Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #119

TEXT: Proverbs 6:6-11 / Hebrews 9:27

This week, those of us here in North Texas experienced a major storm: rain, thunder and golf-ball sized hail. Just a few miles from where I live, a tornado touched down. Six people were killed, over 100 were injured, and hundreds of homes were destroyed. I know that sometimes we seem to think that such tragedies will never happen to us. These kinds of events always seems to happen somewhere else, but God often reminds us that we are not special. It is only by His grace and mercy that we are still alive.

We all know that long before disaster strikes, we ought to be prepared. If you live in an area prone to tornadoes, then you ought to have a tornado shelter, and a plan for getting into it quickly. If you live in an area prone to flooding, then you may want your house to be built on stilts. If you live in an earthquake prone area, then you ought to know what to do when an earthquake strikes.

The Bible uses the example of the ant to show us how we must be prepared for future situations in life. The ant is a tiny but remarkable creature known for its foresight and industriousness. One commentary writes that “The agricultural ant, which resembles the ant of Palestine, not only stores up food, but even prepares the soil, kills the weeds, and finally reaps the harvest.” What is even more remarkable is that thousands of these tiny workers perform together in perfect harmony without a leader. The Bible uses the ant to help us to understand that we, too, need to be prepared for the situations that we will face in life. Proverbs specifically calls the sluggard, or lazy person who likes to sleep late, to get up and get to work or else he won’t have food to eat or a place to stay. The lesson we learn from the ant is that preparation is crucial in life. And there are some very important things that we would be wise to prepare for, and I want to talk about those things very briefly today.

1. We must prepare for death because death is coming. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed unto men once to die.” As we here in North Texas were reminded this week, and as people around the world are reminded every day, death is an ever present reality. People drive away from their houses every morning not knowing that that is going to be the last time they ever see that house. Parents drop their children off at school everyday, not knowing that that is going to be the last time they see their child alive. People go to sleep every night not knowing that that is going to be the last time they ever open their eyes on this world. Right now, people are out living their lives and they have no idea that they are going to be surprised by death.

2. We must prepare because judgment is coming. Hebrews 9:27 goes on to say, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.” Yes, each of us will face judgment from God. The Bible tells us that there will be two judgments — one for belivers in Jesus Christ, and one for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

3. We must prepare because eternity is coming. Just as the ant prepares for the long, cold winter by storing up food, we must prepare for eternity. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 25:46, “These [the wicked] shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Eternity is the everlasting state that our souls enter after death. John Tillotson said, “He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.” We must prepare for eternity.

+ Plus, listen to Paul S. Morton as he sings “Nothing But the Blood” and Shirley Caesar singing “Yes, Lord, Yes”.

PART 1

PART 2

TEXT: Ephesians 6:1-3

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #118

The Bible commands us to honor our fathers and our mothers. And, today, on this Mother’s Day, we are going to honor those whom God has placed in our lives as mothers. Some of the greatest leaders this world has ever known attributed their success to the prayers and loving care of their mothers.

Abraham Lincoln said, “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “I cannot tell you how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother.”

George Washington said, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

Today, we want to honor and thank God for those good mothers in our lives, but before we get to that, I want to talk briefly about bad mothers. Part of the problem in many churches today is that pastors feel as though it alright for them to rebuke fathers and husbands from the pulpit, and it is okay to get on the children and teenagers from the pulpit, but nobody wants to rebuke the wives and mothers from the pulpit. Everybody is afraid of stepping on the women’s toes. The church has bought in to the world’s lie that, “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” But the truth of the matter is that there are some bad wives and mothers in this world and yes even in the church, and it is an issue that needs to be dealt with.

1. We have some bad mothers who simply have not been trained in what it means to be a good mother.

2. We have some bad mothers who are so busy seeking their destiny in life that they ignore their children until it is too late to do anything about it.

3. We have some bad mothers who tear down their family’s no matter what the father does or what the children hope for the family to be.

