ANSWER THE CALL

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

ROMANS 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

 

I. IT IS A HEAVENLY CALLING [the calling to become one of Heaven’s citizens]

 

WHEREFORE, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; [Heb. 3:1]

Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: [Rm. 1:6-7]

 

 1. By Trusting the Incarnate Christ [Rm. 1:3-4]

Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

 

2. By Trusting the Vicarious Death and Resurrection of Christ [Romans 4:25]

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

 

3. By Trusting the Lord Jesus [Rm. 10:9-13]

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

II. IT IS A HIGH CALLING [Philippians 3:14]

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

1.  It is the Calling of His Power [Phil. 3:8-10]

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death

2.  It is the Calling of His Purpose [Phil. 3:11-14]

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

3.  It is the Calling of His Pleasure [2 Th. 1:7-12]

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

III. IT IS A HOLY CALLING

 

1. The Holy Calling is a Divine Calling [2 Tm. 1:8-9]

 

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

 

2. The Holy Calling is a Doctrinal Calling [2 Tm. 1:10-13]

 

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

 

3. The Holy Calling is an Indwelt Calling [2 Tm. 1:14]

 

That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

DECEIVING OURSELVES

JEREMIAH 37:1-10                                        

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

 Most of us realize the Devil is a deceiver and the world is often right in line with him but the closest deceiver to each and every one of us is … ourselves! We like to think we never deceive ourselves but if you think that you have just deceived yourself! God warned the Israelites in this passage of that very danger. They wouldn’t obey God’s Word [v.2] and yet they still wanted God’s help [v. 3] but God told them they were in danger of deceiving themselves [v. 9]. Let us see some very real ways we can deceive ourselves and, in so doing, avoid it!

 

I. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK THE HEART WON’T LIE [Jer. 17:9]

- The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

II. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK THE WRONG CROWD WON’T AFFECT US [1 Cor. 15:33]

-Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  [Homilia=companionship]

 

III. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK WE ARE “SOMETHING” WITHOUT HIM [Gal. 6:3]

-For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

IV. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK WE CAN BEAT THE LAW OF SOWING & REAPING [Gal. 6:7]

-Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

 

V. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK HEARING GOD’S WORD WITHOUT DOING IT IS ENOUGH [James 1:19-23]

- Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

 

VI. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK WE ARE PIOUS WITH AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE [James 1:26]

-If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

 

VII. We deceive ourselves when we: THINK WE HAVE NO SIN NATURE [1 John 1:8]

-If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

 In the little cow-town in West Texas where I went to school we marched out of the room in somewhat subdued, orderly fashion. But the understanding was that one was free to talk as soon as we got outside the building. So the first of the larger boys to reach the door would shout, "First batter!" and the next would cry, "Second batter!" We played "work-up" baseball.

Well, Paul cries, "I am the chief sinner!" If Jesus died for sinners, Paul boldly gets in his claim as early and as strong as he can! And I feel like shouting, "I am second sinner!" The blood of Jesus is for sinners and nobody else. Thank God, I have gotten in. I have confessed my sin and have looked to the blood of Jesus who has paid my debt. I am "only a sinner, saved by grace." - John R. Rice [Soul-Saving Sermons for Sinners, pg. 136]

1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

I think the correct meaning of I Peter 3:18, 19 is that Christ, by the Spirit, went and preached to those spirits who are now in prison, but did it then when God's Holy Spirit was striving with the men in Noah's day and Christ preached to them through the Spirit, by the mouth of Noah, before they died. Christ was preaching to them when Noah preached. - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 11]

I was preaching in revival services in the open air in East Dallas some years ago. One night we closed services after a number of people had been saved. As a few of the workers sat about and planned, and rejoiced over God's blessings, a man came running down the sidewalk, turned into the lot where the meetings were held under the stars. Panting, deeply agitated, he said to me, "Oh, Brother Rice, I'm so glad you're still here! I was afraid you'd be gone!" Then he told me how he had heard the sermon that evening, had been deeply moved, but resisted God's invitation. When the service dismissed he went homeward, but every step of the way the Spirit of God struggled with him and warned him. He said something like this, "As I walked those six blocks something told me that tonight was my chance to be saved, that I would run an awful risk if I went home without Christ. But I went on. When I turned into my own front yard, the Holy Spirit told me, 'This is your last call. If you do not get saved tonight you will never be saved. It is now or never.' When I stepped on the porch the Holy Spirit seemed to say to me, 'If you go in that house unsaved I will never speak to you about this matter again. I will never convict you, I will never warn you again.' But when I had a hand on the door knob God seemed to cry out to me, 'This is your last warning! It is now or never!' Then I turned and ran the six blocks back to this place of meeting to see you. Oh, I must be saved tonight." That night he gave himself to Christ and went home with peace and forgiveness. I do not doubt that God really spoke to him, as he said, for God "will not always strive with man"! - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 15-16]

