“This Treasure” 21/8/16

A Message by Pastor Bill Page, Living Light Gospel Church, Cairns.

Luke 10:29-36 When the Jewish man was attacked and left “stripped… wounded… half dead” by the side of the road, a priest and a Levite; his own people; his religious leaders, ignored him and hurried past. But a man from another culture, hated by the Jews, a Samaritan “had compassion” and ministered to him “pouring on oil and wine”. Oil represents the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Wine speaks of joy, celebration, family. They belonged to the Samaritan but he was ready to give them to this wounded man, even though he may not be appreciated or recognized. Jesus repeatedly demonstrated this in His own life, often eating with “tax collectors and sinners.”

Just like the Samaritan, you have a treasure in you that the broken and hurting people of the world desperately need. Don’t keep it all to yourself; pour it out!

2 Corinthians 4:5-7

Verse 5: “We do not preach ourselves.” As we “go in His name” reaching out to others, ministering in places and to people who may have been rejected or even “despised”, we are not preaching about us or our Church. We are bringing the life, the love, the grace and the salvation that is only found in Jesus Christ.

So what is our attitude to the people around us? Just like Jesus, “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” To truly reveal the love and the nature of Jesus, we take on the attitude of “servants.”

One day, the mother of James and John came “kneeling down” before Jesus, asking that her sons be “one on Your right hand and the other on Your left in Your kingdom.” As usually happens, this attitude caused strife and division, the other disciples becoming “moved with indignation against the two brothers”. So “Jesus called them to Himself” and taught them a lesson about true greatness in His kingdom.

Matthew 20:25-28 “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” On another occasion He “set a child in the midst” to show them what really matters in the Kingdom of God. The example of His own life, which they saw clearly, fulfilled all that He was teaching them.

Philippians 2:5-8 Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant.” Clearly the Kingdom of God functions very differently to “the kingdoms of this world.”

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 So Paul now testifies to the greatness of God, who fills us with “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” That’s the “treasure” that the world so desperately needs, and you have it! “The knowledge of the glory of God” brings “light” into the darkness of individual lives, into marriages and families and transforms communities and even whole nations. And where is this “light”, this “glory” found? Where will the people of the world see it? In you!

2 Corinthians 3:18 You and I are being “transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” Whose image? The image of Jesus.

When we go in His name, ministering His love and grace, bringing “light” into the darkness, people see “the face of Jesus Christ” in us!

The Good Samaritan did that. When the wounded man saw his religious leaders hurrying past him, he must have despaired. But imagine when this gentle Samaritan “had compassion”, stopped, “bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine” how healing and refreshing his touch must have been and the wounded man had a revelation of “the face of Jesus Christ.” Compassion, love, caring, sacrificing…

2 Corinthians 4:7 You and I all have “this treasure”, not in fancy golden containers or expensive bottles, but God chooses to put His “treasure”; “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” in “earthen vessels” like us!

Why? “That the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” By reminding us from time to time that we are, after all, just “earthen vessels”, God helps us to remember that it’s not about us but about Him. If we mess(continued)

Acts 7:57 – 8:3

Luke introduces Saul as a conspirator in the death of Stephen, although he took no active part in it, he stood on the sidelines in agreement with it. Then, as Godly men buried Stephen, Saul spent his time destroying the Church, by dragging off men and women and putting them in prison.

Acts 9:1-2

Saul is still breathing out threats against the disciples, but look what happens to him. See how the GRACE of God, delivers him from his prison!

Acts 9:3-18

God not only spoke to Saul AUDIBLY, He blinded him, then healed him and filled him with the Holy Spirit.

THEN an amazing thing happened, he went forth and preached in the synagogues that Jesus Christ IS the Son of God. Of course, all the Jews thought that he was doing this as a plot to bring all Godly men to the chief priests, however, after a few days, they even plotted to kill Saul.

We need to be careful with the words we speak over people’s lives. The words we speak over our OWN lives. Some of the Word’s that have been spoken over my life could have destroyed me…

Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

How often do we stand on the sidelines? When we hear someone speak ill of someone, how do we respond?

Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

So often we think, God can’t love me because I’ve done this or that. So many times I’ve heard people say “I won’t walk into a Church because the roof will cave in.” The truth is God DOES love YOU – NO MATTER WHAT! YOU’RE NOT GUILTY ANYMORE!!! AND GUESS WHAT, the roof didn’t cave in when I walked in.

We have to be a people who allow others to GROW! More and more, I’m pulling myself up…it’s not my place to judge someone because of their situation or what they are doing. Sure we hate the SIN – BUT WE GOTTA LOVE THE SINNER.

Ephesians 6:12 – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

It’s the GOD’S job to JUDGE

The HOLY SPIRITS job to CONVICT

And it’s OUR job to LOVE

We need to stop judging.

We are not perfect.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 – “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise,[a] be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

You see Church, if God can take Paul out of prison, He can take ANYONE out of their prison from the past, and not only heal, but use you to help others. We need to stop hiding behind our past failures, we can’t go back and change them. We have to accept we’ve made mistakes and Church, we need to allow others (and ourselves) the freedom to go on and look to the future.

Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

The team returned from the outreach in TI & Bamaga and Ps. Ben brought a word on Power & Authority. The alter was filled 4 people deep and into the aisles at the end of the message.

“Grace for Grace” 12/6/16

A Message by Pastor Bill Page, Living Light Gospel Church, Cairns.

When the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness they had their “ups and downs” but God never stopped loving them, protecting them, providing for them and making sure they were OK. He called Moses to go up Mount Sinai so that He could give him “the law”; the guidelines for man to obey, in order to please God and live well in the Earth.

Exodus 31:18 Moses met with God on top of Mount Sinai and “when He had made an end of speaking… He gave Moses two tablets… of stone, written with the finger of God.”

But Moses was gone from the people for forty days, and they rebelled against Moses and against God and “made a molded calf” of gold and worshiped it at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Exodus 32:4 Aaron was not a strong leader, so he joined with their idolatry and even took the gold and “fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.” Then, as often happens, rebellion and disobedience opened the door to all kinds of other sins and excesses. The people worshiped “the golden calf” and “sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” God told Moses to go down the mountain, saying that the people “have corrupted themselves.”

Verse 10: God said that He wants to “consume them” and He offered to “make of you a great nation.”

Numbers 12:3 “The man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth.” He rejects God’s offer, interceding for God’s people instead, even though they were in open sin and rebellion!

As a result of the grace and intercession of Moses “the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.” But the sin was still there. They were still in rebellion even though Moses had just saved their lives.

Verse 19-20: So Moses “cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.” He had received them from the hands of God on top of the mountain, but now he smashed them “at the foot of the mountain.” He received them from God but he broke them before the people. Why? Because the law is powerless to determine the behavior of man.

Romans 3:20 “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”

Remember, the law deals with the outside; our behavior, but grace deals with our hearts. When our hearts change, our behavior will change. Behavioral change without a heart change is at best short-lived.

Exodus 32:20 Moses dealt with the sin. He got rid of that filthy idol completely!

Contrast the leadership of Moses and Aaron:

Verse 22-24: Aaron is full of excuses and lies. He said he took the gold from the people “cast it into the fire and this calf came out.” Verse 4 says that he made it himself. We all look ridiculous when we lie to God!

Verse 32: Moses ministered forgiveness and grace, even calling on God to “forgive them their sin but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

Romans 9:1-3 Paul showed the same grace in interceding for the people of Israel.

John 10:11 “The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.”

What is going to happen? The people need to receive God’s grace and forgiveness, just like us. They need a fresh approach to God not based on the law but on grace, which He had so powerfully extended to them because of Moses.

Exodus 33:7 “Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting.” Sometimes leaders need to go “outside the camp”, away from the noise and activity of the people, and meet with God.

Verse 8: When Moses went into his “tabernacle of meeting” “all the people rose… and watched Moses.”

Verse 9: When Moses “entered the tabernacle” the people watched as God came down and “talked” with him.

Verse 10: “All the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.” A spirit of worship and humility has replaced the rebellion and sin. God “spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

Our Heavenl(continued)

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