INTRO.- ILL.- On the first day of creation, God created the dog.
- On the second day, God created man to serve the dog.
- On the third day, God created all the animals of the Earth to serve as potential food for the dog.
- On the fourth day, God created honest toil so that man could labor for the good of the dog.
- On the fifth day, God created the tennis ball so that the dog might or might not retrieve it.
- On the sixth day, God created veterinary science to keep the dog healthy and the man broke.
- On the seventh day, God tried to rest, but He had to walk the dog.
Not Biblical at all, but cute. Not the creation account we know.
ILL.- Mike Huckabee had Bill Maher on his new Saturday night TV show on Fox called Huckabee. Who is Bill Maher? He is an American stand-up comedian, television host, social and political commentator, and author.
Recently Maher made/produced a movie entitled, "Religulous." Maher is highly critical of religion, which he once described as a neurological disorder that justifies crazies and stops people from thinking.
He said, "Religion to me is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don’t need. But I’m not an atheist, no. I believe there’s some force. If you want to call it God... I don’t believe God is a single parent who writes books."
He asserts that religion provides answers to questions that cannot possibly be answered. Questions such as: "Where do I go when I die?" or "Is there a heaven?" Maher argues that religion is dishonest and it "stops people from thinking."
I think Maher is a nut case and an antichrist! He is definitely opposed to Christ.
ILL.- There is a fictitious story about a group of men who set out to find an answer to the question, “Where did the earth come from?” They compiled much data covering many areas of investigation and then fed it into the mammoth computer. When they had completed their work and had given the machine all the information, they pushed the “answer” button and waited expectantly for the results. Lights flashed! Bells rang! Buzzers sounded! When the great moment arrived, this printed message emerged: “See Genesis 1:1.”
That’s smarter than most computers today. We believe the message of the Bible! IN THE BEGINNING GOD. And from the beginning God has been thinking and doing. He is at work!
Our text reveals some of what God was thinking from the beginning as we know it. And His thinking deals with people and how to have a relationship to them. God has always desired a relationship to the people He created.
PROP.- How does that relationship come about? And what does it mean? These questions are answered somewhat in this text.
1- We are called through the gospel
2- We are saved through the Spirit
3- We are equipped through the Word
I. WE ARE CALLED THROUGH THE GOSPEL
14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ILL.- Do you remember that Verizon wireless commercial: "Can you hear me now?" The "Can you hear me now?" guy, Verizon says, is the "personification" of a crew of 50 Verizon employees who each drive 100,000 miles annually in specially outfitted vehicles to test the reliability of Verizon’s network.
Verizon said, "Our casting specifications called for an everyman with something quirky or memorable about them. We looked at over 1,000 people." In fact, the one chosen was Paul Marcarelli, a 34-year-old actor from New York City. And, yes, those really are his own horn-rimmed glasses.
Since the ads began in 2002, Marcarelli has helped Verizon gain market share and reduce customer turnover.
Marcarelli is the original "Can you hear me now" guy? NO, NOT AT ALL. God is. God has been saying to all mankind for a very long time, "Can you hear me now?" But not everyone is listening.
14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is not calling people through Verizon wireless but through the gospel of Christ, no matter how that gospel is presented or preached! In fact, He may literally call some people through Verizon, AT and T, Alltel and others. That is, if people use their cell phones to talk to others about Christ.
Years ago most people heard the gospel through preaching in our churches. People used to flock to our churches on Sundays and during revivals. And many came forward, confessed Christ and were baptized into Him.
Other people have been called through some evangelists, particularly those like Billy Graham who has faithfully preached the gospel for many years. And some people have actually responded to the gospel of Christ by their personal reading of scripture. BUT TODAY, IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT LISTENING OR RESPONDING MUCH AT ALL. What’s the deal? Why are people not listening? Why are they not hearing God calling them?
There could be several reasons. 1- We are not doing the work of God by spreading the gospel message. We’re not witnessing like we should. Why not? I’m not sure. Either we don’t care much for lost people or else we may think it’s their responsibility to hear and respond on their own without our help.
What has happened to our passion for lost souls? Or did we ever have it in the first place?
II Thess. 1:8-9 "8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power."
Scriptures like this one need to grab our hearts and make us speak to others about Christ. We need to somehow become "soul" conscious. The first thing we should wonder about people is not how old they are, or how much money they have, or what kind of house they live in or the car they drive, BUT ARE THEY A CHRISTIAN? ARE THEY IN CHRIST?
2- Another reason that people are not answering the gospel call is because they don’t think it’s important. People today are not spiritually focused. They are materially focused.
We are bombarded with the economy and the bailouts. People are worried. Many people are hurting financially and this has captured their minds and lives. They can’t see anything else so naturally the gospel doesn’t seem to have any appeal to them.
What people don’t realize is that God is the answer to the economy and their money problems as well as their salvation!
We need to live in such a way that people will see the most important thing of all is to know Christ! After all, he said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." Meaning if you will seek Me and find Me, I’ll take care of you in all ways! IF PEOPLE ONLY KNEW! And we’ve got to tell them!
