Update on Ben and Becky

Please continue to pray for Ben and Becky. Becky is now 28 weeks along and Charity continues to grow and kick. She still has an encephlocel and this has robbed her of full development of the cerebellum. Charity will most likely live on birth and Ben and Becky will be faced with enormous decisons about surgery and further medical intervention for Charity to live.

WE ARE PRAYING FOR CHARITY TO BE HEALED IN THE WOMB BEFORE BIRTH

John # 8

“What Do You Believe?”
July 26, 2009
John 3:1 – 18
Pastor Ben Fleming

I remember growing up in the Presbyterian Church as a young boy, when a new preacher came to our church and I began to hear the words “born again”. Something began to happen to a group of people in our church. Unfortunately, the other half chased the preacher and that group away. I grew up being told that there were those Christians who were born again and those who were not – my family was the group that was not born again. I grew up with all sorts of imagines and pictures in my mind of what being born again was. I saw things like these (PHOTO) (PHOTO) and even now the phrase has been stolen by Islam (PHOTO). ( BLANK)

Turn to John chapter 3. Even when I came to receive Christ as an 18 year old at college I do not think I still had an understanding of what it meant to be born again. My brother Trent began going to a church that told him that unless you were baptized you were not fully born again. Many do not understand what it means to be born again. Is it baptism? Is it praying a prayer or going forward or even must I have tears running down my face? When I told my brother Pat when he was 16 – he said, “how come nobody every told me until you did?” If Jesus makes such a blunt statement in verse 3 “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” we ought to make an effort to fully understand what does it mean. Seeing the Kingdom of God means having eternal life. Has that happened to my own life? Do I have eternal life? People are either going to live eternally with God (which means they are in the Kingdom of God and going to see God) or they are going to live eternally separated from God. In verse 3 Jesus tells us “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” from that one has to conclude that not all people are going to be born again and the kingdom of God is not going to be inhabited by all people. Comment: universalism and our society…… Please stand as we read our text this morning.

John 3:1 - 8 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.£” 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” 5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit£ gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You£ must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.£ 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.£ 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,£ that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Let us pray

Introduction: Last week we saw Jesus clear the Temple and demonstrate His passion and zeal for holiness. We found that if we are to pursue holiness as a believer we must have a zeal for what we seek – we must have a zeal for what we see and we must have a zeal for what we say and how we say it. Jesus created a stir in the Temple and today we find a stir in the mind of one of the religious leaders in the Jewish community. Nicodemus was not just any leader but he was a member of the ruling council and he comes to Jesus at night – he does so to not give the impression that the ruling council or Sanhedrin approved of Jesus and he most likely does so to ask the question that he does because perhaps there is something happing in him so he comes to Jesus.

But we must be careful in our thinking when someone comes to Jesus does not always mean that a person is saved – but it is a necessary start…… Nicodemus does not ask a question as much as he makes a statement. “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” This is not a statement of belief or salvation for Nicodemus – he is wants to know if Jesus is the Messiah who was to take God’s people out of darkness into eternal life. Jesus gives Nicodemus three facts about being born again – on your outline…………..

Fact #1 Being born again is eternal life. (Vs.3) “In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Every person on the face of this earth is either going to live eternally with God or eternally separated from God. Every person on the face of this earth is either in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of Satan. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
I remember looking up into the sky when I was 14 years old at the youth camp by the river after singing the song – they will know we are Christians by our love --- I was being spiritual but there was no new birth in my life at that time – I was not born again – I was outside of the Kingdom of God. Four years later, I remember listening to the college kids sing about Christ down by the Ohio River and it brought tears to my eyes --- I was still not born again even though I emotionally responded to the music. I belonged to the kingdom of Satan. Jesus said, “truly truly I say to you” --- in the Greek language he said amen amen --- to a Greek person when they heard that it would tell them the veracity and significance of what would follow. “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Eternal life requires a person to have a new birth. It does not come from baptism. It does not come from confirmation or the Lord’s Supper --- it comes from NEW BIRTH. When you are born again you have eternal life – you are part of the kingdom of God. This is what Jesus prayed in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” I grew up hearing about being born again…. but I was afraid of it – those people left our church family – one of them was my next door neighbor. But those people’s lives changed. My folks said bad things about them but I began to hear good things about them around our little town.

Some one who is born again is made new. They were once dead in their sins. They were in bondage to sin and they lived in darkness. They were spiritually dead – they are physically alive but spiritually dead – some of you are life that…………….. I was like that as a teenager even though I went to church almost every single Sunday. No one is born spiritually alive --- we are all born spiritually dead. The bible time and time again tells us this is the condition of man. New birth changes that. New birth brings spiritual life to a person. New birth gives them eternal life.

Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sin, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” A person who is born again no longer follows the ways of the world – new birth changes that --- new birth gives them a new passion and desire to follow the ways of God. Last week I called it the pursuit of holiness. You cannot pursue holiness when you are spiritually dead.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” I still remember in the spring of 1973 sitting at the lunch table with my mom and yelling at her and telling her that I hated her as I ran out the door and I remember one year later – 6 months after new birth had happened in my life – I was sitting at that same table and I told my mom I loved her. That summer - I asked my girlfriend if we could pray together and she laughed at me – that was the last girlfriend I had until I married my bride Cheryl. New birth changes you. The apostle James tells how this new birth happened………

James 1:18 “He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.” God uses the Word of God to open our hearts and our minds so that we might become the first fruits of all He created. Those who are born again are the first fruits of God’s creation – not animals – not unbelievers – but those who have been born again and are children of God. John says………

John 1:12 -13 “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will , but born of God.” Before they were children of the devil but now the one who is born again is made a child of God and is part of the Kingdom of God. Being born again is eternal life…………..

Fact #2 Being born again is God’s work. (vs. 5 – 8 ) “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Again Jesus says to Nicodemus --- I tell you the truth – amen amen – no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Two humans can produce another human in the flesh but it is only God who can spiritually transform a person. Regeneration is entirely the work of God in a persons life. You can try and change someone all you want – you can do everything you can think of – but only God can transform a person spiritually. Nicodemus found this very difficult to understand. All of his life he was taught otherwise. He was taught that he could make himself pleasing to God through the works and efforts he did. He was the perfect example of religious perfection. He did everything exactly as the religious teachers and rules told him. His spiritual life was his choice. He was told that he did not need a power outside of himself – he was able to handle everything that came his way and by obeying all of the rules written by the Jewish leaders he would find and be part of the kingdom of God. Paul counters this belief that Nicodemus had very clearly in Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:8 -9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

New birth is a gift from God. Jesus said – the wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”You do not know who is going to be born again. You do not who the wind of the Holy Spirit is going to blow upon and make a child of God. It is God’s choice. You cannot say one personality is more prone to receive Christ than another personality. You cannot say Americans are more receptive to God than the Chinese. God is the one who works in the persons heart – God is the one who changes them --- God is the one who opens their eyes and allows them to see and understand the gospel message. So – if being born again is all God’s work –

What is our part in being born again? What is our part with God in His plan? Three responses

* Call upon Him. Every believer in this room must at one time have called upon the Lord. You have to respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. You have to respond to the truth of the Word of God in your life. You cannot be born again without responding. Romans 10:9 “if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Vs. 13) “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

* Tell them. Even though it is God who works in a persons heart – it is God who causes a person to be spiritually born anew – God has laid it out in His economy that we His children tell others to come to Him. It is we his children who are to speak to others the good news. Romans 10:14 “How, then can they call on they one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching or speaking to them?” Unbelievers have the responsibility to call and believers have the responsibility to tell. This is not an idea that God had in the NT it was His plan all throughout the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah recorded for us an interaction he had with God.
Isaiah 6:8 -10 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Questions: Who in here today is God telling you to call upon Him? You are not born again and you know it. You have never come to Christ --- you have seen no change in your life. Call upon him today. A third response would be to reject and ignore God. To the believer --- Who is God wanting you to tell? Can you say “Here am I. Send me.”

Fact #3 Being born again requires understanding. Vs10. “You are Israel’s teacher, and you do not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” Jesus was astounded that here was a man who was a religious teacher of the nation. He knew the scrolls – He could read the words that Moses had written down in the first 5 books of the bible and yet he had no understanding of what Jesus was saying. I think we sadly see here in the life of Nicodemus the numbing effect that external – legalistic religion has on people’s perception. You can see this in how some Catholics, Mormon’s and Jehovah Witnesses talk about their beliefs. And I would include the Episcopal church as well who by the way this past week voted overwhelmingly to allow gays and lesbians to become bishops and serve in any ministry in the church and they are developing as well an official write to bless same sex unions. They are very very spiritual and knowleable but they have lost all spiritual perception. There is no spiritual understanding.

Understanding is an issue with people all of the time. Scripture time and time again points to how the absence of understanding keeps a person lost. This is why a person can hear the call to come to Jesus and can hear the call to confess with their mouth and believe in their heart and they remain confused and do not respond. There is no understanding. Some of you today have no spiritual understanding.

Romans 3:10 “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands.” Jesus spoke the words of Isaiah in Matthew 13:14 -15 “You will be ever hearing but never understanding: you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears’ and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” These three facts really do us no good if we do not respond to them. Most of you are born again. Most of you know that Jesus Christ has changed your life and you continue to see Him work in your life. Some of you are not born again. Some of you question if you really are. I have two application points for the born again believer listening to me and the spiritually dead person.

