The Fruit of Holy Spirit – 8

The Fruit of Holy Spirit – 8

Subject: Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness

By Rick Welborne

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
²⁴  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness. Gentleness is one of those words that is consistent in every translation.

Gentleness - the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered. Softness of action or effect; lightness.

A courteous or chivalrous quality attributed to noble birth.

--Even though these definitions come from secular sources, we definitely can see them in our walk as Christians. Believers should be kind, tender, and mild mannered.

--Believers should have a softness to their actions and their intentions…a lightness in all their dealings that identify people with Jesus. 

--I particularly like this one. A courteous or chivalrous quality attributed to noble birth. We have been born again…we have been born again by the King of Kings. We should be courteous, chivalrous in Christ.

--There should absolutely be a difference in someone who identifies with Jesus Christ…someone who calls Him Lord and Savior. As far as I am concerned…rude is totally unacceptable in God’s House.

--Now we have all heard statements like…Christians are the rudest people on the planet. They are the only ones who shoot their wounded. Church people are the worst! It is simply not true.

--The issue is not with Christians or church people…the issue is with people. Until I came to Life Church, I always had to work secular jobs to supplement my income. I had to work with people.

--I have played team sports and I have been around people in every kind of setting. People can be extremely difficult no matter where you are. Tennis is a good example.

--A few months ago we were playing doubles and there was a dispute over a call. Three people were in agreement and one man totally disagreed. One of those three was his partner.

--He lost it! He started screaming and cussing like I had never heard on a tennis court! He called me what I have never been called…you may want to cover your ears. He called me a dictator!

--The other two guys were dying laughing which made the man even more angry. He cussed all the way to his car. Is he going to get a gun? He did not come back that day.

--Two weeks later he comes back to play tennis and he comes and apologizes. He said I am so sorry for getting so angry, but just for the record, I was right and you guys were wrong. I just laughed!

--My point here is to say that people are difficult in almost every setting but, Christians have no excuse for being rude and difficult, when we have Holy Spirit to help us. This man did not show gentleness.

1. Gentleness as an Action.

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary - Gentleness - Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by God’s love. 

--The Old Testament. Gentleness is suggested by the waters of a stream or by wine flowing over lips and teeth. It stands in contrast to baseness, harshness, and wildness. 

--The supreme example of gentleness is Israel's God. He cares tenderly for the flock under his care, and "gently leads those that have young". He leads them by still waters. Ps. 23

--He discloses himself not just in wind and earthquake and fire, but in "a gentle whisper". God comes to console us with a gentle whisper. To Elijah, a still small voice. New Testament – Jesus.

Mat. 11:28-30 (NCV) ²⁸  “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.
²⁹  Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.
³⁰  The teaching that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.“ 

--When I read these verses so much jumped off these pages into my heart and my spirit. Of course we immediately see the gentleness of Jesus wanting us to come to Him. What I saw about us. 

A. What if we so displayed gentleness people would feel they had an invitation to come to us?

B. What if those who are tired of sin or their burdens (the heavy loads of this life) could come to us?

C. What if people truly could feel that having spent time with us brought them rest and peace?

D. What if people could learn from us and accept our wisdom knowing it would bring them hope?

E. What if people knew they could come to us and find humility (gentleness). Their burdens lighter.

--Isn’t this what gentleness should look like from those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus and those who claim to be Christ-like…to be Christian. 

Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV)
¹²  Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
¹³  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

2. Gentleness as an Attitude.

--This is what Paul was saying in Colossians 3. Gentleness is something you should put on whenever you deal with people…family, friends, co-workers, church family.

--We have all heard people say…this is just who I am…like it or lump it! This is the way God made me and I am not going to change. Please do not blame God for your rude behavior. 

--The truth is people who do not operate or flow in gentleness are operating in a spirit of rudeness or intimidation. They try to control people through fear.

--Most people will not stand up to spiritual bullies because they come across with such a spirit of superiority and authority. Just let them have their way and everything will be alright.

--I don’t think so! I think spiritual bullies need to be confronted because of their anti-Christ attitude. Jesus would have never led with that kind of attitude. Listen to Paul:

 2 Corinthians 10:1 (NIV)
¹  By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!
--Paul is simply saying here that as believers we don’t act like or deal with people the same way the world does. He did not like it but time to time he had to deal with rude worldly people. 

--My point here is this…we should constantly be dealing with everyone with a spirit of gentleness. Yes, it will take Holy Spirit to help us and to bear in us the fruit of the Spirit…gentleness. 

--I talked to our staff the other day about spiritual equity. You earn spiritual equity whenever you display the fruit of Holy Spirit to others over a long period of time. 

