Volume No. 2011 Issue No. 02 Date: January 15, 2012

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

 

In Proverbs 24:16 we read, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…” The best people are those who are always beginning again. Disappointment, upsets, reverses, losses and defeats cannot quell their courageous, determined spirits.The real test of a man is not his ability to go to the top, but his ability to be knocked off the top, strike rock bottom and go to the top the second time. Anyone can listlessly lie on the bottom and cry, "Foul play!" Anyone can blame fate, enemies, politics or environment for failure. Anyone can grow bitter, cynical, morose, caustic and sarcastic at things and persons. But it is the sterling soul of eighteen-carat quality that can get up from the ground, brush himself off, smile and start for the mountaintop again.

 

Remember it is never too late to begin again! It is always too soon to quit. In life it is not the man who fails repeatedly who ultimately loses; it is the man who fails to try again who is the final failure.

 

Keep trying. It is never too late to begin again.

Keep climbing. Don't let temporary rebuffs stop you.
Keep coming. Someday you'll break through.

 

Don't let trouble, misfortune, opposition, misunderstandings, sorrows, trials or disappointments keep you down. If you fall, get up and keep your face set toward God's plan for your life. If you fail, keep trying; victory will come. If you are defeated on one battlefield, remember it is not the loss of a battle but the winning of the war that counts.

 

Jesus Himself was rejected, despised, rebuffed, beaten and crucified. But He is the all-conquering Victor over temptation, sin and death. To be temporarily set back, to be down, to be defeated need not mean final loss. It is never too late to begin again. An unknown author wrote “Get Up, By God’s Grace, Get Up.”

 

God, I failed you. Just one mistake after another! It's no use; I'm a lost cause, stumbling along.

I don't know which way to turn – the ground seems so dirty, so cold and so big, when you are facedown.

 

Sin found me again. Am I really sincere? I gave up without a fight,

in spite of Your love, Your grace – the great joy of having seen Your face.

 

I did not want to do wrong. I despise sin. I loathe it! Now I loathe myself.

I am ugly, God; what makes me so ugly? I tried.

You know I tried! It seems the more I try, the worse I become.

 

I can't lift my head. How can I look at my family, my beloved wife, my sweet innocent children?

The darkness is so heavy; blackness is all around. There is no star, no light on any horizon.

What am I to do? Where am I to go? To whom am I to turn? Then I heard His voice say,

 

So you've fallen! It is not the first time, nor will it be the last,

unless you lie there, buried in the darkness of your own self-pity.

 

What a shame! You tried to lift yourself with your own bootstraps.

You didn't save yourself. What made you think you could lift yourself?

 

I loved you when you were loveless, And you are still unlovable at times- Especially now.

So you have fallen on your face! Get up – be a man. Find My grace."

 

May God’s blessing be upon you this week as you read and meditate on the message from
Romans 14:10-12, “Give an account of your stewardship.”             

 

 

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: As we have repeatedly said, we will not charge for sending the Weekly SERMON. However there are expenses associated with doing what we do. If possible during 2012, would you please consider helping us in this faith ministry? Your donation will help us to continue to “stand in the gap” in “teaching others also.” After you have given your tithes to your church and taken care of your pastor, would you consider giving either a yearly gift, or a monthly offering? Remember, for the purposes of financial accountability, we have placed this ministry under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. Checks made out to Green Street Baptist Chapel, memo to the Bible Baptist ministry and mailed to Bible Baptist Ministry 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706 will be applied to this ministry. 

 In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

 

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMXII/02/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Saints Alive"

Introduction:  As you read through this book of Philippians, one of the most intimate of all the Apostle Paul's letters, you will discover that it is a love letter filled with expressions of Gratitude, Confidence, and above all Joy. Instead of being filled with rebuke and correction, it's a book that helps us to understand the importance of what goes on inside of us as a Christian.

Psalms 118:24 tells us "This is day the Lord hath made, we will REJOICE and be GLAD in it." Joy, the theme of the book, is found in Philippians 4:4, "REJOICE in the Lord always, and again I say, REJOICE." EIGHTEEN times the words, Joy, Rejoice and Gladness are used in this letter. In our last message we focused on an outline of the 4 chapters of Philippians showing how we can have "JOY" over circumstances, people, things, and worry.

Chapter ONE: You can have JOY in spite of CIRCUMSTANCES with the SINGLE MIND where Christ is thePRINCIPLE of life, verse 21.

Chapter TWO: You can have JOY in spite of PEOPLE with the SUBMISSIVE MIND where Christ is the PATTERNof life, verse 5.

