MEMORIAL DAY IS A TIME TO REMEMBER

Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661

Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org

OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”

Nobleton Community Church
May 26, 2024
Text: Joshua 4:1-24
Pastor Paul V Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

We do remember those who have served our country and lost their lives. Memorial Day is consecrated to these soldiers; it is dedicated to patriotism; around this sacred day precious memories of our fallen brave, especially if someone in our family died in the service of their country. We place flowers over their graves, symbols of our love and gratitude. These graves are the Nation’s shrine, to which patriots journey to renew their devotion to the cause for which they died. The fruit of their victories is a united country. It is a shame, that in these changing political times, we are much less united than ever before.

When we remember the sacrifice for our freedom, we should also realize it is a sacred heritage purchased by their valor and sealed by their blood.

This is what this weekend is all about but often people don’t even think about that. Monday (the last of the month) is the day we now celebrate, and is a day off work, giving a long week-end. But —Let;’s consider what Memorial Day really represents, for its very name calls us to remember. There are events that we should never forget, and Memorial Day commemorates some ot them.

The special day started near the end of the Civil War. Within a few years, the practice of placing flowers on military graves had spread throughout both the North and South and was being called by almost everyone, “Decoration Day.” Then, after WWI it became a national holiday dedicated to remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy. It is also a day upon which we remember our loved ones who have gone on before.

So even though past successes against tyranny from the beginning of our young nation and struggling to be united through a terrible civil war, and bring freedom and liberty to all people, through the battles of two World Wars, today our country is in danger of being divided. We are in danger of no longer being united. No, not by something that brings us to the battlefield of war, but rather by partisan politics that are taking the place of what once was just being an American. Nevertheless, once again we remember and honor those who lost their lives while fighting for the freedom we now enjoy.

Memorials can be to remember those who have passed on for some reason or another, but they can also be something symbolic, in order to help us REMEMBER something very special.

Today, what is happening in the political climate of our government, is also happening in the Spiritual realm.

Not just that our Judeo/Christian heritage is being attacked, by those who do not believe in God, but also among those who profess to be Christians. We argue and criticize anything that seems extreme and that puts too much emphasis on the supernatural. We are content for things to be very ordinary. We forget too often the splendors of the past, so we doubt if he is interested in our present or our future.

The ability to remember is a wonderful gift God has given us. In a flash we can be a child again, skipping rocks across a pond, or fishing, or camping or riding our bike, some distance from home. Something unheard of for children to do today, unless their parents are with them. There may be details in your past that you can’t recall, but if it was a significant event you can vividly remember it. When people write their “memoirs” it is about the events in their life that are important to them. The little book that I wrote is not really the “memoirs” of my life, because I left out so much. The purpose was to give an account specifically of God’s protection, because he had his hand on me to be a missionary, and as long as I obeyed him and moved towards that goal, nothing could stop that. I am writing now, about all the things that were left out of the book; “They Meant to Kill Me.” It will include my memory of my childhood and teenage years and our ministry which was over a 50 year period, starting from my calling to the mission field.

Through memory, we can enjoy the pleasant things but shut out the unpleasant. We can remember what it was like to fall in love, get married, and enjoy our children all over again. All this is possible through the blessing of memory. The bad times may come to the forefront, but those can be forgiven and forgotten forever if we confess it and ask the Lord to forgive us. Sin that is forgiven, the Bible says in Psalm 103:12; “He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west, and Micah 7:19 says; “You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (We are told that the Mariana trench in the Pacific Ocean is the deepest part of the ocean at over 35,000 feet.- almost 7 miles) Now— Some theologians have said, that we still will have to account for our sins, or “bad works” at the judgment seat of Christ.

But if our name is in the “Book of Life” our sins are paid for by Christ. It is only our service and deeds for the Lord that are judged and will affect our rewards.

Some of our memories are happy, as we recall wonderful experiences. But some are sad, and we may weep as we remember them, especially if we lived many years away from the Lord, and followed only the desires of the flesh.

