Feast or Famine – 5

Subject: True Disciples

by Rick Welborne

Proverbs 3:5-10 (NKJV)
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

John 21:15-19 (NLT)
¹⁵  After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
¹⁶  Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
¹⁷  A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
¹⁸  “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”
¹⁹  Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” 

--Last week we looked at the parable of the dead tree and hopefully, many of you were ministered to by Holy Spirit and the Word.

--Today I want to look at those who were closest to the Lord…those who ate with Him, traveled with Him, ministered with Him, and those who spent three years with Him.

--How we can relate to the disciples are those of us who have been saved by Him, who have been baptized in Holy Spirit, who have served Him for 20, 30, 40 years or even more.

--The disciples were pretty much going on with their normal lives and one day Jesus shows up and changes everything. He calls them to be His disciples and they willingly follow.

--We too were living our lives separated from Jesus and His Kingdom…many of us were bound by habits, alcohol, drugs, inappropriate relationships but all of us bound by our sin and lost.

--Can you imagine with the disciples, being called by this miracle worker Who walks around healing people and setting those free who were oppressed by the devil. This is cool and powerful!

--Just think of God empowering you with Holy Spirit to go out and heal people seeing them set free from whatever bondage they were in…I remember the personal joy of being in His Kingdom and sharing with others.

--The disciples immediately began to think of the promises of the coming Messiah and what His Kingdom would look like especially with them sitting at His right hand and His left.

--Images of Jesus sitting on His throne, Him ruling over the Romans who had oppressed them for so long, and them sitting beside Him in majesty and power…how cool would that be. 

--Many of us may have come into God’s Kingdom so glad to be freed from sin and bondage and have an idea of coming glory in our lives. Maybe we came up in churches that convinced us everything would be well.

--There has been a false gospel preached that says once you receive Jesus…you would be healthy, wealthy, and free from the trials of this life…Can I say “It ain’t so!” Life happens to all of us…good and bad.

--Today we will look at the concept or reality of being a true disciple. Many go from feast to famine because they misunderstand what being a disciple for Christ means. Let’s look at three concepts: out, in, and thru!

1. True disciples are brought “out” of all their problems.

--Really? Many people come into the Kingdom of God thinking that if I simply receive Jesus that all will be well…their bodies healed, their finances turned around, their family reconciled, and simply no problems.

--I think preachers are much to blame for this because we do not share the reality that Jesus will save you and write your name in the book of life but that life may be tumultuous and simply difficult. So much pain.

--I think many people stop reading the chapter in the Bible that talks about the heroes of faith because the beginning sounds much better than the ending…After a long list of great people of faith, listen to the report.

Hebrews 11:33-39 (NLT)
³³  By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,
³⁴  quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
³⁵  Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.
³⁶  Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.
³⁷  Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.
³⁸  They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
³⁹  All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 

--We see the disciples being disappointed where Jesus was leading them. Again, they thought that serving the Messiah would be glorious and even glamorous…can’t wait to show those Romans.

--They followed Jesus (not listening to Him – we are not reading the Book) He spoke of being crucified and rising on the third day but all they could see was Jesus delivering them out of all their problems. Ruling!

--The night Jesus was arrested, all these fair weather followers, deserted Him and went into hiding.

--Where was the bold apostle Peter who was going to follow no matter what?

Matthew 26:33-35 (NCV)
³³  Peter said, “Everyone else may stumble in their faith because of you, but I will not.“
³⁴  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows you will say three times that you don’t know me.“
³⁵  But Peter said, “I will never say that I don’t know you! I will even die with you! “ And all the other followers said the same thing. 

--Even after Jesus’ resurrection and as He was about to ascend to heaven the disciples were asking…is this our time to come out of all these problems…is this Kingdom time?

Acts 1:6-8 (NKJV)
⁶  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
⁷  And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
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."

--Even the angel had to ask them, why do stand here gazing up into the heavens…get your heads out of the clouds and do what Jesus said to do because He is coming back someday!

2. True disciples are helped “in” all their problems.

Romans 8:31-39 (NKJV)
³¹  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
³²  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
³³  Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
³⁴  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
³⁵  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶  As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
³⁷  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
³⁸  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
³⁹  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

--These things (31)…what things… tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword? All these things… death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us…I guess He helps “in” our problems.

--We want God to take us out of all of our problems and sometimes He does but most of the time He sustains us “in” all these things. Think about Jesus – He was crucified…Into your hand I commit my Spirit.

Andrew: Martyrdom by crucifixion.

Bartholomew (Often identified with Nathaniel in the New Testament): Martyrdom by being either beheaded or flayed alive and crucified, head downward.

James the Greater: Martyrdom by being beheaded or stabbed with a sword.

James the Lesser: Martyrdom by being thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple at Jerusalem, then stoned and beaten with clubs.

