TRICK OR TREAT

                          

2 Corinthians 11:1-3                                              

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

As we near Halloween most of us can recall saying or hearing “Trick or Treat.” It is not my purpose tonight to weigh the pros and cons of the evening before “All Saints Day” and thus “all hallows eve” but rather to remind us all that all Satan offers are tricks and all God offers are treats.

 

I. THE SUBTLETY OF THE SERPENT [Genesis 3]

 

1. Darken [v. 1-3] Maximize the negative, minimize the positive

- NOW the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

 

2. Denial [v. 4] - And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

 

3. Deception [v. 5-6, 1 John 2:16]

- For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

-For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

II. THE SATISFACTION OF THE SERPENT

 

1. Satan Loves to Beguile [Romans 7:11, 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Thessalonians 2:3]

- For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

- For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

-Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

-Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 

2. Satan Loves to Corrupt [1 Corinthians 3:17, 15:33; Ephesians 4:22; Jude 1:10; Revelation 19:2]

-If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

-Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

-That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

-But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

-For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

 

3. Satan Loves to Complicate [2 Corinthians 11:3, Gal. 1:6-7, 3:1]

-But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

- I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

- O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

III THE SOLUTION TO THE SERPENT

 

1. God’s Nearness [James 4:7-8]

- Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

 

2. God’s Enabling [Eph. 6:10-18]

- Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 

3. God’s Word [Luke 4, Mt. 4, 2 Tm. 2:25-26]

- In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

TO FOLLOW OR NOT TO FOLLOW

MT. 4:18-22

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

One of the most famous lines from Shakespeare’s writings is a question posed by a young man contemplating suicide. Though the line is famous it could be that most people are ignorant of the context of the line. The young man Hamlet is pondering whether or not life is worth living. While he ponders, he utters the well-known line, “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”

People look for meaning and satisfaction in many areas- play, work, athletics, music, business, education, government, etc. – strangely enough there is a lifestyle that has the capacity of exciting and thrilling everyone. To put it simply- follow Christ!

Following Christ for the disciples meant a change of direction, of language [Pete had a problem here], of interest, of priorities. What is the excitement, the challenge in following Christ?

 

I. TO FOLLOW CHRIST IS TO FOLLOW THE GREATEST OF ALL- THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

 

1. To Follow Christ is to Receive Him as Saviour [Jn. 1:10-14]

- He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

2. To Follow Christ is to Love Him [Jn. 14:23-24]

- Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

 

3. To Follow Christ is to Exchange Your Plans for His Plans [Mt. 4:18-22, 8:19-22, 9:9]

- And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

- And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

- And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

 

II. TO FOLLOW CHRIST IS TO WALK BY FAITH

 

1.  Walk by Faith in Youth [Ecclesiastes 12:1]

- REMEMBER now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

 

2. Walk by Faith in Shadows [Ps. 23:4]

- Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

 

3.  Walk by Faith in Success [Acts 8:5-8, 26-27]

- Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

- And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

 

III. TO FOLLOW CHRIST IS TO ENGAGE IN THE WORK THAT PAYS THE HIGHEST DIVIDENDS

[Mt. 4:19] And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

 

1. Believe the Lord- He has Commissioned Us [Mt. 28:18ff, Acts 1:8]

- And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore,

- ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

2. Believe the Lord- men are lost without Christ [Jn. 3:18, 36]

- He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

- He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 

3. Believe the Gospel- Christ alone can Save [Rm. 1:16, 1 Tm. 2:5-6, Acts 4:12, John 14:6]

- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

- For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

- Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

- Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Heretofore Adam had run gladly to meet God when he came to walk in the garden, and followed Him eagerly when the Lord went away in whatever human manifestation He may have appeared. But now when God came, after Adam is conscious of the guilt of sin, he runs and hides himself in the trees and bushed and God runs after him calling, "Adam, Adam!" Now Adam is not at home in the presence of God. He turns his face away. It has become true with Adam and Eve, as it is true of every unregenerate sinner in the world. - John R. Rice ["The Woman Thou Gavest Me", pg. 23]

Some people object and say that if you worship on Sunday, you keep a day dedicated to the sun since Sunday was named for the sun. Well, Saturday is named for Saturn! All the days are God's days, and all should be used for Him no matter how they were named. The days of the week do not have now the same names as they had in Bible times, but we do have the same days whether we call one Sunday or the first day of the week, or another Saturday or the seventh day of the week. New Testament Christians met on the first day of the week before it was called Sunday. Jews kept Saturday as a day of rest before it was called Saturday. But what has that to do with us? We settle this by God's Word, not by history. - John R. Rice [Sunday or Sabbath- Which Should Christians Observe?, pg. 9-10]

I am not boasting in a salvation that I can keep by "paying the price." Thank God, Christ Himself has already paid the price for my eternal redemption. I did not deserve salvation before I got it. I have never deserved it thirty seconds since. It was all grace at first. It is all grace now. - John R. Rice

Talk to me no more of "the river of chilly waters!" You cannot frighten me by speaking of "that grim reaper, Death!" Death is not "the king of terrors" any more. I can say with David, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me." And if I die at home or abroad, in poverty or riches, whether famous or infamous, I know that the angels of God will take my spirit at death and carry me straight to Jesus and the Father! I can sing without fear, with the saints of old,

Oh, come angel band,

Come and around me stand.

