To sum up Peter’s discussion on submission, he stresses that we are to live in harmony with one another as brothers.  We are not to repay evil with evil, or insult for insult but instead giving blessings.  He says that for this we were called to do.  The world teaches the direct opposite as did Peter and if we are going to be called Christians then we had better heed his teachings for they mirror the teaching of Christ.

2 Timothy2:21-22  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

I heard a story once about two farmers, both dealing with a terrible drought.  They both prayed to God for rain, but each reacted differently afterwards.  One farmer sat on his porch and wait to see if God would answer his prayer and when the rains came was ill-prepared for it.  The other farmer immediately began plowing his fields because he has the faith that God would provide.  The second farmer prepare for the rain.
The same analogy can be used when it comes to church growth.  If that is our prayer then we must ask:  Are we prepared for the growth?  I believe there some things we can do to prepare for rain.  As a church family we must offer assemblies that edify, and we must assimilate and nurture mew members.  As individual members we must strengthen our relationships with God, with one another, and most importantly with the lost.  May we apply these simple things to our church life as we prepare for rain.

In the final section on submission given by Peter, he discusses the relationship between husband and wife.  He says that woman are to submit to their husbands, not so that man may dominate her, but so as to have an opportunity to save him by her actions.  He goes on to say that this kinds of action will not only be commendable before God, but will also bring the beautiful spirit that has been given her by God.

Matthew 10:34-37  Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to  ‘set  a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and  ‘a man’s enemies will be  those of his own  household.’  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

When you look at our responsibilities as Christians, you sometimes forget that some of them are simply taking care of our earthly family as instructed by God.  For instance, the Christians man is to love and honor his wife, and to train his children in the ways of the Lord, disciplining them as they go.  The Christian woman is to love and honor her husband, and train her children in the ways of the Lord, while keeping a good home life.  Christian children are to love, honor, and obey their parents, and learn how to follow the Lord.  And even those who are neither married, nor have any children are to honor God with their service to Him, while building relationships with the church family.  To put it simply, we are all to honor and love, which is why Christ said that was the greatest command.

In our second installment of submitting as the Lord desires, we find that once we have submitted to governing authorities, Peter then asks that we submit to our slave masters.  When Peter wrote this he was actually telling servants to submit to their masters whether be just or not.  While we no longer see such practices today, we can compare this to us submitting to our employers no matter how they treat us.  As hard as this is to swallow sometimes, we must understand that if we can’t learn to submit on earth, then how will be able to submit in heaven.

1 Corinthians 13: 1-3  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of  prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

If someone were to ask me what one word describes what Christianity is all about, I would emphatically say that it is love.  Once Jesus was asked what is the greatest command and His answer was the same, “Love God, and love each other.”  You see that love is the catalyst of all things Christian. 

To prove this to be true and by looking at some facts we find that there are 11 different words for love in the Hebrew text, and 4 words for love in the Greek, meaning that it is important.  When one looks closely at the examples of Christ with regards to love, the definition is clear:  We are to love unconditionally, that is show agape (Greek) or khesed (Hebrew) to God and to man.  In the end, love really is all you need!

This weeks study is not the most popular because it deals with two things that people tend to struggle with, submission and submission to the government. 

In today’s society it is hard to submit to the government when it is doing so many things that may be against our beliefs and ideals, but Peter makes two things clear here, we are to submit to the government and they are in authority because God put them there.  As hard as this seems to be to swallow, this has been happening for a very long time. 

In Daniel chapter 1 we read that the Babylonians took captive Judah and Jerusalem because that was what God chose to happen.  His servant Daniel then proceeded to become the best servant to Babylon while continuing his devotion to God.  We are being asked here to do the same.

1 Chronicles 28:1-9   Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor. Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it.  But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’  However the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel.  And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.  Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.  Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’  Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.  “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. When fathers prepare to leave this world it is not uncommon to find them leaving some last words for their loved ones to remember.  King David was no different.  As he prepares to leave, he has some words for his beloved son, Solomon.  He simply tells Solomon to remember the God of his fathers, and serve Him with a wholehearted devotion and a willing mind.  He also tells him to make sure that his devotion is real because God knows the heart.  He then gives him words of comfort.  He says that when you seek God, He will let you find Him.  What more does a child of God need than to know that when we need the Lord, He will be there.  David then finishes by telling Solomon to be strong and do the work.  That message is for us as well!

In 1 Peter 2:11-12, Peter again refers to the Christians as aliens and strangers in the world as he did in the beginning of the book.  He wants them to be clear of the importance of standing out from the world and by doing so they will cause those around them to glorify God at the second coming.  The question for us today is, are we standing out in this world or are we just trying to fit in?

