The Open Door Church 337

Message: Have your ever felt there was something you knew was not wrong to do, but you should not do it? Christian liberty is often referred to as freedom with guidelines to serve on another with love. It is freedom from sin as well, but with accountability to Christ as God's standard is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit and His Word. There are areas of freedom less defined, leaving it to...

Message: There are 3 ways to live our lives before this world as Christ would: I) Submit to the government, II) Love your neighbor and III) Put on Christ. Society can seem challenging and stressful as we resist authority, but to resist is to resist God and bring judgement on ourselves. It is an act of faith to trust the One who appoints authority and to submit to one another, but it is His plan. J...

Message: Believers who haven't practiced Christianity have perpetuated evil, being Christian in name only. In reality, we are to share love, because God first loved us. What is the life of a Christian? Someone who trusts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In the bible, Christian is referred to three times as someone who was behaving like Jesus and following Him. In the passage below, Paul is des...

Message: God's operation plan is how He desires to share the Word. The elect are those accept Christ, a free gift, not of works. In this atmosphere, Paul speaks of the ongoing war for our souls, of the strategic plan of the enemy to steal, kill and destroy, whereas God's plan is for life, life abundantly. It can seem like there is no hope with so much going wrong and so few desiring to do...

Message: There's a responsibility to communicate the message of the bible, to call upon the name and confess Jesus. God's plan is to send people to proclaim the gospel. How? In a Acts 8, they allowed themselves to be scattered by God into the world. It begins with the people closest to us sharing Jesus in many situations. In Peter 3, we are to be prepared to explain the hope within us. We...

Message: Paul is speaking to the Romans about tripping on an element God desires for all of us, to be in agreement with Him. To be in proper relationship is less an act and more being. Why stumble on the promises of God? Works took the place of faith. What is the root cause for lack of faith? There are 3 factors; 1) Zeal 2) Ignorance 3) seeking to be self-righteous. The zeal they had was a passion...

Message: In chapter 9 of Romans, Paul begins to address the confusion and stubbornness surrounding some of the Jews refusing to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. They struggled with the idea that they needed to choose Him. That they’re birthright was not the kingdom of God. In his discussion, Paul highlights vessels of wrath and mercy. There are those that, when they don’t turn away from sin, get...

Message: There is an attack on women and mothers in our society. The role of women is established to complete and complement Adam. Women are twice refined, having been created from Adam who was made from dust which was refined into man by God. Women are to be treated with care as with a fragile and valuable china. The place of women is to be joined with man to make the home, the raising of childre...

Message: Paul has a passion for Israel, God's chosen people, who believe His promises are not being kept. We can perceive a God who abandoned them and we can also perceive He abandons us. In this chapter, Paul looks at the error of the Israelites, so we will not fall in their ways and restore our trust in God's promises. A review of Israel reveals a people God set aside for Himself as a mo...

Message: We don’t want to be people who just go through the motions, that simply operate in legalism, instead, we should have a heart and a desire to serve God; letting our motivation be from a transformed heart. We can see that there is sufficiency, adequacy, and abundance in Christ. Paul highlights that there is a kind of security in Christ that was never present in man’s efforts to be righteous...

Message: Having spent time on grace and sin, Paul begins to spend time on the Law and it's weaknesses. Previously, Paul discussed death to the body of sin, and the "new" man alive in Christ. Now, he continues to explain, we are also dead to the Law. Paul is describing a new way of living to the grace of God, by the grace of God. Incorrect logic supports the mindset of earning salvati...

Message: Paul address how we should conduct ourselves as saints and believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The illustration is the stages of a butterfly, the pupae being the stage of transition from caterpillar to an adult. In context, people who emulate Christ, transform and are called Christians. Paul is supporting the difference between the "old" man and the "new" man. The &quo...

Message: The religious leaders setup Jesus for death, at His crucifixion they provoked Him to save Himself. There are three things that speak to the heart of all scripture from beginning to end, Christ is patterned, promised and present. Christ is a repeated design in His character and conduct for the whole world. Christ was promised in scripture to be Savior who would die for our trespasses and s...

