Sermon nuggets Fri May 2, 2008
Theme Discipleship
Verses John 6: 70 Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!"
71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) (NIV)
Follower
I remember hearing a definition of a leader- someone who has a follower. That seems to be it in a nutshell. I suppose you can say the opposite of a follower- someone who has a leader. One may not need the title of a leader to have the influence over another.
Most leaders only lead in certain situations or for a certain period of time. A teacher may be a leader for the hour or so in a classroom. A boss might be the leader for 8 hours during the day to accomplish a task. A parent, however, is a leader over their child who makes the decisions and has the responsibility for their youngsters as to who else might have leadership influence, including what school the child attends, what church they go to, how much TV or internet they are allowed to watch.
To be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ is also a matter as to His leadership in your life and in your decisions. There is no question Judas was a disciple of Jesus Christ. But he had a different agenda than Christ had. He sought to accomplish different goals and to the end that Jesus helped those goals he was willing to follow for a time. But when his own goals and purposes became more important and money was more attractive, he abandoned the following of Jesus and betrayed Him.
When Jesus says to take up your cross and follow Him he is calling us to a complete understanding that as the Son of God He wants to lead in all areas of our lives. He is not wanting just a Sunday morning leadership. He is not interested in just a church environment leadership. He is first in our studies, in our work, in our purchases, in our marriages, in our parenting, and in our entertainment. To be a disciple of Jesus is to realize who He is. In following and obeying Him life takes us on a different road.
“Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things I say?” He asks in Luke 6:46.
There were days when the disciples questioned Jesus. There were times they were concerned for their own wants. There were times when they were discouraged, tired, upset, weak and sinful. But after committing themselves to Jesus they did not quit. After falling they get up again and continued their journey with Jesus as their head. There was no one else who had the words of life. He become their purpose for living. He was their Master. He was their Lord.
That could not be said of Judas. He was a false follower. A true mark of a real disciple is following Jesus wherever and always. Peter fell, but he did not fall away. He had faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and followed him all the way.
The words we long to hear is, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Pastor Dale
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Faith John 6:22-29
Sermon nuggets Thurs May 1, 2008
Theme- Discipleship
Verses John 6: 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Faith
We had looked at some characteristics of false disciples. They sought for man’s way, the easy way, what appealed to them. They wanted what made them feel good. It was all about them. It was short lived until the going got tough.
When one is faithful, they are full of faith. Faith is the true belief in the person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God who will save them. A true disciple hears the words of Christ and believes. He meets the Lord and puts his faith in Him. He responds with a heart felt conviction to the truth and makes that truth their very own.
Jesus uses an illustration in Matthew 7 of a wise man and a foolish man. One built his house on sand, the other on the rock. The object of one’s faith was secure when it was placed on the foundation that would withstand the storms. The other man wanted a house that looked good and didn’t cost much. He didn’t want to dig deep. He didn’t want to lay the foundation. He didn’t want to go to the trouble of the work and the expenses, just enough to get by. But the wise man put his faith in the fact that a good house has the right foundation and the difference was what he believed. He acted on his beliefs. Faith is what you believe. Faithfulness is the degree in which you believe it.
Missionary Ignatious Loylola said “to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not look for any reward save that of knowing the I do Thy will.” That is faith that responds in faithfulness.
Jesus didn’t seek attenders, he sought those who believed with commitment to Him. When we apply that faith there is a new discovery. It is not what we are doing for Him, but what He does in us and through us. Are we willing to build on that right foundation for our lives? That is what makes a true disciple.
Pastor Dale
Theme- Discipleship
Verses John 6: 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Faith
We had looked at some characteristics of false disciples. They sought for man’s way, the easy way, what appealed to them. They wanted what made them feel good. It was all about them. It was short lived until the going got tough.
When one is faithful, they are full of faith. Faith is the true belief in the person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God who will save them. A true disciple hears the words of Christ and believes. He meets the Lord and puts his faith in Him. He responds with a heart felt conviction to the truth and makes that truth their very own.
