Jeff Lewis
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||December 19, 2007 at 4:42am|email it|3295 reads
 

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Prophetic School
December 19, 2007 at 5:16am
We find the same trend in our Christian television programmes where the preachers want to be popular, giving messages about how to become rich or to receive blessings from God.  None of them preaches on sin or repentance.
MaKelly
December 19, 2007 at 5:55am
I agree Jeff

Some times you have to preach  so much the the word of GOD cuts to the pont of pain where some one take another look at there life and see that they really are not living for Christ, you know the truth hurts and a lot of us don't want to hear it and 65% of people sitting in our Church and Pullpit are going to hell because of this form of GODLENESS and it's not acceptable in GOD'S eyes if you want to get into the kingdom of God.must get your life and house in order other wise I don't care how long you have been in church or a good person if your not born again and repentent from the ungodly life style your name will not be in the Lambs book of life.
paul delucia
December 19, 2007 at 6:43am
Preach sin, preach the cure !  
Rebel with a Cause
December 19, 2007 at 7:03am
Ok so Jeff I don't really preach but I talk to others about Christ.

But, there is this one I have been talking to for a while at work and he is so against it because a certain religion he grew up with  has told him for his entire life he was going straight to hell... He is now so cold and hard against accepting Christ that I dont think talking anything about his sins will help him at all, he get that from his family and his girlfriend (which he just broke up with because of beliefs). I believe with my heart that the Holy Spirit tells me to preach the Love of Christ only to this one. Am I evangelizing wrong with him?

Please advise me on this.
Jeff Lewis
December 19, 2007 at 7:26am
Becky- Is he humble and acknowledging his sin or is he resistant and God is mean God to punish people?
Jeff Lewis
December 19, 2007 at 7:51am

Preach The Love of Christ is a term that is foreign to the New Testament. We should beware of terms that sound good to our human mind but are not spiritual. Let me explain.

1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

.
We are to preach the gospel not the love of Christ. So what is the gospel The Bible interprets the Bible. The love of God is connected with the cross.

5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

So when people talk about preaching love, (nowhere in the book of Acts), they are using human eloquent wisdom, which empties the gospel of it's power as mentioned above.

Paul said he preached Christ and Christ crucified. Pretty clear.

1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,


Why did Christ have to be crucified? To save sinners?

1:15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners;

People must know they are sinners, guilt and derserving of judgment and they will see the love of a friend laying down His life for them. The cross!!

Hope that helps!

Ken
December 19, 2007 at 8:24am
Umm..."For God so LOVED the world..."  Isn't the cross motivated by God's love for humanity--even while all of humanity is deserving of judgement because of their sin?  I don't think it's possible to share the good news of Jesus without mentioning (and more importantly, emanating) God's love.  I think the most important element in sharing your testimony with others is that we must always listen to the Holy Spirit and always be ready to share the right message at the right moment to the right person.
Jeff Lewis
December 19, 2007 at 8:33am
Ken-  You hit it on the head. The right message to the right person. Two thieves on the cross next to Jesus and two different responses. My point is that when sharing on love even in John 3 it's to a humble Nicodemus and always attached to the cross.
MaKelly
December 19, 2007 at 9:15am

OK JEFF OUTSTANDING BLOG BUT I MUST ADD, because I guess what I wrote wasn't clear this should do it. Let's get deep now I love it.


SIN

DEFINITION OF SIN
WHAT IS SIN?
BIBLE READING: Genesis 3:14-19
KEY BIBLE VERSE: To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit I told you not to eat, I have placed a curse on the ground. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.” (Genesis 3:17)


SIN IS DISOBEYING GOD.
Adam and Eve learned by painful experience that because God is holy and hates sin, he must punish sinners. The rest of the book of Genesis recounts painful stories of lives ruined as a result of the fall. Disobedience is sin, and it breaks our fellowship with God. But, fortunately, when we disobey, God is willing to forgive us and to restore our relationship with him.
BIBLE READING: Leviticus 4:1-12
KEY BIBLE VERSE: The LORD said to Moses, “Give the Israelites the following instructions for dealing with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything forbidden by the LORD’s commands.” (Leviticus 4:1-2)


SIN INCLUDES UNINTENDED WRONGDOING.
Have you ever done something wrong without realizing it until later? Although your sin was unintentional, it was still sin. One of the purposes of God’s commands was to make the Israelites aware of their unintentional sins so they would not repeat them and so they could be forgiven for them. Leviticus 4 and 5 mention some of these unintentional sins and the way the Israelites could be forgiven for them. As you read more of God’s laws, keep in mind that they were meant to teach and guide the people. Let them help you become more aware of sin in your life.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 8:1-4
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Jesus touched him. “I want to,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. (Matthew 8:3)


