Sermon Nuggets Week of Oct 26 Col 1:21-23
Sermon Nuggets Mon Oct 26
Theme- Amazing Love
Verses: Col 1:21-23 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Amazing Love
When I attended Bethel I became introduced to on of the great hymns of the faith, “And Can it Be”. I was surprised that I never heard it before, but it was a moving experience to hear the various parts sung in a testimony of praise of a large student assembly in the field house turned into a chapel. That song seemed to me to be best suited for a mass choir.
The wonder of the grace of Almighty God that would save him, a sinner so overwhelmed Charles Wesley he penned these words shortly after his conversion:
“And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain for me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
'Tis mystery all: th'Immortal dies: Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more.
He left His Father's throne above. So free, so infinite His grace-
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race:
'Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, it found out me!
Still the small inward voice I hear, that whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near, that quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart; I feel the Savior in my heart.
No condemnation now I read; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.”
The questions he asks in his song are reflections on the truths in the passage we will think about this week. How can it be that the shedding of Jesus’ blood 2000 years ago is relevant to me today? How was it possible for the Son of God to have died for me? Why should our Lord empty Himself of all His divine glory and become a man, in order to save Adam’s helpless race?
Charles Wesley was the younger brother of the famed preacher, John Wesley. He has been ordinate into the clergy and was pastoring a church for three years before he joined his brother on a missions trip to America. He was quite disillusioned and returned home a year earlier than John. He had taken ill was recuperating in a home of people whom seemed to have a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. This testimony of the inner witness of the love of Christ seemed to elude him.
He was reading his Bible. The words became life to Him as the Spirit of God spoke to Charles of his need for confession, repentance and faith in Christ’s works on the cross. On May 20, 1738, around midnight, Charles Wesley was saved. His journal reads "I now found myself at peace with God, and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ..... I saw that by faith I stood, by the continual support of faith.......I went to bed still sensible of my own weakness....yet confident of Christ's protection." On the following day, Charles strength began to return. He also commenced what proved to be the one of the first of some 6,000 hymns! He found the assurance of salvation that he never had before. It was the difference between a religion he followed, and a savior whom he now knew in a personal way. It is amazing that God would stoop to save each of us!
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Oct 27
Verses Col 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
Alienation
In a Peanut’s cartoon Lucy addressed Snoopy: “There are times when you really bug me, but there are also times when I feel like giving you a hug.” Snoopy replied, “That’s the way I am, huggable and buggable.”
We all have our huggable days but we may have more buggable days. Did you ever alienate anyone with your buggableness or by bugging them?
One of the thoughts that we were looking at yesterday was the way in which Charles Wesley saw his sin and his need of a savior. He know about Christ, but did not have a personal relationship with him. When he repented things changed dramatically. He was overwhelmed by God’s great love for him.
Paul also was aware of the life he lived apart of Jesus. In fact all people start there.
A couple I was visiting was trying to get some insights in the differences of their church backgrounds. After describing the importance of making a commitment to Christ, the man wanted to summarize what he heard as a difference between the two churches. He drew a box that he called “salvation” and a person outside of that box. He understood me to say in effect we start outside the box and need to make a commitment and confession before we are “in the box”. Whereas at this other church we start in the box as a baby and much make some decision or action that moves us out of the box.
I had not heard it shared that way before. I told him I couldn’t answer for the other pastor, (without getting into the argument of the age of accountability) I said we do begin with a sinful nature that separates us from a holy and righteous God. IT is only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ whereby we are made clean from sin and acceptable to Him. When we apply by faith His work for us on the cross can we be born again.
All of us were alienated from God. We were his enemies. Alienation sometimes happens between people because of some action or words that were shared that resulted in people no longer having a relationship together. People are no longer friends. Some have become enemies.
It could be that you have done something against another person whereby they no longer want to have anything to do with you. Did you ever know someone that just irritated you to the point where you couldn’t stand to be around them?
We are all alienated God with our minds and actions. We all have sinned and do sin. And because God is totally holy and cannot sin, it’s hard for Him to be in our presence. We have alienated Him with our sins and sinful nature. But that’s where everybody starts out before the cleansing blood of Christ is applied. Can you imagine sinful people presented God as Holy? There is something in the Greek that we don’t see in the English there is an intensifier on the word now. You once where far away from God but now…it’s different – but now through God’s amazing grace you’ve been given a new position – now you’re not far away from God but you’re in Christ.
Paul wants us to catch the gravity of our plight that we once were headed for doom, but through Christ we are headed for eternal bliss. If Christians could catch the vision of where they were headed and where they are now it would change the whole perspective of our Christian life. You were once hell bound. You were lost without any hope because you aliened God by your sin. You can justify yourself all you want, but until you saw your situation of standing condemned you will have a hard to appreciation the extent to which God went to change your direction. You once were doomed but you’ve been saved. You were not saved from loneliness, or hopelessness; you were saved from God’s wrath.
Even as believers we sometimes decide to live apart from Gods’ grace and truth and wonder where God is. We may be saved, but do not have the closeness nor love that we once had. We can again.
I think the opposite of alienation is united in friendship, close in love. That is God’s plan for you and me.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 28
Verses – Col 1:22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-
Reconciliation
Some of the thoughts for devotions on this passage have been with the help of Pastor Steve Shepherd’s sermon “The Cleaning Process.”
The teacher was checking her student’s knowledge of proverbs. “Cleanliness is next to what?” she asked. A small boy replied with real feeling: “Impossible.” Sometimes cleanliness does seem nearly impossible. I’m talking about soul cleanliness. Why does it seem impossible at times? Because sin is so strong, so never-ending. It appears that even once we are cleansed from sin it comes right back. It is so very hard to overcome certain sins: greed, lust, ill will, anger, gossip, etc. It is a never-ending battle. As a father came home from his work he saw his little daughter who had been playing in the mud. He said to her, “Honey, you’re pretty dirty.” In her childish way she replied, “Yes, I know daddy, but I’m prettier clean.” And we all are prettier when we are clean!
When Paul realized his lost condition there was nothing he could do about it. He was among the most zealous of religious men. He did all he could to be right with God but his sin separated him from God. But by God’s grace he was met in a dramatic manner on the road to Damascus and was reconciled with God by faith in Jesus Christ. We hope and pray that people will get reconciled to God through Christ death on the cross. Christ died to make it possible to come into God’s presence and have fellowship with Him. Christ died to cleanse us and make us pure in God’s eyes and unite us with Him.
One New Year’s Eve at London’s Garrick Club, British dramatist Frederick Lonsdale was asked by Seymour Hicks to reconcile with a fellow member. The two had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship. "You must," Hicks said to Lonsdale. "It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go over now and wish him a happy New Year." So Lonsdale crossed the room and spoke to his enemy. "I wish you a happy New Year," he said, "but only one." That’s not exactly what we would call full reconciliation. However, there may be some people that want that kind of reconciliation with God. I mean they may not want full or complete reconciliation and only want minimal fellowship with God and His church.
Frankly, some people just don’t want to get too close to God and go to church very much. Maybe they would be afraid that God will spoil their fun and plus it will cost them some money as well. Some people just don’t want to get too religious!
True reconciliation means that we believe in Christ and trust in His death on the cross to save us from our sins. We believe, we trust and we surrender by faith and obedience. We do what Christ asks us to do: repent, be baptized, seek His will in life, and commit to serve Him. And some people don’t want to do these things. Some people don’t want that kind of reconciliation or commitment.
The cross of Jesus brings us together with God for all eternity. With reconciliation also comes cleansing from all our sins, or reconciliation would not be possible.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Thurs Oct 29
Verse- Col 1:23 “If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”
Perseverance
Paul speaks of becoming holy in V. 22 and then he says, “If you continue in your faith…” Continuance is vitally important. Perseverance is part of being saved. Real faith is always a faith that is tested. This is not to be misunderstood as works salvation. It is rather the fruit of faith.
When Abraham was justified by faith there was nothing he did to earn grace. God initiated goodness upon him. But it is a mistake to think the path of obedience is without struggle. He was called upon to give God commitment of heart, mind, soul and spirit. He was tested through obedience to give up his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. God provided a substitute. Abraham did not put something of lesser value on that altar than what God told him. His walk was a faith walk believing that God would do what is best. It is active trust, not passive trust. Do we really believe?
Reconciliation came at a price. Christ’s physical body went through suffering and through death. What Paul is saying here is that salvation; even though it’s free it came at a great cost. Faith is the opposite of what health and wealth preachers teach. Instead of demanding more from God we are pleased to follow wherever and however He leads and that path will be through the valley of the shadow of death. That death will not only be physical in order to gain the glories of heaven, but it is the death of ego, self, greed, lusts, pride, desires that are focused on the counterfeit pleasures of this world.
Abraham was rich. But yet the Bible said he possessed nothing. There was nothing that was his, it was all God’s and so he could freely give up anything since it wasn’t his anyway.
I get very upset over the teaching of liberal pastors. Ralph Milton helps many pastors in his writings and teachings. Concerning the sacrifice of Jesus he wrote, “I don’t pretend to understand the Hebrew sacrificial system. The whole culture seems to have been living with a huge sense of guilt. Maybe we could do with a bit of that – a sense that we do carry the blame for what is happening in the world especially the suffering from several diseases and starvation n Africa. And I’m quite sure, if we really wanted to, we could find a better solution than killing an animal or a human, even if the human was Jesus of Nazareth.”
He teaches pastors that the cross was really a faulted system. When we bear the guilt of not feeding Africa, guilt is appropriate, but not the guilt that most of us carry for sinning against our brothers and sisters and against God.
Ignoring the poor is corporate sin. Discrimination is corporate sin. Pollution is corporate sin. All of which should be addressed in individual ways, but lying, stealing, sex outside of marriage, covetousness, ignoring God’s lordship in our personal lives are individual matters that also required the death of Jesus in order to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Now we need to continue in order to “take up your cross daily and follow me.”
When God called Paul to go to preach in unreached lands there was persecution, hardships, beatings, hunger, and discouragement. But the gift of this pearl of great price was so valuable that his passion was to share it at no personal advantage to himself from an earthly perspective but amazing value to his heart and soul in relationship to God and in the strengthening of his faith. He was full of joy in jail. He was full of praise in prison. He was singing in suffering. He was persevering in persecution.
Why? He tells us in II Tim. 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
The lies of Satan are to give up. The strength of the Spirit is to look up. If you are going through hardships, difficulties, discouragement then exercise the faith given to you. Trust in the one who promises to sustain you in your obedience.
The hymn writer said it well. “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.”
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Fri Oct 30
Verses- Col. 1:22 “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
Glorification
Do we understand that from which we have been saved?
Last Tuesday at the Grindstone semi-annual meeting, Pastor Ivan Fiske spoke on the importance of two paths, two people, and two destinies from Matt 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
There is a broad path. The gate is popular; it is pleasurable; it is man-pleasing. There is a narrow gate that is hard, difficult, and unattractive from an earthly point of view.
There are two types of people- The many and the few. Multitudes of people follow the wide path. They seek the journey that is easy. It has little demands and little responsibility. It is self fulfilling. It is about the good life and uses religious ways to accomplish that. The are not many who are willing to give up the control and priorities of their life to another, Jesus Christ. They want to decide what to do and when to do it for the Lord and the concept of servant hood is unattractive. There are those who love sin and others who seek holiness. Those who want God and live however they want, and others who love God and delight in pleasing Him in all they do and say.
But the bottom line is destruction, devastation, and eternal suffering. You cannot sugar coat hell. It is real and it is where most people go. The second destination is heaven with glory and pleasure, peace and fulfillment forever more.
We tend to lose those eternal truths when only half of the story is told. When people find this journey is hard, they quit and go down the wide path. When people see the destination as heaven and hell and the unbelievable difference, there is joy and peace in the security knowing they are bound for glory and all their sin and condemnation has been taken away by the blood of Jesus. We are not holy and without blemish. There is no reason of holding anything against us for Jesus saved us from damnation.
The destiny of everyone who has put his or her faith in Christ has now been radically changed. Our salvation came at a high cost. Now you are presented to the father as a bride prepared for her husband, pure and holy in his sight. It is a love commitment in which there is joy and fulfillment forever more.
Now there are a lot of things you could accuse me of and rightly so, and not only that but the devil is the accuser of all Christians. But because of Christ death on the cross I have been acquitted of all charges, and no accusations will hold up. Now there awaits us the joy of our salvation. By grace we inherit all that God has prepared in glory. This truth so excites Paul that many commentaries say much of what he is writing is a hymn of praise for the hope that is our in Chirst. Glory is a place of great reward. It is that hope that kept him going. It is also ours, all because of God’s amazing love!
Pastor Dale
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Jesus is Lord of All Col 1:15-20
Sermon Nuggets Mon Oct 19
Theme- JESUS IS LORD OF ALL
Verses: Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is Lord of All
A little boy was drawing on the floor one day as his mother was working. She said to him "What are you drawing? He said, "I'm drawing a picture of God. "But no one knows what God looks like." she said, "They will when I get through" the boy replied.
Lots of people like to draw pictures of God and tell us what to believe about Him. "It really doesn't make any difference what we believe as long as we are sincere.” Or “All the religions are different roads to the same place”, or “basically we are all worshiping the same God and if we are good enough we do not have anything to worry about.”
Isn't the aim of every religious system to lead people to a better life?" No. The aim is to seek truth. Islam teaches that Allah has no son. Christianity teaches that God does and Jesus, God's Son, is the only way to Him. Both cannot be right. When one religion teaches that man is good and in fact divine, the Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Both cannot be right. It is foolish to think sincerity makes it true.
While attending Michigan State University I minored in Philosophy. It was interesting to hear the continued debates about the various philosophies as a search for truth.
The area near Colossia a Gentile community was very enamored by new thoughts, philosophy and theology. When much was being said about Jesus various people speculated as to who this one probably was. It had an impact on society for news about him traveled all over. He amazed people, attracted crowds wherever he went. He spoke with authority. They were impressed with His knowledge of Scripture. Enemies say he was possessed by the devil and performed miracles by his power.
There were philosophers in the area of Colossae who believed that spiritual things were good and physical material things were evil.
Therefore when they heard about Jesus and his claims, like that little boy drawing pictures on the floor, they recreated him according to their own idea. Some determined that Jesus must be another angel. Some concluded if Jesus was divine he could not be also a man for a human body was evil. They taught that the spiritual manifestation came on him after baptism and left him before crucifixion. These Gnostics were influencing the Colossian church.
There was a young Jew who was caught up in much of the debate and philosophy of the day. Saul was zealous for God. He learned the Shema, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" from Deut 6:4. When discussions about Jesus started surfacing he couldn't believe what he heard. The rumors that this man could do miracles and claimed to be God was upsetting to any learned Jew.
I have heard people talk about religious leaders today who can perform miracles and is divine. Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unificaton church was in the news again. At the age of 90 he was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of his church. He teaches he is the Messiah. He fooled many evangelicals in the 60s until his teachings became public. In honor of his accomplishments he preformed a mass wedding for over 20,000 people last week. The marriages were arranged within the church.
I can sympathize with Saul when I hear of people claiming to be the Messiah like Rev Moon. Only Saul saw Jesus as a rabble rouser who was causing all kinds of trouble in Israel. He was upset Jesus was committing blasphemy was worthy of death. He was upset that people were listening to this new religion.
But what makes the difference between someone like Rev Moon and Jesus? In one moment Saul’s life did 180 degree turn around. On the Damascus Road he surrounded by a blinding light and heard a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Then Saul asks this question, "Who are you Lord?" As He found out who Jesus was. He changed his own life as well as his name, and here states his discovery of who Jesus is.
The life and works of Jesus have never been duplicated. The fulfillment of the prophecies of the Scriptures written 1,000 years earlier are unprecedented. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those who commit their live to follow Jesus confirms the seal of God on our lives. Saul was changed to Paul and in this letter spells out why Jesus is Lord over all and there is no other.
