THE KEY TO VICTORY!

We are all recovering sinners…while we have been forgiven, (that is if you have received Christ as Savior and Lord) we are certainly not immune to the daily struggle with sin and temptation…The Apostle Paul knew what the conflict was like. “What I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing…” (Romans 7:19)…

But even though we battle with sin, God has given us everything we need to overcome it…(Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good…”) (1st John 5:4-5, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world…This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith…Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God…”)

Jesus never promised that obeying Him would be easy…But the hard work and self-discipline of serving Christ is no burden to those who love Him…And if our load starts to feel heavy, we can always trust Christ to help us bear it…

(Matt. 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls…For my yoke is easy and My burden is light…”)

A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen…It is attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull…A person may be carrying heavy burdens of, (1) Sin, (2) excessive demands of religious leaders or family members, (3) oppression and persecution, or (4) weariness in the search for God…

Whatever the case maybe, Jesus wants to help each of us carry the heavy load this worldly life offers…If we come to Him because we are weary and beat down with the burden of life, He will give us rest…He will help us carry the heavy load and help us each learn more and more about Him and His strength…His strength can help us stand up under the burdens of this world and prepare us for the eternal rest that is to come…

The key to victory is found in Jesus Christ, but for now I want to focus on three key words found in Romans 6: 3,6,13…The words are, Know, Count, and Offer…

First, Paul was saying that we have to know, to comprehend and believe what is right and true…We cannot deal effectively with our sin until we are able to acknowledge its presence, to understand its implications in our lives and to access the weapons we need to combat its influence…

Accepting Jesus’ once for all sacrifice makes us right with God the Father, but our Lord also gives us daily victory over evil…His death broke the stranglehold of sin, its controlling and dominating power over our lives…(Verse 1/2)…And because Jesus came back to life again, He in turn offers us new life that will triumph over the old (Verses 4/8, 4“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” )…8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him…”)

Now don’t misunderstand what this means, I am not in any hurry to die physically but I also know that one day it will happen…What this means is that death no longer hold mastery over Jesus, because He was freed from its grip forever, vs. 9—and now He extends to us the incredible benefit of enjoying the same freedom…We just need to know where to look for it!


Next, Paul says that we have to count, or consider or reckon, ourselves dead to sin, to internalize that truth, to assimilate and act upon that reality… Simply acknowledging that Jesus’ death and resurrection can set us free from sin is not enough…We have to do something about it…We must refuse to allow sin to reign in our lives…We must regard ourselves as, “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ,” (Romans 6:11…)

As we acknowledge the stunning reality that we are saved from sin because Jesus died for us, we go on to live by faith in the light of this truth…As we realize that we are saved by the Grace of God, because Jesus paid in full our payment for sin, and then count ourselves dead to sin but alive in Christ, we will become truly alive to a new quality of life lived in intimate relationship with God…

Finally, we are called to offer ourselves…As we struggle with sin, we can choose to yield ourselves to the Lord…The apostle Paul urged us as believers, “In view of God’s mercy, to offer, (Our) bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is (Our) spiritual act of worship,” (Romans 12:1)…

This means submitting to the Holy Spirit who lives within us…and who builds a Christ like character within us…

This yielding, this offering up of our will as obedient to the will of God, is not something we do only once…It must be an ongoing practice on our part…

What is it that we can offer God that He cannot already provide Himself…? Nothing…!! But because we are His children and He has called us by His name, He wants us to offer all that we have to Him to be used to His glory…

When Scripture says we should offer our bodies it means just that…

1) Our minds…We should offer Him our mind because if we don’t give it to Him, there is not much He will so with it…when we offer our minds to Him, He will, in the due process of time, give us the mind of Christ…
2) Our eyes and ears are part of what is offered…Ask yourself this question…What do your eyes look at and what do your ears hear…? Because what you look at and what you listen to is what you will become…
3) Our tongue is offered because it is part of our body even though it is very small…

James chapter three, verse 5/6 /8, tells us, “Like wise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boast…consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark…The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body…It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell…” 8) but no man can tame the tongue… It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison…"

James compares the damage the tongue can do to a raging fire—the tongue’s wickedness has its source in hell itself… The uncontrolled tongue can do terrible damage…Satan uses the tongue to divide people and pit them against one another…Idle and hateful words are damaging because they spread destruction quickly and no one can stop the results once they are spoken…

We dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologize later because even if we do, the scars remain…A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build…Before you speak, remember that words are like fire—you can neither control nor reverse the damage they do…


In verse 8, Scripture says, “ no man can tame the tongue...”
A young man asked me the other day, “If no human can control the tongue, why bother trying…”?

