Sermon 17 Know the LORD!
By Rev. Mark E. Vatcher
Knowing that God loves you is your first step towards knowing Him. Look here what it says in (John 3:16) "God so
loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal
life". His Son, the most precious gift we receive from God often goes unrecognized by most people. Why? All
Christians know that obtaining this free blessing for all of eternity is as easy as opening your mouth and asking for it
from the LORD. Although, most people choose not to do this, so they can not experience the abundant Christian life. A
Christian life is full of love and abundant blessings from the LORD. Look what Jesus says in (John 10:10) "I came that
they might have life, and might have it abundantly" that it might be full and have meaning. The main reason why most
non-Christians don’t experience this is because they fail to realize they need God and can not live life without Him.
They go on living empty unfruitful lives never letting go of the sin that consumes them. "All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is one and only one way to be cleansed from sin, ask Jesus to forgive you
and His promise will be given freely. Man is sinful and separated from God therefore, he cannot know and experience
God's love and plan for his life. Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he
chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude
of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans
6:23).
There is hope in bridging this gap between the sin of man and God. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. By acknowledging that Jesus died for
your sins on the cross, you can obtain eternal life through His sacrifice. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He rose from the dead “Christ died for our sins...He
was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to
him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6). Believing
these fundamental things we must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and
experience God's love and plan for our lives.
Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name" (John 1:12).
Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works,
that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
Receive Christ, Experience a New Birth
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus
at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the
miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see
the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he
cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter
the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to
spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You
hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
(John 3:1-8)
Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"
(Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (in other words repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives
to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You
receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. Yield to Christ in your life if you haven’t already. Let Him be your light
in this dark world. Start living the Christ-directed life with Christ on the throne. Self is yielding to Christ. Interests are
directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan. Begin with a prayer:
Lord Jesus, I need You, my life is empty without You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of
my life and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take
control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be." I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
By Rev. Mark E. Vatcher
Knowing that God loves you is your first step towards knowing Him. Look here what it says in (John 3:16) "God so
loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal
life". His Son, the most precious gift we receive from God often goes unrecognized by most people. Why? All
Christians know that obtaining this free blessing for all of eternity is as easy as opening your mouth and asking for it
from the LORD. Although, most people choose not to do this, so they can not experience the abundant Christian life. A
Christian life is full of love and abundant blessings from the LORD. Look what Jesus says in (John 10:10) "I came that
they might have life, and might have it abundantly" that it might be full and have meaning. The main reason why most
non-Christians don’t experience this is because they fail to realize they need God and can not live life without Him.
They go on living empty unfruitful lives never letting go of the sin that consumes them. "All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is one and only one way to be cleansed from sin, ask Jesus to forgive you
and His promise will be given freely. Man is sinful and separated from God therefore, he cannot know and experience
God's love and plan for his life. Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he
chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude
of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans
6:23).
There is hope in bridging this gap between the sin of man and God. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. By acknowledging that Jesus died for
your sins on the cross, you can obtain eternal life through His sacrifice. "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He rose from the dead “Christ died for our sins...He
was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to
him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6). Believing
these fundamental things we must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and
experience God's love and plan for our lives.
Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name" (John 1:12).
Receive Christ Through Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works,
that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
Receive Christ, Experience a New Birth
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus
at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the
miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see
the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he
cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter
the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to
spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You
hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
(John 3:1-8)
Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"
(Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (in other words repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives
to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You
receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will. Yield to Christ in your life if you haven’t already. Let Him be your light
in this dark world. Start living the Christ-directed life with Christ on the throne. Self is yielding to Christ. Interests are
directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan. Begin with a prayer:
Lord Jesus, I need You, my life is empty without You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of
my life and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take
control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be." I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
