A MAN SENT FROM GOD!

A MAN SENT FROM GOD!

MATTHEW 11, LUKE 7

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. JOHN'S SITUATION

1. John was in a sad situation [Mt. 4:12, 11:2]

2. John was right with God [Mt. 14:3-5]

3. We all suffer because we all live in a sinful world [Rm. 8:14-31]

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Your situation may or may not be of your own making, but God can make it turn out for your good and His glory!

II. JOHN'S SOLUTION

1. We see John reminded of Jesus [Lk. 7:11-18]

2. We see John requesting of Jesus [Lk. 7:19-20]

3. We see John received of Jesus [Lk. 7:21-23]

Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

It's not wrong to go back to the Word of God for comfort, for confirmation, for convictions. Remember this truth, don't doubt in the shadows that which was revealed in the light!

III. JOHN'S STANDARD

John did not get to hear the Lord's commendation of him and his ministry. That was left for his homegoing. Why should we expect more than him?

1. His Stedfastness [Lk. 7:24]

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

2. His Sacrifice [Lk. 7:25]

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

3. His Spirituality [Lk. 7:26-29]

"None born of woman is greater. Yet the least in the kingdom is greater. Not in character or function, but in privilege... we see the end from the beginning." - Herschel Hobbs

John 3: 26-31 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

A MAN SENT FROM GOD

John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

May God help us by the sorrow of others to learn how precious are our children! If you have your children by you, well and strong, thank God! As I got up in the night recently to see if my little ones were well covered and warm, my heart went out to God in gratitude that He had given them to me - that they were mine, that they loved me, that they are healthy an well. Do not neglect your children! Take time to rear them carefully, to train them well, to discipline them strictly, to win them to Christ. - John R. Rice

The poorest little home where godly, healthy, moral children grow up is happier tonight than the richest home that has lost its children, either by death or by sin. And if a broken family circle here causes such sorrow, what will it be like in Heaven if the family circle is broken there, too, if loved ones are missing in Glory? - John R. Rice

Those who do not like "deathbed tales" had better learn to like them for one of these days each one will have a deathbed scene of his own, all his own! - John R. Rice

A man stood in Olton, Texas, and said to me, "I have done all sorts of sins these other people mentioned, but the worst thing I ever did was that all my life, until three o'clock this morning, I turned down Jesus Christ." He was right. That is the meanest thing he could have done. - John R. Rice 

My friends, immorality never pays, and the nation that endorses sin in its rulers and puts its seal on it will have the curse of God upon it, to face sooner or later. David did. War, bloodshed, division came out of it. Ruin, adultery followed with unceasing, heart-rending trend until David went to his grave. - John R. Rice

If there is a girl here tonight who does not want to become a harlot and lose her virtue, who does not want to have heartache and heartbreak, who does not want to fall into ruin, don't open one little gap for the Devil. Don't drink the first glass of beer. Don't get on the dance floor. Don't run with the Devil's crowd. Don't go with an unsaved man or even a backslidden Christian. Don't let down the bars in one particular. That is one way sin takes possession, and you are a slave to sin. - John R. Rice

My friends, you don't know where sin will end! Brother, nobody is ever safe who takes one step on the road to sin. O people, turn your back on it! Flee to God for mercy. - John R. Rice

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HATH MADE

                                                                                              

PSALM 118:24

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THIS IS THE DAY FOR MANIFESTING

1. This is the Day the Lord hath Made for Manifesting His Sovereignty [Ps. 118:22-24, 2:1-9]

               

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

2 Timothy 3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men...

Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

2. This is the Day the Lord hath Made for Manifesting His Scripture [Ps. 118:22-23, Mt. 21:42]

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Titus 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

3. This is the Day the Lord hath Made for Manifesting His Saviour [Ps. 118:22-24, Ps. 2:10-12]

Mt. 21:42-44 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

II. THIS IS THE DAY FOR MORE

1. This is the Day for More People to be Saved [2 Corinthians 6:2]

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

2. This is the Day for More of His People to be Seeking Him [Lam. 3:18-32]

3. This is the Day for More People to be Satisfied with Him [Ps. 90:12-17]

III. THIS IS THE DAY FOR “MAY”

1. This Day is Given Us that the Father’s House May Be Filled [Luke 14:23]

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

2. The Day May Be Given for Us to be Sifted [Luke 22:31]

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

3. The Day the Lord May Come for Us [John 14:3, Matthew 25:13]

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Question of the Week: How is AiG reaching every church in America?

From the highly recommended: Answers in Genesis <www.answersingenesis.org>

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JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Somebody asked a good Scotchman, "How did you get saved?"
He answered, "Me and the Lord together got it fixed."
"How did you have anything to do with it?"
"I did everything I could to go to Hell, and the Lord did all He could to save me." - John R. Rice

Nobody here ever did anything to merit salvation. Nobody here ever did anything to make it so God would want to save you. You didn't beg God into the notion of saving you. You didn't deserve saving. You weren't fit to save. God in His mercy loved you when you didn't love Him. He sought you when you went astray. He saved you when you were not fit to be saved.It is the grace of God by which people are saved. Get that straight. - John R. Rice 

The unceasing, abounding grace of God saves and then keeps. Brother, if He saves, He does the keeping. After God saves, He does the keeping. Oh, the abounding grace of God!
Now here is a man who abounds in sin. Do you think if a man is really saved, he will then get drunk? Some have. "I don't think he was really saved," you say. It doesn't matter what you think. That didn't keep Noah and Lot from getting drunk, and the Bible plainly says Lot was saved. It says he had a "righteous soul," yet he got drunk. - John R. Rice

Sin abounds! There are two things you can't talk too much about and can't make two big. One is the sinfulness of man; the other is the grace of God. Where sin abound, grace did much more abound. The biggest thing about mankind is sin, and the most wonderful thing about God is grace. - John R. Rice


Someone might say that I am encouraging sin. No, I preach against sin and warn against sin. But get it settled this morning that if you are saved, you are going to stay saved. You are going to get to Heaven and enjoy endless bliss through countless ages of eternity. Nothing we can do can undo it. It is in the hands of God and His marvelous grace. - John R. Rice

Someone might say that I am encouraging sin. No, I preach against sin and warn against sin. But get it settled this morning that if you are saved, you are going to stay saved. You are going to get to Heaven and enjoy endless bliss through countless ages of eternity. Nothing we can do can undo it. It is in the hands of God and His marvelous grace. - John R. Rice

Now, listen to me! There is nothing in the best of any of us to give peace. Peace cannot arise from the natural human heart. Sin was there first. And sin does not gender peace. All of us are sinners, and sin reigns in our mortal bodies; therefore, no peace can come from human goodness. PEACE COMES FROM GOD. It must come from the outside. It must come from the infinite God. Nobody can have real peace except the peace that is the gift of God. The Scripture says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We are justified when God's grace is poured out. When God forgives our sins, peace comes in. - John R. Rice

The more experience you have with God, the easier it is to trust Him. If you knew the kind of God He is, you could not help having faith in Him.
There was a poor ignorant woman once to whom somebody said, "Well, you say you are saved for sure?"
She said, "I certainly am."
But this one argued with her that you have to wait until you get to Heaven before you can know, that if you fall into sins God may forsake you at any time.
She said, "Thank God, I take HIS word for it. I would be willing to be the second woman that God went back on, but I am determined I will not be the first! If He had gone back on a few others, I might have some fears, but I am determined I will not be the first one He forsakes."
He is not going back on me, because He never did on anybody else. The more you have to do with some folks, the more sure you are of them. The more you have to do with Jesus, the more you can risk Him. Faith grows by trying God out. - John R. Rice