Ephesians 5: The Lord Wants Believers in Christ to Be Wise and Powerful

Class Outline:

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March to wisdom's beat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Believers in Christ to Be Wise and Powerful

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

As we continue our study of the apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in Christ in first-century Ephesus, a city in modern-day Turkey.  In today’s lesson, the Lord reveals through Paul two keys to the Christian lifestyle.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!  Did you know what Chris Tomlin says in this next song applies to you?  You have RESURRECTION POWER!

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

RESURRECTION POWER

Chris Tomlin

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

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

 

Father thanks for Your guidance…thank you for being the compass in our lives through what You offer us in the Word of God…and thank you for a Guide in God the Holy Spiritwho navigates us through the turbulent waters and the violent winds of this life….through a lifestyle stirred up by our enemy…the deceiver…whose name isn’t even worth mentioning…thank you for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…Your Son…who offers everyone whom He creates the free gift of a “so great” salvation that is a request away…a salvation allowing anyone who accepts it to live in heaven for all eternity when their last breath is breathed on this earth…

 

…Father as we study Your Word today, help us use the wisdom You provideboth to serve You and to edify ourselves so we live the life of fulfillment and purpose You planned for us…

 

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

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Believers in Christ to Be Wise and Powerful

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

I present this lesson with a heavy heart.  My dear, lifelong friend and confidant…my spiritual guide…my sounding board…a love of my life…and an ever-present help in times of trouble…Pastor and Friend John Farley…is now at home face-to-face with the Lord.  For me, and for many others, the loss is immeasurable.  There are no words that can adequately capture the depth of our three decades long friendship.

 

I am delighted my friend is at home with the Lord because that’s where he longed to be.  The last eight months of his life were hell on earth, a physical and mental torture unlike any I have ever seen a person go through.  I was proud to be there for him every step of the way.

 

My most sincere condolences and heartfelt love go out to all those he left behind

here on earth, especially his wife Roberta, his son Jack, his daughter Hannah, and his Lighthouse Bible Church family in Deerfield Beach, Florida including his elder and friend Marc Pomeroy, his Pastor in training Wesley Walker, and all the resident and non-resident congregation members who studied with him.

 

His memorial service, which I was honored to officiate, is online…and it is one of the most touching and accurate memorials I’ve ever seen.  I’ll  put information in the closing notes so you can watch the memorial service if you so choose.

 

Please join me in never-ending prayer for John’s family and friends until each of us believers in Christ see John again in heaven.

 

Today we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in Chapter 5.  Thanks to Al Gleason for standing in the gap while I was away and for teaching well a few lessons from Paul’s first letter to his protégé Timothy.  Al did a fantastic job and you’ll get to hear him again a couple more times before the year is over.

 

Since I saw you last, I visited Ephesus.  It was thrilling to walk the same streets the apostle Paul walked and to see some of the resurrected ruins of a place where Paul evangelized to the Gentiles while ruining the idol business of several merchants.

 

Ephesus was a center of culture and commerce, and while walking through the streets, it was easy to feel what the hustling bustling metropolis must have been like back in the first century.  However, I was most concerned about falling on my butt as I walked on the beautiful marble streetsdownhill.

 

Additionally, I had the opportunity to visit Corinth during my journey, which was also a thrill.

 

So let’s begin our study of the next passage of Ephesians, Chapter 5…Verses 15 to 21.  Let’s hear the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD TRANSLATION of the passage…

 

EPHESIANS 5:15

Therefore, be careful how you walk…not as unwise men…but as wise…

 

EPHESIANS 5:16

…making the most of your time…because the days are evil.

 

EPHESIANS 5:17

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 

EPHESIANS 5:18

And do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation…but be filled with the Spirit…

 

EPHESIANS 5:19

…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord….

 

EPHESIANS 5:20

…always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father…

 

EPHESIANS 5:21

…and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

 

Here’s the structure of the passage…it has two parts…

 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PASSAGE

 

Be Wise

Verses 15 to 17

 

Be Filled

Verses 18 to 21

 

You may be familiar with the actor Cuba Gooding Jr., who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rod Tidwell in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire.  Maybe you didn’t know his father, Cuba Gooding Sr., was famous, too.  He was the lead singer for a group called The Main Ingredient, and one of their hits was the song Everybody Plays the Fool.  It’s true.