Other religious leaders come and go. Other religious leaders have a place where their bones are buried. There is only one who is above all others and His name is Jesus.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Oct 20
Verses- Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
JESUS IS LORD OF CREATION
Paul tells them openly Jesus is the image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation. The word "image" in Greek means representation, or reproduction with precise likeness, derived from a prototype. In other words, Christ is the exact likeness of God. Jesus not only shows what God is, but what man should be. Man was created in God's image. That doesn't mean eyes, nose, hands, and feet. That means the character. Man could love, man could think, man has a spirit and power. The question is how does he use that? Man has a free will, though limited to be sure. With sin, man marred that image, and now Christ came not only representing the image of God. Christ is holy as God is, man is not; Christ is all knowing as God is, man is not; Christ is perfect in all ways. He is all powerful. His human limitation kept him from being everywhere or all present of course, but the image. So is written. "You who have seen me have seen the Father. I and the Father are one."
He is "the firstborn over all creation." That doesn't mean as the Jehovah Witnesses assume that Christ was the first created being. That is a title that the people knew in that day meant preeminence or power or authority over all creation. The firstborn of all Jewish family became its head. So Christ is the head of creation with greater authority. He began it, governs it, judges it, and obedience is not an option, but eternal mandate. Psalm 89:27 (or 26) uses that idea saying of Solomon, "I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth." How could David say that of Solomon if in fact he was not the first born? He had older sons, it was term of prominence, meaning he will be over all my kingdom and greater of all kings and speaking of Solomon also becomes a prophecy of Christ. Or again in Exodus 4:22 Lord calls Israel the firstborn of God meaning they were his chosen, honored, favored of God.
To the Gnostics false teachers, Paul is saying God loves the physical creation. The physical is not evil. In fact God himself came to earth in the physical body as the baby Jesus, this one who was also the creator of the universe. Jesus is above all, He created all even these things you think are spiritual manifestations.
The creator is mentioned also in John 1:1-4. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning...He was more than what their mind was making him. He created all things. No wonder the winds and waves obeyed Jesus. No wonder he could heal. No wonder he could walk on water. No wonder he could curse a fig tree and it whither and die. He created all things.
For all things were created by him and for him. I made a pot at camp. New attempt brought alive that passage in Bible of pot and clay, and vessels that aren't right and clumping all together and try again. I did that so many times. Until finally one worked. Getting the technique on the potters wheel. I was making a bowl. something to use to put stuff in. It was made by me and for me. The way I wanted it to be that I might either sit back and admire it, no one else would, or put food in it, or give it away if I want.
Jesus created all things and all things made by him and for him. We are like those pots for Christ's use, are we being used for his glory, or for ours. If it is cracked and unusable it must be discarded. Are you a vessel of use for Christ for we are part of his creation. The Greeks taught all things needed a prime cause, instrumental cause, and final cause. Or a plan and a separate power and separate purpose. Paul saying Jesus is all three here. He planned it and created it for he was before it. He produced it, and did it for His pleasure which was His purpose.
So creation is good and is used for God's glory and enjoyed by God's people. We understand as we compare other verses that the Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit were involved in Creation. It is not evil as the Gnostics were trying to say. He holds all things together. He is the reason all this exists and consists. All the laws that hold the world together came from Him to express the mind of Christ. The law of gravity the scientific laws of consequence, that we have a reliable and dependable universe We have Christ to thank.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 21
Verses- Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Jesus is Lord of Powers
My devotional today can be troubling. It is meant to show the victory of our Lord over the events of the world. The world is in tremendous conflict as we approach the end times. The conflict is not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities of the dark forces.
According to a lecture on Oct 14th at Bethel University, Englishman Lord Christopher Monckton spoke on a proposed turn over of nations’ sovereignty in a treaty to be signed in Copenhagen, Denmark this December. President Obama promised to sign the treaty with many other countries that promotes a world government. In part it will be created to transfer monies from Western countries to third world countries for penalty of abusing C02 emissions. If what he says is true it takes precedent over our constitution. It cannot be reversed without the other member countries agreement. We will have lost more freedom. You can judge for yourself as it is recorded on Youtube.com.
There is a lot to be troubled over in this world. We have inflation. We have recession, unemployment, war, loss of savings, loss of jobs, as well as the larges debt that would be impossible to pay off for years and years if ever. The definition of marriage is changing. Restrictions on freedoms are increasing.
There is much over which people can feel despair. But the Word of God has something to stay to us loud and clear. Jesus Christ is Lord over all powers and authorities. The United States, nor armies of the world, nor powers of hell can change that fact. In a breath God does what God chooses to do when God chooses to do it.
As I am reviewing the stories of Exodus in the sermon series Sunday so we see illustrated God’s plan to redeem his people. In spite of the greatest forces of the world at that time, who could have predicted the waters parting and returning to free and destroy those whom God chose?
The fact of the matter is that tribulation is predicted in the Bible. There will be mass starvation, plagues, persecution, world government, inflation, and war. If nothing else the events upon us are pointers to the realities written 1,000s of years ago in the Word of God. Where is our comfort? It is in the sovereignty of God and putting our faith in Him and His truth alone. He is Lord.
His Lordship includes more than stars, galaxies planets and trees, grass and seas. It includes both visible and invisible. It would include all forces.
Electricity and nuclear power was invented by Jesus as the eternal Son of God before the creation of the world. It would include radiation, magnetism, and movement of electrons from one level of energy to another. He is Lord over all powers. He is one whose ability by far is superior and faster than the greatest computer
Jesus is Lord of the Universe whether we like it or not, or whether we recognize it or not. Let's remember who we worship.
The truth that we tend to forget is this world is passing away. God is preparing an eternal kingdom that by faith and commitment to His Lordship wins for us salvation and blessing that far outweighs anything w have experienced. The players on the world scene are but pawns in the plan of God. There are no surprises to Him. We do what we do to serve Him with our best understanding by doing works of love and ever responsibilities as citizens. But be of good cheer. Jesus says, “I have over come the world”.
When you life gets upside down. Remember who wins. Remember who you serve. Remember Jesus is Lord
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 22
Theme- Jesus is Lord of All
Verse- Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Jesus is Lord of the Church
It stands to reason that if He is Lord of all He is Lord of the church. But this is a point that Paul wants to make very clear. Jesus is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he might have supremacy. That is the key verse to this passage. In everything He might be preeminent. God has actually given us a model to carry around with us, our own body, so that we may understand how the church is to function. The church is a body, and we all have bodies. The church has a head, and we too have heads. To understand the church and how it should function, think about your own body and how it functions. If you stand in front of a mirror you will see this knob up on top, with more or less hair, we call the head. It is the control center of the body. The rest of the body with things sticking out is all part of the trunk. If you had your head removed, nothing would work. You'd be dead.
When I was part of Trade Lake Baptist Church people were willing to give away some of their vegetables at the end of gardening season. We decided to set up a World Relief table when anyone who wanted to give something could and if anyone wanted to pick something up they could. If they wanted to make a donation all the money went to world relief. It was mostly on the honor system with a table outdoors by the road so people could stop whether or not they were part of the church family.
While was sitting at the table for a short time someone stopped by and asked if they could drop off anything even if it wasn't fruit or veggies. I said, “sure”. She returned with four live chickens in two cages. Someone stopped and took two. When the afternoon was done there were two chickens still there. So I put some money in the pot and brought them home.
I contacted the people who donated them and asked, “Now what do I do with these things?”
They said come on over and we'll show you how to kill prepare them. My mother was visited us and came out to the farm and took a picture of me with my first attempt as a city slicker chopping the head off a chicken. Now I've always heard of people running around with their heads cut off but that was the first time I had seen it. We tied the bodies on the fence to bleed while the body was still shaking without heads.
Some churches have lost their head and running around with activity but without the head.
Jesus isn't a dead leader whose body is in the grave like Mohammad, Buddha, Joseph Smith, or Jim Jones. Jesus is alive today. He is the source and origin of the body of believers. The church is not organized by men, or denominations. God may use people but if it is the body of Christ it is Jesus who heads it up. He is Lord of all for he is victorious over even death itself and will reign eternally. It is essential that the church have its Head in place and functioning, giving direction, maintaining order, solving difficulties. Jesus is the one who does that and the Word and Spirit gives us His will and direction.
You are the church. Each individual is directly related to the Head. He wants to direct each of us in our activities. That is where the church truly functions, not only in a building on Sunday morning. We function in our homes, schools, work places and neighborhoods.
I read an article by Juan Carlos Oritz from Argentina talking about the Argentinean church. He wrote in his book, Disciple,"One of the things we did right away was to change the focus of our message. Instead of urging people to come to Christ for all the blessings they would receive. We began to preach that people should come to Christ for Christ alone, not for a miracle, a blessing. We simply went back to preaching the person of Christ. One of the difficulties with our former worship was that people come to be blessed rather than bless. They come for self-service rather than His service. They come to take from the Lord instead of presenting themselves to the Lord as Paul talks about in Romans 12. Anything that takes the place of the Lord is wrong. For lots of people the structure takes the place of Jesus. They become meeting-centered instead of Christ-centered."
Do people come for videos movies, special singing groups, musicians, famous speakers, Christian celebrities or is Jesus the Lord of the church and the reason why we come? We can use all those things to attract people, but to seek church growth on what interests most people is like building on fluff. We need to have a relationship with Christ as Lord and if He is, those things don't matter. There is a big difference between being a believer in Jesus and a follower of Him. As Lord we submit to His authority and serve Him.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Fri Oct 23
Verses- Col 1:16-20 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is LORD of Your Life
Conversion is the procress of not only accepting Christ to save you from sin, but to change you from sin and into a relationship with God. Conversion involves turning away from evil deeds and false worship and turning toward serving and worshiping the Lord. Conversion marks a person's entrance into a new relationship with God, forgiveness of sins, and his new life as a part of the fellowship of the people of God. Conversion is more than the exchange of one set of beliefs for another; it is a wholehearted turning to God.
The experience of conversion may differ with various individuals. The apostle Paul's conversion was sudden and radical, while the conversion of Lydia Acts 16:14-15 was apparently gradual and gentle. But the results of conversion are always a clear change of attitude and a new direction for life.
Conversion refers to the change of one's mind about God. But there was something that needed to be done before conversion was possible. It was the price for reconciliation. For salvation is of God and the Lord was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ. He was pleased because it was through Jesus that we can be reconciled to God. Whether things on earth or things in heaven, reconciliation is being brought into a right relationship. We need forgiveness so we can be friends again. This was done through the peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
There is only one who claims that he is both God and man. Because Jesus is both God and man he is able to bridge the gap to reconcile to Himself all things. There is a day coming when the hostility of evil against righteousness will be brought to a sudden halt. Satan and his demons will cease their activity.
Realizing that Jesus is Lord of all creation and Lord of the church brings us to this question personally. Is He Lord of your career, your home, are you living for Him, or for self, for Jesus or materialism, for Christ or for friends, for children, or marriage or for our Savior. Is He Lord of our attitudes including the church, our parents, our children, our attitudes about mothers-in-law, our neighbors, other races, other people in need materially, emotionally.
Pastor Jan Hettenga in his book. 'Follow Me' was relating the story of a conversation he had with a man he calls Jerry. Jerry had prayed the prayer to receive Jesus as his savior when he was 12. He messed up his life the booze, two divorces, gambling debts But she said to Jan "I've always been a Christian in my heart." Jan replied, Frankly Jerry, From what you've been telling me, it doesn't look like Christ has figured in any of your decision making at all. I don't doubt that you love Jesus and your ex-wives and your kids whom you can't see because of restraining order, but your story reveals to me that you love yourself a whole lot more than any of them."
"Well preacher, you sound just like my exes and my current live-in too for that matter. You don't know how I feel toward God and that's what matters."
"Sure you have a sentimental soft spot in your emotions for Jesus but it had to be on the same level you have felt for your favorite teddy bear when you were a child. You act as if you are in the driver’s seat of your life. God just evokes a warm feeling but you have no allegiance to God. Jesus make no difference in your decision making process. He hasn't been allowed to change your behavior. God wants to be God. He wants Jesus to be your Leader. He designed you to function best under His direction. That is what the kingdom is all about. What if you were to give Jesus complete control of your life? What if you totally surrendered to Him? What if you began to follow Him as your leader what do you sense would happen?”
"I suppose I'd have to make my child-support payment and wouldn't be able to make the card game at the poker club tonight and I've have to dump the bottle I've got stashed in the car, and I'd have to move out of Carol's place today."
They sat in silence as counted the cost of real conversion and repentance. Coming to Jesus Christ is coming to Him on his terms not ours. When Jesus calls you to His Kingdom he is calling us to making him Lord.
Where do I change? Pastor Jan lead him in the Lord's prayer, "Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Three years later Jerry has followed through on his surrender of control of his life to Christ. His life has changed dramatically. How about you?
Pastor Dale
Theme- JESUS IS LORD OF ALL
Verses: Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is Lord of All
A little boy was drawing on the floor one day as his mother was working. She said to him "What are you drawing? He said, "I'm drawing a picture of God. "But no one knows what God looks like." she said, "They will when I get through" the boy replied.
Lots of people like to draw pictures of God and tell us what to believe about Him. "It really doesn't make any difference what we believe as long as we are sincere.” Or “All the religions are different roads to the same place”, or “basically we are all worshiping the same God and if we are good enough we do not have anything to worry about.”
Isn't the aim of every religious system to lead people to a better life?" No. The aim is to seek truth. Islam teaches that Allah has no son. Christianity teaches that God does and Jesus, God's Son, is the only way to Him. Both cannot be right. When one religion teaches that man is good and in fact divine, the Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Both cannot be right. It is foolish to think sincerity makes it true.
While attending Michigan State University I minored in Philosophy. It was interesting to hear the continued debates about the various philosophies as a search for truth.
The area near Colossia a Gentile community was very enamored by new thoughts, philosophy and theology. When much was being said about Jesus various people speculated as to who this one probably was. It had an impact on society for news about him traveled all over. He amazed people, attracted crowds wherever he went. He spoke with authority. They were impressed with His knowledge of Scripture. Enemies say he was possessed by the devil and performed miracles by his power.
There were philosophers in the area of Colossae who believed that spiritual things were good and physical material things were evil.
Therefore when they heard about Jesus and his claims, like that little boy drawing pictures on the floor, they recreated him according to their own idea. Some determined that Jesus must be another angel. Some concluded if Jesus was divine he could not be also a man for a human body was evil. They taught that the spiritual manifestation came on him after baptism and left him before crucifixion. These Gnostics were influencing the Colossian church.
There was a young Jew who was caught up in much of the debate and philosophy of the day. Saul was zealous for God. He learned the Shema, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" from Deut 6:4. When discussions about Jesus started surfacing he couldn't believe what he heard. The rumors that this man could do miracles and claimed to be God was upsetting to any learned Jew.
I have heard people talk about religious leaders today who can perform miracles and is divine. Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unificaton church was in the news again. At the age of 90 he was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of his church. He teaches he is the Messiah. He fooled many evangelicals in the 60s until his teachings became public. In honor of his accomplishments he preformed a mass wedding for over 20,000 people last week. The marriages were arranged within the church.
I can sympathize with Saul when I hear of people claiming to be the Messiah like Rev Moon. Only Saul saw Jesus as a rabble rouser who was causing all kinds of trouble in Israel. He was upset Jesus was committing blasphemy was worthy of death. He was upset that people were listening to this new religion.
But what makes the difference between someone like Rev Moon and Jesus? In one moment Saul’s life did 180 degree turn around. On the Damascus Road he surrounded by a blinding light and heard a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Then Saul asks this question, "Who are you Lord?" As He found out who Jesus was. He changed his own life as well as his name, and here states his discovery of who Jesus is.
