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The Stewardship of the Body -- 1 Corthians 6:19-20 Added 05/29/12
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own;
ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body."
Paul emphasizes the importance of the body, and that its care and discipline
are essential in his thought.
Paul would have agreed with proverb: "Cleanliness is next to godliness."
Paul probably would have said, "Cleanliness is a part of godliness, especially so
if you understand this to include ethical and moral cleanliness."
Paul did nothing to impair the functions of his body or to limit its powers,
or to prostitute it to carnal uses.
Human opinion has oscillated between two extremes concerning the relation
of the body to religion.
On the one hand, some have considered the body to be the seat of sin,
and have set out to degrade it with every indignity and torture.
But sin must be dealt with in the heart and soul where it has its inception. (James 1:14-15)
If we overcome bad thoughts and evil suggestions, we will not have so much trouble
with the body.
The other extreme was represented in Greek religion.
The temples that stand in ruins; the works of art which have survived the ravages of time;
the literature which have survived -- all sustain and illustrate the devotion
of the Greek mind the beauty.
Surely, it ought to be evident that our modern society with its cult of "body beautiful,"
its worship at Aphrodite's shrine of sex-appeal, is more inclined to go along
with the Greeks than with those who suppressed and the debased their bodies.
Both extremes are wrong.
There are two ways not to be spiritual.
An unnatural suppression of the body will make one materialistic,
as well as unbridled and uncontrolled indulgence.
Both put a disproportionate emphasis upon the body.
You cannot do that, and be a spiritual person.
The Christian position is that the body is the temple of the Spirit, the instrument of the mind,
and the dwelling place of the inner man.
In considering it's stewardship, we will look at four questions. ... More
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Two Gracious Invitations John 1:39; 21:12 ADDED 05/26/12
John 1:39: "Come and see."
John 21:12: "Come and dine."
The first text is at the beginning of John's Gospel, and the second text is at the end of the gospel.
"Come and see," is for babes in grace.
"Come and dine," is for mature Christians.
Notice the order of these two verses.
"Come and see," is the beginning of spiritual life, as it is the beginning of the gospel.
"Come and dine," is a high privilege of the spiritual life,
and the blessed result of being a Christian.
"Come and see" -- this is the gospel's invitation to those outside of Christ.
The way to Christ is open for all.
"Come and See."
First, there is an encouragement to inquirers in this short sentence.
Many are John's disciples.
They had heard John preach, and they believed his Word.
And when they saw Christ to whom John pointed, they followed Him,
but not knowing Him, they had this question: "Master, where do you dwell?"
Jesus said, "Come and see."
"Come and Dine."
Oh, that is so much better.
That is closer, nearer, dearer, and even more substantial than, "Come and see."
"Come and see" may be done at a distance.
But "Come and dine" implies being at the same table, eating the same food, and at times,
it means to sit side-by-side, and lean our head on the bosom of our Saviour.
We need to understand that while we are sinners, our faith in Jesus Christ brings us
into a justified state by simply looking to Jesus, but after believing,
faith then assists us to really enjoy Jesus.
Some wish to enjoy Jesus first, and believe Him afterwards,
but it is not "Come and dine," first, and then, "Come and see."
No!
We find, "Come and see" in the first chapter, and then… in the last, "Come and dine."
Believe in Jesus Christ first, and then you will feed on Him afterwards.
Some seem content just to believe.
It seems that some just want to be able to say, "I am saved," without wishing
to know the blessed enjoyment which is to be found in Christ.
It should not be so!
We cannot be just content with the first chapter of John; we must go on to the last,
and never be satisfied until we receive all that is beyond.
"Come and dine" implies even greater enjoyment than "Come and see."
"Come and see" gives peace, but "Come and dine" gives ecstasy and rapture.
He gives us heaven on earth for He gives us Jesus Christ.
I would hope that all the Lord's people were not merely delivered from the chains of sin
and washed in the Saviour's blood, but were also brought into the banquet table.
There is such enjoyment there, but there is more -- there is more nearness.
