The Fruit of the Spirit - 1

The Fruit of the Spirit - 1

Subject: Learning to Walk in the Fruit of the Spirit

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.

--Tonight we are starting a new series that I feel will be a parallel series with Sunday Mornings – Make Disciples. It is all about walking out our faith every day.

--Notice the verses about the fruit of the Spirit are in opposition to the verses that speak about the works of the flesh…Notice the difference:

Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJV)
¹⁹  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
²⁰  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
²¹  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

--Because we are making a determination to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and because to do that we have to avoid the works of the flesh…notice carefully the sexual sins mentioned in these verses:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT2)
⁹  Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
¹⁰  or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
¹¹  Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

--Sometimes we can be accused of being narrow minded even judgmental when it comes to sin but let us be very clear…the Word of God says people who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

--This is not any of the pastors at Life Church or even the Assemblies of God…it is the Word of God which is our final authority when it comes to truth.

--But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit there should be the evidence of fruit in our lives...may I say it gently but pointedly, if we do not have the fruit of the Spirit, we more than likely are not filled with the Spirit.

--Please do not try to tell me that someone who is hateful, has no joy, restless, impatient, rude, mean, unfaithful, coarse, and has no self-control is filled with the Holy Spirit. They are filled with something for sure.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control. 

--Let us look at how the Holy Spirit can help us to produce and manifest the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: The initial physical evidence is speaking in tongues. Ongoing evidence – fruit of Spirit.

1. The Fruit of the Spirit - Love

- Love as the fruit of the Spirit is a supernatural thing...there are times we need God, to love others. There are times that people can be difficult and we need more than what we have in the tank. 

Romans 5:5 (NIV)
⁵  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

--Even though love in the Spirit is a supernatural thing we cannot take away the human element and our responsibility. Let me give an example:

Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
²  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
³  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
⁴  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
⁵  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

--The fruit of love is supernatural but we continue to grow in our walk with Christ. What these verses are saying is that everything we go through is either helping us grow spiritually or frustrating us. 

--God provides the power we need but we have to be disciplined to use or implement it into our lives. Tribulations can put us under or they can teach us perseverance. We grow!

--As we walk in Holy Spirit and we face tribulations, He gives us supernatural power to be able to persevere which in turn helps us to increase in character. And as we grow in character, we have hope in God.

--As we tie this to the fruit of love in our lives, you and I can grow more and more in our faith, in our walk, and in our love because Holy Spirit is right there pouring into our lives. 

--The God Who saved us has provided the greatest motivation for us to live in and operate in the fruit of the Spirit - Love. So why should we be motivated to have the fruit of love?

Romans 5:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
⁹  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
¹⁰  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

--How could Stephen pray for those who were stoning him unless something supernatural was going on in his life and spirit man?

Acts 7:55-60 (NKJV)
⁵⁵  But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
⁵⁶  and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
⁵⁷  Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
⁵⁸  and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹  And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
⁶⁰  Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

--Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit…how important is it for us to be filled with God’s power when we have to deal with people who want to bring us harm?

--Hopefully we do not have anyone or any group who is wanting to stone us (take us for granite) but be assured your love will be tested by family, friends, co-workers, brothers, and sisters. It will happen!

--When you are in the middle of your battle or your test, what do you see? Because Stephen was truly full of the Spirit’s power…he saw Jesus at the right hand of God and he saw God’s glory.

--Again, what do we see when faced with difficult people? Do you see anger, revenge, hatred, bitterness and trying to figure someway to pay them back? You are not Spirit-filled!

--Try to grasp this…He was praying for the very people who were trying to destroy him, who were actually killing him. That’s love…supernatural love…that is the fruit of love birthed out of Holy Spirit. 

Romans 12:17-21 (NKJV)
¹⁷  Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
¹⁸  If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
¹⁹  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
²⁰  Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

--Please do not try to tell me that you love God if you do not love your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

1 John 4:19-21 (NLT2)
¹⁹  We love each other because he loved us first.
²⁰  If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
²¹  And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. 

--Let me give you a personal example of struggling to love a brother, a fellow pastor, a friend! I took this young pastor under my wing…loved him, fellowshipped with him, and blessed him financially.

