Sermon Notes

Born Free! – January 19, 2025

Born Free!

  1. Galatians 1:11-24
  2. Introduction
  3. “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist,” wrote Emerson, and many a thinker agrees with him.
  4. The English art critic John Ruskin said, “I fear uniformity. You cannot manufacture great men any more than you can manufacture gold.”
  5. The German philosopher Schopenhauer wrote, “We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people.”
  6. Francis Asbury, first bishop of the Methodist Church in the United States, once prayed at a deacon ordination, “O Lord, grant that these brethren may never want to be like other people.”
  7. Sound familiar?
  8. It is good to meet a man like Paul who dared to be himself in the will of God.
  9. But his freedom in Christ was a threat to those who found safety in conformity.
  10. Paul’s enemies pointed to his nonconformity as proof that his message and ministry was not really of God.
  11. “He claims to be an apostle,” they argued, “but he does not stand in the apostolic tradition.”
  12. It is this misrepresentation that Paul answered in this section of Galatians.
  13. His nonconformity was divinely deliberate.
  14. God had chosen to reveal Himself in a different way to Paul.
  15. In Galatians 1:11-12, Paul stated his theme: “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”
  16. Both his message and his apostolic ministry were divinely given.
  17. Therefore, anybody who added anything to Paul’s gospel was in danger of divine judgment, because that gospel was given by Jesus Christ from heaven.
  18. The best way for Paul to prove his point was to reach into his past and remind the Galatian Christians of the way God had dealt with him.
  19. Paul stated that his past life was already known to his readers, but it was obvious that they did not fully understand what those experiences meant.
  20. So, Paul flashed on the screen three pictures from his past as evidence that his apostleship and his gospel were truly of God.
  21. The Persecutor (1:13-14)
  22. “For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.”
  23. Paul began with his past conduct as an unconverted Jewish Rabbi.
  24. In this historical flashback, Paul pointed out his relationship with the church and to the religion of the Jews.
  25. He was persecuting the church and profiting and progressing in the Jewish religion.
  26. Everything was going his way, and he was rapidly being recognized as a spiritual leader in Israel.
  27. It is interesting to note that “Saul of Tarsus” was persecuting the church, “consenting” to the murder of Stephen, and breaking up families by putting believers in prison.
  28. Paul actually thought that Jesus was an impostor and His message of salvation a lie.
  29. He was sure that God had spoken through Moses, but how could he be sure that God had spoken through Jesus of Nazareth?
  30. Everybody knew that this brilliant student of Rabbi Gamaliel was well on his way to becoming an influential leader of the Jewish faith.
  31. His personal religious life, his scholarship, and his zeal in opposing alien religious faiths all combined to make him the most respected young rabbi of his day.
  32. Then something happened: Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of the church, became Paul the apostle, the preacher of the gospel.
  33. This change was not gradual; it happened suddenly and without warning.
  34. Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians; a few days later he was in Damascus preaching to the Jews that the Christians were right!
  35. How could the Judaizers explain this sudden transformation?
  36. Who caused the change in Paul?
  37. The change had to have come from God!
  38. It was humanly impossible for Rabbi Saul to become the apostle Paul apart from the miracle of God’s grace.
  39. For the Judaizers to deny Paul’s apostleship and gospel was the same as denying his conversion?
  40. Certainly, Paul was preaching the same message that he himself had believed—the truth that had changed him.
  41. But no mere human message could affect such a change.