Psalm 51: 7-19 

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
         Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
 8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
         That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
 9 Hide Your face from my sins,
         And blot out all my iniquities.
       
 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
       
 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
         And sinners shall be converted to You.
       
 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
         The God of my salvation,
         And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
 15 O Lord, open my lips,
         And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
         You do not delight in burnt offering.
 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
         A broken and a contrite heart—
         These, O God, You will not despise.
       
 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
         Build the walls of Jerusalem.
 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
         With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
         Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

As we began looking into confession from David’s perspective we saw that Psalm 51 gives a wonderful example of how to confess our sins to God.  We complete the two-part lesson by seeing that David prayed for renewal and restoration from the Lord, he vowed to take his new found freedom from sin and teach others about the benefits of confession, and he prayed that throughout the whole process God’s will had to come first.  The great King David still teaches today the benefits that come from confession of sin.

In this study of 1 Peter we will look at the encouraging words Peter uses with the Christians in Asia Minor.  He knew that their persecutions weighed heavy on their minds and so his encouragements had to hold equal value.  He begins by calling them a Chosen People, referring to the Hebrews of old; then a Royal Priesthood, letting them know that even though were not Levites they were of Jesus lineage; then a Holy Nation, telling them that they were set apart as a group or family; and finally he calls them a People belonging to God, letting them know that they had been bought with a price and were now God’s to use.  These words were meant to build and prepare them for God’s work.

Psalm 51  To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

 1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
         According to Your lovingkindness;
         According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
         Blot out my transgressions.
 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
         And cleanse me from my sin.
        
 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
         And my sin is always before me.
 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
         And done this evil in Your sight—
         That You may be found just when You speak,[a]
         And blameless when You judge.
        
 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
         And in sin my mother conceived me.
 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
         And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
        
 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
         Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
 8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
         That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
 9 Hide Your face from my sins,
         And blot out all my iniquities.
        
 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
        
 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
         And sinners shall be converted to You.
        
 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
         The God of my salvation,
         And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
 15 O Lord, open my lips,
         And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
         You do not delight in burnt offering.
 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
         A broken and a contrite heart—
         These, O God, You will not despise.
        
 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
         Build the walls of Jerusalem.
 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
         With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
         Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

When we talk about things that are important in our relationship with God, the idea of telling Him all that we have done wrong and accepting the responsibility for those things has got to rank at the top.  King David is one of the greatest examples we can look to when it comes to the art of confessing, and in Psalm 51 we find his confession following his sin with Bathsheba.  There is so much to take from this passage that this will be the first of two lessons on the subject and will consist of the first three things we must learn.  We must learn that we must appeal to God’s mercy and love, we must acknowledge our sins before God, and we must understand where we are and where God wants us to be.

In this study we see that as Peter begins his second chapter by telling his readers that they must do two different things: turn from the things of this earth, and crave the pure milk of the Word.  He uses the description of the newborn baby that craves its mother’s milk with us craving the Word of God.  He then says to taste that the Word is good.

Philippians 3:7-11  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

As we come to the end of this series on the secrets of abundant life, we find that the secret to loving God, is knowing God.  In our human relationships, the more we get to know another, the closer we become to them.  The same is true in our relationships to God and Christ, for the more we get to know them, the more we will love them because we find that they are love.  The way then that we come to know them better is through communication and experience.  As we talk to them through prayer, and they talk to us through the Word, the closer we become.  The same is true for experiencing them.  As we experience their love for us and the powerful strength they offer, the closer we will become to them.  When the steps all work together we will find that we can experience abundant life through Christ.

In this study we find that we are told that since we have been bought with a price, then we must now show our appreciation by the showing of our love, love, love and more love.  The text says that we are to love deeply and sincerely from the heart because we were born again through the enduring word of God.  We are to focus on the things of above and not the things of this earth.

John 15:15   No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

When one looks into the secrets of life, one can’t help but see the importance of loving the Father and the Son.  In our series on the Secrets of Abundant Life we can now see that the secret to obeying Christ is loving Him.  Here we learn that there are three levels of obedience.  First is obedience out of fear, where we obey for fear of hell.  While good in its proper place, it is less mature than the others.  The second level is obedience out of selfishness, where we obey because of what we will receive in return.  While more mature than out of fear, it is still not on the level Christ would prefer.  The highest and most accepted level is obedience out of love, where we obey Him because we love Him, and will continue to no matter what.  This is the level Christ wants from us and is the level He displayed in His obedience with His Father.

John 15:10-14  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

When looking into the Secrets of Abundant Life we find that the secret to abiding is obeying.  In seeing Jesus as our example for all things we can find that obeying His Father was at the very core of their relationship.  Even though He had all authority He still said that it was by His Father’s will that He came to do what He did.  We can see in both the Old and New Testaments that obedience was vital to God.  From the Israelite nation and its kings to the apostles of Christ and Christ himself, obedience to God was a key part of their relationships.

