Victory Blog

Audio Sermon: How Important is the Local Body to You?

Pastor Lloy B Stevens

Victory Baptist Church

Sunday, November 16, 2008 AM Service

 

 Audio Sermon: How Important is the Local Body to You?: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (21)

“A certain man . . smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness.”¹

EVERY man we meet is clothed in amour; in other words, we all cover ourselves with plates on which to receive the thrust of accusation and reproach. “I only do as others.” “I do not see any special harm in it.” “My father did it before me.” “I cannot help it.” Such are some of the plates in the amour of the soul; and our work as Christian workers becomes abortive in so many instances, because we are content to belabor the plates, instead of striking home to the one place where the amour joints are. Successful soul?winning depends on discovering the vulnerable part of a man, and striking there. Read the rest of this post »

1. 1 Kings 22:34 [↩]

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”¹

We are so focused upon externals. We evaluate men on their outward appearance. How much they impress and wow us. Man wants to package man in a glimmering, shining package. Not so God.

God does not regard how much charisma a man possesses or does not possess. God is not interested in skin color, race, economic status or a man’s connections. All these externals are emphasized and sought after by man. But not God. He regards the heart: the real man - the thoughts, the intents, the morality, the purity, and the priorities.

God is concerned with the condition of a man’s heart. In reality, it’s the man’s character that is important to God. Note the following scripture verses:

• Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Ro 1:21)
• Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (Ro 1:24)
• And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Ro 8:27)
• That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Ro 10:9-10)
• Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Co 4:5)
• Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Co 1:22)
• For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Co 4:6)
• And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Ga 4:6)
• That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (Eph 3:17)
• Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (Eph 4:18)
• Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. (Php 1:7)
• To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Th 3:13)
• Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: (1 Ti 1:5)
• Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Ti 2:22)

Get the message of God? It’s what that is in the heart that is important to him. And God knows everyone’s heart.

What’s more, God knows your heart. Now, what is the condition of your heart?

- Pastor Stevens

1. 1 Sa 16:7 [↩]

MUSINGS FROM A MISSIONARY HEART

November 2008

Three Blind Hearts

After some small talk with Salvador, he poignantly asked about the Penya Francia idol. (Every September a festival draws over one million devotees to Naga City who worship, carry, and touch this idol. We stay out of town because it is so chaotic.) Kevin read the Ten Commandments with him from Exodus and Deuteronomy and some additional verses from Habakkuk, Corinthians, and John. Then Salvador told this story. Several years ago, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctor in Manila was ready to do surgery immediately to remove the lump. Teresa said, “No. I’m not ready. I want to go home first and think about it.” The doctor consented, but replied, “Be back here in a month.” Immediately upon arrival home in Pili, her mother-in-law asked for one of her shirts. The mother-in-law took the shirt to the Penya Francia idol and rubbed the shirt on the idol. She returned it and told Teresa to wear it. She may have done this several times. After a month, she was emotionally ready for surgery. They returned to Manila. The doctor examined her and took more tests. He said, “The lump is gone. Maybe the first tests showed a lump, but that is probably just ‘human error.’” Salvador then asked us, “How do you explain this? We know she was healed. And we know the Penya Francia healed her. I hear the verses you are reading from the Bible. The Bible says an idol is nothing, but this idol healed my wife! We have an eternal debt of gratitude to the idol!”

Read the rest of this post »

“[In the last days] … men shall be lovers of their own selves…”¹

As you look around you today, you will unmistakably conclude that you are living in the last days. The apostle Paul predicted several characteristics of the people who live in the last days. The first and prominent characteristic he listed was that “men shall be lovers of their own selves.” The phrase, “lovers of their own selves,” is actually one word in the language of the New Testament. It is a compound word of “fond of” and “self”. The word means fond of oneself, self-loving, or selfish.

Is this self-love not one of the prominent emphases in our public sector today? Are we not told to love ourselves, to have good self-esteem, and that none of us should be left behind. Are we not simply told and taught to be selfish. This means we really don’t have to work because the government owes us a living and it is obligated to take care of us (give all that money, healthcare, and mortgage relief). And if we don’t get it, we demand it and take it.

Remember, Paul wrote in the verse preceding our text, “but know this, in the last days, troublous (difficult, harsh, fierce, violent) times shall come.” My friend, we are there.

- Pastor Stevens

1. 2 Ti 3:2} [↩]

“The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”¹

“Cleanseth,” says the text-not “shall cleanse.” There are multitudes who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon. Oh! how infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare possibility of forgiveness when I come to die. Some imagine that a sense of pardon is an attainment only obtainable after many years of Christian experience. But forgiveness of sin is a present thing-a privilege for this day, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner trusts Jesus he is fully forgiven. Read the rest of this post »

1. 1 John 1:7 [↩]