All The Counsel of God

“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

Scriptures: Mark 4:35-41

• Intro:
  • In this passage we see the miracle of Jesus calming the wind and the sea.
  • In this study we will take some spiritual applications from the passage to help us with the storms that come into our lives.
• Lessons from the Storm:
  • Even Jesus goes through the storms (verse 36)
    • Storms are just a part of life, but if you are a saved person then you have Jesus on board with you.
    • Note in Acts 27:1-20 Paul goes through a storm that he tried to get the captain of the ship to avoid.
      • Many times parents will go through storms that their kids involve them in.
    • Whether the storm is our fault or not we can still learn some things from the storm.
• Storms expose our fears (verse 40)
  • Note the disciples had their command from the Lord that they were going to the other side.
  • Just like the disciples we have commands from God but when the going gets tough our circumstances take our confidence from the word and we begin to fear.
  • Don’t abandon what you know is right just because of the circumstances.
• Peace can only be found in the storm (verse 39)
  • Without storms we would not know real peace.
  • True peace comes from Jesus and his word (John 14:27 ; 16:33 ; Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7)
  • During the storm it is the word of God alone that will bring peace.
    • We sometimes try everything else under the sun to get out of the storm and sometimes God just wants us to trust him and his word and have peace through the storm.
  • Note the first time the word peace occurs in a King James Bible is in Genesis 15:15 and it is speaking about having peace at death.
  • Art contest for painting a picture of peace.
    • Winner said “Peace isn’t the absence of turmoil, rather it is found only in the midst of turmoil.”
• The key to overcoming the storm is our faith (verse 40-41)
  • In Matthew’s account Jesus said “O ye of little faith”
  • In Mark’s account we see Jesus asking “Why is it that ye have no faith”
  • In Luke’s account we see Jesus asking “Where is your faith”
  • When our faith is somewhere other than Jesus and his word, then we will not have peace.

Whatever storms God sends your way trust him and let him teach you the things he wants to show you through the storms.

Every metaphor and simile of the Christian life illuminates some trait of the character of a Christian.

1.         A Branch for Fruitfulness – v.5. A branch in a vine is the outcome of the productive quality of the root and stem and is dependent for its fruitfulness from them. Through the branch the vine manifests itself in fruit. It needs to be cleansed, and pruned to bring its fruit to perfection. Being united to Christ, we bring forth fruit, and as we allow the Vine-dresser to develop us, we bring forth the “more fruit” yea, “much fruit,” and the fruit that remains – vs. 2, 8, 16. The fruit is “love” (Galatians 5:22)

2.         A Disciple for Fruitfulness – vs. 8-10. Discipleship is evidenced by fruitfulness. Being a disciple, we “learn” of Christ, we follow Him, and we are obedient to Him – Matthew 11:29; Luke 9:23; John 13:34.

3.         A Friend for Communion – v.15. Three things evidence friendship, namely, confidence, sympathy, and fellowship. We might call these love in exercise, like the love of Jonathan for David.

4.         A Chosen One for Holiness – v.16. When anyone or anything is set apart for a given purpose, and that purpose is achieved, the election is seen. We prove our election by selecting the things that faith adds to itself – 2 Peter 1:10

5.         An Ordained One for Benefit – v. 16. Fruit is produced for another’s benefit, is lasting in its blessing, and is forerunner of answered prayer. See the “that” in verse 16.

6.         A Servant for Employment – v.20. To serve such a Master is a privilege, even though we may have to suffer because of our association with Him. He has saved us to serve, and we save ourselves from many things in serving.

7.         A Witness for Testimony – v. 27. A witness is one who knows and is able to tell out what he has seen and heard. The thing that gave power and brought conviction in the early days was what was evidenced in the disciples – Acts 1:8, 2:37, 4:13.

A Christian’s separation from the world.

If you contrast the rotation of the earth with the movement of the sun, you notice that they move in opposite directions. Indeed, they should, since the sun is a picture of Jesus Christ, Ps. 19:4-5, and the world is the enemy of Jesus, Jas. 4:4. Consequently, the Lord’s children should move with their Savior in opposition to the world.

According to 2 Cor 6:14-18, Christians are to maintain a separation between themselves and the world. Like 2 Cor 6:17 says, “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” To do this, we need to keep from getting yoked up with the world (6:14). A yoke is a connection between two things so that they move together.

The Lord describes five different yokes in this passage for which you need to watch out. If you get hooked up in any of them, you will not be separate in that area of your life.

