October 9, 2016 · 7:47 pm

By Faith: Obedience To the Calling

Peninsula Community Church

By Faith: Obedience To the Calling

October 9, 2016

Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Today, we continue our journey through the Hall of Fame of Faith. So far, we have examined the story of Cain and Abel, Enoch, and last week we looked at the life of Noah. Today, we look at the story of Abraham and God’s calling and promise to him. As we examine the lives of those who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame of Faith, we find that the one key denominator in all of these stories is a unswerving faith in God. Each of these success stories is based on the individual’s faith and trust in almighty God.

The story of Abraham is no different. In the text we just read, as well as the account in Genesis 12, we find that Abraham was called to pick up stakes and move to a place he knew nothing about. We find that Abraham obeyed God because of His faith. Abraham was called by God to move outside of his comfort zone and what was familiar to him. For us personally, there are times where God will challenge us and shake us so that we are moved into a new perspective, a new way of thinking, and a new calling or service to God.

As I think of this story the question that comes to mind is “How many of us love to play it safe?” Too often we choose to live in a place of comfort and contentment. We put stakes into the ground and huddle around that which is comfortable and that which is familiar rather than stepping outside of our comfort zone. Abraham was definitely called to move outside his comfort zone in order to accomplish God’s will and purpose. He was called to move to a place he did not know and to a people he was not familiar with. In fact, I would argue today that Abraham could not fulfill God’s promise where he was, he had to move. He had to go to where he could be best used for the Kingdom of God.

For us today we must recognize that God moves us out of our comfort zone for several reasons. For one, sometimes, we need to be shaken out of our comfort zones because we have become so comfortable with our current status that we don’t do anything to better ourselves or those around us. Sometimes, we need to be moved out of our comfort zone because God cannot use us as much as he can when we live in that place. God does this because He has a better plan for our life. And finally, God has to shake us from our comfort zone because in our comfort zone we can become self-centered and inwardly focused. The result is that too often we become ineffective in our service to God.

Listen to Abrahams’s story in Genesis 12:1-5. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan.

Listen to the process involved with the call of Abram. God called him to leave the country of his kindred, the place of his heritage, and he was to leave his family and he was go to the land that God would show him. Think about this. We all have an infinity toward our families but what would you do if God called you to pack your bags, leave home, and go where he wanted you to go but you would not know where you were going until you got there? Would you go?

God calls Abraham to leave everything that is a part of his identity. He was called to give up his cultural identity, his family identity, and his inheritance. In a sense, this reminds us of the words of Paul in the book of Philippians and his desire to give up things for God. Paul said this But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).

Do you here the echo of the call of Abraham in these words? To make Paul’s words even more significant, we must look at the preceding verses to see that Paul had just given the church at Philippi his resume. He listed his degrees. He detailed his family heritage and his family genealogy because that was what made a man in that day important and it gave him status in the land. But in the end, Paul stated that he counted all of that loss. He counted that as rubbish or garbage when compared to what he was to gain through a personal relationship with Christ. You see Paul weighed out the fact that he wanted a personal relationship with Christ more than he wanted to be known by his degrees or his heritage. Through Paul, a new standard was being set. It was a standard that measured our importance not by our social status but by a personal dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.

As we look at this lesson this morning let me make a couple of observations. First, it is noteworthy that we do not have much of a response from Abraham.  All we know is that God called and Abraham obeyed. There is no discussion on Abraham’s part. He does not argue with God. He simply obeyed the call of God. The question for us is how many times do we argue with God about something He is calling us to do? We debate. We argue. We think of every excuse we can come up with as to why we should not do the thing or things that God has called us to. Sometimes the arguments are based in genuine issues but we if we are not careful we can argue obedience away. I would also note that God does not generally call us to give up everything necessarily but He may call us to step outside of what we are familiar with.

The second lesson here is that true obedience to God is an expression of faith in God. It has been said and I wholeheartedly agree that our faith is expressed in our obedience. We are saved by faith and not works but it is our faith that drives us toward obedience to God’s word and to His calling upon our life. So in essence, our obedience to God is in fact our faith being expressed. While our works do not save us they do demonstrate our trust and confidence in God.

James had it so right when he made the following statements in James 1:22-25. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Abraham was promised a great blessing if he responded in faith to the call of God. Abraham did his part and God did His. You see for us today the greatest act of obedience we can have is our obedience to the Word of God. We read, we listen, and we obey. In James 2:14-24 James stated the following. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Here is what James is saying. Put your money where your mouth is. Abraham was truly saved by faith but his works testified to the fact that he had faith to trust God with his life. In our story today, we see the faith of Abraham expressed. He responds to the call of God to go. Why, because he had faith. What is amazing is that Abraham did not have the whole story at his disposal and yet he was fully and completely obedient to God.

As we look at the life of faith we must underhand that the call of God does not come without obstacles and issues. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. This was all great except that both Sara and Abraham were past their prime as it related to having children. Abraham was 75 years old. But their faith was focused not in their age but in a God who was big enough to do what He said He would do. They had a confidence in God that nothing was impossible with God. Even if he was too old, God could work in miraculous ways to fulfill His promise and His word. He was to become the father of many nations and God would fulfill His promises whatever it take.

So what does all of this mean for us today? When God calls us we can step out in faith and believe that He will fulfill His will in us. Sometimes the unknown can and will scare us. But if our faith in God is bigger than our fear of the unknown we will survive and will be sustained in great and powerful ways. Our job is to be obedient and God will do the rest. Sometimes it means that we observe a need in the church and we become the vessel and channel through which God provides and uses us to touch others. Perhaps it is serving in a ministry that we do not feel comfortable with but we see a need. We hear the call and we obey by serving Him. Are you listening because God is calling and He is speaking today.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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October 2, 2016 · 10:51 pm

By Faith: Doing the Impossible

Peninsula Community Church

By Faith: Doing the Impossible

October 2, 2016 

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Today, we will continue our journey through the hall of fame of faith. So far, we have seen that the one common denominator throughout this chapter is faith. Each person included in this chapter had an undeniable level of faith that was focused on a unshakable trust in God. Their faith positioned them to be able to trust God regardless of the circumstances of their life or the influences around them. Today’s story is no different.

In the passage before us we find that Noah had faith. It was Noah’s faith that moved him and provided him the basis of his commitment to accomplish the tasks he was given. We find that Noah was warned about the events that were to come and in reverent fear Noah responded to God’s call. Through faith he set out to do the impossible against incredible odds and massive resistance.

As we look at the story of Noah, we find it is a story of contrasts. The world around Noah had turned against God and was going about their daily lives but they made one major mistake. They had left God out of the equation. To understand the contrasts between Noah and the world we must go back in time to Genesis 6 to see what the Bible has to say about the condition of the world at that time. Listen to the words Moses penned about the condition of that generation. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth (Genesis 6:5, 11-12). The world in Noah’s day was a sad commentary of man being left to his own devices. They were living life without God. They were going through the motions without a moral compass to guide them.

In this passage we see that the Lord did not just base his judgment of the people on their actions but He saw their heart and He saw that their hearts were continually evil. As we look at this passage we are reminded that God judges the heart of man. He does not just judge the outward expression of man as much as He looks to see the motivation of one’s heart. It is noteworthy that mankind was not just evil but they were continually evil. The communication here is that they made it a habit to do evil and they were so caught up their evil ways that they knew no other way to exist.

The sad part of this story is that because of the sinfulness of the day God’s heart broke. The Scripture tells us that the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them” (Genesis 6:6-7). 

It is hard to believe that God would be so upset with His creation that He would seek to destroy them and yet that is just what the Bible tells us. He was so upset that He actually regretted that He had created mankind. It is hard to beige that this is the same creation that He created in Genesis 1-3 and He called it good. But now His heart was broken. The actions of man had grieved the heart of God. The broken heart of God was not a reaction from a heart of evil on God’s part but one of love because what they were doing was not His plan. It was not His desire. But yet it was the reality of the day and He needed to do something to save mankind.

You see we can also grieve the heart of God when we refuse to obey God’s will. But we must understand that the attitude exhibited by those in Noah’s day was more than just bad decisions. They had become darkened in their minds and their heart. Their entire motivation was evil and they were focused on wrong doing. They had no desire to serve God or obey His commands. That is the sadness of this story.

