Our Mission – 6 – Tenets of Faith

Our Mission – 6 – Tenets of Faith

Subject – Statement of Fundamental Truths of the A/G

by Rick Welborne

1. Our First Distinctive: We should be passionate about the lost.

2. Our Second Distinctive: Home and world missions.

3. Our Third Distinctive: Being filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Fourth Distinctive - Generous giving.

5. Fifth Distinctive: Worship.

--Our Sixteen Fundamental Truths or the Tenets of Faith…we looked at the first seven.

1. The Scriptures Inspired

2. The One True God

3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

4. The Fall of Man

5. The Salvation of Man

6. The Ordinances of the Church 

A. Baptism in Water 

B. Holy Communion 

7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

--Tonight we will continual looking at the 16 Fundamental Truths:

8. The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

--The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical evidence (so important) of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance.

--As you read through the book of Acts you will see that the initial or the first sign that someone was filled with Holy Spirit power was they spoke in tongues. 

--If this bothers you because of your theology, or because the denomination you were raised in disagrees or preaches against this, I have a challenge for you.

--My challenge for you is that, as much as you can, lay aside your bias against what we are teaching and read the Book of Acts as if you are a brand new believer reading it for the first time. 

--In 1901, in the city of Topeka, Kansas in a Bible school conducted by Charles Fox Parham, a teacher and former Methodist pastor asked the students at the Bible school to study the Bible about Holy Spirit.

--He asked them to find out the scriptural evidence for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As they studied Acts, they concluded that speaking in tongues was the initial confirmation of receiving Holy Spirit.

--Not only did they discover this answer but they sought for the experience of being baptized in the Spirit and after seeking for a few weeks, they were filled with Holy Spirit power and spoke in tongues.

Acts 2:4 (NKJV)
⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

--The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues but different in purpose and use. Many misunderstand the initial baptism of Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues. 

1 Corinthians 12:4-10, 28 (NKJV)
⁴  There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
⁵  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
⁶  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
⁷  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
⁸  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
⁹  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
¹⁰  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
²⁸  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

--The same in essence simply means Holy Spirit is the source of praying in tongues at your initial in-filling and the gift of tongues. One is for personal edification and the other is for corporate edification. 

1 Corinthians 14:2-4 (NKJV)
²  For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
³  But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
⁴  He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

9. Sanctification 

--Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication to God. Being set apart to God.

Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
²  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

1 Thessalonians 5:15-23 (NKJV)
¹⁵  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
¹⁶  Rejoice always,
¹⁷  pray without ceasing,
¹⁸  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
¹⁹  Do not quench the Spirit.
²⁰  Do not despise prophecies.
²¹  Test all things; hold fast what is good.
²²  Abstain from every form of evil.
²³  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

--There is a Pentecostal church which also came out of the outpouring at the turn of the 19^th century…the Church of God. A wonderful organization.

--The two main differences with our churches are our government and in the belief about sanctification. Neither are worth us not fellowshipping together.

--They believe sanctification is a totally separate work of grace and it happens all at one time. The A/G believe sanctification happens at salvation but that it is an ongoing process.

--At the new birth we are new creatures, the old has passed away. We start growing day by day and that growth is a process of sanctification…being set apart. We strive to get closer to God every day. Look at Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

--The scriptures teach us a life of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12:14 NKJV. By the power of Holy Spirit, we are able to obey the command, “Be holy for I am holy.”

--Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. By faith that relationship is identified by our offering ourselves to Him daily. 

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
²⁰  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV)
¹²  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
¹³  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

10. The Church

--The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through Holy Spirit, having divine appointments for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. 

--Each believer, who has been born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the universal church (every believer), and the church of the First-born, which are written in Heaven. 

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NKJV)
²²  And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
²³  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

--I love that everything is under Jesus feet. We are part of His body so if we are a big toe…it is under us. 

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NKJV)
¹⁹  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
²⁰  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
²¹  in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
²²  in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

11. The Ministry

--This is a divinely called and Scripturally ordained ministry that has been provided by our Lord for a two-fold purpose.