In a blessed revival campaign in Binghamton Theatre, Binghamton, New York, in 1936, I saw one night in the audience a man deeply concerned as friends talked to him about his soul. The sweat broke out on his forehead. He forcibly grasped the seat before him. I pleaded from the platform. The congregation sang so earnestly! The Spirit of God struggled with him. Suddenly he fell over in a faint. Friends carried him outside into the zero weather and there he was revived. One worker said to him, "You stay here with your friend and I will get my car and take you home." But the young man who had fainted said, "No! I must go back into the theater. I must get this matter settled tonight." When they remonstrated with him that he was sick, he replied, "But this is my last chance, I know it. God has told me that if I don not settle this tonight I will never be saved." He came inside. The services had already been dismissed, but he came to the wings on the stage and called for me and there told me he knew he must be saved that night. Thank God he was! - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 16]

Are you burdened about your soul? Then you have not committed the unpardonable sin. Revelation 22:17 proves that WHOSOEVER WILL may take of the water of life. If you had committed the unpardonable sin, your heart would be like ice. You would not be concerned about your soul. - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 16]

I have had conferences with many and letters from many who feared they had committed the unpardonable sin, but none of them had. In the first place a Christian never commits and unpardonable sin, since his sins, past and future, are already all pardoned. In the second place, if a lost sinner is burdened about his soul and is convicted, then the Spirit of God has not departed from him. God's Holy Spirit is still striving with him. That is what makes him want to be saved, what makes him concerned. That is the reason he is convicted concerning his sins. Oh, dear friend, if the Spirit of God speaks to your heart today, I beg you to be saved! God's Spirit will not always strive with men! - John R. Rice [Revival Appeals, pg. 16]

The word "church" in the Bible, ecclesia, never means a denomination; it means a called out assembly. ...

It is used about ninety times about a local congregation of Christians, like "the church of God at Corinth," "the churches of Galatia," "the seven churches of Asia." Remember that more than one congregation is always spoken of as plural "churches," not a church. The term "church" is never used in the Bible about a denomination. That is a false, man-made use based on a false doctrine and tradition. - John R. Rice

THE HORROR AND THE HOAXES OF HELL-BOUND RELIGIONISTS

2 PETER 2

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE FOCUS OF FALSE TEACHERS [v. 1-3a]

 

1. Damnable Deceptions [v. 1]

 

2. Destructive Denials [v. 1]

 

3. Merchandising Multitudes [v. 2-3a]

 

II. THE FATE OF FALSE TEACHERS [v. 3b-9]

 

1. Judgment and Damnation for False Professors [v. 3b-4]

 

2. Destiny Differs for the Wheat and the Tares [v. 5-8]

 

3. Deftly Decided by the Discerning Lord [v. 9]

 

III. THE FOLLY OF FALSE TEACHERS [v. 10-22]

 

1. The Ugly Mix of Ignorance and Arrogance [v. 10-13]

 

2. The Unmistakable Mix of  Inability and Greed [v. 14-16]

 

3. The Unfortunate Mix of Nature and Neglect [v. 17-22]

DO YOU HEAR THE VOICES?

LUKE 3:1-6

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT-FILLED JOHN THE BAPTIST

 

1. The Voice of Prophecy [Lk. 3:4]

 

2. The Voice of Preparation [Lk. 3:4, Mt. 3:3]

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

 

3. The Voice of Priority [John 3:27-30]

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.

 

 II. THE VOICE OF GOD THE FATHER

 

1.  The Voice of Wrath [Ps. 2:1-6]

 

2. The Voice of Approval [Lk. 3:21-22]

 

3.  The Voice of Instruction [Lk. 9:34-36]

 

 III. THE VOICE OF GOD THE SON

 

1. The Voice of the Saviour [John 5:24-29]

 

2. The Voice of the Shepherd [John 10:1-16]

 

3. The Voice of the Sovereign [Mt. 28:18-20]

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway , even unto the end of the world. Amen.