--I helped him get started in the ministry, to launch his church…Life Church even gave to him to help him get started. I let him preach in my pulpit. I considered him a very close friend.

--One day I met him on the tennis court to play tennis and I saw several men from our church getting out of their cars. Being innocent and naïve I asked what they were doing there.

--I got one of the biggest punches in the gut when this pastor said boldly and proudly…Pastor Rick, I am coming after your people, especially the ones with money. I was hurt and I was in shock.

--I got my composure enough to say to him…If you will steal another man’s sheep, you will steal another man’s wife…it is spiritual adultery. He called me a very disrespectful name.

--He said, I will build the fastest growing church in Central Florida and it will be the place to be…and I do not care how I do it. I told him it would never stand and I walked away.

--My flesh wanted to lay hands on him but I didn’t. One day while driving past his church that was growing fast (he stole about 7 families from our church – friends), God spoke to me.

--Rick, do you want me to bless you? I knew it was a set-up. I answered, Of course I do. Pray for this pastor and his church every day! After some intense arguing (I lost), I said yes, Lord, I will pray for them.

--I learned a valuable lesson during that time, you can’t hate or stay angry with someone you pray for every day. I started having compassion for him and found myself weeping over him. This is weird!

--I saw him in a restaurant one day and he was broken…The Lord said for me to go pray for him. All of a sudden supernatural power came over me and the fruit of the Spirit (love) filled my heart.

--He shared how life was going horrible at his church and I wept and prayed for him. I was obedient. He kept going the same direction…his church fell apart, and yes he committed adultery…lost his family.

--God blessed me, those people came back to our church and the same fruit that helped me love this pastor also helped to love these families as they returned…it works. 

1 John 4:13-18 (NKJV)
¹³  By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
¹⁴  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
¹⁵  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
¹⁶  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
¹⁷  Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
¹⁸  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 

Love That Covers a Multitude of Sins – 8

Love That Covers a Multitude of Sins – 8

Subject: Seven Times Seventy

by Rick Welborne

1 Peter 4:7-8 (NLT2)
⁷  The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
⁸  Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT2)
²¹  Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
²²  “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
²³  “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.
²⁴  In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.
²⁵  He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.
²⁶  “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’
²⁷  Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
²⁸  “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
²⁹  “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded.
³⁰  But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
³¹  “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.
³²  Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.
³³  Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’
³⁴  Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
³⁵  “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” 

1. Stop keeping score.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
⁴  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
⁵  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
⁶  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
⁷  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸  Love never fails. 

Franklin – No matter how many times you have been hurt, the Bible is clear about one thing: We must forgive. Want to love like you have never been hurt? Start forgiving.

A. Forgiveness does not mean you forget what happened.

B. Forgiveness does not release the offender from consequences. 

C. Forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation.

2. Start losing count…forgive.

Matthew 18:32-35 (NLT2)
³²  Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.
³³  Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’
³⁴  Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
³⁵  “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” 

Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT2)
¹⁴  “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
¹⁵  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

3. Forgiving is about trusting the Lord.

Christmas 2018

Christmas 2018

Subject - How Did God Break into Our Universe

by Rick Welborne

Luke 1:26‑38 (NKJV) 

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 

30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 

34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 

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

36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 

37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 

38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 

The Incarnation - the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man.

1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV) 

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 

Exodus 3:14 (NKJV) 

14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM."....

1. How the creator of the universe broke into His universe He created. 

A. He broke into the universe by doing the impossible: 

Luke 1:37 (NKJV) 

37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 

Genesis 18:14 (NKJV) 

14 Is anything too hard for the LORD?

Job 42:2 (NKJV) 

2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 

Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV) 

17 'Ah, Lord GOD, Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. 

B. God broke into the universe by choosing to enter thru a virgin:

Luke 1:26-27 (NKJV)

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 

Luke 1:35 (NKJV)

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

C. He broke into the universe by choosing for His Son a legal human father who would be an heir of David, the King of Israel:

Luke 1:26-27 (NKJV)

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 

Revelation 22:16 (NKJV) 

16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

D. God broke into this universe by sending His Holy Spirit with divine power to impregnate the virgin Mary with a divine child:

Luke 1:34 (NKJV)

34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 

Luke 1:35 (NKJV)

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

2. Who it was Who came from this in-breaking of God into His universe.

Luke 1:32-33 (NKJV)

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

–There are 4 words in our text to answer that: Holy, Son of God, Son of Most High, Jesus, and forever!

