This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Powerless Gospel", 12/28/2014

A POWERLESS GOSPEL

 

Matthew 14:22-36

The Set Up

V:22. " Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd."

 A. Jesus, throughout the day had performed the miracles of healing.

      1. His last miracle of the day was the feeding of five thousand men, not including

          women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish.

      2. Having witness the miracles, of Jesus, the disciples were sent on a mission to the

          other side of the sea to Bethsaida.

         a. Once we have heard the Word of God we have a mission to put the Word

             in practice.

         b. Unless we practice the principles we have heard in the Word for ourselves,

 

            there  will be no spiritual growth.

 B. Our faith develops as we follow God's commands.

     1. The disciples were commanded to go across the sea in a boat ahead of Jesus.

     2. It is our job to prepare the way for the Word to be heard.

     3. We have to condition ourselves for the mission ahead of us.

 C. The work of the Lord is never done.

     1. The disciples were sent to the next destination, but Jesus stayed and worked with

          crowd.

     2. Jesus never slumbers or sleeps.

     3. Even when we are not conscience of Jesus, He is aware of us.

 

Opportunity To Pray.

V:23. " After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."

 A. While on earth, Jesus communicated with the Father through prayer.

       1. Jesus often went off alone to pray. The mountain side was a common place.

       2. We need to find time in our day to pray.

       3. Prayer works to calm us and to reassure us in our daily activities.

 B. Prayer draws us into a closer relationship with the Father.

     1. Prayer tunes us spiritually with the Father.

     2. They that worship the Lord must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

     3. When we talk with the Father it is good to remind Him of His Word.

     4. Jesus often repeated the written Word He gave to prophets  concerning

         Himself.   

          

The Situation And The Test

V:24. " But the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. "

A. I believe that God designs situations to test our faith in Him.

    1. From the mountainside, Jesus saw the trouble His disciples were facing.  

        Mark 6:48

    2. Notice, Jesus sent disciples by boat in the evening time.

        a. Jesus knew the difficult situation the boat was in because of the heavy seas.

        b. Jesus waited until the early morning hours (3AM to 6AM) to come to

            the aid of His disciples.

        c. The test is designed to see how we react in faith under trials.

    3. God keeps a watchful eye on those who follow His commands.

B. Jesus allowed his disciples to struggle with the ruff waves buffeting the boat.

    1. Jesus does not always eliminate our problems as soon as they occur.

    2. It is the struggle that make us strong.

    3. It is the struggle that keeps us in prayer.

    4. It is the struggle that test our faith.

    5. It is the struggle that causes us to exercise our faith.

 

V:25. "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake."

  A. Jesus knowing our struggles, will come to our rescue in His time.

     1. Jesus will do what we can't do for ourselves.

     2. Jesus comes to us no matter where we are.

     3. We are never too far from Jesus.

 B. Jesus may not come when you want Him, but He is on time.

    1. We have to experience suffering to appreciate the work of Jesus.

    2. We have to experience suffering to know our weakness.

    3. We have to experience suffering to strengthen our reliance on Jesus.

 C. You can expect a miracle when Jesus shows up.

    1. We are heavier than water, therefore we will sink in water.

    2. It is a miracle to walk on top of water.

    3. Jesus is in control of our surrounding.

        a. He took the water and made it a platform.

    4. You should never expect Jesus to do what you can do for yourself.

 

A Powerless Gospel

V:26. " When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear."

A. The power of the Gospel is driven by faith.

     1. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must get rid of any thoughts of

         fables, myths and old wise tales.

     2. The disciples were still holding to their past worldly thoughts.

     3. We have to give up the world to take on the power of Christ.

 B. When we lack faith in the miracles of Jesus, we are subject to fantancy and wise

 

       tales.

    1. When they saw Jesus walking toward on water, they couldn't recognize Him

        because they were stuck on the reality of what man can do.

    2. They had witness the miracles of Jesus, yet they could not apply it to their

 

        situation.

        a. They knew the power of Jesus but could not apply it to their lives.

        b. Mar 6:51 implies that the disciples were not impressed by the miracles of the

            previous day.

        c. It is our faith in Jesus that empowers our lives.

   3. Without faith, we can be terrified by what we cannot understand.

       1. It is faith in Jesus that comforts us in fearful times.

       2. We have to learn that what is impossible for man is possible for God.  

 

The Encouragement

V:27. " But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

  A.  Jesus has a way of making us realize who He is.

       1. Faith in Jesus comforts us in our fears.

       2. Faith in Jesus gives us the courage to face the problems of today.

       3. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind.

