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Sermons from the Chardon church of Christ
Episodes
May 13, 2025
May 13, 2025
28 min
Proverbs 31 and 2nd Timothy 1
Today, we not only acknowledge the mothers who brought us into this world, but we also salute every soul who has taken up the role of nurturing us in any way possible.
On our journey through life nothing can compare with the impact made by our mothers. Their words, for good OR for bad, are never fully forgotten, and the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime.
I would like to take a moment to reflect on the wise insights shared by some mothers:
1) A son told his mother that he couldn’t tell the difference between a rose and a dandelion. So when it came time to fix up his garden, he had no clue which plants to keep and which ones to remove. Until, that is, his mother gave him this handy tip: “Pull them all up. If it comes back, it’s a weed.”
2) Another Mom had a small decorative windmill in her yard. A storm broke one of the blades, causing the windmill to shake violently. Dad announced that he would “take care of it” and rebalanced the windmill by snapping off the opposing blade. Watching him, Mom remarked, “I hope I never break a leg.”
3) While rummaging through her attic, a woman named Debbie found an old shotgun. Unsure about how to dispose of it, she called her parents. “Take it to the police station,” her mother suggested. Debbie agreed and was about to hang up when her mother added, “Oh, and Debbie? Make sure you Call them first.”
4) And then there is the mother, who can be a master of the guilt trips. When her son finally got around to calling his mom he heard the following answering machine message: “If you are a salesperson, press one. If you’re a friend, press two. If you’re my son who never calls, press 911 because the shock will probably give me a heart attack.”
Abraham Lincoln said, "No one is poor who had a godly mother." And I believe he was right. The influence of a godly mother on her children cannot be overstated.
There are some notable examples of motherhood in scripture. But this morning I want to mention two special passages that we ought to consider. One is found in Proverbs, chapter 31. Listen to a few selected verses.
"10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates."
And the 2nd passage we find in 2nd Timothy 1:5
It was written by the apostle Paul to young Timothy,
"5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."
Whether you’re a “stay-at-home” mom like Timothy’s mother, or one who works like the mother praised in Proverbs 31, the emphasis of my message this morning has to do with a mother’s influence upon her children and her family.
And I urge those of you who have no children or whose children are far away, look around and take note of those who may be in need of a "parent figure," or a "second mom or dad." You may be just the mentor or friend that someone else desperately needs.
Proverbs 24:3-4 tells us that "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, passed on to your children so that they might build their lives on a foundation that is sufficient for all their needs.
There were once 4 scholars who were arguing over Bible translations.
• One said he thought that the King James Version was the best because of its beautiful and eloquent style of speech.
• Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its accurate translation of the original text.
• A third preferred the New International Version because of its modern language and ease of understanding.
• After thinking about it for a moment, the 4th scholar said, "I have always preferred my mother's translation."
When the others expressed surprise, saying that they didn’t know that she was a translator, he responded, "Yes, she trans-lated it. She translated it into life, and that's the best translation I’ve ever seen."
We have already mentioned one young man who saw such a translation of God's Word in his lifetime. His name was Timothy. He lived in the 1st Century, and it is to him that Paul's New Testament letters of 1 and 2 Timothy were addressed.
Paul was Timothy's older friend and mentor. As Paul sat in a Roman dungeon, facing impending death, he wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry.
But 1st and 2nd Timothy are also letters filled with nostalgia. Paul draws upon his memories and recalls the examples of faith and commitment he has observed in the life of Timothy.
Particularly in 2 Timothy 1:2-7, Paul reminisces about the way Timothy's faithfulness is largely a reflection of the examples and instruction which he had received from his mother and grandmother.
And, in the process, Paul pinpoints some contributions that they made to his life; contributions we will consider this morning.
Listen as I read 2nd Timothy 1:2-5.
“To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”
This passage deals with the contributions Timothy's mother and grandmother had made to him as he was growing up.
The 1st contribution they made, and I think the most important one, is "A Living Faith."
In Vs. 5 Paul refers to the "...sincere faith, which first lived in your grand-mother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
The word "sincere" here is a word that means "without hypocrisy…. genuine."
In essence, it's a faith that is real, that has been applied realistically and consistently to the issues and situations of life.
Where Lois and Eunice came from originally... we have no idea, but we do know that they eventually settled in the Roman town of Lystra.
They had been born Jewish, but they came to know about Jesus, and they DID take their faith in Christ very seriously, seriously enough to make sure that Eunice's young son knew all about it.
What did Timothy hear and see in his home?
Assuming that he was a normal kid, everything!
That is the way it works.
Despite all the aggravation that our children give us by apparently not listening to what we tell them, they still hear and see, and it does make an impression - for good or for ill.
Those of us who have, or have had, young children
We are amazed at the things youngsters pick up.
They see commercials on TV and then, when it’s time to go to the grocery store, they’re already prepared with a mental list of all the brand names that have attracted them.
They repeat words or phrases that they hear around the house, sometimes to mommy's and daddy's embarrassment.
They remember things that parents quickly forget.
They might be naive and easily led, but kids will not be fooled for long.
And just as they are not fooled by anything else, they will not be fooled about religion either.
So, if you really want to share the Gospel with your children, or with anyone else, you had better take your own faith seriously. Paying lip-service to Christ and the church will never give the proper message.
By your attendance at Bible Study and Worship, by your participation in the life and mission of the church, by the effort you put forth in the deepening of your relationship with the Lord, you will determine what lessons about the Lord and the church your children will learn first.
One thing is certain; parents can never fool their children with a message of "Do as I say, not as I do."
Kids are too smart for that.
If you tell them that Sunday School and attendance at worship is important but you yourself find other things to do on Sundays, what message will your children get?
If you tell them that a personal relationship with the Lord is important but they never see you opening the Bible or praying, what message will they get? You know the answer!
Parents who want to make serious claim on the name "Christian" had better make sure that their faith shows in front of their children.
Apparently, Lois and Eunice lived their faith in front of Timothy. They made whatever efforts they could to learn about Jesus.
And then mother... and grand-mother passed on the results of that learning to the receptive boy.
They left him an outstanding legacy – a living faith!
This kind of living faith is what we all should demonstrate to our children, and to others around us through our actions as well as through our words.
A 2nd contribution is given in Vs. 7.
“7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2nd Timothy 1:7 carries a powerful message for believers: rather than being ruled by fear and timidity, God has bestowed upon us a spirit of strength, love, and self-discipline. This verse reminds us that fear does not come from God. Instead, the Holy Spirit empowers us to face life's challenges with courage and confidence.
Power The “power” mentioned here isn’t a boastful claim about our own strength; But it’s an empowerment that comes from God and enables us to overcome obstacles and to stand boldly in the face of adversity. Whether you're confronting personal challenges, uncertainties at work, or difficult decisions, this power encourages you to act with conviction and resilience.
Love is central to the Christian faith. The verse emphasizes that the Spirit God gives us a divine, unconditional love. It’s a love that motivates us to care deeply for others, forge genuine relationships, and reflect God’s compassion in our actions. This love not only transforms how we interact with people but also softens our hearts to embrace forgiveness and understanding.
Dr. Stanley Coopersmith, in a study of middle-class boys, found that children have higher esteem and become more successful and independent when they have a home where sure and consistent discipline is present.
It's been said that children need two pats on the back:
*One high enough to encourage them when they do right, and *one low enough to discourage them when they do wrong.
Dorothy Nolte wrote, "If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice." And the only way to be fair to our children is to praise where praise is appropriate, and to discipline where discipline is appropriate. And sometimes you will be making a difference in ways that you never imagined.
Yes, today is a special day. And for most of us there are many precious memories that we will always treasure.
I will close today’s lesson with this story.
The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
"Is the way long?" she asked.
And her guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard.
And you will be old before you reach the end of it.
But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years.
So, she played with her children and gathered flowers for them along the way.
The sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young woman cried,
"Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said,
"Oh Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." The Mother said,
"This is better than the brightness of the day, for I have taught my children courage."
The morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary but she said to her children, "A little patience and we are there."
So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother."
And the Mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said,
"This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned perseverance in the face of difficulty. Yesterday I gave them courage.
Today I have given them strength."
With the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth - clouds of war and hatred, and the children groped and stumbled.
The mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light."
And the children looked up and saw above the clouds an everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness.
That night the Mother said,
"This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
The days went on, and weeks and months and years, and the Mother grew old, and she was little and bent.
But her children were strong and tall, and walked with courage.
When the way was hard, they helped their mother; and when the way was rough they lifted her, for she was light as a feather.
And at last they came to a hill, and golden gates open wide.
The Mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey.
And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."
The children said, "You will always walk with us mother, even when you have gone through the gates."
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her, and they said,
"We cannot see her, but she is with us still."
INVITATION
Sermon Contributor Melvin Newland
May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
24 min
John 1:35-49
INTRO: Good morning church. In studying John’s Gospel we learned that John the witness was sent by God for a purpose. We read that he called himself “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,''” When Jesus came toward him, he began declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” With that great declaration! John is doing his mission, proclaiming and revealing that Jesus is the one sent by God to deliver the people from their sins, to save them from their coming punishment.
