Enjoying the Journey

(Hebrews 10:25) You can worship God in many places, but there are some things you can only do as you meet with God's people. Today we discover seven simple, plain Bible reasons to regularly assemble in a local church. (0964250313) ----more---- Why Go To Church? Why go to church? I mean, honestly, what’s the point? Why did the Lord intend that his people would meet together? You know, we’ve learned already that the word church means “a called out assembly.” Now, while the purpose of the church doesn’t stop with the assembly, it does start there. Some people have so emphasized the fact that the church works outside the walls (which I believe) that we’ve forgotten, that we’re still supposed to meet with God’s people. The assembly part is important because, in the meeting of the New Testament church, the ministry is set in motion. It is as we fellowship, as we come together, as we are edified, as we grow, that then we can function in this world. Hebrews 10:25 says this, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” There’s a lot of truth wrapped up in Hebrews 10:25. We Are Not To Forsake The Assembling Of Ourselves Together. Do you remember the Lord Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (18:20). There’s something precious to Christ about His followers assembling. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He very often took His disciples aside, by themselves, so He could teach them. May I submit to you? He still wants to do that. And then the Bible says in this verse, as the manner of some is, boy, that describes the world we’re living in. Here we are, the end of the age when the assembling of God’s people ought to mean more and more, and instead, it seems it means less and less to many Christians. On the average Lord’s Day morning, you can drive through the community and see people doing almost everything except going to meet with God’s people. May I tell you that’s not the Lord’s way? We Are To Exhort One Another. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhort one another.” This is one of the great keys that unlocks the purpose of why we should assemble together. In fact, the previous verse, verse 24 says, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” We’ve come to the place in our world today where people even look at church selfishly. What can I get out of it? Are my children going to have a good time? How is this going to benefit us? We ought to turn the thing around. It should not be about “what I can get out of the church meeting?” but “what can I contribute?” “How can I be a blessing?” 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that all of the members are connected to the body. All of the members are under the head of the body, which is the Lord Jesus, but they all contribute to one another. We Are To Remember The Founder Is Coming Back. All are participants. None are dispensable. And so we ought to start looking at the local assembly and thinking, what can I do to make my church all God wants it to be? How can I be the kind of member of this called-out assembly that will help us move forward to the glory of God, and then listen to the powerful end of Hebrews 10:25, “and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” What day is he talking about? He’s referring here to the day of the Lord’s return. Friend, Jesus is coming back. The Founder is about to return. The Head of the church is going to show up. And I don’t know about you. I’d be terribly ashamed for Him to find me totally disconnected from all the other members when He arrives I want Him to find me in my place, doing exactly what God wants me to do. So it brings us back to the question. Why go to church? Why did the Lord establish that we should meet? Let’s see what says. Let’s study the example of the early church, in the New...

(1 Corinthians 14:40) The basic structure of the New Testament church is determined by only one person—the Founder of the church, Jesus Christ! God is a God of order and He has plainly left us the order He desires. The measure of any church is its obedience to Christ. (0963250312) ----more---- The Meaning of the Word "Church" Words matter. So why did the Lord Jesus Christ choose the word church to represent his people in this world? The word church itself literally means a called out assembly. Now there's two wonderful parts to that. First, we've been called out, are you glad you've been called out? Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:9 and says that we've been called out of darkness into his marvelous light. I love that. The Lord Jesus when he first came, called his disciples that they should be with him. So we're part of that. Called Out Assembly: Unity and Gathering We've been called out, but then it's a called out assembly. It presupposes the idea that we're not just supposed to belong, we're to be together. That we would meet, that we would gather, that we would stay connected to one another. A called out assembly. Now, while every person on Earth that has put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior belongs to the Lord, that entire group has never met together at one time, no matter how big the meeting may be. And it never will meet together at one time until we all get to glory someday. Won't that be a wonderful assembly? What a day that's gonna be. You've never been in a meeting, like the meeting around. The throne of God at the nail pierced feet of Jesus. That's gonna be a great day. Local New Testament Churches But my point is this, the overwhelming emphasis in the New Testament regarding the New Testament Church is that the New Testament Church is a local assembly. It's a local group of baptized believers who voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the great commission. It is, if we might say it this way, a visible manifestation of the body of Christ in every place. For example, acts chapter eight, verse number one. This goes to really the heart of the church and the early stages of the church. Acts chapter eight, verse one says, "And Saul was consenting unto his death." That was the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the church. And the Bible says, and at that time there was a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem. There was a visible group of believers. Assembling together at Jerusalem. If you go over a few pages to Acts chapter 13, verse one. "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch." You hear that it's a reference to the geographical location of each assembly? We could go through the letters of the Apostle Paul, you'd find it again and again. Galatians chapter one, verse number two, one Thessalonians chapter one, verse number one. How about this one? Philippians 1:1, "Paul and Otus, the servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons." So our spiritual place is in Christ Jesus. We're seated with him in heavenly places. Praise God for that. But physically speaking, geographically circumstantially, we are at Philippi. At Thessalonica in Galacia or wherever your local assembly meets today. So we're dealing with local New Testament churches. Isn't that a simple principle? The Simplicity of God's Church Structure And a part of this simplicity, it's wonderful, is to see the simple structure of God's amazing work when the Lord Jesus founded his church. He established it in such a way that there was a simplicity to it. There was a simple structure. Let me give you a few thoughts today. Two Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper First of all he established two ordinances. That's wonderful. What are the two things he ordered that we do? They are baptism and the Lord's Supper. Matthew chapter 28, before he left the disciples, he told them to go into all the world to teach and...