The first yoke is the yoke of fellowship. When you got saved, Jesus Christ made you righteous (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21). The world, on the other hand, is unrighteous (Rom 3:10). When you have fellowship with unrighteousness, you will be asked to go along with someone to do something that is not right. For instance, you might be asked to lie in a business transaction. You can’t go there (Prov 1:10). This is particularly true in marriage. A Christian should never marry a lost person.

The second yoke is the yoke of communion, which is intimate association. The example that Paul gives for this separation is light and darkness, which are mutually exclusive. That is, as soon as you introduce light into darkness, you no longer have darkness. In this dark world (Eph 6:12), we are the children of light (Eph 5:8) and the world’s children are darkness (1 Thes 5:4-5). As long as we are in the world, our light is to reprove the wicked deeds of the world, not go along with them (Eph 5:11-13; Jn 3:19).

The third yoke is the yoke of concord. Concord is a harmonious state of agreement. The example of this separation is the relationship between Jesus and the devil, called Belial. They are completely opposed to each other and their children should be. When you check the references to Belial, you find that the devil’s children are involved in idolatry, homosexuality, drunkenness, fornication, scorn, covetousness, and lying. We can’t be for these things and be for Jesus (Matt 12:30).

The forth yoke is the yoke of having a part with. Like Paul said, what part hath he that believeth with and infidel? An infidel is an unbeliever and his ultimate part is in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8). Our part is in the book of life and ultimately in heaven (Jn 14:1-3). Therefore, a Christian needs to keep from being yoked up with the world to keep from diminishing his inheritance in heaven. Esau lost his inheritance because he despised his birthright and the prodigal son lost his inheritance through riotous living (Heb 12:16-17; Lk 15:12-32).

The fifth yoke is the yoke of agreement. Since our bodies are the temple of God, we cannot have any agreement with idols. They are the false gods of this world (2 Cor 4:4). For instance, the world’s idols are movie stars, athletes, businessmen, politicians, military heroes, musicians, etc. A Christian should never know more about the statistics of his favorite sports team than he does about his Bible. Furthermore, a Christian should never go to church where there are statues of “saints” all around.

Before we were saved, we were in the world. Now that we are saved, we are to come out from among them (2 Cor 6:17). Many a Christian has poured hundreds of dollars of booze down the sink, busted numerous rock and roll tapes, records and CD’s, and thrown out unseemly movies and books (Acts 19:19). Their conversations changed from worldly matters and off-color stories to heavenly things. Their old “friends” either got saved or left them. Their new friends are God’s children and love Jesus, the Bible, hymns, and testimonies about people getting saved, doing things for the Lord and answered prayer. They are truly recognized as God’s sons and daughters (2 Cor 6:18).

Unfortunately, when you look at Christians today, you observe a trend toward worldliness that leaves little distinction between Christians and the world. The line of separation is almost gone. Often, people who profess to be saved don’t “come out from among them.” The world’s music, fashion, attitudes, Bibles, methods, philosophies and idols have crept into the church, Christian schools and bookstores. Overall, the trend will continue to worsen until the Lord returns. Don’t go the way of the worldly Christians!

Pastor Bevans Welder

1. Its origin: Although Halloween has become a night of fun and superstition, it had a serious beginning with the ancient Druids. They held a celebration in honor of Samhain, Lord of the Dead on November 1st. It was their belief that on the eve of this festival, Saman (Samhain) called together the wicked souls that within the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. They believed that on this night, ghosts, spirits, fairies, witches and elves came out to harm people. From them came the present day use of witches, ghosts and cats. Trick or Treat originated from Ireland when a group of farmers went from house to house begging food for the village Halloween festivities in the name of their ancient gods. The Celts added the custom of wearing costumes made from the skins of sacrificed animals. The Romans added a ceremony honoring their goddess of fruit and trees, from which we got bobbing for apples. The Jack-O-Lantern, symbol of a damned soul, was named for a man named Jack who could not enter Heaven or Hell and as a result had to wander in darkness with his lantern until Judgment Day. Finally, Halloween was “Christianized” by the Roman Catholic Church in the A.D. 800’s and incorporated into “Allhallowmas”, the evening before being “All Halloween”. The celebration of Halloween is a survival of ancient pagan beliefs! Orange, black and red, Satan’s colors are used.
2. It is obvious that the elements, symbols and traditions of the Halloween observance with its emphasis on goblins and demons, witches and skeletons, ghosts and apparitions constitute a dabbling with the very things which Scripture forbids, and places Christians in the realm of demonic activity. Anton Lavey, “Black Pope” of the First Church of Satan, in his book “Satan’s Bible” states Halloween is one of the three highest days of satanism and is not taken lightly by them.
3. Please read these Scriptures: Lev. 19:31 and Deut. 18:10-13. True Christians should separate themselves from these symbols and be identified with God’s people!

