Prayer is the place where we discover and where we begin to pay the asking price.
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PAstor Wrinkles: Paying the Asking Price
Here is the first excerpt of today’s sermon “Paying the Asking Price”. These are the Scriptures we will be launching from.
Luke 14:15-35
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
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Pastor Wrinkles: Laboring To Rest Pt. 3
Me reclining after walking up the “Rocky” stairs at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
We have been discussing the paradoxes of Scripture in church these last several weeks. Yesterday I got to speak on the paradox of “laboring to rest” which we find in Hebrews 4:11. This post is the conclusion of the matter. So f you missed the first two section s they can be found at the links below:
https://josephelonlillie.com/2014/11/30/pastor-wrinkles-laboring-to-rest-pt-1/
https://josephelonlillie.com/2014/12/01/pastor-wrinkles-laboring-to-rest-pt-2/
What we have learned to this point is that the work…the labor we are called to do as Christians is the work of having faith in a living loving God. We are called to do that in a world that is constantly trying to steal our faith and get us to believe only in our own strength.
The writer to the Hebrews in the verses leading up to our opening verse in Hebrews 4: 11 makes this clear when he writes,
“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,” Hebrews 4:1-3
Our work our labor is to believe and have faith in God and to allow that faith to propel us through life rather than our own strength.
Some people scoff at this way of living saying it makes God a crutch. They would say that God helps those who help themselves. But the truth is that we are a people who need a crutch.The world, and even our own inner monologues often tells us that we have to save ourselves, that we cannot rely on God so we have to trust in ourselves, our own strength. The problem is that every time we follow this line of advice we end up in trouble. Some people have gone so far as to make even going to Heaven a work that man can accomplish in his own strength. Others following that advice of working their way to Heaven have worked their way right out of trusting Christ and into Hell. I had one man tell me that if in fact he could not get to Heaven on his own merits he was not going to rely upon someone else’s sacrifice to get him into the pearly gates. That man died and for all his labor he ended up with an eternity of torment.
When the Bible tells us to labor to enter into rest it is not talking about a list of do’s and don’ts but about laboring to build faith in the work of Christ in our lives and this is indeed a labor for the whole world is set against it:
The world tells us to work to get ahead. Christ says trust me and obey me and I will give you the life I intend for you to have.
The world says work hard and pay your own way. The Lord says trust me, pray and do the things I tell you to do and I will supply all your needs.
The world says do good works and God might be impressed enough to let you into Heaven. Jesus says come unto me and trust my work on the cross to save you and then you can rest from your labors.
In the end we have a choice about how to labor. Laboring in our own strength leads us to exhaustion and ultimately failure. Laboring to trust God and His way for our lives leads to rest and peace and ultimately success. It seems like a no-brainer to me but which will you choose?
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Pastor Wrinkles: Laboring To Rest Pt. 2
This post is part two in our sermon from Sunday 11-30-14. If you missed part 1 you can find it here:
Our leading Scripture is found in Hebrews 4:11
“ Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
So what does laboring to rest mean?
Does it mean that if we work hard eventually we will get to rest in Heaven as a reward for our labors?
Some say that Christianity is a religion of “do’s” and “don’ts”, that if we are ever to make it to Heaven we have to work very hard for it.
They might say something like,”Be good.Be saintly and God might just find you good enough to let you enter Heaven.”
Many people labor under the false idea that God is up in Heaven with a calculator right now tabulating good works versus bad works. When asked if they expect to go to Heaven their answer is that they hope that they are basically good people and that God will find their good works to outweigh their bad works and so He will let them into Heaven; But this is not biblical and it is certainly not what Jesus or the writer to the Hebrews meant when they suggested that we labor to enter into rest.
Paul the apostle Paul questioned
“What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?”
And he was right when he concluded
” Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.” Romans 3: 9-12
Later he wrote:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph. 2:8-10
The work and the labor spoken of do not speak of our own works or of Heaven.