(Matthew 18:15-20) There is much discussion today about what people think about church. Scripture tells us what Jesus thinks about the church, and how it should affect our thinking. Let's let the Founder speak for Himself... (0962250311) ----more---- Jesus: The Founder and Foundation of the Church If you want to know about any institution, perhaps the best place to start is listen to the words of the founder. Recently I read an interview with Dr. Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A. It was fascinating. Not just because of his business sense, but because of his dedication to Christ, his Christian testimony. But it was so intriguing to me just to hear from the founder's mouth, his own words the foundational principles that they'd built their company upon. If you want to know something about the church of the Lord, Jesus Christ, maybe it would be good if we asked the founder. In our world today, everybody has an opinion. Everybody wants to give their idea. This is what I think of church. Now this is what we want church to be. Wait a minute, let's get a word from the Founder today. What does He say about His church? Jesus' Vision for His Church And we began this study in Matthew chapter 16, verse 18, where Jesus said, "And I say also unto thee that thou Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church.And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." So we know it's his church. We know he's building his church. We know he is building his church upon himself. It's not upon Peter that the church is being built. As a matter of fact, there's a little divine humor here. Peter's name literally means a little pebble, a little rock. And then he goes on to say, but I'm gonna build my church upon this rock. In other words, upon a great rock, a great truth, what is that great truth? Oh, it is the great truth of who Jesus is. Paul would later say, of the foundation, can no man lay then that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So this is where the Founder begins talking about His church. But if you go two chapters later in the gospel, according to Matthew chapter 18, He continues. Remember, He's laying foundational principles in the hearts and minds of His first followers, the original disciples. I believe it's my conviction that the church started with Christ and His disciples. Now, there's some people that believe the church didn't start until the Book of Acts. I believe from my study of scripture that the Lord Jesus who is the Founder of the church, was the first pastor, and I believe the original disciples that little group of 12, that was the first called out assembly, that was the first church, and that then that church was empowered by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts. In Acts, you see the advancement of the church. It's the book of the Continuing Christ. But if you want to know something about the beginning of the church, then you have to go back and see what the Lord Jesus said to His disciples. And so in Matthew chapter 18, beginning in verse 15, Jesus is teaching something about discipline within the church. Christ's Purpose and Principles for His Church Listen to what he says. "Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou is gain thy brother. But if you will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established." That's not my purpose to get into all the implications here, but there's a great principle. And the great principle is this, that when you have a problem with another brother or sister in Christ that should be dealt with personally, and then it should be dealt with privately within the local church. This is a day and age, especially with social media where everything gets aired. The Lord Jesus said. There's some things that ought to be dealt with in the family, within the family of God. So he goes on in verse number 17 and...

(Matthew 16:16-19) What is the church? Where did it come from? Why is it so important? Today we begin to look at the church that Jesus started. (0961250310) ----more---- The Church: God's Family When a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior, immediately they become a part of the family of God. It is the greatest family on earth. And as soon as possible, that new believer should then unite with a local body of believers, a local assembly of believers who can study the word of God together, fellowship together, encourage one another, and work together to get the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ to other people. This is the importance of the local New Testament church. The Importance of the Local Church Now, what does the Bible say about the church? We have recently been studying what the Bible says about salvation, and I think it's a very natural progression now to move to the church because the Lord didn't just save you from something. He saved you for something. He saved you for himself. He wants you to be a part of what he is doing in this world, and that is being done through the local New Testament Church. Jesus' Teachings on the Church The Lord Jesus testified to his own disciples about the church and its work in Matthew chapter 16 in verse number 17. "And Jesus answered and said unto Peter, Blessed Art thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood, if not revealed it unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven." He's referencing of course, Peter's confession of faith, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And he said, that's come by revelation. God's revealed the truth to you. You've responded to that truth, by the way. That's how everybody gets saved. But then notice how he moves from salvation to the work of the church. He says in verse 18, "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter. And upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loose." In heaven. Heaven's work is being done on earth through the local New Testament church. So when people say to me I'm a Christian, but I'm just not into church. I always am puzzled by that. Either they're openly disobeying what the scripture says, or they're just ignorant of what the scripture says. And because you cannot divide Christ and his church, the Lord Jesus is the head, the church is the body. So to say you love the head but have nothing to do with the body sounds very abnormal to me. The Lord Jesus intended that his disciples from the very beginning would be connected to what he is doing in this world, and this is powerful. He doesn't call it your church. He calls it my church. You might say, this is my church, but in fact. The church belongs to the Lord. It is his church. It is the Church of the Living God. God's Three Institutions Now, God established three basic institutions that are all represented for us in scripture. First of all he established the home that was the first institution ordained by God. You find it all the way back in the Book of Genesis. It is the basic unit of civilized society. It's my conviction. That's why the devil has done everything he can to try to disrupt the home, because when you break down the family, immediately society civilization begins to crumble. So it begins with a home. Then he establishes civil government. Now why was that second? Why was that necessary? That grew out of the fall of man. Fallen men lash out at other fallen men we're living in a fallen world cursed by sin. And so God had to establish definite laws and a government to oversee that. Otherwise people would just kill each other. Every man doing that, which is right in his own eyes. So he establishes civil government. And I'll remind you that though you may not always like the government. It is right...

(Revelation 3:22) While the church anticipates Christ’s soon coming, we must not miss what the Holy Spirit is doing now! Be cautious of being so consumed with future events that you neglect present opportunities. Listen to today’s edition of The Weekend Pulpit as we begin a new study on Christ’s last words to His church. (0960250308)

