encouraging, there are many difficult days ahead for her. Both of us appreciate your love, support, and prayers beyond our ability to express.

Life is unsure and 2014 will not be an exception to this truth. This New Year will bring us both unspeakable joys and heart-breaking sorrows.

It is my sincere prayer for my family, Church family and friends; and, for you and your family and friends that this New Year will a wonderful year followed by many more even more wonderful years!

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

I love you and thank God upon every thought of you.

^1:24 “And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.

²⁵ And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

²⁶ “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

²⁹ And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

³⁰ And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

³¹ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Over the past seven sermons, we have seen WHAT God created in the first five days of Creation: time, space, the material universe, light, and the 24-hour cycle of darkness and light; the atmosphere; the hydrosphere, and the biosphere; the first, second, and third heavens; and, HE created the flora, fauna, and most of the living creatures on the earth!

In addition to seeing “What” God has thus far created, we have also seen “Why” God created Creation:

God created Creation to create HIS People!

God created HIS people to save HIS people!

God saves HIS People to glorify Himself!

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day Morning, we will discuss what God did on Day Six! In 1:24-25, God now completes the creation of the animal kingdom by creating the beasts of burden and everything that creeps on the earth.

In verses 26 to 31, God both culminates and Crowns HIS Creation by creating creatures that are made in HIS own image;  creatures with mind, emotion, and will; creatures who will live as long as God lives; and, creatures some of whom will live with God Himself for all of eternity!

Obviously, there is too much theology here to cover in a single sermon, so I am going take whatever number of sermons it will take me to work through the most important of the many important things we learn in these verses about human beings as created creatures of the One True and Living God!

The two most important things here are the facts that humans are

(1) created in the image of God; and,

(2) God gave humans dominion over Creation.

We may talk about dominion later, but, today I want to focus on verse 27 and think about what it means to be a created being created in the very image of God. For this sermon we will have to dive into some deep “theological” water. We are faced with and must answer the question, “What does it mean that humans were created and continue to exist ‘in the image of God?”

When the Bible speaks about what God is “like” and what it means to be made in His “likeness” we are dealing with two things:

(1) His Nature; and,

(2) His Attributes.

According to Dr. John Piper, former Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, relevant facts about this biblical truth include…

First, God’s Nature: There are at least five facets of God’s nature that He has shared with humans:

1. Eternality

2. Intellect (Mind)

3. Emotion

4. Volition (Will)

5. Morality

Second, God’s Attributes:

There are some Attributes of God that are unique to Himself. In other words, attributes that HE does not share with humans. They are called “Non-communicable” Attributes:

1. Holiness

2. Immutability

3. Infinite

4. Omnipotence

5. Omnipresence

6. Omniscience

7. Self-existence

8. Self-sufficiency

9. Sovereignty

10. Transcendence

There are some attributes of God that HE does share with humans. They are called “Communicable” Attributes:

1. Goodness

2. Hate (Yes, Hate!)

3. Justice

4. Knowledge

5. Love

6. Rationality

7. Mercy

8. Speech

9. Truthfulness

10. Wisdom

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/the-image-of-god 

Humans are unique in all of the created order in that we are created in the image of God. This is not true of any other created thing or being.

For the purpose of personal application, let me give you the two most important things that apply to humans today because of these theological truths…

First, because we are created in the very image of God, we have received several blessings: Mind, Emotion, Will, Morality, Goodness, Hate, Justice, Knowledge, Love, Rationality, Mercy, Speech, Truthfulness, and Wisdom.

Second, because we are created in the very image of God, we have received one great burden: Eternality!

Every human being who was ever conceived is going to spend eternity somewhere!

For those humans who know the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord, eternality will prove to be the most wonderful thing God has given to you! Those humans who do have a living relationship with Jesus Christ will live as long as God lives; and, we will live with God and HIS Saints for as long as God Himself lives!

For those humans who do not know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, eternality will prove to be the most terrible thing God has given to you! Those humans who do not have a living relationship with Jesus Christ will endure an eternal conscious existence separated from the mercy of God paying the righteous price for their sins! And, they will suffer the eternal torments of hell for as long as God Himself lives!

All of us have been created in the image of God. This will prove be the greatest blessing – or the greatest burden – we have ever known.

I hope you will read over these verses a few times and think about how they might apply to your life. I am aware that this is, “deep theological water” but all of Scripture is given for all of God’s people!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

1^st Thessalonians 2:13

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

It is biblically certain that it is the will of God for every one of HIS children to grow spiritually! And, spiritual growth is inexorably tied to Biblical intake! Many Scriptures give a clear presentation of this truth…

Joshua 1:8 ⁸ “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Hosea 4:6 ⁶ “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Ephesians 4:10-16 ¹⁰ “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹²  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶  from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Hebrews 5:12-14 ¹² “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, ¹³ for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

1^st Peter 2:2-3 ² “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

I am certain that if we took a poll this morning all of us would agree that we want next year to end with us knowing more about God and living closer to HIS will for our life. No question; that is exactly what we want.