Even if we may not achieve perfect control of our tongues, we can still learn enough control to reduce the damage our words can do…It is better to fight a fire than to pour gasoline on an existing one or go around starting new ones…

Remember we are not fighting the tongues fire in our own strength…The Holy Spirit will give us increasing power to monitor and control what we say, so that when we are offended, the Spirit will remind us of God’s love, and we won’t react in a hateful manner…When we are criticized, the Spirit will heal the hurt, and we won’t lash out at our offender…

But on the other hand, if we know what damage the tongue or words can do, we should realize how much good they can and will do if we offer them to God for Him to use as He sees fit…Our words should be words of encouragement and edification…

We must always remember who we belong to…We are not our own, we belong to the One who made us, and who redeemed us from the slave gates of hell…we can do what He says we can do…but we must know who’s we are…We must count ourselves dead to sin and alive with God in Christ…Then we must also remember that we must continually offer ourselves to God for His good pleasure…

Pay close attention, however, to this significant footnote…Our victory over sin is ultimately a matter of grace, not of rules and regulations (Romans 6:14)…By His amazing grace offered through His Son Jesus, God provides all that we need to live in victory over sin…

God bless…
Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr.
Fisherman for Christ

OUR GOOD SHEPHERD

Last night I was invited to the church of a friend of mine…I went and enjoyed every minute…It was an Episcopalian church…The people we very friendly, they had some great food and fellowship and then, we all heard some great preaching or teaching from the head rector of that parish church…The word “Rector” from the Latin, means “teacher,” and that is just what this young man was doing last night…

If all pastors, preachers, evangelists and so forth would teach the Word of God to their flock as this young man does, the world would have to be a better place to life…I was extensively impressed……

I was very impressed at how well organized everything was in this church…Somebody knows what they are doing and the main One who knows what He’s doing is God…

The young man who brought the message is truly a gifted speaker…He is also the “under shepherd” of that very large flock of sheep… Now someone may ask what is an ”under shepherd…?”

This man, or, “Under Shepherd,” is the shepherd who is under Jesus…Because Jesus is the main Shepherd…and Jesus is also the Head of the Church…

A shepherd is solely responsible for the well being of the flock…

When David was a young shepherd, he fought both a lion and a bear in order to protect the sheep entrusted to his care…(1st Samuel 17: 34-36)…

If a sheep were killed, the shepherd was required to produce evidence that the incident had not been his fault…(Exodus 22:13)…

Any diligent shepherd would willingly risk danger for the sake of the defenseless animals…(Genesis 3:39; 1st Samuel 17:34)…

In an even greater way, Jesus is our Good Shepherd who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and put His own life on the line for us…(John 10:11)…

There are at least three points to consider about our Lord’s sacrifice…

1) Jesus’ sacrifice was voluntary… Jesus was not a hapless victim of the whims of circumstanced and He stated unequivocally; “No one takes (My life) from me, but I lay it down on my own accord”…

If we look at our Lord’s death from a straightforward and purely historical perspective, Jesus died because Judas had betrayed Him, because Pilate was a coward, because the religious leaders hated Him…

If we consider the crucifixion from a theological standpoint, the Son of God died for the sin of the whole world…(Isaiah 53:5-6; John 1:29)…But if we attempt to ponder this event vicariously from Jesus human perspective, we cannot get around the reality that His was the supreme act of love, because He voluntarily gave up His own life for ours…(Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5: 2, 25)…

2) Jesus’ sacrifice was total… Our Savior set aside His glory as God the Son to enter our world as a vulnerable baby…He experienced being forsaken by God the Father before He succumbed to death…He died physically, but He also died spiritually, bearing the Father’s wrath and accepting His ultimate punishment for our sins—separation from God the Father…(Romans 5:6-11)…

3) His sacrifice was beneficial… Jesus Christ died in our stead…and theologians refer to this as substitution…(1st Peter 3:18)… but He also died for our benefit, for which scholars use the term, “vicarious atonement…”

Jesus died for our sins, and God blesses us by assigning to us the results of that sacrifice…

(2nd Corinthians 5:21; “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him…" )

(1st Peter 2:22; “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”)…

Now turning this back toward the young Rector I heard last night…but not only him…but all men who preach and teach the word of God for the edification of the church of Jesus Christ…Theirs is a worthy job…and also worthy of the highest respect from each of us…

A real man of God has been called by God into that special calling in life…So he is called to answer that calling as he volunteers his SPIRIT, time, and effort for the glory of God…

He is to give totally of himself to God and his flock for the glory of God…

He is to know that all he does is beneficial for the kingdom of God, to the glory of God…

A real shepherd must follow in the footsteps of Jesus, for the glory of God the Father…

May the Lord bless you!

Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ

WILLING TO SEE!

BACK GROUND PASSAGE: JOHN 1: 19-51
LESSON PASSAGE: JOHN 1: 19-27, 29-37
KEY BIBLE VERSE JOHN 1:29, ( The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.)
BIBLICAL TRUTH: Jesus is the Christ, Lamb of God, and Son of God.

I once asked a man what he did for a living. He responded by giving me his title. He was senior disposal engineer at a large company in our area. His title sounded impressive! I viewed him as being responsible for vital ecological matters. Sensing my reaction, the man smiled and said, ”Oh, that title just means I’m the oldest janitor at the local plant.”

Sometimes we need people’s titles explained if we are to have a correct understanding of their roles and relate meaningfully to them in their areas of responsibility. We know the importance of understanding the significance of titles assigned to various individuals with whom we relate. How much more important for us to understand the significance of titles given to Jesus! Understanding Jesus’ titles helps us know more about His identity—an identity that has tremendous implications for our lives.

This lesson emphasizes the importance and meaning of Jesus’ identity as Christ, Lamb of God, and Son of God. Each of these titles conveys something special about the identity and significance of our Savior. Learning more about the meanings of these titles can help us experience deeper fellowship with Him. As we grow in our understanding of Jesus’ identity, we will want to help others know more about Jesus.

CONTEXT JOHN 1: 19-51
The apostle John began the Fourth Gospel by emphasizing the Word (Jesus) as Creator of all things. John also pointed out that this Word is both light and life. Jesus came to a world that did not recognize Him.

God sent a man named John as a witness to testify concerning Jesus so that people might believe. The apostle John emphasized that this man, John the Baptist, was only a witness for the Word. John the Baptist was not the light; instead, he came to testify concerning Jesus, The Light of the world. John the Baptist testified that Jesus came to reveal what God is like.

In John 1: 19-51 John, the divinely inspired Gospel writer, recorded the testimony of John the Baptist, the man sent from God, concerning Jesus the Word. John the Baptist also testified that Jesus is both the Lamb of God, and the Son of God.

Writing under divine inspiration, the apostle John did not include in this Gospel several important events presented in the Synoptic Gospels, Matt, Mark, and Luke. For example, John did not record some details the other Gospel writer’s noted concerning Jesus’ baptism. Nor did John record Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. Instead, this apostle focused on major titles for Jesus that reveals His identity. In these verses Jesus is introduced as the Christ, the Son of God, and the Lamb of God.

ASK GOOD QUESTIONS (JOHN 1: 19-23)
John the Baptist’s ministry caused quite a stir. He did not come from within the religious leadership of the nation. Understandably, the religious leaders wondered who this person was.
Did he teach an opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs? Was he a threat to them? Would he start a revolt and bring down the wrath of Rome? Just who was John and what was he planning to do?

Verse 19 begins a record of John the Baptist’s threefold testimony about Jesus recorded in this chapter. This day-after-day testimony emphasized John’s role as forerunner of the Messiah. He consistently shifted the focus from himself and pointed others to Christ. Following the record of these testimonies, John the Baptist moved temporarily out of the spotlight in the Gospel of John. Each time The Baptist appears on the scene, we find him effectively accomplishing the task God sent Him to do—preparing the way for Jesus.

The introductory statement now this was John’s testimony emphasizes the Baptist’s bold declaration to those sent to investigate his identity and mission. John the Baptist testified to the priest and Levites sent to interrogate him. The priest and Levites were temple servants. Levites descended from the tribe of Levi and were assigned specific duties in the temple as well as fulfilling teaching responsibilities.

The Jews of Jerusalem had sent these priest and Levites. The designation the Jews in this context probably refers to the71 members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme council or high court. The expression the Jews occurs only rarely in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In contrast, John frequently used the designation and often employed it to denote the Jews who were hostile to Jesus, particularly the religious leaders. Also this group contained the Pharisees’, which were the largest, and most influential religious-political party in New Testament times, this is the same group that helped put Jesus to death.

The delegation sent from this high Jewish council came to ask the Baptist an important question: “Who are you?” By asking questions, they wanted to gain a clearer understanding of John the Baptist’s claims regarding his role. Did he conform to their concepts of the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet?