 

When you reach your second year of high school in the United States you are said to be a sophomore.  Little do sophomores know the term is an indictment.  The word sophomore comes from two Greek words…sophos which means wisdom and moros which means fool (literally a moron).  A sophomore is a wise fool.  A sophomore is someone who thinks he knows everything but really knows nothing.

In the first half of today’s passage, the Lord, through the apostle Paul, encourages believers in Christ not to be sophomores!  Let’s study the first part of this passage verse-by-verse...Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 15…

 

EPHESIANS 5:15

Therefore, believers in Christ, be careful how you walk(be cautious about the lifestyle you develop)…and walk not as unwise men do…but walk as wise men do…

 

As you consider the lifestyle you want to live, which the Bible calls your Christian walk, what is your choice?  Wisdom or foolishness?  You can walk with precision and guidanceor you can walk rudderless with carelessness.

 

The apostle Paul recommends a lifestyle of wisdom…Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 14 and 15…

 

EPHESIANS 4:14

…we believers in Christ are no longer to be children…tossed here and there by waves (like driftwood)…and carried about by every wind of doctrine…carried about by the trickery of men and their craftiness in deceitful scheming…

 

EPHESIANS 4:15a

…instead, speaking the truth in unconditional love believers in Christ are to grow up in all aspects (of our lives)…

 

Fools are blown about by every wind.  They are like driftwood on the water.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are wise when we live the way God wants us to live.  It’s a lifestyle of obedience to Him.

 

If you asked the Lord, “How can I live the life You want me to live?” … He would recommend a lifestyle of wisdom and discernment propelled by instruction from the Word of God.  As believers in Christ, we must always be concerned withwhat God wants FOR us.

 

Simultaneously, we must know what Satan wants for believers in Christ.  Satan’s offer to the human race is wisdom without God…the kind of wisdom sought by men like Aristotle, and Socrates, and Platoto name a few.  It’s wisdom through intellect, not wisdom from the truth of the Word of God.  As believers in Christ, we didn’t learn about Christ in this way, through the intellect.  We learned about

the Lord through faith in Christ alone.  As believers in Christ we make moment-by-moment choices between the two lifestyles…to be wise or to be foolish.

Here’s what the Bible has to say in other places about the wise and the fools… Proverbs 1, Verse 5…

 

PROVERBS 1:5

A wise man will listen and will increase in learning…and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel…

 

Proverbs 1, Verse 7…

 

PROVERBS 1:7b

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

Proverbs 3, Verses 5 and 6 say you’re being wise when you…

 

PROVERBS 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Jesus, and He will make your paths straight.

 

James, Chapter 1, Verse 5 gives believers advice…

 

JAMES 1:5

But if (1) any of you lacks wisdom, and of course all of you do, ask God the Father for wisdom…the One who gives wisdom to all generously and without reproach…and when you ask, wisdom will be given to you by God the Father.

 

In Biblical terms, wisdom is skillfulness with discernment.  Wisdom is a caution in assessing what is true…and what is false…and what is smart…and what is dumb.  When we are wise, we keep ourselves out of harm’s way.

 

The flesh resident in us is always inviting us to sabotage our lives and to abuse the gifts with which the Lord has blessed us.

 

Wisdom comes from the Word of God.  Believers in Christ can choose to do things the Lord’s way or to do things their own way.

 

The wise and the foolish are illustrated in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 24 to

27…the Lord Jesus Christ says…

 

MATTHEW 7:24

“…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.”

 

MATTHEW 7:25

“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.”

 

MATTHEW 7:26

“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.”

 

MATTHEW 7:27

“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 Christ is the Rock!  Believers…build your house on Him.  Unbelievers always are invited to do the same.

 

Now it’s one thing to have wisdom…it’s another to use it.

 

 

Be like the Three Little Pigs.  Build your lifestyle on a firm foundation.

