Sermon Summary

The purpose of Barefoot Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen.  I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Let Us Pray

Dear Lord, in Heaven, The creator of all

We look forward to the joys of heaven.

Where there is no more pain, No suffering, No Sickness

God remind us that our actions matter here in this world.

Our actions here on this earth will pave our way to live in your house

Here on earth Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation.  Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace 

and hatred with love.  Remind us Lord We do not fight a physical battle, 

but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion here on earth

We build your kingdom.

Help to guide us to be kingdom builders today and everyday.

As a Kingdom builder we will try to plant your seed Lord in the hearts of any and all that will listen

Then we will help nourish that seed so it can grow and they too can receive your greatest gift of Love     Everlasting Life

Soon We will be done with the troubles of the world
and will be walking down the path we paved with our actions

As Kingdom Builders To live in the house of the Lord forever

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Todays sermon I call a Faith that Works.

We will be reading James 2:14-16, Matthew 25:14-30 & 34-46.  

There are probably a few other verses I have added also.

Let’s start with James 2:14:

" What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"

A lot of people might use verses such as this to support their argument that the Bible is full of contradictions. In Romans for example (and in many other places), Paul says that salvation is of faith, yet here James is talking about works.

A friend of mine is always telling me that the Bible contradicts itself and I suppose he might quote this apparent difference in opinion between James and Paul in his defense.

The Bible contains no such contradictions and the writings of James and Paul do not prove any difference of opinion or doctrine.

James also preaches justification through faith. 

James 2:1 says, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.”

and in James 2:18, "  But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Romans 10:17 says that " So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

So we can clearly see that both Paul and James preach salvation through faith and by hearing the word of Christ.

James says faith first and then works, not the other way around. Indeed he is saying that true faith is a faith that WORKS, it results in action, and if a man claims to have faith but his life points to the contrary then is it really true faith. People will know what kind of person we are by the fruit that is produced.

Matthew 7:16-20

16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 

17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

True faith results in action. In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul writes, "remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”

James 2:15-16:" 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Actions speak louder than words is what James is saying. 

We find this same principle in James 2:17-18, " 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by [b]my works."

Jesus loved with actions and in truth. He spent a considerable amount of time teaching and instructing the people but he didn’t stop there, he didn’t just love with words but he displayed his love by feeding the poor, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.

He didn’t just say to people, "I’ll be going to the cross soon to die for your sins, that’s all you really need so I am not going to help you here, right now, at this very moment." No, Jesus was filled with compassion when he saw suffering and he reached out to those in need.

In the same way it’s not enough for us to point people to the cross and tell them that’s all they need. We have to reach out to them in their suffering, in their pain. We need to be filled with compassion and reach out to those in need. We’ll find that people will be much more receptive to the message of the cross when they see God’s love working in our lives.

A good example of the compassion that Jesus had can be found in the feeding of the five thousand.

We read in the gospel of Mark 6-34, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." 

The disciples wanted to send the people away, a bit like the person in James 2:15-16, 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"

Jesus however wasn’t just concerned with the people’s spiritual needs but he wanted to provide for their material needs too. This was a remote place and it was late in the day, the people were probably tired and weak, some had most likely traveled a long way to see and hear Jesus.

Jesus didn’t say, "... Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed..." He was going to help them. His divine love resulted in action.

Isn’t this exactly what James is saying in chapter 2, verse 17 as a conclusion to his argument in verses 15 and 16,

"  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." 

Now Let’s quickly turn to Galatians 6:9 -10, " 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Note that Paul says in verse 10, "Therefore as we have opportunity..." We have plenty here in our community, people who are crying out for help.

It’s so important that we reach out to those in our community in a practical way and there are so many different ways that we can do it.

In chapter 2, verse 18, James goes on to talk about two different kinds of people. The first has faith without works, the second has lot’s of works but no faith.

James contrasts himself with both saying, "...one of you has faith, the other works. I will show you my faith by the things I do."

When we first believed, God had already prepared good works for us to do, we can read this in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 2-8-10,

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

This is the starting point of our Christian lives, salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus-Christ and his finished work and not by works. However we need to ask ourselves this question, "What was God’s purpose in saving us?" Well let’s look at Ephesians 2:10, and we find the answer, Paul says,  " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Are we seeking to do the works God has prepared for us in advance to do or are we too busy doing our own thing?