In Matthew 24:36-39 we find these words from the Lord Himself in addressing when the Son of Man which is Christ would return to earth to take His children home. The attitude of the world was not much different. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. The story of Noah has become the measuring stick of the future promise of Christ’s return. It is my belief that we are living in just such a time today. People have turned from God and are trusting in their themselves and not God.

As we move back to the Genesis account we find that while the world was falling apart. God was looking for a man that would be different. In Genesis we see that Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. He was spiritually impressive. As we read this text we find that Noah’s life exemplified the life that God could use for His kingdom. What Noah did not know is that he was about to be chosen for a task that by many, including Noah himself, would think was impossible. We will look at that in a moment but for now let us look at what qualified Noah for the task he was about to be called to. In the text, we find three distinct qualities that placed Noah in a position to be used for the mission God was calling Him to. These distinct qualities set Noah apart.

First, Noah was righteous man. His life exhibited the righteousness of God. It is noteworthy that he lived righteously even though the world around him did not do so. While the world’s heart was filled with sin and continuous evil, Noah chose to live differently. He chose to live righteously. His heart was pure and he sought to honor God the best he could. In Hebrews 11 we find that he was a man of righteousness in the here and now but he also was given the promise of an eternal righteousness that was yet to come.

The second quality associated with Noah’s life is that he lived a blameless life. This did not mean that Noah was a perfect man. But he lived in a way that few could find any fault in his life. It is my guess that Noah made mistakes and had issues but the thing that set him apart is that he was willing to deal with his issues in a way that no one could accuse him of sin or wrong.

The third quality possessed by Noah is that he walked with God. If you remember our study from last week we find that Enoch was a model for Noah’s life. It is interesting to note that while Enoch was taken, Noah was left on earth to be used by God to bring about God’s purposes and God’s will for the world. God had a different plan for each of these Godly men. It is for that reason that we must never come to the place where we become jealous about how God uses us. I wonder how many times Noah wished God would do to him what He did to Enoch and just take him. But Noah needed to follow through with the plans that had been given to him. He was chosen for a specific mission.

Because of the qualities exhibited by Noah he was able to stand against the norms of the day. Because of these qualities God was going to use Noah to preach repentance to the world in which he lived. You see even in the judgment that was to come God’s grace was evident. He sent Noah to preach a message of hope. You see it was never God’s desire to destroy the world. His intent was to see the world repent and change their ways but as we read the entire story of Noah’s life we find that man did not repent. In fact, they rejected the call of Noah to repent. They in fact rejected God. So once again we can not blame God for the destruction of the world. It was a choice they made to reject God’s calling.

In this story God called Noah to do something that seemed impossible. God called Noah to Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. God wanted Noah to build an ark to preserve the life of God’s creation. That was no small undertaking. There are three things that seemed to make this an impossible task. First of all he was to build a boat that would measure 450 feet in length, 45 feet high and 75 feet wide by hand. Plus it would take anywhere from 75 years to 120 years to build and stock the ark with food. Can you imagine if you were called to build such a thing by hand or do something that was based solely on the call of God. There is no doubt that the people of the land mocked and ridiculed him big time.

Secondly this seems to be an impossible task because there had been no significant rain on the earth since the earth had been created. From the time of creation to this moment in time the earth was covered with a canopy that provided a tropical environment where the condensation and dew was enough to water the land.

A third problem is that no one believed in Noah’s mission or his message. They did not believe that God was going to destroy the earth. Why would He? They were having too much fun. They would never believe Noah’s call to repentance. Noah had an impossible task but he would stand up for God as he was a man who was full of faith and he knew that God would be with him and would guide him. Why? By faith Noah built the ark. He did the impossible for God.

Noah did it and so can we. So how does this apply to us today? God is calling us to stand strong when the world around us is falling apart. The world is a mess but God is still in control. As with Noah we are called to preach a message of hope but we must understand that we are not responsible for what people do with the message we share. We continue to share and preach a message of hope regardless of how people respond. We do this by faith and by our trust in God who is able to do above and beyond what we think or ask Him to do.

And finally, we never know what we will be called to do that seems impossible. It might be a health issue. It might be life without a loved one. It could be a major change in our life. Whatever the issues, we have the promise that God will be with us and that He will keep us no matter what happens. Are you ready? Let’s do it.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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September 26, 2016 · 9:52 am

By Faith – Pleasing God

Peninsula Community Church

By Faith – Pleasing God

September 19, 2016

Hebrews 11:5-6 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Genesis 5:18-24 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Today, we move to the next exhibit in the hall of fame of faith. It is an interesting story as there is not much of a story to tell and yet we find Enoch listed in the Hall of Fame of Faith. His testimony is that he walked by faith. Enoch’s story was not one that would have made the cover of the front page of the newspaper nor would there have been a entry in the society page of the day. In fact, little is known about him. What we do know is included in the passages we read above as well as the Book of Jude which we will consider in a few moments. The one known fact is that Enoch walked with God and God took him. He was also commended for pleasing God. It could be said of Enoch that he had a genuine personal relationship with the one true God like no one else. It is amazing to me that while there is little or no history of Enoch, God thought enough of him that he was included in the Hall of Fame of Faith. That is amazing.

While there is not much written about Enoch, here is what we do know from the little we have. Enoch lived during a time that faith in God was not popular. People had turned from God and were doing what was right in their own eyes and not what was right in the sight of God. Even with this, Enoch managed to stay the course and he live righteously before God. In fact he did so for more than 300 years. So many of us struggle to live day-to-day and year-to-year but the Bible tells us that he lived a righteous life for 300 years.

We know the condition of the society in which he lived and the role he played in that society in part because of Jude 14-16. Jude had this to said about Enoch. It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.

From this passage, we find that Enoch was a prophetic voice for that time. When I think of Enoch I think of a modern day Franklin Graham who is a prophetic voice in our day. Enoch’s ministry was one of warning his society and those around him that the Lord was about to execute judgment upon the land. While he issued a warning you also see his message being seasoned with grace in that he noted that God would convict all of the ungodly sinners. In other words, God would give them a chance to repent and change. That is always God’s mode of operation. He warns us and gives us a chance to repent and change.

In considering Enoch’s life, let me give you four lessons that are learned from Enoch’s life. First, he walked by faith. This is evidenced by the fact that Scripture tells us in Hebrews that by faith Enoch walked with God. It is noteworthy that Enoch’s faith was founded on the confidence he had in God and not what was evidenced by society. He put his trust in God’s word and promises. You see as believers our faith must also be in God and not what we see in society or in the circumstance of our life. Remember we said a couple of weeks ago that faith is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for. Enoch’s faith was in God. He trusted God for what was not seen. What was seen was a failing, hopeless society but by faith Enoch saw God and He believed God for change.

Because of his faith, Enoch remained strong even though the world around him was crumbling and was going to hell in a hand basket so to speak. Even though it appeared his message was not being heard he remained strong and he remained vigilant to preach a message of grace and truth. He looked beyond the reality of the moment to see with eyes of faith that God was up to something. He looked beyond what he saw in the here and now and he saw a new day coming.

Spiritual darkness was all around him but he did not give up nor did he give in. In the midst of the ungodly generation in which he lived he would go against the establishment of the day and would go against the status quo of the society. He would live differently. He would live by faith. He would please God with his life.

Why was faith so important to Enoch? It is because it takes faith to please God. We have read already that without faith it is impossible to please God. Listen to this, we only please that which we trust and have confidence in. Where did Enoch’s faith lie? It was founded in the fact that he believed and trusted the one true God. He did not trust his circumstances. He did not trust what he saw in the society. He did not trust his family’s past. He trusted God. I need to ask you, today, do you trust God? Do you give Him your life each day because you know He can do a better job of handling things than you can? Do you trust Him when everyone else seems to be headed in a different direction than you? That is faith and it is by faith that we please God.

A second lesson for us today is that he sought God because he knew that God rewards those that seek Him. Our passage today tells us that without faith it is impossible to please him but it also states that for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Notice here that the passage tells us that he believed that God existed. That is the base line of all of our faith and existence as a believer in Christ. If we do not believe that He exists why would we even seek Him. It has been said that as believers we often live like Christians in the church but we live like atheists the rest of the time. The point being made is that we can profess Christianity and yet not live like we believe the truth we say we hold to.