  B. There are times when Jesus reacts to our needs immediately.

      1. When our lives are in danger, Jesus may encamp His angels around us.

      2. Jesus can change any circumstance into our favor.

 

Testing Jesus

V:28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

   A.  God will answer when you ask in faith.

       1. We have to be prepared to accept God's answer to our prayers.

       2. We are encouraged to test God's Word.

       3. Peter heard the Word of the Lord but express his lack of faith with "If".

           a. If we trust the Word, there is no if.

           b. If limits our power to act.

           c. If says we need a sign to be sure.

           d. If says if we don't get the  answer we want, maybe the Word is not true.

  B. "IF" expresses a weakness in our faith.

      1. If says, I got to have a sign to believe in Jesus.

      2. If says, I know what you did in the past, but can you help me now.

 

Faithless Gospel

V:29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."

 A. You have to be careful what you ask for, God may grant your request.

     1. Jesus walked on water, but can we do the same?

     2. Peter stepped down on the water which had became a road way.

     3.The body is heaver than water, so Peter should have sunk immediately.

         a. Peter was walking on the miracle works of the Lord.

         b. Jesus was holding him up, so he should have realized that the impossible

             was made possible.

    4. We should realize that every day of our lives, we are walking on the miracles

         of Jesus.

  B.  To enjoy the miracles of Jesus, we have to step down out of pride.

    1. To have peace in our lives we have to walk toward Jesus.

    2. To have continued success in our lives we have to walk toward Jesus.

 

V:30. " But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

 A. Sometimes we let our ("BUT") get in the way of our confidence in Jesus.

     1. The "but" can be our personal situations.

     2. The "but" can be our doubts.

     3. The "but" can be our weak faith.

 B. When Peter considered his circumstances, the impossible for the world, became

     impossible for him.

    1. I have been in a small boat in the Gulf of Mexico with 10 foot seas.

        a. The boat drops 10 feet from level, then rises 10 above level.

        b.  For example, if Peter was in a 10 foot swell, he was walking 10 feet above sea

             level.

    2. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and the present circumstance took control of his

 

        mind.

 

    3. We will always face circumstances, but we don't have to react to them in fear.

    4. Peter was walking above the problem, until he considered the problem.

        a. Peter reacted to the waves even though the waves were not affecting him.

        b. His emotional reaction to the waves caused him to sink.

        c. The emotion he reacted to was fear.

    5. Fear is normal, but trust in Jesus over rules what is normal for man.

  C. The one thing positive about Peter was he immediately called on Jesus when he

       was in trouble.

      1. Jesus is the problem solver and the trouble shooter.

      2. Faith in the power of prayer is important for believers.

 

The Solution

V:31. " Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

 A. The key problem with Peter in this situation was doubt.

     1. The solution to doubt is to reach for Jesus.

     2.  Immediately in our distress, Jesus extends his hand to help. 

 B. When we are obedient to Jesus, He is always on the move toward us.

     1.God will not put us in a situation that He is not in control of.

     2. God will not put us in a situation that will not help us grow in Him.

 C. The purpose of this test was to point out the weakness in the faith of the disciples.

    1. They did not understand the miracles that Jesus did the day before.

    2. Everyday is a day that Jesus does miracles in our lives.

    3. When we realize that Jesus is waiting to do a miracle for us, we will be quick to

         call on Him.

    4. Christians should never doubt the power of Jesus.

 

The Effect Of Trusting Jesus

V:32. " And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down."

    A. In John 6, the text says that when the disciples received Jesus in the boat, the boat

        was immediately on land.

        1. Faith in Jesus solves our problems.

        2. Faith in Jesus put us where we need to be.

    B. The disciples was headed to the other side with doubt about Jesus.

        1. They struggled because of their doubt.

        2. When they received Jesus in their heart they were immediately where they

 

            needed  to be.

    C. With Jesus in our hearts, we are always where we need to be.

       1. Our circumstances has nothing to do with our position in the Lord.

       2. Our faith has everything to do with our success in life.
 

 

Our Response To Jesus

V:33. " Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

 A. Our worship of Jesus ought to be continuous.

     1. Our worship ought to begin before we get to Church,

     2. We worship Jesus not because of what He does, but because of who He is.

 B. The boat became their place of worship.

     1. Jesus inhabit our worship.

     2. We have to come to the conclusion that Jesus is Truly the son of God.

 

God's Work Is Continuous

V:34. " When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret."

