All The Counsel of God

TEXT: Job 23:1-10

• Intro:
  • Job was suffering greatly and he was looking for an audience with God so he could get some answers as to why he was suffering so.
  • For quite some time, God was silent.
  • We learn from his experience that there are times when you want God to answer you and he seems not to hear your plea.
  • So, today we are going to study waiting out the silence of God. 
  • What are we supposed to do when God is silent?
  • Waiting out the silence of God takes:
• Perseverance – Job –
  • Job was going through a test –
  • He was a pawn in a spiritual war between God and the devil –
  • The battle wasn’t totally without benefit for Job because he was self-righteous
  • The Lord allowed Job to be tested until he repented of his righteousness and humbled himself –
  • Then the Lord blessed him abundantly and gave him twice as much as he started with when the trial began –
  • Job had to persevere through his trial –
  •  Likewise, there are times when the spiritual struggles in your life are for your benefit –
  • The Lord isn’t going to answer you in times like these because he is molding you into something better than what you were [Rom 9:20-21] –
  • You need to persevere through the trial until God establishes you in what he wants you to be [1 Pet 5:10] –
  • It’s like trying to make a battle toughened soldier out of a 20 year old boy –
  • There’s no explaining to do; he just has to go through it.
• Perception – Joseph –
  • Joseph suffered a great deal during his 13 years in prison –
  • He was wrongly imprisoned based on a false accusation –
  • He was sold into slavery because of envy – and yet he had to endure all of that until such time as he was released and promoted to be the second ruler in the country –
  • Joseph didn’t need God to reassure him during his trial –
  • God had already “spoken” on the matter –
  • Joseph had seen the visions of God regarding his brothers bowing down to him and knew that they would come to pass –
  • In our case, God often isn’t going to give you any perspective on your trouble other than what he has already written in his words –
  • Rather than cry out in anguish to God for an answer you need to study the scriptures and see what he has already said –
  • Then believe what he has said and live by those words –
  • Joseph did [Gen 50:20].
• Patience – Daniel –
  • In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel receives an answer from the Lord after three weeks of limited fasting –
  • The whole time he is waiting for the Lord to answer his prayer, he is clueless as to the delay –
  • When the angel comes to reveal to him his vision, he then understands that the delay involved a spiritual battle between the angel and the “prince of Persia’ [one of the heavenly hosts opposed to the Lord] –
  • There was nothing Daniel could do during this delay but wait –
  • Patience is required when you know you need an answer but there is an unexplained delay –
  • Perhaps the Lord is waiting for just the right time and anything before that would simply be too soon for you to know –
  • After all, he is God and we are just humans and he really doesn’t owe us an explanation –
  • Learn to trust him even in his silence.
• Penitence – Saul –
  • In 1 Samuel 28, Saul decided to enquire of a woman who had a familiar spirit because the Lord would not answer him [v.6] –
  • The Lord refused to answer him because he had sinned against the Lord –
  • What he needed to do was repent –
  • Instead, he tried to circumvent the Lord and get the answer another way –
  • Saul was rebellious, stubborn, disobedient and possessed with an evil spirit –
  • When you get into that kind of shape you are not going to get much from the Lord in prayer, in Bible reading or in church –
  • You are going to have to repent of the sin or sins that are separating you from the Lord.
• Conclusion:
  • Concerning waiting out the silence of God there may be other things to consider but these four are certainly some of the most common things you will face –
  • At times you need to persevere like Job and endure the suffering –
  • At other times you need to perceive like Joseph and find the answers the Lord has already written in his words –
  • Still there are times when you need patience like Daniel to wait till god replies for whatever reason –
  • And then you may need penitence like Saul before the Lord will break the silence –
  • Hopefully, you will find the Lord’s answers in his words –
  • They are certainly the most reliable counsel you will receive.

