Why We Pray for and Support Israel – 3

Why We Pray for and Support Israel – 3

Subject – Israel: The Apple of God’s Eye

By Rick Welborne

Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.
²  I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
³  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 

--Today, again we are praying for Israel and the Jewish people. We bless them with our prayers, our words, and our support. God says to bless them so we do.

--We continue to pray for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for protection, wisdom, and success in this war defending their country and their people. 

--Hamas is refusing to let civilians in Gaza leave and are even killing some who try because they need human shields to protect them from Israel. It was a Hamas rocket that hit the hospital.

--I hope and pray daily that Holy Spirit will come upon you with a call to intercession. Souls of men, women, children, babies, the elderly are slipping into eternity. Many without God.

--And, no, there will not be 70 virgins waiting for those who are killed or martyred for Allah in paradise.

Hebrews 10:27 (NLT2)
²⁷  There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.

--Please do not forget that God will take care of Israel and though things look bleak for that tiny nation, God will keep His Word and they will survive.

Zechariah 12:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: “This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit.
²  I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah.
³  On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves. 

--God keeps His Word and today I want to show you that what God promised Abram about the Jewish nation has, in fact, come to pass. 

1. All the Families on Earth Will Be blessed

Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.
²  I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
³  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 

--As you study history, you learn that the indestructible Jew has left his indelible mark upon history. The Jewish people are not great in number. 

--Of the world’s population, they are only 0.2%. That’s not two percent. That’s less than one-fourth of one percent. 

--Yet did you know that 22% of Nobel Prize winners have been Jews? In 2013, six of the 12 laureates were Jewish. Think of that. God said He would make them famous.

--Abraham’s descendants consistently win high percentages not just of Nobel Prizes but other awards in medicine, health, music, and public life. What a mark they've made upon our world.

--Did you know it was a Jew who financed Christopher Columbus when he set sail for the west? Of his crew members, the first to set foot on American soil was a Jew. 

--Did you know that a Jew, Haym Salomon, financed General George Washington in our Revolutionary War?

--Have you ever taken an aspirin? Friedrich Bayer, whose company developed aspirin, was a Jew. 

--Were you vaccinated for polio as a child? The injectable and oral polio vaccines of Salk and Sabin were so effective; the disease has been all but eradicated.

--Has the dentist ever deadened your tooth before he started to drill? Alfred Einhorn, who developed Novocain, was a Jew. 

--If you're an anti-Semite, the next time you go to the dentist, why don't you say, “Just drill away, don't deaden my pain.” Have you ever had local anesthesia? Its inventor, Carl Koller, was a Jew.

--When you developed an infection, the doctor prescribed streptomycin, developed by Waksman, a Jew. 

--Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was a Jew. Are you a student of philosophy? Spinoza was a Jew. Do you appreciate the Salvation Army? Its founder, William Booth, had a Jewish mother.

--It's amazing to study the mark God's chosen people have made on the world. God said I will make you a blessing to others and that all the families of the earth will be blessed through them.

--Jews can be thanked for the discovery of electromagnetic waves, the transistor, the first laser, oral contraceptives, antihistamines, anti-leukemia drugs, the electron microscope.

--They can be thanked for vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague, the camera phone, nuclear fission reactor, sound-on-film technology.

--Also we can thank them for the discovery of neurotransmitters, the process by which we do MRIs, the Hepatitis-B vaccine, the first exact map of the moon.

--And do you like American music? Thank George and Ira Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Lerner and Lowe, and Stephen Sondheim, to name only a few.

--All history has been dramatically impacted by six Jews: Moses, the Apostle Paul, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, and above them all, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. God’s Promise to Israel

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NKJV)
¹  The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 

²  Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
³  And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."
⁴  Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
⁵  Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
⁶  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD." ' "
⁷  So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.
⁸  Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
⁹  Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." ' "
¹⁰  So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
¹¹  Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'
¹²  Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
¹³  Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
¹⁴  I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.' " 

--Dry bones, Israel, hear the Word of the Lord, "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live… Then you shall know that I am the LORD." Israel will be saved.

Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 

--There is a rattling, there is a noise but the bones are coming together. God is doing with Israel what He prophesied a long time ago.

Zechariah 13:9 (NLT2)
⁹  I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

--They will be a great army because God will be fighting their enemies and they will win.

Zechariah 12:9 (NKJV)
⁹  It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 

Ezekiel 37:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴  I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.' " 

Why We Pray for and Support Israel - 2

Why We Pray for and Support Israel - 2

Subject – Israel: The Apple of God’s Eye

By Rick Welborne

Genesis 12:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.
²  I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
³  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” 

--Isn’t it amazing that God would say, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.” God’s heart has always been toward His chosen people Israel.

--We have tried here at LIFE CHURCH Assembly of God to focus our attention on blessing and praying for Israel. Why?  

--The simple answer is that God has told us in His Word to do so and we are trying to obedient to Him. We want the blessings of God to be upon us and upon our church so we pray for Israel.

--Today I want to continue speaking about Israel because my heart is so burdened for God’s people and I believe, the more we know, the more we will pray.

--How can we not pray and be burdened when you see babies, children, women, men, and the elderly dying senselessly. Souls now spending eternity with or without God.

1. Israel is Important to the World and to us as Christians.

Israel: the geographic center - Israel, called “the navel of the earth,” is strategically located at the hub of three continents. Everything evolves around Israel and Jerusalem.  

Ezekiel 5:5 (NKJV) ⁵ "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her.

Israel: the revelation center - From this land, the land of Moses, the prophets and the apostles, came the Word of God.

Israel: the spiritual center. In Bethlehem Jesus was born. In Nazareth He grew to maturity. In Galilee He walked and taught on the mountainsides and beside the Sea. 

--In Jerusalem our Lord was crucified, buried and rose from the dead. From the Mount of Olives, He ascended. And to the Mount of Olives He will return; His feet will first touch down upon the Mount of Olives. 

Zech.14:4 (NKJV) ⁴ in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. 

Israel: the prophecy center. Prophecy is “pre-written history.” The land of Israel is the only land belonging to God’s people. The details of their future are recorded in the Bible. If you want to know what God is doing, study Israel and her people.

Israel: the storm center. The Middle East, specifically Israel, is the world’s greatest trouble spot. 

Zech 12:3 (KJV) ³ And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

--And indeed we see in the daily news the gathering storm clouds of Armageddon. Get ready and look up!

Israel: also the peace center - There will never be peace on earth until there's peace in Jerusalem, until Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, rules and reigns from Jerusalem. 

--When we're praying for the peace of Jerusalem, we're praying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” We want our Lord to reign from Zion, to sit upon the throne of his father David.

Israel: one day will be the glory center - When our Lord returns, all nations of the world will come to Jerusalem to worship 

Zechariah 14:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶  And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

--Jerusalem will be the capital city not only of Israel but of the entire world, and the Word of the Lord shall go forth from Zion.

Isaiah 2:3 (NLT2) ³ People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the LORD’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 

--Jesus will reign from Jerusalem. Listen to the angel in His conversation with Mary.

Luke 1:31-33 (NLT2) ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
³²  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
³³  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

--Israel is at the center of God’s plan. God has proven over and over again how He has Israel in His hands. We spoke of how Israel became a nation in just one day in 1948 but there is more.

--Similar things happened in the Six Day War in 1967. Again it seems God was present. Jordan, Egypt and Syria united with one stated goal: “Wipe Israel off the map.”  

--But it was over in six days. Outnumbered 80 to one, God gave His people Israel the victory.

--The same was true in 1973, the Yom Kippur War. Israel’s enemies invaded on Israel’s holiest day, when no one would expect it. 

--God again seemed to intervene when both Israeli and Syrian forces reported strange events that caused Israel’s enemies to surrender. A lady from our church was there when it happened. Ann Howell.

