Welcome - 4

Welcome - 4

Subject – Welcoming Missionaries to Life Church

By Rick Welborne

Romans 10:13-18 (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!"
¹⁶  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
¹⁷  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
¹⁸  But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world." 

--Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to those of you who have caught the vision of missions here at Life Church! Please never forget, it is not a Pastor Rick thing, but a Bible thing.

--I love when parents come up to me, with tears in their eyes, and tell me that their kids feel a call from God to become missionaries. That also is a biblical thing. It should be our prayer.

Luke 10:1-3 (NIV)
¹  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
²  He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
³  Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 

--I do pray and have prayed for years for Jeremy, Joshua, and Stephanie this prayer. Lord, fill them with Holy Spirit and with fire, and I pray to the Lord of the harvest to send them forth into His harvest field.

--Pastor Rick, you know not everyone is called to be fulltime missionaries and to go to some foreign land. I, of course, agree. But all of us are called to be missionaries to our families, friends, co-workers, etc.

--I want all of my kids to understand their responsibility to reach a lost and dying world whatever their career choice is. None of us are off the hook.

--So here we go…why do we here at Life Church welcome missionaries? Why do we have a month of mission’s emphasis every year? Why District mission’s projects? Why support 235 missionaries?

1. We Welcome Missionaries so We Can Send Them.

Romans 10:15 (NKJV)
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!" 

--How shall they preach unless they are sent? They come to us and share their hearts with us so hopefully we will catch the vision, and help send them.

--Yes, they must have our prayers. Yes, they need us to be here to encourage them in their call. God’s callings are irrevocable. They need to know the church is behind what they are doing.

Danny Townsend – When it comes to missionaries, we get the easy part. We give but they are the ones who go and do the hard work. We should be happy and blessed to send them.

--When you are here to listen to their journey of how God called them and you hear about their hearts being touched by those they are reaching; it is so exciting.

--You have an opportunity to get to know them, to adopt them, to pray for them, and to understand the joy of sending someone (usually a family) to a foreign land to reach the unsaved.

--I have said this before; can you imagine the utmost exhilaration in your heart when you get to heaven and someone comes to you and says thanks for giving to missionaries. I got saved! Thank you!

--Yes, I want you to give to the General Missions so we can send more and more missionaries to preach this beautiful gospel to the ends of the earth. It expedites the return of Christ to this earth.

Matthew 24:13-14 (NKJV)
¹³  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
¹⁴  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

--Yes, I want you to be here when we have missionaries so you can connect with them and understand the mission God is sending them on. They shake me out of my complacency. 

--Yes, I want us to experience the blessings of God when we are in one mind and one accord totally agreeing together to make a difference in the world. 

--But there is more. More, Pastor Rick? Yes, there is more. I want you to find the joy and fulfillment you can have in being obedient to Christ and fulfilling His Great Commission.

--I love La Vida Church and Life Church, I love our children’s ministry, youth ministry, and senor’s ministry but we must never lose our focus of why we are here.

--Yes, we are here to make disciples, we are here to worship, we are here to fellowship, we are here to pray for one another, we are here to hear the Word of God, but there is more.

--We must keep our focus that the reason Jesus came was to seek and to save the lost. Our campuses and our ministries should always be thinking, how can we reach someone who is lost.  

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
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." 

--The baptism in Holy Spirit is for everyone which means witnessing is also for everyone. When we turn inward we tend to devour one another but when we look to the fields, wow!

2. We Welcome Missionaries to Come to Remind Us About Sacrifice.

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. 

--We want our churches to be like Super Wal-Marts where we can find everything we want under one roof. You don’t have this or that for us we shop somewhere else. Really?

--Maybe the ministry or topic you are so interested in may just be what God is calling you to do instead of piling more and more on pastors or other servants who are already loaded down. 

Galatians 6:2-5 (NKJV)
²  Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
³  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
⁴  But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
⁵  For each one shall bear his own load.

--Missionaries leave their families, their home country, their comforts, their American dream and go to a country that may be so poor. They learn a new language, a new culture, a deeper life of sacrifice.