--Unfortunately, people try to spend spiritual equity they have not earned…it takes time and it takes consistency. Bearing this kind of fruit with a loving attitude increases your influence.

Warning – You can spend all of the spiritual equity you have built up with one outburst of anger or one display of an attitude that is not Christ like. One untimely mistake can bankrupt you in people’s eyes.

Romans 13:13-14 (NIV) ¹³  Let us behave decently…
¹⁴  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

3. Gentleness as an Announcement (Our Words).

Proverbs 15:1-2 (NLT2) ¹  A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
                                                                                                                                                                                    --There is no way to adequately measure the damage that has been done to churches where harsh words have been spewed from one church member to another. 

--What is always so sad to me is that both feel they are right and that they are representatives of Jesus Himself. If we represent Him, it might be good if we acted like Him. 

Isaiah 53:6-7 (NLT2) ⁶  All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
⁷  He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 

--Jesus did not open His mouth. Is that the kind of gentleness we show? No matter how hard you work in the church, if you have the disposition of a pit bulldog, all your acts of kindness will be nullified.

--When I think of gentleness being a fruit of the Spirit, I think about people like John Mason. He is the same every time you see him and he is always gentle with his demeanor. 

2 Tim. 2:24 (NKJV) ²⁴  And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…

4. Gentleness as an Affection (Touch).

--Jesus was such an example to us in this area of gentleness especially in regard to touch. He touched the lepers which was totally against Jewish law. You would be unclean. He touched children:

Mark 10:13&16 (NKJV)
¹³  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
¹⁶  And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

--The nurturing touch of a hug builds trust and a sense of safety. Hugs can heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger. Holding a hug for an extended time lifts one's spirit and brings life. 

--Hugs strengthen the immune system. Hugging boosts self-esteem. From the time we're born our family's touch shows us that we're loved and special. 

--Hugs teach us how to give and receive. Hugs educate us how love flows both ways. Hugs are like meditation and laughter. The energy exchange between the people hugging is an investment in the relationship. 

Virginia Satir - a respected family therapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

--The fruit of the Spirit – gentleness – brings wonderful healing. This is why I love going around hugging and gently touching all of you. Healing for you and for me! 

Courage – 5

Courage – 5

Subject – Lion Chasers Unlearn Their Fears

By Rick Welborne

2 Samuel 23:20-23 (NLT2)
²⁰  There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.
²¹  Once, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.
²²  Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors.
²³  He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.

--One of the fears that is stuck vividly in my mind as a child growing up happened at Lake Providence, Louisiana. Our family had gone there for a day of swimming and picnicking. 

--This lake was famous for being filled with catfish and water moccasins. A normal fear would have been to be afraid of the snakes but that was not my fear.

--Of course, being the youngest in the family gave me a great disadvantage because I had not learned to not be afraid of what could have been a great time. I was afraid to dive off the dock.

--I remember the fear I faced with just the thought of diving off the dock. So many things could go wrong. My family didn’t help because they could be cruel and mocking.

--Finally, after a couple of hours of fear and humiliation, I took the dive. It was so exhilarating and I felt so free simply by unlearning a fear that was truthfully unrealistic.

--So here’s my advice: Don’t let the mental lions keep you from experiencing everything God has to offer in your life. The greatest breakthroughs in your life will happen when you push through your fears. 

--Your defining moments will also double as your scariest decisions. But you have to face those fears (lions) and begin the process of unlearning them. God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear.

1. Unlearning is Hard.

--Just like a hard drive with a computer virus, our minds have infected files. Irrational fears keep us from operating the way God designed us to. Those fears must be uninstalled.

--Half of learning is learning. The other half of learning is unlearning. Unfortunately, unlearning is twice as hard as learning. It’s like missing your exit on a freeway.

--You have to drive to the next exit and then double back. Every mile you go the wrong direction is a two-mile error. Unlearning is twice as hard and it often takes twice as long.

--Let me say it this way…It is harder to get old thoughts out of your mind than it is to get new thoughts into your mind. Is there a biblical example? This was Jesus’ challenge in teaching the people.

--As you study Jesus’ teaching you realize that learning was not His primary goal. His primary goal was unlearning. He was trying to reverse engineer religious minds which can be the toughest.

--Two phrases that you heard Jesus say in His Sermon on the Mount…You have heard that it was said…But I tell you. What was Jesus trying to accomplish? Uninstalling OT concepts and upgrading NT truths.

