Colossians 1: Jesus Asks You, "Do You Believe This?"

Class Outline:

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Believe it or not...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re in the resident congregation turn off your electronic devices and put them away. Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.

 

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

 

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson! 

 

Who Is Jesus Christ?   

 

At Barah Ministries we know this truth…JESUS CHRIST IS GOD.  We worship Him because He is the one and ONLY true God…He is the Sovereign God of the universe.   When Jesus came to His people, the Jews, they did not believe He is their Messiah…in John, Chapter 8, Verses 57 and 58… 

 

JOHN 8:57

The Jews said to Jesus, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

 

JOHN 8:58

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM (meaning I existed as the Lord…God the Son).”

 

The term I AM refers to Deity.  The Lord Jesus Christ is GOD!  He is the exact same in essence as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  In addition, He has always existed, for all eternity, with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ is God the Son (the Lord) in human form…He is fully God and He is simultaneously fully man in One Person….the uniquely born One from God.

 

Why Does Barah Ministries Exist?

 

This ministry is provided by God for your benefit.  It gives you a mental

sanctuary…a refuge in which to learn the truth.  At Barah Ministries we teach the Word from God’s perspective and not from human perspective.  We encourage believers to gather together with other believers rather than doing everything online.  Hebrews, Chapter 10, Verses 24 and 25 say…

 

HEBREWS 10:24

…let us believers in Christ consider how to stimulate one another to unconditional love and good deeds…

 

HEBREWS 10:25

…not forsaking our assembling together…as is the habit of some…but encouraging one another…and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

 

Gathering ourselves is considerate of our relationship with God AND with each other.  Let’s not miss out.

 

Why Do Christians Study the Word of God?

 

We get to know the Lord Jesus Christ by studying the Bible…His EXACT thinking revealed…and we develop our relationship with the Lord by knowing His mind.  The Bible is the only book in the world with accurate prophecy!  First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 24 and 25…

 

FIRST PETER 1:24

“All flesh is like grass…and all the flesh’s glory is like the flower of grass.

The grass withers and flowers fall off…

 

FIRST PETER 1:25

…but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”  And this is the Word which was preached (as good news) to you.

 

Christians always compare what they learn, both at Barah Ministries and in the world, with what the Bible has to say. 

 

Who Is God’s Enemy?

 

God has an enemy, Satan, whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’  In John, Chapter 12, Verse 31, the Lord says…

 

JOHN 12:31

“Now judgment is upon this world…now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out (he will be dethroned at a future time).”

 

God created us to depend on Him.  Satan encourages us to act independently from God…the do-it-yourself spiritual life.  The lifestyles Satan offers (Legalism and Lasciviousness) are deceptive lies.  Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 25 says…

 

ROMANS 1:25

For those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness…(unbelievers)… exchanged the truth of God for a lie…and worshiped and served the creature (Satan)…rather than serving the Creator…who created the creature (and them) … serving He who is the blessed One forever. Amen.

 

It’s best to depend on the One who created you!

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Jesus Asks You, “Do You Believe This?”

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

As we begin the study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, just a reminder about the lesson of the letter...there are true teachers who teach the Word of God in truth and there are false teachers who disseminate false teaching.  In this lesson, we'll learn a simple question that God is always asking His believers to ensure they are following the truth.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

The voices in your mind that create doubt about your spiritual life don’t come from God or the Bible…they come from Satan, from His kingdom of death and darkness, and from the flesh resident in you.  You're better off listening only to what God has to say.  Here's Laura Daigle telling us about her struggle in her song YOU SAY.

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

YOU SAY

Laura Daigle 

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Thank you…Father…for sending us a true teacher…God the Holy Spirit…who is leading us into all the truth through our study of the Word of God…thank you for helping us discern the difference between the truth and a counterfeit…thank you for sending your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to pay for all our mistakes at the Cross…thank you for freeing us, through Him, from Your wrath that is to come to all those who reject a relationship with Christ…thank you for giving us a lifestyle…Christianity…that is totally sufficient because it is powered by You and by the other members of the Godhead…

 

…help us to relax as we learn Your truth today…and let Your Word bring a calm over us that guides our walk through a turbulent world…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Jesus Asks You, “Do You Believe This?”

 

Once you are clear on what it takes to be saved…once you respond positively and accept the Lord’s offer of salvation…once you are in a church that is teaching the truth, Satan and his demonic forces will send false teachers with false teaching to pervert your experience of Christianity and to create doubt that you are saved.

 

The Bible is clear.  It may be the only source of absolute truth in the world.  The Bible is the boldest written work in the history of mankind.  It begins with four words that are neither ambiguous nor confusing…Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 1…

 

GENESIS 1:1

In the beginning, God…

 

A knockout punch!  Our Lord, who had no beginning and has no end, makes it clear He is the center of both angelic history and human history.  He has always existed, there never was a time when He didn't exist, and there never will be a time when He doesn't exist.  He created us.  He is the Sovereign God of the universe, and nothing happens in the universe without His permission.

 

If the Lord were saying these things to you personally, He would ask a simple question after he told you this… “Do you believe this?”  It’s the question He asked Martha when He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead in John, Chapter 11, Verses 25 and 26…

 

JOHN 11:25

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life…he who believes in Me will live even if he dies…”

 

JOHN 11:26

“…and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this (Martha)?”

 

Because our Lord said this…it’s the troof!  Do YOU believe this?  As a believer in Christ, of course, you do!  You're clear because the Lord is clear.  As soon as you are clear…Satan will send false teachers with false teaching to introduce lies, tempting you to doubt what you know to be true. 

 

What is doubt?

 

DOUBT

Something that calls the truth into question…the introduction of uncertainty…to consider something unlikely…to lack confidence in something…to mistrust…to have a skeptical attitude about something.

 

When we encounter a person who lives this attitude, we call them a “Doubting Thomas.”  What is a Doubting Thomas?

 

DOUBTING THOMAS

A skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience.

 

This is a reference to the apostle John’s portrayal of the apostle Thomas, who

refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles until

he could see it for himself.  John, Chapter 20, Verses 24 to 29…

 

JOHN 20:24

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus (which means the twin), was not with the other apostles when the resurrected Jesus came.

 

JOHN 20:25

So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and unless I put my finger into the place of the nails, and unless I put my hand into His side, absolutely I will not believe.”

 

JOHN 20:26

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came…the doors having been shut tight…and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

 

JOHN 20:27

Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands…and reach here with your hand and put it into My side…and call a halt to your unbelieving…instead be one who is believing.”

 

JOHN 20:28

Thomas answered and said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

 

JOHN 20:29

Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed (empiricism)? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed (through faith).”

 

The Colossian believers heard the true gospel message from a true teacher…they believed the true gospel…they were saved…and immediately false teachers came in with false teaching to introduce doubt about the certainty of their salvation. 

 

The same thing happens to believers in Christ today.  Religions, mass media, movies, family, friends, and even Counterfeit Christians introduce destructive heresies that are intended to shake Christians from the certainty of our relationship with the Lord and His promises, and to rob us of the victory as believers in union with Christ.

 

For example. one of Satan’s religious perversions is called “Lordship Salvation.”  The very name adds to salvation.  A very famous Pastor describes Lordship Salvation this way…

 

LORDSHIP SALVATION

“The gospel call to faith presupposes that sinners must repent of their sins and yield to Christ’s authority.  A sinner who refuses to repent of his sins is not saved, for he cannot cling to his sin and the Savior at the same time. A sinner who rejects Christ’s authority does not have saving faith, for true faith encompasses a surrender to God.”

 

LORDSHIP SALVATION

“Thus, the gospel requires more than making an intellectual decision or mouthing a prayer…the gospel message is a call to discipleship. The sheep will follow their Shepherd in submissive obedience.”

 

In other words, there is a requirement to be saved that is more than simply believing what the Lord tells us.  Whenever you hear the words “true faith,” your antennae ought to go up.  Whenever a person doesn’t cite scripture to back up his claims, your antennae ought to stay up.

 

When you are clear on something Biblical, like the gospel message, you have two choices when dealing with false teachers.  You can believe them, or you can ignore them.  The Lord would ask about what they say, “Do you believe this?”

 

One of the apostle Paul’s students, Epaphras…the Pastor of home-based churches at Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis…asked Paul for help with the problem of false teachers and false teaching in these churches.  Paul addressed the problem with this letter to the believers at Colossae.  The letter was also shared with the believers at Laodicea and Hierapolis.  Let’s take a look at the first passage of Paul’s letter…Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 8…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:2

…to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae…grace to you and peace from God our Father.

 

COLOSSIANS 1:3

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:4

…since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:5

…because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, THE GOSPEL…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:6

…which has come to you…just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing…even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:7

…just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:8

…and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

 

When we return, we’ll study this passage verse-by verse.  Take a five-minute break and tehn we’ll continue.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Jesus Asks You, “Do You Believe This?”

