Sermon Nuggets Thurs May 8, 2008
Theme- Conflicts
Verses- John 6:17,18 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
Á Matter of Testing
During times of conflict one can also see this as a time of testing of faith. What do you really believe? Are you ready to hold to that belief when the circumstances are tough? What if persecution arises? How strongly do you believe?
Of course there are all kinds of doubts. You can be convinced of something, but unless challenged not a lot of thought is given to it. I am surprised how much I try to rationalize arguments even when I thought I held something strongly. I am not so much talking about the majors, but the areas where popular opinion goes against what I believe.
A friend of mine was challenged when his sister, a Christian, wanted to marry a man who left his wife and divorced her. She asked her brother, a minister, to perform the wedding. He struggled with his beliefs on divorce and remarriage. He believe there were Biblical reasons for remarriage and this was a situation where he felt the divorce of her fiancee didn't meet that criteria. He thought of many reasons to change his mind, but bottom line he wanted to do the wedding because he loved his sister. Finally he said, "I cannot change the rules just because I love the players." Did he do right or wrong? Was this a matter of law or grace? Was he seeking to obey the Lord's will or man's desires? It was a time of testing.
Am I being deceived? Can I really follow Jesus? There comes a time of testing. Jesus puts faith to them in a frank manner. vs. l7 If any one chooses to do God's will he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."
Jesus teachings were often addressed to the will rather than simply to the mind. Christ challenges us to believe and act on His truth. Only when I am willing to be obedient is my heart in a receptive state where I can know His will. Jesus is saying that you do God's will, and the God who expressed that will become believable to you.
Pastor Bob Brunko said, "It is in forgiving others that we understand and experience the reality of God's forgiveness of us. It is in loving others that God's love becomes real. It is in giving that we begin to understand and appreciate his generosity. It is in sacrificing ourselves to serve others that his sacrifice for us becomes believable. " In other words in the obeying of the word, the believing takes care of itself.
If a man determines in advance that he will live by it then God will disclose the truth of His word to him. He will disclose more truth concerning the person of Jesus to those who determine that they will follow Him.
Do you have trouble believing in Christ, or trusting the Bible? Then perhaps it is because you have not yet determined to go in the way God's truth lead you. Consider the matter of testing. Circumstances have a way of doing that to us.
Pastor Dale
