Grace has a thrilling sound!

1. Grace has a thrilling sound to each believers ear; peace with God through Christ is found is news I
    gladly hear. 

2.Grace first inscribed my name in God's eternal book, and grace has brought me to the lamb who all
   my sorrows took.

3. Grace led my wandering feet to tread the heavenly road and grace supplies each hour I meet while
    pressing on to God.

4 Grace taught my soul to pray and my eyes overflow; and grace has kept me to this day and will not
    let me go.

5. Grace all our work shall crown through everlasting days; the heavenly home God gives His own
     shall echo with our praise.

Lutheran Hymnal 381

Explore Joshua 24:14-27

Israel responds to Joshua’s exhortation and warnings to worship only the LORD by committing themselves to complete faithfulness. It is a commitment that proves to be short-lived. We learn that God does not want us to try to be faithful to Him. He requires us to be faithful.

1. In Joshua’s speech to Israel, what two choices does he give them?

2. Why do you think he only gives them two choices?

3. What was Joshua’s commitment for him and his household?

4. Do you have this same commitment for your family?

5. Are there times when you or your family violates your commitment? Please explain.

6. Discuss with the group how your family’s commitment to the Lord impacts your outside relationships.

7. What does Joshua warn Israel will happen if they fail to worship the LORD?

8. From where should all of our commitments flow?

9. What lesson do you learn regarding your own household?

Jeremiah 9:23-24

This is what the Lord says:“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strengthen or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this that they have the understanding to know me that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth  for in these I delight,”declares the Lord.

Short Preface of Dr. Martin Luther

Short Preface of Dr. Martin Luther

1] This sermon is designed and undertaken that it might be an instruction for children and the simple-minded. Hence of old it was called in Greek Catechism, i.e., instruction for children, 2] what every Christian must needs know, so that he who does not know this could not be numbered with the Christians nor be admitted to any Sacrament, just as a mechanic who does not understand the rules and customs of his trade is expelled and considered incapable. 3] Therefore we must have the young learn the parts which belong to the Catechism or instruction for children well and fluently and diligently exercise themselves in them and keep them occupied with them.

4] Therefore it is the duty of every father of a family to question and examine his children and servants at least once a week and to ascertain what they know of it, or are learning, and, if they do not know it, to keep them faithfully at it. 5] For I well remember the time, indeed, even now it is a daily occurrence that one finds rude, old persons who knew nothing and still know nothing of these things, and who, nevertheless, go to Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and use everything belonging to Christians, notwithstanding that those who come to the Lord's Supper ought to know more and have a fuller understanding of all Christian doctrine than children and new scholars. 6] However, for the common people we are satisfied with the three parts, which have remained in Christendom from of old, though little of it has been taught and treated correctly until both young and old, who are called and wish to be Christians, are well trained in them and familiar with them.

Whether it’s Job loss, family issues, financial loss, pornography, an adulterous affair, prostitution, marital abandonment, (refusing to spend time with your spouse)  it’s devastating.

Q) Has your world been shattered, and your marriage broken?

Q) Is the pain of betrayal worse than you imagined possible?

Q) Feelings of being isolated and alone?

Q) How can you tell your church friends what’s going on?

Q) How can anyone else possibly understand your pain?

Q) Where’s God in all of this?

Q) How could God let this happen to me?

Q) How can God bring any good out of this?


No matter what it feels like right now, God hasn’t abandoned you.

It may seem hard to believe, but God can, and wants to restore your marriage.There have been times when we have wavered, so we take it to God and receive forgiveness for unbelief, reinforce our original decree and go at it again. We all make mistakes in the walk of faith. The important thing is to keep walking. If you miss it, go at it again. The biggest mistake of all is to become discouraged and quit before God is finished working within you.

Have you encourage yourself in the Lord lately?

This requires a definite resolve on your part, an act of your volition.

1 Samuel 30

So David chose encouragement, not only to be encouraged—for there was no one around him who could, or would, do that for him—but to encourage himself. The most important thing to notice here, though, is that David did not encourage himself in himself. Rather, the
Scripture says that he encouraged himself in the LORD his God. You see, this was not just about David, for David had a covenant with God, and that made this whole thing God’s business.

