Brother Gary Sunday Morning 3/8/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 3/8/15

Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

We are blessed to understand that God would establish His kingdom.  There have been many kingdoms down through time.  Our burden this morning is to see the Kingdom of God in the scripture down through time.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 I don’t think that I ever read this text without being thrilled with the thought that it was “unto us”.  The God of heaven was to send His Son to all people.  I am not a literal Jew.  My last name is Irish.  That is not what matters.  What matters is that Jesus was to be given for all people.

He left the thought that the government was to be on His shoulders.  We think of the government of our life, of the Kingdom of God, of the government of heaven, and of our life here on earth; it is huge. 

To think that God can hear the prayer of each individual and even of those individuals that cannot themselves hear! 

I came Wednesday night with a very heavy, unspoken prayer request.  Thursday as I was praying it seemed God spoke to me.  God said, “They are only unspoken to you and others.  I hear every heart cry.  I hear prayers that come from silent lips.  I hear the prayer of those that cannot form words because of a stroke.  I hear every request.”

1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1Jn 5:15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

We can have the confidence, “I know that God hears.”  The government shall be upon His shoulders; every detail of our lives, our spiritual lives and our mental stability.  If the situation with Brother Twete was reversed and it was me with the cancer, I know that He would call, “If you need wood I’ll come; if Brother Gary has projects that need done, give me a call.”

The government of our lives, our spiritual lives, those things that are past you and me, shall be upon His shoulders.

Jesus has many names, “Wonderful.”  How applicable that is for many seasons of life.  I think of the two ends of the stick here that we would have this morning.  We have students that have prayer requests for teachers.  Often the teachers have unspoken prayer requests for their students.

I think of the kingdom that Jesus is the governor of that God set up.  The government is on His shoulders.  Most of us have experienced needing someone to talk to.  Those that have exercised themselves to have valor or virtue that when someone tells you something in confidence that you can keep it in confidence, that is a wonderful valor or virtue.

Isn’t it wonderful that there is someone that you can take a regret to and tell Him and He will never do anything but help you with that regret?

Jesus is called counsellor.  He has the right words and instruction for every situation.  He knows how to lead, guide, and direct.  You may be going through a season of your life where you wonder, “What if?”  There is a counselor that says, “I don’t want you to fear or dread.  As I held Cyrus’ hand I will hold your hand.”

It is wonderful to know the head of the Kingdom of God and of heaven.  The only difference is that in heaven there will be nothing to disturb your righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

This one that was to set up the kingdom is a mighty God.  So mighty that He spoke the world into existence and keeps it in existence.  Jeremiah wrote that He knew him before he was in his mother’s womb.  He knows the unknown.  He knows the paths that will be opened to you that you don’t know about.  He also knows those that will be closed.

He is the everlasting Father.  He is the express image of God the Father.  He has the heart of a father.  There are those in this audience that knew the love of a father and had a grandfather that loved them.  That is how God the Father and Jesus, His Son, is.

There would be those in this audience that didn’t know the love of a father or grandfather.  That is the reason that you need to know the image of the Heavenly father.  So the bad image fades and the good grows.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  You and I cannot make peace in our soul.  If there is someone that is at war against you, isn’t it wonderful that there is the Prince of Peace that gives peace in the time of trouble?  He gives peace in the most awkward situations in life. 

He can give you peace with uncomfortable situations.  You can walk in there and do what is right and show love, peace, and mercy.  There will be times that they won’t want to hear the right and truth, but you can still have the Prince of Peace in your heart and life.

Of the increase… Jesus came with the sole purpose of rescuing the perishing.  In the early days of the church there were 3000 saved on one occasion and 5000 on another.  Many were added.  Isn’t it wonderful of all those things that have transpired in almost 2000 years, He is still increasing His government?

Anytime someone feels the need of getting to God then He hears their prayer and forgives them and the increase of His government happens.  Men and women that had been conquered by sin had been defeated by their own lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and pride of life, when they come to themselves and realize, I need a savior, He is there and His government increases.

Of the increase of His government there is no end.  Everyone that is saved can remember when you confessed and repented and God forgave you.  You felt that peace.  It is that peace that passes all understanding. 

Another thing that I remember well is that after getting saved, I went to bed and to sleep and it was the first good night’s rest that I had had in a long time.  Isn’t peace wonderful?

Established with judgment and justice forever.  Their judgment is always truth, it is always according to the Word of God and is backed up by the Word of God. 

God is not always looking at us for something that He can knock us on the head about.  He looks at us and says, “Son I know that you want to serve me; there is this area in your life that needs changing.”  He takes His Word and says, “Son this is how I want you to be.”

If I had been an easy learner rather than difficult, then there would be a lot of things that I could have learned a whole lot earlier.  We have a God that comes right down close to us. 

We are all taught according to the scripture to let our words be few.  It was meant for both the brothers and the sisters.  Before we say something: there is this marvelous system that God has when a thought comes to our mind, God checks us.  If we don’t heed, then after a few times of being chastised we learn to not say something when God checks us.

Isn’t it wonderful the justice of God?  He reads our heart, our intention, and our desire.  He it is, according to the prophet Isaiah, that promises “Smoking flax He will not quench, a bruised reed He will not break.”  If you are doing your best to serve God then if there is a little flame, He will come along and encourage you and blow to increase the flame. 