(Ephesians 2:4-7) God's perfect salvation takes care of your past, your present, and your future! The eternal Son of God has worked for our salvation. He continues to work at this very moment, and He will finish His work in us! Salvation is more than an event - it is God's perfect work in his children. (0959250307) ----more---- Salvation by Grace Through Faith Will you permit me one more day? Just one more day to talk to you about what the Bible says about salvation? Honestly, I'm just having a good time in the word of God, having a good time talking to you about what it means to be saved. Because I know what Jesus Christ has done for me, and I'm starting to see more and more of what God says about this in scripture. And it's thrilling. It's thrilling to talk about. I hope you'll talk about it to someone else. I hope you'll get so excited. You'll wanna pass this along and share it with others. What does the Bible say about salvation? The last time we talked, I read you from Ephesians chapter two, verse eight and nine, famous verses, "For by grace you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." And we learn that it's all of grace and it's a gift. It's received by simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But let's return to Ephesians two, to the verses that precede those verses. The Bible says in Ephesians two, verse four, "But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith, he loved us even when we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ By grace, you're saved. And it raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Do you hear again, the past, present, and future tenses? One of the things I want you to see is that we think in time, but God who's eternal is not in time. He's working in our lives in a way that is continual, that there's no end to. He began his work of redemption in the very beginning of time. In Genesis chapter three, that's where we started our study. He promised Messiah was coming. All of scriptures, really the story of redemption. And when the Lord Jesus Christ came, he paid for the send debt of every man. When you come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, that work of salvation begins in your life. And there's so many things connected to that. Key Bible Terms About Salvation There's so many Bible words that you should study. For example, a substitution. Did you know when Jesus died on the cross? He took your place. He literally died for your sins, and he died as you. That's part of the doctrine of salvation. What about redemption? Redemption is to pay a price, to buy something back by paying a price. Did you know that's what he did for you when he died on the cross? He redeemed you with his own precious blood. How about the Bible word propitiation. He is the propitiation for our sin. That's a big word. What does it mean? It means to satisfy. Did you know when Jesus Christ paid the sin, debt on the cross? He satisfied a holy God. He satisfied the justice of God so that you could go free, so that you could be saved. What about the word reconciliation? It means that Jesus Christ took a holy God in one hand and sinful humanity in the other, and made a way to bring the two together. He reconciled us to God. When you come to the Lord Jesus and you take Him as your savior, what happens? How about this Bible word regeneration? It means new birth. Remember, Jesus said, you must be born again. To be regenerated is to be redeemed, made new. He doesn't make you a little better. He makes you a totally new person. He gives you a new nature. He comes to live inside of you himself. How about the word justification? Someone said that means just as if I'd never sin. Oh, it's better than that. No, it's not just that he deals with a negative. He declares you righteous. He puts...

(Ephesians 2:8-9) Grace is the gift of God. It is a gift to be received and to be shared! Rejoice today in God's grace to you and pass the truth on to someone else. (0958250306) ----more---- Salvation by Grace We're discussing day by day what the Bible says about great truths, a great Bible doctrine, and I know that normally today we would move on to. Yet another doctrinal section, but I can't, I'm sorry. Forgive me. The last time we met, we talked about so great salvation. Lemme just tell you, it's so great that there's more to talk about. In fact, we're not even scratching the surface. We really aren't on any of these doctrinal sections, but I feel like I can't move on yet. You see what the Bible says about salvation is so rich and so full that we must press it just a little more. We've talked about the greatness of this salvation. Let's consider today the grace of this salvation. Ephesians chapter two and verse number eight and nine says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." God's perfect salvation is all of grace. You don't deserve it. I don't deserve it. You don't get to the place where you're worthy of it. Instead, it is just the free gift of eternal life. That's what grace is. Let me read another scripture to you from two Timothy chapter one. The Apostle Paul, who is a great sinner, but he met a great savior, testified and said in second Timothy chapter one, verse nine, "Who have saved us and called us with an holy calling. Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace." There's that word again, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our savior Jesus Christ, who have abolished death and have brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. In other words, it's all of grace. Every good thing in my life is because of God, not because of me, and everything connected to salvation is the gift of grace in my life. In the same chapter in two Timothy chapter one. He goes on to say this in verse number twelve, "for the which calls, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and then persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day." Past, Present, and Future of Salvation Did you know that there's a past, present and future tense to your salvation? There's a past transaction. It's done, it's already paid for. It's been already settled and dealt with on the cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ paid for your sin in full. I. When Jesus went to the cross, all of your sins were future. You weren't alive when Christ died. When He died on that cross, he paid for all of mankind, sin for all time, past, present, and future that settled. And the moment you come to the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him as your personal savior, all of your sins are dealt with at that moment. In a moment of time, Isaiah chapter one, verse number 18. Jesus said come now. Let us reason together though your sins be a scarlet. They should be white as snow, though. There'll be a red light, crimson. They should be as wool. In other words, salvation is instantaneous. My sin was nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ. He paid for my sin, debt in full, all of it. And the moment I come and acknowledge that and accept the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, I'm delivered from the penalty of my sin and the guilt of my sin, P.P. Bliss, one of my favorite hymn writers, he died as a very young man in his thirties, but he wrote these words, "My sin, all the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole. It is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Even so it is well with my soul." I wonder, can you say it's well with your soul today? That's done. That's cared for in my life. I trust it's cared for in your life. If not, it needs to be at this moment. Today's the...

(Hebrews 2:3) One little word reveals the greatness of God's salvation. It is a heart word, a word of joy and soberness. "So" both defies definition and, at the same time, reveals how great salvation is! (0957250305) ----more---- The Power of a Little Word A big truth can be packed into a little word. Have you ever considered the little word? So it's a powerful little word. It's an adjective that can be used in a myriad of different ways, but in scripture. It is used frequently. The Meaning of 'So' in Scripture For example, John chapter three, verse number 16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." What does that mean? He's so loved. You see the little word, so is a word that defies definition. Really. It's an intensive word. It's a word that says to an extent or a degree that cannot be explained. It cannot be expressed perhaps by finite minds. It cannot even be understood. He just so loved the world. Today in our study, we've come to one of those sows in scripture. The Greatness of Salvation It's found in Hebrews chapter two and verse number three, where the Bible says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." I would submit to you that the little word, so here is both a joyful word and a sobering word. At the same time, we're talking about what the Bible says about salvation and God describes it this way. His salvation is not just salvation. It's not even just great salvation. No, it is so great salvation. It is so great that you need it. It is so great that without it you'll be separated from God forever. It is so great that you ought to rejoice when you have it, my friend. You ought to thank God that he saved you, but it's also so great that you ought to be sober about it and realize what a serious, costly thing this salvation is. We're talking today about the greatness of this salvation and if somebody said to me how great is it? I just have to use the Bible word and say, it's so great. An infinite God uses the word so to, to try to relate this truth to finite man. Why is our salvation so great? The Divine Author of Salvation It's so great because of its divine author. Just this week I've been preaching in the place where I've been ministering from the little Book of Jonah, and I came to that verse. Just last night, Jonah chapter two at verse number nine, it says, "Salvation is of the Lord." Can I remind you that man didn't come up with salvation. Salvation was God's idea that apart from God, we'd all still be lost in our sin would either be in hell or on our way there. But the divine author of salvation is the God of love and mercy and grace. It came to us according to the eternal purpose of God. This was not God coming up with an emergency plan. No. Our sovereign God knew from the very beginning of the world, this was not an afterthought. He knew from the very beginning of the world that we were gonna need a savior. Ephesians one, verse four says, "Before the foundations of the world." Ephesians three verse eleven says, "According to his eternal purpose." Titus 1:2 says, "Before the world began." First Peter 1:20 says, "Before the foundation of the world." It sounds to me like God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. Don't you think that he's been writing this story of redemption? Graham Scragg, he wrote a powerful book on the Bible many years ago and he titled his book, and I love the title, the Unfolding Drama of Redemption. My friend that's really what the Bible is. It is God's redemptive story to man Herbert Locky wrote this deep and far in an untrackable eternity. Its foundations were laid. It's not a thing of yesterday, it will not pass away with tomorrow. The father has endorsed it with his own everlasting ness. Think of that my salvation is rooted in the eternalness of God. He's the divine author that makes it so great. The Cost of Salvation It...