Having encouraged himself, David was then able to move on to the solution God had prepared for this problem. To default on this decision would only have deepened his distress, and discouragement would have rendered him helpless. What is more, the wives and children of him and his men would have been lost forever.

Satan brings doubt and fuels uncertainty into our lives, and circumstances. Learn to recognize the moderator of your thought process. As far as we are concerned, our needs are met in the Gospel message of Christ Jesus. There is no doubt about it because we have agreed according to the Word of God.

Our confession and actions will be in line with what we have established as truth. Challenge yourselves in Jesus name to write down your agreements. Seeing it in black and white on paper will make a difference! You will be more likely to line up your confession and your actions with your agreements.

No need to worry about your disagreements the Devil has made you both aware of them.

Jesus said that if any two on earth agree, He would be in the midst of that agreement to see that it comes to pass. You are on earth so you qualify. You can lean on two of the best blessings that God has given us, His grace, and mercy will help you agree with another believer as touching anything that lines up with the Word of God, God is there in your midst to carry it out for His Kingdom purpose.

So what are you waiting for?

What a friend we have in Jesus!

You Are qualified through Christ!

You Are qualified through Christ! 

(Eph 4:11-13  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 

One of the most devastating events in church history was the division of the people into clergy and layman. These unbiblical titles have been a problem since the Protestant Church annexed this idea from the Roman Catholic institution. There is no such thing in the body of true believers as a separate class of super-spiritual clergy.  If we look at Ephesians 4:11 above, we will see that Pastors are given in the church as a spiritual gift equal to evangelists, prophets, and apostles. The prophets and apostles today are not like the ones of the first century. The prophet declares God’s words and the apostle is one who is sent. The gift of Pastor is not a gift to be exalted above all other Christians. 

 

It is a sad truth, in the times we are living in, that the some clergy with their agendas, ministry plans, and executive boards end up ruining the personal relationships that most Christians have with their Heavenly Father, and the local churches.

Time to get a grip on the love of Christ! 

^{Acts 17: 24-28} “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Church Hopping - So if I am reading this correctly, it is God who has determined the times set for them and the exact places where I should live. 

Nowhere do we read that we must first get the permission of clergy to obey the Lord. Every Christian is to be involved with ministry and if the Pastor of the church does not like the fact that many are involved in personal ministries, then let him give a reason to the congregation why he opposes the obeying of Christ’s command to go forth. 

 Here is a warning from Matthew Henry:

 

"The ministers of Christ must remember that they are not Christ and therefore must not usurp His powers and prerogatives, nor assume the praises due to Him only." - 

Matthew Henry

Uneducated

Acts 14:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

 

One of the biggest misconceptions about ministry today is that unless a person holds a college and/or seminary degree, they are somehow less than prepared for the ministry of God's Kingdom purpose. 

REALLY?

Here is a truth.  Peter and John were ignorant and unlearned. Peter and John were fisherman and did not have time to spend many hours in studying the Scriptures. Look at the great ministry they had and what was the reason? “they had been with Jesus.” 

Now, where can we learn the thoughts of Jesus today? Through the means of grace, which is the Gospel found in Word and sacraments. A sacrament is as a sacred act established by Christ in which the Word connected with an earthly element gives the forgiveness of sins. I believe that the Lord gave his Word and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper for a purpose. Through God's Word and sacraments he preserves and extends the holy Christian church throughout the world. 

Believers should therefore be diligent and faithful in the use of these divinely established means of grace for themselves and in their mission outreach to others. These are the only means through which immortal souls are brought to faith and to life in heaven.

For more on the means of grace - http://www.wels.net/what-we-believe/statements-beliefs/this-we-believe/means-grace

Personally I have a hard time wrapping my thought process on why God would still love me after all of the sinful things I have and continue to do. Yet that sweet tasting message of the Gospel of Christ helps me grasp the concept, and motivates me to strive and grow in the gift of faith the God has blessed me with. 

