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
Date August 4, 2024
Text TEXT: I Corinthians 13: 1-13
Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

In chapters 13 and 14, the Corinthians had gotten this aspect of church life just as wrong as they had gotten everything else … but Paul still gives them encouragement and hope that their church can learn to thrive in their spiritual lives — just like we, as a church and as individuals, want to thrive in our ministry to one another and to the world around us.

Most of you are aware that I Corinthians chapter 13 is the great love chapter of the Bible, or at least you have heard verses 4-7 of that chapter quoted at weddings at least : Verse 13– “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.”

Last week Pastor Wayne talked to us about the practical, motivational gifts in Romans 12 and we saw how LOVE is vital when exercising your gift. The Apostle Paul emphasizes in our text how important LOVE is when using supernatural manifestation gifts too. Two weeks ago we talked about I Cor. 12 where we saw there were 9 manifestation gifts. Some theologians and pastors talk about more than these 9 gifts, and that is possible, but as I see it from the separation of practical gifts given by the Spirit and the 9 gifts mentioned in verses 7-11 these are the ones that are the manifestation or “sign” gifts. Verse7: “Now to each on the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given” —–

1.A message (or Word) of wisdom, to another

2,a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit., to another

3 faith by the same Spirit, to another

4. gifts of healing by that one Spirit,, (verse 10 continues) to another 5.miraculous powers, to another

6 prophecy, to another

7. distinguishing between spirits, to another
8. speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to another
   9. the interpretation of tongues.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

There are still those today who insist that the above gifts are not for us they ceased to have any importance for the church, since now we have the New Testament the Word of God. Let me be clear; there is nowhere in scripture that would support that position, and more and more theologians and pastors are beginning to see that the position we call THE SECESSION DOCTRINE is only based on tradition, and the fact that they haven’t seen or experienced any of the sign/manifestation gifts.

One of the key passages they have always used to support that position is in I Cor. 13: 8-10, teaching that the “perfect” that is come is The Word of God –the Bible, but they ignore the fact that the rest of the passage shows that Paul isn’t talking about the Word, (the perfect—Greek teleios simply means “end, purpose or completion.” but the fact that we don’t know everything now. (It’s like looking through a bronze mirror like they used to use), but then when we see Christ face to face we will know, and be fully known. Then the gifts won’t continue in eternity, but faith, hope and love will.

When we pick and choose which spiritual gifts we will accept and others we refuse to accept, we are no different than the liberal scolars who say that some parts of the Bible aren’t for us.

Another flaw in the argument for the gifts ceasing is apparent with a narrow definition for prophecy and apostleship. We ended two weeks ago with saying that prophecy usually means: declaring forth the Word of God. That’s what the prophets of the Old Testament did. But on occasion they fore-told the future for individuals such as kings. When we think that there is no place for that in the church today, we miss, why Paul is including it separately in the ministry gifts. Some accept Pastor, Evangelist or Teacher without a problem, but not Prophet or Apostle. We need to realize that sometimes God gives a Word of prophecy for an individual or the church, and if it isn’t contradictory to the Bible we shouldn’t despise or reject it. God will confirm it in our hearts too if it is of him.

The summer of 1965, Jeannene and I were team leaders for Operation Mobilization in France, we discovered that some young men, not on our team, but others, would see a girl that they really liked and got along with very well. At the end of the two months they would say to the girl, “the Lord told me that we were meant to be married!” Of course she would respond; “Well until he tells me that, it isn’t going to happen.”

So, any kind of declaration in the form of a prophecy, must be judged by the one who receives it. First, it must be Biblical, and secondly, it must ring true in the other one’s heart.

A word or message from “a Prophet” isn’t equal to the inspired Word of God. Prophecies given today are not the same as how God inspired those to write Scripture. It is simply given to encourage and guide someone or the church, to accomplish God’s will for ministry. The Spirit of God will often give guidance through circumstances, personal counsel, and inward persuasion. This specific guidance does not contradict Scripture. God might also lead us through dreams, visions, or prophetic words. These must be checked, of course, to see if they are contrary to Scripture, for it alone is the sole rule of doctrine and practice. Besides prophecy,

Sometimes God confirms what he sends in a dream, by scripture which leads someone to know Jesus Christ as Savior. This happened to a woman form Algeria in France when we worked with Muslims there.

It is very easy to empty the gift of prophecy of its unique, immediate and distinctive content. It then becomes nothing more than sanctified common sense.

In Ephesians 4:11 we see Christ himself gave us both Prophets and Apostles. This often sends a red flag up to people when someone calls themselves a Prophet or an Apostle. Personally, since that word simply means sent one, I prefer the term Missionary. We always think that the term referred to only the 12 Disciples. But then why is it listed as a ministry gift? Because it only means “one who is sent by God for the task of establishing the church”

Now we need to stress that, as with the ministry of the first Apostles, so with the Prophets who with them became the foundation of the church, their authority is unique and unrepeatable.

