Emmanuel Community Church

Galatians 5:17 was mentioned, but it’s very important not to overlook Galatians 5:16: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Also, the following was quoted: for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 But look at this part of the verse as well: Stay alert! Watch out The verses were mentioned to say that believers would fall, but it was not mentioned what we need to do so that we guard against falling. It is not good to be devoured by the devil. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. Hebrews 12:16 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. Hebrews 3:13 James 4:7-10 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash

Quote: “Jesus knew what Peter could become, He saw Peter's potential and the same is true of you” Response: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 It is not about our potential, but what we are because of Jesus. Jesus is not impressed with our potential, it’s our faith that matters. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11:6

Quote: “They didn't fully comprehend what it meant to follow the Messiah. In a sense they were wearing rose-colored glasses. It's kind of like, it reminds me of when people get chicks.” Response: The disciples didn’t understand all that Jesus was telling them that was going to happen, but this is what Peter understood about following Jesus: Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.” Luke 18:28 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:11 I think it’s obvious that they knew that following the Lord Jesus is not like raising chicks. They counted the cost. They were ready to die. “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” John 13:37 What Peter did is sobering . Peter was ready to die for Jesus, yet he did not pay attention to Jesus’s warning. Even today people say that they would die for Jesus, but they are not willing to die to self.

Stories can also put people to sleep. They might also encourage people not to take God’s Word seriously. The Bible is not just a collection of stories, they are accurate accounts. The Bible is the truth; we are to live by it. God’s Word is life. It cannot be altered. The preaching and fellowship should be for nourishing, encouraging, and equipping God’s people. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

The following verses were mentioned: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; It is good to look at these verses and realize what we are capable of. But look also at the next verses and remember that we are not helpless and have a choice: here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above. Don’t keep thinking how you are going to fail, but how you can stand by the grace of our Lord Jesus. We need to trust in the Lord Jesus not ourselves. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.” Isaiah 7:9 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:5

This is what the Bible says about sin: “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. Hebrews 3:13 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The LORD knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” 2 Timothy 2:19 Instead of telling people not to worry, “but our sovereign God can even use sin to move you toward point B”, we should make sure that people understand that sin leads to death, and God does not want us to sin, but to repent and turn from it instead.

(NKJV However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” 2 Samuel 12:14) This is what the Lord Jesus told Peter: But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32 The Bible says about Paul: We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. Acts 26:14 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 1 Timothy 1:13 This is what the Bible says about sin: “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man

Does the Bible say that God uses our sin? Unworthy1 touched on this issue, so I hope this is not a duplicate, but here are some points that I think are important to get across: This is what the Bible says about David’s sin: 9Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? 11“This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. 12You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” 13Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. 14Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” 2 Samuel 12 (NKJV However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, t

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their waysand banish the very thought of doing wrong.Let them turn to the Lordthat he may have mercy on them.Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your waysand my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55

It’s very important to make sure that we are on the right path. The Bible describes only two paths that we can be on: “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Matthew 7:13-14 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. Luke 13:24 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. Jude 1 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:8

Excellent sermon showing that all wisdom comes from God and is revealed through Jesus Christ. (Job 28:28; Col.1:28; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Colossians 2:1-3; James 1:5) Great points regarding the eternal consequences of sin, not just in this life, but especially in the life to come. God sees all sin, even if we think we got away with it (Jeremiah 17:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14) and it will be revealed on Judgement Day. (Hebrews 9:27; 1 Timothy 5:24) However, God is rich in mercy and He frees us from our bondage to foolishness and sinful lives that would justly condemn us to hell for eternity. (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). He accomplishes this through His wisdom, grace and mercy by granting us the gift (Romans 6:23) of repentance and saving faith in Jesus’ complete, finished work on the cross. (2 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) Thank you Lord Jesus for freeing us captives! (John 8:34; Luke 4:18-19)

This message has conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come, as well as God’s grace. Well said; wisdom is a person that we should follow to have life: God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 1 Corinthians 1:30 And yes, when we have wisdom we can discern the difference between truth and lies: So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 1 John 2:21

Point C (Bonus) - Our continuing in sin doesn’t glorify God (Romans 3:8; Hebrews 10:26-27) and there are dire consequences for it; Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the Promised Land, David lost his son and the kingdom was divided…. We must immediately repent of sin (Matthew 4:17; Luke 13:1-5; Acts 17:30-31) and trust in Jesus’ finished work on the cross! (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) (For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23)

Point B - Where is Point B? It’s not so much that the Lord is moving us to another physical location, vocation, or earthly relationship as much as molding us into His image. (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17) He desires to make us into His faithful servant having equipped us to live a Godly life (2 Peter 1:3; James 4:7; 1 Corinthians 10:13) while actively sharing the gospel with a dying world. (Romans 1:16; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20)