Pre-sermon:
All the youth have a radiance about them that is not conventional. There is a light to them. There are some girls who are attractive physically but you don’t feel like talking to them much. There are those not good looking but they have such favour and a light to them u just want to talk to them.
Don’t have to be perfect but let it be an upward stumbling.
——->> sermon starts
We have been doing a series on will the real gospel pls stand up.
The gospel is what the world needs today. Good news about what Christ has done for us. God not mad with us or judge us but to save us and give us abundant life. He gave us Christ even when we were full of self-righteousness. And because that death is on our behalf, we will never be punished for our sins.
Gospel produces moral excellence. But when focus on morality produces bitterness and anger. Gospel produces truth and characters.
Gospel is the only hope the world has. We might self-improve but salvation if it depends on us, no security in our heart. But when our salvation etc is totally dependent on Christ finished work, we can be assured and have abiding peace. We don’t have to maintain, it maintains us. We don’t hold on to Him. He holds on to us. He will never let go or slip.
Many of the apostles of the LORD were martyred. Not for morality but for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Don’t let the world think we are always against and not what we are for.
The gospel of Jesus Christ produces character and moral excellence.
Acts 10:43-44
First time a saved Jew went into a gentile’s house.
WHOEVER believes in Him—> Jew or gentile
Those who heard Peter preaching preaching that, HS swooped down and saved them. No qualifications. Unmerited.
Hillsong theme- no other name
Next year, Ps will be a keynote speaker at Hillsong.
Peter wasn’t preaching morality and the HS fell. No mention of repent. But notice they all repented – we know from Acts 11:17-18.
Repentance to life.
Doesn’t mean if u use repent there is repentance going on. Doesn’t mean if u don’t use it, repentance isn’t going on.
Metanoia is not about beating chest and screaming sorry. It is many times a quiet changing of the mind.
Conference in jerusalem
Acts 15:7-9
pure heart is more to be desired than actions. Some might give to charity but u dunno their heart.
Purified by faith- how? By hearing the gospel and believing it.
What the world needs is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The world is dying for a lack of GOOD news.
For the first four chapt of Galatians it is about law and grace. Fifth chapt is about the fruit of believing the gospel. Prob is people trying to imitate the fruits. Fruits cannot be imitated. Fighting for a moral issue is not the way to get it resolved. The way to resolve it is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ
World still thinks God justifies the godly but God justifies the UNGODLY. Romans 4.
The starting point is god justifies the ungodly. So many people trying to be godly so god can justify them. The fruit of believing right is living right. Not the other way around.
Roman5- Gospel produces character.
Trust in Christ= justified by faith. Peace w God – the Creator, the Supplier, the Provider- this God. We have peace with Him in our conscience. No more hostility or war.
How? Being justified by faith in JC.
No matter how evil you were, once u believe- justified by faith in the LORD. What about present? Romans 5:1-9
Our past taken care of
Our present position is permanent because ‘access into his grace’ and ‘stand’- perfect tense. Forever. Permanent. Once done is done. Can’t be undone. Forevermore in favour w God.
U can’t remove self from this position since u didn’t put yourself there. Christ did.
Sermons or writings about your being able to lose your favour based on your doing or not doing is NOT biblical.
Permanent access into His favour. Joseph had that favour. The LORD was with Joseph and because of that he had favour and prospered. Rose through the ranks in a short time.
Joseph had it and was conscience of the favour and that’s why could refuse Potiphar’s wife because he knew he had better and didn’t want to go to a lower place. Favour enables us to say no to things we should say no to.
It’s not higher education or further studies or coming from that university or knowing the right people… It is knowing the favour of the LORD, knowing the right ONE. Looking vertically & not horizontally.
Esther- simple and poor girl. Mordecai brought her up. Esther obtained grace and favour before the king- God given. Used the favour to help her people from destruction.
When u leave the camp, u are not what ur feelings tell you u are. “I am a spirit living in a house called my body. I have a soul.” Soul= emotions. Have emotions but we are not our emotions. We are spirit. The body is dusty and doesn’t live forever. Our spirit does.
When we pass away, we lose our encumbrance (body) and we will feel more alive than we ever have before.
Rapture is not Jesus coming. Don’t get confused. That’s the second coming.
Church going to get brighter and brighter during the end times even as world gets darker. Then rapture occurs as He calls us back to Him.
After rapture is 7y of tribulation. Antichrist appears and Israel will get saved. Church will be w the LORD looking down on this, not here looking up and waiting for Jesus to come.
No more destruction and carnage- the King will set it right. Second coming will be with judgment.
For the church, Jesus is the bright and morning star- appears first thing in the morning. For israel, comes as the Sun. Sun appears after the morning star. Comes for Israel after the 7y.
If I subscribe to the belief that u can lose salvation tomorrow for some weakness u succumb to, if u feel u can lose ur salvation given by Jesus that u did nothing for- can’t rejoice.
Rejoice in the HOPE of the glory of God.
Your eternal security/ permanent blessing of the favour of God is not dependent on you. Not based on who we are and not based on what we have done or not. Based on Jesus and God’s estimation of who He is and what He has done. AS CHRIST IS SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD.