 

Christians can do stupid things, and we do.  Even though Christians are in union with Christ as redeemed saints with absolute righteousness as a free gift from God asour admission ticket to heaven…even though Christians are destined for an eternity in heaven when we close our eyes in this life, foolishly we can choose not listen to God.

 

Those who espouse wisdom are careful to pay attention to details.  What do wise people do?  Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 16 says wise believers are…

 

EPHESIANS 5:16

…making the most of the time…because the days are evil.

 

Time provides opportunity.  Do you make the most of every opportunity God provides, knowing He provides these opportunities in a world that is evil at its core?

 

One day the world won’t be evil.  Revelation, Chapter 21, Verses 1 to 4…

 

REVELATION 21:1

Then I (John) saw a new heaven and a new earth…for the first heaven and the first earth passed away…and there is no longer any sea on the new earth.

 

REVELATION 21:2

And I (John) saw the holy city…the new Jerusalem…coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

 

REVELATION 21:3

And I (John) heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God the Father (the Lord Jesus Christ) is among men…and He will dwell among them…and they shall be His people…and God the Father Himself will be among them…”

 

REVELATION 21:4

“…and God the Father will wipe away every tear from every believer’s eyes…and there will no longer be any death…there will no longer be any mourningor crying or pain…the first things have passed away.”

 

Wisdom asks you (from earlier in the letter to the Ephesians)… will you tell the truth or lie?  Will you buy things or steal them?  Will you love unconditionally or conditionally?The Lord would encourage us to…

 

FROM THE MOVIE DEAD POETS SOCIETY

 

“Carpe Diem…to seize the day…to make our lives extraordinary!”

 

What does wisdom displayed by believers in Christ look like? We share the gospel

message at every opportunity…we say no to temptations…we obey God…and we

pray…for self…for others…and for enemies.

 

Satan’s world curriculum always encourages us to do foolish things.  Believers in

Christ counteract this foolishness by learning from the Word of God what the Lord wants us to do, and we obey!

 

What is God’s will for all mankind?  First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4 say…

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3

This is what is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…

 

FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4

…who desires for all men to be saved and who wants all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 17 concludes the first section of the passage with an exhortation…

 

EPHESIANS 5:17

So then…do not be foolish…instead, understand what the will of the Lord is.

 

What is God’s will for believers in Christ?  He wants us to be sanctified (separated from sin) and He wants us to be holy (fleeing immorality).

 

Wisdom or folly?  Wise choices or stupid choices?  I think you know God’s desire for you.  When we return from the break we’ll take the offering and then we’ll look at the second half of today’s passage verse-by-verse.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

O HAPPY DAY

Ray Charles and the Voices of Jubilation

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Believers in Christ to Be Wise and Powerful

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

Giving is a way to honor God while serving others, especially those who are unable to care for themselves.  Giving is voluntary, generous, and motivated by unconditional love.  Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall and let’s listen to what he has to say in one of his always inspiring offering messages.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:8

God the Father is able to make all grace abound to you…so that always having all sufficiency in everything…you may have an abundance for every good deed…

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Believers in Christ to Be Wise and Powerful

 

LESSON PART TWO

 

How can Christians acquire the wisdom necessary to live a life of discernment?  It begins by studying the Word of God.  Yet real wisdom comes when Christians are guided by the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit.  Here’s the second part of today’s passage…Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 18 to 21…

 

EPHESIANS 5:18

…do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation…but keep on being filled with the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit…

 

EPHESIANS 5:19

…and keep on speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord….

 

EPHESIANS 5:20

…always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father…

 

 

EPHESIANS 5:21

…and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

 

God the Holy Spirit teaches us how to love unconditionally.  In Ephesians, Chapters 4 and 5 He teaches us to love ourselves, our wives, our husbands, our parents, our employers, and our employees in ways pleasing to the Lord.  In John, Chapter 16, Verse 7 the Lord Jesus Christ introduces the power of the Spirit…

 

JOHN 16:7

I (the Lord Jesus Christ) tell you believers in Christ the truth…it is to your advantage that I go away…for if I do not go away, the Helper (the paraclete…God the Holy Spirit) absolutely will not come to you…but if I go away, I will send Him to you.