Text: Psa 2:1-3

• Intro:
  • Psalm 2 begins with the question, Why do the heathen rage? 
  • The answer is found in the first three verses of the chapter and then the next two verses show you God’s response to their rage. 
  • We are going to study the first three verses.
• This passage deals with the international opposition to God and the Lord Jesus Christ but spiritual application can be made to individuals, as well. 
• So, we will deal with the truths in this passage that pertain to both nations and individuals, alike.
• Why do the heathen rage?  The heathen rage because of their:

• Lack of the knowledge of God – Psa 2:1 – “heathen” –
  • No fear, no knowledge Prov 1:7; Rom 3:18 –
  • Paul blasphemed God in ignorance 1 Tim 1:13 –
  • The men who crucified Jesus didn’t know him 1 Cor 2:7-8 –
  • They may even profess that they know him when they don’t Titus 1:16 –
  • The only way they are going to know him is through believing the Bible.
• Vain imagination – Ps 2:1 – “imagine a vain thing” –
  • Vain imaginations darken the heart Rom 1:21 –
  • Their imaginations are vain because they are alienated from the life of God Eph 4:17-18 –
  • Their thoughts are contrary to the sound wisdom of God’s words.
• Ungodly associations – Ps 2:2 – “the kings of the earth set themselves” –
• They take counsel together but all the counselors are against God –
• This is a very simple truth –
• The nations who are against the God of the Bible will try to overthrow God and God’s people Dan 7:25; Dan 8:23-25.
• Foolish counsel – Ps 2:2 – “the rulers take counsel together” –
  • A companion of fools shall be destroyed Prov 13:20 –
  • There are those who walk in the counsel of the ungodly Ps 1:1 –
  • Because this counsel is contrary to the counsel of God it will not stand Prov 21:30 –
  • God’s counsel is found in a true belief of God’s words.
• Misunderstanding of liberty – Ps 2:3 – “bands… cords” –
  • Read and digest these verses Jas 1:25; John 8:32; Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:12 –
  • You don’t have liberty apart from God and apart from his laws which have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ Rom 10:4.
• Rebellion against God’s laws – Ps 2:3 – “break… cast away” –
  • They try to break the bands and cast away the cords –
  • They see the liberty of God as constraining; we know it to be liberating –
  • Thus they ensnare themselves in their own deception and rebellion against God 2 Pet 2:18-19 –
  • They aggressively oppose God and God’s people to the point of attempting to annihilate them.
• Conclusion:
  • The heathen rage because they are clueless about God, God’s word and God’s liberty –

All of this clears up in Jesus Christ and in the Bible if they will humble themselves and believe what God said.