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

Nike has it right about athletics…JUST DO IT!  At Barah Ministries, we have it right about generosity…JUST GIVE IT!  Don’t ever underestimate the power of your giving.  When you give to Barah Ministries you change lives.  You may not hear how you make a difference while you are here on earth, but God knows the impact you make and will share it with you when you get to heaven.  Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:6

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly…and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Jesus Asks You, “Do You Believe This?”

 

Let's study the three messages in the opening verses one section at a time, verse by verse.  As we do, let's imagine this letter is being written to you…because it is!

Let’s start with…

 

THE GREETING

Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2

HIGHLIGHTING THE POWER OF CHRIST

 

COLOSSIANS 1:1

A letter from Paul…an apostle of Jesus of Nazareth…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…by spiritual gift an apostle…called by means of the will of God the Father Himself…with Timothy our brother (who is with Paul as a co-worker, as the co-author of the letter…and as his closest companion in the faith)…

 

Paul did not make himself an apostle…it was a calling given to him as a gift by God.  Paul was in prison at Rome as he wrote this letter.  Timothy was ministering to him there.  He uses the greeting to establish his authority.

 

By the way, each of you believers in Christ has a calling powered by a spiritual gift from God.  Do you know what your spiritual gift is?  Are you using it?  You will neither know what it is, nor will you use it, until you give it away.  The Lord is powerful enough to direct the use of your spiritual gift.

 

COLOSSIANS 1:2

…a letter to the saints…those who are the holy and faithful brethren in union with Christ…those believers in Christ at Colossae… grace to you and peace from God our Father.

 

Paul starts many of his letters with “grace to you and peace.”  In grace, God treats us better than we deserve to be treated!  That’s Paul’s wish for us and for the Colossians.  God gives us peace.  We now rest in the absolute fact that God has nothing against us believers in Christ.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 31…

 

ROMANS 8:31

What then shall we believers in Christ say face-to-face with all these things (in verses 28 to 30)? If God the Father is FOR us believers in Christ, and He is, who is ever going to be successful in opposition against us?  

 

Nobody!  Next…

 

THANKSGIVING

Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 3 to 5

PAUL IS GRATEFUL THE COLOSSIANS ARE LIVING CHRISTIANITY

 

Paul gives thanks for the things he is hearing about the believers in Colossae… Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 3 to 5…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:3

We (Paul referring to himself and Timothy) always GIVE THANKS to God…the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…when we pray for all of you Colossian believers…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:4

…since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus (from Epaphras…founder of the church at Colossae) … and since we heard of the unconditional love which all of you have for all the saints…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:5

…because your faith and unconditional love comes from the hope stored up for all of you in heaven (where the Lord lives) … of which hope all of you previously heard in the word of truth, the GOSPEL…

 

The Christian Way of Living is powered by FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE.  Paul is encouraging the Colossian congregation to keep on living this way.  God wants His believers in Christ to live a different lifestyle than the one lived by those in the world. God wants us to reflect these gifts from God…faith, hope, and love…to the lost and dying world.  God commands in First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 8…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:8

But now faith…hope…and unconditional love…abide in the sphere of these three…but the greatest of these is unconditional love.

 

These are the works James thinks will be visible in Christians…James, Chapter 2, Verse 20…

 

JAMES 2:20

But are you willing to recognize…you foolish fellow…that faith without works (like hope and love) is useless?

 

Epaphras reported to Paul that he was seeing faith, hope and love demonstrated by the new Colossian believers.  They placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation by responding positively to gospel message.  What is faith?  Hebrews, Chapter 11, Verse 1…

 

HEBREWS 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for…the conviction of things not seen.

 

In faith, believers in Christ place confidence in the object of our faith, the Lord Jesu Christ, AFTER EXAMINATION of the facts.  We don’t spend our faith blindly.  We have absolute confidence in a God that keeps His promises, especially the promises concerning salvation. The Lord would ask, “Do you believe this?”

 The Colossians did. 

 

Is faith in the Lord showing up in your life?  Without FAITH, there are mental limits…we don’t think things are possible.  With supernatural help from God ANYTHING is possible.

HOPE in the Christian Way of Living is our absolute confidence that we are going to have an amazing future…an eternity in heaven with our God…because our Lord says so.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 25…

 

ROMANS 8:25

But if we believers in Christ hope for what we do not see in the future…and of course we do…with perseverance we wait eagerly for the things to come.

 

Because of the hope we have as a gift from God, we don’t beat ourselves up for anything, especially for continuing to sin after salvation. We are perfect in the Lord’s eyes because He made us perfect at the moment of salvation by crediting His own righteousness to us, and by paying for our sins with His blood.  We have faith in what He did for us at the Cross, and in hope, we know with absolute certainty that our future is bright, eternal, and secure.  The Lord would ask, “Do you believe this?” 