Luke 1:35 (NKJV)

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

Holy - pure, good, without any defect or deficiency, or blemish - this word is full of hope for us because it means that this person is fit to die as the spotless Lamb of God for us and our sins.

–Son of God and son of the Most High...(32&35)This means He broke into the universe and became both human and divine. The king Who rules the world is not just the King of Israel as the son of David but:

–Jesus - shall call His name JESUS (31) - His Name means Savior!  Therefore, the king of the universe is given the Name Savior...not Savior of the righteous but Savior of sinners:

1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV) 

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 

–God broke into the universe to be a holy, divine, saving king! And it will be forever!

Luke 1:33 (NKJV)

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 

–God broke into His universe to be a holy, divine, saving king…forever! Who did God do all this for?  You!

John 3:16 (NKJV) 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

2018 Believe in Christmas

2018 Believe in Christmas

Subject: Helping People to Believe in Christmas

by Rick Welborne

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
¹⁹  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
²⁰  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
²²  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
²³  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
²⁴  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
²⁵  and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

--As a sinner it was hard for me to believe this story…last week I shared how as a teenager it was so difficult for me to conceive of the thought that Jesus was born to a virgin. I mocked the thought.

--We were not atheists in our home…matter of fact we had the big beautiful Bible on the coffee table…it was revered for a while but eventually evolved to a place for coffee cups and ash trays. We didn’t read it.

--We believed in celebrating Christmas in a sense…we had a Christmas tree and my dad would always put up some type of Christmas decorations outside. Remember the big ugly Christmas bulbs?

--I remember my mom ticking off my dad by telling him that he had made our house look like a liquor store instead of a decorated house. Of course, this story escalated late one night as we watched TV.

--Someone started shaking our front door and beating on the door like a mad man. My dad goes to the door, opens it, and there standing in front of him was a crazy drunk asking, “Is this Jack’s Bar?” Mom loved it!

--I said all that to say this…to a point we believed in Christmas and celebrated the only way we knew how but obviously we did not believe in Christ. How do we believe in this Christ of Christmas?

1. To believe in Christmas and to believe in the Christ of Christmas we must see God’s involvement.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
¹⁷  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

--This beautiful baby lying in a manger was God’s doing. He gave us the best gift ever…His only Son!

--God loved us so much that He gave us His Son…listen to what He says…Whoever believes in His Son should not perish but have everlasting life. God wants us saved and this is the beginning place. 

2. To believe in Christmas and to believe in the Christ of Christmas we must see Jesus as the only way.

Acts 4:10-12 (NLT2)
¹⁰  Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.
¹¹  For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’
¹²  There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” 

--Isn’t it true, as long as we are sincere, Pastor Rick, that it does not matter what we believe? Think that through. What if someone sincerely thought they could fly. They decide to jump out of a plane!

--They are sincere and they have convinced themselves they can fly so why not jump? Here’s why not…they will be sincerely dead. They want have the guts to do that again.

--Faith is a leap of faith and it can be scary to jump. The man who jumped out of the plane thinking he could fly went against the law of gravity. The one who believes in the Christ of Christmas believes in God’s law...

¹²  There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” 

--Lots of people are sincerely going to miss this Christ of Christmas…they may be sincere about their good works, their empty religion, or their god (little g). No other Name but Jesus!

3. To believe in Christmas and to believe in the Christ of Christmas we must receive the free gift.

--I love the story of the Samaritan woman at the well that Jesus encounters and offers this free gift:

John 4:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."
⁸  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
⁹  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
¹⁰  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

--Yes, I want you to believe in Christmas, yes, I want you to believe in the Christ of Christmas, but I also want you to receive the gift of Christmas…If you knew the gift of God. 

--You would ask Him and you would receive living water…salvation and Holy Spirit!

