A Jewish businessman in Chicago sent his son to Israel for a year to absorb the culture. When the son returned, he said, "Papa, I had a great time in Israel. By the way, I converted to Christianity."
"Oy vey," said the father. "What have I done?"
He took his problem to his best friend. "Ike," he said, "I sent my son to Israel, and he came home a Christian. What can I do?"
Funny you should ask," said Ike. "I too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the rabbi."
So they did, and they explained their problem to the rabbi. "Funny you should ask," said the rabbi. "I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. What is happening to our young people?"
And so they all prayed, telling the Lord about their sons. As they finished their prayer, a voice came from the heavens:
"Funny you should ask," said the voice. "I, too, sent my son to Israel..."
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
March 10, 2011
March 4, 2011
The Importance of Bearing Fruit (Part 3)
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here.
Abiding in Christ
Introduction
Fruit is the part of a plant that produces food and seed.
1. Food symbolizing the sweet flavor of a changed personality, conformed into Christ’s image. (Galatians 5:22,23)
2. Seed symbolizing an effort to share God’s message and life to a lost and hopeless world. (Matthew 13:1-23)
Food
Galatians 5:22,23
The Fruits of the Spirit, which show a changed personality are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These fruits, when being expressed in the life of a believer, give us what we need to be able to scatter seed. It also makes us resemble Christ’s character and is good for us and others.
Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The success of the sower in this parable is based completely on the condition of the hearer’s heart.
Path – Lack Understanding
Rocky Soil – People receive the Word with joy but when testing comes they fall away.
Thorns – Worries and anxieties of life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the Word
Good Soil – This person hears and understands producing a crop 30 60 or 100 x’s what was sown.
Here success is attributed to the wise
Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified)
The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity].
Outline
I. Fruit production is very important to God
II. Fruit production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
III. Abiding in Christ is a key to fruit production
III. Abiding in Christ is a Key to Fruit Production
John 15:1-8
A. There are false vines, Jesus is the True Vine.
B. God the Father is the Gardener
C. We are to stay in Jesus just like he stays in us.
D. In the same way a branch cannot bear fruit by itself we can’t bear fruit unless we remain in the vine (Jesus)
E. Abiding in Christ is a key to seeing our prayers answered.
F. Being fruitful is one way we show ourselves to be his disciples.
G. Our fruit is to last and we are to love each other.
A. There are false vines, Jesus is the true vine.
People have a decision to make where they are going to receive a flow of life.
B. God the Father is the Gardener
He cuts off the fruitless
He prunes / cleans the fruitful so they are even more fruitful.
The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans. Jesus declared the disciples clean because of the word he had spoken to them. v. 3
The Word of God has a component to it that cleans hearts.
Psalm 119:11
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
C. We are to stay in Jesus just like he stays in us
Our commitment to Jesus should be like his commitment to us.
Our love for Jesus should be like his love for us.
It’s pictured by a marriage. Not breakable until death. Jesus would never divorce you therefore you shouldn’t divorce him.
D. In the same way a branch cannot bear fruit by itself we can’t bear fruit unless we remain in the vine.
1. This illustrates how we must abide and remain in Christ.
E. Abiding in Christ is a key to seeing our prayers answered.
F. Being fruitful is one way we show ourselves to be his disciples.
A disciple is a student who follows. If Jesus was fruitful and raised up disciples his disciples should be like him and do the same thing.
Loving is another way we show ourselves to be his disciples.
John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Being fruitful is a way to show love. Sacrificing our identity and life for another is a very high kind of sacrificial love. (The first time I was “Nate’s Dad”)
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
G. Our fruit is to last and we are to love one another.
The way fruit lasts is that it also bears fruit. Your spiritual offspring raising up spiritual offspring. Having spiritual sons and daughters is great but what about spiritual grand children?
What makes this happen is dying to ourselves and loving someone else, sharing with them, equipping them, serving them until they are prepared to do the same.
It all starts with someone making a decision to follow Jesus.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here.
Abiding in ChristIntroduction
Fruit is the part of a plant that produces food and seed.
1. Food symbolizing the sweet flavor of a changed personality, conformed into Christ’s image. (Galatians 5:22,23)
2. Seed symbolizing an effort to share God’s message and life to a lost and hopeless world. (Matthew 13:1-23)
Food
Galatians 5:22,23
The Fruits of the Spirit, which show a changed personality are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These fruits, when being expressed in the life of a believer, give us what we need to be able to scatter seed. It also makes us resemble Christ’s character and is good for us and others.
Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The success of the sower in this parable is based completely on the condition of the hearer’s heart.
Path – Lack Understanding
Rocky Soil – People receive the Word with joy but when testing comes they fall away.
Thorns – Worries and anxieties of life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the Word
Good Soil – This person hears and understands producing a crop 30 60 or 100 x’s what was sown.
Here success is attributed to the wise
Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified)
The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity].
Outline
I. Fruit production is very important to God
II. Fruit production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
III. Abiding in Christ is a key to fruit production
III. Abiding in Christ is a Key to Fruit Production
John 15:1-8
A. There are false vines, Jesus is the True Vine.
B. God the Father is the Gardener
C. We are to stay in Jesus just like he stays in us.
D. In the same way a branch cannot bear fruit by itself we can’t bear fruit unless we remain in the vine (Jesus)
E. Abiding in Christ is a key to seeing our prayers answered.
F. Being fruitful is one way we show ourselves to be his disciples.
G. Our fruit is to last and we are to love each other.
A. There are false vines, Jesus is the true vine.
People have a decision to make where they are going to receive a flow of life.
- Worldly possessions
- False Prophets
- Affirmation of people
- Various accomplishments
- The Lord Himself
B. God the Father is the Gardener
He cuts off the fruitless
He prunes / cleans the fruitful so they are even more fruitful.
The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans. Jesus declared the disciples clean because of the word he had spoken to them. v. 3
The Word of God has a component to it that cleans hearts.
Psalm 119:11
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
C. We are to stay in Jesus just like he stays in us
Our commitment to Jesus should be like his commitment to us.
Our love for Jesus should be like his love for us.
It’s pictured by a marriage. Not breakable until death. Jesus would never divorce you therefore you shouldn’t divorce him.
D. In the same way a branch cannot bear fruit by itself we can’t bear fruit unless we remain in the vine.
1. This illustrates how we must abide and remain in Christ.
E. Abiding in Christ is a key to seeing our prayers answered.
- When we abide in Him we’ll pray his will.
- 1 John 5:14,15 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
- This truth should be a faith builder, giving the person of prayer tremendous confidence and persistence.
- James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
- Persistence – The Parable of the Persistent widow. Luke 18:1-8
F. Being fruitful is one way we show ourselves to be his disciples.
A disciple is a student who follows. If Jesus was fruitful and raised up disciples his disciples should be like him and do the same thing.
Loving is another way we show ourselves to be his disciples.
