Today is the day we have our emphasis on...

... the ministries here at Life Church (Parade of Ministries). We do not parade them in front of you like we used to but they will be highlighted on the overhead. Since we have been emphasizing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we will discuss how that experience with the Spirit can help you in the fulfillment of whatever ministry you are involved.

1. You shall receive power. Holy Spirit is needed, not just to be a witness, but for power to fulfill your ministry or calling. We acknowledge Holy Spirit gives us power to witness but He also gives us power to teach, to disciple, and to accomplish the second half of the Great Commission in helping us to make disciples. 

2. Holy Spirit baptism makes a difference. D L Moody was transformed by his encounter with the Spirit. Moody – My heart was not in the work of begging. I could not appeal. I was crying all the time that God would fill me with His Spirit. Well, one day, in the city of New York—oh, what a day! I cannot describe it. I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to name. I can only say that God revealed Himself to me, and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to stay His hand. I went to preaching again. The sermons were not different. I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not now be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you should give me all the world. 

3. Holy Spirit power manifested. Mark 16:15-20 (NKJV) “And He (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” Notice that when we do what God calls us to do, He will be working with us through the power of Holy Spirit. Invite Him every day into your life and ministry, then, watch what He does!

I normally parallel my article with the Sunday morning sermon but...

... today I felt Holy Spirit would have me share from my Wednesday night sermon. If you miss Wednesday nights, you are missing an opportunity to be blessed and to grow in your faith. We are all familiar with the story about Peter being locked up in prison and how the angel came to rescue him. The message is more about the church praying than it is about angels. Acts 12:5-7 (NKJV) ^“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands.” What happens when we pray sincerely?

1. When people pray in sincerity something from heaven shows up. There was an angel…a light showed up in the prison. When we pray here on earth, God responds from heaven. We have not because we ask not. We need something supernatural from God. Too much of what we have today has the smell of human instead of the touch of heaven. Maybe you are here needing something from heaven…pray until heaven shows up!

2. When people pray in sincerity God wakes people up. When the angel came to Peter, what did he do? He smote him in the side and woke him up. When God’s people pray…God wakes up those who are sleeping. Do you know anyone like that? People are sleeping…we must pray until they wake up. Our son was sleeping. We had to pray until he woke up. We had to call until God answered…until Josh responded.

3. When people pray in sincerity chains fall off. Chains are restrictive. If you have chains on your legs, you can’t run. When we pray personally we find a freedom we did not have before. A new ability or freedom to witness…no longer restricted. When we pray God sets people free. Listen, your prodigal can’t be worse off than Peter. I know with the opioid crisis we wonder if they can be free. They can! Pray! I was there before it was popular.

4. When people pray doors are opened. Pastor, the door is not opening…pray! There’s a battle! Pray! 1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV) “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” When God’s people pray…doors are opened just like for Peter. God opened the door and set him free. We don’t need a battering ram…we do not need to force it…God will open the door. Pray!

Jesus was born as the Word of God...

...and the Prophets had foretold. Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord...Simeon recognizes him as the Messiah and blesses Him. Anna is there also.

Luke 2:36‑38 (NIV) “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty‑four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”  Fasting is probably one of the more difficult things we American Christians are asked to do especially after the abundant food we have during Thanksgiving and during all the Christmas season.  Let’s see what we can learn from Anna in regard to Christ coming.

1. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna had a dedication to God’s House...She never left the temple. 

Church was not optional for her because she had a passion for God’s house. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV) “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Anna was expecting the Messiah to be revealed and she knew the temple would be the greatest place for having an encounter with Him. The same is true for us. My house…God says…not your house!

2. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna made a choice to worship God night and day. Don’t miss it...Anna saw Jesus because she was a worshiper. Worshipers encounter God because when you seek Him with all your heart…you find Him!

3. To be ready for Jesus to come we must be willing to fast and pray. Anna loved God’s house, she worshiped night and day, and she fasted and prayed. Your pastor and church leadership are admonishing you to join with us in fasting and praying beginning January 1.We are asking you to do a true biblical fast...fast food...you can fast TV, FB, watching sports, or other stuff but fast food in some way. It helps understand what it means to crucify our flesh. Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” We believe that as we are unified in this fasting and praying that God will reveal Jesus to us in a greater way. 

Matthew 1:20-23 (NKJV) “But while he thought about these things...

... behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." The angel of the Lord gave Joseph a very important message and I want you to hear the same message.

1. Do not be afraid! Joseph’s world seemed to be shaken…His girlfriend is pregnant and he is not the daddy. How hurtful…how embarrassing…how shameful. His whole world is upside down. Maybe your world has been shaken by marriage problems, kid problems, health problems, finance problems, employment problems, or whatever…the message is the same. Do not be afraid. What Joseph did not know…really could not know before this time…had no conception of what God was up to. God was just getting ready to say the King is here. What seems to be bad news to you may just be God wanting to announce…The King is here. The King of kings and the Lord of Lords is on the way. Do not be afraid. 

2. Jesus will save us from our sins! We all come today to hear a Christmas program with good singing and good entertainment. Maybe you came for a different reason. Jesus will save us from our sins. Maybe no one knows the loneliness and pain in your heart, they don’t know your sin or your addiction, they don’t know the darkness in your heart…the sin. Jesus will save us from our sins. Oh, Pastor, you don’t know the depth of my sin. You’re right, I don’t know but Jesus knows and He still loves you! The King is here. He is here to save you and to set you free!