Oh, bear me away on your snowy wings

To my immortal home.

Praise God for His angels! - John R. Rice

If the Bible is the very Word of God, then Jesus is the very Christ of God. If the Bible is not infallibly inspired and correct, then there is no way to know about the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, bodily resurrection, His miracles and blood atonement: there is no way to know about Heaven or Hell or salvation. Christ and the Bible stand or fall together, and no one is true to Christ who does not accept Him as He appears in the Bible and who does not accept the Bible as Jesus Christ Himself accepted it. - John R. Rice [A Coffer of Jewels about the Bible, pg. iii]

Matthew 28:5-7 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Notice the message of the angel... First, there is comfort, "Fear not." Second, there is understanding, "I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified." Third, there is explanation, "He is not here: for He is risen." Fourth, there is rebuke, "He is risen, AS HE SAID!" Fifth, there is the same tender compassion and willingness to prove Himself that God has for troubled, inquiring, doubting hearts, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Sixth, there is urgent command, "Go quickly," etc. Seventh, there is a glorious promise, "Behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; THERE SHALL YE SEE HIM"! - John R. Rice [Matthew, pg. 494]

A man who does not believe that Jesus is the virgin-born Son of God, does not trust in the atoning death of Christ for his salvation, is not a Christian even though he may wear priestly garb and stand behind a sacred pulpit and pretend to preach the gospel. All modernist preachers, who deny the inspiration of the Bible, deny the essential deity of Jesus Christ, deny His miracles, deny His virgin birth, deny His bodily resurrection, deny the need for a new birth, deny the fact of Heaven and Hell, are, in the words of Jesus Christ Himself, "blind leaders of the blind." They are "false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). To sit under the influence and teaching of such men in the pulpit is a sin. It is painful and wrong for an adult who is already truly converted. It is utterly disastrous and inexcusable to leave a child to be influenced by such an ungodly pretender to Christianity. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 315]

COMPROMISE OR CAT-CHOW ARE NOT THE ONLY CHOICES

DANIEL 6

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE ENEMIES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

1. They Hated Daniel Without a Cause [v. 1-4, John 15:18-25]

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

2. They Knew His Testimony [v. 5]

3. They Discounted His God [v. 6-9]

 

II. THE FRIENDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

1. Exhibit Character [v. 10a, 1:8]

2. Exhibit Consistency [v. 10b]                                                   

Note-Daniel had a Place, a Position, a Pattern

3. Exhibit Convictions [v. 11-23]

 

III. THE GOD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

1. God Will Judge [v. 24]

2. God Will Triumph [v. 25-26]

3. God Will Save [v. 27-28]

WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH?

2 KINGS 2

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. ELISHA’S TESTING [v. 1-18]

 

1. The Test of Devotion [v. 1-6, 1 Kings 19:20]

And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

 

2. The Test of Decision [v. 7-13]

 

3. The Test of Demonstration [v. 14-18]

 

II. ELISHA’S MINISTRY [v. 19-22]

 

1.  The Situation of the City [v. 19]

 

2. The Salt of the Covenant [v. 20-21, Numbers 18:19, Mk. 9:49-50]

- All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

- For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

 

3.  The Sweetness of Christ [v. 22]

 

III. ELISHA’S CHALLENGE [v. 23-25]

 

1. They Mocked the Prophet – God’s Representative [v. 23]

 

2. They Mocked the Parting – God’s Work [v. 23b-24, 2 Pet. 3:3-4]

 

3. They were Mauled by Bears – God’s Reminder [v. 24-25, Lev. 26:21-22]

- And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

 

Genesis 37:2 Joseph=17 years old,  42:12=3same word, 1 Sam. 16:11=David’s older brothers, etc.

ARE YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF?

EPH. 5:19

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Someone has said, “Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice.” And while that is humorous, talking to ourselves can be serious business. There are those times when we need to have a little talk with ourselves. Some Bible characters did just that as we shall see.

 

I. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF IN THE HOUR OF SUFFERING [Job 5:7]

Eliphaz the Temanite noted “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”

 

1. Have the Right Attitude [Psalm 77:6, Phil. 4:11-13]

- I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

-Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 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. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Wrong things to say - “why me?” “I quit” “I guess I’m just out of God’s will”

 

2. Have the Right Aptitude [1 Samuel 30:6, Romans 8:28]

-David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

-And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Right things to say - “Lord what do you have in this for me?”