John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Being fruitful is a way to show love. Sacrificing our identity and life for another is a very high kind of sacrificial love. (The first time I was “Nate’s Dad”)
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
G. Our fruit is to last and we are to love one another.
The way fruit lasts is that it also bears fruit. Your spiritual offspring raising up spiritual offspring. Having spiritual sons and daughters is great but what about spiritual grand children?
What makes this happen is dying to ourselves and loving someone else, sharing with them, equipping them, serving them until they are prepared to do the same.
It all starts with someone making a decision to follow Jesus.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
February 18, 2011
The Importance of Bearing Fruit (Part 2)
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here. To watch the video, click here.
Introduction
Fruit is the part of a plant that produces food and seed.
1. Food symbolizing the sweet flavor of a changed personality, conformed into Christ’s image. (Galatians 5:22,23)
2. Seed symbolizing an effort to share God’s message and life to a lost and hopeless world. (Matthew 13:1-23)
Food
The Fruits of the Spirit, which show a changed personality are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These fruits, when being expressed in the life of a believer, give us what we need to be able to scatter seed. It also makes us resemble Christ’s character and is good for us and others.
Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The success of the sower in this parable is based completely on the condition of the hearer’s heart.
Path – Lack Understanding
Rocky Soil – People receive the Word with joy but when testing comes they fall away.
Thorns – Worries and anxieties of life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the Word
Good Soil – This person hears and understands producing a crop 30 60 or 100 x’s what was sown.
Here success is attributed to the wise
Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified)
The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity].
Outline
I. Fruit production is very important to God
II. Fruit production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
III. Abiding in Christ is a key to fruit production
IV. Two ways you’ll know you are fruitful
II. Fruit Production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
A. What is holiness?
B. Holiness, the fruit of the faith walk
C. Self righteousness = No grace
D. Grace is for the humble
E. Repentance is the foundation for the Kingdom to be fruitful.
1. Godly Sorrow
F. Instruments for special purposes
G. Walk in the Spirit
A. What is Holiness?
Holiness- Being set apart from the World, The Enemy, and the Flesh and being set apart to the Lord.
So when we’re talking about holiness we’re talking about being set apart from something and then being set toward something else.
B. Holiness, the Fruit of the Faith Walk
I believe it’s impossible for a Christian person to be set apart from sin w/o being set in faith to the Lord.
The Lord has available for the believer the grace and power to overcome the sinful nature.
Discipline can’t do it alone, determination can’t do it alone, devotion can’t do it alone. (Colossians 2:23) It requires surrender (humility) to the Lord allowing his grace to flow.
C. Self righteousness = No Grace
Amazing as it may sound sometimes our effort to be holy can frustrate God’s grace.
Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (NIV)
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV)
Mercy forgives after the infraction and places the person back on track.
Grace empowers the believer to not sin in the first place keeping them on the right track.
Colossians 2:6
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
The same faith that saves you is the same faith that sanctifies you.
We get into trouble as Christians when we in our hearts tell God, “I’ll take it from here.” the clock starts ticking on a moral failure when we take over our own sanctification. The decision to do this is rooted in pride.
D. Grace is for the Humble
James 4:6b-7
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”(Pr. 3:34)7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Titus 2:11,12
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
E. Repentance is the foundation for the Kingdom to be fruitful.
Matthew 3:1-3
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
What prepares the way for the Lord is a repentant heart. A holy heart can receive the kingdom. This kingdom get’s established in the hearts of men. A heart filled with corruption will fight against the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
F. Instruments for special purposes.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
The large house symbolizes the size of the human soul. Large with many compartments and rooms. The soulish realm of a human consists of his/her
The articles in the house have two different purposes.
The passage says that if a man will cleanse himself of the latter. Meaning if a man will remove from his/her soulish realm the things that are common, earthly, and sinful, he’ll be ready for special purposes, special missions and special works.
This cleansing of the latter things, (wood and clay) will make a believer an instrument for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
You can’t read your Bible enough, pray enough or do enough good works to “stay holy”. These disciplines are great if there’s a flow of God in them. However if you are doing them under the law their will be little if any flow of God empowering you to live according to God's moral law.
G. Walk in the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-18
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
When we walk in the spirit, we’re walking in faith receiving a flow of power from heaven to think differently, have a heavenly attitude and behave differently. We must humbly receive God’s grace if we’re to walk in true holiness. Obeying God’s moral law but not coming under the yolk of trying to obey His law by the law. We obey by the spirit.
Conclusion:
Philippians 3:16
16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
Please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music. Jubilee Family Church's FM radio station.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here. To watch the video, click here.
Fruit is the part of a plant that produces food and seed.
1. Food symbolizing the sweet flavor of a changed personality, conformed into Christ’s image. (Galatians 5:22,23)
2. Seed symbolizing an effort to share God’s message and life to a lost and hopeless world. (Matthew 13:1-23)
Food
The Fruits of the Spirit, which show a changed personality are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These fruits, when being expressed in the life of a believer, give us what we need to be able to scatter seed. It also makes us resemble Christ’s character and is good for us and others.
Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The success of the sower in this parable is based completely on the condition of the hearer’s heart.
Path – Lack Understanding
Rocky Soil – People receive the Word with joy but when testing comes they fall away.
Thorns – Worries and anxieties of life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the Word
Good Soil – This person hears and understands producing a crop 30 60 or 100 x’s what was sown.
Here success is attributed to the wise
Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified)
Outline
I. Fruit production is very important to God
II. Fruit production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
III. Abiding in Christ is a key to fruit production
IV. Two ways you’ll know you are fruitful
II. Fruit Production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
A. What is holiness?
B. Holiness, the fruit of the faith walk
C. Self righteousness = No grace
D. Grace is for the humble
E. Repentance is the foundation for the Kingdom to be fruitful.
1. Godly Sorrow
F. Instruments for special purposes
G. Walk in the Spirit
A. What is Holiness?
Holiness- Being set apart from the World, The Enemy, and the Flesh and being set apart to the Lord.
So when we’re talking about holiness we’re talking about being set apart from something and then being set toward something else.
B. Holiness, the Fruit of the Faith Walk
I believe it’s impossible for a Christian person to be set apart from sin w/o being set in faith to the Lord.
The Lord has available for the believer the grace and power to overcome the sinful nature.
Discipline can’t do it alone, determination can’t do it alone, devotion can’t do it alone. (Colossians 2:23) It requires surrender (humility) to the Lord allowing his grace to flow.
C. Self righteousness = No Grace
Amazing as it may sound sometimes our effort to be holy can frustrate God’s grace.
Galatians 2:21
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (NIV)
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV)
Mercy forgives after the infraction and places the person back on track.
Grace empowers the believer to not sin in the first place keeping them on the right track.
Colossians 2:6
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
The same faith that saves you is the same faith that sanctifies you.
We get into trouble as Christians when we in our hearts tell God, “I’ll take it from here.” the clock starts ticking on a moral failure when we take over our own sanctification. The decision to do this is rooted in pride.
