Bro. Ed Deaton delivered another wonderful sermon Sunday on Matthew 21: 17 - 19. Let us start this journey through these verses by discussing our need to read the Bible. Did you know that about 75% of the church body today doesn't read the Bible more than 5 minutes a week? And we wonder what is wrong with our world today.....it's like anything else that breaks....read the owner's manual! Something we don't do with life today. Our owner's manuals sit by our beds and collect dust. Some of us don't even have one and we just go through life trying to patch everything ourselves. What is wrong with us? Why can't we see how badly we need to rely on God's word? Now that we know that statistic, perhaps you want to now pick that Bible up, blow the dust off, and begin reading it....but not so fast! There are a few things all of us should understand about this owner's manual.....there are 4 different ways in which to read it. The first is to read it word for word physically. The second is to read it with an understanding of the historical side of it so that you can understand why things occur in the Bible as they do. The third is to read it prophetically and to look to it to make decisions and solve problems in our lives. The fourth is to read it spiritually and to be able to read a verse and understand how it was meant to be read. This particular message from Bro. Deaton did just that!
If you (physically) read Matthew 21:17 - 19 you will read this...
17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
But let's read this now spiritually....
Let's say that Bethany is representing Heaven. We know that God the Father is there. Just as you and I hunger for food throughout each day, God is also hungry. God is not hungry for food, but hungry for us to accept Him, to be spreading His word and doing good works in His name.
Now, physically the verse says "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it." The fig tree represents "us". When those Eastern skies split and the Father returns, you will either walk with God or go to Hell. He is coming back....that is guaranteed. No man knows when the Lord will return. Not even the Lord himself. But again, it is a GUARANTEE that He is coming back for his church.
The next part of the verse is the most profound...physically it says, "and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." He found nothing on that tree but leaves. From a distance that fig tree was lush and green. It looked good but it didn't bear fruit. What good is a fig tree if it bears no fruit? What good are we if we also bear no fruit? But read on...."Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." Wow....what does that say to us? We pray he finds something more on us than just leaves. It is one thing to do good things but unless you believe in Christ and work for His glory, we are only lush green trees without fruit. We see this every day. Look at some churches. On the outside, they look big and lush. They have all the physical things any church would want, cushions in every pew, paved parking lots, ornate architecture...and the list goes on and on...but where is their fruit? Today, too many mortal men stand where God himself should be. If we are going to be a non-bearing tree we will wither away.
What does it take to bear fruit? A lot of people claim they just don't have the time to plant the seeds and tend to their own trees. There won't be time to change your mind when those eastern skies part and Lord returns. We believe, as humans, we have all the time in the world.....we live in the "someday" era. But we MUST make the time, because though we don't know exactly when He will return for us, we know He will. It could be in the next 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 years, 5 decades....but He is coming and your time is now. Let's say, you have a new neighbor. You peer daily over into their yard. "Sure, I should really go and invite them to church. I should witness to them and share God's love with them. But this week is too busy for me. I'll do it someday soon." Someday. The enemy of risky love is a snake whose tongue has mastered the talk of deception. "Someday" he hisses. Then we try to make ourselves feel better (here comes that "lushness" we have been talking about)...."I'll just pray for them or add them to our prayer list at church." But you know the truth don't you . Some days never come. There is always something else around the corner to do.
The rewards of risky love, though, are greater than the time it took. Go to the effort. Invest the time. Write a note, bake cookies, call them, knock on their door, invite them over to dinner, take every opportunity to reach them for His kingdom. The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret. What will you say when you are standing next to the Lord on judgement day? What will you say when He looks you in eye as He turns that neighbor away? Along with every other person, you promised "someday" to? Your time is now. Win someone to Christ. Begin to bear fruit on your tree.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
I am He.....
We are so thankful to have been blessed these past 2 Sundays with God's word spoken through Ed Deaton. Brother Ed Deaton, from Grant County, has been spreading God's awesome word over the ears of Sparta Baptist Church. He and his wife have been a blessing to our church family. We also are very thankful that God is moving in our church. We had several new faces in the congregation today and pray they will return again.