In the book of James it goes on to talk about Abraham and how he demonstrated his faith by what he did,

James 2: 20-21  20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [a]dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

In Genesis 15:6, God declares Abraham as righteous because he believed God’s promise of a son. What James is saying here is that the kind of inward faith Abraham demonstrated inevitably results in an outward manifestation.

When Abraham’s faith was tested, he did not disobey God but he was prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice believing that God had the power to raise him up from the dead. His faith was not a dead faith but his was faith that was accompanied by action.

James says in chapter 2, verse 22, " Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made [a]perfect?" 

What an amazing statement, "...his faith was made complete by what he did."

James gives another example in the person of Rahab and sums everything up by saying,

James 2: 26. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

That’s the statement to end all statements and it’s the point he’s been making throughout this passage of scripture that faith without results is dead.

Let’s turn our attention now to some verses from the Gospel of Matthew  25:14-30 and 34-46:

Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:34-46

34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer [a]Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

This is a well known passage of scripture. Many of us will be familiar with the story, how those with 5 and 2 talents went away and invested their talents so that they would earn more.

Do you often ask yourself how they invested their talents, what they actually did to make them grow? I believe the explanation can be found in verses 35 - 40.

I believe God is calling us to open our eyes to the needs and the suffering of the people around us, to reach out in whatever way we can both materially and spiritually.

This is from the book, ’God’s Heart For The Poor’ by Philippa Stroud,

"Christians often tell me they aren’t in touch with the poor and I’ll reply, ’Think of those who haunt the fringes of our churches - the lonely, the sick, the disabled, those with hidden eating disorders, those who don’t feel loved, those who are going nowhere!’ Once your eyes are opened it’s not difficult to find damaged and hurting people.

With many we know, from single mothers to single older men, their poverty of spirit far exceeds their material poverty. Sexual abuse victims and people with eating disorders live in their own dark prisons. Addictions and sin keep men and women captive. I pray for myself, and for those working with me, that God would give us salve to put on our eyes, so that we might see with his compassion.

Having seen we can’t escape. Jesus taught his disciples to care for the poor in the same way he did....This thing is not optional. You can’t escape the fact that God tells his people throughout the Bible to help the poor. His heart for them permeates the whole of Scripture."

I challenge myself and I challenge you, ’what will we do with the talents God has given us, will we bury them or will we go out and produce more?’ Put your faith to work today!!!

Go out and be a Kingdom Builder not only by your words, but also by your works.

Now I have to ask If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet.  John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer can be a means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life

 In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.

Sermon Summary

The purpose of Barefoot Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen.  I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Let Us Pray

Dear Lord, in Heaven, The creator of all

We look forward to the joys of heaven.

Where there is no more pain, No suffering, No Sickness

God remind us that our actions matter here in this world.

Our actions here on this earth will pave our way to live in your house

Here on earth Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation.  Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace 

and hatred with love.  Remind us Lord We do not fight a physical battle, 

but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion here on earth

We build your kingdom.

Help to guide us to be kingdom builders today and everyday.

As a Kingdom builder we will try to plant your seed Lord in the hearts of any and all that will listen

Then we will help nourish that seed so it can grow and they too can receive your greatest gift of Love     Everlasting Life

Soon We will be done with the troubles of the world
and will be walking down the path we paved with our actions

As Kingdom Builders To live in the house of the Lord forever

Thru Jesus Christ we pray AMEN

Before making any decisions it is wise for us to “Consider the choices that we make.”

Todays Sermon is called “Consider The Choices That You Make” and come from

Matthew 7:21-27

21 “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. 

22 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?’ 

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

When the show “Let’s Make A Deal” aired in the seventies, one of the hardest things for people to do was to make a decision. Monty Hall would give them a choice between the prizes they had already won or they could trade that in for what was behind door # 1, 2, or 3. Behind one of those doors was a great prize and behind one was a gag gift. Many of the people would listen to what the crowd was yelling because they couldn’t make the choice for themselves. 

Before making any decisions it is wise for us to “Consider the choices that we make.”

I’m a big Country music fan…and I do think that country music has some of the best song titles of any musical genre… Let me give you some examples…

"You Can’t Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd"

"Thank God And Greyhound She’s Gone"

"Fell In A Pile Of You And Got Love All Over Me"

"If Love Were Oil, I’d Be A Quart Low"

"If The Phone Don’t Ring, Baby, You’ll Know It’s Me"

"She Done Tore My Heart Out And Stomped That Sucker Flat"

"How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?"