A. The evangelization of the world.

Mark 16:15-20 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
¹⁷  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 

¹⁸  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
¹⁹  So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
²⁰  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. 

B. The edifying of the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV)
¹¹  And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
¹²  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
¹³  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
¹⁴  that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
¹⁵  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
¹⁶  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The Fear of the Lord - 1

The Fear of the Lord - 1

Subject – Understanding the Fear of the Lord

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 33:5-6 (NIV)
⁵  The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
⁶  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. 

--As we look all around us here in the United States, I think we can agree that we see very little of what we would call the Fear of the Lord. 

--But let me be honest. When we look through the church, it is difficult to see those who truly have a genuine fear of the Lord. I guess we need to start with us (the church) if we will deal with this situation.

1 Peter 4:16-19 (NKJV)
¹⁶  Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
¹⁷  For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
¹⁸  Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
¹⁹  Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

--In verse 18 a statement is made that appears to be passed over at least in my mind by most of us and it does strike the fear of the Lord in me…If the righteous one is scarcely saved. Work out your salvation with fear…

--Let’s face it, not too many of us suffer for being Christians. I heard this for the first time in a long time the other day. If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

--What Isaiah is saying in our text is that holy fear is the key to God’s sure foundation in our lives. In that godly fear we find the treasures of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Sounds very important.

--The fear of the Lord along with the love of God sets us up to have a sure foundation to live in a depraved world. 

--Hopefully we will learn in this series we cannot truly love God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him.

--I love asking people what their definition of the fear of the Lord is. Most of the time their answers reflect their relationship with the Lord or maybe their lack of it.

--The other night I asked the Board of Deacons what it meant to fear the Lord. To fear Him is to love Him, to revere Him, to respect Him, to obey Him, to honor Him, to obey His Word, and one of them said ditto. 

--I presented to same question to our pastors. Reverence. It is honor and respect that brings obedience. It is the beginning or a launching place for our relationship with God. It is fear and trembling before God.

--They continued…it is a multifaceted response to His holiness. It is being excited and terrified at the same time. It is death to self. It is awareness of His presence. Being broken. 

--What would your answer be? How do you see God? Is your fear of Him and your love for Him your sure foundation? Does your fear of the Lord assure you of salvation and provide wisdom and knowledge?

--Asking people their definition of the fear of the Lord is definitely a way to get people thinking. The fear of the Lord is so important and it is something we need to get right. 

Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 

--I keep looking back up in my sermon to the statement… we cannot truly love God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him. Using what the deacons said.

We cannot truly love God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him.

We cannot truly revere God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we revere Him.

We cannot truly respect God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we respect Him.

We cannot truly obey God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we obey Him.

We cannot truly honor God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we honor Him.

--Our attitude when we approach God has to be right…when we come to church…when we worship…when we pray…when we want Him near in our everyday lives…our hearts have to be filled with reverence.

Leviticus 10:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.
²  So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
³  And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace. 

--Nadab and Abihu saw what Moses had experienced God’s glory and presence and they wanted to get in on having that kind of power with God. They did not fear the Lord. God killed them with fire.

--Pastor Rick, I am so glad that we are under grace now and we are New Testament Christians and we do not have to worry about that. Really? Anyone remember Ananias and Sapphira.

--They sold a possession and held back a portion of the money for themselves. No problem so far but they gave the appearance of giving it all so Peter said you have lied to Holy Spirit. He died! She died!

Acts 5:5-11 (NKJV)
⁵  Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
⁶  And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
⁷  Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
⁸  And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."
⁹  Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
¹⁰  Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
¹¹  So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

--Great fear came upon all the church and all who heard these things. What do you think the answer would have been if you would have asked anyone in that church…What is your definition of the fear of the Lord?

--So what are you saying, Pastor Rick? I am saying that we may need to take a step back and re-evaluate what we really feel or believe about the fear of the Lord. Take a serious and sober look.