4. We have some bad mothers who are the controlling type.

5. We have some bad single mothers who will put the interests of their boyfriend over the interests of their children.

God deliver us from bad mothers! God deliver us from mothers who tear down their families! God deliver us from mothers who neglect and ruin their children’s lives!

Let’s turn our attention to the good mothers that we want to celebrate today. Mothers are powerful tools in God’s hands when it comes to the shaping of the lives of children. Billy Sunday said, “There is more power in a mother’s hand than in a king’s scepter.” Now, when we all think of mothers and celebrating Mother’s Day, we often have one image in our minds. However, there are three types of mothers that I want to talk about today, and we will see how God uses each of these “mothers” in a special and unique way for the glory of God and for the benefit of children.

1. First of all, we thank God for naturally loving and affectionate mothers. When we think of this type of mother, we think of the Proverbs 31 woman. A woman who makes sure that the home is a comfortable, loving place — a place where her children and her husband look forward to coming back to after a long day at school or at work.

2. Secondly, we thank God for “mothers” who do not have to be mothers, but choose to be mothers. Oftentimes, there are women in our lives who become a mother figure to us and offer the wisdom and advice that they have gained from years of living even when they do not have to.

3. Thirdly, we thank God for fathers who have had to take on the role of a mother. Now, in the black community, we hear a lot about mothers who have to carry the load of the father and the mother because the husband has died, or he is in jail, or he has left the family, or he was never with the family to begin with. But, we hardly hear of the many fathers who have had to carry the role of both the mother and the father.

For those of you who are about to begin your journey of motherhood, or you are in the early stages of motherhood, allow me to leave you with these words from English minister and professor Charles Kingsley: “Let a woman never be persuaded to forget that her calling is not the lower and more earthly one of self-assertion, but the higher and more divine calling of self-sacrifice.” Yes, there will be sacrifices that you will have to make and difficulties that you will have to overcome, but the Bible promises that you will have your reward as well: “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. And a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

+ Plus, listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing “High and Lifted Up” and Nicole C. Mullen singing “My Redeemer Lives”

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #117

Today, we come to the final message in our series on the paradoxes of the committed Christian life. As you know, I began this series after we all heard the sad news of Rick Warren’s son committing suicide. We are all surprised and saddened by this occurrence, and many of us began to wonder how could such a thing happen in the life of a believer?

Well, as we have learned over these past three weeks, the life of the believer is not a bed of roses. There are difficulties, problems, and even tragedies, that come in the life of those who are the true followers of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote about some of these things which we are calling “paradoxes” in the fourth and sixth chapters of Second Corinthians. By way of remembrance, a paradox is “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true.” In this four-week sermon series, we are looking at the following thirteen paradoxes:

1. Second Corinthians 4:8 says, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed”
2. Verse 8 also says, “We are perplexed, but not in despair”
3. Verse 9 says, We are “persecuted, but not forsaken”
4. We are “cast down, but not destroyed”

Chapter 6 gives more of these interesting paradoxes
5. Verse 8 says, “By honour and dishonour”
6. “By evil report and good report”
7. “As deceivers, and yet true”
8. Verse 9 says, “As unknown, and yet well known”
9. “As dying, and, behold, we live”
10. “As chastened, and not killed”
11. Verse 10 says, “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing”
12. “As poor, yet making many rich”
13. “As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

These difficulties sometimes threaten to knock us down and overwhelm us. But we have to remember that through each of these difficulties, God is with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. This past week, Rick Warren posted this message on his Twitter page: “Oysters tenaciously attach to a ROCK larger than themselves. Then no punishing wave or violent storm can sweep them away.” During the difficult times that will certainly come during our Christian walk, we must cling tenaciously to the rock of ages, Jesus Christ, never giving up, never despairing, knowing that He will carry us through the seemingly unfair and uncalled for trials of the Christian life.

So far, in this series, we have looked at the following paradoxes of the committed Christian life.

