What's In It For Me?

Today's sermon was taken from Isaiah 40:28-31

Even the Christian, whether spoken or unspoken, asks God, "What's in it for me?"  God answers that question throughout scripture. 

We find that the obedient child of God has

• a closer walk with God
• a stronger faith
• a persuasive testimony

God also answers the question, "What's in it for me?" in today's text:

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Paying The Price

Today's Sunday School Lesson was taken from Acts 7:51 - 8:1a.

"Stephen kneeled, down and cried wiht a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.  And when he had said this, he fell asleep" (Acts 7:60).

Acts 7:51 - "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."

Points from today's lesson:

Fallen man has an unquenchable lust for evil and a heart that rejects God.  It takes a miracle to change the unbeliever's uncircumcised heart and ears.

1. Until you see your salvation in this way (v.5), you really haven't fully grasp what God's grace is.  "Why me"?  Why was I chosen to receive God's salvation?  God's grace!

2. If the Word is truly spoken in your life, there will be strife.

3.  If God is sovereign and holy, you can know without a doubt He can bring you through.

It is important to know that God is sovereign and man is not.  God is holy, man is not.  Let God be holy no matter the uncircumcised in heart and the uncircumcised in ears.  Let God be holy!

There is no greater place in heaven or in earth than in the hands of Holy God.

The Dangers of Love

"To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.  If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.  Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.   But in the casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change.  It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable....The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the 'dangers of love'...is Hell".  C. S. Lewis