God’s Path Finders - 7

God’s Path Finders - 7

Subject: Finding God’s Divine Direction in Our Lives

by Rick Welborne

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

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

Matthew 5:17‑19 (NLT) 

17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 

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

19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

–Faithfulness to God...This is what God is calling us to...His clarion call is going out from His servants to be faithful to God above all else.

–God is calling us to be extraordinary in our giving of ourselves and of our finances, in our service to Him, in the gifts He has given to us.

–He is calling us to be faithful in our obedience, in being filled with His Spirit, in not comparing ourselves with one another, in the sharing His gospel because of the reality of heaven and hell.

–He is calling us to be faithful to His House because Jesus is the High Priest over His House. He deserves our faithfulness to come and worship Him.

–We need to be faithful to God because the days we are living in are evil. So much temptation to fall into. 

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

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

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

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

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

1. Our finding God’s path and our faithfulness to God’s standard cannot be based on political correctness. 

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

–Example - You can go to a doctor and get a legal (by law) abortion but it is wrong according to God’s standard. God says you shall not kill.

Jeremiah 1:4‑7 (NLT) 

4 The LORD gave me this message: 

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

6 “O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” 

7 The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 

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

1 Thessalonians 5:17‑18 (NLT) 

17 Never stop praying. 

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

–Government says we cannot teach Him in the schools.

Acts 5:27‑29 (NKJV) 

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

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

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

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

–I am glad you brought that up, Preacher...Where is God in all these situations?  Maybe your political correctness has blinded your eyes...God is all we have in all this. He is as close as a prayer.

John 16:33 (NKJV) 

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

–As a believer our standard has to be God’s Standard...His Word. It does not matter what you feel, what you think, what you are told or indoctrinated with, your standard is or should be the Word of God. Choose to obey!

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

Matthew 19:4‑6 (NLT) 

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

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

–What if I am sincere...Paul was sincere when he was killing Christians but he was sincerely wrong...When he had an encounter with God not only did his standard change but the feelings that went with it.

1 Corinthians 15:9 (NLT) 

9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 

2. Our finding God’s path and our faithfulness to God’s standard cannot be connected to presuming on God’s grace.

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

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

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

Here is the standard He has for us:

Romans 6:1‑8 (NLT) 

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

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

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

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

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 

6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 

7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 

8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 

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

Romans 6:15‑18 (NLT) 

15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 

16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 

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

18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. 

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

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

Hebrews 10:26‑31 (NLT) 

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

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

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

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

30 For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The LORD will judge his own people.” 

31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

3. Our finding God’s path and our faithfulness to God’s standard (His Word) will help us grow into mature Christ followers.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) 

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

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

Hebrews 4:12‑16 (NLT) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 14:26 (NLT) 

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

Isaiah 59:19‑21 (NKJV) 

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

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

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

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

Love That Covers a Multitude of Sins – 7

Love That Covers a Multitude of Sins – 7

Subject: Mary’s Choices

by Rick Welborne

1 Peter 4:7-8 (NLT2)
⁷  The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
⁸  Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

2 Chronicles 33:1-2 (NLT2)
¹  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.
²  He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:12 (NLT2)
¹²  But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.

1. I am wrong!

James 4:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

2. Forgive me!

--All the Pharisee could see was his own righteousness and in his arrogance saw himself better than everyone else. All the tax collector could do was bow his head and say to the Lord, have mercy, forgive me. 

3. Thank you!

Psalm 106:1 (NKJV)
¹  Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 

I am wrong…forgive me…thank you!

--Today’s message: As we enter this first week of December and this Christmas season, I want to continue this series…Love that covers a multitude of sins.

--Jesus’ coming definitely is the ultimate when it comes to any act of love that covers all of our sins. His coming as that baby in a manger embodied all the hope we have. This sums it all up:

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
¹⁷  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

--With Christmas so near, I could easily preach on the thought…God loved…talk about love that covers sin… His love…this one act of love (giving His Son Jesus) covers (takes care of) all our sins.

--Not only God loved…but also God gave. He didn’t give some token gift but He gave us the very best that heaven had to offer…His One and only Son. He came and died to cover our sins. Cover as a verb:

Cover - If you cover something, you place something else over it in order to protect it, hide it, or close it.