Oh, just to get so close to Christ, that we could sing:
"So near, so very near to God,
I cannot nearer be;
So dear, so very near to God,
I cannot dearer be
The love were with he loves his Son
Such is his love to me!"
That is such a high attainment, but never rest, never be satisfied until you have gained it. ... MORE
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We Are Witnesses! -- Acts 5:32 ADDED 05/20/12
Now the apostles were standing arraigned before the high priest and rulers.
The priest commanded that they stop preaching in the name of Jesus.
Peter answered for the group, "We must obey God rather than men…
We are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit,
whom God hath given to them that obey him." (Verses 29, 32,)
In our text for this message, we see the function and the force of discipleship declared,
and we see the mission and the method of the church.
"We are witnesses of these things."
The force is announced in the words, "We… And so is the Holy Spirit."
The mission of the church is to witness to these things.
That means it is the mission of every Christian.
The method of the church is to act in perpetual cooperation with the Holy Spirit.
Wherever the church recognizes this as the function and force of discipleship,
as the mission and method of her life, the same results will follow
which was followed in Jerusalem.
Wherever the church gets away from this primitive ideal, expected results will be lacking.
Wherever the church, and all the disciples that constitute the church,
remember that the main calling of the church is to witness,
and that the one and only power of witness is cooperation with the Holy Spirit,
then people will be convicted of sin, and Pentecostal results follow the Pentecostal method.
In this scene of the high priest and the disciples, we find a contrast of mental attitude.
We see "the high priest… and [all] they that were with him"
(which is the sect of the Sadducees".
The Bible tells us of the teaching of the Sadducees.
Acts 23:8 tells us that, "The Sadducees say there is no resurrection,
neither angel, nor spirit."
These people were challenging the apostles.
They denied the supernatural element in religion.
Then there were these disciples who testified to the reality of these very things.
The Sadducees said that there is no resurrection.
The apostles said that Christ is risen.
The Sadducees said that there is no angel.
The apostle said that an angel opened the prison doors that were shut against them,
and let them out.
The Sadducees said there is no spirit.
The apostles said that they have a partnership with the Holy Spirit.
This was the beginning of a long struggle between rationalism and Christianity.
This was the conflict between the affirmation of the spiritual as real,
and the declaration that there is no spirit, and that man lives merely in dust.
Rationalism is still saying there is no resurrection, not even of Christ.
They are also saying that there are no angels, and that they belong to pictures,
and to art, and to the fancies of little children.
They say that there is no spirit, and that the mind is everything.
The church is still saying today that Christ rose from the dead,
and that angels are all "ministering spirits, sent forth to do service
for the sake of them that inherit salvation." (Hebrews 1:14)
The church is saying that men are essentially spirits, and that there is one Holy Spirit of God.
These are the declarations of the church, and our text will show
how the church is to demonstrate the truth of these things.
The text is the answer.
"We are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit,
whom God hath given to them that obey him."
So let us consider these two things.
The mission of the church.
And the method by which the church is able to fulfill that mission ... More
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Give Me This Mountain -- Joshua 14:12: "Give me this mountain." ADDED 05/11/12
Caleb of the Old Testament was a man who never ceased growing.
The passing years increased his stature.
He demonstrated the exhilarating truth that it is possible for the greatest achievement in life
to take place in old age.
There is no fixed retiring age in serving God.
And every stage of life, Caleb merits our admiration, and he never disappoints us.
The secret of his godly consistent captured in five simple words
that can also be true of us as they were of him.
Those words were, "He wholly followed the Lord."
Caleb was consistent in his youth.
He appears on the stage of Israel's history as a young man.
Nothing is recorded of his youth, but his subsequent record gives an accurate insight
into his character as a young man.
We are not told of the 30 years of our Lord's obscurity, but the following three years of ministry
tell us all we need to know of it.
The crises do not create the man, but they always reveal the man.
Until the crisis of being shipwreck, Paul was merely "one of certain prisoners,"
but he then became the undisputed master of the situation.
The choice of Caleb, a ruler in Judah, was one of the 12 spies indicated the esteem
in which he was held by the leaders and the people.
Two qualities stand out conspicuously.
