Western Hills Christian Church: “You are family here!”

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Since the beginning of time, man has deceived himself by thinking he can discover God through various religions. But in reality, man lives in a box enclosed within the walls of time and space. God is outside the box, and man senses He’s there but can’t get to Him. Each new religion is but another futile attempt to penetrate the walls of the box and catch a glimpse of God.

Man’s only hope is for God to enter the box, which Hebrews 1:1-2 declares He did: first by letter (the Old Testament), then in person (in Jesus Christ). Regarding God’s Word David said, "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue" (2nd Samuel 23:2). Jeremiah added, "The Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth’" (Jeremiah 1:9). Of Christ, the apostle John said, "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him" (John 1:14, 18).

The irony of people thinking they can discover God on their own is that apart from the Holy Spirit’s leading, no one really wants to find Him. They merely want to add a cosmic good luck charm to their lives or satiate their guilty consciences. Paul said, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God" (Romans 3:10-11, emphasis added).

God could have left us in our sin and ignorance, but He penetrated the box and revealed everything we need to know for redemption and fellowship with Him. What a privilege we have to study His Word and live by its principles! Be diligent to do so each day.

Suggestion for Prayer:
Praise God for granting you the ability to appreciate His Word.

For Further Study:
Read 1st Corinthians 2:6-16, noting how natural (unregenerate) people respond to divine revelation.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.  But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.
Acts 9:26-27

Only God knows the potential of each believer.  We can project what we think God might do in someone’s life, but we have no way of knowing.  We see only outward appearances and behavior, whereas God looks at the heart (1st Samuel 16:7).

The apostles were skeptical of some who professed to be Christians.  No one seemed more unlikely to become a dedicated follower of Jesus than Saul of Tarsus.  He had been one of Christianity’s greatest enemies, even overseeing the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:58-60).  When Paul suddenly expressed an interest in knowing the leaders of the Christian movement, it was natural for the apostles to suspect devious motives and to doubt his conversion.  Nevertheless, despite the apostles’ reluctance, Barnabas assumed the best in Paul and risked his own life to be Paul’s advocate.

You may identify with Paul.  Perhaps you were an improbable candidate to be a committed Christian.  It may be that God placed a Christian friend beside you to help you develop your faith.  Thank the Father for those He has sent to you who believed in what God could do in you, even when others doubted.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10

At times you will have to make a choice between pleasing God and pleasing those around you; for God’s ways are not man’s ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).  As important as it is to strive for good relations with others, it is even more important to maintain a stead fast and obedient relationship with Christ.  Disobeying God to keep peace with other people is never wise.  Peace with God is always paramount.

Jesus warned that obeying Him might cause division in your relationships (Matthew 10:35-36).  If Paul’s primary goal had been to please others, he would never have become an apostle of Jesus Christ.  Paul went completely against the wishes of his colleagues in order to obey Christ.  At times, obedience to God sets family members at odds with each other .  When you follow Jesus’ Lordship, your family may misunderstand, or even oppose you, yet your obedience to God reflects your identity as His child.  Jesus said that those who obey His will are His brothers and sisters (Mark 3:33-34).  God does not intend to divide the home, but He places obedience before domestic harmony.

It is important to get alone in quietness with God so that you understand what pleases Him.  The world’s thinking will mislead you more easily when you are not clear about what God desires. It broke Peter’s heart to know that the opinion of a servant girl had mattered more to him than the approval of his Lord!  If the desire to appease others tempts you to compromise what you know God wants you to do, learn from Peter’s mistake.  Determine that you will please your Lord regardless of the opinions of others.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

Sermon can be downloaded to your PC from here by RIGHT clicking with mouse and selecting “Save Target As” for the Internet Explorer browser or “Save Link As” for Firefox browsers.

Text: Nehemiah 5:1-19

I.  Nehemiah’s situation (Nehemiah 5:1-8)

1. What are some of the problems that Nehemiah faced?
   (high taxes,high interest rates against his countrymen, countrymen became indentured slaves) READ Nehemiah 5:1-5
2. How did Nehemiah react?
   (with anger, he thought about the situation,assessed the people who were guilty & addressed the issue promptly) READ Nehemiah 5:6-8
3. What was Nehemiah’s example? (Nehemiah 5:1-5)
   (dealt with living a life that was absolutely beyond reproach)

II.  Nehemiah’s example.

1. Be true to God’s Word.
2. Avoid worldliness
3. Moral standards.

III.  Nehemiah’s motives.
Nehemiah feared God more than he feared man. See: Hebrews 10:13 & James 1:22

Conclusion
Read: 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10

1. Have the proper attitude toward God.
2. Have the right motive to remain faithful to God.
3. Rely upon the power of God to help us overcome our weaknesses.