D. Grace is for the Humble
James 4:6b-7
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”(Pr. 3:34)7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Titus 2:11,12
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
E. Repentance is the foundation for the Kingdom to be fruitful.
Matthew 3:1-3
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
What prepares the way for the Lord is a repentant heart. A holy heart can receive the kingdom. This kingdom get’s established in the hearts of men. A heart filled with corruption will fight against the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
- 1. Godly Sorrow - The first step to receiving the kingdom of heaven is feeling sorry for sin. This Godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:10) leads to repentance which ultimately provides a fertile place for the seed of God’s word to grow and develop in the heart of a Christian.
F. Instruments for special purposes.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
The large house symbolizes the size of the human soul. Large with many compartments and rooms. The soulish realm of a human consists of his/her
- Mind
- Will
- Emotions
The articles in the house have two different purposes.
- Special Purposes
- Common Use
The passage says that if a man will cleanse himself of the latter. Meaning if a man will remove from his/her soulish realm the things that are common, earthly, and sinful, he’ll be ready for special purposes, special missions and special works.
This cleansing of the latter things, (wood and clay) will make a believer an instrument for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
You can’t read your Bible enough, pray enough or do enough good works to “stay holy”. These disciplines are great if there’s a flow of God in them. However if you are doing them under the law their will be little if any flow of God empowering you to live according to God's moral law.
G. Walk in the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-18
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
When we walk in the spirit, we’re walking in faith receiving a flow of power from heaven to think differently, have a heavenly attitude and behave differently. We must humbly receive God’s grace if we’re to walk in true holiness. Obeying God’s moral law but not coming under the yolk of trying to obey His law by the law. We obey by the spirit.
Conclusion:
Philippians 3:16
16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
Please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music. Jubilee Family Church's FM radio station.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
February 17, 2011
The Importance of Bearing Fruit
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here. To watch the video, click here.
Introduction
Fruit is the part of a plant that produces food and seed.
1. Food symbolizing the sweet flavor of a changed personality, conformed into Christ’s image. (Galatians 5:22,23)
2. Seed symbolizing an effort to share God’s message and life to a lost and hopeless world. (Matthew 13:1-23)
Food
The Fruits of the Spirit, which show a changed personality are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These fruits, when being expressed in the life of a believer, give us what we need to be able to scatter seed. It also makes us resemble Christ’s character and is good for us and others.
Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The success of the sower in this parable is based completely on the condition of the hearer’s heart.
Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified)
The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity].
Outline
I. Fruit production is very important to God
II. Fruit production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
III. Abiding in Christ is a key to fruit production
IV. Two ways you’ll know you are fruitful
I. Fruit Production is Very Important to God
A. Dominion Mandate (Genesis 1:28)
B. The Parable of the Fruitless Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46)
C. Gentiles grafted in (Romans 11:17-21)
D. A Fruitless Tree (Matthew 21:19)
E. There’s Urgency to Produce (Luke 13:6-9)
A. Dominion Mandate
We’ve been given a mandate from God to be fruitful and multiply
Matthew 21:33-46
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
1. God is the landowner who planted a “vineyard”. He rented it to men and expected them to work in his vineyard producing fruit. The story is silent as to whether or not the tenants did in fact do any farming. Come harvest time he sends his servants to collect his fruit. (v. 33-34)
2. However it’s very clear that when the owner sends “his servants” to get the fruit the tenants don’t cooperate.
a. tenants seize, beat, kill and stone them.
b. The tenants treat more servants who are sent the same way.
c. Last of all the owner sent his son saying, “They will Respect my Son.” (v. 35-37)
3. The tenants reason in their minds that the son is the heir so if they kill him they will steal his inheritance. So they kill him. (v. 38-39)
4. Jesus gets the very perpetrators of the crime to pronounce their own judgment.
a. The tenants lives will be ended.
b. The vineyard will then be rented to other tenants who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time. (v. 40-41)
5. Jesus then refers the Chief priests and the elders of the people to reflect on (Psalm 118:22,23)
The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Jesus is the stone that was rejected by the builders.
6. Because of the inability of the chief priests Pharisees and elders of the people (v. 23,45) to produce fruit, the kingdom of God is taken away from them and given to people who can produce fruit. (v. 43)
7. If we fall on this stone (in faith and humility) we will be broken to pieces, but if the stone falls on us (in judgment) we will be crushed. (v. 44)
Bow now or bow later
Philippians 2:9-11
8. The parables (The Parable of the Two Sons and The Parable of the Tenants) are directed to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They knew the parables were referring to them. Their anger led them to want to arrest Jesus but they didn’t because the people held that he was a prophet. They loved the praise of men.
C. Gentiles Grafted In
Romans 11:17-21
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
1. Unbelieving Jews are broken off from God.
2. Because of the Jews unbelief the way has opened up for the gentiles to be grafted into the life flow of God through faith.
3. Gentiles are to have a humble view of themselves realizing that if God broke of the natural branches he can also break them off. (v. 21)
D. A Fruitless Tree
Matthew 21:19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
John 15:6
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
E. There’s Urgency to Produce
Luke 13:6-9
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here. To watch the video, click here.
IntroductionFruit is the part of a plant that produces food and seed.
1. Food symbolizing the sweet flavor of a changed personality, conformed into Christ’s image. (Galatians 5:22,23)
2. Seed symbolizing an effort to share God’s message and life to a lost and hopeless world. (Matthew 13:1-23)
Food
The Fruits of the Spirit, which show a changed personality are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
These fruits, when being expressed in the life of a believer, give us what we need to be able to scatter seed. It also makes us resemble Christ’s character and is good for us and others.
Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The success of the sower in this parable is based completely on the condition of the hearer’s heart.
- Path – Lack Understanding
- Rocky Soil – People receive the Word with joy but when testing comes they fall away.
- Thorns – Worries and anxieties of life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the Word
- Good Soil – This person hears and understands producing a crop 30 60 or 100 x’s what was sown.
Proverbs 11:30 (Amplified)
The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity].
Outline
I. Fruit production is very important to God
II. Fruit production for the believer begins with personal holiness.
III. Abiding in Christ is a key to fruit production
IV. Two ways you’ll know you are fruitful
I. Fruit Production is Very Important to God
A. Dominion Mandate (Genesis 1:28)
B. The Parable of the Fruitless Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46)
C. Gentiles grafted in (Romans 11:17-21)
D. A Fruitless Tree (Matthew 21:19)
E. There’s Urgency to Produce (Luke 13:6-9)
A. Dominion Mandate
We’ve been given a mandate from God to be fruitful and multiply
- Genesis 1:28
- Genesis 9:1
- Isaiah 54:1-3
- Mathew 28:19
Matthew 21:33-46
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
1. God is the landowner who planted a “vineyard”. He rented it to men and expected them to work in his vineyard producing fruit. The story is silent as to whether or not the tenants did in fact do any farming. Come harvest time he sends his servants to collect his fruit. (v. 33-34)
2. However it’s very clear that when the owner sends “his servants” to get the fruit the tenants don’t cooperate.
a. tenants seize, beat, kill and stone them.
b. The tenants treat more servants who are sent the same way.
c. Last of all the owner sent his son saying, “They will Respect my Son.” (v. 35-37)
3. The tenants reason in their minds that the son is the heir so if they kill him they will steal his inheritance. So they kill him. (v. 38-39)
4. Jesus gets the very perpetrators of the crime to pronounce their own judgment.
a. The tenants lives will be ended.
b. The vineyard will then be rented to other tenants who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time. (v. 40-41)
5. Jesus then refers the Chief priests and the elders of the people to reflect on (Psalm 118:22,23)
The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Jesus is the stone that was rejected by the builders.