--The Bible predicts that in the last days the same will happen when Russia invades the Middle East. Russia will be brought to her knees on the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 38 and 39 relate this amazing prophecy.

--When the battle of Armageddon is fought, when the forces of anti-Christ gather once more against Jerusalem, God will again come to the rescue of His people in that great, final war for Israel and her survival. 

Zechariah 12:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: “This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit.
²  I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah.
³  On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves. 

2. Israel Will Be Saved.

Zechariah 12:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
¹⁰  "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 

--What a day that will be! The eyes of God’s people will be opened. With deep mourning, they will recognize their Messiah as the one their forefathers pierced.

Zechariah 13:1 (NLT2)
¹  “On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity. 

--God will remove the idols from Israel once and for all. Then He will bring those remaining through the fire.

Zechariah 13:9 (NLT2)
⁹  I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

--One of the signs that Jesus Christ is coming soon is the sign that Zion is being built up. We long for this day! This is Israel’s glorious future—and you may be sure, God is going to bring it to pass.

Your Christian Life Doesn’t Have to be Toxic - 2

Your Christian Life Doesn’t Have to be Toxic - 2

Subject: The Secular Christian

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 20:30-34 (NKJV)
³⁰  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
³¹  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
³²  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
³³  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."
³⁴  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

--We are talking about Your Christian Life Doesn’t Have to be Toxic…last week we spoke of the disconnected Christian and hopefully we helped you with being connected God’s way.

--Tonight we are going to talk about the Secular Christian. Secular humanism teaches us that our situation dictates our ethics. Secular Christians tie their salvation to someone else.

Secular Humanism – The belief that humanity is capable of morality and self-fulfillment without belief in God. 

--Just look around you here in the United States and see how Secular Humanism has impacted our country. We have definitely created a morality that is absent of God. 

1. The Secular Christian Follows People, not Christ.

--This may come as a shock to some of you, but there are more than likely people coming to church, who are not attending for the right reasons. What do you mean, Pastor?

--There may be a husband here, not because you love Jesus, but because your wife is here. If she said, let’s go fishing, after you woke up would say, oh yeah! We simply follow.

--There may be a young person here, not because you have a close relationship with God, but because you have a close relationship with someone else…or at least you think you want one. Been guilty.

--If someone in the church is the reason that you are here and if that person was taken out of the equation …puff…you would be gone.  I think the 10 Commandments said something about that:

Exodus 20:1-5 (NIV)
¹  And God spoke all these words:
²  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
³  "You shall have no other gods before me.
⁴  "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
⁵  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 

--It almost sounds like your salvation is connected to that person you are following instead of being saved by Jesus…God is jealous and He wants you here for Him.

Mark 12:29-34 (NKJV)
²⁹  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
³⁰  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
³¹  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
³²  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
³³  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
³⁴  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.

--Be careful not to follow after pastors, prophets or any other superstar ministries. The Book of Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus…the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

--I have watched for years people who follow after man instead of God usually get disillusioned after they see that person is human and makes mistakes. Follow Jesus.

2. The Secular Christian Looks to People, not Christ.

--The pastor did not call, the deacon didn’t care, my connect group did not check on me, if they really cared they would have called or at least sent me a wonderful hand written note. You don’t send me flowers…

--Maybe I am mistaken but I thought I read somewhere in the Bible that there is only one Savior and His Name is Jesus Christ. Why do you keep looking for love and affirmation in all the wrong places?

Willie Nelson:  Looking for love in all the wrong places…looking for love on all the wrong faces…

Acts 4:10-12 (NKJV)
¹⁰  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
¹¹  This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
¹²  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

--No other name…no other pastor…no other deacon…no other person by whose name you can be saved except the Name of Jesus. Look to Him…fix your eyes on Him not them!

--Maybe some of you do not know this; I received my license in the Assemblies of God at a District Council that was held at Jimmy Swaggart’s church.

--So many people…too many people in Louisiana considered themselves to be Swaggartites or Gormonites. They followed Jimmy Swaggart or Marvin Gorman. The lines were drawn.

