Nehemiah 9 – From Ruin to Restoration!

Posted on January 12, 2025 by Lanny Faulkner

SERMON – Nehemiah 9 “FROM RUIN TO RESTORATION!”

(9:1 – 3) THE ROAD TO RESTORATION!

(1) “Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. (2) And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. (3) And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.

(9:4 – 30) THE REASON FOR THEIR RUIN!

GOD had been faithful to them, but they had not been faithful to HIM!

NOTE: This is a divinely inspired Old Testament Survey!

(4) On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God. (5) Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. (6) “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. (7) You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. (8) You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.

(9) “And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, (10) and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. (11) And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. (12) By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. (13) You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, (14) and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. (15) You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them. (16) “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. (17) They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. (18) Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, (19) you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. (20) You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. (21) Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

(22) “And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. (23) You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. (24) So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. (25) And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. (26) “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. (27) Therefore, you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. (28) But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. (29) And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. (30) Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore, you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

(9:31-37) THE RESULT OF THEIR REBELLION!

(31) Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (32) “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. (33) Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. (34) Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. (35) Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. (36) Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. (37) And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.”

(9:38) THE RESULT OF THEIR REPENTANCE!

(38) “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”

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Nehemiah 8 – The Work of the Word in the Willing!

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Lanny Faulkner

JANUARY 5th, 2024

SERMON “Nehemiah 8 – The Work of the Word in the Willing!”

INTRODUCTON:

1. Notice that we have skipped Nehemiah 7 in this series. This is NOT because every Word of God is important, we are skipping it because it is simply a list of men and the number of people who came with them into Jerusalem to work during the threat of violence against them.

2. Here in Chapter 8, once the people had gathered in Jerusalem, Ezra the Priest read to them “The Book of the Law.”

3. Notice that this takes place on “on the first day of the seventh month” which was the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was given to remind them of their wilderness wandering!

Leviticus 23:23-24 “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.”

3. This is likely a reference to the entire Pentateuch consisting of the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy which would take an average reader about 10 to 12 hours.

4. Since verse 13 tells us that “The Book of the Law” was read over a period of two days, and verse 14 quotes from Leviticus 23, it is clear that this reading was of The entire Pentateuch!

5. Since the Word of GOD works in the life of people who hear and obey it, we will take note of how hearing The Pentateuch read affected these people!

EXPOSITION:

(8:1-3) THE FIRST STEP IN A LOCAL AND/OR NATIONAL REVIVAL IS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO READ AND STUDY THE BIBLE!

 (1) “And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.

(2) So, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. (3) And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”

(8:5-6) READING THE BIBLE IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP!

 (5) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.  (6) And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.”

(8:4, 7, 8) BEYOND READING THE BIBLE, GOD’S PEOPLE NEED KNOWLEDGEABLE TEACHERS TO TEACH THEM THE BIBLE!

(4) “And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. (7) Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. (8) They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” (13) “On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.”

(8:9) PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THE BIBLE ARE GREATLY MOVED BY IT!

(9) “And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.”

(8:10-12) PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF A LONG WORSHIP SERVICE NEED A BREAK TO EAT!

(10) Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (11) So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” (12) And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.”

(8:14-15) GOD’S PEOPLE NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT THE WORDS IN THE BIBLE ARE THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD!

(14) “And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, (15) and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”

(8:16-18) PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE WORD OF GOD AND WHO KNOW THE GOD OF THE WORD OBEY THE BIBLE!

(16) So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. (17) And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. (18) And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.”

Cf. Acts 17:11 “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

Cf. 1st 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.”

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1st Corinthians 12:12-27 “The State of the Church 2024”

Posted on December 29, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

INTRODUCTION:

1. A metaphor is a figure of speech where one thing is used as an illustration and/or application of something else to help explain it.

2. In the Bible, GOD uses several metaphors to describe HIS people…

His Chosen. His Elect. His People. The Apple of HIS eye. His Family. His Army. His Servants. His Church. His Body.

3. Of all of the metaphors GOD uses to describe HIS people, the one that most clearly describes the life of HIS people together is “HIS BODY.”

4. The BODY METAPHOR used here in 1st Corinthians 12:12-27 is the most important – and therefore the most common – that HE uses to describe HIS People!

EXPOSITION: 1st Corinthians 12:12-27

(12, 14, 20) The Church of the LORD Jesus Christ is ONE BODY that is made up of many different members!

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

* We currently have 31 actively attending or supporting members, 6 of which are either homebound or in physical rehab.

* This leaves us with 25 actively attending or supporting members who are usually present for Sunday Morning Worship.