  A. The work of the Lord is never done.

      1. There is always someone who need to hear a Word from the Lord.

     2. We are always in a state of growth.

         a. We grow as we travel with the Lord.

         b. As we travel with the Lord we will encounter different situations

             that will require us to continue to grow.

     3. We must remember that a miracle is a miracle no matter how difficult the

          situation may seem.

B. The problem is not how big the situation is, but how big your Jesus is.

    1. The problem is not how many problems you have, but how many times you

        are on your knees in prayer.

    2. The problem is not who is against you, but the God that is for you.

C. We are always crossing over into another situation where we need to call on God.

    1. God gives us hope so we can give others hope.

    2. To much is given much is required.

    3. Our relationship with Jesus requires us to draw others into a relationship with

        with Him with our testimony.

 

The Mission, Get Sick Folk To Jesus

V:35. " And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him."

 A. Where ever we go, others ought to recognize the Jesus in us.

     1. Our testimony is important in the lives of others.

     2. The Word we spread about Jesus will cause others to spread the Word.

     3. The hope we express about Jesus will draw others to Him.

 B. We live in a world with people that are sick and in need of a Word from the Lord.

     1. There are different type of sicknesses.

     2. Lack of knowledge of Jesus is a sickness.

     3. Lack of trust in Jesus is a sickness.

     4. Lack of love for others is a sickness.

     5. Lack of physical health is a sickness.

     6. Lack of mental health is a sickness.

     7. All sickness are under the control of the Lord.

 C. We are empowered with the Word to heal the sick.

     1. We can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us.

     2. Nothing is impossible for God.

 

V:36. "And begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed."

 A. All those who comes to Jesus in faith are healed.

     1. Jesus always remarked to those who came to Him; " their faith made them

 

         whole."

 

     2. Wholeness in the Lord does not always mean a physical healing.

     3. Wholeness is in Jesus is spiritual.

     4. Wholeness in Jesus  has  heaven as it's destination.

 B.  We touch Jesus with our eagerness to get to Him.

     1. We touch Jesus with our needs in prayer.

     2. We touch Jesus with our faith in His power to heal.

     3. We touch Jesus with our praise and worship.

     4. We touch Jesus with our obedience to His Word.

 

JESUS IS PRESENT IN OUR LIVES TO MAKE US WHOLE

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of GMBC

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Savior Is Born",

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Savior Is Born", 12/21/2014

THE SAVIOR IS BORN

 Luke 2:8-20

  

V:8. " And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."

A. One of the most exciting nights in history, is the night Jesus was born.

    1. One of the most significant nights in History is the night Jesus was born.

    2. One of the most significant events in history is the birth of Jesus.

    3. The most important person to be born is Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

B. The Lord chose shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus Christ.

    1. I can only surmise that the Lord chose shepherds because Jesus is our shepherd.

    2. Shepherds are attentive to their sheep as Jesus is attentive to us, His sheep.

    3. The shepherd keep watch over their sheep as Jesus keep watch over us.

    4. Shepherd were on the low end of the economic scale, as Jesus made Himself low

        for  us.

    5. Jesus became low to humble Himself before the Father and man.

    6. The Father announced the birth of Jesus to working folk. The Father has little

         regard   for lazy folk.

    7. The Father chose the night time to reveal the birth of His Son, when it was quite

        and the shepherds were on guard for the safety of their flock.

    8. The Lord never sleeps nor slumbers and is always on guard for His people.  

     

 V:9. " An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified."

 A. The presence of the Lord makes an impact on us so that we can't mistake Him for

      someone else.

    1. Sometimes God places us in places, situations, and occupations to reveal His

        glory  to us.

        a. The Shepherds were engulfed in the middle of a great light.

        b. The impact of God's glory  was probably greatest to the shepherd in the middle

            of   night.

   2. The messenger of the Lord showed up clearly and was recognized as super natural.

   3. The shepherd were frighten but did not run.

       a. God has not given us  the spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind.

       b. When we are obedient to God, we have nothing to fear.

