Rick Holt
It is the Lord’s Day and early on Sunday morning you begin to wake up the
rest of the family to get ready, eat breakfast, etc., and assemble with the
saints for worship. Have you ever been through this question/answer routine
with family members?
<Declaration> “I don’t feel good!”
<Concern> “What do you mean?”
<Defense> “Well, I just don’t feel
good!”
<More concerned> “Are you sick…is your stomach
upset; are you warm, do you have fever?”
<Evading issue> “No, I just don’t feel good!”
“I think I just need to stay home today.” “I don’t think I am going to feel
better.”
<Remedy> “Well, if you are not sick,
and don’t have fever, you need to get up and get ready!”
<Frustration> “But I REALLY don’t feel
good!” “I feel something is coming on…it’s hard to explain.”
<Practical remedy> “Well, maybe getting out will
make you feel better. Anyway, if later you still feel bad, you can go
home!”
<Decision made> “NO, I think I’d better just
stay home and rest.”
What is the real problem here? Is it an actual
sickness, or could it be laziness, negligence, indifference, depression, or
a combination of one or all of these? A few simple questions will usually
reveal the source of the problem.
Have you ever encountered this pattern when a
Christian misses worship services? “I just don’t feel good enough to make
it today,” is the reason given for the absence. But the day before and
after the day that they “just did not feel good enough” to assemble with the
saints (for just one to two hours), they have been able to make it to work
(usually for 8 hours), or go shopping and do other chores that need to be
done! Seems to be an inconsistency, doesn’t it? You tell the individual(s)
that you missed them at services (or work) and ask what was wrong with
them? They reply, “I didn’t feel good yesterday, but I feel much better
today!”
The apostle Paul gives a list of ordeals he had been
through in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. Paul was in more abundant
labors—experiencing the weariness from the exertion he put into his labors.
He was imprisoned, beaten (being close to death often), received lashes,
beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked—spent a night and day in the deep; in
dangers from rivers, robbers, countrymen, Gentiles; dangers in the city and
wilderness, and on the sea and from false brethren; in labor and hardship,
sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, without food and naked. Besides all
these ordeals, Paul’s concern was for all the churches. Do you think he
“did not feel good on occasion?” In 1 Thessalonians 2:9, Paul writes the
brethren to remember their labor and hardship, working night and day so as
to not burden the brethren, but proclaimed to them the gospel. Do you think
that Paul was tired? What exhortation, encouragement and beseeching as a
father to his children to walk in a manner worthy of God (vs. 11-12). What
an example Paul is for us! In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul speaks of his
“thorn in the flesh,” which caused him weakness. He entreated the Lord three
times to remove it, but it was not removed. Paul was “content” with
weakness, mistreatment, distresses, persecutions and difficulties for
Christ’s sake; for when he is weak, then he is strong. We do not know what
the thorn in the flesh was, there are suppositions, but whatever it was--it
did not stop Paul from assembling with the saints and proclaiming the gospel
to the brethren and the lost.
There is always a reason for not wanting to get up and
attend services on the Lord’s Day or on Wednesday evenings. It might truly
be an illness, and that is understandable. It might be that we overdid it
on Saturday, stayed out too late, and are just too tired to get up on Sunday
morning. We may have had a long day at work on Wednesday and were tired.
Maybe we should be honest with ourselves and realize our limitations and
remember our commitment to Christ and make preparations to worship with the
saints on the Lord’s Day and mid-week by being careful the day or night
before (Heb. 10:24-25).
I certainly do not want to discount the fact that there
are times when sickness prevents us from assembling with the saints. Paul,
as a result of his persecutions and difficulties, was prevented at times.
My encouragement is for us to be honest with ourselves, and to be careful;
God knows the real reason, doesn’t He? I believe that if God knows the
number of hairs on our heads and the thoughts and intentions of our hearts
(Heb. 4:12-13) – He knows whether the reason is “I really don’t feel good,”
or just that I do not want to put out the effort of getting up and meeting
the day!
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You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
The Power of Forgiveness
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 130
1. God’s forgiveness our pattern, Eph.4:32; Col.3:12-13.
2. Our forgiveness of others is the measure of forgiveness we will receive,
Matt. 6:14-15.
