If you are saved, if you have truly, from your heart repented toward God and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ by God’s grace and through faith, you are going to heaven -- period. We know that one who is truly saved cannot lose that salvation. Jesus said, “. . . I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). I Peter 1:5 says we are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” God will not “recall” our salvation, nor can the devil steal it -- John 10:27-30: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (30) I and my Father are one.” Unfortunately, however, some will be saved with great difficulty. In Matthew 19:23, after the rich,young ruler had come to Jesus but gone away sorrowful because he did accept the Lord we read, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (By the way, if you reject Jesus you will go away sorrowful.) (HARDLY = with great difficulty.) Why is this? It is because of the tendency of men to trust their money and love their money more than they trust and love God. About the most we can do for some is just “snatch” them out of the fire of hell (as if we were pulling them from a burning building). Jude 23 says, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” So, one may ask, “Should I question my salvation?” Yes! Even if you have been saved for fifty years. It is better to question and make sure you are saved than to not question and end up in hell. Remember, Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” II Corinthians13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (EXAMINE = To test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize. (How? Read I John!) (REPROBATE = a reprobate is a lost sinner, unapproved of and rejected of God.) In our text Peter is talking about HOW we will enter heaven . . . not IF we will enter Heaven. He is writing to saved people. Their salvation is secured and assured. What you and I are deciding right now by our lives after salvation is our position and future rewards in Heaven. Vs. 10: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure . . . ” (GIVE DILIGENCE = make an earnest effort; “work at it!”) This phrase makes it clear that he is not talking about salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost . . . ” This word “diligence” conveys a sense of urgency. (“Don’t put it off.”) It speaks of an intenseness of effort and an eagerness of spirit. (SURE = through the idea of basality, this speaks stability.) He is talking about evidence. He is saying that if we are truly, saved (born again) it will show in the way that we live. This “stability is both for our assurance and for showing our salvation to others. We have probably all seen people who professed to be saved but put a giant question mark on that profession by the way that they lived. This will often cause them to become unsure of their own salvation. Look back at vs. 9: “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten (taken a forgetfulness to himself) that he was purged from his old sins.” What are the “these things” he is speaking of here and in vs. 8? (Just look at vv. 5-7.) “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What is he talking about? GROWING and MATURING as a child of God. The end of this verse tells us, “for if ye do these things (of vv. 5-7), ye shall never fall . . . ” (FALL = fall, offend, stumble.) Continual growth and progress as a child of God is the surest way to keep from stumbling. It is in our unguarded moments that we easily fall into temptation and sin against the Father. Notice he does not say, “fall from grace.” He is speaking of PURITY Of LIFE as a child of God. The reason some lack assurance of their salvation is because they have never grown as a child of God, and their lives do not reflect the change salvation brings - II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Vs. 11 tells us how to have an “abundant entrance” “into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” There are 3 key words in this verse - “Entrance . . . ministered . . . abundantly.” (ENTRANCE = coming in, entering in. MINISTERED = to furnish besides; to fully supply. ABUNDANTLY = from a word that refers to being wealthy; to be abounding with; richly.) The word has a view to abundance, overflowing; above ordinary measure. Remember, Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . ” Some who are saved who have never grown up in the Lord will enter His presence with little or nothing to present Him in worship of Him. (“Must I go and empty handed? Must I meet my Savior so? Not one soul with which to greet Him. Must I empty handed go?) The question that must be answered is: How will YOU enter heaven?