(Genesis 3:15) The teaching of salvation is wonderfully simple in Scripture. God has made a way for man to be saved from himself, from his sin, from the wrath of God. Nothing else is more important than knowing the answer to the question: "What must I do to be saved?" (0956250304) ----more---- The Question of Salvation Some questions in this world are more important than others because some questions affect not only time. They affect all of eternity. Questions like what think you of Christ. Or how about this question, sirs? What must I do to be saved? Soteriology: The Doctrine of Salvation We've come in our study of what God says in the word of God to a subject that is of supreme importance because it affects where you're gonna spend eternity. And that is what the Bible says about salvation. Perhaps no other doctrinal subject has been more debated and more discussed and more misunderstood. Then the doctrine of salvation. And yet in scripture, there's a beautiful simplicity to the message of salvation. The First Promise of a Savior I want us to begin where God begins with the very first promise of a savior. It's found all the way back in the Book of Genesis, in Genesis chapter three. It's a great reminder that Jesus Christ truly was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That from the very Garden of Eden, God viewed Golgotha. In fact, before he ever created Adam. In the mind of God, his precious son, the Lord Jesus Christ was already on the cross. From the beginning of time, God intended to redeem fallen humanity, and that's revealed in Genesis chapter three and verse number 15, where the Bible says God speaking, "And I will put iny between thee." That's the devil between the and the woman. "And between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel." Now Genesis three 15. It's easy to breeze over it, but Oh, don't do that. Mark it in your Bible and mark it in your heart, because Genesis three 15 is the very first promise in the Bible that a Messiah was coming, that a redeemer, a savior was coming. And in it we find the very first message concerning the doctrine of salvation. Remember, someone has said that the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis are a seed bed of doctrine, and that every great doctrine in the Bible can be found there in seed form. And when you come to the New Testament, you find those same doctrinal truths just in more fully developed form. We've been discussing from the Book of Genesis what the Bible says about man who man is. We've discussed what the Bible says. About sin, but now we come to the good news. Aren't you glad that the God who made man and the God who knew we would sin provided salvation? He made a way so that we could be saved. Understanding Our Need for Salvation Now, what are the basic lessons we learned from Genesis three 15? The first is that man is a sinner. That we are fallen. You don't need a savior unless you have been separated from God. Something has come between you and God. So the very first thing we must remember in the doctrine of salvation is that everybody needs it. Remember what Jesus said in Luke chapter 19, verse number 10, he said, "For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." People have to understand they're lost before they can understand what it means to be saved or even have a desire to be saved. We might say it this way. You have to understand the bad news before you can appreciate the good news. The good news. That's the gospel of the death and the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But frankly, who cares that he died was buried and rose from the dead if there wasn't a necessity for that, but there wasn't a necessity because we're all sinners. Romans chapter three, verse number 23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We needed a savior. So it brings us to the second great truth. God's Provision of a Savior The first is that man is a sinner, and the...

(Romans 3:23) How would you draw sin? Satan and the world draw only a picture of the pleasure of sin. God draws vivid pictures of sin's results. Today we examine three words that picture perfectly what sin is in the eyes of God. (0955250303) ----more---- What Does Sin Look Like? If you had to draw a picture of what sin looks like, what would that picture be? Our world draws a picture of pleasure and riches and happiness. That's the picture the devil wants to draw. But let the Lord, the true artist, the one who most accurately reflects all truth. Let him draw the picture, walk through scripture and see the pictures that he gives symbolic of sin. Biblical Symbols of Sin When He paints the picture, He says, it is darkness. It blinds. He calls it leaven. It spreads. He says, it's sickness and disease. It corrupts and it is pervasive. He calls it cords and chains. It binds a man, he calls it fire all consuming. He calls it poison deadly. I tell you, if we could see sin, like God sees it, no matter what kind of sin it is, we would think differently about the sin in our own life. Examples of Sin in the Bible It doesn't matter what your sin is. With Aiken, it was stealing with David, it was adultery. With Saul, it was jealousy. With Cane, it was murder. Judas was betrayal. Nebuchadnezzar's pride lot. And Deus loved the world. Coral rebelled against authority. Solomon loved pleasure anoni and of fire lied. Why do you think God gives us all of these pictures? He draws these pictures for us in scripture so that we will come to see sin like he sees it. Sin is worse than you think it is. It is worse than you think it is. The Nature of Sin It's a state of rebellion against God, an absence of righteousness. It is a nature that has come into every one of us. Romans chapter three, verse 23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Do you know that you are a sinner by nature? That no matter what you have done or haven't done, you're a sinner because you were born that way? We're all born that way. It was passed on from Adam and Eve. In, into all of our lives and that we have become sinners by nature. You don't have to teach a child to misbehave or to cry. You have to teach it to be good and obey. Why is that? Because the rebellious part comes naturally to all of us. And then in a practical way, sin is an act. It's disobedience to the known and revealed will of God and our sin. Nature works its way out in our sins every day. Three Words That Describe Sin Now God calls sin many different things in scripture, but I want today to talk to you about three words, if I might, three words that really describes sin and the way God paints the picture of sin in scripture. God uses words to convey great truth. Every word is purposeful. And there are many different words used in the Bible for sin that help us understand it. Words like evil, that's a good word for sin. Or unrighteousness or wickedness or ungodliness. Those words are all used frequently. But there are three words that are used primarily to represent what sin is in the sight of a holy God. And I'm giving you these three today and I'm gonna give you a little object lesson and if I might for each, that I think will help you remember it. I hope you can see what I'm about to say. Sin, Transgression, and Iniquity The first word, the most obvious word is the word sin for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now that word is used over 500 times in the Old Testament. It's used over 200 times in the New Testament. And the New Testament word that is used for sin literally means to miss the mark. Listen to Romans 3:23 again, "For all of sin and come short of the glory of God." So it is to fall short of the mark. You shoot at it you try to be good. You try to do right. You want to be perfect, but you miss it, and you miss it. Be it intentionally or unintentionally. You not only miss the mark, you hit the wrong mark. Imagine that we were shooting at a...

