Messages

Word: Romans 1:17-20

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:17-20

To suppress the truth is to shut ones’ eyes spiritually. Paul’s purpose in writing the passage above is to shed light on the believer’s tendency to suppress the truth of the Gospel, which Paul clearly demonstrates, leads to spiritual blindness. How do we suppress the truth? Paul states that we do so by our wickedness and inability to see what is made plain to us by God. Although, God’s eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen in His creation, we often feed our sinful desires and thereby, live in the dark. Ultimately, pride is at the center of this wickedness. We far too often trade the invisible truth for a lie we can see. We focus on our circumstances and attempt to be the God of our lives, seeking after false truths and selfish desires, which only enslave and blind us from the abundant life God has to offer. Just like Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:17, the eyes of our hearts must also be opened so that we may, “know the hope to which he has called [us], the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:17-19

Word: Deuteronomy 7:21

Deuteronomy 7:21

“Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once...”

By human nature we are allured by the concept of instant gratification. “We want what we want and we want it now!” The attribute of waiting doesn’t come naturally. Just as the Israelites had to prepare themselves for the process that lie ahead of them, we sometimes have to train ourselves to practice and appreciate the process of waiting as well. Have you ever wondered why you didn’t feel fully satisfied when you achieved a goal without having to embark on the journey towards the attainment of it? It is because our souls are designed not for immediate gratification but rather to relish in the process.

Although, in its context, Deuteronomy 7:21 is directed towards the Israelites, it is the same, “great and awesome God” we serve today. James 1:2-4 instructs us to, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James is reiterating the same concept that Moses spoke to the Israelites. Despite our inclination for instant gratification often times trials are removed and goals are achieved little by little; a process that requires perseverance, cultivates maturity and demands trust in God.  Whatever “process” you find yourself in the midst of, whether it be waiting for a trial to pass, working to attain a goal or just for clarity in how to move forward, remember we serve a “great and awesome God” who will “drive out the nations before us” if we persevere and relinquish control to him. 

Personal Story With Sam and Gina Cho

In 2011 Bryan Jennings was invited to speak at Horizon North County, where he shared a message focused on the topic of “The Forgotten Promises of God.”-Little did he know that from this speaking engagement a very special friendship would be born with the Cho family.

Although Sam and Gina Cho had heard about Walking On Water a few years back, their interest grew when they heard Bryan speak at their home church, along with their desire to get involved.  Gina explains, “Our family motto for this past summer was to serve first then surf so after the service we approached Bryan to see how we might get involved. We were able to serve at each of the surf camps and our girls were able to attend them. The impact the ministry has had on our own girls has been inspiring to witness! They have become so bold in their faith. They are freely and openly sharing their faith in their public school. Ellia even shared her favorite book, the Surfers’ Bible, at her classes Show and Tell. Jesus said, ‘Therefore by their fruits you will know them.’ (Matthew 7:20) We have seen the ‘good fruits’ that are being harvested through W.O.W.”

Walking On Water has been immensely blessed by the Cho family’s willingness to selflessly serve wherever we have had a need. Whether it be helping out at our surf camps, at our outreach events, with mundane office tasks or through prayer the Cho’s have been eager to lend a helping hand. Bryan Jennings shares, “Sam and Gina genuinely exemplify a true servants heart. Not only have they been willing to serve in any and all situations but they have done so every time with a smile on their face! Walking On Water is very thankful for all they do!”

Word: Romans 11:11

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Romans 11:11 (NKJV) 

Please do not miss this! One of the reasons Gentiles are saved is because our salvation is intended to make the Jews jealous. Jealous in a good way...jealous for God!  There’s no other way this can happen but through friendship. To “provoke to jealousy” is a Greek expression that means to “come alongside someone, causing him to boil or seethe with jealousy.” To make a Jewish person jealous over our relationship with God through Jesus the Messiah we first need to have Jewish friends. We need to be true friends. Friends who connect, who share their hearts and look out for one another. We need to have relationships with Jews. I think it’s worth mentioning that your friendships with Jewish people should not be based on whether they believe in Jesus or not. True friendships do not have strings attached.

The majority of Jews who have come to faith in Jesus as their Messiah have done so because their Gentile friends shared the gospel with them. If you are a Gentile believer, and you have not been provoking the Jews in your life to jealousy, you have not been fulfilling one of the purposes of your own salvation. This is most likely the first time you have ever heard such a thing, but it’s true! It’s not the only reason Gentiles are saved, but the Bible says it is one of the reasons. You have to wonder whether, over the centuries of Church history, this verse was ignored, taught incorrectly, or simply allowed to slip under the radar.

Excerpt from the Promised Land study guide