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Confession Of Faith I Believe Jesus Died On The Cross To Redeem Man From His Fallen State Confession Of Faith I Believe In The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ Romans 10:9-10 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Confession Of Faith I Believe Jesus Is Alive Today And Is Seated At The Right Hand Of Father God Ever Living To Make Intercession For You And Me The New Testament is full of references to the resurrection of Jesus as well as references to the believer who will be resurrected from the dead There are at least 54 direct statements in the New Testament that Jesus would be or was raised from the dead 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. The Resurrection Of Jesus Was At The Core Of The Gospel The Apostles Preached There Had To Be A Resurrection If There Was To Be An Eternal Salvation For Man On The Day Of Pentecost, Peter Preached The Gospel And 3000 Were Saved… This Is Part Of What He Said… Acts 2:22-24 22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Romans 8:11 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Confession Of Faith I Believe That The Spirit That Raised Jesus From The Dead Lives In Me And Gives Life To My Mortal Body Peter Preached Again And 5000 Were Saved… Here Is Some Of What He Preached… Acts 3:13-15 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. Peter Preached At Cornelius’ Home, A Roman Centurion, And The Holy Spirit Fell On The Gentiles Acts 10:34-46 34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen — by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. The Apostle Paul Preached The Resurrection Of Jesus Acts 13:30-33 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. 32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' Why Is The Resurrection Of Jesus So Important? Jesus Died 2 Deaths On The Cross He Died A Physical Death Due To The Crucifixion He Also Died The Eternal Death Of Sin By Becoming Sin For Us 2 Corinthians 5:21 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Hebrews 9:24-26 24 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. The Phrase “Do Away With Sin” Means He Conquered The Sin Nature Of Man And Gave Man The Divine Nature He Forgives Our “Sins”, The Acts That We Personally Have Committed He Forgives The “Sin” Which Is The Inherited Sin Nature Of Man Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:21 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Sunday March 29,2015 Word of Life Christian Center celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The following message was something the Lord had given our church at the beginning through a small paper back book given to me by a dear lady, Ouida Ford. When I read it, really out of respect for her, I didn't realize the impact it would have on me and our new church. The message I preached last Sunday was the message I used to form a core value of our church. Love, Acceptance and forgiveness.
Our Commission We Live In A World Of Pain And Suffering The World Is In A Terrible State And There Is Only One Answer To All Of Man’s Needs, It Is Jesus Even in the Church there are those who have been wounded and disappointed and they are crying out for their need of fellowship with God and man to be renewed. We Are The Church Of The Lord Jesus Christ We Are His Hands And His Voice In This World Acts 4:29-33 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. We Have A Message To Declare To All Men We Need The Hand Of The Lord To Reach Out Through Us To Those Who Are In Need Some In The Church Of Jesus Are Just Plain Beat Up Beat Up By The Devil Beat Up With Health Problems Beat Up With Money Problems Beat Up With Relationship Problems These Are Not God Haters, These Are God Lovers But Somehow A Lie Has Been Believed Over The Truth Well meaning people have fueled the lie though passing judgment and now people don’t know what to think about this thing called church They believe they don’t measure up to everyone else who have no problems! We Are The Hand Of The Lord Jesus. We Are To Reach Out To The Hurting In And Out Of The Body Of Christ And Let The Power Of God Touch Them. We Are The Light Of The World We Stand In This Dark World For The Unsaved And For The Discouraged Believer Our message is this… Jesus Christ is the answer. He has paid your debt in full. God has a plan for you, he will give you hope and a future. 2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. So as Christ’s ambassadors, we are to represent Christ to all mankind. The Number One Attribute Of God Is What? God Is Love LOVE The first and foremost characteristic of God that we must show is love. People feel unloved People feel that what they have done has driven God away We must show the love of God to them We are love to the world Ephesians 2:1-10 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. So As Christ Loved Us, We Too Must Love. John 13:34-35 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 2. ACCEPTANCE Everyone who is outside of fellowship with God and his body has a barrier to overcome How Do I Fit In? What Does It Take For Me To Be Part Of This Group Of People? There Is Only One Thing That Will Cause People To Know They Are A Part, It Is When We Accept Them. You Can Never Be A Part Of Something Until Those Who Are Already There Accept You John 6:37-40 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." So If This Is How Jesus Looks At It, We Must Do The Same 3. FORGIVENESS People have done wrong things They Come To God And In The Name Of Jesus They Are Forgiven But if we don’t forgive them, they will never come into the fullness of their walk with the Lord because being in the body is what we believers do on the earth What if the person has wronged us? People need the forgiveness of the lord, they need our forgiveness too John 20:22-23 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." The Power Of Forgiveness Is Unlimited So, 3 things that we, the body of Christ must practice and perfect. 1. Love 2. Acceptance 3. Forgiveness