John: Died of old age after they tried killing him in boiling oil.

Jude (Often identified with Thaddeus in the New Testament): Martyrdom by being beaten to death with a club.

Judas: Suicide.

Matthew: Martyrdom by being burned, stoned, or beheaded.

Peter: Martyrdom by crucifixion at Rome with his head downwards.

Philip: Martyrdom.

Simon: Martyrdom by crucifixion or being sawn in half.

Thomas: Martyrdom by being stabbed with a spear.

--What we spoiled Americans forget is that this life is only a vapor (James) that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. This life is not all there is for us who love Jesus.

--Jesus said, “In” this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome this world. Jn 16.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
¹⁶  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
¹⁷  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
¹⁸  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

--“In” our living Jesus is there, “in” our dying Jesus is there, “in” our suffering Jesus is there, “in” our loss of loved ones Jesus is there, “in” our lack Jesus is there, “in” our family crisis Jesus is there. “In” all Jesus is there.

--Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb.12) and realize He is with us “in” all these things…Remember what Jesus does “in” you is more important than what He does for you.

3. True disciples are brought thru all their problems. 

I've had many tears and sorrows                                        
I've had questions for tomorrow
There've been times I didn't know right from wrong
But in every situation
God gave blessed consolation
That my trials only come to make me strong

I've been a lot of places
And I've seen so many faces
But there've been times I've felt so all alone
But in that lonely hour
In that precious, lonely hour
Jesus let me know I was His own

Through it all, through it all
I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God
Through it all, through it all
I've learned to depend upon His Word

So I thank God for the mountains
And I thank Him for the valleys
I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through
'Cause if I never had a problem
I wouldn't know that He could solve them
I wouldn't know what faith in His Word could do

Through it all, through it all
I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God
Through it all, through it all
I've learned to depend upon His Word
Yes, I've learned to depend upon His Word
I've learned to depend upon His Word 

Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV)
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

--Trust Him and He will direct you through!

Open the Double Doors – 4

Subject: Shut the Doors - Continued

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 45:1-3 (NKJV)
1  "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-- To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
2  'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.
3  I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 

Malachi 1:10-11 (NKJV)
10  "Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," Says the LORD of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
11  For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations," Says the LORD of hosts.

--Last week we talked about verses that speak about shutting the doors and why God would tell a church or individual believers to shut their doors.

--Sometimes I think we have no clue what it is God expects of us as followers of Christ but in Malachi He gives us a glimpse of His expectations. 

--Some either believe or act like God has no expectations of us after we receive Him but the Scriptures are clear of what He wants from us…So what does He want, expect, or most of all, deserve?

1. God deserves our honor.

Honor - regard with great respect: 

synonyms: esteem · respect · admire · defer to · look up to · appreciate · value ·cherish · adore · reverence · revere · venerate · worship · put on a pedestal

--The Lord was saying in Malachi…you show honor to these worldly people in authority but where is the honor that is due my Name. Where is esteem, respect, and admiration for My Name and Authority?

2. God deserves honor when it comes to complete obedience.

--I hope you do not miss what was happening in Malachi…it was not that the people were not doing what they were supposed to do…it was that they were only doing it partially. Much negligence. 

Malachi 1:8 (NKJV)
8  And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts. 

--When the people brought their lamb or sacrifice to the Lord as an offering, it was supposed to be the best they had to offer…it was in the law and commands.

Exodus 12:5 (NKJV)
⁵  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

--How many of you are glad that when it came to our redemption…our salvation…that God did not give us His second best but He gave the best heaven had to offer…Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NKJV)
¹⁸  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
¹⁹  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

--The children of Israel were bringing their sacrifices to the house of the Lord but they were not bringing their best…The Lord said it was evil for them to bring defected offerings to God.

--They were being obedient to bring an offering but they were only being partially obedient. 

A. Partial obedience is disobedience…Saul.

B. Temporary obedience is disobedience…Demas. 

C. Delayed obedience is disobedience…Jesus said follow Me…Follow Me now!

D. Careless obedience is disobedience…Prodigal son’s older brother.

3. God says shut the doors.

--Shut the doors if you are unwilling to bring your best, your first, and your all!

--Tonight I felt we must continue this discussion about why God would be so upset with His Church or His people that He would tell them to shut their doors…Bible was not written in Chapters and verses.

Malachi 2:1-9 (NLT)
¹  “Listen, you priests—this command is for you!
²  Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart.
³  I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile.
⁴  Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
⁵  “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.
⁶  They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.
⁷  “The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
⁸  But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
⁹  “So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.” 

1. God says, “Honor My Name and give Me glory!”

--In verse 1 He calls them priests…wow! I am so glad because I am not a priest…I am just a church attender so this message is not for me.  Not so fast, Slick!