Chapter THREE: You can have JOY without THINGS if you have the SPIRITUAL MIND where Christ is thePASSION of life, verse 10.

Chapter FOUR: You can have JOY over WORRY when you have the SECURE MIND where Christ is the POWERof life, verse 13.

Now for the most part in this message, we are going to zero in on Philippians 1:1-2, "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (2) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Here we come to understand three things the Apostle Paul tells us about a Christian:

            First: Who the Christian is,

                Second: Where the Christian lives,

                Third: What the Christian receives.

However, before we get into the heart of these introductory verses, there are a few observations that need to be made.

Philippians 1:1 begins by identifying "Paul and Timothy the servants of Jesus Christ…" When you read this very thoughtful letter, it's not long before you discover some of the outstanding characteristics of the writer, the Apostle Paul.

First: Paul was a FRUITFUL servant of God, verse 1, "Paul and Timothy the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi…" If you would go back sometime to the 16th chapter of Acts you would discover the beginning to this church at Philippi. It was here that Paul came in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. While he was there:

Lydia, a Jewish proselyte, a successful business women of social standing, was converted;

A gentile fortune teller who had no social standing and a slave girl were gloriously saved, and a jailer, who asked Paul and Silas in jail "What must I do to be saved?" believed what Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

As a result of these conversions, a church was established. Now, Paul is communicating to the saints, helping them to grow in Christ.

Second: Paul was a THOUGHTFUL servant of God, verse 2, "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." He wanted God's best for these believers at Philippi. His goal and desire was for the grace of God to develop in their lives that they may have peace.

Third: Paul was a THANKFUL servant of God, verse 3, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you," You know, it's a wonderful thing for a Pastor to be able to say that about his congregation. Yes, and what a joy it is for me to be able to look at you, and to say I thank God upon every remembrance of you.

Fourth: Paul was a PRAYERFUL servant of God, verse 4, "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, (5) For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;"

Fifth: Paul was a JOYFUL servant of God, verse 4, "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,"Again, I remind you this was not written in some Hotel penthouse. Paul was in the Roman Maritime prison when he penned these words, and yet he was joyful. Paul's joy was found in Christ. The secret of the Believer's joy is found in his attitude, the way a "BELIEVER THINKS." While Christ is the source of the believer's joy, the mind is the channel through which that joy comes.

Sixth: Paul was a HOPEFUL servant of God, verse 6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Here Paul expresses his hope.

So as you begin this epistle, you soon discover the character of the Apostle Paul. As a man of God, he was HOPEFUL ,JOYFUL, PRAYERFUL, THANKFUL, FRUITFUL,  and FAITHFUL. All of these qualities characterized the Apostle Paul.

As I read these opening words, I find there is something else that characterizes this man of God. He was a HUMBLE person of God. You see that quality in his opening statement, "Paul and Timothy, the SERVANTS, of Jesus Christ…"Interestingly,

In the introduction to Philemon, he calls himself a "…Prisoner of Jesus Christ…"

In the Introductions to nine of his letters, he calls himself "…an apostle of Jesus Christ…"

In the introductions to Philippians and Titus, he calls himself "…a servant of Jesus Christ…"

Now, the word Paul in the Latin means "little" or "small". Before God, Paul saw himself as "the chief of sinners" and "the least of all the saints." But more than that, Paul saw everything in his life through the lens of his slavery to Jesus Christ.To Paul the term "servant" was a title of dignity and humility. There was no greater position than to be a servant of Jehovah God. Paul was a servant. A servant was one who served another. As a servant, he did all he could to make theONE he was serving successful.

Paul's joy as a servant was lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul's joy as a servant was proclaiming the risen Christ.

We all would do well to remember that God did not save us to be sensations, but rather to become servants. Humble service is another dominate theme in this letter to the saints at Philippi. Besides the example of a servant's lifestyle found in Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus, the greatest model of servanthood is Jesus Christ. In chapter 2:5-7 we read, "Christ Jesus…took upon him the form of a servant,…" even though He was the sovereign God.

Holding your place here, would you please turn with me to Mark 13? Here, we have what is called the "Olivet Discourse."Jesus was informing His disciples of His leaving, and what will take place before His return. He is also informing them of what their responsibilities are to be before His return. In verses 32-37 we read, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. (33) Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. (34) For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. (35) Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight , or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: (36) Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. (37) And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Would you notice again the phrase in verse 34, "and gave authority to His servants, and to every man his work…" The Lord Jesus has gone back to glory. Today He is in heaven. To each one of us, while we are still here on this earth, He has given a specific task to do. He has given, to every born again believer, a JOB to do, a capacity to fulfill.

