Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/17/16

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/17/16

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

The setting of this scripture was that Jesus went up into a mountain and sat down and began to teach the multitude.  Not far from where He was sitting there was a community on another hill.  He said, “A city that is set upon a hill cannot be hid.”

We are the light of the world.  It is a marvelous plan that God designed that the light would be taken into so many places every week by everyone that is saved.  Where God allows you to be, He allows you to be a light to anyone in darkness, an encouragement to anyone that needs encouragement.

When those lights come together it makes a city.  The plan of God for the local congregation, the lighthouse, and the church is that it shine very bright.

This can be the message of an evangelist.  It probably has been many times.  The message of the beatitudes could be used not only for salvation, consecration, or sanctification, whatever the need is God can inspire it and use it to cover many needs.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

That man, woman, boy, or girl that recognizes, “I am in sin.  I need a life change, a heart change, and a new mind and spirit.”  That is the message that you and I have for those that are in sin.

It is so vital that we always recognize our need of God.  However long that you have been saved, you still need God.  However long you have been sanctified you still need God.  However God uses you in whatever capacity like with E. Faith Stewart, Fanny Crosby, John Stewart, etc. we never reach the place where we are not benefited if we recognize that we are poor in spirit.

They shall be blessed.  It is a wonderful thing to be blessed of God.  “O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness.”  We want to return and give Him our thanks and praise.  It has been worth it all. 

The blessings of God in sending His son, making provisions that we could be saved, sanctified, and through His spirit blessed with unity.  All these are great blessings.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  No one will reach the kingdom of God or the eternal heavens without realizing the blessings of God.

Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

When men and women recognize that they have sinned against God, it brings a real contriteness and brokenness.  They shall be comforted.

Being comforted by God His Son, and the Holy Spirit is a real comfort.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ, the God in them reaching out to us, speaking a word and giving a song is a blessing as well.

Comfort: drawn by God to be wrapped in His loving arms.  Everyone in this audience probably has known heartbreak, heartache, sorrow, and disappointment.  There are many ways that you can go when heartache comes your way.

My father taught us that at a time of grief, loss, or disappointment people’s hearts either turn towards God or they turn away from God. 

They shall be comforted: drawn by God to be wrapped in His loving arms.  As I heard the cry of this congregation for children, for missions, for the aged, and for the lost, I thought of this thought: there is something within those that have experienced the mercy of God to want to have an outpouring of mercy toward souls.

Drawn by God, not just to have a little feel of, “I am here Gary,” to feel His loving arms wrap us.  I don’t know much about babies.  I have always been a little uncomfortable with tiny babies.  I want my wife and the sisters to take care of them until they get a little bigger.

With a newborn they liked to be wrapped tight so that they feel the security that they felt when they were in the womb.  That is how God is with the children in Christ. 

The children will be starting school in a few weeks.  There are some here that are headed to college.  I don’t know what I will be facing in the next week.  It could be joy; it could be sorrow.  In your sorrow it is alright to mourn.  God is not a God that despises tears.

It is wonderful to know that He will come to where you are.  If you are poor in spirit and mourning He will come to where you are. 

I have not been in everyplace where each one of you could possibly have been.  You in this audience that have had children could teach me of the pain of having a child.  My mother had a son that was wounded in Korea.  She told me of her sorrow and pain and how God came and brought comfort.

God wraps his loving arms around us and that God of eternal power, experience, depth, and might comes to us where we are but He never leaves us there.

I wish I had a journal of how many times since Karen and I have been married that we didn’t know what to do next.  We prayed and sought God.  We did our best to pray and then would table it for a week before making a decision on things that were important and had spiritual possibilities to it.  We would then decide whether we should or shouldn’t. 

If God wants you to do something then there is a cost.  If you are thinking of not doing the will of God then look down the road and see what it will cost.  My sister never thought that she would end up where she ended. 

What will this cost us?  Are we willing to do what it costs to be in the perfect will of God?  Karen and I have always endeavored to do this in our life.  With the help of God we will always be willing to pay the cost.

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

The humble receive grace.  Grace has ten meanings in the Greek dictionary of the New Testament.  I want to pick out a few about the meek that are given the grace of God. 