The life and works of Jesus have never been duplicated. The fulfillment of the prophecies of the Scriptures written 1,000 years earlier are unprecedented. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those who commit their live to follow Jesus confirms the seal of God on our lives. Saul was changed to Paul and in this letter spells out why Jesus is Lord over all and there is no other.
Other religious leaders come and go. Other religious leaders have a place where their bones are buried. There is only one who is above all others and His name is Jesus.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Oct 20
Verses- Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
JESUS IS LORD OF CREATION
Paul tells them openly Jesus is the image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation. The word "image" in Greek means representation, or reproduction with precise likeness, derived from a prototype. In other words, Christ is the exact likeness of God. Jesus not only shows what God is, but what man should be. Man was created in God's image. That doesn't mean eyes, nose, hands, and feet. That means the character. Man could love, man could think, man has a spirit and power. The question is how does he use that? Man has a free will, though limited to be sure. With sin, man marred that image, and now Christ came not only representing the image of God. Christ is holy as God is, man is not; Christ is all knowing as God is, man is not; Christ is perfect in all ways. He is all powerful. His human limitation kept him from being everywhere or all present of course, but the image. So is written. "You who have seen me have seen the Father. I and the Father are one."
He is "the firstborn over all creation." That doesn't mean as the Jehovah Witnesses assume that Christ was the first created being. That is a title that the people knew in that day meant preeminence or power or authority over all creation. The firstborn of all Jewish family became its head. So Christ is the head of creation with greater authority. He began it, governs it, judges it, and obedience is not an option, but eternal mandate. Psalm 89:27 (or 26) uses that idea saying of Solomon, "I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth." How could David say that of Solomon if in fact he was not the first born? He had older sons, it was term of prominence, meaning he will be over all my kingdom and greater of all kings and speaking of Solomon also becomes a prophecy of Christ. Or again in Exodus 4:22 Lord calls Israel the firstborn of God meaning they were his chosen, honored, favored of God.
To the Gnostics false teachers, Paul is saying God loves the physical creation. The physical is not evil. In fact God himself came to earth in the physical body as the baby Jesus, this one who was also the creator of the universe. Jesus is above all, He created all even these things you think are spiritual manifestations.
The creator is mentioned also in John 1:1-4. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning...He was more than what their mind was making him. He created all things. No wonder the winds and waves obeyed Jesus. No wonder he could heal. No wonder he could walk on water. No wonder he could curse a fig tree and it whither and die. He created all things.
For all things were created by him and for him. I made a pot at camp. New attempt brought alive that passage in Bible of pot and clay, and vessels that aren't right and clumping all together and try again. I did that so many times. Until finally one worked. Getting the technique on the potters wheel. I was making a bowl. something to use to put stuff in. It was made by me and for me. The way I wanted it to be that I might either sit back and admire it, no one else would, or put food in it, or give it away if I want.
Jesus created all things and all things made by him and for him. We are like those pots for Christ's use, are we being used for his glory, or for ours. If it is cracked and unusable it must be discarded. Are you a vessel of use for Christ for we are part of his creation. The Greeks taught all things needed a prime cause, instrumental cause, and final cause. Or a plan and a separate power and separate purpose. Paul saying Jesus is all three here. He planned it and created it for he was before it. He produced it, and did it for His pleasure which was His purpose.
So creation is good and is used for God's glory and enjoyed by God's people. We understand as we compare other verses that the Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit were involved in Creation. It is not evil as the Gnostics were trying to say. He holds all things together. He is the reason all this exists and consists. All the laws that hold the world together came from Him to express the mind of Christ. The law of gravity the scientific laws of consequence, that we have a reliable and dependable universe We have Christ to thank.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 21
Verses- Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Jesus is Lord of Powers
My devotional today can be troubling. It is meant to show the victory of our Lord over the events of the world. The world is in tremendous conflict as we approach the end times. The conflict is not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities of the dark forces.
According to a lecture on Oct 14th at Bethel University, Englishman Lord Christopher Monckton spoke on a proposed turn over of nations’ sovereignty in a treaty to be signed in Copenhagen, Denmark this December. President Obama promised to sign the treaty with many other countries that promotes a world government. In part it will be created to transfer monies from Western countries to third world countries for penalty of abusing C02 emissions. If what he says is true it takes precedent over our constitution. It cannot be reversed without the other member countries agreement. We will have lost more freedom. You can judge for yourself as it is recorded on Youtube.com.
There is a lot to be troubled over in this world. We have inflation. We have recession, unemployment, war, loss of savings, loss of jobs, as well as the larges debt that would be impossible to pay off for years and years if ever. The definition of marriage is changing. Restrictions on freedoms are increasing.
There is much over which people can feel despair. But the Word of God has something to stay to us loud and clear. Jesus Christ is Lord over all powers and authorities. The United States, nor armies of the world, nor powers of hell can change that fact. In a breath God does what God chooses to do when God chooses to do it.
As I am reviewing the stories of Exodus in the sermon series Sunday so we see illustrated God’s plan to redeem his people. In spite of the greatest forces of the world at that time, who could have predicted the waters parting and returning to free and destroy those whom God chose?
The fact of the matter is that tribulation is predicted in the Bible. There will be mass starvation, plagues, persecution, world government, inflation, and war. If nothing else the events upon us are pointers to the realities written 1,000s of years ago in the Word of God. Where is our comfort? It is in the sovereignty of God and putting our faith in Him and His truth alone. He is Lord.
His Lordship includes more than stars, galaxies planets and trees, grass and seas. It includes both visible and invisible. It would include all forces.
Electricity and nuclear power was invented by Jesus as the eternal Son of God before the creation of the world. It would include radiation, magnetism, and movement of electrons from one level of energy to another. He is Lord over all powers. He is one whose ability by far is superior and faster than the greatest computer
Jesus is Lord of the Universe whether we like it or not, or whether we recognize it or not. Let's remember who we worship.
The truth that we tend to forget is this world is passing away. God is preparing an eternal kingdom that by faith and commitment to His Lordship wins for us salvation and blessing that far outweighs anything w have experienced. The players on the world scene are but pawns in the plan of God. There are no surprises to Him. We do what we do to serve Him with our best understanding by doing works of love and ever responsibilities as citizens. But be of good cheer. Jesus says, “I have over come the world”.
When you life gets upside down. Remember who wins. Remember who you serve. Remember Jesus is Lord
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 22
Theme- Jesus is Lord of All
Verse- Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Jesus is Lord of the Church
It stands to reason that if He is Lord of all He is Lord of the church. But this is a point that Paul wants to make very clear. Jesus is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he might have supremacy. That is the key verse to this passage. In everything He might be preeminent. God has actually given us a model to carry around with us, our own body, so that we may understand how the church is to function. The church is a body, and we all have bodies. The church has a head, and we too have heads. To understand the church and how it should function, think about your own body and how it functions. If you stand in front of a mirror you will see this knob up on top, with more or less hair, we call the head. It is the control center of the body. The rest of the body with things sticking out is all part of the trunk. If you had your head removed, nothing would work. You'd be dead.
When I was part of Trade Lake Baptist Church people were willing to give away some of their vegetables at the end of gardening season. We decided to set up a World Relief table when anyone who wanted to give something could and if anyone wanted to pick something up they could. If they wanted to make a donation all the money went to world relief. It was mostly on the honor system with a table outdoors by the road so people could stop whether or not they were part of the church family.
While was sitting at the table for a short time someone stopped by and asked if they could drop off anything even if it wasn't fruit or veggies. I said, “sure”. She returned with four live chickens in two cages. Someone stopped and took two. When the afternoon was done there were two chickens still there. So I put some money in the pot and brought them home.
I contacted the people who donated them and asked, “Now what do I do with these things?”
They said come on over and we'll show you how to kill prepare them. My mother was visited us and came out to the farm and took a picture of me with my first attempt as a city slicker chopping the head off a chicken. Now I've always heard of people running around with their heads cut off but that was the first time I had seen it. We tied the bodies on the fence to bleed while the body was still shaking without heads.
Some churches have lost their head and running around with activity but without the head.
Jesus isn't a dead leader whose body is in the grave like Mohammad, Buddha, Joseph Smith, or Jim Jones. Jesus is alive today. He is the source and origin of the body of believers. The church is not organized by men, or denominations. God may use people but if it is the body of Christ it is Jesus who heads it up. He is Lord of all for he is victorious over even death itself and will reign eternally. It is essential that the church have its Head in place and functioning, giving direction, maintaining order, solving difficulties. Jesus is the one who does that and the Word and Spirit gives us His will and direction.
You are the church. Each individual is directly related to the Head. He wants to direct each of us in our activities. That is where the church truly functions, not only in a building on Sunday morning. We function in our homes, schools, work places and neighborhoods.
I read an article by Juan Carlos Oritz from Argentina talking about the Argentinean church. He wrote in his book, Disciple,"One of the things we did right away was to change the focus of our message. Instead of urging people to come to Christ for all the blessings they would receive. We began to preach that people should come to Christ for Christ alone, not for a miracle, a blessing. We simply went back to preaching the person of Christ. One of the difficulties with our former worship was that people come to be blessed rather than bless. They come for self-service rather than His service. They come to take from the Lord instead of presenting themselves to the Lord as Paul talks about in Romans 12. Anything that takes the place of the Lord is wrong. For lots of people the structure takes the place of Jesus. They become meeting-centered instead of Christ-centered."
Do people come for videos movies, special singing groups, musicians, famous speakers, Christian celebrities or is Jesus the Lord of the church and the reason why we come? We can use all those things to attract people, but to seek church growth on what interests most people is like building on fluff. We need to have a relationship with Christ as Lord and if He is, those things don't matter. There is a big difference between being a believer in Jesus and a follower of Him. As Lord we submit to His authority and serve Him.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Fri Oct 23
Verses- Col 1:16-20 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is LORD of Your Life
Conversion is the procress of not only accepting Christ to save you from sin, but to change you from sin and into a relationship with God. Conversion involves turning away from evil deeds and false worship and turning toward serving and worshiping the Lord. Conversion marks a person's entrance into a new relationship with God, forgiveness of sins, and his new life as a part of the fellowship of the people of God. Conversion is more than the exchange of one set of beliefs for another; it is a wholehearted turning to God.
The experience of conversion may differ with various individuals. The apostle Paul's conversion was sudden and radical, while the conversion of Lydia Acts 16:14-15 was apparently gradual and gentle. But the results of conversion are always a clear change of attitude and a new direction for life.
Conversion refers to the change of one's mind about God. But there was something that needed to be done before conversion was possible. It was the price for reconciliation. For salvation is of God and the Lord was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ. He was pleased because it was through Jesus that we can be reconciled to God. Whether things on earth or things in heaven, reconciliation is being brought into a right relationship. We need forgiveness so we can be friends again. This was done through the peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
There is only one who claims that he is both God and man. Because Jesus is both God and man he is able to bridge the gap to reconcile to Himself all things. There is a day coming when the hostility of evil against righteousness will be brought to a sudden halt. Satan and his demons will cease their activity.
Realizing that Jesus is Lord of all creation and Lord of the church brings us to this question personally. Is He Lord of your career, your home, are you living for Him, or for self, for Jesus or materialism, for Christ or for friends, for children, or marriage or for our Savior. Is He Lord of our attitudes including the church, our parents, our children, our attitudes about mothers-in-law, our neighbors, other races, other people in need materially, emotionally.
Pastor Jan Hettenga in his book. 'Follow Me' was relating the story of a conversation he had with a man he calls Jerry. Jerry had prayed the prayer to receive Jesus as his savior when he was 12. He messed up his life the booze, two divorces, gambling debts But she said to Jan "I've always been a Christian in my heart." Jan replied, Frankly Jerry, From what you've been telling me, it doesn't look like Christ has figured in any of your decision making at all. I don't doubt that you love Jesus and your ex-wives and your kids whom you can't see because of restraining order, but your story reveals to me that you love yourself a whole lot more than any of them."
"Well preacher, you sound just like my exes and my current live-in too for that matter. You don't know how I feel toward God and that's what matters."
"Sure you have a sentimental soft spot in your emotions for Jesus but it had to be on the same level you have felt for your favorite teddy bear when you were a child. You act as if you are in the driver’s seat of your life. God just evokes a warm feeling but you have no allegiance to God. Jesus make no difference in your decision making process. He hasn't been allowed to change your behavior. God wants to be God. He wants Jesus to be your Leader. He designed you to function best under His direction. That is what the kingdom is all about. What if you were to give Jesus complete control of your life? What if you totally surrendered to Him? What if you began to follow Him as your leader what do you sense would happen?”
"I suppose I'd have to make my child-support payment and wouldn't be able to make the card game at the poker club tonight and I've have to dump the bottle I've got stashed in the car, and I'd have to move out of Carol's place today."
They sat in silence as counted the cost of real conversion and repentance. Coming to Jesus Christ is coming to Him on his terms not ours. When Jesus calls you to His Kingdom he is calling us to making him Lord.
Where do I change? Pastor Jan lead him in the Lord's prayer, "Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Three years later Jerry has followed through on his surrender of control of his life to Christ. His life has changed dramatically. How about you?
Pastor Dale
Friday, October 16, 2009
Prayer Requests Col 1:3-15
Sermon Nuggets week of Oct 12 Col 1:3-15
Sermon Nuggets Mon Oct 12
Theme- Prayer Requests
Verses- Col 1:3-8 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Prayer for Sowing of God's Word
Last week I started a series from the book of Colossians. As Paul heard about the stories of what was happening among a new church plant that he had never been to, he wanted to compliment them and also caution them. We will get to his word of caution as we go to another chapter, but the compliments are seeing the Christian essentials demonstration. In his prayers Paul offers his thanks to God for the way HE is working in their church. He prays for their growing faith, their real love, their enduring hope, and their abiding witness.
I am surprised that the prayers I read in the Bible such this apostle are so different than my prayers. If I was in Paul's shoes I would begin my letter to them by giving them a culturally appropriate compliment. "Dear friends in Christ" I am so happy to hear things are going well and God is blessing you."
Then I would say something like this, "As you know I have been put in jail because of my faith. Would you start your prayer chain and pray specifically that I can be released. Pray for me that I not be discouraged since this is taking so long and I can have strength for endurance."
Well I am in elementary school of prayer. Paul is on the college level. His experiences and walk with God have matured him to understand things I don't quite get yet. Paul has for us a great illustration of heartfelt prayer with depth that comes from an intimacy with the Lord.
Paul joy is greater than his personal circumstances. He is truly excited that so many people are becoming Christians, so instead of crossing them off his prayer list, he is prompted to pray unceasingly for them. This is what God desires of us all as well.
As we begin verse nine he says, "For this reason we have not stopped praying for you." What is the reason he prays for them? It is because they have responded to the truth of the Word of God as it was preached to them. This word is changing peoples’ lives. This word is giving to people understanding of who they might have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, Because of this word they have exhibited love, because of this word they have a hope and peace that they never had before. This is powerful.
Paul prays that this word be sown all over the world and that is done as people share it. That through our efforts together God's name is honored in our church and in our community.
The Word of God seems less important, less obvious and less central to many churches these days because the Bible offends people. But friends this truth is the good news of the love of God. It confronts us of sin, corrects us in wisdom, guides us in spiritual things, and my prayer is that it is central to the truth we preach and teach and follow. Pray for the sowing of God's Word that it will produce of harvest of righteousness.
I reflected over a prayer letter we received from Dr. Pat who ministers to Christians in persecuted areas of the world. She wrote how Christians in the Gaza Strip in Israel were in great need of Bibles. It is very difficult to get Bibles into that area. Through the efforts of Open Door ministries and Dr. Pat money such as we helped provide, purchased 500 bibles. Br Andrew himself the author of God Smuggler carried some of the Bibles. He said he almost broke his back carrying heavy plastic bags filled with Bibles that she provided. Two weeks later the Muslims burned the Baptist Library destroying 1,000 of books and many of the Bibles that were stored there ready to be given away.