I. SOME WILL ENTER “YET SO AS BY FIRE.”

II. SOME WILL ENTER ASHAMED.

III. SOME WILL ENTER ABUNDANTLY.

As I have said many times here, I am constantly concerned about our worship and our approach to worship. It must always be pleasing to God. If we are not careful, we will take the things of God, even our worship of Him for granted (and I am afraid many do). They sit in a Sunday morning worship service barely making a sound when they sing and with eyes glazed over during the message from the Bible, the inspired and inerrant Word of God. So many of them are like the lady I once pastored, that I have told about on several occasions, who said of whatever I was teaching at the time, “I don’t need an outline. I know all this stuff.” They remind me of those Jesus spoke to in Matthew 15:1-9: “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, (2) Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. (3) But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? (4) For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. (5) But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; (6) And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. (7) Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, (8) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (9) But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” They also remind me of Uzzah in II Samuel 6:1-11. All of us have probably at one time or another heard the account of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant had spent many years at the house of his father, Abinadab. In I Samuel 4:3 as Israel was battling the Philistines the people said: “Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” (They viewed the Ark as little more than a “holy good luck charm.”) In vv. 10-11 Israel was defeated, and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the enemy: “And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. (11) And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.” In I Samuel 6:1-12 after having the Ark 7 months, the Philistines sent it back to Israel. The Ark came to rest in Bethshemesh where God smote over 50,000 people because the men of that city looked into the Ark. (God is serious about His commands, and what we do affects others.) In 6:21-7:1 - The men of Kirjath-jearim came and got the Ark and took it to the house of Abinadab where it remained for at least 20 years. Now David is ready to move the Ark to Israel’s capital, the City of David, Jerusalem. And that brings us to our text.

[TEXT]

“Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

[I Chronicles 13:1: “And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.”]

(2) And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. (3) And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. (4) And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. (5) And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. (6) And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. (7) And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. (8) And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. (9) And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? (10) So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. (11) And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household.” (II Samuel 6:1-11) There are many lessons we can learn from this account in God’s Word, but this morning I only have time to mention a couple. But today I want us to see: THERE IS A WRONG WAY TO DO A “RIGHT” THING.

I. THE OCCASION.

II. THE OFFENSE.

III. THE OUTCOME.

As we begin this last message on commitment we need to be reminded of what it means to be committed. COMMITMENT is “an agreement, a pledge to do something in the future. It is the state of being obligated." So, “ to commit” has the idea of a duty, or a responsibility - faithfulness. As it has pertained to these messages, “commitment” refers to obligating ourselves to Christ and to the will of God without hesitation and without reservation. And I will say again that I believe lack of commitment is the key reason more is not being done for the Lord Jesus Christ today. We have examined Christ’s call to commitment and seen how it involves our worship, this church, God’s Word, and sharing Christ, etc. With this message I want us to look at the rewards of our commitment to Christ. While rewards should not be our primary motive for serving God, it is good to know that He will reward us for faithful service that is performed out of a heart of love for Him. God’s rewards are referred to in several different ways in the Bible. In Matthew 6:19-20 Jesus uses the word “treasure.” “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . ” In I Corinthians 3:12-13 Paul seems to refer to the value of our rewarded labors by using the terms “gold, silver, and precious stones.” The New Testament speaks of “crowns,” or rewards we may receive for faithful service of God. Now, before we get too far let’s understand that one’s salvation is NOT a reward. A REWARD is “something given in return for good done or received and especially that is offered or given for some service or attainment.” The lost sinner does not and cannot “live a life good enough” to cause God to one day “reward” him with eternal life. Many believe that in the end God is going to put our good works on one side of the scale and our “bad works” on the other, and whichever weighs the most will determine where we will spend eternity. THAT IS NOT SO! Even our “works of righteousness” (or that we consider righteous) are not sufficient to save. Titus 3:5-6: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (6) Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour . . . ” Salvation is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” It is not possible for one to do enough good works to earn Heaven. If it were possible for salvation to be earned by works, Jesus died in vain -- Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." If one could earn salvation by his/her works, the death of Jesus was the most unnecessary death ever. Salvation is a gift based on what Jesus did on Calvary, not what we do, and when a lost person repents toward God and trusts Christ that gift becomes his. But, whatever you call them, God has blessings to give to His faithful children in this life and in the life to come.