Matthew 5:38-39&43&44 (NIV) ³⁸  "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 

³⁹  But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
⁴³  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
⁴⁴  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 

--Half of spiritual growth is learning what we don’t know. The other half is unlearning what we do know. Failure to unlearn irrational fears and misconceptions keep us from becoming who Jesus wants us to be. 

--Perfect example…some of you may have come from churches that taught very little about Holy Spirit or either taught erroneous teachings about Him and about Pentecostal people in general. Of the devil.

--You have to be willing to learn what the scriptures say about Holy Spirit and you have to unlearn what some denomination has told you about Him. Getting that out of your mind is hard.

--When I first came into the Kingdom of God with really nothing but a blank slate about my beliefs, and before I met Pastor Mark, I determined if something was in the Bible, it must be true.

--Before you discount everything about Holy Spirit, study the Book of Acts with an open heart and mind and learn what you don’t know. Also, be willing to unlearn false teachings about Him.

2. The Importance of Unlearning.

John 5:2-9 (NKJV)
²  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
³  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
⁴  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
⁵  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
⁶  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
⁷  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
⁸  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
⁹  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

--This cripple man is such a great example of unlearning. He had been crippled for thirty-eight years when Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well. This man believed there was only one way to be healed.

--His assumption of how he could be healed may have cost him 38 years of his life. I wonder about the assumptions we have when it comes to Jesus and healing and what that costs us.

--He assumed, based on an ancient superstition, that the only way he could be healed was to be the first person in the water after the angel stirred the water. He was imprisoned by what he knew. 

--Jesus uninstalled his mistaken belief with one sentence…"Rise, take up your bed and walk." Before we are too critical, don’t we do the same? 

--Unless this person prays for me, unless something wild happens in the service, unless I see gold dust falling from the heavens, unless I can go to this great meeting, nothing will happen. 

--All that happened in this crippled man’s life was that Jesus helped him to unlearn the misconceptions he had believed for 38 years and helped him learn where healing comes from.

1 Peter 2:24-25 (NCV)
²⁴  Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And you are healed because of his wounds.
²⁵  You were like sheep that wandered away, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your souls.

--When I read these verses it blew me away. The crippled man was where? At the sheep gate. How did he get healed? You have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your souls. Jesus.

--You need to see this…Jesus didn’t just set this man free physically, he set him free in his mind. Faith is unlearning senseless worries and beliefs that hold us captive. 

3. Unlearning by Downloading the Mind of Christ.

--We think we can win this battle by simply modifying our behavior. Few ever win this way. We win by downloading the Word of God and getting the mind of Christ.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
²  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

--Just as a computer needs to go through the process of being defragmented to optimize performance, our minds need to be defragmented also. 

--How do we unlearn false beliefs and how do we renew our minds? How do we get ourselves out of the pit with a lion that we got ourselves into? The way to upgrade our minds is to download scriptures.

--When we regularly read and study the Word of God asking Holy Spirit to be our teacher, we are literally downloading a new operating system that transforms our minds.

--We stop thinking human thoughts and we begin to think God thoughts. We start learning what God expects of us and we start unlearning false teachings we have had for years.

 Philippians 2:5-9 (NKJV)
⁵  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
⁶  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
⁷  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
⁸  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
⁹  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

--So, Pastor Rick, how do we accomplish that command? Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus?

Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

--Today let’s learn the Word of God and let’s unlearn all the junk we have received all of our lives.

The Fruit of Holy Spirit – 7

The Fruit of Holy Spirit – 7

Subject: Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness

By Rick Welborne

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
²⁴  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The Fruit of the Spirit – Faithfulness.

Faithfulness - fidelity, allegiance, loyalty. constancy · devotion · trueness · true-heartedness · dedication · commitment · allegiance · dependability · reliability · trustworthiness · steadfastness · closeness · fairness · justness · truthfulness · authenticity · reliability · dependability.

--Wow! What an amazing word and what an amazing fruit of Holy Spirit. All on this list are to be desired but faithfulness is one that is most important to me personally. Think of family and friends. 

--As you read through the list of the Fruit of the Spirit…who do you see? You see Jesus! That is why it is so imperative for us to have this fruit in our lives…so others will see Jesus!

--I think all of us want to be surrounded by people who exhibit all of these qualities (fruit) but please keep this in mind…you must lead with the seed.

--We know the Word of God says we reap what we sow…if you want fruit, start planting the right seed…start giving away what you want to come back to you.

Adam Clarke's Commentary - Faithfulness - here used for fidelity—punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in preserving what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend, nor disappointing the confidence of our employer. 

SpiritHome.com - Faithful - means loyal, full of faith or trust; firmly and resolutely staying with a person, group, cause, belief, or idea, without waver, despite the circumstances. 