You know there’s has to be a good story behind everyone of those song titles… I have no idea…

But there is one country song that I do know the story behind it. It’s a song by George Jones. A lot of his songs are "cheat’n & drink’n" songs. And the fact that George Jones had a drinking problem was no secret. And on March 6, 1999 Jones was critically injured in a drunk driving incident. Luckily he recovered, and two months later his new album called "Cold Hard Truth" came out and on it was a hit song titled "Choices", and ironically the hook line says, "I’m Living And Dying With The Choices I Made".

The same is true with every one of us. Life is full of choices: We make hundreds of choices everyday. Some are fairly insignificant (Do I want to eat Chinese food or Mexican food? Do I want paper or plastic?) And then there are the choices that greatly impact our lives.

Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” 

It is important that we make wise decisions because we live and die with the choices we make.

I would like for us to consider three things today;

1.  “Life’s Most Important Choices” 

2. “Suggestions for Making Wise Choices” 

3. “How We Should Respond to Poor choices.”

1. Life’s Most Important Choices – There are a lot of important choices we make in life, but I think these four tops all others.

A. CHOOSING YOUR FRIENDS... We need to be careful in choosing friends because close friends can be a wonderful blessing – or a terrible curse. A friend is someone we trust, someone we talk to and share our thoughts, concerns, and hardships with, a friend is someone we trust to give us good advice.

Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.” 

A Friend is someone we go to for council. There are people that may have good intentions when giving advice but their advice is based on what feels good rather than on what on what is good. Good advice is never based on temporary things (like our feelings), but eternal things. So, we ought to surround ourselves with people who demonstrate moral character. They will give good advice. Parents ought to know their kid’s friends.

B. CHOOSING YOUR CAREER… Why do people choose the career they do? (Many for financial reasons). But the bible tells us that if we make money the primary factor in any decision, then destruction will follow – 1 Tim 6:6-10, “6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 

Many think that money will bring happiness but they are deceiving themselves.

We ought to choose a career that serves a purpose, helps others, and brings fulfillment into our lives. Money is important, we all need to take care of our families, but it should not be the primary factor in choosing a career.

C. CHOOSING YOUR SPOUSE... I’ve heard… We’re in love – lust. You ought to marry the person, that will build you up, encourage you, strengthen you, support you, and care for you, (What’s the famous line in Jerry McGuire? YOU COMPLETE ME) God intended your spouse to complete you

Genesis 2:18, 21-24, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Marriage can be wonderful experience in your life or it can be miserable experience in your life… Proverbs 12:4, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.” That goes both ways…

D. CHOOSING YOUR LORD... This one decision will affect your life more than any other decision you will ever make because it determines your values and your destiny. Joshua 24:15, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve”.

CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES – You must make a choice. The choice is yours, and yours alone. We all have a free will, no one can make you do anything you don’t want to do, the choice is yours. You alone are accountable to God for your life. Don’t take it lightly because this choice will determine your place for all eternity.

THIS DAY – “Well I don’t want to make a decision today.” Failure to choose is a choice. You don’t know about tomorrow… You may very well have many other opportunities, but is it worth the risk.

WHOM YOU WILL SERVE – There are multitudes of people that enjoy serving God on Sunday and then serving there own desires, there money, or something else the rest of the week. Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.” Who is Lord over your life? Is it self, sin, or is it the Savior.

2. SUGGESTIONS FOR MAKING WISE CHOICES

1. ASK GOD FOR WISDOM... He promises to give wisdom to those who ask in faith - James 1:5-6, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God… and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” 

If we all had more wisdom, we would make wiser choices. We would have more success and less failure. We would accomplish greater things. We would be more content with life.

2. MAKE CHOICES ACCORDING TO HIS WILL - James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 

Include God, if you wish to make wise choices! God’s will never contradicts God’s word.

C. COMMIT YOUR CHOICES TO THE LORD... Psalm 37:5-6, “Commit your way unto the LORD; trust also in him... And he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light”.

So many people waver in their decisions, wondering if they have made the right choice. If we are not totally committed to the choices we make we will never follow through to the end. That shows a lack of determination. When we make a commitment to the Lord, and trust that He will direct our paths then we feel compelled to follow through. We should never take our commitments to the Lord lightly.

3. RESPONDING TO POOR CHOICES

We should all be able to admit that we have made some foolish choices in our lifetime. Sometimes the choices we made were not near as bad as the way we dealt with it afterwards. Just because we have made poor choices does not mean we are a failure. But the way we respond to those choices tells a lot about our character.

A. THE WRONG THING TO DO... Lie about it… Continue in your ways – Continue to make poor choices, Wallow in self pity - Become bitter and blame God.

