Homecoming 2008
Reference: 2 Tim 3:16; James 4:17
Introduction
This morning, we are really going to look deeply into the Word to understand God’s plan for our lives, as well as be mindful about Homecoming.
Today is Homecoming for our church and while this is a great time of fellowship – there is a Homecoming promised for the believer greater than anything we have ever imagined, and this morning (and for our entire lives), the focus MUST be there.
2 Tim 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”
- The Word is suitable for preaching and teaching, and we must apply it
- We have to understand its importance and relevance today
- It is infallible and beyond reproach
- We are called as believers to obey it all – Do you believe that?
When we disobey the Word of God – we sin. This particular sin is what we are called upon daily to get rid of as we strive to be like Jesus.
Today, we will use the Word to discuss and examine our service to God.
Pray
Point 1 – What is Our Role?
It is no accident that you are here today, so I want to call on you to go with me in the Word and stay tuned in. Let it be known that God is speaking to you directly this morning. Look at someone and say “This is for me.”
Before we can define our role in service to God, we must gain wisdom.
Psalm 111:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”
Fear of the Lord means to have a healthy respect (or honor) of who God is.
In churches today, everyone wants to have their preacher talk about God’s love, about God’s mercy, about God’s forgiveness – but the problem is that before you can have those things you must understand and learn about the required obedience of the believer, the justice of God, and the authority of Jesus Christ.
The wisdom of who God is and who you are is the beginning of knowledge – not the end! Many miss this and think they are good to go once they learn this, and that is not true – it is only the VERY beginning!
If you do not understand who God is this morning I want you to leave with this knowledge firmly planted in your minds.
Without this understanding of God it means that you are trying to do everything yourself and God is simply not going to honor that.
Today, we need to have a little more of that installed in our lives
We as the church, are lacking in this area and we need more wisdom
Without this knowledge, we are destined to failure in everything we do
There is no blessing from God without fear of the Lord!
There is no spiritual growth without fear of the Lord!
There is no mercy from the cross without fear of the Lord!
God is always going to be the same. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Application: We are the ones who change by the sinful lives that we lead!
Malachi 3:6 lays it out by saying "I the LORD do not change.”
- God’s promise to us is to always be the same
- Because He promises this he can then say
“So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”
- In order to judge this world, God must remain constant.
- He must be in control, on target, never late, and consistent in all things
- Failure to do this would mean He judges on a sliding scale
Church, God is preparing to judge … are you ready?
Many have pondered in their hearts what this judgment is, let’s examine
Point 2 – What is Judgment?
If you think this morning that you might just escape judgment, look at what God did to His own Son.
Isaiah 53:10 – “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”
Look at the words: “It was the Lord’s will …”
- In other words, it pleased God to allow this to happen
- It was God’s will to judge even His Son for your sins
- If this is true – how much more will He judge you?
There are three things I am absolutely certain of today:
- Judgment is good, right, and just
- Judgment is absolute and promised
- Judgment is full of truth and wisdom
Nahum 1:3 – “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished …“
- God is slow to anger which means he has patience with us daily
- But, He will not leave the guilty (those who sin) unpunished
Because of this application, we must fully appreciate what God’s mercy means in order to accept the love, kindness, and even the blessings of God.
- Are you blessed today? Could you be blessed more?
- If so, ask yourself are you obeying His complete will for your life?
- Remember 2 Timothy 3:16 … We will tie in the application shortly
Psalm 111:10 talked about wisdom being the beginning of fear of the Lord – that would be a holy fear – with that in place, let’s look at what James says about applying the wisdom of God to our lives.
James 4:17 – “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
Go with me to Acts 5:1-11 - let’s look at one example of sin against God.
Please remember that to everything we do there is a reaction from God – there are consequences to disobeying the Word and this wisdom we must have in our minds.
- Ananias and Sapphira were husband and wife, supposedly obeying God
- Together they had some property and they sold it
- However, they kept some profit for themselves (greedy)
- Ananias brought the offering before God and lied to the disciples
- He was then struck dead and carried off and buried
- Later, Sapphira came in not knowing what happened to Ananias
- God used Peter to again ask if she was being honest and she lied
- Peter rebuked her, and she dropped dead as well
Remember that having a holy fear of God means that you understand that your sin separates you from God! These two thought they could lie to God and it would be ok – imagine if that happened right here today!!
Now, let’s apply James 4:17 with this knowledge
Remember I said that I would show you how the application of being blessed and if you are not it is because of sin? Look at this.
As believers, we are called to -
- Serve the church by working and being a part of the ministries
- Attend church regularly (there are 3 services here; not 1)
- Tithe to the Lord on a regular basis
- Witness to everyone you come in contact with
Let’s break it down even farther … we are called to -
- Go to church regularly
- Work in children’s ministries
- Teach SS or some other class
- Serve in Vacation Bible School
- Spread the gospel to everyone
If you are not doing these things you are leading a life of disobedience clouded by your own sin!! Do not be deceived this morning by thinking this might not apply to you – if you are guilty of not doing these things you are disobeying the Word of God.
You want more blessings from God? Be obedient to the Word!
This sin, this lifestyle, WILL BE the DEATH of this church. Not just the Spiritual death, but the actual physical death of this church.
Let me say it plainly:
- You are not too old to work
- You have not worked enough
- God still needs your obedience to get out into the mission field
God is not interested in yesterday … but today and tomorrow!
Let me ask you this morning, do you want to be right with God? Do you want to leave here today knowing that you right in God’s eyes?
Point 3 – How to get right with God
Proverbs 28:13 – “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
“He who conceals …”
- God already knows your sin and He wants to deal with it WITH you
- Stop lying to yourself and deal with it by getting it behind you
“Does not prosper …”
- There are no blessings for disobedience
- “Many will call out Lord, Lord but will not enter the Kingdom”
“Whoever confesses …”
- 1 John 1:9 (“If we confess our sins He is faithful and just …”)
“Finds mercy …”
- Romans 5:20b “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more”
-- When you sin, it means that God has to reach farther out to catch you
- Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”
God’s Grace is mercy exemplified – it is not a license to continue sinning!
However, the sin you do not deal with WILL BE your downfall.
The Homecoming promised to the believer is greater than anything you could ever imagine; but your own disobedience (or sin) could prevent it.
The church’s disobedience and lack of repentance because of false pride and “that’s the way we have always done it” mentality with also be the death of it – we need to stop ignoring the call of God.
1 John 1:8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
Application: If we say there is no sin – or if we sit here and say that this message does not apply to me – then we are lying to ourselves.
Acts 1:11 - "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Even the disciples needed encouragement to stop standing around and get out there and spread the Gospel! If they needed it, wouldn’t you?
Acts 17:30 “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Today, we have some changes to apply. I said in the beginning that it is no accident that you are here today, this Word was for you. Do not leave here without taking the time to get right with God.
He is waiting on you to be obedient – do not ignore Him this morning.
Would you please stand.
(Singers)
With every head bowed and every eye closed, let me ask you:
Salvation – Before you can receive a Homecoming – Hand
Repentance – Hand
As we sing, if you raised your hand then you have business to do.
