Judging Jude Part 4 of 4

Jude 1:16-25.   Pray.
Audio clip: http://tacwash.sermon.net/main/main/20245727

We come now to part 4 of 4 in our Judging Jude series. Jude calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James. He expressed a desire to write of the common salvation but God told him to bring a scalding denunciation of apostates and to urge his readers to contend earnestly for the faith. It appears that from the earliest days in church history, false teachers plagued and infiltrated congregations. Jude compared these wolves in sheepskins to some of the vilest offenders in the Old Testament such as the fallen angels, Cain, Korah, Balaam, Sodomites, and unsaved Israelites that fell in the wilderness and even the old Devil himself. In the last few verses of his letter, Jude gives us some essentials for earnestly contending for the faith.

Keep Separate. Jude 1:16-19.
1. We live in a day when apostates abound. Jude said they murmur & complain & seek only to advance their own cause and satisfy their own carnal desires.
2. We live in a day when apostates deny the power of God. Paul said – 2Tim.3:1-5.
3. We live in a day when apostates walk in their own lusts. Peter said -2Pet.3:3.

Keep Growing. Jude 1:20a.
1. We live in a day when believers need to remember the teachings of Christ & His Apostles & keep the faith. Jude 17-20a.
2. We live in a day when believers need to stay grounded in the word of God. 2Tim.2:15 and 4:1-5.

Keep Praying. Jude 1:20b.
1. We live in a day when believers need to stay prayed up as led by the Holy Spirit.
2. We live in a day when Satan is on the prowl. 1Pet.5:6-9.
3. We live in a day when we need the whole armor of God. Eph.6:11-18.

Keep Trusting. Jude 1:21-25.
1. We live in a day when we must always remember the love & mercy of our great God and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. V.21.
2. We live in a day when sinners need compassion and extreme measures if they are to be saved from their sins. V.22-23.
3. We live in a day when we can know we are not alone. V.24-25. & Rom.8:31.

Conclusion: Yes, we live in a day when many false teachers have risen and many false teachings abound but no matter what they say, nothing can destroy or make void the truth about God and about Jesus Christ. God is real, He has spoken and He does not lie. We have the victory in God and in Christ today and true believers are to be encouraged to Keep separate from the apostates, keep growing in faith and holiness, keep praying as led by the holy Spirit, and keep believing God and  trusting the eternal inerrant word of God.  AMEN.

Judging Jude Part 3 of 4

Jude 1:12-15. Pray.
Audio clip: http://tacwash.sermon.net/main/main/20232360

Last time we studied Old Testament examples of apostasy and New Testament similarities to them. We are living in modern times of apostasy indeed but we have seen that apostasy has been a problem for the Lords congregations since the first century A.D. In this study, we will consider some metaphorical examples of false teachers. Jude uses several metaphors in our text to picture apostates. A metaphor is like a verbal snapshot. If you have ever heard the song “The Old Ship of Zion”, that is a metaphor of a true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. You may remember in January of 2012 when that luxury cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea and many of the crew – abandoned ship leaving passengers behind to fend for themselves and many died. It was a terrible tragedy. True churches are like a ship at sea. We must constantly be on watch for false teachers and false doctrines that might cause shipwreck for the old ship of Zion. Apostates are like the incompetent cowardly crew of the Costa Concordia.

Notice five snapshots of apostates in our text.

THEY ARE SPOTS. JUDE 12.
1. They spoil our worship, our fellowship & our feasts of love. (Underwater rocks.)
2. They are self-centered. When they appear to be with us, it is only for them. Ezek.34:2, 8.
3. They have no real fear of God. All they have is a bloated ego of self-confidence. They are more likely to quote from a self-help book than the Bible.

THEY ARE CLOUDS. JUDE 12.
1. They are empty clouds. Their promise of water leaves us dry and thirsty.
2. They are carried away by the wind. This is no model for the faithful. Eph.4:14.

THEY ARE TREES. JUDE 12.
1. They are withered trees. Dried up with no life in them.
2. They are fruitless trees. Godly saints will bear godly fruit. Matt.7:17-20.
3. They are twice dead and un-rooted. Totally depraved & un-regenerated.

