Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Final Step Into Eternity”. 

The synoptic gospels are so called because they have many of the same accounts of Jesus ministry in common.  One account that all three recall is the exchange between Jesus and a certain rich young ruler. 

This young ruler ascribed the attribute of “total and complete” goodness to Jesus which Jesus said belongs to God alone.  Jesus here does not deny His divinity by denying He possess this quality.  He asks him however why is he as ascribing this divine attribute to Him. 

The young man asked Jesus a question that fewer people in today’s society seem to be asking.  That question was and is “what must I do to inherit or receive eternal life?”.  It would seem he asked this question because he believed eternal life was something he could have and also something he desired. 

It would also seem that most people who have asked this question and are still asking today believed the same thing.  The answer seems to be that fewer people desire eternal life or believe it is attainable or some combination of both.  No matter what the reason is, the need for salvation has not changed.  

All of humanity still have a soul to be saved or one to be lost.  The encounter with the rich young ruler reveals a process in receiving salvation.  Processes involves steps and Jesus told him there were two steps to fulfill the answer to his question. 

The first was to obey God.  The last and final step was to sell all he had, distribute the proceeds to the poor, take up his cross and follow Jesus.  This second and final step proved more that he was willing to part with and do in exchange for eternal life. 

Jesus remarked to his other disciples and followers how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.  What was it about his riches that refused to allow him to part with them for eternal life?  Or was it the part about taking up his cross that proved too much? 

We cannot know for sure because we don’t know what was in his mind and heart.  But we may be able to reasonably conclude that he did not believe or he was unsure it was a fair or equitable exchange.  I suspect this is the same reason why we fail to see strong commitments of faith and practice in many who consider or refer to themselves as Christians today. 

For those of us like this we are being asked to part with something we don’t see as a fair or equitable exchange for that we do see and have in the here and now.  And like the rich young ruler, many are walking away with what we are unwilling to part with instead of committing to a life of commitment and sacrifice for Jesus and the kingdom of God. 

More so than possibly any other time, doubts are being raised about the plausibility of the gospel and its ability to deliver the eternal life it promises.  The young man knew what he had.  He wasn’t sure eternal life and the prospect of achieving it was worth risking all he had along with the sacrifice Jesus was calling him to. 

We too are faced with his same choice.  Is eternal life, a promise for something we don’t yet have, and the sacrifice and commitment to the teachings of God worth letting go of the pursuit and fulfillment of our own personal ambitions and desire apart from God in order to save not only our own soul, but the souls of our fellow human beings.  This was the ruler’s choice and it is ours as well. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

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Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Power Of Persuasion”. 

Persuasion is the process of convincing someone to believe something or act or do something that they were reluctant, hesitate or unwilling to believe, act or do before.  As believers in Christ and children of God, we are tasked and charged with persuading our fellow human beings to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

This task has become more challenging of late.  Not because of any threat to our lives in most parts of the world, but more challenging in persuading people that being with God is better than their alternatives.  This has always been the greatest challenge. 

Persuading people that God exist and desires them to be with Him has our common sense as an ally to help us.  And until late, what the world had to offer was limited in its scope and appeal.  But the world has gone from being a small rural mom and pop shop with few selections to a cosmopolitan mega superstore with seemingly endless isles of things to chose from. 

As a result, interest in going to be with God has wain until it is difficult to get an audience with someone to listen to our appeal.  Beside all that, people’s minds have been conditioned to believe that heaven or whatever God dwells is a boring place with nothing to do but sing and praise God and sit around on clouds. 

This image of heaven can’t compete with the endless choices and array of activities that keep people entertained and occupied with pleasure, joy and happiness.  Never mind the pain and suffering we also endure and work to avoid while pursuing these pleasures.

This is why Jesus explained that sending someone from the dead to convince or persuade someone not to die unrepentant and end up in a bad place will not persuade them to repent. 

I postulated that if God announced from heaven so that all the earth could hear Him together in one’s own language for an entire day to repent and believe the gospel, that it would do little to change our behavior. 

Because both of these things, returning from the dead and God making an announcement, serve as types of evidence that God is real and that there are consequences for failing to repent.  But evidence of God’s existence and the likelihood that there may be something God expects and requires of us has never been the part that needs the most convincing or persuading though some hide behind this as an excuse for not believing. 

But the truth is, if God came in person and gave them all the proof they requested of who He is, they still would not become a Christian because proof is really not the issue.  They still would not accept God’s offer of redemption.  Why not? 

Because we want the freedom to not love, we want the freedom to hate and we want the freedom to do or not to do anything we want.  And we can’t go be with God and continue to exercise that freedom. Our task is to persuade others that the voluntary suppression of that freedom is better that all the other possible alternatives a person can have. 

