Voice of the Nazarene 7-7-24

I'm coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the voice of the Nazarene. A WEEK BY WEEK venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene, we join our Pastor Reverend Ray Lasalle and the voice of the Nazarene.

Do you know what the most unread book in America is, do you know? It's the car owner's manual.

Buy a car and never look at the manual. Run a lot of miles up on it and trade it in and a lot of different apparatuses on our car, and we never knew how to use them. Kind of like the cell phone. Kinda like computers, we just buy one and we kind of use it like a typewriter. I found that along the way, there were times when I had some difficulties with my vehicle and I had to unlock the glove compartment and take out the package that had the owner's manual. Go down through the different things until I found the actual manual and begin to read and found instruction and help for what my problem was.

Kind of remind you of the gal that went into the house and said, Honey, the car won't run.

And he said what what do you think's wrong with it? She said, I think there's water in the carburetor. He said, Honey, you wouldn't know a carburetor from a hubcap. He said where's the car, she said it's in the swimming pool. When I think about Jesus, when he left the Earth, he left behind 120 disciples. He ascended to heaven. And suddenly the church exploded. Historians said that at a rate of 48% it exploded every decade and every decade it just kept exploding. 350 years later, the Roman emperor made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. It grew in such a fashion that it was called exponential growth. Here in Acts chapter 17, verse six, here's what it said about the early church, the world said, these have turned the world up, side down. That's the power of getting back to the old owner's manual. Back to the instruction book, back to the Word of God.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

Now if you and I take a sword, and we stick it in a man, it brings death. Jesus Christ has the ability with his word, to stick it into a dead man and to bring him literally back to life. There's power in the word.

You say, Well, Pastor, do you think we need to go with modern trends? That we need to be a little more hip? Maybe a little more relevant? Maybe we need a better marketing plan? Or we need to reinvent ourselves? No, I really don't think that we need to reinvent ourselves. I think that we need to rediscover God. We need to rediscover the Word of God. The book of Acts is what we call a church training series. Now I'm starting just a short, I hope it's short talk about the manual over the next few Sundays, I'm talking about this being the church manual. Is that alright with you, if I call this the church manual, you'll not get bent out of shape? I'm begining here with just the book and where we're at in the book of Acts. It teaches what church ought to be doing. And I want to talk about getting back to the book. There's five things I want to point out real quick, like, let's just begin with a continuing story. The book of Acts, it's a living book. It's the only book in the Bible that does not have a conclusion. Did you know that? You and I are writing chapters in the book of Acts. They were writing chapters down in Ephesus down at Smyrna and we're writing some here in Crawford County in the state of Ohio in the USA. We're writing chapters, I hope we're writing a good chapter. The book of Acts was written by a man by the name of Luke. Luke's an interesting character to me, in case you didn't realize that he was not one of the 12 disciples. Did you know that? He was never called one of the apostles. He wrote the book of Acts, but before he wrote the book of Acts, he had written another book written with his name, the book of Luke.

And the apostle Paul when he reffered to him, he refers to him as the beloved physician.

Luke had been a doctor, the kind of doctor that can help people.

And the thing that separates Luke from all of the other writers in the Bible. He's the only Gentile writer, all the rest were Jews that wrote this cannon, except for Luke. He was a Gentile. What really stood out to me was the fact that when in Second Timothy, chapter four, when Paul was beheaded, and he's down there locked up, and he's cold, and he's hungry, and he's needing books and he's needing fellowship, he asked for Luke.

Luke is the only one that stood by Paul, when he faced death.

And here's what I want you to understand. When Luke wrote the book of Luke, he wrote about Christ, he wrote things happening in the life and what Christ did. But he didn't stop there. He wrote the book of Acts. And the book of Acts is the history of the early church about how the church grew and how it exploded and what the church ought to be and here in verse 12, of John chapter 14, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. So what did Jesus say? He said, the works you've seen me do, you're gonna do greater works than these.