Application:
* To the non believer. Ask God to give you understanding. If you have not come to Jesus. Just start today and say “Jesus I do not understand” – give me what I need. Give me understanding so that I might become born again.

* To the believer. Ask God to give an unbeliever understanding. All of you know someone who does not understand – they are just like Nicademous. It could be someone who is spiritual and even goes regularly to church – it could be a family member – a neighbor – it could be a friend. Would you ask God to give them understanding. 2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” The god of this age is Satan. God is fully sovereign and powerful over Satan. Satan does not have a hold on the mind of an unbeliever – we the believer can pray and ask God to give that unbeliever eyes to see so that they may understand. Would you be committed as a believer to do that?

Let us pray:

John # 7

What Do You Believe?
John 2:12-25
Pastor Ben Fleming
July 19, 2009

Please turn in your bible to John chapter 2. Today we are going to look at the zeal of Jesus Christ. Last week we saw the first miracle that Jesus did – turning water into wine. He met the needs of the community. He met the need that Mary had. He met the need that the groom’s family had. We studied the 3 basic needs that Jesus meets of people – #1 people need forgiveness – they need salvation from the wrath of God and the punishment for their sin -- #2 people need – security and #3 people need purpose. Please stay seated today as we read God’s Word. Pastor Alan Dorway tore his Achilles tendon and he told me how he felt at his church when they were asked to stand for the affirmation of ones faith and so for today – we will stay seated.

John 2:13 - 25 13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17His disciples remembered that it was written,£“Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. 23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. Let us pray…….

Someone who has zeal, many times is attractive to us. They are someone who is driven by a cause or a value in life. Someone who has zeal is often called a zealot or they are zealous because of their convictions. Many times we like being around people who have passion and conviction. People follow people with zeal. Jesus had zeal. He had zeal for His heavenly Father – He had zeal for the heart of God and the things of God. A similar meaning word for zeal is passion. Jesus had passion. He had passion to love God and to please God. He had passion to see holiness in the lives of God’s people. People follow people with passion and zeal. I believe the cry of the church today should be that we might have more believers who have a genuine zeal for God. The opposite of zeal is apathy. So----think with me for 40 min about zeal--- Do you have zeal for God and the things of God or are you apathetic?

The Zeal of Jesus

1. Christ zeal for holiness. (vs. 16) “To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here. How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market.” (Capernaum MAP) John writes that Jesus – his mother – brothers and the new disciples went down to Capernaum. They went down from Cana to Capernaum which was right next to the Sea of Galilee. (PHOTO of city) If you go there today you can walk through the ruins of the town of Capernaum. John says they stayed there for a few days. What happened in those few days? We do not know. (BLANK) But we do know that Jesus was with his mother – his brothers and a few new disciples. I guarantee you that He made the most of that time of fellowship. John then says that when it was time for the Passover – He went up to Jerusalem to the temple. (PHOTO) Notice on this photo taken in Capernaum looking up towards Jerusalem. This is what it means in the bible when it says he went up or he went down. I am struck by how much Jesus walked in order to be with people and minister to people. Distance did not keep Jesus away from people. ( PHOTO) He comes into Jerusalem and heads right away for the Temple that Herrod built. This is where all Jews would have gone to celebrate the Passover. If you remember – the Passover happened when the Jews were captive in Egypt and the death angel came over the land of Egypt to kill all the first born and because the Jewish home had killed a lamb and spread its blood over their doorposts – the death angel passed over the Jewish homes. When Christ comes into the Temple he finds the selling of animals for sacrifice and the changing of money --- he made a whip out of cords and drove out all of animals and the money changers from the temple area and said – “Get these out of here. How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market.”

Jesus knew that there were pilgrims coming from all over the known world who had traveled to the Passover. Everyone wanted to offer an animal for a sacrifice and they all knew that there was a Temple Tax to be paid. If they bought animals outside of the Temple… they would be rejected for the sacrifice so they had to buy the ones inside which were being sold at 10 times the price of outside and they had to change their foreign money into silver sheckles at the money changers tables who charged them more than they were allowed. This is what Jesus was angry about. People were being exploited. Stealing in the name of God. Jesus was expecting to see an atmosphere of worship in the Temple – we must remember that behind the Holy of Holies was where the presence of the shekinah glory of God dwelt – instead Jesus saw unholiness – lust – idoloatry – people making money off of God’s people and stealing from them. There was no holiness going on in the temple of God. Jesus was righteously angry at sin. He not only felt anger but he responded to the anger that he felt. He responded to His righteous emotions. This is what real zeal is. His disciples remembered the prophecy about the Messiah in Psalm 69:9 “zeal for your house will consume me.” They saw his zeal ---- this must have been a side of Jesus that no one had seen before.