She wrote “In the hands of our Palestinian Christian brothers, the Bible will reach the terrorist. Bring a terrorist to Christ, and he won't be a terrorist any more. We can make a difference by praying for them and by providing Bibles they need in order to bring others to Christ.”
Pray for these people and the people of the world that His word is sown and produces eternal fruit.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Tues Oct 13
Verses- Col 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Prayer for Knowing of God's Will
Paul is not praying that that God does the will of the petitioner but that the petitioner might know God’s will and do it. His prayer request is that God will fill them with the knowledge of God’s wisdom and God’s will. His prayer request is that they not just get a little knowledge in a small measure but saturated, and overflowing. We cannot achieve what it is God wants unless we first know about it.
I got a part time job I had as a 10th grader one summer. I was hired along with two other students to work in the music department of the high school to go through a whole stack of music and get them in order alphabetically. Well, we took the music and first divided them so according to the song. Then we saw the sheet music according to instruments and sorted it so all trumpets were together and all the flute music together of the same musical number and so forth. We noticed the conductors copy had the instruments in alphabetical order so we continued to categorize this big pile of unsorted music.
Every so often the director would stop in and see us working. Mr Arnoldi was surprised it was taking us so long. Finally one day he came in our room all upset and accused us of loafing and turning in hours not worked. I was feeling pretty low, accused of loafing and not doing a good job. We defended ourselves by showing him what we were doing.
Then he surprised us by telling us he didn't want that. All he wanted was for us to put the stacks of songs together and put each of the different song stacks in alphabetical order. The next day we were done.
The whole problem was a lack of communication and understanding. We were working diligently at something that was not his will. We didn't understand what he wanted us to do. Since he went over his budget we did not accomplish what he hoped to get done that summer in other areas.
So often we don't even ask what God's will is. Often we assume what we should do and forget to pray for direction and guidance. John 14:26 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all thing and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Do we wait to listen for the leading of God’s Spirit?
We begin knowing the will of God by reading the Bible and putting what we know into practice. It was Mark Twain who said, "it isn't he passage of the Bible that I don't understand that bother, me, it is the passages I do understand."
I get lots of requests from people who want me to pray for a loved one going through surgery or marital problem or financial difficult. I got an urgent call one week from a girl whose boyfriend wanted to break up with her. After spending a long time listening I shared, "You are looking for the longing of your heart in the wrong places and with the wrong people. You will not find in other people what only God can provide. The emptiness you have cannot be filled with the men you've had, but can only be filled with the one who loves you the most.”
Do you want to be filled with the knowledge of God's will for your life? Jn 6:40 tell us it is God's will that you be saved. Have you asked Christ into your life? Don't pray for all requests unless you are willing to give Jesus your life and decide that you will obey His teachings.
I Thes 4 tells us it is God's will that you be sanctified. What does that mean? Being saved brings us as close to God as we will ever get. We are made complete by the goodness of God's gift and nothing we can do to earn salvation. That's justification. Sanctification is the process that changes us to be more like Jesus. That is the work of God also that shows us his love doesn't want us to stay the way we are, but grow in being more like the character of love and joy and peach and patience and goodness and self control. We do that by getting rid of sinful practices and trusting in the power from above.
I Thes 5:18 tells us it is Gods' will to be thankful people, not negative full of complaints all the time. I Peter 2:15 tells us it in God's will that we do good works.
Our prayer is that you will know the will of God and then put it into practice. Staring with these basics opens the door for further listening and then moving on what we know to be true.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added as well.” Matt 6:33
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 14
Verses- Col 1:9-10 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Prayer for Growing in God's Ways(10)
Paul prays that they might live a life worthy of the Lord. How in the world can anyone live a life worthy of the Lord? Isn’t that impossible? But fortunately he gives us some thoughts to illustrate the prayer he has for the church. I will look at some of these in the next couple of days, but what does it mean to please the Lord in every way?
I feel a bit like John the Baptist when he said, “"After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” John the Baptist was a worthy man in that he lived out his calling and spoke the words of God to bring repentance to men’s hearts. But if we look at one’s character we realize next to the Holiness of our Lord, all have sinned and are not worthy of his grace. There is nothing in ourselves to brag. So we begin with His worth who comes to receive us just as we are. We are made worthy by the sacrifice of Jesus and by his grace.
Knowing who we are in Jesus Christ and the freedom that is ours as children of God is a remarkable truth that many Christians never learn to understand and use. We need not be defeated, plagued people. Although there is an onslaught of temptations and discouragements, there is power to take it on that is available if we use it. For many they are like the man who bought a chain saw and returned it and said it actually slowed up his work in sawing trees and saved no time from using his old hand saw. The salesman was perplexed and pulled the chain and started it up. The startled customer asked, "What's that noise?" He had it. He didn't' know it, and was hindered from using it.
Oh we have resurrection power of God almighty but are content in our lives to work the old handsaw methods instead of continually growing in God's ways.
Fortunately there are other passages that help us understand how to live worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. King Solomon taught that our words are worthy when they are true and right. (Prov 8:8-9). Jesus points out faith in Him involves a love for Jesus which is greater than even family. Obeying means taking up one’s cross and following Him. It is dying to self and being filled with new purpose.(Matt 10:37-38)
Paul illustrates worthy living in his letters to other churches by identifying qualities where in Eph 4:2,3 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
He tells Timothy in chapter 3 and Titus to find worthy leaders who are respected, sincere, sober, honest workers. Someone worthy to lead seeks to live a life that says no to the temptations of sin. They will not participate in malicious talk but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
How often does Satan remind us that we do not live up to those standards? How often when we fail or fall are we discourage realizing we are not worthy? Yet the Bible is full of “faithful followers” who got up again and continued the path laid out before them. That was true with David when he committed adultery. It was true of Peter when he lied and denied knowing Jesus. Both become humbled and the grace of God picked them up and used them in more mightily ways.
I heard the story of a man who fell down in the snow and stayed there. "why don't you get up?" someone asked? He replied, "Because I might fall down again."
How many Christians need to get up again to continue after their fall to grow in the ways of God.
I pray that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. In the life the church I pray that all the events, clubs, programs, services were not be busy work, but well pleasing to God, honoring him, and helping others, and seeking to bring honor to our Lord. Live as Jesus would have us live in thought, speech, and action.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 15
Verses- Col 1:10-12 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Prayer for Showing God's Works
The works of God produce spiritual fruit in our lives. It should show. Doing God's work is not easy and living God's ways can be very difficult. It is hard to face hardships, persecutions, disease, death and how might we be strengthened to do so?
We grow by having the relationship of Jesus who produces fruit through us. As one teacher said, “We need God to do something TO us, so that He can do something IN us, so that He can do something THROUGH us. We need God to save us, to cleanse us to fill us and to use us.
He wants us to grow in knowledge, but strengthened by His power. He wants us to have great endurance and patience and joy in our service. God wants to work with our God given gifts and abilities, in the circumstances, and situations in which He places us.
I was reading this Steve Sjogren’s book, “The Conspiracy of Kindness”. He tells of being at an evangelistic seminar where the instructor challenged the youth workers to take their young people out witnessing. Some went to the malls and passed out tracts, some went to the park and starting preaching. Some went door to door and asked if people were churched. All of these methods are and can be used of God.
But Steve Sjogren got his kids together and they went to the mall and started doing acts of kindness to others who were strangers. Carrying their bags, opening doors, washing dirty car windows. Some even went to businesses and asked permission to clean their toilets all for free because God’s love is free.
People who were turned off with someone trying to sell them the message were moved when they saw kindnesses done to them. They were the ones that asked about their reasons. There were more positive spiritual discussions than anticipated. They were impressed with the youth who were kind, respectful and bout a God who prompts young people to be giving, and kind and respectful.
Willing servants become God's tools to accomplish great things. Do you feel like you can't do anything, no giftedness, no qualifications, no strong faith? Sharing the works by God are not just for those who are extroverted. You are just the person God is looking for. It is not you doing the work but God working in you. It is not your power but Gods'; Not your wisdom but wisdom from above.
Look at how God demonstrates this in so many of God's workers: Fishermen, who changed the world, not politicians. Shepherd boys to demonstrated faith, not powerful generals, Farmers, like Gideon, who under God's direction had 300 take on the multitude forces of the Midianites only to show that God gets the glory, Moses who stammered and stuttered used to led millions to the Promised Land; Namaan's slave girl told her master of a man of God in Israel who was used by God to bring healing to his leprosy.
Pray that you may receive God’s power to share in God's work. He will accomplish his will in ways that are unique to us.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Oct 16
Verses - Col 1:11-14… being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer for Glowing in God's World
Paul prays for the Colossians. His prayer request is that they stay on the move in their faith walk. Might the Word of God affect their daily lives; might they know and walk in the will of God; mighty they live a life worthy of the Lord in all they do and say; might the works of God’s grace be evidence in the fruit of the Spirit as they work and live together. Paul knows first hand that we are God's children by God's grace. We do not deserve it. We belong not to this world, but to God's world because He gave us the right to become His children by faith.
A wealthy English family once invited a friend to spend time at an estate. The happy gathering was almost plunged into terrible tragedy on the first day, when the children went swimming in the pool. One of them got into deep water and was drowning. Fortunately, the gardener heard the other children screaming and plunged into the pool to rescue the helpless child. That youngster was Winston Churchill. His parents, deeply grateful to this gardener, asked what they could do to reward him. He hesitated and then said "I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor, but we have no means."
"We'll pay his way." replied the Churchills. And they did.
Later when Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia. Greatly concerned, king George summoned the best physician who could be found to his bedside. Doctor Alexander Fleming, the developer of penicillin, was summoned. Fleming was the son of that gardener who had saved Churchill from drowning as a boy. Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person.
The Heavenly Father has given us the gift of physical life, and then through His Son, the Great Physician He has imparted to us eternal life.
Paul realized his great indebtedness to a great God who made him part of his world by qualifying him to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Paul lived in darkness. So did we. He lived in ignorance of spiritual power- so did we. He lived in sin- So did we. He lived in Satan's domain- So did we. But Jesus found us and gave us light to find our way and live in freedom from all the bondage this world has. He emancipated us as slaved to Satan and sin and literally bought us with his blood
The concept of redemption is one used for salvation. It means he bought our freedom by dying for us- even the forgiveness of sins. WE receive forgiveness for all we wished we had not done, all we are ashamed of, all we look at with embarrassment through God's holy eyes. All of the unrighteous actions and thought and speech and desires and lust are completely wiped clean and forgiven and forgotten. We don't deserve that, but that is what makes Christian glow. We are to joyfully exhibit our new life and love for God because God has done all for us.
Paul prays that our lives make a difference in a dark world that people might see the light in us.
We sing the song, “Awesome God”. It was written by a man who was tragically killed seeking to serve his awesome God by giving of his life in missionary work with the Navaho children. He wanted the glow of his love for Jesus to shine also through his musical skills not only to praise his Lord, but teach and connect with others to whom he witnessed in his concerts and on the Indian reservation. While he and his friend where driving there was an accident and he was thrown from the vehicle and left unconscious. A semi-truck seeing the vehicle swerved to miss it and unknowingly ran over Rich lying in the road.
Why tragedies occur that prematurely take the lives of God’s servants is beyond my understanding. I am too often reminded that it isn’t the quantity of days on this earth that matter but the quality that whatever days God allows we give to Him to let his light shine. Rich Mullins lived and sang of the hope he had.
The reason Paul prays with such fervency is that he knew the time was short. He wanted to live it for the Lord and prayed that request for the believers at Colossae. It is our prayer for our lives today.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Mon Oct 12
Theme- Prayer Requests
Verses- Col 1:3-8 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Prayer for Sowing of God's Word
Last week I started a series from the book of Colossians. As Paul heard about the stories of what was happening among a new church plant that he had never been to, he wanted to compliment them and also caution them. We will get to his word of caution as we go to another chapter, but the compliments are seeing the Christian essentials demonstration. In his prayers Paul offers his thanks to God for the way HE is working in their church. He prays for their growing faith, their real love, their enduring hope, and their abiding witness.
I am surprised that the prayers I read in the Bible such this apostle are so different than my prayers. If I was in Paul's shoes I would begin my letter to them by giving them a culturally appropriate compliment. "Dear friends in Christ" I am so happy to hear things are going well and God is blessing you."
Then I would say something like this, "As you know I have been put in jail because of my faith. Would you start your prayer chain and pray specifically that I can be released. Pray for me that I not be discouraged since this is taking so long and I can have strength for endurance."
Well I am in elementary school of prayer. Paul is on the college level. His experiences and walk with God have matured him to understand things I don't quite get yet. Paul has for us a great illustration of heartfelt prayer with depth that comes from an intimacy with the Lord.
Paul joy is greater than his personal circumstances. He is truly excited that so many people are becoming Christians, so instead of crossing them off his prayer list, he is prompted to pray unceasingly for them. This is what God desires of us all as well.
As we begin verse nine he says, "For this reason we have not stopped praying for you." What is the reason he prays for them? It is because they have responded to the truth of the Word of God as it was preached to them. This word is changing peoples’ lives. This word is giving to people understanding of who they might have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, Because of this word they have exhibited love, because of this word they have a hope and peace that they never had before. This is powerful.
Paul prays that this word be sown all over the world and that is done as people share it. That through our efforts together God's name is honored in our church and in our community.
The Word of God seems less important, less obvious and less central to many churches these days because the Bible offends people. But friends this truth is the good news of the love of God. It confronts us of sin, corrects us in wisdom, guides us in spiritual things, and my prayer is that it is central to the truth we preach and teach and follow. Pray for the sowing of God's Word that it will produce of harvest of righteousness.
I reflected over a prayer letter we received from Dr. Pat who ministers to Christians in persecuted areas of the world. She wrote how Christians in the Gaza Strip in Israel were in great need of Bibles. It is very difficult to get Bibles into that area. Through the efforts of Open Door ministries and Dr. Pat money such as we helped provide, purchased 500 bibles. Br Andrew himself the author of God Smuggler carried some of the Bibles. He said he almost broke his back carrying heavy plastic bags filled with Bibles that she provided. Two weeks later the Muslims burned the Baptist Library destroying 1,000 of books and many of the Bibles that were stored there ready to be given away.
She wrote “In the hands of our Palestinian Christian brothers, the Bible will reach the terrorist. Bring a terrorist to Christ, and he won't be a terrorist any more. We can make a difference by praying for them and by providing Bibles they need in order to bring others to Christ.”
Pray for these people and the people of the world that His word is sown and produces eternal fruit.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Tues Oct 13
Verses- Col 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Prayer for Knowing of God's Will
Paul is not praying that that God does the will of the petitioner but that the petitioner might know God’s will and do it. His prayer request is that God will fill them with the knowledge of God’s wisdom and God’s will. His prayer request is that they not just get a little knowledge in a small measure but saturated, and overflowing. We cannot achieve what it is God wants unless we first know about it.
I got a part time job I had as a 10th grader one summer. I was hired along with two other students to work in the music department of the high school to go through a whole stack of music and get them in order alphabetically. Well, we took the music and first divided them so according to the song. Then we saw the sheet music according to instruments and sorted it so all trumpets were together and all the flute music together of the same musical number and so forth. We noticed the conductors copy had the instruments in alphabetical order so we continued to categorize this big pile of unsorted music.
Every so often the director would stop in and see us working. Mr Arnoldi was surprised it was taking us so long. Finally one day he came in our room all upset and accused us of loafing and turning in hours not worked. I was feeling pretty low, accused of loafing and not doing a good job. We defended ourselves by showing him what we were doing.
Then he surprised us by telling us he didn't want that. All he wanted was for us to put the stacks of songs together and put each of the different song stacks in alphabetical order. The next day we were done.
The whole problem was a lack of communication and understanding. We were working diligently at something that was not his will. We didn't understand what he wanted us to do. Since he went over his budget we did not accomplish what he hoped to get done that summer in other areas.