--While they are doing all that many in the states are getting offended because they hear too much about missions. Please do not talk to me about sacrifice when I want more and more comfort.

Hebrews 12:25-29 (NLT2)
²⁵  Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
²⁶  When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”
²⁷  This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
²⁸  Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
²⁹  For our God is a devouring fire. 

--I hope and pray God will send us missionaries who will shake us and wake us up from our sleep and slumber so that we can make a difference in these last days.

--When we welcome a missionary to Life Church try to think about all the things they are willing to sacrifice to be obedient to God. Let that motivate you to be more sacrificial in your giving and witnessing. 

3. We Welcome Missionaries Because It Pleases Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

--Notice the God-head represented here in these verses talking about the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT2)
¹⁸  Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
¹⁹  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
²⁰  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Luke 24:46-49 (NLT2)
⁴⁶  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.
⁴⁷  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’
⁴⁸  You are witnesses of all these things.
⁴⁹  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 

--We welcome missionaries because God welcomes us to be obedient to His Word and His Great Commission! Love them, pray for them, bless them, and be here to support them.

Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 1

Spiritual Warfare – The Full Armor of God - 1

Subject: Introduction

By Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV) ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

--Tonight, we will start a new series on Spiritual Warfare and the Full Armor of God…obviously, we will look at what the Bible has to say about the subject and how that applies to us as believers.

--We will look at many aspects of spiritual warfare and how many of the modern day conceptions are based on people’s experiences not on the Word of God.

--Also, we will lead into putting on the full armor of God. Since 2011 I have included in my daily prayer putting on the full armor of God and I will encourage you to do the same. 

1. Spiritual Warfare Re-cycles through the Church.

--There are times that certain things come and go in the Body of Christ and spiritual warfare is definitely one of them. Many jump in wholehearted for a season until something new comes along.

--Some act as though it is some new revelation but the message has been around a very long time.

--The emphasis on spiritual warfare is good in the sense that it causes us to become familiar that we do have an adversary, the devil and how he operates.

--Once we understand better how he operates we can have better success in defeating him…we have said over and over his intentions.

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.

--This is why Paul told the Corinthians what he did while dealing with church discipline.

 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV) ¹¹…for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

--When we overemphasize spiritual warfare it can have a bad effect on the church. If it is not taught biblically it has a unique way of captivating people’s attention…it is all they think about.

--What can happen is that believers begin to attribute to the devil more power than he has and to a greater degree than he deserves. The devil loves this because it is an open door for him.

Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) ²⁷  and do not give the devil a foothold.

--What happens to so many is that they get imbalanced in thinking that the enemy is behind everything that occurs and, therefore, they get paralyzed thinking there is a demon behind every bush.

--I heard one of the proponents of spiritual warfare to a destructive degree say…There is not a demon behind every bush, there are at least seven. It can get kooky! Deliverance seminar – Cocoa Puffs.

--When we go to an extreme (all extremes are dysfunctional) with spiritual warfare and step out into the non-

Biblical areas, the enemy has neutralized you for God’s Kingdom. Masterpiece.

--Do not misunderstand me…I am not saying spiritual warfare is not real and I am definitely not against us preparing ourselves for the battle…the scriptures give us certain instructions:

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) 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."

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
⁴  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
⁶  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

--We have had to deal with those who have been bound by evil spirits here at Life Church (girl in youth) and I have seen times where the spiritual oppression was so thick.

2. Many Are Being Held Hostage.

--People have been held captive especially in their minds to the enemy. In this point I want us to establish that Jesus came to deal with the devil’s influence.

1 John 3:8 (NIV) ⁸ He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 

--The word “destroy” is taken from the Greek word luo, and it refers to the act of untying or unloosing something. It is the same word we would choose in someone untying their shoes. 

--We can conclude that Jesus came into the world to untie or unloose Satan’s binding power over us. 

Acts 10:38 (NIV) ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 

--Since Jesus made it a big part of His ministry to set people free from the powers of darkness, we should be willing to do the same. 