SIN IS A DISEASE BEYOND HUMAN CURE.
Leprosy, like AIDS today, was a terrifying disease because there was no known cure. In Jesus’ day, the Greek word for leprosy was used for a variety of similar diseases, and some forms were contagious. If a person contracted the contagious type, a priest declared him a leper and banished him from his home and city. The leper was sent to live in a community with other lepers until he either got better or died. Yet when the leper begged Jesus to heal him, Jesus reached out and touched him, even though his skin was covered with the dread disease.
Sin is also an incurable disease-and we all have it. Only Christ’s healing touch can miraculously take away our sins and restore us to real living. But first, just like the leper, we must realize our inability to cure ourself and ask for Christ’s saving help.
BIBLE READING: Mark 7:1-23
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Then he added, “It is the thought-life that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.” (Mark 7:20-23)


SIN HAS AN INWARD AS WELL AS AN OUTWARD ASPECT.
Do we worry more about what is in our diet than what is in our heart and mind? As they interpreted the dietary laws (Leviticus 11), the Jews believed they could be clean before God because of what they refused to eat. But Jesus pointed out that sin actually begins in the attitudes and intentions of the inner person. Jesus did not degrade the law, but he paved the way for the change made clear in Acts 10:9-29 when God removed the cultural restrictions regarding food. We are not pure because of outward acts-we become pure on the inside as Christ renews our mind and transforms us into his image.
BIBLE READING: Romans 3:9-20
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Are we Jews better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. (Romans 3:9-10)


SIN IS THE UNIVERSAL SEPARATION OF PEOPLE FROM GOD.
Paul uses these Old Testament references to show that humanity in general, in its present sinful condition, is unacceptable before God. Have you ever thought to yourself, Well, I’m not too bad. I’m a pretty good person? Look at these verses and see if any of them apply to you. Have you ever lied? Have you ever hurt someone’s feelings by your words or tone of voice? Are you bitter toward anyone? Do you become angry with those who strongly disagree with you? In thought, word, and deed, you, like everyone else in the world, stand guilty before God. We must remember who we are in his sight-alienated sinners. Don’t deny that you are a sinner. Instead, allow your desperate need to point you toward Christ.


SIN IS IN OUR NATURE AND MUST BE FACED BY EVERY PERSON.
The last time someone accused you of wrongdoing, what was your reaction? Denial, argument, and defensiveness? The Bible tells us the world stands silent and accountable before almighty God. No excuses or arguments are left. Have you reached the point with God where you are ready to hang up your defenses and await his decision? If you haven’t, stop now and admit your sin to him.


THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SIN


HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE SINFUL BEHAVIOR?
BIBLE READING: Genesis 3:1-24
KEY BIBLE VERSE: At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves. (Genesis 3:7)


SINFUL BEHAVIOR OFTEN BEGINS AS A DELIGHTFUL AND FUN ACTION.
Satan tried to make Eve think that sin is good, pleasant, and desirable. A knowledge of both good and evil seemed harmless to her. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for themselves. Our sins do not always appear ugly to us, and the pleasant sins are the hardest to avoid. So prepare yourself for the attractive temptations that may come your way. We cannot always prevent temptation, but there is always a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). God’s Word and God’s people can help you stand against it.


TEMPTATION TO SINFUL BEHAVIOR IS RARELY OBVIOUS AT FIRST.
Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? You would win over temptation more often if you followed Paul’s advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (2 Timothy 2:22).


SIN’S EFFECTS SPREAD.
After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing. When we do something wrong, we often try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like toxic waste spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Recognize and confess your sin to God before you are tempted to pollute those around you.

Rebel with a Cause
December 19, 2007 at 9:51am
No Jeff. He doesn't think what he does is sinful, course he thinks I or others are speaking to his lifestyle (alchohol, sex before marriage, etc) even though I would explain to him that I sin every day, sometimes my tongue is out of control, or I am not slow to anger or whatever. Yes, like you said he believes that the God we talk about is punishing, so he refuses to fall into that trap, as he says. His family is believers, southern Baptist, and his on/off girlfriend is too. But all he hears from them is the damnation. So I try to talk differently..

This peer Chris, says he believes there is a God but with science he created the world and that God just keeps order in the world. He doesn't believe in Jesus, although he may have been a teacher of good according to him. But Chris is so against accepting Christ because of the whole hellfire and damnation thing and all sinners go to hell. He says he does enough good that if there is a heaven that he should be recognized on the things that he hasn't done that are punishable by the law (ie. murder or embesselment since we are accountants). I try to explain, faith not works,  but I believe it is on deaf ears.