Jesus uses an illustration in Matthew 7 of a wise man and a foolish man. One built his house on sand, the other on the rock. The object of one’s faith was secure when it was placed on the foundation that would withstand the storms. The other man wanted a house that looked good and didn’t cost much. He didn’t want to dig deep. He didn’t want to lay the foundation. He didn’t want to go to the trouble of the work and the expenses, just enough to get by. But the wise man put his faith in the fact that a good house has the right foundation and the difference was what he believed. He acted on his beliefs. Faith is what you believe. Faithfulness is the degree in which you believe it.
Missionary Ignatious Loylola said “to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not look for any reward save that of knowing the I do Thy will.” That is faith that responds in faithfulness.
Jesus didn’t seek attenders, he sought those who believed with commitment to Him. When we apply that faith there is a new discovery. It is not what we are doing for Him, but what He does in us and through us. Are we willing to build on that right foundation for our lives? That is what makes a true disciple.
Pastor Dale
Faith John 6:22-29
Sermon nuggets Thurs May 1, 2008
Theme- Discipleship
Verses John 6: 66-69 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Faith
We had looked at some characteristics of false disciples. They sought for man’s way, the easy way, what appealed to them. They wanted what made them feel good. It was all about them. It was short lived until the going got tough.
When one is faithful, they are full of faith. Faith is the true belief in the person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God who will save them. A true disciple hears the words of Christ and believes. He meets the Lord and puts his faith in Him. He responds with a heart felt conviction to the truth and makes that truth their very own.
Jesus uses an illustration in Matthew 7 of a wise man and a foolish man. One built his house on sand, the other on the rock. The object of one’s faith was secure when it was placed on the foundation that would withstand the storms. The other man wanted a house that looked good and didn’t cost much. He didn’t want to dig deep. He didn’t want to lay the foundation. He didn’t want to go to the trouble of the work and the expenses, just enough to get by. But the wise man put his faith in the fact that a good house has the right foundation and the difference was what he believed. He acted on his beliefs. Faith is what you believe. Faithfulness is the degree in which you believe it.
Missionary Ignatious Loylola said “to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not look for any reward save that of knowing the I do Thy will.” That is faith that responds in faithfulness.
Jesus didn’t seek attenders, he sought those who believed with commitment to Him. When we apply that faith there is a new discovery. It is not what we are doing for Him, but what He does in us and through us. Are we willing to build on that right foundation for our lives? That is what makes a true disciple.
Pastor Dale
Theme- Discipleship
Verses John 6: 66-69 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Faith
We had looked at some characteristics of false disciples. They sought for man’s way, the easy way, what appealed to them. They wanted what made them feel good. It was all about them. It was short lived until the going got tough.
When one is faithful, they are full of faith. Faith is the true belief in the person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God who will save them. A true disciple hears the words of Christ and believes. He meets the Lord and puts his faith in Him. He responds with a heart felt conviction to the truth and makes that truth their very own.
Jesus uses an illustration in Matthew 7 of a wise man and a foolish man. One built his house on sand, the other on the rock. The object of one’s faith was secure when it was placed on the foundation that would withstand the storms. The other man wanted a house that looked good and didn’t cost much. He didn’t want to dig deep. He didn’t want to lay the foundation. He didn’t want to go to the trouble of the work and the expenses, just enough to get by. But the wise man put his faith in the fact that a good house has the right foundation and the difference was what he believed. He acted on his beliefs. Faith is what you believe. Faithfulness is the degree in which you believe it.
Missionary Ignatious Loylola said “to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not look for any reward save that of knowing the I do Thy will.” That is faith that responds in faithfulness.
Jesus didn’t seek attenders, he sought those who believed with commitment to Him. When we apply that faith there is a new discovery. It is not what we are doing for Him, but what He does in us and through us. Are we willing to build on that right foundation for our lives? That is what makes a true disciple.