Whatever Paul means in encouraging the gift of prophecy, he does not suggest that any Christian can be on a par with those original prophets as organs of divine revelation. Any subsequent manifestation of this gift must be submitted to the authoritative teaching of the original apostles and prophets, as contained in the Canon of Scripture.

Some evangelicals have little place for the Holy Spirit today at all. They have lost the Reformational balance of the Spirit and the Word. Instead of being allowed to work as friends, (so to speak), the Spirit and Word have been set as enemies working against each other. But Christians need both the Spirit and the Word.

As Dr. Donald Gee has said, “All Word and no Spirit we dry up. All Spirit and no Word, we blow up. With the Spirit and the Word, we grow up.”

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
Date July 21, 2024
Text: I Corinthians 12:27-31
Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

So the question is: How do you identify your spiritual gifts? There are a couple of ways.
One, as you read about spiritual gifts in the Bible, many times one item on the list will jump out at you, and you’ll know immediately: That’s me, that’s my gift: I’m a giver … or … I love to show hospitality … or … I love serving others, and so on. Many times you’ll just know which gift is your primary gift because it resonates with who you are. Another way to identify your spiritual gift is through the input of spiritual leaders and mature believers. Sometimes others can see gifts in you that you may not be able to see for yourself. So, as you seek to understand exactly how the Holy Spirit has gifted you, listen to the leaders around you. In fact, there are even tests you can take (you can find them online) from reputable ministries that will help you discover your spiritual gifts.
Here’s the good thing about knowing what your spiritual gifts are. When you know your spiritual gifts, you often know what God is expecting you to do in certain situations.
For instance, suppose you are at someone’s house for a party and the host or someone comes into the room carrying a tray filled with glasses of iced tea. They trip and fall over a footstool that was stuck out too far. The glasses fall off and break and there is a mess on the floor. The one with the gift of mercy will run over and say: “are you okay?{ “Yes I’m okay!” But there is a cut from the glass so the one with a gift of mercy asks about a first aid kit to take care of it. The one with the gift of administration begins to make sure that it is found and also asks about a broom and dustpan, or mop or sweeper, whatever is needed. If the cut or cuts are severe they would call 911. The one with the gift of serving would immediately begin to clean up the mess. The one with the gift of generous giving would hand the host money to take care of the loss of the broken glasses and replenish the drinks that spilled.
If, your spiritual gift is giving, you are always looking for an opportunity to give, and you have the wherewithal to contribute, then you can be sure that God is calling on you to exercise your spiritual gift of giving in this situation. The same can be said for service, leadership, administration, mercy, and on and on. When you know your gift and the opportunity to use your gift presents itself, you know what God is prompting you to do. Now another spiritual gift may be present. The gift of prophecy, but it may not always be made known. That person may also have the gift of mercy or another practical gift, but they are thinking and maybe will say; “If you would have watched where you were going, you wouldn’t have tripped over the footstool” We will talk a little more about the gift of prophecy in a few minutes.
Now, one more quick note about spiritual gifts. Though there may be one or two primary gifts through which God uses you the majority of the time, you also need to be aware that at some time or another God will work through with you with some of the other spiritual gifts, at least for a short time.
For example, your primary gift may not be teaching, but there will be times when he uses you to teach others in a specific situation. Your primary gift may not be leadership, but there will be times when he uses you to lead others in a specific situation for a specific amount of time. For this reason you need to be open to receive every gift of the Holy Spirit, which, Paul said in verse 11, he gives to us “as he determines.”
Today’s message can only highlight the beginning of the journey of the Spirit-filled life, because walking in the Spirit is a long-term process of learning, seeking, and obeying …and then learning some more and seeking some more and obeying some more.
It’s a journey that the church in Corinth desperately needed to take because they were floundering in virtually every area of life. Paul penned these words in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 to help them get back on track.
It’s the same for us. Sometimes we find ourselves floundering, in desperate need to get back on track. In this case, Paul wrote these words for us, as well.
If you want to live a spiritually vibrant life, you begin by deciding simply to learn more about it — to study the Word and learn how Christian leaders have taught this subject over the years.
Now, back to one of the manifestation gifts: PROPHECY. The gift of prophecy is an example of the three different gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:7 we read; …” Not all have the same function. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. If a person’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.: (Romans 12:4b and 6) “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…to another prophecy….: verse 7 and the first part of 10. In Ephesians 4:11 we read: “ It was he who gave…some to be prophets….” We need to define Prophecy. The first way to understand this is; One who has insight into the divine will and Word of God, and possesses the power of inspired utterance. ( Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament).
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament words says; One who speaks both the mind and counsel of God. Also: A proclaimer of a divine message, denoted among the Greeks as an interpreter of the oracles of God. So this means anyone who preaches or brings forth the Word of God by preaching or teaching.
But then the gift of prophecy can also mean one who foretells the future –a foreteller. The word was used in Greek society of soothsayers who announce beforehand the will of the gods with reference to the future, but this is only a secondary and derived sense because the prefix (pro) must be regarded not as having reference to time (meaning before), but rather as local, in the context of space. Prophets means one who speaks openly before anyone and is the technical name for an interpreter of a divine message. This technical term came also to mean the interpreters of future events. In the Old Testament, it indicates to whom and through whom God spoke…also one to whom God made known His mysteries. So generally, one to whom God revealed His purposes, one to whom God spoke… It is clear that what really characterized the prophet was immediate communion with God, a divine communication of what the prophet had to declare. This was primarily how God communicated to his people in the Old Testament. Now that we have the complete Word of God, that is still God communicating His will purpose, and plan for our lives through preaching and teaching The Word of God.
When it means more than just having specific scriptures come to mind to share with people, in the context of preaching or teaching, is when it is declaring a specific “prophecy” for someone or the church, the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means. It is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether with reference to the past, the present, or the future. So the one who prophesies speaks forth the divine counsels of grace already accomplished. The one who prophecies fore-tells the purposes of God in the future.
So Prophesying in Romans 12:6 for instance is one who finds it especially natural to speak forth the mind and counsel of God. It is natural for them to speak forth the divine counsels of grace already accomplished. It is also natural for prophets to fore-tell the purposes of God for the future.
Brandon Dale Biggs a Christian from Oklahoma prophesied 4 months before the attempted assassination of former President Trump that it would happen. He saw in a vision God gave him, a bullet hitting Trump’s ear. He said that Trump was God intervening in this country to bring us back to God. He also correctly prophesied other world events. o
If you want to live a spiritually vibrant life, then you also need to decide to: Seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your daily life by asking God to fill you with his Spirit — asking in faith, with your whole heart. This isn’t a one-time experience, it’s a day-to-day experience.
And if you want to live a spiritually vibrant life, you need to decide to:
Take the necessary steps to be used by the Holy Spirit, by putting into use the gifts he has given you for the common good — for the benefit of all.
So I am encouraging you to discover all that you can about the Holy Spirit. Get to know about him, get to know him … and let him get to know you because he can make your life a masterpiece.