Good works can never earn us entrance into Heaven. Our works will never be good enough to earn us a place in Heaven. Our place in Heaven is only guaranteed by our faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus , himself,said “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
So we see that what God requires of us in order to get into Heaven is not a list of good works but a daily living faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul the apostle wrote in Romans 10 that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare 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 profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame. 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And again in the book of Ephesians chapter 2 He tells us it is by grace you are saved through faith.
Have you realized what we are to labor at yet? Tune in tomorrow!
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Pastor Wrinkles: Laboring To Rest Pt. 1
Me reclining after walking up the “Rocky” stairs at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Today in our church we continued our study through the paradoxes of Scripture. As our Lead Pastor, Barry Risto, has shared many times over the past few weeks:
a paradox is simply- Something that is made up of two opposite things that seems impossible but that is actually true or possible.
Here are some examples of paradoxes.
“You are never too old to become younger!”
― Mae West
“The Universe is very, very big.
It also loves a paradox. For example, it has some extremely strict rules.
Rule number one: Nothing lasts forever.
Not you or your family or your house or your planet or the sun. It is an absolute rule. Therefore when someone says that their love will never die, it means that their love is not real, for everything that is real dies.
Rule number two: Everything lasts forever.” Craig Ferguson
Today’s Scriptural paradox says, “If we are ever to find rest then we must labor for it.”
This is found in Scripture verses like Hebrews 4:11
“ Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
And Ma 11:28-30
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
So how do we find ourselves laboring to rest? How is it possible to work hard and rest at the same time? How can we labor to enter rest? How can we take on a yoke (a burden a chore) and find rest?
Let’s start by talking about some of the myths about Christian labor and rest. Let’s talk about what it does not mean.
- Laboring to rest does not mean that Christians never get weary. Some people say if you labor for God perfectly and in the things that God wants you to really do, then you will never get tired. Some say that any sign of weariness means you are not listening to what God is really telling you to do because if you were you would have enough energy.
- and not be tired.
But even Paul the apostle said he had served the church…
“In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” 2 Cor. 11:27
We will get weary.
Isaiah 40 says, “Even princes get weary… but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”
Weariness is to be considered a normal part of this life.
- Neither does laboring to rest mean we should never rest. Some people say that the Christian life is all about exhausting every bit of energy you have and never resting. I have heard Christians say “I’ll rest when I’m dead. There are souls to save.”
But we are not the savior and the same Lord that told us to go out into the harvest field said “The Sabbath the day of rest was made for man.”
What are some myths you have discovered about labor and rest in the Christian life?
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Pastor Wrinkles; He Completes Me Pt. 6
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Col. 2:10
We continue today with our discussion from Colossians 2:10. I hope you have been blessed by these offerings. If you by chance have missed any of our last “Complete Me” posts you can find them here:
http://wp.me/p39vIx-IQ Written sermon- He Completes Me Pt 1
http://wp.me/p39vIx-IU Written sermon- He Completes Me Pt. 2
http://wp.me/p39vIx-J8 Written sermon- He Completes Me Pt. 3
http://wp.me/p39vIx-Ju Written Sermon He Completes Me Pt. 4
http://wp.me/p39vIx-K4 Written Sermon He Completes Me Pt. 5
Today we continue in our topic speaking about our completion in supernatural strength.
Dear reader you must know that, the Bible tells us that we are not only complete in our salvation and in our sanctification but we are also complete in supernatural power to accomplish the purposes of God for our lives.
God has big plans for you and for your life. He says it this way.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Many of you are looking at the plans God has shown you and you are saying “God that is impossible.” You are absolutely right. Accomplishing the plans of God for your life in your own strength is impossible but you are not working under your own power you are working under God’s power and you are complete in Him. You are complete in the supernatural strength of God to be able to do all the miracles which are going to have to be done in order for you to succeed in the plans of God.
Ask Paul the Apostle if he thought he was capable of fulfilling the plans of God for His life. By his own confession he said,
“8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,[a] about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” 2 Cor. 1:8-10
Experiences like this caused him to come to the conclusion
I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13
Soooo…What area of your life do you have to begin believing you are supernaturally strong in?
