Glorifying God In 2024 Grace Point Baptist Church's podcast

33:36

From time to time, Jesus would address a small group of people when he was teaching. This parable in Luke 18 was one of those occasions. We read in verse 9, “ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.” It would seem that this group had two primary character flaws: 1: They trusted in their own righteousness . They thought that their actions gave them right standing with God. This is self-righteousness, and it is rooted in pride. Notice how Jesus ends the parable in verse 14, “…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 2: They treated others with contempt . Self-righteous people look down on others; they operate out of a “spiritual caste system” that views less religious people as unworthy of their time. We see this today when people display spiritual elitism, when they claim to have a special knowledge or superior access to God. Before we judge too quickly, we must remember that we will always have a root of pride in our lives; it is part of our fallen human nature. We are sinners saved by the grace of God (See Isaiah 64:6). Jesus, speaking to this select group of self-righteous people—and to us— tells the story of two men going to the temple to pray. The Pharisee Seeing a Pharisee pray would have been a normal and expected thing to witness. The Pharisees were the best of the best when it came to following the law. They were held in high esteem by the common man. Everyone looked up to the piety of the Pharisees, but this man was the epitome of a self-righteous person. Tax collector Seeing a tax collector pray would have been a shock to the hearers. Tax collectors were seen as corrupt and sell-outs to the Roman Empire, making a living by stealing from their fellow Jews. The hearers would have been wondering why a tax collector would even be going near the temple, let alone praying. Jesus allows us to eavesdrop on the prayers of the two men. The Pharisee’s Prayer “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” (Luke 18:11) In reality, this wasn’t a prayer; the Pharisee was putting on a show, praying to himself and to those within earshot. To this man, prayer was a way of being recognized and praised. He begins his prayer by comparing himself to other people. If we are honest, we are all guilty of comparison; daily we come across people who don’t measure up to our standard of decency or accepted behavior. We can be tempted to judge the addict, the homeless, the corrupt businessman, and many more. We can easily be guilty of our own self-righteous thoughts for which we need to repent. Comparison can become deadly for our spiritual growth. Our standard for holiness must be Jesus, and him alone. With Jesus as our standard, we will always grow in humility and dependency on his grace and mercy for our daily lives. This Pharisee, looked down on the tax collector and mocked his prayer, mocked his display of worship. The Pharisee didn’t realize that he himself was the one who was far off from God. The Pharisee continued to speak about his accomplishments and his religious credentials, all the while reinforcing his own self-righteousness. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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The Eternal Word with Pastor Athol Barnes | 2.23.25 33:47

7 днів тому33:47

33:47

We live in an age when people avoid the inevitability of death. We don’t like to talk about death. When someone dies, often their body is quickly cremated, and those who are grieving try to move on as quickly as possible, avoiding pondering on the destination that we all face:, heaven or hell. Jesus spoke a lot about heaven and hell, in particular the parable of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16. Without getting too caught up in the metaphor of the parable, we must be careful not to miss the real reason for the parable. This parable had a twist at the end that, I believe, revealed the primary reason that Jesus taught it. Two Different Men The two main characters in the parable are a rich man and a poor man who was called Lazarus. The rich man remains nameless, but he was exceptionally wealthy and ostentatious in displaying his wealth. The rich man trusted in his riches; this was his downfall. This is also the downfall of our nation. The irony is that the statement, “ In God we trust ” appears on the currency that we really trust in. Self-sufficiency is a fatal pitfall (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus gives the poor man a name, Lazarus. Everyone in the town would have known the name of the rich man. But Jesus knew the name of the poor man. God sees the downcast, the broken, and the poor. Two Different Destinations As the story is told by Jesus, both men die and Lazarus is given a personal escort to the side of Abraham, which in Jewish culture would have been the place of greatest honor. From a temporal place of suffering and pain, Lazarus is lifted to an eternal place of peace and comfort. Then the rich man dies, and he is sent to Hades, a place of torment (Luke 16:22-23). At death, the rich man enters into eternal punishment and eternal poverty, while Lazarus is eternally wealthy in paradise. The difference between the two men was not riches or poverty; it was faith (see Ephesians 2:8). In his suffering, the rich man cries out to Abraham, asking him to send Lazarus to help him. He still sees Lazarus as a lower-class man, someone to do his bidding (Luke 16:24). Abraham responds by letting the formerly rich man know that his situation is permanently set (Luke 16:26). Jesus taught that Hell would be a place of excruciating eternal suffering, but the worst part would be the complete absence of the grace of God—that is what makes it Hell. As Jesus continues to tell the parable, we see the twist in the tail; the rich man seems to fear for the plight of his brothers. This rich man was probably not a bad person by human standards. He displayed concern and love for his family. The reality is that there will be people in hell who, by our worldly standards, did good things. But all our good deeds are worthless when we stand before Jesus on judgment day; the only thing that matters is our response to the Gospel message. One True Book The rich man, again seeing Lazarus as someone to do his bidding, begs Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to go and warn his family. Abraham responds in verse 29, “ They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” Abraham is talking about the Holy Scriptures, the Hebrew Bible, which we call the Old Testament. We know, looking back from a New Testament perspective, that all the Law and the Prophets point to Jesus. The Old Testament is a revelation of Jesus fulfilled in the New Testament. Luke 16:31, “ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. ’” Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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Do You Care with Pastor Athol Barnes | 2.16.25 33:19

