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REACHING THE WORLD FOR JESUS

May God bless the Pastors and Bible Teachers all over the world, we thank God that Sermons to the World is now reaching 156 countries and all 50 States and The District of Columbia in the U.S.

Reaching the unseen

Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Matt 28:19

MISSION

Mission: To be a resource to Pastors and Bible teachers in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. – Sermons to the World

VISION STATEMENT

Vision: To reach the world on the internet to fulfill the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 – “to go into all the world and teach all nations”.

Bible Verse

"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." Acts 16:31

Saturday, January 26, 2013

TOO MANY EXCUSES



“TOO MANY EXCUSES”

By Pastor Mark Taylor

There are at least five areas the church needs to focus on as we carry out His commission:  “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel”.  If we are focusing on these five ministry areas and if we are following the will of God, and if our eyes are on Him, we can be excited about what God is doing and what He is going to do. 

We need to focus on investing and inviting.
We need to focus on the Word of God and prayer. 
We need to focus on meaningful relationships.
We need to focus on serving others.
We need to focus on praise and worship.

There is one thing stopping us from accomplishing these areas of ministry and that is “Too Many Excuses”.  Because it is going to take commitment, dedication, sacrifice, and tenacity to get it done. It means that we are going to have to stop making excuses.   It seems all of us have all kinds of strong excuses not to do the things we ought to be doing.   We need to be saying:  “I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

If there was any one person in the Bible who came up with excuses not to do what God had called them to do, it would have to be Moses. As many of us do, Moses had many excuses that he gave to God as to why he could not fulfill his calling to rescue the Israelites from slavery. 

Moses said, “But I am not qualified.”  Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).  
All Moses could see was his own unworthiness.  God is calling us to make an impact and God is going to provide the means to fulfill that calling. We are His, we are His sons and daughters and He has qualified us to make an impact. 

Moses said, “But I don’t have the knowledge to do what you are asking me to do.”  “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13). God always gives us the knowledge and the power to do what He asks us to do. Therefore by faith we do it. 

Moses said, “But I do not believe I can do it.”  Moses, once again doubts himself and his ability to fulfill his mission.  “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” (Exodus 4:1).  We should not worry about what others think of us in relationship to our mission and calling from the Lord. Basically Moses is saying they are not going to believe me so I don’t believe in me.   The fear of failure often keeps people from trying to follow the Lord.  God gave Moses convincing proofs and He gives us the Word of God to produce faith in us.  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17).

Moses said, “But I don’t have the right gifts for this mission.”   If God calls you to do something, He will give you the ability to get it done.   “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”   (Exodus 4:10).  God answered Moses and said:  “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12).   God already knows the inability and shortcomings of those He calls.  But our God is a God of miracles and He can give you what you need to get His job done.  “But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27).

Moses said, “But I don’t want to!”  But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13).  Moses was done with excuses and showed the real state of his heart. He would rather have God send someone else.  His problem wasn’t really a lack of ability; it was a lack of willingness.  He simply did not want to go.  It may be true with us that we would really rather that God would use someone else.  Send someone else to visit the sick.  Send someone else to invite people to church.  Someone else can pray.  Someone else can give their money and time.  In that case someone else will receive God’s blessings and some other church will grow and take the message throughout the world for the Lord.  God has given us everything we need to do everything He has called us to do.  “I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).  We need to be more confident in the fact that God is always going to give us what we need to get the job done.  All we have to do is step out in faith and do it. 

With Moses we know that He did answer the call and was successful in delivering the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.  What about us?  Will we heed the call to use our gifts and abilities for the service of the Lord?  Moses is with the Lord right now enjoying his salvation and rewards for making the right decision.  It is an honor to be called by God and to serve Him.  If you put aside your excuses you will hear Him say to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:21).

What is God calling you to do this year?  I am sure He is speaking to each of us about something.  He has told us we are “the light of the world” and that we are “the salt of the earth”.  This means we are called to do something to make our world better, our church better, and our make our friends and families better.  Why don’t we all quit making excuses and start doing what God is asking us to do?

Sunday, January 20, 2013

THE LOVE OF GOD




“THE LOVE OF GOD” 
By Pastor Mark Taylor

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)


The world population as  of July, 2012  is 7 billion  and the percent of those who call themselves Christian is only. 33%.  This means 67% of the world has not heard of,  or have decided not to receive the love of God, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

So if the "Love of God" has been revealed to you, and you have accepted "The Love of God", you need to be thankful to your Heavenly Father.