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Pastor Wrinkles: He Completes Me Pt. 5
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Col. 2:10
We continue our conversation today regarding Colossians 2: 6-10 with our concentration being on verse 10. If you have missed any of the previous posts they can be found here:
http://wp.me/p39vIx-IQ Written sermon- He Completes Me Pt 1
http://wp.me/p39vIx-IU Written sermon- He Completes Me Pt. 2
http://wp.me/p39vIx-J8 Written sermon- He Completes Me Pt. 3
http://wp.me/p39vIx-Ju He Completes Me Pt. 4
Now today we will discuss the subject of sanctification…
If you have asked Jesus into your heart then you are complete in your salvation. You can take nothing away from it and you can add nothing to it. Christian if you have asked Jesus into your heart you do not need to keep asking him over and over. You have asked He has responded. You are saved and unless you go to Him and say Jesus I don’t believe in you I no longer want you in my life you are saved because you are complete in your salvation.
But not only are you complete in your salvation you are also complete in your sanctification. “Sanctification” is a long Christianese word for being holy.
and “holy” is a short little Christianese word meaning you are set aside for special purposes by God to live righteously, that is to live defeating sinful attitudes and actions on a daily basis. You are complete in your holiness. The moment the Holy Spirit entered you and filled you up and saved you unto eternal life you were set aside for special purposes by God. The Bible says it this way:
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. I COR. 6:19,20
Christ died for you. You can live for Him. You have the ability to walk in righteousness over every sin and addiction.
“on July 3l, 1838 on the Island of Jamaica, a man named William Knibbs, gathered 10,000 slaves for a great praise gathering. They were celebrating the New Emancipation Proclamation Act that would abolish slavery on the island. They had built an immense coffin and into it were placed whips, branding irons, chains, fetters of all kinds, slave garments and all the things that represented the terrible slavery system that was now coming to a welcome end.
At the first stroke of the midnight bell, Knibbs shouted out, “The monster is dying.” At each stroke of the bell that followed this cry was repeated and the great crowd began to join in the cry. At the twelfth stoke 10,000 voices cried out, “The monster is dead, the monster is dead, let us bury him.” They then screwed the coffin lid down and lowered it into a huge grave and covered it up. That night, every heart rejoiced and 10,000 voices grew hoarse, shouting and crying with joy. Once they were in bondage to slavery, but now they were free.
There is a tragic side to this story. While many rejoiced in their new liberty and freedom, there were some slaves, that lived in remote areas of the island, that did not know they had legally been set free. Because they didn’t know, for many years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been made a law, they still continued to serve their slave masters. Their former masters successfully kept the news from them as long as they could. By law they had been declared free men and did not have to live as slaves any longer. However, ignorance of the truth kept them in bondage.
Now let me tell you an even sadder story. Today, if we’d hear a story of something like that happening, we’d be shocked, sympathetic and even angry. But the truth is, the same type of thing is happening in our day. Jesus Christ, because of his victory against sin on the cross, has issued an Emancipation Proclamation of liberty and freedom from sin to everyone on this earth. But like some of the Jamaicans were, there are those today that just don’t understand that they no longer have to live as slaves to sin any longer, and the devil is trying to keep them in that mind set.
The message of the cross is this: Satan has been defeated and sin’s penalty has been paid. We no longer have to surrender to sin or be controlled by Satan. We can belong to Jesus and live to please God.” Bill Lobbs
You see we are complete in sanctification, but we still struggle sometimes don’t we? What do you think causes the struggle?
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Pastor Wrinkles: He Completes Me Pt. 4
and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Col. 2:10
We have been looking at Colossians 2:6-10 over the last few days and have been speaking about our completion in Christ. If you have missed any of the discussion you can find it in the following blog posts:
http://wp.me/p39vIx-IQ Pt. 1
http://wp.me/p39vIx-IU Pt. 2
http://wp.me/p39vIx-J8 Pt. 3
Now here is what I am thinking about completion today:
The moment you come to Jesus …the moment you believe He died for your sins… the moment you receive Him as Lord and Savior you are completely saved… that is you are granted eternal life in Heaven. That is the GOOD NEWS that the Bible teaches!