But, the question is “how?”

The answer is to saturate ourselves in the Word of God! Our text verse reminds us that, “the word of God… is at work in you believers.” The Word of God is “living and active…” (Hebrews 4:12) and it is always at work in the lives of God’s people.

The primary means by which God sanctifies HIS people is through the working of the Word in our life!

Therefore: I want to suggest a simple way for each of us to increase our Biblical knowledge in the coming year by reading through the entire New Testament.

That increased Biblical knowledge will then be used by the Holy Spirit of God to continually and increasingly transform us into the very likeness of Jesus Christ!

I call it “The 20.14 Spiritual Growth Plan.” (That ought to be easy enough that even I will remember it!)

The “20” is to remind us to read 20 Chapters of the New Testament each month. Taking weekends off; if we read one Chapter per day each day for four weeks each month, we will read 20 Chapters per month.

The New Testament has 260 Chapters. At a rate of 20 Chapters per month, we will read the entire New Testament in only 13 months.

20 Chapters per month for 13 months…

The “14” refers to 14 minutes each day to read the Chapter; focus on one or two verses in that Chapter that grab our attention; and, then take a few minutes for prayer!

20 Chapters per month… 14 minutes per day… that is it: “The 20.14 Spiritual Growth Plan!”

Obviously, this is not a great deal of time; but, the main thing is to begin systematically reading the Bible, thinking through specific verses, and taking time to pray.

As the Lord allows, this coming Sunday I will take one Chapter of the New Testament (John 17) then focus on one single verse in that Chapter (v.18) and bring a simple application from that verse.

It is the great joy of my life to serve Jesus by serving you! I pray that I will be serving you faithfully by preaching this sermon next Sunday. I hope you will be able to be present to share in the worship and hear this Biblical challenge!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

Matthew 1:1-17   The Two Most Important Things About Christmas!

¹ “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. ²  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³ and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, ⁴ and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵ and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, ⁷ and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, ⁸ and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, ⁹ and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰ and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, ¹¹ and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. ¹² And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴ and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵ and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶ and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. ¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.”

“Christmas!” This is one of those words that immediately brings up visions, memories, and emotions in everyone who hears it. And – to be sure – those visions, memories, and emotions are very different for different people. When people hear “Christmas” some immediately smile while others immediately cringe!

Lots of surveys have been done to find out what people believe is the most important thing about Christmas. Of course, most answers depend on who you ask:

For many Seniors, the word Christmas brings up melancholy memories of days gone by and joyful thoughts of kids and grandkids coming home for the Holiday…

For young couples, the word Christmas brings up hopeful thoughts of happy times with friends and family.

For business people, the Word Christmas brings up mixed feelings about how sales will be; end of year work; and, tax time being just around the corner!

An internet survey at Quibblo.com currently shows the following results to that question:

Celebrating the Birth of Jesus   43%

Spending time with family          18%

Giving                                               7%

Receiving                                         7%

All of the above                            23%

For Bible-believing Christians, this is an easy question! The most important thing about Christmas is what the Bible says is the most important thing about Christmas!

Actually, our focal passage in Matthew shows us the two most important things about Christmas:

#1: There is a Gospel that must be Believed!

#2: There is a Gift that must be Received!

As we study through the first seventeen verses of Matthew 1, God reminds us of the fact that HE most always works through people! HE does not have to work through people; but, HE usually does.

Three things grab out attention as we consider the first point.. “There is a Gospel that must be Believed.”

First, we see THE MEN!

Second, we see THE WOMEN! Of course, all of the gospel is about grace; but, in these verses we clearly see the grace of God at work. Of the five women named in the genealogy of Jesus, three were sexually immoral in their past and one was a Moabite!

Third, we see THE CHRIST! Christmas is about the miraculous incarnation of God in human flesh. He is indeed “God with us!” These verses reveal four miraculous things about HIS birth!

Secondly, these verses reveal that “There is a Gift that must be Received.”

It has well and often been pointed out that God gave HIS SON, people gave HIM gifts, and, people around the world have been giving one another gifts ever since!

This coming Christmas Sunday morning, as the Lord allows, I will read and teach these verses and focus on what really matters in our life and what are the two most important things about Christmas!

REMEMBER! Christmas is one of two Sundays that non-church attending people will come to church with you. I hope you will work hard (and creatively) to invite family and friends to attend with you this Sunday!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

Today is Friday, December 6^th, 2013. It is the day 340^th of the year; there are 25 days left in 2013; and, only 19 days left until Christmas!

Mark 2:15-17 (ESV)

¹⁵ “And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Devotion:

Obviously, I am focused on physicians this morning.

The context of this passage is not about physicians, it is about why Jesus came… HE came for those who needed a Savior! His comment about those who are sick needing a physician is simply used as a clear illustration of the greater truth that HE is teaching; that is, if people were righteous they would not need a Savior; but, since people are not righteous they do need a Savior.

