Obedience to God's Word
1 Timothy 3:15, "...that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
01 October 2021
23 September 2021
Living the Prophet's Creed
Living the Prophet's Creed
6/22/2021
Text:
Micah 6:1-8
(1)
Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and
let the hills hear thy voice.
(2)
Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the
earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with
Israel.
(3)
O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee?
testify against me.
(4)
For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the
house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
(5)
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam
the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the
righteousness of the LORD.
(6)
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God?
shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
(7)
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of
rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my
body for the sin of my soul?
(8)
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of
thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Creed[1]
1. A brief authoritative formula of religious
belief
— the Nicene Creed
2.
A set of fundamental beliefs
— also : a guiding principle
— “Never settle for mediocrity is his creed.”
-Jill Lieber
There are principles in God’s
Word that when lived out, or violated, lead to a life blessing or cursing.
Tonight, we will take a look
at what the late Rev. James Lumpkin, Sr. called, “The Prophet’s Creed,” and I
take as a title this thought:
Living the Prophet’s Creed
A creed, a set of fundamental
beliefs, a collection of guiding principles, are only as effective as your
desire and determination to live them out.
It is a good practice for children
to have memorized all the books of the Bible by the time they leave Sunday
School and graduate to the Adult Bible Class.
Many children are taught to
memorize the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17):
I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy
God in vain
IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
V. Honour thy father and thy mother
VI. Thou shalt not kill
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery
VIII. Thou shalt not steal
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness
X. Thou shalt not covet
And, there are two passage in
the Bible that every saint in an Apostolic Oneness Pentecostal should have
total recall on:
· Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “(4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
· Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
These all serve to pass on to
the next generation a set of Basic Bible Principles, that when lived out
produce a godly and sanctified life.
Living the Prophet’s Creed
consists of three principles that we all need to apply to our lives:
1. To do justly
2. To love mercy
3. To walk humbly with thy God
In verse 2, of our text, the
LORD has a controversy, a complaint,
with Israel, and He is pleading with them:
“O my
people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify
against me. For I
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of
servants [slaves]; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
In an attempt to call them
back to a right relationship with Him, He reminded them of Egypt – the place
God delivered them, and redeemed them.
He sent servants, you might
even identify them as prophets:
·
Moses = Lawgiver, to deliver and instruct.
·
Aaron = The High Priest, to atone.
·
Miriam = Prophetess & Praiser, and to teach
the women.
The Lord is pleading with His
people to remember all that He did for them.
Reminding
them the He turned Baalam’s curse into a blessing proving His faithfulness to
Israel.
They
were perhaps sincere in their desire to keep the commandments of the Law, but
misguided seekers
The
laws were there not to be followed in some type of burdensone manner, but to
establish principles, which had been forgotten.
Sometimes
a law can be made that is still kept but nobody remembers the purpose. <ham,
Vevay>
When you live The Prophet’s
Creed you will automatically live by the principles that the Law was formed to
teach you.
The Prophet’s Creed:
To Do Justly
1.
Do right by God:
Mark
12:29-30, “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear,
O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
· Love
God
· Heart
= Are your affections solely on Jesus?
· Soul =
Would you give up your life for Jesus?
· Mind =
Will you lay aside what you think for what God’s Word tells you?
· Strength
= Will you give all the strength and effort of your life to His will?
2.
Do right by your neighbor:
Mark
12:31, “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor…”
· Prefer
your fellow
· Never
work to harm another
· Treat
people right
· Love
people
3.
Do right by yourself:
“…as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
· Do you
like yourself?
· Don’t
deprive yourself of all that God has richly provided.
4.
We live by the justness and truth of the Word
of God and we are judged by it.
To Love Mercy
1.
It is necessary that we not only live by the
justice and judgment of the Law, but to also give to mercy what it requires –
LOVE MERCY.
· The
Law came by Moses buy grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
· 2 Corinthians
3:5-6, “…our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the
new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the
spirit giveth life.”
· Psalms
85:10, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed
each other.”
· Psalms
25:10, “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his
covenant and his testimonies.”
· The
mercy you show is the mercy you’ll know.
· God is
not in the business of stopping people from receiving mercy: “The God of my
mercy shall prevent me…” (Ps. 59:10).
o
Prevent = “project oneself, precede, go
before.”
o
God’s mercy goes before us
To Walk Humbly with Thy God
1.
1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
· Acknowledge
God’s Sovereignty
o
There is One God and you are not Him!
· Beware, Humility Required:
o
Confess and forsake your sin
o
Submit to the ordinance of water baptism
o
Yield to the Holy Ghost.
· Accept
God’s Mercy
· Walk
in God’s Grace
· Is the
Lord Jesus Christ truly your God?
· Walk
humbly before others as well
o
God isn’t the only one who hates a proud,
haughty or arrogant attitude.
· Submission is the hallmark of humility.
· James
4:5-12, “(5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that
dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (6) But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (7) Submit yourselves therefore to
God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and
purify your hearts, ye double minded. (9) Be afflicted, and mourn,
and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
(10) Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
(11) Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil
of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth
the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a
judge. (12) There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to
destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
· Galatians
6:1-3, “(1) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual,
restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted. (2) Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil
the law of Christ. (3) For if a man think himself to be something,
when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
Each of the three people Micah
records as being sent to His people were at one point violators of The
Prophet’s Creed, but one they learned the necessity of Living the
Prophet’s Creed they became examples for us to follow:
Moses – The great lawgiver,
did justly as he operated in his role as both deliverer and the giver of the
Law
· A
murderer, disobeyed God in a moment of rage
Aaron – The High Priest,
loved mercy and as a priest stood as a bridge between God and Man making
atonement for sin.