1. There is much trouble in the committed Christian life, but we do not have to be in distress.
2. We are perplexed (we may not understand everything all of the time), but we do not despair
3. We will experience persecution as Christians, but we will not be forsaken.
4. Some people will say bad things about you, and some people will say good things about you.
5. We will often feel downcast as we go through this life, but we will not be destroyed.
6. We may not be well-known, celebrated, or applauded in this world, but we will be well-known by God.
7. Because of our sins and disobedience, God chastens us, but because of His mercy and grace, he doesn’t kill us.
8. We will be honoured by some, and dishonoured by others
9. There will be many who think we are deceivers, but we know we are true
10. In many ways, we are dead, but we are actually alive.

Today, we are going to look at the final three paradoxes of the committed Christian life:

1. We will face many things that cause us sorrow, but we can always rejoice. In verse 10 of chapter 6, Paul uses the phrase, “as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing.” You might be saying, ‘I thought the Christian life was supposed to be all joyful. What does Paul mean when he says we will face sorrow?’ Well, while we are alive on this earth, we will face situations and circumstances that will cause grief, pain, or sorrow in our hearts. We should not be surprised at this.

2. Many of us will face physical poverty, but we are actually rich in Christ. Paul says that as a believer, he is “as poor, yet making many rich.” Once again, we see a divide between the spiritual and the physical. Now, in God’s eyes, there is nothing wrong with wealth. There is nothing wrong with having a lot of money and material possessions. Especially if you are going to be using it for God’s glory. The Bible tells us in Luke 8 that there were women who supported the ministry of Jesus Christ financially. So, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy. But, often, God will call us to live a life that is lacking in material possessions and financial wealth.

3. We must realize that we do not really own anything in this world, yet, through Christ, we possess all things. Paul writes that he serves Christ “as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” We may have to serve God without the benefit of some of the material possessions that we desire. We may have to do without. We may have to go through this life unable to claim much as our own. But, in a sense, this verse reminds us that everything in this world — all material things — will eventually fade away. Nothing here lasts forever anyway.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing “Through It All” and Shirley Caesar singing “Good God”

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11 / 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #116

As I shared with you in my last message, I am not a follower nor am I a fan of Rick Warren. To this point, I have not been inclined to be a part of his fellowship or vast network. But I believe that’s what makes this sermon series so much more effective. I am not a friend of Rick Warren trying to defend him and his tragic family situation. I am an outsider looking in. I do know, however, that when you set out to do anything for God, you put a big X mark on your back for the devil to attack you. Being in the position I am in, I am aware of some of the negative things that have been said about Rick Warren. (1) Yes, I have heard that he has become arrogant because of the popularity of his book and has acted like he is the Baptist Pope by rebuking brethren from afar and acting as though what he says is ex cathedra. (2) Yes, I have heard that he is trying to bring Christianity and Islam together. (3) Yes, I have heard from others that his presentation of salvation is not complete. I have chosen not to believe these three negative things about this brother, and I would encourage others not to believe it as well.

But here are some positive things I have observed about Rick Warren’s life. I do know that you cannot accomplish what he has accomplished without God working through you. I do know that God has used him to see thousands, maybe even millions saved. I do know that he is extremely gifted in the area of administration, envisioning things, setting plans, and getting them done. What I also know is that he is gifted at starting and building churches for the glory of ed God. What I do know is that he has taught many how to pray to God and study God’s Word. What I do know is he is still concerned about lost souls being saved. When you do stuff like that, you are asking for trouble from the devil.

I have noticed that whenever I have started a prayer campaign, a soulwinning campaign, or a fasting campaign, I’ve seen serious spiritual warfare in my own family. The devil will try to distract me from doing what God has called me to do. On several occasions throughout my 25 years of being married and having a family of nine, I’ve had to tell my typical teenager or two to ‘get thee behind me Satan’. I’ve even had to tell my wife to get thee behind me Satan; and like Job told his wife, “thou speakest as one of the foolish women.” I know it is not popular among my polite brothers and sisters to say anything negative especially about your spouse in public. But the truth is the truth. And negative things happen in your family as well.

