The Voice of Truth and Life

Communion

A time we Remember significance of the bread and the wine of the last supper Jesus had with the disciples.

How to Share the Gospel at Church

Provide a clear and compelling gospel presentation at every single one of your church services.

Encourage Everyone to invite friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members every week.

Provide opportunities for unbelievers to respond to Christ during the actual church service.

Invite out to lunch after the service and begin the follow-up process.

A gospel is an announcement of good news. That Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection have brought about salvation for Israel and the world.

We are Lost

But we can come Home

Our Loving Creator is seeking after us as a Good Shepherd

We must repent of our way

Let Him pick us up and carry us. There is only one way.

His Justice is Good, but requires a payment for sin.

A consistently wayward lamb leg was broken and mended so that it would learn to stay near the shepherd.?

Jesus was broken for US.

Jesus paid the price for our cleansing with his Blood.

we proclaim his death and resurrection life till he returns.

Sermon - The voice of Truth and Light

A question on the internet

Incident on the Internet. A site that routinely asks questions. supposedly both from left and right and creates a platform to discuss… and develop middle ground, but it is not working IMHO.

Uncertain Samaritan: Is it correct in preserving society and people's health from harm to warn against gay and promiscuous activity?

What do you think? (why)

I am going to share some of the answers because I think it is helpful to see how much gap there is in perspective. Also I share this so we can have more compassion for those that are lost. Jesus looking our on Jerusalem at the start of the Passion week. There were those that loved him for what he could do for them, and others that wanted to murder him out of envy for being so popular. Jesus had compassion for all of them.

Answers:

homophobe: No. Its homophobia.

Your Stupid: Society needs to be protected from you and your ilk! You are a sick, sick, sick person! And stupid too!

(a non-answers attack on the uncertain Samaritan bringing the question reveling more about the person answering, they lost situation and seething anger that is fermenting in those that have no hope in God.)

Mind your own business: Not everyone agrees that “warning“ about that type of activity would be “protection”. So basically the question is loaded.

Furthermore, there is no clear standard for what frequency or variety of sexuality activity is “promiscuous” but it would be beneficial to educate people including teenagers that may engage in sexual activity about safe sex and reproductive health.

Is it correct in preserving society and people’s health to warn about being exploited by predators who are using religion as a pretext?

(This is primarily an attack on the uncertain Samaritan, clearly reviled in the last sentence. this time using religious language they picked up from being in church at some point. Enough to twist scripture to evil ends. Do all have to agree on a standard before we can warn others of impending danger? No, but He is right there must be a standard. And we know the truth because we know Jesus. We might be tempted to tell them what to do saying the Bible, or God says… it wont reach them. but we might want to have a convincing message that will reach those - quoting scripture will not be effective).

Mind your own business: Warn who exactly? Who determines harm? What harm are you talking about? Your’s perhaps. If you want to preserve society and people’s health (like you care about others health) then warn them about your promiscuous activity. Your immoral leanings . This is the only activity you have access to…your promiscuous activity. You don’t carry the torch of mercy and grace. Your post betrays your utter willful idiocy…clean out your own house…keep your nose out of other people’s house. And gets a job. You’re so into what others do or don’t do…it’s time to occupy your mind with things of value…stop trying to “save” others…save yourself and mind your own business.

(But we do exactly carry the torch of mercy and grace… and God does tell us to mind our own business… if we are being gossips. Thessalonians,

What is Truth? Promiscuity is in the eye of the beholder; is it having 4 wives, dumping an older wife for a sexier one? Is it finding love after a spouse turns cold and disinterested? Is it having 2 sexual relationships before marriage? Or 5? Or 10? Or 20 lovers by the time you are 30? Or sex with 50 different people in a year? (Okay, the last one is definitely promiscuous, but is it bad or impressive?)

Is it dangerous to society? Only if society cares. I fail to see why it is society's business what people do with their own bodies. Morality without logic is religion… and imposing a religion on someone makes a society an abomination.

Is it a danger to health? Only if done irresponsibly.

Is consensual, protected sex a threat to health? There is a risk, but the obese, the people who don't exercise daily, the people who don't get prostate exams or mammograms, etc. are more of a threat to themselves. Speeders, smokers, people who commute in cars rather than public transit, and people who refuse vaccines are more of a threat to others.

People having consensual sex with others involves a risk they choose for themselves and hurts no one else. It really is no one's business but their own because it is no different from failing to jog or eating fried food.

Summary: People that want to remain in darkness are not likely to be nice to those who try to bring a little light.

They will make you doubt that you are telling the truth. they will make you doubt your right to tell the truth. they will tell you to shut up, and demean you. Therefore you must KNOW the TRUTH and it will set you free to speak the truth in courage.

Jesus go this same reaction

He got this reaction from those who heard his words of warning about a similar danger. His hearers did not like the implication His words had for them. This is why we must expect to be hated by the world. This reaction did not stop Jesus from telling the truth.

IN Luke 16:1-13 Jesus tells “the parable of the dishonest manager”. which is about several things. It is about Wasting resources we have been put in charge of, Impending Judgement for that mismanagement, and shrewdness. The final message is about the proper use of worldly wealth and its purpose. IT is a fantastic sermon and a grand way to present it in a story form. perfect in almost every way. How could they be angry with him.?

Luke 16:1–13 (ESV)

1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’

5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

what was the reaction to this awesome parable were god speak through symbolic speech?

Luke 16:14 ESV

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

As we attempt to help others out of sin, we will get attacked. What is our response? Here is what jesus did that time.

