Guest Speaker Bishop Gary Trail

Issue one issue number one Jesus. And it’s amazing. That we were talking about. Jesus in our Sabbath school class today and how much we really need to center on him and how much we need help. So let us pray together Sweet Holy Spirit. Sweet heavenly dove. Stay right here with us. Filling us with your love and for these blessings we lift our hearts and praise without a doubt will know that we have been revived. When we shall leave this place. Amen I’d like to read a couple verses of Scripture from Luke Chapter twenty one. Actually verse twenty five and twenty six. These are the words of Jesus and they come toward the end of his ministry and he’s trying to prepare his disciples and prepare us. For what may be to come. And I believe in this word that he’s giving he is looking far down to zero toward our time and maybe beyond our time. As I see these verses applying to us today. They show us how dangerous the world is. And how closer than ever we are to his coming again now I’m not saying I know the day and the hour but I know it’s closer than ever but here’s what he says that we should take note of verses twenty five and twenty six. In the twenty first chapter of Luke. And there will be signs in the sun. In the moon and in the stars on the earth distress of nations with per pack city the sea and the waves roaring men’s hearts failing hearts failing them from fear. And the expectation of those sayings which are coming on the earth for the powers of heaven. Will be shaken. That really to me speaks of both earthquakes and hurricanes the roaring of the Seas. And the shaking of the earth and then I want to read another passage from fish and this is from St Paul’s letter to the efficiency I’m going to read chapter three verses fourteen through twenty one For this reason. I bow my knees to the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ from home the whole family in heaven and on earth his name. That he would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and agr and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints What is the width and the length and the depth and the height and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus thread all ages world without end amen well that passage alone must have about five or six hours of preaching. So I’m going to give you some good news I’m not preaching on on that message but it does sum up what God wants to do inside of us it sums up again. That the number one issue is Jesus Christ. And he is the all in all and the end all. But I’m really going to preach on basically a word from John Chapter five look at John Chapter five verse thirty nine. Because I want to limit the time here and I hope you’ll be happy about that and. John Chapter five verse thirty nine John Chapter five verse thirty nine. And you search the Scriptures. For in them you think you have eternal life. And these are they which testify. Of me the message has the same words you have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there but you miss the forest for the trees these scriptures are all about me Well both are true and for real the scriptures are all about Jesus we used to have a song years and years ago you’re not prepared to live if you’re not prepared to die. That was a verse in and I thought about another song that we used to saying. Life is filled with guns and wars and everyone got trampled on the floor. I wish we’d all been ready children die the days grew cold a piece of bread would buy a bag of go. I wish we’d all been ready there’s no time to change your mind the sun has come. And you’ve been left behind. There’s no time to change your mind how could you have been so blind. The father spoke the demons died the sun has gone. And you’ve been left behind well my desire is that those who are within my hearing today are not left behind. I want you all to know the greatest person who ever lived personally as your best friend as your Lord as your Savior and as the one who gives you the greatest eternal life but the greatest life you could have on this earth the abundant life that’s my desire for everybody within my hearing it’s my desire for everybody I meet it’s my desire for my family I want them to know Jesus most of all are you prepared to meet a one hundred percent holy God right now. I don’t know if I’ll get to finish this sermon and not Jesus could come before the sermons over and Summers and I hope it’s not that long well but I know that everyone who hears my voice. Has sinned. And is a sinner. Because the Bible says All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and so is how is a one hundred percent holy God going to have fellowship with people. Who have sinned that’s an eternal question and I’m sure I asked another question if you were to die tonight would you know for certain that you would go to heaven be good day answer that question as soon as possible if you were to die tonight would you know for certain that you would go to heaven. And a parallel question which is kind of a diagnostic question. If you were to stand before God and God were to say to you why should I let you in my into By heaven what would you say to God you know a lot of people answer that question a different ways some might say well. I have not committed any crimes. I don’t spend any jail time sorry not good enough not good enough to get you to heaven so might say well I’m not murdered anybody. Sorry not good enough there are other commandments Well I’m almost as good as anybody else. I saw good enough either. God will let you into heaven on that basis or I’m bad as good as anyone in the church that I go to sorry that’s not good enough either. Are you prepared to meet a one hundred percent holy God. Well you might say well I don’t have any enemies I’ve been such a good person I don’t even have any enemies Well I have to tell you I’m not that good but that’s not good enough if there is sin in your life God is your enemy if there is sin in your life go is your enemy Well you ask how do I get out of this predicament Well I would say I have three main points today and it’s official Good news good news from the highest source that’s the gospel. You can be saved. You can approach a one hundred percent holy God. And