Last week, we continued our discussion of this important part of the Christian life. We have looked at six paradoxes that are given in the fourth and sixth chapters of Second Corinthians. By way of remembrance, a paradox is “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true.” I hope that our studies in the word of God have helped you to gain a better understanding of what the committed Christian life is really like.

As I prepared for this sermon, I wondered why Paul felt the need to write this epistle and list these paradoxes in this way. I discovered that part of the reason why Paul wrote this second letter to the Corinthians is because, in his absence, a controversial teacher had risen up who was attacking Paul’s character as a minister of the Gospel. The King James Study Bible notes that this person accused Paul of “fickleness, authoritarianism, ministering without proper credentials, cowardice, not maintaining clerical dignity, presumption, and fleshliness.” Paul did not write this letter necessarily to defend himself, but to rebuke the divisive spirit that was going around in the Corinthian church. In so doing, in chapter six, he listed out the attributes of a true minister of God. He states in verses three and four that a true minister will do nothing that will hinder the ministry, and then he goes on to show those things that will “approve” or “prove” that one who calls himself a minister is indeed a true minister of God. These things are the paradoxes that a true minister — and a true follower of Christ — will endure for the sake of the Gospel.

These are the paradoxes that we must grapple with in the Christian life. The Christian life is indeed the best life, the fulfilled life, the life of joy, peace, and true happiness, but the committed Christian life is also a life of hardship, temptation, persecution, and even suffering. We can embrace the paradoxes of the Christian life, knowing that we will not just survive these difficulties, but we will overcome them through the power of Jesus Christ. In light of that, lets look at three more paradoxes of the committed Christian life:

1. As Christians, we will be honoured by some, and dishonoured by others. Paul writes that he is ‘approved as a minister of God’ “by honour and dishonour.”

2. The second paradox that we will discuss to day is that there are many who will think that we are deceivers, but we know we are true. Paul says that he and his fellow apostles endeavour to live as true ministers of God “as deceivers, and yet true.”

3. The third paradox that we will consider today is the fact in many ways, we are dead, but we are actually alive. Paul says that we serve Christ “as dying, and, behold, we live.”

+ Plus, listen to Fred Hammond and the United Tenors singing “My God is Real” and Amy Grant singing “Rock of Ages”

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11 / 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #115

On last week, we began looking at the Christian life from a perspective that many Christians fail to see it from: and that is, if you are committed to Christ, you will have troubles, problems, and difficulties in this life. Especially in light of the sad event that happened in Rick Warren’s family two weeks ago, it is important for all believers to understand that the devil is out to get anybody who is sincerely serving God.

I know from my own experience, from the word of God, and from observing the experiences of others, that the devil will attack the families of those who are serving Christ faithfully and attempting to do big things for God. I believe that this is exactly what happened in Rick Warren’s family. In fact, just a week before his son committed suicide, in Christianity Today, Rick Warren had announced a plan to reach the world’s 3,400 unengaged people groups with the Gospel.

I was taken aback, and I am sure Rick Warren was, by the negativity and finger-pointing that some in the world and even in the church engaged in. Being a father myself, I know that Rick Warren did everything he could to help his son, but there were still some who tried to accuse him of pushing his son to commit suicide, even after how much good Rick Warren has done and how many people he has helped in the church and in the world.

Now, I come from a very strict, conservative, Baptist background, and I have some preacher friends from that background who I talk to from time to time. One pastor who I talked with about this matter said that this occurrence showed that what Pastor Warren and other Christians of like mind are doing “just isn’t working.” However, I quickly reminded him that believers who come from our strict, conservative Baptist backgrounds have family problems as well, such as divorce and children going astray. The pastor I was talking to was divorced himself and also had a child who had gone astray, and as soon as I mentioned this to him, he had to quiet down. Isn’t it amazing how quickly we can sit back in judgment when something happens to others and say that ought not to happen, and yet we have similar issues in our own home. That is attributed to our sinful human nature.