I. Follow The Lamb (1:35-39) – Let’s begin today by reading John 1:35-39 – “35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.”[ESV]
A. In verse 35 we are told it was the next day and John the Witness was standing with two of his disciples. Jesus walks by and John continued his proclamation: “Behold, the Lamb of God.” John was pointing out Jesus to those two disciples. When John’s disciples heard his declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God, they leave John and follow Jesus. Remember a disciple is a learner, a student and these two it seems wanted to know more. Perhaps John had given them more detail already but that is our imagination since we are not told.
1. John knew and repeatedly declared that his work was not about himself, but about revealing Jesus as the Lamb of God to Israel. Seeing the Lamb of God and understanding that Jesus is the one, who takes away our sins; the reaction of these two disciples is absolutely appropriate. That really should be the same reaction that we have.
2. We are not told what the conversation was between those two disciples and John. We don't know what they were doing at that moment, or what plans they might have had for that day. They stop what they're doing and immediately follow Jesus.
3. We are told when they see that Jesus is the one that they have been looking for, here is the one who has come to take away our sins, they drop everything and go after Him. They're not going to let Him get away as He continues along.
B. This is the point that John the Apostle is making. When a person encounters Jesus and understands who He is, not just some good guy, not just somebody who gives advice from His Word, advice that is useful and gives you a better life. But that Jesus is the eternal Word who came from Heaven, who died for our sins so that we could be forgiven. When we truly have a handle on that knowledge, then we are going to stop everything we are doing. We will leave everything behind and we are going to follow Him.
1. You don't go back to doing what you were doing before. You don't go back to the old routine. You don't get back to your old schedule. You don't go back to your normal way of life. Everything changes at that point.
2. And everything must change or otherwise, I submit to you, that you truly don't know who Jesus is. It changes everything when you grasp that there is the Lamb of God who will take away my sins.
C. In verse 38 we read, “Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”” Jesus notices that they are following Him. Jesus asks them an important question. “What are you seeking?” Obviously Jesus knows what these two are doing. Notice that Jesus does not ask them who they are seeking, but what they are seeking. I suspect that He wants them to consider what their motivation is.
1. That is something we need to consider about ourselves. What is our motivation? From my limited experience over the years, the conversations I have had and the comments people have made, the answers are widely varied as to why people follow Jesus. I wonder perhaps if sometimes the motivation is merely social.
2. Perhaps we may follow Jesus for some sort of social benefit. How often today people speak of the church in terms of social benefits. People will readily declare that they go to church because the people are nice, the programs are good, the children’s ministry is excellent, the music is good, the food is good, the potlucks are great, or something like that. These things are nice but they are not the reason to follow Jesus and I wonder why these things might come to people’s lips first?
3. Perhaps some follow Jesus to feel good about them selves. You'll feel so much better about yourself if you attend service. That's not the reason to follow Jesus. In fact, following Jesus often does the opposite. It is a constant reminder to us of our sinfulness and of our shortcomings. He is so holy and good and righteous, and we so often fall short.
4. I also suspect some people just follow Jesus because that's all they've ever done. My parents went to church and my grandparents went to church and their parents went to church. Perhaps they don't know what else to do on a Sunday or they feel weird if they didn't go to church on Sunday. It wouldn't feel right. Some people come out of habit. This is what they've always done. They do not follow from the heart but from habit. They follow because they think they have to, not because they want to. I think it is a very valid question to consider why we are here following Jesus.
5. I suspect this is the question that Jesus wants these disciples to consider. Their response in verse 38 was more timid and hesitant than we might have expected. Instead of answering; "We understand that you are the Messiah, the Lamb of God that takes away sins and would like to follow you," they politely addressed Him as "Rabbi," and inquired where He lived! John then explains the term "Rabbi" and that leads me to think that the greater part of the Christian world to which this was written, was Gentile.
D. In verse 39 Jesus rewarded the two disciples by inviting them home with Him, which resulted in their spending the day. Jesus understood that they want to get to know Him and spend time with Him. They wanted to learn more about the Lamb of God. That's why they ask, “Where are you staying?”, because they want to be there too.
1. Jesus responds with the words they were hoping to hear: “Come and you will see.” Jesus receives people who with honest hearts are seeking to know Him. The only reason to follow Jesus is because you are seeking a relationship with the sin remover.
2. Following Jesus is about our needing a Savior. We're not following for any other reason except that we want to have a relationship with the one who can take away sins. Yes, there are other benefits but that is the most important thing.
II. Be Changed By Jesus (1:40-42) – Continue with me now in John 1:40-42 – “40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter.)”[ESV]
A. Andrew is one of the two disciples of John that heard John say, “Behold, the Lamb of God” when Jesus walked by. Andrew and the other disciple turned to follow Jesus. Andrew goes and finds his brother Simon and tells him that they had found the Messiah. I suspect at this point Andrew was probably quite excited and in my imagination I picture him saying to Simon; “We have found Him, we have found the One! We found the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
1. Andrew takes his brother to meet Jesus. Jesus looks at Simon and says; “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas”. Not a very dramatic statement, yet imagine how you would feel if somebody that you've just met, knows you, knows who your father is and effectively says you’re not going to be called Simon but Cephas.
2. For those that are interested in these things "Cephas" is a Syriac word which is a Semitic language, specifically a dialect of Aramaic, the everyday language of the Jews at that time. “Cephas” is equivalent to the Greek word Pétros, which we render "Peter." Both mean stone or rock.
3. I think it is interesting to consider that what Jesus does here is point out to us that He not only has the ability, but He has the absolute authority to change our identity. Thinking about it, Jesus has the ability and the authority to change everything about you.
B. Calling someone “Rock” is a strong name. Think of the many times that word is used in scripture and it gives us a picture of solidity, and permanence. Yet when we read of Peter in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, does he seem to be as solid as a rock to you?
1. Certainly I’m impressed by his bravery at times, his courage and willingness to declare his loyalty. Peter’s temperament was resolute. Think about the walking on water for example in Matthew 14; “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Wow, I am amazed and I don’t think I would have done that.
2. Then we think about the colossal failures of Peter. The most notable one to me is in the courtyard of the high priest where Jesus is having that awful trial. Mark reminded us of this last week. “Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.” (Matthew 26:57f)
a. A servant said to Peter “You were with him” and Peter denied it even going so far as to say “I do not know what you mean.” Another said “This man was with Jesus” and Peter denied it with an oath. Then a bystander accused Peter of being “one of them” and Peter said “I do not know the man.” At this point Luke writes, “And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.''”[ESV] (Luke 22:60f)
b. What a colossal failure, especially when Jesus warned him, you're going to deny me three times. Recall what Peter had said? “… I will never fall away.” (Matthew 26:33)
C. Consider the prophetic blessing Jesus was placing upon Simon though. Jesus changes Simon’s name to Cephas meaning “rock”. Jesus knew what Peter would become.
1. When we get to the book of Acts, that's exactly what we see. What a magnificent shift in the life of Peter, who goes from shaky and falling, making mistakes and colossal errors—to becoming a solid leader.
2. There he is in Acts chapter 2, standing up with the 11 proclaiming the message of a risen Savior in the face of the enemies, in the face of imprisonment, in the face of danger and death. Did Peter still have some things to learn? Oh yes, but we now see him as the “rock” Jesus named him.
3. Peter is the right name for you, Jesus says. You are going to be the rock. What is especially awesome about this name change is that it does not seem like Peter is a rock during the life of Jesus. He is full of faith and fire for Jesus but we see him falter on many occasions, even to the denying Jesus three times during His darkest hour, but Jesus knew what Peter would become.
D. What about us? What will we become for the glory of the Lord? What are we going to do for His kingdom? What can we accomplish for him? We know that what we accomplish is not for our own personal benefit, not for our own glory; but what are we going to do in the work of the kingdom of God?
1. Folks, we must never look at our past and our failures and think they prohibit us from working for the kingdom and working for the glory of God. We could easily look at our past and say, I can't be what God wants me to be. Think of what Mark told us last week about John Newton and how he had concluded that his sins were too great to be forgiven. We can’t do that.
2. Can you imagine how Peter would feel if he did that on that day of Pentecost? He might look back at his history and think; “Man, I was sinking in water, I lost faith, I nearly drowned, and I denied our Lord three times!” “I’m obviously not cut out to be an Apostle. I’m not worthy to stand here and preach to people. It should be John or Andrew, anybody else but me!” No Peter, be the rock.
E. If you have ever been involved in looking at investment choices perhaps for a 401k IRA, you probably read about all those great returns that have happened over the past five years, this investment got returns of 15% year after year or the like. Then somewhere in the paperwork you find a line like this, “Past performance is not an indication of future results.”
1. That applies to us as well. All of our past failures and mistakes and sins and errors do not have to be an indication of future results. That's not who we have to be. That's what Jesus does with Peter.
2. Jesus is God, He knows Peter. Jesus could say, “I already know the mistakes you're going to make, but I also know what's past that. I know you're going to fall on your face. I know that you're going to slip up. I know that you're going to be tempted. I know that you're going to make colossal errors, but you don't have to keep doing that.” That doesn't disqualify you from serving God.