  42. Paul’s argument was conclusive: His past conduct as a persecutor of the church plus the dramatic change that he experienced proved that his message and ministry were from God.
  43. The Believer (1:15-16b, 24)
  44. “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles. And they praised God because of me.”
  45. Having discussed his past character and conduct, Paul went on to explain his conversion; for, after all, this was the crucial thing in his life.
  46. Let us look at five key points that Paul makes explaining the characteristics of his conversion experience.
  47. First of all, God did it.
  48. “It pleased God…to reveal His Son in me.”
  49. Whenever Paul spoke or wrote about his conversion, it was always with emphasis on the fact that God did the work.
  50. In Jonah 2:9, we find, “Salvation is of the Lord.”
  51. Second, God did it by grace.
  52. “and called me by his grace.”
  53. Salvation is by God’s grace, not man’s efforts or character.
  54. Grace and called go together.
  55. Whoever God chooses in His grace He calls through His Word.
  56. We marvel in the fact that we were “chosen…in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).
  57. Third, God did it through Christ
  58. “to reveal His Son in me.”
  59. When, on the Damascus Road, Paul saw his own self-righteousness, as well as reputation and recognition: but he did not have Christ!
  60. Paul saw his own self-righteousness contrasted to the righteousness of Christ.
  61. He quickly realized what was missing.
  62. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7).
  63. God revealed Christ to Paul, in Paul, and through Paul.
  64. The “Jews’ religion had been an experience of outward rituals and practices; but faith in Christ brought about an inward experience of reality with the Lord.
  65. This “inwardness” of Christ was a major truth with Paul.
  66. Fourth, God did it for the sake of others.
  67. God chose Paul, not only to save him, but also to use him to win others.
  68. Election involves responsibility.
  69. God chose Paul to preach among the Gentiles the same grace that he had experienced.
  70. This, in itself, was evidence that Paul’s conversion was of God; for certainly a prejudiced Jewish Rabbi would never decide of himself to minister to the despised Gentiles!
  71. Fifth, God did it for His glory.
  72. “And they praise God because of me.”
  73. As a fanatical rabbi, Paul had all the glory a man could want; but what he was doing did not glorify God.
  74. Man was created to glorify God, and man is saved to glorify God.
  75. Bringing glory to God was ever a compelling motive in Paul’s life and ministry.
  76. It was the glory of God that motivated Paul, and this ought to motivate our lives as well.
  77. Paul has pictured himself as a persecutor, and has reviewed his character and conduct.
  78. He has also pictured himself as a believer, reviewing his conversion.
  79. He now presents a third picture.
  80. The Preacher (1:16c-23)
  81. “my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went to Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report; ‘The man who formally persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’”
  82. What were Paul’s contacts with other believers after he was converted?
  83. This is the question vital to his defense.
  84. Paul had no personal contacts with the apostles right after his conversion experience on the Damascus Road.
  85. Galatians 1:16c says, “my immediate response was not to consult any human being.”
  86. Th logical thing for Paul to have done after his conversion was to introduce himself to the church in Jerusalem and profit from the spiritual instruction of those who had been “in Christ” before him.
  87. But this he did not do—and his decision was led of the Lord.
  88. For if he had gone to Jerusalem, his ministry might have been identified with that of the apostles—all Jews—and this could have been a hinderance to his work among the Gentiles.
  89. At this point we need to remind ourselves that the message of the gospel came “to the Jew first.”
  90. Our Lord’s ministry was to the nation of Israel, and so was the ministry of the apostles for the first few years.
  91. The death of Stephen was a turning point.