14 днів тому33:19

33:19

If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that there are people that we would not be concerned about being outside of the grace of God. We all have a line. This is part of our fallen human nature. During the time that Jesus walked the earth, the nation of Israel had people that they hated so much they declared them to be beyond the hope of redemption. A Question for a Question Jesus confronted this way of thinking and challenged the norms of culture during his earthly ministry. We read about his confrontation with a Mosaic law expert in Luke 10, and we know it as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Sometimes we forget that Jesus told the parable in response to a challenge. A lawyer had posed this question: “ Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?” To the lawyer’s chagrin, Jesus answers the question with a question, asking, “What is written in the Law? ” In response, he begins sparring with Jesus. Jesus directs the man to an authority that they can both accept – the law of Moses (Luke 10:26). The lawyer answers Jesus’ question by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He connects these two different passages, showing a good understanding of the law of Moses. “And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Jesus commends him and seems to move on, but the learned man is not satisfied. He knows that he is not perfectly loving towards his fellow man, so he is looking for a definition that will lower the bar on the requirement of the law. He asks Jesus, “ Who is my neighbor ?” A Parable for a Problem Jesus tells a parable to correct the scribe’s false understanding of who his neighbor was. In this parable, a man is beaten to the point of death, and three people walk past him as he lay on the side of the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. The priest, who should have been the first to help, walks by on the other side of the road. A man from the tribe of Levi does the same thing and keeps on walking. The third person to come by is a Samaritan. Samaritans were hated by the Jews because of racial position and religious differences. The Samaritans were judged and condemned by the Jewish people. We do not know if the injured man was a Jew or Gentile, but it made no difference to the Samaritan; he did not consider the man’s race or religion. The Samaritan only saw a person in need of assistance, and he assisted him by going above and beyond in his care. A Question for an Answer Jesus made his point by asking the scribe a laser sharp question, “ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36). Once again, the lawyer’s answer reveals his personal hardness of heart. He refers to the Samaritan as, “ the one who showed mercy .” Jesus then tells the lawyer to “ go and do likewise ,.” Jesus means that the man should start living what the law tells him to do by following the Samaritan’s example of merciful care, irrespective of the recipient’s race, religion, financial position or nationality. The lesson is the same for us. If someone has a need and we have the means to help, then we are to give generously and freely without expectation of return, regardless of the recipient’s race, religion, socioeconomic status, or political views. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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The Stories that Jesus Told Part 2 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 02.09.2025 38:54

21 день тому38:54

38:54

Sunday February 9 2025 Matthew 13:1-9 The Parable of the Sower Pastor Athol Barnes Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/

Grace Point Baptist Church's Podcast

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The Stories that Jesus Told Part 1 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 02.02.2025 31:06

