Today’s message summary of December 6, 2015 from Pastor Gus Brown:
In the wake of the headline of a recent shooting incident, the newspaper headline stated “God Can’t Fix This.” The reality is that God has already fixed it. It’s already fixed.
God is already involved. The solution is already there. It is in Jesus Christ. It is our choice to follow through with what God has already ordained.
God wants you to understand that it is already fixed. He wants you to walk in His ways. You will recognize it is fixed when you acknowledge the presence of Jesus Christ.
This is not the first time that God has been mentioned in the headline of a newspaper. It has been done over and over, and it has occurred throughout history thousands of years ago.
God has given His answer to man’s problems in two names: Jesus and Immanuel.
There is meaning in the names.
- The name Jesus
Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua. It means Yahweh or Jehovah, which is “salvation.”
Jesus saves.
Jesus delivers.
Jesus rescues.
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.
Jesus had a divine purpose…a heavenly purpose. It was to save His people.
What was He saving the people from? Their sins.
Does this apply to you? Do you see yourself as righteous in your own eyes?
We need to believe this about ourselves…we are sinful people, and we need a Savior.
Jesus is the clearest view that we will ever have of God on this side of heaven.
John 14:8-11
“Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.
John 5:39
You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me.
God wants to fulfill His will through us. He is working in our lives to do just that–to be like Christ.
Acts 4:12
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.
People are free to choose. You are not free not to choose. You are not free to choose the consequences after your choices. Your choices will ultimate choose for you.
You are free to push Jesus out of life, but you will need to bear the consequences from such a choice.
Salvation is not just getting people into heaven–it’s God desiring to be in the lives of people. He wants to be in a personal relationship with you.
It’s your choice to live for Christ.
Psalm 31:14-15
But I trust in You, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” The course of my life is in Your power; deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors.
A man or woman will go to hell unsaved, but not unloved by God. It’s your choice to receive God’s love (John 3:16-17).
1 John 4:19
We love because He first loved us.
We cannot change the lives of other people. God has to do that Himself. We can live for Christ before others and love them as Christ loves them.
Without a relationship, there is no way to work out of your problems. Jesus Christ’s purpose was to deal with your sins–that is a relationship that He wants to have with you (Matthew 1:21).
Jesus has come to give us knowledge and understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus fulfills His Name. Jehovah is salvation.
Salvation is a benefit for man, not God. All that takes place is for you–for us. God is the only One who can accomplish all of this.
What are the sins?
- The sin of unbelief
- The sin of worry
- The sin of debt (material things)
- The sin of anger (unable to forgive another person)
- Freedom from our past
- Deliverance from bad habits.
- Dealing with self
People will not acknowledge their personal issue with sin because they see themselves as righteous.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
- Immanuel – God with us.
Isaiah 7-8 – Assyrian army would flood the land with trouble until they cried out “O Immanuel!”
Hebrews 13:5-6
Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Philippians 1:6
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:4
He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves.
Akron Alliance Fellowship 