Enoch sought God and because of that he was rewarded as a trusted follower of God. It is noteworthy that Jesus himself commanded His disciples to seek first the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 6:30-33 listen to Jesus’ own words. O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We see that Jesus begins with pointing out they had little faith. Why is that? It is because it takes great faith to seek God first when our world is being turned upside down. In the case of the disciples they were overly concerned about the provision of clothes, meals, houses, and so on in their life. What Jesus was saying is that if you seek me. If you put me first, all of these things will be given to you and more. When we seek God, because we trust Him and believe in Him, then God will reward us by giving us all that we need and all that we require to live faithful lives.

What was Enoch’s reward? His reward was that He walked with God and God took him. For so many people this creates an environment where their are more questions than there are answers. Did Enoch just disappear? Did he walk into the woods or the desert and was never seen again? Was he transported into heaven like a scene from Star Trek? The fact is we do not know. We just know that he walked with God and God took him. That was his reward.

Thirdly, by faith he impacted generations to come which was an added reward. While the society in which he lived seemed to be lost and without hope he was incredibly effective in reaching the generations to come. The truth is that I am not sure that he was even aware that he was effecting the next generation. I think he was simply obedient to what God called him to do. God rewarded him by transforming the generations that were to follow. How do I know that? Well Enoch’s son and great grandson were a testimony to this fact. Remember Methuselah. He lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27). Greater yet was Enoch’s great grandson Noah (Genesis 5:29).

All of us have heard of Noah, even if it has only been by way of the movie “Evan Almighty.” It was Noah who found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8-9). It was Noah who God chose to do the impossible and to do the extraordinary. He was called to build a boat that would hold a representative from every species known to mankind in that day. Even more amazing is that he was to build a boat because a flood was coming when there had been no significant rain fall in the land since the creation of the earth. Because of the faith and testimony of Enoch, Noah could stand tall against some amazing odds. Even though the world of the day thought he was crazy, he was obedient, I believe in large part, because of the influence of Enoch on his life.

Who are you influencing? Who are you making a difference in? You name may never be known or have any notoriety. You may always be in the background, but God sees you and that is what matters. How many remember man named Mordecai Ham? My guess is that there may only be a handful of people if any who will remember his name but how many know Billy Graham’s name? You see it was Mordecai Ham who preached to Billy Graham and Billy Graham came to Christ. We may never know who we are impacting so do not stop impacting lives for Christ.

And finally, we look to Enoch as an example of how we are to model our life. Do we live by faith? Do we truly believe that God is and because of that belief do we truly seek God? Do we put Him first in all that we do? Do we walk in righteousness? Are we effecting the next generation for Christ? I do not know your answers to these questions but they are relevant to us today. Enoch was not placed in the Hall of Fame of Faith by mistake. Enoch was placed there because of his faith and because of a life committed to God. That is God’s plan for us. He desires that we focus on Him and that we live a life filled with grace and power. May we accomplish that for His glory!

One final note. When we read the Genesis passage it is interesting to note that Enoch lived for 365 years. One year for every day of the year. He trusted God for all of those years. May we commit to live each day as a passionate follower of Christ who lives by faith and puts Him first in everything we do.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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September 18, 2016 · 9:09 pm

By Faith: A More Acceptable Sacrifice

Peninsula Community Church 

By Faith: A More Acceptable Sacrifice

September 18, 2016

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

This morning we will begin a journey through the hall of fame of faith where we will stand before each exhibit displayed to see what we can learn about each of these who have been enshrined here. When you visit a museum or an art gallery you will find adjacent to each exhibit a placard. On each placard is a bit of information about the person, place, or thing that is on display. The purpose of the placard is to tell you something about that exhibit and to explain why it is being included. We have this in Hebrews 11. It is noteworthy that the whole history is not on the placard but only a brief synopsis is given to intrigue us enough to study more and to get more information.

Today, we will look at what is actually the second exhibit in the hall of fame of faith. The first exhibit was the creation which we mentioned last week. As we approach the glass and peer into the exhibit, we find a depiction of the story of Cain and Abel. Through the glass we see a series of dioramas or vignettes. The first is of Cain and Abel bringing their offerings to God. The second is an enraged Cain with drawn knife ready to take Abel’s life, which he does. The third vignette is one where we see Abel reaching across the generations of time to communicate a much needed lesson about our worship to God. As you look next to the glass enclosure you will find inscribed these words. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

As we read these words we find a couple of things that are important. First, by faith Abel offered a more acceptable offering to God. In contrast Cain offered an unacceptable offering to God. A second thing we see is that Abel’s offering was commended to him as righteous because God saw the righteousness of his heart. And finally, the passage tells us that Abel continues to speak a truth to us even today. So let’s look at the rest of the story. To do so we must go back in time to Genesis 4. It is here that we find the story of Cain and Abel.

As we read this story we find that Cain and Abel both brought their offering to God. They both were fulfilling their spiritual duty of the day. It was their expression of worship. In the modern vernacular they both attended the same church. They both gave in the offering. They both engaged in worship. They both sang the songs of the day. It is noteworthy that they both had a relationship with God. We see this in the fact that God communicated to Cain specifically and personally. But what made the difference? It is found in the fact that God knew their hearts. God knew the motivation of why they did what they did. We find that the focus of this passage is turned towards Cain whose heart was filled with anger, jealously, and pride. Rather than trying to change his heart he took knife in hand and killed his brother. He was not only mad at Abel but he was also mad at God. He took his anger of God and the current situation out on Abel.

To fully understand this we must understand why God accepted one offering and rejected the other. As you read the story in Genesis 4 Moses, who is the author, rolls back the curtain to reveal why Abel’s offering was acceptable and Cain’s was not. We find it in these words. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions (Genesis 4:3-4).  Notice a couple of things here. Cain in the course of time brought an offering. The idea that is presented in this passage is that God was not a priority. Cain brought the offering to God on his terms, not God’s. He waited to make sure that everything was going to be ok for him before he gave his offering.

Secondly, the passage states that Cain brought “an” offering to the Lord. The implication here is that Cain did not give God his best but he gave something in order to appease God and to let everyone know that he was giving his offering. His actions showed that he did not trust God for His provision but he in essence held back from God just in case. He held back and gave some of his harvest to God because he wanted to be sure he was taken care of first. This also speaks to a heart that did not trust God enough to give Him his best.

Now contrast Cain’s offering to that of Abel. We find that Abel gave the firstborn of his flock and he gave the fattest of the first born. This was a sign of respect and love. Notice that this was not a casual gift where he gave some but he gave his best. He carefully chose what he was going to give. Contrast this to Cain’s gift were he gave some of his harvest. This may not seem very significant to us but it was. In giving this offering Abel showed great faith. Abel’s life and sustenance was in his ability to raise live stock so that they could have clothes to wear and so he could sell his livestock to others around them for his living. By giving his first born there was no guarantee that he would have another birth that year and if he did he did not know how many he would have. That is why God let us into his heart by stating that by faith Abel gave his best. Abel gave what cost him the most. Abel gave his best because he trusted God with his future and he knew God would sustain him.

As we return the passage we read this morning the writer of Hebrews makes an astounding statement. He notes that although Abel is dead, he still speaks to us. He still has something to teach us and we have something to learn. His death serves to give us guidance, hope, and a new perspective. So what do we learn from all of this? Let me give you a couple of things this morning.

First, we must give God our best. We give Him our first fruits which is called a tithe. It is our first fruit of income. We give it first and we do not wait to see what is left over as Cain did. We give our first fruit, our best, because we trust God and do so by faith because we know that God will assist us and help us. He will prosper us and cause His blessing to shine upon us.

In the New Testament, we see into the heart of God on this matter of giving when Jesus tells his disciples the story of the woman with the two small copper coins which was worth about a penny. Listen to the words of Mark 12:41-44. And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

You see it is not the quantity of our gift to God it is the quality. As noted there were some who gave and they gave out of the abundance they had. Jesus said that her she gave all that she had. She exemplified a trust in God that was not seen in the lives of those who gave from their abundance. Now Jesus is not communicating that we should give everything we have to the church but He is communicating that we must consider the motivation of our hearts when we give. Are we giving some or we giving our best to God? And this heart motivation is not relegated to whether we are rich or we are poor. It effects us all.