First, he showed undaunted courage.
Moral courage is greater and rarer than physical courage, the Caleb demonstrated both
in the crisis at Kadesh.
His moral courage was noticed as he stood almost alone against
the growing tide of popular opinion.
This is one of the most difficult tests for young people who crave popularity.
It is difficult not to pursue an opposite course when "everyone is doing it."
Not everyone is willing to back a minority cause.
It took a lot of physical courage to persist in his attitude of faith when the stones begin to fly,
but he refused to be intimidated, and he refused to bow down to the wish of the majority.
In the second place, he had a robust and unwavering faith. ... MORE
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Thoroughly Confident In God -- Romans 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:8-14 ADDED 05/11/12
"I am not ashamed of the gospel," Paul shouted to the world.
This was true Paul, but is it true of many of us?
Is it true of us with our family?
Is it true of us at work?
Is it true of us at school?
Is it true of us in our sports?
Is it true of us in our leisure events?
So often when religion is discussed the latest clergy scandal is brought up,
and someone will bring up something about the hypocrisy in the church.
Many Christians are afraid to admit that they are Christians.
Why is there so little boldness about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the reasons for our timidity is that so many people see the Bible
as simply a collection of myths and fairy tales and a good book,
but not acceptable to the scientific mind.
Many just do not believe the Bible.
Some years ago I read the story of a boy who was asked by his mother
what he had learned in Sunday school that day.
The boy described the story of the Israelites Exodus from Egypt.
When he came to the dramatic portion about the crossing of the Red Sea.
Here is how he told the story: "Moses took out his walkie-talkie and called
in the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians, while the others built a pontoon bridge
to cross over the Red Sea."
The boy's mother asked, "Is that how they told you the story?"
He dropped his head and muttered, "Well, no, but Mom if I told you the story
the way they told it to me, you would never believe it."
That is our problem, isn't it?
Whenever we read the Bible, we are suddenly thrust into a world which seems foreign to us.
We don't live in a world where seas part and people travel across on dry ground.
We live in a world where bushes burn, but are not consumed.
In the Bible we read of where manna falling out of the sky to feed thousands of hungry people.
It speaks about people walking on water.
The blind are given their sight.
And dead people are brought back to life.
How do you explain that kind of world to a world that is accustomed to analyzing itself
under a microscope?
The answer is -- we cannot explain it.
The stories of our faith live on from generation to generation not because of skilled practitioner
of religious truth have perfected ways of explaining the stories,
but because the stories themselves have a life of their own.
They need no explanation.
They need simply to be told.
Let the Bible speak for itself. ... MORE
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Where We Will Never Grow Old! -- Psalm 90 and 91 ADDED 05/11/12
Most of us have experienced disturbing thoughts.
It may be about an unsolved problem.
It may be about an unresolved relationship.
It may be about a haunting memory.
The one that troubles us the most are our hidden, unexpressed fears.
They always trouble our minds and resurface when we are not expecting them.
They drain our mental and emotional energies.
They rob us of our peace of mind and of being productive.
There is one submerged fear that all of us have in common.
It is the greatest of all fears.
It masquerades in lesser fears.
We try not to think about it.
We often resist facing it.
We also avoid talking about it.
That fear is the fear of death and dying.
I have witnessed the death of several people, and in several of those cases
I wondered if that person was ready to die.
Most of us would have to admit that we are not ready.
We try not to think of death, even though we know it will eventually come to all of us.
We refuse to think about it and stay focused on our everyday activities.
Death has been called the "king of horrors."
We try to disguise its stark reality, eventually, and physical finality with the skill of a mortician.
But the fear doesn't go away.
Each bout with sickness or physical limitation reminds us that there will be a day
when we will breathe our last breath.
Our heart will stop beating.
Our brain will stop functioning.
The terminal illnesses of loved ones and friends shock us again with the fact
that we too have an appointment with death.
We cannot live with freedom and joy until we have conquered the fear of death.
But we cannot do that with our own strength.
We need a profound healing of our fear.
The human philosophies of life will not help us.
Platitudes about our influence continuing after death will not satisfy.
