Sabbath 12/19/15 Sermon: The Shepherd�s Joy About Jesus
Posted : 19 Dec, 2015 02:10 PM
Sabbath 12/19/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �The Shepherd�s Joy About Jesus� Luke 2:8-20
Most people identify with the shepherds seeing and being joyful about baby Jesus� birth. The Christmas story is very familiar to most of us and we sentimentalize it. We get stressed about the shopping and all else we have to do during Christmas. Many forget about remembering the birth of Jesus. The Son of God being born gets forgotten or overlooked. The shepherds were excited and joyful of the news of a Savior being born. God chose to give the birth announcement to shepherds out in the fields.
Shepherding used to be a noble profession in the Old Testament of the Bible. Abraham, David and others were shepherds. In the New Testament shepherding had lost its luster and nobility. It was now a lowly profession to be a shepherd. We are Jesus� sheep and He is our shepherd. God entrusted the message of Jesus� birth to a bunch of smelly, lowly, despised shepherds. God always reaches out to the lowly, outcast people. Once his son Jesus got grown, He preached and reached out to the lowly, poor people too. He chose the lowly, despised people of the world so no one could boast. The Lord comes to the neglected, lowly people to show His Power. The shepherds hearing the good news first, shows that God has a message for sinners like us. The announcement of Jesus� birth went out to a bunch of sinners and outcasts.
*** About the Shepherds:
1) Attentive to their jobs:
They were committed to their careers and never left their work. They were working 1st shift, 2nd shift and 3rd shifts with the sheep, watching over them. This is like Jesus, He is attentive to his job. He is looking after us 24/7 and He meets us right where we are. We too should be attentive to our jobs and what God has called us to do. We should work and do our jobs like we are working for God and not for men.
2) Awed by the Sights they Saw:
The angels of the Lord appeared to them and they were awed. God meets us where we are and brings us to our knees. We should be awed by the love and power of God in our lives. The shepherds at first were scared then they stood in awe at the sight of angels. They also stood in awe at the sight of baby Jesus. We should stand in awe and bow to the Lord.
3) Accepted-Feel Accepted by the Lord:
The shepherds felt accepted by the good news. The good news of acceptance and hope. The Lord had good news of great joy. God sent them a Savior who would lead them to salvation and great joy. The message is not for a few but for all people-the whole world! It must be deeply personal to each one of us. This is for you and me individually. The host of angels said it was good news for them. After they accepted it as the word of God, the shepherds went to go see the baby Jesus. We must accept the message of Jesus and let it be active in our lives.
4) Acted-Act on the Message:
The shepherds acted on the message. They hurried off to find Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. They usually moved slowly thru the pastures. These shepherds hurried to find Jesus. The Bible is clear that acceptance must lead to action! Faith without works is dead! The shepherds moved and went out and saw baby Jesus. Then after they saw Jesus, they went out and told everybody about what they had heard and seen. They saw a baby lying in a manger full of hay. The shepherds published the whole matter of a Savior being born to all they could tell it to. They left and shared. We must share what we know about Jesus. The shepherds didn�t hang around the manger and pull up a chair. They hurried out to tell about Jesus! They spread the word of what had been told them about this child. We are here today because the shepherds could not be quiet!
5) Returned to their Same Place:
We are to rejoice about Jesus right where we are. We are to go back to where we live or work and rejoice and be happy that we have Jesus. After Christmas when we go back to work, we should keep the Joy of Jesus with us. Praise God all the time for Jesus and all we have seen and heard. We need to be like the shepherds who were changed forever by what they saw. The shepherds personalized the good news. We must personalize the Christmas story too. It must become our story. Jesus must be our Savior, our Lord and He was born for each of us.
Sabbath 12/19/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �The Shepherd�s Joy About Jesus�
Posted : 19 Dec, 2015 02:04 PM
Sabbath 12/19/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �The Shepherd�s Joy About Jesus� Luke 2:8-20
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Most people identify with the shepherds seeing and being joyful about baby Jesus� birth. The Christmas story is very familiar to most of us and we sentimentalize it. We get stressed about the shopping and all else we have to do during Christmas. Many forget about remembering the birth of Jesus. The Son of God being born gets forgotten or overlooked. The shepherds were excited and joyful of the news of a Savior being born. God chose to give the birth announcement to shepherds out in the fields.