This idea of giving our best not only relates to our giving of money but also the way we live our life. We must give God our best in everything we do. We must give Him our best on the job. We must give Him our best in our relationships. We must give Him our best in the way we treat others. We must give Him our best in the way we minster and use the gifts that God has given us. God wants our best and not our leftovers. The question here is are we giving God our best in everything we do. What about our time? What about our talents? What about our possessions? Are you giving your best?

Abel would also say that the way we give to God is often a barometer of where our heart is and how we will handle the other areas of our life. Because of Cain’s heart and mindset he gave some of his offering. He thought that he was doing all that he needed to do. The problem however is that he did not give God his best, he gave some. What God saw was a heart already in turmoil. The way he gave his gifts to God was simply an outworking of a heart that was in pain and was not in alignment with God’s will and purpose.

It is my opinion that the issue of the offering was not the first time that anger was raised against Abel. It is my guess that this was a culmination of years of jealously and hurt. His offering was only symbolic of the pain he felt and the spiritual condition of his heart. He gave some rather than his all. He was trying to appease God rather than worship God with a whole heart. Remember what Jesus stated. For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:43-45). Out of Cain’s heart he reacted negatively to God’s acceptance of the gift Abel gave and it ended badly.

Fourth, Abel would say do not refuse God’s grace. Notice in the Genesis 4 account. God gave Cain a chance to come clean and admit that He needed help. God spoke to Cain and told him that sin was crouching at his door. In essence, God was saying to Cain that He saw His heart and was giving him an opportunity to repent and walk in forgiveness. God saw that his heart was motivated by jealously and anger. The sad part is that Cain did not receive God’s grace but instead he refused it. He refused to take the steps necessary to bring change to his heart and his life.

So the question for us today as we stand before the exhibit of Cain and Abel’s life. Which one best exemplifies your life? Do you give your best to God because you recognize that God gave His best to you or do you hold back? Do you give Him your first fruits or you couching your bet and holding on to some just in case? Do you trust God with everything or do you hold tightly to the purse strings fearful that if you give too much to God you will not have enough for yourself?Your answers to these questions will give you an insight into your own heart. It will make a difference between a heart of faith and a heart of doubt and fear.

You see the world needs a lot more Abels and a lot less Cains. Cain was a grumpy, condemning, self-righteous, person while Abel was a faithful, cheerful, giving person. God honors the Abel lifestyle and yet at the same time he offers the Cains of this world an amazing grace and an amazing opportunity for change. It is our choice. Will you live as Cain did or will you take the grace of God and live like Abel? Give Him your best, He deserves it. Make the decision today to live in faith and give Him your best no matter the cost. It is well worth it.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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September 12, 2016 · 11:30 am

What is Faith?

Peninsula Community Church

What is Faith? 

September 8, 2016

Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been called the hall of fame of faith. It has gained this title because of the focus it gives to those who have given themselves to God regardless of the issues they may have faced in life. When you visit a hall of fame there are those who are enshrined there because they have contributed to a certain field of study, a field of science, or they were successful in a particular sport or profession. In the case before us today, we find those enshrined here because of their faithfulness and their trust in the one true God.

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit this chapter has been included in the Biblical text to remind us that we can also make it through until the end even when we face great odds and problems beyond our control. Last week, we noted that we have people watching our lives. We have those in our daily lives that we encounter and who see us every day. We also have a great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us in death. It is this great cloud of witnesses that the writer of Hebrews is talking about. This is the hall of fame of faith. They are watching us and they are cheering us on in our exploits and our accomplishments for God. They are cheering us on when we fall short and we need special encouragement. How does this occur? It happens because we are challenged by their testimonies and their persistence to follow God whatever the cost.

I propose to you today that the thing that set them apart was their faith in Christ. The faith they possessed sustained and kept them through many different difficulties, adventures, and at time the unknown. You see none of these men were supermen in themselves. Each of them had faults and failures that could have negatively impacted them as a person and as one who was called by God. They were regular human beings who lived regular lives but each one was called with a supernatural calling for a supernatural task. You see they were ordinary men used for the extraordinary by an extraordinary God. The emphasis was on God and not them themselves. Their role was to exhibit faith and obedience to the call of God in their lives. They took the admonishment of Paul in Romans 1:16-17 seriously. “The righteous shall live by faith.”

But the question for us today is to understand why their faith was so important to them. Their faith was critical because it was the sustaining factor in their life. You see to have faith is to have complete trust or confidence in someone or something. As believers, our faith is in the one powerful amazing loving God we serve. You see it is not so much about faith itself as it is the person in or object of our faith. In fact, it is my belief that we can have more faith in faith than we do the one in which our faith is based. We become so concerned about the nuances of faith that we tend to focus on the act of believing itself so much that we forget that our faith is based in and focused on Christ and all that He has done. To understand faith the writer of Hebrews has attempted to clarify the role and purpose of faith in our life.

He begins by focusing us on what faith is. He says, faith is the substance of things hoped for. In other words, our complete trust and confidence in Christ becomes the foundational truth and basis of all that is to come. Faith is both forward looking but it is based in the evidence of what has been done in the past. There is a trust that is built and a security that is fashioned from a truth that the one in whom we place our trust and faith will guide us and keep us. He will not forsake us. Therefore, I can trust Him and have faith for the future.

We must recognize that faith is not about feeling good about ourselves nor is it an ideal that is subjected to our emotions and our erratic ways of thinking. It is based in truth. The fact is Christ died, He rose, and He is sitting at the right hand of the Father. He has promised us that He will be with us and we can take that to the bank. This is the problem with faith too often, however. We can teach faith as if it is some arbitrary concept floating in the heavens. Real faith authentic faith  is based on the reality and the truth that God is alive and that He is in control. Without Him there is no faith for the future. This is the value of trusting Christ.

It is for that reason that Paul made this incredible statement in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Secondly, faith is the evidence of things not seen. How is faith the evidence of things not seen? It is in the relationship of knowing God and His ability to be faithful himself that causes us to trust in what we do not see and what we have been promised. This evidence moves me to do my part and then trust God for the rest. I trust Him, so I honor Him with my time and my faith. Rick Warren has noted the 80/20 rule of faith. If we do the 80% of what is clear he will show us the 20% that is unclear. The problem too often is that we focus on the 20% . We therefore become overly concerned with the 20% and we neglect the 80% we know.

We all have dreams and hopes. We want to see these things fulfilled and come to pass. My dream and vision is that this church will grow and become an influential part of this community. As we look round the room we see many empty seats and people who are missing. What Rick Warren is saying is that I can focus on what I do not see happening to the degree that I am stymied and frozen to do nothing when God is actually doing so much around us. Our faith is not based in what we might see but what we envision as each of us do our part to fulfill the 80% and then let God take care of the 20%.

That is why the writer of Hebrews states that without faith it is impossible to please God. The reality for us today is that we need to understand that our faith only resonates in us when we know God. In knowing God, we know His will and His purposes. Because we trust Him, we can be obedient to Him and thus we can please Him. Do you catch the concept here? To please God we need faith. To have faith we need to know God. Our faith, therefore, is built when we know Him and His ways. So therefore it behoves us to know God.

True faith is more than just a belief in something. It is to know something. Now you might ask how can you say that when we are asked to believe by faith that God created the heavens and the earth. We can do this because we trust God. We know that His word is truth because we have seen it in action. We know that nature itself shows us how all of creation was formed by someone greater than ourselves (Romans 1:19-20). Because the truth of God has been borne out in my life and yours then I can proceed to trust God with the things that I don’t see, feel, touch, or taste. Because of the truth of God is acknowledged, I can then go into the unknown with great faith and hope.

So this begs the question? How is faith built? Faith is built on the word of God (Romans 10:8-11). It is built on our testimonies (Revelations 12:11). It is built on what we have seen God do in us and through us. He has, He is and He will continue to deliver us (1 Corinthians  1:10). It is based on what we know to be true about God. Sometimes we can make faith mystical but it really isn’t at all. It is founded in something and that something is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

Even in saving faith or the act of faith that leads us to Christ there is still a foundational principle of truth about God. Paul made this statement in Romans 10:8-11. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. We hear the Word which is truth. The Word by way of the Holy Spirit acts upon our life to receive the truth it presents. The Holy Spirit brings us to the place of understanding and then we acknowledge God and His work in us. That becomes the process of salvation and it is the process of faith. Notice the great salvation passage in Romans. Believe in your hearty and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you shall be saved.

