True Worship

It’s easy to worship God when things are good. Not so easy when hard times come. 

True worship looks beyond the crisis of the hour and sees a God who is worthy of worship regardless of how life is going. 

True worship sees a God Who is in control of all the situations of life and bends the knee to Him. 

True worship is costly because it requires us to make sacrifices. Things like time, plans, pride, pleasures, secret sins, etc will have to be placed on the altar and given to God.

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

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Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed written permission.

He’s Still Working On Me

As we believers travel toward eternity, we are mere clay in the hands of the Heavenly Potter. 

You see, none of us have arrived yet. We are still works in progress.  I’m glad I’m not what I used to be, and I’m not what I will be when God gets through with me.  

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Thank God, He is still working on us. And, He will continue to work until every single one of His children are at home with Him in Heaven.

Unconditional Love

God knew we could never love Him like He loves us; but He loved us anyway.    

We will never understand it, but God’s love for us is really uncomplicated.  He loves us because He is God. He loves us because that’s His nature, 1 John 4:7; Eph. 2:4.  

His love for us is not affected by our behavior or by His feelings or by what we deserve. His love is not affected by anything at all. 

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, can make Him stop loving His children. 

You see, nothing we did made the Lord start loving us and nothing we can do will make Him stop loving us.  

Love is a choice that God, in His sovereignty, makes.  It’s a choice that He is willing to stand by forever. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus, What A Lovely Name

Had He been an ordinary man the world would have forgotten Him as soon as He died, but Jesus was no ordinary man.  

Who He was and what He did forever altered the flow of human history and changed eternity for countless millions.

Philippians 2:8-9 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

At the mention of that simple name lives have been altered—fevered brows cooled— blinded eyes opened—deaf ears unstopped—sin’s shackles fallen away—night turned to day—defeat swallowed up in victory;

Hope replaced hopelessness—dead men come to life—lost men were found—devils have trembled—sinners have broken—saints have shouted—and angels have bowed.

Jesus is Lord whether you acknowledge it or not, but how much better life is when we give Him the love, honor and adoration He deserves. 

Grace And Peace

We believers have received much in Christ, but none are greater than His grace and peace.

I’m convinced we need both daily to function as the Lord wants us to. The Apostle Paul often used grace and peace in his salutations to the churches. 

Philippians 1:2 Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

We need to be willing to offer such grace to others.

We are known and loved of the Father and His Son. They are the source of the grace and peace we enjoy, for life itself and every blessing.

It still amazes me that the eternal God of the universe, the true and living God, is mindful of us and active in our lives. He daily loads us with His  benefits.

Chariot Of Fire

What a way to go! I wish I had been there with Elisha when the chariot of fire took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha knew that the mantle and ministry of Elijah had passed to his generation. He was hungry for all the power God could give him. 

Just as it had for Elijah, the muddy waters of Jordan parted for Elisha, and he knew he had obtained the double portion he requested of Elijah. 

2 Kings 2:11,14 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. .....And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Elisha called  upon the God Who answers by fire—stops and starts the rain—feeds His servants by ravens—multiplies meal and oil—raises the dead—and speaks to His children in a still small voice. Remember this when you pray. 

The God of Elijah is still moving in great ways to accomplish His will in the world. He is still looking for people who will take up the mantle and believe God for the impossible.

Drawing Near To God

Based on what Jesus did for the world on the cross, people are challenged to “draw near” to Him. 

Hebrews 10:19,22 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, .....Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

We must be “sincere” when we “draw near” to Jesus—not come to Him lightly or treat spiritual things as if they were a game.

If we come to Him as a born again believer, seeking His help, we can have assurance that He will hear us and receive us because He tenderly cares for us. 

If we come to hIm as a lost sinner, confessing our sins and crying out for salvation, He will hear us and not turn us away. 

There are only two possible responses to the Gospel Message—acceptance or rejection. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What have you done with the Gospel invitation?