Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 31st 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 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 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 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?

Oct 26th The Family Business

Today’s Passage – Luke 2 – 3

“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” – (Luke 2:49)

My father has been in the candy business for over 60 years. His company packages and distributes candy and nut products all over New Jersey and out into Philadelphia and now he even delivers into New York. Growing up, our lives revolved around the family business. If it was a busy time of the year, we would all pitch in to help. It didn’t matter if it was early in the morning or late at night; it didn’t matter if it was the weekend. Our family’s life revolved around that business.

In context of our text this morning, Jesus is a young man, twelve years of age. He and His family had traveled from Nazareth to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. When it was time to go home, Joseph and Mary, along with their children and extended family all made their way back to Jerusalem; but Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem. Now before you get mad at Mary, I want you to remember that Jesus was not the type of boy that she would have to worry about: He never did anything bad. I have heard parents brag on their children before, but let me tell you, when Mary said that her boy, Jesus, was the perfect little lad, she wasn’t lying. You also have to remember that their were probably dozens of their family members and friends travelling together “in the company”. Mary just thought that Jesus was with some of the other family members. But He wasn’t. He deliberately stayed behind in Jerusalem.

When the family realized that He was not with them, they went back looking for Him. They found Him in the Temple, “sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions”. I am sure that they were a little upset about the fact that Jesus did this. They had a hard time finding Him. When they questioned Him about it, He said, “didn’t you know that I have to be about my Father’s business” [my paraphrase] Now Jesus earthly step-father, Joseph, was a carpenter; and I am sure that all of the little Joseph’s were training to be  carpenters too. Jesus, no doubt, worked in the carpenter shop alongside of Joseph. Just think, the hands that created the universe were in a small shop in Nazareth making furniture. Anyway, Jesus was not referring to carpentry when he spoke of His Father’s business. He was not referring to Joseph at all. He was talking about His read Dad, God the Father; and His Father’s business was at the Temple.

I grew up in my father’s candy business; but now I am giving my life to the Heavenly Father’s business. What is the Father’s business? It is reaching people with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said that He came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The Father’s business is also preaching and teaching the glorious truths of the Word of God. It is ministering to the people of God. These are all of the things that make up the Father’s business. I too must be about my Father’s business. How about you?

Oct 25th Are You Certain?

Today’s Passages – Luke 1; Proverbs 25

(Second Milers also read – Psalm 119; Memorize Psalm 126:5 & 6)

Read a good article by Dr. Paul Chappell – “Trusted With The Gospel”

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

“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 most 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 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.