--These two pastors were competing with each other to have the most influence and the greatest following. People were put in a place to choose. Very divisive and wrong.

--People would ask me which camp I was in and I would answer the same way every time. I am a Jesusite. We saw how that situation turned out. 

--It is never good to divide the body of Christ. I hope and pray, and even believe, both of these men repented and are being used for God’s Kingdom. 

3. The True Christian Knows Jesus Christ is Their Savior, not People.

--The two blind men heard that Jesus was passing by…obviously they could not see Him. This portion of scripture tells us that there was a multitude there.

--As a matter of fact, the multitude were telling them to be quiet as they cried out to the Son of David, have mercy on us.

--You see, people were everywhere…surrounding them…I am sure someone would have been glad to pray with them, if for no other reason, to shut them up…don’t let people shut you up when you go after Jesus!

--I am sure someone would have counseled with them about just hanging in there thru their difficulty…their blindness.

--They could have looked to people but even though they were blind…they could see that people could not help them…they needed a Savior Healer and His Name was Jesus! Mat. 20

Matthew 20:31-34 (NKJV)
³¹  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"
³²  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
³³  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."
³⁴  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. --They cried out to Jesus and what happened…Jesus stood still and He called them to come to Him…can you see it?  How they stumbled…almost ran to the Savior knowing He was their answer.

"What do you want Me to do for you?"  Open our eyes… So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

--They were Jesus saved not secularly saved because people couldn’t do what they needed! Only Jesus could! Did you know that we have eyes in our hearts? They need to be opened.

Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV)
¹⁷  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
¹⁸  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
¹⁹  and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 

--What a powerful prayer that Paul is praying to God, the Father:

A. He prays for them to have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to know Jesus better.

B. He prays for the eyes of their hearts to be opened to understand the hope we have in Christ.

C. He prays for them to understand the incomparably great power they have in Christ.

Speak, Lord, for Your Servant is Listening - 2

Speak, Lord, for Your Servant is Listening - 2

Subject – Learning the Value of a Whisper

By Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 3:9-10 (NIV)
⁹  So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
¹⁰  The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 

--I believe all of us would be in agreement that we live in a hurry scurry noisy chaotic world. There has never been so many voices with so little to say.

--Everyone has their viewpoints, their politics, and their opinions. If you don’t believe it, just ask them. Be careful because their voices will probably be loud and disturbing.

--We all say we want to hear from God or receive a word from God but there is no indication that God has ever stopped speaking to us individually.

--Just a word from someone who loves you and cares about what happens in your life, if you can get still and be quiet long enough you just might hear the voice of God.

--I have preached multiple times about Elijah and his powerful ministry. God used him to call fire down from Heaven and to kill hundreds of false prophets. 

--He is then threatened by the woman Jezebel and he runs for his life into the wilderness. He sits under a broom tree and is so depressed that he prays that he would die.

--God feeds him by food brought to him by a bird (Uber Eats) and a jar of water. He tells him to sleep. Never underestimate the power of food and a nap. He sends him to Horeb.

--When he arrives at Horeb (the Mountain of God) God gets his attention and then He speaks:

1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹  Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
¹²  and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

--A still small voice…ESV says a low whisper. NASB says a gentle blowing. NIV says a gentle whisper. So often we dismiss the wind, the earthquake, and the fire because God was not in them.

--The truth is they got Elijah’s attention. Maybe, just maybe your life is in such upheaval and such chaos because God is trying to get your attention.

--Have you ever thought about this; God has an outside voice and He is not afraid of using it to wake us up!

--But when God really wants to be heard, when what he has to say is too important to miss, He often speaks in a whisper just barely above the threshold of hearing. The question is why?

1. The Sound of a Whisper

--The Hebrew word for “Whisper” demamah can be translated as silence, stillness, or calmness. Interesting that this is the same Hebrew word that is used when God delivers us from our distress. 