So what is faith? To summarize, faith is trust, assurance and confidence in God and in the work of Jesus Christ. Living faith is not just believing that God exists. It is demonstrated by one’s service and obedience to God. God will increase our faith if we fervently ask Him for it and seek to draw closer to Him in prayer and the reading of His Word.

That is why we gather today around the communion table. The Lord’s Table serves to remind us of what Christ did for us. It reminds us of what Christ is doing in us now. But it is also a promise of what is to come. It is what we pin our faith to. It is the hope of a greater day. That is where we focus our faith and where we place our hope. He did and we can. He is and we can be. He is to come and we will be with Him.

As we prepare our hearts would you listen to this song by Jeremy Camp about our faith. I would ask those who will be serving today to come forward at this time. As you receive the elements would you hold them until everyone has been served and then we will take them together after we pray.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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September 4, 2016 · 2:16 pm

Enduring Until the End

Peninsula Community Church

Enduring Until the End

September 4, 2016

Matthew 24:9-14 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Romans 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

The topic of discussion today will be the idea of “endure” or “endurance.” In the Oxford dictionary the word endure has been defined as “suffer patiently.” How paradoxical  are those two terms. To suffer patiently seems so impossible. To understand this paradox perhaps it would be helpful to understand the concept of enduring. Biblically, the word endure often implies a painful or difficult situation that one must navigate but to succeed spiritually, there must be an enduring faith that keeps one stable and focused not in the moment but in the future. It is noteworthy that in terms of the Greek New Testament the use of the word endurance is almost always also based in a view of what is to come and the future hope for believers. In other words, I can endure the temporary trials and difficulties of life because my heart is set on the eternal hope that is in Christ Jesus. Some have called this an eternal perspective. Additionally, in almost every reference to the concept of endurance in the New Testament, there is the idea of unbreakable and patient endurance in face of evil and injustice in the world. This is one of the true characteristics of believers that separate true believers in Christ from all other religions and all other secular philosophies. We endure because of our focus of what is to come.

I do not know how many of you love the Olympics but they are always filled with amazing stories. During the Olympics we hear of the back stories of the athletes. We hear the stories of what they had to go through to make it to where they are. We also hear of the positive acts performed by some of the athletes. One of the most inspiring moments in this year’s Olympics occurred when track and field star Abbey D’Agostino tripped over New Zealand’s runner Nikki Hamblin. They were running the second semifinal heat of the women’s 5,000-meter race. D’Agostino, a twenty-four year old distance runner from America showed a remarkable case of Olympic spirit when she stopped along the race to help a fallen rival.

It all started when Hamblin took a fall on the track. As she fell, D’Agostino tripped over Hamblin and fell to the ground herself. Rather than get up and plow past D’Agostino, Hamblin did an amazing thing. She stopped to check to see if her Olympic rival could continue and helped her off the ground. The selfless move quickly caught the notice of Olympic broadcasters, who commented on her show of sportsmanship. Continuing on, it was clear the pain of D’Agostino’s leg injury was settling in. Moments later, she collapsed to the ground. It was Hamblin this time who came to her aid, checking to see if she was okay to continue but D’Agostino wouldn’t back down. She got back up on her feet, and completed the rest of her laps at a very slow pace. She knew the goal and was determined to make it all the way. It did not matter if she won, what mattered is that she finished. That is patient endurance.

You see in Scripture we have been challenged with the fact that we must endure hardship, trouble, and persecution. We do so not for some earthly prize but for a heavenly prize that is eternal and lasts forever. The prize we obtain lasts not just for a few mere moments or is subjected to loss or corrosion. You see we endure the difficulties of life not because of what we have here but what has been promised to us in the future. That is our hope and hope keeps us moving forward. In the second passage we read today Paul relates this idea of enduring to the groaning and the moaning that takes place when a mother is giving birth. It is an imagery that most men cannot fully appreciate. It is one that most men have only experienced from a distance. As a woman who has given birth to a child you know the pain and the agony of giving birth. That is the agony of enduring that Paul is discussing here. Here is saying that the end is near so just keep pushing through and you will be victorious.

A second problem is that too often pastors and teachers communicate a message that everything is going to be wonderful and exciting all of the time, if you are a believer in Christ. If there is a problem then it is your fault because you did not have enough faith or did not do all of the right things. But the reality of life says this is nowhere near the truth. In fact, it is the opposite. Listen to what Paul has to say not only in this verse but in James 1:2-4, James had this insight to suffering. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

A second imagery that Paul uses for endurance is that of a runner. He uses the marathon runner as an example of this because the marathon runner is in it for the long haul. Paul often talks about running the race with patient. He talks about enduring to the end. So how do we endure and survive here in this life? I would suggest the following.

First, we must refuse to be distracted. While we are running this race for Christ too often the issues we face become distractions for us. These distractions force us to take our eyes off of the prize and we begin to focus on the problems we face. The enemy is so good at doing that? How often do we feel distracted and just out of sorts. Rick Warren has suggested when it comes to distractions we can find ourselves experiencing spiritual ADD. We are all over the place and we flit from one spiritual thing to the next. We tend to encounter one problem after another and another. The result is that we are distracted by the problems and not focused on the power of Christ to bring healing and help. The problem is not so much the distraction but how do we get back to where we need to be when we have been distracted? To get back we repent? We start over and we go back to where we lost track.

Second, refuse to dwell. Don’t dwell on the failures and mistakes made. Take steps to change and move beyond the failures of a given day. Marathon runners will tell you that one of the most difficult things they face is move beyond having a bad day of training. It messes with their psyche and they tend to allow the events of one day to effect their training on the next day. But good marathon runners will also tell you that they must put the failures of the previous day behind them and move toward a new day. Doesn’t that sound familiar. It should because Paul made a very similar statement in his teachings. Listen to his words in Philippians 3:12-16. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Third, refuse to be detoured. In Galatians 5:7-8 we find that Paul states You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. You see the purpose of the issues we face in life too often serve to detour us away from the direction we are to take. The result is that we are take pathways and make decisions that God never intended for us to take or make. Detours are interesting. While God can use the detours of our lives, there are detours that serve to get us off the path chosen for us by God. We find that we are at a loss of direction and we are in unfamiliar territory. We can be detoured by our calendars, emergencies, difficult people, and financial problems. We can also be detoured by the words that are spoken to us and about us. All of these can cause us to be detoured away from God’s purpose and plan for our life. That is why the writer of Hebrews 12:2 stated that we are to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. He paved the way so we can stay on track with Him.

Fourth, never forget that others are watching. In Hebrews 12:1 we find this amazing passage. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… Here is the deal and it is an amazing deal. There are people in heaven who have gone before us who are watching us. They are there to cheer us along. How are they cheering us on? It is by looking at their examples and their tenacity to keep the faith. Once again in the Olympics, we watched as people lined the streets to cheer the runners on. They were there to encourage the runners and the athletes.

In contrast, we also have those around us who are watching us and are observing how we deal with problems and the stressors of life. Here is a fact. How you live will effect others. People are watching you even when you don’t think so.  They are observing and watching you to see how you handle the stressors of life. You see people want to see how we run the race. When we fall do we get back up? Do we keep the faith? How do we respond to the difficulties of life? By doing these things we show our dependence on one that is greater and more powerful than any of us. We focus on the author and finisher of our faith. In Him we have nothing to worry about.

So how are you doing this morning? Do you feel distracted? Are you dwelling in the past or are you focused on the future? Do you feel you are in a detour season of your life? Do see that there is a cloud of witnesses that have gone on before us to pave the way and to show us that it is possible to endure until the end? They have shown us that we can do the same thing because of a focused faith and an enduring hope. When we are discouraged, we can remember Moses who was a great leader even though he was not always liked by those who followed him. We can remember Daniel and the three Hebrew children who refused to bow to the outside influences in their life. We can remember the disciples who gave themselves to preach the gospel. Through their testimonies we can be encouraged and blessed.

Finally, we have a great opportunity to show the world what it means to live a life filled with hope and enduring faith. We have the opportunity to show others that we can stand again and that we can be all that God desires. Yes! we will have trials and difficulties but we can also endure because our hope is not in the present but in the future. How awesome is that?

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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August 29, 2016 · 1:52 pm

Walking in the Spirit – What Difference Does It Make?

