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.
THREE PILLARS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (EZEKIEL 14:12-23)
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Pillar of the Community”? This usually points to someone who is always there, always reliable. One that holds up the community. Always somebody you can rely on, having deep respect for, they are pillars of the community.
David wrote, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the [a]beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psa. 27:4)
Ezekiel wrote of three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job. In this lesson we’ll meditate on these three and glean some helpful facts from their character and lives.
These three men…
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…
OBEDIENCE -THE FATHER & HIS CHILDREN!
In this lesson we will think about our loving Fatherk, of ourselves as His children and the power that comes from submission and obedience to our Father.
In Hebrews chapter 12 we think of our Creator in very helpful terms. The Need of our Father to Chasen Us – So That We Can Be More Like Him!
“7 If[d] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” (Hebrews 12:7-9)
Our Creator, God is Spirit, and we come to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Verse six says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens…” Let us turn to the scripture and meditate on these good things…
BLESSINGS GREETINGS VISIONS OF JESUS!
“1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must [a]shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:1-3)
Many miss out on the blessing of Jesus because of misguided methods of interpreting the scriptures. Too many just listen to every book writer, to every preacher, and ever family member, and miss the mark of understanding because they don’t simply let the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus, do the interpretating.
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