The Christian Marriage 

Ephesians 5:25-33 

3 Parts to this message 

1. The Christian marriage is built upon the love of God 
2. Jesus sanctifies and cleanses the church 
3. Jesus will present His church to the Father 

The Christian marriage is built on the love of God  

• Last week we also looked at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 
  • Love is, God is: 
    • Patient 
    • Kind  
    • Does not envy or boast  
    • Is not arrogant or rude  
    • Does not insist on having its own way  
    • Is not irritable or resentful  
    • Does not rejoice in wrongdoing  
    • Rejoices in truth  
    • Bears all things  
    • Believes all things  
    • Hopes all things  
    • Endures all things  
    • Love never fails or ends  
• Transition that to the Christian marriage and home  

Christ Sanctifies and cleanses his church (26) 

• Sanctification means to be holy and set apart  
  • We are holy only through the blood of Jesus Christ  
• Sanctification is also a process that takes time  
  • We will not be completely sanctified until we reach heaven  
• Remember the old hymn “what can wash away my sin” 
  • Nothing but the blood of Jesus  
  • What makes us whole – the blood of Jesus  

Jesus will present His church to the father  

• A church without spot or blemish  
  • When you think of blemish you think of imperfection  
    • A blemish is a small mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something  
  • Think about a sack of potatoes  
    • On rotten potato can spoils the whole bag  
  • We don’t want to be rotten potatoes!  

Walk In Love

Ephesians 5:1-21

We imitate God in 3 ways

1. By the way we walk (act)
2. By the way we talk (words we say)
3. By the way we give thanks (humility)

Let’s look at Apostle Paul’s explanation of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

• Love is patient
• Love is kind
• Love does not envy
• Love does not boast
• Love is not arrogant
• Love is not rude
• Love does not insist on having its own way
• Love is not irritable
• Love is not resentful
• Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing
• Love rejoices in truth
• Love bears all things
• Love believes all things
• Love hopes all things
• Love endures all things
• Love never fails

We imitate God by the way we walk (act)

• To imitate means to be like Him
• We are to follow the example of Jesus Christ
• We need to be loving people
  • Sometimes we are not that loving, but that’s ok because we are His workmanship (God’s not finished with us yet)

We imitate God by the way we talk

• The way we talk says a lot about who we are
  • We need the light (Jesus Christ) to change the way we talk
  • Darkness has to flee when the Light comes upon it
• The way we talk changes when we surrender to Jesus Christ
  • Run to the Light!

We imitate God by giving thanks (remaining humble)

• In order to walk in love we must remain humble
  • WWJD (WHAT WOULD JESUS DO)
• Jesus was humble
  • He humbled himself and went to the cross
• Jesus is the number 1 reason to have a heart of thanksgiving!!
  • Jesus changes the way we act
  • Jesus changes the way we talk
  • Jesus is our supreme example of humility                  Pastor Paul Speicher

Sermon: Jesus our healer!! Matthew 8:1-17

3 things we will look at today

1. His nature to heal
2. Jesus is full of compassion as our healer
3. Jesus has the power to give to others

His nature to heal

• Jehovah Rophi - I am the Lord that healeth thee
• Behold the remedy - healing offered through the atonement

Jesus is full of compassion as our healer

• Jesus cares about us!!
• Jesus loves us and is willing to heal if we will just come and ask in faith

Jesus has the power to give

• Matthew 10:1 Jesus gave the power
• Acts 1:8 You shall receive power
• The same power is in us                                                                Pastor Paul Speicher

Sermon: Follow the Light Matthew 2:1-11

Follow the leader

• If you are going to follow a few things must take place
• Trust the leader
• The leader must know where they are going
• You must follow

Follow the Light

• The star led the Wise Men to Jesus
• The star went before them
• They rejoiced when they found Jesus

John 3:16 and 17 God GAVE

• God gave His best
• Not to condemn but to save
• Isaiah 9:6 a Son is given

Follow Me

• Peter and Andrew understood fishing
• Jesus tells them "follow me"
• required total commitment

Walk as children of Light

• follow the Light
• believe in the Light
• let the Light illuminate through us                                                        Pastor Paul Speicher

Sermon: The True Light - John 1:6-9

• We see all the pretty lights - they make things look "better"
• Jesus is the true light
• Jesus doesn't just make us better, He makes us whole

God wants our light to shine

• Why? So that He gets the glory
• Don't let your light (the light of Jesus) go out
• Sometimes our light gets dim

We need the light - The True Light

• Jesus' life is the light for all people
• Our souls depend on it
• That is why we are here!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit we keep the light burning

• The light cannot be hidden
• Sin can be hidden
• Jesus (the true light) cannot be hidden
• Shine forth peace, love, hope, and joy!

