The Only Truth That Liberates

Greetings all!  I love living for the Lord!  It is such a privilege to be a part of the Kingdom of God.  Recently I was able to speak to our church on the subject of truth itself.  It is God's will for any one who is bound by anything, sin or sickness or anything else to be liberated.  Christ is the Great Liberator if you will.  I feel that this message contains a key to deliverance in every life.  I have included my personal sermon notes in this blog so you may follow along.  To listen to the audio message, just click the link below.  Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope this message blesses and inspires you, and points you to the only Truth that can truly liberate!

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=3534

THE ONLY TRUTH THAT LIBERATES

INTRODUCTION

Texts – John 8:30-36; Romans 6:16-23

³⁰ As he spake these words, many believed on him.

³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

³³ They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

³⁴ Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

³⁵ And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

³⁶ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Romans 6:16-23

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

¹⁷ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

¹⁸ Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

¹⁹ I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

²⁰ For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

²¹ What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

²² But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thesis – There are many in bondage tonight, in bondage to sin, a habit, their past, false doctrines and false concepts; God wants to liberate everything in this house: The Truth (Christ) makes men free, liberates them, but in order for it to do so, it must be ACTIVATED truth…

Goal – Our goal tonight is relatively simple, we need to gain an understanding of the only truth that liberates; we need to have an understanding of HOW to activate, the ONLY liberating truth – And once we have that, I believe God will indeed liberate anything and anyone in this house that desires to be set free, if by faith, they can activate the Truth that they’ve heard…

-God desires to deliver, and loves to liberate…

Luke 4:18-19

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

I – TRUTH: ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES

Truth is not just a doctrine, or a religion, or a denomination, TRUTH, REAL TRUTH, IS JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.

If your version of the “truth” doesn’t bring you into a living, breathing, personal daily relationship with God, then it is not the full truth, I don’t care what the label on the church sign says.

Before anyone in this house can get free, we must make sure that we are trying to activate the RIGHT Truth!

Does is matter what I believe?  YES!!!

Jude v.3,4

³ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

⁴ For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:6-12

⁶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

¹¹ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

¹² For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Practical examples: generic, off brand stuff – don’t accept the substitute: soda, energy drinks, ravioli, ladies purses, airlines, medicine.  (The worse it tastes the better it works.)

Jesus Christ, the Gospel, Acts 2:38, holiness, signs miracles and wonders is still the TRUTH, and it is still the only truth that truly liberates, but EVEN the REAL truth, in order for it to liberate must be activated.  How do we do that.

II – HEAR THE TRUTH/ENCOUNTER THE TRUTH

There’s really two steps to getting free.  That first part was for free, that’s not really a step, just a prerequisite.  The first step to liberation is, you have to encounter and or hear the Truth.

If you are not willing to listen to what God has to say, and what the crazy, red faced, sweaty, apostolic preacher has to say, you can’t get free.  If you’re not willing to crack open the Bible and be open minded and open up your heart to let the truth in, you can’t be saved.  I’m going to prove it with scripture.

Mark 12:28-30

King James Version (KJV)

²⁸ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

John 10:23-31

²³ And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

²⁴ Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

²⁵ Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

²⁶ But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

³⁰ I and my Father are one.

³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Romans 10:13-17

¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

¹⁵ And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

¹⁷ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

NOW we’re on to something – when he said faith, it made me think of something…we need faith to be saved, which is liberation from sin, right?  If we can follow where this faith-concept will lead us, we should be able to discover how to get liberated….

Gotta hear it – gotta be open to it. – Got to have an encounter with it…Not going to hear much Truth if you don’t come to church…Not going to hear much Truth if your texting the whole service…

III – OBEDIENCE ACTIVATES TRUTH

Not everyone that encounters the truth, or even hears the truth gets liberated, necessarily.  For example, the rich young ruler of Matthew chapter 19.’

Ephesians 2:8

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

-saved means you’ve been liberated from sin, and hell, and death, and damnation, and condemnation, but notice there’s two pieces, two parts to the whole machine at work if you will – ONE is grace – grace is the UNMERITED favor that GOD supplies – That grace that He shows us is a demonstration of His love, just like his Life, and and just like His death on the Cross – GRACE –

BUT THE OTHER PART IS FAITH. GRACE is God giving man an undeserved opportunity to be liberated, FAITH is MAN RESPONDING IN TURN BY OBEDIENCE – And that is the only TRUTH that liberates – obeyed truth… I can prove it with one example: Noah.

