TBC Decatur Sermons

God Will Keep Us

TBC Sermons — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:40:37 GMT

God Will Keep Us
Jude 1:24-25

Why Jude ends with the Greatness of God

1. Related to continuing in the faith.
2. Related to avoiding sin.
3. Related to living boldly.
4. At the core of the Christian Life.
    I. God is ABLE (Jude 1:24)
    ²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
      And to present you faultless
      Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

        a. To keep you from stumbling (2 Thes. 3:3)
³ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Isaiah 41:10
¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you;
      Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
      I will strengthen you,
      Yes, I will help you,
      I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

        b. To present you blameless (Col. 1:21-22)
²¹ And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled ²² in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight

1 Peter 1:19
¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

    II. God is ALONE (Jude 1:25)
       ²⁵ To God our Savior,
      Who alone is wise,
      Be glory and majesty,
      Dominion and power,
      Both now and forever.
      Amen.

Revelation 15:4
⁴ Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
      For You alone are holy.
      For all nations shall come and worship before You,
      For Your judgments have been manifested.”

Band of Brothers

TBC Sermons — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:10:24 GMT

Erosion of Truth
Jude 1:17-23

17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Maintain Your Life with God

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Exposing the Enemy

TBC Sermons — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:05:56 GMT

Exposing the Enemy
Jude 1:11-16

11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

- We need to be able to recognize our enemy to defend against it.
2 Peter 2
Destructive Doctrines
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Doom of False Teachers
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers
12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

1) A Direct Warning - Jude gives a direct warning to christians about those...

2) A Duplication of Past Sins
    i. The Way of Cain - 1 John 3:12
         12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him?
         Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
    ii. The Error of Balaam
    iii. The Rebellion of Korah - Numbers 16

3) Description of Present Danger
    i. Hidden Reefs: Bring Destruction
    ii. Shepherds Feeding Themselves: selfishness - Ezekiel 34:2
         12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep          and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.
    iii. Waterless Clouds: Empty Promises - Proverbs 25:13-14
         13 Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
         Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
         For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
         14 Whoever falsely boasts of giving
         Is like clouds and wind without rain.
    iv. Fruitless Trees: No Life
    v. Wild Waves at Sea: Cause Turmoil
    vi. Wandering Stars: Fade Away

4) A Display of Future Judgment
    i. Judgment and Examination
    ii. Judgment and Evangelism

Lessons From History

TBC Sermons — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:02:50 GMT

Lessons From History
Jude 1:5-10

Old and New Apostates
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

We contend for the faith because we believe God revealed the final word for us in the scriptures.

Lessons From History
1. Israel: A Lack of Faith
            don't ever presume God's grace. Israel was judged for lack of faith, will we?
2. Angels: A Tragic Fall
             from Genesis 6:1-2 - fall of angels
             the angels stepped out of their positions and were judged
3. Sodom: Open Fornication
             Jude 1:7 People stepped out of God's design and were judged.
             If you give in you too will be judged.

3 Specific sins that led to falling away
1. Relaxed Sexual Boundaries - 1 Cor. 6
2. Rejecting Lordship of Christ
3. Reviling Spiritual Warfare

Contend for the Faith

TBC Sermons — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:18:31 GMT

Contend for the Faith
Jude 1:1-4

Greeting
¹Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
²May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Judgment on False Teachers
³Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Tolerance is the virtue of a man without conviction

Speak the truth, do so in love, do so with sensitivity.

1. An Urgent Decision
2. A Faith Delivered
3. A Call to Defend
4. An Enemy to Defeat

Acts 28:29-30
A. Condemned by God
B. Godless in Action
C. Mock the Grace of God
D. Deny Christ as Lord

Contending for th Faith:
1. is the responsibility of all believers in Christ.
2. is foundational to the church.
3. requires discerning truth from error.

The Providence of God in Prayer (Part 3) - Pastor Wes Feltner - 10/26/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:41:16 GMT

Understanding the Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:13
¹³And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

This verse is a warning to us that we can be lead astray if we are not careful.

It is a Prayer of Protection
It is a Prayer of Perseverance

Life is a spiritual minefield

A Prayer of Protection - lead me not into temptation, here it is referring to a time of testing

Prove authenticity of your faith. Testing produces steadfastness
These tests have an "Opportunity for Disobedience." The evil one brings the temptation during the test.
God is not leading us into temptation. Our own desires cause us to fall into temptation.
"Lead us not" = "Deliver us from"

A Prayer of Perseverance
We need protection that we don't veer off course. We need perseverance to go to the end.

The christian life is a spiritual war. We are not waging war against flesh but against principalities but against wickedness.

