Christmas Eve Service – 2020

Subject – God Sent, Jesus Came, We Receive and Rejoice

By Rick Welborne

--Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for coming out for this Christmas Eve service to celebrate all it means and to have communion together as a church family. 

--So what is the message of Christmas? Glad you asked.

1. God sent.

John 3:16-17 (NLT2)
¹⁶  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
¹⁷  God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

--Maybe 2020 has been a tough year for you. It has definitely been a tough year for many. The chaos of Covid, the loss of a loved one, health issues, family problems, financial problems, and whatever else.

--No matter what we have been through we still have much to celebrate! God sent His One and only Son to save us from our sins and ourselves.

Matthew 1:21-23 (NKJV)
²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
²²  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
²³  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

--It is so difficult for us to comprehend the kind of love God had for us that He would send His Son as a little baby in a manger with the idea or plan of making sure all of us made it to heaven.

--Another mind blowing truth is that God has had this plan of sending Jesus to save us even before the world was formed. Say what?

--This shows the Omniscience of God…how He is all knowing and how He is Jehovah- Jireh…the God Who provides what we need when we need it.

1 Peter 1:18-22 (NLT2)
¹⁸  For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
¹⁹  It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
²⁰  God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.
²¹  Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
²²  You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. 

--Yes, we are here today to celebrate God Who sent His Son to save us! Wow! Merry Christmas!

2. Jesus came.

--I feel so much like the Apostle Paul. God may have gotten a prize when He got you but not me. I was a mess!

1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NLT2)
¹²  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,
¹³  even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.
¹⁴  Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.
¹⁵  This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
¹⁶  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
¹⁷  All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. 

--If Jesus’ coming is not enough for you to celebrate Christmas, I don’t know what is. Jesus came into the world to save sinners and we were all sinners when He found us. Now we have been washed and saved! PTL!

--Jesus came from heaven…Jesus came in a manger…Jesus came to a wedding…Jesus came preaching…Jesus came healing…Jesus came to a funeral…Jesus came to a garden…Jesus came before Pilate. 

--I typed in my search engine the two words “Jesus came” and many things came up but nothing struck me more than this verse.

John 19:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.
²  And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
³  Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
⁴  Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
⁵  Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
⁶  Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." 

--Yes, Jesus came as a baby but He came to die for you and He came to die for me. How can we not celebrate this Christmas Eve the Savior of the world Jesus Christ?

3. We receive and celebrate.

John 1:9-14 (NIV)
⁹  The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
¹⁰  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
¹¹  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
¹²  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-¹³  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
¹⁴  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

--God sent, Jesus came, and we receive and celebrate! Will you receive Him today? Merry Christmas!

Christmas – 2020

 Christmas – 2020

Subject – Glory, Peace, and Goodwill

By Rick Welborne

Luke 2:8‑14 (NKJV) 

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

–The message to the shepherds--"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

–Whatever you are facing - do not be afraid - the message was to all people...you and me. We all face adversity and many of us are facing it right now...different areas but all of us are facing problems and challenges.

–Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holidays have a way of bringing out a pain, our family dysfunction, or wounds that have been there for years.

–Verse 14 gives us a goal, a vision, and even a plan for our lives all because Jesus has come...Because He is Immanuel - God with us. 

–The point of this message is to hopefully show us that when Jesus comes...He makes a difference in our vertical relationship and our horizontal relationships. 

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

–Today let’s look at this verse and see what God is saying to us:

1. Goodwill toward men.

–In other words we should be desiring good toward those we are around the most. Our family...our friends...our church.

–It is easy for us as ministers (all of us) to want goodwill for those in the universal church, the community, and even in the world but it can become difficult for us to want good for those closest to us. Jesus said we are to go! 

Mark 16:15-16 (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.

--Go to the world. Across the street, in our city, county, state, country, and around the world. Missions!

--Yes, we are to go but how we go and the attitude we go in is so important. We must show Jesus to the world but it also matters how we relate to each other. Goodwill toward men and women.

--Jesus said we are to love one another! That would be goodwill.

John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
³⁴  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
³⁵  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

--Just going is not enough to convince a lost world that they need Jesus, we must show them that we truly love each other. All believers. 

--Do you just suppose the lost will never be convinced we care about them, if we don’t care about each other. By this all will know…love each other. Jesus said, He actually prayed, we would be in perfect unity.

