Laying a Firm Foundation - Salt & Light [29 mb]

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Written Excerpts:

Matthew 5:13-16

Introduction:

A couple of Sundays ago I spoke to you about the wise man and the foolish man described at the end of Matthew 7. When Jesus gave this analogy, He stated that the wise man was like the one who hears and practices the sayings of Jesus, while the foolish man was like the one who hears Jesus’ sayings, but does not practice them.

When Jesus used the phrase, “these sayings of mine,” He was probably talking about the Sermon on the Mount that He was just finishing. So we have started a series of messages to take a closer look at the Sermon on the Mount and learn what Jesus was referring to when he said we must hear and practice His sayings in order to have a rock solid foundation.

We certainly do not want our lives to come crashing down when we face the storms of life, so let’s purpose to hear and follow the teachings of Jesus.

Last week we looked at the verses that are normally called the Beatitudes. I trust that each of us understands that in order to prepare a firm foundation for life, we must avoid the normal worldly way of looking at life and life’s circumstances and see them as God does. This will require a complete reshaping of our attitudes and outlook.

We can either have attitudes and a frame of mind like Christ, or we can have the attitudes of the world. With His descriptions of blessedness, Jesus shows us that we must not only view life differently than the rest of the world does, but we must live life differently as well.

Today we are going to move on to the next section in chapter five to discuss Jesus’ teaching about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As we think about His message, we want to remember that we must not only hear what He says, but we must practice what He says if we are going to have the kind of foundation that will hold up in the storms of life.

Proposition: In these verses of Scripture I find Two Profound Metaphors along with Two Potential Perils but One Prominent Outcome.

Transition: Let us take the next several minutes to examine these words of Jesus to gain insight and motivation for action.

I. Two Profound Metaphors

A. You are the salt of the earth.

Most Bible commentators define at least two characteristics of salt that are relevant to this metaphor Jesus implies.

1. Salt is a preserving agent.

In a literal sense, salt was used a lot before the days of refrigeration to keep meat and other foods from spoiling and help preserve them for future use.

Salt, in a figurative sense, should have a preserving effect on society against moral and spiritual decay and corruption.

2. Salt is a seasoning agent.

Not only was salt used to preserve food from decaying and spoiling, but salt is used to season or flavor food. Seasoning makes many foods more pleasing and palatable.

In that same way, Christians should be representing Jesus Christ and the Gospel in such a way to make people hungry to know Him.

 (JFB) "Salt operates internally." In other words, salt cannot do its work and accomplish any good unless it gets mixed into the meat/food it is expected to change. This implies that, in one sense of the word, salt must “lose its identity” in order to effectively accomplish its intended purpose. It must get out of the “salt-shaker” and into the decaying carcass in order to accomplish its preserving and seasoning action. As long as it remains inside the salt-shaker it will have no impact on the food it was intended to preserve and season.

At the same time, it must “retain its identity” in the sense that it must continue to possess the qualities of saltiness. It must be different from the carcass in order to change it.

B. You are the light of the world.

(JFB) "Light operates externally. " The opposite of what we said about salt. While salt must get mixed into the object it is to affect, light stands apart from the darkness.

Light dispels darkness.

Light exposes what is hidden or secret.

Light reveals or illuminates what is real and true.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Here it seems that He implies we are to be luminaries in the dark world, just the same as He would be if He were here today.

II. Two Potential Perils

A. If salt loses its savor…

(JFB) "The meaning is: If that Christianity on which the health of the world depends, does in any age, region, or individual, exist only in name, or if it contain not those saving elements for want of which the world languishes… "

“Wherewith shall it be salted?” – How shall the salting qualities be restored? (JFB)

If salt loses its ability to flavor or preserve, then it has essentially acquired the qualities of its surroundings and has no changing effect. It has no purpose or no use.

B. If light is hidden…

Although Jesus doesn’t present this point as a hypothetical possibility like He did when He said, “If salt loses its savor," yet the point seems to be the same.

A city that is on a hill, in a prominent place or position, cannot be hidden. People from miles around will be able to see the lights of that city and see the skyline of its buildings. It will be noticeable. He also declares, “You don’t take a light and place it under a basket or a bowl, but you put it up on a lamp stand to give light to everyone in the house.”

However, the implication is that IF someone would put the light under a basket, then the result would be unthinkable or undesirable – there will be no light for those in the house.

III. One Prominent Outcome

Glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus declares that when people purpose to let their lights shine in the dark world, it will result in them doing good works that others will be able to see. When they see these good works, they will glorify our Father in heaven.

The point here I think we need to realize is that when we obey and practice these words of Jesus, it is not for our own benefit or recognition. It is for the glory of God. 