Now, if you attend this church, and you worship here, but you are not vitally connected to us by membership, and yet you benefit from the ministry of this church and the pastors here, I would ask you to consider, this morning, not only "YOUR NEED OF US" but "OUR NEED FOR YOU," to become officially connected to this body of believers. I believe church membership is spiritually and scripturally right for a child of God. You not only ought to get with it, but also to be involved in it.

On the other hand, maybe you are already a member of this church, and you come every week. In fact, you are here all the time. Then, I believe it's important for you to consider "WHAT YOUR SERVICE FOR GOD, THROUGH THIS ASSEMBLY OF BELIEVERS, IS TO BE." The church is not only a place of fellowship and preaching, but it is also a"VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE CAN SERVE GOD." I challenge you to be thinking about your service in the coming days.

Jesus is in Heaven today, and in the interim before He returns, He has given every one of His servants a job to do. There is an old poem that is a take off on the hymn "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord." The poem goes like this:

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Real service is what I desire.

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord,

But don't ask me to sing in the church choir.

I'll say what you want me to say Dear Lord,

I like to see things come to pass.

But don't ask me to teach a Sunday School class of boys and girls,

I'd rather sit in my class.

I'll do what you want me to do dear Lord,

I yearn for the kingdom to thrive.

I'll give my nickels and dimes dear Lord

But please don't ask me to tithe.

I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord,

I'll say what you want me say.

But I am busy with myself right now dear Lord,

I'll help you some other day.

I trust that you will not let that poem characterize you, since you never know when life is going to end, and when it does, the opportunities for service will be gone. Years ago, there was a very fine Christian gentleman. He was a man on fire for God, a very, very busy man. He not only owned one of the largest department stores in Philadelphia, but he was at one time the Post-Master General of the Untied States, as well as the president of the YMCA. His name was John Wanamaker.

One day someone came to Mr. Wanamaker and asked him, "How do you find time to run a Sunday School of 4000 people in addition to the YMCA duties, the responsibilities of the postmaster general and direct your store. How do you find time?" Mr. Wanamaker replied saying, "The Sunday School is my business, all those other things are just that, things. Forty-five years ago, I decided God's promise found for us in Matthew 6:33 was true, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these THINGS shall be added unto you." I decided to put God's work first, and then He gave me the ability to cope with all those other things."

You see, John Wanamaker had his priorities straight. The Apostle Paul had his priorities straight too. The Kingdom ofGod and His cause came first. It was to this end that Paul said to us in Philippians 3:7-14, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." What was that mark? It was putting the cause of Christ first. To every believer, God has given His work.

Maybe your God given work is to be a HOUSEWIFE and MOTHER preparing the next generation that will rise up to serve God.

Maybe your God given work is in that office or work place as you stand with the courage of your convictions to be a witness for the glory of God.

I also believe there is God given work for you in the congregation. If you have not already determined this, I trust with God's help you will soon discover   what it is that the Lord wants you to be and to do.

Paul was more than a servant. He was a "Bondslave," as indicated by the word "Doulos" in the Greek, referring to the very lowest of servants. Paul joyfully announced that He was a "Bondslave" to the Christ who saved him. In a spiritual sense, Paul had the same testimony as the slave in Exodus 21:5, "I love my master…I will not go out free."

Now for the remainder of this message, let's focus upon the three things the Apostle Paul tells us about a Christian.

First: Who the Christian is. Returning to Philippians 1:1; we move from the very lowest of words, "Servant," to the very highest of titles that a person can receive. That is found in the word "Saint." How can you go beyond that? Paul is writing to "all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi…"

Now the word for "saint" comes from the Greek word " Hagaios." In the New Testament, the word is often translated not by the word "saint," but by the word "holy." Those two words, "saint" and "holy," are interchangeable, they mean the same thing. So we could read here, "Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the HOLY ONES in Christ Jesus…"

Question: "More than anything else, what should our lives be characterized by?" Some might answer that our lives should be characterized by LOVE . I would agree. However I believe we ought to strive higher and be characterized byHOLINESS. The root of the word "Hagaios" means to be "set apart." It means separation and consecration.

Holiness means SEPARATION from the things of this world.

Holiness means CONSECRATION separating ourselves apart for God.

Those of us who are saints should live as saints, and not bring disgrace and reproach upon Him who died on the cross in order that we might BE saints.

The idea and practice of making men and women saints, by bestowing "sainthood" upon them after they are dead, is strictly man-made dogma. It is definitely not Bible doctrine. The moment we have by faith trusted Jesus Christ as personalSaviour, we become a saint. We become a holy one. We are now to conduct ourselves "as becometh saints."