I. FIRST -- NEGATIVELY -- REWARDS FOR (CONSEQUENCES OF) DISOBEDIENCE.

II. POSITIVELY -- PRESENT BLESSINGS OF COMMITMENT.

III. FUTURE REWARDS FOR COMMITMENT.

It seems that while there is more church activity today (more preaching, more internet sermons, more missionaries, more church websites, etc.) there is more crime, more perversion, more ungodliness . . . and more churches closing their doors each year. According to Lifeway Research, 4,500 churches closed in the United States in 2019, while only 3,000 new ones opened. This trend of more closures than openings has continued for a long time, and it is predicted that even more churches will close in 2025. For just a moment I want us to think about the early chapters of Acts. One hundred twenty church members went out on a great evangelism effort. (It’s hard to get one in twenty to do that today.) Because of their witnessing many people who were coming to know Jesus. (Yes, but they had the Holy Spirit at work for them! And we don’t?) The church at Jerusalem was expanding quickly and exponentially (with thousands added at a time). (And by the way, they didn’t have Facebook, livestreams, PA systems, etc.) And though there were many who did not choose to accept Jesus, it is interesting (and important to note) what those outside of that church thought of the church. They were impressed. Of course the “religious leaders” weren’t. They were out to destroy the church, just as they had been out to destroy Jesus. But among the people the Jerusalem church was held in high esteem. They saw their love for each other. They saw their care for the poor among them. They saw the godly fruit their lives were producing and they admired it, even if they were not ready to accept Jesus as Savior. Sadly, that is not true today. When you look at the polls, churches in America are not admired by many of those outside the churches. Even some who profess to be saved say, “Jesus, yes. Church, no.” They see many churches and church services as formal, uninviting, cold, and dead. After years of preaching and pastoring the Lord’s churches I have come to believe that the reason believers and churches are failing to make an impact upon our world today is due to the absence of a real commitment to God . . . on our part! We are failing to bring the lost to Christ as we should. We are failing to even “win back” our own who have been lost to the world. We are failing to make a positive impact for godliness in our nation and in our world. And while some say, “Oh, it's just a sign of the times,” (and according to Matthew 24:12 that is partially true), it still should not be. Commitment is defined as “an act of committing to a charge or a trust; an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.” Many want to be involved today, but few want to be committed. When we make a commitment, we obligate or bind ourselves to something or someone. As it pertains to this message, commitment means: We obligate or bind ourselves to Jesus and to do the will of God without hesitation or reservation. In our text, Jesus is declaring the need for commitment by those who follow Him. That commitment involves: 1) Denying self. 2) Dying to self (“take up his cross”) daily. 3) Following the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke 14:26-27 He declared the cost of following Him. We must love Him more than our own family. We must love Him more than our own life. We must bear our cross and come after Him. As we consider this message, let us ask ourselves, “Am I committed to Christ, or am I merely involved with Him?”

I. THE CALL TO COMMITMENT.

II. THE COURSE OF COMMITMENT.

III. THE COST OF TRUE COMMITMENT.

As a pastor and as a preacher of the Word of God, I often fear that, if we are not very careful, our “worship” of God will become mere habit. We can become mechanical in our worship - prayer, song, announcements, song, prayer, offering, song, message, song, prayer . . . GO HOME! We should not “come to church” to be put in the mood to worship, but when we come to church we are to bring our worship with us and offer it to God. In the Old Testament the Jews did not come to the temple to “get a lamb” to sacrifice, but they were instructed to “bring” their sacrifice for worship. Sadly, some figured out they could make money selling “sacrifices” and even set up shop in the Temple, but Jesus took care of them. That same attitude is present today when people believe their mere presence and a few dollars in the offering plate is a substitute for their heartfelt worship of God. And in many cases and in many places today the “worship service” is merely a spectator event. (We have hired - or elected - a “church staff,” and we come to watch them do their jobs.) People come to sit and watch the musicians, the song leader, and the choir “perform.” Then it is time for the preacher to “do his thing,” and it better be short, and sweet, and not offend anyone. But these things are not true worship. True worship comes from the heart first and affects us not just while we are in the church service but throughout the week. True worship is “all that I am (mind, body, and spirit) responding to all that God is.” True worship is “whole heart” worship that seeks to please God and do His will in our lives. Listen to what the psalmist said: 1) Psalm 111:1: “Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.” 2) Psalm 9:1: “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.” 3) Psalm 119:10: “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” If people truly love God, you will not have to plead with them to come to church on Sunday. They will want to be present. And one thing (among others) that will increase, and add to our worship is the subject of today's message, ABSOLUTE SURRENDER -- of our hearts, minds, and lives to God. In this 22nd chapter of Genesis we find one of the clearest pictures of the coming sacrifice of Jesus Christ that there is in the Old Testament. In this event we see a portrait of God’s heart as He gave His only begotten Son to die for mankind’s sin and in the place of the one who was condemned. This is usually how this passage is viewed, but there is another dimension to this text. Let’s look at it from Abraham’s perspective. He was called upon to make a great sacrifice. He was instructed to take the child of promise that God had given him and give him back to God. By the way, the greatest thing a parent can do is to give their child to God for His service. Yet, in Abraham, we do not see the heart of a broken, devastated man. Instead, we see the heart of the worshipper, who acts in complete obedience to God. In life, various demands will be made of us, and some of these will come from God. They may call for personal sacrifices on our part. From a human standpoint, we may not want to face them or even participate in them. However, God’s requirement for our lives is absolute, total obedience to His perfect will. Remember what Samuel said to King Saul in I Samuel 15:22: “. . . Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Even though we know these things, a part of us still wants to rebel against the commands of God for our lives. In this message we will see what is required if we, like Abraham, are to worship God with absolute surrender.