Shepherding used to be a noble profession in the Old Testament of the Bible. Abraham, David and others were shepherds. In the New Testament shepherding had lost its luster and nobility. It was now a lowly profession to be a shepherd. We are Jesus� sheep and He is our shepherd. God entrusted the message of Jesus� birth to a bunch of smelly, lowly, despised shepherds. God always reaches out to the lowly, outcast people. Once his son Jesus got grown, He preached and reached out to the lowly, poor people too. He chose the lowly, despised people of the world so no one could boast. The Lord comes to the neglected, lowly people to show His Power. The shepherds hearing the good news first, shows that God has a message for sinners like us. The announcement of Jesus� birth went out to a bunch of sinners and outcasts.
*** About the Shepherds:
1) Attentive to their jobs:
They were committed to their careers and never left their work. They were working 1st shift, 2nd shift and 3rd shifts with the sheep, watching over them. This is like Jesus, He is attentive to his job. He is looking after us 24/7 and He meets us right where we are. We too should be attentive to our jobs and what God has called us to do. We should work and do our jobs like we are working for God and not for men.
2) Awed by the Sights they Saw:
The angels of the Lord appeared to them and they were awed. God meets us where we are and brings us to our knees. We should be awed by the love and power of God in our lives. The shepherds at first were scared then they stood in awe at the sight of angels. They also stood in awe at the sight of baby Jesus. We should stand in awe and bow to the Lord.
3) Accepted-Feel Accepted by the Lord:
The shepherds felt accepted by the good news. The good news of acceptance and hope. The Lord had good news of great joy. God sent them a Savior who would lead them to salvation and great joy. The message is not for a few but for all people-the whole world! It must be deeply personal to each one of us. This is for you and me individually. The host of angels said it was good news for them. After they accepted it as the word of God, the shepherds went to go see the baby Jesus. We must accept the message of Jesus and let it be active in our lives.
4) Acted-Act on the Message:
The shepherds acted on the message. They hurried off to find Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. They usually moved slowly thru the pastures. These shepherds hurried to find Jesus. The Bible is clear that acceptance must lead to action! Faith without works is dead! The shepherds moved and went out and saw baby Jesus. Then after they saw Jesus, they went out and told everybody about what they had heard and seen. They saw a baby lying in a manger full of hay. The shepherds published the whole matter of a Savior being born to all they could tell it to. They left and shared. We must share what we know about Jesus. The shepherds didn�t hang around the manger and pull up a chair. They hurried out to tell about Jesus! They spread the word of what had been told them about this child. We are here today because the shepherds could not be quiet!
5) Returned to their Same Place:
We are to rejoice about Jesus right where we are. We are to go back to where we live or work and rejoice and be happy that we have Jesus. After Christmas when we go back to work, we should keep the Joy of Jesus with us. Praise God all the time for Jesus and all we have seen and heard. We need to be like the shepherds who were changed forever by what they saw. The shepherds personalized the good news. We must personalize the Christmas story too. It must become our story. Jesus must be our Savior, our Lord and He was born for each of us.
Sabbath 12/12/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �Why Sheep Herders? �
Posted : 12 Dec, 2015 10:50 AM
Sabbath 12/12/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �Why Sheep Herders? � Luke 2:8-20
Christmas time has high levels of charity and giving. You are supposed to be nice, supposed to share gifts and supposed to give more to the church missions this time of year. It�s clear that God exalted and blessed the overlooked, the shepherds. Mary and Joseph are in a stable surrounded by animals, while she�s giving birth to Jesus. Once the beautiful baby boy has come, God sends out a birth announcement with angels and bright lights. God and Heaven are excited by this event. Never before had God taken on human flesh. This child would change the world.
Who was the angelic birth announcement sent to? Shepherds in the field and not to famous people or presidents. The announcement of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords birth was not sent to the mayor of Bethlehem or Caesar or to the powers that be in the temple. The birth announcement was given to sheep herders in Bethlehem. The question is why? Why waste it on these shepherds?