Christians, who live as the world, who live like the world, do more to destroy the name of Christ and the effectiveness of the church in a community then do all unbelievers put together.

The moment we come to Christ by faith we become a "Christian" and a "Christian" means "Christ-like."

If you bear the name "Christian" then you should be living "Christ-like" lives.

The NAME and the NATURE of a believer ought to coincide. We should not only bear the NAME "Christian" but also the NATURE of a Christian.

What is that nature? It is that of a "Saint," a "Holy One."

The desires of our lives "ought to be that which becometh a saint." Here in our church, we have qualifications for those who are in leadership, teaching and ministering positions. It concerns me when I see folks in those positions who don't take a stand for BIBLICAL SEPARATION and CONSECRATION unto God. We all ought to be concerned about separation in our lives, because God is. As a saint, we are to be different than those who are unsaved.

One day, a Sunday School teacher asked his class of boys, "What is a "saint"? One little fellow looking at Saint Peter through the stained glass window in his class room said, "A saint is someone the light shines through." That might sound simple, but that is profound. That's what a saint is. Not only the Love of God, and the mercy of God, but the Holiness of God ought to be seen in and through our lives as believers, and in and through our lives as a congregation.

 We ought to be marked by sainthood.

We ought to be characterized by a life of holiness.

Separated, dedicated, and consecrated to the cause of Jesus Christ. Now that is the answer as to "Who a Christian is."

Second: Where the Christian lives. According to Philippians 1:1 we discover that saints live in two locations:

First: "To all the saints in Christ Jesus…" this is the spiritual location of the saint.

Second: "…who are at Philippi…" this was their geographical location.

As far as you and I are concerned, as believers we live "in Christ Jesus." This is our spiritual location. In Acts 17:28 we read, "For in Him (that is in Christ) we LIVE and MOVE and have our BEING…" As a Child of God we function BESTwhen our MINDS and our HEARTS and our LIVES are saturated with Jesus Christ. That my friend was the key to Paul's joy because he was able to say in Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ…"

There is also a geographical location in which we live. To the people of Philippi, this location was not a celestial city, it was a Roman military town with all its vices, degeneration, angry mobs, witchcraft and profane crowds.

Have you ever asked yourself why God doesn't give his saints more desirable places to live?

Have you ever said to yourself, "If only I could live in a place where there was no snow, or where I could be financially well off, I could live like a real Christian?"

How could God have ever put me in a place like Edwardsville, Wilkes-Barre, or you name your location of ___________?

Actually, I believe that, God has you right where He does for a reason. As long as you are here, that reason is to OCCUPYand CAPTURE and HOLD this location for the cause of Jesus Christ and for the glory of God.

The Philippians were servants and saints right where they lived. Here was a church full of saints who despite the sinfulness of the city in which they lived, their surroundings, and their circumstances, they projected the life, nature and mind of Christ.

Where do you live? If you ask me that question, I have to say that spiritually for 57 years I have been in Christ Jesus. For the past 27 months, I've been here in this geographical location.

So far, from verse 1, we have seen WHO the Christian is and WHERE he lives. Now in closing, let's see from verse 2 what the Apostle Paul tells us about being a Christian.

Third: What the Christian receives. What he receives is Grace and Peace.

Someone said, "You may search the Word of God but you will never find peace first. It is always "grace and peace" never "peace and grace." They are the Siamese twins of the Bible. You cannot have peace until you first have been given grace. A man may search and seek until the end of his life, but until he receives grace through Christ, he can never have peace."

No one illustrates the concept of "peace through grace" better then John Newton. Although he started out life in a Christian home, he was orphaned at the age of six and ended up living with an agnostic relative. Newton was so abused that he ran away from home, joined the British Navy, deserted and ran away to Africa where he lived in sin to his fill.

In Africa, he joined forces with a Portuguese slave trader, and once again experienced cruelty. He again ran away and was finally picked up by a slave ship on it's way to England. One night in a drunken stupor, Newton fell into the sea and was narrowly saved from drowning by an officer who speared him with a harpoon.

Toward the end of the voyage, the ship on which Newton was sailing encountered heavy winds, and began to sink. Newton was sent down into the hold to help man the pumps. He was sure that the ship would sink. As he worked, he began to cry out to God, remembering the verses he had been taught as a child. He was miraculously born again. He went on to become one of England's great preachers. By understanding his life, you can understand his most famous hymn:

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.

Let me ask you. Does that characterize you this morning? Are you a Saint? Are you a Christian? Have you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ?