BEHOLD!

Ps. 51:1-5

                                                        

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

"Behold!" What an attention-grabbing word! The dictionary tells us when behold is an intransitive verb —it is used in the imperative specially to call attention. This is how the Lord uses it in the verses we will look at in this message.

 

I. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE AWAY PRIDE [Ps. 51:1-5]

 

David not only confesses sin in Ps. 51 he readily admits he was born a sinner as were we all! Of what do lost sinners have to be proud? Nothing. Some are proud of their heritage, but their heritage is that of being a sinner, born of sinners and condemned to producing sinners. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. A cow isn't a cow because it moos, it moos because it is a cow! All of us are born wrong and all need to be born again. Back in the late 1970s I heard the pastor of a presidential candidate saying on nation-wide TV that his church member candidate didn't need to be born again because he was born right the first time. I daresay that candidate and his pastor needed to heed the admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ who said, "Ye must be born again!"

 

II. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE AWAY SIN [John 1:29-34]

 

John gives a clear identification of Who can take sin away. it wasn't Buddha, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, science or even ourselves. It was the sacrificial, perfect, Lamb of God! In the law God had required the Jews to bring as near perfect an offering to illustrate the perfect sinless coming Saviour, God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ! Simon Peter agreed with John the Baptist's assessment as he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1 Peter 1:18-25, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.  

Here is not a partial payment. Here is not a limited atonement. Here is what John said in 1 Jn. 2:2, And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Here is God doing for man what man could not do for himself. Like the blood of the Passover lambs, it must be applied to be effective.

Paul adds his own "behold" to this point in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

III. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE EXCUSES AWAY

 

-from the Lost [Rev. 3:20-21] Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

-from the Saved [Rev. 3:8] I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

God opens the door. No man can shut it. There is no excuse for not serving Him. We are not the first to say we can't (Moses, Gideon, Saul - son of Kish, Jeremiah, etc). We can do all things through Christ!

 

IV. A "BEHOLD" TO TAKE AWAY WORRY [Mt. 6:26-30]

 

What Jesus is trying to teach here is quite simple. Let me make 3 statements.

God CAN take care of you!

God WILL take care of you!

Are you in the right line? [Mt. 6:33]

 

V. A BEHOLD TO TAKE BELIEVERS AWAY [1 Corinthians 15:51-58]

 

Jesus is coming! Paul expected it in his lifetime we should expect it in ours! We are almost 2000 years closer than Paul was though he was right to expect it. The rapture of the Church. For all believers. he will not leave part of His body here and take part away. It's the rapture of the church not the rupture of the church.

Are you ready?

BLESSED ASSURANCE JESUS IS MINE

2 Peter 1

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

 I. BE SURE YOU KNOW…

 

 1. HIM! [v. 1-3]

 

2. His Word! [v. 4a]

 

3. His Way [v. 4b]

 

 II. BE SURE YOU GROW...

 

 1. Make Your Service Sturdy [v. 5-8]

 

2. Make Your Salvation Sure [v. 9-10] that is- have a know-so salvation

 

3. Make Your Saviour Supreme [v. 11]

 

 III. ABOUT TIME FOR…

 

 1. Be Established [v. 12]

 

2. Be Stirred [v. 13]

 

3. Be Scriptural [v. 14-21]

NONE GREATER

MATTHEW 11:7-15                                   

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. ANATOMY OF A GREAT MISTAKE “John’s the Greatest Man to Ever Live”

 

1. What Jesus Said [Mt. 11:7, Luke 7:28]

 

2. What Jesus Meant [Mt. 25:21, 23; 2 Tm. 4:6-8]

 

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

3. What Jesus Wants [Mt. 12:46-50]

 

II. ATTRIBUTES OF A GREAT MAN [Luke 1:13-15a]

 

1. An Avoidance of Mind-altering Substances [Luke 1:15, Proverbs 23:31, Eph. 5:18

 

-shall drink neither wine nor strong drink

- Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup , when it moveth itself aright.

