Merritt Opening Song: #88 I Sing the Mighty Power of God Title: Father Abraham
Scripture: Galatians 3:29, And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
A new pastor arrived when old folks passed away. So he did 8 funerals in 4 weeks. He didn’t have time to write a new sermon, so he preached his first sermon 3 more times. Church Board went to the Bishop complaining about the same sermon 4 times in a row! The Bishop asked, “What did the sermon teach?” They scratched their heads, hmmm, they just couldn’t remember. Bishop said, “Let him preach it one more time!” We can never hear enough about faith. How could Abraham leave all he knew and travel not knowing where he went? Would I follow the command of a stranger? It has to be Someone I know and trust.
Abraham believed God: they had a relationship. Yes, Abram was far from perfect; twice he failed to protect his wife Sarah to save his own skin and he struggled to live up to what he believed, as humans do. Galatians 3: 7-9, Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. So then, all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received through faith.
God doesn’t bless because someone does ministry, because we fasted and prayed, because we’re so good. When we see Jesus in HIS goodness, we rest from self efforts. God’s law cannot save us. Only Jesus saves. BUT Jesus writes His love in our hearts. Law is a love letter. Suppose George needs to go back to Czechland and he writes me a love letter. I cherish his love letter but can it EVER take George’s place? There’s something wrong when we focus on the love letter and not on the One who wrote it.
Relationship is not with a letter, only with God Who wrote the letter. Law tells me not to steal but only Jesus makes me content with whatever He gives me. Law says don’t commit adultery, but Jesus makes us happy in our marriage. Jesus in the heart goes WAY beyond law. Law says don’t covet your neighbor’s wife but Jesus gives unselfish love for your wife! The law can’t do that, ONLY Jesus can.
"Why should I, who am by nature no different from the careless, godless throngs all around, have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and now blest with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Him? Why was I, that once was an alien and a rebel, signalled out for such wondrous favors?” asked a minister. WHY does God want a relationship with us? 1Corinthians 15:9, For I am least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. It’s not what we deserve. It’s God’s goodness and love. Since my stroke I can exercise my arm as much as I want, but only God decides if it fully returns, if I get to drive again. But I trust His love for me no matter what the outcome.
SONG: I'VE COME TOO FAR TO LOOK BACK
At one time each of us rebelled against God. We can’t blame anyone, not even the tempter. Satan didn’t put a gun to Eve’s head and force her to eat the fruit. Now if you were good and stopped sinning for a hundred years, could you pay the price for even one sin? The WAGES of sin is death; a hundred years of our sinlessness cannot pay it! You and I can never pay enough to be forgiven our sin, but I believe Jesus paid it all.
It’s our privilege to know God ourselves, to know God as father Abraham did. Is God fair? It feels UNFAIR that I get mercy, forgiveness, salvation and Jesus’ righteousness. I don’t deserve that the King of Kings should pay it for me! Amazing grace, how can it be that You my God would die for me? It feels unfair! But I am willing to ACCEPT what God gives! Are you?
12 spies came back with a cluster of grapes it took two men to carry. Abundance was waiting for their taking and God showed a sample of what’s in store. After having seen all God did, Abraham’s children wished they died in Egypt instead of entering Promised Land! They tried stoning Joshua and Caleb for bringing a good report! Millions of Christians are “miserably saved” because we don’t grasp the meaning of salvation: we live our lives in unbelief of God’s grace.
Galatians 3:10, For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law. Without simple faith in Jesus, we allow spiritual bondage to shift our focus from Jesus to other things, many of which are good, but never set us free. Legalism or bondage is the end result of old Israel who complained at every turn. Israel cried to go back to bondage, while all the time God brought them out for freedom, fellowship and faith!
Their hearts were full of unbelief. Israel "tempted" and "proved" God, seeing His works 40 years. Psalm 78:41-42, “Again and again they tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel. They remembered NOT His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy.” I am like Israel. The God who calls you IS faithful, and HE will do it, 1Thessalonians 5:24.
A college student had to drive home a point in a memorable way. He did "The Law of the Pendulum." He spent 20 minutes teaching a pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it’s released, because of friction and gravity. Each time it swings, it makes less and less arc, until final point of rest called state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal.
He attached a 3 foot string to a top and secured it with a thumbtack, pulled the top to one side and made a mark where he let it go. Each time it swung back he made a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. He then asked how many BELIEVED the law of the pendulum.
All raised hands, including the professor. Hanging from steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room was a large, crude but functional pendulum, 250 pounds of metal weights tied to four strands of 500-pound test parachute cord. He asked the professor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair, his head against a cement wall. Then he brought the 250 pounds of metal up to his nose. Holding the 250 pound pendulum just an inch from his face, the student said, "If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in NO danger."
He looked teacher in the eye, "Sir, do you believe this law is true?" There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on his upper lip then weakly professor nodded Yes. The released pendulum made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused then started back…You never saw a teacher move so fast! He literally dived off the table away from the swinging pendulum. Did he BELIEVE in the law of the pendulum?
In ads, if the product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Whether it’s a vegetable chopper, weed whacker, or permanent hair removal, the advertised image is not reality. God never advertises more than He delivers! He wants us to have the best- a close relationship with Him now and in ETERNITY. To enjoy God’s best, you and I need to take Jesus at His word.
Jesus said, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me HAS everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, some translate condemnation, but has passed from death into life,” John 5:24. His offer rests on our acceptance of His free gift by faith. Does it sound too good to be true?
SONG: NOT GUILTY
Jesus has proven He can be trusted. He came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross in our place, and rose from death. If He can’t be trusted, NOBODY can. 2Timothy 2:13, If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Build your life on the promise of God; build on the Rock. If we build our life on human ability, we build on sand. “God never made a promise that was too good to be true,” said Dwight L. Moody. Works follow true faith and demonstrate faith to our fellow men, but NOT to God! God knows every heart.