THEY ARE WAVES. JUDE 13.
1. They rage. They are often loud mouth bullies. Ps.2:1-3.
2. They foam. Like mad men foam at the mouth. Like a disturbed soda pop spews.
3. They are shameful. Like those who use alcohol to accommodate lustful desire. Hab.2:15-16.

THEY ARE STARS. JUDE 13.
1. They are like shooting stars that blaze across heaven and are dark forevermore.
2. They are wandering stars that are NOT good for navigation. They lead astray.

CONCLUSION: In verses 14 & 15, Jude returns to his theme with a quote from the familiar non-canonical book of Enoch. Referencing a non-canonical book is not an endorsement of it’s inspiration. The coming of the Lord with His angels is a common theme in religious books down through the ages. Using the word ungodly in verse 15, Jude is simply illustrating that, from the earliest of time, people have known judgment is coming for those that depart from the faith and especially for those who lead others in apostasy. AMEN.

Judging Jude Part 2 of 4

Jude 1:5-11. Pray.
Audio clip: http://tacwash.sermon.net/main/main/20226302

As we saw last time, apostasy is nothing new. It may seem extreme in our day and time but it has been around since the first century of church history. To apostatize is to depart from the faith of one’s former religion. An apostate no longer clings to the principles, party or cause with which he or she once associated or professed. Jude gives examples of this from Old Testament times and New Testament times showing the divine judgment the apostates reaped. There are three O.T. examples and three N.T. similarities given in the text.

I. – O.T. EXAMPLES. Jude 1:5-7. (Three main examples.)
1. The Israelites delivered from Egypt who rebelled in the wilderness. V.5. Num.16:1-5, 16-18, 28-32.
2. The Fallen Angels who rebelled in heaven. V.6. 2Pet.2:4 and 9.
3. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah who rebelled in sexual sin. V.7. Gen.13:13.
     A. The sin of Sodom was sexual sin. Gen.19:4-5, 24-25.
     B. Some Bible scholars suggest that the “as” in Jude 7 ties sexual sin to the angels in verse 6 also. They quote Jewish Maccabean writers and the Apocrypha, first century Jewish historian, Josephus, and say some ecclesiastical writers up until the 4th century A.D. taught this. However, I have never felt comfortable with it, enough to embrace it, for one reason.
     C. I believe Matt. 22:30 trumps all the other proofs for it.

II. – N.T. SIMILARITIES. Jude 1:8-11. (The reasons why N.T. false teachers fell)
1. They were like the apostates of the O.T. V.8.
     A. They were Defilers of flesh. V.7.
     B. They were Despisers of dominion. V.9.
     C. They were Dignity haters. V.10.
     D. They were like Cain, Balaam, and Core. V.11. Gen.4:8, Dt.23:4-5, Nu.16:16, 32.

CONCLUSION: Apostasy is a terrible thing. The ecclesiastical mess we are in today with all of the various different denominations, false cults and so on – is the result of apostasy. When angels apostatize, there is no hope for them. If you are a true believer and have been drawn away from the Lords House, 1Tim.3:15 repent and turn again to the straight and narrow way. There is only one way of salvation Jn.14:6 and one way of biblical immersion Acts 8:36-38. There is only one kind of congregation Eph.4:1-6 wherein you may worship God in Spirit and in Truth. THAT is the kind where God gets glory. Eph. 3:21.

Judging Jude Part 1 of 4

 
Jude 1:1-4. PRAY
Audio clip: http://tacwash.sermon.net/main/main/20220326

Christians today sometimes wish for the days of the first century churches when there were not so many different denominations, cults and false religions to confuse the matter of faith and religion. We begin a four sermon series today on the little New Testament book of Jude. When Jude urges his readers saying, “earnestly contend for the faith” he dispels the false notion that there were no problems in the first century of Christianity. We will consider three points.