28 днів тому31:06

31:06

Once upon a time… We all love a good story, don’t we? Jesus was the greatest storyteller when he walked with his disciples. He taught many things in what we call parables, which are simple stories that reveal a deeper meaning. Jesus spoke in parables not simply to teach moral lessons in a way people would remember but to reveal the kingdom of heaven. There are multiple layers to every parable that Jesus taught, but each one shows us something about God’s character and our own hardened, sinful human nature. Thirty-five percent of the content in the synoptic Gospels is the parables that Jesus told. If parables were Jesus’ primary teaching method, then they should be very important for us to study. What is a Parable? The word parable means “to set alongside”. A parable is a story that is set alongside a timeless truth to reinforce or to clarify a certain truth. Dr/ Albert Mohler defines a parable as, “ Surprising stories and word pictures drawn from the familiar, that powerfully reveal to us the unfamiliar”. God uses this concept throughout the Bible. Sometimes God uses historical accounts to stand as a standard to reveal His character and nature. In the Old Testament, God frequently God referred to himself as, “ I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt ”. The Egypt deliverance was their great story. The books of Esther and Ruth reveal aspects of the nature of God and the Gospel. The prophets were sometimes called upon to act out the message in sometimes uncomfortable ways, providing a visual parable if you will (look at Jeremiah and Hosea for example). Job is a true story that has become a parable for the sovereignty of God. Our creator knows our mind is wired for story because He created it that way. Our creator came, teaching in parables 2000 years ago, and they still speak to us today. Truth Obscured When Jesus first taught the parables to the original audience, they were obscure; his listeners didn’t grasp the true meaning of what Jesus was saying. The disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 13 verse 10, “ Why do you speak to them in parables?” They noticed that Jesus was not explaining the parables to the people. Jesus answered in verse 11, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Why would Jesus intentionally obscure truth from the very people he came to save? The disciples and the people thought they knew who Jesus was. They were expecting a messiah who would overthrow the Roman empire and re-establish the great nation of Israel. The disciples were trying to help Jesus create a following by revealing who he was, or at least who they thought he was. Why was Jesus hiding the truth in stories? While Jesus explained the parables to his inner circle, he was really speaking to the church that would be birthed after his ascension. The parables are for us, revealing truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. In verse 12, Jesus explains that there are two kinds of people, those who hear and understand, and those who hear and do not understand. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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Doorway Part 2 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 01.19.2025 34:24

6 weeks тому34:24

34:24

September 11, 2001. A horrific attack shook the world, affecting countless lives. It was traumatic for the survivors and those who lost loved ones. It was a doorway that everyone had to go through. Only the Lord knows the doorways of grief and trauma that potentially await us this year. From Successful to Suffering The biblical figure Job had to endure terrible and painful doorways. He was blameless and upright according to Job 1:8, yet Satan was permitted to inflict terrible things on this righteous man. In all he endured, Job did not sin lose his faith in God (see Job 1:22). Job’s friends’ slander and accuse him as they try to make sense of his suffering. In chapter 19, he tries to defend himself. Through all this, God seems to be silent and preventing Job from finding relief (see Job 19:8). It is evident that God is showing Job that the only way forward is by going through the doorway of suffering. Suffering can be an intensely lonely time in a person’s life. Job laments that everyone has deserted him (see Job 19:13-19). As Job is making his plea for mercy, he knows that God has allowed these awful events to happen (see Job 19:21). Job recognizes God has permitted his pain; he doesn’t give Satan any acknowledgment. If we learn anything from the account of Job, it is a study in the sovereignty of God. We don’t know why God allows suffering, but ultimately, we know that God has promised to work it all for our good and for His glory. There are countless stories of people who have gone through the doorway of incredible pain and suffering allowing God to use their pain for His glory. From Pain to Perspective From verse 25, we notice Job changes his focus. It seems as if he had a prophetic revelation that went millennia ahead of his current situation and points to the redeemer, a portrait of Jesus. What shifted? Job walked through the doorway of suffering and found that Jesus was right there. God gave Job a revelation of what is to come, the eternal and abundant life that Jesus offers. While Job was on the inside of the door, he was experiencing excruciating physical pain, trauma and even slander. He was frozen, stuck in his pain and trauma. But when he took his focus off his immediate situation and turned to the Lord, he walked through the doorway of trauma and found that God was already there. He was not alone; God had never left him (see Deuteronomy 31:8). From Hurting to Healed The promise of God’s presence is echoed throughout Scripture, culminating with the giving of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to the church. Sometimes when we encounter suffering, we freeze, not knowing how to move forward through the door that we are facing. There are times when God seems far off; we get stuck, paralyzed by the trauma or the unknown of living beyond the current painful situation. We cannot see what healing would even look like or how to get through the doorway. Are you dealing with trauma? Stuck on the threshold of the door, paralyzed by trauma or fear of the unknown? When you experience trauma that was not your fault and not your choice, God invites you to work through the effect of the trauma. That is what God did for Job; He can do that for you. Healing will come as you step through the doorway by allowing God to change the effect of the trauma. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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Doorway Part 1 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 01.12.2025 33:40