I think it is crucial for Christians to understand that the Christian life is full of paradoxes. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, a paradox is “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true.” The Oxford Dictionary states that a paradox is “a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.” Second Corinthians chapters 4 and 6 give us thirteen paradoxes that are apparent in the Christian life. This sermon series is built on these paradoxes which are as follows.

1. Second Corinthians 4:8 says, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed”
2. Verse 8 also says, “We are perplexed, but not in despair”
3. Verse 9 says, We are “persecuted, but not forsaken”
4. We are “cast down, but not destroyed”

Chapter 6 gives more of these interesting paradoxes
5. Verse 8 says, “By honour and dishonour”
6. “By evil report and good report”
7. “As deceivers, and yet true”
8. Verse 9 says, “As unknown, and yet well known”
9. “As dying, and, behold, we live”
10. “As chastened, and not killed”
11. Verse 10 says, “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing”
12. “As poor, yet making many rich”
13. “As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

These are the paradoxes that we must grapple with in the Christian life. Yes, the Christian life is the better life, the fulfilled life, the life of joy, peace, and true happiness, but the committed Christian life is also a life of hardship, temptation, persecution, and even suffering. Last week, we looked at three of the paradoxes of the Christian life. They are:

1. There is much trouble in the committed Christian life, but we do not have to be in distress. Second Corinthians 4:8 says, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.” Paul experienced this paradox of the committed Christian life. He was troubled and perplexed, yet he did not become discouraged and distressed.

2. We will experience persecution as Christians, but we will not be forsaken. Second Corinthians 4:9 says that we are “Persecuted, but not forsaken.” While you are going through a time of persecution, the devil will come to you and tell you that God has forsaken you. However, the Bible tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

3. Some people will say bad things about you, and some people will say good things about you. Second Corinthians 6:8 uses the phrase, “by evil report and good report.” There are those who know our true character as followers of Christ, and there are those who will try to slander our character publicly.

God allows these negative things to happen to us for a reason — sometimes to teach us a lesson or to strengthen us. Charles Dickens expressed this concept when he said, “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching… I have been bent and broken, but — I hope — into a better shape.” Sometimes, God allows us to go through suffering to cause us to get to know Him better. Author Chip Brogden said, “Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking.”

So, we must embrace the paradoxes of the Christian life. We must embrace God’s breaking us, molding us and shaping us. And, as we commit to doing that today, allow me to share with you three more paradoxes of the Christian life.

1. We will often feel downcast as we go through this life, but we will not be destroyed. In Second Corinthians 4:9, Paul writes that we “are cast down, but not destroyed.” To be cast down means to be in a low place spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or physically. The Greek word for “cast down literally means to “throw to the ground.” It may seem as though the pain and suffering that we experience in the Christian life will be too much for us to bear. We may drift into depression, but look at what God’s word says: “We are cast down, but NOT DESTROYED.”

2. We may not be well-known, celebrated, or applauded in this world, but we will be well-known by God. Second Corinthians 6:9 states that we are “unknown, and yet well known.” Paul writes, “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.” In other words, Paul is saying that he and his fellow apostles are not trying to make a name for themselves. They are not trying to be well-known, but they are trying to make Jesus known. The world may be ignorant of their names, but these faithful servants will be well-known by God.

3. Because of our sins and disobedience, God chastens us, but because of His mercy and grace, he doesn’t kill us. Second Corinthians 6:9 says we are “chastened, and not killed.” The word “chastise” means to train, to correct, or to punish. The chastisement of the believer is an issue that some people do not understand. Some believe that Christians are immune to chastisement and punishment. They believe that they can live as they please because they will be automatically forgiven by God no matter what they do. However, the Bible warns us against using our liberty as an occasion to indulge the flesh and engage in sin.

+ Plus, listen to the Caravans as they sing “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone” and Tasha Cobbs singing “Grace”