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
Date July 14, 2024
text 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

In 1 Corinthians, we’ll be looking at a text that was, at one time, considered by many to be the most divisive text in the New Testament. Not when Paul wrote it, but sometime later, in the 60s and 70s, when churches began to debate the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit — and began to differ with one another on where spiritual gifts were intended to fit in to the mix.
Paul didn’t write this section of 1 Corinthians — we’re talking about chapters 12, 13 and 14 — to be divisive or exclusionary. His intention was the opposite. After dealing with so many issues in previous chapters that were tearing the church apart, Paul begins laying the foundation to help them understand how the church community is intended to work together, and how the work of the Holy Spirit is to build the church in unity and empower its ministry and outreach.

In chapters 13 and 14, the Corinthians had gotten this aspect of church life just as wrong as they had gotten everything else … but Paul still gives them encouragement and hope that their church can learn to thrive in their spiritual lives — just like we, as a church and as individuals, want to thrive in our ministry to one another and to the world around us.

Bill Bright, founder for Campus Crusade for Christ, once said “If there were only one truth I could share with the Christian world, it would be how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, for there is no single truth that is more important to the believer.”With this in mind, let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 as we talk about how the ministry of the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and in our church, and we consider how we can experience the fullness of the Spirit’s presence in all we do. There are three areas we need to focus on. Here’s the first.

1. LET’S SEEK TO DISCOVER ALL WE CAN ABOUT THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

I’m saying that we need to make it a point to learn what we can learn about how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers — what it means to be filled with the Spirit, and the kinds of gifts he gives to God’s people.

This is what Paul said…(v. 1) Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.

The word translated “spiritual gifts” is pneumatikon, which can also be translated “things of a spiritual nature” or “things belonging to the Spirit.” Paul is saying, “Don’t overlook the spiritual side of life. Don’t be Ignorant of the role the Holy Spirit plays in your Christian walk.”There are two mistakes when it comes to spiritual things.

The first mistake is to disregard spiritual things altogether with the attitude “If I can’t see it, I don’t believe it.” This person is focused only on the material world and rejects (or is at least uncomfortable with) any reference to the supernatural. This person is likely to say, “Why pray for God to help me? I can get more done by rolling up my sleeves and working hard.” This type of person is a practical atheist, if not an actual atheist. He or she may claim to believe in God, but there is nothing in their personal life that would show any sign of a spiritual pulse.

The other mistake is to embrace everything related to spirituality without any sense of discernment or spiritual perception. There are countless pseudo-spiritual self-help speakers who talk about God and quote scripture in the context of their message — yet there’s no real Biblical substance to what they’re saying. Those who gulp down this ankle-deep theology often wonder why their spiritual lives seem so empty.

When it comes to living the Spirit-filled life there are a variety of opinions out there, and you can find fanatics on both ends of the spectrum. So it is up to you to be informed, so that you can reach a proper balance in your spiritual life without being tossed around by everyone else’s view. This is why Paul says, “Do not be ignorant.” How is this balance achieved? The Bible tells everything we need to know about the nature and work of the Holy Spirit.Through the Bible we learn that the Holy Spirit is not just some Star Wars type of force; the Holy Spirit is personal and should be referred to as “he” not “it.”