Pastor Dale
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Fleshly faith John 6:63-69
Sermon Nuggets Weds April 30, 2008
Theme- Discipleship
Verses-John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Fleshly Followers.
There are opinions and there are causes. There are areas of disagreement and areas of conviction. But the one factor that brings life to faith is the Spirit. God is doing something in the hearts of people making true disciples followers of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that can dissuade them. That is not the same as discouragement. Many times there is discouragement and fear and falling, but that is not falling away.
The fleshly follower is here for the present and gone when the going gets tough or there are more attractive things in the present than what they think Christ has to offer. He has a man centered faith rather than a God centered salvation.
Literal bread gives physical life. Spiritual bread (Jesus) gives spiritual life. One is for the now- the other is for all eternity. Anything for the now is temporary, even religion.
What makes a difference between a live baby and a doll? Life. Both have arms, legs, and faces. Some dolls are amazingly real. They can speak and wet and you can fee them and they cry. But there is a world of difference as to which has life and which is computerized mechanism.
You can have dead sacraments, dead Bible reading, dead prayers, dead worship, and dead churches- that is of the flesh. Interestingly the same words that the crowds heard were the same words that the true followers heard. It isn’t in the speaker it is in the receiver. It is the Spirit of Jesus that brings life to these disciplines.
A false disciple or a temporary disciple wants to remain in control to his/her religious commitments. The real follower of Jesus is under the Spirit's control and even if all leave, Peter said it well, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe an know that you are the Holy one of God.”
We can not create a God to our liking and call that real. God creates and changes us to His liking. We do not pick and choose what is popular in the current religious scene. We are chosen by God to be faithful, enlivened and seek live for His glory wither it is popular or not. We do not sit and debate truth, we obey it.
A true disciple is there for the long run. He does not fall away. Jesus has been gracious, loving, forgiving, patient, understanding, longsuffering, comforting, encouraging, strengthening, but He is Lord. There are many reasons to leave the faith- when we don’t have our prayers answered, when Jesus doesn’t meet our expectations, when others pressure us or persecute us, when we fall into sin and feel unworthy. But that is the faith of the flesh. It is for the present. It is for the now. The Spirit enlivens even our weak flesh and because there is hope in no other we say, “Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief.” “It says God be merciful to me a sinner.” It says “Into Thy hands I commit my spirit.” It finds all of purpose and meaning in Jesus. It cannot quit.
Pastor Dale
Theme- Discipleship
Verses-John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Fleshly Followers.
There are opinions and there are causes. There are areas of disagreement and areas of conviction. But the one factor that brings life to faith is the Spirit. God is doing something in the hearts of people making true disciples followers of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that can dissuade them. That is not the same as discouragement. Many times there is discouragement and fear and falling, but that is not falling away.
The fleshly follower is here for the present and gone when the going gets tough or there are more attractive things in the present than what they think Christ has to offer. He has a man centered faith rather than a God centered salvation.
Literal bread gives physical life. Spiritual bread (Jesus) gives spiritual life. One is for the now- the other is for all eternity. Anything for the now is temporary, even religion.
What makes a difference between a live baby and a doll? Life. Both have arms, legs, and faces. Some dolls are amazingly real. They can speak and wet and you can fee them and they cry. But there is a world of difference as to which has life and which is computerized mechanism.
You can have dead sacraments, dead Bible reading, dead prayers, dead worship, and dead churches- that is of the flesh. Interestingly the same words that the crowds heard were the same words that the true followers heard. It isn’t in the speaker it is in the receiver. It is the Spirit of Jesus that brings life to these disciplines.
A false disciple or a temporary disciple wants to remain in control to his/her religious commitments. The real follower of Jesus is under the Spirit's control and even if all leave, Peter said it well, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe an know that you are the Holy one of God.”
We can not create a God to our liking and call that real. God creates and changes us to His liking. We do not pick and choose what is popular in the current religious scene. We are chosen by God to be faithful, enlivened and seek live for His glory wither it is popular or not. We do not sit and debate truth, we obey it.