  92. As the believers were scattered, they took the good news with them to other places.
  93. It remained for Paul to carry the gospel to the Gentile masses, and for this reason God kept him separated from the predominantly Jewish ministry being conducted by the apostles in Jerusalem.
  94. Paul did not immediately go to Jerusalem.
  95. Where did he go?
  96. He reviewed his contacts and showed that there was no opportunity for him to receive either his message or his apostolic calling from any of the leaders of the church.
  97. He went to Arabia (v.17b)
  98. This was after his initial ministry in Damascus.
  99. Instead of “conferring with flesh and blood,” Paul gave himself to study, prayer, and meditation, and met with the Lord alone.
  100. He may have spent the greater part of three years in Arabia, and no doubt was involved in evangelism as well as personal spiritual growth.
  101. The apostles had received three years of teaching from the Lord Jesus, and now Paul was going to have his own opportunity to be taught of the Lord.
  102. He went back to Damascus (v.17c)
  103. It would have been logical to visit Jerusalem at this point, but the Lord directed otherwise.
  104. Certainly, it was a risky thing for Paul to go back to the city that knew he had become a Christian.
  105. The Jewish leaders who had looked to him as their champion against Christianity would definitely be after his blood.
  106. The return to Damascus and the danger it brought to Paul’s life are further proof that the Jewish leaders considered Paul an enemy, and therefore that his experience with Christ was a valid one.
  107. He finally visited Jerusalem (vv.18-20)
  108. This was three years after his conversion, and his main purpose was to visit Peter.
  109. Paul had a tough time getting into the church fellowship.
  110. If his message and ministry had been from the apostles, this would have never happened; but because Paul’s experience had been with the Lord Jesus alone, the apostles were suspicious of him.
  111. He stayed in Jerusalem only fifteen days, and he saw only Pater and James (the Lord’s brother).
  112. Thus, he received neither his message nor his apostleship from the Jerusalem church.
  113. There simply was not the time nor the opportunity.
  114. He had already received them both directly from Christ.
  115. He returned home to Tarsus (vv.21-23)
  116. Again, the record in Acts explains why.
  117. His life was in danger in Jerusalem, just as it had been in Damascus.
  118. As Paul went through Syria, he preached the Word, and when he arrived in Cilicia, his home province, he began to evangelize.
  119. Historians have concluded that he remained there perhaps seven years, until Barnabas recruited him for the work in Antioch.
  120. A few believers in Jerusalem knew Paul, but the believers in the churches in Judea did not know him, though they heard that he was now preaching the very faith he had once tried to destroy.
  121. In light of Paul’s conduct, his conversion, and his contacts, how could anybody accuse him of borrowing or inventing either his message or his ministry?
  122. Certainly, he did receive his gospel by a revelation from Jesus Christ.
  123. Therefore, we must be careful what we do with this gospel, for it is not the invention of men, but the very truth of God.
  124. Conclusion
  125. Modern day “Judaizers” like their ancient counterparts reject the authority of Paul and try to undermine the gospel that he preached.
  126. In Paul’s day, their message was “the gospel plus Moses.”
  127. In our day it the “the gospel plus” any number of religious leaders, religious books, or religious organizations.
  128. Many people say, “but God has given us a new revelation.”
  129. Paul has the answer for them: “If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”
  130. When a sinner trusts Christ and is born again, he is “born free.”
  131. He has been redeemed—purchased by Christ and set free.
  132. He is no longer in bondage to sin or Satan, nor should he be in bondage to human religious systems.
  133. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
  134. Amen!
The Reality of the Virgin Birth – December 22, 2024