Text: Gal 5:16-25

• Intro:
  • How many would like to not fulfill the lust of the flesh?  
  • To not fulfill the lust of the flesh, we need to examine and follow what Paul wrote in Gal 5:16-26 about the flesh and Spirit.
• The lust of the flesh.
  • It’s there; it’s always there; it takes nothing to cultivate it.
• The antagonism of the flesh. (Antagonism is opposition of a conflicting force).  
  • Concerning the flesh and Spirit, the flesh is opposed to the Spirit.  
  • Always contrary.  
  • It doesn’t make any difference how justified you feel in your actions or how spiritual you may want to be in everything else you do.  
  • If it’s flesh, it’s flesh.  
  • And it’s contrary to the Spirit.
• The works of the flesh. 
  • We will look at and defined what they are later in our study
• The result of fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
  • You can’t do the things that you would, v.17.
  • And you will lose your inheritance in the Kingdom of God, v.21
• Our instructions to keep from fulfilling the lust of the flesh:
  • Live in the Spirit, v.25.  
    • That is, you must be saved.  
    • To pretend to be saved when you aren’t saved is ridiculous. 
    •  You live as a miserable hypocrite and then die and go to hell because you’re lost.
  • Walk in the Spirit, v.16, 25.  
    • Concerning the flesh and Spirit, the Spirit is contrary to the flesh; they are mutually exclusive.
    • Walk in the Spirit every single step of the way.  
    • You start out like a kid learning to walk.  
    • The scripture teaches you and the Spirit guides you.  
    • Be patient; it takes time.
  • The result of walking in the Spirit, v.22-23.  
    • You start seeing the fruit of the Spirit in your life.  
    • Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance.
• This is fruit.  
  • It takes time for fruit to grow and mature.
  • You have loved and experienced joy, and put up with other peoples’ stuff, and so forth.  
  • But until the Holy Spirit has produced this in you, you really don’t know what it is because the flesh can’t produce it or imitate it.  
  • Concerning the flesh and Spirit, their love is completely different, their joy is absolutely different, their peace is totally different, etc.
• If you try to fake it, then your fruit is like artificial fruit on the coffee table.  
  • It looks good on the outside, but as soon as you pick it up you know there’s something wrong with it.  
  • Likewise, the same is true with the flesh faking spirituality.  
  • Don’t mistake that for spirituality.
• Conclusion:
  • The remedy is to walk in the Spirit.  
  • Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  
  • The Spirit produces things in you that far exceed every lust of the flesh.
  • Whether it’s the flesh’s covetousness, envy, lasciviousness, vengeance, rebellion, pride, or sinful desire, the fruit of the Spirit is far better.  
  • And it is incomparable.  
  • Concerning the flesh and Spirit, nothing in the flesh gives you even a sample of what you will see in the fruit of the Spirit.
• You can’t put down the flesh.  
  • But the Spirit can crucify the flesh, v.24.  
  • You may want to destroy the flesh for it’s works.  
  • It makes you think you’re going to die if you don’t give in to it’s lusts and demands.  
  • Crucify it.  
  • The Spirit puts you in Christ who died. 
  •  And you die with him in Christ.  
  • Go ahead and die.
  • It won’t KILL you.  
  • Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live…. Christ liveth in me”.  
  • That’s the Spirit.
• Conclusion:
  • Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
• The works of the flesh (defined).
  • The first four are sexual and sensual.  
    • Adultery – committed with the eyes, heart, Matt 5:28, as well as with the body.
  • Fornication – the act.  Premarital sex is fornication.  See 1 Cor 6:13-20.
  • Uncleanness, 2 Cor 7:1 says “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit”: filthy mind, filthy mouth, filthy habits.  
    • Your spirit is defiled by what you see.
  • Lasciviousness – preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires; lewd = loose; voluptuous emotions = Full of pleasure, sensual gratification, exciting sensual desires.
    • Mega churches mistake lasciviousness for the liberty of the Spirit.
• Result of Violating 1st command. Idolatry.
  • We can easily see it in idolatrous religions.  
  • But can we see it in ourselves?  
  • Covetousness is idolatry, Col 3:5.
• Witchcraft.  See Acts 13:6, 8, 10.  
  • Today you see on TikTok and Instagram an increased visibility of witchcraft.  
  • You see it in Movies, TV.  Wicca.
• Result of Violating 2nd command.
  • Hatred.  Prov 26:24-25 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him.  
  • When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
• Variance – at variance, in disagreement.  Produces discord.
• Emulations – contentions, rivalries, acts of attempting to excel in qualities.
  • One ups.  Not of the Spirit.
• Wrath – indignation, violent anger.
• Murders.  Not only killing but hating, 1 John 3:15.
• Result of Earthly wisdom (Jas 3:14-16) Strife – opposition, contrariety.  No matter which side you take, they take the other.
• Seditions – incitements of resistance to lawful authority.
  •  I don’t care how right you think you are, these are not from the Spirit.
• Heresies – opinions, doctrines, or practices contrary to the truth.  
  • The doctrine as taught by the Holy Spirit is always the same.  
  • The temptation to be the new kid on the block with the new deep revelation of doctrine is of the flesh.
• Envyings – painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.  
  • You’ll tear them down if you can’t beat them.  
  • Not of the Spirit.
• Contrast Jas 3:13, 17.
• Result of sowing to the flesh. Drunkenness – Eph 5:18.
• Revellings – wild parties. Eph 5:11 the unfruitful works of darkness.
• And such like.
  • Drugs, porn, etc.  In other words, this list is not exhaustive.  
  • It just gives you the kinds of things that are manifested as works of the flesh.
• Concerning the flesh and Spirit, none of these are from the Spirit of God.