THE AUTHOR. Jude 1.
1. The servant of Christ and brother of James.
2. The half brother of Jesus. Matt.13:55.
3. The unbelieving relative, at first. John 7:3-5. Note: In verses 6-10, the word “yet” in v6 is missing from most modern version of the Bible making Christ a liar. The KJB does not make God a liar.
4. The believer in Christ after the resurrection. Acts 1:14.

THE MESSAGE. Jude 3.
1. Jude desired to write of the “common salvation” but urged believers to contend earnestly for “the faith” that was completed and given in scripture. Jude 3.
2. Jude and Paul both used strong terms to describe the Christian battle. Eph.6:11-12. 1Cor.9:24-27.
3. Jude encouraged his readers to stand and fight against false doctrines and teachers. Jude 4.

THE DANGER. Jude 4.
1. The Danger was a false way of salvation and a counterfeit Christianity. V.4.
2. The Danger was a denial of true faith and a transformed life. Gal.2:16, 2Cor.5:17.
3. The Danger was a denial of Christ’s message. Lk.5:32, 19:10, Matt.11:28, Jn.6:65.
4. The Danger was a denial of true Christian Liberty. Jn.8:36, Gal.5:13, Matt.7:15-20, Acts 20:29-30, 2Pet.2:9-19.

CONCLUSION: For more than 2000 years, false teachers have infiltrated true churches promoting their heresies. Our job is not to condemn them. God will take care of that. Our job is to be faithful fruit inspectors, and to let our light shine and expose the errors of darkness. We must fight the good fight and earnestly contend for the faith. Jehovah is the only true and living God. Man is totally depraved and in need of regeneration. Christ is the only way of salvation. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. True service to God comes only after true salvation by His sovereign grace. AMEN.

Baptism With Heavenly Authority

Matt. 17: 9-13.

Jesus had great respect for John the Baptist. He said he was the greatest of men but John’s preaching only exalted Jesus. As we think today about Baptism with heavenly authority, we only have two main points. One. God started it by sending John. Two. Christ continued it by sending His church.

 

I. John’s baptism was done with heavenly authority and with it John the Baptist prepared the material that Christ used to build His church.
1. John was sent from God to baptize. (Jn 1:6, 26-36)
2. Jesus built His church (a local visible assembly of baptized believers) during
His earthly ministry. (Matt 16:13-18, Lk 6:12-16, Matt 28:16-20)
3. After our Lords resurrection His church in Jerusalem organized other
assemblies of like faith. (Acts 1:8, 8:4, and 9: 28-31 plural)
4. Those true churches in like fashion did the same. (Acts 13:1-3, 14:23-27, 15:3-4)
This New Testament pattern has been followed and preserved according to
credible historic records. (1Tim 1:15-17)
See our heritage on the TLBC web page.
5. One common message that was preached by all of these was the resurrection.
(Acts 13: 16-39) This is an excellent Bible survey that is filled with the gospel.
Baptism pictures the resurrection. (Rom 6:3-11) The conditions for baptism are:
a believer, immersion, as a picture (not for salvation but because of salvation),
by an administrator with proper Authority.
II. Baptism and service under the authority of a true church is the N.T. way.
1. After your profession of faith in Christ, your 1st act of obedience is scriptural baptism. It is John’s kind of baptism or nothing. Jn 1:7,29-33, & Matt 3.
2. Scriptural baptism has at least 4 requirements. (Actor, Act, Aim, Authority)
3. After baptism, you serve in one of the Lords local autonomous bodies not some so called universal church. Matt 16:18, Eph 3:21.
4. When it comes to individual Christian fellowship, our guide is Agape (Christian charity). Rom 12:3-10. We ought to be Christ like in our dealings one with another, even to the point of self-sacrifice, but not to the point of compromising Gods Word.
5. The line of fellowship between churches is drawn at baptism and recognition of local church authority. Acts 15: 22-23.
6. Jesus commissioned His church to preach & teach His all things. Matt 28:18.

Conclusion: Three things.
(1.) The true gospel is Christ alone for salvation. Jn 14:6.
(2.) True baptism is the kind Jesus had at the hands of an authorized Baptist preacher. Jn 1:32-34.
(3.) True service after salvation and baptism is in one of The Lords true churches. 1Tim 3:15.