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

Isaiah 9:2-7

Introduction

  • What does the Bible mean when it says that Jesus Christ is our “hope”?
  • To begin with, in verse 1, the prophet continues the theme of light and darkness by announcing, “There will be no more gloom.”
  • The Redeemer will come and bring to the world the dawning of a new day, as described in verse 2, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
  • We know that this prophecy refers to Christ because of the way it is quoted in Matthew 4:13-15.
  • The geographical areas named in Isaiah 9:1 were especially devastated when the Assyrian army moved in, but these areas would be especially honored by the ministry of the Messiah.
  • Jesus was identified with “Galilee of the Gentiles,” Matthew 4:15, and His loving ministry to the people brought light and joy.
  • But the prophet looked beyond the first coming of Christ to His second coming and the establishing of His righteous kingdom (vv.3-7).
  • Instead of protecting a small remnant, God would enlarge the nation.
  • Instead of experiencing sorrow, the people would rejoice like reapers after a great harvest, soldiers after a great victory, or prisoners of war after being released from their yoke of bondage.
  • Of course, some of this occurred when God defeated Assyria and delivered Jerusalem (Isaiah 37).
  • But the ultimate fulfillment is still future; all military material will be destroyed because the nations will not learn war any more.
  • Let us look at some joyous things to celebrate.
  1. Jesus Is a Wonderful Counselor
  2. A counselor is someone who, by imparting great wisdom and experience to us, can lead us out of darkness and confusion into light, out of danger into safety.
  3. A lot of people embrace the role of counselor in our society, such as, school counselor, job counselor, marriage counselor.
  4. This type of individual applies expertise to a situation and tries to bring light into situations that are dark to us.
  5. This is what Jesus does.
  6. He brings light into our darkness and guides us.
  7. But notice that He is not just another counselor…He is a Wonderful Counselor.
  8. Isaiah describes people who “are living in the land of deep darkness.”
  9. They are not just walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but are living in the land of death…and yet the Wonderful Counselor brings light to their land, and guides them into life.
  10. Oh, how we need a Wonderful Counselor in our day!
  1. Our Hope Is a Mighty God
  2. We have a God who does more for us than we could ever hope or expect.
  3. “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder (v.3).”
  4. In this verse, we see God acting to multiply the people, satisfy the peoples’ needs and bring joy to their hearts.
  5. Christ can do this for anyone because He is the Mighty God.
  6. Listen to Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
  7. Do you believe that this morning?
  8. We should!
  9. We should believe that we have the Hope of a Mighty God who is all-powerful.
  10. We don’t just “wish” for His blessings, but we have hope that His blessings will be ours as we obey Him.
  1. Our Hope Is an Everlasting Father
  2. We are told in verse 6 that the government will be on the shoulders of this Child, and yet His kingship will not be like an earthly kindship, because He is not just a ruler, but an Everlasting Father as well.
  3. In the time of Isaiah, when this was written, the kings were known as oppressors of the people.
  4. In 1 Samuel 8:10-18, there is a description of how the kings of Israel would act toward the people, taking all of the best that the people had, their food, their livestock, their children and their servants for the use of himself and the government.
  5. But the government of the Everlasting Father will be quite different.
  6. In verse 4, we are told that the ruler has “shattered the yoke that burdens them,” thus, freeing them from their oppression.
  7. Our hope in Christ is to be truly free in Him.
  8. A lot of people think that Christianity is nothing but a bunch of “dos and don’ts” and that God wants to burden us with rules.
  9. Nothing could be further from the truth.
  10. God’s rule frees us from the things that burden and oppress us, and He protects and blesses us as our Everlasting Father.

How sad.

We Have the Hope of the Prince of Peace

Look at how Isaiah describes the state of the government under the Prince of Peace in verse 5, “Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.”

No more war, no more strife.

Revelation 21:3-4 describes the peace we have ahead of us, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

That’s what it means to have the Prince of Peace as your hope.

Jesus Christ is the Child that Isaiah wrote of—the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace…and yet many have refused to embrace the hope that resides in Him.