Rick Renner: In order to free people from demonic oppression, we must learn how to recognize the work of the enemy and how to overcome his attacks against the mind, for the mind is the primary area he seeks to attack. Satan’s goal is to plant a stronghold of deception in some area of an individual’s mind. If he is successful, he can then begin to control and manipulate the person from that lofty position.

-As we seek to engage in spiritual warfare, we must be very careful to walk in balance. The truth is the devil’s attacks against our lives would not work if our flesh and mind did not cooperate.

Colossians 3:5-6 (NCV) ⁵ So put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and greed. This is really serving a false god.
⁶  These things make God angry.

--Dead men are incapable of responding to anything…this is how we walk out the crucified life. Living the crucified life is a critical part of spiritual warfare. I am crucified with Christ.

--You can scream at, command, demand, cast out, tell the devil to come out or to stop his activity but if you have not submitted your life fully to the Lord it will be of none avail.

--If you are going to engage in spiritual warfare it is imperative that you make sure you are filled with Holy Spirit power and living a life that shows you have died to yourself.

--If you go into spiritual warfare only thinking of taking authority over the enemy and you do not even have the spirit of self-control…you could potentially be opening yourself up to danger.

3. The Real Battle Was Won at the Cross and at the Resurrection of Christ.

--This same victorious power dwells inside of us and this is why the Apostle John tells that greater is He that dwells in us than he who dwells in the world.

Romans 8:10-13 (NKJV)
¹⁰  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
¹¹  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
¹²  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
¹³  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

--Our view of spiritual warfare must begin with a basic understanding of what Jesus has already accomplished over Satan. If we start with any other premise we will end with messed up conclusions.

--Since the victory has already been won; there is nothing we can add to the destructive work Jesus did to Satan’s domain when He was raised from the dead. The victory has been won!

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

--Another translation of this verse: He completely stripped principalities and powers and left them utterly naked, with nothing left at their disposal to retaliate.

--Though the battle is real, we must be careful to rely totally on the Word of God for our weaponry and Holy Spirit for our power in this fight.                                 

Eph. 6:12 (NKJV) ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

--I encourage you from the very beginning of this teaching to go to Eph. 6 and read it and re-read it until you get it in your spirit…declare God’s weaponry (His armor) over you.

--We will get there and will go thru each of the parts of armor together learning how to do spiritual warfare:

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
¹⁵  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
¹⁶  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
¹⁷  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
¹⁸  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- ¹⁹  and for me…

Welcome - 3

 Welcome - 3

Subject – Welcoming Holy Spirit

By Rick Welborne

John 16:7-14 (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:
⁹  of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
¹⁰  of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
¹¹  of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
¹²  I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
¹³  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
¹⁴  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

--So far we have discussed welcoming Jesus, welcoming La Vida Church, welcoming the Father, and today we will be looking at welcoming Holy Spirit.

--Along with talking about Missions, I hope in some way I have inspired you to hunger and thirst for Holy Spirit in a greater way.

--Though it seems that churches and entire denominations have chosen to ignore Holy Spirit, I believe He is an obvious must in our lives. Francis Chan calls Him the “Forgotten God.” I agree.

--Yes, I do believe a person can go to heaven without being baptized in Holy Spirit but I do not believe you can live a fulfilling Christian life without His constant presence.

--I have found that when I share Christ with others (I hope we all do) that my witnessing is dry when He is not welcomed but when He is present, it is much more effective. He convicts of sin.

--You cannot read through the New Testament without Holy Spirit being mentioned over and over. The disciples witnessed their lives being totally transformed when they received Him.

--Unfortunately, there have been many Pentecostals who have made the experience with Holy Spirit into something strange and something totally out of control. What a shame.

--Today we will look at just a few reasons why we should welcome Holy Spirit into our churches and into our lives. Please don’t be angry if I use lots of Scriptures.

1. Jesus said it is An Advantage for Us When We Welcome 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. 

--Jesus knew He was limited when it came to being in more than one place at a time but Holy Spirit could be everywhere and be with everyone who wanted Him.