--Notice how many times it says “that the world may know.” Unity is so important!

John 17:21-23 (NLT2)
²¹  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²²  “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.
²³  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 

--Going is important, sending over 200 missionaries is important, giving to send missionaries is important but showing them (modeling for them) what it means to love each other and to be in perfect unity (best).

--My point – It matters how we treat each other and how we care for each other. Souls are in the balances2. Peace on earth.

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

–Our goal should be peace for Israel and the middle east but also for our own families and our church.

Philippians 4:4‑7 (NIV) 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

–Let your gentleness be evident to all...the Lord is near...He is watching. The fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22‑23 (NIV) 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23 gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law. 

–Look how all this fruit could help our marriages and families and our church. Don’t say you are Spirit filled and you do not exemplify this fruit of the Spirit.

–Jesus...Immanuel...came to bring peace on earth but also peace to our families, friends, and churches. 

Philippians 4:7 (NIV) 

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

–Verse 8 gives us the “how to” in our families...we think about these things and we say this:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) 

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable‑‑if anything is excellent or praiseworthy‑‑think about such things. 

–Jesus came to bring goodwill toward men and women but He also came to bring peace on earth. There is nothing more powerful on earth than a church that is led by Jesus. Our world needs peace!

--Also, powerful whose families are committed to Him and to one another...what goodwill and peace we can offer to a lost world...We can help put the Merry back in Christmas!

3. Glory to God!

1 Corinthians 10:31‑33 (NLT) 

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 

33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. 

–Do everything for the glory of God...how you love your spouse, your families, your church, the world!

Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles...be gentle with your families. Don’t live in an offensive manner.

–Some of us need to stop being ourselves and start living as though Christ is in us...the hope of...listen to it...the hope of glory! Do it so others “may be saved.”

–What an event for these shepherds...the appearance of the angels and the announcement of Christ...wow! How awesome it would have been to be there...

Luke 2:8‑9 (NKJV) 

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 

–These shepherds were able to see and experience the awesome glory of God and they could not wait to go and share what they had experienced.

Luke 2:15‑18 (NIV) 

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 

18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

–They spread the word about the glory of God (Jesus Christ). Shouldn’t we do the same.

Pray and Never Give Up – 7

Pray and Never Give Up – 7

Subject – Pray Hard

By Rick Welborne

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)
¹  One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
²  “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.
³  A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
⁴  The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
⁵  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
⁶  Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
⁷  Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
⁸  I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” 

--As we continue to look at the walls around us that need to fall and as we continue to pray for those seemingly impossible situations…God is getting ready to give us great testimonies.

--Last time we looked at this: --Here is the question God asks: Is the LORD’s power limited? The obvious answer is ‘no’! God is omnipotent which by definition means there is nothing God cannot do.

--If you are lost, if you are bound, if you are struggling with addiction, if your marriage is falling apart…allow the resurrection power of Jesus give life and freedom to your situation.

--Today we are going to look at something we know as Christians but have chosen for whatever reason not to do and that is that we must “Pray Hard!” Let’s look at the persistent widow.

Mark Batterson: It shows us what praying hard looks like: knocking until your knuckles are raw, crying out until your voice is lost, pleading until your tears run dry. Praying hard is praying through. And if you pray through, God will come through. But it will be God’s will, God’s way.

--The phrase that is used by the judge “she is wearing me out” is boxing terminology. It is going twelve rounds with God…it is a wrestling with the Angel of the Lord until He blesses you!

--Boxing or wrestling with God can sound really foolish and can be very tiring to the human body but it is exactly how we can win our biggest battles…how we see the in-penetrable walls come crashing down.

--Praying hard is more than just words…it is blood, sweat, and tears. Praying hard is two dimensional: praying like it depends on God, and working like it depends on you. It is praying until God answers.

--Crucial question: How important is it that the walls come down that you are praying for…is it a soul? Is it a lost son or daughter? Is it a bad report from a doctor? Is it life or death?

--Desperate times call for desperate measures and there is nothing more desperate than praying hard. Lord, I am not going to let you go until You bless me! I must have an answer to my prayer!

--There comes a moment when you have to throw caution to the wind and you just go for it…you pray for the impossible and you hang on like you have a tiger by the tail. Pray for the impossible!

--Sometimes we have to stir up every measure of faith that God has given us and step out there and call rain down from heaven even when it hasn’t rained for over 3 ½ years! For this persistent widow…this was it!