 

John, Chapter 16, Verse 13…

 

JOHN 16:13

And when God the Holy Spirit of truth comes…He will guide you into all the truth…

 

Being guided by the power of God the Holy Spirit allows us to live a heavenly life in Satan's not-so-heavenly kingdom here on planet earth.

 

Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 18…

 

EPHESIANS 5:18

…do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation…but keep on being filled with the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit…

 

This is a command to believers in Christ from God.  It is plural, so it applies to all Christians.  It is in the passive voice, which means it is God the Holy Spirit acting on us with His power, only with our permission.  We cannot do anything to summon the filling of the Spirit.  Isn’t it funny how so many Christians think Christianity is a DO life, not a DONE life.  God does everything for us.

 

What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit?”  It means the Lord wants believers to remain in the control of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating constantly a willingness to follow the Spirit’s instructions as communicated in the Word of God.

Christians are controlled by the Spirit when they follow the exhortation of Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 1…

 

ROMANS 12:1

Therefore, I (Paul) beg youbelievers in Christas you keep on being persuaded because of the many mercies of God, to present your bodies (by choice, not by command)...as a living and holy sacrifice...acceptable to God the Father...which is your spiritual service...worship.

 

When we present ourselves to be led by the power of God the Holy Spirit, we are admitting that our bodies, our minds, and our entire person are available for use by God.

 

What does it look like when Christians keep on being filled with the Spirit?  There is harmony in the home.  There is effectiveness in the workplace.  There is a selfless focus on the needs of those around us.  It is mind boggling when people around us act this way.

 

The filling of the Spirit is evidenced by joy within ourselves, a happiness that is a journey not a destination; an unconditional love toward others; and gratitude toward God which makes it effortless for us to submit to His will.  Do you see evidence of these things in your own lives?

 

Christians are joyful like Paul was in Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 11…he says…

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:11b

I (Paul) have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am…

 

Being happy, both in adversity and prosperity, is a power provided by God the Holy Spirit.  Christians can’t manufacture this happiness.  What does Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 18 say?

 

EPHESIANS 5:18

…do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation…but keep on being filled with the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit…

 

When we are drunk, we are out of control. When we are filled with the Spirit we are in the control of God.  The result is the production of one part of the fruit of the Spirit…JOY in self.  It’s not self-control…the delusion we prefer…it is God

control.

 

Under the control of God the Holy Spirit what are Christians prone to do?  Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 19 says we are prone to…

 

EPHESIANS 5:19

…keep on speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…singing and making melody with our hearts to the Lord….

 

When Christians are under the influence of God the Holy Spirit’s power through the filling of the Spirit, Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 20 says we are…

 

EPHESIANS 5:20

…always giving thanks FOR ALL THINGS to Godthe Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…

 

It's amazing when you have someone in your life whom you love.  All you want is to keep on expressing your gratitude for the little things they do to make your life joyful…gratitude as a fragrant aroma.

 

When gratitude fills a home, or any situation, it is remarkable to witness, especially if previous relationships have been marked by acrimony.  The contrast of a relationship for which you’re grateful is puzzling.

 

In our own human strength, we are not grateful in every situation.  Can you imagine someone who is given a cancer diagnosis saying to the doctor, “Wow!  That’s so exciting.  I get to show everyone I know how to be joyful with cancer!”  That’s probably not our reaction without the filling of the Spirit.

 

God's desire for believers is expressed in First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verse 18…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:18

…in everything give thanks…for this is God the Father’s will for all of you who are in union with Christ Jesus.

 

Gratitude happens when Christians submit to each other…Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 21…

 

 

EPHESIANS 5:21

…and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

 

We are subject to one another, not out of fear of Christ, but out of respect and awe and reverence for Christ.

 

We thank God for many things…wisdom and power among them.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

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

 

The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life.  You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life.  We want you to know that…

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

He Wants You to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.

 

If you want to travel to a country where you are not a citizen, you require a passport.  By using this official documentissued by the government of your country, certifyingyour identity and your citizenship, you are entitled to travel under its protection to countries where you are not a citizen.

 

All of us are born citizens of the world.