I. IT REQUIRES OUR PERCEPTION -- VV. 1-2.

II. IT INVOLVES PREPARATIONS -- VV. 3-5.

III. IT INVOLVES PARTICIPATION -- VV. 6-14.

Did you ever say those words to anyone? (COMFORTABLE = [Oxford Languages Dictionary] - “providing physical ease and relaxation.” Webster says it means “providing physical comfort; physically at ease.” Synonyms are: cozy, snug, easy, restful. But Webster’s also has this note: Comfortable “applies to anything that encourages serenity, well-being, or (the one that caught my eye) complacency. I believe the two biggest faults of God’s people today are apathy (lack of interest) and complacency. We are comfortable and satisfied, and we just aren’t interested. The fact that we live in comfort and ease is obvious. Even the saved tend to trust in what we have and who we are (Americans, Christians, Baptists!). And we hold that attitude - if not openly, at least in our hearts -while we live in difficult times. I imagine some would think after the last election, “We have it made now.” But remember what God’s Word has to say about the days in which we live. II Timothy 3:1: “This know also, that in the last days perilous (difficult, dangerous, furious) times shall come.” II Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (be chased, hunted down, persecuted).” And in the Lord’s churches, many (II Timothy 4:3) “will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Many will be “lovers of their own selves” and “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God . . . ” (II Timothy 3:2, 4). Hear what God says about this attitude of satisfaction in such difficult and extreme times. Amos 6:1: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria . . . ” Just like believers today, the lepers in our text dwelt in an extreme time and and extreme situation. Samaria was besieged by the Syrians. There was a famine in the land People were eating donkeys’ heads and doves’ dung, and boiling their babies. (Can there be an any more apt description of the spiritual condition of people today than that?) But, in the midst of this, these were not content just to “sit here till we die.” Notice their thinking in II Kings 7:4: “If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.” This is not fatalistic thinking. It is an accurate assessment of their situation. I talked to one man years ago, member of a Baptist church near where I was pastor. He said, “We’re just trying to hang on” (till the end). He was defeated in his mind. That is where most defeat occurs first. The church I pastored, and the one he attended were in a rural setting. He had decided, “We have done all we can do. The ‘glory days’ of the church over. We have an aging congregation. We out here in the country, and we can’t do any more.” He had no plan, no hope, no vision for the future. He had given up. Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” We live in extreme times today (just like in the days of Samaria). We often feel besieged because Satan is active on every front - family, social, business, political, and religious. People are feeding on the filth of the world spiritually, mentally, and physically. Like those in Samaria, they are feeding on donkeys’ heads, boiled babies, and bird droppings. Unfortunately, in this extreme time, most of God’s people and the Lord’s churches are satisfied to sit and blend in. (We are not saved just so we can sit, soak, and sour.) For a brief period these lepers were satisfied to sit outside the city gate and beg. The Lord dealt with a church kind of like that in Revelation 3:14-22. They said, “We are satisfied.” They said (vs. 17), “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing . . . ” (They had even put Jesus on the outside - vs. 20: “. . . I stand at the door and knock . . . ” But the Lord showed them they needed to get rid of that satisfied attitude because He told them (vs. 17) that they needed everything - “thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked . . . ” If the Lord’s churches today could see themselves as the Lord sees them, they might not be so satisfied. And while we sit in our satisfaction, the world about us is perishing. What will it take for us to quit being satisfied? Our text tells us of some lepers (society’s outcasts) who became dissatisfied with where they were and what their future looked like, so they decided to do something about it. When they did they were blessed and were a blessing to others. So let’s notice some principles from this account.