* We are also blessed to have 3 non-members who faithfully worship and serve the LORD with us each week.

* We currently have about 10 members who usually attend the Sunday Morning Sunday School Class.

* We currently have about 10 members who usually attend our Midweek Prayer Meeting and Bible Study.              

(13) The many members of GOD’s ONE BODY ‘The Church’ are immersed into HIS BODY by the Holy Spirit!

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body– Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”         

 (15-17, 19) Each member of GOD’s BODY is different and has a different purpose!

“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.                And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? If all were a single member, where would the body be?”

We certainly know what our individual and corporate purpose is!

“We exist to Live Out the Great Commandments and Carry Out the Great Commission by Loving GOD, Loving People, and Sharing the Good News!”

(18) The Place and Purpose of each member in HIS BODY is determined by GOD, HIMSELF!

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”

(21-26) For a body to be healthy, all of its parts must be present and functioning!

“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”             

*When members of a body are either missing or not functioning, it has a disabling effect on the whole BODY.

* If enough of the members of the body are either missing or not functioning, the body will die.

(27) We are, in fact, right here and right now, the BODY of CHRIST!

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

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My “Up and Down” Week in Review – December 16th to 22nd, 2024

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read these updates! I deeply appreciate your friendship, fellowship, and prayers for me and my family and my ministry! I am thankful that the LORD has blessed me through another week in which I have enjoyed good health and the opportunities to serve HIM and HIS people.

Like many – if not most – weeks, this past week had some really great “ups” and one really sad “down.”

On the upside, I enjoyed my sermon and Bible Study preparation and my opportunities to spend time cleaning and realigning pews in our sanctuary as the ceiling repair and repainting was being done. Thankfully, that part of our renovation is complete, and it looks really great!

Another “up” was that on Tuesday after catching up on church work (and after a bit of flurries) I drove down to Lake Shelbyville (again!) and hiked the 2.66-mile General Dacy Trail. I really enjoy both the drive and the time in the woods!

Midweek Prayer Meeting and Bible Study was a blessing. I really enjoy these times together as we fellowship, pray, and study together! These are a spiritually mature and knowledgeable people and our discussions through the Books of the Bible are a truly happy experience for me!

The biggest “ups” of my week were related to family! My Grandson Austin and his wife Jadan were in for their Christmas leave and I was able to be with them twice including their “Christmas” with us! It is always a joy to be with my daughter Becky and her husband Tim and their son Aric! Thankfully Austin and Jadan are safely back home in North Carolina.

I also get to spend some time with my son Dan most mornings and on this past Friday – like almost every Friday – my son Tim called me on his way home from work in Wisconsin.

The “down” for the week was driving to Peotone, Illinois to conduct the funeral of my dear friend, fellow airman, and former church member Paul Madoni. He and his late wife Mary’s families have always been – and are – a blessing to me. Paul and Mary loved the LORD and their Pastor.

Paul’s multiple year battle with MS is now over and he is with the LORD he loved and served and the wife he loved more than life!

Sunday was pure joy in our Sunday School class and our Christmas worship service! I dearly appreciate our beloved and faithful members who attend, support, and serve JESUS through our Church!

Someone once told me, “there is no such thing as a bad short sermon” and this was likely the shortest sermon I have preached in a long time! (I will not make this a habit…)

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement in my life!

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Christmas Sunday 2024 “The Best Thing JESUS Ever Did!

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

SERMON: “THE GREATEST THING JESUS EVER DID!”

John 1:1-3; 14

(1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

(14) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

INTRODUCTION:

1. All through the Old Testament, we are promised over and over again that God, HIMSELF, will come to earth and do many wonderful things!

2. In the New Testament Epistles, the Apostles explain to us what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to the world!

3. In the Book of Revelation, we are shown all of the wonderful things that Jesus Christ is going to do in the future!

4. All through the Four Gospels, we are given a description of Jesus Christ and the many wonderful things that HE did:

5. HE saved and discipled hundreds of people!

6. In addition to 20 mass healings recorded in the Four Gospels, Jesus healed 31 specific individuals!

7. The writers of the Four Gospels reveal to us that in addition to the many who were raised from the dead at the time of HIS resurrection, Jesus Christ raised three people from the dead…

*The daughter of the Widow in the Village of Nain! Luke 7:13-15

*The son of Jarius!  Mark 5:42; Luke 8:55

*Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary!  John 11:23-40

8. The writers of the Four Gospels also tell us that Jesus cast demons out of at least 24 different people!

9. Jesus fed 5,000 hungry people on one occasion and 4,000 more a few days later!

10. Jesus Christ allowed HIMSELF to be arrested, beaten, nailed to a Cross, speared through the heart, wrapped in rags, and thrown in a grave in order to pay for our sins!