Ephesians 6:12-13
¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

1 Thessalonians 3:15
⁵ For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

"That very few people think that we are now in a war greater than World War II. That this war is greater than any imaginable nuclear World War III, or that Satan is a much worse enemy than communism or militant Islam. That this conflict is not restricted to any one global theater but that it is in every town, of every city, home, mind and heart. Or that the casualties do not merely lose an arm, eye or earthly life, but they lose everything including their soul"
John Piper

John 17:11-15
¹¹I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. ¹³"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

3 Things We Need to do:

Drawing Near to God
Put on the Armor of God
Do Not Fight Alone

Ecclesiastes 9:4-12
⁴ Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! ⁵ For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶ Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. ⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. ⁸ Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. ¹¹ I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. ¹² Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.

The Providence of God in Prayer (Part 2) - Pastor Wes Feltner - 10/19/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:34:43 GMT

Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness
²¹Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

²²Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

²³"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

²⁴"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

²⁵"But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

²⁶"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

²⁷"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'

²⁹"So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

³⁰"But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

³¹"So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

³²"Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

³³'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

³⁴"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

³⁵"My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Our Need for Forgiveness
Psalm 103:11-12
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
         So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
    ¹²As far as the east is from the west,
         So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 130:3-4
³If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,
         O Lord, who could stand?
    ⁴But there is forgiveness with You,
         That You may be feared.
Micah 7:18
¹⁸Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity
         And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
         He does not retain His anger forever,
         Because He delights in unchanging love.
God as a Forgiving God
Colossians 2:13-14
¹³When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

¹⁴having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
God expects us to forgive to the same degree He has forgiven us.
Ephesians 4:32
³²Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Those who show mercy will be given mercy...

Are we willing to do for others what God has done for us?

When we refuse to forgive we are:

forgetting our own sin
failing to trust God
not conforming to Christ
denying the commands of God
thinking we are better than God

The Providence of God in Prayer (Part 1) - Pastor Wes Feltner - 10/12/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:05:28 GMT

The Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13
⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

It is far better for God's will be done than we be fed.

Special: Missions Highlight - Pastor Wes Feltner - 10/05/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:07:43 GMT

Special: Missions Highlight
"God has called us to have a passion for the nations.
A passion to share the gospel to the ends of the earth."
Pastor Wes Feltner

Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The Great Commission happens in the context of the resurrection.
1. The Fuel of Missions: The authority of Christ
2. The Focus of Missions: The discipleship of all peoples.
Do not stop at conversion
3. The Fellowship of Missions: He is with us.

The Kingdom of God in Prayer (part 2) - 9/28/2008 - Pastor Wes Feltner

TBC Sermons — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:36:03 GMT

The Kingdom of God in Prayer
"Thy Will be Done"
Matthew 6:10
Pastor Wes Feltner

Matthew 6:10
10 Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 16:24-26
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Isaiah 46:10
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
      And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
      Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
      And I will do all My pleasure,’

The Kingdom of God in Prayer (part 1) - 9/21/2008 - Pastor Wes Feltner

TBC Sermons — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:35:05 GMT

The Kingdom of God in Prayer
Matthew 6:10
Pastor Wes Feltner

Matthew 6:9-13
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

      Our Father in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
       10 Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.
       11 Give us this day our daily bread.
       12 And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.
       13 And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
      For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

We are living under a curse.
We need to be praying for a kingdom.

One day the true anointed one of God will defeat the enemies of God for all eternity.

Why pray for the kingdom of God? When Jesus Christ was here so was the kingdom of God.

Jesus is the King of all Kings.
Surrender our lives to the King.
Our life would represent God's kingdom.
Long for a day we will see our savior face to face.

Pray Then Like This -The Holiness of God in Prayer - 09-14-08 - Pastor Wes Feltner

TBC Sermons — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:48:15 GMT

Pray Then Like This -The Holiness of God in Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer

Pastor Wes Feltner

Matthew 6:5

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

      Our Father in heaven,
      Hallowed be Your name.
       10 Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done
      On earth as it is in heaven.
       11 Give us this day our daily bread.
       12 And forgive us our debts,
      As we forgive our debtors.
       13 And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
      For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Long for the Word - 09/07/2008 - Pastor Wes Feltner

TBC Sermons — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:02:02 GMT

Long for the Word
1 Peter 2:1-3
Pastor Wes Feltner

"What our desire ought to be towards the Word of God"

1 Peter 2:1-3 - NASB
As Newborn Babes
1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

It is easy to spend & squander an inheritance but salvation is an inheritance that will never pass away.

It's natural for someone who has been born again to long for the Word of God.

Commands
Long for the Word of God, a deep passionate longing for the Word of God.
Be zeaous for good works
Rejoice in Hope
Delight yourself in the Lord

What is so valuable about God's Word

God's Word is Pure (2:2)
God's Word is Spiritual (2:2)
God's Word is Unfading (1:23)
God's Word is Living (1:23)
God's Word is Eternal (1:25)

Comparison "Like Newborn Babies"
We should hunger for God's Word like babies hunger for milk.