--Faithfulness sets us apart from other people. Faithfulness separates: the successful from the failures, the finisher from the quitter, the responsible from the irresponsible, the mature from the immature.

--You have grown up and are living in a society that is unfaithful. It seems that it is just part of the system that our politicians all have shady pasts. Before we get to judgmental, the church has had its share also.

--We can even find the society’s acceptance of unfaithfulness at the card shop. Visit a Hallmark store, "I can’t promise you forever, but I can promise you today." Imagine that on an anniversary card! God’s promise:

Psalm 100:5 (NIV)
⁵  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

--When it comes to faithfulness…GOD is faithful. God will never turn His back on you; God won’t abandon you. God will never take advantage of you or mistreat you. God will be faithful!

--So what is faithfulness? Let me ask you what does faithfulness mean? What word would you use to describe faithfulness? Authenticity. Truthful. Real. Accurate.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines faithfulness as “adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person cause or idea.” 

--Faithfulness is the “superglue” of the heart that holds fast and won’t let go. Faithfulness means following through with your commitments regardless of what it costs.

--In this series on the fruit of the Spirit, I have described each as an expression of love. Without love it is impossible for the fruit to develop. The fruit of the Spirit begins and ends with love.

Joy is love rejoicing. Patience is love enduring. Peace is love trusting. Kindness is love serving. Goodness is love extending. Faithfulness is love proving. Gentleness is love touching. Self-control is love restraining.

--Faithfulness is love proving. Faithfulness is love that hangs on to the end; it’s love that won’t quit. 

1. Faithfulness is Jesus. 

--If you want to see faithfulness lived out in the day to day life of someone look at Jesus. If you are going to live a faithful life, then live your life just like Jesus.

Hebrews 2:17-18 (NLT2) ¹⁷  Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.
¹⁸  Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

--Jesus lived His life with unwavering commitment and faithfulness. He didn’t quit or throw in the towel when things got tough; His love for us was steadfast and true.  regardless of the cost—Jesus loved us to death. 

--Not only did Jesus go to the cross to lay down His life for our sins, He was resurrected to life so that we might be able to live with Him. The faithfulness of Jesus continues. He will never be unfaithful to us.

2 Timothy 2:10-13 (NLT2)
¹⁰  So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
¹¹  This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him.
¹²  If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.
¹³  If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

--Jesus is faithful and true. Jesus shows us how to live faithfully – to adhere with firm devotion to God and to have an unbreakable commitment for one another.

2. Faithfulness in you and me.

--But what will faithfulness look like in you and me? Above all else be faithful, but what does that mean? 

Four characteristics of faithfulness:

A. The faithful hold onto Truth.

--You need to have an unshakeable tenacity that will not let go of truth. Opinions may change; values may differ, but truth remains the same. 

--Our society wants us to believe truth is relative, that there is no absolute truth. Do you notice the contradiction in such a belief? How can you claim absolutes don’t exist with an absolute statement?

Revelation 2:24-29 (NLT2)
²⁴  “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you
²⁵  except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come.
²⁶  To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations.
²⁷  They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.
²⁸  They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
²⁹  “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. 

--Values are relative; values will differ from person to person or culture to culture. Truth is absolute; truth is the same for all of us, so hold on to truth.

--At one time Americans valued the wisdom of older people; we respected those who had gone before us. 

--However today we are more likely to look up to the young. At one time we valued discipline and respect; children were expected to act in a certain way. 

--In many oriental cultures children are still expected to behave in certain ways, and disobedience has definite consequences. Yet for us discipline and respect are no longer held as an important value. 

--Instead of teaching discipline and respect we diagnose children with ADD and medicate them with Ritalin.

Values change, not always for the better. Truth remains the same. 

--What are some basic truths we should all hold onto? Let me quickly share with you five basic truths I will never let go of. These are truths you should take with you throughout your life.

A. The Bible is the authoritative guide for how to live.

B. Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation.

C. People are more important than things.

D. God owns everything and loans it to us for a short time.

E. What happens in me is more important than what happens to me. Holy Spirit!

B. The faithful persevere through difficulty.

--Essentially you can make four basic responses to difficulty in your life. Only two are the right kind of responses. 

--You can give up and be crushed. You can whine and complain. You can pray victoriously. You can endure and refuse to give up.

Luke 18:1 (NIV)
¹  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

C. The faithful keep their commitments. 

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

D. Faithfulness makes a fresh start.

Psalm 51:10-11 (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. 

Fear of the Lord - 1

Fear of the Lord - 1

Subject – Understanding the Fear of the Lord

By Rick Welborne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

--The fear of the Lord along with the love of God sets us up to have a sure foundation to live in a depraved world. We cannot truly love God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him.