--Of course I believe to fear Him is to love Him, to revere Him, to honor Him, to obey Him, to respect Him. Make no mistake though, we must understand that He is holy and He has to be approached properly.

The fear of the Lord - can be defined as a continual awareness that you are in the presence of a holy, just, and almighty God, and that every motive, thought, word, and action is open before Him and will be judged by Him.

--Earlier I alluded to this verse but I believe we need to see it and truly think about what it says.

Philippians 2:9-13 (NIV)
⁹  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.                                           ¹²  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
¹³  for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 

1. It is important how we see God the Son…Jesus Christ.

Psalm 89:6-10 (NKJV)
⁶  For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
⁷  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
⁸  O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
⁹  You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
¹⁰  You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. 

--Before we continue discussing the fear of the Lord, we must capture a glimpse of the greatness and the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Whom we serve.

--Notice how the psalmist first declares the awesome wonders of God and then, he gives the exhortation to fear Him and to reverence Him. In other words, who in the universe can compare to Jesus?

--He is saying how can we really respect and honor the Lord if we are not aware of His greatness, or why He deserves our fear of Him and reverence for Him.

--Sadly, in our world we know the greatest athletes, the greatest singing groups, who is the top ten in America’s Got Talent, and our favorite politicians. Do we truly know Jesus intimately?

--No matter what your political views are, President Trump is considered the most powerful person on the face of the planet. Why? Because he is the leader of the most prosperous and powerful nation on earth.

--He is not just well known here. Recently he went to India and had the reception of a rock star and was able to speak to over 120,000 people at one time. He was honored and revered there. 

--Now contrast that with the Creator of the universe Jesus Christ and Him becoming Immanuel which means God with us. His welcome was not that great.

John 1:10-11 (NKJV)
¹⁰  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
¹¹  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

--What was even more sad was that He came to His own, to the ones who were watching for the Messiah to come, and His own did not receive Him. Matter of fact, they rejected Him. They nailed Him to a cross.               

--Before we get to critical of them, maybe, just maybe we should look at how important it is for us to fear or reverence the One Who paid it all for us. He is coming back and will we be ready for His return?

Isaiah 29:13-15 (NKJV)
¹³  Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
¹⁴  Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
¹⁵  Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?" 

--There is so much I could say with these verses but look at v.14. For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden…remember our text.

Isaiah 33:6 (NIV)
⁶  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. 

--Those who honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from God He will take away their wisdom and knowledge. But to those who fear the Lord they will have a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.

--But there is definitely more in these verses… And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men. He is saying that the people had reduced the glory of the Lord to that of corruptible man. 

2. We have made God in our own image.

--Moses climbs Mt. Sinai to receive the Word of God. Because Moses was there too long the people got together in their own wisdom. In their impatience they create God the way they were comfortable. 

--Even though they had seen God manifest His glory and miracles they form a calf out of gold. For four hundred years they had seen images in Egypt. This was what they were used to seeing. They were content.

Exodus 32:4 (NKJV)
⁴  And he (Aaron) received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

--They told them that tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord…They used the name of the only true God. Jehovah or Yahweh. They point at the golden calf and proclaim this is your One True God Who delivered you. Sick. 

--They reduced the greatness of the Lord to common terms and images they were familiar with. They still said it was Jehovah but they had no fear of Who God really was. 10 Commandments – No carved images.

--Before we get to critical, remember the coming out of Egypt is a type of coming out of the world and being saved in the New Testament. Jesus did not go on the mountain but He ascended to heaven.

--I am afraid that in the church we are serving a Jesus Who is not depicted in scriptures. We have made Him into the image of God that we want Him to be. We have no fear or reverence for Him.

Romans 1:22-23 (NKJV) ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man…

--Is the Jesus you serve the Jesus of the Bible or is He the Jesus you have created Who winks at your sin and lets you live anyway you want with no consequences? To be continued next week.