1. God intentionally provided a glimpse of Jesus as a Good Shepherd.
2. God went to the people that society overlooked.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd that leads people to God. Moses, Abel and David were all shepherds too. God raised up shepherds to lead Israel to a greater knowledge of God. Now a good shepherd-Jesus the Messiah has been born to lead the flocks and care for his people. Jesus described himself as the Good Shepherd. The shepherds in the field received the announcement that the Messiah had arrived. God told how Jesus� ministry would be like, shepherding people just like sheep. Always taking care of them, watching over them because sheep are basically dumb animals. They are vulnerable to harm, stubborn and don�t listen. Jesus, like a shepherd, would be dedicated, committed to the sheep which are just like people. Jesus would be the Good Shepherd who would pay the ultimate price for his sheep and for all the non-Jewish sheep. Jesus would pay the price, give his life for all the sheep. Jesus would be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of all the people in the world. For ALL the sheep! Isaiah prophesized of Jesus being the Lamb of God that would take away all the sins of the world. In one special moment, the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God were born.
God used the overlooked, the shepherds to give the Good News. The sheepherders were social outcasts. They were not clean cut men. They didn�t have a 9 to 5 job but were wanderers, drifters in a society that didn�t like them. There were a little shady, thieves and you didn�t want them counting offerings. They didn�t look good, didn�t smell good and you didn�t want them around too much. Because they didn�t go to the temple, they were declared religiously unclean. People were told not to touch them. If they ever did show up at church, people would look at them funny and not have anything to do with them. Shepherds were considered backward folk, rural folk, uneducated and unlearned. The shepherd was an outcast, overlooked and not good enough for God.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they were scared because they had been told that they were unclean to God. They were scared to death and terrified. The angels told them not to fear because they had good news for them and for all people. The Good News is that a Savior was born today! God has given to us a Savior for the overlooked of the world. God used the overlooked shepherds as messengers of the Good News. This way God gets all the glory and displays his power. The shepherds spread the word of what was told to them. The Good News that Jesus� birth was told by unlikely messengers. God didn�t use the wise to give the Good News but He used lowly shepherds to tell it. God chose the foolish, weak, despised, lowly things of the world to share the word and give God glory.
Can you relate to the shepherds? Overlooked, lead to believe that you are not worthy of God�s love? Hear the message given to the shepherds. God loves everybody! He sent Jesus to lead and care for all people. We are ALL equal in God�s sight, no social levels. We are to honor the overlooked. We need to reach out to those that the world overlooks. We should have a heart for the lost and guide them to Jesus.
Sabbath 12/12/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �Why Sheep Herders? �
Posted : 12 Dec, 2015 10:48 AM
Sabbath 12/12/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �Why Sheep Herders? � Luke 2:8-20
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Christmas time has high levels of charity and giving. You are supposed to be nice, supposed to share gifts and supposed to give more to the church missions this time of year. It�s clear that God exalted and blessed the overlooked, the shepherds. Mary and Joseph are in a stable surrounded by animals, while she�s giving birth to Jesus. Once the beautiful baby boy has come, God sends out a birth announcement with angels and bright lights. God and Heaven are excited by this event. Never before had God taken on human flesh. This child would change the world.
Who was the angelic birth announcement sent to? Shepherds in the field and not to famous people or presidents. The announcement of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords birth was not sent to the mayor of Bethlehem or Caesar or to the powers that be in the temple. The birth announcement was given to sheep herders in Bethlehem. The question is why? Why waste it on these shepherds?
1. God intentionally provided a glimpse of Jesus as a Good Shepherd.
2. God went to the people that society overlooked.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd that leads people to God.
Moses, Abel and David were all shepherds too. God raised up shepherds to lead Israel to a greater knowledge of God. Now a good shepherd-Jesus the Messiah has been born to lead the flocks and care for his people. Jesus described himself as the Good Shepherd. The shepherds in the field received the announcement that the Messiah had arrived. God told how Jesus� ministry would be like, shepherding people just like sheep. Always taking care of them, watching over them because sheep are basically dumb animals. They are vulnerable to harm, stubborn and don�t listen. Jesus, like a shepherd, would be dedicated, committed to the sheep which are just like people. Jesus would be the Good Shepherd who would pay the ultimate price for his sheep and for all the non-Jewish sheep. Jesus would pay the price, give his life for all the sheep. Jesus would be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of all the people in the world. For ALL the sheep! Isaiah prophesized of Jesus being the Lamb of God that would take away all the sins of the world. In one special moment, the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God were born.