Luke 16:14–17 (ESV)

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

This response we provided to Jesus by the Holy spirit and it is truth. It did not cause the Pharisees to love him any more, or mollify there concerns, or bring peace. But is was more Truth.

He goes on to make some additional powerful points to explain why:

It takes force or effort to press into the Kingdom of God. Your not going to get it if you simple espect it to fall on you or snap closed over you like some trap. you must PRESS IN. (worhip, distractios, lies… it is like swiming upstream against the current)

You can disagree with it, but it is not going to change. the earth would sooner be destroyed than truth change for you because you don;t like it.

This is a powerful lesson for us.

We must KNOW Truth, and be certain of it before we speak it.

We must expect for the TRUTH to make enemies.

We must trust that if God asks us to speak it, it will do the work that He has appointed it to do, and not second guess.

Our uncertain samartin was looking for the approval of Man to speak truth.

What we have covered

Last week I explain how God speaks through Media

#14 God Speaks through all forms of Media

We all know Media is lying to us. deceiving us. planting a narrative that they desire us to follow. In such an environment we must tune into the voice of Truth.

God is tearing down and building up just as we have been praying so intently this decade.

It is encouraging to see news and entertainment Gaints that have been a huge part of the Lies of SATANs Narrative for our country and World are being brought down by the small stones of prayer.

It is even more exciting to see what God is building up to replace them with.

We are freer now than we were 8 years ago, because we can see more Truth.

Love Speaks Series

This is apart of a series looking at Gods multi-facited voice and all the ways God speaks to us.

This sermon series is roughly following the amazing Video series, and book by Carl Wesley Anderson, that highlights 21 ways we can recognize God’s multi-faceted voice.

What have we covered so far?

#1 The Established Word of GOD (LOGOS)

#2 The living Word (Rhema)

#3 The Inner Witness of the Holy Spirit (stop/go)

#4 The Still, Small Voice of GOD (more on this)

#5 The Desire of our Hearts (as we align with Gods purpose)

#6 God Speaks through Nature (seeds, crops, light, salt..)

#7 God Speaks through Providence (series of happy coincidences shows us much of God’s plan and purpose)

#8 God Speaks through Preaching (Clearly)

#9 God Speaks through Other Believers (H.S is in them as apposed to the wisdom of the world)

#10 God Speaks through Visions

#11 God Speaks through Dreams

#12 God Speaks through Symbolic speech

#13 God Speaks through Divine appointments

#14 God Speaks through all forms of Media

What We will cover soon

15 God Speaks through Prophesy

16 God Speaks through Words of Wisdom

17 God Speaks through Words of Knowledge

18 God Speaks through Discerning of SPirits

19 God Speaks through Angels

20 God Speaks through Appearing himself

21 God Speaks through audible voice of the Father

Pause in our journey for Practice

Our Church Core Values (review)

Wrapping up “Core Values of Revival”

Core values of a sustaining revival community

Find God (Jesus first in all things)

Depend on Miracles (infinite resources)

Go To the Least (love your neighbor)

Suffer for Him, if necessary ( our testimony on display)

Rejoice in the Lord (our source of strength)

Share Jesus the Messiah

Values that were applied with the missionary Group led by Roland and Heidi Baker. - A tight community of Committed Christians sharing these values.

If the core values are pursued in the ABSTRACT… they are nothing.

Ministry education is about learning to minister practically. People need God, not our expertise. People need love, peace and joy, not our sophisticated abstractions of these emotions.

MOST IMPORTANT: These values are activated in relationship with Jesus the Messiah. These values are Jesus! We must not confine our rules of engagement in ministry to the abstract. This is often an IRONIC and DEPRESSING situation sometimes:

How Horrible it would be for us to ...

teach the knowledge of God, but do not know Him.

set our minds and hearts on concepts, but do not experience them.

teach love, but do not possess it.

teach holiness, but do not know how to attain it.

teach power, but it eludes us.

teach effectiveness, but are not effective.

teach principles, but they have no life.

teach strategies, but they fail.

teach technique, but it is lacking.

succeed, but then are humbled.

are trained and qualified, but are not equal to the task.

are doctors of the Church, but have lost our way.

construct a religious world, but God is absent from it.

We reach the pinnacle of human achievement in ministry, but are left with nothing.

We tell people what to do and how to be, but our instructions frustrate.

We feed on abstractions, but starve.

sign up for training, but are left empty.

e set goals, but find nothing when they are met.

Our values need to become personal and this can only happen when in relationship with Jesus.

Hearing The voice of Truth

What if god is always speaking to us, about everything important. And we were just missing it?

Radio signals are sent, from a tower tall, throughout the area, that can be received by all. If the dial is set, to the right station, then the frequency comes in, to that part of the nation. Power is important, to cover more turf, but I know of a source, that covers the whole earth. His name is Holy Spirit, and signals He sends, to accept Jesus as Lord, and to repent of all sins. He sends to all hearts, and His message is clear, but tuning is required, in order to hear.

Some people could receive, but refuse to listen, determining in their hearts, not to become Christians. On the other hand, others will receive, and listen intently, and choose to believe. The signals go forth, from the same station, available for all, throughout all nations. All have a radio, it’s their spirit. For you see, they were born with it. So on Judgment Day, when many didn’t repent, they won’t be able to say, that the signals weren’t sent.

How can we effectively tune in to God and hear him so that we can get direct persona message From Him to us just like the prophets of the OT and even John in revelation?

lets look at Habbaku.

Habakkuk 2:1–2 ESV

1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. 2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

This hols 4 keys to hearing his voice. we are going to look deeply at this in the next few Sundays so we become more piratical