David Henneke's Podcast

00:13Elder Introduction05:16Elder Candidate: JE Todd 27:00Elder Candidate: Bobby Vidler 42:00Message: Romans 1:16-17 Part 1 

The gospel is the great equalizer because every human being is equally LOST without it and they can be equally SAVED by it. Therefore, to keep the message of the Gospel to oneself is the most inexcusable act in all of human history. We who know the wonderful news are indebted to get the news out into the world…NO MATTER HOW WE FEEL because our “feelings” are irrelevant when it comes to obedience. 

Paul’s three descriptions of himself move from the General to the Specific: from “slave” of Christ Jesus”: one who is OWNED by Jesus, who will SERVE Jesus and whose Will BELONGS to Jesus; to “a called apostle,” one who is sent by authority with a commission; to “set apart for the gospel of God” as the specific focus of his calling. By declaring that he has been set apart for the gospel, Paul is laying the foundation for the very theme of this Letter. After all, the MAIN THEME of the Letter: is the good news that we are saved by grace apart from works.

Remember from last week, because Jesus was Paul’s Lord (Master) Paul was OWNED by the Lord, Paul SERVED the Lord and existed ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF SERVICE, Paul’s WILL belonged to Jesus. God called Paul to be an Apostle,  WHAT HAS HE CALLED YOU TO DO? Some are called to the political arena, some are called to see to the Abolishment of Abortion, some are called to bring an end to Human Trafficking. God has called Some to the ministry of Encouragement or Hospitality. Others are called to be Pastors, Teachers, Worship Leaders, Missionaries, Bible translators or to a host of other opportunities that honor & glorify the Lord.We are NOT all CALLED to the SAME THINGBut we ARE all CALLED to SOMETHING

Romans 1:1The main implication of our confession is that “Jesus IS Lord” His Lordship is his ownership and authority OVER his property, his slaves. Therefore, in our confession that Jesus IS Lord, we ACKNOWLEDGE that Jesus is our owner and that we are His property. We voluntarily surrender our wills to His and we put ourselves at his disposal. We accept this as our natural state and commit ourselves to unconditional service.

A spiritual gift is a Holy Spirit empowered ability that is given to us by the grace of God to serve others. The truth of the matter is that God doesn’t need any of us,  but in His infinite wisdom He chooses to use us and also equips us to be used by Him. We strongly believe that God expects for EVERY Believer to SERVE ONE ANOTHER. He also equips EVERY Believer to FULFILL that responsibility. This understanding HELPED to SHAPE our MISSION STATEMENTFIRST KINGSLAND EXISTS TO GLORIFY GOD BY MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH THE PREACHING, TEACHING, AND PROCLAMATION OF HIS WORD AND BY SERVING ONE ANOTHER IN TRUTH, LOVE, AND GRACE  

David’s instruction is clear and compelling: do not harbor sin in your heart but confess it promptly to the Lord. When you do, you will find that God is waiting to forgive and cleanse you, to remove your guilt and restore you to fellowship with Himself. Thru this Psalm, we discover these truths: God will bless us if we repent and God will discipline us if we refuse to repent. Therefore, seek forgiveness while it can still be found.

1 Peter 1:6-7Life today is a school in which God trains us for eternity. This explains the presence of trials in our lives: Trials are the tools and textbook of God’s training. Our trying experiences today are preparing us for glory tomorrow. 

1 Peter 1:3-5What a contrast of emotions there is between the words, “HOPEFUL” and “HOPELESS”. The Bible uses both ideas to describe our spiritual condition. The HOPE we have in Christ is confidence concerning God’s presence in our life today and the comfort we have in being in God’s presence throughout eternity. Are you HOPELESS or are you HOPEFUL? Your condition is determined by your response to the greatest gift ever given to man!

As hard as we may try we cannot stop others from trying to damage or destroy us with their words or actions. It is unfortunate but the reality is we will face ungodly people in our lives. People that will say some rather cruel & damaging things to us or about us This Psalm will help us know how to properly respond when that happens.

The question is not whether we, as God’s people, will have to go through wilderness experiences in our lives. Rather, the question is how do we face those experiences in a way that seeks to glorify God. It is to this point that David’s psalm offers us tremendous help and insight.

In many of the Psalms, we see the pattern where the Psalmist cries out to God in a time of distress and God either delivers them or comforts them in their distress. Psalm 22 is quite different…Here, David cries out to God but NOTHING CHANGES! He receives NO COMFORT… NO STRENGTH… NO RELIEF… NO DELIVERANCE. Here, we discover How to Approach God in Times of Suffering. 

God had warned Israel that the way they treated the manna would be a test of their obedience to His Word. In rejecting the manna, Israel really rejected the Lord, and this rebellious attitude invited the judgment of God. So it is with us…the way we treat God’s Word is the way we treat the Lord Himself. To ignore the Word of God, to treat it carelessly or to willfully disobey it is to REBEL against God

Psalm 95 teaches us how to approach worship. In this Psalm we discover THREE INSTRUCTIONS for BELIEVERS:1.  COME and PRAISE God (1-5)2.  BOW DOWN and WORSHIP Him (6-7a)3.  LISTEN and OBEY (7-11)

The salvation of sinners was God’s idea. The accomplishing of that salvation was God’s WORK. The granting of that salvation is God’s GRACE. The fulfillment of that salvation is God’s PROMISE. From BEGINNING to END, according to Psalm 3:8, “Salvation belongs to the LORD, your blessing be on your people!” Therefore, there is no room for the glory of man in God’s plan for salvation. The glory belongs to God and God alone, Soli Deo Gloria!

Over 500 years ago, the Reformers were NOT seeking to invent new doctrine, they were simply uncovering & proclaiming what the Scriptures already declared. It is CHRIST ALONE who endured the wrath of God. It is CHRIST ALONE who paid the penalty of our sin. Therefore, It is only thru FAITH ALONE, by GRACE ALONE, in CHRIST ALONE that we can obtain salvation.

Do you believe that Jesus is able to do all that needs to be done for your salvation?Do you entrust the weight of your salvation unto Him? If you do, then it is Christ (not your faith in Christ) that does all the work. Your faith neither ADDS TO nor AIDS IN the work of Christ. Your faith merely RESTS and RELIES UPON the work of Christ. Salvation is completely by grace, even the faith by which we take hold of his promises is His gift to us. Therefore, our salvation & the faith by which we receive salvation come from the Grace of God.

Grace is more than simply the unmerited favor of God displayed & enacted in Jesus. Grace also has a purpose…the practical outworking of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Believers. It is Grace alone that saves us and it is Grace alone that empowers and enables us to Glorify Him.

We cannot pick & choose what we want to believe & follow from the Bible. The Bible will have no sustaining power for life if we make ourselves the authority of what we will or will not believe and follow. The Scriptures were life to Moses and food to Jesus.  They cannot and must not be anything less to us. The Word of God is the very breath of God. Therefore, Scripture is the inerrant, sufficient and final authority of our faith and practice. May we live in full obedience to His Word!

Fully aware of the danger of heretical teaching infiltrating the Church, John gives his Final Encouragement…hold fast and submit and surrender your life to the One True God! After all, Jesus IS the True God and Eternal Life.  He is the true revelation of God. Anything else is a counterfeit and a false substitute.