7 weeks тому33:40

33:40

As we stand on the brink of a new year, I want to spend the next two weeks focusing on the prospect of changes that we all will be facing in the coming year. Changes can be likened to doorways. Sometimes doors open to us, and we have the choice to step through them into a life change. It may be a new relationship or a job, or even a new home. Some people will graduate or receive a promotion. Others will retire. New doors can be stressful yet exciting, filled with potential. When we as believers face a new doorway, we must have faith to step into the unknown. Jesus described himself as the door in John 10:1-13. From this passage, we see that Jesus is the only door to eternal life, Jesus is the key to abundant everyday life, and Jesus is our Good Shepherd when we face life-altering doors. Jesus is the only Door to Eternal Life In John 10, Jesus declares that he is the only way of salvation; he is the only door to a relationship with God, sadly this doctrine is not widely believed in many Christian circles. A recent survey of 3100 people who claim to be born again Christians found that only 25% believed in the exclusivity of Christ for salvation. I want to categorically state today that as long as I am called by God to preach the Word of God, I will hold to the truth that Jesus is the only way of salvation. If Jesus was not the only way of salvation, there would be no point in proclaiming the Gospel; it would be irrelevant. Jesus makes the statement in John 10 verse 9 that he is the way of salvation. There are several other verses in the Bible that explicitly declare that Jesus is the only way of salvation (see John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5). No other religion has a god who did what Jesus did. Jesus is the only savior who stepped down from his throne in heaven and paid the price for our salvation by giving his life as a ransom for our sins. We don’t have to do anything to earn salvation, and we cannot add to our salvation. Jesus is the Key to Abundant Life in the Daily Doors of Life Once we have established that Jesus is the only door to eternal life, how does this knowledge affect our day to day lives in 2025? Jesus said in John 10:10, “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus came not only to save us but that we may have abundant life. This abundant life begins when we are truly born again and begin our relationship with our Creator. This abundant life is not exempt from the trials and pain of life; rather, it is a life of peace with God, a life that lives to glorify God and enjoy His presence even in the midst of suffering. To live this abundant life, we have many daily choices to make. Little choices that either lead to life or produce a slow death in us. Every day we are faced with new doorways as decisions are presented to us. Doorways of Distraction There are doorways of distraction: spending hours on social media, online browsing, watching hours of TV, listening to unhelpful podcasts, or the distraction of pornography. These doorways lead to a slow death in us, not eternally speaking, but a numbing of the mind and soul. I challenge you this year to make a radical decision to change what you are feeding on. When you decide what to watch, read, listen to, and consume, ask yourself: is it producing life or death in your heart and mind? Doorways to Transformation We have the choice every day to open the doorway to things that are life giving and supernatural. This doorway is opening the Word of God and prayerfully allowing the power of the Word of God to transform our life. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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Two Truth's and a Guide with Travis Hamm | 12.29.2024 41:18

8 weeks тому41:18

41:18

Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/

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Believe Part 4 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 12.22.2024 28:34

10 weeks тому28:34

28:34

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Believe Part 3 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 12.15.2024 37:24