• Text:         Jeremiah 3:1-25
• Intro:
  • The prophet Jeremiah did not come with a message of deliverance to announce but rather a tragic message of judgment.
    • So dangerous was his message that people hearing it called him a traitor.
    • He would be misunderstood, persecuted, arrested, and imprisoned; and more than once, his life was in danger.
    • The nation did not want to hear the truth, but Jeremiah told them plainly that they were defying the Lord, disobeying the Law, and destined for judgment.
  • Jeremiah’s task was not an easy one because he had to sound the death chime for his nation.
    • He denounces the people, priests, and princes for their sins, especially the sin of idolatry.
    • The nation of Judah had turned her back on the Lord and was following the false prophets who led them to worship idols.
  • Judgment was coming.
    • Their salvation was not in the pagan idols on the hills.
    • Heathen gods would not and could not deliver them.
    • As far as bringing them salvation, the idols had cost them their cattle and even their children whom they had sacrificed to them.
    • The hope of their salvation was their destruction.
      • See v. 23.
  • Their idols brought them nothing but shame.
    • I don’t want that kind of salvation.
    • All men need salvation, but what do you have or want in a salvation?
• This morning I want to speak on “The Kind of Salvation I Want”
• I.    I want salvation that is established on the Word of God
• I am not interested in a salvation based on a church or some man made ritual and tradition.
  • I want a salvation that is based upon that which will not change!
  • The scriptures say concerning itself –
    • Psalm 119:89, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.””
    • Psalm 119:160, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
      • God’s word is established in His presence beyond the possibility of change.
    • Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
    • I Peter 1:25, “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
• When I say the Word of God, I mean as preserved in Authorized Version 1611 King James Bible.
• The Word of God is –
  • A.        Inspired – God breathed
• • B.        Infallible
    • Wholly trustworthy and reliable
    C.        Inerrant
    • Free from error
    This is the greatest book on earth.
    • Unparalleled – It Stands
      • Its Author is God; Its truth is divine Inspired in every word and line, though written by human hands .See 2 Peter 1:20-21.
    The Word of God is –
    • It is eternal in its composition. It is inerrant in its content. It is impeccable in its character.
    The Bible is a Book above and beyond all books.
    • It is –
      • Inexpressible in value, Immeasurable in influence, Infallible in authority, And inspired it totality.
    Century after century men have tried to burn it or bury it.
    • Kings of the earth have set themselves against it to destroy it form off the face of the earth, but it “liveth and abideth forever.”
    The Bible stands like a mountain towering far above the works of men;
    • Its truth by none ever was refuted, And destroy it they never can.
    The story is told a visitor who toured a blacksmith’s shop.
    • Viewing heaps of discarded hammers but only one huge anvil, he asked, “How often to you replace your anvil?”With a smile the owner replied, “Never, It is the anvil that wears out the hammers, you know.”
    So it is the Word of God.
    • The hammers of persecution, ridicule , liberalism and atheism have for centuries pounded out their vicious blows upon the divine anvil, but to no avail.There they lie, in rusting piles, while the mighty anvil of the Scriptures stands unbroken, unshaken, and un-chipped.
  • Voltaire once said, “Another century and there will not be a Bible on the earth.”
    • The century is gone and the circulation of the bible is one of the marvels of the age. After he died, his old printing press and the very house where he lived was purchased by Geneva Bible Society and made a warehouse for Bibles.
    • Isaiah 40:8, says concerning the word of our God – “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
• My friend, I don’t know about you but I want salvation that is established on the Word of God
• # 2
• II.   I want a salvation that can erase my sins
  • The word of God says –
    • “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”“ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
    One of the truly great and far reaching blessings of God’s salvation is what it does to sin.
    • The repenting sinner is immediately and eternally –
      • Saved from the penalty of sin, Provided with victory over the power of sin, And guaranteed final removal from the presence of sin.
    No preacher, priest, pope, church or water can banish my sins.
    • Jesus bare our sins in his own body on the tree. He paid our sin debt.
    The Bible is full of beautiful passages that vividly describe what Jesus can do with our sins:
    • “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12).
  • The north-south measure is finite, not so with the east-west measure.
    • Sin Is removed so far, then we may be sure that the scent, the trace, the very memory of it must be entirely gone. If this be the distance of its removal, there is no shade of fear of its ever being brought back again.
    • “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
• Hymn “There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood” – written by William Cowper.
  • There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains, Lose all their guilty stains, And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
  Lose all their guilty stains.
• Isa. 38:17 – “…for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”.
• Micah 7:19 – “…thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
  • Never to rise again to view, buried out of sight in eternal oblivion: not merely at the shore side, where they may rise again.
• My friend, I don’t know about you but I want a salvation that can erase my sins
• # 3
• III.  I want a salvation I can enjoy thoroughly
  • I don’t want a religion that burdens my soul and makes me gloomy and sad.
    • There is already enough in this world that burdens and weighs me down. I want a salvation that I can cherish and boast of. Peter described the salvation I want and have as one who rejoices “with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
    I want a salvation that brings a joy so deep and so wonderful that I have a difficult time expressing it.
    • “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
    Man who had recently trusted Christ was questioned about his decision, “Well, I hear you have given up all your pleasures.”
    • “No, no” replied the new Christian, “the fact lies the other way. I have just found all my pleasures, and I have given up all my follies.”
    I want and have a salvation that makes me enjoy praying, preaching, witnessing, and singing.
    • Habakkuk 3:18, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
  • If you are saved then you can tell people don’t feel sorry for me.
    • I am enjoying what I have in Christ.
      • A. I am enjoying the righteousness
    • • B. I am enjoying the resources
      • C. I am enjoying the relationship
• My friend, I don’t know about you but I want a salvation I can enjoy thoroughly
• # 4
• IV. I want a salvation that will escort me to heaven
  • When it comes to die, I want a salvation that will bring me to glory.
    • When my life is ebbing away, I want a salvation that will open heaven and receive me.
    I want a salvation that will let me cry as Stephen did upon his death “Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit, “.I want a salvation that will let me shout aloud at death, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” I want a salvation that can say with confidence as Paul, “absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. “I want a salvation that will allow me to say as David, “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. “   and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
  • I read about a lady who broke the lines and touched the Queen of England.
    • As she was hauled off she was heard to say, “Now I can die happy.”
    • That is the kind of salvation I want.
• Conclusion:
  • What kind of salvation do you have?
    • Do you have a salvation that will bring shame and destruction as Judah did during the time of Jeremiah?
    • Or do you have the true salvation that is found only in Jesus Christ?
• All other salvation is sinking sand!