Holiness was a passion with Christ. Holiness is a passion with God. To be holy means to be set apart. Psalm 29:2 says “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” To be holy means to live our lives set apart from what is going on around us in this world. The writer of Hebrews… Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” --------- holiness is essential in the life of a believer. You cannot see God and not make holiness an issue in your life. The writer of Hebrews says “Peacemaking and peacekeeping is one demonstration of holiness in the life of a believer” In this world --- Troublemaking and peace breaking is the accepted lifestyle.

The prophet Isaiah put it this way in Is. 35:8 “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.” He says there is a highway of holiness that God’s people are to walk on. There are not many highways there is one. When God’s people do not walk on the highway of holiness God responds to that…..

Hebrews 12: 10 -11 “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” ---------- God disciplines His children so that they may share in His holiness. Holiness is such a passion with God that He individually inspects the lives of each of his children and when he does not see holiness he disciplines that child of God for the purpose of producing holy living. The writer says that holy living produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. There is no one in here who does not want righteousness and peace to be characteristic of their life – but you cannot have holiness in your life without Christ. You cannot have holiness without being trained by the discipline of God.

How can you participate in holiness and growing in a zeal for holiness in your own life???

Application:

* Examine what you seek. What is it that you love? What is it that you think is going to bring you happiness? It is impossible to be holy without coming to true faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only who is holy and it is only by coming to Him and seeking Him day after day after day does a person share in the holiness of Christ.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew 22:37 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and greatest commandment .” Are you seeking to love the Lord with all your heart – soul and mind? Pastor J.C. Ryle writes that practical holiness is the habit of being one mind with God – it is endeavoring to shun every known sin ---- now notice he says it is the habit --- well I am working on my spiritual habits ---- I have been for 36 years – and JC. Says that it is endeavoring to shun every known sin ---- holiness means that I shunning sin in my life bothers me --- unholiness means I do not care. But it starts with examining what you seek.

* Examine what you see. What goes into your eyes helps to control what you think. If you do not care about what you watch on TV or movies, you do not care about what you think. If you do not care about what you look at and who you look at – you do not care about what you think. Our eyes open or rob us of the depth of holiness in our hearts. Boys and men know this one very well when it comes to their eyes and the power of lust to rob us of holiness. You want to have a zeal for holiness like Jesus then make what you see an issue pleasing to God in your life. What you seek and see

1 John 2:16 “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

* #3 Examine what you say. This probably causes more un holiness in the life of a believer than any other area. If we speak to each other the same way the rest of the world does then there is nothing different about us. The closer you come to the light of Christ the more you will hear of your words and have a zeal for godly words to come out of your mouth. Ephesians 4:29 - 30 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Conclusion: Jesus did not passively stand by in the Temple and watch what was going on. He had a zeal for holiness in the Temple of the Lord. Let’s ask ourselves what are we passively standing by watching???? We tell ourselves its not our business to get involved. We tell ourselves that we are judging someone if we open our mouths. It has been said that all it takes for evil to prevail is for a few good men and women to do nothing.

2. Christ zeal for the resurrection (vs. 19) “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” After Jesus cleared the Temple the Jews demanded from him a sign to prove his authority to do what he did. He says destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days. They were astounded at his statement and said – “it has taken 46 years to build this temple and you are going to raise it again in three days. (PHOTO) This is the Temple he was talking about – it was Herrods Temple – this was not Solomons temple which the Babylonians destroyed. Herrod started the Temple in 20 BC. And it was not finished until around 64AD and then the Romans demolished it again 6 years later. This is the temple the people were thinking about ---- can you imagine them looking at Jesus and saying to themselves – this guy is crazy. (BLANK) But Jesus was not talking about a temple made with hands – He was talking about his own body and it was not until after Jesus was raised again from the dead did his own disciples understand what he said.

People were used to worshipping God in a temple. They did not believe they could worship God outside of the temple walls. When Jesus told them the sign that he would give them was that his temple – his body - would be destroyed and raised again in 3 days – Jesus clearly was zealous for the resurrection. He knew that victory would come when there was victory over death. A human body would be raised again from the dead – HIS. I believe this tells believers that they must have a zeal for their temple – the temple that the holy spirit lives within on this earth. This is hard to say – because I know I am falling apart and must do a better job of taking care of the temple that God has given to me on this earth.