Genesis 6:5-8 - ⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

⁶ And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

⁷ And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

By substitute truth standards, Noah is actually already saved because he found grace…But he isn’t saved yet, because GRACE right after that, produced TRUTH, and the TRUTH said, Noah, build an ark, I’m going to destroy the world with a flood…

¹⁴ Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

¹⁵ And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

¹⁶ A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

¹⁷ And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

¹⁸ But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

¹⁹ And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

²⁰ Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

²¹ And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

²² Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Hebrews 11:6-7

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

If truth is going to liberate, it must be responded to by faith, which is the obedience that truly activates it.

Romans 6, our text again…

¹⁷ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

¹⁸ Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

CONCLUSION – LIBERATION IS JUST ONE OBEYED, ACTIVATED TRUTH AWAY.

Acts 2, revisit the plan of salvation to be obeyed – liberation from sin occurs because this truth is activated – remission of sins, don’t accept any substitutes for Jesus name baptism.  Or the baptism of the Holy Ghost…Get the real thing. “they that gladly received were baptized…”

What if your sick, in some way in bondage to illness, or disease, or sickness.  Is there a truth you can obey to get set free, oh yes there is my friend, God delights to deliver from sickness and will do so tonight.

A struggling saint bound by condemnation, liberation just a prayer of repentance away…

Comeback From Condemnation

Recently I had the privilige of preaching this to our home church here in Wichita Falls.  Because of the amount of positive feedback I've gotten concerning this message, I would like to go ahead and post here on my blog both a link to listen to the message as well as the actual notes that I preached from so the listener can follow along!  I hope this message continues to be a blessing, as it has been and continues to be to me.

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=3280

Comeback from condemnation

TEXT: Michah 7:8, Romans 8:1

 ⁸ Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

Romans 8:1-3

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirt…”

² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

-Introductory remarks; God wants to heal us of condemnation, we have too many Christian who have punished themselves, and disqualified themselves on the basis of the mistakes they have made-God would say to us tonight, He has written off no one, He still has need to use us, imperfect though we may be…

-yes we need to walk after the Spirit, but we need to gain a better understanding of what that means –

-crucifying the flesh and being crucified with Christ: two different things, one is a matter of action, the other is a matter of legal identity.

Galatians 2:20-21

²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

²¹ I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

-I am is not a statement of action, it is a statement of identity.  Who are you Paul?  I am – crucified with Christ.  Was he actually on the same physical cross that Jesus of Nazareth died on, no – this is a legal identification – when we repent, and are baptized, we are crucified with Christ legally in the spirit realm.  What does that mean – it mean I am LEGALLY and SPIRITUALLY no longer identified by this flesh body that my spirit lives in, I am identified with the body of the Perfect One who died on the actual cross…I am identified not by the flesh on the outside, but by the Jesus that lives on the inside…

II Corinthians 4:7-12

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

¹⁰ Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

¹¹ For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

¹² So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

I Corinithians 15:31 – “I die daily.”

-why did Paul die every day?  Because he had too.  Overcoming your flesh is not a one shot deal – just because you spoke in tongues a little bit, prayed through, shouted and danced a little bit on Sunday – that doesn’t you’re flesh isn’t going to greet you first thing Monday morning…

we make a huge mistake: we think we wake up Monday morning we’re going to be this super spiritual invincible prayer warrior, and then we get caught off guard when we do or say or think something in error…

Can I give the church a liberating wake up call tonight?  It doesn’t matter HOW spiritual you get, you’re flesh nature ain’t going nowhere!  It will still be there, after you’ve prayed for four hours, fasted for fourteen days, preached a great sermons, taught three Bible studies, prayed 10 people through – you’re going to be dragging your flesh every single step of the way!

-THE STRUGGLE-

Galatians 5:16-17

¹⁶ But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

-how long that gonna last – TILL YOU DIE.  PHYSICALLY.

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

¹⁵ For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

¹⁶ If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

So what’s the problem?

-The problem is because we have flesh, we are prone to mistakes, and to errors, and to failures, and to sin…and when those things occur there’s this little voice that starts whispering:

-you dirty rat, you rotten sinner, you hypocrite, you’ve failed God for the last time, you’ve run out of grace, out of mercy, you can’t do the work of God any more, YOU’RE NOT SPIRITUAL!