Discoveries in modern science are helping us win the argument on the existence of God, contrarily to what some would have us believe.  It’s the attractiveness of the world that is and always has created the believer’s greatest challenge of persuasion. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Soul Security”. 

There are at least three themes that are running throughout the Psalms.  One is the presence of the soul in human beings.  The acknowledgement of the God of Creation who is also the God of Israel is another.  A third theme is the reliance upon God to be and provide a refuge or place of protection and safety for vulnerable souls. 

These same three themes are present in the proper understanding of Christianity.  Christians, like the Psalmist, believe they have an eternal soul.  That is they believe there is a part of them that is made in the image of God that is purposed for life with God.  This part of them makes them unique among creatures on the earth. 

They believe they are designed this way by a God who created all things just as the Psalmist.  Christians believe God is a Savior of their souls.  They believe the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ who said He came to save our souls. 

The Psalmist talks about placing his trust or confidence in God to be the savior of his soul in order to keep it safe and secure from all dangers and troubles that seek to destroy it.  Just as people place items of value into what they believe are safe places to prevent them from being lost, the children of God place or deposit their souls with God in order to keep them from being lost. 

The FDIC is an example of an agency that gives people confidence that their money they placed in FDIC insured institutions is safe and secure.  It gives them peace of mind and allows them to rest assured that their money is safe and accessible to the extent the United States government is able to guarantee it. 

Christians do a similar thing when they trust Jesus Christ with their souls.  It is a deposit if you will of their souls with God.  Just as bank depositor are confident that their money is safe inside the banks, Christians and the people of God are even more so confident that their souls are secure in God. 

Manmade institutes can fail, but God can not fail.  Anyone is able to deposit their souls with God, but it takes as the Psalmist put it in the text, integrity and uprightness both of which are found in the teaching of Jesus Christ. 

When Christ shall appear, all who have deposited their souls with God shall appear with Him in glory.  If we have not deposited anything into a bank it is foolish or senseless to think one can go to that bank and ask for a withdrawal from something they never place in there. 

The same is true and applies to the salvation of our souls.  If we did not and have not deposited them with God, then when Christ shall appear with all the saved souls, ours will not be one of them. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “UnAppealing Appeal”.

Our Live Stream was lost during the preached word, but we were able to record the rest of the message and service and it is available at our website.  There is also about a 4 or 5 minute audio related distortion in the sermon. 

We are always disappointed when our online and streaming audience encounter any problems.  We are constantly seeking to improve our delivery and online worship experience and take any setback or interruption very seriously.  And now a few fine points from yesterday’s message. 

The text for the message provides much needed insight for the reasons why churches struggle to reach and retain people for Christ.  To put it bluntly and plainly, Christ and His Church is unappealing to the unregenerated heart, mind and spirit.  The prophet said as much in the text.

He said that Christ was unappealing, there was nothing about Him that caused people to desire or gravitate toward Him.  In fact, they look upon Him as being afflicted and struck of God.  He had none of the world’s goods which people measure success, status and value by.  He was acquainted with suffering and grief which no one wants a part of.  And on top of all this, He died in one of the worst possible ways. 

So when we see that people are not running to get to and into the church, it is because the church and Christ has no appeal for hearts and minds that are informed by the ways and standards of the world. 

Amazingly, all the things that Christ stands for and brings which people find unappealing, those who get to know Him and place their faith in Him find those same unappealing things appealing.  They are attracted to His love, His mercy, to His suffering.  They understand what He did and why He did it in order to redeem them from a depraved and self-centered life. 

They begin to see humanity differently, see the world differently, see their future and destiny, calling and purpose all differently because they have been changed from within.  When we begin to look forward to Sunday, forward toward meeting and encouraging other believers, look forward to sacrificing and giving, forward toward worshiping and praising God we no longer find Christ and His Church unappealing, but appealing. 

It is sad and disheartening to see people’s reaction and response to the gospel, but it is totally understandable because we have all been where they are.  Speaking for myself, Christ and His church had no appeal for me.  I looked for any and everything except the church.  This is our natural state, the state we are born into.  But by the grace of God, that I once wanted no part of is what I desire most. 

Just as it happened to me, as it has happened to some of you who are listening to or reading this now, we are called to help it happen for others beginning with those who are closest to us.  When that which was unappealing is now appealing, we can know we are close to or within the kingdom of God. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Why We Care About Salvation”. 

Unfortunately, we were unable to broadcast, record and stream our live service yesterday.  If you attempted to join us online and were not able to find us, that is why.  Hopefully we will be back online next Sunday.  Thankfully, we were able to save the audio portion of yesterday’s sermon. 

Yesterday’s message focused on why people should care about salvation and why so many people do not or not enough.  Mankind has won what I characterized as the mega lottery of life.  Most people have not taken the time to consider just what that means. 