In this study we will find that we are commanded to be holy because we were bought with the imperishable blood of the Son of God.  We are also told to put our hopes, not on things that will rot or fade, but on the hope in God which is seen through the sacrifice of His son on the cross.

John 15:1-5  I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

In our series on the Secrets of Abundant Life we now find out that the secret to bearing fruit is abiding.  The question then becomes what are we to abide in?  The answer is that we should abide in Christ.  If we are going to be the Branches then we must abide in the Vine.  Outside of this action, the Branches cannot sustain themselves; it is only through direction of the Vine that the Branches can produce fruit.  The question then becomes: Are we abiding in Christ?  These then are just a few evidences that we are abiding in Christ: We will bear much fruit; we accept the Father’s pruning; we will have a growing sense of dependence; we will see our prayers being answered; we will develop a greater love for Christ and His people; and we will have an inner joy and peace.

In this study we will address a command that bothers a lot of people and that is to be holy.  When we think of holy things we usually include all things heavenly, and we are comfortable with that.  But when we are called to be holy, we get uncomfortable.  What we need is a better understanding of the term being used, “HOLY”.  Being holy simply means to be set apart from the world, while still living in the world.  We are then called to be different, special, and set apart for God’s purpose.

John 15:1-5  I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

We are probably all looking for the secrets to an abundant life, and one of the first secrets has got to be bearing much fruit.  While there are many different fruits we can bear, there are a few that I think stand out.  We can win souls to Jesus, always give praise and thanks to the Lord, give out of our abundant blessings, and developing a Christ-like character.  While these are just a few, we must begin somewhere and I suggest here because these things will give us joy, blessedness, assurance, and peace.

In this week’s study we find that Peter gives us the same message as did James in James chapter one, which we are to rejoice in times of trial.  Peter tells us that the reason we can rejoice in our trials is because those trials lead us to a greater faith in Christ Jesus which is worth more than anything the world has to offer.  Though we have not seen Him, we still believe.  Now that is faith!

Matthew 18:19-20   Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

While the rest of the religious world says that congregation size matters, I would like to pose that there are some advantages to being a small church.  There is usually a stronger sense of family, and also better opportunities for the members to grow spiritually because of the availability of serving chances.  Along with benefits, there are also obligations from its members.  We must be willing to nurture the sense of family, we must provide opportunities for growth, and we must watch for signs of stagnation because even though we may like the smaller church, the Lord expects His church to grow.  When it comes down to it, it’s all about LOVE.

Ephesians 6:1-3   Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:  “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” One of the most difficult and yet most rewarding jobs is that of being a dad.  What makes it rewarding is to see your children grow into loving and caring Christians.  What makes it so difficult is the fact that you are raising a person that has been given a mind of his or her own.  I would like to suggest though that there are 10 things that each of us can do to be a better dad.

1.    Respect your children’s mother.  When children see their parents respecting each other, they are also more likely to feel that they are accepted and respected. 2.    Spend time with your children.  How a father spends his time tells his children what’s important to him. 3.    Earn the right to be heard.  All to often, the only time a father speaks to his children is when they have done something wrong. 4.    Discipline with love.  All children need guidance and discipline, not as punishment, but to set reasonable limits. 5.    Be a role model.  Fathers are role models to their kids, whether they realize it or not. 6.    Be a teacher.  Too many fathers think teaching is something others do. 7.    Eat together as a family.  Sharing a meal together can be an important part of healthy family life. 8.    Read to your children.  Children learn best by doing and reading, as well as seeing and hearing. 9.    Show affection.  Children need the security that comes from knowing they are wanted, accepted and loved by their family. 10.    Realize that a father’s job is never done.  Even after children are grown and ready to leave home, they will still look to their fathers for wisdom and advise.

As we continue in our study I want us to understand something very important about the Christians Peter is writing to here.  They were being persecuted daily because of their faith and so Peter begins by encouraging them during this hard time.  He reminds them that what they are standing up for is worth all that they are going through to receive it.