Why do we use only the KJV in our worship Services?

 

2Tim.3:16.   Pray.

Audio:  http://tacwash.sermon.net/main/main/20321600

Some people have approached us recently who found our website on the world-wide-web.   http://thelordsbaptistchurch.com  They found us as they were searching for a King James Only Church. While talking with them and answering some of their questions, it dawned on me that I have never preached a sermon on this topic. I’m sure I’ve taught on it but I cannot find a single sermon outline of mine on this topic alone. Why do we use only the KJV in our worship services? The topic is worthy of a series of lessons and perhaps we will put together such a series one of these days but for now let us answer the question as best as we can with this one sermon. One of my favorite sayings is “God is real, God has spoken and God cannot lie.” With that foundation, let us consider 5 points about our text.

I. We believe all scripture is inspired by God. 2Tim.3:16a.
1. Not every written word is scripture. Scripture is God breathed. 2Pet.1:20-21. 1Thess.2:13. Heb.4:12-13. Christ is the living word of God and the Bible is the written word of God that tells us of Him. Most of the modern Bibles leave out Christ in many places where He is found in the KJV.
2. Not every author writes God breathed words. Shakespear? No. Peter, Paul, James and John? YES! Literary inspiration is not the same as God breathed words.
3. Not every translator is infallible, in fact, none of them are infallible. So…
4. Not every “KJV ONLY” man is a “Ruckmanite.” What’s that?
A. A man named Ruckman & his followers teach that the KJV translators were inspired of God & their words in the KJV supersede and even correct the original autographs written by the O.T Prophets and the N.T. writers. We use only the KJV in our worship services but we do NOT believe the KJV translators gave us the KJV to correct what the God inspired writers of the 66 books in the original autographs wrote. No, we have God’s words today because God preserved them for us in the textus receptus. This is also called the “received text”. More about this in a moment.

II. We believe all scripture is profitable for doctrine. 2Tim.3:16b.
1. Scripture brings good teaching to men. The most important teaching of them all is the doctrine of Christ and His gospel. 1Cor.15:1-4.
2. Scripture in the original autographs have perished over time. The papyrus became spoiled and crumbled away. Does that mean we do not have God’s word anymore? No. Why? This is the heart of this issue.
3. Scripture is preserved in thousands of copies in the textus receptus.
A. We still have the God breathed words of the original autographs in the form of the textus receptus but there are other old texts, like the Westcott and Hort texts, which have been tampered with and corrupted. The Westcott and Hort texts are what most of the modern translations come from. These texts are older and unused because they were discarded and found later in a waste can of an old Catholic Monastery. Older texts are not necessarily better. The texts of the textus receptus are younger because they were what the people of God used and often wore out, which is why there are more of them due to more copies being made to replace the used ones.
4. Scripture in the textus receptus is the same as the original autographs.

III. We believe all scripture is for reproof. 2Tim.3:16c.
1. The 66 books of the canon are what tests and proves all men & all things.
A. The canon is the one and only rule that settles all issues. Isa.8:20.
2. The 66 books of the canon are the plenary word of God. Rev.22:18-19.
A. The canon is the full and complete system of order. 1Cor.13:9-10.
3. The 66 books of the canon sum up the final authority on all matters. Lk.4:16-21. Everything about Christ was a fulfillment of scripture. Yes! Our King James Bible proves that Christ is who He said He is.

IV. We believe all scripture is for correction. 2Tim.3:16d.
1. The Bible, as properly translated from the textus receptus, sets things right. Our King James Bible can indeed correct the modern Bibles.
2. The Bible from the textus receptus can correct all Bibles from the corrupted texts like Westcott and Hort. Why use them when you can have a real Bible, a good King James edition of the words of God. Jn.10:34-36.