John quickly noticed the significance of the delegation’s inquiry. The phrase did not fail to confess, but confessed freely shows that the forerunner frankly and publicly stated that he was not the Christ. The Greek term translated Christ literally means “Anointed One.” The corresponding Hebrew term translated Messiah also means “Anointed One.” John the Baptist positively denied that he was the Messiah.

In the Pharisees’ minds, there was four options regarding John the Baptist’s identity: he was (1) the prophet foretold by Moses, (2) Elijah, (3) the Messiah or (4) a false prophet. John denied being any of these. Instead he called himself, in the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, “A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3). The leaders kept pressing John to say who he was because people were expecting the Messiah to come (Luke 3:15). But John emphasized only why he had come—to prepare the way for the Messiah. The Pharisees’ missed the point. They wanted to know who John was, but John wanted them to know who Jesus was. John called his listeners, TO MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY FOR THE LORD. He challenged those who heard his message to prepare themselves spiritually for the coming Messiah. (Are you ready?)

HEAR TRUE TEACHING (JOHN 1:24-27,29-34)
Some Pharisees’ who had been sent were deeply concerned about the authority and purpose behind his baptizing. They asked him why he was baptizing if he was not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet.
They did not view John’s claim to be “the voice” as important enough to justify his assuming the authority to baptize others. Verse 25 provides the first revelation in the Gospel of John that John the Baptist had been baptizing. During the time Jesus walked the land of the Bible, Gentiles who were converted to Judaism probably were baptized. John, however, was baptizing Jews. While Jews typically viewed Gentiles as defiled and in need of cleansing, Jews must have been shocked by John’s words and actions, which they perceived as putting them in the same category with Gentiles.

In verse 26 John the Baptist readily admitted that he had been immersing in water those who came to him. But as was characteristic of his entire ministry, John immediately pointed his questioners to Christ. The Baptizer informed his listeners that One whom they did not know stood among them. Was Jesus standing there as John spoke? Or was John referring to Jesus’ being present in the area, ready to begin His ministry? In any case, verse 29 records that “that the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him.” The investigating committee did not know Christ, but John did. The Baptist clearly implied that the One who stood unidentified among them was the Christ, a title meaning “Anointed One.”

In verse 29 we see one of the most meaningful and deeply touching statements in the whole of Scripture---The next day John ascribed to Jesus another title—The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. To what does the designation Lamb refer? Various suggestions have been made. Perhaps John had in mind Isaiah 53:7, part of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant passage, a view that seems likely. Others view the designation Lamb of God as a reference to the Passover sacrifice. Yet others find here an allusion to the lamb of the daily sacrifices offered in the temple. Perhaps John was making a general reference to sacrifice and thus had several, if not all, of the above thoughts in mind. (The thesaurus says a lamb is a pure, uncorrupted person, angel, or innocent, virgin.) We know that Jesus paid the price for all of our sins, He suffered for us, and He paid the price even though He was innocent.

Although John the Baptist was a well-known preacher who attracted large crowds, he was content for Jesus to take the higher place. This is true humility, the basis for greatness in preaching, teaching, or any other work we do for Christ. When you are content to do what God wants you to do and let Jesus Christ be honored for it, God will do great things through you.

At Jesus’ baptism, John the Baptist had declared Jesus to be the Messiah. At that time God had given John a sign to show him that Jesus truly had been sent from God. John and Jesus were related, so John probably knew who He was. But it wasn’t until Jesus baptism that John understood that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus baptism is described in Matthew 3:13, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-22.

In verses 32-33,Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down on and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy spirit”

John explained how he knew Jesus was the One he awaited. The One who sent John to baptize with water had revealed he would see a sign. At some point in his ministry John would see the spirit descend on someone. John indicated he had seen the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove on a person.
When John baptized Jesus he saw the dove and understood Jesus was the Lamb of God and that He was the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a substance like water in which a person can be dipped. The literal meaning of baptism as “to immerse” leads to the idea here of “to identify with.” It implies having an extraordinary, transforming experience. Just as a ritual washing signified a transformation, baptism with the …Spirit implies “immersion” in the Spirit, a relationship established that washed away the old and transforms the person baptized. The full expression of this would not be seen until Pentecost, but Jesus is the One who through whom this promise was fulfilled.

In verse 34 John’s experience as an eyewitness prompted him to testify that Jesus is the Son of God—yet another title identifying Jesus. This designation was both a recognized messianic title and a declaration of His unique identity.

