Faith and Rain: Trusting God for Provision

Paul's concerns for the Galatian church and its backsliding into the world.

The importance of faith and trust in God's provision.

The concept of revival and restoration to God.

The need to obey God's word and live by it to know Him.

Music Apostle Paul had great concerns for the Galatian church in his day. And I believe you could say that he had ministerial fears, that his flock was being swayed by the deceivers who had come into the fold to pervert the truth that he and the others had so laboriously worked at to sow within them. The apostle was admonishing the people about their backsliding into what they had come out of. And that was the world. The kingdom of darkness controlled and governed by Satan, the devil, and his hordes of hell, and angels and demons. His ministerial concerns and fear was that these people he had come to love very deeply, and also with great pain, whom he sowed the word of God into, were slipping into apostasy. Galatians 4.1 says, Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is the master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Paul says, even so, when we were children, we were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, and to redeem those who are under the law. so that we might receive the adoption as sons. And Paul says, because you are sons, God has set forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father. And therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then you be an heir of God through Christ. But Paul goes on to say, indeed, when you did not know God, You served those by nature that are not God's. And now after you have known God, or rather have known by God, how is it that you could turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years, and I'm afraid for you lest I have labored in vain for you, Paul says. Paul says, I am afraid for you or I fear for you. And Galatians 4.11, I am afraid for you or I fear for you. I am afraid that all my hard work for you has been worth nothing, Paul said. He says, Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to do as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you. Gentiles were free from the law. Well, what were these fears that Paul wrestled with? I believe that we could conclude that he might be concerned that the current backsliding at that time would be a robbery of the many more souls for the kingdom of God and also that the converted members and leaders of his flock may not bring the beauty, the glory or the splendor of God to their ordained offices and mostly that his converts would fall into apostasy taking others with them into perdition forever and ever. Well, Paul, however, during this time, is encouraged even in the face of these fears, knowing that he has been working for God's glory, but also having peace and knowing that ultimately God is responsible for the results. And in spite of what he was presently seeing, he had faith that God's word would not return back unto him void. How futile and empty and sad for these kinds of people to fall into their same pattern, an old way of life, being unconverted, inconsistent, and backslidden, which means being turned away from God and back into the kingdom of darkness under the rulership of Satan. The word revive, reviving or revival, means according to the Hebrew dictionary, to live, to cause to live, to revive. It means bringing restoration to life and also rebuilding. Isaiah 57 verse 14 says, And one shall say, Heap it up, heap it up, prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of my people. For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry, for the spirit would fail before me and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness, I was angry and struck him, and I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and I will heal him, and I will also lead him and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far off, and to him who is near, says the Lord, and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. Well, God always had people he could rely on to be a voice to trumpet the call of salvation as we see through these two prophets, Isaiah and Hosea. These faithful servants spoke the word of the Lord calling many to repent and come back to God. Revive or revival is a term used according to Webster's Dictionary, which means to live again, to live more at quick, to return to or restore, to make conscious of life, to become active and flourishing again, to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state. All of these definitions are speaking about that which was dead and is now being restored and brought back to life again. Until you or I ever came back to Jesus Christ, the author of life, we were dead. I said we were dead in our sins and on our way to hell. God's truth lies contained within the pages of the book of life called the Bible. God instructs his people to know the truth and the truth shall indeed set you free. God's truth is the way to heaven. And the truth of God is he sent his beloved son Jesus Christ to save the world, that is you and me and all others who will choose him from their sins and offer them eternal life. He has given the instruction of his way to his people so they will not fall back in to their vile worldly and evil ways. This truth or instruction is the Bible. And the Bible is a revelation from God to man. It is a revelation of the reason for creation. And this beautiful word of God demands man's obedience. And since it is a privilege and an honor to know and love and serve the living God whose greatness surpasses all human wisdom or knowledge. God will not be found on the surface or in a fast-track way. And this is saying, then, everything worthwhile will cost you something. God is more than worthy of your attentions to him, dear one. He requires that at once you come to the saving knowledge of himself, that you shall live by every word in the book of life given to you. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you, the word declares in Colossians 3.16. Do not merely listen to the word, but do what it says, James 1.22. We come to know him when we obey his command. It's just the way it is. 1 John 2.3 declares, we know that we have come to know him. If we obey his commands, and the man who says, I know him, but does not do what he commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him, and this is how we know that we are in him. Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. There is a story of a minister in the early years of the church. church history who had he preached his heart out and he felt like jeremiah the prophet i'm sure when he became discouraged and the story goes like this at one point in dr ben's ministry he became greatly discouraged and he attempted to leave his work and the lord gave this man a very significant dream which brought him great peace in the dream the pastor thought that he was working with a pickaxe on the top of a basaltic rock. His muscular arm brought down stroke after stroke for hours, but the rock was hardly indented, and he said to himself, It's useless. I will pick at this no more. And suddenly a stranger of dignified demeanor or appearance stood by his side and said, You will pip no more? No, sir, he replied. He said, I will not do this anymore. And he said, Were you not sent to do this task? Yes, I told him I was. Well, then why will you abandon it? My work is in vain. I make no impression. And solemnly the stranger replied, well what is that to you? Your duty is to continue with the pick whether the rock yields or gives way or not. Your work is in your own hands. The result is not. Work on. And he resumed his task and the first blow was given with almost superhuman force and the rock flew into a thousand pieces and he awoke and he returned to his work and a great revival