- And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;

 

2. An Active Submission to the Life-altering Holy Spirit [Luke 1:15, Eph. 5:18, Acts 2:13-18]

 

- shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost

- And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

3. An Acceptance of the Destiny-altering Great Commission [Luke 1:16, Mk. 16:15]

 

- And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

- And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature

 

III. ACCLAMATION FOR A GREAT MASTER

 

1. We Must Be Ready [1 Peter 3:15]

 

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

2. We Must Be Ready to Help Them Get Ready [Lk. 1:17]

 

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

 

3. For When He is Ready [Matthew 24:44,  Luke 12:40]

 

-Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

-Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

 

D.L. Moody once heard a man say, The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully surrendered to Him." Moody said, "By God's grace I will be that man!" Close to the end of his life Moody is reported to have remarked, "The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully surrendered to Him."

We might think the Apostle Paul was that man, but Paul said under Divine inspiration, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

WELL AND GOOD

1 SAMUEL 3:1-18

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE SAD CASE OF ELI

 

1. Eli Said What He Said Because He Let His Sons Serve Unsaved [2:12, 22]

 

2. Eli Said What He Said Because He Had Been Warned [2:27-34]

 

3. Said What He Said Because He Had a Two-fold Promise [2:35-36]

            -often God gives a promise with a soon fulfillment and a later fulfillment [Solomon/Christ, Titus/Antichrist]

 

II. THE SIMPLE CASE OF THE GALILEANS [Mark 7:31-37]

 

1. They Recognized the Simple Healing of Deafness

 

2. They Recognized the Singular Healing of Dumbness

 

3. They Recognized the Saviour’s Overall Ministry

 

III. THE SCRIPTURAL CASE OF GOD’S CARE FOR HIS CHILDREN [Rm. 8:28]

 

1. The Experience of Joseph [Gen. 50:15-20]

 

2. The Example of Paul [Phil. 1:12-21]

 

3. The Exclamation of the Word of God [Rm. 8:28-31]

JEPHTHAH, GOD’S MAN IN A TOUGH SPOT

JUDGES 11, HEBREWS 11:32-34

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE CHRISTIAN AND THE WORLD [v. 1-8]

 

1. The World Denies Our Heritage [v. 1-3]

 

2. The World Desires Our Help [v. 4-6]

 

3. The World Despises Our Honor [v. 7-8]

 

II. THE CHRISTIAN AND THE WORK [v. 9-13]

 

1. There Should Be a Lasting Pay-off [v. 9-10]

 

2. There Should be a Heavenly Approval [v. 11, Eph. 5:10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

 

3. There Should Be a Sweet Reasonableness [v. 12-13, 1 Tm. 3:7, 2 Tm. 2:24, Titus 1:7]

 

-Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

-And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

-For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

 

III. THE CHRISTIAN AND THE WORD

 

1. The Christian Ought Be Able to Share the Word [v. 14-28]

 

2. The Christian Ought Be Able to be Strengthened by the Word [v. 29-33]

 

3. The Christian Ought Be Able to Stand by the Word [v. 34-40]

HOW DO YOU STAND?

 EVANGELIST CHRIS MILLER

EPH. 6

I. STAND WITH THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD [v. 11,13]

-the WHOLE armor

"put on" v. 11, "take" v. 13, "taking" v. 16, "take" v. 17

II. STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL [v. 11]

1. Resist with your will [v. 12, James 4:7]

2. Resist in your mind [1 Pt. 5:8]

Satan's wiles:
-trick #1 -Deception- he is the father of lies
-trick #2 -Doubt- "did God say?"
-trick #3 -Discouragement- "Discouragement does not come from God"
-trick #4 -Distress- Jacob facing Esau in Gn. 32:7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed:

3. Stand in the Power of HIS Might [Rest] [Eph. 6:10]

It is HIS fight, HIS armor & HIS might - Rest in Him

Ex. 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day

Casting Your Cares

 Evangelist Chris Miller

[Dealing with Anxiety]

1 Peter 5:5-11

God knows about your problems. God is in control. God cares.