1 Corinthians 6:19 – 20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” If this scripture is true – then you and I ought to have a zeal for taking care of our earthly temples. They are the temple on this earth that God dwells in. It brings glory to God when we are physically fit. It brings glory to God when we watch what we eat and how much we eat. It brings glory to God when we are involved in our physical health. The responsibility for a believers physical health does not lie with our health care professional – it lies with us. Not only does the bible tell us that the believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit but the bible tells us that together believers are part of a larger temple.

Ephesians 2:19 – 22 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Every believer belongs to other believers. Every believer is to be connected to other believers. When another temple in the wider temple – the church is hurting – I must hurt. If Christ had a zeal for the resurrection of his own body --- what makes me think I have any excused for not having a zeal for other temples in the body of Christ?

The death of Christ rendered the Temple obsolete --- as a believer in Christ – we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we can worship God anywhere and at any time. We can come into the Holy of Holies. We can come with confidence to throne of God. Because Christ had a zeal for the resurrection we do not have to hide from God – we do not need someone else to be our go between – the curtain of separation has been torn in two --- we are no longer enemies of God. Someone who has not believed is an enemy of God. God is in opposition to them. They have no zeal for God nor do they have a zeal for their own bodies. That is not to say that a non believer cannot be healthy and take care of their bodies --- many many do – but what I am saying folks is that we believers ought to have a passion for keeping our temples healthy ----it is sad when God’s people are not a testimony of healthy living – there testimony is disabled. Please do not get me wrong – there are dieases that happen to God’s people --- I am talking about apathy ---- Christ zeal for the resurrection…

3. Christ zeal for reality. (vs. 23 - 25) “Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” ------------------ There it is again --- they saw the miracles that Jesus did and believed in his name --- this does not mean that they had saving faith. We know this is true because John says right after that – He would not entrust himself to them – for he knew all men. Even though it says they believed in Jesus --- John says Jesus did not believe in them. He knew what was in the heart of a man. Superficial belief does not save a person. Intellectual belief does not save a person. Religious belief does not save a person. The demons believe in Jesus.

Jesus knew human nature. He knew the fickleness of man and the instability of the human heart. He knew that a heart can be swept away in a moment of emotion, and then back out again when it discovers what their decision really meant. Jesus knew how humans hunger for the spectacular. I wonder if this why people will flock to pay and see Benny Hinn perform in hopes of seeing something like a leg growing as he claims? Jesus did not want a crowd – he was not after masses and masses of people like we think - Jesus wanted to see changed hearts – he wanted to see people new – he wanted to see people born of the spirit.

Story: I got called to the hospital this week to room 303 – I met Eva – an 80 year old woman who grew up in East Germany under Hitler. She said to me – chaplain – I have lost my faith – I spoke with her about suffering and God and then walked her through Romans 10 and with tears coming down her face she confessed with her mouth and believed in her heart. Jesus has zeal for holiness – Jesus has zeal for the resurrection and Jesus has zeal for reality. What about you? What do you have zeal for? Ask God to give you the same zeal that Jesus has. Ask God to give you zeal for holiness in your life and in the lives of those around you --- Ask God to give you a zeal for your temple and Ask God to give you zeal for lost people who are unbelieving and perishing without true belief in Christ……………Let us pray.

Exectued Christian

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea publicly executed a Christian woman last month for distributing the Bible, which is banned in the communist nation, South Korean activists said Friday. Ri Hyon Ok, 33, was also accused of spying for South Korea and the United States and organizing dissidents. She was executed in the northwestern city of Ryongchon near the border with China on June 16, according to a report from an alliance of several dozen anti-North Korea groups. Ri's parents, husband and three children were sent to a political prison camp in the northeastern city of Hoeryong the following day, the report said, citing unidentified documents it says were obtained from North Korea. It showed a copy of Ri's North Korean government-issued photo ID. It is virtually impossible to verify such reports about secretive North Korea, where the government tightly controls the lives of its citizens and does not allow dissent.
On Thursday, an annual report from a state-run South Korean think tank on human rights in the North said that public executions, though dropping in number in recent years, were still carried out for crimes ranging from murder to circulating foreign movies.
North Korea claims to guarantee freedom of religion for its 24 million people but in reality severely restricts religious observances. The cult of personality surrounding national founder Kim Il Sung and his son, current leader Kim Jong Il, is a virtual state religion.
The government has authorized four state churches, one Catholic, two Protestant and one Russian Orthodox, but they cater to foreigners and ordinary North Koreans cannot attend. However, defectors and activists say more than 30,000 North Koreans are believed to practice Christianity secretly. The U.S. State Department reported last year that "genuine religious freedom does not exist" in North Korea. "North Korea appears to have judged that Christian forces could pose a threat to its regime," Do Hee-youn, a leading activist, told reporters, claiming public executions, arrest and detention of North Koreans are prevalent.