11. Three days later, Jesus Christ willed HIMSELF back to life and rose from the dead!

12. Forty days later, Jesus ascended to HIS Father in Heaven from the Mt of Olives!

QUESTION: Of all of these wonderful things Jesus Christ did, what is THE BEST THING HE EVER DID?

EXPOSITION:

THE GREATEST THING JESUS CHRIST EVER DID WAS TO COME TO THIS EARTH AS A HUMAN BABY IN ORDER TO DO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HE DID!

Matthew 1:18-25

(18) “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. (19) And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (20) But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21) She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (22) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: (23) “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us).

(24) When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, (25) but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Because HE is God Who came to live and die on earth, Jesus Christ was conceived by a virgin!

(1:18-20) “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

Because HE came to earth to save sinners, HE was named “Jesus” which means, JEHOVAH is Salvation!

(1:21) “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah of Israel!

(1:22-23) “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

The Son of God, the Second Person of the HOLY TRINITY, came to this earth as a human being. HE lived a sinless life, perfectly obeyed the Law of God, died on the cross to pay for our sins, and three days later… HE rose from the dead!

(1:24-25) When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

APPLICATION:

THE GREATEST THING JESUS CHRIST EVER DID WAS COME TO THIS EARTH TO SAVE SINNERS; AND HE IS STILL WILLING TO SAVE ANYONE WHO WILL REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND BELIEVE IN HIM AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD!

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My “Very Unusual” Week in Review!

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

MY “VERY UNUSUAL WEEK” IN REVIEW

DECEMBER 9th to 15th, 2024

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read these updates! I deeply appreciate your friendship, fellowship, and prayers for me and my family and my ministry!

I am thankful that the LORD has blessed me through another week in which I have enjoyed good health and the opportunities to serve HIM and HIS people.

It was a joy – as always – to work through sermon study and Bible lesson preparation for the week and always have opportunities to pray for the LORD’s people I have the privilege of serving.

Off and on bad weather caused me to end up stuck at home or inside helping with cleaning during the renovation of our Church sanctuary during the week. I am thankful that the LORD is providing this work on HIS House!

A great blessing of the week was the safe arrival home of my Grandson Austin and his wife Jadan for an early Christmas celebration. Austin is in the Air Force, and they are living and serving in North Carolina.

Due to cold, damp, and windy weather midweek we canceled our Prayer Meeting and Bible Study.

On Saturday I had another opportunity to work for a few hours cleaning and setting up the sanctuary seating for our Worship Service!

Sunday School and Worship were a blessing on Sunday! We are having issues with using worship music videos but in spite of that our beloved Summiteers continue to love the LORD and one another and attend and support the LORD’s Kingdom work through our Local Church!

If you are interested, you can find the outlines for my Sunday sermons on my Blog at www.lannyfaulkner.com

Thank you again for your interest in and caring for me and my family and my life and ministry!

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Christmas in Chronological Order

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

Eternity Past – The Covenant of Redemption

1st Peter 1:18-21

(18) “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (20) He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you (21) who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

Revelation 13:8 (KJV)

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

6 BC – John the Baptist is Born!

Luke 1:57-66

(57) Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. (58) And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. (59) And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, (60) but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”

(61) And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” (62) And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. (63) And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. (64) And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. (65) And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,

(66) and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.”

5 BC – Jesus the Christ is Born!

Matthew 1:18-25

(18) “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.              (19) Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

(20) But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21) She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

(22) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: (23) “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him “Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”). (24) When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife. (25) But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.”

5 BC – The Visit of the Shepherds!

Luke 2:8-15

(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 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!” (15) When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

5 BC – Jesus is dedicated at the Temple!

Luke 2:21-24

(21) And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (22) And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (23) (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) (24) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

4 BC – Visit of the Magi!

Matthew 2:1-12

(1) “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, (2) asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

(3) When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. (4) And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. (5) “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

(6) ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”

(7) Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared. (8) And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”  (9) After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was. (10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight. (11) On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. (12) And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.”

4 BC – Escape to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-15

(13) “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (14) And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt (15) and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

4 BC – Slaughter of the Innocent Children

Matthew 2:16-18

(16) “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.     (17) Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:    (18) “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

3 BC – Return from Egypt

Matthew 2:19-23

(19) “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, (20) saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” (21) And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

(22) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. (23) And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

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MY “TOO MUCH TO EAT” WEEK IN REVIEW

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

MY WAY TOO MUCH TO EAT WEEK IN REVIEW  – NOVEMBER 26th to December 1st, 2024

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read these updates! I deeply appreciate your friendship, fellowship, and prayers for me and my family and my ministry!