 B. God's glory is around believers.

    1. We should be a light to a darken world.

    2. We should never be silent about the Lord.

    3. Others ought to see the attributes of God in us.

    4. Where ever we go we can make a difference in the lives of others.

  V:10. " But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

A. God does not intend for the faithful to be afraid in His presence.

    1. The Word of God should bring joy to our lives.

    2. The Word is filled with the good news about Jesus.

B. God does not give us His Word just for us.

   1. His Word is given so we can share it with others.

   2. We are the Lord's messengers of good news.

   3. All good news comes from the Lord.

 

V:11. " Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

 A.  The Word of God provides hope for our lives.

     1. Bethlehem was called the city of King David.

         a. The birth place of our Lord and Savior was prophesied in Micah 5:2 around      

             700 BC

     2. The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of His coming.

     3. The Lord promised David that his kingdom would have no end.

 B. The promise of a Messiah was made hundreds of years before His  coming.

     1. Jesus step down out of heaven and became man for all believers.

     2. The purpose of the coming of Jesus was to be Christ.

 

V:12. " This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

A. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's birth was so special that He was born in an unusual place.

    1. His birth was during the time when the city was crowded and there were no rooms

        in the local ends.

   2. The Lord brought all of his relatives from the line of king David in to the same

       city at the same time.

   3. While His relatives were in the city, Jesus was born in a stall and placed in a

       feeding  tray that animals ate from.

        a. The Father magnified His Son's low estate by having Him born outside the city

             in  a cave among animals.

        b. He was born among His relatives but they did not know Him.

        c. He was born separate from His relatives.

 B. God made known the location of His Son's low estate to those who were of the same  low estate.

    1. No special clothes were provided for the most special baby of all time.

    2. Jesus was born low so we could be reborn in a high estate.  

 

V:13 "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 A. God made His angels praise His Son.

     1. This is an example to all believers of how to worship the Lord in concert .

     2. Believers are commanded to assemble together.      Hebrews 10:25

 B. All glory and honor belong to God.

     1. We honor people because of their position and who they are or what they have

          accomplished.

     2. God deserves the highest honor because no one has done, is doing and will do

         more for us.

     3. God deserves the highest honor because He is God.

     4. God deserves the highest honor because He sent His son to die for our sins.

 C. Only God can promise peace.

     1. Only God can promise eternal life.

 D.  God selected us to have favor with the birth of His Son.

     1. He chose us for salvation.

     2. God chose us for the kingdom of heaven.

 

 V:15. " When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." "

 A. We should act on the message we receive from God.

     1. The shepherds moved on the Word of God.

     2. They left their flock in search of Jesus.

     3. They did not wait till morning, they went immediately.

 B. The Shepherds believed the Word of God

     1. In order to trust God, we must believe what He says.

     2. The shepherd went searching for Jesus.

     3. Once we have heard the Word, we should seek the truth for ourselves.

     4. We cannot live on the belief of another, we have to believe for ourselves

     5. Others may talk about Jesus, but we have to know him for ourselves.

 

V:16. " So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger."

 A. They that seek the Lord will find Him.

     1. You have to search the truth for yourself.

     2. The Shepherds found the Word of the Lord to be true.

 B. The shepherds saw not only the baby (king) but God's guardians  for the king.          

      Isa 7:14

    1. God reveals to us what we need to know when the time is right.

    2. God chooses certain people to be enlighten so that they can enlighten others.

 C. We should always be in search of Jesus.

    1. We should be in search of His love.

    2.  We should be in search of His mercy.

    3. We should be in search of His blessing.

    4. We should be in search of His grace.

    5. We should be in search of His protection.

    6. We should be in search of Jesus just to praise Him

 

 V:17. " When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child."

 A.  All believers have the responsibility to spread the Word about Jesus Christ.          

       Mat 28:19

     1. Jesus was born to die so we could have a rebirth.

     2. It is our responsibility to tell others what Jesus has done for us.

     3. Our testimony is important to those in the dark.

       a. Someone may already have planted the Word.

       b. We may be the one who waters what has been planted.

    4. Our testimony may be a word of encouragement to someone in a troubling

        situation.

 B. The shepherds encounter with Jesus was life changing.

    1. They were just shepherds but they became shepherds with the best good news.

    2. In the middle of the night, the of glory of God showed around them.

    3. They experience an angelic visit from the Lord.

    4. They were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus Christ.

    5. They were first to hear an angelic choir praise Jesus.

    6. They were first to see the new born Jesus outside of Mary and Joseph.

    7. After the angels, they were first to proclaim the birth of Jesus to the world.

    8. Any encounter with Jesus is life changing.

 

 V:18.  And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."