It means that of all life forms on our planet, from the smallest microscopic organism to the largest mammals and every type of species and creature, nothing compares to being born a fully functional human being.  It is a form of life that is Godlike. 

When we consider the incalculable number and different types of other lifeforms that are born, have been born and shall be born, the odds that one has been born human is astronomical. 

It is so rare when placed along side every other birth of every other lifeform it becomes practically impossible to calculate and fathom.  A life or soul so rare, so unique and so Godlike is a fortune and treasure that each person born human possesses.  As such, we should do everything within our ability and power to preserve it and not allow it to perish. 

That is why salvation, a means to avoid losing our great gift of a superior form of life, is so important and why we should care about it.  An attempt is made to make this point in the sermon along with reasons why people have failed to recognize and embrace the need for salvation. 

Human life in terms of its value and character is greater than every other form of life and was created to endure.  The hardest and most difficult part is over and behind us.  We have won the lottery of life.  That was the difficult part.  We are 99.9999 percent complete of reaching the fulfillment of the preservation of our great gift of life. 

Finding a way to secure that last fraction of a percent for salvation is why we should care.  We are so close and have come so far, it is foolish on our part to give up without a fight.  And that is what so many are doing and what Christianity to trying to avoid. 

For us, Christ is our best hope for salvation and preserving our wonderful gift that only the smallest fraction of lifeform have and had the opportunity enjoy and experience. 

As I look at my cat, he will never know what he is or what it meant to be alive and so many other things we as part of the human family can know and appreciate about life he and all others lifeforms cannot and will not know. 

We have already won.  It is this difference in us and the rest of all life on our planet that salvation is worth caring about. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “God’s Eternal People”. 

The universe and world in which we live follows rules and laws that work in harmony with each other which common sense informs us are highly unlikely to appear and form on their own.  When rules are found that govern the world and universe, it is like discovering a nail or screw in a house that was deliberately placed there to hold the house in place. 

Each time physicists and scientists find and prove new ways that things work, they are further proving and discovering the work of a master craftsman who built this universe like a builder would built a finely engineered house or structure. 

God, who is the builder of our house, could have chosen to live alone in eternity, but instead chose not to be along and made us.  He made us because He could and because He wanted to share His life with others instead of being alone. 

Eternity can be a lonely place to spend alone, but God tells us that He is not alone in eternity.  He tells us the contrite and humble persons also dwell there with Him.  Who are they?  They are those who are repentant for their failure to acknowledge and reverence God.  Those who acknowledge they exist because of God and can’t exist without Him. 

They are those who were almost gone, almost destroyed, almost lost forever but have been saved and revived by a loving and caring Creator.  It is for these the universe was made so they could spend eternity with God and God with them. 

He who made the world and us in it is capable of knowing each us intimately and preserving our lives for eternity with Him.  Once we realize and know this, it becomes our moral duty to do all we can to help others to know it and realize it too.

If any of you attempted to listen or watch or interact with us online yesterday, please know that we experienced some technical difficulties yesterday.  We apologize for any disruption or failure to experience any of the services and hope to have them corrected for Sunday’s service.

Yesterday’s Sunday School and BTU sessions were affected by those technicalities are not available for viewing this week.  You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our previous Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  

Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities.  Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “For Those Far Away”.

Yesterday for the first time a private individual and company successfully flew passengers high enough in space to view the curvature of the earth.  Another private company is preparing to take passengers even higher within a few weeks. 

Both of these ventures signal the beginning of space tourism which is the business of placing people in space so they may view the earth from this unique perspective.  The initial cost of these space cruises around the earth is about $250k per person.  But like most new expensive things, the price will eventually fall until it becomes widely available to more and more people. 

The point is if we, meaning mankind, are able to do this today, what will those who are far away or 2000 years in the future be going?  Will they still know and believe anything about the gospel of Jesus Christ? 

When Peter preached that first sermon after the Holy Spirit came upon the first disciples who were gathered together and waiting on the promise of the Holy Spirit, he said that the promised of the gospel was to those who heard him that day, their children and to those far away.  He didn’t know how far away those who would receive the gospel would be. 

But as of today, it has been for those of us 2000 years away and everyone within that 2000 year span.  In that span of time, God has been calling His children through and by this gospel of Jesus Christ.  If the gospel is to reach those who are 2ooo years away from us, we must continue to repeat what those before us did to ensure the gospel reached us. 

They found ways to keep the gospel available for people to hear despite of the obstacles and circumstances they faced in their generation.  They had reason to become discouraged, depressed and ambivalent when it came to spreading the gospel.  But they believed it was their calling to reach those for whom Christ died. 

Who will know or recall anything we do here and now 2000 years from now?  Who among the apostles and church knew what Peter did and said on that day we would know and be able to recall 2000 years later?  How many documented events have survived 2000 years or later than that?  Not that many.  This is one reason the bible is such an amazing book. 