I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving “Week Off” and ended up having three Thanksgiving Meals! I had the joy of taking my son Daniel and his family out for dinner on Monday and I had been meeting with a former member of FBC Atwood and her family, so I was invited to have a meal with them last Tuesday. Then, my Daughter’s in-laws invited me to have Thanksgiving Dinner with them and my Daughter and her family on Thanksgiving Day!

In spite of the off and on bad weather, I was able to get one hike in!

I was also able to get my sermon ready for last Sunday and some additional study time.

Sunday was a blessing as always! Our Sunday School was great and I enjoyed preaching the first of my three part sermon series on the subject “What we DON’T KNOW and what we DO KNOW about Christmas!”

Due to crummy weather I have been stuck inside most of the week and it looks like that may be the case for the next few weeks.

I am thankful for the privilege of serving the LORD at Summit Fellowship and for your friendship and your interest in my life and family and ministry!

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What WE DO and DO NOT KNOW about Christmas!

Posted on December 1, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

“WHAT WE KNOW AND DON’T KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS!”

We Don’t Know WHEN it took place!

Luke 2:1-3 (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.”

Caesar Augustus was born on September 23 BC and became Emperor of Rome in 26 BC and reigned as the Emperor of Rome from to until his death on August 19th, 14 AD.

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius was born in 51 BC and died in 21 AD. He was the Roman appointed Governor of Syria on two occasions including the time of Jesus’ birth.

Therefore, we know that Jesus was born between 23 BC and 14 AD. The most likely date for Jesus’ birth was 5 BC to 1 BC.

We simply do not know the month of day of Jesus’ birth.

Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th because…

  • Roman historian Sextus Julius Africanus had dated the creation of the earth on March 25th, so he believed that Jesus was conceived on that date. Adding nine months, he concluded that Jesus was born on December 25th.
  • Around 300AD, the Roman Empire began to celebrate the Winter Solstice which occurred on December 25th of the year they adopted the Solstice holiday.
  • In 336AD, after Emperor Constantine made Christianity the “official religion” of the Roman Empire in 313 AD, they adopted December 25th as the official date of Jesus’ birth.

We Do Know the “Who” “What” “Where” and “Why” It Took Place!

WHO?

Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Matthew 1:20-23 “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us).”

WHAT?

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

WHERE?

Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Matthew 2:1-6 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'”

WHY?

“In spite of the fact that we have all sinned against HIM, GOD loves us and sent HIS SON JESUS to pay for our sins on the cross. When we turn away from our sins and believe in HIM as our SAVIOR AND LORD, GOD forgives our sins, changes our life, and will take us to Heaven when we die.”

  • We have all sinned against GOD! Romans 3:23
  • In spite of that, HE loves us! John3:16
  • HE sent HIS SON JESUS to pay for our sins on the cross!         John 3:16
  • When we turn away from our sins… Luke 13:3, 5
  • And believe in JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR AND LORD…               Romans 10:9-10
  • GOD forgives our sins! Jeremiah 31:34
  • GOD changes our life! 2nd Corinthians 5:17
  • GOD will take us to Heaven when we die! John 14:1-3
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MY “REMODEL” WEEK IN REVIEW – 11/19 to 11/25 2024

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Lanny Faulkner

MY REMODEL THE CHURCH WEEK IN REVIEW                                  NOVEMBER 18th to 25th, 2024

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read these updates! I deeply appreciate your friendship, fellowship, and prayers for me and my family and my ministry!

This was the week that our remodel team came down from Indiana and many of us at Summit Fellowship have been very, very busy!

I made sure to have my normal “Church work” done to devote my full time to the project. And full-time it was! The ten men arrived on Monday and worked until about 930pm on Thursday evening. Nearly everything was done as planned and we are very grateful to them for all of the labor they invested!

The lighting in the sanctuary was removed and new LED canister lighting was installed. Covers were made and installed for the hot water pipes located in three of our westside classrooms. Two of our restrooms were remodeled to make them handicapped accessible. (Some additional work needs to be done to complete the restrooms but most of the work was completed.)

We have lots more to get done and we hope to have all – or nearly all – of the work done by Easter!

I was able to get one hike in on Saturday at Lake Shelbyville.

The LORD’s Day was a blessing as we completed our Sunday School study of The Book of Acts. The worship service was a joy as I brought a message from Psalm 100 on the subject “The What and Why of Thanksgiving.”

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