So, as I focus on needing a physician please forgive me for building this devotion on an illustration rather that which is the real focus of the text.

Here’s my point: just as Paul took “Luke, the Beloved Physician” (Colossians 4:14) along with him on his missionary journeys, we ought to include physicians in our acquaintance as well.

If we are going to be good stewards of the body in which the Lord has decreed that we will live out our life, we need to use the skills of physicians. (Lin and I have just had another lesson about that!)

From my illness thirteen years ago to Lin’s illness these past six months, I am thankful for the medical advances we have been allowed to discover and develop in our lifetime. It appears that God has directed us to them to use them for our good.

Bottom Line: get your check ups and screenings! Be good stewards of the body God has given you. (I am painfully aware that this is FREE advice from a man who is 40 pounds overweight…)

Let me close with this… I thank God for God! I thank God for physicians! I thank God for you!

Pastor Lanny

“The Present of God’s Presence” Luke 2:1-14

¹ “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

As the Lord allows, this coming Sunday morning I will begin a series of four sermons focused on the Christmas Story!

This week I will focus on the prophecy that God, Himself, would come to be with us and pay the penalty for our sins! Over the years, the secular world has all but taken over the Christmas Season. Wise sales people and advertisers have concocted a new vision of what this sacred occasion is truly about.

Yes, indeed, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!”

It is His arrival that we celebrate. The story of His birth, life, death, and resurrection begins with Christmas and ends with Easter. HE came to be with us to pay for our sins.

It has been well and often pointed out that “God gave the gift of His Son; the Magi brought gifts to Him; and, the world has been giving one another gifts ever since!”

Of all of the presents ever given at Christmas, the greatest “Present” ever given was the “Presence” of God with Us in the Person of Jesus Christ!

Everyone who loves family and friends knows that their “presence” with us is far more important than any “presents” we could receive. It is this reality we celebrate – that one’s “presence” is more important than their “presents.”

Our passage reveals that the “Presence” of God with us was the predetermined plan of almighty God! From the Garden of Eden through the Prophets of Israel, to the glorious arrival of Jesus in Bethlehem; Christmas was not an afterthought; it was the eternal decree of God.

Furthermore, the Present of God’s Presence was both personal and permanent! God did not come merely for the “world” but, for His individual people who are in the world. He came to be with us; and, He will never leave us nor forsake us!

“For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.” Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, has come to be with us and His “presence” was the greatest “present” ever given to anyone anywhere.

Many people use God like a bellhop or an ATM. But to those of us who love HIM, HE is precious! It is HIS presence, not HIS presents that thrill our regenerated soul!

We learn that “The Present of HIS Presence” is a cause for worship and praise! “Glory to God in the highest…” What else is there to say; what other paean could express the deepest joys of our hearts?

No, not HIS presents, it is HIS presence that we seek and in which we rejoice. As the Christmas Season begins, let us focus afresh and anew on the joy of knowing Jesus and “the Present of HIS Presence in our life!”

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

Today is Wednesday, November 27^th, 1013. It is the 331^st day of the year! There are only 34 days left in this year and only 28 days left until Christmas!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day!

Today is Bryson Wilson’s Birthday!

Devotional Thought…

Matthew 19:13-15 ¹³ “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, ¹⁴ but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And he laid his hands on them and went away.”

The combination of Thanksgiving Day being tomorrow and Bryson’s birthday being today has me thinking about how blessed we are to have so many families with children faithfully attending and serving God in our Church!

I have been telling you that over the past six or so years the average age of our Church members has dropped dramatically. I actually ran all of the numbers a couple of weeks ago and it is even better than I thought!

The average age of members in the typical “evangelical” Church in North America is 61. The average age of the 151 members who attend our Church is just about 39.8! That is just a little more than 21 years younger per attending member than the typical Church.

Children are lots of work; and, we thank God for sending these families to the Church and we are thankful for the many members who work hard to minister to them. We are thankful for everyone who ministers to anyone, of course, but we are thankful indeed to have a house full of kids running and yelling and bumping into us every week!

Our dear people have given up classrooms, taken turns in the Nursery and Children’s Church, taught SS Classes, and invested lots and lots of money in our Ministries to Children. Thanks to these sacrificial workers we now have more people here during AWANA on Wednesdays than we do for worship on a typical Sunday Morning!

Right now, we are in the process of transforming our original sanctuary into a “Children’s Ministry Center” that will help us accommodate and reach more and more and more children and their families!

A GREAT CHURCH is a multi-generational Church! If we are truly reaching out to our communities, we will have people of all ages represented among our people. WE HAVE THEM, AND WE THANK GOD FOR THEM!

I am thankful for everyone who is part of the First Baptist Family! From the most senior to the youngest; we NEED everyone and we are thankful for every person the LORD has called to be part of our Church family!

On this Thanksgiving Eve, our prayer to God is simply this… “Dear God, Let the Children come!”

Amen!