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

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

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

--What would your answer be? How do you see God? Is your fear of Him and your love for Him your sure foundation? Asking people their definition is definitely a way to get people thinking. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acts 5:11 (NKJV) ¹¹  So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV)
¹³  Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,”

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

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

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

2. We have made God in our own image.

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

--Even though they had seen God manifest His glory and miracles they form a calf out of gold. For four hundred years they had seen images in Egypt. They were content with a false God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 - First Sermon of the Year

2023 - First Sermon of the Year

Message - Believing God to Complete His Work

Zechariah 4:1‑10 (NKJV) 

1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 

2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 

3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left." 

4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?" 

5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." 

6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 

7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " 

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 

9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 

10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth." 

–2023...Can you believe it is here...are you ready for what God wants to do in you, your family, and in our Campuses? I hope you are praying and trusting God to complete His work.

–This is a solemn call to prayer...Our nation needs it, Israel needs it, our families need it, Life Church, La Vida, and LC Villages needs it, and we as individuals need it...we must pray.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) 

14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 

–If you believe this, come and join us for prayer Jan. 8-13...if not, feel free to stay home because I want there to be agreement in God’s House for Him to move in a mighty way. Today’s message:

–I felt the Lord telling me to read this chapter Zach. 4 and meditate on it...read it again... meditate on it more... re-read it...digest it...consume it...understand it...research it. This is what He said.

1. It is Time to Wake Up!

Zechariah 4:1 (NKJV) 

1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 

–You would think that churches would be full with the condition our world is in. Political Leadership tearing down traditional marriage, killing babies, hurting families, making us vulnerable to our enemies.

–Our administration turning its back on Israel...cooperating with China and Iran but being obstinate to Israel.

–Christians are being murdered by Isis and other Islamic Jihadist Terrorist and we turn a blind eye to their plight. Where is the America we grew up being proud of? We need to hear these words:

Jonah 1:6 (NKJV) 6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish." 

–Pastor, you need to be careful what you are saying because they will take away our tax exemption status...I would rather pay taxes than compromise the Word of God.

Ephesians 5:11‑18 (NLT) 

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 

12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 

14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 

16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

--Church, it is time to wake up from our sleep and hear the Word from the Lord...If My people will humble themselves and pray...we have to pray!

2. It is Time to Stand Up!

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) 6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 

–God wanted to use Zerubbabel to rebuild His temple and God wants to use us to rebuild His church...Jesus is coming back for His bride and we must be ready.

–God wanted Z to understand to accomplish for Him what He wanted done would not come thru human strength, human power, or human wisdom...By Holy Spirit.

–Hear me well, the apology tour for Holy Spirit is over, you are too late and too unaware of His Word to convince me He is not for us today.

–I have already been baptized in Holy Spirit power with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues and no apologies!

John 16:13‑14 (NKJV) 

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

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 

–What is it you are desiring in 2023? Where are we going this year here, Church? We need Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and He will glorify Jesus.

–Z you are going to build my temple, not thru your own effort...thru the power of the Spirit of God. The same is true for us. 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 

3. It is Time to Break Up!

Zechariah 4:7 (NKJV) 7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " 

–Z what is in your way...a mountain? What is a mountain before the Lord God Almighty? What is in your way today...what is that before your God?

–It is time for your mountains to be broken before the Lord and for you to lay the capstone. No other foundation that has been laid other than Jesus Christ with shouts! Grace!

–Get ready for God’s undeserved favor (grace...grace to it) to come to you as you wake up from your sleep and begin to seek God with all your heart! Let your heart break and have faith!

Mark 11:22‑24 (NKJV) 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

–Inspired poem I wrote years ago: What’s up?

4. It is Time to Rise Up!

Zechariah 4:9 (NKJV) 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 

–God was encouraging Z to finish what He had started...God is speaking to you today saying this year is your year to complete what you started...time to rise up!

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 

–Not the time to quit...now is the time thru Holy Spirit to rise up and complete what God has started! The One Who started the work will give you the Spirit of God to finish the work!

5. It is Time to Think Up!

Zechariah 4:10 (NKJV) 

10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth." 

–It is time to stop thinking small...it is time to think up. The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

–A small beginning is a beginning...don’t despise a small start...build on it with God. Ask Holy Spirit what the next step is and then listen and obey. Think in your heart it can be better!

–How do we get to 1000 plus...one small step at a time...one soul at a time. You pay your tithes...wonderful!  Give to missions...keep building and keep growing!

Philippians 1:6 (MSG) 

6 There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.