John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Christ, the Lamb of God, and the Son of God. Those who know more about Jesus can help us expand our understanding of the Lord. John the Baptist’s job was to point people to Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah. Today people are looking for someone to give them security in an insecure world. Our job is to point them to Christ and to show that He is the one whom they seek.

ACT ON OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, (JOHN 1:35-37

These new disciples used several names for Jesus: Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God and King of Israel. As they got to know Jesus, there appreciation for him grew. The more time we spend getting to know Christ, the more we will understand and appreciate who he is. We may be drawn to Him for His teaching, but we will come to know Him as the Son of God. Although these disciples made this verbal shift in a few days, they would not fully understand Jesus until three years later (Acts 2). What they so easily professed had to be worked out in experience. We may find that words of faith come easily, but deep appreciation for Christ comes with living by faith.

When John saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look the Lamb of God!” Perhaps John’s exclamation implied: You have heard enough about Jesus; there He is, get to know Him personally.” We should strive each and every day to get to know Christ better. If we wake up each day with a, “I want to know Jesus better” attitude, we will get what He has in store for us. We should go where His will is in action and join together in praise and worship. We have a new start every day in Christ Jesus, yesterday ended last night and today is a brand new start. Make well your opportunities to learn more about the One Who is your Maker and Teacher; let His word be planted in your heart, mind and soul. Let His Holy Spirit grow to be One with your spirit.

#37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. (The two disciples decided to leave John the Baptist and FOLLOW JESUS. Maybe they thought they would return to John the next day, who knows? Whatever their plans, they knew they had a chance to talk to the One to whom John had pointed them. They did not let the opportunity get away from them.) Be on the look out, and don’t let opportunity’s slip away.

Later we learn one of the men was Andrew. Some think the other man was John the son of Zebedee, one of two from the twelve not named in the Gospel of John. (James is also not named.) Andrew and the other man decided to follow Jesus. Discipleship in simplest terms is “followship”—choosing to follow Jesus wherever He may lead.
The remainder of the chapter introduces us to Simon, Phillip, and Nathaniel and their response to the invitation to follow Jesus. Andrew told Simion he had found the Messiah. Simon followed and Jesus gave him a new name, “Cephas,” from the Aramaic word meaning, “rock.” The Greek equivalent is “Peter,” which comes from the Greek word for “rock.”

Andrew and Simon were from Bethsaida, a small town on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus found Philip there also, and Philip told Nathaniel about Jesus. The pattern is obvious. Followers are also natural recruiters. Finding something wonderful, they seem compelled to share the news with others. Nathaniel was skeptical. Nazareth was a very small village. Would such a great person come from such an insignificant place? But Nathaniel’s skepticism was easily overcome and Jesus told him what he would experience in the future would only strengthen his faith.

The fourth Gospel is a call to faith. Jesus says, come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Individuals encounter Jesus and the encounter creates a moment of crisis—how will they respond? Will they be offended? Will they be too busy to bother? Will they follow? Will they hear and obey? People still encounter Jesus, and the options are still the same. How did you first encounter and respond to Jesus? Even after you come to follow Jesus, you cannot control how others will respond. You can only point to Jesus and give your testimony. Hopefully they too will follow, learn, and obey when the opportunity is placed before them.

When to two disciples began to follow Jesus, he asked them, “What do you want? Following Christ is not enough; we must follow Him for the right reasons. To follow Christ for our own purposes would be asking Christ to follow us—to align with us to support and advance our cause, not His. We must examine our motives for following Him. Are we seeking His glory or ours? Jesus said,

“I AM THE TRUE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. IF A MAN REMAINS IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT; APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. IF ANYONE DOES NOT REMAIN IN ME, HE IS LIKE A BRANCH THAT IS THROWN AWAY AND WITHERS, SUCH BRANCHES ARE PICKED UP, THROWN INTO THE FIRE AND BURNED. IF YOU REMAIN IN ME AND MY WORDS REMAIN IN YOU, ASK WHATEVER YOU WISH, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN YOU. THIS IS TO MY FATHERS GLORY, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE MY DISCIPLES.”

Before Abraham was, I AM, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Door, I am the Bread of Life, I am the Light of the World, I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life, I am the Redeemer and the Resurrection. Come follow Me. I will make you fishers of men.

Remember this as you go about your next week at work or at home or even driving around doing whatever it is that you shall be doing. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.
ARE YOU WILLING TO SEE ?

Rev. Robert N. Graves. Sr.