Through the Bible we learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to us and gives us direction from day to day.Through the Bible we learn how not to grieve the Spirit, and how to pray through the Spirit.

And through the Bible we learn how to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. So let’s take Paul’s advice. Let’s not be ignorant of spiritual things. If you want to experience the fullness of God’s Spirit in your daily life, begin with a commitment to learn more about the Holy Spirit’s work.

But you need to understand that this is an area in which mere awareness, or mere knowledge, is NOT enough. It needs to be part of your experience in your day-to-day life. And so the second step in living a spiritually vibrant life is to …

2. LET’S SEEK TO BE FILLED WITH THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

(v. 13) For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body…and were all given one Spirit to drink.

We are saved by the blood of Christ. His death on the cross bought our salvation. The Holy Spirit is involved in every aspect of conversion. He convicts us of sin [John 16:9], he calls us to repentance, he leads us to Christ [John 16:13], he regenerates us [Titus 3:5], he gives us assurance of salvation [Romans 8:16]. Now, let’s split a theological hair. When you are saved you receive the Holy Spirit — all of the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, that doesn’t mean you get more of the Spirit. It means that the Spirit gets more of you.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being led by or controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is the key to victorious living. It’s the key to holy living. It’s the key to experiencing power over sin. That’s why Paul said…

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16)

The obvious question, then, is “How do I get filled with the Holy Spirit?” Let me warn you: It’s difficult. You’ve got to know the right things, you’ve got to do the right things, you’ve got to say the right things. There’s a specific process you go through to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and it has to be done exactly right or it won’t work at all. None of that is true!

Are you ready for the formula? Here goes… Ask.

That’s it. That’s the process, every step of it.

If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. That’s what it takes. You receive the Holy Spirit the same way you receive salvation: you ask. This is why Jesus said…

“If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)

How do you ask, you may ask? These two guidelines will help you.

• Ask in faith. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6)
• Ask with your whole heart. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Here’s what I’m saying. The prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit is not a casual, whimsical, half-hearted effort. It’s a prayer of expectation and a prayer of consecration. It’s a prayer of submission. In asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you are yielding yourself to God’s leadership in your life. In doing so, your life becomes a masterpiece.

There’s a third-step that I want you to see today. To live a spiritually vibrant life, you need to…

3. LET’S SEEK TO DISCOVER OUR SPIRTUAL GIFTS AND PUT THEM EACH TO WORK IN OUR LIVES.

In this section of Corinthians Paul talks at length about spiritual gifts. He says…

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

And then he tells us…

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

I like how this verse reads in the New Living Translation.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (NLT)

He’s saying that everyone receives a gift — or gifts — from the Holy Spirit, and these gifts are to be used in the service of, and for the benefit of, others. In this passage Paul mentions several kinds of gifts: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of discernment, the gift of speaking in tongues, the gift of interpretation. These are kind of “showy” gifts; Paul mentions them specifically here because he wants to help the Corinthian church to be more balanced in the way they put these gifts to use In Romans 12, he mentions more gifts: the gift of exhortation, the gift of giving, the gift of leadership, the gift of mercy, the gift of service, the gift of prophecy, the gift of teaching.

In other passages he talks about the gift of celibacy, the gift of hospitality, the gift of evangelism.

And I wouldn’t even say that these lists are exhaustive. There are a wide variety of gifts, and the one thing they all have in common is that each gift is used to build up others. Because…

7 …the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

I’m saying that gifts are defined by the benefit they provide. That’s why there’s a difference between a talent and a spiritual gift.

For example, playing the piano, playing the guitar, having an awesome voice — these are not spiritual gifts. They’re talents. And a lot of people have talent. The world is full of talented people; for the right price you can get any of them.

However, I know some musicians who are more than just talented — they’re gifted in ways that go far beyond their talent.

Because he or she is more than a mere musician. Like Mary, She is a servant. Her spiritual gift is service; her musical ability gives her the opportunity to put her spiritual gift to good use. If she were suddenly unable to play the piano, she would find another way to serve, because she’s a servant first.

You don’t need to be talented in order to be gifted. Sometimes gifts and talents overlap, but not always. Now, you have been given you a gift that you can use to build up others. Maybe it is giving, or teaching, or leadership, or hospitality, or any number of other possibilities. But I can assure you of this: The Holy Spirit has given you a spiritual gift — or spiritual gifts — and God’s plan for you is to put these gifts to work for the common good, in other words: for the benefit of others.

Putting your spiritual gift to use creates purpose into everything you do.

It becomes an act of obedience to God. It goes from being a hobby to being a ministry. You’re not just playing the piano, or working in the nursery, or leading a committee, or dropping a few bucks in the plate — you’re doing the work of God. You’re being used by the Holy Spirit to minister to others. The result is that the seemingly mundane details of life take on new meaning — suddenly they are rich with eternal significance.