 

3. Have the Right Altitude [Ph. 4:6-7]

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

“God give me grace” “not my will but thine”                                     God gives Promises NOT Explanations!

 

II. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF IN THE HOUR OF SUCCESS

 

1. The Wrong Thing to Say [Daniel 4:28-33]

2. The Right Thing to Say [ [Daniel 4:34-37]

3. The Right Way to Be [Psalm 77:6]

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Genesis 37-50 – Joseph in the OT- his response was the same in the pit, in the prison, in the palace –his character didn’t change, his faith didn’t falter, his witness didn’t dim. We need to keep our priorities straight. Some quit tithing when they begin to make more money, some quit tithing if they begin to make less money, some just right down the line.                                                                        Never question Biblical principles!

 

III. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO YOURSELF IN THE HOUR OF DECISION

 

1. Salvation [Rom. 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.

 

2. Sin [Genesis 39:7-9]

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

 

3. Sanctification & Service [Joshua 24:15, 1 Peter 3:15, Nehemiah 5:7]

-And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

-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:

-Then I consulted with myself.

John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

 If someone charges that such preaching is old-fashioned, we gladly admit it. I have delivered only what I have received. If any be blessed through the messages, then the credit properly belongs to the Christ who shed the blood, to the God who gave the Book, and to the Holy Spirit who moves upon the hearts of men. - John R. Rice [What Must I Do to Be Saved?, pg. 7-8]

Jesus said, "And other sheep I have , which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16). I say, "Lord Jesus, I am anxious to see those other sheep in Your fold. They are my brothers and sisters."

So whether they are black in skin, or yellow, or brown, or white--those who are born-again children are the children on my Father. And when I come to say, "My Father," I am acknowledging that I am part of a whole group of Christians whom I ought to love and count in the family. - John R. Rice [Great Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount, pg. 11]

"And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you." [1 Th. 5:12]

You ought to "know" those who labor among you and over you and admonish you in the Lord. The Lord says on this matter in Hebrews 13:7, "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." Then verse 17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." - John R. Rice [Comments on 1st Thessalonians, pg. 28]

Those who try to pry out signs of Christ's coming, whether they adduce their signs from falling meteors as did the Millerites, or from some manipulation of the figures in the book of Daniel, as have Seventh-Day Adventists and others sometimes, or from measurements of the Great Pyramid as have the British Israelites, or from wars, apostasy, and sin, are all mistaken. Jesus Christ plainly taught us that no one is to know the day nor the hour. People who look for such signs violate the plain intent of Deuteronomy 29:29. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." - John R. Rice [Matthew, pg. 392]

Little children cannot understand all the table talk of their elders, yet in enlightened homes children learn to sit nicely at the table, learn to eat quietly, and to be cheerful and happy in the fellowship of older people without disturbing the happiness of the family or embarrassing guests. Certainly the same principle obtains in the matter of public worship. Do not wait until the child understands all about theology, or can understand the discourse of the pastor before you take him to church. - John R. Rice [The Home, pg. 312]

Hell will certainly be hotter for some than for others. God always does right. We may be certain that a man who rejects Christ fifty years and with great enlightenment still resists God, will be punished more than a younger person. We may be certain that one who is reared in this enlightened land and hears the gospel all his life and then dies without Christ will find hell more terrible than a heathen savage who had only the enlightenment of the law written in his heart, that is, his conscience, and the evidence of nature around him that there is a God. Hell is the result of men's sins. Greater sin makes a more terrible hell for the sinner. - John R. Rice [What Must I Do to Be Saved?, pg. 89]

My last word is this: Don't you see that Pharaoh hardened his own heart? He hardened his heart about God, about the cries of little children, about poor, weeping mothers whom he had bereaved and torn their little ones from their arms. As the hard thud of whips fell on the backs of those he had enslaved, he hardened his heart toward their pain. God said, "All right, you like a hard heart. I will harden your heart Myself and let you be stubborn until I lead you out into the middle of the Red Sea, and then I will turn the water loose on you and I will show you." And God did. You had better not harden your heart. You had better listen to God tonight. You wise guys like Pharaoh, who will not listen to God-if He sends any trouble to you and pleads with you in mercy and goodness and kindness, He is giving you a chance. Are you ignoring it? You wise guys like Pharaoh, remember Proverbs 29:1 : "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." - John R. Rice, The Scarlet Sin, pg. 88-89]

DOES JESUS CARE?

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

In 1901 Frank Graeff (lyrics) and Joseph Hall {music) published the song Does Jesus Care? And it has been a blessing to untold numbers of people since that time. The first verse asks:

 

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained

Too deeply for mirth or song,

As the burdens press, and the cares distress,

And the way grows weary and long?

