Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/20/14

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/20/14

1Ti 4:6  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

We all have the need to be nourished by faith and to be nourished by doctrine.  It is vital that we know what the Bible teaches and that we receive nourishment from the truths of God’s Word. 

Paul commended Timothy, “You have done well, allowed your faith to be built, have a grasp of the doctrine: salvation, sanctification, baptism, the one church with Christ the head.”  These are doctrine and are not offensive unless there is something in our life that doesn’t want to do what God says.

The setting of when this was written:

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

This message is not designed to point the finger, but for us to readily accept the truth, from the days of the morning time church until Jesus comes again, some will depart from the faith and will be seduced by seducing spirits. 

We don’t need to be alarmed.  Everyone here that is saved has experienced a seducing spirit that tries to make you not hold the standard or to apostatize in whatever it might be. 

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The setting of this scripture is rough, but the meat of the message is really good.

Dealing with the thought of the Church being nourished:  Paul told Timothy that it was vital that he help the brothers and sisters in Christ to nourish up their faith. 

Faith is under attack.  Jesus as the white horse rider goes out conquering, the red horse, unbelief, comes to take peace.  We have all experienced this old war of unbelief.  “You probably didn’t say that right, preach that right…” 

We need to know how to be nourished.  As I studied on this message I saw in my individual life that I needed to be nourished by the saints of God.  God is ever working to help us to realize how much we need one another.  We need a pastor, brothers and sisters in Christ.  A lesson is brought that came from God and we would have missed the truth and help of it on our own.

For all that use the books that we use in bible reference, we really appreciate them.  We sometimes read Adam Clark, Matthew Henry, or others say, “I cannot figure this out.”  We think, “Someone as dull as me can understand this scripture and they cannot figure it out?”  God uses this so that one doesn’t get high minded.  We need the body.

In the darkest of the Gospel Day the church was in hiding in catacombs or wherever it might have been because when people were found worshipping the true God they were put to death or tortured:

Rev 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

It is not a new thought that the church needs to be nourished.  It is an old doctrine and principle of truth.  It doesn’t mean that it isn’t precious, it is.  The ones that this scripture was written about I believe prayed for us in this day.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

As a minister, as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ gathered here at the Paradise Church, God has commissioned us first to be nourished from the head and then to be nourishing to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are special assignments to parents, to grandparents, to aunts, and to uncles.  We are to be nourished by faith.  Every one of us faces challenges.  Jesus said, “You are to say to that tree, be uprooted and cast into the sea and it shall be done.” 

To have faith in God, to look at the invisible God, and to believe the promise of God is the thought of faith.  This season of it being summer is not very long.  School will start soon.  This season of nourishing our faith is a short season.  If we don’t do it then we lose faith in God.

There is nothing sadder than losing faith in God.  Every parent and grandparent, you as a body, if we could we would cause the children’s battles to be very small.  It is not so, you as children will feel that you are taxed to the limit.  It is so wrong what children are faced with.  At a very young age they are exposed to such sin.

We live in a society that will take the innocence away from children.  It is so wrong.  The parents, the grandparents, the church, we have such a wonderful privilege of nourishing them in the faith. 

I was thinking of those in Dixon that are in a hard time that have three children in grade school.  I was able to help them a little bit.  I think, “I hope those children have shoes, and clothes.  The family has to be in dire straits.”  The mother had a brain aneurism; someone has bills of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But there is something more than taking care of the outward needs of our family and of our brothers and sisters in Christ and of those that we come in contact with.

Apparently timothy was really gifted in nourishing faith.  I have known a few people gifted in that way.  The Bible teaches us, Jude 20, before you can nourish someone else’s faith your faith must be nourished. 

I love the way that Jude addressed his brother, “And the sanctified, and the preserved, Beloved…”  No one really cares what you have to say until they know how much you care about them.  Have you been thinking of saying something to someone?  Don’t say it unless they know that you really love them.

Building up yourselves on your most holy faith:  You say, “We are facing something big.”  You used the right pronoun, ‘we’, no one is exempt.

The bible teaches us, “Praying in the Holy Ghost”, entering into the closet and getting past ourselves, entering into the closet and getting past the things that want to come through the door and demand our attention, and then reaching the place of praying in the Holy Ghost.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

We teach, I believe we teach it right, in having devotions.  I never tell people, “You have to read however many verses to say you’ve had your devotions.” 

I have been reading in the evening in Psalms again.  I have reached Psalms 119.  I told Karen, “I really don’t know how many verses I want to read.”  I read verse 105, “Thy word is a light unto my feet…”  I read on and thought, “This is so good; I need to read it over and over again.”