  A. God amazing grace is manifested in our lives in different ways.

      1. The shepherds were blessed to hear about Jesus and proclaim His name.

      2. We were blessed not only to hear about Jesus, but also to be drawn into

          presence by God the Father.

  B. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus came down form heaven to bring us

       joy.

     1. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus came to make peace between us and the

         Father.

     2. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus chose us to be part of the body of Christ.

     3. It is God's Amazing Grace that Jesus came to save us from our sins.

 

 V:19. " But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

  A. Sometimes we need to take time to meditate on the Word of God.

      1. Mary may have meditated on why she was chosen to bare the Son of God.

      2. Mary may have meditated on why God sent angels to proclaim the birth

         of  His Son.

      3. Mary may have meditated on why God told shepherd she didn't know about

          about Jesus.

      4. Mary may have meditated on why God allowed His Son to be born in

          poor conditions.

   B. It is a good idea to meditate on why God chose us over others to be with

       His son.

     1. It is a good idea to meditate on the love of God.

     2. It is a good idea to meditate on the Word of God

     3. It is good for us to meditate on the goodness of God.

     4. It is good to meditate on Jesus.

 

 V:20. " The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had

  heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

  A. It is  the job and the duty of every believer to praise God for our relationship

       with Jesus Christ.

     1. We should praise God for His Word that He has made known to us.

     2. We need to praise God for being God.

  B. The Shepherds after their visit with Jesus, went back to their job of

       tending sheep.

     1. We need to take time to give God praise.

     2. We need to praise God in the assemble of the saints.

     3. We need to praise God while on our jobs.

     4. We need an attitude of continual praise.

 

MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO PRAISE GOD

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of GMBC

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Worship The Lord", 12/15/2014

WORSHIP THE LORD

 

Psalms 95:1-7

 

V:1. " Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. "

A. One of the obligations of every believer is to find Joy in the Lord.

    1. It is by the grace of God that we were chosen before the foundation of the earth.

    2. We did nothing to deserve the gift of salvation.

    3. The gift of eternal life should bring joy to our hearts.

    4. The knowledge that we are not doomed to hell, but destine to Heaven is the

        reason for great joy.

 B. We have an obligation to share this Good News with others.

     1. We make a lot of noise at foot ball games.

          a. We shout all throughout the game.

          b. We pay for the privilege to shout.

          c. We don't get a gift to go to the games.

          d. The players get paid, but we get our pockets drained.

     2. Jesus gave us the gift of salvation by sacrificing His life for our sins before we were

         born.

         a. Jesus keep giving us favor all our lives.

         b. Jesus does not charge us for His favor.

     3.  We Ought to shout for Joy about the goodness of Jesus.

 C. A rock is a hard, solid material.

      1. You can stand on a rock,

      2. You can build on rocks.

      3. Jesus is our rock.

          a. Our salvation is eternal.

          b. In Jesus our salvation is sure.

          c. We can depend on Jesus.

          b. Jesus has shown His dedication to us by His shed blood on  the cross.

 

V:2. " Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

 A. There not but one proper way to come in the presence of God.

      1. We must consider what He has done for us and come with thanksgiving.

      2. Often times we come first with our complaints.

      3. We make a complaint out of what He has blessed us with.

      4. We should come to God thanking Him for what He has done before asking

          for more blessings.

      5. We should find a way to turn our complaints to words of praise.

          a. Don't complain about your job. Praise God for a job.

          b. Don't complain about your neighbors. Thank God for neighbors.

          c. Don't complain about your spouse. Praise God for a spouse.

       

 B. When we think about what Jesus did for us on the cross, we ought to honor Him

       with our lips from the depths of our hearts.

      1. We owe God all our praise and honor.

      2. We ought to honor God with songs of praise.

      3. Music and songs of praise are pleasing to God.

      4. The angel fly around the throne singing Holy, Holy, Holy.    Isa 6:3

      5. When Jesus was born, it was a heavenly host of angels who praise Him

          in the mist of the lowly shepherds in the night time.    Luke 2:13

  C. God inhabits the praise of His people.     Psalms 22:3

      1. It was Paul and Silas who praise God in the middle of the night

          from their jail cell.

         a. The gates of their cells flew open and the chains that bound them fell of

            as a result of their praise.     Acts 16:25-26

          b. As a result of their praise, all the prisoners witness the glory of God.

          c. As a result of their praise, the captain of the jail and his family accepted

              Christ as their Savior.

