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March 20, 2005 Morning Service - Rev. Rucker Chunn
REAL LIVING
Text: Psalm 55:1 (A maskil of David.) Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;
Psalm 55:2-5 hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55:16 But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Preface: Have you ever felt like THE LOSER ? Even a Christian can feel overwhelmed just like David. To truly LIVE there are some things you need to know and practice.
A. LIVE FREE IN A WORLD OF BONDAGE
- America Is In Bondage! - Alcohol, Drugs, Pornography, Gambling, Debt Due To Excess Spending, Pride, Power, and Possessions.
- In Christ There Is No Slavery! - I am free because I Overcome my flesh through HIS Power In Me!
(John 8:31-32 KJV) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; {32} And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE.
- Control By God Is "Selective Servant-hood"
We are Offered the Opportunity to be His followers and Participants Romans 6:17 ...though you used to be slaves to sin, you Wholeheartedly Obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
B. LIVE WITH CONFIDENCE
- 1) FEAR OF THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN - Many live with Insecurity. We live in Fear of the "Unknown". Often we make bad things happen because we have thought them into existence.
- There Is No Need To Fear With Christ - When I "Trust" in the Lord I "Know." I may not know the plan, nor the result, nor the method, but I know HIM! Why does that make a difference? (Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSV) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. ...
(Psa 27:1 KJV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
(Jer 29:11 NIV) 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.
C. LIVE VICTORIOUSLY
I can live in freedom with confidence, but that doesn't prosper me unless I learn to Win! How can I WIN?
- What Is Losing? - In order to clearly understand Winning, we must first understand LOSING.
A person loses when he can accept Only One Preconceived Result as acceptable. If we don't win, we have still experienced and learned.
- Thomas Edison failed over 6,000 times before perfecting the first electric light bulb.
- Edison stated, "I have not failed but have successfully discovered 6,000 ways than won't work."
- Living Victoriously Is Believing The Impossible - We Win when we trust to see what God will DO! Ezekiel was a man who was a Winner.
- (Ezek 37:1-3 KJV) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, {2} And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. {3} And he said unto me, Son Of Man, Can These Bones Live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
- Ezekiel knew "his" limitations, and he also knew God’s Possibilities! (Ezek 36:36 KJV) Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.
- (Luke 18:27 KJV) And (Jesus) said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Closing Remarks
- As long as we are in the will of God, even a failure will eventually turn out to be a victory.
- God can do more with your nothing, than any man can do with the wealth and talent of the world.
- "Often we assume that God is unable to work in spite of our weaknesses, mistakes, and sins. We forget that God is a specialist; he is well able to work our failures into his plans." (Charles Swindoll)
If you want to be a winner, turn it ALL over to God!
March 20, 2005 Evening Service - Sister Stephanie Chumley
The Transforming Supernatural Love of God
A. The Love Of God
- God’s love for Adam and Eve was a supernatural love. Gen. 3:8-22
- God, through his supernatural love for His creation, sent His Son, (leaving His side), to come to earth to give us the right to become God’s children. John 1:1-14
- Jesus marched through life purposed and driven by love. In His suffering we see not only a love for His people but a heart of love for God His Father.
- Jesus, out of pure love and devotion to His people, ascended into Heaven so that the Holy Spirit could come. Luke 24:45-53
B. The Love for God
- King David did not spare his love for the Lord though it would disrupt his marriage. 2 Sam 6:16-23
- Do you suffer greatly at the hands of men because of your extreme and passionate love for God? Is your love deep enough to withstand?
- Abraham loved God so much that he would obey even when it hurt. Gen. 22:2
- Do you have passion for the heart of the King?
March 27, 2005 Morning Service
What About Your Tomb?
Thank you for attending on this EASTER SUNDAY
He’s Alive - How About You?
- Jesus was faced with THREE tombs while He was here on earth.
- Today, I am concerned that some of you present this Sunday may also be faced with your own tomb.
- A tomb that you suffer with everyday of your life.
- Let us take a look at Christ’s tombs.
A. Tomb of Legion.
- This tomb lets us understand that Christ will deliver us out of any tomb, even if it is one of, sickness, fear, or one full of demons as was the case with Legion.
- As Legion did, we must ask Jesus to deliver us from this awful tomb.
B. The Tomb of Lazarus.
- In John 11, Christ said, "Did I not say to you that if you believe in me, you would see the Glory of God."
- This tomb represents the fact that we often lack faith, just as Lazarus sisters did.
C. The Tomb of Jesus
- Matthew 28 states, "He’s not here, He is risen."
- Tombs and graves represent death.
- Jesus came to this earth and died on Calvary that we might be set free of death. (John 3:16)
- Jesus could not and would not remain in the tomb, how about you?
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