Identity Theft – 5

Identity Theft – 5

Subject – One Church/One Family – The One Hundred and Twenty

By Rick Welborne

Luke 24:49-53 (NKJV)
⁴⁹  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
⁵⁰  And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
⁵¹  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
⁵²  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
⁵³  and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. 

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

Acts 1:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵  And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty)…

--Again today we welcome Pastor Neftali, Shelia and La Vida Church. We are very excited because when we come together something beautiful happens. Unity! Holy Spirit comes!

--About three weeks ago I was praying and worshiping the Lord and God began to pour this message into my heart. Obviously, I didn’t write anything down, I was in the shower.

--At first, I thought I would veer away from the series about Identity Theft but as God spoke to my heart about the One Hundred and Twenty, I knew it had everything to do with our identity.

--Life Church and La Vida church we need to know who we are in Christ and we need to know what our identity can be in Him.

1. We Have a Choice About Our Identity.

--A couple of Sundays ago I preached about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and how those events have such an impact on our identity. Without that we are lost.

--We all know Jesus was crucified for all of our sins but we also know that He was resurrected from the dead which gives all of us new life. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.

--Jesus appears during the time after His resurrection and before His ascension into Heaven, and actually, He gave all of us a choice about our identity and who we would become.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NKJV)
³  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
⁴  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
⁵  and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
⁶  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

--Jesus appeared, after His resurrection, to over 500 people all at one time, showing that he had conquered death and the grave, and giving them a choice to truly identify with Him.

--You see, Jesus said He would build His church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. He was putting together His army to change the world. Then, He gave this promise:

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

--Jesus gives an invitation (altar call) to more than 500 people at one time to identify with Him and to be on His team. Wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father…Holy Spirit.

--How many of them showed up? Acts 1:15 (NKJV) a hundred and twenty. Jesus gives them the opportunity of a lifetime to be world changers and to identify with Him and only about one-fifth show up.

--Does any of this sound familiar? Week after week, month after month, year after year, we give people an opportunity to identify with Christ and change their world, their families.

--Have you ever asked yourself what was so important in the lives of the other four-fifths that they didn’t think it was important enough to go and wait in Jerusalem? In church? To do what Jesus said?

--Have you ever asked yourself what is so important in the lives of people today that they choose to not show up to hear God’s Word and to experience His presence? 

--Their identity is in the world. How can something like Covid make people choose to neglect God’s house. Shouldn’t we run to God instead away from Him?

Deuteronomy 30:18-20 (NKJV)
¹⁸  I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
¹⁹  I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
²⁰  that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; 

2. Our Obedience Leads to Our Identity.

Acts 1:4-5&8 (NKJV)
⁴  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
⁵  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--Jesus commanded them…if you do what I tell you, you will become a part of propagating the gospel all over the world. A Kingdom Builder. Think about the other four-fifths who didn’t show up.

--Here at La Vida Church and Life Church you can be a part of being a Kingdom Builder. How? Through Missions and Faith Promises. Obedience to the Great Commission.

--Think about, not only what Jesus thought about the one hundred and twenty, but what the world thought about them. Pastor, do you have a verse for that? I do!

Acts 17:6 (NKJV) ⁶ "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

--How many of you would love to be a part of the one hundred and twenty and be accused of turning the world upside down? Obedience does that.

--Our disobedience puts us in the category of the four-fifths who kind of disappeared into oblivion because they chose not to show up for church and be filled with Holy Spirit power.

--I want to identify with the one hundred and twenty who went against the grain of society and did not fear what man thought about them. They simply wanted to be obedient to God.

--Their obedience was not only a willingness to die to themselves but a willingness to possibly die physically which happened to many of them.

--I am afraid we have raised a generation of disobedient professors of Christ but deny the power of Holy Spirit. We are seeker sensitive and we don’t want to offend anyone.