1. The persistent widow was not going to take no for an answer.

--We do not know what injustice took place but it was something that she was so passionate about that she was not going to just let it go. 

--Maybe her son was falsely imprisoned or the person who had done her family wrong was still on the streets but she was not going to take no for an answer. She would circle the judge’s house until she died.

--One of our problems as followers of Christ is that we allow the enemy to accuse us night and day and make us feel that we are not worthy to come to God and expect anything. We know this verse:

Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
¹  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 

--How many of you know that if we would have to wait until we were perfect before we asked God for anything, we could never ask. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.

--As we look at Jacob in the Old Testament, we see that he was anything but perfect. Jacob meant sup planter, deceiver. He and his mom conspired to steal Esau’s birthright as the firstborn son.

Easton’s Dictionary - The birthright secured to him who possessed it (1) superior rank in his family (2) a double portion of the paternal inheritance; (3) the priestly office in the family; and (4) the promise of the Seed in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed.

--After Jacob deceived his father Isaac and stole his brother’s birthright he soon became aware of his guilt for what he had done and also feared what his brother Esau would do to him…what’s your point, Pastor?

--Jacob was a jerk but he was a jerk who was trying to make things right…he goes to Esau with his herds and family to acquire forgiveness and to repent of his wrong…God saw his heart.

--Just maybe you have been a jerk but you are a jerk who is trying to get things right with God and with people. Don’t forfeit what God is wanting to do in you because of your fear or pride. Jacob wrestling with the angel.

Genesis 32:26-28 (NKJV)
²⁶  And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"
²⁷  So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."
²⁸  And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."

--Jacob wrestled with a Man (Pre-incarnate Christ). Sounds like the widow and the judge. In both of the stories who had the power and authority? The judge and Christ!

--Why did Jacob win and why did the widow win…was it because they had more power? Of course not! It was because they were not going to take no for an answer. It was because Christ wanted them to win!

--I will not let you go until you bless me…get ready…get ready…maybe your name is about to change…go from being Jacob to being Israel the Apple of God’s Eye. From widow to being named Justice!

--Verse 30 I believe holds such a strong key for us. "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

Maybe it is time for you to have a face to face with God and get your blessing.

2. The widow was desperate.

--How desperate are you for your miracle? Desperate enough to pray all night? How many times are you willing to pray for the promise or your dream? Will you do it until the day you die?

--How long and how hard will you knock on the door of opportunity? Will you keep knocking until you knock the door down? If you are not desperate you will not pray desperate prayers.

Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV)
⁷  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
⁸  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
⁹  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
¹⁰  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
¹¹  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

--You have to pray with such passion and desperation that it is obvious that the miracle depends on what God does. You have to pray hard like the persistent widow…like Jacob. 

--When you pray with such extreme intensity God will honor your bold prayers because your bold prayers honor God. Our boldness does not offend God but our lack of passion does. Pray hard!

--People who pray circles around their dreams can be a little unorthodox…the widow could have waited for a court date…Jacob didn’t have to grab the Man and wrestle with Him.

--The widow almost sounded like she needed a restraining order put on her because she was going to the personal residence of the judge…sometimes we need to storm heaven. Jesus cares less about protocol.

--If Jesus wanted to work the system, He would have chosen Pharisees instead of fisherman, He would not have a prostitute interrupt a party to pour perfume on Him, He wouldn’t have a tax collector climb a tree. 

--Jesus honored the four friends who cut a hole in the roof to let down their friend in the presence of Jesus…He honored all these people because they were desperate to get into His presence. He honors the widow!

--The common denominator in each of these stories is holy desperation. People took desperate measures to get to Jesus. Nothing has changed! God still honors those who will storm God’s throne room. 

3. Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit are surrounding you with prayer.

Psalm 32:7 (NKJV)
⁷  You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 

Romans 8:34 (NIV)
³⁴ …Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Romans 8:26 (NCV)
²⁶  Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.

--Way before you got up this morning and long after you go to sleep tonight God will be circling you with songs of deliverance. He has been cycling you since you were born and will do so until you die.

--Think about this…God is praying hard for you to complete the work He started in you! Phil. 1:6

Immanuel – God with Us

 Immanuel – God with Us

Subject – 2020 Christmas Musical

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 1:18-24 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
¹⁹  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
²⁰  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
²²  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
²³  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
²⁴  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife…

--Immanuel, God with us. Think about the miracle of that. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

--Because of our American culture when we hear “God with us” that is exactly what we think, God with us and more specifically, we think God with me. We can be quite selfish. Let’s take a step back in this story.