“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

• Intro:
  • According to the Bible, we are to live by the word of God, every word of God.  
  • In Deut 8:3, Moses wrote, “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live”.  
  • Jesus quoted this verse in his reply to the devil’s temptation in Lk 4:4.  
  • “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”.
• Why would the instruction “live by the word of God” be so important?
  • The reasons are simple when you look at the significance and power of the word of God.
• In Jn 1:1-3, all things were created by Jesus Christ, the Word.  
  • In Heb 11:3 the worlds were framed by the word of God.  
  • In Ps 33:6 by the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.  
  • In Gen 1 “God said”.
• Now, in Heb 1:3 upholding all things by the word of his power.  
• And in Col 1:16-17 by him were all things created… and by him all things consist.  
• None of what you see and none of what you can’t see in the entire universe would not even be here if God had not spoken these things into existence with his words.
• Evolutionary science and the science of natural processes are absolutely contrary to the words of God.  
  • They are mutually exclusive from creation.  
  • These, like Biblical scholarship, are the words of men pitted against the words of God to keep you from believing what God said.
• Nevertheless, we are to live by the word of God.
• We are born again by the word. 1 Pet 1:23-25 “born again by the word of God… the word of the Lord endureth forever”.
  • Eternal life comes from the eternal word and the eternal Word.
• We live by the word of God.  
  • Lk 4:4 “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”.  
  • In the same way that we must have water to live, breath to live, and bread to live, we must have the words of God to live.  
  • You cannot live spiritually apart from these words.  
  • Consider that the entire universe is upheld by these words and you’re trying to live your life apart from these words.  
  • No wonder you’re falling apart.
• We are throughly furnished by the word of God.
  • 2 Tim 3:16-17, “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, throughly furnished unto all good works”.
• In the same way that God spoke this universe into existence, he speaks to you in his words.  
  • He gives them to you by inspiration so that you can understand them,
  • Job 32:8.  
  • And that’s what makes them profitable for doctrine (so you know what he said), reproof (so you know where you’re out of line), for correction (so you can get into line), and instruction in righteousness (so you can stay in line).  You will never be throughly furnished unto all good works apart from these words.
• We are judged by the word of God.  
  • Jn 12:47-50 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day”.  
  • You are going to stand before God to be judged one of these days.  
  • You don’t have to wait to see how that judgment is going to turn out.  
  • Everything is already written in this book.  
  • When you live by the word, you know how the judgment will go.
• Conclusion:
  • Live by the word of God.  
  • If you are not saved, trust Jesus Christ to save you according to the scriptures (1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 10:9-10, 13).  
  • If you are already saved, get into the word of God and get the word of God into you.  
  • It’s the only way to have life more abundantly as Jesus promised.

• Intro:
  • We are going to examine some Christmas traditions which are perversions of Biblical truth. 
  • Here are some of the major Christmas traditions:
• Santa coming to town –
  • Instead of waiting around for Santa to arrive (which he won’t), look for Titus 2:13, the glorious appearing of Christ. 
  • And don’t look for him to arrive with “rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums.”  
  • He is coming with the sound of a trumpet and in flaming fire to take vengeance [Matt 24:31; 2 Thess 1:7-10]. 
  • Santa is supposed to know who’s naughty and nice. 
  • You’d better not wait for that, but rather prepare for the judgment seat of Christ [2 Cor 5:10]. 
  • Don’t worry about him seeing you when you’re sleeping and when you’re awake. 
  • He can’t see anything but the Lord can [Prov 15:3]. 
  • He’s the one with whom you must concern yourself.
• Santa Claus dressed in red –
  • Instead of thinking of an imaginary figure bearing gifts, think of Is 63:1-4, the color of the Lord’s garments after executing his vengeance on his enemies at his second coming [Rev 14:18-20; Rev 19:13-18].
• Santa Claus with long white hair –
  • Instead of thinking of the kindly face of an old fairy tale, think of Rev 1:13-15, the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest gift giver ever known to man. 
  • And think of him as the supreme ruler after he sets up his kingdom on earth [Dan 7:9].
• Santa’s gifts to men –
  • Instead of thinking about imaginary gifts from the north pole, think about the gifts given to us by Jesus Christ in Eph 4:8-12 following his ascension. 
  • They are the gifts by which we grow in Christ.
• The Christmas tree –
  • Instead of thinking about a decorated tree with many gifts underneath it, think of 1 Cor 1:18, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ where the price of our redemption was paid for all eternity. 
  • The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord [Rom 6:23].
• Conclusion:
  • As much fun as it is to enjoy time with family and gift exchanges and all that, don’t let the Christmas traditions overshadow the wonderful truths of the words of God. 
  • Keep your mind and heart on the Lord and trust him as your Saviour, if you haven’t already.

• Intro:
  • In this lesson we are going to look at the Christmas passage and teach two very important doctrines from the word of God.
  • The two doctrines are the Deity of Jesus Christ, which is God being manifest in the flesh, and the virgin birth.
  • These two doctrines are essential for salvation and are shown to us in the Christmas passage as well as other places in the word of God.
• In 1 Timothy 3:16 we see that the mystery of Godliness is that Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh.
  • This is called a mystery not because it was something that we could never know, but that it was revealed to Paul and it is also very hard to understand.
  • This is also shown to us by the name Emmanuel as we will see in this lesson.
• The virgin birth:
  • In the passage from Matthew we see that God is very careful to show us that Mary was a virgin.
  • This is shown in the following verses: Matthew 1
    • Verse 18 “before they came together”
    • Verse 20 “that which is conceived hi here is of the Holy Ghost”
    • Verse 23 “a virgin shall be with child”
    • Verse 25 “knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son”
• This fact was also prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 as we see quoted in Matthew 1:23.
  • There is another prophesy of the virgin birth found in Genesis 3:15.
  • Here the woman is said to have a seed and that seed will have enmity with the seed of the serpent.
  • The reproduction the seed is from the man there as a direct result of man’s sin we see the need for a special birth.
  • Satan knows this and has counterfeited it by putting virgins or mothers and sons to worship in other religions.
• The virgin birth is essential to our salvation because if Jesus was not conceived by the Holy Ghost he would have been born in the image of Adam.
  • When Adam was created he was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-28).
  • What is the image of God? It is Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4 ; Hebrews 1:3)
  • This is why Adam is called the son of God in Luke 3:38.
• When Adam sinned this image changed.
  • His children were born in his image not the image of God (Genesis 5:5).
  • This is why it is so important the Jesus did not have an earthly father.
  • If he had had an earthly father then the sin nature of Adam would have been passed on to him (Romans 5:12-14).
  • Without the virgin birth our salvation would not be possible.
• Jesus is God manifest in the flesh:
  • The reason that Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh is because of the virgin birth.
  • Note the references above to Jesus being conceived by the Holy Ghost.
  • The fact that he was God manifest in the flesh is seen in the name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us.
• What about the name Jesus. Jesus means savior, which is why verse 21 says that he will save his people from their sins.
  • What is interesting is that Jesus is a form of Joshua which means Jehovah saves.
  • Note in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 that the name of Joshua has been replaced with Jesus in a King James Bible.
  • This is because what Joshua does in the book of Joshua is a type of the second coming of Jesus Christ.
  • Most modern bibles disregard the change.
• It is also important to note that even in prophesies of the Old Testament that God was careful to word things in the King James Bible so that the fact of Jesus being with God before creation would be kept safe.
  • Note in Isaiah 9:6 that the verse says a child is born and a son is given. Jesus as a child was born but Jesus as God was given.
• The fact that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh is also seen in the visitors which he had after his birth.
  • The shepherds were the first visitors to see the baby Jesus. Have you ever wondered why God allowed shepherds to be the first to see him?
  • Well in Psalm 23:1 it says the Lord is my shepherd.
  • But in Isaiah 53:6-7 we see that Jesus as the Lamb of God was dumb before the shearers. Jesus Christ is both the lamb and a shepherd.
• Even in the visit of the wise men up to a couple of years later they were allowed to worship him which denotes God manifest in the flesh.
  • In the gifts they gave him we also see God manifest in the flesh.
  • The gold represents deity or God.
  • The myrrh was used in anointing the dead which represents man.
  • As a man Jesus died for our sins. Frankincense was used in the priesthood which denotes Jesus as our high priest.
  • The fact that Jesus was God yet became man and died for our sins and was risen again is what makes him the faithful high priest which intercedes on our behalf today (Hebrews 2:14-18).
• It is a must that Jesus was God in the flesh which is accomplished by the virgin birth.
  • This is the only way in which he can save his people from there sins!

“And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:7).

“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” was another of more than 6,500 hymns written by Charles Wesley. It was first published in 1744 in a small collection of eighteen poems titled Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord. The tune was composed by a twenty year-old Welshman, Rowland H. Prichard, around 1830.

The first verse focuses on the fact that the coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled Israel’s longing for the Messiah. A few of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled are: Isaiah 7:14, which spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name would mean ” … God with us”(Matthew 1:23); Isaiah 9:6, which told of a child whose name would ” … be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace …” ; and Micah 5:2, which said that from Bethlehem would come a ruler ” … whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

These and many similar prophecies looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, and many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the day when He would arrive. Luke 2:25 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was ” … waiting for the consolation of Israel …” When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from this passage when he described Jesus as “Israel’s Strength and Consolation” in the song.

Although He fulfilled Israel’s prophecies, Jesus came to bring salvation to the entire world. This is what Wesley was referring to when he described Christ as the “Hope of all the earth” and the “Dear Desire of every nation.” More than that, He is the “Joy of every longing heart.” He alone is the one who can satisfy every soul.

The last verse then goes on to tell us why Jesus can meet our expectations: He was “Born a child and yet a King.” As the One who is both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God’s wrath completely by dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus’ “all sufficient merit,” he was referring to Christ’s ability to bring us to salvation.

Wesley did not want to just paint a picture of Jesus in the manger; he wanted the entire Christmas story to have a personal application. Wesley wanted to impress upon God’s people that Jesus is not only the “Desire of every nation,” but is also the personal “Joy of every longing heart.” Jesus has the “government on his shoulders,” but he was born to reign personally “in us.”

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

When this beloved hymn was written hy two humble church leaders for their own mountain village parishioners, little did they realize how universal its influence would eventually be.

On Christmas Eve 1818, the (German carol “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” was sung for the very first time in the tiny village of Oberndorf: eight miles north of Salzburg, Austria. The popularity of “Silent Night! Holy Night!” can almost he termed miraculous. There was no celebrities to sing at the world premiere and no mass communication system to spread the song’s fame. Yet its composer reported that the “simple composition … instantly met with approval.” It has since gone on to become one of the world’s most beloved carols.

We may never know the exact circumstances, but before that Christmas Eve service, the young pastor, Joseph Mohr, asked organist, Franz Gruber, to compose a tune to accompany his lyrics, a poem Mohr had written two years earlier. Around 1819, an organ builder from Fugen, named Carl Maraucher, heard about the carol when he was in Oberndorf. He liked the carol so much that he brought “Silent Night! Holy Night!” back with him to his hometown, and from there it spread all over the world, reaching American shores for the first time in 1839, when the Rainer singers from Austria performed it in New York City. Its powerful message of heavenly peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, having been translated into over three hundred languages. Now, nearly 200 years later, “Silent Night! Holy Night!” is an anchor for Christmas celebrations throughout the world.

This song reflects the spiritual joy of Joseph Mohr. May the real meaning of Christmas grip us this season as it did him.

Four hundred and four years ago, in the early fall of 1621, the first Thanksgiving Day was observed. Governor Bradford, the governor of Massachusetts, issued a proclamation setting aside a day “for thanksgiving unto God for the plenteous harvest.” On the appointed day, after attending church and listening to a three hour sermon, the colonists and friendly Indians came together for the Thanksgiving dinner.

What a wonderful time they had, with wild turkey, pumpkin pie, and scores of other tempting foods; but with all their feasting and their merrymaking, they did not forget to thank God for His blessing.

Today, three hundred and ninety-eight years later, Christians can enter into the spirit of that first Thanksgiving Day. What do Christians have to be thankful for? In the first place, they are thankful because they know that they are sinners. The Lord Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). The truth about this matter is that everyone is a sinner, and that no one will ever be saved except they recognize their wretched condition and cry,” … God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

Christians are also thankful because they do not need to save themselves. If they were saved by their own efforts, they could never have any peace or assurance, because they would never know when they had done enough to save themselves. God makes that very plain in His Word. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us … “ Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Christians are thankful for the blessings that their God showers upon them as He ” … daily loadeth us with benefits … “ (Psalm 68:19). He supplies every need and makes ” … all things work together for good to them that love God … “ (Romans 8:28).

