Pastor Mike : THE FINAL COUNTDOWN : A Ministry of CHRIST-LIVES MINISTRIES

Pastor Mike : THE FINAL COUNTDOWN : A Ministry of CHRIST-LIVES MINISTRIES

by Mike Letterman

Season 9

Romans - The Wrath of God

Intro: The first portion of chapter one has been devoted to an explanation of the Gospel and the reason for Paul sending this letter. Now, in this second section of chapter one, the Apostle turns his attention to those who are away from the Lord and are in need of this Gospel. For, just as much as Paul wanted the Romans to understand what the Gospel message was all about, he also wanted them to know why such a message was even necessary. Therefore, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write about the wrath of God. It is God's wrath against sin that forms the hub around that which this last half of chapter one revolves. Now, I know that preaching about God's anger against sin is not a popular thing in our day. Man has tried his best to reduce God to some dim-witted, doting old grandfather type figure Who merely winks at the flaws in mankind and possesses no other emotion but love.

Romans - A Gospel Worth Sharing

After introducing the Messenger, the Message and his own Motives in the first 15 verses of this book, the Apostle Paul turns the spotlight on the Gospel that he is going to be writing about. In these 2 verses, we are given one of the greatest summaries of the Gospel ever written by man. For it is in these verses that we can see a clear declaration of God's power and purpose in the Gospel message.

Romans - What we Leave Out of Christmas

I love Christmas! But who do we leave out of the Nativity?

Romans - What Every Christian Should Know

Intro: In my life, I have been blessed by the Lord to have been in the company of some great men of God. Men, who by the lives they have lived, the message they have preached and the motives from which they served the Lord have made an indelible impression on my life. In fact, I can honestly say that I have learned more from great men of God than from any class I have taken, book I have read or paper I have written. I appreciate those who have lived Jesus in front of me and have demonstrated to me the truth that regardless of what we do, our motives should always be pure. I believe the Apostle was this kind of a man. Surely, a man with his great influence and power in the early church faced temptation to do things from an improper motive. However, I can find no record of Paul misusing his authority or influence for personal gain, or any other impure motive. Actually, every time I read about this great man of God, I ma reminded again that Paul was the living example to us all of what a genuine Christian should be.

Romans - Paul's Credentials

Rom. 1:1-7 THE CREDENTIALS OF PAUL THE APOSTLE - PART 2 1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Intro: As we began our study of the Book of Romans, in verse 1 the Apostle Paul introduced himself to the Roman saints. He had never met these people and he wanted to let them know that he was on the up and up. It seems that in those days, there were some people running around claiming to be servants of the Lord when actually they were out for financial gain. Sounds like today doesn't it? After Paul introduces himself personally by sharing some facts about the messenger, he moves on to his message. This is the foundation for the Book of Romans. It is a Book about the essential elements of Christianity. Beginning with the Gospel and moving into the deeper truths of the Christian faith, Paul shares the mind of God with the Roman Christians. As we travel through the great Book, we too are going to encounter truths that will be life changing.

The Book of Romans - Introducing Paul

Rom. 1:1 THE CREDENTIALS OF PAUL THE APOSTLE Part 1 Intro: Today, we embark on a study of what is perhaps the greatest Book of the New Testament. I know that is a big statement, however, Romans is, without question, the greatest theological work of the Apostle Paul. This book has been called "The Constitution Of Christianity"; "The Christian Manifesto"; and "The Cathedral Of The Christian Faith". Without a doubt, this book has been responsible for more change in the church than any other. Our text is short today. It comes from Romans 1:1 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— I will endeavor to do justice to this series. I just completed my PhD in Biblical Exposition and Organizational Leadership. The study of Romans was a required class in my curriculum. I will try to do it as great a justice as Dr. Hayes.

Season 8

Jesus the Light of the World

As a boy Robert Louis Stevenson was intrigued by the work of the old lamplighter who went about with a ladder and a torch, setting the street lights ablaze for the night. One evening in Edinburgh, Scotland, as young Robert stood watching with childish fascination, his parents heard him exclaim, "Look, look! There is a man out there punching holes in the darkness!" With one statement of childish wonder, Robert Louis Stevenson summed up the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came into this world and accomplished many great and miraculous wonders, yet His primary purpose was to punch great gaping holes in the spiritual darkness that shrouded this world. He came to be The Light Of The World

Jesus the Fountain of Living Water

Intro: According to verse 2, the Jews were celebrating the Feasts of Tabernacles. This was a feast that occurred during the first part of our month of October. During this seven day feast, the Jews lived in booths made of tree branches to commemorate their forefather's pilgrimage through the wilderness. On each of these seven days, the High Priest would go to the Pool of Siloam and draw out water in a golden vessel. This water would then be poured out on the altar where the parts of the sacrifice were arranged. As the water was poured out, the people sang unto the Lord and shouted for joy. It was a time of great celebration and worship for the people. This kind of celebrating continued for 7 days. The eighth day was called the great day of the feast. On this day, sacrifices were again offered, but there was no singing and no shouting, this was known as a solemn day of repentance before the Lord. Another element was missing on this day as well; there was no water poured out on the eighth day. It was against this backdrop of silence and symbolism that Jesus stood up and proclaimed Himself to be the Fountain Of Living Water. When He spoke, thousands would have been present to hear Him, and everyone who heard him would have instantly understood what He meant.

Jesus the Bread of Life

We are presented with a new portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage, Jesus is presented as The Bread Of Life. This is an interesting portrait of Jesus, since bread is a substance known and used by every society on the face of the earth. From the American who goes the store to buy his bread to the savage who cooks his daily ration of bread on a stone beside his fire, bread is consumed by people everywhere. By the same taken, most people enjoy their bread. While some like meat and others don't, or some like greens and others don't, most people like bread. Bread is one of the few foods that can be tolerated by most digestive systems. Also, bread has a satisfying quality that few other food products have. Anyway you slice it, bread is good and it is a food that most people need, use and enjoy. When all this is taken together, it becomes clear why Jesus is portrayed as The Bread Of Life.

Jesus the Teacher

This great chapter gives us a portrait of Jesus as the Divine Teacher. We must remember that when Jesus came to this earth, He came to teach men how to flee darkness and come to the light. He came to teach men how to flee death and to enter into life. In this chapter, we find Jesus carrying out this ministry as a teacher. Here, He gets the opportunity to teach a teacher, and He does just that!

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