God used the overlooked, the shepherds to give the Good News. The sheepherders were social outcasts. They were not clean cut men. They didn�t have a 9 to 5 job but were wanderers, drifters in a society that didn�t like them. There were a little shady, thieves and you didn�t want them counting offerings. They didn�t look good, didn�t smell good and you didn�t want them around too much. Because they didn�t go to the temple, they were declared religiously unclean. People were told not to touch them. If they ever did show up at church, people would look at them funny and not have anything to do with them. Shepherds were considered backward folk, rural folk, uneducated and unlearned. The shepherd was an outcast, overlooked and not good enough for God.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they were scared because they had been told that they were unclean to God. They were scared to death and terrified. The angels told them not to fear because they had good news for them and for all people. The Good News is that a Savior was born today! God has given to us a Savior for the overlooked of the world. God used the overlooked shepherds as messengers of the Good News. This way God gets all the glory and displays his power. The shepherds spread the word of what was told to them. The Good News that Jesus� birth was told by unlikely messengers. God didn�t use the wise to give the Good News but He used lowly shepherds to tell it. God chose the foolish, weak, despised, lowly things of the world to share the word and give God glory.
Can you relate to the shepherds? Overlooked, lead to believe that you are not worthy of God�s love? Hear the message given to the shepherds. God loves everybody! He sent Jesus to lead and care for all people. We are ALL equal in God�s sight, no social levels. We are to honor the overlooked. We need to reach out to those that the world overlooks. We should have a heart for the lost and guide them to Jesus.
Sabbath 12/5/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �The Significance of Our Faith�
Posted : 5 Dec, 2015 11:08 AM
Sabbath 12/5/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �The Significance of Our Faith� I Peter 1:3-12
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We need to have FAITH to survive the hurricanes of life. All of us need an anchor that will hold during the storms of life. That anchor is our FAITH. Peter knew how important Faith is and tells us how to keep the Faith and to live our Faith. In our society as well as in Peter�s society, it is not easy to live a Christ centered Faith life. We need to have our Faith anchor holding in storms of life. Only a Faith in Christ is true.
Four Things to Live Out our Faith:
1. Have a Timeless Faith:
Our Faith in Christ is kept in Heaven and is imperishable. It is in Heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy just like the treasures Jesus told us to put in Heaven. Our Faith in God and Jesus is set on someone who will never perish. If we have faith in things on earth they will get old, wear away and be destroyed. Some great cities of the past are nothing left but rubble.
2. Have Incorruptible Faith:
Faith in God will be incorruptible if we lean on Him and Jesus. Jesus has no sin, has incorruptible power with no pride or ego. Jesus is the only person that absolute power has not corrupted. Our Faith can only be incorruptible if it is in Jesus the incorruptible one. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
3. Have a Tested Faith:
Our Faith in Christ must be tested so we know it will hold up in the storms of life. Our Faith anchor in Christ will hold us and it�s a valuable anchor. When our Faith is tested, all of its impurities will surface and the Lord scrapes them off. Then we will have pure Faith, pure gold like in verse 7. Peter says our Faith is like gold when it is tested and impurities are scraped off. Our Faith, like gold, becomes more valuable. Much more valuable than gold is FAITH! Gold is secondary to our Faith because gold can perish but our Faith in Jesus will go on forever. Our Faith is something Eternal and not something that cannot be destroyed.
4. Have a Reflecting Faith:
Our Faith should reflect Jesus to the world. It should reveal and reflect the image, love and joy of Jesus. As our Faith grows more, the deeper nature of Christ is revealed to us. Our lives begin to change when our Faith is growing. Our lives will begin to reflect the image of Christ. Jesus desires His reflection in our lives. Our Faith must be centered in our love for Jesus Christ.
Our Faith in Jesus has stood the test of time. We know that Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. Real Faith is loving a Christ we have never seen but knowing without a shadow of a doubt that He exists. Jesus is Lord, the Son of God, King of Kings and our Lord and Savior! Peter points out that true Faith is not just tied to what the Old Testament prophets said but to the fulfillment of what they prophesied would happen. The fulfillment of what God told the prophets is fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah! Our Faith is that Jesus died on the cross, rose again and is coming back to get us! Our Faith is in Jesus Christ!