Peninsula Community Church

August 21, 2016

Walking in the Spirit – What Difference Does It Make?  

Romans 8:1-5 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

I do not intend this to be political but many of you have heard the comments made by one of our leading candidates for president. When questioned about the Benghazi events, Hillary Clinton responded with the words “What difference does it make?”  While the acts of that night in Benghazi made a big difference in the lives of those involved, this same mindset can be applied to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can ignore His work and the command to walk in the spirit or we can follow His word and live a passionate fulfilled Christian life.

I would like to look at this question this morning and the reason I want to do that is because we will focus our attention on what we think is important. Jesus addressed this succinctly in Matthew 6:27 when He stated For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus knew that where we place our passions and the things we give our heart to is the thing we will follow and to which we will commit our life. I had a personal experience that illustrated this to me in a powerful way. A couple of years ago I had the privilege of playing golf with Clayton Bunting, Elmer Towns; co-founder of Liberty University, and golf pro John Ross at the Cascades Golf Course at The Homestead in Virginia. It was a great week and I learned so much about the game of golf while playing that course. One of the things I learned is that I had a tendency to focus on the obstacles in front of me rather than the goal of getting the ball on the green. You see when there was a water hazard I would focus on the water hazard rather than on getting the ball beyond the hazard. And as you might guess I would hit the ball into the hazard more times than I care to mention. It was all because I was placing my focus on the wrong thing.

While Paul is not talking about golf here he is talking about a way of life. In fact, he is talking about something much more important than the game of golf. He is talking about having a meaningful life. He is talking about choosing to focus on the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh. Do you see it in this passage? Paul says to set your mind on the things of the Spirit. Why does he say this? He said it because he understands that what you focus on is what you will do. If we focus on the flesh we tend to act out the things of the flesh. If we focus on what we cannot have and what we cannot do, the desire within us to have those things will rise up and begin to control us. The result is death and pain. So how do we focus on the Spirit and why does it make a difference?

Paul defines focusing on the Spirit in a couple of ways. For one, he calls us to set our minds or to focus our minds. Here is what he says. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The idea that is presented here is that when we focus on either the flesh or the Spirit we generally come under the influence of the work of either of these motivating factors. To understand this we must understand that the flesh represents the five senses. It is what we see, what we hear, what we touch, it is what we taste and so on. It also represents the mind, will, and emotions. You see none of these in themselves are wrong, it is only when they are not focused in the Spirit that the outcomes can become wrong or evil. When the flesh is the starting point of our decisions, then we are in trouble. We must begin with the Spirit.

Secondly, Paul calls us to walk in the spirit. This also speaks of direction and focus. In Scripture one’s walk represented one’s lifestyle and their actions. We see this in Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Notice here that Paul deals with the Romans 7 phenomena of the dichotomy of wanting to do one thing but actually doing something else. It is the war within us that creates this turmoil. But we must choose who or what we will follow. We must determine that the Spirit will control our lives and then must seek to walk in the Spirit.

Paul then continues to detail what the flesh looks like and then what the spirit looks like in Galatians 5:19-23. There is a marked difference between the two. Here is the beauty of all of this. Paul makes it clear that we need to focus on the Spirit and not the flesh by relying on the Holy Spirit within us. While it is a choice, we have the Holy Spirit as a motivating factor for us. So with that said let us look at a couple of things about the Holy Spirit so that we can understand the benefit of following Him, setting our mind on Spiritual things, and the difference it makes!

First of all, we need to understand that if you are a believer in Christ you already have the Holy Spirit in you. He is in you and He is acting on your behalf. He is present with you because He is the third part of the Trinity. We sometimes forget this. We forget that He is at work in our lives. For some, we attempt to avoid His work because we have seen the abuses and the false teaching that have come out of some circles as it relates to the Holy Spirit. You see the problem is that I think with get caught up in the debate on tongues and miraculous signs to the point that these things are the focus of our discussion and we forget that He is at work in us. As I noted last week, I grew up in an old time pentecostal church. It was a chandelier swinging, pew hopping, dancing, tongue talking church. Through the years I have seen the good and the bad in churches both Pentecostal and non Pentecostal. I have seen that which was real and powerful and I have witnessed the fake and that which was a manipulation of truth.

As a result, it would be so easy for me to avoid any discussion of the Holy Spirit because of my history but that would force me to miss so much of what the Scripture says about His work. The fact is He is a real person and needs to be recognized for His role in our life. In fact, as Paul states we need to set our minds on the Spirit and not reject His work. In John 15:26 Jesus said that when He left the earth there would be another who would come to walk with us and to guide our lives. That is the Holy Spirit. Here is what Jesus stated But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. And then in John 17:7 he stated Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Jesus reminded us in his message to the disciples in John chapters 15-17 that the Holy Spirit leads us to truth. Here is just one of His statements in this regard. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come (John 16:13). Just as much as Jesus is truth so is the Holy Spirit. Think about this. He was present when the worlds were formed. He was the co-author of the Scriptures. He was present at the baptism of Christ. He is a real person with the real task of leading us to real truth. And how much do we need truth and integrity in us today?

Thirdly, He leads us to an understanding of the truth. The Holy Spirit does not only lead us to truth but He leads us to an understanding of what is truth. Have you ever taken a class in school where you received truth about a certain subject but understanding the subject was another issue altogether? You see we can know a certain truth but not understand how that truth applies. That is the role of the Holy Spirit. He leads us to truth but He also leads us to make application of the truth into our lives. You see the Holy Spirit is more about transformation than He is about information. God’s desire has been and always will be our transformation. He desires that we change for the good. That is the benefit of walking in the Spirit. Does it matter? Yes it does!

Fourthly, the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf when we don’t know what to pray or even how to pray. The Holy Spirit directs us. Paul made this observation. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). Here is an amazing thing. There are times where we are battling great issues in our life. There are times where we do not know how to pray or what to pray. It is in that moment that Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf. Sometimes it is with groans and utterances we might not understand but the Holy Spirit does pray for us and that is all that matters.

So what difference does it make? It makes all of the difference in the world. He is with us and if we focus our attention on Him and His work we will find that living life will become much easier. Note that I did not say easy, I simply said easier. Remember Pauls words. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

So what do you focus on? Do you focus on joy and peace or do you focus on anger and fear? Do you focus on the promises of God or the condemnation of the enemy of our souls? Do you focus on the work of the Holy Spirit in you that teaches truth, transforms your life, and assists in our prayers or do you focus on what you can do alone? Does it make a difference? By all means it does! It is your choice. It is your decision on how you will live and what the outcomes of your life will be. So let us choose wisely. Choose today to follow after the Spirit and to follow His leading so that we can become effective, passionate followers of Christ.

The Scripture is clear. If we walk in the Spirit you will not walk in condemnation according to Romans 8 and you will be able to master the flesh or sin that controls your life. Remember we said it would not be easy because the great tempter is always biting at our heals but be faithful and you will see the fruit. Next week we will continue to look at the work of the Holy Spirit in our life to see how we can be more effective in the Kingdom of God.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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August 22, 2016 · 9:09 am

No Longer Condemned

Peninsula Community Church

August 21, 2016

No Longer Condemned

Romans 8:1-5 – There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

I love Romans 8. I love it because it is regarded by many Christian scholars as the greatest chapter of all the Bible. In fact, in reading many of the commentaries on Romans, Chapter 8 has been described as “the mountain peak” of Scripture and “the chapter of chapters for the Christian believer.” Many commentators quote a German author by the name of Spencer who many years ago said “If Holy Scripture was a ring, and the Epistle to the Romans a precious stone, Chapter 8 would be the sparkling point of the jewel.”

For me personally, Romans 8 and in particular Romans 8:1 is one of those passages that have been used in my life to stake a claim to Christ’s promise of hope and the abundant life here on earth, as well as the life to come. You see, for such a long time I felt condemned on several levels. For one, I believed that if I just followed all of the rules everything was going to be ok. Boy was I wrong. I followed the rules, did what was right, and yet things continued to fall apart in my life. The result was a sense of failure and a sense that God could not do what He said.