--At the time of Jesus birth the environment was much like today…political chaos, corrupt leaders (Herod), religious hypocrisy for self-gain. They needed a Savior and we need a Savior. Look at this story.

1. God with us, of course, but God with Joseph.

--I can’t imagine being engaged to someone and being so excited to get married. To be able to take this beautiful young lady as my wife. What joy!

--Imagine your fiancé sitting you down. Hey Babe, I have something to tell you. Of course, Sweetheart, you can tell me anything, I love you! Well, I am going to have a baby! Say what?

--Not only am I going to have a baby but this child is from God. Holy Spirit came upon me and now we are going to have a baby. Nope, not going to happen. Poor God gets blamed for so much.

--How many of you are glad God was with Joseph? "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

--God with Joseph but here is the key…He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife…He obeyed, he trusted, and he submitted to God’s will.

2. God with us, of course, but God with Mary.

--I am sure Mary had dreamed most of her life about the day she would find her prince charming, have a wedding fit for a princess, and become one with her husband. Then, an angel shows up. Say what?

--She was not only going to find her prince charming but she was going to find the Prince of Peace!

Luke 1:35 (NKJV)
³⁵  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

--Most of us during Covid have found ourselves filled with confusion and even fear at times about what is going on. Imagine how this teenage girl must have felt. Her head was spinning and her heart racing. 

--Let me throw in here, virgins do not get pregnant unless a man gets involved. This was so hard for me to believe as a sinner, that a virgin got pregnant and blamed God for it. 

--God came to be with us but God with Mary made all the difference and how she responded to Him…

Luke 1:38 (NKJV)
³⁸  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." 

3. God with us.

--Of course, the day came when I understood the whole concept of God with us. Well actually, I finally understood what it meant…God with Rick…God with me.

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.

--There it is…Christ lives in me…Christ in me. Immanuel, God with us wanted to be God in Rick. Today He wants to be God in you. 

--What was the key to God in Rick, I had to surrender my life to Him and make Him Lord and Savior. My response had to be like Mary’s… Behold the servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.

--What was His Word? Christ in me. God in me. God in us! Today is your day. 

 

Pray and Never Give Up – 6

 Pray and Never Give Up – 6

Subject: Is the Lord’s Power Limited

By Rick Welborne

Numbers 11:21-23 (NASB)
²¹  But Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.'
²²  "Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?"
²³  The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."

Numbers 11:31-32 (NLT)
³¹  Now the LORD sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground.
³²  So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. 

--Again today I want us to pick up where we left off with Moses when he saw God send more quail than you can shake a stick at. 

--Before the quail blew in from the sea by a supernatural wind (I believe by Holy Spirit) God asks Moses a question, but more than a question…it is really the question for all of us here today.

--Your answer to this question…the question…will determine the size of your prayer. Is the LORD’s power limited? The answer is ‘no’! God is omnipotent which by definition means there is nothing He cannot do.

--Many of us act like and pray like our problems are bigger than God. Please let me remind you of this absolute truth that will add substance to your faith.

--God is infinitely bigger than your biggest problem or biggest dream. By the way, just in case you have forgotten or maybe didn’t know, He is infinitely bigger than your biggest sin. 

Psalm 103:10-13 (NIV)
¹⁰  He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;
¹²  as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³  As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; 

1. A low view of God or a high view of God.

A.W. Tozer – A low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils, but a high view of God is the solution to ten thousand temporal problems.

--As I hear a quote like this I always wonder is there a place in the Word that makes such an outstanding statement about  the big difference in serving God compared to this world. This came to me:

Exodus 20:5-6 (NLT)
⁵  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
⁶  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

--If what Tozer said is true and I believe it is, your impending divorce, your failing business, or the doctor’s diagnosis is not your biggest problem. Are your problems bigger than God, or is God bigger than…problems? 

--The truth is; our biggest problem is our small view of God. That is the cause (according to Tozer) of all lesser evils. It is a high view of God that is the solution to all other problems.

--Is the LORD’s power limited? There are only two options: yes, or no. Until you come to the conviction that God’s grace and power know no limits, you will pray small prayers.

