Sunday Sermon at Open Door Church 5/28/17

Jesus Offers us a Banqueting Table of Love

 

This Sunday's sermon was delivered by Roger Joyner, who spoke about bringing down drug culture in our society.  

Roger spoke about how God has spread a banquet before us. A banquet of love and mercy and salvation that we can take our fill of.  

He referenced the Song of Solomon 2:4 ,"Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love."  

He shared that while walking one day in San Francisco, he came across a man in Golden Gate Park, that was clearly, dealing with the effects of drug addiction. He asked the man if he could pray with him, and prophesied over him. The man wept, and asked what had just happened. Roger explained to him that he had just experienced a God moment, and that life for the man would be so much better, if he would continue to let God into his life.  

Roger stated that we must keep praying for God's presence--for a great feast of God to be spread out among the city and its people. We need to serve a "piping hot" testimony to others and let them see how God is working in your life. 

He also spoke about how he had recently traveled to 30 states in 45 days, and he was able to witness in various towns and cities in these states, that God is surely alive in our states and cities !!  People have begun turning back to God, and when you turn to God, He enlarges your heart.  

Roger asked us to seize the opportunities to spread the word of God to others. Everywhere you go, every step you take, you are leading a pathway to God.  

We learn in 1Kings 18:24, "The god who answers by fire—he is God.” There is an appointment of fire for each of us, and we must present ourselves. 

Roger explained how, during the revolution that was taking place in the 1960's in San Francisco, young adults and teens turned away from their parents and away from God, and were easily led into a world of drugs, alcohol, sex.  They were filled with songs about rebelling against the government, against authority, and that promoted the use of drugs, alcohol, and sex as a means of achieving freedom from discipline and order.  

Many young people in this generation fell into this dark, subculture, and consequently, also fell into the world of alcoholism and drug addiction. A world, where nothing else matters, not even God. All that matters is how to get your next "high" and stay "high".

 

This became the accepted "norm" across the country, and despite many people turning back to God, there are still hundreds of thousands still caught up in the throes of addiction, who worship the temporary and sometimes fatal "high" they derive from this lifestyle.  

The time is now for those ravaged by drugs, alcohol, and part of a society that has turned its back on God, to come back to the feast at God's banquet table; back into the arms of Jesus.

Roger spoke about "The Sound 2017," a festival of God that is going to take place in San Francisco in July.  

It will take place at the Gerry Garcia Amphitheater and surrounding area. More information can be found at thesound2017.com. We will release the sound of worship and a new day for America.  

Unlike the 1960's, where people were lured into the depths of rebellion and addiction, this will be the start to a jubilee of God.  

The spirit of Elijah will be brought forth to answer: How long are you going to waiver between two opinions? 1Kings 18: 21 "Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions?"  

Malachi 4,5, and 6 all state, " The spirit of Elijah will come before the judgment day --back to our father, to our children."  

James 5:17, "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years."

 

 by Laurie Moulton

 

Nahum Prophesies

This post is from Laurie's notes during the Bible Study at Open Door Church Sunday Morning.

 

 

 

This week's Sunday school lesson continued on the book of the prophet, Nahum, and the destruction of Nineveh. 

It was explained that Daniel, when addressing the captives in Babylon, was still alive at the time of Nahum's prophesy. These were times of great battles between the nations for control of power over the people and the land.

Each time the land was besieged, trees would be cut down, and the land would be deforested (a cause of desert waist-lands). In an effort to control the people further, taxes were levied on remaining fruit-bearing trees, causing  famine.

Famine, coupled with the deforestation, drew lions to this area, an area where lions do not typically live. Remember Daniel and the lion's den?

As we read from chapter 1 of Nahum, we learned that Nahum had foretold that trouble was about to befall Nineveh, but that God is good and a safe place of refuge in times of trouble.  We must always look to God.

 

Our teacher showed us a  map of the location of Nineveh and the areas surrounding it as well as a video of a re-creation of Nineveh as it would have been in the days of Nahum. Ninevah was built on the river Tigris. It had magnificent hanging gardens along its city walls, and its culture was very advanced, including having its own postal system. Reservoirs and irrigation systems were developed to control the flow of water in Ninevah. 

During this time, Nineveh was the capitol of Assyria. It was a city of great, lavish buildings and commerce.  Despite repenting for their wicked behavior (bloody and violent sieges on Northern territories, sexual promiscuity, worship of idols and false gods, and infant sacrifices) nearly a century earlier, when Job told of God's anger toward Nineveh, and God sparing them;  the atrocities and debauchery continued.

 

This time, God would deliver justice upon Nineveh through its ultimate destruction.  Also during this time, the  surrounding kingdoms of Akkad and Medes came together to plot to overthrow and take down Nineveh.

 

God was on their side, and they were very strategic in their plans.  A year into the campaign,  God revealed to Nahum what would happen to Nineveh. The water in the reservoirs was lowered and released into the Tigris River, causing a great flood to force open the gates of Nineveh and flood the city. Nahum had a vision of this , and wrote it down, " But with an overwhelming flood, he will make a complete end to his enemies."

The battles fought by the Assyrians, were not just battles of land conquest, but they were also battles against God.

 

The Assyrians tried to pit the power of the gods they worshipped, against the One, True, God of all.

Ephesians 6 :12 tells us, " For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil."

In Nahum 1:10, we see that that the people of Nineveh are tangled up in their own evil ways and drunk on their own power, and they have let it go to their heads.

 

We, ourselves, at times, also become consumed by circumstances, and so, they too are consumed.

 

The Assyrians would often enslave their own people. God allowed this, because they were sinners, bowing down to and worshipping false gods. God gave them a choice, a warning, if you will, during the days of Job: be careful which path you choose--life or death.

 

God said, the people of Nineveh were vile because of their choice to honor false gods and partake of disgusting and evil rituals in obeisance to them.

 

In Deuteronomy 23:21-23, it states, "If you make a vow to the Lord, your God, do not postpone fulfilling it; for the Lord, your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur guilt. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not incur guilt. Whatever your lips utter, you must diligently perform, just as you have freely vowed to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

 

When we make a vow to God, He expects us to keep it. The people of Nineveh made a vow to God, when Job told of God's anger toward them, and that their destruction would be brought about. They repented and vowed to stop their evil ways, and they were initially spared, however, they soon resorted back to their old ways, and God brought justice upon them, and Nineveh was ultimately destroyed.

What is there to be learned from all of this?

Be careful what you vow to the Lord. As He has kept His promises to you, so you, too, are expected to keep your promises to Him.

God is a great and loving Father. He will provide shelter in times of great trouble.

 

It is in times of chaos, loss, strife, and trouble, that we sometimes try to take matters into our own hands. Some turn to drugs, alcohol, over-eating, rioting, violence (power struggles), and promiscuity, etc. as a means of escape.

 

God does not stop us from doing these things, as we do them of our own free will. He allows us to experience the consequences of these actions as a reminder that we cannot find a permanent shelter in these things, these idols that falsely promise relief. 

 

We need to seek the refuge that is God, and find the stillness and peace in Him, until the storm passes.