John 14 · chapter mention

Somebody said, Well, Pastor, do we do greater works because of our faith? And because of our faith, we have healings. And if we don't get healed, it means that we don't have any faith, is that what you're saying? No, that isn't what I'm saying at all. That is diametrically opposite of what Jesus taught, when he was here on earth, Jesus, and He that believeth on me the works, that I do he'll do greater works. So if I do greater works because of our faith, that means that I have greater faith than Jesus had and that's impossible. Think about it for a moment. So what did he mean that we can do greater because Jesus went back to the Father, and He sends the Holy Spirit down here to Earth and because we have him everywhere, in you and in me and when you walk down on the job filled with a spirit, and you go into the classroom filled with the spirit and, you're living there in the home, and you're a neighbor, and you're feeling, hey, Jesus on earth was only in one body. He couldn't be everywhere, but the Holy Spirit can. No wonder we can do greater works. And then think about all the scientific aptitude that we have at our fingertips. Cell phone, computers, television, radio, think of all that we have that we can use that Christ never had while he was here on Earth. I'm glad He sent the Holy Spirit so we can do greater works. So the story continues, the church lives on. There's no ending to the book of Acts we're a part of it. I had written a note to the district superintendent this morning. And I said lets write great chapters I, wrote to our two campus pastors, Let's write a great chapter in our book of Acts. So the story moves on, started with Luke moved to the book of Acts, and it's still continuing. But then there's the convincing proof I want you to look at verse three, To whom also He showed himself alive, after his passion by many infallible proofs. After the resurrection Jesus walked around for 40 days in a glorified body.

There were at least 11 occasions in which He appeared to His disciples 40 days, 11 appearances. That's pretty convincing, proof, innit?. And in First Corinthians 15, verse six. On one occasion, he appeared to more than 500 people. This is following His death, burial, and resurrection.

No wonder folk begin to believe.

He had a half brother by the name of James that never did believe in Him while he was alive on Earth.

They live together in the same home, they grew up in the same house. He never believed in Him.

But when the resurrection took place, James was convinced. And he's wrote a little book and he became a preacher and the second pastor at Jerusalem, first church, and he wrote, he didn't say anything, a brother of Jesus Christ, he said, a servant of Jesus Christ. You talk about convincing proof. No wonder they were willing to die, because they've seen the resurrected Lord. And 11 out of the bunch became what we call martyrs because they believe. Well, first, John, hey, sometimes, let me just get off the subject for a moment. People have asked me what do you think about the resurrected glorified body? Kind of the same thing. So what do you think about it? Well, let me talk to you about that just for a moment. There in First John, chapter three, verse two. Here's what it says, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and doth not

but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

This is what I know about his body. This is what I know about our body. Jesus was not just a spirit. In the glorified body, he had an actual body. And literally, and if you get the reading about it, Matthew 28, verse nine, they came in, they held him by the feet, and they worshipped him. In his glorified body, they got a hold of his feet. They weren't letting him go anywhere. He had a body, and you know something else in his glorified body He ate. There in Luke 24, verse 41, and 42. Jesus ate fish, and a honeycomb. Do you remember reading about that?

Luke 24:41

So he was Hey, that sounds like good news for some of us who we like to eat. Wouldn't it be something to have a glorified body and eat chocolate all you want and not get any bigger?

Scale says one at a time, please. Some of us have an overactive fork, don't we? And something else I realize there are similarities between the physical body and the glorified body. Even when you get to heaven. Now you're not gonna like this, but I'm gonna tell you anyway. Look at John chapter 20, verse 15, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?

John 20:15

whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence. If you took him somewhere, and you've laid him, tell me and we'll, we'll go get him. Okay. Mary literally thought Jesus was the gardener.

Look at what verse 16 said, Jesus saith unto, Mary. And she swung around, and she said, Master. When did she recognize who he was? When he spoke, he had the same voice that he'd had before he had died. And now in the resurrected glorified body, same voice. You say, Well, Pastor, when I get to heaven, I'm gonna sing like Carrie Underwood. I'm gonna have a voice like Frank Sinatra. No, you won't. You're gonna have the same voice, then you now. I don't know where we come up with all this stuff. We're gonna be known in Heaven just like we're known on Earth, same personality, the same who we are the same skills that is who we are. Now, if I was to take a gifting test, and all of that, I'll tell you right now, I'd changed my whole preaching style. I'd be a whole lot more laid back and a little bit more quiet. Tom Erease, first time he ever heard me preach, he'd come to a meeting down in Circleville. He said good Lord.

He said, you're the most rambunctious preacher I've heard in ages to have content at the same time. I've never heard of that. You actually have content and you get excited. Well, if I could help it, I'd not be so excited. But it's who I am. It's who I'll always be and I've tried to be everybody else and not a one of it works. I'm sorry folk. Now, here's what's wonderful. It's John chapter 20 Verse 27. Then saith he to Thomas Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side. He had a body, you could feel it. The fact of the matter, the only thing that will be in heaven that's manmade are the scars and the body of Christ, a continual reminder of what Jesus did for us. So I see the continuing story, the Gospel keeps going, I see the convincing proof Jesus rose again. But I noticed the command to wait. Look at verse four of chapter one of Acts, one, four, they're in the upper room. And Jesus said to the early church, wait, wait right here, here's what it says, In being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem. But wait for the promise of the Father which saith he you've heard of me. And before that, back in Luke 24, verse 49, he said, tarry ye in Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. In other words, don't do anything.