Memories are also very practical. If we couldn’t remember that a red light means “stop” we’d be in trouble. You better not be driving. Well, I know very well that I must stop at a red light. However, in Lakeland the first Sat March 9th, When I played in the Polk County Senior 3 0n 3 basketball tournament, I ran a red light without knowing it. I was following a truck that got through the intersection while the light was yellow, and I just followed along, but the light turned red before I entered the intersection. No problem? Maybe you have done this too, especially if you are in a hurry. I wasn’t in a hurry, in fact, I was early. I had no idea I had run a red light. Until I got a notice in the mail, with a hefty ticket for $150 and a video link showing me (license plate magnified) going slowly through the light. Lakeland has these cameras at their intersections. If you choose to ignore it you license is suspended. I PAID THE FINE.

If you weren’t able to remember your anniversary or wife’s birthday, your children’s or grandchildren’s birthdays you’d be in big trouble also. So memories are practical.

The problem though, is that sometimes memory fails us. Sometimes we forget.

Maybe you have heard about a guy named John who has a serious memory problem. One day John ran into a friend he had not seen in a long time. He greeted him and said, “Bill do you remember what a bad memory I had? Bill answered, “Yes, I certainly do.” Well, it’s not bad anymore. I went to a seminar that taught us how to remember things. It was great, and now I have a wonderful memory.” Bill answered, “That’s great. What was the name of the seminar?” “ Well” John said, “wait a minute, my wife went with me. I’ll ask her.” He turned and saw his wife nearby. Then he turned back to Bill and said, “What’s the name of that flower with a long stem and Thorns and red blooms?” “Do you mean a rose?” Bill answered. “Yeah that’s it, thanks,” John said. “Hey Rose, what’s the name of that seminar we attended?”

People tend to be forgetful—-not as bad as that guy, but we seem to need help to jog our memories. In the Bible, we find that;

God has given us many such reminders.

After God destroyed the earth in a flood, He told Noah, “I establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:11).

Then God stated; “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Verse 13). So every time we see a rainbow, it serves as a reminder of God’s promise.

In our text another memorial was erected when Joshua led the people of Israel across the Jordan River. Remember, the water stopped flowing just as the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the water at the river’s edge. Then they stood in the middle of the river until the people had crossed safely into the Promised Land.

While they were crossing, Joshua told 12 men, one from each of the 12 tribes, to go into the middle of the riverbed and select 12 large stones. They brought those stones up onto the riverbank and made a monument out of them there at Gilgal.

GILGAL IS A PLACE OF REMEMBRANCE.

In Joshua 5:9 we read that the meaning of this word in Hebrew is “the reproach is rolled away” That word reproach means shame, or contempt, disgrace or insult. All of this is applied to the fact that during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, for refusing to believe God, has been removed for the younger generation. But we are risen with Christ—He covered our shame. Then:

GILGAL IS A PLACE OF RESURECTION

When God performed yet another miracle of parting the waters of the Jordan, so that the Arc of the Covenant could be taken across on dry ground, the people followed. They went down onto the river bed, and then came up out of it, symbolic of what we must do in Christ. We are crucified with Him Paul says, nevertheless we live. So the question is;

“Have you died with Christ? Died to your reputation, to your point of view, to your self-esteem? Even to some natural things of life but have never been God’s will for you? Have you totally submitted yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ?

In Joshua 4:6-7, Joshua tells them; “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.”

“When we crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

There are special days and times in the Bible designed to help us remember specific events. Times when God intervened in our life and by His Holy Spirit, brought us to salvation. Sanctified us, (set us apart for him) and filled us with his Holy Spirit, helped us, protected us, healed us, and other events that are “memorials” to his love for us, his work in us, and empowerment for us to be witnesses for him.

We should be able to recall such times and rejoice for what the Lord has done for us. If you find it difficult this morning to remember any such times in your life, it is not too late to do something about it. Trust in the Lord, and not in anything else, to save you, heal you, protect you. I know that most of you have done this.

