Voice of the Nazarene 9-6-26

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 Lasaule, and the Voice of the Nazarene.

My question is: how good are you at what I consider one of the most essential life skills that every Christian has to be able to do?

Fact of the matter.

There's some things in the Bible, if you can't do, you're going to have a tough road to travel.

I want to talk to you about one of the life skills that I believe is so essential.

It's a life skill that I need to get better at.

Now it may be that you would say, Pastor, I've mastered it.

And I say, hurrah for you.

Would you just pray for me so that I can do better?

As I've lived and I've traveled, I've found this to be a life skill that people want to do their own way instead of God's way.

Nothing more frustrating than trying to carry on God's commandments in our lives without having the Holy Spirit of God in our lives to help us and enable us to be what He's called us to be.

Now listen carefully.

The day you got saved, the day you accepted Christ, and the thing about that, you can't buy it.

You can't earn it.

You don't inherit it.

You simply receive it.

But three things happen.

Jesus died on a cross.

He died for a sins.

They put him in a grave.

The third day he arose.

And the Bible said, Whosoever calls upon his name shall be saved.

Do you know the church can't save you?

And we pastors, we can't save you.

The church is here to point you in the direction of one who can save you.

But the day that Jesus died on the cross, three things happened.

One, when you accepted his salvation, you became a saved person.

You were forgiven.

And by the way, how many in this room ever did something wrong and you hope nobody ever finds out about it?

Well, we're gonna dig around on the rest of you who never showed your hand.

And how many like me, you've done some really whopper wrongs?

Yeah.

How many ever thoughts and thoughts that you hope nobody ever finds out that you thought?

How many's arm is broke?

How many's not voting?

Even if you got a raise, you wouldn't vote yes.

The Bible said that all have sinned.

That means me, and that means you, and that means everybody.

And we're just thrilled that not everybody knows what we've done in our past, but we've been forgiven.

Let me say, number one, is so critical.

If you've got sin in your life and they haven't been forgiven, you're gonna have to pay for that sin.

And you are going to pay for that sin throughout all eternity in a place that God said is so awful that it's called hell.

But Jesus said, I want to pay for your sins.

And I went to the cross and I died and shed my blood to forgive you of your sins, and all you have to do is just simply accept that.

It's a free gift.

All you got to do is receive it.

And the second thing that happened when you were saved, heaven became your home.

Can you imagine to spend all eternity in a place so wonderful that I have not seen and ear hath not heard, and neither has it entered the minds and the hearts of us.

And I've traveled, I've seen some beautiful places, incredible places, but it doesn't compare to what heaven is like, and some call it paradise.

Heaven became your home.

And a third thing is the Holy Spirit moved into your life.

You say, Well, how did he do that?

Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us how he did it.

But we know that repetitively, over and over again and again and again, it tells us that he did that.

And for the first time, you can be what God called you to be.

Now, don't think trying to live a Christian life without his guidance, it's not possible.

Jesus said, You can do nothing without me.

And I know that some of us have said, I'm going to do better, I'm going to try harder.

And the honest to God truth is we always fall on our face.

We can't lift ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

And remember what God commands.

He never commands without being enabling to you that you can accomplish it.

But you have to do it through his spirit.

I love that song, The Comforter has come.

And when he comes, he leads and he guides us into all truth.

The life skill that I want to talk to you about that is so essential, requires God in you.

You say, Well, what is that life skill?

It's learning to quit jerking on the line.

Have you ever been fishing and you throw that lure out there and it strikes the water and uh it ripples, and and you're watching and you're aware of some movement, and you look around, and somebody's sitting over there jerking and jerking.

What's happened?

They've snagged up.

Their hook is caught into an old waterlogged log.

Or some branches or something.

I mean, when it first snagged, you thought you'd caught a whopper.

And man, the the reel is screaming and you're trying to reel in, and pretty soon you realize people are watching and you're not pulling in a fish.

You're snagged.

How embarrassing can that be?

And did you know that while you're jerking on that line and you're causing that hook to sink in deeper, you're not fishing.

You're not doing what you went out to do.

We've got something called Friendship Sunday coming up.

And if we're going to catch any fish and we're going to invite folk to come, we're not going to do very well if our life is hung up here and snagged up there.

That's why I want to talk to you.

We've had a couple here at our church for many years.

For as long as I can remember.

And their name was Jerry and Connie Lilly.

They have a son by the name of Randy, and he's the captain of a boat up on Lake Erie.