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Has God spoken to your heart after reading the sermon on "Saints Alive?" Then why not right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

                Acts 16:31, "…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…"

                Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: "I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation."

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, would you please let me know? Fill out the information below and e-mail me, pdmikBBM@aol.com. I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

Date: _________________ Name: __________________, Address: _______________

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"Occupy Until HE Comes"

In Psalm 121:1-8 we read, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (3) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (5) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. (6) The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (7) The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. (8) The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

It's hard to believe that another year has become history.  What awaits us during this coming year of 2012, in our personal lives, in our families, in our church, in our nation as well as on the international scene, only God knows. However it is good that we take heed to His instructions "To occupy until he comes."  Therefore, I do pray that the Lord will be at the center of all you do.

Whether your feet be mired in the mud of some unexpected valley or scaling the precipitous heights of some great mountain, whether you are in the brightness of noonday or in the darkness of midnight, whether in sickness or in health, whether you have much or little, my prayer for you is to stay true, stay on track, stay excited, and stay at the task God has given to you. Honor Him, walk with Him, and serve Him every day.

As usual, for the first week of the NEW year, we set aside the Weekly SERMON to give you a challenge for the coming year. For the next few minutes would you please put aside what you are doing, pull up a chair, and focus on these TWELVE New Year's suggestions:

First: Search the Scriptures daily. Read them systematically and devotionally.  

In Acts 17:11 , we read of the people at Thessalonica that they "…received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so."

In Psalm 119:105 we read, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." The Word of God provides a guide to our daily walk of life. The Word of God stabilizes our walk though life .

In Psalm 119:11 we read, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." One can not live victoriously in the Christian life without reading the Word of God. You must read it, study it, search it, and memorize it to keep you from sin. If you choose to neglect those activities, then sin will keep you from the Word of God.

Throughout 2012, the challenge is to read your Bible daily and then get down on your knees and search your heart. I remind you of Psalms 119:165, "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend thee." Jesus said in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they  which testify of me."

Second: Pray a lot!  Pray and expect to get answers from God.

Jeremiah 33:3 is perhaps one of the most challenging verses in the Bible on the subject of prayer, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knoweth not."

Then in Ephesians 3:20 we read, "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…"

Finally in I Thessalonians 5:17 we read, "Pray without ceasing."

There ought to be DAILY prayer on the part of each and every believer. Praying is a full time job. We ought to pray, and in our prayers expect to get answers from God. May I challenge you during 2012 to have a daily prayer life! There is so much to pray for – yourself, your family, your church, lost souls, missionaries and the ministry.

Third: Witness every day and try to win the ones to whom you witness. You can win souls if you work at it.

In Mark 15:16 Jesus commanded us to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Soul winning is every Christian's responsibility, every day, in every situation. It is also the primary responsibility of the church.

For in Acts 2:47 we read, "And the Lord added to the church DAILY such as should be saved."

Then in Acts 5:42 the principle of visitation is established, "And DAILY in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

Oh, we must witness as never before. We must reach out and win souls. There are literally thousands of people who are dying and going to hell without any gospel witness.

Fourth: Make church the hub of your life. Have your family in church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night and allow nothing and nobody to discourage you from doing so. In Hebrews 10:24-25 we read, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Fifth: Tithe! Give the Lord His portion of your income! You cannot out give Him. So be obedient in your stewardship. In I Corinthians 16:1-2 we read, "Now concerning the collection for the saints…. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

Six: Believe God about everything. Have faith in Him; trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Seven: Keep a good spirit in you. Rejoice! Let the joy of the Lord dominate your countenance. In Philippians 4:4 we read,"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE." Spend a little time each day rejoicing in the Lord. Praise the Lord for the BIG things, and even the little blessings in life, that He so graciously gives to you.

Eight: Serve! Find a place to plug your talent into the Lord's work. Do something in which you invest yourself in the Lord's work.

Nine: Keep short accounts with God. Stay in good relationship with Him. Use I John 1:5-10 as often as necessary, but keep things right. "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (6) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Ten: Build strong relationships with strong Christians. Run with the right crowd and learn from them. Don't imitate weakness; let strength be your model.

Eleven: Find a mentor. Find someone to whom you can be accountable and who will help you grow in your walk with the Lord. I'm not talking about hero worship, but a mentor of stature whose track record is well established, clean, and obviously faithful.

.

Twelve: Keep looking expectantly to the sky. Maranatha! Indeed, the Lord is coming. When, we do not know, but it could be sometime soon! With both hands on the plow (at work), keep one eye glancing upward in anticipation of His promised coming. Even though the following passages about the second coming of Jesus are in the revelation for Israel at the end of the tribulation, they can also apply to us.

