ASSURANCE

Where do you run for refuge when life gets overwhelming?
What truths to do you turn to?

Notice Psalm 46:10 is rendered in the CSB as “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

During the dark and dangerous periods of the Reformation,
Luther would turn to his trusted friend Philip Melanchthon and cry out: “Let’s sing the 46th Psalm, and let the devil do his worst!”

It inspired his great hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”

So, in this lesson let’s spend time contemplating the term Assurance

UNPOPULAR DISCIPLES

In our last lesson we talked about 4 lies this world uses to keep you from the true faith, and from practicing your faith openly.

In this lesson we know that Jesus willingly suffered scourging, and crucifixion for all mankind. But we must also, and in context with Peter’s point, remember that during the 3 or so years of His ministry on earth Jesus suffered many things at the hand of man. Things He endured because He loved us – He left us examples.

MANY THINGS: Luke 17:25 “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”

Rejected by His Own for applying Isaiah 61 to Himself – Luke 4:18-19, 28-29
For Healing on the Sabbath The Pharisee’s Traditions – Matt. 12:11-14
In John 10, Claiming His Deity – John 10:30-39
Hunger, Tiredness – Heb. 4:15
Betrayal – Luke 9:44; Matt. 26:14-16
They All Forsook Him – Mark 14:50

And Peter tells us, “arm yourselves with the same mind”, to be ready to endure the same!

In our current day society both men and women are trained by appearances.

Understand that there’s nothing wrong with grooming and personal hygiene, and as Christians we must be concerned about our physical – outward appearance.
But it is undeniably true that many people are only concerned with their exterior beauty.
Most people neglect the inner man and, it’s simply because our current culture calls for an inordinate amount of attention given to the appearance of men and women.
Everything from diet plans to beer drinking are supposed to enhance one’s looks (and outlook) on life.
Truly, we live in a humanistic society!

Truly people tend to look and judge according to appearances and comparisons.

But we are God’s people and our God Sees Beyond the Flesh…

In our time, Christianity is not exactly popular but then, it wasn’t exactly popular in the first century. Jesus told His disciples, “24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause’” (John 15:24-25). And He also told them “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).

In this series called, “The Unpopular Way”, will be looking at a number of unpopular teachings from the Bible. In this lesson we’ll consider the ways the world tries to suppress you and how you can overcome such things as DEI, the majority rule fable, and it doesn’t matter what you believe. 

Join with me and remember the power to save is not in us, but it is God’s word.

GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Paul wrote, “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any [a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

God is Ever Present to Sustain Us Through Adversity – (Psa. 23; Heb. 13:5-6; James 4:10). We will face hardships in many forms, physical, emotional, yet when finally give up and lean on Christ, such a result cannot be all bad.
It’s been said, the only gospel to the poor and unfortunate is the gospel of better wages, better homes, less work and more play.
But truth is that adversity, suffering is what produces the noblest and strongest characters we have known. Forged to serve by these circumstances.
“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the [a]strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psa. 73:26)

Let us think on these things…

A WALK WITH GOD!

The previous lesson was about how to be pleasing like Enoch. This lesson is about how we can “walk with God”!

The New Testament teaches us to…
…walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7)
…walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25)
…walk in good works (Eph. 2:10)
…walk in love (Eph. 5:1-2)
…walk wisely, redeeming the time (Eph. 5:15-27)
…walk in the light (1 John 1:7)

Listen in as we discuss these six ways we can walk with the God of Creation, and the Lord Jesus Christ…

BE PLEASING LIKE ENOCH: Our most important thought must be what must I do to please God? This is an absolute truth! The Hebrew writer said of Enoch, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)

Jesus Pleased God by Doing the Father’s Will – So Must We! Obviously pleasing God requires faith in action, that is walking…

HOW CAN WE BE PLEASING TO GOD? PLEASE GOD THROUGH THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING.
– Not to Please Men – 1 Thess. 2:4
– Not Another Gospel – Gal. 1:8-9
– Preach In and Out of Season – 2 Tim. 4:1-4
– Preach As A Bond Servant of Christ – Gal. 1:10

OUR SALVATION PLEASES GOD
– It’s God’s Desire – 1 Timothy 2:3-4
– Our Waiting – Phil. 3:20-21
– Putting On Christ – Gal. 3:27

A LIFE OF A SERVANT

The Master said, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve….” (Matt. 20:28)

JESUS NOT ONLY SPOKE THESE WORDS BUT HE WAS A DOER.
– He showed us this service through the example of His own life.
– Healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and by His sacrificial death on the cross.
– TRULY THE SON OF MAN DID COME TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY.
– The LORD, our MASTER Jesus was willing to serve us in the most perfect and complete sense by laying down His life for us.

What will we do to serve Him in return?
Let us consider together, what is involved in serving God…

Let us consider together, what is involved in serving God…

The psalmist says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

WE PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM…
* BY BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
* BY OUR WORSHIP
* BY SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
* BY OUR GOOD WORKS
* BY LIVING FAITHFULLY

TRUTH DOES NOT CHANGE
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
“Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23)

THIS LESSON: 
CONTROVERSIAL TRUTH
TRUTH MUST BE PREACHED

“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him–the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48)