MACON TRANSITIONL CENTER - March 16, 2014

Wayne, Julia and I went to Macon TC for the Sunday morning service. One of the residents opened in prayer and we then went into video worship. Wayne brought the message on "On the Rock or On the Sand." These notes are much longer than usual and yet I left out so much of the "meat." If you want to know more, please contact Wayne.
Wayne, Julia and I went to Macon TC for the Sunday morning service. One of the residents opened in prayer and we then went into video worship. Wayne brought the message on "On the Rock or On the Sand." These notes are much longer than usual and yet I left out so much of the "meat." If you want to know more, please contact Wayne.

Statistics show that the majority of Christians are marginal. I wish I could share all of the statistics here, but it would make it too lengthy. 2 Cor. 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.

The term "saved" in the present tense form we use today is not really Biblical. The present tense form is taken from several verses pulled out of context from Apostle Paul's letters. The letters were written to churches not unbelievers. Romans 10:9 is where the doctrine of salvation prayer came from. What we have done is pull this passage out of context and improperly applied the text to people who do not love God, do not have a zeal for God, and are not looking for Salvation, and we say, “Say this prayer and you’ll be saved” magically and immediately. Unfortunately, this stands in the face of what we are told about salvation coming in the end after we have stood strong and endured the race.

Salvation is a walk not instantaneous by a salvation prayer. We must endure to the end. (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13) Other Scriptures to support that salvation is a journey are Matthew 7:13-14; Heb. 3: 6; 14; Rev. 2:10; I Pet. 1:13; Heb. 9:28

Titus 2:11 - We are saved by grace but deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and purities and zealous for good works. While the Grace that saves is given to us and is a free gift, there is absolutely an action that we must perform on our part. Matthew chapter 7 works hand in hand with Paul’s statement to Titus in that the Grace that saves teaches us to actively avoid sin and worldly lusts and to do good works; and if we do not do these things, it does not matter if we confessed His name because our faith in Him was dead. And even Paul, in his letter to Titus, says we are not only to have good works but be zealous for good works. When we look at 1 John, we see that those who believe in Y'shua have evidence of the belief: they overcome the world by keeping the Commands of God that define sin. In other words, they flee from sin and being disobedient children.

This is not that we don’t occasionally fall, but we don’t continue to do what we know is wrong in the eyes of God: we don’t continue to do that which Christ took our place for on the cross.

It is dangerous for us to accept a prayer of Salvation and not actually respond to the Gospel. Many are relying on that prayer and asking Jesus in their heart; but their lives do not look much different from the world. Why would that be? The fact that Matthew 7 addresses this fact should scare everyone proclaiming Christianity; but it does not seem to do so. In Matthew chapter 7, Christ talked of how hard the road was to Heaven and how easy it was to hell. Then in Matthew7: 21-23 He says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? ’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! ’

Matt. 7:13 - this is not talking about the world vs. the church but putting it back into context, you will see that He is talking to professing believers.

7 Signs whether we are building our house on the Rock or sand...

1. Repentance in examining our lives (Luke 13:1-5; also supported in Romans 7:7; Hebrews 10:26; John 14:15; I John 2-3-4; Rev. 22:14)

2. Loving Others (James 2:8)

3. Desire to seek after Christ - when we love someone, we want to know all about him/her; we should have that desire for our Lord. (Matthew 12:42) The queen of Sheba loaded up her riches and traveled for long distances to seek out Solomon and why he was so blessed. We have one better than Solomon, but if we don’t seek Him out with all we have, even the queen of the south will rise up in judgment against us.

In many of the parables, Christ gives examples of what our seeking of Him is suppose to look like. It’s suppose to look like the man who found a treasure buried on a land and sold all he had to buy that land for the treasure. It’s suppose to look like a man who found a pearl of great price and sold all he had to purchase that pearl. It’s suppose to look as if we hate our mother, father, children.

In the parable of abiding in the vine, Y’shua says if we don’t abide in Him and produce fruit, we will be cast into the fire. This is a parallel among several teachings of Christ. The production of fruit is the souls that are saved because of us and the abiding is the seeking after Him. If we are not diligently seeking, giving up everything, even our own life, we will be cut away and thrown into the fire.

4. Worldly Pleasures - loving pleasures of world more than God Himself. (Matthew 3:22; I John 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:4-5, 7)

5. Forgiveness (Mark 11:25-26; Matt. 18:21-35; James 2:12-13)

6. Money (Isaiah 58) even though you may fast - means nothing because you don't care for the poor (Prov. 14:31; Prov. 21:13; Prov. 28:27; Luke 6:20-21, 24; James 5:1; Luke 12:21-31; Luke 13) Who does not forsake ALL cannot be His disciple (Luke 18:21-23; Matt. 6:24; Matt. 18:21-35) Where your treasure is your heart will be also.

7. Witnessing - spreading the Gospel (Matt. 12:40-41; John 15:1-2)

The service went right up to the "deadline" so we got into a circle, took prayer requests, and closed in prayer.