Sabbath 11/28/15 Daytona SDB Church Minister Owen sermon �Give Thanks�
Posted : 28 Nov, 2015 09:03 AM
Sabbath 11/28/15 Daytona SDB Church Minister Owen sermon �Give Thanks� I Thess. 5:12-18
Even in times of turmoil we should give thanks. There are different types of thanks, sincere and un-sincere thanks that we can give. The Bible scriptures say that in EVERYTHING give thanks to God. Stop to think and thank God for his generosity and the joy He gives us. God wants us to give thanks always!
Abraham had reason to give thanks to God. When he offered his son Isaac for a sacrifice, God said no and gave him a ram instead to sacrifice. Isaac was a teenager and God spared him by providing a substitute sacrifice, a way out. Abraham and Isaac were both thankful to God for coming right on time!
Moses had reason to give thanks to God always. Moses told the Israelites about the wealth of their promised land. He told them not to forget God who had brought them out of Egypt. Instead, the Israelites complained about all things that they were going thru in the wilderness. Moses had to get 2 million people fed everyday and he needed tons and tons of food to feed them each day. Moses was thankful to God for providing the manna. The manna was the food God provided each morning for them to eat. God took care of their needs.
God took care of their needs so therefore God knows how to take care of us too. Don�t think our problems are too big for Him to handle. God is in command and our Lord Jesus will come to help us during our times of need. Our Lord Jesus has come and set us free. Praise His Holy Name.
Sabbath 11/28/15 Daytona SDB Church Minister Owen sermon �Give Thanks�
Posted : 28 Nov, 2015 09:02 AM
Sabbath 11/28/15 Daytona SDB Church Minister Owen sermon �Give Thanks� I Thess. 5:12-18
Even in times of turmoil we should give thanks. There are different types of thanks, sincere and un-sincere thanks that we can give. The Bible scriptures say that in EVERYTHING give thanks to God. Stop to think and thank God for his generosity and the joy He gives us. God wants us to give thanks always!
Abraham had reason to give thanks to God. When he offered his son Isaac for a sacrifice, God said no and gave him a ram instead to sacrifice. Isaac was a teenager and God spared him by providing a substitute sacrifice, a way out. Abraham and Isaac were both thankful to God for coming right on time!
Moses had reason to give thanks to God always. Moses told the Israelites about the wealth of their promised land. He told them not to forget God who had brought them out of Egypt. Instead, the Israelites complained about all things that they were going thru in the wilderness. Moses had to get 2 million people fed everyday and he needed tons and tons of food to feed them each day. Moses was thankful to God for providing the manna. The manna was the food God provided each morning for them to eat. God took care of their needs.
God took care of their needs so therefore God knows how to take care of us too. Don�t think our problems are too big for Him to handle. God is in command and our Lord Jesus will come to help us during our times of need. Our Lord Jesus has come and set us free. Praise His Holy Name.
Sabbath 11/21/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �A Proper Perspective on Thanksgiving
Posted : 28 Nov, 2015 09:01 AM
Sabbath 11/21/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �A Proper Perspective on Thanksgiving� Ephes. 5:19-20, I Thess. 5:18
In 1623, three years after the pilgrims had settled, the governor said because God had blessed them with food, health and protection that they would gather at the meeting house on Thursday November 29, 1623. They were gathering to listen to their Pastor and give thanks to God for all His blessings. Next Thursday, 392 years later, is Thanksgiving Day. Now there is nothing wrong with an annual day of thanks giving but the Word says we should thank God EVERYDAY. Always give thanks to God for everything in Jesus� name. We are to be joyful always and pray continually and give thanks always. Praise and thanks giving are the main things to be continuously doing. Sing praise to the Lord and be merry to the Lord in our heart. Christians are to have this joyful attitude in our hearts. We are to try and have this attitude in ALL circumstances. We need to be giving thanks to God for our blessings always. We need a proper perspective of our circumstances and a proper perspective of our God to give thanks always.