John #6

What Do You Believe?
John #6 Chapter 2:1-11
July 12th
Pastor Ben Fleming

It is good to be back. We had the opportunity to attend the wedding of our nephew Patrick Sauncy. (4 PHOTOS). It was nice being with family --- that is my mother in law Louella in the picture I am dancing with – she is 91. It was also interesting to me because our text today concerns a wedding. (blank) There are several weddings this summer – when we were married I remember my mother in law saying that in your lifetime you will give more wedding presents than you ever received – I believe that is true. (5 PHOTOS) We also had the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon for one day -- well worth the trip to see a small glimpse of the grandeur of God. (BLANK) Thank you to Dan and Dave for teaching and leading this past week. CARNIVAL??? Thank you Rick – Nancy and Dorothy for helping the youth with their cans and plastic collections.

Turn in your bibles to the second chapter of John. We are going to be studying today the first recorded miracle that Jesus did when he turned water into wine and therefore the beginning of his earthly three year ministry. Howard Marshal wrote the book “I believe in the Historical Jesus”. According to Marshall – a historical Jesus had nothing supernatural or divine about him. This heretical view is also the basis for the Jesus Seminar. This kind of blasphemous nonsense is spreading throughout our country. It is impossible to remove the miraculous elements from the life of Jesus and still have the same savior. The miracles Jesus performed show us one of the most powerful proofs of his deity. The apostle John selects 8 miracles in his writing to prove his deity – Jesus did more than just 8 miracles but if you remember this writing has been recorded for us so that we might believe and that by believing we might have life in His name. You ought to have found the text by now… please stand…
John 2:1 - 11 1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.£ 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. ----- let us pray

What was happening? John begins by writing on the third day there was a wedding. This is a time indicator that John gives that could allow us to say that the events of the baptism and the wedding are all happening in the span of one week. (MAP) Notice on the map where Cana is located just north of Nazareth. It is right to assume that Jesus walked from the Jordan River to this wedding in 3 days. He might have know that his mother had expected him to be there since their family would have received an invitation and they had RSVP. Interesting enough as well – Jesus was also coming with some extra guests – his new disciples. (BLANK) Notice the difference we are beginning to see between John the Baptist and Jesus. John was a voice in the wilderness but Jesus was called to people and to minister to their daily lives. Jesus was around people and Jesus connected with people. Jesus had very very good people skills. Jesus was other focused. I find that interesting since he grew up most likely working by himself with wood in a carpenters shop.

We do not know but most likely by this time Joseph was dead. Jesus was 30 years old and he had been the head of Mary’s household. The scene John is describing is a village wedding feast. Jewish bible commentator William Barclay writes, “A Jewish wedding would have taken place on a Wednesday. Jewish weddings lasted for more than one day.” The wedding ceremony took place late in the evening after a feast. When the ceremony was over the young couple would go to their new home. They would be escorted through the dark streets lit by flaming torches and a canopy over their heads. They would take as long a route possible so that many people would be able to wish them well. They did not go away for a honeymoon but stayed home for a week and kept open house. You would have gotten a chance to call on the newlyweds their first week in their new home. They wore robes and were treated like a king and queen.” This is what is happening in the village. So – the village is having a happy joyous time and the wine ran out. “A word about wine”….

Wine was a staple drink in Bible times. Jesus would have drank wine . The climate was warm and there was no refrigeration – so grape juice would have fermented. To keep people from becoming drunk – wine was diluted to two parts wine and three parts water – but a major problem arose with the wedding reception – the groom’s family was left open to a major embarrassment for not providing enough wine. So when Jesus turned the water into wine it was not to be sensational miracle – it was just to provide a need. Jesus’ first miracle was to provide a need at an important community social function. Mary was most likely overseeing the catering of the festival so she goes to her first born son for help. We do not know but Mary was most likely related to the bride and groom and therefore helping with the food and drink.

She tells her son what the need is and he responds by saying, “woman, what does that have to do with us?’ Sounds like and insult to mom does it not? But for her, this was a turning point in the life of Mary – Mary was no longer going to relate to her son as a son but she now was going to relate to him as her Savior – the Messiah. He says to her – “my hour has not yet come” – meaning that Jesus was only going to act according to the timetable of God and not man. She says to the servants – “whatever he tells you to do – do it.”

There were six stone water pots for the Jewish ceremony of purification and Jesus says “fill them with water.” They filled them and then he says take some out and take it to the headwaiter. They did this and the waiter was astounded – where did this wine come from and why did you save the best wine till the last? Notice here that there are 6 – that held 20 to 30 gallons of water. That means from 120 to 180 gallons of wine. Jesus did not provide just enough wine but Jesus provided more than enough. The bible consistently tells us that Jesus provides all that we need.