A true disciple is there for the long run. He does not fall away. Jesus has been gracious, loving, forgiving, patient, understanding, longsuffering, comforting, encouraging, strengthening, but He is Lord. There are many reasons to leave the faith- when we don’t have our prayers answered, when Jesus doesn’t meet our expectations, when others pressure us or persecute us, when we fall into sin and feel unworthy. But that is the faith of the flesh. It is for the present. It is for the now. The Spirit enlivens even our weak flesh and because there is hope in no other we say, “Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief.” “It says God be merciful to me a sinner.” It says “Into Thy hands I commit my spirit.” It finds all of purpose and meaning in Jesus. It cannot quit.
Pastor Dale
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Easy Life John 6:61-63
Sermon nuggets Tues April 29, 2008
Theme- Discipleship
Verses – John 6:60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Challenges to Discipleship. Easy or Hard?
The message of the abundant life has too often fooled people into thinking Christianity is all about getting blessings with a life filled with ease. The true disciples did not experience that on this earth. Yet Jesus words are spirit and life.
Last week we talked about what Jesus meant when he said that He was the true bread that came from heaven. He is their life. Disciples commit to by faith to following Jesus not just as savior, but as Lord.
When we eat something it becomes not only part of us, it becomes us. When we partake of Christ we become like Him. No, we do not become divine. When we deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him, we become a new creation.
G.K. Chesterton said, “Christianity has not been tried and found untrue. Instead it has been tried and found difficult and that is enough to weed out the great bulk of those who have merely gone along for the ride.”
The ways of Christ can be hard. They are hard on selfishness, on prejudice, on pettiness. They are hard on sloth, indifference and lack of discipline. They are hard on the tendency to drift, and procrastination. The disciple that falls away is attracted more by the physical blessings and the miracles and the food and the excitement, entertainment and the crowds. We see that a lot today with the marketing of Christianity. When the going gets tough faith is cast aside. People turn away. Hard and uncomfortable choices are not what they signed up for.
It is easy to go the broad road. It is hard to follow the narrow road. It is easy to go with the crowd; it is hard to be rejected by friends. It is easy to be undisciplined and let our wants and desires guide our path, instead of discipline and self control that determines the ways of God in spite of circumstances. There is a broad way and there is a narrow way. Some go for the easy way, others follow no matter what.
What is a hard decision or path that is facing you today? What would Jesus have you do?
Pastor Dale
Theme- Discipleship
Verses – John 6:60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Challenges to Discipleship. Easy or Hard?
The message of the abundant life has too often fooled people into thinking Christianity is all about getting blessings with a life filled with ease. The true disciples did not experience that on this earth. Yet Jesus words are spirit and life.
Last week we talked about what Jesus meant when he said that He was the true bread that came from heaven. He is their life. Disciples commit to by faith to following Jesus not just as savior, but as Lord.
When we eat something it becomes not only part of us, it becomes us. When we partake of Christ we become like Him. No, we do not become divine. When we deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him, we become a new creation.
G.K. Chesterton said, “Christianity has not been tried and found untrue. Instead it has been tried and found difficult and that is enough to weed out the great bulk of those who have merely gone along for the ride.”
The ways of Christ can be hard. They are hard on selfishness, on prejudice, on pettiness. They are hard on sloth, indifference and lack of discipline. They are hard on the tendency to drift, and procrastination. The disciple that falls away is attracted more by the physical blessings and the miracles and the food and the excitement, entertainment and the crowds. We see that a lot today with the marketing of Christianity. When the going gets tough faith is cast aside. People turn away. Hard and uncomfortable choices are not what they signed up for.
It is easy to go the broad road. It is hard to follow the narrow road. It is easy to go with the crowd; it is hard to be rejected by friends. It is easy to be undisciplined and let our wants and desires guide our path, instead of discipline and self control that determines the ways of God in spite of circumstances. There is a broad way and there is a narrow way. Some go for the easy way, others follow no matter what.