B. The Right Thing To Do –

1. LEARN FROM YOUR OWN MISTAKES…

Two guys are sitting in a bar watching the ten-o’clock news. A report comes on about a man threatening to jump from the 20th floor of a downtown building. One friend turns to the other and says, "I’ll bet you ten bucks the guy doesn’t jump." "It’s a bet," agrees his buddy.

A few minutes later, the man on the ledge jumps, so the loser hands his pal a $10 bill. "I can’t take your money," his friend admits. "I saw him jump earlier on the six-o’clock news."

"Me, too," say the other buddy. "But I didn’t think he’d do it again!"

2. LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS… I watched myself make a lot of poor choices and get into a lot of trouble, I think learned from my mistakes, my poor choices and learned the hard way not to repeat those same mistakes again.

3. FORGET THE PAST AND PRESS FORWARD

Listen to what the Apostle Paul did - Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

You cannot change your past, but your past doesn’t have to control you. You can turn from your past and face your future with hope in Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION: Every one of us has made poor choices in our lifetime, but God loves us and cares for us and He has a plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  All we have to do is 

BELIEVE and HAVE FAITH IN GOD

Now I have to ask If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet.  John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer is the means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Close Your Eyes and Open Up Your Heart As We Pray:  

Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life

 In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.

Sermon Summary

The purpose of Barefoot Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen.  I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Let Us Pray

Dear Lord, in Heaven, The creator of all

We look forward to the joys of heaven.

Where there is no more pain, No suffering, No Sickness

God remind us that our actions matter here in this world.

Our actions here on this earth will pave our way to live in your house

Here on earth Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation.  Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace 

and hatred with love.  Remind us Lord We do not fight a physical battle, 

but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion here on earth

We build your kingdom.

Help to guide us to be kingdom builders today and everyday.

As a Kingdom builder we will try to plant your seed Lord in the hearts of any and all that will listen

Then we will help nourish that seed so it can grow and they too can receive your greatest gift of Love     Everlasting Life

Soon We will be done with the troubles of the world
and will be walking down the path we paved with our actions

As Kingdom Builders To live in the house of the Lord forever

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Todays Sermon is called  “Palm Sunday Seen With Fresh Eyes"and come from

John 12:12-23 Palm Sunday Seen With Fresh Eyes

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”

14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 

18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 

19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 

21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

It may surprise you, but many car accidents happen close to home. According to a 2004 study from the Insurance Industry, over half of all car accidents occurred within five miles of someone’s home. Generally speaking, it’s more likely that you crash in your own neighborhood than in any other location. 

I use this example to illustrates the danger of the familiar. We can be so steeped in routine that we stop paying attention to what we are doing.

It can become dangerous to drive on a road that we drive on every single day. It’s dangerous because we stop being alert, we take things for granted, we figure we can drive this route with our eyes closed. If something different happens on the road we may not notice it at all... At least, until it’s too late.

A husband and wife can soon take for granted all the things their spouse does. In fact, they become so used to those provisions (meals cooked, garbage taken out, laundry done, yard mowed, children taken care of) that before long we don’t even realize the person is doing those things. And before we know it, we feel we are the only one putting anything into our relationship. It is at those points that marital Affairs often occur.

A parent can become so used to having their child filling their life with joy that they don’t appreciate their child.... Until they move away.

The same is certainly true about living in a small town. We often hear people gripe about how "Smothering" a small town can be. All the time, unappreciative of the friendly neighbors, good school system, safe community, and even a post office where the mail will get to you even if it has the wrong address. We become so used to these things that we don’t notice them--until they are gone.

This is also the danger we face as we come to the Easter season. The accounts of the Triumphal Entry, the cross, and Easter are so familiar to most of us that we can easily go through the motions of a celebration without ever allowing the message of these events to touch us.

The challenge every year is to read these accounts with "fresh eyes". Look with me at this familiar account of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus and see if you don’t see what I see.

We See a Strong Declaration of Love

1. This event was so out of character for Jesus.

Previous to this, Jesus had always avoided the spotlight. 

In John 2:3 Jesus is asked by his mother if he would help Friends of the family with an embarrassing wine shortage problem. 

In John 2:4 Jesus responded, "My time is not yet come." Jesus did not want to make a public scene.

In John 6:1-15 Feeding the Five Thousand we see an occasion when Jesus felt that the people were ready to take him and make him king by force. Rather than enjoy the public acclaim, Jesus left town. In fact, whenever the Ministry of Jesus seemed to be getting to a point of success in a community, Jesus would move to a new community.