Message: Jesus had a triumphant entry leading to death on the cross. This led people and rulers to ask the question, 'Is He Christ?', the same question many still ask today. Even John, while in prison, sent messengers out to ask. We ask to know if He can truly save. There are compelling pieces of evidence to give us hope, truth and peace. Feast of the Tabernacles is the backdrop of His ent...

Message: Has someone ever done something to you that made you angry? All of us!! What could be so offensive to make God have wrath? Sin, deserving death, however, God had another response, eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul makes a comparison against the offense and the free gift. There are 3 points: 1) the offense 2) the Law and 3) the free Gift. The first Adam was the first of crea...

Message: At some point all of us ask ourselves, "why would I want to be part of this organization or group?" Paul addresses the point of being a child of God and the benefits. There are 3 Key benefits: 1) When we have peace with God, there is no more wrath and are no longer enemies. He is satisfied and we are no longer rebellious. When we accept Christ, the war ends and live in the promi...

Message: Ever heard the term hard-headed? When we have things that are hard to let go of, something we're stuck in, it is referred to as hard-headed. It's difficult to walk away when we're stuck in our ways and have a new way in Christ. Paul is reminding Jewish believers in Rome of the futility of works, to earn our salvation and righteousness in the sight of God. He reminds them of the need for s...

Message: Are there times when you struggled and came up less than your self-imposed expectations? The perfection sought, no matter how hard you worked, came up short? Are you driven by perfection? Paul addresses perfection in our own sight, being enough. In and of ourselves, we are not enough. We do not measure up to the standard of God, HIs righteousness, therefore we need a way.  Weighing t...

Message: Paul is addressing the reprobate mind, the mind that rejects God, missing His plans and purposes, failing the test. Legalism is missing God's  intent.  Paul addresses those who are obeying the rules, living life as a series of do's and don'ts, where it's only about keeping the Law. He is trying to introduce the Spirit of the Law to organized religion, a form of godliness which f...

Message: How are you living God's plans and purposes? We watch things to see how they work or don't work. Paul is uncovering the legalism of the Law, the heresies, where previously he was was persecuting Christians in accordance with the Law or with the support of the Law. Paul is in Corinth writing to the the Romans, to encourage them in the salvation of God by grace through faith.  New Test...

Message : There are many in our society that question the fairness of God, but keep it in the recesses of their minds. Paul addresses God's ways and plans through Esau and Jacob, representing two nations, a stronger and a weaker. The Hebrew translation clarifies the description of stronger and weaker to larger and smaller groups of people. Esau sells his birthright for food from his tricky brother...

Message: We will never be left out when we call on the name of Jesus. Jesus was taken outside the city according to Roman and Jewish customs of the time, after the the trial for sin, to be crucified. The place is referred to as Golgotha, Skull Rock and Calvary. They mocked Him and led Him out of the city to be crucified, a process used in Exodus and Leviticus for the consecration and purification...

Message: You're going to have trouble and trials which can seem strong enough to shake your confidence. We have to keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting Him in all things to maintain a confidence. Historically, Hebrews was written by Paul in 70AD before the destruction of the temple and the capture of Jerusalem. Paul is building up the Christians and Gentiles on God's faithfulness during the trials. He...

Message: What are some steps to draw near to God? We accept Jesus, but it is important to go to the root of the separation. There is someone or some thing keeping you distant from God, the desire's of Satan. When we are not in God's presence, there is an absence of light and truth. There are 3 challenges: holding fast, considering others and assembling. Hold on to hope in the struggles and trials....

Message: In Genesis the beginning of a tenuous relationship between God and man is recorded. Adam and Eve were given a command, breaking it would cause death and separation from God. Sin fell on all mankind, the Spirit no longer dwelled with men. God sent a flood, but man still would not turn and could not save themselves, they would need a Savior. Sin kept a barrier between God and man, a gaze on...