-it’s the voice of condemnation-

Romans 8:1 –

Romans 8

King James Version (KJV)

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We condemn ourselves when we make a mistake, or are just tempted to make a mistake, because we define our identity on the flesh that we live in…

Here’s what condemnation is: identifying yourself on the basis of your mistakes, weakness, failures, your past, faults, shortcomings,etc, we identify ourselves because of those as not worthy to live for or work for God, and we stop pursuing God and that’s how people backslide…

-Can I liberate someone tonight – God does not define you on the basis of your flesh – he identifies you on the basis of spirit man –

-going to try it again – God doesn’t define you on the basis of the things you struggle with in your flesh – he doesn’t define you on the basis of your mistake – or your sin –

He defines you on the basis of the Cross, WHERE HE PAID FOR YOUR SINS…

-WE MUST OVERCOME THIS IDENTITY CRISIS – when we make a mistake we cannot condemn ourselves, disqualify ourselves, we don’t have the right!

-this whole thing is about investment value: even good ball players strike out every now and then.  Lebron James misses a shot every now and then…but the GM and the coach don’t pull him in the front office and kick him off the team because he made a mistake or because he had a bad game –for two reasons: 1. They know that he has the potential with a little more practice to do better 2. They paid too a high a price to get him…they’re too deeply invested

Do you have any idea of the value of the price that Christ paid for you?  He’s too invested in you to kick you out of the church because you made a mistake or had a bad day, and he knows you have the potential to do better.

-Jesus and Peter –

Peter: Hey Jesus, I’ll never deny you, you can count on me ( and he meant it too.

Jesus: Peter, you’ll deny me three times before the sun comes up, but I’ve prayed for you that your faith fail not.

God’s not surprised by your mistake, but he wasn’t so much concerned about Peter’s mistake, but how Peter would respond to his own failure

-you may have failed in your flesh, but God is challenging someone to pick up their faith and walk on anyway…

² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

-walking after the Spirit has to do with our conduct, but that is a result of the greater meaning – the meaning is not just that conduct ourselves spiritually – it has to do with how we identify and define ourselves.

-Justification doesn’t come by obedience to the law, but Christ’s death, which we identify with by repentance, not lack of error, or lack of sinful desire or temptation, but REPENTANCE-

Repentance doesn’t take the sin nature out of your flesh – KEEP DREAMING – it puts you as a person, your identity in a place that has a provision for your sins…

-We need to be led by the Spirit right? The first place the Spirit is going to lead you is to repentance

Matthew 4

 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

² And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred…

Rom 8:3 – God condemned sin in the flesh: amplified: “subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power –

Its not flesh that’s deprived of its power –its sin.

You’re flesh still has desires, needs, wants – it’s the sin that results that doesn’t have any legal hold over you anymore.  Sins effects on us legally and eternally are nullified by the blood, paid for by Christ on the cross-

What does that mean – The devil has no right nor power to condemn, even if I make an error, or make a mistake – and here’s the kicker:

Neither do I.  I don’t have a right to condemn myself, or to disqualify myself – it would be insult to Calvary.

Satan is called the accuser of the brethren for good reason.  If Christians never made mistakes, he wouldn’t have anything to accuse us of – he accuses us because we make a mistake – YOU DID THIS, AND YOU FAILED GOD –

If we get to listening to that junk it will lead us away from God, if we make a mistake, we need to run to God just as fast as we can…God steps in and says to the devil “It’s ok, he’s with me, that thing you’re accusing him of, I already paid the price for so get your hands off my kid”

YES we need to be led by the Spirit – the Spirit, the word will teach us, but our carnal nature going to be drug right along with it, looking for the first opportunity to do something stupid.

We must learn to be consistent…

Realistic tips on how to be led by the Spirit and overcome the flesh:

YOU WILL NEVER GET TO A PLACE IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE FLESH – but we can learn to minimize it, corral, and control it by the word of God and the power of the Spirit.

-crucifying the flesh is not a one shot magic wand that happens at church one night because you shouted enough – crucifying the flesh is a daily process, FIGHT, to learn how to do the right thing, and minimize the opportunities to do the wrong thing

-be honest with yourself, don’t feel like you have to be perfect or pretend to be perfect all the time

-identify specific weak areas and target them with safeguards and accountability-this minimizes potential damage

-study scriptures that deal specifically with you area of struggle.

-WALK –one step, one day at a time, and if you happen to trip or stumble, get up and keep walking – allow conviction to lead you to repentance

Realize your true identity

Do not allow condemnation to rule your decisions, or emotions.