An appropriate question one might ask himself would be, “Have my actions caused any others to glorify and honor God?”

Conclusion:

In closing I would like to raise some questions that I think each one of us should be asking ourselves.

Have any of my actions had any impact to slow or reverse the process of moral and spiritual decay in our society?

Have any of my actions had any impact to flavor or season my world and create a desire to know Christ?

Have any of my actions effectively penetrated the darkness and brought the light of truth to those around me?

Finally, I want to bring us back to the original connection with the parable of the wise man and the foolish man. Jesus said if we hear and obey his sayings, then we will be like the man who built his house on a rock solid foundation and was able to withstand the severe storm.

I truly believe there is nothing else that can have the same stabilizing effect on our own spiritual welfare like getting involved and standing up to make a difference in our world. There is nothing else that challenges us to grow more godly and more spiritual than attempting to have a positive influence on others. The more that we get involved in penetrating our darkened world with the light of truth and the salt of righteousness, the stronger we will become in our own spiritual lives.

If we don’t who will?

I want to conclude our service with a song that should be the prayer of our hearts. The title of the song is, "I Do Not Ask to Choose My Path." It may be better known by "make me a blessing today." Let this be our prayer as we sing it together.

 

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Laying a Firm Foundation - Beatitudes [42 mb]

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This is a sermon on the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 5:3-12

Introduction:

Last Sunday I spoke to you on the passage found in Matthew 7:24-27, which contains the story of the wise man and the foolish man. When Jesus introduced this analogy, He stated that the reason one house stood and the other one didn’t was due to the quality of the foundation. One built on the rock, the other built on the sand. He further described the differences between the builders by saying the wise man was like the person who both heard and practiced the sayings of Jesus, while the foolish man was like the person who heard Jesus’ sayings, but did not practice them or live according to them.

I mentioned last week that some Bible scholars believe that when Jesus used the phrase, “these sayings of mine,” He was specifically talking about the entire Sermon on the Mount that He was just concluding.

The more I have prayed about God’s direction for today’s message, the more I was convinced we should review “these sayings of Jesus” that He says we should hear and do in order to “build our lives on a foundation that is rock solid.” So, for today and over the next several weeks we are going to be looking at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to examine Jesus’ words. We are going to do our best to not only listen to what He said, but we are going to practice what He said, so that we can be wise builders who have a foundation on the rock and can withstand the coming storms in life.

Before I move away from my introductory comments, I wanted to point out a few words that are found in verse 1: “…when He was seated His disciples came to Him.” I want to make sure we understand the significance of this statement. A Disciple of Jesus is one who seeks Him to learn of Him and imitate Him.

Some may argue that a person can be born again and believe in Jesus without demonstrating a passion to learn more about Him and to imitate Him by practicing His teachings. But, a true disciple of Christ will seek Him and learn all he can in order to put His teachings into practice. Let me challenge each one of us in this church to earnestly seek to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our topic for today is what is very commonly known as: “The Beatitudes.”

The word, “beatitude,” is not a biblical word, but is a word that scholars have used to describe the eight “blessed(s)” that appear in our text. It is believed that the word comes from a similar Latin term that was used to refer to condition of blessedness.

On the other hand, let’s consider the word that does appear in the Bible and is used by Jesus – the word, “blessed.”

“Blessed” – μακάριος makarios; fem. makaria, neut. makarion, adj. form of (n.f.) makar, blessed one. Blessed, possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God…. Makarios differs from the word “happy” in that the person is happy who has good luck (from the root hap meaning luck as a favorable circumstance). To be makarios, blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within one’s heart. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary)

According to these descriptions, it would appear that being blessed is the opposite of being “cursed.”

In these eight qualities or conditions of blessedness, described in our scripture, it seems that Jesus is purposely and directly contradicting the usual understanding of these terms in the worldly viewpoint. In other words, each condition that Jesus describes as a state of blessedness or favor of God, we would normally think of as a condition of being cursed.

With His descriptions of blessedness, Jesus shows us that we must not only view life differently than the rest of the world does, but we must live life differently as well. Let us now briefly define and describe the conditions of blessedness named by the Lord.

1. Poor in Spirit

This phrase, most scholars believe, is a reference to humility; i.e., sensing one’s utter poverty apart from God’s grace; nothing to boast of in self. The unbeliever often views humility as a weakness and therefore a curse. It is supposed that this trait is the opposite of what one must demonstrate to be successful and get ahead.

However, Jesus says the humble person is blessed rather than cursed. And, he declares that this person, rather than missing out on success will actually be rewarded by attaining the Kingdom of Heaven.

Humility is a trait that is heralded in many places throughout the Bible. One of the passages that has stuck with me the most is the verse in James 4:6, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

If you want to build your life on a solid foundation, learn humility and practice it.