3. It is so true of us. Your past does not have to be an indication of what you can be for the Lord. How about Paul for example? Paul is a monument to a disastrous beginning. Persecuting Christians, chasing them down, Acts recalls that he was causing havoc in the churches.
4. Paul considered his past a mark of being the chief of sinners, but look at the glory he brought to the Lord through his life! You can be changed to be a rock in the kingdom of the Lord.
III. Jesus Knows Our Condition (1:43-49) – You can be changed into the rock just like Peter and just like Paul. You and I have the same ability to turn our lives away from disaster because of the glory of God, and to become what He wants us to be. Those that come to Christ must come with a fixed resolution to be firm and constant for Him, like a stone, solid and steadfast. I’d like to touch on one more thing and point out just how John the Apostle puts this text together.
A. John 1:43-49 - “43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!””
1. Notice the conversation in verses 45-46. Here we see an observable mixture of pious zeal with weakness. This is usually found in beginners that are seeking the way to God. Philip, newly acquainted with Jesus himself, steps aside to share the good news. It also shows us that Philip was well acquainted with the scriptures.
2. Rather then our being upset with Nathanael’s reaction, I think his caution could be considered commendable, in that he did not lightly agree to every thing that was said. Philip’s response was both wise and kind. He knew enough to satisfy himself but rather then attempt to answer Nathanael’s objection on his own, he took him to the One that could.
3. It is sad but many people are kept from accepting Christ by the unreasonable prejudices they have against Christianity. These prejudices come from many places.
B. What we read next is similar to what we saw before. Andrew brings his brother Simon to Jesus and “Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John.” Philip tells Nathanael to come meet Jesus and “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”. Nathanael then asks, “How do you know me?” Jesus answer must have rocked Nathanael back on his heals. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
1. “I know that you have no deceit. I know where you were earlier.” Jesus is displaying His divinity to Nathanael. This pushes Nathanael over the edge to recognizing that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Jesus knew the physical and spiritual condition of Nathanael. He knew where Nathanael was that day and He knew the heart of Nathanael.
2. We read that “before” Philip called Nathanael Jesus saw him under the fig-tree. Isn’t it interesting that His eye was towards him before Philip called him? Christ has knowledge of us before we have any knowledge of Him. In Isaiah 45:5 God is speaking to Cyrus and says, “…I will gird you, though you have not known Me…”.
3. What Jesus says to Nathanael would have been a private token which nobody understood but Nathanael. We are not told why he was under the fig tree but Jesus words “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” gives me to wonder if as Matthew Henry said; “Nathanael here in was an Israelite indeed, that, like Israel, he wrestled with God alone, prayed not like the hypocrites in the corners of the streets, but under the fig-tree”.
C. We are not told what Nathanael was doing but we are told the important part, Jesus knows what you are doing and knows your heart. Jesus knows everything about us, and He has the power to change us.
1. He knows the challenges that you are facing. He knows the difficulties that you have. He knows the spiritual battle that is going on inside your heart and mind. He's aware of all of that. He knows what's happening. He knows your heart.
2. Nobody is outside of this gospel call. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter what difficulty is there. It doesn't matter how tough things have been. He knows what you're going through. He knows who you are and He wants you to follow Him.
CONCLUSION:
To conclude then; we need to consider if we are following Him for the right reason. Jesus knows why you're here. Jesus knows your motivation. He knows your heart.
We need to make sure that we are turning our heart to Christ because He wants us to have a deeper relationship with Him. He wants you to see Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
See who He is, deepen that relationship and follow Him with all of your heart. Your mistakes and your sins do not prevent you from getting those things washed away. God will forgive you of your sins and you can move forward in serving Him and giving Him the glory as you serve in this kingdom.
That's why Jesus came. He died for your sins, not because you and I would be perfect people. We are all sinful, fallen, broken people. Yet, God sent His son to take away our sins so that we could become His adopted children and live with Him in Glory.
It is spring time here and it is a time of renewal of the living things around us. It is also the first day of the week, a time of renewal as well. Now is a time to dedicate your heart and dedicate your mind to seek a real relationship with your Lord. To see Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. When you see Him as He is, then what else can you do but drop everything, change your life, and give Him all that He demands because He's been so good and gracious to us.
Turn away from your sins. Confess Him as the Son of God and be immersed in water to have your sins washed away to begin a relationship with the Father.
Won't you come while we stand and while we sing?
# ???
Reference Sermon: Brent Kercherville
May 2, 2025
May 2, 2025
29 min
ACTS 9: 1-25
What comes to mind when I mention Friday the 13th?
Both Fridays and the number 13 have both been considered “unlucky” down thru the ages.
Take the number 13, for example:
Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue.
Many buildings don’t have a 13th floor.
And according to information I had a number of years ago, some airlines refused to have a Flight 13 or even a row of seats with that number.
As for the fear of Friday old wives tales say that you should:
Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams.
Never start a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune.
If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow.
Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck.
We can all recall the almost DISASTEROUS flight of the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. Unlucky to have that oxygen tank explosion in the first part of the mission but then DID make it BACK TO EARTH safely.
You put those two together - Friday and the number 13 – and you can end up with a whole bunch of people that are actually afraid of that date on the calendar.
I have heard that the fear of Friday the 13th may come from Christian tradition— the Last Supper had 13 guests, including Jesus and his 12 apostles.
Judas, the betrayer, was the 13th guest, and the next day—Friday—was the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Over time, these associations contributed to the fear surrounding Friday the 13th.
Dr. Donald Dossey, a psycho-therapist specializing in the treatment of phobias estimates that at least 21 million people in America are frightened of Friday 13th
People can become afraid of the strangest things.
But the Bible tells us that God’s people should not be.
We should not be a people of fear.
Around 365 times in Scripture, God tells us “Do not fear” or “Fear not” or something similar. 365 times – that’s one time for every day of the year.
And Psalms 118:6 tells us WHY we should not fear:
“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”
Now, because this is true, many of gotten the mistaken impression that God doesn’t endorse fear.
That God would never want us to be afraid of anything.
But, that’s not true.
Proverbs 9:10 says "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…”
Ecclesiastes 12:13: “…Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man”
And Jesus taught: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
This concept of fearing God was very real to John Newton.
When he wrote his song “Amazing Grace” he included this verse:
“It was grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear,
the hour I first believed.”
From what I understand… John Newton was a wicked man. If there was something evil he could do... and he could figure out a way to do it… he did it.
In fact, his wickedness was so obvious, that when his ship, the Greyhound, was caught in a terrible storm at sea, the captain of the ship seriously considered throwing John overboard like Jonah because he believed Newton’s wickedness was the cause of all their misery.
During the 9 terrifying hours of a storm that had everyone – including Newton – praying.
John Newton concluded that his sins were too great to be forgiven.
He waited with fear and impatience to receive his doom."
Newton was afraid.
And he later came to believe that his fear was God’s tool to get his attention.
“It was grace that taught my heart to fear”
John Newton believed God had to bring him to his knees in FEAR before he would ever give his life to Jesus.
Acts chapter 9 tells us a similar story about a man named Saul (we know him as Paul).
Saul was a very righteous Pharisee who had been responsible for the death of the first Christian martyr to die for the faith – Stephen.
Saul became fanatical in his opposition to the church.
He hated the name of Jesus and he hated anyone who belonged to our Lord.
By the time we get to Acts 9, Saul has obtained letters of authority from the Sanhedrin, and he’s on his way to Damascus with an armed guard, determined to arrest any Christian he can find there – and bring them back in chains.
That’s when Jesus stepped in and brought Saul to his knees.
And that brings me to our text this morning Acts 9:3-6
“As he neared Damascus on his journey,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him,
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
"Now get up and go into the city,
and you will be told what you must do."
For 3 days, Saul sat in a house in Damascus waiting for the messenger Jesus had promised.
For 3 days he’s blind, and he sits alone in his room, fasting and praying.
Now tell me… do you think Saul was a little afraid???
You better believe it.
I suspect there were times during those 3 days that Saul (like Newton) probably thought:
“I concluded my sins were too great to be forgiven.
I waited with fear and impatience to receive my doom.”
It was grace that taught Saul’s heart to fear.
When Ananias came to him and explained how much God really loved him, and Saul was baptized into Christ and accepted Jesus’ grace. From that day forward, Saul was determined, focused, and unstoppable.
Acts 9:20-23 says that
“At once he began to preach in the synagogues
that Jesus is the Son of God.
All those who heard him were astonished and asked,
‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem
among those who call on this name?
And hasn’t he come here
to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?’
Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him.”
There were people that became annoyed with him and didn’t like him.
But Saul didn’t care.
He didn’t love the world… he loved Jesus.
I’ve noticed that God DOES use fear every once in a while, to get people’s attention
I heard of a man who often shared about his auto accident that brought him back to Jesus.
He had been a Christian years before but had wandered away and lived his life without God.
Then one day, he was driving a pick up truck down a road in Kentucky.
He was towing another truck behind him.
He came to a section of road that had a pretty steep grade.
He wasn’t troubled by it… until his brakes went out.
He ended up going down a weaving Kentucky road at speeds of at least 70 mph.