People will look back at our time 2000 years away and say and view our way of life and time as ancient.  By that time people may be exploring parts of the galaxy and universe we don’t know exist.  But will they know about Peter’s sermon?  Will they know the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Will God still be calling His children in their time?  What true Christians do here and now in our time will go a long way in determining how far away those still unborn will have to hear the gospel.

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our latest Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Moral Freedom And Independence”. 

In a nod to American independence, this Sunday’s message was about a trending independence of morality.  Morality, like ethics, is concerned with what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. 

When the US declared its independence, it was pronouncing and declaring to the world the new formed nation free from any and all external government or entities as too how it should conduct its affairs.  The United States told the world it was no longer dependent or subordinate, but completely and wholly sovereign or self-governing. 

The same may be said of people today who are claiming moral freedom and independence.  By this I mean people are deciding for themselves what is good or bad, right or wrong and in some cases dismissing morality altogether. 

In other words, people are becoming morally sovereign by discounting any external source that can judge or critique their conduct.  There are several problems with this growing trend of moral freedom and independence. 

Morality is and has proven to be essential to the survival and sustainability of a culture or society.  With the ability to reek devastating destruction and carnage, mankind at every level from individual to national has the ability to take untold lives and cause unimaginable damage.  There are three areas among others moral freedom and independence will result in. 

There is decadence which is behavior characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure, luxury, self-gratification, wantonness which is a disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others in order to achieve one’s on ends and callousness which is the quality of being insensitive, indifferent, or unsympathetic to the plight, condition and situation of others resulting in a hardness of heart. 

We can already see the fallout and signs of this moral freedom and independence.  Morality derived from within ourselves is flawed because we are flawed.  True and righteous morality must come from without from a source that is impartial, just, perfect in thought and character.  That someone is our Creator, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In a democracy, morality cannot be successfully imposed upon a people who don’t want it or acknowledge its right to judge their behavior.  Nor will compromising with immorality to codify morality succeed in bringing about lasting change. 

God permits and we must allow people to exercise their moral freedom and independence.  Because in the end, those who practice and engage in their own morality will end up morally bankrupted and be forced to acknowledge they got it wrong. 

But like the prodigal son, God will forgive us when we agree with Him on matters of morality.  The Apostle Paul gave us a list of things to think on that all guide us through and point us to a moral and virtuous life. 

We must be models of divine morality in order to keep society and the world together in the face of growing desire to declare moral freedom and independence. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our latest Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments

 

Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me, Pastor Jordan, for some Fine Points from Sunday’s service and message “Best Kept Secret”. 

A secret is something few or no others are aware of that people would find of interest and worthy of knowing.  There are things about humanity’s existence and purpose that have not been known until Jesus came and revealed that to humanity. 

While our Creator’s purpose for us was formulated before He created the world, it was kept hidden from us until now.  Our purpose then is the world’s best kept secret.  It is something that was always there, but few knew or suspected it. 

Jesus used a teaching method called parables to reveal the hidden secrets of life that are so important to God’s children.  A parable is an earthly story or narrative that has a hidden or veiled meaning.  In some ways it is similar to a riddle. 

To avoid giving these holy and eternal gifts to those who are unworthy of them by their rejection of them, God allows these secrets to be discovered by those who really want to know them.  Parables require people to seek and inquire as to the true meaning of what has been said. 

On the surface, it may not make sense or seem to mean something that it does not mean.  People therefore will dismiss them, devalue them and ignore them because they feel that don’t need them or they are of little or of no importance. 

But those for whom God made the world and prepared an eternal inheritance will seek to know the mysteries of life which the parables are intended to reveal.  Because of what they provide and offer to humanity and are not generally known or understood, the gospel is therefore the world’s best kept secret. 

As we get to know and understand more of these eternal secrets, we appreciate and value what they reveal so much more.  Because we understand and appreciate the value of these secrets, we are compelled to help others see and understand what we do. 

The problem is that we can not force others to understand, believe or appreciate the hidden message contained in the gospel.  But if we love others, which the understanding and appreciation of God’s best kept secret will cause us to do, we have to try to help other to see. 

Jesus said we are happy or blessed if we understand these secrets and they help us to navigate a world filled with adversity and trials.  The world’s best kept secret is that God has prepared an eternal place for us in eternity with Him that has been in place before the world was ever made thanks to Jesus not secret anymore. 

You can hear the complete sermon by clicking the sermon title above.  You can also see and listen to our latest Sunday School, Missions and BTU sessions by clicking this link.  Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices to get the latest news, updates and shortcuts to all of our ministries, functions and activities. 

Click the SS Daily Bible Readings for an excellent devotional and preparation for the upcoming Sunday School lesson.  Don’t forget to leave a comment or question down below.  As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

 

Pastor Jordan

 

Comments