2. They that Mourn

“mourn” – to lament or grieve.

(Clarke) “…those who, feeling their spiritual poverty ["poor in spirit"], mourn after God, lamenting the iniquity that separated them from the fountain of blessedness…”

It would appear that Jesus may have had the general meaning in mind as well. That is, those who experience those seasons of sorrow and grief due to the various adversities in life. General opinion would look at grief and sorrow as a curse; a sign of God’s disfavor. But, our Lord says that it is only in our grief that we have the blessing of experiencing the comfort of our God.

“comforted” – From the compound word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit (Comforter), i.e. one called alongside to aid.

(Clarke) He will call them to himself, and speak the words of pardon, peace, and life eternal, to their hearts.

If you want to build your life on a solid foundation, you must start with a genuine sorrow over the sin that has separated you from God. Accept the comfort that He offers through forgiveness and the canceling of your record. Then, as you walk life’s road through the valleys of sorrow, allow Him to call you to Himself for comfort, peace and strength, rather than slipping into the ditch of self-pity and bitterness.

3. The Meek

Those who possess a quiet, gentle spirit. (Clarke)

Someone described meekness as an inward strength to be mild, quiet and gentle. (Unknown) It is somewhat related to the trait of humility. It is commonly assumed that when someone demonstrates meekness it is because he cannot help himself, i.e. he is weak. However, the Lord was truly meek, yet He had all the resources of His Heavenly Father at His command.

A phrase that has been repeated often is this, “If you think being ‘meek’ is ‘weak,’ then try being meek for a week." It seems to me that this word is describing the person that has the fortitude and strength to quietly trust God to resolve unpleasant situations rather than rising up and demanding his or her rights and better treatment.

Again, if we simply view this as another example of people who seem be cursed, but are actually blessed, then the least we can say is that the meek person will receive the exact reward that non-believers would expect to be given to the one who is demanding, forceful and aggressive.

4. Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness

These words describe a craving or appetite for something. Our bodies let us know when they are hungry or thirsty for physical nourishment. There is nothing that can satisfy that need until we are fed. Those who spiritually crave the qualities of God-likeness, will be filled by the Spirit.

 If you want to be strong enough to stand the violent storms of life, then you must let God develop in you a hunger and thirst for His righteousness, His character, and His presence.

5. The Merciful

Those who are compassionate and benevolent in thought and actions. (Complete Word Study Dictionary)

This quality is exactly opposite of being judgmental and condemning. Jesus said those who judge will be judged. Here He is describing the opposite condition. Those who have the disposition to demonstrate mercy will themselves receive mercy.

Showing mercy or having the character trait of mercy in one’s heart does not mean we have to be gullible or condone evil. It simply means that we remember the God has extended mercy to us after we sinned against Him, and we extend that same attitude toward those who have sinned against us.

Possessing a heart of mercy will help you lay a solid foundation in your life.

6. The Pure in Heart

The word for “pure” here means clean, unsoiled, or unalloyed. It is specifically applied to the sphere of the heart which is the seat of the will and the affections. This is a person that has no “dirt” or competing affections to dilute or contaminate his/her love for God.

(Clarke) There is a stark contrast from the Pharisees who Jesus condemned for keeping the “outside of the cup and platter clean and spotless” but inwardly they were full of corruption.

They shall see God – (Clarke) This is a Hebraism, which signifies, possess God, enjoy his felicity: as seeing a thing, was used among the Hebrews for possessing it.

These people are especially blessed because they desire God and are satisfied with nothing else but God. All competing passions and devotions have been purified and cleansed. Having a pure heart is possible in this life. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to experience the purity of purpose and affection that God has for His children.
 

7. The Peacemakers

Some people are easily identified by their inclinations to start a fight! It doesn’t seem to matter where they are or who they are with, they always seem to find a way to start or escalate an argument or conflict. In stark contrast to these people, Jesus is saying God’s blessing rests on those who strive to mediate and settle disputes rather than instigate them.

People who instigate peace will be called children of God. Why? Because they are imitating their Heavenly Father.

8. The Persecuted

Finally, Jesus says those who are persecuted, reviled, and maligned are blessed – they are in a state of receiving God’s blessing.

For the worldly person, persecution surely represented God’s curse rather than blessing. The Pharisees and religious leaders who loved the praise of men, would surely think that persecution indicated they were cursed.

Jesus says those who endure the hateful, despising treatment of the world for the cause of Christ, will inherit a Kingdom that is not of this world. They will enjoy the rewards of another world that nothing in this world can compare to.