As we really begin to delve into this book, I think it helps to know what the major theme of the book is and also see what I would consider to be the key verse to the book. The epistle is filled with practical admonitions concerning their conduct, especially as sojourners in a hostile land.  They are told how to behave in the midst of those who speak evil of them, who abuse them, who do not believe their message, simply because they are Christians.  An appropriate theme for this epistle might therefore be:   "CONDUCT BECOMING THE PEOPLE OF GOD"  And the key verses: 

1 Peter 2:11-12  "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."

1 Corinthians 12:12-27  For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?  But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.  And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”  No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.  And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,  but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

All too often I hear people talking about the fact that they don’t feel as if they are of any value to the church because they have nothing to offer.  If you are one who feels this way then may I say that we are all of value to the church and that we all have talents given to us by God?  We are compared to a body with many parts all with different functions, and as our physical body has different parts working together as one body, so does the spiritual body.  Look at it this way.  Christ is the head and thus tells the body what to do, the church is the body that is made up of many different members, and we the members are the hands and feet that do the work for the church.  We all have a part to play and no one is greater than another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We start out our study of the book of 1 Peter by understanding some basics about the book.  It was most assuredly written by the Apostle Peter from the city of Rome, although he refers to Rome as Babylon, the term used for a place of oppression. Peter tells us that his audience is the Christians that have been scattered to the North into Asia Minor probably because of Roman persecution.  It is also clear that those he is writing to are facing great persecution, and so much of the letter is devoted to encouragement through their suffering.

James 4:13-17  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;  whereas you do not know what will happen  tomorrow. For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. Have you ever asked yourself the question: If I knew that my life was coming to an end, would I do things differently?  While we don’t like to think about our own mortality on a daily basis, but from time to time we need to see that we are in fact dying and we should be living our lives accordingly.  We need to think about everything we do and ask if it in accordance with God’s will.

1 Corinthians 9:19-27   For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are  under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are  without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak.  I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. While it is truly a glorious time of rejoicing when a person decides to put on Christ in baptism, all too often they are left with a lingering question that needs an answer: Now that I have been baptized, what do I do next?  It then becomes our responsibility, as seasoned Christians to help answer that question for them.  The answer to this question can very well become the anchor that holds the new Christian from falling away in his or her spiritual infancy.  We must be clear as to the things that we instruct these new babes to do at this important stage.  First of all they must love God with all their being so as to adhere to His protection.  Then they must fervently study the Word so as to make it a part of who they are.  They must stand firm in prayer to keep their minds clear and focused. They must not forsake the assembling together with the other saints, so as to gain encouragement and training.  And lastly, they must begin to seek and save the lost so as to show their excitement to those around them and fulfill the “Great Commission” of Matthew 28.  It is at this time in their spiritual life that the new Christians are most vulnerable, but these things will help keep them grounded and prepared at all times.

2 Peter 2:20-22    For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.   But it has happened to them according to the true proverb:  “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

When you hear the word backslider what picture comes to mind?  If the answer is, “none whatsoever” don’t be ashamed there are many in the church today that are unfamiliar with the term.  A backslider is a person that once had salvation, but has since turned away from the Lord Jesus to the point that he is now spiritually lost and dead again, just like he was before becoming saved.  Now that you know what it is, it isn’t hard to see the importance in staying away from that sort of trap, and the way you do that is by following the advice of a former backslider, Peter.  Peter tells us throughout 1 Peter that the way to stay clear of this trap of backsliding is to stay humble, diligent, to glorify God, to abstain from the world, and to always be ready to give a defense as to why you are a follower of Jesus.  Peter gives us the formula to keep us within the arms of the Lord, always.

Ephesians 6:10-17  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Whether you believe it or not “You are what you wear!”  What I mean by that statement is that the way you dress tells people that you are or are not prepared to do the job before you.  If you work in an office, you wear a suit.  If you work on a construction site, you wear jeans and workboats.  If you are a doctor, you wear scrubs.  People see you as fit to do your job based on the way you cloth yourself.  I actually know people who have been offered jobs based heavily on the way they came dressed to the interview.  What you wear is important.  Now how about us as Christians?  Do we have to dress a certain way to show that we are ready for our work?  The answer is absolutely “yes”, but not how you might think.  As Christians we don’t have to always be dressed in our Sunday best because attending the assembly is not our job.  Our job is to go to battle against the evil forces of this world, and to do that we have got to dress the part.  Paul tells us in Ephesians, that we must put on the armor of God as we prepare to go into battle.  That armor, our dress, will not only tell the world that we are ready to go to work, but it will also protect us from the dangers of the job.  So before you go about your Christian work put on your armor of the Lord, and show Satan that you are able and willing to battle with him today!

Exodus 20:12  Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

Whether you are close to your mother or not there is no doubt that God put her in a special light.  We are told to honor her or face the consequences of our actions. And we are also told that the only sin frowned upon more than dishonoring your mother is to carve for yourself an idol.  And for those of you that are mothers, the Bible also gives many examples of how you should act and feel about that role.  Hannah and Mary are probably the best of those examples because they both showed that to be a good mother you must have great faith and be willing to listen to God.  While the role of Mother can be daunting at times, there is no job on this earth that can give you the kind of satisfaction that comes from raising a child to be a follower of Christ.  Be proud that God has given you this amazing opportunity.