On several occasions Jesus tells those that he has healed, "Don’t tell anyone". Jesus was not looking for public demonstrations on his behalf. He was not seeking the spotlight.... Until today.

Notice also that in the past, though Jesus never compromised the truth, He generally walked away from conflict situations.

2. It was organized by Jesus himself.

Again, in the gospel of Luke 19:30-31, we are told, that Jesus had arranged to use a donkey. He told his Disciples to go to town to find this donkey that would be tied outside. If they were asked why they were taking the donkey, they were to respond: "The Master has need of Him ". Apparently, Jesus had made arrangements to use a donkey. Jesus had this parade in mind in advance of it taking place.

This was not a spontaneous demonstration . . . Jesus intended it to happen. The question we must ask is why? Why was Jesus orchestrated this grand demonstration? It certainly was not because Jesus wanted to throw a party in His honor. When Jesus caught His first glimpse of Jerusalem he didn’t stop to savor the moment . . . .He wept.

This procession was not frivolous . . . .it was purposeful. It was not provoked by vanity but by compassion and love.

Why?

First, it was time. It was time for Jesus to do what He came to do. In verse 23 we see that "the hour has come." God was determining the timing . . . .not man.

These leaders had previously decided that it was unwise to make a move against Jesus during the Passover celebration. They felt it would cause too much of an uproar. So, they were willing to wait until things cooled down. All of that changed after this parade.

Why was it important to Jesus that these men arrest him during Passover? Not only because there were so many people in town. . . . It was because it was God’s plan for Jesus to die at the same time as all the other sacrificial lambs. To understand the significance of this you have to understand something about the Passover celebration.

Passover was a yearly celebration commemorating the freeing of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. On the night called Passover God struck every First born child of the Egyptians. This devastating plague led to the release of the Jews from bondage.

God told the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and to take the blood of that lamb and apply it to their doorpost of their homes. This blood of the lamb would be recognized by the Angel of Death as protecting the first born child that lived within that home. It was meant to be a picture that pointed to another Lamb who would die in our place to free us from a much greater slavery; a slavery to sin and death.

It is likely that at the very time Jesus was dying on the cross . . . the lambs were being slaughtered for the Passover feast. He was the Lamb of God taking on the sins of the world.

Second, Jesus wanted it to be clear that this was a voluntary act. He could have simply " laid low ", he could have been conciliatory, he could have walked away like he had done before.

We read throughout the New Testament of times when the people went to kill Him and he simply walked away. They had no power over Him. They could not take Him until He allowed them to.

Knowing what was before him: betrayal, humiliation, suffering, death, he chose to come to Jerusalem. Such is the magnificent love of our Savior. Jesus was not the unwilling victim of a vicious plot. . . .He was a willing sacrifice for all who would believe.

Do you hear how practical this message is? Some of you wonder if God could possibly love you.

Perhaps you have failed him. You are so ashamed that it is impossible for you to imagine that God could still care about you. My friend, look with fresh eyes at the parade into Jerusalem. Jesus is not surprised by our failures. He came to Jerusalem in order to deliver us from such things. He knows what you have done, and wants to make you clean and to set you free. His invitation is simple, "Come to me, all you who are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. " Have you done that? Are you hiding from the very One who wants to love you more than you have ever been loved before? Maybe it’s time to stop hiding and to start believing.

Maybe life is difficult for you right now. Perhaps you wonder if God is " out to get you ". Perhaps, things are so painful in your life that you are questioning his love for you. If that is the case, look again at the parade into Jerusalem. Realize, that the Savior who gave his life for you, loves you with a depth of love that is unfathomable. See Him as he goes to the cross on your behalf and in your place. Realize friend, that his love is so great that you can be certain that he would not allow any needless suffering in your life. The trials that come at present are purposeful and designed to lead you into something good.

Perhaps, you find that life is characterized by loneliness and a feeling that you have been forgotten. As others celebrate the Easter season with family, your table will be set for 1. It is possible, that you walk around your house wondering if anyone would miss you if you were gone. Look at Jesus parade and see with new eyes! Understand that when Jesus marched into Jerusalem you were on his mind. The death He willingly suffered was a sacrifice designed to make you part of his family. You may feel alone, deserted, unimportant..... but you were significant enough to the Savior for him to go to a cross on your behalf. He knows you and loves you.

How easy it is for us to talk about the love of God. How difficult it is for us to accept it. Do you understand that he went willingly to Jerusalem for you, and for me?