Anyone who wants to lay a solid foundation, must determine to keep on trusting Christ, and obeying Christ in spite of fierce opposition, knowing that we are not living for the benefits and blessings of this world, but we are living for the rewards of another world.

Conclusion:

These states of blessedness that Jesus describes here are qualities that we must not only learn about, but we must live by them and practice them.

But… as you have already figured out, they cannot be lived out successfully simply by our decision to do so. If we are going to have these qualities as a part of our daily lives, it will require a direct action of God’s Spirit in our hearts and in our lives. We can’t do it alone and in our own strength. Yet, we must submit to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and in our lives. We must let Him have His way.

 

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A Fool and His House Are Soon Parted [23 mb]

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This is a sermon based on the story Jesus told about the wise man and the foolish man.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 7:24-27

Introduction: The Bible has a great deal to say about being wise and being foolish. The book of Proverbs speaks often about the attitudes, choices and conduct of the fool or the wise. In the scripture we have chosen for today we find a short analogy presented by Jesus regarding the wise man and the foolish man.

I want to take a little while to point out some observations about this story and discuss some lessons we need to learn from His analogy.

1. The storms came upon both the wise and the foolish.

“Storms” are a fact of life, figuratively speaking. One of the reasons why I felt prompted to consider this familiar text this Sunday is because I wanted to remind all of us that we will no doubt face many “storms” in this new year. It’s not a matter of if we face difficult situations, but when we do. Probably all of us here today can testify to the fact that we know we can count on adversity of some kind and severity every year.

We know from past experience that even when it seems like things are going well, we will sooner or later meet up with some kind of adversity that will test us severely. How many of you would testify today that you have endured some pretty harsh storms this past year that you really never thought you would have to endure? I am sure most of us can say that we have.

If you look at verses 25 and 27 you will notice that storm which came against the house of each man is described exactly the same. The wise man did not experience a less severe storm just because he was wise, and the foolish man did not experience a more severe storm just because he was foolish.

Life is full of unexpected trials, pressures and adversities. This happens to all of us, whether we are “good” or “bad.” I know what it is like to wonder why some good people go through so much suffering. We asked those same questions when my mother-in-law was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease. But suffering is part of our human life. Ever since sin entered the picture in the Garden of Eden, suffering and adversity has been a part of life.

Look at the description of the storm in these verses: Rains, floods, and winds. Any one of these would be bad enough in itself, but they come one upon the other. That is often how life is. Even though both houses endured the same conditions, one house stood and the other house fell. This reminds me of a comment given by another preacher many years ago, “The storms of life cannot destroy your house; they only reveal how well you have built.” (Rev. Ronald Mayhle)

In this case, it really wasn’t the storm that destroyed the foolish man’s house, because the other house endured the exact same storm and it didn’t fall. Instead, it was the faulty construction or inadequate preparation that caused the fall of the house.

2. Both of these men heard the words of Jesus.

(v. 24, v. 26) The wise man heard Jesus’ words and obeyed or followed through with action. The foolish man heard His words, but didn’t follow up with any action or obedience. It is foolish to think that merely listening to good truth is enough to prepare one for the adversities of life, and especially for eternity.

This world is full of people that have listened to the gospel and the truths of God’s Word, but have not acted upon what they have heard. I’ve met scores of people over the years of my ministry that have heard enough to know what they need to do in order to prepare for eternity and have a stable, consistent Christian walk. The problem with most of them is that, for whatever reason, they have not followed through on what they know they ought to do.

While we are talking about this, I might as well point out how much more foolish it is to expect to be prepared for the storms of life without putting forth the effort to even “hear” what the Lord has to say.

I am amazed at times when people wonder why they are not strong enough to hold up under reverses and adversity. Yet, when you take a look at their lives, you often can find no real commitment to put God first and to faithfully feed on His Word either through private study or through public preaching and teaching.

I don’t care who you are, if you are not hearing the Word and feeding on the Word, then you are not going to be ready when the storms hit.

3. It is foolish to expect a favorable outcome without the necessary preparation.

One man was called “wise,” and the other man was called “foolish.” Why?

There was only one difference noted between the two buildings – the foundation. One house was built on solid rock and the other house was built on shifting sand. One had a stable foundation, the other didn’t. The foolish man really is a fool because he expected his house to stand when he hadn’t adequately prepared and hadn’t paid the price for stability and strength that the other man did.

In this story, the differences in the foundations are compared to those who listen and do what Jesus says, versus those who merely listen but do nothing.

(Adam Clarke) Talking about Christ, his righteousness, merits, and atonement, while … not conform[ing] to his word and spirit, is no other than solemn self-deception.

“These sayings of mine” – probably a reference to the entire discourse He is concluding here which began in chapter 5.