followed. Hallelujah. Well, basaltic rock, or called touchstone, is a black silica stone related to flint and formally used to test the purity of gold and silver by the streak left on the stone when rubbed by the metal. And this is also the test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing. These people's hearts were so hard as rock, and only the divine hand of God's intervention would break open these hardened hearts. This beautiful story you have just heard shows us the love that God has for his people. A pastor who had become discouraged was desiring to give up and quit because he did not see the evidence of his work. Just as Paul had expressed to his flock in our opening scripture of Galatians 4.11, Paul had concerns for his flock. God's gracious hand of mercy is constantly reaching out to his people, reviving his work in the midst of the years and generations. It is God's heart to preserve or give life to those who will turn back to him and stand in awe of him and love him for who he is. Habakkuk 3 verse 1 is a prayer of Habakkuk and Habakkuk said Lord I have heard of your fame I stand in awe of your deeds O Lord renew them in our day in our time and make them known in wrath remember mercy another word for revive is to quicken and it too means a refreshing or reviving of life Psalms 85 verse 2 in the King James Version declares, You have forgiven the iniquity of your people, and you have covered all their sin, Selah, and you have taken away all your wrath, and you have turned from the fierceness of your anger. Verse 4, Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause your anger towards us to cease. Will you be angry with us forever? will you prolong your anger to all generations will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you show us your mercy O Lord and grant us your salvation God through his mercy his great mercy and loving kindness brings that which was once dead to life and listen to what a New Testament verse says about being made alive or quickened reading in the King James in Ephesians 2 verse 1. And he has made you alive who were dead in trespass and sin, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, and according to the prince of the power of the air, and the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we once all conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Verse 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he has loved us, even when we were dead in trespass, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Jesus Christ. Quicken means made alive. It comes from one source, as you can see. Jesus Christ, who is the author of life himself, the one who died carrying all of our sins, our sicknesses and curses upon himself, was made alive, quickened by the Holy Spirit, and was raised from the dead, and now offers life itself to all who will choose him. So through all of these generations, revivals here and there were raised and quickened to bring life and refreshing to many people who were backslidden, unsaved, or just nominal in their faith. There are many many many people who have been excited during these times but not converted And during the short and pathetic history of some who are called revival converts are only dazzled by the move of God but they aren changed There was much excitement for them, but they were not truly converted. These are those who have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a little time, just as the gospel of Mark 4.16 declares about those who sow on rocky places. They hear the word, and once they receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they only last for a short time. When trouble or persecution comes on account of the word, they quickly fall away. The root was in the crowd, and the wonderful music, and the wonderful thrill of the excitement and the warmth and the friendly fellowship of the revival meeting itself, these people fell away after the excitement was over and never took the flame they received to fan it for themselves. And Apostle Paul reminds his spiritual son Timothy to do just this when in 2 Timothy 1.6 he said, Timothy for this reason I remind you to stir up to rekindle the embers and stir up the flame and keep it burning the gift of God that inner fire that is in you by the means of the laying on of my hands Paul goes on to say God did not give us a spirit of fear but he gave us a spirit of power of love and of self-discipline so do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord Jesus Christ you see once you received the precious gift of eternal life you must fan the flame of that first love this fire within is the precious and the divine love that you have for the one who died for you and this first love must never die and this is the reason why many never take root They do not have this fire of love burning within them for their costly Savior, Jesus Christ. There's an old story of the 1800s where revival fire made its appearance and a non-village infidel was touched by the love of God. And as the revival fire of Christianity took hold in a village, A man who was once a confirmed infidel firmly stood his ground that he was not going to be touched by such nonsense. And notwithstanding all of the efforts of the minister and many Christian people who were very concerned over the condition of his soul, he had resisted every attempt and appeared to be more and more confirmed in his sin. and at length the people held a prayer meeting especially to intercede for this man's soul. Afterwards, God had put into the heart of the elder of the church to spend a night in prayer on behalf of this poor man who was an unbeliever. In the morning, the elder rose up from his knees. He saddled his horse and he rode down to see this man who was a blacksmith. the elder had it in his heart to say a whole lot to this unbeliever but when he walked up to him all he could do was to take him by the hand and the only words that would come out of his mouth was oh sir I'm deeply concerned for your salvation I am so deeply concerned for your salvation I have been wrestling with my God all this night for your salvation he could say no more because his heart was too full and heavy with this great burden and then he mounted his horse and he rode away again and the blacksmith brought down his hammer with a mighty force upon the anvil and he went immediately to see his wife she said what's the matter with you what is the matter with me you ask the man says i have just been attacked with a new argument this time. There was a man who is an elder who has just been here this morning and he tells me that he is very concerned about my salvation. Why? Now, if he is concerned about my salvation, is it not a strange thing that I am not concerned about it one bit? And then suddenly the man's heart was totally captured by that kind word from the elder and he took his own horse and he rode to the elder's house. And when he arrived, there the elder was in his parlor, still in prayer, and they both kneeled down together. God gave this man a contrite spirit and a broken heart and brought this poor sinner to the feet of his Savior. And here was a soul saved from eternal death and a multitude of sins were covered. God touched this poor, wretched sinner with a heart of love. But I must tell you, there are some people who are so cold in their affections that it is difficult for them to be sure if they ever really loved God and His Son Jesus Christ. God will bring a kind word from someone to break through the barriers and shatter the outer shell so he can touch them with his love. God wants to restore or revive his people back to his love and he will go to great lengths or extreme measures to make his love known. You can look at your own life, even now, and see how you came first to Christ and you came first as a sinner. your first act was to believe the love of