First Sunday of Advent 2010

Sermon Text for the Sunday Before Thanksgiving 2010, November 21st...



There are nearly 100 references in the Old and New Testament regarding giving thanks, and having hearts of thanksgiving toward the Lord our God. Here is a brief sampling of these references:

2 Samuel 22:50 “I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.”

1 Chronicles 16:8 “Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”

1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalm 18:46-49 “The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.”

Psalm 30:4 “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

Psalm 35:18 “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among many people.”

Psalm 92:1 “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.”

Psalm 97:12 “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

Psalm 105:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.”

Psalm 106:1 “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalm 107:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Psalm 50:14 “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High."

Psalm 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Psalm 95:2 “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

Psalm 100:4-5 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Psalm 147:7 “Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.”

Philippians 4:6 “In every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.”

Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”

Revelation 7:12 “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

There are two more passages not in the preceding list regarding giving thanks to the Lord and thanksgiving that deserve to be more closely examined:

Psalm 116:17 “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

These two statements from Scripture beg two questions:

• We know that God honors anything given in sacrifice, but when is giving thanks to the Lord ever a “sacrifice”? Obviously, when things aren’t going as we would like them to; when things sometimes go wrong.

• How can we give thanks to God in “everything” when things sometimes go wrong?

Sometimes things do go wrong, but the Bible has much to say about those times:

James 1:2-8 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Our will has to be in subjection to God’s will – we have to know our place before God; be humble before Him…

Micah 6:8 “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

When are we not humble before the Lord? When we think we “deserve better,” or are dissatisfied with our station in life. To think such things is to think too highly of ones’ self. To think too highly of ourselves is to be prideful, and God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) We are to constantly check ourselves to make sure our perspective is in line with God’s will, and God’s Word.

There are many times when we look at the Word of God with the wrong perspective. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, for example, which clearly states “Forgive US as we forgive OTHERS;” how often do we really think about what we are saying? We’re telling God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. That’s a chilling thought…it’s also a chilling to consider how infrequently we hear true words of thanksgiving toward God in today’s world…and we should all be truly grateful for all He has given us, and all He protects us from.

1 Corinthians 10:13-14 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

The Word promises us that the Lord has only our best interest at heart:

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward (have for) you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace (plans to prosper you), and not of evil (and not to harm you), to give you an expected end (to give you hope, and a future).”

Have we been so blessed that we’ve forgotten how blessed we are?

There was once a plumber who complained of not being able to buy shoes for his 6-year-old daughter. His complaints were silenced by the lady whose daughter couldn’t walk who told him, “I’d give everything I own, and live in a grass hut if I could see my daughter wear your daughters old shoes.” – That story reminds us of the old phrase, “I once complained that my shoes were too tight when I saw a man who had no feet.”

Have we forgotten what Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary? In John 15:13 Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” And this is exactly what Jesus did for all of us – each and every one of us…

Those of us who are Believers – have we forgotten that, had we rejected Christ when we reached the Age of Accountability, we would be headed for the same Hell as those who choose to reject the Savior of the World?

Heaven and Salvation are things that none of us truly deserve. The Bible teaches us that all have sinned and have come short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Yet those of us who have turned from our sin, and accepted Christ, and asked Him to be our Lord and Savior, will spend Eternity with Jesus. We will get what we don’t deserve…and we will not get what we do deserve…that should be enough to make us truly thankful.

How can we prove to the Lord that we are thankful for his indescribable and unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15) to us?

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” (John 14:15) And one of his commandments was, “Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature…” (Mark 16:15)

Let us prove our gratitude and love for Jesus by proclaiming the truth of His word throughout the world, in any and every way we can…and may we be truly thankful throughout the coming holiday season, and in the days to come.

Scriptural Text for Sunday, November 7th, 2010

Luke 19

11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

A modern take of the same parable,

as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

 

Scriptural Texts for Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Teachings of Jesus from the 18th Chapter of Luke...

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'


14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Little Children and Jesus

15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

The Rich Ruler

18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher,
what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' "

21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"

27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

38He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

39Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord, I want to see," he replied.

42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Scriptural Text for Sunday, October 16th, 2010

Luke 18 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Mary and Martha: The Goofus and Gallant of the Gospels...

Mary and Martha are complete opposites. One is always seen walking in the Spirit, while the other is always seen walking in the flesh. Mary is always soft-spoken and demure, but Martha always seems to shoot first and asks questions later. Compare and contrast these two personality types in the following Scriptural texts, and see if you can discern who is the better Spiritual role model:

Luke 10:38-42

38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

John 11

1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked.

"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

35Jesus wept.

36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said.

"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Read the following Scriptural passage as a guage by which we can act as 'Fruit Inspectors' for Mary and Martha:

Galatians 5:13-26

13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

We must learn to walk in the Spirit of God so we can avoid heeding the unholy call of our fleshly natures; if we all walk in the Spirit, in one accord as on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God can operate fully, as He wills...note the following passage:

Matthew 12 22-28

22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

World Communion Sunday: October 3rd, 2010