       3. Praise lifts our hearts.

       4. Praise liberates.

       5. Praise breaks shackles.

       6. Our praise excites others.

 

V:3. " For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods."

 A. Defn:

      1. Lord = El= Strength, Almighty

      2. God= Yehavoh= Self Existence, Eternal

      3. Great = Gadowl = elder, exceedingly, high, long,

      4. King= Melek= Royal

      5. gods= elohiym= angels, judges, magistrates

      6. The Almighty, Self Existence Elder is Royal above angels and men.

 B. There is no one term that fully describes God.

     1. God describes Himself in terms of His characteristics  and what He does.

     2. God told Moses to tell the Pharaoh of Egypt that the  "I Am" sent him.   Ex 3:14

     3. In Revelation, God describes Himself as Alpha and Omega.   Rev  1:8

     4. In Isaiah, God describes Himself as Lord and God.    Isa 45:6,7, Isa 45:22,23

     5. In Isaiah, God describes Himself as Redeemer and Creator.  Isa  44:24

 C. There is no one comparable to God.

     1. There is no one higher than God.

     2. There is no one with more authority than God.

     3. There is no one with more power than God.

     4. There is no one with more knowledge than God.

 D. God is King of kings.

    1. God is the maker of everyone.

    2. Can someone or something made by God be more than God?

 

V:4. " In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."

 A. God is the creator of the universe and everything beyond what we can discover.

      1. Any distance we can measure or imagine will not describe the outer

          limits of God's creation.

      2. God maintains all we can discover and all that we will never be able to discover.

          a. Scientist are constantly discovering some outer distance that God created.

          b. Archeologists are constantly unearthing some things that God created in

              ancient times. 

      3. We serve an awesome God that cannot be measured in human terms.

      4. We may never understand the magnitude of what He has done or will do.  Job 11:7

 B.   We can see the highest mountain peaks and may observe the deepest valleys.

      1. All that we observe belongs to God.

      2.  No matter how much effort we put into something, it still belongs to God.

      3. We would be foolish to take credit for what God enables us to do. 

 

V:5. " The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."

 A. God informs us in Genesis chapter 1, that in the beginning the earth

      was formless and void.

     1. The universe was dark and covered  with water.  Gen 1:2

     2. God separated the water into seas  to make dry land.  Gen 1:9

 B. The God we serve made order out of disorder.

     1. He took what was void and made something of immeasurable value.

     2. All that God did in His creative process benefits man.

     3. God had no need of heaven or earth, but He desired the company of man.

     4. The Triune God said, "Lets make man in our own likeness and image"

     5. God made us so that we could communicate with Him.

     6. God made us to praise and give Him glory.

 

V:6. " Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."

 A. It is our duty to worship the Lord.

      1. Because He is high and we are low, we must humble ourselves and bow down

          before Him.

      2. Bending knees is the position of the subjects of a King.   Isa 45:23

 B. God made us and He knows what is best for us.

     1. It is best for us to worship the Lord.

     2. It is our worship that gets God's attention.

     3. It is our obedience that pleases God.     John 2:6

     4. Our worship keeps our focus on God.

     5. Our worship keeps us humble before God.

     6. Our worship keeps us praising God.

     7. Our worship keeps us dependent on God.

     8. Our worship keeps us in awe of God.

     9. Our worship keeps us thankful of His goodness.

     10. Our worship reminds us of His righteousness.

 

V:7. " For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice."

 A. It is by the grace of God that He chose us to be His people.

      1. By choosing us as His people, God obligated Himself to take care of us.

      2. By choosing us, God obligates Himself to protect us.

      3. By choosing us, God obligates Himself to train us in His righteousness.

      4. By choosing us, God obligates Himself to chastise us.

 B. Notice, God gives us a choice to hear His voice or reject His voice.

     1. If we hear His voice we will be obedient to Him

     2. If we hear His voice, we will worship Him.

     3. If we hear His voice, we will shout with joy.   

     4. If we hear His voice, we will praise His Name.

  

SING PRAISES TO GOD AND SHOUT FOR JOY

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,   Asst Pastor of GMBC