God for you when there was nothing to evidence that love in your heart those who slip from time to time and we call this backsliding must always consider and believe more in the love of God than they ever did before they must hold fast to the knowledge that God loves them and desires that they too will love him back purely for who he is during the times of God's moving and stirring in the hearts of the people with the draw to come back to himself there are those who are used by the enemy to quench the spirit of God's touch upon them and I'm reminded of a dream I had several years back and let me add that as God gives knowledge of the call upon your life. He will sometimes give very real dreams to confirm this call. The dream goes like this. I was sitting in a vehicle. I noticed three young men approaching and I felt in the dream that trouble was coming with them and I sensed they came to do harm. Knowing and sensing trouble, I reacted by reaching my hand out of the window and taking hold of the first young man's hand and I said, Do you know Jesus? And he looked downward, embarrassed and convicted, and he said, Yes, I do. And I reached out my hand to the second young man and took his in mine and I said to him, Do you know Jesus Christ? And with a surly, smirky and mocking face as he replied, Yes. And I reached out and took the hand of the third young man and said, Do you know Jesus Christ of Nazareth? And this young man said, No. And he laughed loudly at the others who did know Jesus but were backslidden on their way to hell because of the company that they were keeping. This third young man mocked and laughed at these other two and suddenly in the dream I broke into tears and I wept and wept and finally said to all three of them if you don't repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and come back to Him you are all going to hell and I was weeping for their souls in the dream and felt such love great love for these poor lost and wretched souls and then God showed me in the stream that it was his heart that I was feeling he loves all of his creation and desires to have all come back to him well there's a true story of a young man who was guilty of quenching the spirit of God as the Holy Spirit's power was moving in an outpouring of revival in a church and a minister of the gospel gives the testimony I'm not sure of the date or the time of this testimony all I know is it is true and a serious warning for all who laugh or mock the moving of the Spirit of God during the times of refreshing or revival the minister writes several years ago I was called to visit a young man who was said to be sick and wished to see me and approaching him as he was lying upon his bed I remarked that he certainly did not look as though he was ill and he replied I am not sick in my body but in my soul I am in distress and asking him the cause of his distress he said during the revival in our church I had not only resisted the influence of the Holy Spirit but I have made fun of the young converts I have ridiculed those who were seeking the salvation of their souls and I feel that I have committed an unpardonable sin and there is no hope for me. I said to him, Your sins are indeed terribly great, but if you sincerely repent and will now believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he will pardon you. I referred to the Savior's compassion to the thief upon the cross and to other cases that might awaken some hope in his mind, but everything that was said failed to reach his case or condition and his reply to every argument or appeal or passage of scripture that was quoted was the same there is no hope for me and after an earnest prayer for his salvation and commending him to the mercy of God I left him and calling the next day I found that he had a sleepless night and the state of mind was still unchanged. And again, after pointing him to the promises of Scripture and praying with him again, he expressed the same feeling of utter despair. Not a ray of light crossed the dark cloud that hung over his soul. And the third day upon entering his room, I found him in a raging fever. His mental agony had taken effect upon his body without any indications at first of physical disease. He was now lying in a most critical condition. And I pointed him once more to the bleeding Savior upon the cross, and I pleaded with him at the throne of grace. But with him the harvest was past. The summer of hope was ended. He had quenched the Spirit of God, not only by his personal resistance, but by hindering and laughing at others who were seeking to escape eternal death. And the next day, the pastor says, I found that his reason was dethroned, his dear mother was bathing his temples with ice water, and upon speaking to him, he replied in an incoherent manner that he was beyond the reach of any good news. And that night, his soul slipped into eternity. In the book of Acts, chapter 8, verse 5, we read the account of where Philip went to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ there. And when the multitudes of people heard Philip preach and saw the miraculous signs, which many times will follow the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival moves, they listened to Philip and they paid close attention to what he said. and the people heard shrieks and they saw evil spirits that came out of many and there were many paralytics and crippled people who were healed and this account also says that there was a great and awesome joy in that city do you see here that when the spirit of the Lord begins to move amongst the crowd things will begin to get messy Philip the Evangelist enters into the town and he preaches the gospel message of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God begins to move and perform miracle signs and wonders. And demons started shrinking. Evil spirits flee out of people and many people are healed and delivered. And after all, the stir and the excitement and the very last part of the scripture is very important to notice. There was great joy. That meant that there was a revival of the dead taking place. Hallelujah. Philip the Evangelist comes to Samaria full of the Holy Spirit and power and upon reaching the city of Samaria he began at once to preach Christ to the people. In all the world there was probably at that moment no city whose conditions were more unfavorable to this evangelistic outreach of Philip's. The people were half-heathen, to say, at least. Rejecting all of the scriptures except the five books of Moses, they were addicted to all manner and observances of superstition. They had been under the control and the spell of a certain necromancer known to us as Simon Magus, who called himself the great power of God. Philip marched into the city, not intimidated by any other power. He boldly preached Christ, and his coming is followed by a great revival. And notice here, at once, Philip determined to do two things. He preached Christ. This is the sole mission of any minister of the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus saves. and all of the great orators and philosophers speaking all their vain and pompous words for years and years will fail every time to bring a sinner to Jesus Christ. But one faithful servant trumpeting the good news that Jesus saves that he heals and delivers stirred a whole city in its very depths. Philip was only a deacon in his day and there were many wiser men at that time in Samaria, but the truth as it is found only in Christ had not set their hearts on fire like it had with Philip You see it was the living truth in Philip heart that was aglow and on fire that brought life to these spiritually dead people One man turned Samaria upside down and before people really knew it, and probably before Philip realized it himself, they were in the midst of a great awakening and revival with the Holy