The Lord's presence can be felt the minute you stick your big toe through the doors of our humble church building. You know that feeling you get when you enter an air conditioned building on a really hot and scorching day? That is the feeling you get when you walk through the doors of Sparta Baptist Church. Like the cool air from air conditioning surrounds you and envelopes you with a refreshment, God's presence immediately surrounds you and envelopes you the minute you walk through the doors. There are no words to say, yet God still hears my heart and knows my thoughts.
If you have missed the past two sermons, you missed a revival of hearts! I will allow God's message to be spread through my fingertips as it was given by Brother Ed Deaton.
"I AM HE"
Those very words are spoken and recorded 23 times in the gospel of John alone. 7 of those 23 times the words "I am He..." are connected to life lessons and metaphors.
We will go through them.
Lesson 1: John 6:35 says:
35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (KJV)
Hunger is very natural. We have it several times a day. When we are hungry we eat. I read a church sign recently that said, "If you don't have the bread of life, you are toast." God should be your bread of life. He should give you the same satisfaction that food does. Food alone cures our hunger pangs. God alone is all we need. To be hungry in spirit is to be lost and searching, wondering, full of worry....God says plainly, "I am the bread of life; HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER! If you have God, your search is over. Your hunger pangs are gone. There is no hunger for anything. Becoming a Christian is not a death sentence, it is a life sentence.
Lesson 2: John 8:12 says:
12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
What things can you do perfectly in the dark? Why was electricity invented if the dark was so great? We need light to see things clearly and not stumble or trip. The word is clear, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth me SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS. Without light, we stumble and trip, mess up because we can't see what we are doing. Simple day to day tasks are so much easier to do with light to see by is it not? Without Christ though, we are in the dark. We stumble, trip and mess up everything simply because we have no light which to see by. God's light allows us to see our messy lives and clean them up. If you truly know the light of the world, you are never in darkness.
Lesson 3: John 10:9 says:
9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The only way to be saved is to accept God into your heart. Step through that door and enter his kingdom. Once you are there, you are always there. You can't get to Heaven any other way. Good things on Earth alone can not get you into Heaven. God is looking for those people willing to step through the door. You can save an entire bus of people from crashing into the river. The only reward you will get is recognition here on Earth and your name in the paper. It won't get you into Heaven. The only way to be saved is to walk through the door and accept God into your heart.
There are 3 evident truths you can spot in a lost man's heart. They are 1.) selfishness and pleasure seeking, 2.) denial in Christ and servanthood, and 3.) a focus on worldly possessions and things.
There are 3 evident truths you can spot in a saved man's heart. They are 1.) law of God is evident and written on his heart and in his actions, 2.) heart is set on serving the Lord, and 3.) sole purpose in life is to help others find the Lord without hinderence.
Your heart changes the minute you walk through that door. HE is the only way in. Your heart's focus changes from those evidences of a lost man's heart to those of a saved man's heart.
Lesson 4: John 10: 11 - 14 says:
11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
I don't know of any shepherds personally. It is no longer an occupation most people choose to do. To understand this scripture and the metaphor behind it you must understand what a shepherd's job is. A shepherd watches over his sheep like a mother watches over her newborn child. They are the sheep's protection. They would lay down their own lives for the safety of their sheep. Look at what the scripture is saying......"I am the good shepherd." God did that very thing for you. He knows you need protection each and every second of every single day. He is there watching you and protecting you. He gave his life for you just as the shepherd would give his life for his sheep. We are his sheep. He loves us that much that he gave his life for us. He paid the price so we wouldn't have to. Each sheep is important to the shepherd. There is not one sheep more important than another. All are loved and needed. If you are lost it's okay, but do something about it. Your heart is as important to God as anyone else's heart is. There is no heart more deserving or worthy than yours. God truly is the good shepherd.