6. Because of the inability of the chief priests Pharisees and elders of the people (v. 23,45) to produce fruit, the kingdom of God is taken away from them and given to people who can produce fruit. (v. 43)
7. If we fall on this stone (in faith and humility) we will be broken to pieces, but if the stone falls on us (in judgment) we will be crushed. (v. 44)
Bow now or bow later
Philippians 2:9-11
- 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
8. The parables (The Parable of the Two Sons and The Parable of the Tenants) are directed to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They knew the parables were referring to them. Their anger led them to want to arrest Jesus but they didn’t because the people held that he was a prophet. They loved the praise of men.
C. Gentiles Grafted In
Romans 11:17-21
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
1. Unbelieving Jews are broken off from God.
2. Because of the Jews unbelief the way has opened up for the gentiles to be grafted into the life flow of God through faith.
3. Gentiles are to have a humble view of themselves realizing that if God broke of the natural branches he can also break them off. (v. 21)
D. A Fruitless Tree
Matthew 21:19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
John 15:6
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
E. There’s Urgency to Produce
Luke 13:6-9
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
February 8, 2011
Cruizin' with Pastor Tony (Feb. 8th 2011)
Click Here to watch me talk about discipleship and the fullness of Christ
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
February 6, 2011
Cruizin' with Pastor Tony - Forgiveness
Enjoy this weeks "Cruizin' with PT" as I discuss the new world wide internet radio station www.kccjfm.org 106.9 LPFM as well as discussing the subject of forgiveness and bitterness.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
February 2, 2011
Ashamed of Jesus and His Words?
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.
Our Key Scripture
Mark 8:31-38
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Expository Introduction
I. The Suffering Messiah
v. 31,32 Jesus speaks plainly about the suffering and rejection he was to endure including death and his resurrection after 3 days. Peter decides he’s going to rebuke Jesus about this. The following scriptures have to do, I believe, with Jesus correcting what he sees in Peter's heart.
II. Peter’s Biggest Problem
v. 33 He has a Satanic agenda for Jesus’ life in his heart and declares it out of his mouth. This Satanic agenda is compared to the things of men.
III. Peter has Misdirected Ambition
v. 34 Peter is being challenged here for not denying himself. It’s relatively easy to see that Peter is seeing himself as Jesus’ right hand man. A suffering and dead messiah didn’t fit with his personal ambition to rule over the Roman empire with Jesus. Peter sees the messiah as fulfilling his complete mandate in Jesus. However we know that Jesus came as the Lamb of God, he will return as the conquering King at his second advent.
IV. The Paradox of Death to Self
v. 35 You save your (spiritual or eternal) life by losing your (natural) life. Submitting your human will to the will of God. Jesus then states the same thing using the opposite wording. Whoever loses his (natural) life for me and the gospel will save (his spiritual or eternal life) it.
V. Jesus Reasons with his Hearers
v. 36,37 Jesus now begins to reason with his audience. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his Soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Again, he’s most likely talking about Peter here. Peter, trying to “gain the world” was going about it in his own way. If we are to gain the world we must seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, his way.
VI. Shame of Jesus Identifies us with Adultery and Sin
v. 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Peter was ashamed to identify himself with a suffering Messiah. He much rather wanted to identify himself with a “winner”.
Application
I. Sometimes God’s ways and Man’s ways are in direct opposition. Even when in the mind of man it convincingly seems good and right.
II. Sometimes this human agenda rooted in selfishness, logic and personal promotion is completely in line with the plans and agenda of Satan himself.
III. The Christian life is a life of self denial. When the Lord tells us to “take up our cross” he’s creating an image of a man, already condemned, required to carry the cross beam of his own cross to the place of execution. Cross-bearing is a willingness to suffer and die for the Lord’s sake.
IV. By dying to ourselves we get to take on the life of God that is truly life. With this dying comes eternal life and God’s purposes being expressed through our lives on the Earth. If we live unto ourselves we will show that we’re not kingdom people and our eternal destiny comes into question.
V. The highest priority in your life should be your soul. What is worth losing your soul over?
VI. We must not allow our own plans and agendas based on human wisdom to cause us to be ashamed of Jesus and his words.
Conclusion
Now because I’m a Trinitarian I believe that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one. So when Jesus says, “ashamed of me and my words” (Mark 8:38), I believe he’s not just talking about the red type in the Bible but he’s speaking about the entire counsel of God’s word as well as the Godhead. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A. How could a person be ashamed of Jesus?
B. How could a person be ashamed of the Holy Spirit?
A. Ashamed of Jesus
Our shame of Jesus today would be very similar to the feelings that Peter had. Which one of us wants to suffer and die? It’s not an easy pill to swallow.
So we may gravitate toward teaching that focuses more on (from a human perspective) good things. Subjects like
When Jesus comes back I don’t want him to be ashamed of me. I want him to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” “You have been faithful with a few things, now become master over much.” “Come into my rest.”
However according to the Lord’s own words in Mark 8:34 there is no such thing as cross-less Christianity. Cross-less Christianity is a Satanic philosophy that will lead many astray. (2 Tim 4:3)
B. Ashamed of the Holy Spirit
Many churches today prefer to control what happens in services. They will use scriptures like
1 Cor. 14:40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
To say everything should be controlled.
In using that scripture they tend to forget the entire chapter proceeding it. Even the verse before it, v. 39 says, “39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”
Have you ever been in a meeting where you hoped no one gave a message in tongues and an interpretation or a prophetic utterance because someone might be there who would think this was weird and potentially be offended?
If you have then you were ashamed of the Holy Spirit.
God’s plan is to use these gifts to manifest himself. When we squelch these gifts we are saying, “Yes God I know you have a plan but I think I’m a little smarter than you. We’re going to do it my way.”
God help any ministry that doesn’t encourage the manifestations of Holy Spirit when the body of Christ is gathered together in his name. The Holy Spirit is God.
Tongues need to be interpreted. If you are going to pray out loud in a meeting in tongues where unbelievers are present you have a responsibility to interpret what you say. If you don’t have an interpretation pray in tongues in your mind or so quietly no one can hear you.
1 Corinthians 14:23,28 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
2 Timothy 1:8
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
Revelation 19:10b
For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
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Mark 8:31-38
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Expository Introduction
I. The Suffering Messiah
v. 31,32 Jesus speaks plainly about the suffering and rejection he was to endure including death and his resurrection after 3 days. Peter decides he’s going to rebuke Jesus about this. The following scriptures have to do, I believe, with Jesus correcting what he sees in Peter's heart.