--Once you embrace the omnipotent God, you’ll pray larger God-given, God sized dreams. Before you criticize someone’s dreams you may want to see how big their God is.

--How big is your God? Is He big enough to heal your marriage or heal your sick child? Is He bigger than the latest MRI that had bad news or the negative prognosis? Is He bigger than your secret sin or your secret dream?

2. The size of your prayers will be proportional to the size of your God.

--Moses was perplexed by the promise that God had given him. How could God possibly provide meat for a month for 21/2 million people? It didn’t add up!

--This is that moment for Moses and for us, when a decision has to be made whether or not we will believe the promises of God…God poses the question:

Numbers 11:23 (NASB)
²³  The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."

--The size of your prayer depends on the size of your God. And if God has no limits because of His omnipotence then neither should our prayers. He is not bound by the laws of man or nature.

--If He can bring water out of a rock, if He can make a sea and a river part and dry up, if He can make an axe head float, if He can heal leprosy…He can take care of you by His power!

--Is the Lord’s power limited? Let’s look at this just for a moment in the story of an axe head floating. How many of you know axe heads do not float?

2 Kings 6:4-7 (NLT)
⁴  So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees.
⁵  But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. “Oh, sir!” he cried. “It was a borrowed ax!” 

⁶  “Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. 

⁷  “Grab it,” Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it. 

--God is wanting us to know that He has the power of divine reversal, annulment, cancellation, negation, revocation, undoing when it is needed in our lives. He can change the natural order of things.

–Everyone knows that steel does not float...unless God reverses the law of gravity. Everyone knows that hungry lions would devour whoever is thrown into their den...Unless God reverses their natural instincts. 

–Everyone knows that anyone thrown into a fiery furnace which has been heated 7 times hotter would die instantly...like the men of valor unless God was with them in the fire and cancels the power of the flame.

–Everyone knows that a dead boy does not come back to life unless God wills it so. He Cancels (reverses) Death!  Everyone knows that flour and oil do not multiply itself unless God does something supernatural.

–Everyone knows that someone born blind (John 9) will never see unless God. He can reverse any damage in the eyes and make them perfect.

–Everyone knows a crippled man who has never walked cannot walk unless God reverses the condition of his legs. He restores whatever was missing.

–Everyone knows that after being dead for 4 days...no way to live...He revokes the power of death.  Takes away the stink of life! Ask Lazarus.

--Is the LORD’s power limited?

3. There is no degree of difficulty with God.

--This is so difficult for us to comprehend but with God there is no big or small, easy or difficult, possible or impossible. It is hard for our earthly minds to understand this.

--We are all subject to the natural laws God has instituted but He is not limited to anything or by anything. He is the beginning and the end.

--To the infinite (God) all finites are equal. Even our hardest prayers are easy for the Omnipotent One to answer because there is no degree of difficulty for Him.

--It is humorous for us humans when we receive prayer request that we deem to be the most urgent or on the edge of impossible…we totally change our voice…the volume and intensity.

--We use big words and quote certain verses hoping that because of our loudness and being demonstrative, God will hear us. Does God perform because of our loud words?

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)
¹³  The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

--No matter how long you pray or how loud you pray…it all comes down to the question: Is the LORD’s power limited? The obvious and only answer is “no”.

--With God, it is never an issue of whether He can…we all know or should know that this great omnipotent God can do anything He chooses to do. Because we know that He can we can pray with a holy boldness:

Hebrews 10:19-23 (NLT)
¹⁹  And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
²⁰  By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
²¹  And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,
²²  let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
²³  Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

Revival Praying – 7

Revival Praying – 7

Subject – Our Gift to Jesus – The Heart of a Servant

By Rick Welborne

Psalm 27:1-14 (NKJV)
¹  The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
²  When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
³  Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident.
⁴  One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.
⁵  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
⁶  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
⁷  Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
⁸  When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
⁹  Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
¹⁰  When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.
¹¹  Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
¹²  Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
¹³  I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
¹⁴  Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! 

--So many of us think about and ponder what we might get for Christmas. Some are just hoping to have enough for Christmas. We are trying to help. Think about this…what gift could we give Jesus to honor Him.

--I personally believe the greatest gift we could give Jesus is the heart of a servant. Let’s look at these verses.