I. THE PRINCIPLE OF DISSATISFACTION -- 7:3.

II. THE PRINCIPLE OF DECISION -- 7:4.

III. THE PRINCIPLE OF DELIGHT (BLESSING) 7:5-7.

What kind of picture do you use as a PowerPoint background when you are sharing a message about Jesus? We do not know what Jesus looked like. We just know that Isaiah said of Him (53:2,3): “. . . he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (3) . . . and we hid as it were our faces from him . . . ” That doesn’t much sound like the paintings of Jesus we see today, does it? By the way, the background for this message is a mosaic that was unearthed in the area where Jesus is thought to have performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The title of our Lord fully expresses His deity, His humanity, and His office. He is the Lord (Master), Jesus (Savior), Christ (the Anointed One). Jesus was fully man and fully God. This message deals with the deity of Jesus. The Bible teaches of us His virgin birth and that He is Emmanuel, or “God with us.” He said to Philip in John 14:9: “. . . he that hath seen me hath seen the Father . . . ” Paul defended Christ’s deity before the Colossian Gnostics who denied His deity by teaching that Jesus was some lesser emanation, some watered down, weakened spirit being descended from God, thus denying His deity. And, the writer of Hebrews (1:1-2) reveals that Jesus fully expounds the mind of God: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son . . . ” God has a message for us today. It is a message we are to proclaim to the world, and that message is “JESUS!” So let’s look at Jesus this morning.

I. GOD’S PERSON IS REVEALED IN HIM -- VS. 15.

II. GOD’S POWER IS REALIZED IN HIM -- VV. 16-17.

III. GOD’S PURPOSES ARE REPLETE IN HIM -- VV. 18-19.

I believe the greatest disobedience toward God, and toward our Lord Jesus Christ by His churches today is the failure to witness of Him to a lost and dying world. I believe there are several reasons for this, and at the outset of this message I want to name a few. The first and foremost reason, I believe, is fear. 1. Fear of opposition - that someone might just be opposed to our wanting to talk to them about their sin, their sinfulness, their lost condition, and their need of a Savior. 2. The second fear is fear of ridicule. It is human nature to dislike being fun of. We often learn at an early age that being different brings ridicule. We learn that the best way to avoid that is to conform to the world around us. But, we are told in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Of being “insufficient” or “ineffective” - as in not knowing how to present the Gospel. Sometimes it is because we don’t go to where the lost are. Of course, we are not going to “hang out” in bars and nightclubs. They are not places where we can have an effective witness. (And we shouldn’t be in those places.) Often we cannot witness at work . . . Because our employer doesn’t allow it. But sometimes it is our fault (because our co- workers have seen how we act away from church). We don’t witness in our neighborhoods. Hopefully that is not because we are “feuding” neighbors. Also, as in #2 above, our neighbors have also see how we act away from church. And many times we don’t even know who our neighbors are. We won’t at Albertsons, Walmart, or out shopping (see “fear” above). And some will not even witness to their own families. Because they “are afraid” of creating a division in the family. Because, again, our families see us as we really are - good, bad, or ugly. But we have a command and a mandate from our Lord to be “soulwinners,” to tell others about Him -- Matthew 28:19-20 ; Acts 1:8. The terms “soulwinner” and “soulwinning” are actually misnomers. We don’t actually do the “winning.” That is the job of God and the Holy Spirit. Instead, we are simply to witness visually (by our lives) and verbally (by our lips) of what the Lord Jesus has done for us and in us. Acts 1:8: “But ye shall receive power (dynamic ability), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” I personally fear that the term “soulwinner” scares many believers away from this work. Because they don’t feel equal to the task. Because they have never been taught how to witness. Or, because they have sat through “soulwinning classes” that put more emphasis on “making the sale” than on sharing the message. There are actually only 2 qualities needed to be an effective witness for Christ. You must know Christ as Savior - why you needed to be saved, and how you were saved. You must have a love for the Lord and love the souls of people like He does. If you have those qualities and can talk, you can witness. Yes, there may indeed at times be opposition to our witness, however, there is an even greater joy in being used of God to bring a lost person to Christ - to seeing a friend, family member, or even a stranger go from being a child of the devil to being a child of God. The church at Thessalonica was exemplary in carrying the Gospel to the world and stand as a wonderful example for us today. Following their example, we must . . .