What is a hard decision or path that is facing you today? What would Jesus have you do?
Pastor Dale
Monday, April 28, 2008
Discipleship John 6:60,61
Sermon nuggets Monday April 28, 2008
Theme- Discipleship
John 6:60-61 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?”
The Offense of the Gospel
I think the passage of the study for this week is a hard one because it faces the challenge of discipleship. Christianity too often is presented with mankind as the center of all attention instead of the Lordship of Jesus who is to be followed and to whom we are called to be faithful.
Juan Carlos Ortiz in his book, Disciple, writes “We modern ministers have not only diluted the gospel of the Kingdom we have set it up in comfortable monthly payments. It’s like buying a car with $100. You get the whole car, but then you keep on paying.
Maybe we’re trying to sell the Gospel like we sell cars. We say, ‘You want to be saved? Just raise your hand, that is all’ How is that all? That is the first payment. After a while one will say, ‘we’re going to have a baptismal service soon…we’ll heat the water and a group is going to be baptized. Why don’t you be baptized now? That is the second payment. And if the person says, ‘Oh no. I really don’t care to’, we say, ‘fine, of course not. You can wait until you are ready.’
This was not the message in the primitive church. They said, ‘Repent, Be baptized.’ It was a command not an option.
Then after a long while come another payment. ‘You know brother, we have to support things we’re doing here in the church so we tithe our money. But it is not as bad as it sounds, because when you tithe the 90% goes further than the 100% did before; God will stretch the money for you.”
It’s a man centered gospel. Jesus said, “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you”
If a person from another planet were to come and see how many Christian live he would think that Jesus had said, “Seek ye first what you are going to eat, what you are going to wear, which house you are going to buy, which car you are going to drive, which job you are going to take. Who you are going to marry and then if there is any time left and if it’s not too uncomfortable, please do something for the Kingdom of God.”
This week we will study a group for whom the call to follow Christ was more demanding than they thought and decided to leave. Surprisingly, Jesus let them go. What does that say to us today? Are you willing to follow, no matter what?
Pastor Dale.
Theme- Discipleship
John 6:60-61 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?”
The Offense of the Gospel
I think the passage of the study for this week is a hard one because it faces the challenge of discipleship. Christianity too often is presented with mankind as the center of all attention instead of the Lordship of Jesus who is to be followed and to whom we are called to be faithful.
Juan Carlos Ortiz in his book, Disciple, writes “We modern ministers have not only diluted the gospel of the Kingdom we have set it up in comfortable monthly payments. It’s like buying a car with $100. You get the whole car, but then you keep on paying.
Maybe we’re trying to sell the Gospel like we sell cars. We say, ‘You want to be saved? Just raise your hand, that is all’ How is that all? That is the first payment. After a while one will say, ‘we’re going to have a baptismal service soon…we’ll heat the water and a group is going to be baptized. Why don’t you be baptized now? That is the second payment. And if the person says, ‘Oh no. I really don’t care to’, we say, ‘fine, of course not. You can wait until you are ready.’
This was not the message in the primitive church. They said, ‘Repent, Be baptized.’ It was a command not an option.
Then after a long while come another payment. ‘You know brother, we have to support things we’re doing here in the church so we tithe our money. But it is not as bad as it sounds, because when you tithe the 90% goes further than the 100% did before; God will stretch the money for you.”
It’s a man centered gospel. Jesus said, “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you”
If a person from another planet were to come and see how many Christian live he would think that Jesus had said, “Seek ye first what you are going to eat, what you are going to wear, which house you are going to buy, which car you are going to drive, which job you are going to take. Who you are going to marry and then if there is any time left and if it’s not too uncomfortable, please do something for the Kingdom of God.”
This week we will study a group for whom the call to follow Christ was more demanding than they thought and decided to leave. Surprisingly, Jesus let them go. What does that say to us today? Are you willing to follow, no matter what?
Pastor Dale.
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