Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus: Darkness

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

This Week: Darkness

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Led by Eric Gintert

Who is Jesus to You?

Savior? What does that mean? Savior from what?
Lord? What does that mean? What does it mean to be Lord?

We need to be lightened!

Psalm 34:1-5

• "They" (in verse 5) are the humble who want to exalt the name of the Lord. "Him" is the Lord. They looked unto the Lord and they were lightened and not ashamed. On judgment day, some will look on Him and be ashamed but others will be able to stand before Him completely unashamed and justified.
• Are we asking and seeking to be lightened by Him in all issues: politics, relationships, etc?

Darkness came before Light...

Genesis 1:1-2

• Before there was light, there was darkness.

Before we can know and understand the great mercy and grace that the Lord has given us, we must first understand all the filth, guile, wickedness, and sin that we have taken part in. We must understand the darkness before we can rejoice in the Light!

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

Romans 1:1-32

• Paul is writing to those who are the beloved of God, called to be saints. This doesn't mean that every person who hear Paul's letter was a Christian. Just because there are many people in our church buildings doesn't mean that they are all true born again believers in Jesus Christ.
• Paul was sincere in saying he kept the brethren in his prayers. He didn't use the cliche of "my thoughts and prayers are with you" so that he could sound good. He truly meant what he said.

How many of us can raise our hand and say we are not ashamed of the Gospel? If we are constantly keeping our eyes on Jesus (the Light) we will have to boldness to say that we are not ashamed of the Gospel.

• The just are "justified". The justified are those who have been set free by the blood of the Lamb. The just shall live by faith.
• The wrath of God is against all of us. We have all been engulfed in ungodliness and unrighteousness.
• The invisible things of God are clearly seen in His creation. Yet, even professing Christians will claim that evolution and God created the world. They won't give God the glory for His wonderful works, but, they are without excuse.
• We change the incorruptible God to be like corruptible man. We begin to worship man rather than God (i.e. demoninations, pastors, the pope, etc.) We begin worshipping the creature more than the Creator (i.e. the golden calf)
• Knowing God, they didn't worship His as God; professing to be wise, they became fools.

Even though they have the cross necklace, fishy bumper sticker, and Christian t-shirt, He gives them up because they do not serve or honor Him.

•  Just as a parent sometimes has to let go of a child because they will not listen after being told over and over again not to do something. So also, God has to let go of those who will not take heed to his Word and direction.
• Those who won't listen will get hurt. If you play with fire, you will get burned.
• If you rather love darkness then light, He'll let you stay there.
• They didn't retain God in their knowledge but sought their own dark pleasure.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Hosea 4:6

Romans 1 is not all about beating up the sin of homosexuality, but rather it's about all of the rebellious sin we have committed against God. We may see dishonoring our parents as a little sin, but it is listed right in there with homosexuality and murder. Dishonoring your parents will just as much send you to hell as homosexuality and murder. Every single person on this earth (save Jesus Christ himself) is guilty of at least one of these dark pleasures.

If we do not take heed to God's call for repentance, we are choosing to be blind on purpose.

Prayer Requests

Joel & Melissa F. & family  -  trials, job interviews

Ed G.  -  last day of radiation on November 12th.

Mallory family  -  approved for house, building
Bill L.  -  home from hospital after having pneumonia
Larry D.  -  lymphoma diagnosis
Tony D.  -  has mono
Connie G.  -  dad health problems; dementia
All those affected by Hurricane Sandy
Jane T. mom  -  fell at nursing home and hurt back
Charo Washer  -  surgery tomorrow
Melody - brain tumor
Wendy D. niece's sister, Sara  -  leukemia diagnosis
Gintert family  -  wisdom with dishwasher & computer problems

Pray for the Election on Tuesday, November 6th