Then the trees parted to show that his road was going to “T” with another highway… and on that other road there was another car traveling on a collision course with him.
“Oh dear Lord,” he prayed. “Don’t let me kill them.”
He did miss that car.
But his vehicle launched across that other highway and barreled into a tree on the other side.
He says he didn’t remember anything until he woke inside his truck.
The dash was crushed up against the seat and the steering column was driven into the place where he had been seat belted in just moments before.
His body was scrunched up against the driver’s side door in a section that was hardly big enough for him to breath.
He still has pictures of the crumpled truck… and he knows full well there was no way he should have walked away from that crash.
Only God could have saved him in such a dramatic fashion.
When he got out of the hospital, he called one of the elders of the local church and asked what time church was.
And on one of the worst Sundays of that winter, this man came hobbling into church on his crutches, and he’s been there ever since.
Many have faced a fear of impending judgment, and that fear caused them to repent.
We see another example of this in
Acts 16:25 – 34
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them,
26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.
And immediately all the doors were opened,
and everyone's bonds were unfastened.
27 When the jailer woke and saw
that the prison doors were open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice,
“Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
29 And the jailer[a] called for lights and rushed in,
and trembling with fear
he fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all who were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night
and washed their wounds;
and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
34 Then he brought them up into his house
and set food before them.
And he rejoiced along with his entire household
that he had believed in God."
The Bible tells us that there are unlimited reasons for people Outside of Jesus Christ to fear.
Hebrews 9:27 “… it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”
It’s grace that can teach our hearts to fear… and to repent.
But wait… after Paul was baptized, he doesn’t appear to be afraid of anything.
Acts 9:20 says that
after he’d spend some time with the disciples in Damascus
“he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”
And this preaching got him into some trouble with some of the Jews in that town.
Acts 9:23 says After many days had gone by,
the Jews conspired to kill him…”
Paul learned of their plan, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave town.
He just kept on preaching.
But his followers were concerned, and so they “took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.” Acts 9:25
For the rest of his life, Paul didn’t care what the world thought about what he preached. He wasn’t afraid of what they could do to him.
BUT WHY?
Just a few days before this, Paul sat in a lonely room, fasting and praying totally afraid of the judgment of God that he knew he deserved.
But now he doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything.
– what happened?
Well, two things come to mind:
1. The fear of God gave him courage to confront any fear of men.
I saw a quote that stated: "The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else."
God told Israel “Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the LORD your God goes with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you”
Deuteronomy 31:6
Or as Romans 8:31 says: “If God is for us,
who can be against us?”
It’s knowing that God is “with us” that gives us our courage… and helps us overcome our fears.
I read the story about a woman who was babysitting for the 2 year old son of her minister.
The boy was sleeping in her home one night while the minister and his wife were out of town and the boy woke up at 4:30 a.m. crying for his daddy.
She didn’t know what to do until she remembered her tape player.
She got up and plugged it in.
Together they listened to one of his dad’s sermons.
The little fellow knew it was his father’s voice, and went back to sleep.”
That little boy overcame his fears because he sensed his father was near, and he was safe.
Likewise – our Father can give us courage to stand up against any danger that this world may threaten us with because we know that He is a fearsome God who has promised to never leave us or forsake us.
2. Paul was not afraid because, now he was no longer under judgment.
Romans 8:1-2
“Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION
for those who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ Jesus the law
of the Spirit of life set me free
from the law of sin and death.”
Or John Newton wrote: “It was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved” We can’t earn salvation, we can’t buy salvation, we can’t do enough good to deserve it, but God saves us because of His grace.
Well, how then do we “accept” this grace?
The Bible tells us we need to do just a few simple things:
1. We need to BELIEVE that Jesus is
the Christ the Son of the living God (John 3:16)
2. We need to ACKNOWLEDGE that we are sinners
and be willing to turn away form that sin (Acts 3:19)
3. We need to CONFESS Jesus
as our Lord and Master (Romans 10:9-10)
4. We need to die to our sins and
be buried in the waters of BAPTISM (Romans 6:1-5)
Grace CAN teach our hearts to Fear
But ultimately His grace can relieve our hearts from the fear of judgment.
Scripture says there will be a time of final judgment, but His grace can remove any fear of that judgment.
I would like to close this morning with a story about a man who was attending a Youth Ministry class.
When he got to class, everybody was doing their last minute studying.
The teacher came in and said he would review with us for just a little bit before the test.
We went through the review, most of it right on the study guide but there were some things he was reviewing that we had never heard of.
When questioned about it, he said that they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book.
We couldn’t really argue with that.
Finally it was time to take the test.
The professor instructed us to "Leave the tests face down on the desk until everyone has one and I tell you to start"
When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in!
The bottom of the last page said the following:
"This is the end of the Final Exam.
All the answers on your test are correct.
You will receive an ’A’ on the final exam.
The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you.
All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A.
You have just experienced...grace."
Apr 21, 2025
Apr 13, 2025
Apr 13, 2025
31 min
Luke 7:36 – 50
The AP Wire Service reported this story out of Nashville, Tennessee a few years ago.
A Tennessee Highway Patrolman stopped a car that was a total wreck. It had 3 flat tires.
Every window had been broken out, and the roof was caved in, indicating that it had rolled over.
This car had been wrecked, but it was still going down the highway.
When they stopped it, the woman who was driving expressed surprise that her car had been wrecked.
In fact, she said she didn't realize that she had been in an accident until she started to roll down the window to talk to the arresting officer.
When she saw that the glass was shattered, she knew that something must have happened.
When they questioned her a little further, she admitted that she had had 2 or 3 beers.
But the alcohol breath test revealed that it had to be many, many more than just 2 or 3.
Here was a woman who had wrecked her car, rolled it over, and was so drunk that she didn't even realize that she had been in an accident.
I believe that there are people who will be surprised at many things.
People will someday stand before the judgment of God and express surprise that they are lost.
They are the ones Jesus talked about, who said, "Lord, Lord... in your name we have done many wonderful works."
Some of them will even say, "We did miracles in your name."
But Jesus will tell them, "I never knew you: depart from me..." (Matthew 7:22-23)
God has written in His Word what He expects us to do.
If we don't do it, we have ignored Him.
And to stand in the judgment and be surprised that we are lost, is like this woman expressing surprise that her car had been wrecked.
Our scripture text this morning is Luke 7:36-50.
And I want to read vs's 36-39 to you right now. "Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table."
"When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears."
"Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them."
"When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.'"
I have just 2 points to my sermon this morning.
#1. We will consider the story with some explanations.
#2. We'll consider its lessons with some applications.
Jesus had been invited to the home of a Pharisee by the name of Simon.
That is quite something because the Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat to their power, their teachings, and to their very legalistic system.
They considered Jesus an enemy. Not all of them did, but most of them resented Him and His teachings.
In that time period in Israel, houses of well to do people were usually built around an open courtyard.
Many times there were flowering plants or a fountain there, and often it was the best place to eat their evening meals when the weather was hot.
It was probably in such a setting Jesus had been invited to eat on this occasion.
Now they had an interesting custom in Israel.
That custom was this: When a Rabbi was visiting and you were out in the courtyard, anybody could come and listen to the conversation in order to learn from the Rabbi.
You also need to know that when a guest arrived, it was customary to make him feel welcome by going through certain common courtesies.
First of all, his feet would be washed.
A guest's feet would be caked with dirt after walking in sandals on the dusty roads.
So a servant would greet him at the door with a basin of water, and would wash and dry his feet.
After his feet had been washed, the host would greet him with a "kiss of peace" to make him feel welcome, and let him know that he was an honored guest.
Then it was a matter of courtesy to anoint the head of the guest with some sweet smelling oil.
Maybe it was because of the hot oriental sun.
Maybe some of the men were thin on top and slightly sunburned. I'm not sure exactly why, but it was customary to use oil to anoint the head of a guest.
All of these things went together to say, "You are welcome in my home."
But when Jesus visited the home of this Pharisee, none of these things happened.
Luke says that Jesus sat down at the table without His feet being washed, without the customary kiss, or the anointing of oil.
Which leads us to ask the question, "Why did Simon invite Jesus in the first place?"
Well, we don't know.
Some speculate that maybe Simon was really interested in what Jesus was teaching and who He was, and wanted to find out more.
But had this been true, I think he would have certainly observed the customs of common courtesy in his treatment of Jesus.
One Bible scholar suggests that Simon was probably "a collector of celebrities."
It was now popular to have Jesus as a dinner guest.
Simon invited Him so that he could say, "Oh yes, I had this new teacher, this new Rabbi in my home."
But since he didn't agree with Jesus, he received Him with a rather patronizing attitude.
But most commentators believe that Simon, as a Pharisee, was one of the religious elite, critical of what Jesus was teaching and hoping to expose Him as some kind of religious fraud.
So Simon treated Jesus with a barely disguised contempt, carefully neglecting every custom that would have made Jesus feel welcome in his home.
Then, as they began eating, an unusual thing happened.
This woman who Luke calls a "sinner" – and the word he uses means "an immoral woman, a prostitute," came to where they were eating in the courtyard.
She stood at the feet of Jesus and started weeping.
Her tears fell on His feet, so she dried them with her hair.