It's a charter boat.

And you can charter and go out fishing for the day for so many bucks.

And a number of years ago, some of us got together and we chartered the boat for that day.

Been a long time ago.

And we got out on Lake Erie.

It wasn't long, lines were snagged up, and Randy's the professional, and I looked around to see what he was going to do, and I figured he would unsnag it.

Instead, he walked over and cut the line just like that.

And I watched some of those guys with the most surprised expression.

They'd just lost their lure.

And one guy said, What did you do?

He said, I'm paid to take you fishing, not to jerk on lines.

We're here to fish.

And sometimes you've got to know when to cut the lines and cut bathe.

And so, how good are you at cutting the line in life?

Or would you rather just sit there and jerk and jerk and jerk and the hook digs and how many have ever had a a relationship that's snagged up?

I can't believe they treated me that way.

I thought they were my friends.

And the more you worry about it, the deeper that hook sinks in, and the longer it takes to get over it.

And there we sit jerking on it.

How many of you have ever had a hurt snag in your life?

And you sit on the side of the bed and it bites you to the very core and you can't sleep at night?

How many have ever been snagged up with financial issues?

You say money's the problem.

It's not a problem if you don't have any.

And so we have to know when to cut bait.

And God never called you to be a first-class jerk all your life.

Have you ever listened to some of these radio talk shows and somebody's calling in and they want to talk about what they're hung up on?

And the next caller they talk about what they're hung up on.

God never intended you be hung up on anything.

I mean, he called you by his divine enablement to cut the line and not be a jerk, and you need to get on with what God called you to do and to be.

So Paul is addressing the church at Colosse here in chapter 3, verse 12.

And incidentally, if you're here and you're not saved, don't be trying to do any of these things because you can't do it in the flesh.

But listen, as we read some absolute commands of God.

Verse 12, put on, therefore, as the elect of God.

Boy, that's a touchy word, isn't it?

Who's the elect, Pastor?

Well, I've discovered, and I know there's a theologians that have a lot of debate about this, but I can assure you that the, if you're heaven-bound, you're one of the elect.

Those who are going to heaven, they've elected, they've taken, they're going with the election, and God's going right along with them and elected them also.

How many of you are glad that you were elected?

How many remember Al Gore getting upset about not quite getting the election for presidency?

Well, this is one election you don't want to miss, because it'll mess you up for all eternity.

So he says, put on, therefore, as the elect of God, a command here, holy and beloved vowels of mercy.

The word vowels here is not one that we are using.

But uh in the time that it was written, it was talking about from the stomach all the way up your very inside, your very essence.

And they said that your affections and and uh your um emotions are generated from and feelings from the stomach, and all the it's called bowels.

So he's saying, put on the bowels of mercy.

The first essential is merciful.

God's saying, I want your very essence to be that you're merciful.

That's who we're to be.

It's a command of God.

That's who I am to be, that's who you are, merciful.

Have you ever had something big happen and you get butterflies?

Well, you're saying this is the area that's affected, and God is saying I want the very essence of Ray La Cell to be merciful.

And God is saying that to every Christian in the house.

We're to be full of mercy.

It's not an option, it's a command.

And how good are we?

Are we at mercy?

You say, well, they done me wrong.

Well, if they hadn't done you wrong, there was no reason to be merciful.

So don't worry about it.

Mercy means I'm not going to let the hook dig in any deeper.

Do you know why it might matter to most folk?

It's because they always want to be right.

And God is saying, I'm not worried about you being right, I'm worried about you being merciful.

You say, but but but I think, well, that's what gets us in trouble sometimes.

And God is saying we need to let it go.

Now, would your kids say that mom is merciful?

Would they say that dad is merciful?

Well, I've got some questions a few times.

We should have stopped a little earlier in the middle of that spanking.

Are you one of those people that can't forget?

There's some people they can bring up something that happened a year ago as though it was just an hour ago, and they jerk and they jerk and they jerk and they sink the hook in deeper.

The Bible says, I forbid it.

And nothing's going to change until God's people get merciful.

Now, we we confuse standing for truth as not having mercy, but we stand residently for the truth, but we can be merciful at the same time.

Now, can I ask you a question?

How good are you at forgiving those things which are behind?

Now, most of the time people want to jump to the next verse.

I press toward the mark of a high calling, which is in Christ Jesus.

And we want to leave out that little line, but it says, this one thing I do, forgiving those things which are behind.

