BEING KNOWN

PROV. 20:11

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Pastor Rick Jackson

Everyone is known, to some degree, for something. Some are known for more than one thing, but often one thing is enough. Michael Jordan? Elvis? Pelosi? Noah? Lincoln? Fanny Crosby? What if I called out your name?

I. YOU WILL BE KNOWN FOR YOUR TESTIMONY

1. This Includes Your Doings [Pr. 20:11, Isaiah 1:16, Jeremiah 21:14]

- Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

- But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD

2. This Includes Your Sayings [Mt. 12:33-35]

- Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

3. This Includes Your Moderation [Phil. 4:5]

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

 

II. DON’T BE KNOWN FOR SIN! [Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Judas Iscariot]

1. Satan is known for his Rebellion [Jn. 8:44]

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

2. Cain is Known For Murder [1 Jn. 3:12]

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

3. Demas is Known for Forsaking Paul [2 Tm. 4:10]

For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica

 

Don’t let your sin overshadow the rest of your life

 

III. BE KNOWN FOR YOUR FAITH [Heb. 11]

1. Have Faith in God [1 Th. 1:8, Mk. 11:22]

-For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

- And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

2. Have Faith in Christ [Jn. 14:1]

3. Have Faith in God’s Word [Rm. 10:13-17]

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

OH, HE’S UP!

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. UP LITERALLY

1. Up on the Cross He Paid our Debt [John 3:14-16, 12:32-33]

- And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

-And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.

2. Up From the Grave [Acts 2:24, 10:40, 13:33]

-Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

-Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly

-God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

3. Up from the Earth [Acts 1:1-2, 9-11, 22]

-The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up,

- And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up , behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

-Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

 

II. HIGH AND LIFTED UP [Isaiah 6:1]

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

1. He’s Raised Up of God [Acts 3:22, 26; 5:30]

-For Moses truly said unto the fathers , A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

-Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

-The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

2. He’s Up on His Father’s Throne [Mark 16:19, Acts 2:30

-So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

-Therefore [David] being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

3. He’s Ascended Up to Heaven [John 3:13]

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

 

III. HE’S UP AND AT ‘EM [and I say this reverently]

1. He is the Lifter Up of my Head [Ps. 3:1-3ff.]

LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

2. He is the Upper Taker [John 6:44, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]

-No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

- For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

3. He is Up Against His Enemies [Psalm 68:1]

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

THE CORONER’S REPORT

Mark 15:43-45

Adapted from Hyman Appelman by Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. WHAT WAS A CENTURION?

1. A Man of Accomplishment [Acts 23:23, captain of 100 men]

And he called unto him 2 centurions, saying, Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the 3rd hour of the night;

2. A Man of Authority [Mt. 8:8-9]

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

3. A Man of Action [Acts 22:25-26, 27:1, 6, 11, 31, 43]

- And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

II. WHAT DID THE CENTURION SEE?

1. He Saw a Criminal [Luke 23:32-33, 38]

2. He Saw a Character [Luke 23:4, 14, 22, 34]

3. He Saw a Conqueror [Luke 23:37-39, 46, Jn. 19:30] “It is finished!”

 

III. WHAT DID THE CENTURION REPORT?

1. He Reported Jesus was a Righteous Man [Luke 23:47, John 17:25 “O righteous Father”]

2. He Reported Jesus was the Son of God [Mt. 27:54]

- Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

3. He Glorified God with What his Report [Lk. 23:46-47, Rm. 15:9]

And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

UNFORGETTABLE

LUKE 10:38-42

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. SHE SAT AT JESUS FEET TO LEARN [Lk. 10:38-42]

1. The Word of God Should be Heard [v. 39, Jer. 31:10]

Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off… [almost 40 times]

2. The Word of God is Needful [v. 40-42a, Rm. 10:17]

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

3. The Word of God is Good [v. 42b, 2 Tm. 2:21, 3:16-17]

-If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

-All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

II. SHE FELL AT JESUS’ FEET TO GRIEVE [Jn. 11:28-45]

1. Jesus Calls Us to Come to Him in Our Hour of Grief [v. 28-31]

2. Jesus Calls us to Worship Him in Our Hour of Grief [v. 32, 2 Sam. 12:20]

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

3. Jesus Calls us to Comfort Us in Our Hour of Grief [v. 33-45, Jn. 14:1, 26-28, Rm. 15:4]

- Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

- But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me , ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