Text: I Samuel 15:22-28; 16:6-12

We live in a day when folks are trying to impress people. There is far more emphasis put on Reputation than there is Character.

A.        Character is WHAT YOU ARE.

B.      Reputation is WHAT FOLKS THINK YOU ARE.

But the sad truth is that many people are not only doing their best to impress people, they are trying to impress God. But GOD IS NOT IMPRESSED.

1.         By our outward appearance…I Sam. 16:7

2.         By our offerings & sacrifices…I Sam. 15:22-23

3.       By what we say.

4.       By what we do.

5.         By how we act.

God is more concerned about WHAT WE ARE, than any of the things mentioned above.

Saul was a man of reputation, but David was a man of Character… Notice what God saw in David.

I.          GOD SAW IN DAVID A FAITHFUL SHEPHERD…16:11; 17:34-37

A.    He fed the flock when no one was watching.

B.    He fought the foes when no one was watching.

        Character is faithful when no one is looking.

II.         GOD SAW IN DAVID A FAITHFUL SON…

A.        He was yielded to his Father’s business…16:11

B.    He was yielded to his Father’s bidding…17:17-20

III.    GOD SAW IN DAVID A FEARLESS SOLDIER…17:26-51

A.        To David, there was a Principle worth defending. Notice v 26 & 29.

B.        To David there was a Power worth displaying. V 38~9; 4345; v 47

IV.   GOD SAW IN DAVID A FORGIVING SPIRIT…

A.        David’s opposition by his enemy. 18:11,17; 19:1 & 11

B.        David’s opportunity to get even…24:1-12

1.       His chance…v 1-3

2.       His choice…v 4-10

3.       His crown…v 16-17, 20

The crisis in Saul and David’s life did not make Saul a coward, nor did it make David the conqueror. It only revealed what they already were.