Bro Gary Sunday AM 5/1/11

Bro Gary Sunday AM 5/1/11

Act 1:1  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Act 1:2  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Act 1:3  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Luke wrote and said that he’d written a former treatise, the book of Luke, and wanted to write the Acts of the Apostles.  The bible teaches clearly that after Jesus resurrected he spent forty days on earth and then ascended to heaven.

The infallible proofs:  There are definite recordings that are referred to as the infallible proofs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mat 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Mat 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Mat 28:3  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

We’re very thankful that God rolled the stone away.  We can rest assured that this is true.  Three ladies came to the tomb to anoint Jesus and infallible proof shows us that this huge stone was already rolled away.  Historically that is wonderful.  

The part that feeds my soul is that God is still in the business of rolling away the stone that is hindering souls held captive in sin who don’t know how to deal with this or that hindrance.  God has abundant power to roll the stones away that are hindering men and women from getting to God.

Mar 16:9  Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

Mar 16:10  And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

Mar 16:11  And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

Another infallible proof:  Mary saw Jesus.

Joh 20:18  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Joh 20:20  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Joh 20:24  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

Joh 20:25  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Joh 20:26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Joh 20:27  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Joh 20:28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Be not faithless but believing.  One of the strongest spirits that visits men and women today is unbelief.  If the enemy can find you faithless, he’ll move in with unbelief.  Unbelief will take you where you don’t want to go and it will leave you where you don’t want to stay.

This settled it for Thomas; He is risen.  Tomas had seen and believed.  Jesus said, “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.”

I’ve never seen the prints of the nails in His hands and feet.  I’ve never seen where the spear was thrust in His side.  We have these infallible proofs and that is enough.  Jesus said, ”Blessed…”  In other words, “I’m going to reward those that believe.”

Jesus did a lot of things that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John didn’t record.

Joh 20:30  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

Joh 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Thomas was absent when Jesus showed himself unto the ten.  The circumstances definitely affected his faith.  When the disciples said, “We saw the lord,” He didn’t believe it.  Sometimes when we face difficulty, unbelief will begin to work.  Faithlessness will lead you to unbelief and unbelief will lead you to being an infidel.

Don’t take anything as incidental when it comes to our spiritual life.  I understand that Thomas had a failure to understand but so did the other disciples.  Sometimes God allows us to suffer disappointment or find ourselves in difficulty where we don’t understand why things have happened as they have.  Human reasoning had worked on Thomas, “Here we trusted and He is dead.”

Jesus said, “Be not faithless.”  I don’t know how long the road is that affects people and causes them to lose their faith.  I believe every man is born with a measure of faith.  (Romans 12:3)

I can still remember that as a child, I wanted to know about God.  These little children that come to church start to pray and have prayer requests at a young age.  That season of innocence will be taken away from them way too young.  They will be bombarded with unbelief.

What is it that leads to faithlessness?  Faithlessness leads to unbelief.  The last meaning of the word faithlessness is an infidel.

Thomas allowed circumstances to affect his faith.  None of us know what circumstances we’re going to be faced with.  Before we get a mile down the road, we need to have it settled that “We’re going to believe God.”  Everyone is going to face disappointment.  It is a part of life.  We need to have it settled that even when disappointment comes we’re going to go on believing God.  

Good things come out of disappointment.  It is not the end of the road.  The other disciples were disappointed too.  God had good things in store for them.

Jesus told Thomas to not be faithless but believing.  “Blessed are they that haven’t seen and yet believe.”  “Believing you might have life through His name.”  

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

The design of God is that our faith would grow.  The circumstances of your life are designed to either allow your faith to grow or you will allow faithlessness to make an inroad.

Faith affects the soul and every detail of our life.

Isa 58:11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

The Lord guide thee continually!  God has a design that our soul be satisfied.  The religious world makes people believe that you must always dwell in failure and disappointment.  This tells us that God will guide us continually and satisfy our soul in drought.  We are going to go through dry places.  The design of God is that our soul be satisfied.  We need to believe God.  

“Make fat the bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden and a spring of water whose waters fail not.”  This shows me a soul and a life with the fruit coming out into the life…  You cannot see my soul but you can certainly test my fruit.

Jer 31:12  Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Soul as a watered garden… not sorrow anymore at all!

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

There is a cutting away that takes place in our life because Jesus desires that we bear fruit.  

When people lose faith in God, then the flesh takes over.  It doesn’t matter who they are or where they are.  When they decide to not believe God in their circumstance it opens them up to unbelief and faithlessness.  They then wonder how things like that happened.  

Don’t let circumstances, lack of understanding, or human reasoning to cause you to lose faith in God.  The fruits of the flesh are as follows:

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We live in an unclean world that has many languages.  There is a slang language that is a world of uncleanness.  God help us to stay clean in our mind and in our speech.  God help us to stay clean in our relationship with one another.  We want to be clean in every way.  

Uncleanness is filthiness, filthiness in our spirit.  God help us to stay clean in our spirit and to not let others put any trash in our backpack.  Help us to have a standard against it and not take it.  

Lack of faith in God will cause you to think evil against everyone.  There is a great battle against faith and it is bigger than we think.  If the enemy can work faithlessness then unbelief will move in.  

As much as we love each other, make no idols of each other or of the building or of your family; let’s not idolize anyone, anyplace or anything.

The enemy would like to work hatred.  Bad circumstanced, disappointments, and injustices happen to everyone.  We cannot allow hatred in our life.  It is a result of faithlessness and unbelief.  Strife is a result of faithlessness.  

The fruit of the spirit in allowing faith to affect our soul:

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

This is not fake love.  It is love toward God and you showing forth the fruits of that love toward each other.  We’re always looking for the fruit.  When prayer requests come in, when you love souls, you cannot help but your heart reaching out in love for the soul of the needy one.  

This week we all want to talk to someone about their soul.

Song:
Lord lay some soul upon my heart,
And love that soul through me
And May I humbly do my part
To win that soul for thee.

God knows who you should call and let know that you love them.  God wants you to love Him enough that you can lengthen your cord or put it in a different direction.  You are an individual and everyone that is saved is an individual.  When God moves on your heart, you can move as he impresses you.  We need to act in a way that is true and genuine.  Others need to see those that act from a motive that is true and genuine. 

Sometimes there are people that are unclean and untidy and we need to reach past our self and let them know that we want to see their life changed.  You might say, “That makes me vulnerable.”  We are vulnerable anyway.

We live in a world that is saturated with unhappiness and people that are magnifying it.  You say, “You don’t know how bad things are!” and I say that you don’t know how good things are.  

You say, “Gas is four dollars a gallon.”  I ask you, “Whose take is empty?”  I don’t like gas being expensive or bread costing what it does yet I have a lot to be thankful for.  I have a pie at home that Karen made; I can make you a ham sandwich with lettuce.  I can walk less than a mile and see the saints.  

Peace: God wants our love to grow this year, 2011.  Longsuffering: some little thing go wrong or a misunderstanding and you are ready to chop them off at the ears?  Gentleness: you’ve told someone something once and they still cannot grasp it? God help us to be gentle.

Be not faithless but believing.  Infallible proofs: Christ rose from the grave and he is sitting on the right hand of the Father in heaven.