Acts 2:1-4 And suddenly there came… Unawares, Unexpectedly Even though Jesus had told them of the coming Holy Spirit many times, when He came, He came suddenly, with no other forewarning If you were there when He came you got in on the outpouring There is one sure way to miss out on a move of God… Be somewhere else when He comes Not necessarily physically somewhere else, but mentally or spiritually somewhere else One device satan uses are distractions They are the things that get our attention off of what is important Hebrews 12:2a Priority Something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first Priorities : the things that someone cares about and thinks are important What Takes Priority In My Life? Your marriage and family are to be a priority in life If you have suffered the loss of someone you love you know how important love, marriage and family are Matthew 6:33-34 The Distractions Of This World Want To Dictate Your Priorities There is nothing as important as your spiritual wellness Spiritual wellness will heal the other issues of life There is a promised outpouring of God’s Spirit on this generation But this generation is the most distracted generation of all time Diligence in seeking God is out of fashion Holiness is “old school” In This Generation… Faithfulness to one’s spouse is optional but so is marriage But the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who are seeking Him will spill out and overflow on a generation that has had no time for God Our passion for Christ will become contagious It Is Up To The Church To Get This Right So The World Can Be Affected Mark 16:15 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Can we be the stewards of God’s power?
Can we ask Him to trust us with more? Then Be Ready For A Suddenly  If you look at yourself, I mean really look at yourself, you will see that you have strengths. Think of your two greatest strengths. It could be your devotion to your spouse and family. It could be your work ethic. It could be the ability to lead others. It could be the ability to follow orders. Many see their worth or value, or self worth, based on how others see them. But what happens when you are separated from the crowd and it is just you and God? What happens when you are alone with your thoughts? What happens when pressure mounts, do any weaknesses get exposed? Does the weak link in your chain show up? Let’s not talk about the weak link, let’s cover that up… “If I talk about my weakness I make myself wide open for somebody to take a shot at me and I told myself a long time ago I would never let that happen again.” The walls have gone up. The defense mode is on and I have put on my GOD face for church. Deep inside there is something, it is a weak link, if anything’s going to break, that’s what it will be. It sounds something like this… “You see I was hurt years ago by someone I trusted, I will never trust anyone like that again. So BITTERNESS has rooted in me and the fruit of it is poison!” Or maybe someone did you wrong and took something or someone from you and they may still be in the church like nothing ever happened. Meanwhile, you are so eaten with JEALOUSY it consumes you, “but as long as I keep that weak link covered up, I do ok.” Or maybe someone you loved died way, way, way too soon and you never got past it. Deep inside ANGER has consumed you and whether you know it or not, that anger is directed toward God. “GOD… Why did you have to take them from me?” That is the question the weak link inside of you cries out. Perhaps LONELINESS is your weak link. Because you battle loneliness you open yourself up to things that are not pure. And the list of weak links goes on and on and on. They are the things that we have experienced in our lives that shaped us, crushed us and we, as of yet have not been freed from. When pressures arise it is those weaknesses that cause a reaction that hurts and confuses everyone around us. “It is these weaknesses that always surface when I try and move closer to God. It seems as soon as Pastor begins talking about times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, my weak link shows up!” Satan stands as the accuser. He hurls accusations against God’s children trying to bring guilt, shame and condemnation. Romans 8:1-2 Revelation 12:10-11 Jesus said... John 10:10 Isaiah 10:27 The power of God breaks the weak link and replaces it with His strength. Ephesians 6:10-18 John 8:36 Recently I have preached two messages at our Church. One was entitled "Times of Refreshing" and the other, was entitled, "Another Wave". Acts 3:19 says... Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Let’s define two words, Time and Refreshing: Time: signified "a fixed or definite period, a season," sometimes an opportune or seasonable "time“ Refreshing: a recovery of breath, revival We need times of refreshing We need times of His presence We have to be ready for these times by staying pure before Him How often are these “times”? How often is there “revival”? Is it a random act of God? Do we have anything to do with these times of refreshing? Do we have a part to play in revival? Our part is to be hungry and thirsty for His presence Our part is to seek Him with our whole heart Jeremiah 29: 11-14 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Acts 2:15-18 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." The Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit Upon Man Is Scriptural. It has been prophesied from the Old Testament into the New Testament. This outpouring has been prophesied by men and women of God through the centuries. He will not promise an outpouring of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders and settle for a watered down, half-hearted substitute for His plan. However, I must make a statement at this point about “Times of Refreshing” that concerns you, the individual believer. I am an advocate of Revival. I know that there is Another Wave of the power of God like we have never known coming to this planet. Joel chapter 2 is very clear that the first wave was a moderate outpouring. (Pentecost Acts 2). But there is coming an outpouring that combines the “former and latter rain in the same month”. Oh, how we pray for this wave of the spirit.