Hope That Does Not Disappoint – December 1, 2024

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

Isaiah 9:2-7

Introduction

  • What does the Bible mean when it says that Jesus Christ is our “hope”?
  • To begin with, in verse 1, the prophet continues the theme of light and darkness by announcing, “There will be no more gloom.”
  • The Redeemer will come and bring to the world the dawning of a new day, as described in verse 2, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
  • We know that this prophecy refers to Christ because of the way it is quoted in Matthew 4:13-15.
  • The geographical areas named in Isaiah 9:1 were especially devastated when the Assyrian army moved in, but these areas would be especially honored by the ministry of the Messiah.
  • Jesus was identified with “Galilee of the Gentiles,” Matthew 4:15, and His loving ministry to the people brought light and joy.
  • But the prophet looked beyond the first coming of Christ to His second coming and the establishing of His righteous kingdom (vv.3-7).
  • Instead of protecting a small remnant, God would enlarge the nation.
  • Instead of experiencing sorrow, the people would rejoice like reapers after a great harvest, soldiers after a great victory, or prisoners of war after being released from their yoke of bondage.
  • Of course, some of this occurred when God defeated Assyria and delivered Jerusalem (Isaiah 37).
  • But the ultimate fulfillment is still future; all military material will be destroyed because the nations will not learn war any more.
  • Let us look at some joyous things to celebrate.
  1. Jesus Is a Wonderful Counselor
  2. A counselor is someone who, by imparting great wisdom and experience to us, can lead us out of darkness and confusion into light, out of danger into safety.
  3. A lot of people embrace the role of counselor in our society, such as, school counselor, job counselor, marriage counselor.
  4. This type of individual applies expertise to a situation and tries to bring light into situations that are dark to us.
  5. This is what Jesus does.
  6. He brings light into our darkness and guides us.
  7. But notice that He is not just another counselor…He is a Wonderful Counselor.
  8. Isaiah describes people who “are living in the land of deep darkness.”
  9. They are not just walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but are living in the land of death…and yet the Wonderful Counselor brings light to their land, and guides them into life.
  10. Oh, how we need a Wonderful Counselor in our day!
  1. Our Hope Is a Mighty God
  2. We have a God who does more for us than we could ever hope or expect.
  3. “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder (v.3).”
  4. In this verse, we see God acting to multiply the people, satisfy the peoples’ needs and bring joy to their hearts.
  5. Christ can do this for anyone because He is the Mighty God.
  6. Listen to Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
  7. Do you believe that this morning?
  8. We should!
  9. We should believe that we have the Hope of a Mighty God who is all-powerful.
  10. We don’t just “wish” for His blessings, but we have hope that His blessings will be ours as we obey Him.
  1. Our Hope Is an Everlasting Father
  2. We are told in verse 6 that the government will be on the shoulders of this Child, and yet His kingship will not be like an earthly kindship, because He is not just a ruler, but an Everlasting Father as well.
  3. In the time of Isaiah, when this was written, the kings were known as oppressors of the people.
  4. In 1 Samuel 8:10-18, there is a description of how the kings of Israel would act toward the people, taking all of the best that the people had, their food, their livestock, their children and their servants for the use of himself and the government.
  5. But the government of the Everlasting Father will be quite different.
  6. In verse 4, we are told that the ruler has “shattered the yoke that burdens them,” thus, freeing them from their oppression.
  7. Our hope in Christ is to be truly free in Him.
  8. A lot of people think that Christianity is nothing but a bunch of “dos and don’ts” and that God wants to burden us with rules.
  9. Nothing could be further from the truth.
  10. God’s rule frees us from the things that burden and oppress us, and He protects and blesses us as our Everlasting Father.

How sad.

We Have the Hope of the Prince of Peace

Look at how Isaiah describes the state of the government under the Prince of Peace in verse 5, “Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.”

No more war, no more strife.

Revelation 21:3-4 describes the peace we have ahead of us, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

That’s what it means to have the Prince of Peace as your hope.

Jesus Christ is the Child that Isaiah wrote of—the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace…and yet many have refused to embrace the hope that resides in Him.