One of the strongest battles that the enemy works against us is to not really receive from the Word that we read in the bible.  “Go ahead and read your bible but be having a conversation or battle with someone else in your mind.” 

Learn the lesson and read and enjoy your bible a lot more.

Faith comes by hearing what the Word of God says.  Ps 119 speaks of the statutes of God.  These are the written Word of God that are written on the fleshly tables of our soul.  “Do this but stay away from that.”

We are taught to be nourished by doctrine.

It is vital that you know when you got saved, “It was a specific day and a specific time.  I repented, turned form my sin and became a new creature in Christ Jesus.” 

It is vital then that you obey the doctrine of baptism.  We are baptized into his death.  This means that we go down into the water.  The very word means immersed. 

It is sad that some are mistaken, it is sadder when people think that they are saved because they are baptized or joined church or do the golden rule. 

The only way to be saved is to confess your sin to God and then to turn from your sin.  If you did this then it is vital that you maintain it.  If you sinned then you need to do the first works over again.

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

In this audience there are children that are saved and we are really happy that they are.  Your mom and dad will want it to be as good for you as it possibly can; so will grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  There will be those in the congregation that will do their best to help you and that is good. 

But there comes a time when children and young people must grow up.  They must mature to say, “I would rather have Jesus.  I have settled it; there are some things that I am not going to do.  I am going to keep God first in my life.  The reason that I live the way that I live is not because of my church, it is because the Bible teaches it.”

It is vital that we mature past being a baby.  There will be difficulties arise in our lives.  By them we will know, “Am I a babe, or am I a soldier?” 

Life will not be easy.  Life will be difficult.  If we are a babe then we will say, “Everything is pointed right at me.”  A soldier will say, “This is a part of the battle and I am going through.  I know what the bible teaches; I will stand on the sea of glass and on the bible.”

A memory verse: 

Luk 2:40  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Isn’t that beautiful?  He was filled with wisdom.  Parents, grandparents, Paradise church, there may be some in this audience that are not directly related to any of the children or grandchildren, but you probably have children.  The grace of God was upon Him. 

I hope that everyone has shoes, socks, clean clothes.  I hope every little boy and every little girl has a new pair of socks that don’t itch to go to school with.  Yet there is something more to be concerned with.

Eph 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Nurturing goes to the soul.  It is vital, as the church, to nourish that soul.  Teach that little one the bible stories, teach them the priority of having God first, teach how to be giving, and how to not be selfish.  The only child has to be taught, “There are other children.” 

It is the same with us in the church.  We are not the only one in the church, we are not the only one at the table, we are not the only one that has something to say, and we are not the only one that has a word of importance.  Nurturing. 

I have never forgotten my dad’s testimony of how bitterness first came into his life.  His life was terrible until he got saved, not just because they ran from West Virginia.  It was because he had bitterness in his heart.  He had an aunt that showed favoritism and left him out. 

Pray for me.  There is nothing uglier than the revenge:  “I am going to get that child.  That brat!”  Stop it.  Find a closet; pray until you have prayed in the Holy Ghost.

In the family of God we all need nourishment and the love and care of each other.  But we have to remember that we are not the only one on stage.  “You don’t know what I’m going through.”  Probably not but you don’t know what he is going through, or she. We are a body.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This is where you and I must attain.  When everything is going wrong, it will, when our health fails, when we are disappointed with what happened, we must attain this: “God I am setting that aside, I want to be nourishing.” 

As long as we are in this position of saying, “I don’t have anything to give out because some was mean to me, treated me bad, or I was ignored”, there is still too much of you.  There is a death to die.

The teaching is this:  you and I aligned with Christ receiving from Christ, having something to give for Christ even when things are adverse. 

You know that every part of the body has to work in order for it to be effectual.  Sister Sharron’s sewing machine broke down; there was a part that was messed up.  It didn’t work right.

We as a church want to be affective.  There is not one soul in here that we don’t want to give nourishment to.  We want to be rightly related to God; He in us and giving nourishment back to us.

The effectual working of every part:  I can be a better preacher if you are nourishing to me and you are nourished.  God can reveal to you what I need. 

There is not anyone anywhere that doesn’t need nourishment ministered to them.  You do this by being rightly related to Him, then nourishing to others.

When we administer nourishment we don’t pick and choose who we give nourishment to.  We are servants.  “If I can help this widow, if I can help this child.” 

As we go to a rest home you may walk into a place where they don’t know anything.  You might feel God telling you, “I believe I ought to quote a scripture.”  Perhaps you read them the 23^rd psalm.  God may have you there for them or for someone that you don’t see that is standing outside the door listening.