II. Peter’s Biggest Problem
v. 33 He has a Satanic agenda for Jesus’ life in his heart and declares it out of his mouth. This Satanic agenda is compared to the things of men.
III. Peter has Misdirected Ambition
v. 34 Peter is being challenged here for not denying himself. It’s relatively easy to see that Peter is seeing himself as Jesus’ right hand man. A suffering and dead messiah didn’t fit with his personal ambition to rule over the Roman empire with Jesus. Peter sees the messiah as fulfilling his complete mandate in Jesus. However we know that Jesus came as the Lamb of God, he will return as the conquering King at his second advent.
IV. The Paradox of Death to Self
v. 35 You save your (spiritual or eternal) life by losing your (natural) life. Submitting your human will to the will of God. Jesus then states the same thing using the opposite wording. Whoever loses his (natural) life for me and the gospel will save (his spiritual or eternal life) it.
V. Jesus Reasons with his Hearers
v. 36,37 Jesus now begins to reason with his audience. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his Soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Again, he’s most likely talking about Peter here. Peter, trying to “gain the world” was going about it in his own way. If we are to gain the world we must seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, his way.
VI. Shame of Jesus Identifies us with Adultery and Sin
v. 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Peter was ashamed to identify himself with a suffering Messiah. He much rather wanted to identify himself with a “winner”.
Application
I. Sometimes God’s ways and Man’s ways are in direct opposition. Even when in the mind of man it convincingly seems good and right.
II. Sometimes this human agenda rooted in selfishness, logic and personal promotion is completely in line with the plans and agenda of Satan himself.
III. The Christian life is a life of self denial. When the Lord tells us to “take up our cross” he’s creating an image of a man, already condemned, required to carry the cross beam of his own cross to the place of execution. Cross-bearing is a willingness to suffer and die for the Lord’s sake.
IV. By dying to ourselves we get to take on the life of God that is truly life. With this dying comes eternal life and God’s purposes being expressed through our lives on the Earth. If we live unto ourselves we will show that we’re not kingdom people and our eternal destiny comes into question.
V. The highest priority in your life should be your soul. What is worth losing your soul over?
VI. We must not allow our own plans and agendas based on human wisdom to cause us to be ashamed of Jesus and his words.
Conclusion
Now because I’m a Trinitarian I believe that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one. So when Jesus says, “ashamed of me and my words” (Mark 8:38), I believe he’s not just talking about the red type in the Bible but he’s speaking about the entire counsel of God’s word as well as the Godhead. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A. How could a person be ashamed of Jesus?
B. How could a person be ashamed of the Holy Spirit?
A. Ashamed of Jesus
Our shame of Jesus today would be very similar to the feelings that Peter had. Which one of us wants to suffer and die? It’s not an easy pill to swallow.
So we may gravitate toward teaching that focuses more on (from a human perspective) good things. Subjects like
- Positive thinking for blessings
- Becoming the best you
- Achieving your Dreams
- How to Increase God’s Favor in your life to get what you want
When Jesus comes back I don’t want him to be ashamed of me. I want him to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” “You have been faithful with a few things, now become master over much.” “Come into my rest.”
However according to the Lord’s own words in Mark 8:34 there is no such thing as cross-less Christianity. Cross-less Christianity is a Satanic philosophy that will lead many astray. (2 Tim 4:3)
B. Ashamed of the Holy Spirit
Many churches today prefer to control what happens in services. They will use scriptures like
1 Cor. 14:40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
To say everything should be controlled.
In using that scripture they tend to forget the entire chapter proceeding it. Even the verse before it, v. 39 says, “39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.”
Have you ever been in a meeting where you hoped no one gave a message in tongues and an interpretation or a prophetic utterance because someone might be there who would think this was weird and potentially be offended?
If you have then you were ashamed of the Holy Spirit.
God’s plan is to use these gifts to manifest himself. When we squelch these gifts we are saying, “Yes God I know you have a plan but I think I’m a little smarter than you. We’re going to do it my way.”
God help any ministry that doesn’t encourage the manifestations of Holy Spirit when the body of Christ is gathered together in his name. The Holy Spirit is God.
Tongues need to be interpreted. If you are going to pray out loud in a meeting in tongues where unbelievers are present you have a responsibility to interpret what you say. If you don’t have an interpretation pray in tongues in your mind or so quietly no one can hear you.
1 Corinthians 14:23,28 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
2 Timothy 1:8
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
Revelation 19:10b
For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
January 28, 2011
Cruizin' with Pastor Tony (January 27th, 2011) - Can a Christian have a Demon?
By Tony V. Hammack
To watch this short video please click here.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
To watch this short video please click here.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
January 26, 2011
The Church will Rise
The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio message "The Church will Rise" (podcast), Click Here. To visit the Abundant Life Today You Tube Chanel Click Here.
Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
Introduction
Ezekiel lived during a time of international upheaval. The Assyrian empire began to crumble under a resurgent Babylon. In 612 B.C. the great Assyrian city of Ninevah fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes. Ezekiel was among the Jews exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. Ezekiel was of a priestly family. More than any other prophet he was directed to involve himself personally in the prophetic utterances.
For the first 7 years of his ministry 593 – 586 B.C. Ezekiel faithfully relayed to his fellow Jews the harsh, heart-rending, hope-crushing word of divine judgment: Jerusalem would fall (Chapters 1-24) Once news was received that Jerusalem had fallen, Ezekiel’s message turned to the Lord’s consoling word of hope for his people – they would experience revival, restoration and a glorious future as the redeemed and perfected kingdom of God in the world. (Chapters 33-48)
The Book of Ezekiel centers around the unfolding of God’s saving purposes in the history of the world –from the time in which he must withdraw from the defilement of his covenant people to the culmination of God’s grand design of redemption.
What did Ezekiel 37 mean to the original listeners?
I. v. 1 The Hand of the Lord. This phrase is repeated six times in the book of Ezekiel and indicates an overpowering experience of divine revelation. It’s probable that this is a vision the Lord is showing Ezekiel “by the Spirit of the Lord”.
A. Ezekiel has turned a corner in his ministry and has begun to deliver a message of hope, where he had previously heard God’s word of punitive judgment. The Dry Bones symbolizes Israel’s feeling of hopelessness and ultimately lifelessness due to them being in exile in Babylon.
II. v. 2 “A great many bones” would symbolize the whole community that was in exile. Ezekiel describes them as “very dry”. The drier the deader.
III. v. 3 The question from the Lord “can these bones live again?” and Ezekiel’s answer. “O sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Good answer!
IV. v. 4-6 Ezekiel had a history of prophesying to inanimate objects. (Mountains in 6:2; 36:1 forests, 20:47) Now he’s instructed to prophecy to the dry bones and he does by saying “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” The conclusion the bones will draw after the life comes into them is, “you will know that I am the Lord.”
V. v. 7,8 Ezekiel is obedient to prophecy to the dry bones and in response God causes a rattling sound as the bones came together, bone to bone. This is followed up by tendons and flesh appearing on them and skin covering them, however there was no breath in them. This vision of God re-creating God’s people recalls the two-step creation of man in Genesis 2:7.
