Good evening everyone. I hope that tonight has found you well. In America, we have a constant war between what is right and what is wrong. We as Christians need to draw the line in the sand. We are not perfect but God has called us to be Holy as He is Holy. We are under constant attack and sometimes we can find ourselves questioning where God is in all of this. We feel pressed, we feel broken, we feel set aside by culture and upcoming generations, but the scriptures show us a picture of who we are and who we are to become.
2 Corinthians 4:6-9
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
We are earthen vessels carrying a heavenly message, a message of the cross and of the resurrection. For without the cross our sins could not be washed away and without the resurrection, we would have no hope of a future, beyond the here and now. Jesus came and gave us a future, a bright future. God has had a bright future for us since the beginning of time. When this Earth was started, Adam had no need to worry about shelter, he had no need to worry about clothes, he had no need to worry about anything, for the only thing that he needed to sustain his life was food.
Genesis 1:29
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
God gave Adam the needed supply for the needed time. Adam had a need for food and God supplied that food. We all know what happened after this time. Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, which he had been commanded not to do, and the results of this broken law entered into this world.
Romans 5:12-13
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Or in the NIV it is stated in 13,
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.
We see here that even though Adam had everything he needed, he created a situation in which he needed something more than what he had. God had supplied him with food, but now he was destined to die in sin and away from God.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve realized that they were both naked and in need of more than what they had. Now in Genesis 2 we see that they had always been naked and before eating of the fruit, they had not been ashamed. The tree has been interpreted as many things, but I believe that God is very specific when He says certain things. The tree opened the eyes of Adam and Eve, but not to life. The tree opened their eyes to the Law. They had one rule to follow to begin with, but now they had a multitude. In their shame they covered their nakedness with fig leaves, but God always has better plans for us than we have for ourselves.
Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
I have heard it said that this is the first blood sacrifice to cover sin. It was not brought about by man, but by a loving God who wanted to see the best for His creation, but the blood sacrifice of animals could never be the ultimate sacrifice given. God is a God that looks after the thoughts and intents of the heart. He looks for more than just a sacrifice of our material possessions. It is easy to ask forgiveness of someone by simply giving them a gift. It attaches no mental repentance to our actions, it is only an outward cleansing.
Hosea 6:6
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
God knew even from the beginning that animal sacrifices would not be enough and so He set a new plan in action. God gives again.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
God sent His Son Jesus. He came to be the perfect sacrifice for us. He did not come into the world in the manner that we would think that a king would come into the world, He came in the way we needed.
Isaiah 53
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
God did not send us what we wanted, what we expected, or what we thought best. He sent us what we needed, in the time of our need.
Romans 5:6
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Christ did not come in the time that we thought He should, He did not come when we were at our greatest, He did not come when we had swept the house and awaited His coming. He came when we were yet without strength, when you had nothing left to give. When all you could do was stand still until God could stand up for you. God gave the gift at the appropriate time. This nation is under strain of the enemy, it is under constant attack. We have built churches and sat inside of them. We have called out to God and suspect that He has somehow disappeared these last few years. The nation laughs at us and ridicules us for our beliefs, but understand that you have been given more than this nation or this world could ever comprehend. God still gives good gifts. We must not get discouraged, it is not a time to stop, it is time to press forward.
Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The Holy Ghost has been given to us. He has come into our hearts and rules and reigns, if you’ll allow Him. He is the Gift that keeps giving.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
God gave us the Holy Spirit and not a spirit of fear. We have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, and with Him we have power, love, and a sound mind. Think of the things that you need in your life. What can’t you accomplish with the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
This is the spirit you have living on the inside of you. If that does not make you excited, I don’t know what will; The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. We have been given great gifts. God has given us His word.
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
We have been given a road map to being the person God has called us to be. Not only did He give us the scriptures, but He gave us a way to understand those scriptures that seem to allude us.
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
So what more could you ask for…
1 John 5:11
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
So God has great gifts to give and He has given so many already, but God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What He has done in the past, the gifts that He has given you are just to be a reminder of what He will continue to do in the future. God will never leave you nor forsake you.
2 Peter 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
I know that everyone here has needs and everyone here has things that could be better. I would like to take a minute and think of what God has done for us. I want to then take a minute and thank God for what He has planned for us.