--Of course, in this series I have indicated to you how intricately intertwined the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are. Jesus is both the sender and baptizer in Holy Spirit. John 16:7 I will send Him to you.

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV) ¹¹  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

--Another reason it is to our advantage to welcome Him is because we are living in troubling times. The disciples were under duress so they decided to have a prayer meeting. What happened?

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. 

--I personally believe there is coming a day here in the United States when things are going to get tough for Christians. We are all going to need supernatural power to stand for Christ. 

--It will definitely be to our advantage to pray until our lives and this place is shaken by the presence of God and for us to be filled with Holy Spirit power. We will be bold for God.

--Another advantage for all of us is that we all need to know what the truth is in these last days. All of us have heard the expression “Fake News”. There is plenty of fake news in and out of the church.

--I am not saying Covid was fake because I know many who passed away because of it and many who were deathly sick. The “Fake News” is what it has done to our churches.

--How many of you believe God’s Word and Holy Spirit can lead us into a greater truth about Covid than any news organizations whether liberal or conservative. 

John 16:13 (NKJV)
¹³  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

--If we get our news from any other source than God’s Word or His Holy Spirit, we will definitely be miss-led. Truth comes from Jesus…I am the way, the truth, and the life.

--I cannot ever imagine that Holy Spirit would ever instruct us away from God’s House and God’s people. I believe God allowed Satan to pull back the covers and show people’s hearts.

--And yes, before you think I am just mean and have a lack of compassion, I know some people are vulnerable to sickness but please know another advantage of welcoming Holy Spirit. He comes with His gifts. 

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJV)
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.
¹¹  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

--When Holy Spirit shows up with His gifts and with His power, it is definitely to our advantage. Healings. 

2. Jesus Says We Will Receive Power When Holy Spirit Comes on Us.

Acts 1:8-9 (NKJV) 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."
⁹  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 

--Think about this; according to Acts the very last words that came out of Jesus’ mouth before He ascended to Heaven were about Holy Spirit and about Missions.

--Pastor Rick, we believe you see Holy Spirit and Missions in your cereal when you eat it. True, especially if I am eating Alphabet Cereal. 

--Last words are important words and Jesus’ last words were telling the disciples you are going to receive power when Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My missionaries.

--I believe one of the reasons we are not very courageous in leading people to Christ or inviting them to church is because we are not filled with Holy Spirit. We don’t welcome Him.

--We invite Christians to a program for Easter but we are not comfortable inviting sinners. Why? We have not received Holy Spirit power to be witnesses. We need supernatural power to be effective.

--I was at the hospital in Covington, La. because a teenage girl tried to take her life with her mom’s prescription drugs. Three days she battled for her life. Thank God, she lived and got right.

--I was with the family at 2:00am talking with them and praying for a miracle. We invited Holy Spirit to come. A male nurse kept walking in and out of the room. Became awkward. Holy Spirit was there.

--After his fourth or fifth time of walking in and out he finally came over and fell to his knees crying out, “I am not right with God, please pray for me!” He received Jesus because Holy Spirit was there.

John 16:8 (NKJV)
⁸  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

3. Why I Call Him Holy Spirit Instead of the Holy Spirit.

 --I have been asked many times why I say Holy Spirit instead of the Holy Spirit and have even had meetings with people over this. It is definitely biblical and okay to say the Holy Spirit. For me it is personal.

--I grew up extremely insecure, never felt wanted and never felt loved. In some ways I think that has been one of my greatest weaknesses (my thorn in the flesh) but also one of my greatest blessings.

--Though I hurt a lot because of my insecurities, I have found a friend Who was sent to me by Jesus to be with me in those tough times and pain. He is my personal God. Holy Spirit. My friend.

--The day I wrote this sermon my heart was heavy. My insecurities were overwhelming me but my Friend was close. What a blessing. Holy Spirit was there.

John 14:15-18 (NKJV)
¹⁵  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
¹⁶  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, Comforter, that He may abide with you forever--
¹⁷  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
¹⁸  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

--I will not leave you as an orphan, Rick, I will come to you. He did that day and He does every day!