- For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

 

III. SHE KNELT AT JESUS’ FEET TO WORSHIP [Jn. 12:1-8]

1. She Gave Her Best [v. 1-3]

2. She Gave It All [v. 3]

3. She Gave it Willingly, Knowingly & Purposefully [v. 4-8, Mt. 26:13 – from whence we get the title]

Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT

LUKE 23:44-46, 24:1-8

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE RELATIONSHIP RESTORED [v. 46] “Father…”

1. Reestablishes the Fellowship Broken by Christ’s becoming Sin [Lk. 23:34, Mt. 27:46, Lk. 23:46]

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

2. Reaffirms the Payment was Satisfactorily Made for Sin [Heb. 10:10-14]

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool . For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

3. Recognizes the Path Christ took was Divinely Ordained [Acts 4:27-28, Rev. 13:8]

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

- the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

 II. THE DEITY OF CHRIST DEMONSTRATED [v. 46] “into thy hands I commend My Spirit”

1. The Demonstration of the Scriptures [Ps. 31:5]

Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

2. The Demonstration of the Trinity [Jn. 10:17-18, Romans 10:9, 8:11]

- Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

-But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

3. The Demonstration of Divine Power [v. 46, Mt. 27:50, Mk. 15:37-39, Jn. 10:17-18, Eccl. 8:8]

-Jesus, when, he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded, up the ghost.

-And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

-Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

-There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death:

 

III. THE DISTINCTION OF DOCTRINES [v. 46]

1. The Way to God Made Clear [v. 45, Heb. 9:24-28]

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

2. The Direction Christ Travelled Made Clear [v. 46] He was not tortured by Satan for 3 days

3. The Place of Paradise is Made Clear [v. 46, Jn. 14:2, Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Revelation 2:7]

-In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

-And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

- I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

-He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Poem of the Week

I Met the Master Face to Face

by Lorrie Cline

I had walked life's way with an easy tread,
Had followed where comforts and pleasures led,
Until one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.

With station and rank and wealth for my goal,
Much thought for my body but none for my soul,
I had entered to win in life's mad race,
When I met the Master face to face.

I had built my castles and built them high,
With their domes had pierced the blue of the sky,
I had sworn to rule with an iron mace,
When I met the Master face to face.

I met Him and knew Him and blushed to see,
That His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me;
And I faltered and fell at His feet that day,
While my castles melted and vanished away.

Melted and vanished, and in their place,
Naught else did I see but the Master's face.
And I cried aloud, "Oh, make me meek,
To follow the steps of Thy wounded feet."

My thought is now for the souls of men,
I have lost my life to find it again,
E'er since one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.

FOR WE BE BRETHREN

GENESIS 13:1-8

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Sometimes brethren disagree. The old axiom goes, “In major things- unity, In minor things- liberty, in all things-charity.” In Heaven there will be no disagreements. In the meantime, let us learn from the Scriptures some valuable lessons from disagreement, always remembering the words of Abraham, “For we be brethren.”

 

I. ABRAHAM and LOT [Gn. 13]

1. Continue to Care [v. 1-8]

2. Don’t Micromanage [v. 9-12]

Sometimes you must allow the Other to Make Their Own Mistakes

3. Remember the Relationship [v. 8]

 

II. PAUL & BARNABAS [Acts 15]

1. Christians Will Not Always Agree [v. 35-38]

2. Keep Living for Jesus [v. 35, 39-41]

3. Not Always Easy to Know Who is Right- God is the Ultimate Judge [2 Timothy 4:11, 1 Cor. 4:1-5]

-Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

-Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God

 

III. PETER AND PAUL [Galatians 1:15-19]

1. Don’t Fear Men [Gal. 2:1-13, Proverbs 29:25]

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

2. Stand for Biblical Principles Not Personalities

[v. 14-17, 1 Cor. 1:12-14, 3:1-9, 21-23]

3. Don’t Get Angry- Get Right [2 Peter 3:15]

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;