God does not want you to be lost forever the Bible says that he is not willing that any should perish it’s really not God God’s will if we all go to the wrong place it will not be because God wants it because God has done everything he can do to make sure you go to the right place God has gone to the extremes to make sure you go to the right place and the second Lay which is you know the main person of the Bible and Jesus himself said so Jesus came to remove your sins in the pro. I don’t tell me I will you only got one sin. You know there in the poor Oh. You know they’re in the pro every day. How many evil thoughts have you had every day. How many times have you got mad at your spouse how many times of your children got on your nerves how many times you wish I wish I could do something to that teacher in school. But Jesus came to remove your sins but also to remove the C.N.N. principle not just sins in the pro but sin. Which is. The bent toward sinning we not only have sins but we have a pre predisposed a predisposition to keep or keep it up but Jesus came to deal with both. That’s part of the good news. And Jesus came to tell you that you can also have the abundant life on Earth and you may say to me OK. I trust that Jesus is who he says he is the very center of the Bible and I trust that Jesus died on the cross to take away my sins so I can stand before God. Before a one hundred percent holy God and I can ask Jesus at any time lord I’m sorry that I had all those evil thoughts. That I did those dastardly things. And he will forgive you because he picked up the cross for that but Jesus also wants do you trust Jesus that since he and the Holy Father have the Holy Spirit have made you and designed you that he has a best plan for your life on what and what you remain on this earth see this work some people have it well you know I can accept Jesus and I’m glad he took away my sins but I’m not sure I want to Bay hear. It what his plan for me is for the rest of my life because you see if I do that I might not have any fun I might not really live which is to say Well I’d like to do a little more sinning first and all repent of that or I’d like to I like to do it my way well the famous saying Are You see I did it my way do you dare to believe that you can do the rest of your life Jesus way and whatever his plan for you is I don’t care how old you are I don’t care how young you are Jesus has a plan for you for the rest of us do you trust him for that plant on Earth in what remains and I would dare to tell you that his way is the best way. Now I’m so glad I trusted Jesus to take away my sins many years ago. And it wasn’t long after that I had to come to an awareness. That he wanted me to do my life his way. And I want to tell you it’s been one of the greatest adventures that I could have ever had absolutely unbelievable for a little boy who grew up between the metropolitan centers of change bill and ornaments who walked the woods with his little dog wandered among the sticks. The fields in the forests and also that wonderfully tasting spring natural spring I would not have believed that when I answered the call to do God my life God’s way that I would have such an adventure but I believe that Jesus is right he plans you to have the abundant life on earth and I hope that you are not only believing him for eternal life to take away your sins but also believe in His plan for your life. The Old Testament Scriptures tell us and first I want to preach on you can be saved. From sin. And you can be saved from since. God wants you to be saved everybody can be saved everybody can be saved and know it and everybody can be saved to the uttermost. I didn’t come up with that I stole that from somebody else by the name of Wesley. And there might even be another step in there but I forgot but God wants everybody to be saved God wants you to be saved and everybody can be saved you can be saved you can be saved and know it and you can be saved to the uttermost. The Old Testament Scriptures testify that God is perfect and holy yet he wants to fellowship with human beings. And that break with God happened in the Garden of Eden. Now a lot of people like to blame it on leave and fact Adam want to blame it on me when God says what is this it you’ve done well Adam says well you know the woman that you made gave me it’s your fault God you gave me this woman she did given to me and I did eat. But remember Eve had the word from Adam. But Adam and I had the word directly from God So you can’t blame me if. It’s both I’m responsible because you say well she just listened to her husband but you know wives don’t want to listen to their husbands you know my wife doesn’t want to listen to me because I’m always right and she knows I’m not always right. I just think I’m always right OK But there is that fall where sin entered. And ran rampant and killed. Eventually Adam and Eve died a physical death and when they sinned they died a spiritual death because they were no longer in full fellowship with a holy God and sin running rampant tends to. Just in compass everybody so it came to a point where only eight people could even fellowship a little bit with God that was no on his wife and sons three sons and three daughters in law the rest of that wiped out by the flood God want to wash it clean start over again with a people sin ran rampant in Sodom and ONLY lot. And his daughters and his wife made it out of the city but she decided to turn around and look back. And I think there’s a pillar of salt in her name they’ve named a pillar of salt there to this day. But see in kill us sin running rampant through our nation and through our world is killing people by the thousands some of them are innocent I got a piece of mail the other day please help the starving people in Syria many of them are just wretched because of warfare but that’s what sin does now the law was given to help people become a little more holy and it was good. But it couldn’t take away since it’s just not enough. The ten commandments were given and they’re good they might help you get along with your neighbors spatially the first ones well ones are the second set first one tells you how to get along with God first five and then the next five tells