Then she broke a vial of expensive perfume and anointed His feet, and began kissing them.
All the while, Simon the Pharisee was watching.
He was greatly offended by what was going on because it was obvious that all the things he had failed to do to make Jesus welcome, this woman was now doing.
Simon knew what kind of woman she was.
So, as he judges her, he also judges Jesus.
He assumes that Jesus, in not stopping her, is condoning immorality. Simon thinks to himself, "If this man really is a prophet, He would know she is an immoral woman."
Jesus knows what Simon is thinking, and Jesus knew more about her than Simon did.
When Simon looked at her all he saw was a prostitute, a sinner, someone to be shunned.
But Jesus saw her as a repentant sinner, a precious soul seeking some way to express her love and appreciation for what Jesus had come to mean to her.
I want you to notice a couple of things in this passage that you may not have thought about before.
Vs. 37 begins with these words, “When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town…”
Wait a minute, it doesn’t say, “who is living a sinful life.”
It says “who had lived a sinful life.”
That’s past tense, isn’t it?
“She must have heard Jesus preach, and in repentance she determined to lead a new life.”
And in just a few moments we will be reading vs. 47 where Jesus, in speaking about her says,
“Her many sins have been forgiven…”
I think we can safely conclude that Jesus had met her before, had already forgiven her, and she had become one of His followers.
And that’s why she had followed Him there that evening.
Now let’s continue on with vs’s 40-42, "Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'
'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender.
One owed him 500 denarii, and the other 50.
'Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both.
Now which of them will love him more?'
Now don't try to translate that into dollars, because you could easily get confused.
Just remember that a denarius represented a day's wage.
So, one owed the equivalent of 50 working days, and the other owed 500 working days.
Using a 5 day work week, one man owed him 10 weeks work and the other owed him 100 weeks, or almost two years.
Jesus asks Simon a very important question…which one will love the money lender more?”
I imagine Simon was sitting there with his mouth open.
First of all, to think that a moneylender would not collect what was owed him was unreal.
Simon couldn't even imagine that type of thing happening with moneylenders he knew.
Secondly, he was probably trying to figure out why Jesus was telling him that story at all.
He couldn’t see any point to it.
But he went ahead and answered the question, "'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.'
'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.”
Vs’s 44-47 tell us, "Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?
I came into your house.
You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
"You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet."
"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven for she loved much.
But he who has been forgiven little… loves little."
Now, from that story let's bring out 4 lessons and apply them.
Lesson #1. Everyone is in debt - Everyone of us is a debtor.
Every person in this room is in debt to society, to our nation, and to God. We are all debtors.
When I talk about being in debt, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
And, if you don't remember to whom you owe money you're going to have all kinds of trouble.
And Simon's problem was that he had a poor memory.
I imagine when Simon looked at himself he thought, "God, you're lucky to have me on your team.
I'm pretty special. I've memorized the law, and I pray beautiful prayers, and I do many significant things for You.
I'm a Pharisee and I have mastered the art of being a Pharisee.
God, I'm a pretty special guy."
What Simon forgot was that he was a sinner.
His sins were sins of the heart, and he didn't recognize them as sins.
So it was easy for him to forget that he needed forgiveness too.
Isn't it easy for us to forget how indebted we are to those who paid a price to achieve freedom for us?
Isn't it easy to come into God's house and open our Bibles and forget those early pilgrims who paved the way for us!
Song #222 Faith of Our Fathers
We put hamburgers on the grill and sit around enjoying all the material blessings that God has given us and forget the blood that was shed.
We owe a great debt to those who have gone before.
We also owe an even greater debt to our God who has redeemed and forgiven us.
We are all debtors. We all owe a debt.
Lesson #2. We can never repay those debts.
When I think of the debt of freedom that I owe to our forefathers, I realize that is a debt that I can't pay.
And when I think of the debt that I owe God in heaven for the price He paid for my sins, I realize that I can't pay that either.
Now back to our story.
This woman came to Jesus and stood at His feet.
She wet His feet with her tears and tried to dry them with her hair. Then she anointed His feet with oil.
It was an expression of gratitude and love.
You say, "Well, that's one way to pay God back."
But she wasn't paying Him back.
All she was doing was saying, "Thank you, Lord.
Thank you for forgiving my sins."
That's all we can do, too. We can never pay God back.
But we can roll up our sleeves and go to work.
We can worship and serve, we can cry and pray.
We can seek to reach others for Jesus.
We can do all that, but we will never even if we work 20 hours a day the rest of our lives never be able to pay the debt that we owe our God.
Lesson #3. Forgiveness is available to everyone.
First of all, we stated that all of us are spiritually in debt. Secondly, we said we can never repay the debt.
Now we are saying that "Since we can't pay it, therefore we stand in need of forgiveness from it."
And the good news is that forgiveness is available to everyone, but forgiveness is not free.
Lesson #4. Forgiveness is not free.
Forgiveness always costs something.
For the moneylender it cost 550 denarii to forgive those who were indebted to him.
A small amount perhaps when compared to the debts we're talking about.
But forgiveness always costs something.
When God said, "I forgive you of your sin," then it cost God something because before forgiveness there had to be the agony of Gethsemane. Before forgiveness there had to be the death on the cross and the resurrection.
And Jesus paid that price!
The ledger had to be clear before forgiveness of sin could become a reality.
But now that it has been paid it's available to all.
Robert McCormack was a sergeant in WW 1.
He nearly lost his life while saving the life of Major Henry Parkin. Fortunately, both men survived the war.
From that day on, until he died 25 years later, in April of every year Parkin wrote McCormack a letter of gratitude.
The last letter Parkin wrote contained this brief note:
"Dear Bob, I again want to express to you my appreciation for another year of life which I would not have enjoyed had it not been for you and the price you were willing to pay to save my life. I want you to know, I am grateful."
Today, God's forgiveness is available.
He offers it to you through Jesus Christ His Son.
The price has been paid and He invites you to come.
Will you come as together we stand and sing Our song of INVITATION?
Apr 7, 2025
Mar 31, 2025
Mar 24, 2025
Mar 24, 2025
26 min
James 1: 22 – 25
After being away for some time on a business trip, Bill thought it would be nice to bring his wife a small gift.
"How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk. She showed him a bottle which cost $60.00. "That's a bit much," he said,
so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.00. "That's still quite a bit," he complained.
Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny marked $15.00. "You know," he said, "What I mean is I would like to see something really cheap."
So the clerk handed him a mirror.
Why can’t Mirrors lie? Because they always reflect the truth.
Today I would like us to look at who we are. To take a long hard look in the mirror and see what is in the reflection. Not who we act like, not who others perceive us to be, not what we have been in the past, but "who we really are".
2nd Corinthians 3:18 speaks to this mirror and to our image. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [a]by the Spirit of the Lord."
What is reflected in the mirror? What do you see in the mirror?
Have you ever been out somewhere and then catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror which causes you to stop dead in your tracks and think YIKES! Is that REALLY what I look like right now! The mirror reminds us of EXACTLY how others see us at that particular moment.
The Man in the Mirror Poem
When you get all you want and you struggle for self,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he’s with you right to the end,
and you’ve passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world, down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
Paul in his first letter to the believers gathered in Corinth
also spoke of looking at our image in a mirror.
1st Corinthians 13:11-12 tells us " When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."
Now, Ancient mirrors, which were manufactured in the great city of Corinth, were made of metal and gave a very dim reflection.
Thus Paul's words "Now we see in a mirror, dimly", is an illustration of our imperfect knowledge on this side of eternity.
When we cross over to the other side of eternity when we are in heaven, we will know all things and our knowledge will be full it will be complete.But, on this side of eternity it is dim it is imperfect.
Have you ever seen your reflection in a metal spoon? I hope I'm not the only one who has ever done that. The reflection in the metal spoon is a strange image isn't it? It is dim. It is imperfect.
Mirrors in Paul's time were metal and you could not see a very accurate reflection of yourself, it was much like looking into a metal spoon. But in today's age, we have mirrors that very much display what we really look like. You can clearly see yourself your image AND what you REALLY look like. But this too is not the mirror we should be looking into. It is not the mirror Paul is alluding too.
So, if we want to know who we really are, what mirror should we look in? We need to look into the mirror of God's Word. The true mirror… God's Mirror which shows us who we really are.
We need to examine ourselves and ask the question: Am I being all that God has called me to be? Am I allowing the Lord to mold me? Am I doing my best? Am I giving my best?
When we look into God's mirror, we may find feelings, thoughts, problems and/or attitudes that we hold on to and have not allowed God to transform us.
We need to… we must… yield to God's Word, to God's will and allow him to mold us into the image into the reflection of His son!
We need to allow Him to impact the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we think AND the way we act.
It is time, time to allow Him to mold us, to transform us.
It is so easy to see the tiny faults of others yet miss the larger faults in ourselves.
Of course Matthew 7:4-5 tells us, "how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
I have often found that when I begin to look at others short comings that God is calling me to look at the log in my own eye.
To look at the "Man in the Mirror"
When you get all you want and you struggle for self,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he’s with you right to the end,
and you’ve passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world, down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
If we begin with "The Person in the Mirror", we will be molded, we will be transformed.