 

Unfortunately, this citizenship was given to us by the federal head of the human race, Adam, as a result of his sin.  Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 12…

 

ROMANS 5:12

…through one man…Adam…sin entered into the world…and spiritual death entered the world through his sin…so spiritual death spread to all men…because all men were considered by God to have sinned when Adam sinned.

 

Just so you don’t blame Adam for your plight, you commit personal sins as well according to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…

 

ROMANS 3:23

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

 

If you die a citizen of the world your eternal future will not be pleasant. Lucky for you, the God who created you does not want you to be a citizen of the world.  If you are when you close your eyes in this life, your destiny is an eternity in the Lake of Fire.  Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 makes God’s will for you clear…

 

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 wishing for all unbelievers to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

Through His work on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made it possible for you to renounce your citizenship in the world, instead becoming a citizen of heaven.  It’s the equivalent of becoming a naturalized citizen of a new country, much like people who are not born American can become naturalized citizens of the United States.

 

God’s plan for all His creatures is to save you from an eternity in the Lake of Fire by offering you a new possibility…salvation…citizenship in heaven when you close your eyes in this life.  You can be saved!  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

ACTS 16:31

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

 

Why?

 

Because expressing your faith in Jesus Christ’s Person and His work at the Cross on your behalf changes your citizenship.  John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

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

 

You can’t do a thing to change your citizenship from the world to heaven on your own.  God has to do it for you.  The apostle Paul describes this God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (the apostle Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for your 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…

 

If you don’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ…right now…right where you sit…right this moment…you have a choice.  You can remain a spiritually dead citizen of the world, or you can choose to be a spiritually alive citizen of heaven.  First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22

For all those in union with Adam (the citizens of the world) are spiritually dead…for all those in union with Christ are made spiritually alive by God.

 

What’s your choice?  John, Chapter 3, Verse 36, God offers the ONLY two choices…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment (they are made citizens of heaven by God) …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 (they remain citizens of the world for all eternity).”

 

Believers in Christ have made their choice according to Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 20…

 

PHILIPPIANS 3:20

(As believers in Christ)…our citizenship  is in heaven…from which heaven also we

eagerly wait for a Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…

 

God’s enemy, Satan, is the ruler of this world.  He welcomes you to remain a citizen of the world because he’d be pleased to have you live with him in the Lake of Fire for all eternity.  If you choose to remain a citizen of the world by rejecting the relationship offer of the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew, Chapter 8, Verse 12 explains your eternal destiny…

 

MATTHEW 8:12

“…the sons of Satan’skingdom (unbelievers…the citizens of the world) will be cast out into the outer darkness…in that place (the Lake of Fire) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

That is not God’s will for you.  If you end up in the Lake of Fire for all eternity it will be your choice, and God will honor it.

 

Do yourself a favor…BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Take His word for what it takes to be saved.  It’s the easiest, smartest decision you will ever make.  Place your faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ on your behalf and He will be more than happy to welcome you as a citizen of His kingdom, heaven.  Jesus is much better than a passport.  You can reside in His kingdom forever and ever with one simple choice.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

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

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!  James Chapter 1, Verse 17 speaks of the generosity of our Heavenly Father…

 

JAMES 1:17

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above…coming down from God the Father…the One who controls the heavenly lights…with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

 

What a marvelous thing to have a God who gives us gifts and never takes them away.  Here’s Telly Leung to sing about Him in the Godspell tune ALL GOOD GIFTS.

MUSIC

CLOSING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

ALL GOOD GIFTS

Telly Leung

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

…thank you for showing us how to be wise and how to be powerful…help us to bring these two virtues into every decision of our lives…

 

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

 

PASTOR JOHN FARLEY MEMORIAL SERVICE

 

Google Monarch Funeral Home…Margate, Florida

Click on the Website

Scroll and click on John Farley’s Picture

Scroll to Memorial Service and click "Watch Video”

 

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Please make it a habit to listen to the announcements.  They are posted separately.  Keep current on the things going on and coming up in Barah Ministries.

 

DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE

 

Join us Live or on Zoom Immediately Following the Lesson

 

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KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!

 

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