But the Bible also teaches says that all who do not receive Jesus die separated from God and are consigned to a sinner’s Hell. I know that is not a popular thing to preach these days but it is the truth.
11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’[b]
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18
Many will say “that’s unfair Pastor J why would a loving God only provide one way for men to get to Heaven? Why can’t every man choose His own way?”
The answer is simple: Because man is not God. Only God can save.
It is not unmerciful that God did not provide a hundred ways to Heaven. It is a mercy that He provided any way at all when He did not have to.
That said, those who have asked Jesus into your heart are complete in salvation. We can take nothing away from that salvation and we can add nothing to it. Christian, if you have asked Jesus into your heart you do not need to keep asking him over and over to save you. You have asked He has responded. You are saved and unless you go to Him and say “Jesus I don’t believe in you I no longer want you in my life.” you are saved because you are complete in your salvation.
Has the idea that Jesus is the only way to Heaven ever offended you?
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Pastor Wrinkles: He Completes Me Pt. 3
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Col. 2:10
Today we continue with part three of last week’s sermon entitled “he Completes Me” from the book of Colossians 2:6-10
If you have missed the beginning of our discussions here you can find them at:
Now for today’s sharing:
What does it men to be “complete in Him?”
Well first it means that you are complete in your salvation. We so need saving! You see, the Bible tells us that every human being has a problem. That problem is called sin. Sin is that nature inside of us which causes us to make wrong choices, evil choices. We all have it within us. We have all made choices we regret. There isn’t one of us who can look at our lives and say “I have never done a single thing wrong.”
Most of us refer to this part of our personality as our weakness but sin is not really a weakness; It is a power that enslaves us to doing wrong. It is a power that separates us from God.
The Bible says it this way.
we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,[c] are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[d]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[e]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[f]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[g]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”[h]
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Romans 3:9-20
But God in His mercy did not leave us to solve our problem alone. He sent Jesus to die on the cross and to rise from the dead. When Jesus did that he made it possible for us to be saved to enter “salvation”.
Romans 3 doesn’t end with people remaining bound up in sin it goes on to say…
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[i] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.
Now that’s what I call good news!
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Pastor Wrinkles: He Completes Me Pt. 2
Olde Centre Church, Jesus the Good Shepherd
Yesterday I published Pt. 1 of last Sunday’s sermon at Cornerstone Church, “He Completes Me”. If you missed that you can catch up by going to http://wp.me/p39vIx-IQ.
Now today’s submission begins:
“You are complete in him” now those are powerful words; At least they made me sit up and take notice. Christian are you complete in him? Do you feel complete in Him?
“He completes me”…that is a statement we usually reserve for the deepest of romantic statements. In fact “You complete me” is right up there with the very cheesiest of romantic sentiments…like
” Once in awhile,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life,
Love gives us a fairy tale.”
Unknown
Or
” Love is like a butterfly, it settles upon you when you least expect it.”
Anonymous
Or
” if I could rearrange the letters of the ABC’s I would put U and I together and next to each other forever….”
Anonymous
Yet God uses this statement to speak of our relationship to Him. He says in Colossians 2:10 “You are complete in Him.”
Let’s explore that thought a bit:
The word “complete” is actually the Greek word “pleroo” which means “filled to the brim.” If you are a follower, a disciple of Jesus, according to the Book of Ephesians chapter 1 He has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell inside of you and you are full to the brim with God. If you have not yet made a decision to give your life to Jesus you do not have God living in you or with you but you could have. All you need to do is ask Jesus to take control of your life and you can begin a relationship with Him as your God.
Let’s pray together- Dear Lord Jesus I realize I want you to be my God and king this day. I invite you to come into my life and take charge of it. You be my God and I will be your servant. Please forgive me for every wrong thing I have done which has set me at odds with you. By your cross Jesus I ask you to make peace between me and the Father God. I thank you that is now done. I believe it and I receive it by faith now. Thank you for filling me up to the brim with your Spirit. Amen!
So tell me what do you think it means to be complete in Jesus?
Lillie-Put 