--Is there anything more offensive that letting people perish when we are supposed to have the treasure of Christ in our earthen vessels? We actually care for their souls.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) ¹⁸ Where there is no vision, the people perish: 

--We need to get a vision that our identity is wrapped up in being a part of the one hundred and twenty and that we are unashamedly obedient to Jesus, whatever that may cost us. 

--How will I ever find my identity until I am obedient to the creator God Who has my life in His hands and He is molding me into what I am supposed to be?

 Isaiah 64:7-8 (NLT2)
⁷  Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.
⁸  And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. 

3. What it Means to be in the One hundred and Twenty Club.

--It means that we obey what Jesus commands us to do. We don’t filter His commands thru a world system that says life is all about me. 

Acts 1:4 (NKJV) ⁴ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father…

--To be part of the One Hundred and Twenty, we simply do what Jesus tells us to do. It comes down to this, is He the Lord of your life or is it you who is in charge of your identity and destiny?

--To be part of the One Hundred and Twenty, we wait and we worship until Holy Spirit comes.

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

--They waited and they worshiped. They waited and they worshiped. They were filled with great joy. Why? They were doing what Jesus said and they were expecting the Promise of the Father!

--To be part of the One Hundred and Twenty they allowed Jesus to decide their identity and their destiny. Because He is Lord, He is the Potter and we are the clay.

--He decides who we are and what we become. 

1 Peter 2:10 (NLT2) ¹⁰ “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 

--I want to identify with the One Hundred and Twenty! How about you?

Dream Again - 1

Dream Again - 1

Subject: Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams

By Rick Welborne

Genesis 37:5 (NLT) ⁵  One night Joseph had a dream… 

Proverbs 13:12 (NLT) ¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. 

Acts 2:17 (NLT) ¹⁷ ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 

--Today with God’s help we are starting a series called Dream Again.

--I will be the first to admit that it has been difficult to focus on dreams promised either recently or years ago because of all that is going on in the world.

--It is hard to focus on dreams when our country is so divided and, again, we are getting ready to go through the brutality of another election season. So many distractions. 

--When innocents are buried in the rubble of an earthquake, when people are drowned because of flooding, when people who are just having fun and are killed…it affects me.

--Do we care enough to pray when they are perishing…souls lost or saved for eternity? Through storms, earthquakes, God will give us a voice like never before…the ability to dream again.

--I have been asking God this week to speak to me about His dreams for me, my family, and for you…the church of Jesus Christ…three things He spoke to me.

1. Don’t worry! Your dreams will be fulfilled!

--When the Lord first spoke those words to me I must admit that I was not very excited…I was about as excited as a one legged man in a hiney kicking contest.

--God had forgotten the world was going to hell in a hand basket, that I am praying for a prodigal, that I am praying for finances, praying for family situations, praying for hurting people in the church.

--I felt the need to remind Him what all was going, obviously He was surprised and apologized immediately…

No, He did not do that, He simply said “I know…dream again! Led me to these verses:

Philippians 4:4-8 (NLT)
⁴  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
⁵  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
⁶  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
⁷  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
⁸  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

--Rejoice…I say it again—rejoice…I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be continually in your mouth. Why does God have to keep reminding us of this…because life is tough and draining.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NKJV)
¹⁷  Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls--
¹⁸  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
¹⁹  The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. 

--Not only does He tell us to rejoice and to worship Him…He goes on and tells us that in whatever situation we are in we must be considerate, gentle to everyone. Really, God, I don’t feel real nice.

--Oh, I need to be nice because You are coming soon…that is really a great reason. Don’t worry…pray! Sounds good and it even sounds spiritual but it ain’t easy when life is tough.

--Spirit filled people like to say…Pray thru…which my interpretation of that was always that we stay at the altar until we have some kind of manifestation of God’s presence…I think it can be that but even more!

--My interpretation is that when we are in a tough situation…we worship, we treat people right, we recognize the soon coming of Christ, we don’t worry, and then, we pray until we get thru the situation.

--Worry has never changed anything but prayer has moved mountains…You are dreaming again and there is a mountain in the way…worry won’t move it but prayer can. 