John 20:27 Luke 24:49

Now, let me show you, John

17, the spirit of truth when the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. So that means the Holy Spirit will be with his disciples in ministry, he'll come up on them for certain tasks. But it wants to be in there. Look at it, I'm not making all this up. He said he had not only me dwell with us, but shall be in you. So he's saying, don't do anything, until the Holy Spirit comes and empowers you. It's kind of like taking a dull ax we just chop and chop and chop and chop and chop and chop and nothing happens. Put a little oil on it and sharpen it up a little bit and it's amazing how you can really hack through a tree. It's the Holy Spirit that makes the difference. Why would we teach a Sunday school class and not be anointed with the Holy Spirit?

Why would a preacher preach a sermon without the power of the Holy Spirit? Why would we try to do marriage without the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit in our home? Why would we even try to have a board meeting when we're not guided and empowered and endued by the Holy Spirit?

Why would we try to do anything without the Holy Spirit? We can't do anything without him.

A.W Tozer said if the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from a church today, 95% of what we do would keep right on happening and nobody would see the difference. But if the Holy Spirit was withdrawn, in the early church, 95% of what they were doing would stop and everybody would know the Holy Spirit was gone. D.L. Moody said, you might as well try to see without eyes, hear without ears, breathe without lungs as to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. We need ladies and gentlemen, the Holy Spirit. We need him in our lives. We need him in our families. We need him in our homes. When tensions get high.

Hello. A soft answer will turn away wrath. And we don't have those explosions. And our marriages can work. I don't know about you, I left my little office this morning and I said, Please, Holy Spirit go out there with me because if you don't, I have nothing to say absolutely nothing to share. Now God is on His throne, you got that? Jesus is at his right hand. And if you need divine help, the Holy Spirit is the only agent on Earth to help you right now. Do you get that? If you need someone to help you to make a right decision, a divine decision, God's in heaven Jesus is at his right hand and you better get connected to the Holy Spirit if you're going to have the wisdom that you need. That's how important he is. And so the command to wait, don't do anything without the Holy Spirit is what he's saying. And then he moves to the commission to witness shall be witnesses. Now, here's this. Here's the world at large can full of people 120 in that upper room.

And how are you going to reach this world at large he had to have some wittnesses and look at them they were so preoccupied, they didn't even know they needed to be in endued with power. Fact of the matter if you read it, they're in verse six of the same chapter. When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? Jesus is leaving the Earth. It's the last meeting he'll ever have with His disciples on Earth. The world's lost. The only hope he has to get a church started is that bunch, that ragtag bunch that we're always having problems among themselves. If they didn't get spirit filled and get some things resolved, they were going to split and splatter, sputter and spit. That's about all they'd ever done, until the Holy Spirit filled their lives. And they were so preoccupied, Hey, are you going to set up your kingdom? We're getting tired of the Roman Empire. We're sick of the taxes, preoccupied. We're tired of them ruling and making decisions in our life. When are you going to set up your kingdom? And Jesus said, You're too preoccupied with all of this. It's easy to get preoccupied. Hello. I mean, when I can get pretty well bent out of shape when I realized the political world is throwing us into a debt of more than $20 trillion for our children and our grandchildren. And if you really get honest, it's way more than that, because you got to think of all the promises they made with Social Security and with welfare it's more like 150 trillion. Look it up. But the Lord is saying LaSalle don't get preoccupied with that. And then what about immigration, it's so bad here in America. When you buy any article, it don't only give you instruction in English, it's over here in Spanish. What in the world happened to us? But the Lord is saying, don't get preoccupied with that. I look at the political arena right now and it's so divisive. If you say anything, you lose your best friend, you hurt the church.

Jesus said, don't get preoccupied with all of that.

Instead, I want you to get your priorities straight. And look right here in verse eight. You shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost has come up on you. You shall be My witnesses, or witness unto me, both in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and onto the uttermost parts of the earth. Pastor is it our responsibility to change society? Our responsibility is to change individuals. When people change, society changes.

And then Jesus gave that great promise. 10 days you're going to receive power. 10 Days came and went and they were endued with power. He made them a promise, the power of the Holy Spirit.