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Christ promises to provide your needs according to His riches.
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” A genuine believer can approach God at anytime with any request. Mary seemed to know this without even knowing the bible.
Joel 2:23 -24 “Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you
the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.”

Even the Old Testament tells us that God gives us abundant showers – floors filled with grain and vats overflowing with new wine and oil.

The miracles that Jesus did were not just signs of compassion but they were displays of who he was. Jesus meets the needs of people. He not only meets the needs people think are needs because of His common grace but more importantly Jesus meets peoples real needs.
This is what I want to spend the rest of our time examining. BEFORE WE DO – SINCE JESUS TURNED WATER INTO WINE LETS HAVE SOME WATER TO DRINK --- I WILL NOT PRAY THAT IT TURNS INTO WINE THOUGH – WE ALL NEED WATER---

Jesus Meets The Needs of People ---------PASS OUT THE WATER----- comment
1. People need forgiveness. Everyone believes that God is love. Michael Jacksons brother even said that at the memorial this past week. A loving God does forgive and He is the one who determines how that forgiveness takes place. Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Agrees with the scripture that tells us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So – repentance and forgiveness go together and when one experiences forgiveness that brings about the gift the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to Paul as recorded in Acts 26:17 “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” God saw it necessary that his children need forgiveness. Christ saw it necessary. All around us people need forgiveness from their sins – believer and non believer.

When you do not walk in forgiveness you rob yourself of joy. You rob yourself of experiencing the abundant Christian life. Forgiveness opens up joy. If you have never come to Christ for forgiveness you will never experience true joy. You are in bondage to un forgiveness. Un forgiveness handcuffs you to your sin. DEMONSTRATION Forgiveness releases the other person for the wrong they have done. God releases His children. God has done that for His children and God expects his children to forgive. THINK ABOUT IT : Many times people see no need to be forgiven for their sin. We think “the wages of sin is death” and then we say but God is love. Author Steve Gallagher writes about this sin problem that you face and I face.

“People are prone to overlook their deeply embedded sin because it has an extremely deceptive nature. There exists an interesting correlation between a person’s involvement with sin and his awareness of it. The more a person becomes involved in sin, the less he sees it. Sin is a hideous disease that destroys a person’s ability to comprehend its existence. It could be compared to a computer virus that has the ability to hide its presence from the user while it systematically destroys the hard drive………Typically, those who are most entangled in sin are the ones who cannot see its presence at work inside them. Sin has the ability to mask itself so well that it can actually make a person who deals with it the least, think he is the most spiritual.” ----- SOBERING

This is so true of the non believer and true of many believers. When forgiveness is not an issue in our lives as believers – sin can destroy us. For the non believer it is separation from God – it is the wrath of God. For the believer – un forgiveness robs that believer of abundant joy. It grieves the Holy Spirit. It removes the power of God from their life . Paul warned the Christians at Ephesians to forgive others who wrong them. ---- outline

Ephesians 4:31- 32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.” COMMENT Most of us do not know of a sin right now that we need to ask God for forgiveness. Many of the sins in our lives we have grown numb to. Thinking about forgiveness of others…… Everyone of you know of someone in your life in the present or in the past that you need to give forgiveness to or ask forgiveness from. It does not matter how deep the hurt. Pastor Erwin Lutzer wrote the book “You have been Wronged”. In that book he outlines Five Right Responses to Injustice. Fill in the blanks

* Choose to live in the present and not in the past. Do not dwell on the past. Do not let it come across your lips. Do not let past injustices destroy any hope of you being fruitful now.

* Choose to free those who have injured you. When you forgive you free them------- UNLOCK THE HANDCUFFS

* Remember that in the injustice, God is present. When God permits evil, He always uses it for some higher end. God never leaves you when you are wronged and hurt.

* Choose to bless those who have wronged you. When you bless someone who has wronged you that blessing has the power to set your free. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

* Choose not to retaliate. Vengeance is God’s not yours. Trust God to right all wrongs.

Seems impossible does it not? I imagine that Mary did not realize how abundantly Jesus would provide the need of the wedding wine – but He did and He did so abundantly. He can bring about any forgiveness that you need. His forgiveness is complete – never conditional --- never measured.

#1 People need forgiveness

2. People need security – without it they are consumed by fear. Perhaps this is why Mary came to Jesus and said, “They have no more wine.” She maybe was a family member who was responsible for providing for the guests and now what was she going to do? The wedding was not over and there was no more wine. Was the family going to loose face? Can you imagine her anxiety? Charles Stanley says that a believer is not truly free until they live without anxiety.