THE BREATH OF GOD

Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661

Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org

OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”

THE BREATH OF GOD

Nobleton Community Church
May 19, 2024
PENTECOST SUNDAY
Text: John 20:19-22; Acts 2:1-13
Pastor Paul V Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

There were three great Jewish festivals to which every male Jew who lived within 20 miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to come—the Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. Now the name Pentecost means “The Fiftieth,” and another name for Pentecost was “The Feast of Weeks.” It was so called because it fell on the 50th day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. The Passover fell in the middle of April; therefore Pentecost fell at the beginning of June. By that time travelling conditions were at their best. At least as many, perhaps more, came to the Feast of Pentecost, as came to the Passover Feast. That explains the roll of countries mentioned in this chapter, because never was there a more International crowd in Jerusalem than at the time of Pentecost.

The Feast itself had two main significances. It had an historical significance. It commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, but it also had an agricultural significance. At the Passover the first omer of barley (that 2 quarts) of the crop was offered to God; and at Pentecost two loaves were offered in gratitude for the completed and the ingathered harvest. It had one other unique characteristic. The Law said, on that day no work should be done. (Leviticus 23: 21); Numbers 28:26). So it was a holiday for all men, and the crowds on the streets would be greater than ever.

This was the reason God chose to pour out His Spirit on this day. The impact of that outpouring was tremendous. A band of disciples who were basically ineffective and afraid after they saw their master die on the cross, became a force to be reckoned with after they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit which resulted in Holy Spirit power.

The expression Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit is found in the great majority of the books of the Bible. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word usually used for the Spirit as referring to God’s Spirit is ruach meaning “breath,” “wind,” or “breeze.” The verb is rawach, meaning “to breathe”. The word always used in the New Testament for the Spirit is the Greek word pneuma. It comes form the word to breathe or to blow. The corresponding word in Latin is spiritus and that’s where we get our word “spirit”

The wind or Spirit of God moved across the waters at creation (Gen. 1:1-3) In Gen. 2:7 the creation of man is described. He was created from the dust of the ground and God breathed into him “the breath of life.” Because we read that man was created “in the image of God,” we see that the Biblical writer Moses thought of God as being like a man. But because they couldn’t see Him they preserved a highly spiritual conception of God as compared with that of surrounding nations. The breath of man, originally stood for the energy or power of God. Something that man had received from God. The Spirit was God in action, particularly when the action was specific, with a view to accomplishing some particular end or purpose of God. The Spirit came upon individuals for special purposes.

In Exodus 35:31, wisdom for all kinds of workmanship is declared to be the gift of God. Because of the covenant relationship between God and Israel in the Old Testament we see that God worked in the lives of certain people and gave gifts and powers of the Spirit for service in the ongoing of the kingdom of God. There is also a certain understanding at least for some, that the Holy Spirit gives moral purity, and when there was sin, there was the concern of what would happen to them in relation to the Holy Spirit. When David sinned with Bathsheba, and wrote his repentant Psalm, he cried out to the Lord, “don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.” Even though the understanding was not always clear, those in Spiritual Leadership understood to some degree. Now this leads me to the book of John chapter 3.

Here we have Nicodemus having a conversation with Jesus, at night, because he was afraid of what his colleagues would think. When Jesus told him that he needed to be born again; that is, he needed to have the Spirit of God breathed into him, he didn’t understand, and thought he had to go into his mother’s womb again. Jesus says to him, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus asked Jesus, “what do you mean?” Jesus says:” You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?” …if you don’t believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?” ….And just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. (Numbers 21:4-8) And then we have the famous passage that so many people have memorized: (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Now as we saw in the Old Testament the works of God’s Holy Spirit are referred to as breathing, or the wind blowing, we can begin to see the connection when we see that Jesus “breathed” on the disciples in John 20 verse 22, and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit”