10 weeks тому37:24

37:24

Imagine you were tasked with the greatest announcement in all of History. Imagine that God put you in charge of making the announcement of the birth of Jesus, the promised Messiah. How would you go about it? Today you might launch a mass media campaign, or a viral video series, maybe spend a lot of money on TV commercials. Obviously, none of these methods were available in the first century, but God used a very unlikely method all the same. First God used ancient prophets who wrote and taught about a coming messiah. Most of them were alive around seven-hundred years before Jesus was born. But then God is silent for four-hundred years, until a small group of shepherds have an angelic encounter that announces the birth of the Christ child. The shepherds seemed to be unlikely candidates for a world-altering announcement. The shepherds heard the angel’s pronouncement and saw the host of angels singing—and they believed. As they believed, they responded in four ways to the incredible news they had heard. The angel of the Lord made the message personal for them, saying in Luke 2:11, “ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord .” This child who was born was for them, it wasn’t a child who would be disconnected from their lives. By visiting the shepherds, the angel revealed the grace of God toward all of mankind. Shepherds were really outcasts in Israel, In fact their work not only made them ceremonially unclean, and it probably kept them away from the temple for weeks at a time so that they could not be made clean. God does not always call the rich and mighty; frequently He calls the poor and the lowly (see Luke 1:51-53). The shepherds got it, and they responded in faith in four ways: 1: They Believed Now it may seem obvious that they would believe. They had just had an incredible supernatural encounter the likes of which very few humans have ever witnessed. But they had to believe the word of the angel. But what about us? I am sure none of you have seen a mighty host of angels, but there is a promise when we believe by the power of the Holy Spirit (see John 20:29). Do you believe? Believing always requires a response. There is always an action or a step of faith that follows belief. The shepherds responded. 2: They Obeyed (Luke 2:15). In verse 15a we read, “ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “ Let’s go …” Notice that in verse 11, the angel didn’t tell them what to do, but rather it was an invitation. When Jesus is presented, there is always an invitation. And their faith compelled them to go and see the Christ. Even as a baby, he changed lives, and he is still changing lives today. Some people have suggested that these shepherds were some distance away, it was not a simple task to find someone to take care of their sheep. But they worked it out, they were not going to miss this opportunity. How often we are given opportunities to encounter the Lord, but we find it too inconvenient. We know we really should go to that prayer meeting, or that life group, but we feel a bit tired. It is just a little inconvenient. And so, we miss out on what may be a special time with the Body of Christ. When the Lord gives you an invitation, always respond even if it is inconvenient, maybe, especially if it is inconvenient! This leads to the third response: Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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Believe Part 2 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 12.8.2024 26:45

12 weeks тому26:45

26:45

What is God inviting you to believe? Last week we talked about what it means to believe in Jesus for salvation. To illustrate my point, I professed that I believed the chair could hold me, but if I didn’t act on that belief by stepping on the chair, no one would believe that I actually believed that (see Romans 10:9). Believing always requires a response, an action or a step of faith that follows belief. In Matthew 2, we read about a group of wise men who simply believed—and acted in response to that belief. Who Were the Wise Men? To understand why the wise men’s active belief is significant, we first need to understand who they were.Our cultural and traditional Christmas scenes get two things wrong about the wise men, which are also called magi: The wise men did not arrive along with the shepherds. When they visited Jesus in Bethlehem, he was not a newborn, and Mary and Joseph were not living in a stable. Their visit likely occurred six to eighteen months after the birth of Jesus. The number of wise men. Though tradition says three, we do not actually know how many magi there were. From the three gifts listed in Matthew 2:11, many people have assumed there were three kings from the Orient, but this is not certain. What we do know is that when their caravan arrived in Jerusalem, there were enough of them to trouble the whole city. In addition to these common misconceptions, it’s also important to understand that these wise men were not Jewish. They were Gentiles, outside the covenant people of God. By bringing these wise men to the feet of Jesus, God was revealing right from his birth that Jesus was the Savior of the whole world (see John 4:42). Romans 15:12 says, “ …The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” What Did the Wise Men Do? The magi responded in faith—to the sight of a star in the sky. They traveled for months, crossing thousands of miles of desert and mountain and harsh conditions, to see the “king of the Jews”, though they themselves weren’t Jews (see Matthew 2:2). Just consider the journey that the magi took. It was a huge undertaking to travel great distances 2000 years ago. There was no air travel or trains, no Holiday Inn Express, no Quick trip to buy a snack on the run. They had to plan and carry all their provisions. Journeys were dangerous, not to mention expensive. These men had to spend a huge sum of money to travel to a small insignificant town in Israel. What did the Wise Men Bring? The wise men didn’t come empty handed. They brought gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These seem like strange gifts for a one-year old. Why not a car seat or changing table or some other culturally appropriate baby gift? The gifts, though strange to us, were actually symbolically significant and probably provided the money for Mary and Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. The gifts are also prophetic. The wise men knew what many people celebrating Christmas today don’t know—the purpose and the mission of the life of Jesus. Gold: the precious metal represents that Jesus is the King Frankincense: the strong smelling fragrance indicates that as Jesus lived, the fragrance of his life impacted many with miracles and teaching (see 2 Corinthians 2:15). Myrrh: the embalming substance used at burials was a prophetic declaration that Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many. He came with the purpose of being a sacrifice for our sins. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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Believe Part 1 with Pastor Athol Barnes | 12.1.2024 33:38