John 16:33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

As we continue looking into the character of Jesus some might be surprised to see that we would include the trait of courage.  All too often the world viewed Jesus as this quiet, compassionate, weak individual, and while he was absolutely compassionate and sometimes quiet, he was never weak.  I attest that Jesus was the most courageous man to have ever walked this earth.  You simply need to take another look into the last day of His life to see that courage seemed to seep from His every pore.  This man knew full well how His life on this earth would end, and yet still came down here and endured it anyway.  Weak?  No way!  Courageous?  Absolutely!

Acts 26:16-18  But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.  I will deliver you from the Jewish  people, as well as from  the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order  to turn them  from darkness to light, and from  the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.

When we really look into the idea of becoming more like Jesus, we have to discuss the addition of faithfulness.  We have got to learn that to prove ourselves as Christians we have got to display some sort of faith.  While this is essential it is not easy.  The concept of truly letting go and allowing God to drive the car can be a daunting task for many because it asks us to give over the control that we hold so dear.  And once we are comfortable with the letting go part, then we are asked to act upon our newfound ideal.  We must not only put all of our trust in Christ to control our lives, but we must also live our live as if He has already been doing this.  We must live like Abraham and go when He tells us to go, and do it with assurance.

Philippians 2:1-5  Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

I’m sure we have all heard it said that attitude is everything, well when talking about our quest for the character of Jesus this statement has never been so true.  So much of our struggles in life have to do with our attitudes.  If we start our day off with a bad attitude, then it is safe to say that the rest of our day will probably follow.  With that in mind, we must make the decision to control our attitudes at all costs, and that begins by understanding that it is an act of 18 inches.  That is the distance between your heart and your mind, and that 18 inches can make or break your attitude.  Jesus always kept His attitude in check because His mind was all focused on the task ahead, and His heart was always focused upon the will of the Father.  With us it is no different.  We must keep our minds focused on Jesus’ work, and keep our hearts focused on the will of the Father.  You see when you break it all down, it really is very simple, you just have to choose to have an attitude like Christ.

1 John 3:13-24   Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.  Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.    By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.  And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.  For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

All of us Christians should have as our goal in life to be more like Christ, and that is not that we begin to look more like Him but rather that we begin to act like Him.  We need to strive to take on His very character and begin acting as He did especially when it comes to our treatment of others.  While there are many parts to Jesus’ character, one of the most difficult has got to be the trait of compassion.  Compassion is so difficult because it involves us treating others as Jesus would, expecting nothing in return.  While treating others well should be easy to the Christian, it’s the receiving nothing in return that is so hard to grasp.  Jesus made the showing of compassion important because it is the essence of who He is, and we need to also see the importance.  It can be done by simply caring enough for a fellow human being that we would be willing to show a little kindness or offer a little help.  The true problem is that we have a hard time taking our eyes off of ourselves and focusing on another.  But if we are ever going to put on the character of Christ, then we have got to become comfortable being compassionate to all mankind.

Matthew 7:7-11  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?   Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! When looking into this passage it becomes clear that we may not actually know what we are to ask for, seek after, or which doors we are to knock upon.  Let’s make this plain and simple.  We are to ask with a belief in receiving, we are to ask with the right motives, and we are to ask for what will fulfill the Lord’s will.  We are to seek for the good of others and not ourselves, we are to seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and we are to always seek the Lord.  And we are to knock upon the door of opportunity to do the work of the Lord.  Now let’s stop making excuses, and start making a difference in the lives of others. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Colossians 3:12-13  So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;  bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

When I was a young boy, and began asking those important questions about Christianity, my dad let me know that one of the most difficult things for us as Christians to master was forgiveness.  As I have become a dad myself, it has become even more difficult.  Now with all that aside, it is also absolutely essential to us receiving the salvation that we are working so diligently for.  That’s right; you will never receive forgiveness from God if you can’t learn to forgive others.  That’s just how it is.  As tough as it may be for us to do, we have no other option, if salvation is our goal.  Our forgiveness for others will be the measuring stick that Jesus will use the day we stand before Him on judgment day, so we had better get it right while we have the chance!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,  while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Have you ever found yourself dealing with a struggle in your life and you can’t find out why?  I am a firm believer that many times when we find ourselves in that situation it is because we have taken our eyes off of Jesus.  The Bible is filled with people who, at some point in their life, turned away from the Father or the Son and it cost them dearly.  So the question for each of us is not if we will ever turn away, because I can guarantee we will, but what to do differently when it happens.  When it happens we need to simply remember who we have been so richly blessed by, and return to our first love.  We need to turn our eyes back to God and to Christ.