· An
idolater, excused his sin
Miriam – The prophetess of
praise and instructor of women, learned humility.
· Jealousy,
envy, rebellion
It’s a question: “He hath
shewed thee, O man, what
is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to
love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).
I want everyone to come
forward tonight to the altar, and I’m going to give you some basic
instructions:
· Close
your eyes
· Lift
your head up. Look up.
· Raise
both hands. Pray. Surrender. Worship.
· Lift
voice.
· Commit
to Living The Prophet’s
Creed: to do
justly, to love
mercy, to walk
humbly with your God.
[1] “Creed.”
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary,
Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creed.
Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.
11 August 2021
More Than A Song: A War Cry
More Than A Song: A War Cry
(5/11/21, ALC)
Text: Song of Solomon 2:12-13
“(12) The flowers appear on the
earth; the time of the singing of
birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (13) The
fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give
a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Psalms 104:10, 12
“He sendeth the springs into the
valleys, which run among the hills….By
them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the
branches.
Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that
love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (You will be judged by the type of speech
that comes from your mouth).
Spring has come, and with it the beautiful melody of birds
singing. I particularly love to sit on my porch, or in my home office with the
windows open, and listen to peaceful songs delivered by the birds.
We even have a rooster here in the Hills of Guyandotte that
crows all day long: morning, noon & night.
We tend to equate the singing of birds to the praise of the
saints, and while we can agree with that we also see that their singing teaches
us a far greater lesson.
Nature teaches us.
Birds are territorial.[1]
They need to have proper space and
conditions to raise their offspring.
They will do many things to raise
their families.
I understand that there can be a danger in people being too
territorial when it comes to trying to reach the world and not allowing others
the opportunity to do a work for Jesus, but tonight I am focusing on your
families.
You need to guard your family.
Birds will choose their territory based on the availability
of food, water, shelter and nesting locations, and then they seek to attract a
mate.
Well, the Church is the perfect location for you to begin
nesting, and you already have a mate:
Isaiah 54:5, “For thy Maker is thine
husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of
Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.”
Paul wrote:
(11) Would to God ye could bear with
me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. (2) For I am
jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I
have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ. (3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:1-3).
Birds also claim territory to renew bonds and to let other
fowl know that this area is taken.
Birds claim territory through several
behaviors, including:[2]
· Nest building: Some birds, such as different types of wrens, will claim territory by taking advantage of the nesting sites it offers. The males will build multiple nests in suitable locations throughout their territory. The females will then investigate those nests and choose the one they prefer, even if they eventually rebuild the male's construction to suit their preferences.
o The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a place for us, as we prepare ourselves for Him:
§ John 14:2-3, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
· Drumming: Woodpeckers and several types of game birds claim territory by drumming as an alternative to singing. These low-pitched, rhythmic sounds, whether made by pounding on a hollow tree or by using air sacs, will carry great distances. This alerts competing birds that the territory is not available, as well as lets potential mates know that a strong, healthy bird has claimed the location.
o “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph” (Psalm 47:1).
o Clapping, like drumming, shows an encroaching enemy that we are strong and victorious
o And to our Lord, it is offered as an expression of praise, worship and thanksgiving for who He is and what He has done.
o Psalm 66:1, “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands.”
· Visual displays: Visual displays such as puffing up colored feather patches, tail flicking or fanning, wing spreading, and other behaviors are all part of claiming territory. These postures and actions also show off a bird's strength and health to a potential mate. These behaviors are commonly a part of courtship rituals between opposite sexes as well as territorial displays between two male birds.
o We lift our hands as a visual display of praise and worship:
§ Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Psalm 63:4)
§ Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. (Psalm 134:2)
§ I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1Timothy 2:8)
· Worship is closely tied to a life of holiness.
· Everyone can praise the Lord, but not everyone can worship Him.
o We dance before the Lord as a visual demonstration of praise:
o Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. (Psalm 149:1-3)
o Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. (Psalm 150:4)
o And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. (2 Samuel 6:14)
· Chasing: As a last resort, aggressive birds may directly chase intruders or competitors out of their territory. This is frequent in areas where many birds are seeking to claim the same space, or when a dominant male is discouraging younger males that are struggling to claim their first territory. In bird species where family groups remain together in the winter, the male parent may chase away his mature offspring the following spring so they do not infringe on his territory.
o In this day, you better be aggressive about protecting your home, your nest, your territory.
§ The devil is trespassing on your home and in your mind with all the competing distractions. Why is he so set on distracting you, because he wants your most precious possession:
· Your relationship with God.
· Your family’s soul.
o That old serpent will slip near your nest just to consume your future hope.
· Singing: Singing is one of the most common ways birds advertise that territory belongs to them. Songs will carry quite far, and birds will perch near the edge of their territory to broadcast their claim to the maximum range. At the same time, a strong, vibrant song will help attract a mate. For some species, such as the northern mockingbird, a more complex song will help birds defend a larger territory and are more attractive to females.
o Singing is so important that the largest book of the Bible is a songbook – Psalms
o Psalms 66:1-4, “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: (2) Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. (3) Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. (4) All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.”
o We are told to “be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20).
o Psalms 150:1-6, “(1) Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. (2) Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. (3) Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. (4) Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. (5) Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (6) Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
Your Song is More Than
A Song.
Your Song is A War Cry.
You are conducting Holy Warfare
Hebrews 13:15, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to
his name.”
Psalms 149:1-9
(1) Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
(2) Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
(3) Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
(4) For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
(5) Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
(6) Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
(7) To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
(8) To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
(9) To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.