Christians are also thankful for the glorious future that awaits them, ” … Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Even if you are not a Christian, you have much to be thankful for. All the temporal blessings that you enjoy come from God’s hand, ” … he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Then, too, you ought to be thankful that you have been spared to hear God’s message of salvation. Although God hates your sin, He does love you, and He is “…longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “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” (John 3: 16),

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1-5.

Aim:

To monitor our mental state, so that we have the right mind to:

Stay in fellowship with God and each other; and b) Serve God effectively.

Introduction:

Everything we do in our Christian life depends on our minds.

The mind is the battle-ground where Satan seeks to gain control of our decision-making process for evil.

Don’t let Satan hijack your mind.

One of the saddest things to see is Christians who were once on fire for God, who have let some foolish or false idea into their mind, which resulted in them being separated from other believers, and shipwrecking their faith.

Our mind is like a computer. Garbage IN = garbage OUT.

Question:

Will you let some false idea control your mind, so you break fellowship with God and others?

Question:

What kinds of wrong minds and right minds are there?

1. BAD MIND to avoid:

1) Mind hardened in pride. (Daniel 5:20).

When Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was lifted up by his honoured position, his mind was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his throne and lost his glory by becoming insane for 7 years.

Q: Are you proud of something you have achieved?

(Proverbs 16:18). Beware of pride.

2) Neither be ye of doubtful mind. (Luke 12:29).

Many of us worry and doubt if God will provide our needs.

Jesus tells us:

a) Your Father knows you need these things. (v.30).

b) Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (v.31).

c) Provide treasure in heaven that fails not. (v.33).

d) Your heart will be where your treasure is. (v.34).

3) Mind evil affected against the brethren. (Acts 14:1,2).

One of Satan’s most successful devices is gossip and slander, which makes some Christian’s minds evil affected against other Christians.

They imagine evil or magnify others faults, so that they respond with anger, and are unwilling to work with other believers.

They then quit church, God’s work suffers, and people go to hell.

4) God gave them over to a reprobate mind. (Romans 1:28).

Reprobate means disapproved, rejected, worthless, castaway. It means undiscerning, void of judgment, not seeing good from evil.

Some people are so filled with moral sins and hatred of God’s ways, that they cannot tell right from wrong, or good from evil.

Examples include sodomites.

5) To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:6 Carnal mind = prone to sin, sinful appetites and desires.

Many Christians backslide because they feed their carnal, sinful side by TV, gossip, slander, evil thinking, and not serving God.

They do not feed their spiritual side by daily Bible study, filling of the Holy Spirit, and yielding to Christ.

Carnal Christians often criticize spiritual Christians because they convict them of their sin.

6) Who mind earthly things. (Philippians 3:19).

Verses 18,19 describe enemies of the cross of Christ as people who mind earthly things.

Why?

Because they hinder the gospel outreach by their bad example of luke warmness.

They are attached to the things of earth instead of setting their affections on things above. (Colossians 3:2).

7) Soon shaken in mind. (II Thessalonians 2:2).

The Thessalonian Christians were soon shaken in mind by false teachers telling them that they had missed the rapture.

This upset their spiritual balance and triggered their fears.

Key: We can be shaken in mind if we believe error without first checking it with Scripture.

8) Double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8; 4:8).

He is a waverer, a two-minded, unstable person.

Such a person suffers from divided loyalties.

On one hand he wants to live as a Christian, and on the other hand he wants to live by the ways of the world and selfishness.

9) Becoming wearied (2577) and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:3).

To faint is to be exhausted or despondent. Two remedies are:

a) Consider him (Christ) who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:3).

b) Promise of reaping in due season if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9).

II. GOOD MIND to aim for:

Question: How does God describe your mind?

The following Scriptures describe how the Spirit-filled believer thinks.

Which of these minds describe your thinking?

1) The people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:6).

Hence the wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt in spite of much opposition.

If believers have a mind to work for God, the results will be unity, great accomplishments, many people saved, churches built and opposition overcome.