John 13:31-35  Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;  if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.  Little children, I am with you a little while longer You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

In today’s society people have become obsessed with titles.  They put in their time and expect some recognition at the end.  They proudly display their name tags, name plates, stationary, and business cards in hopes that they can prove to the world that they are somebody.  In the religious world this practice has also taken hold.  If you were to poll people as to how many of them believed in God, the resounding answer would be “yes” followed by a statement of what it means to be a Christian.  The question that then poses itself is:  “Does believing in God make you a Christian?”  The answer, of course, can be found in the word itself.  The word Christian means a believer in Christ and His teachings, and in my book that means more than just a belief in a higher power.  So things being as they are, I would like to propose that we instead strive to hold the title of “Disciple of Christ.”  Now, when I say this I am not referring to a specific religious affiliation, but to an intimate relationship to our Savior Jesus Christ: truly adhering to His guidance and teachings in our life.  Can we begin to be more like the man who offered up His life so that we might one day see God face-to-face in all His glory?  I hope that we can.  The journey begins with love!

Luke 9:57-62    As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father."  But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God."  Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

The news is always talking about the influences of certain generation upon our society.  This has never been more true when talking about the “Me” generation.  The ideal of this generation is that I will do whatever I choose so that I am content, and I will not take into account anyone else’s opinions or needs unless they directly affect me.  As you can see, this ideal can have irrevocable damage upon the society, the family, and the church.  We cannot allow this concept to enter the church because it was never the design for the church.  Jesus clear left us with the example of putting others before our selves, and he lived his life accordingly.  Luke here gives example of individuals who, while wanting to serve Christ, could not put Him first above their own needs.  They had a “me first” mentality, “I will serve you, but let me first go and bury my father,” “I will serve you but let me first go and sat goodbye to my family,” and “I will follow you wherever you go, unless you don’t go where I want to go.”  While each of these men had legitimate reasons for their delay, Jesus could see that they were not completely devoted to Him.  We as a church must become like the church at Macedonia that exemplified the ideal taught by Christ of putting others first and they did it no matter what issues they might have been dealing with themselves.  We must see the needs of others above the needs of ourselves if we are ever going be true followers of Christ. 

Mark 10:28-30   Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You."  Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."

I am reminded of the T.V. show Let’s Make a Deal where people dress up in funny costumes to get noticed and have a chance to make a deal.  In the game they have the choice to choose one of three different envelopes, boxes, or doors, but must take whatever is behind their choice.  When we look at our lives today, it is clear that we too have choices to make that could change our lives.  If I were to offer you one deal that sounded amazing and had no strings attached to it, and then offer another deal that was also amazing, but was engulfed with limitations, which would you choose?  Most of us would probably take the no strings attached deal because of its simplicity and freedom.  The scariest part to this scenario is that it is real and the no strings deal is being offered by Satan and many are taking it.  The deal with limitations is the one offered by God.  It has limitations because it requires that we recognize God’s word as truth and follow it to the letter; which isn’t always easy.  We need to realize that what makes a deal great is the reward it yields, and while Satan’s deal looks simple to attain, God’s deal offers the greater reward, eternal life with Him.  Be careful which deal you choose, because the decision you make will affect your life forever.

Luke 11:1-4  It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."  And He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Father, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And lead us not into temptation.'"

To encourage us to pray more we must be comfortable with the practice of prayer.  Practice entails things such as how we should pray, and also when should we pray.  When we see how to pray, we can’t help but be drawn to Matthew 6:9-13 where Jesus teaches his disciples what we refer to as the Lord’s Prayer in which he gives them a model to follow.  The most important part of that model is that we are talking to the Heavenly Father not simply someone else.  Then we see that we can pray at set times through the day, or spontaneously when needed just as long as we are praying.  As Paul wrote in Thessalonians and in Ephesians, “Pray without ceasing, in season and out of season in the Spirit.”

Luke 18:9-14    And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:  "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'  But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'  I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

When talking about prayer and how it can be difficult for some, it helps to look at some of the basic principles that help keep our prayers in line with God.  First of all, we must pray in faith.  Why would anyone pray and yet not believe that the Father hears and acts upon those prayers.  Second, prayer must be done with humility.  We must understand that we are talking to the Heavenly Father and we must humble ourselves before Him.  Third, we must pray with thanksgiving.  Too often we only pray when we want or need something.  We must remember to thank God always for the blessings He has given us.  We should also pray in harmony with God’s will.  He is clear in teaching us that He hears and answers our prayers, but those answers will be in line with His will.  Finally, we must pray in the name of Jesus.  We cannot forget that our sins have separated us from God and it is only through Jesus that we can come near to the Father.