Almost all commentators, theologians, teachers and preachers will say something like; this was a “symbolic” thing that Jesus did, or he was “prophetically” talking about their future filling at Pentecost, or they will totally ignore this very important declaration. The only reason they would ignore it, is because it goes against their pre-conceived theology. That is that this passage and the passage in Acts 2, in my opinion, reveals to us a pattern that has been evident down through the ages for many people. There needed to be a “beginning time” if you will for people to be “born again” like we saw Jesus sharing with Nicodemus. There he was speaking prophetically and symbolically, explaining what was going to have to happen to each of us, AFTER Christ’s death and resurrection. AFTER he took our sins upon Himself, and AFTER he had victory over sin and death and the grave. It happens when we RECEIVE the salvation that He provided by His work on the cross. The disciples, when they believed and saw the resurrected Christ before them, were ready to RECEIVE His resurrected Spirit. There was no need for Jesus to say what he said to them, if it was only referring to what was to come at Pentecost, or even no need for a symbolic action like this. He would tell them later, on the Mt. of Olive- “Don’t leave Jerusalem—(He knew that they were probably thinking that they would like to get out of there)—but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. Why would He have had to tell them to RECEIVE it, or more correctly TAKE IT, before he ascended to heaven, if there wasn’t something else taking place. This is what I believe, but I won’t be dogmatic about this, but I believe that the disciples were “born again” at that moment when He said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. There was no other time that this would have happened. They believed and they received. Jesus’ Spirit came into their lives at that moment. We are told by Paul in Romans 8:8 that those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God, and in verse 9; “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

OK, now what is happening on the day of Pentecost then, and why do we look at that historical day as the coming of the Holy Spirit. We begin to understand that the beginning of our Christian life is when we are born again. At Pentecost, Jesus told the disciples that on that day they would be; “baptized with the Holy Spirit. –that John baptized with water, but they would be baptized, or immersed (baptizio) in the Holy Spirit and when the Spirit comes on you –you will receive dunamis POWER (that’s where we get our word dynamite from) and we will be His witnesses.

So then on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were waiting in Jerusalem, according to the Lord’s command, and they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. A rushing blowing violent wind was heard and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Verse 3 says; “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

All of those people from all those different nations that had come to Jerusalem heard the noise and gathered outside the house to see what was going on. The disciples began speaking in the mother tongue of about 12 different ethnic groups.

One commentator made the ridiculous comment that they didn’t really speak in all those languages, because everyone who came to Jerusalem from all over would have known Greek and Hebrew or Aramaic, so they would have been able to understand. But that is just the point. Of course they knew the language that most people spoke. It was like the official languages of the Roman Empire, and of the Palestinian Jews, but anyone who has been overseas and preached to people of other languages knows that when they hear it in their mother tongue, it speaks to their heart in a different way. That’s why if you don’t know the dialect of a people, someone who does, must interpret. So the miracle of these Galileans speaking these languages made an impact.

Some have said that this was only an historical once for all experience, when the Holy Spirit came in this manner, but I know of reports that have been given where in our era it has happened that someone has spoken in tongues, thinking it was an unknown language, but someone recognized the language as their mother tongue. Does everyone speak in tongues when they are filled with the Holy Spirit? No—I believe Paul makes that clear in I Corinthians 12:29-31 where the form of the questions, including…”do all speak in tongues?” requires a negative answer. Those who do usually are speaking an unknown tongue. Paul spoke in tongues –and he said, more than any of you, –but that in church he would rather speak 5 words that everyone could understand than 10,000 words in a tongue. When we speak in an unknown tongue, and there is no interpretation, it shouldn’t be given. If there is an interpretation, it is equal to prophecy where someone speaks forth the Word of God.

There is a lot more that could be said about this, but for us today, we just need to know that the Holy Spirit comes into our lives when we believe and receive Him. When we ask him to come in. Then the Holy Spirit lives within us. When the apostles OBEYED Jesus and WAITED in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to baptize them in the Spirit, to fill them with the Spirit, and they allowed the Holy Spirit to control them, they WITNESSED WITH POWER! Not in their own wisdom and strength, but with God’s dynamite power. We need to wait on the Lord. Take time to ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Jesus said in Luke 11:11-13; “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Have you asked him to: Fill you with his Holy Spirit? He is more than willing to give you what you ask for: Just submit yourself to Him, and be willing to yield your life to the control of The Holy Spirit.

A WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD WILL BE PRAISED

Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661

Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org

OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”

Nobleton Community Church
Mother’s Day May 12, 2024
Text: Proverbs 31: 10-31 (especially, 20, 25-29)
Pastor Paul V Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

Did you know that the idea for Mother’s Day was born in a small Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia? It was 1876 and the nation still mourned the Civil War dead. While teaching a Memorial Day lesson, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis thought of mothers who had lost their sons. She prayed that one day there could be a “Memorial Day” for mothers. The prayer made a deep impression on one of Mrs. Jarvis’s eleven children. Young Anna had seen her mother’s efforts to hold the war-split community and church together. As she grew into adulthood, the younger woman kept Mrs. Jarvis’s dream in her heart. On the day of her mother’s death, Anna was determined to establish Mother’s Day in her honor.

On May 12, 1907, a local observance was held which later spread to Philadelphia. By 1910, Mother’s Day was celebrated in 45 states, plus Hawaii (not yet a state of course) Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. Elated, Miss Jarvis told a friend, “Where it will end must be left for the future to tell. That it will circle the globe now seems certain.”

On May 8, 1914, President Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day “for displaying the American flag and for the public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of the country.”

This morning we want to look at what the Bible says about an ideal mother, in fact an ideal woman. It really applies to us all, both men and women (fathers and mothers). In Proverbs we really have God’s will and purpose for Mothers. This is the highest calling and purpose of women. This is basic for a full and happy life. To ignore it, means sorrow and disappointment, if God wants a woman to have children. You remember at the beginning of the feminist movement, it did seem like women in general began to ignore the God given blessing of having children. Careers took their place. Sometimes women didn’t get married because it would interfere with their careers. Then it seemed that some decided that they wanted both. A career and a family. Many were able years ago to do that. Some of you mothers were able to do that. The desire to have children is placed in a woman’s heart by God.

In our scripture lesson we see that the woman described gives us the picture of a woman of strong character, great wisdom, many skills, and great compassion. Some people may have the mistaken idea that the ideal woman in the Bible is retiring, servile, and entirely domestic. Not so! This woman is an excellent wife and mother. She is also a manufacturer, importer, manager, realtor, farmer, seamstress, upholsterer and merchant. Her strength and dignity do not come from her amazing achievements, however. They are a result of her reverence for God. In our society, where physical appearance counts for so much, it may surprise us to realize that her appearance is never mentioned. Her attractiveness comes entirely from her character.

On this day we honor this kind of woman. When we think of our mothers, maybe they had many faults. You may have had a mother, that you thought made a lot of mistakes in raising her children. Maybe she wasn’t all that you thought she should be; but you still love her. Not because of what she did or didn’t do, but just for who she was. Deep down inside, she probably had character. The woman mentioned in scripture is an example of one who gives of herself.
A mother must first give herself to the Lord, then to her family.

We read in Exodus 20: 12;” Honor your Father and Mother. “It doesn’t say to honor them only if they are good parents. We do it as unto the Lord, because of who they are. Granted some mothers are more easily honored than others. Maybe your children have felt the same way. It is interesting though how when kids get to be about age 25, they think their mothers learned a lot since their teenage years. This probably goes for how they feel about dads too.
I have heard that some mothers have prayed in front of their “hard to control” kids: that the Lord would give them children when they grow up, to be just like them. –Well, maybe sometimes that might work.

You know don’t you, that there is a kind of Murphy’s Law of Parenting. Can you identify with any of these?:

  1. The later you stay up, the earlier your child will wake up the next morning.
  2. The gooier the food, the more likely it is to end up on the carpet.
  3. The longer it takes you to make a meal, the less your child will like it.
  4. A sure way to get something done is to tell a child not to do it.
  5. For a child to become clean, something else must become dirty.
  6. Toys multiply to fill any space available.
  7. Yours is always the only child who doesn’t behave.
  8. If the shoe fits…it’s expensive.
  9. Backing the car out of the driveway causes your child to have to go to the bathroom.