People are called to God through the message of the gospel of Christ and we’ve got to share, tell, and preach that message!
II. WE ARE SAVED THROUGH THE SPIRIT
13But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. Saved through the work of the Spirit.
ILL.- Do you what Karma is? You hear people in Hollywood often talk about bad Karma and good Karma. I read where actress Kate Hudson is afraid of Hollywood’s bad karma, consequently she carries a bottle of water, so she can splash it over her body, whenever she meets someone surrounded by "negative energy."
Hudson said, "When I’m around people who have bad energy, I usually carry some water and I just kind of, like, put it on myself. It’s not like a holy water, just something to cleanse myself if someone’s really negative." OH BROTHER!
Karma deals with Hinduism and Buddhism, etc. And has nothing to do with Christianity and is not found anywhere in scripture. I would say it’s nothing more than saying that someone has a "bad" or "good" attitude.
People don’t need Karma. They need the Spirit of the living God within them! The only protection and help that I want in life is God’s Spirit in me! Greater He who is in us than he who is in the world! And that He is God’s Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does save us in a sense. In the sense, that He comes to live within us when we surrender our lives to Christ.
Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 5:32 "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
People have to first believe in Christ and believe Christ’s words of salvation before the Holy Spirit can begin to do His good work in a person. I believe that the Holy Spirit works "on" a person before He can ever work "in" a person.
A person must hear the gospel and respond to the gospel before God’s Spirit can do His thing in us. Then once He comes to live within us He can go to work on us! He can begin to sanctify us! What’s that? Purify. Set apart. Make different. Make better. Make holy, but not holier than thou.
ARE YOU ANY BETTER THAN YOU USED TO BE? Are you a better person? A better Christian? More faithful? More committed? More serving? If so, then God is at work in you through His Spirit. Praise Him. Thank Him. No one can ever get better without God’s help through His Spirit.
Romans 8:5 "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."
It’s a matter of the mind. When the Spirit is at work in us we will set our minds more on spiritual things: scripture, service, worship, praise, etc.
Gal. 5:16-18 "16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
This scripture says much. If the Holy Spirit is at work in us He will change us and produce some outstanding fruit in us! He will make us to become more like Jesus.
III. WE ARE EQUIPPED THROUGH THE WORD
15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
ILL.- An executive came home from work one day and slumped down in his recliner with a frazzled look on his face. His wife asked him what was wrong. He said, "You know those aptitude tests we’re giving the employees at work? Well, I took one today just for fun and it’s a good thing I own the company!"
ILL.- Joe and Moe had this conversation. Joe: Why did you fire your secretary? Moe: Because she couldn’t spell. She kept asking me how to spell certain words. Joe: I suppose you couldn’t stand all those interruptions. Moe: NO, IT WASN’T THAT. I JUST DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO LOOK UP ALL THOSE WORDS.
Did you ever feel inadequate or unequipped for a certain job?
ILL.- For example, my son Shane drives a truck, a semi, a big truck. I can’t do that. I’m not sure do that even if I had the training. Hopefully, I could. And there are many people who couldn’t drive a big rig if their lives depended on it.
ILL.- My daughter Holly teaches the 5th grade in Mechanicsville, VA. I can’t do that. I’ve looked at some of the stuff they have to learn and I don’t understand it. Am I saying that 5th graders are smarter than me? Not everyone can teach school; 5th graders or otherwise. They wouldn’t have the "know how" or the patience.
WE NEED EQUIPMENT! No, not better computers or faster. Not better buildings and better programs. Not better equipment of any kind. What we humans need is to be better equipped to serve the Lord in various ways!
ILL.- My preacher friend, Truman Brady, never went to Bible College. Even though he’s not equipped, he’s trying to get equipped on his own. He studies sermons on sermon central and he studies scripture a lot! And that’s what it takes to equip anyone to serve the Lord whether they preach or whatever they do! Of course, especially, when it comes to preaching. SCRIPTURE EMPOWERS US ALL! When we read the Word of God and let it sink into our hearts and minds, God works!
15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
We all need to hold to the teachings of scripture and allow them to strengthen us in our faith and equip us for service. If you’re going to hold to something you’d better know what it is. That means study.
II Tim. 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
ILL.- Think of it this way. When I fished for bass I read Bassmasters magazine. When I ran marathons I read Runner’s World. Why these publications? Because they gave me insights and information on how to improve both my fishing and my running. AND THIS IS ONE WAY TO LOOK AT SCRIPTURE. Scripture enlightens, educates and equips us to live the Christian life and serve the Lord.
But scripture does even more! SCRIPTURE EMPOWERS BECAUSE IT IS DIVINE. It is not just another book to be read. It is God’s Word, which is alive, active and powerful.
Heb. 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
CONCLUSION------------------------------
From the beginning God. From the beginning God has been thinking about YOU! He has always been thinking of you. There’s not a minute that goes by that He doesn’t think about you!
From the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned God has always been seeking reconciliation with mankind. That’s what he wanted with Adam and Eve and that’s what He wants with all mankind today. He calls us through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He saves us in Him and through His Spirit. And then He equips us to proclaim that message and live that life.