Our Mission – 5 – Tenets of Faith

Our Mission – 5 – Tenets of Faith

Subject – Statement of Fundamental Truths of the A/G

by Rick Welborne

--Two weeks ago we shared with you our Distinctive as a church…

1. Our First Distinctive: We should be passionate about the lost.

2. Our Second Distinctive: Home and world missions.

3. Our Third Distinctive: Being filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Fourth Distinctive - Generous giving.

5. Fifth Distinctive: Worship.

--Last week we started looking at our Sixteen Fundamental Truths or the Tenets of Faith…we looked at the first four.

1. The Scriptures Inspired

2. The One True God

3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

A. He was born of a virgin.

B. He lived a sinless life.

C. He worked miracles.

D. His substitutionary work on the cross.

E. His bodily resurrection from the dead. 

F. His exaltation to the right hand of God.

4. The Fall of Man

--Today we will continue these Tenets of Faith.

5. The Salvation of Man

--I think we all know this but let’s establish this from the beginning: Our only hope is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)
⁴⁶  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
⁴⁷  and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

A. The Conditions of Salvation – Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:3 (NKJV)
³  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Romans 10:13-15 (NKJV)
¹³  For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
¹⁴  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
¹⁵  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" 

--By the washing of regeneration (being born again) and renewing of Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
⁸  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
⁹  not of works, lest anyone should boast.

--Some of you think…if I do something bad that now I have to do two or three good things to tip the scales the other way. It is miserable living your Christian life on a merit system. It is by grace you are saved.

Titus 2:11-15 (NLT2)
¹¹  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
¹²  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
¹³  while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
¹⁴  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
¹⁵  You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say. 

B. The Evidence of Salvation – The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

--The outward evidence of salvation to all men is a life if righteousness and true holiness. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
²²  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
²³  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
²⁴  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
¹¹  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
¹²  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

6. The Ordinances of the Church 

A. Baptism in Water – The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. 

Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
¹⁹  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mark 16:16 (NIV)
¹⁶  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

--Because of this we declare to the world we have died with Christ and we have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Under the water – death. Coming out of the water – a new life.

Romans 6:4 (NKJV)
⁴  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

B. Holy Communion – This is what we call the Lord’s Supper, consisting of the bread and the juice. These are the symbols expressing our sharing of the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT2)
³  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
⁴  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 

--Holy Communion is also to be a memorial of His suffering and death and a prophecy of His second coming.

1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT2)
²⁶  For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 

7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

--Every believer is entitled to and should earnestly seek the Promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Luke 24:49 (NKJV)
⁴⁹  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." 

--Catch this, this was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With this power comes enduing of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their work of the ministry. 1 Cor. 12:1-31

Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
⁴  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
⁵  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
⁶  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
⁷  And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--This is so important…This experience is distinct from and following the experience of the new birth. 

Acts 19:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
²  he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
³  And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
⁴  Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
⁵  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
⁶  And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 

--Along with the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit. 

Acts 4:8 (NKJV)
⁸  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

--Holy Spirit also gives us a deepened reverence for God, an intensified consecration to Him, and dedication to His work. 

Hebrews 12:28-29 (NKJV)
²⁸  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
²⁹  For our God is a consuming fire.

Acts 2:42-43 (NKJV)
⁴²  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Mark 16:20 (NKJV)
²⁰  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen

Why We Should Welcome Holy Spirit

Why We Should Welcome Holy Spirit

Subject – Biblical Proof of Why Holy Spirit Should Be Invited

by Rick Welborne

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
²  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
³  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
⁴  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

--Just in the last few weeks I have been challenged both personally and theologically by a few people about why we welcome Holy Spirit into every service and, actually, in every event we have here at Life Church.

--I guess I have been slightly naïve about this because I have always thought every born again believer would want Holy Spirit to come into everything we do.

--I want all of us to always be biblical in our theology, in our preaching, and obviously, in our practice. In other words, we need to back up what we do with God’s Word.

--That being said, I want to caution all of us when we read books other than the Bible. I love to read good Christian books but those books have to be tested by the Word of God. 

--When I read books that do not line up completely with my theology or the theology of the Assemblies of God I have learned to eat the meat and spit out the fat. That takes discipline.