Formed from dust then the
breath of life.
VI. v. 9,10 Ezekiel is now instructed to prophesy to the breath. The Hebrew word interpreted breath can also be interpreted wind or spirit. Ezekiel calls the four winds to bring the spirit. The number four stands for completeness and is used over 40 times in the book of Ezekiel. This prophetic act is to make the once dry bones live. The bones are now alive and considered “a vast army.”
VII. v. 11 The bones are the whole house of Israel. The house of Israel has been saying something about itself.
What Ezekiel 37 Means to us Today
I. When the hand of the Lord comes upon us we see reality the way God sees it, not merely based on circumstances.
A. There are generally two responses to life’s circumstances. We can amplify what we see with the words of our mouth or we can declare the Word of the Lord. How we respond determines the outcome.
C. This knowing is further explained as a way to “build up the church” in 1 Corinthians 14:12. Prophecy as well as tongues with interpretation are listed as gifts that build up the church.
According to recent surveys1, 83 percent of Americans claim to belong to a religious denomination, 40 percent claim to attend services nearly every week or more, and 59 percent claim to pray at least weekly.
1Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell; American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. (2010) Ch. 1 at note 5
However…
When asked 9 questions
Generation X (Born 1965-1984) 16 % Evangelical
Generation Y (Born 1985 to 2005) 8 % Evangelical
The Next Generation (Born 2006 – 2025) ? % Evangelical
III. There is something powerful about prophesying Godly things. However it’s best to prophecy the spoken, specific word of the Lord. Ezekiel could’ve wanted the bones to live and thus began to speak to them. However when asked, “will the bones live?” Ezekiel responds with “you alone know the answer”.
Good can be the enemy of God. A religiously minded person will have a hard time with that statement.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
1 John 5:14,15
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
James 4:3
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
IV. The Lord will have us declare prophetically and He will move accordingly so people will draw a conclusion about Him; That he is the Lord.
A. Timothy 2:3b,4 God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
B. 1 Corinthians 14:24,25 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
V. When we declare the word of the Lord, God will keep his word and do what he said he’d do. We are responsible to declare the Word, but God does the supernatural work. Sometimes it may happen in stages.
A. Mark 8:22-25
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
When Oral Roberts is used of God to heal this boy with Polio notice the healing is progressive. It takes a little time
VI. Our obedience to prophetically and with persistence declare the Word of God about situations has the potential through God’s power to turn the worst of random death like situations around to life and organized purpose.
A. The foolishly reinforced meditation of peoples circumstances can be completely undone by a prophetic word declared under the unction of the Holy Spirit. The people were saying…
VIII. The Lord will bring the people back to the promised land, God will again reform the Church and make her the glory of the Earth, the expression of his presence,(Acts 2:3) a place that people fear (Acts 5:11-13)and love again. This work of God will cause people to again know that “I am the Lord” because he’s opened up their grave like situation and given them their purpose and thus their destiny back.
The Lord wants to shift the Church in America from being people centered and visitor friendly to being Christ centered and Holy Spirit friendly.
When this happens the Church will stop being a club designed to attract people and start being a force for change in the country that will literally renovate every component of society.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio message "The Church will Rise" (podcast), Click Here. To visit the Abundant Life Today You Tube Chanel Click Here.
1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
Introduction
Ezekiel lived during a time of international upheaval. The Assyrian empire began to crumble under a resurgent Babylon. In 612 B.C. the great Assyrian city of Ninevah fell to a combined force of Babylonians and Medes. Ezekiel was among the Jews exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. Ezekiel was of a priestly family. More than any other prophet he was directed to involve himself personally in the prophetic utterances.
For the first 7 years of his ministry 593 – 586 B.C. Ezekiel faithfully relayed to his fellow Jews the harsh, heart-rending, hope-crushing word of divine judgment: Jerusalem would fall (Chapters 1-24) Once news was received that Jerusalem had fallen, Ezekiel’s message turned to the Lord’s consoling word of hope for his people – they would experience revival, restoration and a glorious future as the redeemed and perfected kingdom of God in the world. (Chapters 33-48)
The Book of Ezekiel centers around the unfolding of God’s saving purposes in the history of the world –from the time in which he must withdraw from the defilement of his covenant people to the culmination of God’s grand design of redemption.
I. v. 1 The Hand of the Lord. This phrase is repeated six times in the book of Ezekiel and indicates an overpowering experience of divine revelation. It’s probable that this is a vision the Lord is showing Ezekiel “by the Spirit of the Lord”.
A. Ezekiel has turned a corner in his ministry and has begun to deliver a message of hope, where he had previously heard God’s word of punitive judgment. The Dry Bones symbolizes Israel’s feeling of hopelessness and ultimately lifelessness due to them being in exile in Babylon.
II. v. 2 “A great many bones” would symbolize the whole community that was in exile. Ezekiel describes them as “very dry”. The drier the deader.
III. v. 3 The question from the Lord “can these bones live again?” and Ezekiel’s answer. “O sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Good answer!
IV. v. 4-6 Ezekiel had a history of prophesying to inanimate objects. (Mountains in 6:2; 36:1 forests, 20:47) Now he’s instructed to prophecy to the dry bones and he does by saying “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” The conclusion the bones will draw after the life comes into them is, “you will know that I am the Lord.”
Formed from dust then the
breath of life.
VI. v. 9,10 Ezekiel is now instructed to prophesy to the breath. The Hebrew word interpreted breath can also be interpreted wind or spirit. Ezekiel calls the four winds to bring the spirit. The number four stands for completeness and is used over 40 times in the book of Ezekiel. This prophetic act is to make the once dry bones live. The bones are now alive and considered “a vast army.”
VII. v. 11 The bones are the whole house of Israel. The house of Israel has been saying something about itself.
- Our bones are dried up
- Our hope is gone
- We are cut off
What Ezekiel 37 Means to us Today
I. When the hand of the Lord comes upon us we see reality the way God sees it, not merely based on circumstances.
A. There are generally two responses to life’s circumstances. We can amplify what we see with the words of our mouth or we can declare the Word of the Lord. How we respond determines the outcome.
- Mark 11:23 - “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
C. This knowing is further explained as a way to “build up the church” in 1 Corinthians 14:12. Prophecy as well as tongues with interpretation are listed as gifts that build up the church.
- Prophecy is forth telling and foretelling the will of God. Speaking the plans and purposes of God.
- The Word of the Lord has the power to create life and hope in a place of death and hopelessness.
According to recent surveys1, 83 percent of Americans claim to belong to a religious denomination, 40 percent claim to attend services nearly every week or more, and 59 percent claim to pray at least weekly.
1Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell; American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. (2010) Ch. 1 at note 5
However…
- Is your faith very important to you today?
- Is there a literal devil?
- Is Salvation based on grace not works?
- Do you have a personal responsibility to share your religious beliefs?
- Is God the top priority of your life?
- Do you believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth?
- Do you believe the Bible is totally accurate in all of it’s teachings?
- Has your life been greatly transformed by your faith?
- Is God the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today?