Mark 4:38-39 (NKJV)
³⁸  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
³⁹  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:39 (NIV) ³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 

--Because it is still the same Hebrew word, you can literally say that Jesus calmed the storm with a whisper. Do you just suppose Jesus can stop the storms in your life with just a whisper?

--His whisper is gentle but nothing is more powerful. The dictionary says a whisper is speaking very softly using one’s breath instead of vocal cords.

--Jesus using His breath instead of vocal cords is significant because isn’t that how God created Adam. He whispered into the dust and called it Adam.

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) ⁷ And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 

--Adam was once a whisper. So were you and everything else that God created. How amazing is that?

--Whispering is typically used for secrecy. No form of communication is more intimate. It seems it is God’s preferred method to communicate with us. But the question is why?

--When someone whispers in a whisper you have to get very close to hear. In fact, you have to be so close that your ear has to be close to the person’s mouth.

--We lean in toward a whisper and that is what God wants. The goal of hearing the Father’s voice is not just wanting to hear Him; it’s intimacy with Him.

--That is why God speaks in a whisper. He wants to be as close to us as is divinely possible. He loves us that much so He draws us in with His gentle voice. Biblical example:

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV) ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 

--The phrase “He inclined to me” has such a beautiful word picture. Imagine you are in a pit (a pit of death) and your cry is barely a whisper. God bends down close to hear your prayer. Intimacy.

Oswald Chamber – The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr. So gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it. 

--How many of you are grateful for a gentle God? Our Almighty God could intimidate us with His outside voice but He draws us close with a whisper. And His whisper is the very breath of life. 

2. God’s Whisper Can Change Your Life

--I had only been a Christian for a little while and God had just recently baptized me with Holy Spirit. I was working at the Bastrop Paper Mill. Paper Mills are known for being very loud.

 --This one was extremely loud because it was the oldest in the SE United States. Between the machines and winders, you couldn’t hear anything. You had to yell or use hand signals.

--I was still so excited about my new found life in Christ. In all the noise, I was worshiping God. I remember vividly walking up the steps toward the water fountain.

--I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. No one there. Hmmm. Again, as I walked, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. No one there. Three times and then I remembered Samuel. I prayed.

1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV) ¹⁰ "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 

--And then a voice. A sweet gentle voice in all the noise and chaos around me I heard the Lord speak to me words from the Apostle Paul…Woe, is me if I preach not the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:16 (NKJV) ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

--Very important to understand this…God’s voice is a whisper but it is also so powerful that it can be heard in all the noise around us. Whatever is going on, you can hear Him.

3. Listen to Holy Spirit.

John 16:7&13 (NIV)
⁷  But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
¹³  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 

--This is so powerful. Jesus said it is good for you that I am going away. Why? Because Holy Spirit is coming. And when He comes He is going to guide you and speak to you.

--Pastor, can we really hear God’s voice? Jesus said we could and that He would only tell us what He hears from the Father. Do we want to hear from Him and are we willing to take time to listen?

--I had been the YP here for almost two years. The lead pastor is ready to resign and go to the district office. Voices and more voices were telling me what to do.

--The district called and said resign from there and find another church. We will help you. Everyone had an opinion and were not afraid to use it. The Board asked me to submit a resume. What?

--My head was spinning and my heart was confused. I told the Board I had to get away and hear from God. We went to La. and then Ala. I tried praying. Still confused.

--Finally, in Ala. I said I am going walking in the woods and staying until I hear from God. Only thing warm was my LSU sweat suit. Looked like Big Bird. I prayed for two hours. Cold!

--Finally, came to two giant oak trees and there it was. There He was with His still small voice. So gentle.

‘’Rick, I have anointed you to pastor Leesburg First Assembly of God. Just allow Holy Spirit to do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it.” I said, “Yes, Lord.”

--We came back and I told the Board I wanted to pastor the church. They voted us in and that will be 33 years in January. Thank God for His sweet gentle voice!

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." 