--Some people, either reading books or listening to certain speakers, are not mature enough or do not know the Word well enough to make this distinction. 

--My purpose today is to share with you biblically why we welcome Holy Spirit into our services here at Life Church and why I welcome Him every day into my life.

1. The Day of Pentecost.

--On the Day of Pentecost the 120 were waiting on the Promise of the Father. These were believers in Christ waiting on the outpouring of the Spirit. They were in unity as they waited and as they welcomed Him to come.

--They also had received Holy Spirit at their conversion but not the fullness of His Spirit. Remember His promise to them:

John 14:16-17 (NIV)
¹⁶  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--
¹⁷  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.

--Please do not miss this…He is emphatically talking to believers (Christians). How I know that is that He tells them “the world” cannot accept Holy Spirit (Counselor) and He goes on and says, “But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

--Let me show you again where Jesus’ disciples receive Holy Spirit at salvation but this too is not the same experience as the outpouring on the Day of Pentecost.

John 20:22 (NKJV)
²²  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”

--This is salvation and this is before Jesus had ascended to heaven. Nothing is said about being filled with the Spirit. No speaking in tongues. He is in them. He promises these believers He will send Holy Spirit.

John 16:7 (NKJV)
⁷  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 

--Why would Jesus have to send Holy Spirit to them if all they needed was inside of them? Jesus said it was to their advantage for Him to go away so He could send Holy Spirit. Again, these were believers.

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
²  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
³  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
⁴  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

--This is being filled with Holy Spirit coming upon them!

--Suddenly there came a sound (from where?) from heaven. The Holy Spirit came as they waited and He filled the whole house. The tongues as of fire sat on (not in) each of them.

--Once that happened they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…He came upon them and He filled them.

--The reason I am making a distinction from being in them and coming upon them is because of a teaching that says He is already on the inside of you so He doesn’t have to be welcomed or He doesn’t have to come.

--We want friends and family to be welcomed in our houses and we want Holy Spirit welcomed in Jesus’ house! This makes sense because Jesus said He would send Him to us.

2. The Apostles were under duress. 

--These are believers (disciples) who were under persecution from the Pharisees and religious leaders so their response was to get together and pray. This too was after Jesus ascended. 

Acts 4:31-33 (NKJV)
³¹  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
³²  Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
³³  And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 

--Here are people who were already filled with Holy Spirit (Acts 2) but He came again and re-filled them. They received extra-ordinary power to speak with boldness. 

--I am sure, because of their experience on the Day of Pentecost and because of the persecution they were under, that they were begging Holy Spirit to come again. They knew He would come with power.

Acts 1:8 (NIV) ⁸  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 

--So what happened to them… they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (again), and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Holy Spirit came because they prayed and invited Him or welcomed Him.

--Watch this…And great grace was upon them. They were just filled with Holy Spirit so I guess you could say the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of grace was upon them.

Hebrews 10:29 (NKJV)
²⁹  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

3. Simon the sorcerer. 

--Simon the sorcerer believed in their message and wanted the power Philip, Peter, and John had.

Acts 8:13-19 (NKJV)
¹³  Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. 

¹⁴  Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
¹⁵  who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
¹⁶  For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
¹⁷  Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
¹⁸  And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
¹⁹  saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 

--These were recent converts who had been baptized (water) in the Name of the Lord Jesus but not yet received Holy Spirit. Question; why would they have baptized them in Jesus Name if they were not already Christians?

--Peter and John came from Jerusalem and when they arrived what did they do? They prayed for these new believers to receive Holy Spirit for as yet He had fallen upon none of them.

--Why would the Word of God say He had fallen upon (up on) none of them? If the theology is true about Him only being on the inside of us wouldn’t the Word have said, He rose up inside of them instead of upon them?

4. Holy Spirit at Cornelius House. 

--Just maybe it is possible that Holy Spirit should be welcomed so He could fall on new folks (unbelievers) who are seeking after God like what happened at Cornelius’ House.

