Month: January 2026

Text: Matt 10:39

• Intro:
  • When Jesus sent his twelve disciples out to preach and to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils, Matt 10:7-8, he also gave them warnings and instructions for their ministry. 
  • In Matt 10:39, after telling them that they must love him more than their own family, take up their cross and follow him, Matt 10:37-38, he told them that “he that loseth his life, for my sake shall find it.” 
  • This is a doctrine in the Bible that we must learn and follow.
• You lose your life to find it – Matt 10:39 –
  • In Jer 38:17-23, Jeremiah told Zedekiah, the king, that the only way he could spare his life and keep Jerusalem from being burned with fire was to go willingly into captivity in Babylon.  He had to lose his life to save it. 
  • Zedekiah refused. 
  • Therefore, all his sons were slain before him, his eyes were put out, he was carried to Babylon, and then the city was burned, Jer 39:5-8. 
  • He tried to save his life and lost it.  
• In Luke 17:24-33, right before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jews will have to flee their houses and fields without turning back to get anything they own, or else they will lose their lives. 
  • They will find their lives by losing them.  In 1910, a boy was born in Germany, into a prosperous Jewish family. 
  • He was one of four siblings.  In 1930, his sister immigrated to Palestine. 
  • Germany was very developed and Palestine was very undeveloped. 
  • However, in 1933, he also immigrated to Palestine, due to his concerns about Hitler’s anti-semitic views. 
  • By 1939, it was becoming evident to the world that Jews were being exterminated. 
  • That same year, he received a letter from one of his German friends who was now in the Gestapo. Included with the letter was a two-week pass to come to Berlin and rescue his family from their planned extermination. 
  • He pled with his family to leave with him and save their lives. 
  • They didn’t want to leave their homes and possessions, so they didn’t go with him. 
  • They were all murdered. 
  • If they had lost their lives, they would have preserved them.
• In Gal 2:20, we are to be crucified with Christ to live. 
  • Jesus had to die to bring forth much fruit, John 12:24. 
  • And we must die to live.  Paul said, “I die daily,” 1 Cor 15:31. 
  • The reason Christians don’t live the abundant life that Jesus promised in John 10:10 is that they aren’t willing to part with the life they have now. 
  • If you want to find this abundant life, you have to lose your life. 
  • In Mk 10:28-30, Jesus told Peter that men receive a hundredfold of whatever they lose for Jesus’ sake and the gospel’s.  
• You lose your wealth to find it – Heb 11:26 –
  • Moses esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” 
  • He knew there was a reward for leaving everything he had in Pharaoh’s palace. 
  • In Mk 10:21, Jesus told the rich young ruler that if he would sell all he had and give it to the poor, he would have treasure in heaven. 
  • Jesus guaranteed him that if he would lose his wealth he would find it. 
  • Prov 19:17 says, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” 
  • Prov 13:7 says, “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” 
  • The greatest investment you can make is to give to the Lord. 
  • There is absolutely no safe haven for money on earth. 
  • One way or the other, you’ll lose it all unless you give it to the Lord.
• You lose your pleasure to find it – Heb 11:25 –
  • Moses left the seasonal pleasures of sin to find real pleasure in the presence of the Lord. 
  • Psa 16:11 says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” 
  • Moses was in the presence of the Lord. 
  • They conversed “face to face, as a man speaketh unto  his friend,” Ex 33:11.  
  • In Ex 33:18-23, God’s glory passed by Moses and he saw it. 
  • In Zech 4:14, Moses is one of the two anointed ones, “that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
  • And in Mk 10:35-40, Moses will be sitting beside Jesus Christ in his glory, enjoying “pleasures for evermore,” Ps 16:11. 
  • In Lk 6:20-26, we see the contrast between those who get their pleasure from the world now and those who wait to receive their reward later. 
  • One will rejoice and the other will mourn. 
  • Notice that the ones who lose their pleasure now are also the ones who begin to “leap for joy,” now. 
  • The pleasure begins now and the reward comes later.
• Conclusion:
  • These three examples are so contrary to how the world seeks life, wealth and pleasure, that worldly Christians will never believe what the Bible says about how to have life, wealth and pleasure. 
  • You’re as unbelieving as the Jewish family in Berlin. 
  • And you are just as wrong as they were. 

In this life, the losers are the winners.

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.