If we look into the True mirror, God's mirror, it will reflect back a true image of who we are.
Each morning as we prepare for the day ahead we generally do not leave without looking into a mirror. The mirror enables us to see if there is anything out of place and gives us an opportunity to correct what is wrong. So often we can get wrapped up in our own ways that we set aside the ways of the One whom we are called to be like.
Jesus has the power to change "The Person in the Mirror"!
Jesus has the power to transform you
He has the desire to infill you with His glory!
Proverbs 27:19 - "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man."
If we start with "the Person in the Mirror", then we can begin to impact our world one person at a time!
If we start with "the Person in the Mirror", and let God mold us, we will be transformed!
If we each start with "the Person in the Mirror", then we can begin to make our church a beacon of light to those around us!
Praise God for his mercy and for his provision For what He has done and will continue to do in my life And in yours!
Yet, If we are honest There are times when we are deceived and do not act like the man or woman God has called us to be.
A Fellow was sitting at a stop light. The lady in front of him was going through some papers that were lying on the passenger's seat of her car, and when the light changed to green she did not move. She did not follow the instruction of the light. You know, Stop on Red, Move on Green, and go real fast on Yellow.
As the light turned to yellow AND then back to red, this gentleman in the car behind her began screaming and beating on the steering wheel of his car. His expressions of distress were quickly interrupted by a policeman, who with gun drawn and tapping on his window.
To which the man protested to the patrolman "You can't arrest me for hollering in my car!" The officer ordered him into the back seat of his patrol car. After about an hour in a holding cell, the officer advised him he was free to go.
As the man was leaving the police station He turned back to the patrolman and boldly stated "I knew you couldn't arrest me for what I was yelling in my own car. You haven't heard the last of this."
The officer quietly replied, "I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car. As I sat behind you at the light, I saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel. Then I noticed the PROUD CHRISTIAN ON BOARD sign in your window and the John 3:16 bumper sticker, and because of that I thought you must have stolen that car."
The way we actually live our lives may be the only Bible some folks will ever read. We need to remember who we are and what we look like.
And The Scriptures speak to this in James 1:22-24 - "21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
How can that be?
How can someone look in the mirror, see themselves, and then at once immediately walk away and forget what they look like?
"Wait a minute?
Am I balding?
Am I overweight?
Am I short?
Do I have a wrinkled face?
Do I have a scar on my chin?
AND Yet It is possible to look in the mirror and then forget what you looked like.
And, There are two reasons why that can happen.
First You do not believe the mirror is an accurate reflection of who you are. That is You do not trust the mirror you are looking into.
Have you ever been to a fun house at a carnival or fair and walked through the Hall of mirrors? They have certain mirrors that are designed to dramatically change your appearance.
* You can stand in front of one mirror and look extremely muscular I kind of like that mirror.
* You can stand in front of another and look extremely short and fat. Certainly NOT my favorite.
* You can stand in front of yet another and be ten feet tall and as skinny as a rail.
Obviously These mirrors are not an accurate reflection of who you are. So you walk away from them and quickly forget what you looked like. So, You do not believe the mirror is an accurate reflection of who you are.
The 2nd reason you may look in a mirror and forget what you saw is because you are being deceived.
The enemy is deceiving you deceiving you into believing that you do not look like what the mirror is reflecting. This often happens to people with eating disorders or people that are experiencing depression or are being oppressed by the enemy.
The only mirror of eternal significance is the Mirror of God's Word. Remove the veil that is covering our eyes and look deeply into the truth of the mirror.
God's Word encompasses the real mirror a mirror that we can trust. God's Word God's mirror will not only transform you but reflecting from the mirror are wonderful truths f who you are in Christ.
Do you trust God's mirror? Or do you walk away from it believing that you are not worthy? Do you look into the mirror of God's Word that proclaims you can do all things through Christ Jesus? And yet walk away believing that you could never be good enough?
Do you look into the mirror of God's Word that declares greater is he that is in me then he that is in the world? Yet you walk away thinking that you will fail. If you do, then there is a reason.
Either you do not trust the mirror you are looking into or, You are being deceived. Do not forget who you are and where you are going.
Do you trust God's Word? Do you trust it's reflection of who you are?
If you do then do not be deceived walk boldly be the salt of the earth be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14)
Be the reflection of Jesus and yield to his transforming love. For You are a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Sermon Contributor Jeff Smead
Mar 18, 2025
Mar 18, 2025
28 min
Matthew 18:16
Good to see each of you out this morning. This morning I would like to bring you a sermon that has been titled, The Lord's Church is Different. The Lord's Church is Different.
So while sad, it's very fascinating to know that the workers of Satan if I can use that term, are very hard at work trying to destroy that which God deems to be important and dear. Institutions like marriage, of course we can include the family, I'll mention that, and of course the church. Satan’s workers use various tactics in their efforts to destroy the institutions that God has established, institutions that He deems very important.
One way Satan tries to destroy the effect of the role of these institutions is to lead people to believe that they're no different than the counterfeits that Satan tries to institute. For example, Satan’s workers would try to convince the world that same-sex marriage is no different than the marriage between a man and a woman. If you understand why the Lord limited marriage to or for a man and a woman, you know that there is a difference between same-sex marriage and the marriage between a man and a woman. It makes a difference.
Finally, no surprise, those who serve under Satan want people to accept the same type of message about the church of Christ, the church that Christ established, Matthew 16:18. But there is a difference. The church is different. The Lord's church, first of all, I have to say, is not a denomination. It is un-denominational.
In other words, it is not divided. It is not divided, scripturally speaking. In our society, people are accustomed to thinking of the church as a denomination. Reading the Bible one cannot come to that conclusion.
The church is neither, as we understand it, is not Catholic, nor is it Protestant. What were the first century Christians considered? They were considered just simply Christians. They weren't considered to be Catholic, nor were they considered to be Protestant, meaning congregations or churches, as we understand, like the Lutheran, the Baptist church, which I came out of, the Methodist, the Presbyterian, etc.
Catholicism is not or didn't develop until about the 6th century, around 606 A.D. Protestantism didn't come about until centuries later. Therefore, denominations came hundreds of years after the Lord's church was established.
Denominations came about only, notice this; they only came about because of sin. Therefore, real Christians, in a Biblical sense, cannot be members of the denominations.
I want you to follow with me the Scriptures. Not with what I'm saying, but follow me with the Scriptures. The Lord's church is superior. The church we find in the Bible is superior to denominations. Why? Why is the Lord's church superior to denominations? Because the Lord's church was started by Christ, and it was paid for by His blood. Matthew 16:18, Acts 20:28. It has a divine origin, right? Denominationalism, on the other hand, they were started by men. We will get into this a little further later.
They have human origins. Before any denomination existed, the church of Christ, the church that Christ established, was already established. Acts chapter 2:22 and 47, and then Romans 16:16.
Some Scriptures, I would encourage you to pay close attention to some of these words, or these words, period.
“Now, the parable is this. The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11).
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15).
“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26).
“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” (Acts 26:28.)
“Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.” (Romans 16:16).
Notice these Scriptures. These are very important principles here.
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth, and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass and herb, yielding seed after his kind. The tree yielded fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-12).
Last, “but be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”( Galatians 6:7).
Today, if we preach the same gospel, urging people to submit to the same commandments given by the apostles, everybody that obeys will only be Christians. Why? Because the seed of the kingdom is the word of God. Luke 8:11.
The good soil, is the honest and good heart. Luke 8:15.
When the same word of God is preached, it will only produce Christians like those in the first century. The law of reproduction is consistent. A seed only produced after his kind.
You reap what you sow. A corn seed only produces corn. An apple seed only produces apples. Watermelon seeds only produce watermelon seeds. The seed of humans, the man and the woman, they only produce other humans.
The seed of the kingdom, the seeds of the citizens of the kingdom only produce Christians, not members of denominations, neither Catholic nor Protestant. In the New Testament, you cannot find a seed, or the word, that produce a variety of churches. Notice that, a variety of churches that's contrary to the law of reproduction. You cannot find it in nature, nor can you find it in the spiritual realm.
There is one church.
Notice these scriptures. Matthew 16:18, I already mentioned that. There we find that Jesus said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Then Acts 2:38, says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sin. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit.”
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls,” (Acts 2:41).
Verse 47 says, “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved.”
Then, “but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to be used to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (2nd Thessalonians 2:13-14).
In Colossians 1:13, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son,”
“Then tidings of these things came unto the ear of the church, which was in Jerusalem, and they sent from fourth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch” (Acts 11:22).
Just a couple more, 1st Corinthians 1:2, “Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ call to be saints with all that in every place called upon the name of Jesus our Lord, both theirs and ours.”
Finally, 1st Thessalonians 1:1. There we can read what was written unto the church by; “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
What we want to know about the church, the New Testament must be our standard.
The New Testament must be our standard. It's not the church manuals, not the statement of faith like I had when I was in the Baptist church. They had a statement of faith right behind the pulpit. You could read what the church stood for. They did not have the Bible there. They had a statement of faith.