Generation X (Born 1965-1984) 16 % Evangelical
Generation Y (Born 1985 to 2005) 8 % Evangelical
The Next Generation (Born 2006 – 2025) ? % Evangelical
III. There is something powerful about prophesying Godly things. However it’s best to prophecy the spoken, specific word of the Lord. Ezekiel could’ve wanted the bones to live and thus began to speak to them. However when asked, “will the bones live?” Ezekiel responds with “you alone know the answer”.
- Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin once said, "Faith begins where the will of God is known.“ In essence Ezekiel is saying, “tell me your will regarding these bones”.
Good can be the enemy of God. A religiously minded person will have a hard time with that statement.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
1 John 5:14,15
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
James 4:3
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
IV. The Lord will have us declare prophetically and He will move accordingly so people will draw a conclusion about Him; That he is the Lord.
A. Timothy 2:3b,4 God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
B. 1 Corinthians 14:24,25 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
V. When we declare the word of the Lord, God will keep his word and do what he said he’d do. We are responsible to declare the Word, but God does the supernatural work. Sometimes it may happen in stages.
A. Mark 8:22-25
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
When Oral Roberts is used of God to heal this boy with Polio notice the healing is progressive. It takes a little time
VI. Our obedience to prophetically and with persistence declare the Word of God about situations has the potential through God’s power to turn the worst of random death like situations around to life and organized purpose.
A. The foolishly reinforced meditation of peoples circumstances can be completely undone by a prophetic word declared under the unction of the Holy Spirit. The people were saying…
- We are lifeless
- We are always going to be this way
- There is no solution, no one can help us, it’s bad
VIII. The Lord will bring the people back to the promised land, God will again reform the Church and make her the glory of the Earth, the expression of his presence,(Acts 2:3) a place that people fear (Acts 5:11-13)and love again. This work of God will cause people to again know that “I am the Lord” because he’s opened up their grave like situation and given them their purpose and thus their destiny back.The Lord wants to shift the Church in America from being people centered and visitor friendly to being Christ centered and Holy Spirit friendly.
When this happens the Church will stop being a club designed to attract people and start being a force for change in the country that will literally renovate every component of society.
- Arts & Entertainment
- Business
- Education
- Family
- Government
- Media
- Religion
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
January 21, 2011
Cruizin' with Pastor Tony (January 21, 2011)
By Tony V. Hammack
Watch this weeks video blog by clicking here.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
Watch this weeks video blog by clicking here.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
January 20, 2011
Spiritual Fathers
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here.
Chuck Pierce prophecy over 2011
Leaders now will know how to father and mother a whole new generation that is coming in. This is a time to be healed of your fatherlessness. The lord can heal you sovereignty. God can bring you into an understanding. One is also linked with a new type of strength.
Things a good father will do
When addressing his disciples, with the Pharisees present, (who were full of hypocrisy) Jesus said,
Matthew 23:8-12
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
The concept that there shouldn’t be any human authority in the church is not substantiated by Matthew 23:8-12. To me the scripture is speaking to the heart of hypocritical leaders who want to have certain titles of honor because of ungodly pride.
Hebrews 13:17
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
The issue of honoring people in authority is NOT FOR THE AUTHORITY FIGURE it’s for the person extending the honor.
Matthew 10:41
41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
Spiritual Fathers
1 Corinthians 4:14-17
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
We see the relationship between Paul and Timothy and Paul and the Corinthian Church as a father and son relationship. Paul address them as “My dear children” and specifically calls Timothy his son.
Because of this special fatherly relationship that Paul has with the church he urges them to imitate him. So Paul sends Timothy ?? It’s obvious that when you’ve seen Paul you’ve seen Timothy. Timothy has been fathered by Paul and has his “spirit” in him. His way of doing things, his patterns.
My definition of a Spiritual Father
When you or I esteem a minister very highly and lovingly place them into our heart we are making them into a type of spiritual father.
Levels of Influence
There are different levels of influence a spiritual father can have. The more influence the more the Spiritual Father can help and direct the spiritual son. There is also more risk to the son of being “taken advantage of” by the father.
Consider Jacob and Laban.
What happens when we esteem a spiritual father is everything we hear in Christendom gets “filtered” through the teaching of this father. If something doesn’t line up with what we’ve heard from this esteemed ministry we can become unsettled, argumentative, or turned off.
We will begin to wrestle with what’s being said. Now this wrestling can be very healthy if we will see it through like the Berean’s in
Acts 17: 11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true..
Now when you honor and respect a media ministry more than a ministry where you have a working relationship, it creates conflict in the spiritual realm for that subordinate minister. He or she has to contend against the spiritual father when he or she is trying to minister or convey a scriptural idea. Sometimes there’s agreement between your spiritual fathers sometimes there is not.
There is nothing wrong in some ways with having a spiritual father or mother you really don’t have any relationship with. However…
Testimony established by 2 or 3 witnesses. I understand the dynamics of God speaking something fresh into the body of Christ and many ministers prophetically hearing the same message. This can give tremendous confidence that this is what God is saying right now.
However the way it’s always been presented to me is. “Hey did you listen to Joyce Meyer the other day? You were saying the same thing she was you must be hearing from the Lord pastor.” Sounds flattering at first however the person has more esteem for Joyce Meyer than her pastor. Because the church member uses Joyce Meyer to validate the pastor instead of the pastor validating Joyce Meyer.
I like to turn that around on people saying something jokingly like, “Yes, I’m glad she’s hearing from the Lord.”
Why is it that we esteem ministries that are on Television or the radio more than the local pastor? I suppose we are impressed with the number of people that may represent fruitfulness from the Lord. Maybe it’s the charisma of the minister or the appeal of his/her message. Maybe the large media budgets represent spiritual depth. Maybe it’s the polished image media can create. Do large #’s of people validate truth?
There are 1 Billion Muslims who make a pilgrimage to Mecca to kiss a rock that they think takes their sins away?
This issue with different spiritual fathers has going on for a long time.
1 Corinthians 1:10-12
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Now in our time nobody would say “I follow anyone” accept Christ but they would be lying. It doesn’t sound very spiritual coming from an American minded person born and bred with independence running through their veins to say they follow anyone. However when we elevate people in our heart (nothing wrong with that) we are following them.
Instead of Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ, we could substitute some of these names perhaps.
Enemies of Spiritual Fathers
Consider Keith Moore and Kenneth Hagain. Now think of yourself and Kenneth Hagain
They may be great people with powerful ministries, however because they don’t know you there is no inheritance for you in many ways.
The teaching may be great, it may bring freedom and revelation etc. However when that teaching brings you into conflict with “real people” in your life it may cost you a future you could’ve had.
Conclusion:
By having spiritual fathers that don’t know us personally it sterilizes us spiritually. We don’t know how to birth spiritual sons because we ourselves are illegitimate, never having a spiritual father we don’t know how to raise up a son in the faith ourselves.
Do you have a spiritual son or daughter you can name?