Even the best worded theories of immortality and the endless existence of the soul
will be of no solace. MORE
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Troubles Will Come! -- Romans 8:28 ADDED 05?11/12
Over the years I have looked out from the pulpit at the many faces looking at me,
and I have tried to be mindful of individual as well as corporate needs.
Some sermons are directed primarily to community needs.
Needs that exist within the state or the nation, or perhaps some need in the world.
Other sermons are directly to the fact that there are individual needs in the congregation.
Very few families in our church have escaped heartaches and troubles.
Some years ago there was a popular song entitled:
"Into Each Some Rain Must Fall" by the Ink Spots.
There's no question about that.
It may be a high school student who has just failed an important test.
It may be a widow dressed in black who now faces the loneliness and devastation
of a once happy and cheerful home.
It may be a grieving father who soul has been pierced by a by the words
of an ungrateful son or daughter.
It may be a sorrowing mother who weeps silently over a tiny white casket that contains
the lifeless form of the object of her affections, and who was the center of her hopes.
It may be a broken hearted person who has been outraged at the disloyalty of a trusted friend.
It may be a distraught parents sitting in the gloom of what the world calls disgrace.
Whoever you are, and what ever your troubles, I ask you to remember
that God never promised you exemption from it, but He has promised victory in it.
Today I would like for us to see three things about trouble.
First, it is objective.
Secondly, it is ordinary.
Thirdly, it is an opportunity.
First, it is objective.
Many of our troubles are self made.
There are occasions that we get into trouble because we talk too much.
Sometimes, we get in trouble because we have overextended ourselves financially,
and we find ourselves in a financial bind.
Really, the most serious troubles that life brings are objective and impersonal,
They are not the things that you have brought about by your actions.
The afflictions of Job were not the result of sin.
He had not grievously rebelled against God.
That was not the reason for his suffering.
His afflictions were designed to prove him, to put his faith to the test,
and to show the world his unswerving loyalty to Almighty God.
I have often heard people ask, "Why did God do this?
Why did God take my loved one.
Why does God allow the injustices and equities of war to continue?
Why doesn't God put a stop to hatred, racial prejudice, and the social inequities that we see?
Why doesn't God stop the sickness and cancer and other dreaded diseases?
Why does God not stop the sorrow, the pain, and the heartaches?"
These questions are often asked.
These questions have plagued the human race since the beginning of time.
I don't begin to profess to have an answer, but I have some suggestions.
The suggestion has been made that instead of making trouble a question mark,
we should make it a exclamation point.
Let's not relate our troubles to theology, or to asking, "Why did God do this?"
Let us relate our troubles in a doxology.
In the midst of our troubles, let us praise God!
I believe that is what Paul meant in our text.
"God works all things together for good to those who love him,
who are the called according to his purpose." ... MORE
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Walking With God! -- Isaiah 2:5 ADDED 05/05/12
Walking with God will help us to avoid the pitfalls of a barren prosperity. (Isaiah 2:6-9)
Isaiah 2:6-9 speaks of a barren prosperity.
We might call it a prosperous poverty.
We are urged to walk in the light of God lest we stumble into the hidden pitfalls
that a barren prosperity holds for us.
The people of Isaiah's time, like people of our own, seem to have filled their lives
with other things.
He describes them by saying that "God has forsaken them
because they be replenished from the east." (Verse 6)
In other words, their lives were filled up with other things.
It used to be that when a motel was full, you will see the "No Vacancy" sign.
This means there is room for no one else.
There are many people today who, if they were honest,
would put a "No Vacancy" sign around their neck because they have filled their life,
with their own plans and activities, and there is no room for God.
The people are pictured as being filled with what the East has to offer.
Of course, the East was the direction from which the caravans came,
and the tradesmen brought material goods, riches, and foreign ways of life.
Isaiah describes the land as being "full of silver and gold… full of horses… full of idols."
(Isaiah 2:7, 8)
It seems strange but barrenness is often brought about by prosperity.
But history records the proof of that sequence.
This barrenness was not brought on by drought or famine or financial depression.
It was brought on by abundance.