So often we don't even ask what God's will is. Often we assume what we should do and forget to pray for direction and guidance. John 14:26 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all thing and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Do we wait to listen for the leading of God’s Spirit?
We begin knowing the will of God by reading the Bible and putting what we know into practice. It was Mark Twain who said, "it isn't he passage of the Bible that I don't understand that bother, me, it is the passages I do understand."
I get lots of requests from people who want me to pray for a loved one going through surgery or marital problem or financial difficult. I got an urgent call one week from a girl whose boyfriend wanted to break up with her. After spending a long time listening I shared, "You are looking for the longing of your heart in the wrong places and with the wrong people. You will not find in other people what only God can provide. The emptiness you have cannot be filled with the men you've had, but can only be filled with the one who loves you the most.”
Do you want to be filled with the knowledge of God's will for your life? Jn 6:40 tell us it is God's will that you be saved. Have you asked Christ into your life? Don't pray for all requests unless you are willing to give Jesus your life and decide that you will obey His teachings.
I Thes 4 tells us it is God's will that you be sanctified. What does that mean? Being saved brings us as close to God as we will ever get. We are made complete by the goodness of God's gift and nothing we can do to earn salvation. That's justification. Sanctification is the process that changes us to be more like Jesus. That is the work of God also that shows us his love doesn't want us to stay the way we are, but grow in being more like the character of love and joy and peach and patience and goodness and self control. We do that by getting rid of sinful practices and trusting in the power from above.
I Thes 5:18 tells us it is Gods' will to be thankful people, not negative full of complaints all the time. I Peter 2:15 tells us it in God's will that we do good works.
Our prayer is that you will know the will of God and then put it into practice. Staring with these basics opens the door for further listening and then moving on what we know to be true.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added as well.” Matt 6:33
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 14
Verses- Col 1:9-10 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Prayer for Growing in God's Ways(10)
Paul prays that they might live a life worthy of the Lord. How in the world can anyone live a life worthy of the Lord? Isn’t that impossible? But fortunately he gives us some thoughts to illustrate the prayer he has for the church. I will look at some of these in the next couple of days, but what does it mean to please the Lord in every way?
I feel a bit like John the Baptist when he said, “"After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” John the Baptist was a worthy man in that he lived out his calling and spoke the words of God to bring repentance to men’s hearts. But if we look at one’s character we realize next to the Holiness of our Lord, all have sinned and are not worthy of his grace. There is nothing in ourselves to brag. So we begin with His worth who comes to receive us just as we are. We are made worthy by the sacrifice of Jesus and by his grace.
Knowing who we are in Jesus Christ and the freedom that is ours as children of God is a remarkable truth that many Christians never learn to understand and use. We need not be defeated, plagued people. Although there is an onslaught of temptations and discouragements, there is power to take it on that is available if we use it. For many they are like the man who bought a chain saw and returned it and said it actually slowed up his work in sawing trees and saved no time from using his old hand saw. The salesman was perplexed and pulled the chain and started it up. The startled customer asked, "What's that noise?" He had it. He didn't' know it, and was hindered from using it.
Oh we have resurrection power of God almighty but are content in our lives to work the old handsaw methods instead of continually growing in God's ways.
Fortunately there are other passages that help us understand how to live worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. King Solomon taught that our words are worthy when they are true and right. (Prov 8:8-9). Jesus points out faith in Him involves a love for Jesus which is greater than even family. Obeying means taking up one’s cross and following Him. It is dying to self and being filled with new purpose.(Matt 10:37-38)
Paul illustrates worthy living in his letters to other churches by identifying qualities where in Eph 4:2,3 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
He tells Timothy in chapter 3 and Titus to find worthy leaders who are respected, sincere, sober, honest workers. Someone worthy to lead seeks to live a life that says no to the temptations of sin. They will not participate in malicious talk but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
How often does Satan remind us that we do not live up to those standards? How often when we fail or fall are we discourage realizing we are not worthy? Yet the Bible is full of “faithful followers” who got up again and continued the path laid out before them. That was true with David when he committed adultery. It was true of Peter when he lied and denied knowing Jesus. Both become humbled and the grace of God picked them up and used them in more mightily ways.
I heard the story of a man who fell down in the snow and stayed there. "why don't you get up?" someone asked? He replied, "Because I might fall down again."
How many Christians need to get up again to continue after their fall to grow in the ways of God.
I pray that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. In the life the church I pray that all the events, clubs, programs, services were not be busy work, but well pleasing to God, honoring him, and helping others, and seeking to bring honor to our Lord. Live as Jesus would have us live in thought, speech, and action.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 15
Verses- Col 1:10-12 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Prayer for Showing God's Works
The works of God produce spiritual fruit in our lives. It should show. Doing God's work is not easy and living God's ways can be very difficult. It is hard to face hardships, persecutions, disease, death and how might we be strengthened to do so?
We grow by having the relationship of Jesus who produces fruit through us. As one teacher said, “We need God to do something TO us, so that He can do something IN us, so that He can do something THROUGH us. We need God to save us, to cleanse us to fill us and to use us.
He wants us to grow in knowledge, but strengthened by His power. He wants us to have great endurance and patience and joy in our service. God wants to work with our God given gifts and abilities, in the circumstances, and situations in which He places us.
I was reading this Steve Sjogren’s book, “The Conspiracy of Kindness”. He tells of being at an evangelistic seminar where the instructor challenged the youth workers to take their young people out witnessing. Some went to the malls and passed out tracts, some went to the park and starting preaching. Some went door to door and asked if people were churched. All of these methods are and can be used of God.
But Steve Sjogren got his kids together and they went to the mall and started doing acts of kindness to others who were strangers. Carrying their bags, opening doors, washing dirty car windows. Some even went to businesses and asked permission to clean their toilets all for free because God’s love is free.
People who were turned off with someone trying to sell them the message were moved when they saw kindnesses done to them. They were the ones that asked about their reasons. There were more positive spiritual discussions than anticipated. They were impressed with the youth who were kind, respectful and bout a God who prompts young people to be giving, and kind and respectful.
Willing servants become God's tools to accomplish great things. Do you feel like you can't do anything, no giftedness, no qualifications, no strong faith? Sharing the works by God are not just for those who are extroverted. You are just the person God is looking for. It is not you doing the work but God working in you. It is not your power but Gods'; Not your wisdom but wisdom from above.
Look at how God demonstrates this in so many of God's workers: Fishermen, who changed the world, not politicians. Shepherd boys to demonstrated faith, not powerful generals, Farmers, like Gideon, who under God's direction had 300 take on the multitude forces of the Midianites only to show that God gets the glory, Moses who stammered and stuttered used to led millions to the Promised Land; Namaan's slave girl told her master of a man of God in Israel who was used by God to bring healing to his leprosy.
Pray that you may receive God’s power to share in God's work. He will accomplish his will in ways that are unique to us.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Oct 16
Verses - Col 1:11-14… being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer for Glowing in God's World
Paul prays for the Colossians. His prayer request is that they stay on the move in their faith walk. Might the Word of God affect their daily lives; might they know and walk in the will of God; mighty they live a life worthy of the Lord in all they do and say; might the works of God’s grace be evidence in the fruit of the Spirit as they work and live together. Paul knows first hand that we are God's children by God's grace. We do not deserve it. We belong not to this world, but to God's world because He gave us the right to become His children by faith.
A wealthy English family once invited a friend to spend time at an estate. The happy gathering was almost plunged into terrible tragedy on the first day, when the children went swimming in the pool. One of them got into deep water and was drowning. Fortunately, the gardener heard the other children screaming and plunged into the pool to rescue the helpless child. That youngster was Winston Churchill. His parents, deeply grateful to this gardener, asked what they could do to reward him. He hesitated and then said "I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor, but we have no means."
"We'll pay his way." replied the Churchills. And they did.
Later when Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia. Greatly concerned, king George summoned the best physician who could be found to his bedside. Doctor Alexander Fleming, the developer of penicillin, was summoned. Fleming was the son of that gardener who had saved Churchill from drowning as a boy. Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person.
The Heavenly Father has given us the gift of physical life, and then through His Son, the Great Physician He has imparted to us eternal life.
Paul realized his great indebtedness to a great God who made him part of his world by qualifying him to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Paul lived in darkness. So did we. He lived in ignorance of spiritual power- so did we. He lived in sin- So did we. He lived in Satan's domain- So did we. But Jesus found us and gave us light to find our way and live in freedom from all the bondage this world has. He emancipated us as slaved to Satan and sin and literally bought us with his blood
The concept of redemption is one used for salvation. It means he bought our freedom by dying for us- even the forgiveness of sins. WE receive forgiveness for all we wished we had not done, all we are ashamed of, all we look at with embarrassment through God's holy eyes. All of the unrighteous actions and thought and speech and desires and lust are completely wiped clean and forgiven and forgotten. We don't deserve that, but that is what makes Christian glow. We are to joyfully exhibit our new life and love for God because God has done all for us.
Paul prays that our lives make a difference in a dark world that people might see the light in us.
We sing the song, “Awesome God”. It was written by a man who was tragically killed seeking to serve his awesome God by giving of his life in missionary work with the Navaho children. He wanted the glow of his love for Jesus to shine also through his musical skills not only to praise his Lord, but teach and connect with others to whom he witnessed in his concerts and on the Indian reservation. While he and his friend where driving there was an accident and he was thrown from the vehicle and left unconscious. A semi-truck seeing the vehicle swerved to miss it and unknowingly ran over Rich lying in the road.
Why tragedies occur that prematurely take the lives of God’s servants is beyond my understanding. I am too often reminded that it isn’t the quantity of days on this earth that matter but the quality that whatever days God allows we give to Him to let his light shine. Rich Mullins lived and sang of the hope he had.
The reason Paul prays with such fervency is that he knew the time was short. He wanted to live it for the Lord and prayed that request for the believers at Colossae. It is our prayer for our lives today.
Pastor Dale
Friday, October 9, 2009
Christian Essentials- Colossians 1:1-8
Sermon Nuggets Mon Oct 5
Theme- Christian Essentials
Verses- Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Christian Essentials
This week I will start a new Biblical series from Paul's letter to the Church at Colosse. After his initial greeting to the believers he share essentails in their Christian life for which he is thankful. These essential characteristics proove themselves even during bad times.
What do you do when you are having a bad day? Do you ever see it coming? Sometimes there are signs that are evident when you know it's going to be a bad day. Here's an illustration I read. "You know it's going to be a bad day when you turn on the news and their showing emergency routes out of town." "You know it's going to be a bad day when your twin sister forgot your birthday." "your car horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway." "Your pet rock snaps at you. " Your four year old tells you that its almost impossible to flush a grapefruit down the toilet"
One fellow knew it was going to be a bad day when he saw three burly motorcyclist come into a restaurant; they looked around and came up to him. The three grabbed his food, dropped it on the floor and laughed in his face. This man was a little guy. He got up said nothing paid for his meal and left.
One of the three unhappy that he didn't fight them, commented to the waitress, "he wasn't much of a man, was he?"
She looked out the window and said, "I guess not. He's not much of a truck driver, either. He crushed 3 motorcycles driving out of the parking lot."
Circumstances that surround us often define for us whether the day is going to be good or bad. I like the song the quartet sang. It is not the outward circumstances that dictate our day, but the inward resources. "I'm going to keep walking, keep talking, keep singing in Jesus name. I'm going to keep believing, receiving, everything He has for me." Their verse said, "I don't' have time to waste on these earthly pursuits, the kind of gain I'm after has ultimate use."
Paul was some kind of optimist because he was arrested, he was sentenced to go to Caesar, people hated him being a Christian they tried to kill him, but while he is in prison he is still ministering to people and to the believers. It was during this time he heard about the young church in Colossae and he write them this letter. He was not letting the outward circumstances give him a bad day. In fact as he was conscious of the presence of Jesus Christ his heart
and mind and thoughts. He was having a good day.
Paul in this letter to the Colossians contrast their hope with hopeless which many people were facing then and are facing today. Today teen suicide is rising, Alcoholism, drug abuse, hurtful lifestyle, homosexuality, financial failure, broken marriages, false friends and failed health are some of the causes for losing hope.
Lets look at some of these resources that come from the inside With them you learn to ignore and even overcome the outward circumstances. Paul's thanksgiving is a result of what is
demonstrated by believers at Colossae.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Oct 5
Verses- Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Thankful for Growth in Faith
Beginning the letter of Colossae the Apostle Paul is thankful that Christian essentials are growing in lives of the church folk. Paul was first thankful that the people were growing in their faith. They were excited about God.
Today there are 1,000s of affluent people living in luxurious homes and driving expensive cars but are dead and empty and hollow inside. I watch the stories of Bernard Madoff and Denny Hecker on the news and see their houses falling taking many people with them because their lives were growing in greed. CEO’s will still be discovered of many companies and banks who received stimulus money to help the economy only to divert it to personal benefits and gains.
This week Marge Gerdin died rather unexpectantly. I contrast her life with those who lived for money. We brought our former exchange student to her place a couple of weeks ago to buy some home processed maple syrup. He was surprised how little she wanted for the bottles compared to how much they cost in the grocery stores and especially at his home town in Germany. I teased Marge and said she would never get rich this way. She responded, “But I’m rich in friends.” She is also enjoying the riches of Christ in glory because of her faith.
Riches and royalty do not bring happiness compared to the peace on the inside demonstrated by those willing to live out their faith in reaching out to others in love and in need.
Paul wanted to see the believers grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. Some churches are known for being dead on the vine, for being lukewarm, or being battling Baptists, or being cold and unfriendly people. What is Stanchfield known for? Are we known for faith?
When he heard the people were finding peace with God and growing in their faith, I can understand a little bit how Paul felt. I suppose it is normal to feel badly when God leads people from our church to other communities. But as I got different reports on how these men were doing was quite pleased. They came to know Christ through the ministry of Stanchfield. I had been told how one man became active in a local church and ultimately on a church council. He is growing in the faith. The other man I found out took the step of being baptized and joined an evangelical church in his community. I felt like Paul thankful their faith has been growing and they are taking Jesus Christ seriously. There are a host of people that each did their part to bring those men to the place they would listen to God's call. That is exciting to get that news.
Judi and I were eating in a restaurant in North Branch when a couple came up to us and greeted me. I remember performing their wedding several years earlier. They only attended church during those pre-marital counseling days and after marriage lived in Pine City. During the counseling I presented the opportunity for them to place their trust in Christ. The bride to be was a believer, but the man was not. It is always a delight to be used of God to help someone come to personal faith in the Lord. I never heard from them again until this day several years later. What a delight to discover they not only became active in a local church, but youth leaders and workers. Their lives were changed by God's grace and they were growing in the faith.
What excites me most as a Pastor is when I see people come to Jesus Christ and take off. I am so thrilled to see changes in their lives. Others can see it and are affected by their new found friend, Jesus.
What discourages me most in the ministry is the opposite, when people for whom I feel spiritually responsible lose a love for the Lord and their faith gets cold; they no longer care about spiritual things and fall away. They are no longer interested in things of the Lord. They become inactive and even live in ways that are embarrassment to be called as Christian.
What is Stanchfield known for? Is it a desire to see more come to faith and to grow in that faith? We have had a great history, but we need a fresh touch and direction from God.
Paul's whole purpose was to tell the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and boldly proclaim Jesus is the only reason for living. "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" he said. Even when you are having a bad day in prison it can be joyful knowing that the truth is spreading by the grace and work of God. Prayer is what lifted his spirit and his heart became one with God’s in seeing this new church grow first and foremast in their daily trust of Jesus.
But as so often is the case, there were tools of Satan to disrupt and introduce a false teaching. Satan can devastate us except for Gods' protection. It is a regular reminder to keep growing in your trust and obedience in Christ. Keep close to the teaching of the Bible and prayers. Keep putting into practice what you have learned and allow the Holy Spirit to use you according to the gifts and abilities which He graciously give you.