Conclusion:

Who does the foolish man in this story represent? He represents those who care more about the outward appearance of a fine structure, than the deeper issues of strength and stability that can only be acquired by a proper foundation; the part that is not seen by the common observer.

He represents all of those who know enough gospel truth to recognize it, to discuss it, and to intellectually agree with it, but do not follow through with obedience nor adjust their priorities to live by it.

This fool represents all of those who know that life is full of unpredictable storms, but they haven’t attended to the most basic and fundamental preparation in order to survive the coming disasters.

Dear friends, here we stand on the doorstep or threshold of a new year. I am here to tell you that there will be storms this year. I am quite certain that we are going to see some storms on the national level that are worse than many of us have ever known. I am certain that some of us will individually face storms that are worse than we have ever known or experienced.

Are you prepared? How is your foundation? Are you really hearing the Word of the Lord? Are you obeying and heeding what He says? Are you bringing your life into alignment with what you understand Jesus to be saying as the Holy Spirit applies the truth to your life?

If you are not, then you are like the foolish man in this text. You will not survive the pressures, the storms and the adversities.

If you are, then you are compared to the wise man in this passage that has taken care to be prepared.

I think it would be appropriate for us to end this service today, on this first day of the new year, with a special prayer around the altar. You don’t have to come forward if you don’t want to, but if you desire to be more obedient to the Lord this year, then I ask you to join me here. If you desire God’s grace and help to enable you to adequately prepare your spiritual foundation so you can survive the storms of this year, then I ask you to join me here.

 

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Jesus Is Coming [27mb]

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This is a sermon given by guest minister, Rev. Russ Smith, regarding the second coming of Christ. This sermon ties Advent with the expectation of Jesus' second coming.

Prepare the Way of the Lord [27mb]

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A sermon based on the references in Scripture that compare John the Baptist to the O.T. prophecies regarding the "voice in the wilderness" that was to precede the Messiah.

Written Excerpts:

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

Mark 1:2-4 “As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” ³ “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” ⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Introduction:

Mark quotes from the prophets Malachi (3:1) and Isaiah (40:3). Mark is clearly using these prophecies in direct reference to John the Baptist and is identifying him as the messenger sent by God to help prepare the way of the Lord, and the coming of the Messiah.

Notice these other Scriptures:

Matthew 3:1-3 “¹In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’”

Matt. 11:7-10 (Jesus speaking) ⁷ Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John… ¹⁰ “For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Luke 1:13-17 “¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John...  ¹⁷He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

John 1:21-23 “²¹And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²²Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Both Matthew and Jesus identified John the Baptist as the one who fulfilled the prophecies of Malachi and Isaiah.

Luke records the conversation that Zacharias had with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel states that the son of Zacharias (John the Baptist) will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. Later on in the same chapter, verse 76, Zacharias bursts forth in prophesying about John’s ministry and he says, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways…

Then we notice in the Gospel of John that some people ask John the Baptist point blank, “Are you Elijah?” and he denies it. Yet, he does confirm that he is “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’”

Transition: We have looked at all these references that confirm the connection between these OT prophecies and the life and ministry of John the Baptist. But, the important thing we want to consider for a little while today is the mission and the message of this predicted messenger.

I. The Mission of the Messenger

“I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”

The mission of the messenger was to prepare the way of the Lord.

What does it mean to prepare the way?

“Prepare” – (Hebrew Lexicon, Brown, Driver, & Briggs) “Turn away, put out of the way; hence make clear or free from obstacles.”  (Keil &Delitsch) “The crier is like the outrider of a king, who takes care that the way by which the king is to go shall be put into good condition.” (Vine) “It is like a king’s courier appointed to see that his way is put in good condition.” 

In other words, it was the messenger’s responsibility to make the way of the king more accessible and to make the people more acceptable. He was to persuade people to do something they would not normally be inclined to do – make preparations for a visit from the king.

When we view John the Baptist as the fulfillment of these prophecies, we understand that he was sent by God to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, the King of kings.

John faithfully fulfilled his role in preparing the people for the coming of the Lord. He diminished his own role while exalting the role of Christ. He preferred Christ over himself. He uplifted the mission and ministry of Christ. He proclaimed the foundational message necessary to prepare for Jesus Christ.

There is a lesson here for all of us. We have all been commissioned as disciples of Jesus Christ to tell others about His salvation and about His return in glory. Our mission is not to exalt ourselves or promote our own agendas and programs. Our mission is to help as many people prepare for the coming of Jesus as we possibly can.

II. The Message of the Messenger.

 The message of the messenger was very similar to his mission. Just as he was to prepare the way of the Lord himself, he was also commissioned to tell others to do the same.

A. “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

As we noted earlier, the word “prepare” means to put out of the way; make the path clear from obstacles.