You could list an entire spectrum of feelings under the heading of fear – worry – insecurity – anxiety – terror. David Powlison writes, “If what you value most can be taken away from you or destroyed then you set your self up for anxiety.” When you are consumed by anxiety you need security. We fear the future. There is a fear of loosing ones health – our money – our job – our 401k – or a relationship. Story of loosing credit card on trip to AZ. People need security and only Jesus Christ can give that security. The bible describes insecurity – fear and anxiety.

Luke 12:25 – 26 “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life” If you then are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest.” Mary was anxious about the wine running out – so she came to Jesus. We do not know why Mary had this insecurity – but what we do know is that she came to Jesus and He met the need and took away the insecurity. Paul gives us a command in Philllippians.

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Jesus met the need Mary had. Can He met your need? Are you able to distinguish between what a need is and what a want is? For some people it is money to pay their cell phone bill – they think that is a need. For some of you it is a place to live. For some of you it is sufficient income to cover your housing – your food and utilities. For some of you your need is closer and more meaningful relationships with others. What have you been anxious about this past week?????? What is on your plate for this week???? Christ can provide all that you need and give you complete security. #2 People need security.

3. People need purpose. (vs.11) “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory…” Jesus manifested his glory. There is no greater purpose in life that a person could attain to than to bring glory to God. Serving yourself – getting ahead and obtaining all the possessions you think you need does not bring glory to God. Bringing glory to God is the highest fulfillment that a man or women could attain to. There is joy in giving. There is joy in serving. There is joy when God’s people follow the truth. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” God has a purpose for you – He has a purpose for me. You are a mother and a wife – you are a business person – you are a carpenter – it does not matter what you are – God has a purpose for you and that is to glorify Him in what you do and in all that you do.

Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.” David served God’s purpose for his life. Would you serve God’s purpose for your life? When your gravestone is set in place could you honestly say right now that you are serving God’s purpose for your life in your generation? That is a need in you that only Jesus Christ can fill. Let’s summarize this point by …..

Watch this 2 min video by Louie Giglio with me and then we will pray.

Let us pray

Suffering and Happiness

All around us, people are in pain. People have emotional pain, physical pain, relational and spiritual pain. Whatever the source of the pain is, it all feels the same. Even those who are genuine believers in Jesus Christ walk through pain, grief and suffering. Many people have been nursing their wounds for so long they cannot remember what it is like to be anything else but sad. David Biebel in his book
If God is so good, why do I hurt so bad? says that “pain is the place where we meet each other in humanity and even meet with God”.

When believers encounter suffering, grief and pain in their life, they end up having to face the fact that sometimes life is agony and our loving God is still in control. Sometimes He does not feel loving to us in the midst of grief and we come and face the words of Job “How then can I dispute with him? How can I argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him? I could only plead with my judge for mercy. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.” The Christian knows that God loves them but why does it seems that when grief and suffering come upon us, that fact is sometimes questioned?

C.S. Lewis put it this way in A Grief Observed, “Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?’ “When grief, suffering and pain comes upon the believer there is not so much a danger in ceasing to believe God but the danger comes to the believer who might say such dreadful things about Him.” My wife and I are journeying through our second season of grief in one year – we can identify somewhat with C.S. Lewis. I wonder how many out there in Carson City are walking through suffering, grief and pain? The music group Casting Crowns wrote a great song that might communicate to some in pain – one line touches me “And every tear I’ve cried. You hold in Your hand. You never left my side. And though my heart is torn, I will praise you in the storm.” I remember the day I brought my grandson home from the funeral home and handed him to my son and daughter in law and they walked up the steps to his nursery and placed his urn in the crib. I remember the day when my son reached down and placed his son in the grave. And though my heart is torn, I will praise you in the storm.”

How is it possible to praise God in a storm in your life that seems so unfair? How is possible to praise God in storm after storm? When you know the creator of the storm, when you know the silence behind the storm you can come through the storm. Isaiah 40:31 “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Do you place your faith in having no storms in life or is your faith in the creator of the storms?

When you walk through life without real faith, then you are only left with fate. When the storm comes, you might rage, protest and do everything in your power to protest your complaint, but the time will come when you have to stop beating your head against a brick wall. Get on with life and accept it.

If you have a faith relationship with God, then your journey ought to be different. Faith makes the journey of grief and suffering personal. As I write this, my family is the midst of a second journey of pain. We hear of many around us suffering. We hear of many grieving. Many say, “what can I say”. There is really nothing to say. Just your presence says you care. So if you are walking through grief and suffering, let others in. Let others know. They will say, “how are you feeling and how are you doing?” You can tell them you are ok. They just want fix it and do something. But you know it cannot be fixed. There is a Russian proverb that says, “A sense that in life grief flows continuously in and out of happiness, and happiness in and out of grief.”