Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 28th, 2012 Cast Out First The Beam

Today’s Passage –Luke 6 – 7 

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 28

Oct 25th, 2012 Certainty

Today’s Passage –Luke 1 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 121 – 125; Proverbs 25

Scripture Memory for October – Matthew 5:1 – 16

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51

“That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” (Luke 1:4)

I have always been fascinated by these first few verses in Luke’s gospel. He is writing to an individual by the name of Theophilus who we know very little about; and he is explaining to him, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, in detail all that he knows about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting when you think about it that Luke appears to be writing this entire book to one man. Now we know that God had other plans for the book; but on a human level, it seems to be the most comprehensive gospel tract ever written. All for one man, Theophilus. The first thought that hits me is the concern that Luke must of had for this one man in order to go through this arduous task just so that Theophilus could be certain about what he already knew about the Lord. Luke is possibly the most diligent soul winner there ever was.

The second thought I have from this Scripture comes from the word “certainty”.  Luke penned the Word of God so that the hearer could be certain about the Lord Jesus Christ. That reminds me of another verse that tells us that …faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Practical application of this principle tells us that the more time we spend in the Word of God, the more we will be certain about the things of God; and the more certain we are in our faith, the greater our life and ministries will be also. We will be able to boldly plow forward through this dark and cold world with the gospel simply because we are sure of what we believe about God.

If you look at the faithless condition of America today, and consider how that Satan has been effective at both distorting the Word of God in most of our churches, and removing the Word of God from schools and many of the other public venues of our society, it is no wonder that the country is rapidly moving away from God. The answer is the Word. We in the church need to get strengthened ourselves through the certainty that comes through time spent in the Book; and then flood our churches, communities, families, neighborhoods, and workplaces with the Word of God. The more they hear the Word, the more they can be certain about the Lord.

Certainty is very important. Being certain about what you believe will get you through the trials of life with your faith intact. Be certain about your calling will keep you at your post until the Lord makes it clear that He wants you to do something else. Certainty comes from the Word of God, and it is strengthened as we continue to walk by faith. I want to demonstrate this certainty in my life as I minister to the people here in Galloway Township. I want them to be able to see that I really believe what I claim to know about the Lord; and I want them to see a consistency in my life and ministry in the years to come that will be the fruit of the certainty that I have received from the Lord.

How about you? Are you certain about what you claim to believe? Being sure about what you believe will dramatically change the way you live. I believe the reason why most of us struggle so much with our testimony is because we really don’t believe deep down what we say that we believe. Our faith needs to be increased. Ask God to bring you in closer, and give you a greater assurance about His Word and His will. As you meditate upon and study the Word of God, He will increase your certainty about the things of God.

Nov 4th, 2011 He Looks Upon Us Too

Today’s Passages – Luke 21 – 22; Proverbs 4

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 16 – 20; Memorize Jude 22)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17

This morning, I am with a group of about 50 men in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania. We have gathered together to come apart to strengthen each other, to fellowship, and listen for the voice of God. Sometimes God has a hard time breaking through all of the distractions in our lives in order that He can speak with us. I thank God for times like this Men’s Retreat, where we make special time for the things of God. Pray that God speaks to our hearts in a special way while we are here; and pray that some relationships will be strengthened between the men of our church, and the other churches that are here with us. I will try to post some pictures from the retreat soon on this site.

This post is a re-post from last year’s blog. I will try to post something fresh for you tomorrow morning.

“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” (Luke 21:61 & 62)

I have often felt sorry for Peter. For over 2000 years we have read over and over again this account of Peter denying the Lord Jesus. Some preachers have been very hard on him, especially because of his bold assertion that he could never do such a thing. The part of the story that really grips me, however, is when after Peter had denied for the third time, exactly as the Lord had told him, the Lord then turned away from all that was happening to him, and made eye contact with Peter. I don’t think Peter even fully realized what he had done until the Lord looked at him. Can you imagine how Peter must have felt.

The Lord sees us too, just as he had looked upon Peter. He sees you and me as we deny him, and when we sin against him. Somehow I don’t think we fully realize that fact. God’s omnipresent eyes are everywhere. He doesn’t miss a thing. I believe if we could come to that realization, we would be less likely to sin against Him. He sees, He knows. We are not hiding anything from Him. And it grieves Him. We know from the passage that Peter was grieved, but what is not recorded was the Lord’s grief. I would be willing to bet that the Lord was more upset about what was going on with Peter at that time, than he was with His own situation. The next time that temptation to sin knocks at your door, picture the eyes of Christ watching you.