Salvation is by faith in Jesus alone. Lack of faith drinks water from a rock, eats manna from heaven, sees God’s pillar of fire everyday, sees every evidence yet murmurs against God. We must accept God who declares us righteous by faith; not my doing, but by Jesus.
Christians believe in a process in which humans become more like Jesus as we participate with His Spirit in work of character, focusing on the course of a person's life. Character is consequence of faith, never in order to be saved. The thief on the cross was promised heaven without any character-building. A couple starts to look like each other, act like each other, think like each other, because love changes them. Not in order to earn love! By beholding Jesus, we ARE changed. Christians are DIM reflection of Jesus, so please don’t look to people, only Jesus.
Israel was prophetically murmuring against the Sacrifice of Christ that was to come, each time they grumbled in the wilderness, whether it was about the bread, water, or report of the spies. All were insults against Jesus and GOODNESS of God who performs miracles to save because we cannot save ourselves. They sacrificed their lambs but they wouldn’t trust God!
If the condition of salvation had been feeling or working, a man could claim credit for believing truth. But it is God’s Spirit who shows us truth and gives us a heart to receive. Faith in salvation is not the cause nor is it in any sense salvation itself. Faith saves just as the mouth saves us from hunger. Faith is the soul's mouth so hunger of the heart is filled.
A professor asks students, guess how many peas are in a jar, and on the board writes down their estimates. Next to those estimates, he helps them make another list: their favorite song. When lists are complete, he reveals number of peas. The class looks which number was closest. “Now the list of favorite songs, which one is closest to being right?" Students protest there is no right answer; favorite song is your choice. The Ph.D. from Notre Dame asks, "When you have faith, is that guessing the number of peas, or knowing your favorite song?" When you have faith in Jesus, is it guessing number of peas or knowing your favorite Friend?
Faith doesn’t save: we are saved by faith. It’s the method the Holy Spirit uses to apply benefits of Jesus’ death to us. Jesus is symbolized by the brass serpent lifted up in the wilderness for all bitten by sin because He carried our sins on the cross; all healing is in Him. No healing comes to those who do NOT look; the look is faith. Uplifted Jesus saves. There is life in a look but it must be the Saviour we look to, not ourselves, not even His love letter.
SONG: WHERE THERE IS FAITH
Faith is the hand of the soul holding Jesus, so BY faith we are saved. "Your faith hath saved thee," Jesus said. Faith is how we take hold of Jesus. During the war, a father holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that was struck by a bomb. Seeking shelter, father jumped into a big hole and called to his son. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice, the boy replied, "I can't see you! It’s too dark." Father looked up against the sky tinted red by burning, "But I can see you. Jump!" The boy jumped. Faith is not because we can see, but certainty that we are seen; not that we know the answers, but that we are known and Jesus is the answer.
Are we resting on Jesus alone? You know the safety of the building depends on the foundation, but if the foundation is not right, you build all you want, it won’t be safe. Do we build on Jesus? Our only foundation is the finished work of Jesus. He Himself said, “It is finished.” Who am I to say it is not finished?!
If we have faith in Jesus we are saved, and there is no question about it. We do not talk and act and feel as if we are not saved. We don’t plead God to give what we already obtained, hoping one day to receive what Christ assures is already ours. Imagine saying to our Savior, "Lord, I humbly hope that is true; in future years may it be mine. The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we hope to be glad?” That is not faith but murmuring! Never suspect God for He is beyond suspicion; heaven and earth shall pass away, but His word cannot fail. We talk of "buts" and "ifs" when God said, "Verily, verily."
When a traveler in early days came to the Mississippi, he discovered there was no bridge. Fortunately it was winter and the river was ice. The traveler was afraid to trust himself to it, not knowing how thick ice was. Finally with great caution, he crept on his hands and knees and managed to get halfway across. Then he heard, yes, it was singing! Cautiously he turned, and there out of the dusk came another traveler, driving a cart with four horses and a load of coal over the ice, singing as he went!
Jesus is the Faithful and True witness. You would not spit in His face, yet our "ifs" and "buts" are insult on Him. If God lies, don’t believe His promise! If He cannot lie, cast aside our wicked unbelief! The Lord pledged a new land for His people, a child to elderly Abraham, and a Savior to the world. Each of these were fulfilled according to His perfect will.
We never earn God’s favor with good deeds. We do not trick our blessings from Him. We submit to His goodness, surrender to His love, have faith in Him. We learn God loves the unlovely nation and He keeps the light burning for the prodigal child to come home.
As Abraham walked up Mount Moriah with his son Isaac, Abraham didn’t understand all God was doing. He didn’t realize his act would foreshadow the sacrifice of God’s only Son; he only knew the One who asked him to do it. Abraham knew God could be trusted to keep His promise even if it looked like the promise was about to DIE. Did God provide the ram caught in the thicket?? Could Abraham have climbed that mountain if God didn’t SAVE Sarah when king of Egypt took her? If God didn’t save Sarah AGAIN when Abimelech king of Gerar took her? If God didn’t keep HIS promise by giving Sarah a son, would Abraham be climbing that mountain? No! Absolutely not! Was God always faithful? WHO made it all possible?
The promises that God made to Abraham are eternal. If you accept Jesus then you are heirs to that promise! Hebrews 10: 23, Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm. Why? Because we can do it? No. Because GOD can be trusted to keep HIS promise. The promise God made to Abraham is yours today in 2014! He promised to take us into heaven’s land that HE promised. We enter by faith in Jesus.
SONG: NEW JERUSALEM