Spirit outpouring himself into the hearts and lives of these people. The word of God says that there was great joy in that city. And let us understand the need for revival. It is needed because people have slipped back into their old habits and ways. The seed of life was neglected and failed to produce necessary life to sustain the individual. people perish for the lack of knowledge and knowledge comes from God's word and the people of God in every generation need the nourishing and sustaining word of God for their daily food or manna let the word of God dwell richly in you the scripture tells us and the book of Revelation gives us profound insight into the warning given to the church which is now in our generation too Let us look at the book of Revelation, chapter 2, verse 1, in the Amplified Version, to see this great warning. To the angel of the messengers of the assembly church in Ephesus write, These are the words of him who holds the seven stars, which are the messengers of the seven churches, in his right hand, who goes about among the seven golden lampstands, which are the seven churches. Verse 2, you that you have left and abandoned the love that you had at first and you've deserted me your first love remember then from what height you have fallen repent change the inner man to meet god's will and do the works that you previously did when you first knew the lord or else when i come and remove your lampstand from its place unless you change your mind and repent let's read out of the amplified as well. Revelation chapter 3 verse 1 to see another grave and solemn warning given to the church in our modern day. In Revelation 3 verse 1 to the angel messenger of the assembly church in Sardis write these are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven fold Holy Spirit and the seven stars. I know your record and what you are doing and you are supposed to be alive but in reality you are dead verse 2 rouse yourself and keep awake and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying for i have not found a thing that you have done any works of yours meeting the requirements of my god or perfect in his sight verse 3 so call to mind the lessons you received and heard continually laying them to heart and obey them and repent in case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch. I will come upon you like a thief and you will not know or suspect at what hour I come. Yet you still have a few persons names in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes and they shall walk with me in white because they are worthy and deserving. Verse 5. Thus shall he who conquers is victorious be clad and white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the book of life. I will acknowledge him as mine and confess his name openly before my Father and before his angels. He who is able to hear, let him listen and let him heed what the Holy Spirit says to the assemblies of the churches. These two warnings are a matter of life and death to every generation of believers. these are warnings to take your salvation serious and not to neglect the first love you once knew in Jesus Christ these people had neglected life itself the author of life the very one who had died for them they abandoned their first love and they deserted Jesus the very one who demands our love and the love of all who come to him and then we see the warning that says whatever may remain alive in you rouse yourselves wake up and bring revival and invigorate what there is whatever there is that you may have left you think that you're alive the scripture says but in reality you are dead well the warning in verse 3 to call to mind the lessons that you've received and heard continually lay them to heart and obey them and repent practice what you learn in the holy scriptures as your new way of life. And in case you will not rouse or revive yourself and keep awake and watch, the Lord says, I'll come upon you like a thief and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come, says the Lord. You see, dear church, the warning for us in this message today is this. Never, never, never lose the first love for Jesus Christ that you once had. Grow in that love. Develop that love into a warm and tender fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit given to you as a blood-washed, blood-bought child of God. And make a firm resolve in your heart not to be one that will take revival or an earthquake to shake you to sudden reality that you have neglected your great and loving God. Don't be like the geyser called Old Faithful, which is a spring of boiling water that at regular intervals sends up high into the air great bursts of water making a spectacular show for all who see it. Many people are like this with Jesus. They once were zealous for him in their lives, but when the warmth and the fervor was over, they passed away with it too. Let us always elect and make continual conscientious effort and work at remaining in the place with God that we always have thankful hearts and are full of holy gratitude, seeking His face and crying out for increase of His life and love within our souls until we come safely to our eternal home wrapped in our Savior's arms. It doesn't take a whole army to pray for a move of God in the land. It would be nice, but it doesn't generally work that way. the account of four present but only one was visible is a testimony of one praying lady that brought a move of god to their church the testimony says that it was almost decided among all to continue or discontinue the prayer meeting in their church in a small town but there was a dear lady who insisted that she would be there no matter if nobody else was and remaining true to words, and when in the next morning had come, somebody said to her rather smugly, Did you have a nice prayer meeting last night? Oh, yes, we sure did, replied the lady. Well, how many of you were present, asked the man, inquiring, and she said, There were four of us. Why, he said, I heard that you were there all alone by yourself. Oh, no, she said, I was the only visible one. But the Father was there, and the Son was there, and the Holy Spirit was there, and we all agreed together in prayer. Before long, there was a revival and a prospering church as a result of just one who would stand in believing and having faith that God would move and awaken and revive these poor and empty backslidden souls who had neglected their first love. Let us not only be diligent for our own souls, dear ones, but let us be concerned for the souls of others. Be diligent to pray for your families, for your friends and co-workers and all unsaved souls, and surely God will hear your prayers too and richly bless and reward you. I leave you with this last thing. This poem was written a number of years ago by a woman whose name is Arlene Christofoli. This poem is a prophetic appeal to God for his spirit to be poured out on a people who desperately need the move of God in their lives and land to bring healing and deliverance to their souls and his reign upon the drought land in order that they might know their living and great God in a real and tangible way. She writes, God, in your wisdom you have seen that to make the grasses green and flowers in every shape and hue, but thirsty trees raise arms to you. In silent prayer, please send us rain. Each blade of grass, each tiny grain in this drought land beseeches you. In silent prayer, please send us rain. That precious gift from you above, life, blood to all the things that live, Please, God, in your generous love Send the rain that we might live Wash the land with gentle flood Let it fall upon the earth Until the earth is renewed and green and good And baptized in a sweet rebirth From mountaintop to field and plain Dear God, please send to us the rain This woman, Arlene Christopholi, was my mother and her appeal