Nov 3rd, 2011 Heading in the Right Direction

Today’s Passages – Luke 19 – 20; Proverbs 3

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 11 – 15; Memorize – Jude 22)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51

Read last year’s post on this passage – “Stay Busy”

“And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.” – (Luke 19:9)

In Luke chapter 18:9 – 14, Jesus tells us about two people that went up into the temple to pray. One of them was a self-righteous Pharisee who actually didn’t pray, but instead listed for the Lord all of his attributes that made him think that he was better than the other man. The second man was a publican (tax collector) who saw himself as being completely unworthy of the grace and mercy of God; yet he humbly sought it from the Lord. The Scripture says that the publican went away justified.

In chapter 19, I believe we may now get to meet by name that publican. It could very well be that the Zacchaeus of chapter 19 is the publican of chapter 18. It is also very possible that the proud Pharisee of chapter 18 was among the murmurers in chapter 19 (see v. 7). It is interesting to note that Jesus did not want to fellowship with the prideful bunch of Pharisees, but instead chose to spend His time eating with Zacchaeus. I believe the reason for that is because Zacchaeus was humbly heading in the right direction, while the Pharisees were stubbornly set in their ways. Now I don’t want you to misunderstand: Jesus is not condoning any past sinful behavior of Zacchaeus, and He will expect Zacchaeus to live a holy life in the future. What Jesus is condemning, however, is the attitude that Pharisees had: they only saw the flaws of others, yet did not recognize any faults of their own. You see, the Pharisees were just as sinful as this publican. It may be that their sin was a little more concealed than Zacchaeus’ sins were; but they were sinners nonetheless.

I believe the main point in this passage is the humility of the publican as compared to the pride of the Pharisee. God hates pride:

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” – (James 4:6)

Zacchaeus received the grace and mercy that he desired simply because he was humble enough to bow before the Lord. The Pharisees were not willing to do so. They were still trusting in themselves, bragging about how good they were. Until they got to the point where they recognized their need, they could not receive the mercy that was extended to Zacchaeus.

Watch out for pride!

Nov 2nd, 2011 Forbid Them Not

Today’s Passages – Luke 17 – 18

“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” – (Luke 18:16)

One of the biggest regrets that I have is that in recent days we have had to scale back our bus ministry. We have had to cut out one Sunday morning route, and also eliminate our Sunday evening Kid’s Club program. A year ago at this time we were running two buses on Sunday morning, and a “packed” bus on Wednesday evenings for Kid’s Club. Four of our best children’s workers left for Bible college, and another very dedicated worker took a job as a church secretary in North Carolina. I am thrilled that we have young adults going away to serve the Lord, but I sure do miss their energy and enthusiasm around here. I believe that any church that is doing what it should be doing will be a church committed to reaching, training, and loving children. I am excited that two of our college students will be back at Christmastime, which should enable us to get these ministries back up and running.

I believe the Lord wants us to spend a good deal of our attention and energy reaching children for the following reasons:

1  They are easier to reach. Adults are far more difficult to reach with the gospel, probably because of their pride. Children will be more open to the simple truths of the gospel: they are not so “set” in their beliefs.

2  They are easier to teach. Children have a lot less mental baggage in their heads and hearts. They retain information so much easier than we adults do. They remember so much more of what they learn.

3  They are easier to preach to. They do not get offended as adults do. Preachers have a lot more liberty preaching to children simply because they do not worry as much about offending them. As a result children are hearing the straight truth, not mixed with any sweeteners that make it more palatable.

I could say a lot more about the blessings of working with children. Suffice it to say that children are a real blessing. By the way, the best workers that we have in the church today are those that grew up here as children. They get the picture. They understand what this ministry is all about. Let’s do all that we can do to keep the children coming!

Nov 1st, 2011 “Shotgun!”

Today’s Passages – Luke 14 – 16; Proverbs 1

Second Milers also read – Psalm 1 – 5; Memorize Jude 22

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1

Read last year’s post – “Soulwinning” from Luke 14 – 16

“But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.” – (Luke 14:10)

When I was a youth director I used to get a kick out of watching the teenagers fight over the front seat of the van. They would race to the van all shouting “Shotgun!”, which apparently meant the front seat alongside of the driver. I remember taking the time to teach them from this passage and others like it that we should really be fighting over the back seat and not the front. I was kidding about the fighting part, but those kids took me literally and began to race, trying to beat one another to the back of the van. I think those crazy teens just loved to fight!

What is it about our old fallen nature that we must insist on getting the preeminence? We want the front seat of the car; we want the closest parking spot in the shopping center. We will actually fight over these things. It’s craziness. I have often thought it funny that people who will walk for miles in an exercise program won’t walk an extra twenty feet in a parking lot.