That word power in its Greek roots is dunamis and it means it's where we get the word dynamite. Well, that's an explosive power innit? You let that begin to happen in the church and things gonna begin to happen. And it's the same word that we get the word dynamo, where they capture the power of a gigantic river and turn it into power to run equipment. And to run cities and turn the lights on and factories come alive. It can harness the power of the wind in those great wind turbines. It harnesses the power of the sun in that solar system and great cities come alive at night. Power, he shall receive power. May the power of God descend on the church this morning. We'll go out of here so lit up and so endued, that we can turn the world around. The promise mentions a person, the Holy Ghost. He's not a force.

He's not a thing. He's a person.

Then there's that plan wait received power. The plan is in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and out under the uttermost parts of the earth. Where do we need the me witnesses? Where are witnesses needed? Right where you're at. Well, we need to send missionaries to Mexico. Not if you can't be a witness down there at the Mexican restaurant.

Why did we need to send everybody to China? If we can't witness down at the Chinese restaurant? We fly over missions. fields to get to mission fields. And people are lost all around us. And America's in a mission field now. You know, I don't have to be like them to reach them, I just have to like them if I'm ever going to reach them. My final thought is the cause of their success, the Holy Spirit came. That's your success, my success only when the Holy Spirit comes. And they were first of all convinced I told you, James, the half brother Christ was never convinced till after he saw the risen Savior.

And they were endued with power.

They were not only that convinced, but they were commissioned, Jesus said, You'll be witnesses unto me. Our problem today is we'd rather be prosecuting attorneys, a lot of the church crowd has become a prosecutor. We want to tell people what they can do and what they can't do and your what you wear and what you don't wear and on and on we go. What happened to us? We're more interested in correcting people than we are connecting with people. And in all of our corrections, we've turned everybody off and we've lost generation after generation. People are going to hell. And we're critiquing everybody. They were so convinced they were so commission, they became committed. And I thought what would happen if a church literally got mobilized, if everybody got in and begin to find a job in the church? And what can I do? Can I can I help finance this thing? Can I teach a class? Can I watch the kids?

Can I work around the flowerbeds? Can I invite my friends? What can I do to get involved? You know want happens if you don't get involved and you don't get mobilized, you'll be nothing more than an attender. You just come and go the place of the Holy, come and go and come and go. And the writer Solomon said, I've seen them come and go from the place of the Holy. When we become attenders for so many years, just coming and going, and never really get involved and put any skin in the game then if there's any little change comes, we get upset because we got used to it just we came in, we went and you're changing things. And then we're like a bunch of babies sucking their thumbs, crying over spilt milk. I want to tell you something. If there was ever a time the church needs to get back to the manual and back to the instruction book, and back to the guidebook and back to the book of all books it's now.

Entire denominations are being split over the fact they got away from the book. And they begin to rationalize and try to say, Well, the Bible didn't really mean this and it didn't mean that. Who are we to tell the world what God already said?

The Church of the Nazarene will close and dry up and die the moment we quit preaching this book. I have no right to argue about what the book stands for.

And I'd better get the burden to share the book. Because there's a world out yonder. Your kids, my kids and our grandkids and the world needs the message. And the only way we'll get the message to them is to be spirit filled. We can have book, but it's a dried dead parcel of law unless the Holy Spirit comes on us and makes it come alive. And tenderizes our heart and wets our eyes burdens are soul.

Do you need the Holy Spirit, His anointing His touch this morning? All we've got to do is say I'm a vessel. Just let me be the vessel. I'll be the vessel.

That's all God needs is the vessel. He'll feel the vessel.

Back there in the Old Testament.

The prophet said have you got any oil? She said there's a little bit not much but a little bit. Why don't you send your boys out and tell them to borrow vessels? Not a few. The oil didn't stop until they ran out of vessels and the Holy Spirit will never cease to keep filling us if we'll furnish a vessel.

All God needs is some vessels.

Some farmers, farmers wives, factory workers and their wives and factory workers and their husbands and all of us just to be vessels and the Holy Spirit will so fill us til we're running over. When you poke people who are spirit filled the only thing thats gonna come out is the spirit. The word for sanctification sanctified. In the Old Testament Hebrew is strained honey. You get a can full of honey and you poke a hole in it, what's go to run out?

I guess I'll quit. You're not going to finish my sermons. Why is it when people get poked everything else comes out.

Attitudes what have you, we need to be spirit filled. Some of us need to walk out of here and say God, if you ever filled me with your Spirit, fill me now. And keep me filled. Don't let me be half empty. Just let me be filled with your Spirit.

Father, thanks for being a part of the voice of the Nazarene visitors every Sunday at 9am with BNC's Pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding BNC visit Bucyrus nazarene.org