1 Peter 2:8-10 (NLT)
⁸  And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
⁹  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
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.” 

--They stumble because they do not obey God’s Word…they stumble because they do not honor God with their best and with their all.

--God has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light, not so we can give Him tokens or second best, but so we can rule as holy royal priests. Why? We had no identity and no mercy and now we have both!

--The Lord says to make up your minds to honor Him and if you do not, then, there will be terrible consequences…wait a minute, preacher…my name is in the Book so I am good. Really?

--In verse 2 He says…I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart. Consequences!

--Sounds like, to me, that God is serious about honoring Him, trusting Him, and loving Him. It almost sounds like we are either hot or cold with God because lukewarm doesn’t get it.

Mark 12:29-30 (NKJV)
²⁹  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
³⁰  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.

--Love Him and honor Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…sounds serious. Do we give all? If we need a really good reason to honor God, this would be it:

Malachi 2:3 (NLT)

3 I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile. 

--Some think that their personal sin has no effect on their children as long as they do not know what you are doing or the sin you are involved in…wrong thinking…how I live directly affects my kids.

Exodus 20:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  And God spoke all these words, saying:
²  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
³  You shall have no other gods before Me.
⁴  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
⁵  you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
⁶  but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 

2. God says, “You must fear My Name!”

Malachi 2:5 (NLT)
⁵  “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.

--NKJV says that they must fear Me and reverence His Name…where is the fear of the Lord when we have no problem living anyway we want to and still claim to be a Christian?

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, 

John Bevere - He said, “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 the glory of corruptible man. They served God in the image they had created–not by His true image, but by their own standards.

–Ever since I became a Christian I have often been very troubled by how people treat God so disrespectfully ...no fear or reverence. Young man at Central Freight Lines in Texas. 

--How can we expect God to open windows, doors, or double doors when we will not give Him honor or glory and when we will not have a healthy fear or reverence for Him?

Psalm 111:10 (NIV)
¹⁰  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

3. God said, “You must honor your spouse!”

--This third thing tonight is in no way to bring condemnation to anyone here but it is to show how far we have strayed from God’s Word and His truth.

Malachi 2:13-16 (NCV)
¹³  This is another thing you do. You cover the LORD’S altar with your tears. You cry and moan, because he does not accept your offerings and is not pleased with what you bring.
¹⁴  You ask, “Why?“ It is because the LORD sees how you treated the wife you married when you were young. You broke your promise to her, even though she was your partner and you had an agreement with her.
¹⁵  God made husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit for his purpose—so they would have children who are true to God. So be careful, and do not break your promise to the wife you married when you were young.
¹⁶  The LORD God of Israel says, “I hate divorce. And I hate people who do cruel things as easily as they put on clothes,“ says the LORD All-Powerful. So be careful. And do not break your trust. 

--Hear me…how we treat our spouses has a direct effect on whether our prayers are answered or not.

1 Peter 3:7 (NLT)
⁷  In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

Feast or Famine – 3

Subject: The Dead Tree

by Rick Welborne

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

Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV) ¹  Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ²  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. ³  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 

--Today we are continuing the series about feast or famine…about revival or backsliding…about how life is either really, really good or that it is almost not worth living.

--If you around me very long, you see that I talk about real situations and the lessons that can be learned from our accomplishments and our mistakes. The good and the bad.

--Before we went on vacation the trees in our yard were obviously past due on needing to be trimmed. Five acres of trees (3 ½ pasture and 1 ½ yard) is a little overwhelming with two small bow saws and a dull axe.

--The three days before we left (with Josh’s help) we trimmed limbs low enough we could reach…We had to make sure my daughter was not hitting her head as she rode her horse. The heat was crazy.

--A very kind family in our church (Simons) came over and trimmed the trees in our front yard and due to the goodness of their hearts they waited until we had left on vacation…oh man!!! What a blessing!!!

--When we returned from vacation I started again trimming trees. I must admit I was using it as a workout and in this Florida heat it was more than that. One Saturday after tennis I decided to take on this dead tree. Video!

--A few years ago I preached a message called The Parable of the Mountain Biker but today I want to speak to you a message…The Parable of the Dead Tree.

1. Something traumatic happened to the tree.

--The tree was standing among all the other trees…one day without warning, lightning strikes.

Life is just that way…everything is going well and suddenly something horrible happens. 

--You did not see it coming…you could not have predicted it and it does not quite seem fair…bad things happen to good people.

--We often forget that sin is still prevalent in this world and until Jesus puts all things under His feet (the last being death) bad things will happen to good people.

Matthew 5:44-45 (NKJV) ⁴⁴  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

--Because of our Western mentality, we totally misunderstand this verse…we assume rain is bad because it keeps us from being able to go out and play.

--In Biblical times, they were constantly dealing with drought so rain was good…good happens to the evil and to the good, bad things happen to the evil and the good. Life happens to all of us.