We need to get over ourselves, and just accept the fact that we are just a small part of a big world made up of now 7 billion people. The universe does not revolve around us, it revolves around Christ. Our goal is to give Him the preeminence:

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – (Colossians 1:18)

One of the best ways for us to give the Lord the preeminence in our lives is to give Him first place, and then to put other people before ourselves. There is an old acrostic that illustrates this principle very well:

J – Jesus

O – Others

Y – You

JOY

Oct 31st, 2011 Put Away Your Ax.

Today’s Passages – Luke 12 – 13; Proverbs 31

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 146 – 150; Memorize – Jude 22)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6

Listen to Sunday Morning’s Message – “The Family Business”

Listen to Sunday Evening’s Message – “Where Did They Go (Part Two)”

Read last year’s post from this passage – “Thou Fool”

“He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” – (Luke 13:6-9)

I must confess that I am often a little bewildered as I try to understand these passages of Scripture. There are often several different levels of interpretation for consideration. For instance, this story of the fig tree can be studied on both a practical and a symbolic level. Symbolically, the fig tree represents Israel. You will find that to be true in other passages such as in Matthew 21 where Jesus curses the fig tree, again because there was no fruit on it. Israel was expected to be fruitful. There was no reason for them not to be fruitful. They were given all that they needed, yet they chose to reject their Messiah. However, we know that someday Israel will “look on him whom they have pierced” (John 19:34), “and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” – (Zechariah 12:10 KJV). God is very patient with Israel, and someday Israel will turn back to Him. Really if you think about it, the process of digging about it and dunging the fig tree could very well be the Tribulation Period where God will be bringing Israel back to Himself.

On a practical level, however, I believe that we can safely say that not all Christians will produce the fruit that we might expect them to right away. We must be careful to be patient with new believers. God may have to dig about them and dung them as well. Don’t be so quick to write off people. I thank the Lord that He is patient with me; and I also thank Him for putting me through the training and trials that have been needed in order for Him to produce the fruit that He desires through me. And He is not finished with me yet. I am a long way away from where I need to be. So, as we appreciate and expect the Lord to be patient with us, let us also be patient with others. Put away your ax. God may not be finished with the tree just yet.

Oct 30th, 2011 The Sunday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Cindy and I would like to thank the church family for remembering and honoring us for our tenth anniversary of ministry here at Jersey Shore Baptist Church. We are looking forward to serving alongside of you for another ten years, and beyond, if the Lord will allow. The audio for yesterday’s Fall Harvest/Tenth Anniversar Celebration is available below.

Remember – you can access the prayer list and the church bulletin through the audio player in the right column, or by clicking here.

Today’s Passages – Luke 10 – 11; Proverbs 30

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Memorize – Jude 1:22)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34

Note – this is a repost from last year’s blog article on this passage.

Good morning, and it’s always good to start your morning with prayer. In Luke chapter 11 we find the Lord praying…

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” (Luke 11:1-4)

In this passage we see that when we go to the Lord in prayer we ask for something: we want God to do something.Lord, teach us to pray.Lord, make you name Holy. Lord, let your kingdom come, and your will be done. Lord, give us what we need today. Lord, forgive our sins. Lord, lead us not into temptation. Lord, deliver us from evil. This is a prayer asking God to act: to do something. And notice that this prayer is not wavering, but specifically asks.

In Matthew 21, Jesus curses a fig tree…

And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matt. 21:20-22)

In the October 2010 issue of In Touch magazine from Dr. Charles Stanley there is an excellent article by Allen Harris. The artical was titled: “(All About Me) Two Prayers That Can Hold You Back.” I want to pass on these two nuggets of truth to you. These will more than likely ring a bell; we all have used them at one time or another.

The first is, “Lord, but if…”

My daughter Melissa has cancer. I would pray, “Lord, please heal my daughter from this cancer, but if not, help her to deal with all the pain and suffering.” My belief wavers: I don’t seem to believe that God can actually heal her, so I give Him an way out. God is fully capable of healing my daughter: He does not need a way out. “But if” just shows my lack of faith and trust. Now I just pray, “Lord, heal my daughter from the cancer, and giver her relief from the pain.” I’m not giving God an out, I’m trusting Him to answer my prayer. As Christians, we should be mature enough to allow God to answer: yes, no, or not right now. We need to keep asking until we get an answer. That’s what Paul did about the thorn in his side. After asking three times, God gave Paul the answer: My grace is sufficient.

The second hinderance that Mister Harris mentioned is “Lord, let me…”

I want to see God work in my life. How can I if I’m in the way. “Lord, let me be the kind of father I need to be to Melissa.” I can do it, let me. No I can’t. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” How about, “Lord, give me the wisdom and understanding to raise your child as you would want.” I’m relying on God to do something, and that includes giving me what I need to do the work that He has prepared for me to do.

We should all want to see God’s work in our lives. Allowing Him to work is a great start. And when we see God work, He gets all the praise. Thank the Lord for other believers who are willing to share what the Holy Spirit has taught them so the church can be edified.

Peace (John 14:27)

Oct 28th, 2011 Can’t See Can You?

The sermon audio player on this site sometimes disappears for whatever reason. You can still access sermon audio as well as the bulletin and prayer list from Jersey Shore Baptist Church by clicking here.

Read last year’s post on this passage – “The Prison of Pleasing People”

Today’s Passages – Luke 6 – 7; Proverbs 28

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 131 – 135; Memorize Psalm 126:5 – 6)

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.” – (Luke 6:41-42)

You can’t see anything in the picture above because there is a huge telephone pole blocking your view. In our passage today, Jesus warns us not to be too critical of what we may think we see in other people’s lives, at least until we get all of our own problems straightened out, which probably won’t be anytime soon. There is something about our human nature which causes it to justify and condone our own sin; but yet we are quick to notice the sins of other people, particularly when they sin against us. Jesus said that we have to be careful about being judgmental. We all have problems, and we are all still sinners with a fallen nature bent on sinning more. Thank God for salvation. Thank God for the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. Thank God for immediate justification and then the lifelong process of sanctification in our lives; but let us never forget what we are still flesh. Paul said that in him “dwelleth no good thing” and it would do us well to recognize the same thing about ourselves.

Having said all of that let me now say a few things about judgement. Jesus did not mean that we should never judge things.  In fact 1 Corinthians 6 clearly tells us that we are to be judges at times, and we will even someday judge angels. We can and should be discerning about a lot of things. For instance I can judge whether or not an action is right or wrong based on what the Bible says about that act. However, I can not clearly see the motivation that went into the act; and I also cannot tell whether or not the person who committed the act is a saved person or not. I have seen saved people (including myself) do some pretty sinful things.

God has also put most of us into a position of being a judge in some specific areas. For instance, as a father, God has given me the right to be a judge when it comes to the lives of my children. As a pastor, I have also been given the responsibility to discern or judge certain situations in lives of the people that He has entrusted to me. But I have to be very careful because I am limited as to what I can see; and I cannot see into the hearts of people. I really do not fully know my own heart.

The bottom line is that we need to be careful about our judgement of people. God may put you in a position where you may have to look a little more closely at somebody else’s life; but be careful that you do not develop an attitude of superiority over those people. You are still just as much a sinner as they are. Analyze your own motives. Are you truly just trying to help people with their problems or are you somehow trying to justify yourself?

Oct 27th, 2011 Let’s Go Fishing

Today’s Passages – Luke 4 – 5; Proverbs 27

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 126 – 130

“And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” – (Luke 5:10)

My thought this morning comes from Luke 5. In the beginning of this chapter we see the Lord calling Peter to follow Him. Now this is not the first time that the Lord had met Peter. Peter had been watching the Lord for a little while, but it appears that He was not yet convinced that Jesus was the Messiah that Israel had been waiting Lord. Here in chapter five, however, Peter is convinced that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. Peter is coming back from a fruitless (or fish-less) night of fishing. Upon returning in the morning, the men were tired and were cleaning up their nets, getting ready to get some rest. The Lord tells Peter to go out and let down the “nets” again. Peter reluctantly lets out one net. You’ve read the story. One net wasn’t big enough to contain all of the fish that the Lord had provided for them.

The Lord uses this miracle to get Peter’s attention. Peter realizes here that Jesus is God. The Lord then tells Peter that his business would no longer be catching fish; but rather, Peter would be about the business of fishing for men. For the next three years Peter is personally trained by the Lord for the work of the Kingdom.

Peter only turned back once after he was called by the Lord. You will remember that Peter made the biggest mistake of his life when he denied the Lord at the time He was being condemned to be crucified. Peter thought that his ministry was over after that, so he went back to fishing for fish. You can read the story for yourself in John 21. It is interesting to note that once again Peter did not catch any fish until the Lord showed up. The Lord wasn’t through with Peter yet. Though he had blown it, God had some great plans for Peter. Through Peter’s fall and subsequent restoration, God showed Peter that the work of God must be done, not in man’s strength, but in God’s.

As far as we know, Peter never went back to catching fish again. Peter gave his life to fishing for men. When is the last time that you obeyed the Lord’s commission and fished for some men?