B. “Make His paths straight.”

Make straight means to make smooth, straight or even. The phrase or concept is also used in Scripture in an ethical sense. For example, Prov. 9:15 [the foolish woman seeks to trap] “… those who go straight on their way.”

Preparing the way of the Lord and making His paths straight are two phrases that basically emphasize the same truth.

John the Baptist was a prophetic voice in the physical wilderness as well as a moral / spiritual wilderness. He stood out in stark contrast from the secular world and the religious world of his time. His message was a message of admonition for the people to do whatever was necessary to prepare for the One who was soon to come.

How does one prepare the way of the Lord and make His paths straight?

I believe the best clue we have for the answer to this question is to take a look at the ministry of John the Baptist. He preached a message of repentance. Luke 3:3b “…preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” When we look at John’s commission and compare that with his message, we conclude that repentance was apparently the way that the people were to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Genuine, heart-felt, and sincere repentance is the only way to prepare one’s heart and life for God to come. It is the only way to clear things out that might obstruct the free flow of God’s Spirit in our hearts and lives. It is the only way to straighten out what is crooked and perverse in our lives. Genuine repentance means having a complete change of thinking about our behavior, our conduct and our attitudes.

True repentance comes as a result of genuine godly sorrow for our sins that have contributed to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in our behalf. (2 Cor. 7:10)

Repentance is not the same thing as asking for God’s forgiveness. Anyone who has repented will certainly want God’s forgiveness for the sins that have nailed Jesus to the cross. However, there are some that have ask for forgiveness but they have not truly repented. There are people who ask God to forgive their sins, but then keep right on committing the same sins over and over, having little or no intention of ever changing.  

Repentance implies having a true understanding of how much our sin offends a holy God and how desperately we need His cleansing and His power to live pleasing in His sight. Genuine repentance inevitably leads to a genuine conversion – a life transformed by grace.

Conclusion:

John the Baptist suddenly appears on the scene out in the wilderness area preaching a message of repentance for the remission of sins for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He testified that he was the voice in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. He also testified that the same One who sent him to baptize was the One who identified the Son of God for him. (Jn. 1:23, 33-34)

John’s message was essentially this: the way you must get ready for the Lord’s coming is to repent. John was preaching his message 2,000 years ago for the first coming of Christ. Today we are revisiting his message as we once again celebrate the first coming of the Messiah, but at the same time making sure we are getting prepared for His second coming.

Just as certainly as He came the first time, so He will come the second time. Just as there were some who were completely unprepared and unaware of His first coming, so there will be those who are unprepared for His second coming. If repentance was necessary for people to be prepared for His first coming, then repentance is certainly an important step in order to be prepared for His second coming.

The way I see it, dear friends, it is not my job to make you feel good about yourself or feel comfortable. As a servant of God and a minister of the Gospel, it is my job to help people get prepared for the coming of the Lord. I am confident that one of the most important ways for anyone to get prepared to meet the Lord is to have a moment of genuine repentance that leads to true faith and trust in Jesus.

This Christmas season we are all thinking about the first appearance of the Son of God. There is no better time to turn our thoughts to His second coming and our need to be ready to meet Him.

Our closing hymn today is a Christmas hymn that emphasizes the attitude of one who has prepared his heart for the Lord: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Thank God for His Gift [25mb]

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon based on 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Written Excerpts:

Introduction: In thinking about this service and seeking the Lord’s guidance for the message today, I was drawn to this passage of Scripture because it emphasizes both the theme of thanksgiving and the theme of gift-giving. I felt that this would be appropriate to use for this Sunday that immediately follows Thanksgiving  and anticipates Advent.

If you look at this chapter, the words thanks and thanksgiving occur three times in these closing verses of the chapter. The expression of gratitude is definitely on the Apostle’s mind. We will be looking at the reasons for this in just a moment. Then, in the last verse, Paul erupts into his own expression of thanks to the Lord for His gift that is “unspeakable” (i.e. indescribable; “wonder beyond description” – A.T. Robertson)

I believe that the gift that Paul is speaking about here is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, it certainly seems that what we have here is a direct connection between the practice of giving thanks unto God, and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ in which God is giving His gift unto us.

Transition:    Let us look at the message of the Apostle in this chapter to discover the reasons that thanks is being offered to God.

I. Thanks is offered because of the generous gifts of believers.

v. 11 (NASB) – “you will be enriched in everything for all liberality [generosity], which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 

v. 12 – For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

Paul proclaims that the generosity of the Christians in the region around Corinth will produce thanksgiving to God. He states that when the believers in Jerusalem see what their brothers and sisters have done, they will not only be thankful to them, but they will also direct their thanks to God who provided the blessings and prompted or motivated the generosity.