Sermon: God + Nothing = Everything

• Do any of those "things" buy you a spot in heaven? NO
• Regardless of what we have, if we don't have God then we have NOTHING

We need to examine ourselves

• Time to take a look at the heart
• Maybe time for a triple bypass (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)

If God is for us, who can be against us?

• Satan is against us but Satan is already defeated
• Because we belong to God we have already won!

Comfort for us

• Remember that we want to be Spirit-led
• Jesus is risen and at the right hand of God!
• Jesus did it all and is interceding for us

Who shall separate us?

• Tribulation, Distress, Persecution, Famine, Nakedness, Peril, Sword
• Nothing shall separate us!!                                                       Pastor Paul Speicher

Sermon: God is good all the time!  Psalm 100

• What do you automatically think of when you hear shout?
• Loud, Gladness, Joy?
• Make a joyful noise! (NKJV)

Serve the Lord with gladness

• God is deeply concerned with the well-being of his servants
• What motives us? Love or Duty
• Servanthood is the only right Spirit
• Come into His presence daily!

Come let us worship and bow down Psalm 95:6-7

• Humble submission (the heart)
• What better reason to worship - GOD IS GOOD
• Bow down - God without you I am nothing

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

• Too many times we enter with the "I NEED" list
• Take time to offer thanks first

The Lord is Good

• He is the only one righteous
• His love never fails
• His love never runs out
• God loves them, even if we don't                                                     Pastor Paul Speicher

November 11th 2018

Sermon: Prepare Isaiah 40:3

1. The voice of one crying
2. Are we hearing the voice of God? He is standing at the door knocking
3. What is the voice saying?  Prepare, Be Ready, Jesus is coming again!!
4. His Spirit is about to be made manifest in a new way!

     2. Revival is about to happen

• Our days of dryness are coming to an end
• Our days of hopelessness are coming to an end
• We are God's voice in a dry and thirsty land

      3. Make straight the path for the Lord

• Remove the obstacles
• Be willing to lay it all down for Christ and see what God can do!
• Repentance is necessary to prepare the way of the Lord                   Pastor Paul Speicher

November 4th 2018

Sermon: Rattle The Gates Of Hell  Matthew 16:13-19

 October 21st 2018

Sermon #8: Speak Gently Proverbs 15:1-4

1. A gentle answer
2. We all use words every single day
3. What kind of words are we using?
4. Our words and how we use them are important

      2.  Calm Words - Speak gently

• We can't control the words of others
• We can try with the Spirit's help to control our words
• One secret to speaking gently involves controlling our anger (being lead by the Spirit)

       3.  God is always watching

                                                                                                    Pastor Paul Speicher

• God sees the evil and the good
• Our hope is not in our works
• Our hope is in Jesus Christ

October 14th 2018

Sermon #7 Relationship Guidelines from Proverbs: Listen Carefully Proverbs 8:32-35 and Proverbs 19:20 

January 28th 2018                                       SELF CONTROL

Self-Control is a battle between the physical and the Spiritual self.
Luke 9:23-24 And He was saying to them all, If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake he is one who will save it.
The battle is real but we don't have to fight the battle alone!
Which one will win?
Which one are we feeding?...
Feed the spiritual self and seek the reward of eternal life with Christ in heaven.
Self-Control is a process and will not happen overnight, but the reward is beyond anything that we can comprehend!!!                                                                                          Pastor Paul Speicher