Matthew 21:21-22 (NKJV)
²¹  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,'

it will be done.
²²  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

--Once we gain God’s peace thru worship and prayer God’s peace comes. Then, we can think on those things that are true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.

2. Never forsake your God given dreams! God will fulfill them!

Genesis 37:5 (NLT) ⁵ One night Joseph had a dream… 

--Joseph, as a teenager, had a dream that his brothers and his parents would someday bow down to him and they were so happy about that…might have been better to use wisdom about his dreams.

--But you see, God dreams are that way, they are so exciting and so beautiful that you cannot keep them to yourself. Note: There will always be those who will try to kill your dreams.

--When I was a youth pastor in South Louisiana…we were on a mission’s trip to Mexico…I was on the backside of a mountain praying for the evening service…also begging God to let me be a missionary there.

--God spoke in 1982 and said you will go back to La. You will eventually become a lead pastor and when you do, your mission will be to make that church a great missions church. You have heard that part of the story.

--Key…when I got back to La. I did not immediately start looking for a church to pastor. God had said I would eventually become a lead pastor…it was not something I had to force. Just be faithful!

--Soon after I returned I was invited by the A/G leadership to come to the District for an important meeting…I had no idea what was happening…I asked my lead pastor to go with me. I was under His authority.

--He already knew about the meeting…I was so humbled when those men of God began to share one by one how they saw God’s hand on my life and how God was going to use me in the ministry. Shocked.

--The Superintendent led the other leaders (20) to lay hands on me so that God would anoint me…they said I would hear from them soon about my future…OK! I did but what happened?

--I received a letter from the GC that my license has been pulled by the La. District and they were serving me notice. I immediately contacted my Superintendent to find out what was up.

--I found out how Joseph felt when he was thrown in the pit…I asked my leader if I had misunderstood the meeting I just had with them. No, it all happened the way you say but I changed my mind.

--You called me to a meeting, I came. You and everyone else laid hands on me (with you leading the prayer) and invoked God’s blessing on me to be used in a mighty way. Yes, but I changed my mind.

--I would be dishonest if I told you I handled that gently because I was confused and angry. He warned me to calm down and I encouraged him to be honest and keep his word. They pulled my license. 

--Someone got to the leader and questioned him so he told me to re-fill out all my papers and I would be re-instated. A month later…sorry I lost your papers…do it again. Happened again. 1983 moved Fla.

--Left La to come to Fla SEU to finish my degree. No longer licensed with AG going to an AG school to get an AG degree…offers to go to other denominations. God said stay and dream!

--Got married in 1984 and it was still not resolved…can’t be an AG pastor unless you are licensed or ordained. Met a Supt from Ohio and became friends…told him my story…He, Milton, and I went to Fla Supt.

--Funny…I told him my story and he told me I was lying…that couldn’t happen. It did happen. Who was in the meeting? I told him…I know this guy…I will call…everything was confirmed.

--PFDC Supt tells me to fill out their paper work and he would fight for me…not kidding…I did the paper work and they said they lost it…I almost did too…had to meet with them and do the paper work again.

--We were almost resolved to the fact that me being ordained in the AG was not going to happen…so close to giving up…no correspondence for months and one night at 10PM Supt calls:

--You have been fully re-instated with the AG and will be receiving a formal apology for the years you have been put thru this…I did. Their words humbled me:

PFDC Leadership: At a time when many are walking away from the AG and many are walking away from the faith, you have remained faithful and we thank you. You remained faithful in serving and ministering even when you did not have our formal blessing. Many of us in this room would probably not have stayed. Again forgive us and thank you.

--They laid hands on me and prayed for me. In Jan. 1989 I became youth pastor here and in 1991 I became the lead pastor…Dream again…First thing I planned (with Margaret Belew) Missions Convention. 

--Today we celebrate having 212 FP supporting 225 missionaries…this will be a banner year for Life!

Psalm 105:17-21 (NLT)
¹⁷  Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
¹⁸  They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
¹⁹  Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
²⁰  Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
²¹  Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions. 