(Mark 1:1-4) Nobody looks forward to the hard seasons of life, yet God looks at them as holy moments for us to know Him more intimately. Are you weak or wounded today? Listen to this episode to hear how God can use your valley. (0954250301)

(Romans 5:12) Sin has not gone away; it just doesn't get talked about much. It is a reality in all of our lives and the source of every sorrow in this world. We must learn the truth about our own sin and about the only Savior who can deliver us from it. (0953250228) ----more---- Ignoring Sin Whatever happened to sin? Many years ago, people used to talk about sin. Preachers used to preach against sin. People used to fear sin, but now there seems to be so little talk about it. And yet, while we're talking about it less, it seems sin in our world and in many of our lives is growing. It's getting bigger. Left unchecked apart from God. Hamartiology: The Study of Sin Let me give you one verse today as we begin our study of what the Bible says about sin. Romans chapter 5 and verse number 12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." That's a powerful verse. There's a lot of doctrine, a lot of truth wrapped up in that one verse. This is what the Bible says about sin. Now, we most recently talked about what the Bible says about man. And there's a natural progression here because man enters into the world and soon on its heels, sin enters into the world. The Origin of Sin from Lucifer to Adam Wherefore, as by one man, who is that one man? That's Adam. By Adam, sin entered into the world. That means that the state of sin, fallen humanity, began in the garden. We trace it all the way back to the very beginning. Someone has said that woven through the Bible there are cords or threads that are consistent throughout. One of those is the gold thread of God's promises. It's woven throughout. God's faithful. One of them is the red thread or the crimson thread of the blood of Jesus and blood atonement, the sacrifice for sin. Aren't you glad for the mercy of God that is faithful? But one of those cords that is woven throughout from beginning to end is the black cord of man's sin of disobedience. And Romans 5:12 tells us not only where it came from, but where it led to. The Consequences of Sin: Death and Destruction The Bible says wherefore is by one man's sin entered into the world, and death by sin. James says it this way, that lust, when it is finished, brings sin, and sin when it is finished brings death. Where does sin lead to? It always leads to the same place. In every generation and in every nation, in every person, and in every place, sin always produces the same thing. It produces death. Did you know sin is older than the world? Certainly older than man. Because there was sin in the universe before there was sin on earth. You remember that sin began, not first with Adam, but with the tempter that came to Adam and Eve. It began with Lucifer. Sin began in the heart of one that was created but thought he knew better than his creator. And from the very beginning, sin always led to destruction, to death. The Bible passes this judicial statement on all of humanity in Romans 5 verse 12, "And so death passed upon all men." The gavel fell. The Judge says the sentence is death. Sin's Universality: All Have Sinned Romans chapter 3 verse 23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We've all missed the mark. We're all sinners, and because of that, the sentence of death is passed upon every one of us. Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." There's not a single person listening to me right now that's not a sinner, not one. Every last one of us is a sinner. Now, we don't like to think about it. You may not want to hear this today, and I really don't enjoy talking about it, but there's no fact so evident and no subject more important than the subject of sin, because sin is the reason Christ died. You can't appreciate the good news until you understand the bad news. Sin is the thing that keeps men from God. Sin is the thing that holds back Heaven's blessing. Theological Connections: Sin and Doctrine In a sense, sin connects...

(Genesis 1:27; 2:7) Man was created in the image of God. Our sin has marred that image, but our gracious God has made a way that we can be restored! The Bible is the only book that can accurately explain our past, present, and future. (0952250227) ----more---- The Creation of Man in God's Image "And God said, let us make man in our image." What a privilege. What a mind-boggling truth that we, humanity, were made in the image of our Creator. Now that is found in Genesis chapter 1 and in Genesis chapter number 2. God expounds upon that. He gives even more detail to His creative work. The Bible says in Genesis chapter 2 verse number 7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." The Unique Formation of Man If you want to know how man is different than the animals, Here's how. He was, first of all, the only part of the creation that was literally shaped by the hand of God. We preachers get pretty artistic at times and we say God flung the stars into space and He carved out the rivers with His finger, but actually that's not what He did. Now when you read Genesis 1 and 2, you find that God just spoke. That's the power of the Word of God. He just said, light, and there was light, and it was very good. So God spoke all of the created world into existence. But with man, this was the first record that we have that God of His own hands formed man. He took the dust of the ground and He shaped him. Why would He do that? I think it's a very beautiful picture to all of us that from the very beginning of time, God always intended for man's life to be in His hands. In a very real sense, your life is in His hands today. Your times are in His hands. The time of your life and the time of your death is all in the hand of God, not in your own hand. But I wonder, is your life really in God's hand today? Have you put your whole life in the nail pierced hand of Jesus and realized it's not your own? Have you said to your Creator, I want you to be my Redeemer? Have you said to the One who gave you life, I want this new life that comes through Jesus Christ? So the first way we are distinct is that we were formed by His own hand in this creative work. He made us. The Breath of Life and Eternal Soul And then, He breathed into our nostrils the breath of His life. Ecclesiastes says that God has put a little bit of eternity in every one of us. That's quite a thought, to think that God has put an eternal soul in all of us. Everything is going to burn up, die, disappear, be gone, but not man. A million years from this moment you will be alive somewhere forever because you have an eternal soul. God says He made you a living soul, and when God gives that kind of life, His own life, put into man, There is no end to that. Man's Constitution and Likeness to God We've been talking about how God created man, but think about man's constitution. He was made in the image of God. That word image literally comes from a word that means to shade. The illusion of something, the resemblance of something. It doesn't mean that we are little gods. It means that He has made us in His likeness to, to resemble Him. He has used His own nature, if you will, as a model for creating us. Like God, we have life, an eternal soul. Like God, we have intelligence with the ability to reason and think and decide. Like God, we have emotional and relational capabilities. Like God, we have been made in three parts. Our God, the Godhead, we've talked about this, is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. We have spirit, soul, and body. Man is a spirit. And that's literally the part of you where God dwells. You have a soul, your intellect, your emotion, your will, and then He's given you a body. He's put that spirit and soul in a body. And with your body you have five senses to relate to the world around you. That's really a beautiful thing to see how God has reflected His own nature...

