weekly sermon
7-29-07
So You Have It
For the past couple of weeks, we looked to see if "you" have "it". We have
discussed what "it" is, and how to know if you have "it". Now lets talk about
what we do with it once we have it. We know "it" is knowing we are believers.
Believing in the word of God. And having the feeling that as believers we want
to know those around us are going to spend eternity with us in Heaven.
Turn with me to Mark 16:15-18. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature. (16)He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (17)And these signs
shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they
shall speak with new tongues; (18)They shall take up serpents; and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover."
The first thing we see in these verses is a commandment to the believers; "Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel". This commandment we touched on the
past couple of weeks. We talked about going to the ones we really cared about,
going to the ones we kind of cared about, or just the ones around us to share
what we now have, just to see how the world around us would act. So as you can
see here, it is a direct commandment for us to go tell others about this good
gospel.
Next we see what it means if we have or if we don't have "it". If we believe and
are baptized then we are saved, and if not then our souls are damned. Damned to
an eternal hell, a place that is described as in Matthew 13:50 "...a furnace of
fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." How many of us really want
to see anyone in this condition for eternity? There was an accident in Phoenix
this past week, where two news helicopters were following a police chase. The
two helicopters collided and fell to the ground killing everyone in the
aircrafts. When they interviewed a construction worker on the ground about what
he saw, he was SO emotional recounting the accident that it made him start to
cry. I thought about this then. This man didn't know any of the passengers of
the two helicopters, yet you could tell the compassion he had for them as he
described what he had witnessed. If you have ever felt this, and I know you
have, remember 9/11, then you have that same compassion to see the better for
man kind.
Then it shows us the abilities we have once we have "it". "These signs shall
follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly
thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover." This says we have the power of attorney from Christ to perform the
things He performed. We are the agents acting in, or representing Christ, as we
discussed last week. This does not mean that if we are believers that we MUST
perform these signs. This means that we CAN perform these signs, or that we have
the ability to perform them. All believers have the powers that Christ had, but
only if they choose to. Having the ability to obtain these signs, is the same as
the first acceptance of your salvation. Most folks do not have the ability to
perform these signs because they have not accepted the fact that they actually
can. They think that it would be something odd, something unrealistic, or
something they do not understand. If they would just simply have the faith they
could, then they would be able to perform any of these signs.
So in conclusion, let us look at what we have just talked about. We found out
what "it" is, we know how to get "it", and now we know what we are to do once we
have "it". "It" is the salvation, getting this salvation is simply accepting
Christ, and then doing with it, is showing compassion for mankind, spreading the
gospel so that none should perish. Dig deep, find that compassion you have for
mankind, and show them the way to an every lasting love with a personal saviour.
If you are still in search of this salvation, then say this simple prayer. Dear
Lord come into my life and save my soul, and be my personal saviour and friend.
Amen.
If you have said this prayer, then we believe you have received salvation. We
would like for you to send us a note on our home page to let us know you have so
we can rejoice with you and send you a few things to help you with your walk as
a new Christian.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone