Wednesday Night Service 7PM - Rick Hawkins

Good evening. How are y'all doing? You want to stand with me and we can open up in a word of prayer?

Dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you for bringing us together, Lord, bringing your body together, just to sing the praises that you deserve. And I just pray that this evening, Lord, would just be nothing about us, Lord, but just as an act of worship to you. I just pray this in your name. Amen. Is that coming through? It's not for me. I lost it. It started coming for a second. There it is.

As the Lord, my soul, worship his holy, sing like never before. Oh, my soul, I'll worship your holy name. Thumbs up, it's a new day, darling. It's time to sing your song. Again, whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me, we be singing when the evening.

Worship his holy, sing like never before.

Worship your holy, and you're slow, and your heart is kind. A thousand reasons for my heart. Worship his holy, worship your holy.

The end draws near, and my top still pray a thousand years. And then for his holy, worship your holy. If you guys want to have a seat for these next couple, you're more than welcome to. A survey, the first gate, oh, oh, of salvation, was only the star. Now I am chosen. Free and forgiven, have a future to live in. I wasn't made to be tinned in a grave. I was called by name, born and raised back to life again.

I was made for more, so why would I make a bed in my shame? When a fountain of life comes to me, I'm free. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free. Was running my way. I know I was made for more. I know who I am. Cause I know the loss of salvation was only the star. And now I was made for more.

So why would I run in my house as running my house of salvation? Was only the star. Was only the star.

I am expenses. God, I just thank you for, God, not just making us dead in our sin on this earth to stay dead, Lord, but that we can be alive in you, that you can give us new life and new purpose, even when that doesn't seem possible. God, I just thank you for, Lord, just enabling us to have a relationship with you, and thank you for taking care of us. I just pray this in your name. Amen.

Can you hear me? Is it okay?

I think most of you have probably heard that Robbie passed away today, and so I would like to start out before we do anything else and just pray for the family, if that's okay with you guys.

Father, we just thank you for the testimony and the life that Robbie was for us here, and we know that he's with you now, and we just lift Ryan up to you, and Diane, Ryan's sister in the family. I just pray that you'd be with them, and just comfort them, and just surround them with your love, Lord. And I just pray that you would help us as a body just to be supportive and just lift them up this week in our prayers. And we just give you the praise and just ask that you would speak to us from your word this evening and just help us to draw closer to you.

In Jesus' name, amen. We're going to be in 1 Peter 1.

Some of what I've got to share tonight is going to be kind of controversial, so if you have any problems with it, just get with me. Okay, we'll start out in verse 1. It says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, who are chosen.

It's not surprising that those who have been chosen by God are viewed as aliens and strangers in this world. We have a heavenly citizenship. In Philippians 3.20, it says, For our citizenship is in heaven, for which also we are chosen, we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Peter was written about 64-65 A.D. at a time when Christian persecution was thriving in the Roman Empire.

If you know much about your church's history, this was the time when Christians were being hung on stakes and being burned alive in Rome. Just a massive amount of persecution of Christians taking place. And Christians were fleeing and trying to go to someplace safe. And the ones that Peter's writing to, they had moved to the Asia Minor, the area where now Turkey is located.

And those believers Peter's writing to are actively fleeing persecution. But as they're going, they're sharing their faith with those who don't know Christ. Thus, they are in reality, they're ambassadors. Even though they're fleeing from persecution, God is sending them out as ambassadors. And throughout history, God has always used persecution as a way to spread the gospel.

It's just throughout history, you could see example after example, wherever there's persecution, the gospel is spreading. It's what's happening in the Muslim world right now. Just a lot of persecution, and the Christians are just thriving over there. Well, we're called to be ambassadors. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 18 through 20, it says in the NIV, all this is from God who reconciled us to himself

through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sin against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God, we're making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. We are ambassadors, it's as though God

is making his appeal through us. God has called us to be representatives of Christ to a dying world. We have a heavenly citizenship, we're restored, we have a right relationship with God, now we are ambassadors. And it's not about a religion, it's not about denominations, it's about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. That's what we're to share as ambassadors.

It's a relationship. In verse two it says, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God, the father by the sanctifying work of the spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. We are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. The word foreknowledge here is also used in reference to Christ in verse 20.

In verse 20, it says, for he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, and has appeared in these last times for the sake of you. Just as the father knew Christ completely before the foundation of the world, he also in his omnipotence, his all knowing, knows us completely. You may ask, but what about our free will? Yes, we have a free will, and we're going to get to that a little farther down in verse two.

But what I want you to understand is our free will is tainted by sin. And Cain and Abel are a perfect example of this. In Genesis chapter four, verse three through eight, it says, so it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. And Abel on his part also brought the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions.

And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering. But for Cain and his offering, he had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance fail? And the Lord said to Cain, why are you angry? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?

And if you do not do well, sin crouches at the door, and its desire is for you, but you must master it. And Cain told Abel and his brother, and it came about when they were out in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. God acknowledged to Cain that he had a free will. If he did well, he would do okay. If he did not, sin was at the door.

And Cain chose evil. And part of the reason he chose evil is because... Our will is tainted by sin. Our natural inclination is to lean towards sin, not towards God. God demands perfection. If you were perfect and you messed up in just one area, James says in 2.10, for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at one point, he has become guilty of all. So if you mess up in just one point, you're no longer perfect anymore.

And then once you're not perfect anymore, there's no way you can make yourself perfect. It's impossible. Once you cease to be perfect, you can't make yourself perfect. In Romans 3.10-12, it says, as it is written, there is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. For all have turned aside, together they have become useless.

There is none who does good. There is not even one. I want to explain to you a little bit about how the salvation thing works. God is a triune being. You have the Father, you have the Son, and you have the Holy Spirit. Three separate personalities, but they make one God. You have the Father, you have the Son, and you have the Holy Spirit. God created us in His image.

We are a triune being. We have a body, we have a soul, and we have a spirit. Our body allows us to function in this world. Our soul gives us our intellect, our emotions and stuff allows us to comprehend the world around us. And our spirit allows us to commune with God. When Adam and Eve sinned and God told them not to partake of the forbidden fruit, for in the day that you partake of it, you would die, well, the day that they partook of that

forbidden fruit. Something changed in their life. They didn't die physically right away. Their soul didn't die, but their spirit died. It didn't die in the sense that it ceased to exist. It died in the sense that it ceased to function like it's supposed to, because they were no longer, because of sin, able to commune with God. And everybody that has been born since Adam and Eve have been born spiritually dead.

When a person accepts Christ into their life, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside your spirit. And your spirit is regenerated. Your spirit is born again. And you're able to have that communion with God again. We still have the sin nature that we have to deal with. Now as believers, the Holy Spirit is residing in our spirits and we now can commune with

God. Now in verse 2, it makes mention, it says, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. In John chapter 6 verse 44 it says, no one could come to the Son except the Father who draws him. You can't come to Christ unless the Father draws you. And then the next thing it mentions is it says, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. John 16 verse 7 through 15 goes into more detail as the work of the Holy Spirit.

It says, but I tell you the truth, it is for your advantage that I go away. If I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. And he, when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. Concerning righteousness. I go to be of the Father, and you no longer behold me.

And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak. And he will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall take of mine and shall disclose it to you.

All the things that the Father has are mine. Therefore I said that he takes of mine. And he will declare it to you. And he will disclose it to you. So the Father draws, nobody can come to the Son unless the Father draws him. The Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, draws, is moving us, convicts us of sin, and points us to Jesus Christ. And then this is where our will comes in.

In the next part it says, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. This is where your free will comes in, because you get to choose whether you're going to obey him or not. When the Father draws you, and he's speaking to you. You have the choice to make with your will, whether you're going to accept him or not. And he can draw you, and he can, by the Holy Spirit, convict you, and either your will

will respond to it favorably, or you're going to reject it, and when you do, your heart's going to become more harder. And the more times you resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, the harder it is for you to actually ever come to know Christ. In John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4.

1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. 1 John 1.4. and we can't make ourselves alive. Only God can do that. That is why it's important that we faithfully teach God's Word

and allow the Holy Spirit to move in our lives and in our churches, in our church. That God, by His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, will draw people into a saving relationship with Christ as our Lord and Savior. That's why it's important for you to pray for Ryan as our pastor, that he will be faithful to teach God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to work through him because God uses the Word to reach people and touch people. And when this goes out online, we have no idea who is watching and who is listening.

We don't know what's happening in people's lives. But Ryan has a very basic philosophy, I call it. He says to simply teach the Word simply and just let the Word of God do its job and allow the Holy Spirit to do His thing.

In verse 12 where it says that we become children of God or sons of God as in the King James, the word sons in the Hebrew is banah. Which means builder or builder of the family name. In the Greek, the word for son is h-u-i-o-s, hos. And in the case, the quality of that which is connected. For example, Jesus is the Son of God. He's a representative of God to us.

Jesus is also the Son of Man. He's a representative of man to God. We, by adoption, become children of God, the sons of God. Therefore, we are representatives of God to the people around us. And for a lot of people, you may be the only Bible that they will ever read. So how you live your life to reflect Christ is as close as some people are ever going to get

to seeing God's Word. We are saved by grace, not... At the end of that verse it says, May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. We are saved by grace, not by our merits, and we can only experience His peace in our lives after we have experienced His grace. And His grace and His peace, then again, be ours in fullest measure. Grace is not only ours for salvation.

We also grow in His grace. In verse 13 it says, Therefore, gird your minds for action. Keep sober in spirit. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. There's more grace to be poured out on us that is coming. And as you walk in the Lord, His grace is never-ending. He just pours out His grace on you over and over and over again.

We have grace and peace, and grace and peace. And we can have it to the fullest measure in Christ. In verse 3 through 5 it says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. I believe Peter at this point was getting excited just talking about God's grace.

I think he just broke out in praise. God has given us a new birth, and it's mentioned twice in this chapter. The other verse is in verse 23. It says, For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable. That is through the living and abiding word of God. The fact that our hope is living means that our hope is sure. And the reason our hope is living is because Christ rose from the dead.

In verse 5 where it says that we are protected by the power of God, the word protected is a military term. And it's used in Philippians chapter 4 verse 7. It says, And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard, that's that military term, your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. We are guarded and protected by the peace of God in our lives.

We have the peace because we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 and 14 it says, In him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who has given us a pledge, who has given us a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, the praise and his glory. Back in verse 5 it says our salvation is to be revealed. And verse 5 is really about Christ being glorified in us.

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10 it says, When he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed. When he comes to be glorified in his saints. The thing that excites me is the fact that God has chosen to be glorified. Not only now, but when we get to go be with him. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 11 through 12 it says,

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants not only to be glorified in us when we get to be with him, he wants to glorify himself in our lives right now. And he wants to be able to work through our lives. In verse 6 through 7 it says, In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire,

may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. It's God's grace at work in our lives that makes it possible for us to have the joy through trials. Our joy is not based upon our circumstances. God uses trials to help us grow in our faith. The more we understand how little we control in our lives and the more we find ourselves depending on God,

the stronger our faith in Christ will be. We really don't have as much control over things as we like to think we do. Verse 8 and 9 says, And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

It's all about having a relationship with Christ. Verse 10 through 12 says, As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating, as he predicted the suffering of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that Jesus Christ, that they were not serving themselves but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, these things into which angels long to look. Christ's first coming was foretold in the Scriptures.

Jesus fulfilled over three hundred prophecies the first time that he came. And at the end of verse 12, again it's emphasizing the importance, I'll just read a part again, To you, for now has been announced to you, Announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. The importance of the Holy Spirit working through us and teaching God's word. Verse 13 says, Therefore, gird your minds and actions.

Keep sober spirit. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Just as we can confidently put our trust in Christ for having fulfilled all these prophecies at his first coming, we can fix our hope on Christ to fulfill God's word concerning his second coming when he comes to get us. We have a living hope that is based on the resurrection of Christ.

And just as we know that he came the first time and fulfilled 300 prophecies, four times in this passage, he points us forward to Christ coming to us. In verse 5, he says, Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last times. Verse 7, That the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Verse 7, Verse 9, I think it is.

Is it verse 9? Yes, verse 9. Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. And verse 13, where we had mentioned grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. He's constantly pointing us forward to Christ coming back again.

In verse 14 through 16, it says, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourself also in all your behavior. Because it is written, you shall be holy for I am holy. This is the key. This is the command. But not meant to be viewed legalistically as something we do in our own efforts.

It's the result of God's grace in our lives. In Titus chapter 2, verse 11 through 14, it says, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. We all know that God's grace is involved in salvation. But in verse 12, it says, God's grace also instructs us to deny ungodliness, worldly desires, and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age.

We are disciplined and we grow by His grace. It's not a legalistic thing. Yes, we're commanded to be holy, but it says God's grace works it in our lives. It goes on, it says, It's looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zilliest for good deeds.

We don't earn our salvation through doing good works. Good works are a result of our salvation. It's something that happens as God works on our lives. The word holy means to be sanctified or set apart. As believers, we are in the sanctifying process of our salvation. We were justified when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are now being sanctified.

We were justified when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are being sanctified, being set apart into Christ right now. And we will be glorified with Christ when we get to go be with Him. In 1 John 3, 1-3, it says, See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God, and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us,

because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has his hope fixed on Him purifies himself just as He is pure. And that's what the sanctification work is that we go through right now. We're going to fix our hope,

our hope on Him, and as we do that, He begins to change our lives from inside. Just as we have been set apart unto God, just as we have been set apart unto God, our behavior is to reflect that. In Galatians 5, verse 25, it says, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. You may be saved, but that doesn't mean that you're living a life that reflects that.

And God desires that we do that. In verse 17 and 19, it says, And if you address the Father, the one who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your future way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood as of lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. The high cost of salvation should not be treated as taken lightly. The blood of Christ that was shed.

We all each give an account as a judgment seat of Christ for what we've done with our testimony of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.10 says, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 1 Corinthians 3, verse 13 through 15 in the New Living Translation says, But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.

If the work survives, the builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone who barely escaped through a wall of fire. I don't know about you, but looking at my own life, when I get done at the judgment seat of Christ, I expect just to be saved. I expect to smell like smoke.

That's about as best I expect to have coming out of my life. But it's important that we realize that God wants to use us, and it's important that we yield to his leading in our lives as much as possible. We're all going to blow it. That's just natural. But it's important that we realize that God wants to use us and work through us. In verse 20 and 21, it says,

For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. The plan of salvation was known before creation. It was revealed in Christ, and it was received by those of us who have faith and hope in God. Verse 22 says, A lot of people think that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

But if you read 1 Corinthians chapter 13, it's the love of God that is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Allow Christ's love to work through you to touch somebody else. Verse 23 through 25 says, For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable. That is through the living and abiding word of God. For all flesh is like grass,

and all its glory like the flowers of grass. The grass withers, and the flowers fall off. But the word of the Lord, the word of the Lord abides forever. And this is the word which is preached to you. God's word and the Holy Spirit are nested for our lives as believers.

We can't come to the Lord unless the Father draws us and the Holy Spirit convicts us through the word of God. And God uses our lives to reflect His love to the people around us. And it's my heart's prayer that each of us will have more of a desire to surrender our lives to God and we'll be able to do that. And allow God to use us to touch other people and not to worry about our reputation so much, but to focus mainly on pleasing God.

Because if you focus on pleasing God, then you don't have to worry about anything else. So that's all I've got to share. I haven't got a clue how early we are. I'm sure this is early tonight. But, and I don't know if anybody wants my notes. I left them back there with my wife and it lists all the scriptures and pretty much everything I said probably better than what I did it tonight.

So, but she's, my wife's got them back there with her. So we'll go ahead and close in prayer and you guys can have some fellowship.

Father, I just thank you for your word. And I thank you for doing the work in our lives that you've done. And I just get excited about thinking what it is that you've got in store for us, Lord. You've saved us with your grace. You've just poured out your grace throughout us more and more. And you draw us to yourself and you've got so many things you want to show us

and so many things you want to reveal to us.

You did it all just because you loved us and you want that love that you have for us to flow through us. To a dying world, Lord. Help us not to resist your Holy Spirit. Help us to yield to you and allow you to work through us. And maybe somebody's looked through us and see beyond us and see you living in our lives. We just lift this time up to you now and just ask that you be with us as we go.

Help us to realize that we are ambassadors for Christ, that how we live our lives affect other people. And I just ask that you just be with us now. In Jesus' name, amen. All right. Thank you, guys. Thank you, guys.