 

Is hope powering your confidence in the Lord?

 

In relationships with people, we love others unconditionally because we know it’s the only answer in human relationships.  How do we know?  Because God says so. 

Unconditional love is the willingness to overlook faults, both in ourselves and in others.  First John, Chapter 4, Verse 20…

 

FIRST JOHN 4:20

If someone says, “I love God unconditionally,” and he hates his brother…he is a liar…for the one who does not love his brother unconditionally whom he has seen, cannot love God unconditionally whom he has not seen.

 

We have friends who know who we are and who we are not…and they overlook who we are not…even when it hurts them.  They love us unconditionally…and they forgive us.  The Lord would ask, “Do you believe this?” 

 

Is unconditional love a part of your Christian life, especially with your enemies?

 

Unconditional love comes from, “I’ve got your back.”  This is not typical of human, conditional love.  For example, to die for someone is absolutely not human…it’s supernatural.  In unconditional love, that’s what the Lord did…He died to save the whole world from the wrath of His Father.  Thank you, Jesus!

 

Other Christians fall short of our glory.  “You’re divorced?  Oh my God, I can’t believe it!”  When we love unconditionally, we immediately remember whom God has saved among us…the wretched…including us!

 

By the way, we can’t produce faith, hope and love…they are gifts from God.

 

Faith in God…hope in self…and unconditional love for others is the outward manifestation of the Christian Way of Living.  The Lord would ask, “Do you believe this?”  The Colossians were living it. 

 

We place our faith in Christ Jesus…as a result, we have hope…the confident assurance that we are going to heaven…and we love God's people unconditionally.

God provides…

 

THE GOSPEL

Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 6 to 8

THE GOOD NEWS CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST’S SALVATION OFFER

 

COLOSSIANS 1:6a

… (we give thanks and pray for you Colossian believers because of) the GOSPEL which has come to you…just as it is coming into all the world…the GOSPEL MESSAGE that keeps on bearing fruit and keeps on increasing…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:6b

…even as the GOSPEL MESSAGE also has been doing in all of you since the day all of you heard the gospel and understood the grace of God in truth…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:7

…just as all of you learned the gospel message from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:8

….and Epaphras also informed us of your unconditional love in the Spirit (en Pneumati).

 

The Colossian believers heard the accurate gospel message from Epaphras.  The Gospel came to the Colossians from a supernatural source…Christ.  The truth

found them!  They heard it…they learned it…they believed it…they were saved… and God entrusted these believers to spread the gospel message to the world.

Then false teachers infiltrated the church, teaching a different gospel.  In a movement that would later be called Gnosticism, the gospel was attacked.  The false teachers were heretics teaching heresy.

 

The Gnostics taught that there is another level of knowledge.  Among other things, they taught that Jesus Christ is not God…they taught that the Colossians were not saved without other things.  They taught that Epaphras’ gospel message was lacking substance.

 

The truth?  THE GOSPEL IS ACCURATE!  It needs no additions.  It needs no subtractions.  It does not need an upgrade.  It does not need Gnostic help.  It is simple…believe in Christ and be saved.

 

So the first eight verses of this letter is a series of assurances from Paul to the Colossian believers…our God is Christ…the message you heard is the real gospel…and you are saved!  In addition, you are running your race well!

 

The devil introduces doubt.  Satan believes God exists…he just doesn’t count on the Lord for salvation.  He tempts us to doubt … “Are you really saved?  Are you really going to heaven?”

 

In the matter of being saved, you get everything for nothing.  God does the work for you.  Or you can believe that you need to add horoscopes, a great diet, the voice of God in your head, the worship of nature, the worship of “Mother Earth,” homage to the universe, immorality, circumcision, false philosophies, traditions, ceremonies, and angel worship to salvation.  All or one of these will make you more spiritual according to the false teachers…the Gnostics.  As for me, I’ll just take God’s Word for everything.  The Lord would ask, “Do you believe this?” 

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

The closing moments of today’s lesson are dedicated to anyone, anywhere, who is undecided about having a relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We want you to know that…

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

If you don’t yet have a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you have the chance to be precious in God’s sight…Psalm 116, Verse 15 says…

 

PSALM 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (His saints… believers in Christ).

 

The fact that GOD WANTS YOU is a great thing to know as you get older because there will be a day when it is apparent to you that no one gets out of this life alive.  What’s going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life?  Will you go to heaven or will you go to hell?