When it is all said and done it isn’t about how rich we are here, but how rich we are in the faith.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 7
Verses- Col 1: 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Thankful for growing in Real Love
Faith is essential for a Christian. But another identifying characteristic is love. The Apostle Paul also heard that the church at Colossae loved the saints. God's love is enduring.
Circumstances around us do not endure. We will have good days and bad days. Life changes, but you will never be outside the love of God. He calls us also to demonstrate that real love to the body of Christ and indeed beyond. The people who come together in Colossae have unity. They love the Lord, but they are also committed to each other in fellowship. They need each other due to the persecution they are experience. They were ostracized from family and homes. They were pagans in a pagan world and all was going well, but when they moved camp and became a follower of Jesus Christ Satan would do all he could to hurt them and discourage them.
To say yes to Christ may mean not being accepted by family and friends. But is also means being welcomed into a whole new group of people that have received God's love in Jesus Christ and are being changed to demonstrate it to others.
I am reminded of the prayer of one of our deacons,, "Lord thank you for the years of unity we could have at Stanchfield." I trust this is because of love and not apathy. By the grace of God who loves us he gives me a love for you and for one to another than goes beyond our human natures and sees each other as brothers and sisters, walking together and needing each other.
I have seen some of you be so kind and forgiving to people who did not act loving. Your maturity helped me see others as needing patience and love. I have seen some of you take undeserved guff and accept it as one of those things you put up with, which helped me see forgiveness isn't standing up for all your rights, it is giving them over to the Lord but consistently walking in truth even if people are going to be upset.
Now remember a poem I have quoted from time to time. "Oh to live above, with the saints I love, that will be glory. But to live below, with the saints I know, Well that's another story.”
There are unattractive saints, people whose actions attitudes and personalities aren't the easiest to adjust to. But people who need and want love. Some people say, "How I rejoice in the love of God" but I wonder if their face knows it. I was told of a little girl who the first time she saw a mule said "I don't know what you are, but you must be a Christian; you look just like Grandpa".
Paul was thankful the fruit was showing. Because of their faith they demonstrated love. I thank God for your love for all the saints. It is a decision that someone makes to let the Lord's love take over.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 8
Verses- Verses- Col 1: 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Thankful for Growing in Enduring Hope
When you’re having a bad day don't forget the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ, now and forever. Hope keeps the Christian going knowing there is so much more. There is victory over death over disease over tragedy and tribulation. There is guaranteed fellowship with God. I
heard of atheists who have dial a prayer and when you call there is no answer. Indeed, there is no hope when God is not in your life.
According to the Scriptures Paul is thankful when he heard about the enduring hope the believers had in Colossae. That hope is laid up for them in heaven. They cannot lose. They can be discouraged, they can suffer hardship, they can fight the forces of the evil one. They can be persecuted, and knocked down, but not knocked out. Because after the dust settles in all our scuffles, Jesus is the victor standing there calling his people home forever. Oh that we recognize the hope that is in Jesus Christ, The good news is Jesus won and the Kingdom of God is growing in the world. We are on the winning side.
This hope comes because of the gospel which they heard. This gospel is the spreading of the word of God. Now our task together is to sow the Word. We do so in evangelistic outreach, in showing love and kindness to others in the name of Jesus.
It is the good news that is bringing forth fruit. Hope results in different life, different plans, different priorities, and different decisions. It started changing their lives as soon as they heard and knew of the grace of God.
We have the task of spreading the gospel in anticipation of the Kingdom. Hope is the root, faith is the plant and love is the fruit. Hope is foundation. What produces hope? The phrase states: "stored up for you in heaven and which you have already heard about in the word of truth.” It is awakened by the gospel, the good news. To most hope of heaven suggests life after death. After this life we will go to be with the Lord and all the glory of eternity will be ours. That is wonderful hope, but not all that this phrase means. It is not only to heaven after death but the invisible spiritual kingdom that surrounds us on all sides right now. Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled for I am with you. His strength is for you now. His wisdom is available now. I confess that when it is difficult we look only for human help and forget that God's help is instantly available. Praise God he gives us people at certain times that makes us aware of the fellowship of believers, but sometimes I think human help is denied in order that we may learn how much greater the help is from his kingdom.
You are God's people if you know him as your savior. You are important people to carry out the task God wants us to carry out. You are rubbing shoulders with people who have no hope, hearing sad stories and meeting them in the streets in stores and having coffee with them. They are lacking in hope and we have the answer. There are some ready to respond because nothing they have lived for has given them any real hope for the future and for eternity. Nothing can except to trust in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nugget Fri Oct 9
Verses- Col 1:6 -8 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Thankful for growing in Bearing Fruit
Since we are beginning a new book study this week, perhaps a bit of a background is in order. Paul is in prison, most likely in Rome. It was written about 60 AD. He never had visited this church. What he knows about these believers he learned from his friend, Epaphras. It seems that the church started as a result of Paul's ministry at Ephesus. Some converts from there went on to witness in Colossae and people found purpose and meaning in Jesus Christ.
Epaphras was converted through Paul's witness. Already faith is producing fruit. So Paul wants to write a letter of encouragement as well as some correction. For although things are going well they are not going to stay that way unless they are aware of handling the dangers around and within them. But words of encouragement that the Christian essentials are being demonstrated in this newer fellowship. Faith, Love, Hope and fruit bearing delights Paul.
When I went to Russia a number of years ago to teach pastors in a Bible School it is natural to wonder how they are doing. Since they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Russian not much is communicated. But I was delighted to see in a Decision magazine a story of the evangelistic crusade that Dr. Ham had in Georgiyevsk, Russia. That was the city we ministered in. I was in the home of one of the students, who served as the chairman of that event. He not only asked that I pray for them but asked for advice on how to begin setting up a crusade so he could come into their city. I was thankful that we had a part in Ralph Bell Crusade meetings in Cambridge so I could give some suggestions. When things would be set up the Billy Graham Association would walk them through the final preparation steps. As I read this article I was full of joy to know that event did occur many came to faith when the Gospel was proclaimed.
Not long after that the local director of the Bible school, Rev. Vladymr Marmyshev, sent a letter to the former teachers which said, "We consider the school to have been a great blessing for the church of Georgiyevsk and other 12 churches of the region. 13 of the graduated students are now in leadership positions in different churches. It is hard to calculate the spiritual results of the school because repentance and baptism are the result of the combined ministry of our churches, the school and the students. In Georgiyevsk alone more than 20 people repented and 60 persons were baptized during that year. This is undoubtedly a merit of the school. Presently the students are leading 12 Bible studies groups and 1 group for preparing young preachers in Georgiyevsk and surrounding villages."
The church is producing fruit. The word of God is being spread. The prayer request was that there be increased sowing of God's Word. That by God's grace His name is honored in our church and in our community, that our faith in Jesus Christ results in love for others. It is our prayer that we at Stanchfield be faithful in sharing the gospel to see lives changed.
I read an article called the Wordless Church. The author of the article was struck by how we are now seeing wordless churches. The Word of God seems less eminent, less obvious and less central to many churches these days, because the Bible offends people. But the Bible is the truth from God that confronts us with sin, corrects us in wisdom, and guides us in spiritual things. Pray for the sowing of God's Word that it will produce of harvest of righteousness.
The gospel has power to change when people exercise their faith in Jesus Christ. When Christ comes in they learn to walk by faith in letting his truth move their decision and his will and word guide their actions and his power move their desires. From that fruit of the love is demonstrated and people will be affected by the Lord the givers of hope.
What turns a bad day into a good one? Not the circumstances but by God who gives hope, which produces faith and results in love. Then that is shared to others. Our part is to pass on the story. God’s part is to take that seed and use His servants to water, and harvest the fruit He produces. With all the struggles that go on, it is encouraging to see God at work in the world.
Pastor Dale
Theme- Christian Essentials
Verses- Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Christian Essentials
This week I will start a new Biblical series from Paul's letter to the Church at Colosse. After his initial greeting to the believers he share essentails in their Christian life for which he is thankful. These essential characteristics proove themselves even during bad times.
What do you do when you are having a bad day? Do you ever see it coming? Sometimes there are signs that are evident when you know it's going to be a bad day. Here's an illustration I read. "You know it's going to be a bad day when you turn on the news and their showing emergency routes out of town." "You know it's going to be a bad day when your twin sister forgot your birthday." "your car horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway." "Your pet rock snaps at you. " Your four year old tells you that its almost impossible to flush a grapefruit down the toilet"
One fellow knew it was going to be a bad day when he saw three burly motorcyclist come into a restaurant; they looked around and came up to him. The three grabbed his food, dropped it on the floor and laughed in his face. This man was a little guy. He got up said nothing paid for his meal and left.
One of the three unhappy that he didn't fight them, commented to the waitress, "he wasn't much of a man, was he?"
She looked out the window and said, "I guess not. He's not much of a truck driver, either. He crushed 3 motorcycles driving out of the parking lot."
Circumstances that surround us often define for us whether the day is going to be good or bad. I like the song the quartet sang. It is not the outward circumstances that dictate our day, but the inward resources. "I'm going to keep walking, keep talking, keep singing in Jesus name. I'm going to keep believing, receiving, everything He has for me." Their verse said, "I don't' have time to waste on these earthly pursuits, the kind of gain I'm after has ultimate use."
Paul was some kind of optimist because he was arrested, he was sentenced to go to Caesar, people hated him being a Christian they tried to kill him, but while he is in prison he is still ministering to people and to the believers. It was during this time he heard about the young church in Colossae and he write them this letter. He was not letting the outward circumstances give him a bad day. In fact as he was conscious of the presence of Jesus Christ his heart
and mind and thoughts. He was having a good day.
Paul in this letter to the Colossians contrast their hope with hopeless which many people were facing then and are facing today. Today teen suicide is rising, Alcoholism, drug abuse, hurtful lifestyle, homosexuality, financial failure, broken marriages, false friends and failed health are some of the causes for losing hope.
Lets look at some of these resources that come from the inside With them you learn to ignore and even overcome the outward circumstances. Paul's thanksgiving is a result of what is
demonstrated by believers at Colossae.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Oct 5
Verses- Col 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Thankful for Growth in Faith
Beginning the letter of Colossae the Apostle Paul is thankful that Christian essentials are growing in lives of the church folk. Paul was first thankful that the people were growing in their faith. They were excited about God.
Today there are 1,000s of affluent people living in luxurious homes and driving expensive cars but are dead and empty and hollow inside. I watch the stories of Bernard Madoff and Denny Hecker on the news and see their houses falling taking many people with them because their lives were growing in greed. CEO’s will still be discovered of many companies and banks who received stimulus money to help the economy only to divert it to personal benefits and gains.
This week Marge Gerdin died rather unexpectantly. I contrast her life with those who lived for money. We brought our former exchange student to her place a couple of weeks ago to buy some home processed maple syrup. He was surprised how little she wanted for the bottles compared to how much they cost in the grocery stores and especially at his home town in Germany. I teased Marge and said she would never get rich this way. She responded, “But I’m rich in friends.” She is also enjoying the riches of Christ in glory because of her faith.
Riches and royalty do not bring happiness compared to the peace on the inside demonstrated by those willing to live out their faith in reaching out to others in love and in need.
Paul wanted to see the believers grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. Some churches are known for being dead on the vine, for being lukewarm, or being battling Baptists, or being cold and unfriendly people. What is Stanchfield known for? Are we known for faith?
When he heard the people were finding peace with God and growing in their faith, I can understand a little bit how Paul felt. I suppose it is normal to feel badly when God leads people from our church to other communities. But as I got different reports on how these men were doing was quite pleased. They came to know Christ through the ministry of Stanchfield. I had been told how one man became active in a local church and ultimately on a church council. He is growing in the faith. The other man I found out took the step of being baptized and joined an evangelical church in his community. I felt like Paul thankful their faith has been growing and they are taking Jesus Christ seriously. There are a host of people that each did their part to bring those men to the place they would listen to God's call. That is exciting to get that news.
Judi and I were eating in a restaurant in North Branch when a couple came up to us and greeted me. I remember performing their wedding several years earlier. They only attended church during those pre-marital counseling days and after marriage lived in Pine City. During the counseling I presented the opportunity for them to place their trust in Christ. The bride to be was a believer, but the man was not. It is always a delight to be used of God to help someone come to personal faith in the Lord. I never heard from them again until this day several years later. What a delight to discover they not only became active in a local church, but youth leaders and workers. Their lives were changed by God's grace and they were growing in the faith.
What excites me most as a Pastor is when I see people come to Jesus Christ and take off. I am so thrilled to see changes in their lives. Others can see it and are affected by their new found friend, Jesus.
What discourages me most in the ministry is the opposite, when people for whom I feel spiritually responsible lose a love for the Lord and their faith gets cold; they no longer care about spiritual things and fall away. They are no longer interested in things of the Lord. They become inactive and even live in ways that are embarrassment to be called as Christian.
What is Stanchfield known for? Is it a desire to see more come to faith and to grow in that faith? We have had a great history, but we need a fresh touch and direction from God.
Paul's whole purpose was to tell the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and boldly proclaim Jesus is the only reason for living. "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" he said. Even when you are having a bad day in prison it can be joyful knowing that the truth is spreading by the grace and work of God. Prayer is what lifted his spirit and his heart became one with God’s in seeing this new church grow first and foremast in their daily trust of Jesus.
But as so often is the case, there were tools of Satan to disrupt and introduce a false teaching. Satan can devastate us except for Gods' protection. It is a regular reminder to keep growing in your trust and obedience in Christ. Keep close to the teaching of the Bible and prayers. Keep putting into practice what you have learned and allow the Holy Spirit to use you according to the gifts and abilities which He graciously give you.
When it is all said and done it isn’t about how rich we are here, but how rich we are in the faith.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Oct 7
Verses- Col 1: 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Thankful for growing in Real Love
Faith is essential for a Christian. But another identifying characteristic is love. The Apostle Paul also heard that the church at Colossae loved the saints. God's love is enduring.
Circumstances around us do not endure. We will have good days and bad days. Life changes, but you will never be outside the love of God. He calls us also to demonstrate that real love to the body of Christ and indeed beyond. The people who come together in Colossae have unity. They love the Lord, but they are also committed to each other in fellowship. They need each other due to the persecution they are experience. They were ostracized from family and homes. They were pagans in a pagan world and all was going well, but when they moved camp and became a follower of Jesus Christ Satan would do all he could to hurt them and discourage them.
To say yes to Christ may mean not being accepted by family and friends. But is also means being welcomed into a whole new group of people that have received God's love in Jesus Christ and are being changed to demonstrate it to others.
I am reminded of the prayer of one of our deacons,, "Lord thank you for the years of unity we could have at Stanchfield." I trust this is because of love and not apathy. By the grace of God who loves us he gives me a love for you and for one to another than goes beyond our human natures and sees each other as brothers and sisters, walking together and needing each other.
I have seen some of you be so kind and forgiving to people who did not act loving. Your maturity helped me see others as needing patience and love. I have seen some of you take undeserved guff and accept it as one of those things you put up with, which helped me see forgiveness isn't standing up for all your rights, it is giving them over to the Lord but consistently walking in truth even if people are going to be upset.
Now remember a poem I have quoted from time to time. "Oh to live above, with the saints I love, that will be glory. But to live below, with the saints I know, Well that's another story.”
There are unattractive saints, people whose actions attitudes and personalities aren't the easiest to adjust to. But people who need and want love. Some people say, "How I rejoice in the love of God" but I wonder if their face knows it. I was told of a little girl who the first time she saw a mule said "I don't know what you are, but you must be a Christian; you look just like Grandpa".