In the meantime, as we live each day, this “Times of Refreshing” from the presence of the Lord is how we live. Are we experiencing a refreshing in our daily prayer life, Bible study and worship? We should be. If these things are done out of duty rather than love to the Lord we are missing it. The Church has been led to believe that even the “Times of Refreshing” are only meant for a special event once or twice a year at church with a special speaker. No, we are to LIVE REFRESHED because that comes from the presence of the Lord of whom we are filled. Are you hungry? Are you Thirsty for God? Do you need HIM? Then call on Him and develop a relationship with Him and every day enjoy a Time of Refreshing. From My Heart, Pastor Dave Courage or Discouraged? Dis – To separate from. To be discouraged is to be separated from courage. What is Courage? The strength of purpose that enables one to withstand fear or difficulty. Physical courage is based on moral courage-a reliance on the presence and power of God and a commitment to His commandments If we become discouraged we become separated from the strength of purpose that enables us to withstand fear or difficulty. This happens when we disconnect from the presence of God. Discourage: To prostrate; hence, to break down, either (literally) by violence, or (figuratively) by confusion and fear. We lay down and give up! Three things that cause discouragement: Violence Confusion Fear What Is Our Assignment? Our assignment is to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this city and to the world. Violence, confusion and fear are all from Satan. We can not let one of his devices stop us! Here’s what the Lord says… Deut 2:36b What did God say to Joshua? No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Psalm 44:1-8 What Is God Saying To Us? He is saying He has assigned us to this city. Our assignment is to win this city for Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 Our Declaration… We declare that we see the Glory of God resting upon our city. We declare that we see the salvation of God setting the sinner free. We declare that we see sickness, poverty and all the works of the enemy driven away. We Declare We See… Addictions broken Demons driven out The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Sets The Captive Free! Do Not Become Discouraged…Be Encouraged! Where there has been barrenness there will be births… Where we have plowed, watered and sown there will be harvest. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 Don’t let go of your courage. Stir up the gift of God in you.
Courage is the strength of purpose that enables one to withstand fear or difficulty. Physical courage is based on moral courage which is a reliance on the presence and power of God and a commitment to His commandments. It is the moral convictions we hold in our hearts that causes us to stand boldly and courageously in the face of danger, spiritual as well as natural. Philippians 4:13 Joshua 1:1-5 Jesus said the same thing to the disciples: Matthew 28:19-20 Joshua 1:8-9 Because God is with us we can do whatever is put before us. Our success is based on the presence of God in our lives. Our courage is not natural, but supernatural. God told Joshua to not let the word depart from his mouth. He also told him to meditate on the word. What you meditate on is what you will speak. Speaking the word will build your faith. Faith will cause you to stand with courage Our courage, our boldness is based upon the Word of God. If the Word says we can, then we can! Confession of faith… I am what the word says I am. I can do what the word says I can do. I have what the word says I have. More on this topic coming soon. Be Blessed!
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AuthorPastor Dave White is Senior Pastor of WOLCC, founded in April of 1995. Archives
November 2015
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