Reasons babies long for milk

Long for Satisfaction
Long for Strength
Long for Survival
Long for Salvation

If you're not finding satisfaction in the Word of God you will not grow strong. If you do not grow strong and develop you will not survive.

Lay Aside Sin (1 Peter 2:1)

Collossians 3:5-10 - NASB
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--

"Be killing sin or it will be killing you"
John Owen

Conclusion - "Lasting Maturity" (2:2)

The goal of the christian life is not just being saved. The goal of the christian life is being conformed to the image of Christ.

Hear the Word Romans 10:17
Read the Word Deut. 12:19
Study the Word Acts 17:11
Memorize the Word Proverbs 7:2-3
Meditate the Word Psalm 1:2-3

Preach the Word - 08/31/2008 - Pastor Wes Feltner

TBC Sermons — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:53:53 GMT

"Preach the Word"
2 Timothy 3:12-4:5
Pastor Wes Feltner

"The Centrality of the Word of God in the Life of the Church"

2 Timothy 3:12-4:5
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Preach the Word

1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The primary responsibility is to teach the Word of God. Paul said to Timothy, "preach the Word"

When we think of God giving us divine revelation the things we must think about are:

God has spoken. God has not remained hidden. He has revealed Himself. God has not been silent.
It is written. God has caused men to write his revelation down.
What has been written is to be proclaimed. It is not enough for God to speak and have it written if it is not proclaimed to people.

Faithfully preaching the Word of God is essential for the life for at least these 5 reasons.

It exposes sin in our lives and our culture. - 2 Timothy 3:1
It ensures us against false teachers. - 2 Timothy 3:13
It exalts the sacredness of scripture. - 2 Timothy 3:16
Faithful biblical preaching in the life of the congregation equips the believer for good works. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
For the endurance of the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

But the Nine - Where are They? - 08/24/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:06:24 GMT

Luke 17:11-19

Ten Lepers Cleansed

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

- 10 realized their need, only 1 returned to give thanks.

- Why didn't the other 9 return to give thanks?

they felt healing was deserved?
they felt other things were more important?

Pastor Roger-ism's

Don't burn any bridges.
Don't let people rent space in your brain.
Say to yourself, it's not perfect but it's good enough.
Be comfortable in your own skin, you can't be in anyone else's
Laugh at yourself, practice the art of letting go.
Don't forget to breathe.

Favorite Quotes

There are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than exist in your imagination. - Shakespeare
It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. - Sir Edmund Hillary
Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and the wrong because at some point in your life you will have been all of these.

The Vending Machine God - 08/17/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:59:28 GMT

The Vending Machine God

Deuteronomy 29:9
9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
      And lean not on your own understanding;
       6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
      And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 22:6
6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
      And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Malachi 3:10
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
      That there may be food in My house,
      And try Me now in this,”
      Says the LORD of hosts,

      “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Leviticus 26:14-36
14 ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,

15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,

16 I also will do this to you:
I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.
And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.
Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

18 ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

19 I will break the pride of your power;
I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

20 And your strength shall be spent in vain;
for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

21 ‘Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.

22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number;
and your highways shall be desolate.

23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,

24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant;
when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you;
and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

26 When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

27 ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,

28 then I also will walk contrary to you in fury;
and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.

30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols;
and My soul shall abhor you.

31 I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.

32 I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.

33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;
your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

34 Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land;
then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.

35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—
for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.

36 ‘And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;
the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee;
they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.

Hebrews 7:18-19
18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is thebringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Two Difficulties

It requires us to yield control over what happens in our lives and to trust God to do whatever He thinks best.
It is harder to enjoy God than His blessings

         Galatians 4:3,9
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

Psalm 116:12, 15-16
12 What shall I render to the LORD
         For all His benefits toward me?

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
         Is the death of His saints.

16 O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
         I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
         You have loosed my bonds.

Become a Servant - 08/10/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:04:28 GMT

John 13:1-15

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

The foot was considered the most offensive part of the body and even slaves weren't required to wash their master's feet. Jesus gives a new twist to this and humbles himself and takes on the form of a servant and washes his disciples feet.

The best gift for our pastor is to become servants by:

Devote ourselves to praying for him as he prepares to preach and does administrative work.
Pray for him as he counsels people in distress and/or crisis.
Supporting our pastor ie with honest communication

Where are the Clowns - 08/03/2008

TBC Sermons — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:08:41 GMT

Where are the clowns, the people that didn't follow conventions but believed and strengthened the church

Contentions Among You - 07/27/2008

TBC Sermons — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:33:46 GMT

Contentions Among You - Do not be sidetracked by the little things that divide us

I Corinthians 1:1-17

Greeting

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Gifts at Corinth

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sectarianism Is Sin

10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

"A Church Threatened" -Dr Roger Daniels - 07-20-08

TBC Sermons — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:45:19 GMT