Sunday 031625
Romans 10:9 ‘…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH; and this is not of yourselves, it is a GIFT of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Let’s together, open the Word of God this morning, and study what we have been given. Allow me to help you in your study and search the Bible what God has intended for us to hear.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
1 Corinthians 1:23, 15:1-4; Acts 9:15, 13:9; Ephesians 2:8; Matthew 24:36.
1 Corinthians 1:23
AKJV
‘…but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
NASB
‘…but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentile’s foolishness…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
GNT
‘…As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
EASY
‘…But as for us, we tell people about how Christ died on a cross. That is a message that Jewish people refuse to accept as true. Gentile people think that it is a silly message…’ EASY (Easy English Translation)
The apostle Paul never taught us about ‘Jesus’ walking on the water or Jesus calming the sea from the storm.
Those two (2) lessons from Jesus’ earthly ministry means nothing to us Gentiles.
But Paul teaches, ‘we preach Christ crucified.’
Us Gentiles, we are given salvation by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, not anything that He physically did while He walked on this earth.
Paul writes his Gospel:
1 Corinthians 15
vs1 ‘…Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand…’
vs2 ‘…by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain…’
vs3 ‘…For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…’
vs4 ‘…and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
This Gospel by the apostle Paul is our promise by God.
This Gospel has been delivered by the one, that was hand-picked by Jesus, Himself. Jesus chose Saul.
Acts 9:15 (this is Jesus talking to Ananias)
AKJV
‘…But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he (Saul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
NIV
‘…But the Lord said to Ananias, go! This man (Saul) is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel…’ NIV (New International Version)
GNT
‘…The Lord said to him, go, because I have chosen him (Saul) to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
NLT
‘…But the Lord said, go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel…’ NLT (New Living Translation)
CEV
‘…The Lord said to Ananias, go! I have chosen him (Saul) to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)
Allow me to insert one (1) verse in here for you.
Acts 13:9 ‘…Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Jesus chose Saul / Paul to teach us, the Gentile people … how can there be pastors, churches and denominations that look away from this choice by Jesus?
As I’ve commented in several of our lessons: how can any man, any pastor, any church or denomination argue against what is written in the Word of God?
This is not Leon saying this, this is God telling us in His Word that He has given to us.
In my studies of His Word, Acts 9:15 has to be the most powerful verse I’ve read.
Jesus chose Paul to teach us …
Why are we looking elsewhere?
Why are our churches teaching us words not from God’s Word?
It is because of the UNBELIEF that is in this world.
The UNBELIEF that is found in these man-made churches throughout this world.
This UNBELIEF has all been caused by Satan.
This cloud that Satan hangs over our heads wanting to keep us from realizing just exactly what he is doing.
We have been taught, generation after generation, about what we need to do to be saved.
But this Bible tells us differently.
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…’ NASB
We have been given a GIFT.
God is offering to give to us a GIFT that all we need to do is to take it and BELIEVE that He is powerful enough to do it.
We have been given the ‘free will’ to choose and decide what we want to believe in.
We can either believe what Ephesians 2:8 is telling us, or we can be like every man that has walked this planet earth up to this point, and we can show our unbelief towards God.
We can be like Adam and Eve. We can be like the Israelites at Kadesh Barnea. We can be like Jonah and try to run away and hide from God or we can be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees back in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago.
God has given us the promise of salvation by just BELIEVING in Him and believing in His Word.
All we have to do is BELIEVE.
There are many that are going to make the comment that it can’t be that easy. God wants more from us.
Okay, well, where does God tell us that?
Am I supposed to believe ‘you’ and trust that your word will surpass what God has told me to BELIEVE in His Word?
Google.com tries explaining 1 Corinthians 1:23 for us:
Paul is not implying that God is foolish, but rather that God’s way of reasoning is in accord with things of the spirit, which confounds the reasoning of this world.
This all ties in with this ‘MYSTERY’ that God tells us in His Word.
Maybe us human beings have got to get over the fact that it is impossible for us to know everything there is to know about the ‘Triune’ God.
I cannot imagine three-in-one concepts. I have no idea what that all entails.
But that being said, God doesn’t tell us in His Word we MUST understand what He is telling us.
He is GOD.
He can do anything that He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it. It doesn’t matter … He’s GOD.
We are ‘His’ created beings. Made for ‘His’ pleasure.
We have been created for by and for Him.
If God wants to keep a secret from us, who are we to say anything?
God has given us His Word to help us make it through this life we are living.
I am here to tell you, you need to open your Bibles and read at what He has said because it will shock you.
Your church has been lying to you for generations.
The religion your family has participated in has been lying to you for generations.
Open your Bibles and read for yourself and learn what God has given to us.
The ‘end’ is one day going to come.
When, we do not know for sure, only God the Father knows when the end is going to be the end.
Matthew 24:36
AKJV
‘…But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
NASB
‘…But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
GNT
‘…No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
EASY
‘…Jesus then said, Nobody knows the day or the hour when all these things will happen. Only God the Father knows when they will happen. The angels who are in heaven do not know. Even the Son does not know…’ EASY (Easy English Translation)
Since we DO NOT know for sure when the end will come, when time stops, I would suggest you begin in the book of Romans and read the thirteen epistles that Paul wrote to us first.
Allow Jesus to guide you the way He desires.
Keep your Bibles open and continue studying His Word.
I love every one of y’all.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen InHIM. ><)))o>