Here’s another point, and I’m not pastor of this church, not about to be, not pastoring to night…but if I could just say something in the hypothetical…

There are three accusers.  One is the devil.  The other is our self.  The third accuser of the brethren…are the brethren.

Galatians 6:1-3

Amplified Bible (AMP)

6 Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

² Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and ^[a]troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete ^[b]what is lacking [in your obedience to it].

³ For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.

This is where we have missed the mark. We have created a church culture that doesn’t allow people to be transparent and to get help when they have a struggle, because they are afraid of what the saints are going to say…we’ve created a culture where we pursue holiness, inward and outward, and we should – but we have come to a dangerous place of identifying and defining ourselves by outward standards of measurement and by the places we don’t go and the things we don’t do-so that when one of us doesn’t measure up we have mistakenly taken that as a license to judge.

Tell you the final step in liberation from condemnation?  Let the pastor take care of church discipline – its his job, not yours.  Your job is to give out some grace…

-recount the story of the woman caught in adultery John 8:1-11

Church, its time to put the rocks down and be willing to get your hands dirty to help out someone that has made a mistake, because they just like you have flesh.

-We need to create a place of healing, not a place of putting people out of their misery…

I Sam 16:17 – God looketh not on the outward, but on the heart.

No, grace is never a license for disgrace – but its nice to no its there when I need it, and because we have flesh we need it…

ALTAR CALL  - HEBREWS 4:14-16

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

-men of God who fell, who are being restored-

-you can be restored here tonight-

You May Want To Listen To These!

Here's a link to few messages I recently preached at our home church here in Wichita Falls, enjoy and be blessed!

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=2479 - this is called "The Miracle Is In The Go Again." - If you've ever been in situation where you've tried your best and it just didn't seem good enough, then this message is for you, it will be of great encouragement!

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=2480 - and this is "The Faith and Destiny of God's Church, must here message on the subject of taking the necessary steps of faith in our walks with God.

LIFESTYLE EVANGELISM - LESSON 1 – “LIFESTYLE”

Christianity is far more than a religion, and even far more than a simple mental acceptance of something, as many portray it to be – Christianity at its Biblical core is living your life, day to day, moment to moment, by our actions, according to and in harmony with the Word of God and with the Spirit of God.

My goal in this first lesson is to do two things: help us gain an understanding of what a “lifestyle” really is, according to definition, and to persuade you and I that God Himself is not only interested and concerned with how we live our lives, but that it is of His highest interest what our “lifestyle” is.

The overall purpose of these lessons is to give us some helpful scriptural and spiritual principles for "lifestyle evangelism." Most of us have a basic idea of what evangelism means, but when we attach an adjective like "lifestyle" to the front of that, it will take on a whole new meaning for some. So for the purposes of understanding, my goal in this first lesson is to help us understand what a lifestyle is, and its vital importance in the kingdom of God and in your walk with God personally.

Now, to start us off, to lay a foundation of understanding if you will, this is the definition of lifestyle according to our friends at Wikipedia.org.

"Lifestyle is a term to describe the way a person lives, which was originally coined by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in 1929. The current broader sense of the word dates from 1961.^[1] A set of behaviors, and the senses of self and belonging which these behaviors represent, are collectively used to define a given lifestyle. The term is defined more broadly when used in politics, marketing, and publishing.

A lifestyle is a characteristic bundle of behaviors that makes sense to both others and oneself in a given time and place, including social relations, consumption, entertainment, and dress. The behaviors and practices within lifestyles are a mixture of habits, conventional ways of doing things, and reasoned actions.

Now there's a lot of preach in that definition alone. Notice some things with me. Look at the basic. "The way a person lives." The way you live is not just how you act on Sunday, its the way you live each and every day of the week that contributes to a lifestyle. It is therefore possible to label oneself a Christian, go to church, but not actually live like a Christian. Not you guys, but people I know.

A set of behaviors, a sense of self, a sense of belonging. It goes on to say that a lifestyle is going to affect youtr social relationships, who you hang with and are influenced by, consumption; which is what you spend your money on, entertainment; well, should I say it or do I not have to? And dress. This is wikipedia. That's not even the Bible. But even the people at wikipedia had enough sense to recognize that a lifestyle carries with it distinctions in all areas of life - may I ask a what DISTINGUISHES the Christian lifestyle? The answer is in the definition - there should be a difference in all four of those areas mentioned. We are "called out from among them..." Any way, I'm not preaching, I'm just laying the foundation. Behaviors. Practices. Habits. Conventional ways of doing things. Lifestyle. Getting it yet?