Acts 10:44-47 (NKJV)
⁴⁴  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 

⁴⁵  And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
⁴⁶  For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
⁴⁷  "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

A beautiful thing happens here. People who were hungry for God and who were seeking for truth so much that they sent for Peter to come preach for them. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. They believe!

--Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the word. Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too. They received the Holy Spirit just as the 120 had received. Holy Spirit comes upon unbelievers for a specific reason.

John 16:7-8 (NKJV)
⁷  Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
⁸  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

--We welcome Holy Spirit to give the lost the greatest opportunity to get saved. We can’t convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: but Holy Spirit can. Welcome Him to save the lost.

5. Believers at Ephesus. 

--Paul comes to Ephesus and finds some disciples (believers).

Acts 19:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
²  he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
³  And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
⁴  Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
⁵  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
⁶  And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
⁷  Now the men were about twelve in all. 

--Paul said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" What a great question. 

--Again Holy Spirit came upon them (upon believers). Believers who had been baptized in water and who had believed on Christ Jesus. They were saved.

--Yes, He is in us at salvation but when God wants to baptize us with Holy Spirit power, He comes upon us. 

Summary: We welcome Holy Spirit so:

A. He will convict sinners (the world) of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. 

B. We welcome Holy Spirit so He will come and baptize believers. Jesus said… It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 

C. We welcome Holy Spirit so we can speak the Word of God with boldness. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses. 

--Of a truth, once we are baptized with Holy Spirit power, we can do what Paul told Timothy to do…Stir up the gift that is within you but we should never stop inviting Him or welcoming Him to come upon us!

2020 Annual Business Meeting

Subject – Dead Men Wanted

by Rick Welborne

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
²⁰  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

--Crucifixion was the equivalent of being sentenced to the gallows (hanging), guillotine, electric chair, or the firing squad. Only difference it was more painful and longer lasting. The result was the same – death.

--The cross brought about a finality to every area of a man’s life. He was dead to the world, dead to his friends and family, dead to his pride and ambitions, dead to self-interests, dead to future plans.

--In our text Paul said I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and then, he went on to say;

Galatians 6:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴  But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

--It is no wonder that preaching of the cross has lessened today even though Jesus challenged every one of His followers to take up their cross and follow Him. The biblical meaning of the cross has almost been eliminated.

--This is not surprising when the title of one of the most popular Christian books on the market today is “Your Best Life Now”. Go to Christian bookstores and see all the self-help books…dieting and dressing for success.

--Let’s face it, self hates to die and lose its preeminence. We do everything to look good, smell good, and feel good. We want to be pampered, coddled, fussed over, and have people help us. 

--We flock to people who tell us how we can become more self-centered and more selfish than we already are. Paul perfectly described the attitude of the day when he warned Timothy;

2 Timothy 3:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
²  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
³  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
⁴  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
⁵  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
⁶  For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
⁷  always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

--Self is the root here. Money provides the means to pursue pleasure to indulge one’s self. Yes, it is all about me and mine. I don’t think we know this or maybe we do, social media gives us the avenue to display the self-life.

--Not too hard to trace this desire for self-promotion to its origin. You arrive at Lucifer’s plan to usurp God. 

Isaiah 14:12-14 (NKJV)
¹²  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 

¹³  For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
¹⁴  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' 

--Every fallen son of Adam has the same overwhelming urge to “do it My way”. It is only when self is dethroned that Jesus can take His rightful place as Lord and Master of our personal lives. 

--Hear your pastor…self is so powerful that the only way to successfully deal with it is through the cross. 

David Ravenhill – Make no mistake about it: Those who preach a man-centered message are enemies of the cross and God’s Kingdom. The whole new emphasis on “seeker sensitive” places the focus on man and his importance, rather than on the King and His Kingdom. I suspect those preaching this “gospel” are doing more to further the kingdom of Satan than even some of his most powerful demons. 

--What the Church needs, what Life Church needs in this hour are not those glorifying the selfish self-life but those who are willing to die to themselves and are living for Christ. 