I. WITNESS BY DEMONSTRATION.

II. WITNESSING BY DIRECT ACTION.

III. WITNESS THROUGH DOMESTIC CONTACT.

IV. WE WITNESS THROUGH A DEDICATED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.

We are going to look at prayer this morning. Prayer is without a doubt the most powerful tool that a child of God has to get things done for his Lord. Prayer can go where we cannot go. Prayer can be offered anytime, from anywhere, and can reach any place. Prayer can touch lives that we cannot touch (because it enlists the power of Almighty God). Prayer is direct communication with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus . . . ” See what the Apostle Paul said we are to do after getting all dressed up in “the whole armour of God” -- Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . ” I am thankful that this is a praying church! (If you don’t believe or are unaware of that just check our Facebook group and page when a prayer request is listed there). In the first four verses of this fourth chapter of the book James warns us of some problems that, if we are not careful, can creep into our prayer lives. First of all there is the impertinence, or assumption and arrogance, of unoffered prayer. James 4:2: “ . . . ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” There is the impertinence of unoffered prayer. Then there is the issue of unacceptable prayer. James 4:3: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Some prayers are not answered because they are unacceptable - “Ye ask amiss” (AMISS = improperly; with bad intent. Motive and manner are under discussion.) We have seen the impertinence of unoffered prayer, and we have seen the issues with “unacceptable” prayer. Now for the next few minutes we want to examine the essentials of undeniable prayer. There must be:

I. SENSITIVITY TO THE SPIRIT -- Vs. 5.

II. SUBMISSION TO THE FATHER - VV. 6-7a.

III. STANDING AGAINST THE DEVIL - VS. 7b.

IV. SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD - VS. 8.

V. SOBERNESS IN PURPOSE VV. 9-10.

I realize this may be a strange sort of message to begin a new year, but what could be better than to enter the new year armed against the wiles and devices of the devil. Not a one of us knows what will happen in our lives in the year to come. I am pretty sure that we all had things happen to us or in our lives in 2024 that we never would have imagined at the beginning of that year. What will this year bring? Who but God knows? We will, no doubt, have some blessings, and we will have some disappointments. Let’s just pray that we have more blessings than disappointments this year. There is one thing I can guarantee, though, and that is the fact that during the coming year we will all face testings and temptations. I can guarantee it because the Word of God tells us so. James 1:13-15 says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” "Tempted refres to being tested, enticed, scrutinized. It originates from a word that means “to pierce through.” When you are tempted, do you ever feel like you have been pierced through? "Entice" speaks of being trapped, or caught with a bait. Satan works on the lust that is a part of the old nature to entice us, often when we are enticed we give in, and it brings forth sin. I Corinthians 10:13a tells us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man . . . ” "Temptation" here is a form of the word in James 1 and refers to a solicitation, provocation; or a putting to the proof. "COMMON TO MAN" just means human. Too often we are like the woman who said, “I can overcome anything but temptation.” But be of good cheer! God makes it possible to overcome temptation. Look at the rest of the verse in I Corinthians 10:13b: “. . . but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” "Will not suffer" means allow, permit; leave alone. (God will not leave you alone in the temptation.) And "escape" simply refers to an exit, a way out. In this first message of 2025 we are going to examine temptation, see the source of temptation, and share some principles for overcoming temptation in the year ahead. We'll see:

I. THE PROBLEM OF TEMPTATION.

II. THE PROCESS OF THESE TEMPTATIONS.

III. PRINCIPLES FOR OVERCOMING TEMPTATION.