Sermon Notes: Are All Men Created Equal? (Please keep reading)

Wow! With a title like that my ears perked right up and I started listening and forgot to start writing it down...and then suddenly realized that I'd better get on the ball and start writing if I was going to be able to share this outstanding message with you today!

Sadly, our Pastor is still out sick...he had some pretty serious stuff happening and ended up spending some time in the hospital, including ICU.  Thankfully, praise God! He is finally at home and on the mend, but probably won't be back in the pulpit for a few more weeks. Please keep him in your prayers!

Meanwhile, our church laymen are taking turns in the pulpit, and I am extremely impressed and thankful to the Lord for how He ministers through His willing servants.  This Sunday's message really kept me turning the pages in my Bible and trying to keep up as our friend had so much good material to share and perhaps could have taken a couple of hours to say it all...but condensed it into the allotted time.

So here goes...it may seem a little disjointed in places...not our speaker's fault, but my own trying to not miss a single point... and I must insert a disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given.  I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously.  Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said.  Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear...  That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts.  So with that understanding, I will attempt to present these sermon notes to you.

The second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence starts as follows: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

However, I don't want to contradict our founding fathers, but in many ways we have not been created equal...and yet, in some ways we have...so let us continue in this message to understand the premise for the title of this sermon...

1.  Looking at man (and woman) from a Spiritual sense, we are not necessarily created equal:

The basic scripture for this message was
I Corinthians 12:27-28

27.  "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

28.  And God has appointed these in the church:

first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,

after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations,

varieties of tongues."

God, through the Holy Spirit, gives us gifts to build up the church...

Not everyone has the same gifts...

We are the Body of Christ...each one is a part of His Body...

We all have different capabilities and strengths...

We are expected to use our gift...not for our own spiritual enhancement, but to encourage others in their walk with Christ.

2.  We are unequal in physical appearance and strength. Just look around you and that becomes quite obvious.

The belief that we all have the same physical abilities is flawed.

Genesis 1:26-27 says

"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him:

male and female He created them."

What is God's image? Has anyone seen God?  

We are the reflection of God's glory, 

We are to reflect His character in love, kindness, etc....

3.  In the world, we don't all have Equal Opportunities...

We have different levels of access to opportunities...

There are as many inequalities in this world as there are people...

4.  There are, however, ways expressed in God's Word, The Bible, to receive equal opportunities:

I Chronicles 4:10  "The Prayer of Jabez"

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying,

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!

So God granted him what he requested."

Pray for opportunities to glorify God in our actions: See Matthew 25:34-40

Matthew 7:7-8 also tells us to pray this way:

7.  "Ask, and it will be given to you;

Seek, and you will find;

Knock, and it will be opened to you.

8.  For everyone who asks receives,

and he who seeks finds,

and to him who knocks it will be opened."

No stipulations here...it just says to do these things...Ask, Seek, and Knock...and the door of opportunity will be opened for you.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says to us:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest...

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

Jesus promises peace, love, rest...a relationship with God, when we come to Him.  

Do you see the difference between equal opportunities with God and the inequalities of the world?

Galatians 3:26-28 tells us:

26.  "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ 

have put on Christ.

28.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,

there is neither male nor female;

for you are ALL one in Christ Jesus."

And All believers in Jesus Christ are His heirs:

Galatians 3:29

"And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise!"

God does not show favoritism:

Acts 10:34

"Then Peter opened his mouth and said:

'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.'"

Romans 2:11
"For there is no partiality with God...."

There are no barriers, languages, or cultures that keep us from sharing in Christ's gift of salvation.

But there are stipulations:

Back to Galatians 3:26-27

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

Acts 10:35

"But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him."

We are equal in God, but not equal in the present world...

But in the NEW Heaven, and the New Earth, we will be given a new equal opportunity...

In Revelation 21:1-7 God promises us a new dwelling place, where God will dwell among His people...and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes...and there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying...no more pain...for the former things shall be passed away...

5.  "Then He who sat on the throne said, 

Behold, I make all things new...."

7.  "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."

Revelation 21:27 says:

"But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life."

The key to eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth is to be sure that your name is written in 

The Lamb's Book of Life.

And that can only happen when we accept God's FREE gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

In Acts 16, verses 30-31, the Philippian jailer asked the Apostles Paul and Silas

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

So they said, 

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 

and you will be saved, you and your household..."

So, what is the answer?  Are all men created equal?  How do we find equality in God's kingdom? Have you accepted the key to eternal life?

May God apply these words and message to our hearts today...and may we encourage one another to walk in faith in Christ, knowing that we are joint heirs with Christ, fully equal and accepted by God! Praise God!!

Sermon Notes from FUMC, Interlachen, FL, 5/6/2018