--Law enforcement officers are trying to do good, but as we see way too often, bad things happen to them. Lightning strikes. As I was preparing this message, another officer was killed.

--Why didn’t lightning strike one of the other trees…in actuality, another tree in the yard was hit that day and it died also. We have lost trees to lightning, to disease, to pests. Trees are lost to fires and some to drought.

--Actually, trees are so much like us or we are so much like trees…everything can be fine until one traumatic event changes everything. One strike, one disease, one fire, one disaster.

--You have often heard of my restaurant ministry…years ago I met a young lady by the name of Holly. I would share Christ with her. Eventually my whole family got to know her…for two years we witnessed to her.

One day as we were going to Moes to have lunch, Holly and her mom were coming out. We met her mom and she said we are coming to your church next Sunday…they came…Holly was gloriously saved. PTL!

--The following Thursday at age 22 lightning struck and Holly was killed in a car crash. Because of her new life in Christ, she tried to break up with her boyfriend, he drug her into his car and crashed into a tree going eighty.

--Of course we were in shock. Some said it wasn’t fair that she died so young after becoming a Christian…let me tell you what was not fair…God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die for us. All of us.

--A fair and loving God gave Holly another chance to give her heart and life to Jesus Christ after two years of resisting…she did! And because she did, her name was written in the Lambs Book of Life.

2. The tree dies because of the trauma it experienced.

--Unless there is some outward destruction to the tree, you would think (at least for a while) that the tree is ok. 

--The tree planted by the waters still has it leafs and is still producing fruit but not the dead tree…after a while the leafs and the fruit begin to change.

--What we cannot see is that something on the inside begins to die and eventually the leaves begin to wither.

--When that traumatic event happens to us, if we do not trust the Lord with all our hearts, we can begin to die on the inside. We do not welcome the water of Holy Spirit to pour in us and thru us.

--One of the things Josh and I could not believe about this dead tree was how hard the wood or trunk was. It was like trying to saw thru steel or hitting concrete with an axe. 

--This tree is empty of all the life flowing ingredients that used to course from bottom to top and now it is dry, dead, and hard. Amazingly, it is still standing. Do you see where I am heading?

--It is no longer like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. It is a tree that is still standing among all the other trees but is obviously dead. The leaves have withered and nothing is coming out…no acorns…no fruit.

Luke 6:43-44 (NKJV) ⁴³  "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴  For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

--So many are standing in churches Sunday after Sunday…maybe something traumatic happened to them or just maybe they allowed themselves to drift far from the Lord…The point is that they are dry, hard, and dead. 

--We think no one notices but it may be more obvious than you think.

--Think about it…when you look at a beautiful forest or even a small set of trees that are green and flourishing, it is not hard to look among those trees and see the one that is unproductive and dead.

--We keep coming, we keep pretending to be alive, we keep standing in church, and we keep lifting up our limbs (our arms) hoping beyond hope that no one sees how empty and dead we are.

Revelation 3:1-3 (NLT) ¹  “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. ²  Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. ³  Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. 

--You sit thru sermon after sermon, may be even be a rare breed and come to Sunday School, you may even keep up your personal devotions but something is missing…you are not trusting God with all your heart.

John 5:39-40 (NIV) ³⁹  You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 

⁴⁰  yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

--That traumatic event (really the devil) has convinced you God is not good and your once productive life for Jesus has withered away. God is patiently waiting for you to come to Him so you can have life.

Ephesians 4:17-18 (NLT) ¹⁷  With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 

--Hear this strong Word…they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against Him…Every new storm or new test that comes we break off piece by piece…debris scattered all around you. People see!

--Tragically, churches are full of these people…they will not turn to God or seek Holy Spirit and they are angry and bitter…they no longer go to God so they take it out on people (usually family and church friends).

3. The tree is cut down.

--Again: Show the video without sound. Without sound because there is nothing funny about being cut down.

The destination for this dead tree is the burn pile in the back pasture.

--We have become so seeker sensitive in the church that we really do not want to tell people that there are only two options…Fire or Fire…Jesus had no trouble when He talked to religious people.

Matthew 3:7-11 (NKJV) ⁷  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹  and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

--Jesus says that we can either be thrown into the fire or we can be filled with Holy Spirit and fire…the two choices are still fire or fire.

--I am so glad Jesus would not give believers a similar choice…Really?

John 15:1-6 (NCV) ¹  “I am the true vine; my Father is the gardener. ²  He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit. And he trims and cleans every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. ³  You are already clean because of the words I have spoken to you. ⁴  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me. ⁵  “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing. ⁶  If any do not remain in me, they are like a branch that is thrown away and then dies. People pick up dead branches, throw them into the fire, and burn them. 

--Keep playing the video over and over during the altar call but without sound!