(Psalm 8:4-9) Today we examine great questions connected to our own existence. What is man? Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Only our Creator can give an answer. We must uncover what the Bible says. (0951250226) ----more---- Fundamental Questions About Humanity Where did man come from? More important, why is he here? What makes him distinct from the rest of the creation, from everything else in the world? And perhaps the most important question, where does he go when he dies? Now these are basic questions about humanity, and the truth of the matter is, if you want to get the answers, the right answer, the only answer, You've got to ask man's creator. Man and His Relationship with God When you start talking about humanity, it leads you very quickly to talking about deity. You've got to go beyond man to the God who made him. Because man is simply a reflection of the image of God. Psalm 8 and verse number 4, we read these words, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou made us tend to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou was put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen. Yay, and the beast of the field, the foul of the air and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever pass it through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth?" Biblical Perspective on Man's Creation When people wanna talk about man and build man up, they miss the point because as you study, man, it leads you to the God. That created man. Man is the crown of creation. He's unique. In the words of scripture, God is mindful of him. Aren't you glad God thinks about you today? And then the Bible says that God visits him. Aren't you glad that God visits you? That He desires fellowship with you? I think this is one of the most humbling passages in all of scripture as it relates to the way God made us. And all through the Word of God, God is connecting us to Him. Psalm 103, verse 14, He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. Psalm 139, He knows our thoughts. Yeah, that's right. Your secret thoughts today that no one knows and that you don't express, God knows them. Matthew 10, verse 30, He knows the number of hairs on our head. John chapter 2, verses 24 and 25, Jesus said, He didn't need anybody to testify what was in man. He said, "I know what is in man." Understanding Man Through the Word of God If you want to understand man, study his creator. If you want to know something about humanity, study the Word of God. Today we're talking about what the Bible says about man. Not what man says about man. Not what you think about yourself. Not what picture someone draws of what the perfect man is supposed to look like, but rather, let's look in the mirror. And the mirror is the very Word of God. Genesis: The Beginning of Man We must begin where God does in Genesis chapter number 1 verse number 26, the Bible says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image. After our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. God created man in his own image. In the image of God created he him, male and female created he them, and God blessed them. And God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Now why are we starting in Genesis chapter 1? Because you've got to begin where God begins to reveal something about man and his original intent. These are foundational truths to understanding ourselves. If you want to understand you, and you want to understand mankind around you, then you must go to God. I was in an airport the other...

(1 John 4:4) There are three angels called by name and two "orders" of angels identified in Scripture. Lucifer led a number of angels to rebel against the Lord and these fallen angels now operate as enemies of God. In today's study we see what the Bible says about each of them and about the God who is above all. (0950250225) ----more---- Angels and Demons in the Bible Can you tell me the name of any angel? Specifically the name. There actually are only three that are given to us in all of Scripture. Now, why is that so important? We've been studying the fact that angels are God's messengers and that they are not to be worshipped. In fact, they would be the first to tell you worship God only. It's not their name that's important, it's the name that is above every name, the name of Jesus Christ. And we don't want to go beyond what the Bible says when it comes to angels. Now today, we're discussing not only angels, but demons and the devil. Why is that? Because demons and the devil himself, who leads that demonic host, they are simply fallen angels. They are created beings who were given certain power and gifts and then rebelled against God and are now using those against their creator. Exploring the Three Named Angels Who are the three angels that were named specifically? Michael is named. He is the archangel. We find him in Daniel chapter 10 and verse number 21 and we find him in Jude, we find him in the revelation of Jesus Christ. The name Michael means who is like God. Isn't that beautiful? For In other words, even the archangel, the highest angel says, I want you to know there's no one like God. There's no one like our creator. Then there's Gabriel. Gabriel's mentioned in Daniel chapter 9 and of course famously known in Luke chapter 1 as the angel that announces the birth of Messiah. And Gabriel's name means the mighty one. Now, these angels are mighty because they were created by the almighty God. And then the third angel given by name in scripture is Lucifer, son of the morning. You can read about him in Isaiah chapter 14, what a description of him. His name means he who is the light of God. Now, hear that carefully because you want to remember that Lucifer becomes Satan, becomes the devil, and plunges into sin. He brings the whole world into darkness. He is the chief of the darkness. And yet his name originally was one who reflected the light of God. If you reject light, you enter into darkness. And Satan is the classic example of that. Orders of Angels: Seraphim and Cherubim If there are three angels given by name, there are two orders of angels given to us in Scripture. There may be more than this. Scripture talks about the principalities and the powers and We honestly don't know all the orders of angels and all the things going on in the spirit realm, but we know these two groups of angels. There are the seraphim, the seraphs, and there are the cherubim. The seraphim you find in Isaiah chapter 6, in Isaiah's vision of God, His holiness. And what are they doing? They're just worshiping the Lord. They seem to be leaders in praise. People that are just created, or beings rather that are created to do one thing, and that is to give glory to the God who's worthy of all glory. The cherubims, or the cherubs, you find in Genesis chapter 3, and again in Ezekiel chapter 1, and they are always connected to the glory of God. Both of these orders of angels, the seraphim and the cherubim, are always in some way connected to God's throne. You find them Very near to the Lord. The Fall of Lucifer: From Light to Darkness Now we shift from thinking simply about angels, to talking about the devil and demons. Why? Because the devil was a created being. In fact, he was a chief angel. Listen to the words, the description given to us of Satan, Lucifer, originally in Ezekiel chapter number 28, beginning in verse 13. God says, "Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was thy covering, the sardis, topaz, and...