Not only was I being condemned by my actions but I was also being condemned and judged by those around me. Although it was not always a reality, I felt that people would discourage and judge me rather than build up and encourage me. I allowed the voices of others to determine what I would do and be, rather than being obedient to Christ’s plan for my life. The downside is that I became more concerned about what people thought about me than being obedient to God. When I failed to live up to what people thought I should be, I began to sense a huge level of condemnation and judgement being imposed upon my life.

When I came to Christ I felt a bit betrayed and lied to as the pastor implied that everything would be great if I just followed the rules. The rules were different but the emphasis was on keeping the rules and not on a relationship with Christ. As a believer, I turned to Scripture but because of my religious background and the teaching I received, I was once again condemned because I never felt I could live up to the all of the rules and the requirements that were laid out. I was being counseled that I needed to follow all of the rules and be obedient. That all sounded good and it sounded right so I began to attempt to follow the rules and be the obedient person I needed to be. The problem however is that I would read the Scripture to see what the rules were rather than to determine who God was. The result was that my life sounded much like the words of Romans 7. The things I wanted to do I didn’t do and the things I didn’t want to do I did (Romans 7:13-20). It was a battle royal for my mind and my heart.

The battle continued to rage within me until I grew in the Lord and in my understanding of the Gospel. I came to a couple of conclusions that began to change my life. I would like to share these with you. First of all, I discovered that the law/the rules were weak and were powerless to accomplish what I needed (Romans 7:5-6; Romans 8:3-4). My study and my understanding led me to see that the law was a good school master (Galatians 3:24 ASV). It was a good teacher but it was powerless to make a difference in my life.

I love the commercials from Life Lock Security company. You may have seen them. In particular I love the one where there is a bank robbery in progress. Those in the bank look to the guard on duty to help them. His response is that he is not a security guard he is only a security monitor. Because he was only a monitor he was powerless do anything about the robbery. I love what happens. During the robbery, he leans over to those on the floor and says “oh yeah, there’s a robbery.” The law in itself was a good monitor for sin and was good at pointing to sin in our life but it continued to be powerless to do anything about the sin. The work of the law was critical in that it served to detail the boundaries of our life. We need boundaries and we need guidelines but those guidelines do little to change our heart or our mind. We need something different. We need Christ.

That brings me to second thing I learned. To live a life without condemnation is a choice. The choice is centered and focused on how we live. Paul offers us two choices. We can live by the spirit or we can live by the law (Romans 8:4-8). You see the law according to Paul brings sin to life. We must understand that the law did not create sin because sin was was a part of man’s life long before the law was given to Moses by God. In fact we see sin full blown in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).

In our final moments here I would like to look at this phrase. But I would like to look at this phrase in reverse in order to build a case for God’s grace and the freedom that comes as a result of His work on the cross. Paul stated“Therefore there is now no condemnation.”

We begin with the term condemnation which is defined as (1) the expression of very strong disapproval or (2) the action of condemning someone to a punishment. It is to be condemned or judged. Condemnation is a legal term in that you are given sentence equal to your crime. Paul has already declared the penalty for sin was death. Remember his words. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But through Christ there is eternal life thus the penalty of sin of has been paid. It is for that reason there is no condemnation for us. No sin a believer can commit; past, present, or future – can be held against him if that sin has been forgiven, since the penalty was paid by Christ and righteousness was imputed to the believer. And no sin will ever reverse this divine legal decision.

The second word is this passage is the word “no”. In Christ, there is NO condemnation. In the New Testament when writers wanted to emphasize a particular word, they would put it at the beginning of the sentence. That was their way of saying, “This is important.” In the Greek the first word is not “therefore.” The first word in the Greek is the word “no.” The fifth word in our translation is first in the original because Paul wants to emphasize in the strongest possible way that there is no condemnation. That’s why he took the word “no” and moved it to the front. There is therefore, no condemnation. You might translate it this way: “There is no condemnation—none whatsoever—for the believer in Christ Jesus. Secondly, Paul uses the strongest word possible for the word no in the Greek language.

Do you know what that means? We may stumble, we may fall, we may trip, we may make a thousand mistakes, we may sin and we do, we may get off the path, we may go astray, we may have a thousand problems, but for the believer in Jesus Christ, there is, therefore now, no condemnation because God has said it is so. You can struggle, but you’re not condemned. You can fall, but you’re not condemned. You can trip, but you’re not condemned. You can stray off the path, but you are not condemned because God has said He will not condemn those who are in Christ Jesus.

The third word in this passage is the word “now”. The gift of no condemnation comes to us as a gift but a gift that must be received. Now speaks of a future hope but a present reality. The word now “distinguishes two conditions of a man, namely, his condition under the law, and his condition under grace,—that is, his natural and his supernatural conditions. For by nature we are children of wrath, but now God has rendered us accepted in the Beloved. This benefit was effected the moment you accepted Christ as your Savior. The “now” contrasts the believer’s new state with the old, which had passed away. Hallelujah!

And finally there is the word “therefore.” The word therefore is a powerful word that must not be taken lightly. It is a word that directs our attention to something that comes before. In this case the word points us back to what Christ has done for us. I love the way Romans is laid out. He begins in Romans 1 & 2 by defining the life without God. H continues to show us why we need Christ and He shows us the way of escape And the power of change that comes to us.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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August 15, 2016 · 7:33 am

Are You a Victim or a Victor?

Peninsula Community Church

Are You a Victim or a Victor?

August 14, 2016

Romans 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The passage before us today is a powerful passage of grace and comfort. As we look at this passage the question I ask of you is  this, Are you a victim or are you a victor? How do you live your life? I ask this because how you live your life will determine if you live as a victim or as a victor. The fact is we all feel sorry for ourselves at times. We all get down in the dumps but the difference is that we should not stay down. A problem arises when we get beaten up by the world and the circumstances we face over and over. Too often the result is that we begin to experience a victim mentality.

A victim mentality is realized when one blames others for their problems or they make excuses for the issues they face. Victims focus on the past. You know one is a victim when they are always looking back to what was rather than what is. They are looking back at what people have done to them. Victims focus on the hurts and the wounds they have experienced. The world around them is not fair and they feel they are always getting the raw end of the deal. Victims tend to never be happy or content. They would rather blame others and their circumstances than take responsibility for themselves and their actions. The result is they believe they are helpless and they feel they have no control over anything. Victims are also great manipulators as they use their victim mentality to control others and get what they want. How sad? How defeating that is?

When we look at our society we see a world that is filled with people who exhibit a victim mentality. They look back and blame others for their problems. By blaming others they do not take responsibility for their own actions and too often they justify their bad actions by what has happened to them. We see this act in the race issues of our day. We see this in the lives of so many who have committed the heinous act of mass murder. Too often because they were picked on by others they took their anger out on others. So many believe they are victims and then use that belief as an excuse to sin and do wrong. They justify their sin because they are “victims.”

But that is not the story of true Christianity. That is not the story of a passionate follower of Christ. Why? It is because of passages like this that give us hope and give us the power to move from living under the thumb of victimization to become a victor over the issues of life. It was never God’s intent for us to live as victims but it was His desire for us to live as victors and overcome whatever the world throws at us. The fact is life is not fair but being defeated by the circumstances of life has never been a part of God’s plan. If so, Christ would have never come to earth as a human to suffer the shame He did. He would not have proclaimed that “It is Finished” on the cross. He would have never proclaimed “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Paul would have never stated that “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.”

So what does this passage offer us. First, we find that God is for us. What an amazing thought. The God of all creation; the God that formed the heavens and the earth is for me. He is on my side. He cares for me. Here is the larger message that is presented. Because God is for us I do not have to live a life of rejection which causes me to feel victimized. I can be free and live a liberated life without the entanglements of past sin or actions done to me. I can walk in Christ’s forgiveness and His loving touch on my life. Paul said “If God is for me who can be against me.”

That is why David, the little runt of the family, was able to confront the giant, Goliath. He had  confidence in the fact that God was with him. David made this proclamation. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:37, 45-46). Why did He have this confidence and subsequent success. It is because He knew God was with him. So today whatever giant you are facing know that God is with you. He is for you and He is fighting on your behalf.

Secondly, we cannot be charged with any sin that has already been forgiven. In our legal system there is legal defense called double jeopardy. Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges in the same case following a legitimate acquittal or conviction. In the spiritual realm, we have been forgiven and the debt of sin has been removed and yet the enemy of our soul loves to accuse us and fight us on the basis of past sin that has already been removed by way of forgiveness. This act of the enemy comes by way of intimidation. You see one with a victim mentality is easily intimidated and offended. They are filled will the guilt of past wrongs and hurts. But that is not the life of the victor.