You have heard the term "lifestyle" probably more than you realize. Here are some everyday examples of how the term is used.

How about "alternative lifestyle." Certain people float that term around to justify behaviors and ways of living that are not generally accepted as normal by the general public.

There used to be this show called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." It was hosted by this guy named Robin Leach. The whole concept of the show was that Mr. Leach would go to rich and famous people's houses, mansions usually, to see HOW THEY LIVED comparative to the rest of the world, the nine to fivers like you and me. People watched because there is this innate attraction to people that live different lifestyles than the conventional.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was this song that used to come on the radio called "Lifestyles of the NOT So Rich and Famous." It was a country song. Not that I am endorsing country music, but just for the sake of an example - the song was about a certain way that certain people lived. People that don't have a lot of money to throw around. People that would not be unrecognized in the general public. Here's a lyric:

"Our idea of high class livin'

is sittin' on the porch on a cool night....

Our champagne and caviar

is an RC Cola and a moonpie..."

What was the song saying? Our subculture lives a certain way, has different habits and customs than you do, and here's what they are. On both ends of the spectrum there are no apologies made. Hello world, this is what we are, and this is what we do. If you don't like it you can change the station but that's not going to effect us or change us. Totally unashamed of their LIFESTYLE.

Now before you think this an essay piece on sociology or some such nonsense, let me make my point. There is, I believe, according the Bible that I read and study and pray over, a certain specified LIFESTYLE that is attached to being a Christian.

Here is the most damaging myth or false doctrine in Christendom today - its the attitude that says

it doesn’t matter how I live my life, God doesn’t care about how I live.

This is the most damaging doctrine in modern Christianity – that you can simply mentally accept that Jesus is your Savior, and be permanently saved, and never change the way you live – it’s the most unscriptural form of Christianity there is - Jesus is all about TOTAL LIFESTYLE CHANGE, watch:

John 10:10 - "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

What does that mean? It means that God cares about how you live; read it again, Christ is exposing his entire purpose in coming to the earth: “I am come…” why? That they might have life – what do you mean life? We’re breathing aren’t we? That’s not what he means, what He is really saying is that there is more to life than just existing, just breathing, just eating, just sleeping. He wants us have LIFE, and that MORE ABUNDANTLY. A more abundant life does not sound like he planu like He found you....well, somebody just said amens to leave yo. - -

Now that I've put myself out there, let's look at Christian Lifestyle in the light of the definition of lifestyle. Here's another definition, this is from the dictionary.

"Lifestyle – manner of living, the way of life characteristic of a particular person, group, or culture" – there’s that word again, culture.

-So here’s the question: is Christianity just a set of beliefs that we accept and agree with mentally, or is there a LIFE-STYLE that represents what REAL Christianity is all about? Does it really matter, and does God really care about how I live my life? The answer, with any surface knowledge of scripture is YES. I aim to persuade you that not only does it matter, but it is of HIGHEST importance to God how you live your life.

-There is a certain way, biblically, that a confessing and professing Christian is supposed to live, by definition. – Guess what – it’s the whole Bible, and it takes a lifetime to master this lifestyle – but, we should at least start with some basics, some scriptural framework if you will.

Romans 6:4 - KJV

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

1 – Death – the true Christian lifestyle really doesn’t start with life, it starts with death. A physical death? No – a spiritual death – that’s what repentance is – death to the old lifestyle – here is a great definition of repentance: a Biblical definition:

Luke 13:3 - Amplified Bible

These are the words of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh - this whole thing is about Him:

"I tell you, No; but unless you repent ([a]change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), you will all likewise perish and be lost [b]eternally."

Let's break that down. There's no real Christianity without repentance, no real salvation without repentance. First he said 'change your mind for the better.' So what is repentance, what is this command from God Himself - CHANGE the way you think.

Then He said 'amend your ways.' AMEND. Here's a synonym. CHANGE. What ways? They 'ways' that you live - your LIFESTYLE...now your catching on.

The way I think, the way I act, and my attitude, all must go through a death and renewal process for the repentance to be lasting and complete. Right, even on down to the way I think.

Now back to Romans 6:4.