The term church basically means a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place according to then. What about the church of the New Testament? The church of the New Testament is composed of people, people that were called out of the world, people that were called out of darkness, people that were called out of the dark sinful world. How are they called out? They are called out by the gospel.
They are called out by the gospel of Christ, by the teachings of Christ himself. Where did the called out or the church begin? The church began in Jerusalem. When Peter preached the gospel on the day of Pentecost, God called those Jews out of the world. Those who gladly received the word were added to the church. From Jerusalem, the church developed wherever the gospel was preached and accepted. Hence the churches in Thessalonica, the church at Corinth, the churches of Galatia, or the church in Rome, “salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you,” Romans 16:16.
At times when the word church is used, it refers to a congregation in a given area, but when the word churches is used, it refers to the number of churches that maybe Paul or Peter or some other holy writer was communicating with. They were not talking or communicating with denominations, okay? Therefore, the number of congregations in a given area would be referred to as the churches of Christ, like the churches of Christ in Geauga County or the churches of Christ in Stark County or Cuyahoga County. They would be considered the churches of Christ.
One congregation in one area would be called a church of Christ, like this church of Christ in Chardon, Ohio. Chardon Church of Christ. It's local, in a local area. All the saved around the world would be considered the church of Christ universal.
More scriptures: “Unto the church of God, which is Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Called to be saints with all that, with all that in every place called upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” (1st Corinthians 1:2). And then Hebrews 12:23. “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn.”
I will skip and go down now to Romans 16 again. “The churches of Christ salute you”.
Then Colossians 1:24, “Who now rejoice in the suffering for you and fill up that which is behind of the affliction of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church.”
Next Revelations 21:2 says, “And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
And then finally, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou ought to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.” You can read that in 1 Timothy 3:15.
What about these various names referring to the churches in the New Testament? Can they be referring to denominations? The answer would be no, not at all. Different names given to the church express the relationship of the church to Christ and to the Father. Okay, the church of God. The church which belongs to God, 1st Corinthians 1:2, and then you have the church of Christ. Of course, the church that belongs to Christ, Matthew 16:18. As we read, “For I will build my church and the gates of hell, should not prevail against it.”
It is the body of Christ, and “He is the head of the body, the church…”. (Colossians 1:18.) “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. He is the savior of the body.” (Ephesians 5:23). Christ is the head of the body. The body is the church. Therefore, the church is Christ's body.
Then, how about the bride of Christ? We can read in 2nd Corinthians 11:2, I think verse two, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband.”
He goes on, And then we can read in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify clans with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Before a wedding, a bride prepares herself to meet her husband to be. I think we understand that in our society. Weddings are a big deal. And like manner, the church is preparing herself to meet Christ Jesus. The church today is preparing herself to meet Christ Jesus, her husband at the second coming.
How about the house of God? Well, scripture says, “but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name,” (John 1:12). “But he answered and said unto him that told him, who is my mother? Who is my brother? And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples and said, behold, my mother, my brethren, for whosoever shall do the will of my father, which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50).
“Therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizen with the saints and of the household of God,” (Ephesians 2:19).
“As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith,” (Galatians 6:10). The house of God simply refers to those who are God's children, refers to those who are God's children, those who do the will of the father, those who obey the faith, those who obey the father.
Therefore, the variety of names given to the church in the New Testament refers to different aspects of the church’s relationship with Christ and with the father. What about denominations? Let's notice these scriptures, Matthew 15:7-9. It says, “ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, this people draw nigh unto me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, notice that, but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandment of men.”
What about these words? Verses 13 through 14. “But he answered and said, every plant, which my heavenly father, hath not planted shall be rooted up, let them alone. They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:13-14.
The church of Christ has a relationship with Christ and a relationship with the father. However, what about the Roman Catholic Church, for example? It doesn't have a relationship with Christ or with the father in the scriptures. We do not find that. According to history, the Roman Catholic Church was founded by Boniface III and others who created their teachings, which started around 606 AD.
I believe those people truly worship God. But they worship God, I would argue, in vain because they worship according to the teachings, the doctrine of men. The Father didn't plant the seed or the words that started the Catholic Church. Therefore, the Bible teaches us that such shall be uprooted.
How about the Greek Orthodox Church? It has no relationship with Christ nor with the Father. In the scriptures, you cannot find that name. You cannot find it at all. According to history, its relationships are found with a group that started it around 1053 AD or 54. It was split between, I guess, Pope Leo IX and a patriarch named Michael Cerularius because they excommunicated one another. You have these two different churches. I believe they worship God, but they worship God in vain because their worship was according to the teachings of men. The Father did not plant that church. Therefore, it shall be uprooted.
What about the Lutheran Church? It doesn't have a relationship, with Christ or the Father. We do not find it in the scriptures. You cannot find it there. Its relationship started after, I believe, Martin Luther himself died, by his followers in Augsburg, Germany around 1530 AD. And again, that church shall be uprooted.
What about the Baptist Church that I came out of? The Baptist Church has many branches, if I may say. It has no relationship with Christ or with the father. In the scriptures, you cannot find it in the scriptures. Matter of fact, it does not even have a relationship with John the Baptist himself. It was started about 1607 after, of course, John the Baptist died. Its relationship started with a John but his last name was Smith in London, England. Therefore, the father did not plant it and it shall be uprooted.
The same thing applies to the Seventh-day Adventist Church started by William Miller, 1830, thereabout, in Low Hampton, New York. The Congregational Church, Robert Brown, 1550, in England. The Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy, 1866, thereabout, in America. The Methodist Church, John Wesley, 1739, thereabout, in England. The Presbyterian Church, John Calvin, 1530, in Switzerland. All the other churches we can name. There's hundreds and hundreds of congregations or churches or so-called churches started by men. None of them have a relationship with Christ and the Father and they shall be uprooted.
The Lord's Church is different. Denominationalist churches may look like it, they may sound like it, they may act like it, but they are not it. Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, and other makes, Hondas, Toyotas, you can name it. They may look like Rolls Royces, and they may sound like Rolls Royces. They may perform like a Rolls Royce, but they are not a Rolls Royce. A Rolls Royce is different. If you were to take your Chevy or your Ford, your Chrysler, your Honda, your Civic to a Rolls Royce dealership for repair, you probably would get laughed out of the dealership. Why? Because Rolls Royce does not make Chevys. They do not make Fords. They do not make Chryslers and others. Just because GM, Ford, and Chrysler cars have steering wheels, engines, and tires, and other similar parts, doesn't mean that Rolls Royce will honor the warranties from GM and Chrysler and others.
The same principles apply to the Lord's church. Just because other churches may resemble the Lord's church, doesn't mean that they will be recognized in the judgment by the Lord himself. Or just because some people look like or act like Christians does not mean that Christ will accept them as Christian or his own.
Notice these scriptures. Don't take my word for it. Notice these scriptures.
The Bible says, “Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils. And in thy name done many wonderful works. And then I will profess unto them, says the Lord, I never knew you. Depart from me ye that worketh iniquity.” You can find this for yourself in Matthew 7:21-23.
What can we say about this group of people? They sound like Christians. They call Christ Lord. Lord, Lord, they said. Just therefore like many today, they probably have the Christian vernacular down. They sound like Christians. Not only do they sound like Christians, but they also act like Christians. Notice they did many good works. They probably fed the poor. They probably clothed the naked. They probably visited the sick and did much, much more. Then people saw them, they probably said, there's a Christian, but Christ thought differently.
Man probably saw acts of obedience, but God saw partial obedience. Partial obedience does not cut it in the kingdom of God. God deserves and demands complete obedience. What about us? What about you? Have you fully obeyed Christ? If you haven't obeyed the pure gospel of Christ, you cannot be a Christian.
Christ promised to build his church, Matthew 16:18-19. The church was built or was established, Acts 2. Philip preached the gospel as we can find in Acts 8, and Philip preached faith in Christ, no doubt. I'm sure he preached repentance like we find in Acts 17:30. I'm sure he preached confession like we find in Romans 10:9. And I'm sure, and we can see that he preached baptism just like we find in Acts 2:38. In preaching the gospel, Philip preached the kingdom of God.
That is the kingdom of God's dear son. The kingdom believers are translated into, and out of the kingdom of darkness. In other words, the church of Christ, the church that Christ died for. The church believers were added to on the day of Pentecost as in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 2:48, I believe. On Pentecost, they weren't added to the Catholic church. Neither were they added to any of the Protestant churches that we can find today or any church that was started by man.
Therefore, if we obeyed what they called the gospel, you didn't obey the gospel of Christ. They preached a different Jesus. They preached a different church. Notice these scriptures if you don't believe me. For if they come as preaching another Jesus, notice there's more than one Jesus being preached, whom you have not preached. For if they receive another spirit, notice there's another spirit out there, not just the Holy Spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel.
Notice there are other gospels out there which you have not accepted. You might bear with them well. That's 2nd Corinthians 11:4. Read it for yourself. Notice men do preach another Jesus. Notice they preach other gospels. That being true, they also preach another kingdom or another church. Therefore, there is a true Jesus and there is a false Jesus. There is a true gospel and there is a false gospel. There is a true church and there are false churches.
