The Open Word (Audio)

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave all who would follow Him a Great Commission. He asked us to make disciples in all nations. Pastor David teaches in today’s message from Luke that this mission is not just for those working in ministry. He reminds us that whatever it is that God has given us to do, from a stay-at-home mom, to a lawyer, to a painter, to a farmer, we all should work as unto the Lord. God asks us to be bold about our faith and to advance His Kingdom by shining our light brightly and without fear.

Many people have been deceived into thinking that they can say a prayer once and live then go on living as a heathen and still inherit eternal life. Nothing can be further from the truth. In today’s message from Luke chapter 8, Pastor David carefully examines the parable of the sower. From these Scriptures we know that it is only those that produce fruit who will inherit eternal life. Fruitless men and women who profess Jesus but live exactly how they want without conviction of sin will surely be thrown into the fire to be burned.

When we read our Bibles, we learn that God did not choose the most obvious people to serve Him. In fact, the Lord rose up the least expected to do His will on earth. In today’s message from Luke’s Gospel, Pastor David teaches about a few of these unexpected servants. Luke writes about a faithful few women who were loyal to Jesus. Their names have been memorialized for all of time. Pastor David admonishes us to seek to be known by the Lord as these ladies in Luke were known by Him.

In chapter 7 of the Gospel of Luke, we meet a lady who was known throughout the city for her sin. However, in the Bible she is remembered for her extravagant worship of Jesus. Pastor David admonishes us to show mercy and grace to those around us. If we were all known and judged for our mistakes, we would not be welcomed at Jesus’s presence. Fortunately, because of the cleansing power of Jesus’s blood, we too can come and worship at Christ’s feet as grateful sons and daughters.

In chapter 7 of the Gospel of Luke, we meet a lady who was known throughout the city for her sin. However, in the Bible she is remembered for her extravagant worship of Jesus. Pastor David admonishes us to show mercy and grace to those around us. If we were all known and judged for our mistakes, we would not be welcomed at Jesus’s presence. Fortunately, because of the cleansing power of Jesus’s blood, we too can come and worship at Christ’s feet as grateful sons and daughters.

In today’s message, Pastor David asks this question: Do we as Christians live our day to day lives in the ever present reality that we will one day meet our Savior face to face? The Bible teaches us that the Lord Jesus is coming soon. As such, we must live to honor Christ each moment and make wise God-fearing choices. There are those that deny Jesus’s Second Coming. These lost people will not encounter a God of compassion and grace, but instead will face His well deserved wrath.

Preaching the truth can be very difficult because the Bible tells people that their deeds are evil and that they need to repent. However, we need to hear the truth even when it’s hard because our very eternal destiny is at stake. In today’s message from the Gospel of Luke, Pastor David points to John the Baptist as a shining example of someone who did not fail in preaching truth. Even though John’s message was difficult, he was faithful to continue with his difficult message repentance.

There are times in the life of a Christian when God’s glory radiates bright in our lives. However, there are also seasons of trial and suffering when doubt can threaten to crush our faith. In today’s message from the Gospel of Luke, Pastor David encourages us to remember that even spiritual greats like the Apostle Paul and John the Baptist had low moments. Pastor David teaches us that God is strong in our weakness. Just as God is our Lord on the mountain top, He is also our Shepherd in life’s valleys.

The moment someone becomes a true disciple of Jesus, he also becomes an alien in this present world. Therefore, Christians are rejected by the world. However, we must not grow weary in doing good in the face of trails. In today’s message from Luke, Pastor David teaches us that even John the Baptist struggled with doing the right thing in an ungodly world. When he was thrown into prison for rebuking Roman authority for wrongdoing, a good report concerning Jesus’s ministry encouraged John to continue speaking God’s truth.

In today’s message from Luke chapter 7, Pastor David asks the question, “How much loss can one person bear?” When Jesus was entering the town of Nain, He came across a solemn funeral procession. A widow was burying her only son outside the city. Christ had great compassion on her. So Jesus touched the coffin and commanded the dead son to arise. At those words, the boy did indeed come back to life. Pastor David points out that the Lord shows compassion on those who hurt, sometimes even before we cry out to Him.