Thirdly, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. Think about that for a moment. There is not one thing on earth or in heaven that can remove us from His love. This means that we do not have to live in fear. Victims are controlled by fear. Fear causes them to reject faith and reject the hope that is in Christ. One of the greatest fears we have is to believe we are  unloved and unwanted. But here Paul assures us that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. You see His gift of love is not contingent on our actions or the actions of others in our life. It is not contingent on our circumstances. His love for us is based in the one giving the love and God loved us before we knew Him or had ever received Him through the Holy Spirit.

Paul asks Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” Tribulation equates to the everyday problems of life. This is interpreted as pressure and represents the pressures of life. The second word is distress which means the constriction we feel when we are under pressure. The word persecution is just that. It is the idea of being persecuted for the bad we do and for that matter for the good. Paul continues to define the kinds of issues that cause us to become unsettled. They are famine, nakedness, danger, and the sword. Paul is saying that none of these things will cause God to stop loving us because His love never fails.   

Notice too that in this passage Paul assures us of the love of God two different times. One of the principles of understanding Scripture is that when something is stated more than once it is important and we should take notice of the subject presented. Notice how God showed us His love. He loved us so much that He willingly chose to send His son as a gift to remove sin from our lives. He sacrificed Himself for us. Paul then poses this thought. If God is willing to give us His son is there anything that He is not willing to give us. You see this gift is the very essence of His love. Remember John 3:16. “For god so loved the world that He gave His only son.” God loves us and has sealed that love through the gift of His son.

Fourthly, Paul states that we are more than conquerors. Think about this for a moment, we do not have to live as a victim but we are victors. But notice the wording here. Paul states that we are more than conquerors. Think about it. Do you get it? We don’t just survive. We don’t just get by. We go beyond just conquering and we live victoriously. You see this means that we don’t simply exist. We don’t just do the minimum and expect success. We move beyond the status quo and the issue of being controlled by others and our circumstances to now live as conquerors. Listen to the words of Jesus on our behalf. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We are victorious because of the work of Christ in us and when we receive Him and live out His will and His word we will be victors in a victim’s world.

As believers we are only as good as the one we serve and follow. In this case, we are only as good as the god we serve. We can serve the gods of intimidation, fear, and victimization or we can choose to serve the God of love and dependability. Joshua of the Old Testament said it best. Choose you this day who you will serve. If you are going to serve Baal or the gods of this world then serve Baal. But if you serve God then serve Him with all of your heart, your mind, and your soul. Move from being victimized and enter a world of freedom and power that exists only as one follows whole heartedly after God.

Are you with me? Are you ready to live a life full of victory and power? I am and I commit myself today to do just that.

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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July 25, 2016 · 12:19 pm

The Spirit of the Lord Brings Freedom

Peninsula Community Church

The Spirit of The Lord Brings Freedom 

July 24, 2016

Good morning! To be honest with you I did not anticipate that I would be sharing this message this morning as I had thought I would be in Richmond welcoming our new little prince into the family. But, as He often does, God had a different plan. With that said turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 and let’s read together.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

As we look at this passage this morning let me ask you a question. How many times have you found that people reject the truth? Have you ever tried to share undeniable truth with someone and they defiantly reject the truth that you are offering? For us, who know truth, the truth seems so believable and right and yet, there are those around us who resist the truth and the path of righteousness. We find that such blindness to truth comes from two sources. First, the god of this world blinds us so that the truth is not revealed. Secondly, truth is rejected when there is a desire to believe a lie more than to accept the truth.

As we look around our world, we do not have to look too far to see the results of this around us. Notice how Paul starts this passage. Paul stated that there were problems but there is also hope. That hope is found in Christ. Paul also makes an interesting observation. He notes that Moses had to place a veil over his face because the people of Israel were not ready to receive the truth and thus they missed the hope that was available to them. In essence, Paul is saying that this was the way things were but that was not the way things had to be.

You see the reason Moses would place a veil over his face is that the Children of Israel could not see what God had done in Him. The reason was simple. The children of Israel had hardened their hearts and they were not ready to receive what God had done. They saw, but they refused to allow the work of God to make a difference in their life. They closed God out and they kept God at a distance. We see this evidenced in the way they lived. One moment they would be praising God and they would deny and reject Him in the next moment. Why was this? It was because the truth had not found its way into their heart. They were rejecting the truth and the ways of God.

Paul also addresses this when he makes the following statement in 2 Corinthians 4:3-11. He says and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Though different, Paul is presenting the same message. The god of this world had blinded the mind of the Corinthians so they could not see the light of the gospel. Their minds had been blinded so that the word of God cannot penetrate their heart. You see when we share faith with others we must understand that many have had their minds darkened and their minds cut off from the light of truth. But that is not the end of things.

Rather than give up we can stand strong as God promises us that the light can shine into darkness. You see no matter how dark one’s life might be the light of the gospel can penetrate the darkness. Notice what Paul says in our text this morning when one turns to God and the veil is removed, truth is revealed and life comes rushing in. Then Paul makes a powerful statement that should be held close to our hearts. He states that the Lord is a spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Because the Spirit of the Lord brings freedom we realize three things that come from the spirit of freedom.

First, the Spirit of the Lord brings freedom. By way of the spirit of the Lord there is freedom to receive the grace of God. By way of the spirit of the Lord there is freedom to change. By way of the spirit of the Lord there is freedom to live in truth and not in darkness that leads to a hardened heart.

I love one of the first messages that Christ spoke. It was the initiation of His ministry. We find it in Luke 4:18-19 that Jesus proclaims “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” The Spirit of the Lord is upon Christ and He has been anointed to proclaim the good news, to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. The ministry of Christ is to bring liberty and that liberty is available to those who turn to Christ.

Elmer Townes had this to say about revivals and the experience of witnessing the move of God in one’s life. He says that we are to seek intimacy with God rather than the hand of God. In other words while God moves in us He calls us to seek His intimacy. He wants a relationship. In his book “The Worlds Ten Greatest Revivals,” in regards to the great revival of 1904, Townes states The changed lives of converts resulted in reductions in crime, drunkenness, and gambling, along with increases in honesty, truthfulness and chastity throughout Great Britain. In America throughout the nation, political reform was effected as corrupt district attorneys, mayors, governors, senators and assemblymen were replaced with those perceived as honest. Why was this happening? It is because the Spirt of the Lord came and things began to change. The Spirit of the Lord brought freedom and change. How many would like that kind of change?

Second, the Spirit of the Lord shines His light in and the darkness goes. Now that is a powerful statement. You see He is the light of the world. In Him there is no darkness. In Him there is no shadow of darkness. He is the light. And where He is there is light as well. So yes, one’s heart and mind might be darkened by the god of this world but that does not mean that is where they have to stay.  It is for that reason that I love this year’s VBS theme. It is Following Jesus The Light of the World. He is the light. He brings hope and He brings us freedom. Jesus is the Word and it is the Word that is a lamp unto our feet and a light on our path.

Third, the spirit of the Lord comes to transform us into the image of Christ. You see, not only does the Spirit of the Lord change sinners but it changes us as well. First of all because Christ is in us, we find that we do not have to wear a veil. We have an open invitation into the presence of God. We can behold the glory of God. What is the glory of God? It is the character of God being revealed in us and through us.

Often I am asked what a mature Christian looks like. I would say to you today that a mature believer is one that looks like Christ. Are you being transformed into the image of Christ? Are you being changed? If the spirit of the Lord in us we will find that we are being transformed. Once again the idea of transformation is to be totally changed. We are not what we were and we are not going to be what we are now We are changing and we are being changed for His glory and for His honor.

We must understand that our model is not anyone person here on earth. We have some good role models but they are still human and humans will fail and will fall short of the glory of God. That is why Christ must be the model of our transformation. The spirit of the Lord transforms us into His image. How much do you look like Christ? That is the measure of your success and maturity as a believer.

Will you stand today in recognition of your need for the freedom that comes from Christ? Will stand and receive the truth that we need a revival in our hearts? Will you acknowledge that the revival must begin in us?

For an audio of this message go to http://pccministry.org/media.php?pageID=14

Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved Robert W. Odom

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