THE LOVE OF GOD IS UNCONDITIONAL. 

“For God So Loved The World...”.  The Greek word for world (kosmos) is defined as “the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.” This is the world that God loved. It doesn’t say that God loved all the good guys. Or that God loved all the Jews. Or that God love all the saints. It says, “For God so loved the world.”

So God’s love clearly isn’t based on our spiritual condition or our moral predisposition. It isn’t based on our behavior or our attitude toward him. Rather we see here that God’s love for mankind is universal and unconditional. He loves everyone. And this is one of the things that sets him apart from every other god held up by every other world religion.

This does not however exempt any of us from the consequences of our sins and wrong choices. "Be not deceived (make no mistake in your thinking), God is not mocked, for whatsoever a person sows, that shall they also reap." ( Galations 6:7).  We must keep in the context of God's love that He hates sin because of the harm it does to His children.  He does not hate the sinner, but the actions that robs them of the blessings He wants to give to those He loves.  Deliberately choosing to live a life of sin is rejecting the Love of God.  This does not mean you will not sin from time to time. When you do God has forgiveness for you.  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  (I John 1:9).

This also means that His love continues to be given to you unconditionally.  “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”  Christianity uniquely claims God’s love comes free of charge, no strings attached. No other religion makes that claim. 

THE LOVE OF GOD IS SACRIFICIAL

“For God so love the World, that He Gave..”    He loved us by giving, by serving, by sacrificing.   We can learn something important about the nature of true love by looking at the character of God.  Some people think they love others because of what those people do for them or how they make them feel.   God shows us that true love has nothing to do with what you can do for HIm, but everything to do with what He can do for you.

THE LOVE OF GOD IS VALUABLE

“For God so loved the world, that He gave, His Only Son...” 

Here we see the value of the Father’s love for us. Not only was He willing to give, but we see here that He was willing to give the only Son He had. When you give to someone out of your abundance that is one thing, but when you give your all, that is quite another. 

How many times have you heard or even said yourself: “I can’t give you that because it’s the only one I’ve got.” God didn’t have a back up. God didn’t have a spare. But He loved us so much that He was willing to give us the only Son He had.

THE LOVE OF GOD IS PERSONAL

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son...”

God’s love is not only universal, unconditional, and valuable, it is a personal love.  A love given to each of us individually, one at a time.  He gave His love to individual people, not to governments, nations, or religious organizations.

One of the reasons God saved you is because He is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best things He ever created. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He is ready to listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

GOD’S LOVE IS AVAILABLE TO ANYONE

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him...”

The really good news about God’s love is that it is not limited to a select few.  Nor is it difficult to obtain.  The love of God is accessible to “whoever believes” in Jesus – the only Son of God. 

God has come down to our level. Not in the sense that He has lessened His holiness or lowered His standards. But only in the sense that He has made His love accessible to the average, ordinary person like me and like you.

GOD’S LOVE IS FOREVER

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”

God’s goal in sending his Son from heaven to earth was not condemn you or to show you how bad you are, how unworthy you are, or how hopeless you are. God’s only desire in sending His Son was to show you His love and draw you into a love relationship with Himself. Jesus didn’t come into the world in order to rebuke you. He came to rescue you. He didn’t come to criticize you. He came to cleanse you. He didn’t come to punish you. He came to pardon you. He didn’t come to destroy you. He came to deliver you.

GOD'S LOVE IS FOR YOU

Our response to this wonderful gift of love from God to us should be to accept it and love God back.  

Romans 10: 9-13

9 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Our response of love should be to live a life that would be pleasing to The Lord.  Jesus said: "If you Love Me, Keep My commandments." (John 14:15).  "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love." (John 15:10).

What are those commandments?  

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  (John 15:12)


When our Lord was asked: What is the greatest commandment?  He said:  

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, With all your soul, With all your mind, And with all your strength.  This is the first commandment,   And the second is like it  in that you should love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 11: 29-30).

Love is an action verb.  You love God with your life and not with just words.

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."  I John 3:18

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."  (I John 4: 7-8).

I hope you will accept God's Love today.  Just simply ask Him to forgive you of all your sins, and come into your heart, and God will do the rest.