Welcome to the What If Jesus Really Means What He Says post. This message was given by Larry Wright on Sabbath, 29 February 2020 at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist church in Washougal, Washington.
Turn in your Bible to Ephesians 2:8-10
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
God takes the blame for everything you ever did or will do wrong and HE will give you credit for everything He did right.
Turn in your Bible to Luke 9:23
Luke 9:23
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Do not think that being a Christian means living in a big house, driving the latest model car or having an easy life. Just look at what happened to Jesus’s Disciples.
James was the first Disciple to be martyred when he was executed by Herod in 44 AD
Peter was hanged upside down on a Roman Cross in 66 AD
Paul was beheaded the same year in Rome.
Andrew was crucified in Greece.
Thomas was pierced through by 4 soldiers in India.
Luke was martyred in 84 AD. He was a Gentile Physician that wrote one of the Gospels as well as the Book of Acts.
Philip had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death. Philip kept preaching while he hung on the cross.
John is the only one of the company generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian’s persecution in the middle 90’s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament–the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil at Rome.
Turn in your Bible to Luke 9:24.
Luke 9:24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
We want to do amazing things for God. Our human condition is the reason for the major fundamental issue of trying to do God’s Job.
The following statement is my own personal thoughts and not the words of the presenter Larry Wright.
Most of my life, I have struggled with what is known as self-will. It is very important for me to surrender first thing in the morning. I ask for the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words, deeds, actions and mind. Daniel Parsons
Our job is to:
1. Surrender
2. Submit
3. Consecrate
What If Jesus Really Means What He Says
Did Noah look foolish building a boat? He preached for 120 years and then God closed the door on the ark Noah built and the rain started.
Did Sarah look foolish buying maternity clothes at age 90?
Did Moses look foolish asking Pharaoh to leave Egypt to pray in the wilderness?
Did Joshua look foolish marching around the walls of Jericho?
Did David look foolish fighting Goliath, a man twice his size?
Did the Wise Men look foolish following a star?
Did Peter look foolish when he stepped out of the boat in the middle of the sea?
Did Jesus look foolish hanging half naked on a cross?
Noah understood why God had him built an ark when the rain came and did not stop.
Sarah understood God more when she had a baby late in her life.
Moses saw God working when Pharaoh let the Hebrew people go.
Joshua saw the walls of Jericho fall.
David killed Goliath and became King later in his life.
Wise Men met the Messiah.
Peter walked on water while he kept his eyes on Jesus.
Jesus rose from the dead.
Friend, it is time to stop living to arrive safely at our death. The purpose of Life is to surrender to Jesus Christ . It is normal for a human to be fully committed.
Do you believe what God has promised?
Do you trust God with your life?
God is calling you and me. He has called, is calling now, and will continue to call you.
The real question is: Will you answer?
We either deny self or deny Christ. What is your choice today?
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