Lesson 5: John 11:25 says:
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
This scripture is saying to you, "It doesn't matter what you have done in life, the Lord knows your heart already. Do not be ashamed of your heart or the choices you have made." Those choices made you a dead soul but with God, you are made new. The shame goes away. You have that chance to change your life and turn it around. It is NEVER too late! Satan does his best to convince people every day that there is no hope for them and it is too late. It is NEVER too late to accept Christ. There is NEVER a sin too big that God can not forgive. God is the only way to having a new life.
Lesson 6: John 14:6 says:
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You can try to do things your way, but you will fail. You can not succeed in this life without God. There is NO other way to have eternal life or get to Heaven than through God. You have to understand that God's way is the only way, his word is the truth, and he is the reason you have life. Without those understandings you are lost. You can claim to be a Christian, pray every day, and read your Bible, but until your heart and mind are truly with God, you are still a lost soul.
Lesson 7: John 15:1 says:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
Every fall, we prune our rose bushes. Why? So that the next year they will bloom more abuntantly. You are a vine that God is pruning each and every day. Why? So that each and every moment of your life you can live it more abundantly. We are to bare fruit in our everyday lives. We are to share the word of God daily as Christians and sow the seed so others too can bare fruit. Our priority in life should be to have a burden for the lost man. Plant the seed in those that are lost. Teach them to allow God to prune their branches so that they too can bare fruit and sow seeds. That is our job here on Earth, to spread God's word. We are all here to do the same job. It is not left up to the preacher or Sunday school teacher. It is up to all of us. It was not a suggestion to pick up thy cross and follow Christ, it was a command.
Where is your heart? Is God your bread of life or do you hunger? Is God your light in a dark room, or are you sitting alone in the dark searching for answers? Have you entered God's door or are you hesitant to knock? Are you allowing God to be your shepherd or are you a rebellious and stubborn sheep? Do you understand that God is your resurrection and only way to a new life or are you still trying to solve all your problems on your own? Are you following God's way, using the Bible as your truth, and living your life like Christ? Are you a vine hindered by weeds and need a little pruning? Let God in. God wants you. He loves you. If you are lost and know you need God, now is the time. It is NEVER to late! He is the only way. Please come visit us at Sparta Baptist Church. He is here. You can feel him. You will never be the same!
The Lord's presence can be felt the minute you stick your big toe through the doors of our humble church building. You know that feeling you get when you enter an air conditioned building on a really hot and scorching day? That is the feeling you get when you walk through the doors of Sparta Baptist Church. Like the cool air from air conditioning surrounds you and envelopes you with a refreshment, God's presence immediately surrounds you and envelopes you the minute you walk through the doors. There are no words to say, yet God still hears my heart and knows my thoughts.
If you have missed the past two sermons, you missed a revival of hearts! I will allow God's message to be spread through my fingertips as it was given by Brother Ed Deaton.
"I AM HE"
Those very words are spoken and recorded 23 times in the gospel of John alone. 7 of those 23 times the words "I am He..." are connected to life lessons and metaphors.
We will go through them.
Lesson 1: John 6:35 says:
35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (KJV)
Hunger is very natural. We have it several times a day. When we are hungry we eat. I read a church sign recently that said, "If you don't have the bread of life, you are toast." God should be your bread of life. He should give you the same satisfaction that food does. Food alone cures our hunger pangs. God alone is all we need. To be hungry in spirit is to be lost and searching, wondering, full of worry....God says plainly, "I am the bread of life; HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER! If you have God, your search is over. Your hunger pangs are gone. There is no hunger for anything. Becoming a Christian is not a death sentence, it is a life sentence.
Lesson 2: John 8:12 says:
12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
What things can you do perfectly in the dark? Why was electricity invented if the dark was so great? We need light to see things clearly and not stumble or trip. The word is clear, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth me SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS. Without light, we stumble and trip, mess up because we can't see what we are doing. Simple day to day tasks are so much easier to do with light to see by is it not? Without Christ though, we are in the dark. We stumble, trip and mess up everything simply because we have no light which to see by. God's light allows us to see our messy lives and clean them up. If you truly know the light of the world, you are never in darkness.