--We don’t need more leaders who have a vibrant, thriving self-life but we need those who have learned the way of the cross…dying to themselves. We need people who are dead to themselves and alive to Christ. How, Paul?

1 Corinthians 15:31 (NIV)
³¹  I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Missions – Unity, Faithfulness, and Generosity

Missions – Unity, Faithfulness, and Generosity

Subject – The Circle of Being Blessed in Missions

by Rick Welborne

Psalm 133:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
²  It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
³  It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore. 

Matthew 25:21 (NLT2)
²¹  “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 

Isaiah 32:8 (NLT2)
⁸  But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. 

--Psalm 133, these verses refer to the time that Aaron was anointed high priest. It also speaks of the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

--Someone has said that in this verse you have the fragrance of a lovely rose. This precious ointment was put on the priest to indicate that he was a priest unto God. This was also a prophecy of future events.

--Ezekiel speaks of a future day, and like that ointment that ran down on Aaron, so will God pour out His Spirit. 

--This is the meaning, of Joel's prophecy of the outpouring of Holy Spirit upon Israel which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. 

Acts 2:16-18 (NKJV)
¹⁶  But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
¹⁷  'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸  And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 

1. Unity

--I see something here that is definitely relevant to Life Church, to our vision, our passion, and our mission. All of you hear me speak of Holy Spirit and missions all the time. Unity is magnifies this.

Acts 2:1 (NKJV)
¹  When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 

--The 120 were with one accord (in unity) in one place (the upper room or church) waiting and worshiping for the Promise of the Father. They were not exactly sure what they were waiting on. Stay with me.

They were in unity in their obedience to God. Jesus had told them to go to Jerusalem and to wait there until they were endued with power from on high. 

They were in unity with their gathering together where Jesus told them to go and wait. None of the 120 said we can pray just as well at home. Most people lose their focus at home…the Lord is not on their minds.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT2)
²⁴  Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
²⁵  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

--They were in unity in their obedience, in their gathering where Jesus told them (church), and               They were also in unity in what they were doing when they arrived at the upper room. Worship.

Luke 24:52-53 (NKJV)
⁵²  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
⁵³  and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

The 120 were in such beautiful unity with their expectation of what God was about to do that they were filled with joy as they worshiped and they were continually praising and blessing God at the temple (church).

Psalm 133:1 (NKJV)
¹  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 

--The 120 were in such unity in the upper room being obedient, being where Jesus told them to be, and in their worship…the psalmist said what they were doing was good and pleasant. They were unified!

--So what was the result of this good and pleasant unity…the oil was poured out on the priest…not just a little. It was so much it was running down Aaron’s beard and onto his clothes. But he was the priest. Yes!

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 (NKJV)
⁴  Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
⁵  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
⁹  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
¹⁰  who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 

Key - Because you are dwelling together in good and pleasant unity and because you are a royal priesthood, a special people, you become a candidate for the oil to be poured out upon you!

--On the Day of Pentecost we see the fulfillment of Psalms 133 and that of Joel 2 and it was all set up by the Word of the Lord and by the unity of the people. 

Joel 2:15-16, 28-32 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
¹⁶  Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
²⁸  "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
²⁹  And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
³⁰  "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
³¹  The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
³²  And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls. 

--So what are you saying, Pastor Rick? So glad you asked. I am saying that good and pleasant unity among the believers leads to the outpouring of Holy Spirit!

--Not only that, it leads to revival! And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance. 

--We must contend for unity! We must seek after the outpouring of Holy Spirit because it leads to people being empowered and people calling on the Name of the Lord! But there is more in Psalms 133.

Psalm 133:3 (NKJV)
³  It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore. 

--I hope you see it before I say it…where there is good and pleasant unity God pours out His Spirit in abundance. But there is more! Everyone say more! There the Lord commands blessings!

--How many of you want God to pour out His Spirit on you, on your sons and daughters, on your employees, and how many of you want Him to command blessings over you. Life evermore!