I. THE CAUSE OF ANXIETY IS ULTIMATELY PRIDE (thinking you can handle it better than God)

II. THE CURE FOR ANXIETY IS ULTIMATELY HUMILITY [v. 6]

1) Humble Yourself by Submitting to Authority [v. 5]

2) Humble Yourself by Trusting the Almighty [v. 6]

3) Humble Yourself by Casting Your Cares [v. 7, Ps. 55:22]

4) Humble Yourself by Resisting the Devil [v. 8, James 4:7]

2 ways to cast our cares upon the Lord:

-Casting through prayer [v. 6, Ps. 42, 47, 62]

-Casting through giving over your thoughts [v. 8]

JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

 "I am as good as most church members," someone tells me. Perhaps you are. In that case, you will go to Hell like every church member who is depending on his morality. You will go to Hell like every church member who depends on his confirmation or his baptism. You will go to Hell like every church member who depends on living according to the square and compass of his lodge, or keeping the golden rule or the Ten Commandments. I tell you frankly that every person who depends on his character and his morality will land in Hell, in the fire that never goes out and among worms that never die according to the clear teaching of the Word of God. - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, page 150]

As good as church members? Poor, lost sinner, that is not good enough! Jesus said, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven." Not by righteousness of men, not by good works, not by human morality can a poor sinner with a black heart get into Heaven. It is only by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and by the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is accounted to the merit of a poor, undone sinner, that one can enter Heaven. As good as a church member is not enough! You must have a new heart, washed in the blood. You must have the righteousness of Christ counted to your credit. You must be born anew! - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, page 150-151]

“Jesus Himself also said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). When you trusted Jesus Christ, He saved you. I will pray for you that you will believe God and quit depending on your feelings and emotions. It would be wrong for me to be praying for God to give you the kind of feeling you want. That is not the way we are to know we are saved. We know we are saved because God said it and we have faith to believe it. Faith takes God's Word as true and relies upon it.”

― John R. Rice, Dr. Rice, Here Are More Questions

Excuses! Excuses! Lying, insolent, deceiving excuses! That is all that men offer when they will not have Jesus as Saviour and pretend that it is for some good reason. - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, page 151]

"I am as good as most church members," someone tells me. Perhaps you are. . . . But then, on the other hand, I doubt whether you are as good as church members. You critics, you Christ-rejecters, you who stand outside and point the finger of scorn at church people, let me tell you of a difference between you and them. Church people at least are for Christ, or claim to be, and you are against Him. Most of these in the church want Christ, and you do not want Him. They love Him, and you despise Him. They accepted Him while you rejected Him. They have confessed Him openly while you have denied Him. And every church member who is honest and has really come to Jesus Christ is a thousand times better off than the man on the outside who points the finger of scorn and either derides or imitates the church member. - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, page 151]

"I have doubts about the Bible," or, "How do I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?" That is the kind of excuse that others offer when urged to turn from their sins and take Christ as Saviour. I do not deny that some have doubts about the Bible. But they never earnestly sought to know the will of God about the Bible. They have never tearfully, prayerfully, and with holy zeal, set out to apply the Bible to their daily lives and to seek with humble heart the will of God. I do not have any doubt that some people really doubt the deity of Christ. Why should they not doubt? They have never, with all their souls, sought to find Him, the Fairest among ten thousand, the Chosen of God and the "express image of his person." They have not accepted Christ, so they do not know Him. - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, page 151-152]

Do you know why doubt flourishes in your life? It grows in the seedbed of a sinful heart and a sinful will. - John R. Rice [Immanuel--God With Us, page 152]

YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER

EPH. 1, Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. GOD’S UNCHANGING LOVE

 

 1. Shown Yesterday in His Provision for Our Sin [1:6-7]

 

 2. Shown Today in His Provision for Our State [1:12-13, 4:30]

 

 3. Shown Tomorrow in His Provision for Our Soul [1:17-18]

 

 II. GOD’S UNCHANGING POWER

 

 1.  Shown Yesterday in the Power of Creation [1:4]

 

 2. Shown Today in the Power of Redemption [1:5-14]

 

 3. Shown Tomorrow in the Power of Restoration [1:14-22]

 

 III. GOD’S UNCHANGING WISDOM

 

 1. Shown Yesterday in That That He has Displayed [1:8]

 

 2. Shown Today in That That He has Dispersed [1:17ff]

 

 3. Shown Tomorrow in That That He has Designated [1:9-12, 2:7]

 

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same. All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

Glory to His Name! Glory to His Name! All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!