December 17, 2017                                 Kindness

                                                             Ephesians 4:31-32

Kindness is one of the most desirable qualities.  I mean who likes to be around someone that is upset and mad all the time?  We would much rather be around someone that is kind.  This passage contrasts 2 attitudes.  1. Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice.  2. Kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving.  The second list is what our christain attitude should be.  God forgave us through Christ so we are to forgove others as well.  The apostle Paul was in prison in this passage and had ever right to be bitter but he didn't become bitter.  He demonstrated compassion, courtesy, and forgiveness.  Kindness should be our resonse to every circumstance that comes our way but in our own humaness we can't respond that way.  We need the Holy Spirit to help us.  God sent the Spirit as  our helper so let Him help.  Let him guide and direct you in ever situation. Kindness is learned at home.  What kind of a home are you and what are you teaching?  Godly or ungodly?

Even in the Christian home some ungodly attitudes are present but we should be trying to teach the fruit of the Spirit!!

                                                                                                                      Pastor- Paul Speicher

December 10, 2017                                  Patience

                                                                James 5:7-11

    What does Patience look like?

1. Patience is the ability to sit back and wait for an unexpected outcome without experiencing anxiety, tension or frustration.

2. Patience is the ability to let go of our need for immediate gratification and WAIT

3. Patience displays tolerance, compassion, understanding, and acceptance of others

4. Patience is the ability to remain calm in the midst of turmoil.

    10 things a patient person feels

Assurance

Comfortable

Peaceful

Not in a hurry

Calm

Comfortable

Content

Restful

Confident

Loved

   10 things an impatient person feels

Irritated

Agitated

Ignored

Frustrated

Resentful

Anxious

Tense

Stressed

Nervous

Tempered

                                                                                                    Pastor- Paul Speicher

December 3, 2017

True Peace

We all want peace!!!

      We want to be able to enjoy life to the fullest, whether that be your family, your friends, work, church, hobbies....  Sometimes we cant find peace.  WE get depressed or we get angry either with God or our loved ones.  Sometimes we get angry with both!!

Philippians 4:6-9  Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the Peace of God that passes all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is pure, whatever is of good repute, if there is anything worthy of excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, preactice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.  (NASB)

      1. Peace by not worrying

      2. True peace by praying-  for everything its all small to god even if we think its BIG

      3. True Peace by meditating on what is HOLY

      4. True peace by putting into practice what we learned

  God wants us to be pure, holy, and right. Its ulimately about God dwelling in us

                                                                                                              Pastor Paul Speicher

February 19, 2017

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

     With hundreds of churches and many denominations around, which one should I be a part of and is it important that I “join” the church by becoming a member?  To answer the first question, I need to examine what I believe and practice.  Do I study the Word of God and let it shape my life?  Have I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and am I letting Him become my Lord?  How committed am I to seeing His Word, the gospel, taken to my world?  It is important to align ourselves with those of like precious faith.  

     Attending such a church body is important, but even more important is becoming a member with them.  From the birth of the early church to the present, the church has been under attack by those who would compromise the principles and the truths of God’s Word.  As a member of the church, you have a voice.  You help the local church maintain its identity and fulfill its vision.  You have become one with the other members to proclaim the glory of God in your community by your commitment to the body of believers in Jesus Christ.  Membership in Chapel of the Plains is accepting the privilege of serving alongside fellow believers in this vast rural community and also of accepting the responsibility to work to build the Kingdom of God both here and around the world.                                                                     

                                                                                                                                     Pastor Orville    

February 12, 2017

MEMBERSHIP ~ PART 1

In Ephesians 4:24 -32, the Word of God speaks of our interacting with one another and how this interaction can affect the Holy Spirit.  First, in Christ we are “new creatures” and as such we are to “put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24, NKJV).  We are instructed as to what to put off and what to put on.  Not only are we believers in the heart, but we must put on that which identifies us as believers on the outside.  One statement in this passage reads, “for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25b, NKJV).  