John 10:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--About two months ago I told our pastoral staff to pray with me because I knew there was sin in the camp. A sin of disunity is what God began to reveal.

--Unity is so important to God that one person’s attitude or spirit of disunity can make it hard on everyone in the camp. Pastor, one person’s sin couldn’t or wouldn’t affect the whole church…would it? Remember Achan!

--Reader’s Digest version…Israel was to attack Jericho and they were given specific instructions not to take any of the spoil or they would be doomed to destruction. Achan took silver, a robe, and gold…buried it in his tent.

--When they were to go against Ai they were defeated and over 30 men died. The people were overwhelmed with fear because they had not been defeated before. God revealed it was one man’s sin…think about that.

--Achan lost his life and also his family’s lives. So sad that thirty families were in mourning, his own family suffered, and the whole camp was hurting. The same is true for us when there is disunity. One person did this!

--God has helped us and I believe we are in one accord and in one spirit (Holy Spirit), He is pouring out Holy Spirit, and He is getting ready to command His blessings on us…life evermore! On our missions and tithes!

--That being said…let 2020 be your year that you are in unity with Life Church by being faithful in your attendance, your tithing, and by doing a Faith Promise. I am still praying for 100% participation. Unity!

--What miracles could God do if we were all in one accord? Let’s find out! Let your 2020 vision be such that you trust God that He will do what He says. Get ready for Him to command blessings on you and your family!

2. Faithfulness

Faithfulness - the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It can also mean keeping one's promises no matter the prevailing circumstances, such as God's covenant to love his people. Literally, it is the state of being full of faith in the sense of steady devotion to a person, thing, or concept.

--To be faithful is to be reliable, steadfast and unwavering. Loyal consistent practice no matter what is going on in our lives. Easy to be faithful when everything is going well. Do it when times are tough.

--Just a warning from a pastor who loves you very much. If you give in to the temptation backing away with attendance, giving, or loyalty is a slippery slope leading always to the bottom…the pit.

Matthew 25:21 (NLT2)
²¹  “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 

--Listen to what Jesus says in this verse. We see celebration! How awesome it is when we are such good stewards of what God has blessed us with, the Master celebrates with us! What a blessing!

--We see commitment! Well done, my good and faithful servant! Faithfulness leads to praise from Jesus!

--Faithfulness leads to commendation by Jesus. Again, when we are faithful with our obedience, calling, tithe, and with our missions (FP) God is very pleased! Jesus says, I will give you many more responsibilities.

--The number one thing I believe God requires of His servants is faithfulness…well done, my good and faithful servant. Faithfulness is what gives us access to Him and His joy.

Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)
²¹  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

--Your pastor is not so interested how talented you are or even all the experience you have in church life. If you cannot be faithful to God, to the church, to the pastor, you are disqualified.

--I can’t tell you how many times in the last 29 years as pastor that I have been asked to give someone a good recommendation for a church position somewhere else…if they were not faithful…nope!

--About faithfulness let me conclude with this…it is not just showing up, it is not just giving, it is much about loving people and treating them the way you want to be treated.

--Jesus talks in Mat. 24 about a wise and faithful servant taking care of those who worked for him. The servant says the Lord is delaying His coming and beats his servants…That person will be cut in two. 

3. Generosity 

--I had a pastor ask me…why do I believe Life Church is so blessed and so generous. Lots of wealthy people? Nope, just generous people. I asked him when was the last time his church had received a thank you card?

--What he said broke my heart. I can’t remember the last time. He asked what that had to do with anything? I said we receive thank you cards almost daily because we are always blessing missionaries or the poor.

--Number 4 in our Distinctives as a church is creating an atmosphere of generous giving. Why? We have learned God will bless us individually and corporately when we are generous. Here’s the best reason:

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶  But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
⁷  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Isaiah 32:8 (NLT2)
⁸  But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity. 

--So what are you saying, Pastor Rick? As we are a church in good and pleasant unity, as we are a church filled with faithful loving people, and we are generous…God will command His blessings over us! It works!