Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/4/13

Brother Gary Sunday Evening 8/4/13

Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Heb 2:4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Give the more earnest heed to the Word of God.  There are a lot of books to be read and I’m not preaching against reading books, but there is a book that is right for every season and every nationality and that is the Word of God. 

God spoke to Moses.  We know that in the Gospel Day since Jesus came, God speaks to us through His Son and there is no separating the Word from the Son.

Salvation means deliverance, help, safety, victory, and health.  It is wonderful that we can have everything we need supplied through God, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God.

Heb 2:5  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

Heb 2:6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

God has created things for all of us to enjoy: the beauty of the sun, the flower, a baby.  It is amazing that the main thing that God is interested in is mankind.  There were 600,000 men of valor that came out of Egypt with Moses.  They estimate that there were 2.5 million people that actually made that exodus. 

It was the design of God that all of them reach Canaan.  There were seven occasions that they revolted against God, against Aaron and Moses.  So many things happened: They perished in the gainsaying of Korah.  Only two of the original people that came out of Egypt, Joshua and Caleb, went into the Canaan land.

When you think of the majority revolting, God could have closed the books and said, “It is over.”  No, He said, “One day I am going to send my Son to be the savior and to be the all in all.” 

Deep within the heart of every child there is a longing for God that nothing of this world can satisfy.  That emptiness remains there all their life until they find God.  We have found Him, the Holy Spirit, and the Son to be as the scripture says, “Christ is all and in all.”

God is so longsuffering and so kind to teach us, instruct us, and deal with us.

Heb 2:7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

Heb 2:8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

God made it so that we could have the glory or presence of God in our heart and life.  It is wonderful to be able to take God with us to work.  No matter where we are or what situation we are in we can take God with us.

God made a way that we could be victorious in this life.  Only one thing is not put under his feet and that is death.  Jesus tasted death for all mankind.

There was no way that I being a Gentile had any way to pay for my sin and God sent His only begotten Son that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus built a bridge across that gap that separated every one of us from God?

Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The divine plan of God is that everything work to the glory of God.  God wants to use us for His glory and His honor.  People say, “I tried my own way and it didn’t work.”  Isn’t it wonderful when they come to the realization that Jesus Christ is the way?  When they come to that conclusion then all things begin to fall into place.

He has everything in control and is very much in control of His children.  God has a way of bringing souls to His presence.  Whoever you are praying for and burdened for, first for yourself, he has a way of bringing you and me to where you need to be.

Recognizing that you have areas in your life where there is room for a lot of growth is maturity. 

There is a God in heaven that knows what is going on and He is the captain of our deliverance.  Sometimes in our overriding the Spirit and the checks of God we find ourselves really in a mess.  We come back to God and say, “God I so wish I would have listened.  I am here to eat humble pie and come back to you.”  He says, “Son, I will be the captain of your deliverance.  I will help you through this.” 

There are times when we feel so inadequate.  It is ok to feel inadequate.  I’m not talking about self consciousness; I’m talking about realizing that there is a soul that has so many problems and doesn’t know their way to God. 

There are millions of aching, miserable souls.  Every once in a while God allows you and me to be placed where there is someone that opens their heart and says, “It is hurting deep inside.”  We feel so inadequate. 

Sometimes it is our children.  When you pray, ask God to prepare you.  Take the rosy glasses off and don’t say that there couldn’t be anything wrong in your family.  It is wonderful that we have one to go to that has promised, “I will be the captain.  If you need help I will be there.”

You precious parents that have children in school, God will be their help.  Parents need God to help them.

We need safety literally.  For maybe 100 years there had never been a murder in this town.  For 100 years people didn’t even know how to lock their doors.  Fred Young always left his keys in his car.  Today our safety has been invaded. 

Karen and I had a real scare the other night walking and we didn’t have pepper spray or a gun.  All we could do is pray.  You ask, “Could there be nuts and druggies in Paradise?”  There could be druggies and nuts in Paradise.  They are everywhere.  Yet, we have a captain of our safety.  

You need to be uncomfortable with some things in our little town.  Parents pray, seek God with all your heart.  Safety is of the Lord.  When He checks you that is all you need.  All you need to do is say, “I don’t feel comfortable.”  You don’t even have to explain to your children. 

Karen and I had the wonderful experience of being invited to Brother Figeroa’s retirement party.  The new pastor spoke, “I want to thank my pastor for protecting me for so many years.  We were together at a meeting and someone asked, ‘Can I bring this young man from the congregation into the meeting.’  Brother Figeroa said, ‘No.’  At the time I didn’t understand but I knew the pastor was right.  All I can say is thank you.”

There are times children when your parents are going to say, “No.”  Don’t say, “Why?”  Say, “Thank you.”

Victory- He is the captain of our victory.  We don’t know what we will face tonight.  We sometimes come home to phone calls that are shocking.  It happens to all of us.  It is a part of life.  Jesus is the captain of our victory. 

Health – He is the captain of our physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health.  We are not crystals, we have emotions.  If you drink two or three cups of coffee or load up on sugar then you will probably toss and turn tonight.  It is not the devil; it is your appetite.

There are times when we go through the shadow of death and we relive it over and over again.  Every funeral brings back the heartache of many before.  Every time we hear of a tragedy: my own personal family has suffered so much from alcoholism: 

If you go to Hot Springs you will see a cross where a young man 25 years old with four children and a baby was ushered into eternity, my brother.

If you walk around Plains, you will see in the ditch, three crosses together, an uncle, his son, and Brother Gyme’s uncle.  heartache.

There is a captain of our salvation that when the billows of sorrow come over our soul, there is a healer.  Unless you face the heartache and open faced say, “Father heal me and I shall be healed.” 

I don’t know how much appreciation others have of my trying to acquire the looks that Brother Herb gave us, not frowning looks, Brother Herb looks.  We miss him but there is healing.  Brother Roy, Brother Chuck and the other Brother chuck are gone.  Ron is gone; Shirley is gone.

Karen said, “It would be nice to have muffins around here.”  I agreed so she said, “If you would just chop these cherries right...”  It made me think of Brother Applegate, he always brought us ice-cream to go with our cherries like that.  Brother and Sister Applegate are gone.  Sister Linda probably has a lot she would like to tell them.

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

God has it planned that the sanctifier and the individual that totally yields to Him become one.  It is a mystery but they become one. 

Heb 2:12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Heb 2:13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

When you are fully trusting God then He is fully trusting you.  Believe that.

Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Jesus came as a man so that he could understand everyone of us.  He put on a robe of flesh.  He was born of a woman so that he could understand what it was like.  There was a season when Jesus was just the age of these boys in this congregation.  He never got to be as old as Brother Bill but he was through all of those seasons up to 33. 

He became like His brethren so that He might be a merciful high priest.  He became a reconciliation for the sins of the people.  He understands the inherited sin and made a recompense.  Jesus doesn’t remember our first sin.  He forgave us and forgot.  We remember.

He is able to succor which means help or aide those that are tempted.  May God help every one of us to give earnest heed to the Word of God so that we don’t let it slip but hang onto it. 

God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me.