Lifting up Christ: Through the Written Word

By Pastor Fred L. Grant

This book is a collection of sermons developed and preached by Pastor Fredrick L. Grant through university to his present pastoring position. This book is primarily designed as a study tool.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512753349

Pastor Fred L. Grant

Pastor Fredrick L. Grant is a second-career pastor who spent seven and a half years in the army as a military policeman. Upon leaving the military, he spent twenty-eight years behind the wheel of a semitruck, hauling goods across the United States and Canada. He felt the call to the ministry after all those years and decided to follow the leading of Christ. He entered Walla Walla University in the spring of 2009 and achieved his BA in religion in the fall of 2012. He has pastored in Alaska and is currently pastoring a four-church district in North Central Nebraska. His greatest desire is to inspire others to study God’s Word for what it actually says and, through study, develop a living, vibrant relationship with Christ.

Book preview

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE YOU?

How much do I love you? My thoughts will tell.

How much do I love you? My words will tell.

How much do I love you? My actions will tell.

How much do I love you? My character will tell.

How much do You love me? Your thoughts did tell.

How much do You love me? Your words did tell.

How much do You love me? Your actions did tell.

How much do You love me? Your resurrection did tell.

How much do You love me? Your next coming will tell.

How much do You love me? There’s no room to tell.

How much do You love me? How much pray tell.

How much do You love me? More than life, death or hell.

Thank-you Lord Jesus, thank-you for loving me

~Fred L. Grant~

THE GENTLENESS OF CHRIST

A~Isaiah 42:3{NASB}~ states, A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He shall not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

Jesus invites all to come to Him and learn of Him

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light. ~Matthew 11: 28-30{NASB}~.

WE ADORE HIM AS THE EMBODIMENT OF PERFECTION

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. ~Colossians 2:9{NASB}~.

HE IS THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF THE FATHER’S PERSON

The son is the reflection of the Father’s glory, the exact representation of the Father’s being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ~Hebrews 1: 3{NASB}~.

And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. Colossians 1: 15{NASB}~.

Matthew 11: 28-30 gives us an object lesson

Gentleness, which expresses those virtues in man that are acceptable to men, and are a mark of their nobility, and the gentleness of Christ is a revelation of His royal relation to God the Father.

The gentleness of Christ made manifest

1. His rebuke of the disciples, What manner of spirit are ye (Luke 9:55{KJV} gives clear indication of the gentleness of Jesus.

2. He always recognized human limitation and dealt with humanity accordingly-Psalms 103: 13-17; John 16:12.

3. He always had a deep concern for men, Have ye anything to eat? ~{John 13:33{KJV}}~, Give them to eat~{Matthew 14:16{KJV}~.

4. He used the endearing expression, children when speaking to his disciples, {John 13: 33}.

Jesus was gentle with everyone

1. Think of His bigheartedness in His invitation, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest-~Matthew 11: 28{KJV}~.

2. He healed the ear of the servant of the high priest who had come to arrest him-Luke 22:51.

3. Here is food for serious thought on our part. Would we have done that to our enemy?

4. Notice how gentle Jesus was in His conversation with the woman that came to draw water from the well.

5. He knew her life and could have spoken severely to her, but He was gentle-John 4: 9-26.

Think of how gentle He was with Peter on the night he betrayed Him-Mark 14: 72; Luke 22:61.

What a wonderful lesson for God’s people on that great virtue GENTLENESS

The motive of Jesus for dealing gently with sinful humanity

1. He loved the people, and that is the very essence of true and lasting gentleness.

2. Behold how he loved him!-~John 11:36{KJV}~.

3. Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.-John 13: 1{KJV}. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.-John 13: 34{NASB}~.

Jesus sees the potential in every person.

And this is why He is the dew for tender plants, Hosea 14: 1-6

1. He died for all because He saw what His redeeming grace could accomplish in their lives.

2. He will have many trophies of His grace, among who you and I will be.

3. It has been said, Where there is room to hope for anything, there is room to save all things.

Experience shows the following

1. Gentleness is the only sure way of rekindling the spark of hope of lost souls.

Examples:

A. The penitent thief on the cross-Luke 23: 42-44.

B. Mary Magdalene out of whom Jesus cast out seven devils, and was among the first at the tomb of Jesus-Mark 16: 9.

2. The Good Samaritan applied this gentleness to the wounds of the man who had fallen among bandits, Luke 10: 32-36.

Powerful reflections

1. Gentleness in our words is a must for us as Christians-~Ephesians 4: 32{NASB}~. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted,, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

2. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.-~Proverbs 15:1{NASB}~.

3. Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, and Thy help makes me great.-~2nd Samuel 22: 36{nasb}~.

4. Most of all, our actions must express gentleness.

To malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. Titus 3: 2(NKJV). See Philippians 4:8, & 2nd Corinthians 10:1 for further study.

WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS?

Matthew 27:22-24

First a let’s look at the background of this question of Pilate. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man is on trial for His life in the judgement hall of Pilate. His fellow countrymen, the Jews, had foremost in their minds, His execution, though to do this legally, they had to resort to the Roman court system. For the accused to be sentenced to death required the establishment of criminal evidence against the state. At the time of the trial of Jesus Christ, a notable prisoner by the name of Barabbas was also on trial for crimes committed against the state. The contrast between these two prisoners was so obvious that Pilate felt confident that the Jews would ask for the release of Jesus Christ over Barabbas, as it was the custom for the Romans to free one prisoner in an effort to pacify them. Much to the surprise of Pilate, the Jews asked for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus Christ to be crucified.

What was it that prompted their action? Their hatred for Jesus Christ blinded them to reason and justice. They hated Him so much that they violated their own civil code of law, which stated that no one would be condemned to death without due process of their judicial system. They hypocritically appealed to the Roman system that they despised. When we look at this story in closer detail, a deeper reason for their murderous intentions, must be laid upon their moral condition. John 3:19-20 tells us that they loved their darkness more than light. Quoting now John 3:19-20{NASB}, And this is the judgment that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. They did not want the Son of God to rule over them. Luke 19:14{NASB} states, But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘we do not want this man to reign over us.’

Actually, in reality, the Jewish leaders saw that Jesus Christ was so infinitely superior mentally, morally, and factually, that they feared that they would lose their standing, and be rejected by the people. It was bitter envy and unrestrained hatred for the Son of God that was at the bottom of this horrendous crime of the Jewish leadership, as Matthew 27:18{NASB} states, For he knew that because of envy they had delivered Him up. The implications of this action by the Jews is, that they, blindly committed the crime of the ages by crucifying the Son of God. But put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. ~Acts 3:15{NASB}~ By engaging in this act, they rejected the choice gift of heaven. ~John 1:11; 3:16{NASB} states, He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. By sending the Son of God to His death, they, the Jews, destroyed their only