If we can't let go of things that have happened that have staked us up in our emotions and our mind and our lives, grudges and hurts and hang-ups and habits, if we don't let go of those things, we'll never press toward the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.

Are you good at forgetting?

You can't be very merciful if you're all the time remembering and not forgetting.

How many are glad that Jesus forget and forgave?

Boy, I'm glad we'd be in a heap of trouble, wouldn't we?

The word of God says that's to be our very essence.

I want it to be you.

Put on holy and beloved vowels of mercy.

Notice the next one, kindness.

Would your family say that David is kind?

Would the people down on the job say they are a kind person?

Kindness is not a sociableness or a desirableness, but it's a command.

And according to the Bible, you're sinning if you're not kind.

Merciful kindness.

Well, preacher, I did pretty good.

I didn't say a word.

Yeah, but your face was screamy.

I've seen some people that uh when they got crossed their face, you could see it 400 yards in the middle of the dark.

That look they gave you.

So, moving on.

If you're not good with this life school, you're not going anywhere with God.

But the next one is humbleness of mind.

It means don't get stuck on your own opinion.

Opinions are like credit cards.

Everybody's got a pocket full.

And they're quick to flesh you.

And we we're happy to share our opinions.

Humbleness of mind is a command, it's a commanded Bible virtue.

And you may have a lot of opinions, I might have some, and we don't agree on them, but it doesn't matter.

God says, let it go.

Have humbleness of mind.

And when it comes to declared truth, we don't abandon them, but when it comes to your opinion and my opinion, God says, Let it go.

How many churches have you seen with a lot of people with a lot of opinions they won't let it go?

And how it's torn up churches.

Do you understand not having humbleness of mind is a sin because God commands us?

I've said in church meetings, I've said in family meetings.

And you know what tears things up?

Because people weren't kind.

Because people weren't merciful.

Because people wouldn't let go.

And they did sin upon sin upon sin upon sin.

How good are we at ever changing our opinion?

I remember a few years ago when Iraq was fine and Iran was bad.

Boy, it's amazing how we've had to change our opinions, haven't we?

Here's another one: meekness.

It means you keep God in the right place.

He's the creator, I'm the created, and uh that means that he sets the rules, not me, so you need to stop it.

Well, I think no, stop it.

God's in charge.

Have you ever thought it's amazing that God would even put up with me?

If you've never thought that, probably you're not me.

I don't know about you.

I think I've gone a hundred times and had to say, God, I'm sorry.

I'm wrong.

You're right.

And then the next thing he lists in this passage is long suffering.

Every Christian is to be long suffering.

This is a word that's in the continuum.

Did you know there are two specific times or two specific words that are in the continuum in the Bible?

Two times.

There may be more, but I know of simply two times.

And this is one of them.

And the continuum means it never stops.

That means the Christian is to be long-suffering, long-suffering, long-suffering, long suffering.

It never stops.

And the other place is the word said, be filled with the Spirit.

Be filled, be filled, be filled, be filled.

It's a continuum.

It never stops.

And this is written in that same continuum.

You never stop doing it.

You say, Well, I've had it.

That's it.

God said, No, that's not it.

You know what it means that I'm to do every day of my life?

Long suffering.

Well, you don't know what I put up with.

No, I don't.

You don't know what I put up with either.

But remember God's commands, and if He commanded it, He'll enable you to do it.

Here's the next thing is forgiving.

Forbearing one another and forgiving one another.

Forgiveness is not an option, just not.

I want to be cautious here.

I've had people tell me my prayer life isn't what it ought to be.

If you don't forgive somebody, your prayer life is nothing.

And I say that carefully.

Fact of the matter, the Bible says if you don't forgive, God won't forgive you.

I find that to be one of the most fearful statements in the Bible.

That if I don't forgive, God doesn't forgive me.

God says, stop praying and go, if you've got ought against someone and go take care of it, and then come back and pray.

Mark 11, verse 25.

Mark 11:25

If there's anything that Christians ought to be good at, it ought to be in forgiving one another.

Notice the last thing God commands: if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Verse 14.

And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Perfectness.

God caps it off with love.

Charity is not loving the unlovable.

Charity is loving the unlovely.

How good are you at cutting the line and saying in closing?

How good are you at cutting the line?

I want to give you four things real quick, like you can write them down.

You'll never live up to this third chapter of Colossians if you don't do these four things.

And I want to give to you in closing.

You've got to make a decision.