In Matthew 24:26 we read, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

And then in Matthew 24:44 Jesus says, "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." Live every day, literally live every hour, as if Jesus would come at that moment.

May these suggestions become a full agenda and a fruitful plan for all of us in 2012. Having challenged you with the above, allow me to share with you the vision for the Bible Baptist Ministry and the Weekly SERMON for 2012.

We are humbled by the 1100 Weekly SERMON messages going out by e-mail. This number includes over 830 missionaries receiving them. Since we began this ministry, we have e-mailed nearly 250,000.

We are grateful for those who helped us meet all the financial obligations in 2011. Praise the Lord!

We are grateful for the server system that has significantly reduced the time needed to send the Weekly SERMON.

We are grateful for those who have helped us this past year, our proof readers and  3 Web Sites and server.

I am thankful for you! Your prayers and financial support allowed us to continue to do what God has opened the door for us to do. Without your prayers and support the BBM would not be possible.

Lord willing during 2012, we will focus our Weekly SERMON    messages on the rest of the Book of James,  our next series along with other topical messages. In addition to the Weekly SERMON messages, we plan to produce two SERMON notebooks.

The first notebook will be the 14 sermons on the names of God, which will contain handout outlines as well as power point suggestions.

The second notebook will contain the contents from the Weekly Letters along with the church bulletin backs I do every week.

Once these are ready, you will be notified. They will be available on CD as will as in print form.

If possible during 2012 would you consider helping us in this faith ministry? Even though we do not charge for the ministry, there are expenses. Your donation will help us continue to "stand in the gap" in "teaching others also." After you have given your tithes to your church and taken care of your pastor, perhaps you would consider giving a one time yearly gift, or a monthly offering? For the purpose of financial accountability, we have placed this ministry under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. 18704. Checks made out to Green Street Baptist Chapel, memo to Bible Baptist Ministry and mailed to Bible Baptist Ministry 48 Alexie Road, Hanover Township, PA 18706 will be given to our ministry; or phone me at 570.829.5216 ..

Again this year, from the Bible Baptist Ministry, we thank you for your prayers and financial support as we seek to get the message out around the world. We trust you will have a very BLESSED NEW YEAR in the Lord during 2012 .

In His Amazing Grace,

"I Bring You Good Tidings"

Luke 2:11-12

Introduction: To me, Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, wonderful in the sense we can turn our attention from theTRAPPINGS of Christmas to the PERSON of Christmas. Let us once again turn our attention to the Christmas story found in Luke 2, where we read in part verse 8-14, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (9) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. (10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (12) And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (13) And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, (14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Please notice again our text verses 10-11, " And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

One cannot find human language to express what JESUS coming has meant to the world and for multiplied millions of souls for the past 2000 years:

Who in life have found that "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" as He has lifted the burden of sin from their souls.

Who in death have found "as they have walked into the Valley of the Shadows of death" and felt the touch of His hands and the joy of His presence; as they have leaned upon His rod and staff and found support and comfort, as they passed from this life into the presence of the Lord.

No wonder the angel said, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." This was the greatest day this world had ever known when the angel said, "This day a Saviour is born." JESUS had come at last. Oh, how sweet that name! The redeemed of God have sung it in their sweetest anthems in carols and hymns of praise. For 2000 years the theme of their song has been:

All hail the Power of Jesus Name!, Let angels prostrate fall:

Bring for the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all.

There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing it's worth.

It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus the sweetest name, I know

Fills my ever longing, keeps me singing as I go.

That beautiful Name, That beautiful Name,

From Sin has power to free us!

That beautiful Name, That wonderful Name,

That Matchless Name is JESUS

Luke 2:10 is an awesome verse, " And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  Now as we focus on this verse, let me point out FOUR truths on this Sunday morning.

I. FEAR NOT: The Angel said "FEAR NOT" These two very interesting words, "FEAR NOT," are used FOUR times in the Christmas story.

In Luke 1:13, the angel said to Zechariah in announcing the birth of Jesus' fore runner John the Baptist, "…Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."

In Luke 1:30, the angels said to Mary in delivering the news to her that she would be the women God had chosen to bring Christ into the world, "Fear Not, Mary: for thou hast

In Matthew 1:20, Joseph receive these words from an Angel, "… saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

In Luke 2:10, the angels said to the shepherds, "… , Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."   

Christ's coming was destined to extra FEAR, from the human heart. But the message from God is "FEAR NOT." There is no need to have FEAR OF LIFE, because we who have Jesus Christ in our lives need not fear the eventuality of life.