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
date June 30m 2024
text John 1:1-14, Titus 2:11-14, Hebrew 7:23-24, Rev 19:11-14

Guest Speaker Gary Batchelder

Listen to live audio here

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
June 16, 2024
text: Genesis 15:5-7; 13-16 Romans 49-12

Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

In the first 8 verses of chapter 4, we see that Abraham had faith which takes God at His word. The Jew regarded Abraham (whose name before God changed it, was Abram, which means “Exalted Father), as the great founder of the Jewish race, and the pattern of all that a man should be.

After the Lord had promised a son to Abram He spoke to him in a vision and told him to not be afraid, that He would protect him and that his reward would be great. At first Abraham wondered what good all of God’s blessing would be if he didn’t have a son. But God showed Abram the night sky and said to him, “Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that—too many to count!”

“And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith.” As God made this covenant with Abram he changed his name to-

Abraham which means: “Father of many.”

You see, it wasn’t because of anything that Abram had done, or hadn’t done, but only because of his FAITH, that he received the promise of God. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? –This is Paul’s question in Romans 4:1. Was it because o his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, he would have had something to boast about. In Ephesians 2:8-10 we see that we are saved through faith not works so that we don’t boast about it. So from God’s point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.

The Jews were proud to be called children of Abraham. Paul uses Abraham as a good example of someone who was saved by faith. By emphasizing faith, Paul is not saying that God’s law is unimportant (verse 13), but that it is impossible to be saved simply by obeying it. If a person could earn right standing with God by being good, the granting of that gift wouldn’t be a free act; it would be an obligation. Our self-reliance is futile, all we can do is cast ourselves on God’s mercy and grace.

When some people learn that they are saved by God through faith, they start to worry “Do I have enough faith? They wonder. “Is my faith strong enough to save me?” If you are thinking like this, you have missed the point. It is Jesus Christ who saves us, not our feelings or actions, and he is strong enough to save us no matter how weak our faith is. Jesus offers us salvation as a gift because he loves us, not because we have earned it through our powerful faith. What, then is the role of saving faith? Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ and reaching out to accept his wonderful gift of salvation.

Verse 4—6 “When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work. King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous:

(7-8) “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord.”

What can we do to get rid of guilt? King David was guilty of terrible sins that we talked about last week. Adultery, murder, lying, and yet he experienced the joy of forgiveness. We, too, can have this joy when we

1.) Quit denying our guilt and recognize that we have sinned.

2.) Admit our guilt to God and ask for his forgiveness.

3.) Let go of our guilt and believe that God has forgiven us.

This can be difficult when a sin has taken root in our life over many years, when it is very serious, or when it involves others. We must remember that Jesus is willing and able to forgive every sin. In view of the tremendous price he paid on the cross, it is arrogant to think that there is any sin too great for him to forgive. Even though our faith is weak, our conscience is sensitive, and our memory haunts us, Gods Word declares that sins confessed are sins forgiven.

(I John 1;9)

In Romans 4:9-12 Paul is declaring that Abraham is not the father of those who have been circumcised; he is the father of those who make the same act of faith in God as he made. He is the father of every man who in every age takes God at his Word as he did. A man may be circumcised, of pure Jewish linage, and yet not be a descendant of Abraham. Rituals did not earn any reward for Abraham. He had been blessed long before the circumcision ceremony was introduced. Abraham found favor with God by faith alone, before he was circumcised. (Gen. 17:1-14)

The key factor was faith. Abraham believed God. He had faith in what God told him. This was belief in the God who makes the impossible possible. Abraham was 99 years old, and Sarah was 89. It was biologically impossible for them to have children, yet God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.

As long as we believe that everything depends on our efforts we are bound to be pessimists, for experience has taught us, (as well as the world tells us), and teaches us the grim lesson that our own effort can achieve very little.

The enemy of our souls (Satan), likes to convince us that we are not of any use; particularly if you are a man, and did not have a good example in your own father. Sometimes we might get to wondering if God really cares about us, and what is the purpose we have in life. Whether you have had children of your own or not, all the men here today have a purpose and God wants to use you, in whatever the number of years left that you have in your life. He wants to use you as a father to grown up children or a grandfather to yours or other peoples children in the community where you live. He cares about you. He knows where you are, both physically and spiritually.

Perhaps you have read the collection of true stories entitled “Chicken Soup for the Soul for the Christian Soul.” There is a powerful illustration of the importance of recognizing that our faith is in a God of the impossible, and that He cares about us, both those who are faithful to Him, and those who are struggling.

The account is given about a traveling missionary evangelist and his family. His name is Ken Gaub. It had always been his goal to help those who were hurting. He said; “ Some people just need a little boost, and I wanted to influence their lives in a positive way.” He and his family conducted crusades not only throughout America but in many foreign countries. He established a magazine, a radio and television ministry and a youth outreach program.