Paul was thankful the fruit was showing. Because of their faith they demonstrated love. I thank God for your love for all the saints. It is a decision that someone makes to let the Lord's love take over.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 8
Verses- Verses- Col 1: 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel
Thankful for Growing in Enduring Hope
When you’re having a bad day don't forget the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ, now and forever. Hope keeps the Christian going knowing there is so much more. There is victory over death over disease over tragedy and tribulation. There is guaranteed fellowship with God. I
heard of atheists who have dial a prayer and when you call there is no answer. Indeed, there is no hope when God is not in your life.
According to the Scriptures Paul is thankful when he heard about the enduring hope the believers had in Colossae. That hope is laid up for them in heaven. They cannot lose. They can be discouraged, they can suffer hardship, they can fight the forces of the evil one. They can be persecuted, and knocked down, but not knocked out. Because after the dust settles in all our scuffles, Jesus is the victor standing there calling his people home forever. Oh that we recognize the hope that is in Jesus Christ, The good news is Jesus won and the Kingdom of God is growing in the world. We are on the winning side.
This hope comes because of the gospel which they heard. This gospel is the spreading of the word of God. Now our task together is to sow the Word. We do so in evangelistic outreach, in showing love and kindness to others in the name of Jesus.
It is the good news that is bringing forth fruit. Hope results in different life, different plans, different priorities, and different decisions. It started changing their lives as soon as they heard and knew of the grace of God.
We have the task of spreading the gospel in anticipation of the Kingdom. Hope is the root, faith is the plant and love is the fruit. Hope is foundation. What produces hope? The phrase states: "stored up for you in heaven and which you have already heard about in the word of truth.” It is awakened by the gospel, the good news. To most hope of heaven suggests life after death. After this life we will go to be with the Lord and all the glory of eternity will be ours. That is wonderful hope, but not all that this phrase means. It is not only to heaven after death but the invisible spiritual kingdom that surrounds us on all sides right now. Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled for I am with you. His strength is for you now. His wisdom is available now. I confess that when it is difficult we look only for human help and forget that God's help is instantly available. Praise God he gives us people at certain times that makes us aware of the fellowship of believers, but sometimes I think human help is denied in order that we may learn how much greater the help is from his kingdom.
You are God's people if you know him as your savior. You are important people to carry out the task God wants us to carry out. You are rubbing shoulders with people who have no hope, hearing sad stories and meeting them in the streets in stores and having coffee with them. They are lacking in hope and we have the answer. There are some ready to respond because nothing they have lived for has given them any real hope for the future and for eternity. Nothing can except to trust in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nugget Fri Oct 9
Verses- Col 1:6 -8 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Thankful for growing in Bearing Fruit
Since we are beginning a new book study this week, perhaps a bit of a background is in order. Paul is in prison, most likely in Rome. It was written about 60 AD. He never had visited this church. What he knows about these believers he learned from his friend, Epaphras. It seems that the church started as a result of Paul's ministry at Ephesus. Some converts from there went on to witness in Colossae and people found purpose and meaning in Jesus Christ.
Epaphras was converted through Paul's witness. Already faith is producing fruit. So Paul wants to write a letter of encouragement as well as some correction. For although things are going well they are not going to stay that way unless they are aware of handling the dangers around and within them. But words of encouragement that the Christian essentials are being demonstrated in this newer fellowship. Faith, Love, Hope and fruit bearing delights Paul.
When I went to Russia a number of years ago to teach pastors in a Bible School it is natural to wonder how they are doing. Since they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Russian not much is communicated. But I was delighted to see in a Decision magazine a story of the evangelistic crusade that Dr. Ham had in Georgiyevsk, Russia. That was the city we ministered in. I was in the home of one of the students, who served as the chairman of that event. He not only asked that I pray for them but asked for advice on how to begin setting up a crusade so he could come into their city. I was thankful that we had a part in Ralph Bell Crusade meetings in Cambridge so I could give some suggestions. When things would be set up the Billy Graham Association would walk them through the final preparation steps. As I read this article I was full of joy to know that event did occur many came to faith when the Gospel was proclaimed.
Not long after that the local director of the Bible school, Rev. Vladymr Marmyshev, sent a letter to the former teachers which said, "We consider the school to have been a great blessing for the church of Georgiyevsk and other 12 churches of the region. 13 of the graduated students are now in leadership positions in different churches. It is hard to calculate the spiritual results of the school because repentance and baptism are the result of the combined ministry of our churches, the school and the students. In Georgiyevsk alone more than 20 people repented and 60 persons were baptized during that year. This is undoubtedly a merit of the school. Presently the students are leading 12 Bible studies groups and 1 group for preparing young preachers in Georgiyevsk and surrounding villages."
The church is producing fruit. The word of God is being spread. The prayer request was that there be increased sowing of God's Word. That by God's grace His name is honored in our church and in our community, that our faith in Jesus Christ results in love for others. It is our prayer that we at Stanchfield be faithful in sharing the gospel to see lives changed.
I read an article called the Wordless Church. The author of the article was struck by how we are now seeing wordless churches. The Word of God seems less eminent, less obvious and less central to many churches these days, because the Bible offends people. But the Bible is the truth from God that confronts us with sin, corrects us in wisdom, and guides us in spiritual things. Pray for the sowing of God's Word that it will produce of harvest of righteousness.
The gospel has power to change when people exercise their faith in Jesus Christ. When Christ comes in they learn to walk by faith in letting his truth move their decision and his will and word guide their actions and his power move their desires. From that fruit of the love is demonstrated and people will be affected by the Lord the givers of hope.
What turns a bad day into a good one? Not the circumstances but by God who gives hope, which produces faith and results in love. Then that is shared to others. Our part is to pass on the story. God’s part is to take that seed and use His servants to water, and harvest the fruit He produces. With all the struggles that go on, it is encouraging to see God at work in the world.
Pastor Dale
Friday, October 2, 2009
Peace to You 1 Peter 5:12-14
Sermon Nuggets Week of Sept 28 09
Sermon Nuggets Mon Sept 28
Theme: Peace to You
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12-14 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.
14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Peace to You
Jules Verne novel "The Mysterious Island, he tells of five men who escaped a Civil War prison camp by hijacking a hot-air balloon. As they rise into the air they realize the wind is carrying them over the ocean. AS the hours pass the surface of the ocean draws closer, the men decide they must throw overboard some of the weight, for they had no way to heat the air in the balloon. Shoes overcoats, and weapons and reluctantly discarded. The balloon gradually rises, but only temporarily. Soon they find themselves dangerously close to the waves so they toss over their food.
One man showed how they can tie the ropes that hold the basket and sit on those ropes so they cut away the basket and the sever the very thing they had been standing on, it drops to the oceans, and once again the balloon rises.
Not a moment too soon, they spot land. Eager to stand on ground they jump into the water and swim to the island. They live, spared because they were able to discern the difference between what really was needed and what was not. The necessities they once thought they couldn't live without were the very weights that almost cost them their lives. Heb. 12:1 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."
We come now to the conclusion of the book of 1 Peter. I am reminded that Peter was given to them the basics. What is it you really need in this world after all is said and down, and what is important to cast aside and indeed is a barrier between us and God?
When word came to him about 65 AD while he was in Rome that many of the Christians were suffering for their faith, they were rejected by their families, and leaving their homes, Peter was moved by God to write a letter of encouragement.
But what do you say? Some people were hiding literally for their lives since they were being sought by people wanting to kill them because they are Christians. Well, there couldn't have been a better teacher. Peter knew much about trials and suffering, Peter knew the height of success as well as the depth of failure. But the lessons he learned were worth sharing.
He wanted them to take comfort in their salvation, knowing the saving and sustaining grace of God. He confirmed the hope of glory, highlighting the perspective that suffering would only be temporary. He also could be a first hand illustration of the blessings that do come form suffering for the sake of Jesus and they should continue in the strength that God gives them for the day, for it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
These couple of verses highlights relationships that will be the subject of our thought as we conclude his letter.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Sept 29
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
Through it All
There are some things to remember regarding suffering. I found this summary of some of Peter’s reflections on suffering to be helpful.
1) It is temporary.(1:6) It will not last. When we think of suffering it is short lived, we need to have eternity in mind. Peter has been through it all and reminds us to get the bigger picture. Remember what you are going through is temporary.
2) Suffering is a means of character building. (1:7) All through the Bible we are told how suffering is used to perfect us and make us stronger and more faithful. Are you willing to let God teach you and mold you, like he did Peter to be a better servant?
When Peter was on the water, he needed to learn to keep following Jesus not his fears. When he was in the garden he needed to learn to trust the power of Christ, not the power of the sword. When he was in the courtyard he needed to learn how really weak he was so that he could see it was by grace, not wisdom that anything is accomplish for God. He learned character in suffering.
3) Peter wanted them to know that they can stand anything if they remember it is a test. (1:7) Gold has to be tried and tested and purified with fire so it can be stronger and cleaner and firmer than even before. It is a means to determine if our faith is genuinely on Christ or just religion?
4) Peter wanted to prepare them by telling them suffering is a sign that you are walking with Christ if you are suffering for your faith. (4:12) Christian's call to commitment will include suffering of some type-let Jesus be your example. When he lived a holy life people were jealous, Satan was busy tempting him. Does it help to know you're doing something right if you are suffering?
5) Another way to help face suffering is by the encouragement of the Word of God. Peter tells them to prepare their minds.(1:22-25) We prepare our minds by what we read and watch and think about. It is easy to be emotionally persuaded to quit when we are suffering, but it is during these times when the promises of the Bible and the faith in the truth that we know, but lead us, for our emotions deceive us. Act on truth, not feeling.
God has set forth an expression of His will in a general way in the Bible and He has given us the Holy Spirit in order that we might be guided into all truth.
6) Suffering more aptly allows us to seek the Lord and His will in our lives. (4:19) It causes us to re-evaluate what are our priorities and what ought to change. Things of this world really aren't that important. That is the story of the hot-air balloon. Suffering many times brings people to their knees before God and allows an openness as never before. It is the means to ask, is this really of God?
7) Suffering makes Heaven seem even more inviting. (1:3,4) If someone is saved, we know this is not home. This is not all there is, we know there are greater things to come and we get even more anxious to go and be with Christ. For those outside of the faith in Christ this is all there is and it is a warning regarding eternity. There is an accounting in the judgment and Jesus judges the living and dead.
(8) Persecution is the way to glory. The cross was the way to crown. Even in this chapter how many times there is a reference to rejoicing or blessing: v. 13 Rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ. so you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.v.14 You are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. vs. 16 Praise God that you bear that name.
The worse they could possibly do was to harm their bodies, or imprison them. The world judges Christians on their own standards. It is the judgment of men.
Since that was the reason of Peter's writing he concludes in a very personal way. Yet even in his conclusion we are reminded of two other themes that are so important as we reflect on the days of our lives on this earth.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Sept 30
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12-14 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.
14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Recognize the Importance of Friends
Peter acknowledges the importance of Christian friends and co workers. People are an encouragement in our life and work and in our faith walk.
Many times we are reminded that we are on this faith journey together; we are not alone. Peter may be a leader, but he needs Silas to put the words in ways that can be better communicated. Silas is a secretary, but he is also a fellow missionary and good friend of Paul as well as Peter. He was with Paul in the prison singing hymns following a beating.
Silas was rejoicing that he could also be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus sake. Silas witnessed the miracle of the earthquake and the breaking of the chains which become only signs to greater things. He witnessed the conversion of the jailer and his whole family, the encouragement of the Philippian church. He saw Lydia, and the slave girl freed from a demon.
God made us for fellowship. We need people. People need us. We are not alone in our suffering. Knowing we share in these experiences encourage us and help with peace.
Lewis Timberlake observed the California giant sequoias tress that have their roots just barely below the surface. His experience was that strong trees need deep roots to withstand winds and storms. In conversation with a guide he learned the Sequoia trees grow only in groves and their roots intertwine under the surface of the earth. So when the strong winds come, they hold each other up.
The church body is meant to be that type of haven when the strong winds of life blow these people can serve as reinforcement to strive together holding each other up. One purpose of the church is to become a spiritual family. Peter refers to Silas as a brother and Mark as a son. We are part of a family of God related by a common faith in Jesus Christ.
John Mark was believed to be the young man whose house it was where the Passover was held in the upper room. Perhaps through the preaching of Peter he came to faith in Christ. He was the missionary relative of Barnabas that left Cyprus but later in life, he had proved to be a faithful worker. Mark learned carefully from Peter and it is believed as the writer of the Gospel Mark he learned most of that information from Peter. Matthew and Luke quote much from the Gospel of Mark.
We are living in an egocentric society. The emphasis is often on taking care of oneself and forgetting about others. That is evident not only in the enormous bonuses the CEOs of companies and banks demand even in hard times, but also in the leadership of the political world. We need to be warned how much we tend to look at church from those same eyes of wanting it to serve “me”. There are embarrassing times when leaders and pastors use ministries for selfish ends. Too often the church attracts followers for what individual pleasure and local groups come into competition as to who can best serve the Christain consumer. God is not pleased.
Our leader said, "It is more blessed to give than receive." Instead we seek to be blessed instead of being a blessing. Part of the concept of the priesthood of the believers is that we represent God to each other also. I need you. You need me. God designed it that way. We are called into a fellowship.
We must recognize in our lives here we need the help of friends. Pray today for your friends and those whom God has used to help influence your spiritual growth. Find a small group of believers with whom you can share your journey in prayers and accountability. You will grow in your faith and love.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 1
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12b …I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
Recognize the Grace of God
Peter wants his readers to understand that when they face suffering be reminded of His grace. Think of the greatness of God. Recognize His work for your salvation, how He carried out his plan by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ and then think of the wonder of the benefits you have received.
Peter reminds them in this letter of the fact that God chose them. Remember also God chose you. He loves you even though right now you may not sense that. He is carrying out the plan for which you were created. Because you are remaining faithful to Jesus Christ you will be especially blessed when Jesus Christ returns. Your heavenly inheritance which is far greater than any job, any family, any position, any money is reserved for you by God Himself. Part of what you are going through is God's means of making you more like Jesus Christ and perfecting your character and also teaching important spiritual lessons if you are willing to hear it.
Grace is seen in your great Salvation. God who began the work in you will see it through. I remember for myself as far as God the Father is concerned, I was saved when He chose me in Christ before the foundations of the world. As far as the Son is concerned, I was saved when He died for me on the cross. But as far as the Spirit is concerned I was saved one night in 1956 when I received Christ. Then it all came together. God in his Triune nature carried out His saving plan for my soul, and yours.
The grace of God is revealed in receiving the Gospel. Peter also showed his readers that what they have in Jesus Christ was far greater than what was received by Old Testament prophets, fathers, and saints. They longed for the revelation of the Messiah and now Jesus came. We are recipients of the grace of God in far greater way that people of old could even imagine. Even the Heavenly beings become observers, not participants, in the grace that is ours.
Peter showed how God marvelously called us,prepared us, purchased us through the works of the Son and purifies us through the works of the Holy Spirit. Angels long to look into the wondrous works of God that is for our rejoicing. Many people have yet to hear that good news. You've heard it and responded to it because of God's grace.
Grace is seen in the extent of His love by coming to earth in bodily form. The story of His grace is seen in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. By responding to His love in faith and receiving his salvation He further demonstrates His grace by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Grace is seen in an inheritance that will never pass away. They lost homes, money, jobs, property and loved ones. Thing of this earth will pass away. But the reminder of our inheritance gives peace. You will see Him when He returns and rewards your faithfulness. All rights will be righted when Jesus returns. That is a cause for hope and Paul defines it as a living hope.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Oct 2
Verses- 1 Pet 5:13-14 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.
Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Greetings and Kisses
Greet one another with a kiss of love. The significance of the kiss is not in the context of romance as in our culture, but affection as friends and family. The greetings has behind it the deep spiritual love and unity among the believers. It is more than what we would do as a handshake. It is not just an casual greeting of politeness. It is a symbol of commitment to another.
As Peter concludes his letter it is a custom to inquire about others and share greeting to one another.