Your Christian Life Doesn’t Have to be Toxic - 1

Your Christian Life Doesn’t Have to be Toxic - 1

Subject:  The Disconnected Christian

By Rick Welborne

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.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (MSG)
¹⁹  That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building.
²⁰  He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone
²¹  that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God,
²²  all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

--Tonight we are starting a new series called “Your Christian Life Doesn’t Have to be Toxic” and I believe it will be a time where we can see where we are in the body of Christ.

--We will look at very popular excuses that people have for not being faithful, for not being used in their gifts, for not staying in one place very long, for not being content.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 (NLT) ⁸ Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. 

Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
¹¹  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
¹²  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
¹³  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

--We have looked at verses talking of being joined together and verses speaking of being content which leads me to our first symptom. I just can’t get connected…I feel so disconnected.

1. Being Connected is Vital.

--Getting connected is probably one of the most popular subjects around churches today.  Obviously, we want everyone who attends Life Church to get connected with us and to feel at home.

--This series of messages will give you opportunity to get upset or to do some self-examination and possibly get some things reconciled in your heart and mind.

--I, of course, love when someone comes to our church and they say they know immediately that this is home. They feel the presence of Holy Spirit and they feel that they are accepted immediately.

--All of us here at Life Church play a part in making people feel comfortable. People do not get connected  because they have unrealistic expectations when they come to church.

--They get in their minds…we will go in and 20 people will greet us, when we go in the sanctuary the Spirit will overwhelm us, 3 couples will invite us to lunch and bang…we are connected.

--That may happen but it may not…have you ever thought maybe you should come in with a heart of prayer asking God for His will to be done in your life…no matter who else welcomes you.

--Listen to the heart and vision of the lead pastor and see if it is biblical and relevant. Maybe you should pray and ask God, can my gifts be used here for Your glory.

--Maybe you should see if the church has a vision for the lost in outreach and missions…a church that turns inward dies, but a church that reaches out, grows…God’s church may make you uncomfortable. 

Bill Gothard – Many Christians live such unfulfilled lives because they have such unrealistic expectations from others. This is true in marriage and in church. Contentment starts with you.

--Listen, if you come late and leave early there is a good chance you will never get connected. You reach out to others…you reap what you sow.

--When Paul was first converted and tried to connect with the church, he was not accepted…he had only killed Christians…thank God he didn’t give up! I was not real accepted after my conversion!

Acts 9:26 (NKJV) ²⁶ And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

--Barnabas gave him a good recommendation and he became a premier voice for the Kingdom of God! What would the church have looked like if he would have been offended?

2. Where You Connect is Vital.

1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

--Just a little more advice from someone who cares about you and wants to see you in a great relationship with God…you need to ask yourself…am I really connected to God the way I need to be?

--Does the church I attend or am thinking about attending give me opportunities to connect with God on many different levels?  Questions you may need to ask about connecting with God and His church:

A. Does the church welcome the presence of God…do they welcome Holy Spirit to come?

B. Does the church give ample time to worship the Lord and to spend time with Him?

C. Does the church have time for prayer where you can petition God for your needs and also pray for others?

Mark 11:17 (NIV) ¹⁷ "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?" 

D. Does the church preach the Word of God in such a way that is biblical?

1 Corinthians 1:21 (NKJV) ²¹ …it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

E. Does the church, or more specific, the pastors, give an opportunity an altar call for salvation or rededication of their lives to God?

3. How You Connect is Vital.

A. Do not come thinking that you must fit in.  If you belong to Jesus, you are in.

Romans 12:3-5 (NIV) 

3  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 

4  Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 

5  so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

B. Come in as a servant with the attitude of Jesus. Simply, come to serve.

Philippians 2:3-9 (NIV)
³  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
⁴  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
⁵  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
⁸  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
⁹  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 

--I truly believe having the attitude of Jesus will fix a whole lot of issues about connecting.

C. Give yourself time to connect, and give the body you are connecting to time also.

--We live in scary times where not everyone is who they say or what they say. By faithfulness, consistency, and time people will see you for who you are.