(Psalm 103:20) We must be very careful not to fall short of Scripture, and not to go beyond it. Angels are real, created beings, messengers of the Lord. Today we discover what the Bible says about them. Believe in angels...but trust in the Lord! (0949250224) ----more---- Angelology: The Doctrine of Angels What does the Bible say about angels? In our world today, there's a great deal of speculation about these invisible creatures and who they are and what they do. And then some people on the other end of the spectrum say that's all imaginary. That's just make believe. It's like some children's fairy book tale. It's something that was just concocted from the imagination of some person. But what does the Bible say? What does the Word of God teach about angels? In Psalm 103, verse 20, we read these words, "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word." I think that probably is one of the greatest summary verses on the doctrine of angels that you'll find in all of scripture because it reveals so many primary truths about them. Now there are many things we do not know about the angels. But there are a few things we do know. One is that they are created beings. The Bible says that they are His angels. Where did they come from? They came from the Lord. And what do they exist for? Psalm 103 verse 20 answers that. They exist to do His commands. They hearken to the voice of one person. They don't come to do our bidding. Instead, they exist to do the bidding of their Creator. Primarily, that is to bring Him worship and bring Him praise. The Bible says they are to bless the Lord. Everything they do is connected in some way to the glory of God. That's why when you talk about Satan and the fallen angels, their great sin was in detracting from the glory of their creator. Stealing from God, if you will, the glory that was due to His name alone. Now these angels are higher than man, but they're lower than God. The Bible says here in Psalm 103 verse 20 that they excel in strength. They're greater than man. In the sense of their created abilities and yet they are not God. They should not be worshiped as God. I think there are several errors and misinterpretations when it comes to the subject of angels. One is that some people have just outright rejected the idea of angels. Liberal theology attacks, anything that's miraculous or supernatural or invisible. They say, if you can't prove it, then it can't be. But that is totally against the principle of faith. So God's Word teaches that there are angels. We're going to learn more about them. We can't reject them. Then, on the other hand, some people have made idols out of angels. Many people have perverted the place of angels in worship. They have exalted them to the place of a Savior to be prayed to, to be trusted in. And my friend, that's idolatry. Colossians chapter 2, verses 18 and 19 says, Let no man beguile you of your reward. In a volunteer humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things, which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth. The bottom line is this, the angels must never take away from the place that Christ alone is worthy to have. Now that portion of scripture in Colossians 2 also tells us a third misinterpretation of angels. Some people reject them, some people make idols out of them, and then some very well intentioned people presume to know things about them that God's word is not clear on. Sometimes writers of fiction have assumed and attributed things to God. To angels that are not scriptural they have overemphasized the place of angels. I want to tell you this. We must not fall short of scripture, but we certainly must not go beyond scripture. Let me say it this way. We must not be unwise about what is written. We must be wise...

(Mark 1:16-20) Only Jesus could transform ordinary fishermen into soul-winners! However, this transformation required some sacrifice from His disciples. How can one become a fisher of men today? (0948250222)

(2 Corinthians 13:14) There is only one God. That God has expressed Himself in three Persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It should be our greatest desire to grow in knowledge of and love for every member of the Godhead. (0947250221) ----more---- The Divine Trinity Over the last several studies, we've been looking at what the Bible says about God, about the Lord Jesus Christ, and about the Holy Spirit. Come to see that God the Father is God, that God the Son is God, and that God the Holy Spirit is God. And we don't have three gods, we have one God expressed in three persons. The Bible says there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And so they are distinct and separate persons of the Godhead. And yet, they are co-equal, co-existent, and co-eternal. The word that is frequently used to describe our God is the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Really the word Trinity is a great word. It means three in one, the triune God, Trinity in unity. Understanding the Godhead But the Bible word for it is the Godhead. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, working together. Jesus spoke about this in John chapter 14 when Philip came to him and said, "Show us the Father and it sufficeth us." We want to see the Father. And Jesus says to him, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." In other words, if you want to know the Father, You have to know the Father through the Son. In the same chapter in John chapter 14, He said, "When I leave you,(when the Son leaves), I'm going to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth." And he says, "The Holy Spirit's going to come and dwell with you and be in you and he's going to reveal more of me to you." So watch this. If you want to know the Father, you've got to know the Son. And if you want to know the Son, then you've got to know the Spirit. Do you see how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work together? The Father is the begetter, the Son is the begotten. The Father is the sender, the Son is the sent one. And then the Father and Son together send the Spirit of God to abide with us forever. It's also a beautiful thought to see how each glorifies the other. The Father glorified the Son came to fulfill the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit comes not to do his own will or to speak of himself, but rather to glorify the Lord Jesus so that the Father will be pleased. It's just, it's wonderful to see this perfect unity and part of the reason we can't comprehend it is we don't see that kind of unity in our world today. Our finite and fallen minds cannot wrap our imaginations around something so perfect and yet that's our God, our perfect God. Biblical References to the Trinity From the very beginning of the scriptures we see this triune God at work. For example, Genesis chapter 1 verse number 26 says "Let us make a man in our image." Oh, who is that having a conversation? Oh, that's the Father, Son, and Spirit. Who've been in perfect communion from eternity past. In fact, in Genesis chapter number one, we see the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters and we learn in Colossians 1 that the Lord Jesus Christ was the one who created all things. So someone's going to say who created the world? The Father, the Son, or the Spirit? And the answer to that question is yes. Isn't that beautiful? So even in the plurality of the pronoun that's used in Genesis 1, even in the plurality of The name that is used for our God, the Lord God. There is a reference to the fact that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, all working together. Our perfect God. One God at work in this world. Let me read something to you from the book of Isaiah that may help you to understand this a little better. I love this passage. Isaiah chapter number 48, verse number 16, says, "Come ye near me, hear ye this, I have not spoken in secret from the beginning. From the time that it was, there I am, and now the Lord God and His...