3. When God fulfills the dream! Shout! The Lord has done great things for us!

Psalm 126:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.
²  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
³  The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.
⁴  Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South.
⁵  Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy.
⁶  He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. 

Identity Theft – 4

Identity Theft – 4

Subject: Taking Responsibility for your Identity

By Rick Welborne

Joshua 24:15&22-24 (NCV)
¹⁵  But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.“
²²  Then Joshua said, “You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the LORD.“ The people said, “Yes, we are.“
²³  Then Joshua said, “Now throw away the gods that you have. Love the LORD, the God of Israel, with all your heart.“
²⁴  Then the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God, and we will obey him.“ 

--As we continue to look at this subject of “Identity Theft” I am concerned about how our world will look going forward and what our children and grandchildren will face in the days ahead. 

--Everyday there is at least one story where this issue of gender identity is brought up…a guy who competes as a girl in weight lifting and wins the National Championship in that division.

--Issues in multiple states where men claiming their identity is female going into the women’s restrooms and videoing the ladies in there…of course you do not here this on the national news.

--Don’t misunderstand me, I truly believe these people need our help and our prayers. Most of them have been abused in one form or another and have definitely lost their way.

--It is our responsibility to show them the way not just in words but in how we live. We will more than likely have to do spiritual warfare to see them set free. We must agonize in prayer!

--Just remember, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus has the power to set all of them free just like He did for us. We should never look down our noses at others because we were lost too.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

--In our text today Joshua is getting ready to pass from the scene and he is giving some very important great instructions. The more I meditated on these verses the more I saw them in the context of our identity.

Joshua 24:15 (NCV)
¹⁵  But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.“

--That last sentence was so magnified by Holy Spirit that I could not get away from it…we must make a choice when it comes to ourselves, our families, and our determination to serve God.

1. I Choose to Find My Identity in Christ.

--It almost sounded like Joshua was trying to talk the people out of serving God…I know how your ancestors lived and how they served the gods of the Amorites. Who were these Amorites?

Amorite – People of the hill country - Bitter; rebels; babblers.

--Joshua was asking…who are you going to identify with…the Lord or your ancestors who were a bitter bunch of rebels who were mostly talk and trouble! Where are the strong?

--Where are the men who will stand up for what is right and not be afraid to be real men…God never intended men to be effeminate and emasculated. 

--I am not saying that all men have to go out and slay a dear for dinner or love sports or be able to bench press 300 pounds but I think it is time for some Joshua’s to come forth!

--Joshua said…as for me…maybe I can’t speak for anyone else but as for me…I will serve God, I will fight for what is right, and I will be a leader, I will attempt to lead my family!

--Before it was politically incorrect, little boys played army and they played cowboys and Indians. We dreamed of being the hero of every fight we were in…we imagined doing great feats! 

--We blew something up, we got rid of the bad guys, and we rescued the damsel in distress. We wanted to be the strongest, the fastest, the best. We wanted to come in on a white horse and rescue everyone.

--Kind of like Jesus when he comes back for the final battle…He is coming on a white horse and we are coming with Him to do battle with the enemies of God and we will win…shout Hallelujah! 

Revelation 19:11-14&16 (NKJV)
¹¹  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
¹²  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
¹³  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
¹⁴  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.                      ¹⁶  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

--Joshua said…as for me…there is a time to be a suffering servant and a time to be a conquering King. There is a time that a man has to rise up and say I am heading to war!

--Jesus does not sound wimpy to me! He sounds strong, powerful, protective! Listen men, trust me, your wives and ladies, in general, are still looking for their prince coming on a white horse.

--You can be that man. Feel that gap! Take your place and let your family know that as for me…I am going to serve the Lord…no more excuses…no more being weak!

--I wish some men would get on their feet and say…as for me, I will be that man!

2. You Will Help Your Family Find Their Identity in Christ.

--I am well aware of the dynamics or make up of our church when it comes to family and what that looks like for our congregation.