Do any of these strike home? They would be good to share with your adult children, or grandchildren, who are mothers.

Some of you have shared with me your concern that your children aren’t attending church these days, and thus neither are your grand-children. I don’t want to make light of spiritual problems that could be the reason they don’t go, but probably it was hard to get the kids ready for church when they were younger, so the whole family got out of the habit.

You should share with them a little story I read, about a lady named Mary Jane Kurtz. She says that when she was a young, single mom with four children, it was difficult to get them all ready for church on Sunday. One particular Sunday morning as the children started to complain and squabble, Mary Jane stomped from one room to the other, saying out loud why it was important they go to church as a family and have a good attitude. Suddenly, she noticed all four children huddled together and laughing. “What’s so funny? Mary Jane asked. “Mom,” they said, “every time you slam down your foot, smoke comes out. It must be the wrath of God!” In reality, it was the powder Mary Jane had sprinkled in her shoes. But it worked. She says they made it to church on time that morning and practically every Sunday thereafter.

What we don’t want people to do on this Mother’s Day, is take Moms for granted. The best example of this is the Mother’s Day card that reads: “ Forget the housework, Mom. It’s your day. Besides, you can always do double duty and catch up on Monday!”

Now that’s a terrible card. I suspect that some of you can relate to that statement. Maybe no one ever bought you a card that said that, but the attitude was the same.

There have been some slight changes through the years, at least in some families, as to what is expected of mothers. There at least should be more of a shared responsibility of what is done around the house. But as I said no matter what your mother did or didn’t do, no matter what you did or didn’t do as a mother, as an exemplary woman, you are to be praised if you “feared the Lord” as our text says in verse 30. “…A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

The illustration that Solomon gives here shows:
The practical working of a Godly woman who feared God.

The Hebrew word is “vir’a” and means an “emotional reaction, terror, or to be afraid, and to have reverence for God, a deep respect.”

In many places in the Old Testament the use of the term to fear God and proper living are so closely related they are virtually synonymous ideas. If a person feared God, it resulted in living a godly life. The fear is seen as the motivation which produced righteous living. Godly fear is the result of believing in God! When one sees who God really is it will bring about a godly fear of God.

Most people have a very small view of God. J.B. Phillips even wrote a little book entitled: “Your God is Too Small.” The idea was, that

People tend to “put God in a box”—that is –whatever they were taught, or what they remembered, is all they knew about God. When we don’t experience His power in our lives, we don’t realize how great He is. He created all the Universe. The Bible says he spoke it into existence out of nothing. Compared to us He is so much more than we can even fathom.
True belief causes a deep reverence and respect of God.

It doesn’t mean that we should be “afraid” of what will happen to us, if we don’t fear Him. This was a certain theological position centuries ago, and unfortunately is still prevalent today in some circles. This is more than having respect. This is the FEAR that is sometimes portrayed in the Old Testament when God’s people disobeyed. We should however realize that when we continually disobey God and His Word, that someday there will be judgment against those who ignored God and didn’t respect or fear Him all of their life. For those who refuse to believe in His Son Jesus Christ.

The woman who loves God, and has respect for Him, will want to obey Him, and lead her family to love and respect Him; sometimes, even when her husband does not know the Lord, and doesn’t set a good example.