Unconditional Thanksgiving – November 17, 2024

Introduction

  • Habakkuk saw a nation headed for destruction.
  • He saw the economy about to collapse.
  • But when he looked up by faith, he saw God, and all his fears vanished.
  • No matter what, he was thankful.
  • In the spring of 1621, after having landed at Plymouth and survived the first hard winter, the Pilgrims weren’t doing very well.
  • Many people died during the winter.
  • Two Native Americans named Squanto and Samorset helped the Pilgrims learn how to survive in the new land by showing them farming techniques and by teaching them how to gather certain natural food from the forest.
  • By the fall, things had greatly improved, and the Pilgrims had such an abundance of food that they decided to celebrate with a feast of thanksgiving.
  • The Pilgrims celebrated by giving thanks unto God for His provisions.
  • Today, Thanksgiving appears to be the only time that some people give Him thanks; but the Lord wants us to thank Him each and every day of our lives.
  • At all times and in every situation of life, God wants us to do as Paul said in Ephesians 5:20, in which he declared, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  • Think for a moment.
  • Is our Thanksgiving rooted in an overwhelming praise unto God for our salvation?
  • Or, is our thanks rooted in earthly things?
  •  Do we rejoice in the God of our salvation as our strength?
  • The question is really this: If the worst thing we could possibly imagine were to become true for us today, could we say, “Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will give thanks to God of my salvation?”
  • The Thanksgiving holiday can be a misleading time, because some people will think that this is the only time to give thanks unto God.
  • We need to understand that Thanksgiving is not just a day, but a lifestyle.
  • It is the life that we are called to live in Jesus Christ.
  • If we say “thank you” today, if we put on a thankful appearance on one day, but that one day is not an accurate representation of our lives, then we are not truthful before God.
  • We should be thankful each and every day!
  • If our thankfulness is rooted only in God’s “gifts,” but not in God “Himself,” then our thanksgiving is shallow and superficial.
  • We must learn to rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of our salvation.
  • We must learn to give thanks always, and in all things.
  • Our Thanksgiving must be rooted in God Himself.
  • The prophet Habakkuk provides us with an example of someone who understood “unconditional thanksgiving,” which is the kind of thanksgiving we should demonstrate.
  • Let’s take a look at Habakkuk and see what we can learn from this man of great faith concerning giving thanks unto God.
  1. Rejoice in the Lord Always (3:17-19)
  2. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
  3. Before we get started, we need to understand the context behind what the prophet was saying.
  4. Commentator Warren Wiersbe says, “This is one of the greatest confessions of faith found anywhere in the Scripture. Habakkuk has faced the frightening fact that his nation will be invaded by a merciless enemy (which is Babylon). The prophet knows that many of the people will go into exile and many will be slain. The land will be ruined, and Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed. Yet, he tells God that he will trust Him no matter what happens!”
  5. If Habakkuk had depended on his feelings, he would have never made this great confession of faith.
  6. When Habakkuk looked ahead, he saw a nation headed for destruction, and that frightened him.
  7. When Habakkuk looked within, he saw himself trembling with fear.
  8. When Habakkuk looked around, he saw everything in the economy about to fall apart.
  9. But, when Habakkuk looked up by faith, he saw God, and all his fears vanished.
  10. These verses represent Unconditional Thanksgiving.
  11. God’s love for Israel was definitely unconditional, as is His love for us.
  12. In Deuteronomy 7:7-8 we read, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
  13. God chose Israel because He was faithful to the promise He had made that he would make of Israel a great nation.
  14. God is always faithful and ever-loving.
  1. The Need for Consistency
  2. We need to be consistent and faithful in giving thanks unto the Lord, because He is consistent and faithful in loving us.
  3. The following example highlights this point: “An evergreen tree is always green despite the changes in weather around it. It is green in the heat of summer as well as the cold of winter. So also, our lives are to be characterized by an enduring thankfulness that is unaffected by the changes around us. When the heat of a pressured week or deadly cold of pain strikes us, we should stand ‘ever green,’ always thankful, regardless of that which surrounds us.”
  4. The thanksgiving that Habakkuk spoke of is a thanksgiving not dependent upon any object, thing or circumstances, but it finds its source in God alone.
  5. It is not dependent upon the things that God has given, but upon who God is.
  6. In summary, Habakkuk would probably tell us, “Even if all my worldly comforts were taken away and God allowed my life to become desolate of any earthly east, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. I will return to His presence with thanks.”
  7. He was proclaiming that his thanksgiving would not be infrequent.
  8. It would not be shallow.
  9. It would not only be given when things were agreeable and comfortable, but always, because his thanksgiving would be rooted in a profound, personal, and real experience of God’s salvation and of God’s present strength.
  10. Let us remember the words of Job 1:21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
  11. Bible commentator Matthew Henry, after being robbed once, wrote in his diary the following message about thanksgiving, “Let me be thankful. First, because I was never robbed before. Second, because although they took my wallet, they did not take my life. Third, because although they took my all, it was not much. Fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
  12. In Psalm 51:12, David said, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
  13. Absolutely everything comes to us from God.
  14. Our thanksgiving, if it is to be true and lasting, must go deeper.
  15. Our thanksgiving must be “in” the God who has given all.
  16. It must ultimately be a profound thanks unto God for His salvation, and for His grace to you and me.
  17. So, how should we thank Him?
  18. Habakkuk’s thanksgiving had no reservations in it.
  19. The word “rejoice” in verse 18 means a “leap for joy.”
  20. The idea here is of victory and calmness, rest and serenity, looking over all the land in victory.
  21. Habakkuk spoke of an abundant, spiritual joy—unquenchable and victorious.