then is my appeal now. Please God, send the rain. Oh God, send the rain of your spirit upon this nation and people now. Thank you. Once the Son of God, our Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, came into the world and began to set his kingdom up in the hearts of men and women, there a great cause of offense and stumbling occurred in the souls of many who should have received him. It was foretold of the Messiah that he would be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense by the prophets in the Old Testament. And these people were the ones who had poured over the scriptures and knew in time this long-awaited prophecy was destined to happen. Read with me, please, in the book of Isaiah 8, verse 13. Isaiah 8, 13. The Lord of hosts, regard him as holy and honor his holy name by regarding him as your only hope of safety. And let him be your fear and let him be your dread, lest you offend him by your fear of man and distrust for him. Verse 14. And he shall be a sanctuary, a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who reverently fear him and trust him. But he shall be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble thereupon, and they shall fall and be broken and be snared and taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law and the teaching among my disciples. and in the New Testament in the book of Romans 9.33 affirms what was written in the scriptures by the prophets as Apostle Paul declares as it is written Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble a rock that will make them fall but he who believes in him who adheres to, trusts in and relies on him shall not be put to shame nor disappointed in his expectations. Well, Christ's very own people rejected him, and still they reject him today. They might profess the desire for their great deliverer, yet when he came into the world, they overlooked him and stumbled at his teachings, his death and humiliation. Jesus came into the world in poverty in every way so that we may become rich in him and inherit eternal life through his death, burial, and resurrection, which provides freedom for us by our repentance and the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus actually annulled the covenant of death, and the agreement we had with Satan the devil when we accepted him as our Lord and Savior. In Isaiah 28, verse 16, Isaiah 28, 16, the word declares, therefore, thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of sure foundation. He who believes, trusts in and relies on and adheres to that stone will not be ashamed or give away or hasten away in sudden panic. Verse 17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plummet and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies and waters will overwhelm the hiding place the shelter. Verse 18 And your covenant with death shall be annulled and your agreement with Sheol the place of the dead shall not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through then you will be trodden down by it. How unfortunate it is today. that many reject Jesus' teaching, which his heavenly Father had given him to bring to the earth and declare to all that he was indeed God's answer and atonement for our sin and salvation. Salvation by the cross, by our crucified one, was and is still a stumbling block and offense to many. In the book of Matthew 11, I would like us to look at the account of where John the Baptist who was in prison at the time showed some kind of doubt and possible stumbling over Jesus ministry Jesus speaks the words to John disciples saying in verse 6 Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no fault for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. Look with me, let's read this account in Matthew 11 verse 1, starting in verse 1. When Jesus had finished his charge to his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples. Verse 3 And he asked him, Are you the one who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? And Jesus replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk. Lepers are cleansed by healing and the deaf hear. And the dead are raised up and the poor have good news. The gospel preached to them. Verse 6. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. Hallelujah. Now verse 7. Then as these men went on their way, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. What did you go out in the wilderness, the desert, to see? A reed swayed by the wind? What did you go out to see then? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, in the one out of the common, more eminent, more remarkable and superior, to a prophet. This is one of whom it was written, Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who shall make ready your way before you. Verse 11. Truly, I tell you, among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault and violent men seize it by force as a precious prize and a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion. For all the prophets in the law prophesied up until John. Verse 14. And if you are willing to receive and accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come before the kingdom. He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing verse 6 Jesus says blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth we could also say in paraphrasing this verse Jesus is saying happy is he or she who will not stumble or take offense at my truth. The Jews had a preconceived idea of their Messiah, and when the long-awaited Christ came to them, they rejected his humble appearance, his simple doctrine and message of truth, and therefore lost the benefit of salvation through him. The messianic kingly priest, according to their senses, did not represent their ideal of a wealthy ruler who would bring justice to the nations. Jesus said, And blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. The king of the ages, the all ruler of the universe, and the ancient of days stood before them in simple robes, in humility, void of pride and pomp in this world. By means of his gracious words, he instructed and cautioned against all these, that is, pride and pomp and hypocrisy. And furthermore, Jesus declared, he who will not humble himself and become poor, become lowly, nameless, and of no account, and vile in his own eyes, cannot enter into the kingdom of God. It is the spiritually poor who enter into the kingdom of heaven. And the word poor is defined as meaning humble, void of pride. It means having meekness. Meekness is not weakness, dear ones. Meekness is having a lowliness of heart and the gentleness of our Christ. The humble and the meek ones of the Lord hear the word of God and trust in it and live it. Meekness is an attitude of humility towards God and gentleness towards men, springing from a recognition that God is in control. Although weakness and meekness may look similar, they are not the same. Weakness is due to negative circumstances such as lack of strength or lack of courage. But meekness is due to a person's conscious choice. It is strength and courage under control coupled with kindness. The scripture declares, In her shall the afflicted take refuge. In Christ's wisdom only is the place where the church of the living God will find her strength, her protection, her courage and direction. Now the word spoken by our beloved Jesus to John the Baptist's disciples in verse 6 of Matthew 11 again says, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. And these words were words of reassurance to the unique, exceptional, and matchless prophet John the Baptist who was at this time chained in a dark dungeon probably with very little food or water. John, by sending his disciples to ask Jesus, saying, Are you the one who was to come? or should we keep on expecting a different one? This was showing that he was apparently having doubts about the one he had proclaimed as the Lamb