The writer, Matthew Henry, points out that there are three main principles for giving that are outlined by the Apostle here in chapter nine. When these principles are followed, then the result will be an abundance of thanks offered up to God.

A. Christians should give bountifully.

v. 5 – “Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.”

The believers in Corinth are reminded that their gift being prepared for the believers in Jerusalem was to be a gift given bountifully or generously and not being tight-fisted or giving grudgingly.

The image that comes to my mind when I read these verses is a contrast between two kinds of givers. One kind is the man who scoops down into his barrel of grain and gathers all that his arms can hold and then throws his arms wide open to unload the grain into the empty sack of the waiting neighbor. The other kind of giver is the man that grabs a handful of grain and opens it just enough to allow the grains to slip out in a small stream into the waiting hand of the needy neighbor. One is generously giving out of his abundant resources provided by God, while the other is barely letting go of what he must to satisfy his conscience.

B. Christians should give deliberately.

v. 7a – “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give;”

“purposeth” – compound word, “before” and “choose”, thus choose before; as in preferring one thing over another, or to purpose or resolve beforehand. (Complete Word Study Dict on NT)

Unless a person plans and purposes to be generous, it will not happen. Helping out those in need is not something that generally happens accidentally or coincidentally, but it is usually done purposefully and intentionally. This implies that we can and should learn to develop a habit and practice of generosity toward the needs of others.

C. Christians should give freely and cheerfully.

v. 7b – “…not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

(Adam Clarke) – The Jews had in the temple two chests for alms; the one was of what was necessary, i.e. what the law required, the other was of the free-will offerings. To escape perdition some would grudgingly give what necessity obliged them; others would give cheerfully, for the love of God, and through pity to the poor.

Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers that when they give for the needs of others they should do so with a cheerful spirit. There is plenty more that the Apostle says in this chapter about the practice of benevolence and generosity, but we have covered some of the main points.

Looking again at vv. 11-12, we see that Paul is declaring that when God’s people give to the needs of others in God’s way, then those who have watched it and those who have received it will naturally respond by giving thanks to God who motivated it all through His divine grace.

II. Thanks is offered because of the indescribable gift of God.

As I read through these verses and came down to the last verse of the chapter, it seems to me that while Paul is discussing all about generosity and deliberate, cheerful giving for the Christian believers in Jerusalem, he is suddenly reminded of how much this relates to the wonderful gift God has given to us.

In verse 13 he states that because of this experience of generous giving, the Christians are glorifying God because the Greeks have demonstrated their submission and obedience to Christ through their generosity. In verse 14 he declares that these same Christians are praying for an over abundance of God’s grace to be granted to the Greeks. As he speaks of these experiences, he suddenly connects these events and descriptions to the overwhelming and indescribable gift of God.

Most commentators say that this gift that Paul is referring to here is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Adam Clarke, on the other hand, says that the specific meaning of “gift” refers back to the word “grace” in the previous verse. In other words, he is declaring the over abundance of grace is the gift that cannot be described in human words.

Even if Clarke is correct, we must recognize that this grace granted to the Corinthian believers is only because of Jesus Christ who is the original gift from God.

Conclusion:

We give thanks to God, says Paul, for His wonderful, marvelous gift that cannot be adequately described in human language. There is an unbroken connection between God’s gift of His Son to humanity and our resulting gratitude that leads us to be generous toward others just as God has been toward us.

That generosity expressed through us toward others produces more thanksgiving and gratitude to God for all that He is doing, which reminds us again of how much He has already done for us, and on and on…

In our closing song, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” we emphasize the gift of God in giving His Son to provide our redemption.

Let us sing with gratitude and then live it out in generosity.

A Thankful Heart [21mb]

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon based on Psalm 136. It was preached on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving Day 2011 in a worship service that also included the Eucharist.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Introduction:    Some have stated that ingratitude is the most prevalent sin of America. I’m not sure if that is true or if it even can be proven, but I am certain that it is one of the most prevalent sins in our nation.

Someone has illustrated the problem like this: Suppose a man comes up to my door one day and just hands me a $100 bill and says, “This is a gift for you. Have a good day.”

I might be shocked, suspicious, intrigued or experience any number of other emotions, but I would be very grateful. Suppose he does it every week for about 2 or 3 months. Then at the beginning of the next month on the same day that he has customarily stopped at my door, suppose he walks on by my door and stops at the next house and gives my neighbor a $100 bill. If I reacted like most people in our world, I would get angry and resentful because he passed me up and went to my neighbor. I might even open the door and yell to him, “Hey, where’s MY $100?

Most of us are far too quick to focus on the benefits we don’t have rather than to focus on the benefits and blessings we have been given in great abundance.