Prayer – The Power
Luke 18:1-8  Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.  There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.'  For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'  And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said;  now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?  I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

I think are two reasons why people find it difficult is because we haven’t got connected enough to our brothers and sisters to feel comfortable praying on their behalf.  Praying for others requires relationships, and many have become callused in regards to forming lifelong connections with people.  The second reason is because we either haven’t been told, or have forgotten the power of prayer.  If you are one who hasn’t been told, then let me tells you that there is indescribable power in talking to the Heavenly Father every day.  If you are one that has forgotten, then let me remind you that there is no force upon this earth that can compare to a group of believers communicating to the Creator through prayer.  You need to tap into the power of prayer, today!

Matthew 6:5-6  When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

I think that as we begin to look at the Lord’s work in the New Year, we cannot go too far before we recognize the importance of prayer.  There many people who can probably remember saying their prayers at bedtime as a child, or maybe even remember praying some of form of repetition before they ate their food, but when truly looking at prayer we must see that it is much more than we thought.  Prayer is our way of openly communicating with our Heavenly Father, and what we say during that time is very important.  Most people enter into prayer when they want something, or are in dire straits, and while those are both acceptable reasons for prayer there is so much more to it.  There are many purposes for prayer, but to keep things simple I would like to suggest only four to begin with: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

Luke 6:27-28   But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Once we have become comfortable showing love to our brothers, then we must begin to expand that love to include those most would call unlovable, our enemies.  Even though the term enemy is usually reserved for those we are at war with, your enemy can be anyone who treats you differently because of your spiritual choices as well and they must be loved if we are going to claim to be Christians.  So if this be true then the question becomes how do you show love to the unlovable?  Well you begin by blessing them; then by doing good to them; and finally you pray for them.  When you are comfortable praying for your enemies then you can say that you are now on the right path to true love.  

Philippians 2:1-4  Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind; regard one another as more important than yourselves;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Once you have truly learned what brotherly love is all about then you can begin to see that it causes us to do things that most in the world would consider strange.  It will cause us to treat others better than we treat ourselves; it will cause us to share more, forgive more often, and be kind to more people.  It will help us to restore those that have fallen away and help them grow stronger as Christians.  And it will open us up to provide the one thing that so many people need today and that is encouragement.  What we must understand is that if can’t become better at this practice then we will never be able to grasp the concept of our own salvation.

1 John 3:16-18 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?  Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

One of the greatest evidences that we are truly Christians has got to be to what extent we are willing to show our love for others.  Showing love to the brethren is vital for the growth of the church today.  In many ways people today are not as much coming to church for doctrine as they are for relationship.  And while it is extremely important that we teach them the fundamentals of the gospel while they are here, it is also important that we show them how much we love and care for others.  Remember that people won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14  Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.

In 1 Samuel 16:6-7, we find that we as humans measure people from a totally different perspective than does God.  We look at what is on the outside, but God looks at the heart.  We tend to think that an individual is a strong Christian if he or she attends all worship services, Bible studies, and training classes; if he or she is involved in service projects where the public eye is on them; or if he or she is actively leading within the congregation.  The problem with this form of thinking is that an individual can be doing all of these things and still be spiritually destitute.  God, however does not care about the things we can see, he only sees what only he can see, and that is what is on the inside of a person.  God measures us by our hearts!  The Scriptures are clear about the things that God considers important in our lives, and all of them involve us changing from the inside out.  The measure of a strong Christian is all about what is on the inside.

Acts 13:16-23  Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:  The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.  For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.  When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took about four hundred and fifty years.  After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.  Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.  After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'  From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus.

One of the most beautiful compliments ever given by God to a man can be found in 1 Samuel 13:13-14 and is restated in Acts 13 by the Apostle Paul.  “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all of My will.”  When we read this compliment, one can’t help but wonder what we might have to do in our life to one day here something similar from God?  Well the answer to this important question can be found throughout the Scriptures.  We must love the Word of God.  We must love to pray.  We must love to praise God.  And we must love the unity among the brethren.  To put it simply, we must become like David and like Christ Jesus who both exemplified these attributes in their lives.  Do you want to be known as a person after God’s own heart?  Then begin today walking the path of Christ.

Philippians 4:6-9  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

In this time of the year we are reminded that we are truly a blessed people.  Our loving Heavenly Father has seen fit to provide for all of our individual needs, both physical and spiritual.  We tend to talk to God when we are in trouble, when we really want something or want something to happen in our favor.  But how often do we simply go to our Lord in prayer just to thank Him for his wonderful blessings?  How often do we include prayers of thanksgiving in our daily commune with the Father?  Well, if  we are like the majority of our society, the answer is not very often.  In this time of the year, when we are all thinking of all we have been blessed with, let us begin to create a habit of giving thanks to God every day for all that He has blessed us with.