It is the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection out into our life.  It is wonderful that we have grace available.  Grace is the unmerited favor of God.  When you and I think of God’s grace appearing unto us:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

The unmerited favor of God: to think that you and I by being humble and meek and realizing that “I don’t know everything and I really need the divine intervention in my life.”  Life is promising to everyone that is here. 

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

The future is very bright with Christ.  There may be darkness in the world but it doesn’t have to be in your earthen vessel. 

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

You don’t have to get old for your health to fail.  I was 26 or 27 and I lay in a room dying. 

You don’t have to be old for your health to fail.  I was in the hospital the day that young teenager died from Noxon.  Doctor Far came out weeping and crying.  There was wailing in the room.  A teenager was summonsed.  You don’t have to be old to be failing in health.

Go on to what God has before you.  There are good things in store.

Grace is a benefit.  The meek are given and bestowed holy desires, they hunger for the perfect will of God.  They shall inherit the earth.  The meek are blessed with being led to spiritual Canaan land.  God wants everyone that is saved to be sanctified and enjoying the spiritual Canaan land.

Delivered from Egyptian bondage.  God always gives the message to get out of sin and go forward to each one that is in bondage of sin.  Pharaoh said, “Leave.  I don’t want you here.”  Moses instructed them, “Go forward.” 

Remember it was the Passover night in Egypt when God gave the instruction that “This is the night of the Passover and the deliverance.  Choose a perfect lamb and put the blood on the door post of the home.”  If the family was small they could use the blood for two families. 

This is vital.  I am so glad that I am out of Egyptian bondage, of sin.  I have no thought of going back to sin.  When the enemy says, “It will be easier to give up.”  Go back to that night when you repented and recognized, “I need to have a change in my attitude and my relationships.”  There have been many books written how to improve attitude, the workplace, or marriage.  I want to tell you how to improve: it is to have the blood of Jesus applied to the door post of our soul.

When we are born we are born with a nature to sin.  That nature leads every child to realize when they come to the age of accountability that they have sinned and need to be saved.  When I was living in sin God convicted my conscience, my heart, and my soul.  I knew that I was lost and without God. 

God always offers the best.  Don’t fall for the bait that the world offers.  Look down the road and think, “Where will this take me?  What will that do to my spiritual life?”  Make sure you are saved and as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word.  I cannot emphasize the value of having your devotions. 

It is ok to struggle.  Don’t give up in the struggle.  Keep praying.  Keep studying.  Keep pressing.  You might feel, “I am not smart, I have trouble reading, and I have trouble getting lessons together.”  Keep reading and praying.  The more you do then it will not be long until you develop an appetite and desire and find the privilege of reading and praying.

After you get saved, you begin living your life.  It is a real experience to get saved.  You come to the place eventually where you recognize that you have an inward foe.  There is a part of the carnal man there.  Carnality doesn’t have the same traits in everyone.  One of my carnal traits was I was stingy.  I was selfish. 

It was not long until I realized that all those self traits had to go.  Pride is a part of carnality.  There was pride in my heart.  God and His people knew how to draw a good line.  I realized, “That pride has to go.”

If you want to have your own way, that testimony will not bring you to sanctification but will keep you in the wilderness. 

The traits of being in the wilderness:  they murmured.  Can you imagine being delivered by the mighty hand of God from making bricks with clay and straw and it being harder and harder and then being delivered with the cloud and fire? 

Can you imagine they made an idol?  Am I making any idols in my life?  Do I have idols in my life?  Is there something that I could make an idol of?  If you have idols in your life it is a part of the wilderness.

They desired Egypt.  The wilderness causes people to desire what is out in Egypt.  It is very expensive and not only in dollars and dimes.  Then they rebelled against Moses.  The wilderness was only there designed for them to go through.  After you get saved, enjoy walking with God but remember for all the things that keep you from the goal of Canaan, “I have to get through this to get to Canaan.”

It was in Canaan Land that the giants were defeated.  If in your life you always go well until… Is that your giant?  Get to Canaan.  In Canaan there was a land of milk and honey.  God has such rich thoughts and life for us.

There remains a rest for the people of God.  That is Canaan land and sanctification.  “I am at rest with you God.  I am not seeking to find satisfaction here, there or anywhere else.  Christ is my all in all.”