3. Forgiveness is NOT: Ignoring the sin (Lk. 17:3); Putting offender on
probation; Limited (Matt. 18:21-22); merely refusing to retaliate.
4. When God forgives He: blots out (Acts 3:19); forgets (Heb. 8:12, doesn’t
hold sin against us); Receives back the sinner who repents (Lk. 15:20-24).
I. THE POWER TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US…
A. …Comes From Our Own Forgiveness, Lk. 6:36; Matt.
18:21-35; Lk. 7:36-43, 47; Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15.
B. …Comes from the Power of Love, Col. 3:13-14; 1 Jno. 4:10-11; 1 Pet.
4:8; 1 Cor. 13:4-8.
II. THE HEALING POWER IN FORGIVENESS,
Jas. 5:16.
A. The Power to Restore the Soul from Sin & Death (Lk.
15:32); Isa. 59:1-2, 12-13; 1 Jno. 1:9; Psa. 51:4.
B. The Power to Restore the Mind from the Guilt & Pain of Sin, Psa. 32;
51; 1 Tim. 1:12f; 2 Co. 2:6-8
C. The Power to Restore Relationships, Lk. 15: 18-24; Matt. 18:15; Lk.
17:3-4; Eph. 4:31-32.
III. SUMMARY: CHARACTERISTICS OF FORGIVENESS,
Matt. 18:21-35.
A. No Limits to Forgiveness, 18:21-22.
B. As God Forgives, 18:23-27 (completely, immediately, with finality,
Psa. 103:3, 8-14).
C. With Humility, 18:28-30.
D. With Mercy & Compassion, 18:31-34.
E. From the Heart, 18:35 (genuine).
Conclusion
Having been forgiven, we must forgive (Lk.
6:38).
Top
You can find the
complete outline of this sermon at
BIBLE ANSWERS
1 John: "We Know" (Our Confident Faith)
Scripture Reading:
1 John 5:10-13
1. Christians should be confident in our faith & bold as we
approach eternity, 1 Jno. 2:28; 3:21; 4:17; 5:14.
2. Many try to deceive you, 1 Jno. 2:24-26 (2 Jno. 7).
3. 1 John assures saints “we know” (5:13).
I. THE EVIDENCE FOR OUR FAITH IS SURE
(true, genuine, authentic), 1:1-4
A. Eyewitness Testimony, 1 Jno. 4:14 (Jno. 19:35;
21:24); 2 Pet. 1:16-21 (Jno. 14:26; 16:13).
B. So Joy May be Full, 1 Jno. 1:4 (Rom. 15:13).
II. WE KNOW…
A. …We Know & Are in Jesus Christ, 1 Jno. 2:3-6.
Obedient love, 3:24 & 4:13; 4:7-8, 11, 15-16.
B. …It is the Last Hour, 1 Jno. 2:18-19; 2:22-23.
C. …All Things, 1 Jno. 2:20-21, 24-27 (Jno. 8:32; Eph. 3:3-5; 5:17; Col.
3:16).
D. …We Will Be Like Him When He Returns, 1 Jno. 3:1-3; Phil. 3:20-21.
E. …Jesus was Manifested to Take Away Our Sins, 1 Jno. 3:4-9 (1:2; 2:2;
3:8; 4:14; 5:18).
F. …We have Passed from Death to Life, 1 Jno. 3:13-15.
G. …Love, 1 Jno. 3:16-18 (4:12-13).
H. …We are of the Truth, 1 Jno.3:19-21 (4:17-19).
I. …Truth and Error, 1 Jno. 4:1-6 (2 Pet. 1:12).
J. …We Love the Children of God, 1 Jno. 5:1-3.
K. …God Hears & Answers Prayer, 1 Jno. 5:14-15 (3:22-23); Lk. 18:1.
III. SUMMARY DECLARATIONS, 1
Jno. 5:18-20.
A. We Know those Born of God do not (Practice) Sin, 1
Jno. 5:18.
B. We Know We are of God, 1 Jno.5:19 (2:15-17).
C. We Know Son of God has Come & Given Us an Understanding, 1 Jno. 5:20
(Jno. 1:14, 17; 14:6).
Conclusion - God has given us
eternal life in the Son; written so we know we have eternal life, 1 Jno.
5:11-13.
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