--We have traditional families with mom and dad and the kids. We have husbands and wives and no kids. We have singles and we have single moms. We have widows and widowers.

--Everyone is an integral part of the body of Christ that makes up Life Church A/G. All of you are important to God and to us. Someone in that family has to take the lead…we will serve the Lord. 

--As I have already stated, there are men in our church who should take the lead and lead their wife and children in the ways of God and His Word.

--Some of you single moms have a great challenge before you, in that you are trying to lead your family. You can be the one saying…as for me and my house we will serve the Lord

Isaiah 54:4-5 (NIV)
⁴  "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
⁵  For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 

--Get past the fear, the disgrace, the humiliation, the shame, your loneliness and realize that God is your husband now…He is your redeemer so let Him redeem you…As for me and my family!

--Your family is looking to you for leadership…by God’s grace make some declarations and lead. We parent or parents are the greatest hope of our kids salvation and calling. Yes, it is a tough job!

--You may say…My kids are choosing the wrong path…listen, as long as they are in your house you lead them to God, to church, to the Word…you show them the way…As for me and my house!

3. You Will Find Your Identity in Serving the Lord.

Joshua 24:15 (NCV) ¹⁵ But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.

--The Scriptures are clear, in that, we only have two choices in whom we will serve…it is either God or Mammon, money, the Cosmos, the world, the flesh, ourselves, Satan.

Matthew 6:24&31-33 (NLT)
²⁴  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
³¹  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
³²  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
³³  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 

Dave Arnold – Faith is the link that connects our weakness to God’s strength. When we depend on ourselves, people can see what we can do. When we serve and depend on God, people can see what He can do.

--As for you and your family, serve God…be faithful and watch what He will do!

2 Peter 2:9 (NCV) ⁹ So the Lord knows how to save those who serve him when troubles come. He will hold evil people and punish them, while waiting for the Judgment Day.

Listen to what Jesus said when Satan tried to tempt Him to bow down:

Luke 4:5-8 (NIV)
⁵  The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
⁶  And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
⁷  So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
⁸  Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" 

Boundary Markers – 5

Boundary Markers – 5

Subject:  The Gates

By Rick Welborne

Deuteronomy 19:14 (NLT) 

14 “When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property. 

Nehemiah 7:1-3 (NLT)
¹  After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.
²  I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
³  I said to them, “Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.” 

--A couple of weeks ago we looked at the importance of completing the wall but also making sure that the gates were secure. We cannot leave an opening for the enemy.

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

--The most important thing to remember about the gate or the door is that Jesus is not only the Keeper of the door or the gate, He is the Door.

John 10:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
⁸  All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
⁹  I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
¹⁰  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--Nehemiah built the walls and he set up the doors…what’s next? Maybe you say I have asked Jesus to forgive and to save me…I have boundaries thru His Word and Jesus is my Door…what’s next?

1. Keep a close eye on the Gate (on Jesus).

--Building a wall and installing doors are not a once and your done proposition…I believe somewhere in the Word it says for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  It takes maintenance.

--People were appointed by Nehemiah to watch the gates around the clock…to stand on the walls and to even stand in front of their homes…now that will preach!

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
¹  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 

²  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

--Realize many are watching…Realize what hinders you and get rid of it…Realize you have to run with perseverance…Realize your eyes must be on Jesus…Realize what Jesus went through.

--Nehemiah was saying the only way you will remain safe within the boundaries of the city is to keep your eyes focused on the gates and to make sure they are maintained and guarded. 

--What the writer of Hebrews was saying was for you to maintain a consistent walk with Jesus is to keep your eyes on Him…lay aside the other junk and live in safety. 

--Today many Christians want to know how much junk can we pick up and still be Christians? Keeping your eyes on Jesus means staying close to Him.

--The question arises, Am I a friend of God or a friend of this world? What’s fun today can be bondage tomorrow. 

--Do you think the person who takes there first drink ever believes they will be an alcoholic some day?  The person who smokes…addicted with lung cancer. 