Amen!

Time of Reflection

When we consider this season of the year, we must reflect first on our salvation, and second, on God’s continued provisions.

Yes, thanksgiving is born in one place.

It is born when God has shown us that we are sinners, and when we realize His amazing love and grace.

One cannot be thankful until he or she realizes that we are all sinners destined to die an eternal death in hell; and then coming to find that we have been saved by grace because Jesus died for our sins on the cross.

One cannot be thankful until a person knows their sin and then experiences God’s amazing love and undeserved forgiveness.

Then, in knowing God and knowing His Son, Jesus as Savior and Lord, there is absolutely no condition which can ever come upon us in which we cannot praise the Lord, and take joy in the God of our salvation.

Overcoming With Thanksgiving
2 Corinthians 4:15-18

Introduction

  • God’s grace results in thanksgiving, and a grateful heart enables believers to withstand hardship.
  • A thankful heart also helps us to see God’s ability to work through our pain for His glory.
  • These are just a few thoughts to get us started thinking about the topic of today.
  • I want to open this message with a little bit of humor.
  • A kindergarten teacher was telling her students all about the Pilgrims as she prepared them for the Thanksgiving season. After one little girl had gone home and shared the details she remembered from her teacher’s lesson, her mother asked if she could tell her what the Pilgrims ate during that first Thanksgiving. The girl was stumped, so she said, ‘I can’t remember, mommy, but you can ask my teacher. She was there.’”
  • In August of 1620, Puritans from England left their homes and comforts to begin a new life in the New World.
  • They boarded two small ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower, to pursue religious freedom in America.
  • Not long after leaving, the Speedwell developed leaks.
  • Most of her passengers and crew transferred over to the Mayflower before the Speedwell turned back.
  • A total of 102 Pilgrims suffered through sixty-seven days of rough sailing before they arrived at Plymouth Bay in November.
  • There was nobody to greet them, no stores for supplies, nor homes to buy.
  • They endured hardships of a very cold winter and the perils of sickness.
  • At one point, only six people were well enough to care for the sick and dying.
  • By March of the following year, only 51 of the original 102 Pilgrims were still alive, and it would be another two years before a ship arrived with more supplies.
  • Nonetheless, these brave pioneers celebrated their newfound freedom to worship as they desired.
  • They were grateful to be alive and thankful for their religious freedom.
  • They were also grateful for that first thanksgiving meal during the following year in 1621.
  • Commentator Donald Barnhouse says, “Thanksgiving Day dates back to the day when the Pilgrims were filled with joy as they saw their barns well-filled and their storage rooms well stocked against the approaching winter.
  • Yet, Thanksgiving Day for the true Christian is something deeper and far wider than the joy of autumn harvest blessings.
  • Thanksgiving Day for the Christian is an entrance into the deepest thoughts of God, so that we may say, “Yes, Father, I am learning to be thankful for everything.”
  • We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
  • The Pilgrims endured great difficulty during their journey to America and during that first hard winter.
  • Perhaps this has been a difficult year for you, but the fact remains that we still have much for which we can be thankful—even in the midst of hardship.
  • This morning, we are going to look at how giving thanks in everything can help us during times of pain and difficulty.
  1. Abounding in Thanksgiving (2 Corinthians 4:15-18)
  2. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
  3. In verse 15, when Paul said, “All this is for your benefit,” he was talking about his ministry efforts; how “all” trials and “all” persecutions that he endured was for the purpose of sharing the message of God’s grace.
  4. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul stated his message as follows: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
  5. Paul preached that we cannot earn the forgiveness of sins and eternal life by our own works; and he was persecuted for this message, as it offended the sensibilities of the religious and self-righteous.
  6. Salvation is a free gift, for that’s what the word grace means in the Greek.
  7. It is freely given and freely received; and grace was bestowed through God’s Son.
  8. Remember the words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
  9. When Paul said in verse 16, “Therefore we do not lost heart,” he was saying that this is the effect of thanksgiving.