Question:

Do you have a mind to study the Bible and to work for God?

2) A mind that is stayed on God. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Isaiah 26:3).

If our mind is stayed on God and His promises through all of life’s trials, we will be kept in perfect peace.

3) The mind filled with hope. (Lamentations 3:21-23).

If we recall these things to mind we will have hope:

a) The Lord’s mercies are new every morning (v.23), great is thy faithfulness (v.23) therefore we are not consumed;

b) His compassions fail not (v.22).

c) Great is thy faithfulness (v.23).

d) The Lord is my portion (inheritance). (v.24).

e) It is good to hope, quietly wait for deliverance, and bear the yoke in our youth (v.25-27).

f) To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not (v.36).

4) Pure minds, stirred up minds. ‘I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.’ (II Peter 3:1)

Question:

How do we keep our mind pure?

Answer:

a) By taking heed to God’s Word;

b) By keeping rubbish out of our minds, lest it be defiled with sin. Avoid bad movies, bad literature, bad friends and bad places.

Question:

How do we stir up our minds to do God’s work?

Answer:

Be active in a strong preaching, sin rebuking, soul-winning church.

Do door knocking.

5) Be all of one mind. (I Peter 3:8; II Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 1:27; 2:2).

It is good for everyone in a church to believe true Bible doctrine and be loyally committed to helping each other spread the Gospel.

If believers constantly disagree with each other, they should repent, or leave the church, so the church can carry on God’s work in peace and unity.

a) ‘That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God.’ (Romans 15:6).

b) ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, . . . that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the

same judgment.’ (I Corinthians 1:10).

c) ‘Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.’ Phil. 1:27

d) ‘Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.’ (Philippians 2:2).

e) ‘Be of the same mind one toward another.’ (Romans 12:16).

6) Lowly, humble mind.

a) Paul’s ministry was ‘serving the Lord with all humility of mind.’ (Acts 20:19).

b) Paul commands us to ‘in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.’ (Philippians 2:3).

7) The mind of Christ described in Philippians 2:5-8 should be in us.

a) ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who: – made himself of no reputation,

– took upon himself the form of a servant,

– humbled himself,

– became obedient unto death.’ (Philippians 2:5-8).

b) ‘We have the mind of Christ.’ (I Corinthians 2:16).

8) A sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7).

‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’

‘Sound mind’ means orthodox, well founded, self disciplined, clear judgment of issues.

9) A ready mind.

a) ‘Feed the flock of God….willingly,….but of a ready mind.’ (I Peter 5:2).

‘Ready’ means prompt, with preparations completed, quick, willing, able to fulfil duties.

b) ‘declaration of your ready  mind.’ (II Corinthians 8:19).

Ready means eager, cheerful, readiness of mind.

10) A renewed mind. (Romans 12:2).

‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

We discover God’s will for our life as we resist being conformed to this world but let God’s Word transform our thinking.

11) A fervent mind.

a) Titus told Paul that the Corinthians had a fervent mind toward Paul.

‘Your fervent mind toward me.’ (II Corinthians 7:7).

b) Apollos was fervent in the spirit as shown by his preaching ‘being fervent in the spirit’ Acts 18:25 ‘Fervent’  means ‘zealous, hot, intense, glowing, on fire for God, boiling hot.’

12) A subject mind (Titus 3:1) ‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing meekness unto all men.’ (Titus 3:1,2).

‘Subject’ means ‘to place in submission, under authority, in an orderly fashion.’

Question:

Do you submit to government, employers, spouse, your preacher and parents?

Conclusion:

If we fulfil these 12 conditions, as well as those in Philippians 4:5-7 of:

(1) gentleness to all men; (2) careful for nothing; (3) praying; (4) thanking God; and (5) requesting God for all our needs; then the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (‘keep’ in ‘keep as with a military guard.’)

How is your mind?

The heart is the seat and center of desires, feelings, affections, passions, and impulses.

The heart is the sphere of God’s influence in our life.

In our heart, faith springs up, dwells and works. Christ and the Holy Spirit live in our hearts.

‘Mind’ means our thoughts, understanding, devices and concepts.

Answers – Keith Piper