 

I. JESUS CARES ABOUT OUR PHYSICAL INFIRMITIES [Mk. 1:39-45]

 

1. The Leper Realized it was NOT a Question of Ability [v. 39-40]

 

2. The Lord Responded with Compassion [v. 41]

 

3. The Lord Ruled Compassion Overrides Convenience [v. 42-45]

 

II. JESUS CARES ABOUT OUR SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE [Mk. 6:30-45]

 

1.  The Compassion of Christ Motivated Him [v. 30-34a, 2 Corinthians 5:14]

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

2. The Compassion of Christ Moved Him to Teach Truth [v. 34b-35, Ephesians 4:15]

-But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

 

3.  The Compassion of Christ Manifested Orderliness [v. 36-46, 1 Cor. 14:40]

Let all things be done decently and in order.

 

III. JESUS CARES ABOUT OUR FUTURE NEEDS [Mk. 8:1-21]

 

1. Christ has Compassion on Our Future Needs [v. 1-9]

 

2. Christ has Contempt for Hypocrisy [v. 10-13]

 

3. Christ has Concern for Our Dullness [v. 14-21, Ephesians 5:17]

-Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

 

Does Jesus Care? The refrain (chorus) of the song says:

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Savior cares.

 

The simple answer is in another line from a song says, “Jesus loves me this I know-for the Bible tells me so!”

RECIPE FOR CONTENTMENT

1 Tm. 6:2b-12

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Going through my papers I came across a 5 by 8 card with the word “Contentment” written across the top in my Grandfather Loudon’s handwriting. Underneath that was written 3 points- the 3 major points of our message tonight. Granddad was an early encourager in my faith when some other family members were against it.

 

I. Contentment is Based on “Realizing God has given everything I Need for my present happiness.”

 

1. The Bible Sets the Standard for Self-Esteem [1 Tm. 6:2b-6]

 

2. The Bible Sets the Standard for Physical Need [1 Tm. 6:6-10]

 

3. The Bible Sets the Standard for Spiritual Need [1 Tm. 6:9-14]

 

II. Contentment Realizes “If I’m not satisfied with what I have, I probably would not be satisfied with what I want.”

 

1.  The Forever Unsatisfied [Proverbs 27:20, Eccles. 5:10]

- Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

- He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

 

2. The Present Satisfaction [Psalm 65:1-4, Matthew 10:23-26, Romans 5:1]

- Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

- But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

- THEREFORE being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

3.  The Future Satisfaction [Psalm 17:15, 1 John 3:2]

- As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

-Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

“Learn to be satisfied with whatever state you’re in” [Philippians 4:11]

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

 

III. Contentment is “Knowing the more I release earthly possessions the more I can appreciate what is inside -that is important.”

 

1. The Perception of Contentment [2 Cor. 4:18]

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

2. The Philosophy of Contentment [Mt. 6:25]

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

 

3. The Person of Contentment [Mt. 6:26-34]

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

NO CHRIST OR KNOW CHRIST

GALATIANS 5:1-4

Philippians 3:10 That I may KNOW HIM, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

 Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. NO CHRIST, NO REAL ANSWERS

 

1. Christ is the Answer to the Question of Salvation [Acts 16:30-31, 4:12, 1 Cor. 15:14]

- And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

- Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

- And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

 

2. Christ is the Answer to the Question of the Usefulness of Life [John 15:1-5, Matthew 10:39]

-I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

- He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

 

3. Christ is the Answer to the Question of the Future [Acts 1:7-8, Philippians 1:21-24]

- And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

- For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you

 

II. NO CHRIST, NO REAL PEACE

 

1.  You Must Know Him [2 Tm. 1:12, Philippians 3:8-10]

- 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.

- 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. You Must Walk with Him [Amos 3:3, 1 Jn. 1:6-7]

- Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

- If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 

3.  You Must Look to Him [Hebrews 12:2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith

-Look to the Sympathetic Jesus [Heb.  4:15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

-Look to the Sorrowing Jesus [Is. 53:3] He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

-Look to the Severe Jesus [Mt. 23] “Woe unto you” AT LEAST 8 TIMES

-Look to the Singing Jesus [Mt. 26:30] And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

-Look to the Suffering Jesus [1 Pt 2:21-25] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 

III. NO CHRIST, NO REAL POWER [Mt. 28:18, Acts 1:8] Why do Christians lack Christ’s power?

-And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

-But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me

 

1. Stubbornness- a lack of submission [Romans 6:11, 1 Corinthians 15:31]

- Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

- I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

 

2. Ignorance- a lack of study [2 Timothy 2:15]

- Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

3. Weakness- a lack of the Spirit’s fullness [Eph. 5:18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;