Three Attitudes that Stop Us from Being Thankful:
1. Pride:
Our pride says that nobody gave us anything. We think we did it all ourselves.
2. Critical spirit:
The constant complaining instead of being grateful for things. This is a person who is always finding something to pick at and complain about. This is a constant grumbler.
3. Carelessness:
This is getting used to things always being there and getting careless about it. It�s finally getting unsatisfied with it all.
These three things, pride, critical thinking and carelessness stop people from being truly thankful for what God has given them. The word thanks is a 100 dollar word and it�s more like a million dollar word. We need to adopt an attitude of thanksgiving in our lives. We ought to be thankful to God and grateful for his goodness.
*Biblical Thoughts on Thank Giving*
Thanks giving should be expressed: Give thanks to the Lord and to others also. When the ten lepers were healed by Jesus, only one came back and said thank you. Jesus said to him �your faith and made you whole�. He wasn�t just talking about his physical healing but about his spiritual/mental healing as well. We too are made whole, made well by saying thank you. Gratitude gives you positive energy. Sincere thanks giving is a healthy human emotion that God appreciates. God appreciates it and it draws us closer to Him and endears us to God. We can say thank you to God when we spend time with Him, when we forgive others, share his plan of salvation, reach out to hurting people, give God the best of our time/talent and praise Him enthusiastically. Our thanks giving should be for the blessings we have received. The song says �Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings and see what God has done�.
We should give thanks during the burdens of life: God will bring us through our burdens to a better situation in life and to better circumstances and blessings. We should KNOW that He will help us through. Others can come to Christ by seeing how we go thru our troubles, trusting in God. We are constantly adding to our prayer list when we should be constantly adding to our praise list! It is good to be alive and praise and thank God!
As Christians we can be thankful that we are forgiven and free: We can all say that it�s good to be alive. The mark of a growing Christian is to be thankful. Being thankful does not come naturally but when we realize how blessed we are, we will be thankful. This is a sign that we are a growing Christian. We are blessed to be alive and blessed to be able to say thank you to the Father of Lights, Our God and Our Lord Jesus Christ. In good time or in bad times be constantly thankful to God always. Be grateful and walk in God�s ways.
Sabbath 11/21/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �A Proper Perspective on Thanksgiving�
Posted : 28 Nov, 2015 08:59 AM
Sabbath 11/21/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �A Proper Perspective on Thanksgiving� Ephes. 5:19-20, I Thess. 5:18
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In 1623, three years after the pilgrims had settled, the governor said because God had blessed them with food, health and protection that they would gather at the meeting house on Thursday November 29, 1623. They were gathering to listen to their Pastor and give thanks to God for all His blessings. Next Thursday, 392 years later, is Thanksgiving Day. Now there is nothing wrong with an annual day of thanks giving but the Word says we should thank God EVERYDAY. Always give thanks to God for everything in Jesus� name. We are to be joyful always and pray continually and give thanks always. Praise and thanks giving are the main things to be continuously doing. Sing praise to the Lord and be merry to the Lord in our heart. Christians are to have this joyful attitude in our hearts. We are to try and have this attitude in ALL circumstances. We need to be giving thanks to God for our blessings always. We need a proper perspective of our circumstances and a proper perspective of our God to give thanks always.
Three Attitudes that Stop Us from Being Thankful:
1. Pride:
Our pride says that nobody gave us anything. We think we did it all ourselves.
2. Critical spirit:
The constant complaining instead of being grateful for things. This is a person who is always finding something to pick at and complain about. This is a constant grumbler.
3. Carelessness:
This is getting used to things always being there and getting careless about it. It�s finally getting unsatisfied with it all.
These three things, pride, critical thinking and carelessness stop people from being truly thankful for what God has given them. The word thanks is a 100 dollar word and it�s more like a million dollar word. We need to adopt an attitude of thanksgiving in our lives. We ought to be thankful to God and grateful for his goodness.