 

God has an enemy…Satan…the ruler of this world…and he creates counterfeit lifestyles to blind your mind…religions…to mislead you into thinking you’re on the road to salvation when you are not.  Roman Catholicism is one of those counterfeits.  Here is an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church…

 

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (Paragraph 2010)

Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can MERIT FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS the graces needed for our sanctification…for the attainment of eternal life.

 

Satan wants you to think you can work your way to heaven, earning your own salvation.  Also, he wants you to think you can pray for the salvation of others after they have died.  He’s lying.  You can’t.  Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says… 

 

ROMANS 11:6

But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer on the basis of your works…otherwise grace (as a free gift from the source of God) is no longer grace (free).

 

If you have to work for a free gift then the work makes you deserve the gift.  In salvation, there is no work you can do that’s impressive enough to save you. 

 

The Lord provides us with the Bible to illuminate the path to heaven…John, Chapter 20, Verse 31 says…

 

 

 

JOHN 20:31

…these things written in the Bible have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (The Jewish Messiah) … the Son of God (the Lord taking on human form) … and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life (eternal life) in His name.

 

The Bible contains the Lord’s exact thinking.  It is your “owner’s manual”

for life, and it obliterates the delusion that any of us are good people in God’s eyes.  The Bible says we’re all “bad people!”  Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…

 

ROMANS 3:23

…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

 

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10 says…

 

ROMANS 3:10

…it is written, “There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…”

 

First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

…all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…

 

Your condition at physical birth IS NOT YOUR FAULT, but it is your circumstance. 

 

The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ did something about your problem…He has a plan for your salvation because He doesn’t want anyone to go to the Lake of Fire…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…

 

SECOND PETER 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

So, how can you get to heaven?  Right where you sit, RIGHT NOW, you can tell

God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

The ONE WAY…the ONLY WAY to get to heaven is through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the Word of God), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgment that you can’t do a thing

to get to heaven on your own.  It's your confirmation that being “a good person” does not get you to heaven.  It’s wiser to let God save you because once God does something, He never changes His mind!  John, Chapter 10, Verse 28 says…

 

JOHN 10:28

“…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

 

You can’t lose your salvation.  If ANYONE says you can, he is lying to you. 

 

Many people in this world think they don't need a Savior because

they are “basically good people.”  These people are like those who defend themselves in a lawsuit.  The joke in the legal community is anyone who represents himself in a lawsuit has a fool for a client.  Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 says…

 

ACTS 4:12

“…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”

 

Reject a relationship with Christ?  In Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 30 the Lord shares the consequences…

 

MATTHEW 25:30

“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness (the Lake of Fire) … and in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

So, heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

You can join me and a host of your believer friends in heaven when you close your eyes in this life!  Choose it now! 

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

The Lord is clear about His attitude toward all His creatures.  He knows we don’t seek Him, so He seeks us.  Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 4 to 7 say…

 

LUKE 15:4

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”

 

LUKE 15:5

“When he has found the lost sheep, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

 

LUKE 15:6

“And when the man comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ”

 

LUKE 15:7

“I (the Lord Jesus Christ) tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner (an unbeliever) who repents (changing his mind about having a relationship with Christ) than over ninety-nine righteous persons (believers in Christ) who need no repentance.”

 

As we learned today, the Lord brings the gospel message to us…He seeks and saves the lost!  The Lord would ask, “Do you believe this?”  Here’s June Murphy to enlighten us about the Lord’s pursuit of His creatures in her song YOU RAN AFTER ME.

 

CLOSING SONG

YOU RAN AFTER ME

June Murphy

 

DOXOLOGY

Words of Praise to Our Lord

 

Let us offer words of praise to our Lord…

 

ROMANS 8:37

…in every situation imaginable, believers in Christ keep on overwhelmingly conquering through the Lord who loves us unconditionally.

 

ROMANS 8:38

For I (Paul) am convinced that neither death nor life...nor (elect) angels nor principalities (demons...fallen angels), nor things present nor things to come...nor powers...

 

ROMANS 8:39

...nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to sever us from the unconditional love of God the Father, who is for us through our union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

Thank you for calling it to our attention that there are false teachers and there are true teachers…help us to doubt false teachers and their false teaching just like they ask us to doubt the truth…teach us to use their weapon of doubt against them…

 

…as we go back into the battle of the world, help us see Satan’s lies with spiritual eyes…and let our discernment draw us nearer to You, to the other members of the Godhead, and to the Word of God…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?

 

Ask the Pastor

pastor@barahministries.com

 

Don’t be shy about asking.

 

KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD!

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

 

www.barahministries.com