of God in the Gospel of John 1.29. Look with me, please. John 1.29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is he of whom I spoke. After me comes a man who has priority over me, who ranks above me, because he was before me and existed before I did. Verse 31, I did not know him and recognize him myself, but it is in order that he should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel, be brought out where we can see him, that I came baptizing in with water. John gave further evidence saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt upon him never to depart. And I did not know him or recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize him with water said to me, Upon him whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that one is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Verse 34. And I have seen that happen. I actually did see it. And my testimony is this, that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day, John was standing with his two disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked along, and he said, Look, there is the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him say this, and they followed him. Jesus' kind and gracious response contained only encouragement for John, not a rebuke when he declared, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. In fact, Jesus went on to praise John's ministry and validate it on the basis of the Old Testament prophecy. And we must remember also that John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. In verse 7, after John's disciples left and were on their way back to take the message from Jesus to John, we see where Jesus is affirming John's ministry. In verse 7, then Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. What did you go out in the wilderness of the desert to see? A reed swaying by the wind? What did you go out to see? than a man clothed in soft garments. And behold, those who come wearing soft garments are in the houses of kings. And so we read this. Went out to see a prophet. And he says, yes, I tell you one out of the common, more eminent, more remarkable, and superior to a prophet, this is the one whom it was written. Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you to make ready your way before you. So we see that it was after Jesus commended and praised John, Then he went on to reprove and scold the fickle crowd for their inconsistent and in the moment changeable remarks about John and himself. And we can see that in verse 16 when he says, But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little children sitting in the marketplace who call to their playmates. We piped to you playing wedding and you did not dance and we wailed dirges playing funeral and you did not mourn and beat your breast and weep aloud. Verse 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking with others and they say he has a demon. And the Son of Man came eating and drinking with others and they say behold a glutton and a wine drinker and a friend of tax collectors and especially wicked sinners. yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by what she does, her deeds and by her children. The inconsistency of the crowd shows the folly of the human heart and the evil of always trying to please everyone. It also shows the offense they had taken at the truth as Jesus spoke what the Father had commanded him to speak. Christ's compliment and praise of John shows his compassion towards our human frailties due to adverse circumstances such as John was passing through as he was in the dark and dank dungeon with very little food or water. Jesus shows us his compassion and grace when intellectual reason takes over and spawns doubt and fear and distrust even in the greatest of men and women. and since their hearts are set on him Christ intervenes and rescues them from the mouth of the enemy and restores them back into fellowship with himself so that Satan will not become successful in coming between Jesus and his beloved. Jesus understands our weaknesses and they do not have to necessarily affect our relationship with him. And another good example of Christ's compassion for human frailty is when he left his disciples at a certain place in the garden while he went a little ways away to pray. And when he came back, he found them sleeping and he said in Matthew 26, 41, All of you must keep awake, give strict attention, be cautious and active, and watch and pray that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And still reviewing Jesus' words in Matthew 11, 6, Blessed is he who takes no offense at me and finds no cause for stumbling or offense in or through me and is not hindered from seeing the truth. The word stumbling block, most likely in its summation, might say, Happy is he to whom I shall not prove or test or try a stumbling block. This means happy is he who shall not take offense at my poverty and lowliness of life so as to reject me and my doctrine or gospel. Happy is the one who can despite my poverty and mysterious ways see the evidence by what I have done that I am the Messiah and follow me. I believe we could rightly assume that John the Baptist desired that Jesus would publicly proclaim himself as the Christ instead of remaining obscure and silent. But Jesus replied that he gave sufficient evidence by the works that he had brought forth in the way of miracles and healings and deliverances of oppressions and bondage due to evil spirits. So that people might determine and discover and embrace that he indeed was the Messiah in spite of his humble manner of life. Remember in scripture We are told that in Jesus' appearance There was nothing outwardly in beauty or handsomeness That we should desire him That is found in Isaiah 53 too And the word says For the servant of God Grew up before him like a tender plant And like a root out of dry ground He has no form or comeliness royal kingly pomp that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him. The precise rendering of this scripture says that the king of glory stood before them in bodily form and their eyes gazed upon him but in his outward appearance there was nothing to attract or delight their senses. And again Jesus replied that he had given sufficient evidence by his works that if one would choose, they could see that he indeed was the Messiah and embrace him as the Christ instead of taking offense and stumbling at his humble appearance and lowly manner of life. Indeed, what folly it is that many today are still taking offense and stumbling over the one whom God the Father ordained to be the only one who can save them from their sin and the grave of death. In the Most Glorious One is all beauty and wisdom and eternal life to those who do not stumble and take offense with this truth called the gospel of peace. The offense of the cross of Jesus Christ is a message of atonement that offends men and women's pride. the message of atonement is an act by which God restores a relationship of harmony and unity between himself and humankind through his son's death, burial and resurrection. Atonement means at-one-ment. Through God's atoning grace and forgiveness, we are reinstated to a relationship of at-one-ment with God in spite of our sin. The offense of the cross is a simple teaching that offends man's wisdom, his carnal reason and artificial tastes which say, if it sounds good, tastes good, looks good, smells good, it's good. Jesus' coming, though, caused offense and was a stumbling block for many. His coming was to be the remedy for man's ruin. But instead, and unfortunately, man, even today, is fantasized and imagined that he can save himself. This certainly shows us that the highest form of holiness offends man's love for his own sin. And we can see this offense of the cross is shown in the actual persecution of believers, but most often by slandering