But sometimes even preachers get drained and discouraged, and they wonder if they should consider another line of work. That was how Ken felt one day in the 1970s as he, his wife, Barbara, and their children drove their two ministry buses down 1-75 just south of Dayton, Ohio. He wondered silently as they traveled along; “God am I doing any good, traveling around like this, telling people about you? Is this what you want me to do?

“Hey, Dad let’s get some pizza!” one of Ken’s sons suggested. Still lost in thought, Ken turned off at the next exit, Route 741, where one sign after another advertised a wide variety of fast food. A sign, Ken thought. That’s what I need, God, a sign.

Ken’s son and daughter-in-law had already maneuvered the second bus into a pizza parlor’s parking lot, and they stood waiting as Ken pulled up. The rest of the family bounced down the steps. Ken sat staring into space. “Coming?” Barbara asked. “I’m not really hungry,” Ken told her. “I’ll stay out here and stretch my legs.”

Barbara followed the others into the restaurant, and Ken stepped outside, closed the bus doors, and looked around. Noticing a Dairy Queen, he strolled over, bought a soft drink, and ambled back, still pondering. He was exhausted. But were his doldrums a sign of permanent burnout?

A persistent ringing broke Ken’s concentration. The jangle was coming from a pay telephone. ( You remember those don’t you?—before the days of cell phones). There was a telephone booth at the service station right next to the Dairy Queen. As Ken approached the booth, he looked to see if anyone in the station was coming to answer the phone. But the attendant continued his work, seemingly oblivious to the ringing because of the noise of the traffic. Why doesn’t someone answer it? Ken wondered, growing irritated. What if it is an emergency?

The insistent ringing went on, Ten rings, Fifteen…Curiosity overcame Ken’s lethargy. Walking to the booth, he lifted the receiver. “Hello?”

Long-distance call for Ken Gaub,” came the voice of the operator. Ken was stunned. “You’re crazy!” he said. Then, realizing his rudeness, he tried to explain. “This can’t be! I was just walking down the road here, and the phone was ringing—“ The operator ignored his ramblings. “Is Ken Gaub there?” she asked. “I have a long-distance phone call for him.”

Was this a joke? He looked around to see if there was a Candid Camera crew that surely must appear. But no one came. His family was eating pizza in a randomly selected restaurant just a few yards from where he stood. And no one else knew he was here.

I have a long-distance call for Ken Gaub, sir, the operator said again, obviously reaching the limits of her patience. “Is he there, or isn’t he?”

Operator, I’m Ken Gaub,” Ken said, still unable to make sense of it. Are you sure?” the operator asked, but just then, Ken heard another woman’s voice on the telephone. “Yes, that’s him, Operator!” she said. “Mr. Gaub, I’m Millie from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You don’t know me, but I’m desperate. Please help me.”

What can I do for you? Ken asked. The operator hung up.

Mille began to weep, and Ken waited patiently for her to regain control. Finally she explained: “I was about to kill myself, and I started to write a suicide note. Then I began to pray and tell God I really didn’t want to do this.” Through her desolation, Millie remembered seeing Ken on television. If she could just talk to that nice, kindly minister, the one with the understanding attitude….

“I knew it was impossible because I didn’t know how to reach you,” Millie went on, calmer now. “So I started to finish the note. And then some numbers came into my mind, and I wrote them down.” She began to weep again. Silently Ken prayed for the wisdom to help her.

I looked at those numbers,” Millie continued tearfully, and I thought—wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a miracle from God, and he has given me Ken’s phone number? I can’t believe I’m talking to you. Are you in your office in California?”

“I don’t have an office in California,” Ken explained. “It’s in Yakima, Washington.” Then where are you?” Millie asked, puzzled. Ken was even more bewildered. “Millie, don’t you know? You made the call.” “But I don’t know what area this is.” Millie had dialed the long-distance operator and given the numbers to her, making it a person-to-person call. And she had found Ken in a parking lot in Dayton, Ohio.

Ken gently counseled the woman, Soon she received Jesus into her life, the one who would lead her out of her situation into a new life. Then he hung up the phone, still dazed. Would his family believe this incredible story? Perhaps he shouldn’t tell anyone about it.

But he had prayed for an answer, and he had received just what he needed—a renewed sense of purpose, a glimpse of the value of his work, and electrifying awareness of God’s concern for each of his children—all in an encounter that could only have been arranged by his heavenly Father.

Ken’s heart overflowed with joy. “Barb,” he exclaimed as his wife climbed back into the bus, “ you won’t believe this!. GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM!”

He has a purpose for each one of us!

GOD TRULY IS THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL

As we read in Galatians; let’s not become weary in doing good because in due time we will reap a harvest. Let’s continue to be faithful to our Heavenly Father.