D. Finally, become mature in the Lord and realize no church is going to be perfect.

Philippians 3:13-15 (NIV)
¹³  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
¹⁴  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 

Finding God’s Direction - 7

Finding God’s Direction - 7

Subject: Finding God’s Divine Direction in Our Lives

By Rick Welborne

Proverbs 3:1-10 (NKJV)
¹  My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
²  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
³  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴  And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

--To Find God’s Direction we must use God’s Holy Word to be our road map…we need a map to get us where we are going…The Bible is our map and Holy Spirit is our GPS!

Matthew 5:18 (NLT) 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.  

–Tonight I feel that the Lord has led me to speak about being faithful to the Word of God and holding it up as our standard. His Word is a lamp unto our feet. In dictionary.com.  Standard means:

A. Something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison; an approved model...For the believer the Word of God (Jesus - The Living Word) is our model.

B. A rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment: We will be judged by the Word of God whether we obey or did not obey.

C. A normal requirement...It is normal to believe that if we will serve God that we must meet up to His standard...His normal...The Word of God.

D. Standards are those morals, ethics, habits, etc., established by authority, custom, or an individual (God) as acceptable. 

1. Our finding God’s direction and His standard cannot be based on political correctness. 

–Just because something has been deemed acceptable by our government or the laws of the land or by our culture does not make it acceptable as God’s standard. Example of abortion. 

Jeremiah 1:4‑5 (NLT) 4 The LORD gave me this message: 

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” 

–The law may say and the Supreme Court may rule that you cannot pray in school but God says: 

1 Thessalonians 5:17‑18 (NLT) 17 Never stop praying. 

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

–Government says we cannot teach Him in the schools.

Acts 5:27‑29 (NKJV) 

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 

28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" 

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.” 

–They cannot not stop you from praying...I am sure all the schools affected by the school shootings were glad people were praying for God’s protection, intervention, and comfort.

–As a believer our standard has to be God’s Standard...His Word. It does not matter what you feel or what you think. Choose to obey!

–Same sex marriage is one of the battles of our day and some states are saying that it is ok but it is contrary to God’s standard:

Matthew 19:4‑6 (NLT) 

4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 

6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” 

–What if a person is sincere? Paul was sincere when he was killing Christians but he was sincerely wrong. He had an encounter with God. His standard changed and the feelings went with it.

2. Our finding God’s direction and His standard cannot be connected to presuming on God’s grace.

–The grace of God was never intended to be a ticket for believers to live anyway they want to and then declare, “I am under grace”. Definitely not God’s narrow path. 

–How easy we have found it to disobey God’s standard (His Word) and then to repeat a little prayer and believe that God is pleased with us. God understands I am human! Really?

–Jesus does understand our humanity and that is why He came and died on the cross to save us from ourselves.

Here is the standard He has for us:

Romans 6:1‑4 (NLT) 

1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 

2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 

3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 

4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 

–What Paul is saying is that if you have experienced the grace of God you should no longer be living a continued or willful life of sin. 

Romans 6:15&17 (NLT) 15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 

17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 

–I have heard that as long as I prayed a prayer for Jesus to come into my life when I was young that no matter what I do I am ok with God...What is God’s standard?

–The whole book of Hebrews deals with avoiding Apostasy (defection from the faith) and it lays out God’s standard very clearly: Heb. 10 deals with Christ’s sacrifice for us:

Hebrews 10:26‑29 (NLT) 

26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 

27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 

28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 

29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 

3. Our finding God’s direction and His standard will help us grow into mature Christ followers.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) 

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 

–I hear people say: I must get into God’s Word...that is good but what you really need is to get God’s Word into you. Why?

Hebrews 4:12‑16 (NLT) 

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two‑edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 

13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. 

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 

16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 

–You may say: I do want to be a student of the Word but I need a really good teacher:

John 14:26 (NLT) 

26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 

Isaiah 59:19‑21 (NKJV) 

19 So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 

20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD.

21 "As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore." 

–Notice the connection between the Spirit of God and His Standard (His Word).