*Biblical Thoughts on Thank Giving*
Thanks giving should be expressed: Give thanks to the Lord and to others also. When the ten lepers were healed by Jesus, only one came back and said thank you. Jesus said to him �your faith and made you whole�. He wasn�t just talking about his physical healing but about his spiritual/mental healing as well. We too are made whole, made well by saying thank you. Gratitude gives you positive energy. Sincere thanks giving is a healthy human emotion that God appreciates. God appreciates it and it draws us closer to Him and endears us to God. We can say thank you to God when we spend time with Him, when we forgive others, share his plan of salvation, reach out to hurting people, give God the best of our time/talent and praise Him enthusiastically. Our thanks giving should be for the blessings we have received. The song says �Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings and see what God has done�.
We should give thanks during the burdens of life: God will bring us through our burdens to a better situation in life and to better circumstances and blessings. We should KNOW that He will help us through. Others can come to Christ by seeing how we go thru our troubles, trusting in God. We are constantly adding to our prayer list when we should be constantly adding to our praise list! It is good to be alive and praise and thank God!
As Christians we can be thankful that we are forgiven and free: We can all say that it�s good to be alive. The mark of a growing Christian is to be thankful. Being thankful does not come naturally but when we realize how blessed we are, we will be thankful. This is a sign that we are a growing Christian. We are blessed to be alive and blessed to be able to say thank you to the Father of Lights, Our God and Our Lord Jesus Christ. In good time or in bad times be constantly thankful to God always. Be grateful and walk in God�s ways.
Sabbath 11/14/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �I AM the Vine�
Posted : 14 Nov, 2015 09:57 AM
Sabbath 11/14/15 Daytona SDB Church Pastor Wray sermon �I AM the Vine� John 15:1-3
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This text has the phrase that Jesus used�.� I Am�. �I Am the Vine.� In the book of John, �I am� is recorded seven times. They are all connected to Jesus Christ. He used every day events to teach about God. Lets us do a review of the �I Am� statements.
John 6: Jesus said � I Am the bread of life�. John 8: At the temple, Jesus said � I am the Light of the world�. In a field of sheep Jesus said � I am the gate to salvation�. In another field of sheep Jesus said � I am the good shepherd�. Before Lazarus was raised from the dead, Jesus said � I am the resurrection and the life�. At the last supper, Jesus said �I am the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except thru me�.
Jesus used common events as a setting to teach truths. Moses said in Deuteronomy for us to teach God�s truths to our children and to talk about them as we walk thru life. We all need to be ready for teachable moments in our daily lives. All daily events provide opportunities to teach about God. This is how Jesus taught, He looked for teachable moments. Jesus told his disciples that �I Am the true vine�. Grapes were central to Israel�s economy and the grapevine was a symbol of Israel. The grapevine was a symbol on their coins. The grapevine was a symbol of past, present and future. Jesus said �I am the vine and you are the branches. Abide in me and you can do all things. Apart from me you can do nothing�.
Abide in Christ: Jesus said if we abide in Him, we can ask what we wish and it will be given to us. Abiding means spending time in the word of God soothe word abides in us. Then we are abiding in Christ. Abide in the Word: Read the word daily and obey the word.
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The branches are connected to the vine. Se we as Christian branches can be or should be connected to Jesus like the branch is to the vine. We are told to abide because it is something we can or cannot do. We have a daily choice to make. Spend time in prayer and open the bible to read it. Abiding is our job! The one who fails to abide is in a dangerous position. The unfruitful branch is taken away. He who does not abide is thrown away and cast into the fire and burned. When we do abide in Christ, we will bear fruit. Fruit bearing does not need effort from us. Fruit comes naturally from abiding in Christ. Orange trees don�t grunt and groan when bearing orange fruit. God will provide the effort to cultivate and prune us as his branches in the vine.
Branches abide and Friends obey. Jesus said we are his friends if we obey Him. He said that vines and branches are connected. The vine gives nourishment that the branch receives. Friendship goes both ways in the giving and receiving. Being friends with Jesus means that Jesus will share his plan with us. We have a shared destiny with Jesus. To abide and obey means helping out the other. The one who abides is more likely to obey than the one who does not abide. Not abiding makes you more likely to disobey. The more you don�t want to abide, the further you get into disobedience. The happiest person in the world is the Christian who is abiding and obeying. The outcome of the obedient abider is Joy!!
As the vine, Jesus provides all we need. As the vinedresser, God takes care of everything. As the branches, we are blessed and fruitful for the Lord. We need to hang tight to the only source of life itself.