13 weeks тому33:38

33:38

What does the word “believe” mean? The dictionary answers, “To consider to be true or honest, to accept the word or evidence of someone or something.” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/believe) No Work Needed By definition, a Christian is someone who believes on Jesus for righteousness. Romans 10:6-7 says, “But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” These verses sound a bit confusing, but what Paul is saying is that there is nothing we need to do to earn our salvation. We don’t need to go anywhere or do anything. This is righteousness based on faith in the risen Lord Jesus. Faith in the truth of God’s word and the Gospel. Our salvation is through faith in Jesus alone (see Ephesians 2:8). Confess and Believe How do we place our faith in Jesus? Romans 10:9 tell us, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” We have established that it takes faith to be saved. From this verse we see that there are two things that we have do: confess and believe. Confess To confess Jesus as Lord, we must first acknowledge our need for a Savior, turning from our sins and repenting of them (see Matthew 4:17 and Acts 2:38). We confess Jesus’s saving Lordship privately to him and publicly to others. A new believer’s baptism is a public confession, a testimony to others. Baptism doesn’t save you, but it is a public declaration of what Jesus has already done in your life. This is why, before someone is baptized, we always have them confess before the congregation what Jesus has done in their life. There is power in our confession. Believe But believing is more than simply saying a few words. Anyone can say a sentence without believing it. Faith on Jesus is believing that he can save me from my sin and then trusting him for my salvation. There is a difference between believing in something and believing on something. One can believe in the historical Jesus, the fact that a man was born and lived in Israel 2000 years ago, without believing that he is the Christ and the only way of salvation. Believing is more than declaring; it is evidenced in how you live. When we truly believe on Jesus for salvation, it changes the way we live so that our decisions and lifestyle flow from a Christian perspective—what we would call a Biblical worldview (see John 8:31-32). We must believe that Jesus died in our place, but we must go further and trust him with our lives now and in eternity. We must believe on him for salvation and for our transformation. Belief That Saves Salvation is not based on giving verbal ascent to certain truths. Our salvation is based on fully trusting on Jesus, leaning on him, resting on his completed work—believing that Jesus has saved you and that he will save you. This is belief that saves. We, by nature, believe in things and people all the time, but sometimes our belief is unfounded. The person or thing we believe in lets us down. We believe in our strength, until it is gone. We believe in our wealth, only to find it fleeting. We believe in our medical professionals, until they have no answers. We believe in our friends and family, until they desert us in hard times. We believe in our political leaders, only to find that they don’t share our values. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

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From Suffering to Glory with Pastor Athol Barnes | 4.14.2024 40:46