  10. It results in a strengthening and resolved of spirit.
  11. In verse 16, Paul also stated that “outwardly we are wasting away,” thereby, stressing one of the hardships that the believers face.
  12. The Broadman Bible Commentary states that “Paul must have been perfectly aware that the strenuous nature of his ministry was taking a toll on his physical frame…He saw it was killing him.
  13. This is an admission that Paul’s physical frame was “wasting away” and that this was real.
  14. Paul endured imprisonment, beatings, and hunger, which all took a toll on his physical body.
  15. Let me remind you of what Paul had said in verses 8-9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
  16. We can see right here that Paul was thankful for the good things taking place in his life, even though there were things that led to his outward man perishing.
  17. In verse 16, Paul spoke of the “inward man.”
  18. In 1 Peter 3:4, we read about “it should be that or your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gently and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
  19. The inward man is the “hidden man of the heart, made quiet and peaceable through thanksgiving.”
  20. When Paul stated that “the inward man is being renewed day by day,” he was emphasizing how, even though the flesh may be wasting away through worry, pain or trial, our spiritual being is getting more and more healthy and growing as we serve the Lord with thanksgiving—and the inward man is what matter in eternity.
  21. In verse 17, we read about “our light and momentary troubles.”
  22. Thanksgiving allows us to have the proper perspective; to view the difficulties of life as bearable and not so heavy; even as our heart is full of thanksgiving, and we have the understanding that our burdens are light and momentary.
  23.  Something else that thanksgiving does is it allows us to focus on what really matters, which are “the things which are not seen.”
  24. The things which are seen, such as trials and tribulations of this life, which we behold each and every day, are things that will lead to discouragement and even depression.
  25. But Paul reminds us that these things are only temporary, just as he said about our “light and momentary troubles.”
  26. He describes the things which are not seen as things which are eternal.
  27. They are things seen in the mind’s eye through faith; things of the next life in the place called “glory.”
  28. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
  29. Commentator Warren Wiersbe says, “A. W. Tozer used to remind us that the invisible world described in the Bible was the only ‘real world.” If we would only see the visible world the way God wants us to see it, we would never be discouraged. The great men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 achieved what they did because they ‘saw the invisible.’ The things of this world seem so real because we can see them and feel them; but they are all temporal and destined to pass away. Only the things of the spiritual life will last…So how can you look at things that are invisible? By faith, when you read the Word of God. We have never seen Christ or heaven, yet we know they are real because the Word of God tell us so. Faith is “evidence of things not seen.”

Amen!

Time of Reflection

As we learned back in verse 15, the message of God’s grace and the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, results in thanksgiving.

We have also seen how a grateful heart enables believers to withstand hardship and hold the right perspective; that this present life with all of it trials and troubles is not our real life.

It is only temporary.

A thankful heart also helps us to see God’s ability to work through our pain for His glory; which in turn, leads to even more thanksgiving.

You see, thanksgiving is cyclical.

When we are thankful, we focus on what is good and right; and once we identify what is right and true, it leads to even more thanksgiving; which, in turn, leads to faith and spiritual fortitude.

But here’s one thing.

The cycle of thanksgiving has to start somewhere.

We must reach a place in the life where the only place we can look is up—and when we look up, we see God.

We will only look unto God when we realize the depravity of our sorry state.

The Bible says that we are sinners and that there is a penalty for our sin, which is spiritual death.

When we realize that we have lived in disobedience to the heavenly Father, and when we consider where it has led us, then we will look up.

And when we look up unto God, we will find our reason for thanksgiving.

And what is that reason?

It is God’s grace poured out on undeserving sinners, as He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

If you want a reason to be thankful, then come and receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life by confessing Jesus as Savior and Lord!