-“we should walk in newness of life” – Our new life should be new, different from the old one – this change is a process called sanctification. A lot of churches don't ever preach about sanctification anymore. Just believe. Just accept. Just sign here. Just shake the preachers hand, put in a few dollars in the offering every now in then, but DON'T GO DO ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES SOMETHING CRAZY AND FANATICAL LIKE ACTUALLY CHANGING. People will think you've lost touch with reality.

Here's some more Bible about lifestyle. II Corinthians 5:17.

“If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new.”

1.) "In Christ." We are baptized (in Jesus' name) into Christ.

Romans 6:3

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"

Its a watery grave, its a death. DEATH to the old ways of living - LIFE to the new way, GOD'S WAY for my life...Burial is what you do to something that's already dead. Something dies, you bury it. Somebody repents, you baptize them in Jesus' name.

2.) Old things are passed away. My old habits. My old pet sins. My old places and people I used to hang out with and be influenced by. The old things I used to watch and listen to.

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."

A living sacrifice – a sacrifice is something that its purpose is to die out to a higher purpose – look at II Corinthians 4:10

"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Look at the key points. What are we doing? "Bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." What is that? Its taking up OUR cross, dying daily to the flesh, doing what the Holy Ghost wants us to do, not what our carnal, sinful impulses tell us to do. What was the dying of the Lord Jesus? - a sacrifice, or I should do it more grammatical justice, THE sacrifice. He was the lamb slain "from the foundation of the world." When He was living, he had one ultimate purpose: Calvary - to die out to the higher purpose of redeeming sinful man back to a holy God...let it sink in...the purpose is the same; redeeming sinful man back to a holy God, but the body is different, now its the church: a living sacrifice. Hallelujah.

When we die out to the flesh, the Spirit is manifested, the Spirit of Jesus Christ the living God! He is manifest to a lost world when we die out to our flesh...when we DIE, HE LIVES, and that is what our lifestyle is, HIM living through us. Only a fool would submit that it requires no change and no effort.

Here’s another one, watch, remember, the whole point is: LIFESTYLE, how do we define it:

Galatians 2:20 - Amplified Bible (AMP)

"I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Christ had a purpose to the sacrifice, the purpose was that all men might be drawn unto Him, that the gap between God and men could be mended, that by faith in Him people could escape being lost.

Now, that same Christ is alive in me, by way of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and dictating my life – the PURPOSE has not changed, the vessel has changed.

Purpose – to seek and to save that which was lost…

Galatians 5:24-26 - Amplified Bible (AMP)

"And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

25If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit [a]we have our life in God, let us go forward [b]walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]"

I know you're thinking 'well he didn't say too much about evangelism.' If we will endeavor to live according to the will of the Spirit of Chirst and His holy written word, evangelism and soul winning will become natural byproducts of our LIFESTYLE. Live it!

Bro. Mike Easter recently preached a powerful message at our church on the very subject of dying out to the flesh, if you have yet to hear it, here is the link - as Lavar Burton used to say - "don't take my word for it." http://lifetab.org/media.php?pageID=21 - it is the message entitled "He Set Me Free."

I will do my best to have lesson two up in blog format in a week or so! Thanks for reading, feel free to comment.

Treasures In My Storehouse

^{Matthew 13:52 - Amplified Bible}

⁵²He said to them, Therefore every ^[a]teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed about and trained for the kingdom of heaven and has ^[b]become a disciple is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and [treasure that is] old [the fresh as well as the familiar].

Jesus, as we know, was very adept at teaching through parables, basic stories comparing the deeply spiritual truths of the Kingdom of God with everyday situations already familiar. This is one of my favorites. This one is for preachers.

The KJV reads "every scribe." The word scribe often has a negative connotation because usually Jesus was rebuking them right along with the Pharisees of his day. In this case, the Amplified translation brings a lot to the surface. Scribe: "every teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings (Scripture)..." Here Jesus is speaking not only to the twelve preachers that stood before him that day, but to us. Apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers; Christ looked down through the portal of time and saw this generation standing behind the pulpit on the platform of the world's stage, carrying with it the same sacred writings...Now that we are here, Christ asks us this question: do we have the treasure necessary to reach our generation?

Preachers, there is a process we must go through as it concerns the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, if you will. Its lifelong. First, we must be taught, secondly, we must be trained, finally, we must become disciples...All this in the area of the Kingdom of God...