V. We believe all scripture is for instruction in righteousness. 2Tim.3:16e.
1. Faith in scripture and Christ bring righteousness. Rom.4:3.
2. Faith in scripture will not bring shame. Rom.10:11.
3. Faith in scripture brings salvation to even the Gentiles. Gal.3:8,

 

Conclusion: Knowing there are many other questions that might be asked on this topic, we pray that this condensed presentation on inspired scripture is sufficient for the moment. Think about the meaning of various different terms used in a discussion like this. Terms like inspiration, preservation, illumination, application, sanctification, activation and so on. Do we believe the KJV is better than the modern versions? Yes. Is the text for the KJV complete and uncorrupted from the original autographs? Yes. Do the modern translations have any good things about them at all? Yes but coming from an incomplete and corrupted text, they cannot be trusted like the King James. Hasn’t there been several different editions of the King James since the 1611 edition that corrected mistranslations and errors found in the early editions? Yes but those corrections were mostly on printing errors, which were very common in the early years of the printing press and did in no way destroy the reliability or integrity of the book being printed as a whole. Furthermore, asking foolish questions about the use of words like dragon and unicorn is not enough of an argument to cause a rational person to toss a KJV in the trash for something that comes from a textual manuscript that is faulty in the first place. That is all. AMEN.

God is not Fair

Romans 9:13-24.

Audio – http://tacwash.sermon.net/main/main/20143440

Many of these verses cause human nature to rare up and cry – God is not fair! This is a common complaint when we talk about the wrath of God in any way.  Unregenerate man rebels at the thought that God would wipe out all the unbelievers in the great flood, or all the freakish perverts of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Man in his depravity hates to think that God would be OK with wiping out the pagan idolaters of Canaan or that He might send someone to an eternal burning hell.

When war atrocities and natural catastrophes happen, the first thing we hear is, “Why would your Holy God let that happen?”  When loved ones are sick, are in pain, or die, we feel like God is not fair.  When the wicked seem to come out on top, even God’s people sometimes feel like God is not fair.

For the sake of making our point, let us assume for now that God is not fair.  Let us assume this so we can see things from a different viewpoint.  I know it sounds strange for a child of God to say God is not fair but bear with me as I try to show that God is not fair; He is better than fair.  He is gracious, merciful, compassionate, long-suffering and patient.

God is Gracious in Elective Grace. Rom. 9:10-13.
If God had only been fair, He would not have loved either of these two boys. They were both natural born hell-deserving sinners. However, God according to His purpose in election worked in the heart & life of Jacob – through whom Christ came. Rom.3:10-12, 23, 5:6-11. Christ’s atonement is better than fair.

God is Merciful in Messianic Redemption. Matt.1:21.
The Messiah is the crimson cord of the Bible, the central theme of God’s word. He is none other than God’s remedy for our sin problem. Rom.1:1-4. Although none is worthy of His mercy, God has been merciful to millions because of Christ, the Messiah. Remember Adam & Eve, Able, Noah, Israel & the Passover, the Prophets like Isaiah (53), and the poets like David (Ps22). God is much better than fair.

God is Compassionate in the Effectual Call. Rom.9:22-24.
God did not have to call ANY unto salvation but He has called a people for His name. He call is not to the Jews only, but to multitudes among the Gentiles also. The amazing thing about His compassionate call is that He does it in such a way that in spite of our depraved nature, we come to Christ in repentant faith by His grace. 2Thess.2:13-14, 1Thess.2:12-13, 1:4-7. FAIR ? No, You do not want God to be fair with you my sinner friend. If God is fair with you, He will send you to hell when you are all done with your sinful self-centered life. My prayer is that He would not be fair with you but that He would be gracious and merciful with you and call you in compassion to salvation in Christ.

God is Long-suffering & Patient in Eternal Preservation. Rom.9:33.
Believers shall not be ashamed. That has a strong ring of confidence to it. Once you have it, you cannot lose it. But beloved, make sure you really have it. Rom.8:28-31, 35-39, 1Pet.1:2-5, 2Pet.3:15, 1:10.

Conclusion: Now I ask you, “Do you really want God to be FAIR?” I urge you to re-think that position. Come and go with me. Let us trust in God’s grace instead. Let us feel His mercy upon us. Oh, hear His compassionate call! Repent and believe the gospel today. God’s long-suffering patience is enduring for time and eternity. Trust Christ now. AMEN

New Year Renewal

Eph.4:17-24. Pray. V.23.