you how you know your neighbor. And you do get along better but it still doesn’t take away seers. Them to take away sins God instituted the blood sacrifices and I got people a bit closer. Because you see when we meditate that sin kills and you see your favorite lamb because when you brought a sacrifice to the priest to be sacrificed it wasn’t the worst one or else it was accepted. Many times it was that favorite lamb that was your pet and you saw all that it sacrificed for C.N.N. in your life and you saw that death was there that imprinted on people what sin does and how terrible sin is and we need to realize that if we haven’t opened our eyes to what’s going on in the world today we need to open our eyes to the fact that sin is so serious. To harbor it to cultivate it to let it run rampant. Would destroy a nation and a society and it could even destroy the church although Jesus promised the church going to be here. Nation may. But upon this rock which is. The stable that Jesus is the Messiah and he’s a center of the Bible and he’s the one who was. Predicted to come by the Old Testament prophets upon this rock I will they’ll buy a church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and brothers and sisters when we have Jesus in our lives and when we are marching together with other people who have Jesus in their lives we can march right up to the gates of hell. And say we’re going to knock down some doors and pole some people at. Some time to help us all earth where people are addicted and life is not worth living and so they plan to kill themselves by just taking a couple extra overdoses and I’ll get out of this wretchedness and army and where I’ll just have to have that fix I’ll do anything to get a fix I’m so miserable I’ve got to have a fix it’s terrible. But that’s what sin does it’s it runs rampant but blood sacrifices don’t take away all the sin on the Day of Atonement yom Kapoor they say that the high priest today the high priest was in or into the holy of holies. And to meet God personally they had to tie rope around his ankle because he might not be good enough and if a holiness broke forth he die and it have to drag him out of that rope because they couldn’t go in the Holy of Holies holiness broke. From the Ark of the Covenant if you’re not holy enough you don’t dare touch that ark. And when David was trying to bring the ark up into the city. It was on a card I believe and the oxen stumbled and they thought the person watching the ark thought the ark was going to fall off the cart his name was is a and he was killed when he touched the ark cause it was holy enough you need to have that holiness without which no one shall see the Lord we need that kind of holiness. Now EDA Abraham Moses and Elijah fellowship with God they talk with God direct through Jesus Christ we’re supposed to do that. We’re supposed to have a personal God a God as Father who we know created us and loved us and sent us Jesus to die for us but these people fellowship with God. But we know we know when Moses came down from the mountain and his face shown people says we don’t want to talk to God we’re scared to death we’re not holy enough. In a way they were right although God wanted to fellowship with them but. God eventually sent the predicted Savior Jesus Christ you should call is named Jesus because He will save his people from their sins and also from the sin principle. This Jesus of Nazareth this messiah. In the Old Testament God was moving people toward belief and trust in the promise jesus I believe Abraham Enoch Moses and Elijah all believed that God’s deliverer was coming and that’s why they were saved they were saved by faith and so he was trying to move God’s people toward trust in the promise jesus so do you believe and trust in. Have full confidence in what Jesus that Jesus is who he says he is and what he did on the cross is sufficient to take away all your sins that’s what we need to believe so he came to remove. The sin principle to John the Baptist said Behold. And the word behold there means I believe to see spiritually not just see with your physical eyes but to see spiritually Behold the Lamb of God that takes us to weigh the sins of the world well. Let’s move to another time John Wesley was once preaching in a fashionable church and how I think he would have defined it as a church with a form of godliness without the power thereof. And he was afraid the future churches would be like that. They’d have the form of God unless they’d look good. But they wouldn’t have the power of God So John Wesley. Decided to shake them up a little bit show some tough love from the pope and he said he quoted the scripture and it’s what he preached on you brood of drivers who told you to flee from the wrath the car. Right from John the Baptist Well one of the church members was miffed. Didn’t like that preaching at all after service was over he greeted Mr Wesley to back door and he said Mr Wesley that sermon should have been preached at Newgate prison John Wesley said no at Newgate prison I would have preached on Behold the Lamb of God who takes the way the sins of the world because you see folks at Newgate prison some people knew they were going to die soon. And they were going to face this one hundred percent holy God soon. And sometimes the early preachers would go right up on the scaffold where they were to be hung in a row would be put around her neck and he would he would try to. Join them to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior now don’t wait do it now the ropes go around your neck now and people are more prone to believe they knew that they were sinners they knew that a done wrong they knew they’d committed crimes. But sometimes in fashionable churches people don’t know that they are sinners and that’s even more tragic it’s important to know the truth about ourselves and then to turn to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus came to remove also the sin principle which is deep down inside of us. And. Give us his peace yes can take away all the sins and the end then he can help us to forgive ourselves so that our hardest clean told jesus love then we can be a channel of the holiness of God and the holiness of his love to share with others to