NIV
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The Message
Matthew 28:18-20
"God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here.Chuck Pierce prophecy over 2011
Leaders now will know how to father and mother a whole new generation that is coming in. This is a time to be healed of your fatherlessness. The lord can heal you sovereignty. God can bring you into an understanding. One is also linked with a new type of strength.
Things a good father will do
- Rough house
- Provide
- Protect
- Empower
- Love tenderly and truthfully
- Discipline to build the child up
- Correct with the child's best interest in mind
When addressing his disciples, with the Pharisees present, (who were full of hypocrisy) Jesus said,
Matthew 23:8-12
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
The concept that there shouldn’t be any human authority in the church is not substantiated by Matthew 23:8-12. To me the scripture is speaking to the heart of hypocritical leaders who want to have certain titles of honor because of ungodly pride.
Hebrews 13:17
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
The issue of honoring people in authority is NOT FOR THE AUTHORITY FIGURE it’s for the person extending the honor.
Matthew 10:41
41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
Spiritual Fathers
1 Corinthians 4:14-17
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
We see the relationship between Paul and Timothy and Paul and the Corinthian Church as a father and son relationship. Paul address them as “My dear children” and specifically calls Timothy his son.
Because of this special fatherly relationship that Paul has with the church he urges them to imitate him. So Paul sends Timothy ?? It’s obvious that when you’ve seen Paul you’ve seen Timothy. Timothy has been fathered by Paul and has his “spirit” in him. His way of doing things, his patterns.
My definition of a Spiritual Father
When you or I esteem a minister very highly and lovingly place them into our heart we are making them into a type of spiritual father.
Levels of Influence
There are different levels of influence a spiritual father can have. The more influence the more the Spiritual Father can help and direct the spiritual son. There is also more risk to the son of being “taken advantage of” by the father.
Consider Jacob and Laban.
What happens when we esteem a spiritual father is everything we hear in Christendom gets “filtered” through the teaching of this father. If something doesn’t line up with what we’ve heard from this esteemed ministry we can become unsettled, argumentative, or turned off.
We will begin to wrestle with what’s being said. Now this wrestling can be very healthy if we will see it through like the Berean’s in
Acts 17: 11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true..
Now when you honor and respect a media ministry more than a ministry where you have a working relationship, it creates conflict in the spiritual realm for that subordinate minister. He or she has to contend against the spiritual father when he or she is trying to minister or convey a scriptural idea. Sometimes there’s agreement between your spiritual fathers sometimes there is not.
There is nothing wrong in some ways with having a spiritual father or mother you really don’t have any relationship with. However…
- There’s no accountability
- There’s no correction
- This allows us to be in control of the relationship
- Unfortunately there’s no tangible inheritance.
Testimony established by 2 or 3 witnesses. I understand the dynamics of God speaking something fresh into the body of Christ and many ministers prophetically hearing the same message. This can give tremendous confidence that this is what God is saying right now.
However the way it’s always been presented to me is. “Hey did you listen to Joyce Meyer the other day? You were saying the same thing she was you must be hearing from the Lord pastor.” Sounds flattering at first however the person has more esteem for Joyce Meyer than her pastor. Because the church member uses Joyce Meyer to validate the pastor instead of the pastor validating Joyce Meyer.
I like to turn that around on people saying something jokingly like, “Yes, I’m glad she’s hearing from the Lord.”
Why is it that we esteem ministries that are on Television or the radio more than the local pastor? I suppose we are impressed with the number of people that may represent fruitfulness from the Lord. Maybe it’s the charisma of the minister or the appeal of his/her message. Maybe the large media budgets represent spiritual depth. Maybe it’s the polished image media can create. Do large #’s of people validate truth?
There are 1 Billion Muslims who make a pilgrimage to Mecca to kiss a rock that they think takes their sins away?
This issue with different spiritual fathers has going on for a long time.
1 Corinthians 1:10-12
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Now in our time nobody would say “I follow anyone” accept Christ but they would be lying. It doesn’t sound very spiritual coming from an American minded person born and bred with independence running through their veins to say they follow anyone. However when we elevate people in our heart (nothing wrong with that) we are following them.
Instead of Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ, we could substitute some of these names perhaps.
- Billi Brim
- Kenneth Hagain
- Jimmy Swaggart (and son)
- Perry Stone
- John Hagge
- Joyce Meyer
- Joel Osteen
- Insert your favorite media ministry
Enemies of Spiritual Fathers
- Lack of Trust from previous relational injuries
- Fear of hurt
- Lack of honor
- Old Age (not always)
- Lack of a father pattern from upbringing
- A spiritual father that’s perceived as unimpressive (2 Cor. 10:10)
- Did any of you go through a stage in your life where you became unimpressed with your Earthly parents? Familiarity can make it hard to honor a spiritual Father.
Consider Keith Moore and Kenneth Hagain. Now think of yourself and Kenneth Hagain
They may be great people with powerful ministries, however because they don’t know you there is no inheritance for you in many ways.
The teaching may be great, it may bring freedom and revelation etc. However when that teaching brings you into conflict with “real people” in your life it may cost you a future you could’ve had.
Conclusion:
By having spiritual fathers that don’t know us personally it sterilizes us spiritually. We don’t know how to birth spiritual sons because we ourselves are illegitimate, never having a spiritual father we don’t know how to raise up a son in the faith ourselves.
Do you have a spiritual son or daughter you can name?
NIV
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The Message
Matthew 28:18-20
"God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
January 17, 2011
Cruizin with Pastor Tony (January 14, 2011)
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos on the page.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
January 12, 2011
Getting Under an Open Heaven
By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here.
The Third Heaven
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise.
The Second Heaven
Daniel 10:12,13
12 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
A Peek into the Second Heaven
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
It’s generally accepted, considering first century Jewish thought, that the second heaven was a place of chaos. Some believe this is the realm between the dwelling place of God and the dwelling place of man. It’s possibly the place where the Prince of the Persian kingdoms resisted the heavenly messenger.
The First Heaven
It’s also generally accepted that the first heaven is the visible world or cosmos. Revelation 21:1 talks about the first Heaven and the first Earth passing away.
A Literal Portal into the Third heaven
Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Jacob’s Dream
Genesis 28:10-15
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Mark 1:10
Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
John 1:51
He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (see also Gen 28:12)
Acts 7:56
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Mark 7:33-35
33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Our Lives as a Portal into the Third Heaven
Matthew 6:9,10
9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
54 of 65 references to the “Kingdom of God” refer to a present or relative to our time, past kingdom. 11 times when the term Kingdom of God is used in the New Testament it’s referring to a future or coming kingdom.
Luke 11:20
But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Luke 17:21
`21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”[a]
Footnotes: Luke 17:21 Or is within you
2 Corinthians 4:6,7
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
2 Corinthians 3:3,18
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Timothy 2:20,21
20Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
Conclusion:
I’m believing for an open heaven over my life and over the members of our church. We will be able, by faith to declare third heaven realities and “bring them down” into the 1st heaven or realm of the Earth. Whether it happens in the Spiritual realm and or in the lives of individuals I’m believing for it. Let’s pray.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here and watch all four videos.
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.
If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map
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