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
June 9, 2024
text I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

Last week we saw that God is the Provider of Sanctification and that
Sanctification is entire, it permeates your entire being.
And that Sanctification is entire, it permeates your entire being.
Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than
any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit,
of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of
the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are
open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”
Now we want to look at :

3 THE PURPOSE OF SANCTIFICATION

1 Thessalonians 5:23c
“preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.”
And I hope by now we all understand the reason
Why sanctification is so important.
Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved
the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her,
having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might
present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or
any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
It is the desire of Christ that His bride be “in all her glory, having no spot or
wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
When Christ returns for His bride

He wants to find you in glory in beauty in holiness.
None of us want to be embarrassed to be found by Him in sin.
1 John 2:28-29 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears,
we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His
coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who
practices righteousness is born of Him.”
Imagine the wedding day and Him to come and find you
In sweat pants covered with paint and an old ratty T-shirt.
And God has promised to be the One who makes sure we are ready.
God will not only wash our outside,
But He will also give us attitude lessons to work on our inside.
He is making sure that when the Lord returns we are ready to meet Him.
The Provider, The Picture, The Purpose

4 THE PROMISE OF SANCTIFICATION

1 Thessalonians 5:24
At this point we can clearly see that God is in the sanctifying role
And we even see what that is and why He will do it.
We understand the need and what it is.
But we also know that there is still one glaring obstacle to overcome.
ME
Hasn’t that been the obstacle that kept us from sanctifying ourselves?
Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as
dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts
to idolatry.”
Romans 6:11-13 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive
to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so

that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your
body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to
God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness to God.”
Yet, despite knowing that we should “kill off the old man,”
We have found that to be easier said than done.
So even though sanctification is the work of God,
How can we be sure that we won’t mess it all up?
BUT HERE IS THE BEAUTY
Your sanctification will occur.
Not based upon your submission…
Not based upon your obedience…
Not based upon your willingness…
Your sanctification will occur based upon His faithfulness.
“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
The guarantee of sanctification is not a guarantee based upon you,
But is a guarantee based upon God.
God is faithful to finish what He starts.
Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a
good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Consider that great passage in Romans.
Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His
purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn
among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called;
and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He
justified, He also glorified.”
It is not as though God boasts of a 70% graduation rate,

Where 7 out of every 10 people foreknown actually make it to heaven.
No, God bats 1,000.
Because He predestines 100% of those He foreknows.
He then calls 100% of those He predestines.
He then justifies 100% of those He calls.
He then glorifies 100% of those He justifies.
God finishes what He started.
He is faithful like that.
“He also will bring it to pass.”
Psalms 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He
will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your
judgment as the noonday.”
1 Corinthians 1:4-9 “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of
God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were
enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony
concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any
gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also
confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God
is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This is why we also love the 23rd Psalm.
Psalms 23 “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie
down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my
soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,
for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare
a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my
head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will
follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.”

And of course we love that Psalm on a variety of levels,
But one of those reasons is because of where it ends.
“I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
BUT HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED WHY?
It is not because of what you do.
In fact that Psalm only records you doing two things.

It is not because of what you do.
In fact that Psalm only records you doing two things.

• One is dwelling in God’s house.
• The other is dying. “walk through the valley of the shadow of death”
  Those are the only things that Psalm says that you will do.
  God does the rest.
• “He makes me like down”
• “He leads me”
• “He restores my soul”
• “He guides me in the paths of righteousness”
• He is with me
• He comforts me
• He prepares a table before me
• He anoints me
• He follows me with goodness and lovingkindness
  The point is that God does it all.
  And this is the hope and assurance
  We take into the process of sanctification.
  DO WE STILL STRIVE?
  Absolutely
  BUT WE ALSO REJOICE, KNOWING THAT GOD WILL MAKE IT CERTAIN.
  1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as
  you also are doing.”

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
date June 2, 2024
Text: I Thessalonians 5: 23-24
Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

These final two verses tell us how our striving actually becomes a reality
(4 things)

1 THE PROVIDER OF SANCTIFICATION

1 Thessalonians 5:23a “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you”
“sanctify” translates HAGIAZO.It literally means to set apart.
It carries the idea of being set apart from sin and thus to be holy.And this is
of course what we are looking for,
And that is what makes this statement so great!
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you”
We fail miserably at ridding ourselves of sin,
And Paul here reveals that God “Himself” will do it. And don’t you love the
fact that Paul adds the word “Himself”.
It reminds us that God isn’t Delegating out your sanctification to someone
else.“If you want something done right, you better do it yourself.”
God wants your sanctification done right.
He “Himself” will do it.
GOD HAS ALWAYS TAKEN SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION
AS A PERSONAL OBLIGATION.
1 John 2:25 “This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.”

With something as important as salvation and eternal life,
God did not delegate it out to one of His subordinates.
God took care of it Himself.
1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you
were healed.”
As John also said:
1 John 2:2 “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours
only, but also for those of the whole world.”
Furthermore, when we face temptations in this life
That threaten our progress as we seek to be holy,
We can rest assured that God had nothing to do with it.
James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by
God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt
anyone.”
And even when we face trials or hardships we can be confident
That it is God who will fashion it for our good.
1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,
who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm,
strengthen and establish you.”
And so you get the picture.
While God has certainly delegated out some aspects of His kingdom…
Angels certainly made announcements
We preach the gospel
He takes care of sanctification personally.
That is also why Paul refers to Him as “the God of peace”
That doesn’t mean that He is a peaceful God.
Scripture says that He is angry at the wicked every day.