God is not reckoning or estimating of judging us.
Look away to self and look to Christ.
Don’t ask am I pleasing to God but is Christ pleasing to God because as He IS so are we in THIS world.
This confidence is a resting place for our heart and mind.
Total dependence on Jesus Christ.
Look beyond acceptance and forgiveness too. Ask self–> Is Jesus sick? No. So are u in this world. Don’t put buts and maybes in that.
Preached years ago about the lady from our church who had lumps in her breast. Does JC have lumps? No. So she has no lumps. Her declaration. Healed. Years later, someone who heard this testimony declared the same and was healed.
Eyes on Jesus- He works. Look to self. He stops.
Testimony in our church about woman w knee pain. Deliberating pain. She heard that testimony and declared Jesus doesnt have knee pain so she doesn’t as well. Healed!
Our future? Radiating the glory of God!
Romans 5:3- glory in our troubles. Doesn’t say the trouble is of our making or devil’s making. We will have troubles but not like people of the world. The troubles are for a purpose- “knowing that trouble produces perseverance; and perseverance produces character and character, hope.
Person of character – like a rock, people find strength in u.
Don’t waste your sorrows. U are on favour ground. Trouble doesn’t affect u like the world. Trouble comes into your life and works for your good.
Marriage- everyone who gets married, there are trials and tribulations. Don’t have false delusions. Every good relationship has troubles.
Unmarried ones ONLY – if always arguing all the time, break off. Don’t have to wait for an angel or vision to come. Maybe personality different.
Every marriage has troubles. What can I learn from this trouble w my spouse? Spouse exposes our weakness so don’t focus on what’s wrong w spouse but what can we learn about self.
Those who go for affair w someone else coz wife exposes your weakness, don’t be silly coZ once the romance fizzles out there, she will also start exposing your weakness. Same point again. Then what? Find another one? Stupid.
Romans – first book of NT. Acts is about the church. For the first time in Romans, we are intro to HS and love of God in 5:5. Not mentioned in the other four chapters. Why? Wisdom of our God
1- Men and their perversion
2- Jews also under sin
3-
4- Abraham – pic of justification by faith apart from works.
5- God doesn’t want us to focus on the spirit’s work in us even but to focus on Christ’s work outside u.
Doesn’t want to confound Christ’s work for u with the HS work in you.
First four chap- Christ finished work outside u. After u rest in that confidence then can U see clearly the HS work inside u.
Devil will point to self or others. Has will always point u to Jesus and His finished work. Then when u focus on finished work, HS will work in u.
Leading- more ur eyes are on Christ without, more can u hear HS voice within.
Use your favoured position for the good of others.
Okay to use your favoured position to pray for a car park but it isn’t the basis of the love of God. Not that today u prayed and got a carpark and u feel the love of God, then tomorrow God tries your perseverance then u start worrying if He still loves u.
Humans always go by emotions and worry that they have fallen out of favour etc
What can we do during the dry season?— camp question
If go by feelings, always feel dry. Feel it then let it go. Introspection is dangerous. What are u going to do?- devil makes us question ourselves.
I am the favour of the LORD. Cream rises to the top. Don’t have to run the rat race. Not a rat.
After 5:5, HS draws our eyes back to Jesus in 5:6. Enough of looking at self and look again to the Cross
1Jn 4:17—> memorise this.
Don’t focus on self.
Hope does not disappoint.
The highest wisdom of men and the greatest intellect of men cannot come close to the revelation of God.
Ecclesiastes is the former. Solomon when he was without the wisdom of God.
Song of Songs- far cry from Ecc. Ecc says let your words be few but SOS gist is don’t stop asking me, I will always over answer u.
World always says “don’t raise your hopes.” Highest men’s wisdom can go because don’t believe in a God w infinite love, wisdom and power. God’s wisdom says HOPE DOESNT DISAPPOINT. More hope u have= more u see u are in a place of answered prayers.
Ps was feeling down in army camp once. Ps received a private revelation of the love of God. Went to the cook house. Eyed mountain of fried chicken. Closer he got to the end of the Q, focused on a particular juicy piece. In his heart, just said I hope I get that one. Didn’t pray or declare. Just hoped. Got that exact piece. When full of revelation of His love for u and finished work, His hope will not disappoint.
When sinners sin, why are u shocked? What does the world need?
Careful with what we say. Might win the battle but lose the war. Close the door for evangelism to the world crying out for help.
People think we are here trying to be godly and freak out . No. We are here coz we are justified and here to hear more and more about the finished work of Christ and what it has qualified for us.
Rom5:8
This verse tells us we are justified once and forever.
Ps can never swear he will never be angry w his kid but God can.
Tribulation- days of God’s wrath. That is why God removes us first before judging the world.
Even in the OT, before God could judge a city, had to remove the righteous people first.
Rapture will see us inheriting our incorruptible body.
Spiritual Growth- not because u feel strength in ourselves. If conscious of self strength, self satisfied. Not satisfied in Christ.
Spiritual Growth- see more of ur weakness but satisfied w Christ as your righteousness. Conscious of your weakness.