I had shared before of my surprise when I had the privilege of visiting and teaching in Russia. At their church services they did practice the holy kiss. Men would kiss men and women would kiss women. There was the real feeling of excitement to see one another. It was apparent that church gatherings were family reunions. When people have reunions it is often with that sense of excitement to see one another again and be with relatives you haven’t seen for awhile. There is catching up on news and seeing how much the kids and grandkids have grown. Children run off together to visit or play. People talk as they prepare food.
Jesus Christ is the purpose for gathering for the family of God. But when people saw each other I thought how much they really enjoyed being there. It saw how much they saw these gatherings as times to get away from the oppression of their work, challenges of their finances, and worries around them. It was an oasis of celebration in the spirit of Christ. The holy kiss was expressed with true desire to be together again with brothers and sister in the Lord.
The other thing that was unique to me was the custom of greetings. It means something more there than here. I saw one man stand from another community and say his church sends greetings to this congregation. People stood up and nodded and receiving the news in a formal way. When the pastor requested that he returned their greetings it was not something to be taken lightly. Sometimes it was in the form of a letter. When I first said that Stanchfield Baptist Church was praying for them, they stood with smiles and nodding and wanted me to return the greetings when I got home.
One man from a European country came to our church and he handed me a letter from his church back home. When he told them he was visiting relatives at Stanchfield, they sent a letter of official greeting to be read. That was the first and last time I remember that formal greeting among churches that never met each other.
Peter knew people and wanted them to share in love and greeting. He recognized the help of friends in the ministry. His expression of peace is not just a greeting but a prayer that they would experience the absence of conflict and unity of the spirit in Jesus who bring us peace with God and with one another.
It is encouraging to be thought of, and remembered. As I read stories from Dr. Pat’s letters of the churches being persecuted in Palestine and in Egypt she shares how the folks said letters, gifts and prayers meant so much to encourage their faith. It provided emotional strength knowing they were not forgotten. In one of her recent newsletters she met again with the widow of the manager of the Bible Bookstore in Gaza who was martyred. She showed the picture of the single mother with her children. She traveled to give her some money and let her know the story is still being told to churches in the U.S. How delighted she was. So the phrase, "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings. and Mark too" It is an encouragement to them they are being remembered.
Some think Peter was referring to his wife, some think he is talking in coded language of the church in Rome, since in the book of Revelation Rome is thought to be referred to as the modern Babylon. Some take it literally that there was someone in Babylon greeting them. Whatever it was important to know others are thinking of them.
The purpose of the church is to glorify God. It is to do His work. But the blessings come when we share our hearts with one another in the ups and downs of life. It is a mistake when we think it is a spectators event when we gather. It is intended to participated in the power, truth, love and Spirit of our Lord.
To that end Peter concludes His letter.
Why not pray for someone today who is in the church? Send them an email of greeting, or a note of concern. Give someone a hug. Some need it badly!
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Mon Sept 28
Theme: Peace to You
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12-14 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.
14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Peace to You
Jules Verne novel "The Mysterious Island, he tells of five men who escaped a Civil War prison camp by hijacking a hot-air balloon. As they rise into the air they realize the wind is carrying them over the ocean. AS the hours pass the surface of the ocean draws closer, the men decide they must throw overboard some of the weight, for they had no way to heat the air in the balloon. Shoes overcoats, and weapons and reluctantly discarded. The balloon gradually rises, but only temporarily. Soon they find themselves dangerously close to the waves so they toss over their food.
One man showed how they can tie the ropes that hold the basket and sit on those ropes so they cut away the basket and the sever the very thing they had been standing on, it drops to the oceans, and once again the balloon rises.
Not a moment too soon, they spot land. Eager to stand on ground they jump into the water and swim to the island. They live, spared because they were able to discern the difference between what really was needed and what was not. The necessities they once thought they couldn't live without were the very weights that almost cost them their lives. Heb. 12:1 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."
We come now to the conclusion of the book of 1 Peter. I am reminded that Peter was given to them the basics. What is it you really need in this world after all is said and down, and what is important to cast aside and indeed is a barrier between us and God?
When word came to him about 65 AD while he was in Rome that many of the Christians were suffering for their faith, they were rejected by their families, and leaving their homes, Peter was moved by God to write a letter of encouragement.
But what do you say? Some people were hiding literally for their lives since they were being sought by people wanting to kill them because they are Christians. Well, there couldn't have been a better teacher. Peter knew much about trials and suffering, Peter knew the height of success as well as the depth of failure. But the lessons he learned were worth sharing.
He wanted them to take comfort in their salvation, knowing the saving and sustaining grace of God. He confirmed the hope of glory, highlighting the perspective that suffering would only be temporary. He also could be a first hand illustration of the blessings that do come form suffering for the sake of Jesus and they should continue in the strength that God gives them for the day, for it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
These couple of verses highlights relationships that will be the subject of our thought as we conclude his letter.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Sept 29
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
Through it All
There are some things to remember regarding suffering. I found this summary of some of Peter’s reflections on suffering to be helpful.
1) It is temporary.(1:6) It will not last. When we think of suffering it is short lived, we need to have eternity in mind. Peter has been through it all and reminds us to get the bigger picture. Remember what you are going through is temporary.
2) Suffering is a means of character building. (1:7) All through the Bible we are told how suffering is used to perfect us and make us stronger and more faithful. Are you willing to let God teach you and mold you, like he did Peter to be a better servant?
When Peter was on the water, he needed to learn to keep following Jesus not his fears. When he was in the garden he needed to learn to trust the power of Christ, not the power of the sword. When he was in the courtyard he needed to learn how really weak he was so that he could see it was by grace, not wisdom that anything is accomplish for God. He learned character in suffering.
3) Peter wanted them to know that they can stand anything if they remember it is a test. (1:7) Gold has to be tried and tested and purified with fire so it can be stronger and cleaner and firmer than even before. It is a means to determine if our faith is genuinely on Christ or just religion?
4) Peter wanted to prepare them by telling them suffering is a sign that you are walking with Christ if you are suffering for your faith. (4:12) Christian's call to commitment will include suffering of some type-let Jesus be your example. When he lived a holy life people were jealous, Satan was busy tempting him. Does it help to know you're doing something right if you are suffering?
5) Another way to help face suffering is by the encouragement of the Word of God. Peter tells them to prepare their minds.(1:22-25) We prepare our minds by what we read and watch and think about. It is easy to be emotionally persuaded to quit when we are suffering, but it is during these times when the promises of the Bible and the faith in the truth that we know, but lead us, for our emotions deceive us. Act on truth, not feeling.
God has set forth an expression of His will in a general way in the Bible and He has given us the Holy Spirit in order that we might be guided into all truth.
6) Suffering more aptly allows us to seek the Lord and His will in our lives. (4:19) It causes us to re-evaluate what are our priorities and what ought to change. Things of this world really aren't that important. That is the story of the hot-air balloon. Suffering many times brings people to their knees before God and allows an openness as never before. It is the means to ask, is this really of God?
7) Suffering makes Heaven seem even more inviting. (1:3,4) If someone is saved, we know this is not home. This is not all there is, we know there are greater things to come and we get even more anxious to go and be with Christ. For those outside of the faith in Christ this is all there is and it is a warning regarding eternity. There is an accounting in the judgment and Jesus judges the living and dead.
(8) Persecution is the way to glory. The cross was the way to crown. Even in this chapter how many times there is a reference to rejoicing or blessing: v. 13 Rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ. so you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.v.14 You are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. vs. 16 Praise God that you bear that name.
The worse they could possibly do was to harm their bodies, or imprison them. The world judges Christians on their own standards. It is the judgment of men.
Since that was the reason of Peter's writing he concludes in a very personal way. Yet even in his conclusion we are reminded of two other themes that are so important as we reflect on the days of our lives on this earth.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Sept 30
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12-14 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.
14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Recognize the Importance of Friends
Peter acknowledges the importance of Christian friends and co workers. People are an encouragement in our life and work and in our faith walk.
Many times we are reminded that we are on this faith journey together; we are not alone. Peter may be a leader, but he needs Silas to put the words in ways that can be better communicated. Silas is a secretary, but he is also a fellow missionary and good friend of Paul as well as Peter. He was with Paul in the prison singing hymns following a beating.
Silas was rejoicing that he could also be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus sake. Silas witnessed the miracle of the earthquake and the breaking of the chains which become only signs to greater things. He witnessed the conversion of the jailer and his whole family, the encouragement of the Philippian church. He saw Lydia, and the slave girl freed from a demon.
God made us for fellowship. We need people. People need us. We are not alone in our suffering. Knowing we share in these experiences encourage us and help with peace.
Lewis Timberlake observed the California giant sequoias tress that have their roots just barely below the surface. His experience was that strong trees need deep roots to withstand winds and storms. In conversation with a guide he learned the Sequoia trees grow only in groves and their roots intertwine under the surface of the earth. So when the strong winds come, they hold each other up.
The church body is meant to be that type of haven when the strong winds of life blow these people can serve as reinforcement to strive together holding each other up. One purpose of the church is to become a spiritual family. Peter refers to Silas as a brother and Mark as a son. We are part of a family of God related by a common faith in Jesus Christ.
John Mark was believed to be the young man whose house it was where the Passover was held in the upper room. Perhaps through the preaching of Peter he came to faith in Christ. He was the missionary relative of Barnabas that left Cyprus but later in life, he had proved to be a faithful worker. Mark learned carefully from Peter and it is believed as the writer of the Gospel Mark he learned most of that information from Peter. Matthew and Luke quote much from the Gospel of Mark.
We are living in an egocentric society. The emphasis is often on taking care of oneself and forgetting about others. That is evident not only in the enormous bonuses the CEOs of companies and banks demand even in hard times, but also in the leadership of the political world. We need to be warned how much we tend to look at church from those same eyes of wanting it to serve “me”. There are embarrassing times when leaders and pastors use ministries for selfish ends. Too often the church attracts followers for what individual pleasure and local groups come into competition as to who can best serve the Christain consumer. God is not pleased.
Our leader said, "It is more blessed to give than receive." Instead we seek to be blessed instead of being a blessing. Part of the concept of the priesthood of the believers is that we represent God to each other also. I need you. You need me. God designed it that way. We are called into a fellowship.
We must recognize in our lives here we need the help of friends. Pray today for your friends and those whom God has used to help influence your spiritual growth. Find a small group of believers with whom you can share your journey in prayers and accountability. You will grow in your faith and love.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Oct 1
Verses- 1 Pet 5:12b …I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
Recognize the Grace of God
Peter wants his readers to understand that when they face suffering be reminded of His grace. Think of the greatness of God. Recognize His work for your salvation, how He carried out his plan by the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ and then think of the wonder of the benefits you have received.
Peter reminds them in this letter of the fact that God chose them. Remember also God chose you. He loves you even though right now you may not sense that. He is carrying out the plan for which you were created. Because you are remaining faithful to Jesus Christ you will be especially blessed when Jesus Christ returns. Your heavenly inheritance which is far greater than any job, any family, any position, any money is reserved for you by God Himself. Part of what you are going through is God's means of making you more like Jesus Christ and perfecting your character and also teaching important spiritual lessons if you are willing to hear it.
Grace is seen in your great Salvation. God who began the work in you will see it through. I remember for myself as far as God the Father is concerned, I was saved when He chose me in Christ before the foundations of the world. As far as the Son is concerned, I was saved when He died for me on the cross. But as far as the Spirit is concerned I was saved one night in 1956 when I received Christ. Then it all came together. God in his Triune nature carried out His saving plan for my soul, and yours.
The grace of God is revealed in receiving the Gospel. Peter also showed his readers that what they have in Jesus Christ was far greater than what was received by Old Testament prophets, fathers, and saints. They longed for the revelation of the Messiah and now Jesus came. We are recipients of the grace of God in far greater way that people of old could even imagine. Even the Heavenly beings become observers, not participants, in the grace that is ours.
Peter showed how God marvelously called us,prepared us, purchased us through the works of the Son and purifies us through the works of the Holy Spirit. Angels long to look into the wondrous works of God that is for our rejoicing. Many people have yet to hear that good news. You've heard it and responded to it because of God's grace.
Grace is seen in the extent of His love by coming to earth in bodily form. The story of His grace is seen in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. By responding to His love in faith and receiving his salvation He further demonstrates His grace by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Grace is seen in an inheritance that will never pass away. They lost homes, money, jobs, property and loved ones. Thing of this earth will pass away. But the reminder of our inheritance gives peace. You will see Him when He returns and rewards your faithfulness. All rights will be righted when Jesus returns. That is a cause for hope and Paul defines it as a living hope.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Oct 2
Verses- 1 Pet 5:13-14 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.
Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Greetings and Kisses
Greet one another with a kiss of love. The significance of the kiss is not in the context of romance as in our culture, but affection as friends and family. The greetings has behind it the deep spiritual love and unity among the believers. It is more than what we would do as a handshake. It is not just an casual greeting of politeness. It is a symbol of commitment to another.
As Peter concludes his letter it is a custom to inquire about others and share greeting to one another.
I had shared before of my surprise when I had the privilege of visiting and teaching in Russia. At their church services they did practice the holy kiss. Men would kiss men and women would kiss women. There was the real feeling of excitement to see one another. It was apparent that church gatherings were family reunions. When people have reunions it is often with that sense of excitement to see one another again and be with relatives you haven’t seen for awhile. There is catching up on news and seeing how much the kids and grandkids have grown. Children run off together to visit or play. People talk as they prepare food.
Jesus Christ is the purpose for gathering for the family of God. But when people saw each other I thought how much they really enjoyed being there. It saw how much they saw these gatherings as times to get away from the oppression of their work, challenges of their finances, and worries around them. It was an oasis of celebration in the spirit of Christ. The holy kiss was expressed with true desire to be together again with brothers and sister in the Lord.
The other thing that was unique to me was the custom of greetings. It means something more there than here. I saw one man stand from another community and say his church sends greetings to this congregation. People stood up and nodded and receiving the news in a formal way. When the pastor requested that he returned their greetings it was not something to be taken lightly. Sometimes it was in the form of a letter. When I first said that Stanchfield Baptist Church was praying for them, they stood with smiles and nodding and wanted me to return the greetings when I got home.
One man from a European country came to our church and he handed me a letter from his church back home. When he told them he was visiting relatives at Stanchfield, they sent a letter of official greeting to be read. That was the first and last time I remember that formal greeting among churches that never met each other.
Peter knew people and wanted them to share in love and greeting. He recognized the help of friends in the ministry. His expression of peace is not just a greeting but a prayer that they would experience the absence of conflict and unity of the spirit in Jesus who bring us peace with God and with one another.
It is encouraging to be thought of, and remembered. As I read stories from Dr. Pat’s letters of the churches being persecuted in Palestine and in Egypt she shares how the folks said letters, gifts and prayers meant so much to encourage their faith. It provided emotional strength knowing they were not forgotten. In one of her recent newsletters she met again with the widow of the manager of the Bible Bookstore in Gaza who was martyred. She showed the picture of the single mother with her children. She traveled to give her some money and let her know the story is still being told to churches in the U.S. How delighted she was. So the phrase, "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings. and Mark too" It is an encouragement to them they are being remembered.
Some think Peter was referring to his wife, some think he is talking in coded language of the church in Rome, since in the book of Revelation Rome is thought to be referred to as the modern Babylon. Some take it literally that there was someone in Babylon greeting them. Whatever it was important to know others are thinking of them.
The purpose of the church is to glorify God. It is to do His work. But the blessings come when we share our hearts with one another in the ups and downs of life. It is a mistake when we think it is a spectators event when we gather. It is intended to participated in the power, truth, love and Spirit of our Lord.
To that end Peter concludes His letter.
Why not pray for someone today who is in the church? Send them an email of greeting, or a note of concern. Give someone a hug. Some need it badly!
Pastor Dale
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)