Rather, “God of peace” means that He is the God who provides peace.
He is the God who makes peace.
It was God who sent His Son to make peace between Himself and sinners.
It is God Himself who sanctifies men.
BECAUSE HE IS THE GOD OF PEACE,
HE TAKES SANCTIFICATION PERSONALLY
One of His 8 covenantal names is:
(Jehovah) YAWEH Mekadesh (The Lord who Sanctifies you)
Leviticus 22:32 “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified
among the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctifies you,”
AND WE KNOW GOD AS A SANCTIFIER.
WHAT DID HE DO TO THE 7TH DAY OF THE WEEK?
He sanctified it as holy.
WHAT DID HE DO TO THE TENT OF MEETING?
He sanctified it for Himself.
WHAT DID HE DO TO THE TEMPLE?
He sanctified it.
WHAT DID HE DO TO THE FIRSTBORN?
He sanctified them for Himself
AND WHAT DID HE DO WITH ISRAEL?
He sanctified them as a people for His own possession.
God is a sanctifier.
He does it “Himself”
Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work
for His good pleasure.”
HOW DOES HE DO IT?
Have you ever faced a trial or a hardship?
Hebrews 12:10-11 “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best
to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His

holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but
sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the
peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
Have you ever read the Scripture and had your sin exposed?
John 16:8-11 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning
sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not
believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father
and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of
this world has been judged.”
Jesus Himself likened to a washing, when He washed Peter’s feet saying:
John 13:10 “Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his
feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
And so whether it is discipline from the Father…
Conviction from the Spirit…
Or washing from Jesus…
We know that God does indeed do the work of sanctification.
Then, He is the Provider of Sanctification

2 THE PICTURE OF SANCTIFICATION

1 Thessalonians 5:23b
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your
spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame”
And I hope you notice what God’s sanctification looks like.
“sanctify you entirely”
“entirely” translates HOLOTELES
It is a compound word used only here in Scripture.
HOLO means “whole” (holistic)
TELES means “the end”
When you put it together it means
“all the way through” or “through and through”
God sanctifies every single part of you.
God leaves nothing untouched.
God leaves nothing unchanged.
This is spelled out even more as you read on in the verse.
“and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without
blame”
Over the years there has been debate as to whether man is
A trichotomy of spirit, soul, and body.
Or if “spirit and soul” refer to the same thing and man is just a dichotomy.
And if you want to hammer that out, that is fine,
But either way we can understand what Paul means.
God is not interested on cleaning up your outside apart from your inside.
We call that hypocrisy, and that has never pleased God.
Matthew 23:25-26 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of
robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of
the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.”
All you have to do is read the Sermon on the Mount
What about heart murder?
What about heart adultery?
What about a lack of integrity?
What about giving or praying or fasting for show?
God has no interest in just cleaning up the body and not the soul.
His sanctification is penetrating.
He does it “entirely” through and through.

One of the best illustrations of this would be the woman at the well.
A woman that Jesus fully confronted,
Even bringing up her promiscuous past.
Some would have resented His speech as meddling or judgmental.
In reality: Jesus was unwilling to leave any sin alone.
And that is how God sanctifies.
He has no interest in a clean outside with a dirty inside.
However, God also has no interest in a clean inside with a dirty outside.
This was what many of the Greeks believed.
It was part of the Gnostic religion.
It was the idea that since the body was dying anyway, that all that really
mattered was the soul. Therefore live however you want in the body, just
make sure your soul is clean.
Paul sort of shot that down when he wrote to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits
is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do
you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have
been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
The reality is that if God makes you clean on the inside,
Then He expects it to affect your outside.
Philippians 2:12 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not
as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your
salvation with fear and trembling;”
I like the term “work out your salvation”.
It carries the picture of moving what is inside to the outside.

If your heart is made righteous, then let that filter to your tongue.
If your mind has been redeemed then let that filter to your hands.
This is what God has in mind with sanctification.
He wants a clean inside.
He wants a clean outside.
He will “sanctify you entirely”
He will make sure that you are “preserved complete, without blame”
“complete” translates HOLOKLEROS
James 1:4 “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
God is working to complete His work in you.
He is not stopping short.
In one sense He works on all of you
And in another sense He finishes the work.
The end result is that all of you will be completely sanctified.
That is why Paul calls it “without blame”
And this is an interesting picture.
The Greek word for “without blame” is AMEMPTOS
Literally meaning “blameless” or “without fault”
Archaeologists who have excavated the site of Thessalonica
Have found it easy to identify the graves of the believers in that city.
For the graves of the believers all had the same word: AMEMPTOS
Obviously they loved what Paul had to say and did cling to that hope.

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.

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.

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!