believers and jeering at them and calling them old-fashioned, foolish, weak-minded, gloomy and conceited folks. Offense of the cross is also shown by the great and horrendous persecution of Christian believers who are tortured and unmercifully beaten and thrown into prison for their testimony of Jesus. One such story is told of a little 12-year-old boy who believed and lived the scripture that declares, love your enemies and do good to them. The story goes as follows. The boy, only 12 years old, swallowed his fear as he stood before the communist officer. Captain, you are the man who put my parents in prison, he said. Today is my mother's birthday, and I always buy her a flower for her birthday. Since my mother taught me to love my enemies and to reward evil with good, I have brought the flower instead for the mother of your children. Please take it home to your wife tonight and tell her about my love and the love of Christ. Captain Marco, who had watched unmoved as Christians had been unmercifully beaten and tortured, was stunned at the act of love of this boy. His tears fell as he slowly walked around the desk and grabbed the boy in a fatherly embrace. Marcos' heart was changed by the gift of Christ's love. He could no longer arrest and torture Christians and he himself was soon arrested. Only months after the boy's visit to his office Marco slumped in a filthy prison cell surrounded by some of the same Christians he had previously arrested and tortured he tearfully told his cellmates of the young boy and the simple gift of a flower and he considered it an honor to share a cell with those he had previously hunted and attacked a simple gift of love broke through the darkness of the offense of the truth and freed a prisoner of Satan and made him a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.8, Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God. Verse 9, Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. Unfortunately, offense of the cross is also evidenced by those who omit to teach and preach the message of the cross. Many today preach a Christless and bloodless gospel. Many mix the truth of Christ with error and heresy. and many openly deny the deity of Jesus Christ who died on the cross by saying that there are other ways to heaven other than through Christ the Messiah. For sure, dear Christian, there are many ways of showing that the cross offends us in one respect or another. Apostle Paul in Galatians 5.11 says to his flock, But brethren, if I still preach circumcision, as some accuse me of doing, as necessary to salvation, why am I still suffering persecution? In that case, the cross has ceased to be a stumbling block and is made meaningless, done away with. Paul shows us that we must not accommodate the message of the cross to men's likings and tastes, but we must raise human likings and tastes to love the message of the cross. This many times brings offense and stumbling to the hearers of the message. People in Paul's congregation were offended at the fact that the Gentiles were not circumcised and were stumbling over the message that Paul was bringing them regarding this subject. What is it that we must understand by the message of the cross? it is not the wood or the tree that we must apprehend and comprehend but the very one who was nailed to the tree and there upon that tree he was hung and died a brutal death to bring the message of salvation by his atonement for our sins this message of the cross was to be a right standard of principles of showing the difference between right and wrong behavior and it was to be an influence and message showing that we must live within and according to the new covenant agreement with a hatred towards sin, a weaning away from the world and devotedness and allegiance to our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. And the question here at this point in the message today is how can we avoid being included amongst those who carry offense and stumble over the message of the cross. Let's look and see what Jesus tells us in Mark's Gospel, in Mark 4, 21. Mark 4, 21. Jesus said to them, Is the lamp brought in to be put under a peck measure or under a bed or not to be put upon a lampstand? Things are hidden temporarily only as means to revelation. For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything temporarily kept secret except in order that it may be made known. Verse 23. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. Verse 24. And he said to them, be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you and more besides will be given to you who hear. For to him who has will be given more. And from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away by force. Jesus is warning in verse 24 that you must hear with heeding. That means to pay attention. This is saying you must pay attention to what you hear in the message of the cross or the gospel of our Lord. You must take heed to what you hear and endeavor to retain or to hold fast to the truth when you hear it. By remembering it and practicing it and what it instructs you to do. And this is your lifeline, your connection to your dear Savior Jesus Christ. and this is saying that you must eat it on the spot and do not delay by saying oh I will get around to it tomorrow you must have the deepest desire in your heart to take every word as you hear it with a longing within and silent prayer that says oh Lord bless your truth to my ears and help me to retain it as you water my dry and thirsty and hungry soul. And what a blessing you shall have, dear one, as you hear the truth of the gospel with a longing and craving, as you listen to a sermon that is being preached, or as you read the word of God for yourself, to know that you know that God Almighty will fulfill your hunger and water the righteousness that you seek in him as you follow after him. Jesus will not disappoint you if you are crying out for his mercy believing and praying for his mercy he will answer you as you are persistent you who may be listening to this message today and you are broken hearted by your sin and you are seeking Jesus Christ's mercy you do not have to look any farther just fall upon your knees confess your sins before your Savior and ask for his forgiveness and surely he will forgive you. But remember you must not go back to that sin again. Scripture declares that people who do this are like a dog that goes back to its own vomit or like a pig that goes back to its own wallow. Do not take offense at what Christ tells you to do in his gospel but practice it and surely you shall not backslide again. Jesus said to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery Woman, go your way and do not sin again. And after Jesus healed the man who was crippled for 40 years he said to him, go your way and stop sinning or something greater will happen to you. see the work of ministry is to preach the gospel in simple terms so that all can understand it Jesus did not appeal to anyone's vanity by giving intellectual dissertations nor did he water down the message his father sent him to deliver nor did Jesus have to put his gospel in comedic form so as to appeal to anyone's funny bone so that they might be more inclined to hear the truth of the cross and the reason that he came. I'm not saying that occasionally a preacher should not say something to make people laugh or smile because many times it is the only way a truth can be driven deep into the heart. Whether the truth of the cross brings sinners by way of laughing or crying, it does not matter. As long as they are brought to Christ who died for them and longs to have them and call them his own. and another thing in regards to how we can avoid having offense over the message of the cross is to be aware that when you hear the truth that you hear it with obedient ears and this is saying that when you