15 weeks тому40:46

40:46

No one is immune to suffering, but Christians have the hope of glory to look forward to in and through their suffering. If you are experiencing extended periods of hardship, you might struggle to hope in that future glory, but the promises of God’s Word do not fail. The apostle Peter knew that the early church was going to experience trials of persecution, and he wanted them to be prepared. As he ended his letter, Peter gave the church family three important instructions to obey so that they could glorify God in the difficulties to come Be Humble (1 Peter 5:5-7) Submitting to Elders Peter exhorted the young people to submit to their elders in humility. A healthy church honors the voice of all generations. Submission requires humility (see v. 6). As we submit to God, we are to humbly submit to and prefer one another in love. Clothing in Humility Peter exhorts all of us to clothe ourselves in humility, the same humility that Jesus displayed as he walked the earth (see Philippians 2:6-8). Pride is the root of all sin; therefore, humility is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal. Humility is not thinking poorly of ourselves; it is simply thinking of ourselves less and preferring others first. Treating Our Pride Verse 6 begins with the following phrase, “ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God…” When God begins to do a powerful work in our lives that brings Him glory, sometimes we feel God’s mighty hand as a heavy weight. God allows us to feel the heavy weight of suffering, which is naturally humbling. Suffering can serve as a remedy for pride. Learning Patience The glorious hope we have is the promise of the rest of that verse, “ …so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (see v. 6b). The key, of course, is the phrase “ at the proper time.” The hardest part of suffering is learning patience. Our impatience is a remnant of pride that God is working out through suffering. Giving Over Our Worries God doesn’t simply put us under His heavy hand like a cruel master; He gives a promise in verse 7, “ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Giving God our anxieties must come from the realization that we cannot handle them ourselves. God does not forcefully take our worries and our anxieties; He invites us to hand them over to Him in humility. Holding on to our anxieties is prideful, and the heavy hand of God lovingly gets heavier until we release our burdens to Him. When we are suffering, we struggle to believe what Peter says in verse 7—that He cares for us. We don’t trust that He is good. These are lies from Satan. As we give Him our concerns, God promises to minister to us in four ways: (a) He gives us the courage to face our cares honestly and not run away (Isaiah. 41:10). (b) He gives us the wisdom to understand the situation (James 1:5). (c) He gives us the strength to do what He has called us to do (Philippians. 4:13). (d) He gives us the faith to trust Him to do the rest (Psalm. 37:5) Be Watchful (1 Peter 5:8-9) We have an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). Peter writes, “ be sober minded”. In other words, he wants us to think rightly about the situation we face. This is hard when we are suffering, but it is crucial. To have right thinking is to have God’s perspective, keeping His promises and the scope of eternity in view. We give the enemy a foothold when we are not watchful. Satan devours by bad thinking: discouragement, hopelessness, pridefulness, and arrog Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

Grace Point Baptist Church's Podcast

1
Healthy Leadership Healthy Church with Pastor Athol Barnes | 11.03.2024 37:36

17 weeks тому37:36

37:36

By God’s design, the local church is to be led by elders. Other names for that role are pastor, shepherd, or overseer (see Acts 20:28). In 1 Peter 5:1-5, Peter provides instructions and exhortation to the elders of the church; we can all learn from these leadership lessons. The Role of the Elder Jesus bought the church with his own blood. Although we like to identify our community as “ my church ”, in truth, it is “ his church ”. The primary role of the elder is to tend to the sheep, feeding, leading, and protecting them. The challenge is that elders are also sheep, and as such they need accountability and shepherding themselves. The Bible teaches that healthy church leadership should have more than one elder. This strengthens the church and guards against strong personalities that might slowly introduce false teaching. A healthy church will only grow from healthy leaders. A church will never grow in an area of ministry if the leaders are not leading the way by example. The Proximity of the Elder. Peter writes in verse 1, “ So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.” Peter is exhorting the elders who are among the people, implying that these elders were directly engaged with the community. Pastors who are not in the trenches are not shepherding. YouTube “pastors” are not shepherding. In times of persecution, the leadership of the church is crucial (see 1 Peter 4:17). Humble local shepherds play a critical role in helping the church withstand the temptation to swim along with the stream of the world’s culture, especially during times of trial. Sadly, leaders who run away during persecution are hirelings and not true shepherds as Jesus said in John 10. John Maxwell said, “ A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Peter identifies himself as a co-elder, but he had some extra credibility: he witnessed the crucifixion as Jesus died in our place on the cross. He also saw the empty tomb as Jesus victoriously conquered sin and death. Peter knew that even though there is suffering now, there is glory coming later. Glory always follows suffering, and this coming glory should motivate the elders in their shepherding. Peter had a healthy eternal perspective, and we should too. How often do you think about Jesus coming again, and how does it affect your leadership of others? The Leadership of the Elder Peter goes on to encourage the elders in verses 2 and 3, “ shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock .” To exercise oversight is to care for others, not dominate or dictate. Oversight is providing care for the church family; it is a high calling and a serious responsibility. Peter then compares three styles of leadership. Compulsion v. Willingness “ People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” —Theodore Roosevelt. The Lord wants elders to lead willingly, not from compulsion or some type of guilt and shame. When the Lord asks us to lead, we must respond willingly with a ready “yes” in our hearts. Read More and Discover More Sermons at https://gpchurch.us/…

Grace Point Baptist Church's Podcast

1
It's About to get Real - Athol Barnes | 10.27.2024 35:27

18 weeks тому35:27