--Here’s a test for all of us today…if you could choose one thing in this life, what would it be?  David says:

Psalm 27:4 (NKJV) ⁴ One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. 

2. We must look to the Word of God to remain within the boundaries of safety.

Nehemiah 8:1-2&5-6 (NLT)
¹  all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey.
²  So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.
⁵  Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.
⁶  Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 

--The first thing that the people asked for (what they desired) after the walls were built, the gates were in place and secured, they wanted to hear the Word of God. God, what are you saying to us?

--Do we love the Word of God?  A few years ago a man approached me and asked me did I realize that in that one sermon I had read 50+ Scriptures…obviously thinking that it was a little overkill. 

--I quickly thanked him that he felt he should keep a count of how many verses I read. I quickly told him nothing I said was more important than the Word of God. This is a Christian church.

--The people of Jerusalem stood for the Word, they listened for hours to the Word, they said Amen to the Word, and they bowed down and worshiped as the Word was read…God help us love the Word.

--God’s Word is transforming and it brings peace, direction, and comfort like nothing else.

Psalm 19:7-14 (NIV)
⁷  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
⁹  The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 

¹⁰  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
¹¹  By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
¹²  Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³  Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
¹⁴  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

--May we find with the psalmist the value and great worth of the Word of God. See where the Word of God led:

Nehemiah 9:2-3 (NLT)
²  Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.   Wait a minute…God did not want them mixing with other people!
³  They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the LORD their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God. 

Nehemiah 10:35 (NLT) ³⁵  “We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the LORD’s Temple year after year—whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees.

Nehemiah 10:39 (NLT) ³⁹  …“We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.”

3. We are to invite and bring more people to live and remain within the boundaries of safety.

--Nehemiah came and built the wall, restored the gates, led the people in repentance, and began the mission of getting people inside the gates of protection.  Kind of like what Jesus told us.

Matthew 22:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
⁹  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'
¹⁰  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

--We must go and compel them to come in…we catch the fish but we let God clean them.

--If every family can win a family we can easily be past one thousand in less than a year.

--Yippee, you are saved, you are in God’s Kingdom, your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but what of those who are unsaved?  We must get them in the boundaries of God’s protection.

--Here is an exciting thought…imagine 220 missionaries all around the globe and here in the US and all who they are leading to Christ…see how the Church is growing thru your efforts!

--Jesus said that all of those who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved…let’s give them that chance.

Identity Theft - 3

Identity Theft - 3

Subject – Know Your Identity by Knowing Your God

By Rick Welborne

Daniel 3:13-18 (NLT)
¹³  Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in,
¹⁴  Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up?
¹⁵  I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”
¹⁶  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.
¹⁷  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
¹⁸  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” 

--Last week we looked at Identity Theft and how it has infiltrated so many areas of our everyday lives…today we will look at how we must fight against this enemy who is trying desperately to rob from us.

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

--Most everyone in this room would do everything in your power to keep thieves out of your house and away from your possessions but we freely let in the thief into our hearts and minds. Media.

--Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are beautiful examples of how we do not have to let that happen and how we can take a stand against the onslaught of the enemy. How did they do it?

1. They knew Who their God was.

--At this time King Nebuchadnezzar has made a decision that universal idolatry would be carried out by a decree of the king and whoever would not honor it would be judged.

--This sounds so much like what is going on in America…a president can write an executive order about gender identity and expect everyone to just accept it as law. Bathroom choice. Where’s the compassion?

--Let’s think this thru…we may have a few thousand who are struggling with this…men who want to use the women’s restrooms and we want to change the laws in every state to make them feel comfortable.

--What about the millions of women and young girls who would be terribly uncomfortable with this crazy decision…what about their emotions and what about their rights.

--I can tell you, if I saw a man going in the restroom after my wife and daughter just went in…I would definitely feel that manly protection need kick into gear. Nope!

--What am I saying…what I am saying is this, we should not and hopefully will not accept everything that this world tells us we have to comply to…Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t feel that way.