Jeannene and I have a good friend up in Marion, Indiana. Her name is Midge Diedrich. She had 9 children. We first met her in 1969, just before we went to the mission field. She had every one of those children in church every Sunday. She and her husband came from a Catholic background, but as the children came along they neglected to go to church. Then one day someone invited her to a Bible study and she gave her heart to the Lord. All of a sudden her life changed. Church was no longer just part of her “religion” but now she had a relationship with Jesus Christ. She shared this with her husband, but he wouldn’t hear of it. They were Catholic. Nevertheless, she began to attend the evangelical church where she had found the Lord. She continued to do that with her children, until one by one they were married. They each married spouses who knew the Lord in a personal way, and today they all attend church along with all of the grandchildren. Through the years, her husband hardened his heart against knowing the Lord, and would never go to church with her. He began to drink heavily every day after work at the GM plant where he was a successful engineer. He missed a lot of the school events that his children were involved with, but his wife never missed anything. She was a wife of noble character, and her children always “rose up and called her blessed” –like we read in verse 28—and so did her husband. I’m sure he appreciated how she raised the children. We prayed for Dennis for almost 40 years, that he would give his heart to the Lord. Then finally the husband of his oldest daughter, invited him one evening to a “Christian Business Men’s” meeting. Maybe some of you have heard of this organization, who holds dinners, and invites a guest speaker, usually a well-known Christian business man, or professional athlete to share their testimony. It was at one of these meetings where he finally gave his heart to the Lord. By now all of his children were out of the house and married. He began to read the Bible. He quit drinking and began to attend church with his wife, a woman of noble character who never quit praying for him and standing by him. Dennis eventually got Alzheimer’s, but had a few years to serve the Lord before he died in 2010.

The woman who fears God will be praised; both by God and among those who know her. We see that the virtuous woman was a hard worker. She was not lazy, she kept her family and home in order, and that was testimony of her love of her family and love of God

The virtuous woman is trusted by her husband. A godly woman will earn the trust and respect of her husband as she lives a consistent righteous life before him. She honors the Lord and that manifests itself outwardly to others so that they trust her. Her godly life will be a testimony and example to her children of God’s saving and life changing grace.

God’s influence in a woman’s life will show her family how good it is to live for the Lord. Don’t give up on your husband if he doesn’t know the Lord. Don’t give up on your adult children, if they seem to have turned their back on everything you taught them. Continue to live a testimony before them, and to pray for them. You can have a positive influence on them. The opposite is also true however. A nagging, never satisfied, always complaining and unstable wife will not gain her family’s confidence. Proverbs 19:13 says that a quarrelsome or nagging wife is like a constant dripping. (One paraphrase says; like a faucet that goes drip, drip, drip. Proverbs 21: 9 says; “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

May every woman here this morning be a virtuous faithful woman of noble character who is wise and kind, and always shows Christian love. May you show this by giving respect to God. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The actions produced come from a deep love of the Lord.

The woman whose life is truly meaningful, is a woman who loves and fears God. What a great influence she can have on her family and all those who know her. She is truly blessed!

THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH

Nobleton Community Church

29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661

Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org

OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”

THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH

Nobleton Community Church
May 5, 2024
TEXT: Psalm 11:3
Pastor Wayne Augustine

Listen to live audio here

NOTE: Not by works Ephesiabs 2:8-9
Paul’s testifies of Christ’s life, death and ressurection
1 Corinthians 15:3-6

I Our Faith’s foundation

1 In the beginning, God created…. Genesis 1:1

2 Jesus is “God in the flesh” John 1:1, 14, 1 Timothy 3:16

3 Man is born a sinner 1 Corinthians 15:22, Psalm 5 1-5

4 Man, before Christ, is hopelessly lost romans 3:10-12

5 God requires perfection, keeping the whole law Ezekiel 18:20

6 Jesus fulfilled the law for us Matthew 5:17

7 The death of Jesus paid for our sin 1 Corinthians 15:22,15:3-8 (in life, He loved us, in death saved us, in His grave carried away our sin, in His ressurection, assured us of everlasting life!)

8 We are saved by Grace, alone. Ephesiabs 2:8-9 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

9 Our only responsibility is to receive and beleive John 3:16, 5:24, 1:12

II HOW DO WE KEEP THE FOUNDATION IN GOOD REPAIR?

1 Spend time each day in God’s word Psalm 119:105

2 Talk with God, each day John 14:13-14, Mark 1:35
Should include:

Praise and thanksgiving

Sharing God’s Word with Him

Praying for others

Praying for yourself

End with praise

3 Purpose that on your way to heaven, you take others with you Matthew 28:18-20