hear it you have made a conscientious election of your heart to obey it by practicing it it is useless for you to hear it unless you elect to practice it dear one and this can be like someone who is in debt. They go to a financial consultant who lays out a plan for them to get out of debt. And the individual never applies the principles that the consultant gave him. The individual continues complaining that his problem is greater than ever. And so it is for people who sit in church each Sunday and go to a weekly Bible study and say that they would never miss a time where they could go to church. They listen to the word being preached and taught, but they have not obeyed the gospel. They have not at all obeyed the gospel. Paul wrote about this in his epistle to the Romans in Romans 10 verse 16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Dear ones, this is still true today and just as real as in Paul's day. Sad to say, there are many who remain only hearers of the word and do not become doers of the word. Their faith has never taken flight. So, it is these kinds of people who stumble and fall and find offense at the truth. They become critical of others and especially their pastors because they did not listen or heed the truth with obedient ears. Jesus said in Mark's Gospel of Mark 4.21, He said to them, Do you bring a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it in a stand? We read this before, but we're just reading it again so that you can catch the fullness of this. for whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Consider carefully what you hear, he continued. With the measure you use it, it will be measured to you and even more. Whoever has will be given more. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. So with the measure you use, Jesus says it shall be measured to you and this is saying that the hearers of the gospel of truth will get measure for measure and the measure shall be your own measure so for example those who have no interest in the word of God will of course find it quite uninteresting just like that it won't be interesting to them so this kind of individual who comes to church and listens to the gospel of our Lord will not receive even the smallest tidbit of life or peace or joy because they were not sincere in growing in the truth but found it uninteresting because of other passions. There will be nothing that strikes this kind of person because he listens with deaf ears. They have not been opened up because of disinterest in their Savior. People like this can read the Bible, but only as a blind man might. He gains nothing because he cannot see. Spiritual eyes and ears can only be opened up by the Master, who sees the hunger and desire for the truth. and there can be no true seeing or hearing without true interest and desire. People can go on listening but never hear. They can go on seeing but shall never perceive so says the Word If you have no desire to be saved no longing to escape from the guilt of your sin no desire for heaven, no love for God, then the most boring place for you to be is in a service where Jesus Christ is preached and taught. You will only get it measured back to you What you have measured out And the last thing I would like to point out to you In avoiding the pitfalls Of falling into offense of the cross Is do not be critical When you hear the word preached Do not find fault There are many who sit in church And their only aim in going to church is to find fault with people around them and also by what is spoken from the pulpit. May I say that if this is one way and source in which you derive your pleasure, that you are only hurting yourself. It is like taking a knife and with cruel self-infliction you stab only yourself with repeated blow after blow. the one who is so critical of what is being preached believes that this is his or her ministry that is to find fault with what is being taught the offense of the cross has not ceased for this kind of individual it is still a stumbling block for those who believe not the message of the cross has never truly broken their hearts they only stumble over it if you are one of these dear listener please know that unless you submit your life to Christ this stone will roll back upon you Jesus was a stumbling block to unbelieving people in his own nation just as he continues to be a stumbling block today to all those who do not put their faith in him do not deceive your own soul over this matter that you were destined to find fault with whatever is wrong and out of order according to your own estimation. This is called a critical spirit, and what you measure out, it shall be measured back to you. There is a saying, whatever you are fishing for, you will catch it. But for those who seek the pure and solid truth, these are those who come to hear the gospel with eager attention and alertness. They come with the frame of heart and mind that says, I'm hungry to know God's truth. I want to be taught this word concerning sin and its remedy. I want to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Holy Spirit's work in my heart and soul. I want to hear and learn of my Savior's atoning sacrifice. I long to know about the life of a Christian, his joys, his trials, his responsibilities. Oh Lord, I just want to know you. Capture my heart and make it your own. Inspire me to love you, God, and to love others the way you love me. Teach me and lead me by your Holy Spirit. You see, with a heart like this, there is no place for a critical spirit. there is no place for offense or stumbling. Wherever there is a hungry heart you will find there is plenty of food. And this kind of individual will find the true benefit of the gospel and the Lord's promise that says blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. When you have first hand experience of the emptiness of the Lord it is truly a great blessing to understand the fullness of Christ as he fills your thirsty soul. The offense of the cross is great for multitudes. We cannot make the gospel of truth tasteful to carnal minds. We would have to hide the truth in order to do this. And this ends up in error and apostasy with a gospel called easy believism. we have not received a gospel from man but a gospel from the very mouth and heart of God himself we must continue to receive the truth in the only way in which it was designed and purposed that we would receive it and that is by the divine inspiration of faith the gospel of the cross as we have seen it brings offense to those who hear it we must not change the truth to fit what carnal minds want to hear Jesus didn't and he is our example he was crucified for speaking the truth it is the truth that offends and causes stumbling but it is also the truth that will set men free hallelujah hallelujah it is the truth that will save dear ones And we too must admit that we were once offended by the message of the cross, but now find it to be the very joy and life and hope of our hearts and souls. We find that we cannot help but speak of the one who saved us and set us free. We cannot help but give offense to those who do hate the cross by virtue of our Christian way of life, that is, by the way that we live. by what we believe and how we act and what we say. Many Christians who profess they are believers never cause offense to those who are godless without Christ. They do not live any differently than the godless. They do not speak about the one who hung on the cross and died for them. It must be because they are not crucified with Christ. they have no real trust or faith in their Savior nor any true knowledge of him to share with anyone as Apostle Paul declared in Romans 9.33 as it is written he says behold I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble a rock that will make them fall but he who

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