flow out to others we can have this living water this Holy Spirit that flows through us. Toward others to love and bless others Our remember standing before Bishop John Wesley Lord in one nine hundred. Sixty seven I was to be ordained an elder and I was only twenty four year old how could elder means Presbyterian or old man you know how to be an old man twenty four. But you know I thought I knew everything at that point I just graduated from seminary and force and I didn’t know everything but the bishop asked each of us the four to be ordained. Do you expect to be made perfect. In this life now folks. If you don’t expect it and that’s what Biblical hope is expectation if you don’t expect it you’re not going to get well I lamely expected it meaning well as I answered the question maybe right at the very end of my life in my last breath I’ll have all my thoughts on God and love all my neighbors as myself because that’s what really what needs the definition of being perfect Lou is to love God with the whole heart and to love your neighbor as you love yourself course you got to love yourself so you got to have Jesus take away your sins and healings a bunch of stuff inside of you so that you love yourself and Jesus can do that. Oh I wish I could tell you this morning in truth I’m already there but I’m like St Paul Not that I have already attained. But I press on toward the mark the high mark of his high calling. But you can have eternal life now Jesus said he believes in me has eternal life and that means that I absolutely confidence and trust in what Jesus did and can do. And he wants you to have the abundant life John ten ten Jesus says the thief comes but for those kill and steal and destroy but I am but they might have life and have it more abundantly. Since I found Jesus. Sense of allowed him to work on me. And it’s all it’s up to you you go let Jesus work on you. You can open up your life to Jesus open up this word let it speak to you let the center of this word speak to you because Jesus is the main one. And he wants to know you and you know him but since I have made Jesus my Lord and Savior. I’ve had the abundant life now I’m not saying I haven’t had heartaches. I’ve gone through some things I rather die than go through. Glad I’m still living because he brought me through and he brought me through what was worth worse and death to come to here. And I’m glad and he has given me joy unspeakable and full of glory and he could do it anything he does for me he can do for you you know you don’t want to go to seminary you don’t have to go to college to have the best and I have what you need is Jesus. And that’s not to try to be happy. Let me tell you something. This is a truth. People are so messed up today and I’ve heard this said and all Reverend all I ever wanted to do is to be happy that’s wrong what do you want Jesus to do in your life. That’s a question. I’ve found people so most miserable. Seeking to be happy Jesus says Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you oh I had the addition now I have always been perfect in seeking first the kingdom I’ve made mistakes I’ve still done some more sinning but I’ll tell you what. Jesus is faithful and I’m not and that’s good news for me. Well let me see if I can bring this to a close since I’ve seen the time going to quote C.S. Lewis because we have to decide whether you’re here in cyberspace. He calls this talking alternative it is for October twenty first. Devotion Christ says that he is quote humble and meek and we believe him. Not noticing that if he were merely a man you military and meekness are the very last characteristics we could attribute to some of his say yes some are saying he’s more than humble the meek. I’m trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him quote Well I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say a man who is merely a man and such a sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher he would either be a lunatic on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the devil of hell you must make your choice either this man was and he is a Son of God or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a food you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher he has not left that open to us he did not intend to issue one Jesus. What I do with. Making my Lord Savior and greatest friend. Or do I fight against him do I make myself God and say well I want to be happy. I want to do it my way Well I’ll tell you that’s the way of misery in this world and in the next. I’m going to offer a prayer now and actually I’m going to offer to prayers if you don’t know that you have eternal life now I’m going to offer this prayer going to ask that you pray it with me you can pray that lad if you want to or you could prevent the main thing is to pray it in your heart dear Lord Jesus. I know that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself I believe that you are who you say you are I believe that you did the perfect work of dying on the cross as a perfect human being. And as God You died on the cross for my sins even mine now I ask you to come into my heart. Take away all my sins and also take away that sin principle or at least begin to do so Lord so that I might. Have your nature in me that I may partake of your divine nature. Thank you for dying for me thank you for coming to earth for me. Thank you for loving me just as I am right now but loving me enough so that I’m giving you permission to work changes in my life. In the name we pray Amen then going to offer another prayer for those who want to know Jesus better dear Lord Jesus. I know that you are who you say you are. I know that you died for my sins and I know that you have the best plan for me for the rest of my life. Help me to have perfect confidence and faith and trust in what it is help me to seek and search and find it as I would search for the Kingdom of God and make the kingdom first and for the rest of my life. Live the abundant life on Earth. Full of adventures Yes trials yes tribulations. But is as a victor because Lord this is the victory which overcomes the world even our faith Thank you Lord. Amen Now if you prayed either of those prayers tell somebody. I’m letting Jesus work on me.