Lesson 3: John 10:9 says:
9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The only way to be saved is to accept God into your heart. Step through that door and enter his kingdom. Once you are there, you are always there. You can't get to Heaven any other way. Good things on Earth alone can not get you into Heaven. God is looking for those people willing to step through the door. You can save an entire bus of people from crashing into the river. The only reward you will get is recognition here on Earth and your name in the paper. It won't get you into Heaven. The only way to be saved is to walk through the door and accept God into your heart.
There are 3 evident truths you can spot in a lost man's heart. They are 1.) selfishness and pleasure seeking, 2.) denial in Christ and servanthood, and 3.) a focus on worldly possessions and things.
There are 3 evident truths you can spot in a saved man's heart. They are 1.) law of God is evident and written on his heart and in his actions, 2.) heart is set on serving the Lord, and 3.) sole purpose in life is to help others find the Lord without hinderence.
Your heart changes the minute you walk through that door. HE is the only way in. Your heart's focus changes from those evidences of a lost man's heart to those of a saved man's heart.
Lesson 4: John 10: 11 - 14 says:
11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
I don't know of any shepherds personally. It is no longer an occupation most people choose to do. To understand this scripture and the metaphor behind it you must understand what a shepherd's job is. A shepherd watches over his sheep like a mother watches over her newborn child. They are the sheep's protection. They would lay down their own lives for the safety of their sheep. Look at what the scripture is saying......"I am the good shepherd." God did that very thing for you. He knows you need protection each and every second of every single day. He is there watching you and protecting you. He gave his life for you just as the shepherd would give his life for his sheep. We are his sheep. He loves us that much that he gave his life for us. He paid the price so we wouldn't have to. Each sheep is important to the shepherd. There is not one sheep more important than another. All are loved and needed. If you are lost it's okay, but do something about it. Your heart is as important to God as anyone else's heart is. There is no heart more deserving or worthy than yours. God truly is the good shepherd.
Lesson 5: John 11:25 says:
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
This scripture is saying to you, "It doesn't matter what you have done in life, the Lord knows your heart already. Do not be ashamed of your heart or the choices you have made." Those choices made you a dead soul but with God, you are made new. The shame goes away. You have that chance to change your life and turn it around. It is NEVER too late! Satan does his best to convince people every day that there is no hope for them and it is too late. It is NEVER too late to accept Christ. There is NEVER a sin too big that God can not forgive. God is the only way to having a new life.
Lesson 6: John 14:6 says:
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You can try to do things your way, but you will fail. You can not succeed in this life without God. There is NO other way to have eternal life or get to Heaven than through God. You have to understand that God's way is the only way, his word is the truth, and he is the reason you have life. Without those understandings you are lost. You can claim to be a Christian, pray every day, and read your Bible, but until your heart and mind are truly with God, you are still a lost soul.
Lesson 7: John 15:1 says:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
Every fall, we prune our rose bushes. Why? So that the next year they will bloom more abuntantly. You are a vine that God is pruning each and every day. Why? So that each and every moment of your life you can live it more abundantly. We are to bare fruit in our everyday lives. We are to share the word of God daily as Christians and sow the seed so others too can bare fruit. Our priority in life should be to have a burden for the lost man. Plant the seed in those that are lost. Teach them to allow God to prune their branches so that they too can bare fruit and sow seeds. That is our job here on Earth, to spread God's word. We are all here to do the same job. It is not left up to the preacher or Sunday school teacher. It is up to all of us. It was not a suggestion to pick up thy cross and follow Christ, it was a command.
Where is your heart? Is God your bread of life or do you hunger? Is God your light in a dark room, or are you sitting alone in the dark searching for answers? Have you entered God's door or are you hesitant to knock? Are you allowing God to be your shepherd or are you a rebellious and stubborn sheep? Do you understand that God is your resurrection and only way to a new life or are you still trying to solve all your problems on your own? Are you following God's way, using the Bible as your truth, and living your life like Christ? Are you a vine hindered by weeds and need a little pruning? Let God in. God wants you. He loves you. If you are lost and know you need God, now is the time. It is NEVER to late! He is the only way. Please come visit us at Sparta Baptist Church. He is here. You can feel him. You will never be the same!
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