--God has placed something else over our sins to cover them…what would that be? The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all of our sins. Our sins are cast into the sea…hidden! The issue is closed as far as God is concerned. 

--Not only God loved, and not only God gave, but also God saved! Jesus came to be our Savior!

Luke 2:8-11 (NKJV)
⁸  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
¹⁰  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
¹¹  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

--As I studied and prayed, I felt Holy Spirit kept leading back to this young Jewish girl that would be chosen by God to give birth to this Savior of the world…Jesus the Christ! Let’s read the story:

Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)
²⁶  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
²⁷  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
²⁸  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
²⁹  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
³⁰  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
³¹  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
³²  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
³³  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
³⁴  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
³⁵  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
³⁶  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
³⁷  For with God nothing will be impossible."
³⁸  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

--I felt as I prayed about this incredibly wonderful awesome story, God led me to the choices that Mary had to make with this encounter and how that relates to the choices we have to make. 

1. Mary had to choose to believe the impossible was possible with God.

--Lest you think me to be a heretic…one of the most difficult parts of Christianity for me to accept was the virgin birth of Jesus. That’s impossible! That’s even ridiculous!

--I remember my cousins telling me as a rebellious 16-year-old teenager how that Jesus was born of a virgin and how I mocked and said that was impossible. I told them Joseph pulled a sneaky one on everyone. 

--Of course, they told me that I was sick and that I needed help! Well, they were right…I needed divine revelation to know that the impossible is possible with God. 

Luke 1:37 (NKJV)
³⁷  For with God nothing will be impossible."

--I remember telling other people what they had told me (of course in a sarcastic manner) and having people to tell me what my cousins had said was true. I was going through a crisis of faith…could this be true?

--What about you? In your situation…do you believe the impossible is possible with God? It is easy to acknowledge here in front of everyone that you believe that. What about when you are alone?

--Let’s suppose that right now in your life, you are facing a situation that without God, is totally impossible. What are you going to do…you have a choice? Look again at this verse:

²⁸  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

--Immediately Mary was put into a situation where she had to make some choices and those choices would determine her outcome. She had to choose to rejoice…she had to choose to worship.

--She had to choose that she was highly favored by God…

Psalm 30:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
²  O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.
³  O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
⁴  Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
⁵  For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. 

--To get the impossible, Mary had to choose to believe the Lord was with her…do you believe He is with you? He is! She had to choose to believe she was blessed! The impossible is possible with God!

2. Mary had to choose to believe Holy Spirit could do what man could not do. 

³⁴  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

--Isn’t this our dilemma in every situation…I do not know a man…I do not have anyone who can help…I do not have human resources to make this happen. 

Psalm 118:8-9 (NKJV)
⁸  It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.
⁹  It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes. 

--I love the fact that when Mary was facing the impossible and needed to know how this miraculous event could take place…there was no hesitation of what the answer was:

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

--Mary had to ask…Can I risk my reputation to obey God? Am I willing to risk everything to serve Him? How much would I give up to do something that I truly believed God wanted me to do?

--When we ask…How can I be free from ________, how can I see reconciliation with family, how can I do what God is requiring of me, how can I give my life totally to Him?

--The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

--If there have been miracles in my life or miracles in my ministry here at Life Church, it has been because the Holy Spirit came upon me…God overshadowed me…It has been Jesus in me!

--It is not me but it is Holy Spirit in me that will see Jesus birthed in my life and in the lives of others. The impossible becomes possible because of Holy Spirit in me, on me, for me!

3. Mary had to choose to let it be to her according to God’s Word.

Luke 1:37-38 (NKJV)
³⁷  For with God nothing will be impossible."
³⁸  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

--Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord! We must choose to latch onto God’s Word and be filled with His Holy Spirit. The impossible becomes possible!

--God called me to preach, God called me to pastor Life Church, God called us to become a great missions church, God called us to possess the land, God has called to start another campus…

--How can I, how can we do this because we do not know a man? The answer for Mary is the answer for us…

--The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

--Our resolve… Behold the servants of the Lord! Let it be to us according to your Word!