As we begin another New Year, we want to look to God and His sovereign grace for the spiritual strength we need to press on in faith and holiness. I am not talking about New Year resolutions. Most of us know by now that they do not work. We might start the year with a firm and steadfast resolute determination to cut back on our bad habits, and to eat right and get the proper exercise. We tell ourselves we will save more and be better at keeping our finances straight and so on and so on. There are hundreds of other things we might vow, with all good intentions, to do or not do. However, in the end, we always lose the battle. The reason for this is that when you fight yourself, you always lose. After all, who else is going to lose? Do not let this discourage you. We are not here to depress you. We are here to encourage you to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. This message is mainly for Christian believers. Non-Christians have greater problems than what we are addressing in this message. As believers, let us stop beating ourselves up, and trust God to renew us in the spirit of our mind.

A Renewed Walk. Eph.4:17. v.20-21. We have a new walk.
1. As a Believer, you are not the enemy. Stand against the world, flesh & devil.
2. As a Believer, the Way of the World is the enemy. 1Cor.15:54-57.
3. As a Believer, You have victory over the vanity of sin. 1Jn.5:4.

A Renewed Understanding. Eph.4:18. v.20-21. We have a new mindset.
1. As a Believer, you have an enlightened understanding. Prov.20:12. Acts 16:14
2. As a Believer, you have the life of God by grace. 1Jn.5:11-12.
3. As a Believer, There is the confidence of assurance in Christ. 1Jn.5:13-15.

A Renewed Feeling. Eph.4:19. v.20-21. We have a new zeal for God.
1. As Believers we stand against lasciviousness. (Unbridled lust & passion) Jd.4.
2. As Believers we stand against uncleanness. So-called gays do the most unclean acts imaginable. To persist in that life is to go the way of reprobation. Rom.1:24 and 27.
3. As Believers we stand against greediness. Sometimes it is amazing to see what sin God will call to the bar for judgment. It is interesting that greed is one that is listed categorically as one to watch out for in the ministry. 1Tim.3:3 & 8. By the way – the wealthy are not alone in the struggle with greed. Some of the poorest in society are plagued by it and will buy a lottery ticket rather than food for the family. We ought to stand against this enemy of the soul. Heb.13:5.

A Renewed Conversation. Eph.4:22. v.23-24. We have a new way of life.
1. As Believers we stand against what we once were. 2Cor.5:17.
2. As Believers we stand against corruption. Rom.8:21.
3. As Believers we stand against deceitful lusts. Mk.4:18-19.

Conclusion: Let us not be fooled into thinking that this year it will be different when we resolve to change ourselves for the better. We are not the enemy. God has changed us by His grace and He gives grace to renew the spirit of our mind. Let us stop fighting ourselves and surrender to the grace of our merciful God. We have the victory. Let us be renewed in the good fight of faith against the world, the flesh and the Devil. AMEN.

The Prophesy of the Incarnation

Isa 9:6-7. (Pray)

We know that Christ is the Person of the Incarnation. God said that He was going to come in the flesh. He did that in Christ. Prophesy is so prominent in the Old Testament about this that immediately and repeatedly in the New Testament we see that the coming of Christ was fulfillment of prophesy. Matt. 1:21-22, 2:15, 17, & 23. Let us consider three things from our text about the Prophesy of the Incarnation. The Advent, the Attributes and the Authority of Christ.

I. THE ADVENT OF CHRIST. Isa. 9:6.
1. The Doctrine of the Advent.
A. The Humanity of Christ. A Child born.
B. The Deity of Christ. A Son given.
2. The Demotion in the Advent.
A. The Everlasting Father is a Son given. Phil. 2:7-8.
3. The Delight in the Advent.
A. The Birth. Normally it’s a time of rejoicing. (Not for abortionists)
B. The Gift. The most gracious of all. Jn 3:16, Eph 2:8-9.