J. I. Packer ,a English-born Canadian evangical theologian,  writes; "

If I understand God’s love, why do I ever crumbled in show discontent and resentment at the circumstances in which God has placed me?

Why am I ever distrustful, fearful, or depressed?

Why do I ever allow myself to grow cool, formal, and half-hearted in the service of the God who loves me so?

Why do I ever allow my loyalty to be divided, so that God has not all my heart?

Packer asked good questions.

We also See a Strong Reason for Hope

John writes " Jesus found a young donkey and set upon it, as it is written, " do not be afraid, O daughter of Zion; see, your King is coming, seated on a donkey. "

This is a quote from the Old Testament book of Zechariah. 

In Zechariah 9:9  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter ofJerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

This declaration was made around 550 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem. At the time Israel had no King. They were just returning to Israel after their Bablyonian exile and captivity.

One author (J.C. Ryle) gives us a flavor for the prophecy to the ears of that day: "Fear not; be not cast down or depressed, O daughter of Zion, or inhabitants of Jerusalem. Low and depressed as your condition may be now, there will be a day when you shall have a King again. There shall come one who will rise on a certain public location into thy gate,-a King on an ass’s colt, not as a Warrior, with a sword in hand, but as a peaceful Prince, a just and holy King, better even than David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah, and burning with him salvation for souls. Therefore, think not yourself forsaken, because thou art poor now, and have no King. Look forward to your coming King. "

So What? What does this mean to us? It’s a simple but vital truth for daily lving:

"God has a plan".

There is more prophetic evidence. The late Ray Steadman writes: "In the book of Daniel Chapter 9 we read a prophecy about 70 weeks. It is generally understood that the prophecy talks about " a special 490 years of Jewish history which would begin to run its course when the command was given to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity. When 483 of those years had elapsed, Daniel predicted, Messiah, the prince, would then be presented to his people. Two very interesting books by Sir Robert Anderson, " MESSIAH THE PRINCE, " and " DANIEL AND THE PROPHET" trace the fulfillment of this prophecy, pointing out that on the very day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem 483 years had elapsed from the time of the issuing of the commandment to the rebuild the walls of Jerusalem."

O.K., I hear the question again, "So What?" Work with me a little - - God has a plan! God’s plan did not end with the coming of Christ. This world in which we live is not running out of control. God is not surprised by what is taking place in our society today. God is not pleased with what is happening but he is not caught off guard.

The Bible is clear that there is coming a day when Jesus will return and this time He will not come as a humble servant but will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s. The decadence of our world does not surprise Him . . . He told us it would come in 2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

God is not wringing His hands wondering what to do. He’s in control.

Not quite brothers and sisters in Christ, do you understand that things are not out of control in your life either? Do you understand that God has a plan for you too? I know from personal experience that there are times when I see what is going on in and around my life and I wonder what God is trying to do. But I remind to of our text; in verse 16 we read: "at first his Disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him."

On that day when Jesus walked toward Jerusalem the Disciples were unaware of what God was doing. They missed the significance of that day. Only later did they come to see the hand of God in all that was taking place. That may be true in your life as well.

Friends, the fact that you don’t understand what is going on in your life, does not mean that God is not at work in your life.  He has promised that he would lead everyone who believes in him to that which is ultimately good. Our promise is that God knows what he is doing. You may not understand but you can trust him. In fact, God does not require you to understand . . .He just asks you to trust Him. The one thing we do understand is that the Lord wants us to entrust ourselves to Him. Have You, Are you willing to do so?

In conclusion. . . .

Are you coasting in your spiritual life? Have you taken the things of God for granted? Are you listening to God’s Word but hearing nothing? Perhaps it is time for you to read once again the fresh and pivotal accounts of how God has revealed his love to you. Maybe it is time for you to wake up to the fact that God is on the throne of life. Perhaps it is time for you to bow before his throne and to give him the honor and praise that he desires and deserves.

Jesus loves you. He faced the mobs for you. He endured torture for you. He went to the cross for you. He went there so you could be free . . . free from sin’s addiction, free from the treadmill of futility, free to live.

Have you responded to His invitation to be His?

You admire Him . . . .but are you willing to trust Him?

Are you willing to follow Him . . . not just to church on Sunday but in your daily life?

Are you willing to entrust yourself to Him even when the future is confusing believing God has a plan?

Now I have to ask If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet.  John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer is the means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Close Your Eyes and Open Up Your Heart As We Pray:  

Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life

 In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.