3. Immanuel – God with us! The King is here! Matthew 1:23 (NKJV) "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Listen to His Name. Immanuel – God with us! The King is here! So why did He come? He came for you and He came for me! The King is here to save you from your sins! He did this for Zacchaeus: Luke 19:9-10 (NKJV) “And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." The King is here! Immanuel! He is here for you!

In Isaiah 9:6‑7 (NKJV) it says ...

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” As we draw close to the time we celebrate the birth of Christ I want to make sure that we are worshiping Him. As I attempt to magnify Christ today I want to take these words from Isaiah and share what an incredibly awesome God we serve.  Please celebrate and worship Him with me.

1. Jesus is to be called Wonderful! How many of you with a shout will say that you believe Jesus is wonderful? The main reason I believe that Jesus is wonderful is this: Psalm 40:1‑3 (NKJV) “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth.”

He is wonderful because He listened to my cry. He is wonderful because He brought me out of a horrible pit! 

2. Jesus is to be called Counselor! Isaiah 41:28 (NKJV) “For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.”  John 15:26 (NIV) "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” When you have problems...before you run to everyone else...run to Jesus...run to Holy Spirit...Run to your divine Counselor...He is the Spirit of Truth!

3. Jesus is to be called Mighty God!

–Unto us a child is born...unto us a Son is born...and the government shall be upon His shoulder. Who else can handle the govt. being on His shoulder other than the mighty God...Jesus Christ! Jeremiah 32:18 (NKJV) “You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them‑‑the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts.” 

4. Jesus is to be called Eternal Father! “Maybe some of you did not have a good example of a father or maybe you did not have a father at all. This God child has been born so that gap in your life can be filled.

Psalm 68:5 (NIV) “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” 

5. Jesus is to be called Prince of Peace! Pastor Rick, I have anything but peace today. Run to the Prince of Peace! Psalm 29:10‑11 (NKJV) “The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever. 

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Worship Him!

Today as we continue talking about boundaries...

... we will look at something that has affected or will affect all of us…the passing of a loved one or our own passing. God has set boundaries with death and with eternity and it is my intention to bring comfort as we face this issue of death. Hebrews 9:27-28 (NKJV) “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” I don’t want to shake anyone up today but all of us are going to die if we leave long enough. We may go in the rapture but otherwise, we will die. Wow, Pastor Rick, what great news. 

1. Our death or the death of a loved one is an appointment with God. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Many times we consider, what seems to be the unexpected death of a loved one, or the result of a major “oops” of nature, or that simply, God has not been paying attention. None of this is true. Barnes Notes – Death, it is, in all cases, the result of intelligent appointment, and for an adequate cause. Hear your pastor…An Omni-Present God (A God Who is everywhere), an Omniscient God (A God Who knows everything), and an Omnipotent God (A God Who is all powerful) made the appointment. Trust Him! Why do we have to die? Biblically it is because of sin. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2. Our death or the death of a loved one only happens once. It amazes me after having done somewhere in the neighborhood of 340 funerals and memorials in the last 29 years how people are so surprised by it. Good news! It is inevitable but it only happens once. In our humanity and because of our deep love for someone, we think that God should make an exception for that person we have prayed for earnestly to be healed. God lives within His own boundaries. Not ours.

3. To those who eagerly wait for Him. So what are we missing? We are missing the fact that our loved ones are completely healed, we are missing the beauty of heaven, and we are missing the fact that God set up this appointment. He loves them. Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)  “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.” I love that Paul was from the South. Romans 8:18 (KJV) “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Nothing we go through here will compare with the glory we will experience with God for eternity. No more tears, death, sorrow, crying, and no more pain. Just being with Jesus will make heaven incredible! Praise God!

As we continue discussing boundaries...

... and as we focus more on our own out of control behavior, we must do an honest evaluation of where we are. 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (NKJV) “You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. So, Pastor Rick, how can we walk worthy or to set limits on our out of control behavior? 

1. Identify the symptoms of your out of control behavior. You will need to take an honest look at the fruit you may be exhibiting by not being able to say no to yourself. You may be experiencing depression, anxiety, panic, phobias, rage, isolations, etc.

2. Identify the roots of your out of control behavior. This is key: Identifying the causes of your self-boundary problems will assist you in understanding your own contribution to your problem. It will also help you identify your developmental injuries (how others have sinned against you).  

3. Identify the boundary conflict. This is where we have to be totally honest with ourselves about our particular self-boundary problems and identify what ours is.

4. Take responsibility and take ownership for the out of control behavior. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

5. Identify what you need. It is pretty much useless to try to deal with your boundary issues with yourself until you’re actively developing safe, trusting, grace-and-truth relationships with others especially in the context of church. You need a deep relationship with the Lord and people who will keep you accountable. 

6. Now I begin. Once you have identified your self-boundary problem and owned it, you now can do something about it. So how do we begin to set boundaries on ourselves? Address your real need. Allow yourself to fail. Listen to emphatic feedback from others. Surround yourself with people who are loving and supportive. John 8:32 (NKJV) “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."