More than 80 times these words were spoken from the heart of God to the heart of humanity that is beset and torn with fear. Need I remind you that the most unsettling thing in human life is FEAR?

We FEAR JUDGMENT of our ACTIONS in the past

We FEAR the PRESENT circumstances of life

We FEAR the FUTURE situations in life and death

Oh, hear God throughout scripture as He says "Fear Not"

To ABRAHAM who was alone after a long journey from his home in UR of the Chaldees, having made his way over a thousand miles on foot not knowing whither he went, and finally arriving in the land of Canaan, God appears to him saying, in Genesis 15:1, "Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward."

To ISAAC who was beset with the enemy on every side. Everywhere he tried to settle down and dig a well; the enemy would drive him out. Finally, as recorded in Genesis 26:24, he dug one and God came and said, "I am the God of Abraham thy father: FEAR NOT, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed."

To JACOB, in his old age doubting his ability to go into the land of Egypt, the angel of God in Genesis 46:3-4 said to him, "FEAR NOT to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation."

To Moses, as he stood at the Red Sea with the hosts of Pharaoh's army behind him, with a mountain wall on either side, and the sea of rolling water in front. With confidence in God's leading, Moses said to the people in Exodus 14:51, "FEAR you NOT, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."

To DANIEL who had been praying for twenty-one days and nights down in the land of Babylon. The angel Garbiel stood by him in Daniel 10:19 and said, "O man greatly beloved, FEAR NOT: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong." And Daniel answered and said, "When he had spoken to me, I was greatly strengthened."

To PAUL who was on his way to Rome in a ship being tossed and driven by a storm, he said in Acts 27:23-24,"There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, FEAR NOT, Paul…"

To JOHN on the isle of Patmos in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, he tells us, in Revelation 1:17 that Jesus laid His"right hand upon him, saying… FEAR NOT; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and , behold, I am alive for evermore."

There is no one who can cast FEAR out of the human life like JESUS MY SAVIOUR. Oh, think of it! He who holds this planet out in space is holding me in His hand, so with the hymn-writer I can sing

I've anchored my soul in the haven of rest:

I'll sail the wide seas no more;

The tempest my sweep over the wild, stormy deep,

In JESUS I'M SAFE EVERMORE .

May these words ring out in your heart, "FEAR NOT." For God's   grace will be right there to meet our needs in thePRESENT as well as our needs in the FUTURE. Someone said, "There is much in this world to make us afraid, but there is much more in the Word of God to make one unafraid. It's a message of profound consolation, " FEAR NOT"

II. GOOD TIDINGS: Notice again in our text, verse 10, the angel said "Behold I bring you good tidings of great Joy."Behold I bring you "GOOD NEWS." In our day we find ourselves surrounded by NEWS.

On most radio stations there is news on every hour on the hour.

On some stations, like Fox, CNN and MSNBC they are news only stations.

On other TV stations you have the 7:00 a.m. 12:00 a.m., the 5:00 pm, the 6:00 pm the 6:30 PM and then the 10:00or 11:00 news.

And many of you read the Daily Local news, every day!

Our nation is NEWS orientated, and the NEWS that we hear is either: TERRIFYING, TRITE or TRAGIC.

Very seldom is it "GOOD NEWS." But here we read about some terrific news, "Fear not for I bring you good tidings, I bring you GOOD NEWS" Perhaps you are saying, Pastor,

I have heard this news proclaimed every Christmas to be exact.

I have heard this Christmas story over and over again. How can it be NEW NEWS? I have heard it before, why tell it again?

How can something I relate to year after year be called FRESH NEWS?

Now listen carefully. The reason why it was GOOD NEWS yesterday and it is FRESH NEWS this Sunday and it will beGOOD NEWS next year and throughout all eternity, is because when this event took place, THE HAND OF ALMIGHTY GOD WAS ON THIS NEWS, AND BECAUSE GOD'S HAND IS UPON IT,

It is always fresh

It is always relevant

It is always important

It is always comforting, and

It is always absolutely imperative that we proclaim it

"Fear Not" the angel said, "For behold I bring you GOOD NEWS." It is GOOD NEWS this morning, and if tomorrow you take your Bible and you read theses verses, it will be as FRESH as it is today. It will always be GOOD NEWS, because the HAND OF GOD IS ALWAYS UPON IT.

Did you notice who God used to give out this GOOD NEWS? In each case, it was an angel who delivered the "Fear Not"statement. Now I ask myself, then

Why doesn't God just use angels instead of us to communicate the Good News of the gospel? But he doesn't.      