I am joined to every person who is a believer.  We are members together in the body of Christ, the church.  This membership was designed by God and by believing in Jesus Christ we joined this fellowship of believers.  It has no denominational distinction; it carries no earthly name except Christian.  Jesus stated a parable in Matthew 13:24 – 30 about wheat and tares.  After the good seed was planted, the enemy came by night and sowed tares (weeds) in the same field.  Both came up and grew side by side and at the time of harvest they were separated.  The weeds were burned and the wheat was preserved.  Today in Christianity we see both true believers and others who say they are Christian, but have never accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

What truly makes one a member with Christ, is the born-again experience.  When one confesses with his mouth in the Lord Jesus and believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, he is saved.  With the heart one believes to righteousness and with the mouth one confesses salvation, (see Romans 10:9 – 10).  Such confession leads to repentance of sin and to a turning to righteous living.  We then become members one of another in Christ Jesus.                                                                                                   

 ~  Pastor Orville

February 5, 2017

The Official Board

     In the “Constitution and By-Laws of the Chapel of the Plains, Stoneham, Colorado,” you will find the terms of governance that was adopted for this church.  This document spells out the rights and responsibilities of those who are members of this congregation.  One of those rights is to serve and be served in a responsible way that reflects the values of this congregation and honors the values of the organization, the Assemblies of God. 

     Under “Article VII Officers, Section 1,” six things are addressed:

(a) Biblical qualifications found in I Timothy 3:8-13 and Acts 6:3;

(b) terms of service is (3) three years;

(c) term limits is one term and then at least a year off before eligible again;

(d) number of deacons, no more than (3) three;

(e) these deacons constitute the official Board of Trustees and they chose the Secretary and Treasurer for the church; (f) “Deacons are to be active members in good standing with the Assembly.”

     In Article VII Officers, Section 2 it states “as trustees of the church” they “shall be custodians of all the church property.”  This is an important position and is to be filled in the Annual Meeting on February 26th.  As a recognized incorporated nonprofit with the State of Colorado this position must be filled.  I encourage you to diligently pray and serve if you are qualified and called upon to do so.                                                                

     The Lord’s promise to those who “serve well” is found in I Timothy 3:13: “For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (NKJV).  God blesses those who willing serve well in His kingdom.                                                                                                        ~ Pastor Orville

January 29, 2017

ANTICIPATION

I am excited!  I believe the best days for the Chapel of the Plains are ahead and not behind us.  God is working to bring the best pastor to fit this congregation and community.  One that will not only sustain this congregation, but one that will help all of us in our walk with the Lord.  This is what I anticipate.

For me to anticipate this way, I must become as a little child.  When asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Jesus answered, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1, 3 – 4, NKJV).  Children anticipate the very best from their parents.  We, as parents, provide the very best for our children.  Our Father in heaven provides the very best for us, for we are His children.  

The hard part for us in anticipation is humbling ourselves as a little child.  “Humble”, as used in the text, means putting aside our pride and willing submitting to God’s will.  This will require prayer.  As adults, we judge by what we see and hear.  God looks at the heart and God know best.  Therefore, take the time to submit yourselves to God and then only be excited about the one candidate that God is excited about bringing here to serve at the Chapel on the Plains.            

~ Pastor Orville

January 22, 2017

Diversity

     Last week I wrote about unity and how we are to endeavor “to keep…in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3 NKJV) We are such a diverse people, each with individual ideas and thoughts, attempting to come together to accomplish a great cause.  Actually, it is the greatest cause in the world, bringing the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ to all peoples.  Each of us is called to different fields of labor and yet, we come together to worship, encourage, inspire, and carry forth from our gatherings, strength and renewal of both the cause and ourselves.  

     How do we do that with such diversity?  Yes, we are diverse and different from each other. We are brought together by Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  He infuses us with the Holy Spirit when we are born again; He brings us into His body at salvation.  Jesus encourages us to be baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) bringing us to the surrender to the Holy Spirit’s direction.  The Holy Spirit is given the responsibility to “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13, NKJV). To the Holy Spirit was also given the responsibility to lead the diversity.  His leadership is not to divide, but to unite.  The Holy Spirit distributes “diversities of gifts,” “differences of ministries,” and “diversities of activities” (I Corinthians 12:4 – 6, NKJV), to build the body of Christ.  Under His leadership “there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another” (I Corinthians 12:25, NKJV).  Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, one should see great diversity in the church and also great unity.

~ Pastor Orville