--The apostles did not feel that way when they were told to stop speaking and preaching in the Name above every name and that is the Name of Jesus.

Acts 4:17-19 (NLT)
¹⁷  But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.”
¹⁸  So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
¹⁹  But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?

--The three Hebrew young men and the apostles knew who their God was and they were not about to compromise what they knew in their hearts and in the Law.

--We, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must know Who our God is and we must know our identity is found in Him, not what people try to make Him into.

--Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our God is the Great I am, our God is consisting of the Trinity…Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. Listen to these Names of God:

Almighty, Alpha, Amen, Angel of the Lord, Anointed One, Author and Perfecter of our Faith, Beginning Branch, Bread of Life, Bridegroom, Carpenter, Chief Shepherd, The Christ Comforter, Consolation of Israel, Cornerstone, Dayspring, Day Star, Deliverer, Desire of Nations, Emmanuel, End, Everlasting Father, Faithful and True Witness, Foundation, Fountain, Friend of Sinners, Gate for the Sheep, Gift of God, Glory of God, Good Shepherd, Great Shepherd, Guide, Head of the Church, High Priest, Holy One of Israel, Horn of Salvation, I Am, Jehovah, Jesus, King of Israel, King of Kings, Lamb of God, Last Adam, Life, Light of the World, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Lord of Lords, Master, Mediator, Messiah, Mighty God, Morning Star, Nazarene, Omega, Passover Lamb, Physician, Potentate, Priest, Prince of Peace, Prophet, Propitiation, Purifier, Rabbi, Ransom, Redeemer, Refiner, Refuge, Resurrection, Righteousness, Rock, Root of David, Rose of Sharon, Ruler of God's Creation, Sacrifice, Savior, Second Adam, Seed of Abraham, Seed of David, Seed of the Woman, Servant, Shepherd, Son of David, Son of God, Son of Man, Son of Mary, Son of the Most High, Stone, Sun of Righteousness, Teacher, Truth, Way Wonderful Counselor, Word, Vine

--He is the One we better stay connected to. Do you know Who your God is?

Psalm 9:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.
⁸  He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
⁹  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰  And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. 

2. They knew who was not their God.

- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that King Nebuchadnezzar was not their god and he was not the one in whom they found their identity. Though they were slaves in a foreign land they knew God’s promises.

--Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon…though they were in captivity…listen to this promise:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)
¹¹  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
¹²  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
¹³  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
¹⁴  I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

--What was this saying to them and what is it saying to us? God will show up in the middle of what this cosmos is trying to force down our throats and we do not have to conform to their demands.

--Keeping your identity may mean a turning up of the heat, it may mean you are singled out to be the one targeted. That’s ok if you understand “If God be for you, who can be against you?”

--These guys knew that serving God may cost them something, in their case it may cost them everything! They knew that whether by life or by death, they were not going to forget who they were in God.

--They knew that ultimately the One to Whom they would bow their knee would not be King Nebuchadnezzar but to the Lord God Almighty…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

 --The earthly king could only affect their earthly life but many of us are looking for something better…we are looking for a city whose Builder and Maker is God. Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 10:28 (NIV) ²⁸  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew their identity was in God and not Nebuchadnezzar. 

3. They knew they could trust God even in the fire.

--When you know Who your God is and you know who your god is not…you are in a better place to trust God in the fire. I pray that our faith increases more and more.

--After serving God for such a long time and studying the Word for all those years I have concluded that God does not always answer the way we want Him to or as quickly as we want Him to.

--People tell me that all we have to do is believe and receive. Many today would say these Hebrew young men did not have faith by their response to the king:

Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT)
¹⁶  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.
¹⁷  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
¹⁸  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” 

--When they said “but even if He doesn’t” they were not speaking faith or were they? These boys just might die…die trusting God.

--Listen to Job and Jesus…they knew their identity in God and knew they could trust Him no matter what.

Job 13:15-16 (NIV)
¹⁵  Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.
¹⁶  Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him! 

Matthew 26:42 (NLT)
⁴²  Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”