II. THE ATTRIBUTES OF CHRIST. Isa. 9:6.
1. Wonderful. More than a wonderful counselor. He IS wonderful.
2. Counselor. Matt 7:29. No greater or better than Jesus. He is wisdom.
3. Mighty God. Mk 1:40. If thou wilt thou canst.
4. Everlasting Father. Heb 7:3, 1Cor 15:45, Col 2:9.
5. Prince of Peace. Lk 2:14, Phil 4:6-7.

III. THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST. Isa. 9:7.
1. The Certainty of the Government. He “SHALL” reign.
2. The Carrying of the Government. He can bear the burden. He bore Calvary.
3. The Character of the Government.
A. The progressiveness of it. …increase. Phil 1:9-10.
B. The peace and perpetuity of it. …no end. Lk 1:33.
C. The pedigree of it. …throne of David. Matt 12:23.
D. The prudence of it. …to order it. Rev 19:15-16.
E. The purity of it. …with justice. Rev 19:11.
F. The power of it. …will perform. Dan 4:35.

Conclusion: God said He would come in the flesh. He did. He was perfect. He died for His people on the cross of Calvary. He was buried and rose again on the third day. This is the message that brings eternal life to hell deserving sinners. Hear the saving gospel message today. Turn from your sin in repentance and by grace through faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope of salvation. He said He is coming again and as sure as He came the first time, He shall come again. He ALWAYS does what He said He would do. If you die in your sin, He will send you to your eternal reward in the Lake of Fire. If you repent and believe, He will have mercy on you. Trust Him now. That is the message. AMEN.

The Person of the Incarnation

John. 1:1-5. (Pray)

We know that the Mystery of Godliness has to do with the incarnation 1Tim. 3:16. Here is where the mystery begins. It begins with the person of the incarnation. A Bible Mystery is simply an eternal truth that is revealed in time. To understand the Mystery of Godliness we must see the eternal Christ. Consider 3 things about the person of the incarnation. His Relationship to God, the Galaxies and the Gospel.

I. HIS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD. Jn1: 1-2. Three things.
1. The Duration of Christ. v1.
A. The Time of the verse. “the beginning”
B. The Tense of the verse. “was”

2. The Dwelling of Christ. “with God”
A. The Intimacy – The closest possible relationship within the Trinity.
B. The Individualism – A distinct individual.
C. The Incomprehensibility – Christ did the greatest sacrifice ever made.

3. The Deity of Christ. “was God”
A. The Plainess of this truth. You can’t deny it and believe the Bible.
B. The Perverting of this truth. Modernists and Cults reject His Lordship.
C. The Proclaiming of this truth. Isa 7:14, Matt 1:23, Jn 8:58-59, 10:30-31, Phil 2:6, 1Tim 3:16.

II. HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE GALAXIES. Jn. 1: 3. He is the Creator.
1. The Requirement of Creation (Divine Power). Col 1:16, Ps 33:6, Eph 3:9.
2. The Regulation of Creation. Col 1:17, Heb 1:3.
3. The Refuting of Creation.
A. It refutes the false doctrine of evolution.
B. It refutes the false doctrine that Christ is created.
4. The Reason for Creation. “For Him” Col 1:16. We are created in His image and that is why we enjoy the beauty of creation when animals don’t. (Sunset)
A. Christ sees what we don’t. Stars, Desert flowers, Micro-organisms.
B. Christ is our reason for existence. Phil 1:21.

III. HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE GOSPEL. Jn. 1: 4-5.
1. The Remedy in Christ.
A. The Life. Jn 10:10, Eph 2:1, Ps 36:9, 1Jn 5:4.
B. The Light. Jn 8:12, Isa 60:2-3.
2. The Radiating of Christ.
A. He Shined forth {appeared) in the incarnation.
B. He Shined where He was needed (in darkness).
3. The Rejection of Christ.
A. The Folly of it. Rom 1:22.
B. The Force of it. Hatred of Him is not passive.

Conclusion: The only possible way for us to be saved is for God to save us by His grace. THAT is what Christ came to do in the incarnation. Behold the Person of the Incarnation. Turn from your sins and by faith receive Him as your personal Savior. AMEN.