Matthew 7:28-29  When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;  for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

During the ministry of Jesus, those that followed him were bombarded with new ideals that were totally different than the ones they had been raised with.  Because of the differences, I’m sure that there were those who were skeptical if Jesus had the right to teach such things; they probably questioned his authority. 

Today we can be sure that he truly has this authority because he himself told us in Matthew 28:18 that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.  What is shocking though is that still people question.  Hebrews 1:6 tells us that the angels recognized his authority; Mark 1:23-26 tells us that the demons recognized his authority; and Revelation 7:9-10 tells us that the redeemed recognized his authority.  Now, if the angels, demons, and the redeemed recognized his authority, then what reason could we give to not do the same? 

To put it simply and sternly, the authority of Jesus must be recognized and followed by all if we want to see salvation.

Matthew 7:24-27  Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall.

Jesus, in His sermon on the mount makes two things very clear as regards to the storms of life.  First He tells us that we will go through storms or trials in our life, and second that if we don’t build our lives on a solid foundation it will never withstand those storms.  Being the great teacher that He is though, He also tells us how we are to go about building upon a solid foundation.  Obeying Jesus and His commands is the key to a solid foundation.  Obeying Jesus means that we become doers of His word and not just hearers.  The question for us then becomes: Have we built our houses upon the solid foundation of Christ?

Matthew 7:21-23  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

There has always been the debate as to who is worthy on entering the kingdom of heaven.  Well we can put that debate to rest because Jesus made it clear that no one is worthy of that entrance.  He also made it clear as to who will be allowed to receive that amazing gift.  In His sermon on the mount, found in Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus tells us that only those who do the will of His father will be allow into the kingdom.  So then where does that leave the 85% of people who believe they are going in because they have led a good life?  It may very well leave them out with those that cry out Lord, Lord but He hears them not.  Put God’s will first in your life and He will give you the gift of His grace.

Matthew 7:12  
In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us the essence of Christianity when he tells of the “Golden Rule.”  This idea of treatment is not new or unusual, but when we compare Jesus’ rule verses all the others we find that his is truly distinct.  All other so-called mirror sayings have a flaw that Jesus’ does not.  They are all based on our reaction to abuse, but Christ’s rule has us act first in hopes that others may follow.  We are to first act as we want others to and then let Christ lead them through their reactions to our behavior.  This concept is so very important that Jesus concludes this teaching with this: “For this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  The question for each of us is whether or not we can decide to live by the Golden Rule.

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Matthew 7:1-6  Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

There is a favorite saying used today and that is that we should “not judge lest we be judged.”  And while this is true, that we will be judged, we also are told by Christ that there are times, when done in the proper way, that we can judge one another.   Jesus tells us in Matthew that we can remove the speck from our brothers eye, or judge their behavior, but only if we first remove the plank from our own.  We must love and care for one another to the extent that we want them acting properly, but we must be smart enough to know that we must also make sure that we are.  Jesus, in Matthew 12:47 tells us that he did not come to judge the world, but to save it.  If we are to be about the Lord’s business of helping others, then we had better take this to heart as we strive to be like Christ.

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Matthew 6:25-34  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing?  Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Have you ever been called a “Worry Wart?”  I bet most of us have at one time or another.  The reason we worry is because we have trouble giving our lives over to God’s control.  Jesus, in His sermon on the mount teaches us that if we have faith in God’s divine care for us, and if we diligently seek His kingdom first, then we can defeat worry for good.  He uses examples from nature to prove that if he is willing to take care of the things of nature, then how much more will be willing to take care of us, his children.  One of the most famous themes in the modern era has got to be “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” but if we simply trust in the Lord and keep His will first in our lives then our motto will be “Don’t Worry, Seek Him First, and You Will Be Happy!”

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Matthew 5:38-42   You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.'  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.  Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.   Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

When someone treats you wrongly, how do you respond?  Jesus, in His sermon on the mount gives us a simple comparison between how people think the Law of Moses taught how to deal with revenge, and how He intends us to deal with revenge today.  While on the surface the two appear to be different, but in actuality they are not.  Most people like to use the passages from the Old Testament about revenge as justification for their “eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth” mentality.  But if one will simply look into these passages like Exodus 21:23-25, or Deuteronomy 19:15-21 they will find that the idea of an “eye for an eye” was never a part of God’s plan.  The Scriptures are clear in these matters.  We are to “turn the other cheek,” “let him have your cloak as well,” “go with him two miles,” and “give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”  That’s not revenge.  That’s love.

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