It is the means of grace that has changed me, the messages from the pulpit that fuel my zeal for Christ, and is responsible for establishing CEO Ministries. 

Hebrews 5: 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

You are: 

Alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)

Called - 2 Peter 1:10-11 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Chosen - John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” 


Created - Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


Commissioned - Matthew 28:19 - 20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)

Equipped - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.


Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)


Gifted 1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.


Sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

^{Colossians 3: 23-24} Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Eight years of college isn't what God had in store for me. However, I'm still responsibile for what I do with the Gospel message of Christ


So what are you going to do with it? 

Identity Theft.

Who are you? 

Do your actions, how you talk away from your family, decisions you make outside of your church, match up with who you really are on the inside? 

Understanding our identity in Christ is critical to a fruitful walk with the Lord. The central events of Christianity, Christ’s death and resurrection, are the foundation of our Christian life. Dying with Christ means dying to the things that used to run our lives. For instance, while material wealth is the central motivation in many people’s lives, Christ calls us to relinquish pursuing wealth as a core motivation. The same is true of any other vice that keeps us from fully loving God and people.

Rising with Christ means rising to a new way of living under His kingship. Before we came under Christ’s kingship, our identity was dominated by concerns other than loving God and loving people as Jesus did. There was no way we could transform ourselves to make us acceptable to our perfect Judge and Maker. Whether we knew it or not, objectives and motivations that didn’t focus on loving God and others were running our lives.

Certainly, our earthly identity may contain characteristics that influenced us in godly ways. For instance, our parents may have taught us to be honest. Yet sin and offensive independence from God characterized our lives. Ironically, this “independence” was evidence of Adam’s control. When we come under Christ’s kingship, by God’s grace through our faith, we gain a heavenly component to our identity.

To say that we have a new component is a gross understatement. Coming under Christ’s kingship ought to so transform our understanding of our identity that, in many respects, we no longer consider ourselves the same people. We are new creatures (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). (For more on how we pursue transformation according to our heavenly identity, see the study called Integrity in this series.) The most basic truth of our identity, our position before God, is determined by who our King is, even though Adam’s realm may still influence us. And our actions will reflect our participation in one kingdom or the other, for each kingdom has certain “deeds” or “fruit” characteristic of it. The deeds of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-21) result from being in Adam, whereas the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23) grows when we are in Christ.

Uneducated?

Uneducated?

Acts 14:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

 

One of the biggest misconceptions about ministry today is that unless a person holds a college and/or seminary degree, they are somehow less than prepared for the ministry of God's Kingdom purpose. 

REALLY?

Here is a truth.  Peter and John were ignorant and unlearned. Peter and John were fisherman and did not have time to spend many hours in studying the Scriptures. Look at the great ministry they had and what was the reason? “they had been with Jesus.” 

Now, where can we learn the thoughts of Jesus today? Through the means of grace. These are the means of grace, the gospel in Word and sacraments. A sacrament is as a sacred act established by Christ in which the Word connected with an earthly element gives the forgiveness of sins. I believe that the Lord gave his Word and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper for a purpose. Through God's Word and sacraments he preserves and extends the holy Christian church throughout the world. 

Believers should therefore be diligent and faithful in the use of these divinely established means of grace for themselves and in their mission outreach to others. These are the only means through which immortal souls are brought to faith and to life in heaven.

For more on the means of grace - http://www.wels.net/what-we-believe/statements-beliefs/this-we-believe/means-grace

Personally I have a hard time wrapping my thought process on why God would still love me after all of the sinful things I have and continue to do. Yet that sweet tasting message of the Gospel of Christ helps me grasp the concept, and motivates me to strive and grow in the gift of faith the God has blessed me with. 

It is the means of grace that has changed me, the messages from the pulpit that fuel my zeal for Christ, and is responsible for establishing CEO Ministries. 

Hebrews 5: 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

You are: 

Called - 2 Peter 1:10-11 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Chosen - John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” 


Created - Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


Commissioned - Matthew 28:19 - 20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

^{Colossians 3: 23-24} Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Equipped - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.


Gifted 1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.




So what are you going to do with what God has entrusted you with?