(1 Corinthians 6:19) How strange it would be for someone to live in your house and to never communicate with that person. The Holy Spirit lives in the heart of every believer. Is He at home in us? We must learn what it means to be filled with the Spirit. (0946250220) ----more---- The Holy Spirit in Your Life Do you ever talk to the person that lives in your house? On the day you trusted the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ Himself, came to live in your house. That's right, in your temple, in your heart. Your heart is His home now. Do you ever talk to Him? Does He have liberty to? To go and roam into every room and control every part. Is he at home in your house? It would be a strange thing if you married someone and lived with them for 40 years and never spoke to them. That perhaps happens at times and that's an awful thing. But how awful it is to think that some people meet the Lord, and the Holy Spirit of God comes to live inside of them on the day of their salvation, and they live the rest of their life never talking to that Person and never letting that Person talk to them! The Mystery and Reality of the Holy Spirit Now granted, there is a great mystery to the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus said in John chapter 3 verse number 8, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whether it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit is often likened to wind or breath in Scripture. And there is a mystery to the wind. You can't explain all of that, but as surely as there's a mystery, friend, there's also a reality. And there is a real person living inside of you at this moment. His name is the Holy Spirit. Understanding the Person of the Holy Spirit Perhaps the least understood and most misunderstood person of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit. He's not a thing. He's not merely a power or influence, he's a real person, he's just as real as the Father and the Son. Matthew 28:19 says, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." He is just as real as the Father and the Son, and He's just as real as any person here on earth. Acts 15:28 says, "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things." The apostles were saying, "Look, the Holy Spirit is speaking just like we're speaking. The Holy Spirit is working just like we are working." I wonder, do you know the Person that lives in your house? All through scripture, we're introduced to his personality. We learn something about his actions. The Holy Spirit's Actions and Reactions He speaks. Acts 13, verse 2, He literally spoke. He spoke to the apostles. He prompted them. In Romans 8:26, He prays. He intercedes for us. In John 15:26, He testifies. He's the Spirit of truth. He testifies of Christ. He commanded in Acts 16. He oversees. In Acts chapter 20, in verse number 28, He guides. Jesus said in John 16:13, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." He teaches. John 14:26, He's the great teacher. I'm telling you, He's a Person. He not only acts, he reacts. Ephesians 4:30 tells us He can be grieved. Isaiah 63:10 tells us He can be vexed. They tempted the Holy Spirit in Acts 5, verse 9. They resisted the Holy Spirit in Acts 7:51. Mark 3 warns us against blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He's a real person. He has an intellect. He has emotions. He has a will. When you refer to the Holy Spirit, don't refer to him as an it. Refer to Him as a real Person because that's exactly what He is. The Divine Nature of the Holy Spirit And He's not only a real person, He is God. He is all God, just like the Father and the Son. We see the attributes of the Holy Spirit all through Scripture, identical to those of the Father and the Son. He is omnipotent, and omniscient, and omnipresent. He is eternal....

(Genesis 1:2) The most misunderstood and misrepresented Person of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit. How well do you know the Spirit of God? We are introduced to Him on the first page of the Bible and it is time we all got to know Him better. (0945250219) ----more---- An Introduction to the Holy Spirit Have you met the Holy Spirit? Some people refer to the Holy Spirit like He's an object or a thing or a force, but in fact, He is a real person. Co equal, co existent, co eternal with God the Father and God the Son. And the first time we meet Him is not on the day of Pentecost. The First Mention of the Holy Spirit The first time we meet Him is in Genesis chapter 1. It's amazing to me, really, how many of these great doctrinal truths begin on the opening pages of Scripture. Someone called Genesis 1:11 a seedbed of doctrine, and they said that every major truth in the Bible can be found in seed form in the opening chapters of Genesis. I think that's beautiful. Genesis 1 verse 1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Now, did you catch that? The Spirit of God, right there He is, in the creation. Remember, God is a Spirit. And the Spirit of God is at work in the creative work. He's hovering, He's brooding over His creation from the very beginning. He's involved in creation. The Holy Spirit as the Breath of God The psalmist said in Psalm 33:6, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." The Holy Spirit literally is the breath of God. Job said in Job 33:4, "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." So the Holy Spirit is the creator. The Holy Spirit is the one who gave you life. When God breathed into Adam the breath of life, and man became a living soul, the Holy Spirit was at work. That same Holy Spirit that breathed into man and the creation is the same Holy Spirit we find in Scripture that gave us the Word. The Bible says that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Literally, God breathed it out. It is the work of His Holy Spirit. Second Peter 1:21, "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Second Samuel 23:2, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and His Word was in my tongue. Amen." This book we're studying, this Bible, you have the Holy Spirit to thank for that. Here's what's wonderful, if you're a Christian, the Author lives in your heart. The Holy Spirit, who gave the Word, lives inside of you. Ask Him to help you understand it. He'll help you. Talk to the Author today. I do love the Holy Spirit. Oh, I do love the Holy Spirit. I love the Holy Spirit because everything I know about God, the Holy Spirit taught me. I say that with authority and conviction because it's impossible to understand spiritual truth apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. So everything I know about Jesus, everything I know about God, everything I know about the Bible, I know because of the Holy Spirit. He's our teacher. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament We see Him in the Old Testament. In Genesis 6 verse 3, He is the restrainer of wickedness. The Lord said, "My spirit shall not always strive with man. He was holding back wickedness." We see Him enabling believers, even in the Old Testament, for special service. For example, in Genesis 41, the Spirit of God was seen on Joseph. Numbers 27:18 the Lord said to Moses, "Take thee, Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit." Daniel 4, verse 8, they recognize that Daniel had the Spirit of God. We know that the prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit. Samuel was moved by the Spirit of God. The Lord poured the horn of oil anointing David in 1 Samuel 16 verse 13, and the Bible says< "The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." The Spirit of the Lord came on Samson. Over and over again, the...