God has commanded us to share this GOOD NEWS, of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus with everyone we come in contact with.

May you be challenged you throughout the coming year to become a communicator of this GOOD NEWS as reach out into this community. It needs to be our resolve to be more effectively communicating JESUS SAVES.

III. GREAT JOY: Notice once again verse 10 of our text, in which the angel says, " "…, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."  He did not say, "I bring you good tiding of Joy" Rather He said"I bring you good tiding of GREAT JOY." Yet to some in this room during this service, the coming of Jesus Christ only brings:

LET'S BE HONEST, a HINT of JOY.

Not GREAT JOY, but just a measure of JOY.

To say all of us have GREAT JOY , I believe would be stretching it.

Pastor, then what makes the difference? Why is it that as an outgrowth faith in Jesus Christ some have GREAT JOY and others have just JOY? I believe what makes the difference is indicated in verses 10-12, " And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (12) And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

First "There are those who embrace Jesus as Saviour ONLY"

Second "There are those who embrace Jesus as Saviour and Lord"

If you would draw a line from the word JOY down to the word Saviour in verse 11, you will realize that when we trust Christ as Saviour, there will be JOY in our lives.

Now, circle the words GREAT JOY and draw a line to the word SAVIOUR in verse 11 and connect that up it the wordLORD. Those who have GREAT JOY know Christ not only as SAVIOR but also as LORD of their lives.

Those who only know Christ as Saviour merely have a measure of Joy.

But those who know him as Saviour and Lord have GREAT JOY.

The difference is as simple as that.

Please notice something else in verse 11. In the English it reads "A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." However if you were reading this in the Greek New Testament, it would read "For unto you is born this day in the city of David SAVIOUR CHRIST LORD." In the Greek there is no article before the word Lord. This is saying in effect that when Jesus Christ came into the world, and when Jesus Christ came into your life, he comes in as Saviour and Lord.

If you would like to have Him as Saviour that's fine.

If you would like to have Him as Saviour that's great.

However, when you believe in Jesus Christ the Word of God indicated that you believe on Him as SAVIOUR and LORD of your life.

He was born to be your Saviour.

He was born to be your Lord, Master, Sovereign, Owner.

That is what He must be in your life. That is what He must be in my life. If I am to experience GREAT JOY in the Christian life, I must submit to the LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST.

IV. TO ALL PEOPLE: Once again notice verse 10 and the last phrase, "Which shall be to all people." When you think about our complex world, what personality would be suited to be the Saviour and Lord to all people?  How could this one who came from Heaven relate to all people? That is a staggering though.

In our country, we revere George Washington, the great revolutionary war leader, father of our country, first president.

You go to England and they have there Sir Winston Churchill.

Once in France, you have Napoleon.

With the Italians, there is Garibaldi

With the Germans they revere Otto Von Bismarck,

As you move around the world, you find somebody in every country to be REVERED, HONORED, RESPECTED and LOOKED UP TO.

But there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one the world over (from England, France, Germany Korea, Japan, India, Philippine, South America Mexico, Canada, and even in Russia) suited to mend the hearts of all men in every country of the entire earth.

The word of God says, "FEAR NOT." Here is some "GOOD NEWS" for a change.

This GOOD NEWS came to bring you more than JOY. It came to bring you GREAT JOY. This GREAT JOY is for"ALL PEOPLE."  That is the message of Christmas

Again we read, in verse 10-11,   "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."  Beloved, on this Sunday before Christmas may the Holy Spirit turn your eyes of faith to Him and fix your heart upon Him who came to be the Saviour of the World.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid:

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.

When thur fiery trials they pathway shall lie,

My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply,

The flames shall not hurt thee: I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for response,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, through all Hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never forsake."

Thank God for a gospel message that is given to the high, the low, the rich and the poor!

Grace, Grace, God's Grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, Grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

********************************************************************************

Has God spoken to your heart after reading the sermon on the "I Bring You Good Tidings?" T hen why not right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

                Acts 16:31, "…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…"

                Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: "I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation."

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, would you please let me know? Fill out the information below and e-mail me, pdmikBBM@aol.com. I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

Date: _________________ Name: __________________, Address: _______________

The "Weekly SERMON" was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission : Because the "Weekly SERMONS" will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The "Weekly SERMON" in it's original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose.  Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the "Weekly SERMON" must set forth in full the heading that is given before each "Weekly SERMON." Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216 .

PS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Microsoft Word 2007 document (DOCX), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

 

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/……/MMXI/51/