This is a sad, sorrowful day in this country. Do we really know and understand what has happened? The end of an era?

Are we overwhelmed? What are we to do?

Let me ask you a question? Do you have passion for the Lord? Great passion? Some passion? Enough to get by on? Little to none? Seriously think on this, and allow the Holy Spirit to show you your heart.

Are we overwhelmed? What are we to do? This is what David did.

“Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. So I will sing praise to Your name forever…” (Psalm 61:1-3,8)

So what do we do? Draw nearer to Jesus, our salvation! Draw nearer to the Father–to know Him–this is eternal life!

Jesus walked this earth and showed us the way–He is the Way to eternal life. His life on earth showed us how to live. We know that from before His birth, our enemy, Satan, wanted to destroy Him. Let’s fast forward to His adult life. He was pursued constantly. The Jews were constantly trying to demean Him, catch Him in some sin, to find cause to kill Him. In the end, there was no cause; but evil was so dark, that they killed Him anyway. Praise God, it was the eternal plan of God!

Let us not be deceived–all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim 3:12). Persecution of Christians worldwide is raging, and though it has been fairly low key here in this country up ‘til now, do we realize that floodgates have now been opened? All throughout history, and even now, the enemy wants to kill us, destroy us and to steal from us.

Are we overwhelmed? What are we to do? This is what Jesus did.

Jesus gave much thanks to the Father, spending much intimate time with Him.
Jesus gave much praise to the Father.
Jesus prayed much to the Father desiring only His Father’s will.
Jesus stole away to solitary places to commune with His Father.
Jesus humbled himself before Father and obeyed Father’s commandments.
Jesus moved in the Spirit of the Living God, thereby glorifying His Father.
Jesus did only what He saw His Father do.
                                   
John 5:19 – “So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn].”

John 5:30 – “I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord–but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.”

Are we overwhelmed? What are we to do? This is what we will do…

When we are young, obeying our parents is not always an easy thing to do at times. Sometimes, it is hard work. But we need to know that this is God's plan. Honoring our parents should continue even beyond the time when they are no longer with us. The best way to honor them is to pass on their Christ-honoring values to our children and living those values in our own lives. Honoring involves all that we do - the way we work and talk, the values we hold, and the morals we practice.

What are you doing to show respect to your parents? Are you living in a way that brings honor to them?

(References: Deuteronomy 5:16, Mark 10:19)

(Listen to entire sermon below.)

Matthew 16:18: "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

But He’s building His church with unskilled laborers…US! We are flawed, bumbling, and erratic in our work…but we ARE the body of Christ.

Jesus knew He’d only be here for a short time and He knew the work of building His church would happen AFTER His death and resurrection. He touched a few…who then went on to touch many. So—if He’s not worried…we shouldn’t be either!

Be careful, though. Just because God is patient and expects our bumbling and stumbling, don’t use His grace as an excuse to keep stumbling and bumbling.

REJOICE that we have the victory in Jesus…but you have to work out your salvation in the trenches. And that brings us to RESTING IN THE LORD…AND NOT YOUR PLANS…AND NOT YOUR WAY!

In closing, I want us to know it’s not as hard as we think, or as we have made it. God is telling us to REJOICE…we’ve already won! Let’s go walking and leaping and praising God!

(Listen to entire sermon below.)

The pursuit of holiness means you have to pursue it…go after it with all your heart. Take a look at God: He is glorious, has beauty and order; He is sacred, clean and holy, wise, just and merciful. He is everything we are not!

Are you full of God and His holiness, or just full of yourself? Are you an empty cookie jar with nothing inside…just “painted” Christian on the outside?

Oh, we’re full alright…full of:

• Stubbornness (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
• Madness (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
• Depravity (Jeremiah 17:9)
• Extortion and excesses (Matthew 23:25)
• Fountain head of all evil (Mark 7:21)
• Full of foolish beliefs and materialism (Hebrews 3:12, 2 Peter 2:14)
• Enmity against God (Romans 8:7)
• Vain (Colossians 1:21), fleshly (Colossians 2:18) and defiled (Titus 1:15)

YUK–we are full of all that and more! And you thought you were so great, heh! But don’t despair…the remedy is to pursue holiness. But how?

Stop and think–if God is holy, set apart, a cut above, not polluted and there is no darkness in Him at all (1 John 1:5), and we are the opposite…then, if He comes into you, you’ll have the same holiness, too!

Adam separated us from God and His holiness being inside of us…but Jesus restores that condition. The Adam nature can never be holy, but the God nature is holiness. so get the God nature inside and let it rule.

Salvation, the true gift of God is really a restoration to holiness. Satan doesn’t want you to know that…but now you do. Go on now…pursue holiness!

(Listen to entire sermon below.)