We must LEARN the Word of God. We must know what it says. We must become familiar, nay, intimate with its doctrines. We must LEARN the Oneness of God, we must LEARN baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins...on down the line to holiness, healing, and wonderful gift and works of the Holy Spirit - In short, we must "study to show ourselves approved..." I may be a bit old fashioned, but I don't think there's a better place we can go, when we have been called on to preach, than this most sacred of books we call the Bible...

Furthermore, we must never stop learning, we must continue to be taught and to teach ourselves throughout our days here. God's Word is so immense, and there is so much material, even in just a single verse, a single pearl if you will, that is so multi functional and so multi-dimensional that no matter how old we get, we will still need to be taught. We must learn of this place called the Kingdom...Every time I learn something, or every time something I already "know" is affirmed in a new way, its a treasure to put in my storehouse...

Secondly we must be TRAINED. We cannot be mavericks. We cannot go it alone, we must be trained by the generation that has proceeded us. We must lock arms with and sit at the feet of the men who have gone before us to plant and pastor churches, evangelize communities and nations. We must gain from the prophets that still walk among us like Lee Stoneking and Jeff Arnold - we must look at the greatest churches among us that have had continual revival and not be so ignorant to think we can just do it on our own... I don't think we need to discount those old preaching tapes we have in our garages either...I think we need to take the time, when we have opportunity, to listen to what CM Becton, and GA Mangun had to say - it mattered then, it still matters now.

We need to submit to the men of God in our lives - we need to build God's Kingdom, not our own little kingdoms. We need to serve in our local churches. Every time we are trained, and we are trained how to do, if you will, ministry in this kingdom, we gain great, priceless treasure to place in our storehouse.

Thirdly, we must become disciples...We must, ourselves, live out in our daily lives the things pertaining to the kingdom that we have been taught and trained for. If we have been taught to pray, and we have been trained to pray, now we simply must pray. If we have learned to preach, and we have been trained to preach, NOW we must preach...If we have learned how to reach out to the lost, and we have been trained how to reach out to the lost, now we must, actively, actually reach out to them. The gifts of the Spirit are a great example of this principle: we must learn of them, we must be trained by those that have mastered them, and then we must operate in these gifts...our churches and our world needs them. Oh yes we do, we need healing, miracles, prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues, and the words of knowledge and wisdom in our churches...For there is a generation coming up behind us that will need these as well, and if we don't have it in the storehouse to give to them, they will go without - GET IT IN YOUR STOREHOUSE!

So, what do you have in your storehouse? What do we have in our arsenal when we go to spiritual war? We have treasure. We have so much treasure. We have both old and new.

I've got some OLD treasures in my storehouse, and let this generation hear this one preacher's voice: I WILL NOT GET RID OF THEM JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE OLD! The preaching of the Cross is old. The preaching of the gospel to old. The baptism of the Holy Ghost dates much further back than 1901 Topeka, Kansas. No my friend, its old, but its a TREASURE, and it still works just as well as it always did - the Cross still cries out to the sinner, the blood still washes away my sins, there is STILL POWER IN THAT NAME OF JESUS, the Holy Ghost still fills, and empowers, and sanctifies, and leads and guides into all truth...

I've still got preaching tapes and mp3's dating back to the seventies...yeah they're old, but they still uplift my soul...They are treasure.

But we have some NEW things in the storehouse...We have some new methods. We don't always do things the exact same way, or say things the same way we've always said them. We still say them, but we find NEW ways to relate it to this generation. If revival is a new thing to you, preach the new thing! If reaching out into your community is a new thing to you, let it be new! If you've sat on the pew for twenty five years and INVOLVEMENT is a new thing to you, live the new thing - its a treasure. A revelation is just the light switch coming on revealing what's been in the room the whole time, but if I've never seen it before, it NEW to me, and its a treasure...

New is a good thing.

II Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Romans 12:2

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.

Titus 3:4-6

⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

⁶Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Romans 6:4

We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.

Bring forth your treasure, preach them, old and new preacher; the OLD rugged cross that causes a NEW and abundant life! What do you have in your storehouse?

The Example of the Rechabites

Ran across what I feel to very interesting and eye opening passage from the Old Testament the other day during my lunch/study time at work. Jeremiah chapter 35 highlights an interesting clan or family of people known as the Rechabites...apparently the decendents of Jonadab, and members of the larger Kenite clan - all the background information on them is neither here nor their... Really, there's not even a whole lot of detail about them in history, though Wikipedia does have a brief article on them and their possible decendants. I said all that to say this: I would like to highlight a few brief points that we can all benefit from in Jeremiah's thirty fifth chapter regarding this otherwise mysterious group of people known as the Rechabites.

²Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then give them [who are pledged to drink no wine] some wine to drink.

First thing we should go ahead and make note of here is that God is using the Rechabites as an example, or more so a contrast to the Israelites, who at the time were of course backslid and headed into the Babylonian captivity. Now I find the setting here interesting. I think it would be easy at first glance just to think that God and Jeremiah are setting up to tempt the Rechabites to sin, but I think we would be too cautious to negate God's obvious sense of humor and irony; He's really saying to Jeremiah: "hey, watch this. I'm going to give you a good example of obedience and loyalty." Much like when he told the devil "Have you considered my servant Job..." Sometimes what may be a tempting situation is just putting you in a better position to be God's example (will you pass the test?) I digress...

Main point: more than two hundred years previously, the patriarch of the Rechabites had basically established for his family a principle or standard of living that they had been completly loyal to. They did not drink wine, namely. (They had established a few other traditions as well, of which we will mention momentarily.)

⁵And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, Drink wine.

⁶But they said, We will drink no wine, for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, commanded us: You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons, forever.

Here is a people, with an opportunity, at the invite of the man of God, to basically forsake all they had ever stood for for two hundred plus years: but notate, please highlight this in your Bible, their response - WE WILL DRINK NO WINE. It was a flat, curt, maybe even rude response - but it was immediate, and their was no wavering; we just don't do that, we havn't done it yet, we're not going to do it now...why? Because "our father commanded us..."

So where are the Christians? And what traditions shall we hold to and not compromise? What commands has our Father passed on to us that we, as His children, should loyally obey? The Rechabites, even though they were not technically considered Jews, were exactly by the example given what God was looking for from His people.

Christ spoke to us so clearly in John 14:15, the Father robed in flesh stated, almost in the form of a challenge: "If you love me, keep my commandments..."

Compromise them? Throw them away? Discard them as outdated and non relevant traditions? Put them on a display shelf to speak of, but not actually pull down off the shelf and apply to the daily living part of our lives, much less our hearts? KEEP THEM! LIVE THEM!

Read how the chapter ends: (taken from the Amplified translation)

¹³Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to My words and obey them? says the Lord.

¹⁴The command which Jonadab son of Rechab gave to his sons not to drink wine, has been carried out and established [as a custom for more than two hundred years]. To this day they drink no wine, but they have obeyed their father's command. But I, even I, have persistently spoken to you, but you have not listened to and obeyed Me.

¹⁵I have sent also to you all My servants the prophets earnestly and persistently, saying, Return now every man from his evil way and amend your doings and go not after other gods to serve them; and then you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers. But you did not submit and consent to Me or listen to and obey Me.

¹⁶Since the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have fulfilled and established the command of their father which he commanded them, but these people have not listened to and obeyed Me,

¹⁷Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not listened, and I have called to them, but they have not answered.

¹⁸And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and have kept all his precepts and have done according to all that he commanded you,

¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab son of Rechab shall never fail [to have] a man [descendant] to stand before Me.

Look at the reward for those that were obedient. God promised them a place - a place of right standing with Him, a place of ministry - and that too can be ours if we will simply KEEP the commandments already given; as Jude put it "THE FAITH that was ONCE delivered unto the saints..."

Let it not be said of us, God's true church:

I have spoken to them, but they have not listened, and I have called to them, but they have not answered.

Are we listening? Are we answering the call? I'm not just referring to alcohol usage, although that would not be out of context. I'm not just referring to NOT doing the things that God hates, but what about DOING the things He has commanded we do?

To Be Continued....

UPDATE!!! I AM ALIVE!

Well, I just wrote a great blog, but I accidently erased it. Sorry, we'll try it again tomorrow when I am not INCREDIBLY upset with this computer. I love all of you. Friends, family, fellowmembers of the church, I had a lot of great stuff to say about all of you. But I erased it. I had a lot of great stuff to say about all the neat stuff going on in my life right now, but I erased it. I waxed philosophically eloquent about time and not having enough of it, but, that has also been erased. Woops. I also gave a sneak peak at an upcoming Blog Series I am going to do about Shepherd and sheep relations in the Bible, but you guessed it, gone. Like Gone With The Wind. Frankly my dear, I am going to sleep, and I will attempt to do it again soon...I tried.