If you obey the true gospel, the question is, have you continued in obedience? If not, you need to consider your ways, repent, obviously confess. So if you're here this morning and you stand and need to respond to the true gospel or to renew your relationship with the Father and Christ, we encourage you to do so as we stand to sing this song of invitation. Thank you.
Mar 9, 2025
Mar 9, 2025
30 min
James 1:12-15
This morning’s sermon is entitled; DON’T BLAME ME. I came across this story which tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with the center fielder's performance he ordered him to the dugout and assume the position himself.
The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth! Now, Remember he's trying to show the player how to do it correctly.The next one was a high fly ball which he lost in the glare of the sun until it bounced off his forehead.
And the third was a hard line drive that he charged with his outstretched arms. Unfortunately, it flew right between his arms and smacked him right in the eye.Furious he ran back to the dugout grabbed the center fielder by the uniform and shouted, “See what you have done. You've got centerfield so messed up that even I can't do a thing with it.”
This attitude is all too often seen in the world around us which is what I believe the reason is that there are so many posters.
When we look around we can often see posters that remind us of the following three ways to fail.
One… complain about everything.Two… blame others for your problems.Three… never be gratefulYou can spend your entire life blaming the world but your success or your failures are entirely your own responsibility. Or when you blame and criticize others you are in essence avoiding some truth about yourself.
Picture Adam one day out hunting with his two boys and they come up to the Garden of Eden where he and Eve had been kicked out for eating the forbidden fruit.
I can picture Adam staring at the garden and one of his boys saying HEY DAD? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY ARE YOU CRYING.
Adam wipes a tear and says boys that is the Garden of Eden right there. That's where we used to live until your mother ate us out of house and home.
To cover the subject of right and wrong, of good and evil we must go way back to creation, back before the beginning of time. The first two verses of Genesis tells us that in the beginning our road was formless it was empty. It was dark.
Then God stepped in and gave it shape. He gave shape to that formlessness. He filled the emptiness with life and brought light into the darkness.
In other words God took the chaos and created order out of it. We know that the Bible records the days of creation. It tells us that God looked upon everything he had made and what did he say.
It is good. BUT not everybody was happy. The Bible also tells us about Satan the angel of God who rebelled and because of that he was evicted from heaven and banished to Earth.
Satan learned that he could not overcome God so Satan focused his attack on his next target mankind to whom God had given authority over the earth. Satan's goal is to put chaos back into our world.
It doesn't take a very acute observer to realize that he has been successful in MANY AREAS of our world today. You look around and you can see how confused we have become.
For instance there is confusion about the roles of men and women husband and wife, mother and father. We seem no longer sure what these roles should be. Young people are confused about their place in the family and are often in various stages of rebellion against the authority of their parents.
The rise of homosexuality and transgenders have even ADDED more CONFUSION TO THE SEXUAL ROLES GOD HAD CREATED. There is so much confusion today that We are sometimes asked our biological sex at BIRTH. Abortion tells us that life is not really all that valuable and that euthanasia may become the next big issue that we will probably have to face in this country because we are no longer sure about the value of life.
Satan is bringing chaos into our lives. When we think about what Satan got for a few bites of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. You realize that he really got a lot. It ruined the lives of Adam and Eve and got control of the world just for a couple bites of a forbidden fruit.
Sounds ridiculous doesn't it. Long after the flavor of that fruit was forgotten Adam and Eve are still paying that price for the stupid decision they made. Satan depends upon us making unwise decisions also.
HE depends upon us having a distorted sense of value. He never really offers us very much and in exchange he wants everything from us.
I would like to read from Joshua 7:19-20 - " Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.” Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:"
Achan traded his life for a wedge of gold, and a Babylonian garment. We know that Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup to satisfy his temporary hunger.
For one sensual moment with Bathsheba we know David NOT ONLY opened himself up BUT ALSO his family TO GENERATIONS OF MISERY.
Satan is always doing things like this… never offering much.We think we're getting a great deal, a moment of pleasure, a little economic gain, or the applause of the crowd. In reaching for it we discover that we have given up everything. That is how Satan works and when that happens we try to find someone else to blame.
In the third chapter of Genesis we see God coming back into the Garden of Eden following the temptation following the sin of Adam and Eve. Versus 8-13 tell us that the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the Lord among the trees in the garden.
But the Lord called to them. Where are you? Adam answers, I heard you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked. GOD asked, who told you that you were naked. Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? What does the man say? The woman you put here with me she gave me some of that fruit and I ate it.
Then the Lord God said to the woman what is it that you have done? The woman said the serpent deceived me and I ate. If we listen closely, don't blame me says Adam. It wasn't my fault. It was the woman you gave me she enticed me to eat of the forbidden fruit.
Eve says don’t blame me. It was a serpent who turned from you he deceived me and I ate.
Most of us when our sins are found out look for a scapegoat, don’t we? It wasn't my fault. It was someone or something else that caused me to become involved in this sin.
Let's look this morning at some ways that we may use to blame someone else for our sins. That's just the way I am. That's how God made me. Have you ever heard someone say that?
A man might have a violent temper. He says I can't help it that's just the way I am, but his whole family ends up suffering from the verbal abuse and maybe even the physical abuse. He says it's not my fault. He has a hurt wife. He has children who run for cover every time he loses his temper, There's nothing that I can do about it.
BUT God constantly reminds us that we are responsible for our own words. We are responsible for our own actions and we will be held accountable for that. We can't pass the buck by saying that's just the way I am. Sometimes we even use that excuse to justify being quiet about things.Maybe we don't want to get involved. That's somebody else's problem. As long as they leave me alone, I'm fine with it. When you finally do break the silence and someone to ask why you acted that way.You answer I can’t help it. I was born that way. That's just the way I am. In other words don't blame me… blame God. God gave me this personality. You just have to accept the fact that this is the way I am.
We oftentimes see in society and don't get me wrong I do feel sorry for individuals that have grown up maybe not knowing what a real family situation would look like not knowing the love their mother or father could give them yet too often we look and try to blame society.
We blame somebody else. Many try to blame some dark family past as an excuse for their own weaknesses and bad decisions. The Bible doesn't allow us to give that kind of excuse, does it? It always says be responsible for yourself.
When Bad events happen in our society we often are told that the one doing the offense can hardly be blamed for his actions since he was only doing what he was compelled to do by outside forces over which he had no influence. The devil or something made him do it. So, the man cannot really be blamed.
I want you to notice that the Bible never teaches that sin comes from GOD.
1John 3:5
You know that He appeared [in visible form as a man] in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin
1Peter 2:22-23
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
We are told that the Devil is the father of lies. He lies to us. He deceives us. He manipulates us and he tempts us. But why? Why does he deceive? Why does he tempt? Why does he manipulate. The answer is because he can't force. If he could force you to sin there wouldn’t be any temptation that we could avoid. He would just force you to do it.
But he cannot force us to sin. We must choose. It must be a choice of ourselves. We know in James it talks about where this sin comes from. It comes from our own personal desires. You see nobody tied Eve down and forced to eat the forbidden fruit. Nobody forced you to take that first drink. Nobody forced us to be tempted by whatever temptation we have in our life. That temptation that forces us to sin. It's our choice. WAIT! WHAT?If it's our choice then we are responsible for our actions.
When we find that we can't blame the devil Many then try to place the blame on God. After all God is responsible for everything, isn't he? He is the one who gave me the awful family that I have. He's the one who surrounded me with friends who have led me astray. He's the one who made it impossible for me to have the willpower to say no therefore all too often people say it is God's fault.
What does James say? God never tempts us. It's entirely up to us.
James 1:12-15 tells us "12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
2nd Corinthians 5:9-10 Paul says "9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
In other words God says I hold you accountable for your sins. Don't blame someone or something else You… yourself… personally are accountable. That is the bad news.
We also have good news. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ loved me that Jesus died for me and that his blood can cover my sin.
If I make the right choices the first step is being covered by the blood of Jesus. It is to accept responsibility for my own actions.
As long as I try to find someone or something else to blame then I'll never come to grips with the fact that I am a sinner. I have to come to the place where I will pray God be merciful to me a sinner Jesus taught this in the example of the two that went down to pray
Luke 18:13-14 "
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”"
A man tells of a time when a prairie fire swept across his father's land and burned everything the house… the buildings… the crops… everything. Later on his dad was walking across the burned ground kicking this object and that. Finally came to a charred piece of something that looked like a stump from a tree. He kicked at it. When he did little baby chicks started running in all directions. He bent over to look and discovered that the charred lump was the old hen, Mama, who had covered her chickens to protect them from the fire. The chicks were still alive, but in the process Mama had given her life for them.
IN A WAY BROADER SENSE That is what Jesus did for each one of us. Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:37 - "37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chicks but you would not come!"
He looked at the masses and said they are like sheep without a shepherd. If only they would come, but Jesus will never force us to come. He is always available.
We know Jesus said come to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
We know that we are always welcome to come unto him. He will not turn anyone away. The song most everyone has learned when they were younger
Jesus Loves Me This I know.
Why?
For the Bible Tells Me So
little ones to him belong
they are weak but He is strong.
He is always available and right now he waits for you to open the door to invite him to come in.
If there is anyone in need of the invitation this evening will you not come forward as together we stand and sing.