We certainly need to express our gratitude to God all year round, but especially at this time of the year when we in America have been granted a special holiday tradition for the purpose of giving thanks to our Creator and our God.

Transition:    In our Scripture lesson for today in Psalm 136 the author starts out with the exhortation to give thanks to the Lord.

This Hebrew poem seems to be written for liturgical use or public worship in the temple. The first line of each verse could have been sung as a solo or by a chorus, with the response possibly sung by the whole congregation of worshipers.

In this unusual song of thanksgiving, we are given numerous subjects for which to thank God. These subjects directly relate to the history of the people of Israel, but they have spiritual application for us even today.

Let us briefly explore the various reasons for which we are to give thanks to the Lord.

I.  We give thanks to the Lord because of His character. (v 1)

A.  He is good.

The psalmist declares the goodness of God as an established fact. We have discussed this attribute in earlier sermons, but this is a reminder that God is inherently good and He is the standard for goodness.

We often declare the goodness of God when we have received some special blessing that pleases us very much. However, the way we often express it gives the impression that God wouldn’t have been so good if that blessing had not been given. We must remember and declare that God is good all the time.

B. He is faithful.

In addition to this first description of God’s character (goodness), the response line that is used repeatedly throughout the psalm proclaims, “His mercy endureth for ever.”

Hebrew scholars tell us that the word “mercy” in these verses does not have a one-word equivalent in English or any other language. It conveys the compound idea of covenant faithfulness or steadfast, committed love or kindness. (Leupold)

The author of this psalm is emphasizing that the underlying nature of God that impacts all of His divine activity is His kindness and love that is rooted in His covenant-keeping faithfulness. The God of the Bible obligates Himself by covenants with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob and He steadfastly demonstrates kindness because of His unfailing love and commitment to His people. What a stark contrast from the gods of other religions.

His covenant faithfulness is eternal, never-ending.

II.  We give thanks to the Lord because of His supremacy. (vv 2-3, 26)

A. He is God of gods and Lord of lords.

The psalmist is not teaching us that there actually are many other gods in the world over which Jehovah is supreme. But the point is that God is supreme and sovereign over everything, even those deities supposed to exist by heathens.

Some believe that the emphasis here stresses God’s sovereignty over all the priests and spiritual rulers of the pagans, as well as kings and magistrates of the world. (A. Clarke)

B. He is the God of heaven.

The heavens represent the wide expanse of God’s created universe and even there God is supreme and sovereign.

I thank God for His sovereignty and supremacy over every part of this world and this universe.

III.  We give thanks to the Lord because of His creative activity. (vv 4-9)

God’s creative activity is described generally (v.4) – “great wonders,” and specifically (5-9) – “the heavens,” “earth,” “waters,” and “great lights” (sun, moon & stars).

Time and again we have talked about the wonderful display of God’s power and His amazing design and creativity that is observable in our world of nature. All of these creative works of God are cause for thanksgiving.

It is an interesting thought that God’s creation is not only a reason to give Him praise and adoration (as indicated in Psalm 8 for example), but it is also a reason to offer thanks. I’m sure I do not fully comprehend the psalmist’s point here, but in some respect we need to thank God that His creation is so marvelous and awesome. Perhaps he is just emphasizing that the One to whom we give thanks is not only the Supreme Sovereign, but He is the Supreme Creator.

IV.  We give thanks to the Lord because of His deliverance. (vv 10-15, 24)

There are two kinds of deliverance referred to in this thanksgiving poem.

One is more specific in its detail and refers to the deliverance from the bondage in Egypt. (vv. 10-15)  The other (v. 24) is more general and seems to refer to deliverance from all enemies of Israel – and by application, all of God’s people.

The enemies referred to here were actual physical enemies of the people of God. But we can also apply this spiritually to every kind of enemy that would hinder or destroy our faith and love for God.

I thank God for every time He has delivered me from some enemy that was intent on my destruction.

V.  We give thanks to the Lord because of His providential care. (vv 16-25)

These verses describe God’s protection through the wilderness journeys of the Israelites as well as providing the land of Canaan for them to live in permanently. God destroyed the wicked kings and nations in the Promised Land so that His covenant people could inherit the land He had promised centuries earlier to their forefathers.

In addition to the protection and provision of land, God has also provided food for all flesh, man and beast. Although the reference here does seem to be quite general – “for all flesh,” yet with the contextual reference to wilderness wanderings, it may have specific reference to the manna and quail provided for them in the travels from Egypt to Canaan.

Conclusion:    Today we are observing communion which is always a celebration of thanksgiving for the salvation provided through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Let us now turn our attention to this blessed opportunity to remember our Lord’s sacrifice and suffering for us.