The most frightening part of the barrenness comes from the fact that God had turned His back
on the people: "Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob,
because they be replenished from the east." (Isaiah 2:6)
It is a costly prosperity that achieves the wealth of the world while losing
the treasures of heaven.
Man is in great danger when he forsakes God, but he is really without hope
when God forsakes him. ... MORE
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Use this new search to find words, sermons, and other searches on Storehouse
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NEW on Counseling:
-- Anxiety and Overcoming Anxiety
Other subjects are:
-- Marriage and Premarital Counseling and Personality Disorders
-- Identity -- 3 to 4 years old
-- Competence -- 4 to 7 years old
-- Concern and Intimacy -- age 8 to age 19
Practical Pastoral Counseling provides many important principles
and techniques of counseling.
http://drharoldlw.comoj.com and http://drcounsel.fortunecity.com Fortune City -- Not Updated
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-- Studies of the Book 0f Colossians
-- A nine part series on Angels
-- A complete study of the Book of Revelation
-- Series of sermons on Psalm 23
-- Series of sermons on the Book of Habakkuk
Other series are sermons John 15, Acts, Romans 8.
Other series of sermons on Genesis and Psalm 139 are being created.
On http://hlwpaw2.angelfire.com and http://hleewhite.x10hosting.com
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"I have updated Pastor's Pipeline.
The main pages are Preacher's, Preaching, Leadership, The Church, Other Beliefs, and Witnessing.
You will find articles such as: Pastors as Leaders, 21 Skills of Great Preachers,
Ready to Preach, The Preacher and the Skunk, Preaching Without Results,
Effective Christian Leadership, Resolving Conflicts, Beliefs of Islam, Scientology,
Jehovah Witness, Mormons, and New Age Movement.
There are articles on How To Increase Your Attendance, Doomed Churches,
Deacons, and Church Growth.
There are articles on Advice for Witnessing, How To Deal With Excuses,
and many others
Click here to go to Pastor's Pipeline.
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Visit a new and improved Sermon Illustrations
On the Home page you will find these illustrations: Gifts To Give, Attitude Determines Attitude,
Who Gets Credit? If I Had My Life To Live Over, Gumption, Five Gave Their Lives,
and The Computer Swallowed Grandma
You will find pages on Attitudes, Religious, Poems and Song Lyrics, Life And Death, Families, Interesting, Jesus and many others
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You can go to Sermon Illustrations by clicking http://sermon3232.tripod.com
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Visit an improved and updated Sermon Humor.
20 new jokes on the Home Page and over 300 jokes on Sermon Humor.
Jokes suitable for the pulpit and for families.
Attitudes, Business, Religion, Just Funny, Relationships, Age Jokes,
and Funny Bits are the categories .
You can go to Sermon Humor by clicking http://hlpawhite.tripod.com
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Here are some of the sermons on the family:
The Joy of Parents
Building A Home!
Christ Will Help The Home!
Families of Faith
Don't Blame The Parents!
Is It Well With Thee?
A Mother's Wages
Today's Mother
Crises In A Mother's Life
Help For Fathers
How Big Is Your God, Daddy?
A Godly Father
Children, Obey Your Parents!
A 4-part series on Marriage
And many others
Click here to go to Family Sermons.
"As the family goes, so does the nation!"
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There are 17 New Year sermons, 23 Easter sermons, 17 Mother's Day sermons
17 Father's Day sermons, 8 July 4th sermons, 20 Thanksgiving sermons
33 Christmas sermons, 29 Revival sermons, 5 Lord Supper sermons
16 Funeral sermons, and 10 other various sermons.
Click Special Sermons
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Dr. Brackin's desire is to give practical resources and encouragement to those
in the ministry, and to provide college level courses for pastors who have not had
the opportunity to go to college or seminary.
Taking these courses will be a more competent pastor.
Students paid several hundred dollars to take these courses, but they are free to you.
These lessons would be excellent for pastors and other Christian leaders to teach
to their congregations.
You can go to College Courses by clicking here! It is absolutely free!
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They can also be copied and then pasted into a word processor and edited as needed.
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