1.  A true servant gives Jesus their complete trust.

--A true servant of God will give Jesus his complete trust because he knows Jesus is the One Who shows him the way. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

--A true servant of God gives Jesus his trust because he knows Jesus is his salvation. Not a political party or earthly personality. We do not have to be afraid because we serve an Omnipotent God! All powerful!

--Those of you who trust in man. Let me give you a little history lesson. We all have heard of Herod in the NT and he is mentioned over 50 times. It is not always the same Herod. 

--Herod the Great – killed all the babies when he was tricked by the Magi. Herod Archelaus – caused the fear that made Joseph and Mary to flee to Egypt. Herod Antipas – Had John the Baptist’s head removed.

--Herod Agrippa I – Had James killed and Peter arrested. Herod Agrippa II – He is last of the Herods and is the one Paul almost convinced to believe.  

--My point is this…If you are hoping to get rid of a leader you think is corrupt or obnoxious, there is always others waiting in the wings probably more corrupt than the last. Your trust has to be in King Jesus.  

--A true servant of God gives Jesus their complete trust because even when they are weak, He is there.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
⁹  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
¹⁰  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--We quote it so much but it is time that we start living it. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. In Psalm 27 David is saying…The Lord is my Light, my Salvation, and my Strength. True servants trust completely.

Psalm 27:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
²  When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
³  Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident. 

2. A true servant is not independent but dependent on Holy Spirit. 

--Something that has always been burned in my heart for years, probably because of my love of Holy Spirit, has been in the prayer of repentance David did after his adultery and murder, what was his concern?

Psalm 51:10-12 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹  Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 

--Please pay attention to your pastor, your sin may not have your name erased from the Book of Life (though that is a possibility – Rev.3:5 – Not blot out your name) but you can lose fellowship with Holy Spirit.

--Hear David’s cry as he confesses his sin, do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore my joy, Lord, and hold me up with your Holy Spirit.

--As a servant of the Lord, there is no worse feeling than realizing that you have grieved Holy Spirit and now He is no longer close to you. Who moved? You! Oh God, do not take your Holy Spirit from me!

--If your attitude is such that you say, as long as I make it into heaven I am good, then, you are not a true servant of God. No greater gift can you give Jesus than to walk in the Spirit.

--Without Holy Spirit, how will you know it is God’s time to pray for a lost or hurting person. How will you know God wants you to pray for healing for a brother or sister? God’s gives gifts of the Spirit as He wills.

--Even if you are sick and in the hospital how will you know that doctor or nurse is going through the toughest time of their lives and needs a Spirit-filled believer to reach out to them. 

--Though David failed God terribly, he knew the secret. Your face, Lord, I will seek. Biking at Santos, I had finished riding my 31 miles, ready to go home. I had prayed in the Spirit most of my ride.

--As I am loading my bike and putting things in my truck, I lock my keys inside. Frustrated and tired until I realized I had been set up to share Christ. While I waited on Tricia, shared Christ with several people.

--My mind gets totally blown when I hear of churches who want nothing to do with Holy Spirit. Even more, my heart is broken here when we preach, teach, and flow in the Spirit, and people still ignore Him.

--A true servant of God realizes his total dependence on Holy Spirit guiding him and flowing through him. If Jesus acknowledged Holy Spirit, how much more should we acknowledge Him?

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV)
¹⁸  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 

--When we turn to marketing strategies, technology, promotion, or any other human resource without the power of God, we are headed for death instead of life. 

Ravenhill – The Church has lost the note of authority, the secret of wisdom, and the gift of power, through persistent and willful neglect of the Holy Spirit of God. Confusion and impotence are inevitable when the wisdom and resources of the world are substituted for the presence and power of the Spirit of God.  

--Seek God’s face, seek Holy Spirit power, and pray in the Holy Spirit as much as you can every day. A servant of God will be strong because of his dependence on the Spirit.

Jude 1:20-21 (NKJV)
²⁰  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
²¹  keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

3. A servant of the Lord is highly flammable. 

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.

--Are we available fuel to be set ablaze for God? Missionary Amy Carmichael prayed, “Make me Your fuel, Flame of God!”

Jim Elliot, martyred by the Auca Indians – God makes His ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitable? God, deliver me from the dread asbestos of “other things.” Saturate me with the oil of Your Spirit that I may be a flame. Make me Your fuel, Flame of God!

--If you want to give Jesus the best gift ever this Christmas, let Him baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire! Be combustible for Him!