Life is such that it will give you lots of bruises.  You may have stumbled, not done as well as you wanted, or ran up to something so hard that you are bruised.  God will not break the bruised reed.  He won’t throw you away because you have a bruise.  A bruise must be taken care of.  If it isn’t it will lead to a bitterness.  His is a kingdom of peace.

The zeal of the Lord will perform this.  It is God himself that promised the kingdom and that brings the kingdom.

Luk 1:26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Luk 1:27  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

Luk 1:28  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Luk 1:29  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

Luk 1:30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Luk 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Luk 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

‘Jesus’ means that He shall save His people from their sins.  There is no way to measure the greatness of the Son of God.  He came from heaven, came to earth, and lived 33 years a holy spotless life.  He gave His life, all the injustices, He was dressed in purple, robed and disrobed.  He went to the cross and gave His life to buy all that is needed to gain forgiveness and eternal life for you and me.

Isn’t it wonderful that you and I have the opportunity to be a member of God’s kingdom?  We don’t join it by signing a book, by giving money, or by what family we came from.  It is ours because Jesus gave it and left us instruction of how to have the kingdom of God within us.

Mar 1:1  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Mar 1:2  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Mar 1:3  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Mar 1:4  John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Mar 1:5  And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Mar 1:6  And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

Mar 1:7  And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

John the Baptist was from the backside of nowhere.  He was dressed in skins and ate locusts and wild honey.  He was kind of a wild man.  He was sent of God with a message to prepare the people for Jesus.

John the Baptist understood repentance and baptism; that men and women should repent and turn from their sin and be baptized. 

This man that had a particular anointing of God, that preceded Jesus Christ, knew that one was coming that was mightier than him.  He said, “I am not worthy to even take off his sandal.”

Mar 1:8  I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

He was baptized leaving us a perfect example of everything that we need to do.

Mar 1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Jesus was baptized of John, when he came out of the water, the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended like a dove and a voice saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

He went from there to the wilderness and was tempted of the devil.

Mar 1:12  And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

Mar 1:13  And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

The message of the gospel of the kingdom is marvelous.  When I got saved I didn’t understand everything.

Repentance is a requirement of salvation.  It is not a hap-heartedly carrying on, “Oh God please forgive me.”  It is the strong recognition, “I have not only sinned against whomever; I have sinned against God.  I want God to forgive me.”

You are blessed if you feel conviction.  I asked a man a while ago, “Would you consider coming to church and bringing your wife?”  He said, “It is too late.”  I am not convinced that it is too late, but if in his mind it is too late, then that is the way it is.

When God convicts us of a need, He always supplies all the tools, all the scriptures, all the power of God to supply all the needs.

If you are here and the events of life have placed you where you thought you would never be, if you will repent and believe the gospel, these are two of the necessary keys to the kingdom of God.  There are many keys of the kingdom.  There is a key to the closet of prayer.  The keys of faith are the key to answered prayer.

The Kingdom of God is clear in the scripture, but we need God to reveal it to us or we will never see it.  The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation.  It is not a big kingdom out here where there is a castle and a big fence around it with a man sitting on his throne. 

Usually Jesus is seated on His throne in heaven making intercession for us. 

The Kingdom of God is within you.  When we confess and turn from our sin, (That is a part of repentance, “I am not going to do that anymore.”), then we are born again and we enter the kingdom of God spiritually and it is within us.

It is righteousness:  I don’t want to sin anymore, I want to do what is right by mankind and toward God.

It is peace:  we can have peace with the past.  All the sins I was guilty of I don’t have to worry about anymore.  They are buried. 

We have peace with the present.  “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.” 

We have peace with the present. You may be concerned with the times and the conditions in the world today.  You may not be able to change it, but you don’t want to let them change you and your trust and peace in God.

It is joy:  we all seek for happiness, peace, and joy.  Many thought, “When I grow up I will be married and happy forever.  I remember thinking, “I am going to get a job and I will have some money.”  We used to push the lawn mower in from the Sheppard hill.  As we progressed in time, we got a push mower with a motor.  We made money at a dollar a lawn; we were making money.

It took more than a job to bring joy.  It takes more than a vacation.  It takes more than going huckleberry picking.  It takes more than a clean car. 

Joy is a part of the kingdom.  I must be right with God, right with man, and right with myself to the best of my ability.  If you are always knocking yourself in the head with a hammer, put the hammer up.  Do your best and God will help you.

There is the Kingdom of God and there is the kingdom of darkness.  It is real today and there is power in that dark kingdom.

Luk 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

It is easy for God and His Son to forgive all sin.  But there is the human part of pressing against our self and saying, “I am going to get saved, and I am going to get saved today.”  We must press past, “What will someone say?”  We have to press past the thought of saying, “No, I won’t do that anymore,” when someone asks us to join them.  The things I used to love, I love no more.

Jesus came back from the time of being tempted and an angel ministered unto him.  I believe it is ok to ask God to send an angel to minister unto us. 

Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God.  “Repent, turn from sin.  Be baptized.”

Mar 1:17  And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

If you hear His voice this morning, come.  There is something that was born in me at a young age.  I had a hunger for God as a child.  I used to ask about God. 

I have experienced different times in my life the hungering to go home.  I remember when I was so sick, I wanted to go home; Mom and Dad were in eternity.  Some things are final that way.

I have learned that I am always invited to come home.  It is natural to want to come to Him.  He is inviting us.