When I talk to him, it is like he is so caught up on the hell thing that he shuts off any potential possiblity that it might be right. So I just try to talk about how I see Gods beautiful mastery in all parts of life and that I can't do anything else but try my best to follow his laws. The main one I had to follow was the accepting of Christ as my savior and King. He just can't get by the fact that if you don't accept you go straight to hell, otherwise if you do accept you will have life. But like I said he does believe in some sort of God.

I want to continue to show my light to him and to talk to him about the bible, cause I believe I am supposed to as part of planting the seed. The only seeds he has heard have been the hellfire and damnation and it has hindered him. That is why I believe the HS is telling me to soften it for him.

Am I making any sense at all.

By the way, I agree with what you wrote how it is sometimes too "soft". I believe that has led many Christians to the belief that we can continue to sin, and it is "ok". I just had to get your perspective on this. I was going to blog about it on one of the group sites, but I just haven't had the time.

Thanks for being a great teacher and preacher. I learn a lot from you.
Barvubuela
December 19, 2007 at 10:08am
You know, I had a situation arise with my son & his girlfriend Sunday. They informed me that when she turns 18 she will be moving out of her moms house & in with Michael before they get married. I was not about to let this slide! I said "Why would you just move in & not get married?". My other son, feeling a bit awkward at my comment, told me I was old fashioned. Me old fashioned? I am 35 years old! I continued to encourage them to marry first, if they were serious abut each other, making a firm commitment to each other. Hopefully it will sink in deep. I still have time b/c she is 16. They are very serious about each other though, so I believe the Lord showed me they would marry. It would have been easy for me, in this day & age, to encourage them to live together before marriage. I would be in deep trouble standing before God on judgement day if I had. 
Shannon 
Rebel with a Cause
December 19, 2007 at 10:18am
Oh Shannon,

I totaly can relate on that topic. Some of my kids, one in particular,  have said the same thing, and then they throw it in my face that I did it. Yes I lived with men before, and i wasn't married to them.  Course I try to explain that was pre-Christ, and they don't think it is fair. So I just try to tell them that if they marry, and follow God's laws, and get the guidance of others that have had the longivity of a healthy marriage they will be blessed in their relationship for a long time. If they choose to live together it will be filled with difficulties because they are choosing sin and there isn't that commitment under God to make it work.

I know you are praying hard for this one, and I will say a prayer too. I am glad their are moms like you who don't let it slide.

Rebel with a Cause
December 19, 2007 at 11:05am
Wow that is a cool way to look at it. Can I use that with my kids?
Jeff Lewis
December 19, 2007 at 1:01pm
Becky-

You can see that Chris' heart is proud trying to trust in his own works to get Him into heaven. The God in his mind(idol) would never send anyone to hell. May I suggest that you talk to him about our prison's. Do we take pedifiles and keep them away from kids because we are mean or loving and just. Maybe with the prison parable he will understand more about true love and justice. If someone broke into his house, raped his girlfriend, and stole all his valuables would he expect the judge to just let the criminal go or give him justice? God is just and only a unjust Judge would let  sinner's who choose not to receive the Pardon from Jesus, to have their way and go to hell void of all of life and the source of it, God himself.

Hope that helps. Softening or changing the gospel with void of it of it's power. The gospel in it's fullness is the power of God unto salvation.(the un-watered down version)
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Hope that helps. 
 
The WYATT
December 19, 2007 at 1:31pm
preaching much be both cutting and edifying... you MUST preach against sin and appeal to the unconverted, yet exhort & edify the believer. Great BLOG, Jeff!
Jeff Lewis
December 19, 2007 at 3:17pm
Wyatt-thanks for coming to my blog and adding your comments my friend.
Jeremiah Joel
December 20, 2007 at 1:21am
Jeff I do not find many people that really like the message of stopping sin: not on our own power of course. It is only by the power of the Holy Ghost, and the work of that power that we can be free from sin. I attend a church that preaches that you do not have to live in sin any longer. It is not about any works of righteousness that we have done... only by the power of the Holy Ghost!! As the scriputre speaks, ":You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" Jesus Christ has come to bless us in TURNING everyone of us from our sin. Jeremiah
Jeff Lewis
December 20, 2007 at 2:24am
Jeremiah-

I totally understand. Many christians are sold on the fact that we have to continue to disobey our Father. They can't help it. They are just sinners. Phewy! We have set free and he will not give us any temptation we cannot bear but will always make a way of escape. We not longer are slaves to sin but to righteousness by the power of the blood and the Holy Spirit. People don't like that message because it takes away their excuses for sin. Thanks for your comments.
Lara Leger
December 21, 2007 at 12:43pm
I preach the Gospel; that is, the good news.  The good news is that we are all sinners, we all fall short and deserve hell, but God made a way that we could be in relationship with Him and not go to hell.  Yes; love. Gospel means Good news....and yes, it has to begin with repentance, or changing our minds and turning from sin.
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