You've got to decide, number one, be vulnerable.

The world says protect yourself.

But you can't love like God commands if you won't open up yourself.

But I can get hurt, Pastor.

I know, but the Bible teaches us to be vulnerable.

And it's your decision to open up and love others and to be vulnerable.

Do you know why a child can break a mother's heart?

Because she's vulnerable.

Why is she vulnerable?

Because she's carried that child under her heart for nine months, and she'll carry that child in Her heart forever.

She loves the child, and she loves the child so much that she's vulnerable to heartbreak.

I've heard Christians say, Well, I want to love, but I don't want to be vulnerable, and you can't do it.

And I'm asking, what will it take for you to open up your heart to love others and to be vulnerable?

I had a dad say to me the other day, my heart went cold.

He said, My kid has hurt me for the last time.

They'll never hurt me again.

I'm cutting him off, and they did.

I'm just saying, God commands us to love.

How many are glad that Jesus is vulnerable and keeps loving us, even when we've hurt him and we've come up short and we've missed the mark.

And here's a second thing I want to say to you forgiving.

It's commanded.

Well, Pastor, what happens if they are not sorry?

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we're not to forgive if they're not sorry.

Well, what if they never stop?

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you're not to forgive, even if they don't stop.

Do you know why kids sometimes never forgive?

By the time they leave home, they've got a PhD in how to hold a grudge because they saw mom do it and they saw dad do it.

Jesus said, Father, forgive them.

Now I've lived a little while, and I've watched people who I listened to tell me that they were molested.

Some were raped, some were brutally tortured.

And one of those said, I forgive them.

I forgive them.

Do you forget?

No.

Every time I look at the scars where they took a knife and cut me open across my face and on my body.

It's a reminder, and I can't forget, but I've chosen to forgive.

I let them steal one day out of my life, but I'm not going to let them steal the rest of my life.

And if we don't learn what it means to forgive, we're going to be sitting there jerking on the line.

It's better to cut back and move on and not lose the rest of your life.

And then be a boomerang Christian.

Don't throw a rock.

Throw a boomerang.

It'll always come back and it'll bless you.

Somebody's always going to be hurting you.

I can't tell you what'll happen next week, but count on it.

Something will happen.

If it's not next week, it'll be next month or next year, but somebody's going to hurt you.

Don't throw a rock.

Be the person that says, you know what, I'm going to let it end with me.

I'm not going to let this be passed on to the next generation.

I'm going to let it stop here.

Vengeance is a sin forbidden by God.

Don't play God and say, I'll get even.

You've got to make a decision also to bless the people who've been hurting you in your life.

It's a command: do good to them that despitefully use you.

Bless them and curse not.

When was the last time you sat down and you listed those that were trying to derail your life and said, I'm going to do good to them.

You'll find out whether the man who wants to stand up or not.

Or if a lady wants to really be a lady, I choose to not hold a grudge.

I choose not to curse them.

I choose to bless them instead.

Or you can sit there and keep jerking the line.

We whip the line out, and I watched Randy run past us guys that were on the boat, didn't know what we were doing, and took a knife and immediately cut the line.

And we let the lure go.

But we continued doing what we had gone out to do, and that was fishing.

In just a matter of weeks now, it'll be Friendship Sunday.

I'm hoping nearly everybody in the crowd this morning will go back and find some extra cards.

And go out and find somebody that you want to be the one that you've invited, and maybe 10 or 20 people that you'll invite.

And you'll never do it, and you'll never be as successful in fishing for men and women and souls.

Never be good at inviting your friends into the kingdom as long as you're snagged up.

I'm simply saying if you want to remain ineffective, if you don't want to really fish, it's because you've got issues that we need to let go and get back to what God's called us to do, and that's fishing.

I've chosen to live in mercy.

I've chosen to live with love.

I've chosen humbleness of mind.

Take the backseat.

Let the other person be the winner.

Let them be right.

It doesn't matter.

Take the lowly seat.

He who is last, God said, I'll make you first.

So we'll just take the back seat to begin with.

It won't matter.

God will get the glory.

I've chosen not to carry grudges.

What are you doing, Pastor?

I'm cutting the line on things that'll snag you up, and you'll waste the rest of your life.

But you can be successful in what God has called.

Thanks for being a part of the Voice of the Nazarene.

Visit us every Sunday at 9 a.m.

with BNC's Pastor Ray Lasalle.

For more information regarding BNC, visit UsirusNazarine.org.