Thankful for God’s Sovereignty

Sermon Notes for the third of our thankful series. Video HERE.

An English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor at St Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars. One day the man’s banker said, “You’ve done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?” “Well,” replied the man, “I’d be janitor of St. Peter’s Church in Neville Square.” Bits and Pieces, June 24, 1993, p. 23.

Often times, bad things happen and we don’t know what to do with them or why they happened until later in life.

Jesus was clear, “In the world you will have tribulation.” John 16:33

Tribulation: affliction, distress, oppression

John 15:18-John 16:33: Hated, murdered, sorrow for loss.

Encouragement: “Have peace, take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Today we’re going to explore the concept of God’s sovereignty, understanding the difference between God being in control and being controlling.

I. Understanding God’s Sovereignty

God’s sovereignty is His supreme authority and control over all things.

Nothing happens without His allowing it, or making it.

Hear this!

God is a God in Control but not OF Control

When it comes to us as humans, His creation, HE is in control of our lives but He does not control our lives.

We will dive into that further a little later.

We can trust His Sovereignty, His control.

God’s sovereignty as the foundation of our trust and hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

This is part of a letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent to the Jewish exiles who had been deported to Babylon.
The Babylonians had conquered the kingdom of Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC. Many Jews were taken captive and exiled to Babylon.
Jeremiah wrote this letter to the exiles around 597 BC, about 10 years after the first wave of Jews were deported.
The exiles were living in a pagan land and surrounded by unfamiliar customs and false gods. They longed to return home.
False prophets were telling the exiles they would be able to return to Judah very soon. Jeremiah contradicted this, saying the exile would last 70 years.
Jeremiah encouraged the exiles to settle down in Babylon, build homes, plant gardens, marry, and seek the welfare of the city.
In the midst of the difficulties of exile, Jeremiah wanted to give hope that God still had a future and purpose for His people.

Again, here we see in action, God’s control of the situation, He allowed it. But He did not control His people’s response to it.

He used Jeremiah to speak encouragement to them, but it was ultimately theei choice to receive the encouragement.

God was offering them hope in the situation that looked horribly dire.

Hope was slow in coming though, 70 years in the making.

II. Examples of God’s Sovereignty in the Bible

One of my favorite stories of God’s Sovereignty is that of Joseph.

Joseph’s Story

Joseph’s Dreams: Joseph is 17 years old when he has his dreams (Genesis 37:1-11).
Sold into Slavery: This event happens shortly after the dreams, so Joseph is still around 17 (Genesis 37:12-35)
Purchased by Potiphar: This happens soon after Joseph is sold into slavery. (Genesis 37:36)
Falsely Accused and Imprisoned: The Bible doesn’t specify how long Joseph served in Potiphar’s house before being imprisoned, but it implies he was there for a significant period, during which he gained trust and authority. It’s possible a few years passed, but the exact time is not specified. (Genesis 39:1-20)
Interprets Prisoners’ Dreams: Joseph spends an unspecified amount of time in prison before interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. This could add several more years to his age. (Genesis 39:21- Genesis 40)
Interpreting Pharaoh’s Dreams: Joseph is 30 years old when he stands before Pharaoh. This is when he interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and proposes the plan for the grain. (Genesis 41:1-36)
Second-in-Command in Egypt: This happens immediately after he interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, so he is still 30. (Genesis 41:37-57)
Brothers Come to Egypt: The seven years of plenty are followed by two years of famine before Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt. This would make Joseph approximately 39 years old at this time. (Genesis 42-45)
Joseph Reveals His Identity: This occurs during the same visit, so Joseph is still around 39. (Genesis 45)
Family Moves to Egypt: This happens shortly after Joseph reveals his identity, so he is still around 39. (Genesis 46)
Joseph Reflects on God’s Providence: This reflection likely happens towards the end of the narrative, but no specific age is mentioned.
- Genesis 50:19–20 (ESV)
- But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

You think Joseph would have questioned Jeremiah’s words if he were to have known them prior to the events of his life?

Have you questioned God’s plans for your life?

If you were in control, how would you be different?

Have you suffered in this life?

“Suffering gets our attention; it forces us to look to God, when otherwise we would just as well ignored Him.”

Many of us desire to end our suffering, and maybe even the suffering of others.

“I just want to be normal.”

What if your current suffering is part of God’s plan of hope for you, or someone you love?

Would you be thankful?

III. Embracing God’s Sovereignty with Thankfulness

Remember

God is a God in Control but not OF Control

He controls the situation but not our response to it.

Illustration of Our Control

A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn’t seem to force its body past a certain point.

Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and snipped the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large and swollen, the wings small and shriveled.

He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread out in their natural beauty, but they did not. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening are God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. The “merciful” snip was, in reality, cruel. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.

We have to relinquish our desire for control and instead embrace God’s perfect plan.

Often it is the struggle of life that helps us to value it.

Steven Hawking once said, after receiving his ALS diagnosis and at first had that initial shock, became extremely positive in his acceptance of the illness that would likely take his life in the next two years, saying:

“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero,” he said, “one really appreciates everything that one does have.”

Stated another way: contentment in life is determined in part by what a person anticipates from it. To a man like Hawking who thought he would soon die quickly, everything takes on meaning–a sunrise or a walk in a park or the laughter of children. Suddenly, each small pleasure becomes precious. By contrast, those who believe life owes them a free ride are often discontent with its finest gifts. James Dobson, New Man, October, 1994, p. 36.

Knowing that God is sovereignly in control of our circumstances, helps us to accept the hard parts of life.

We can trust that He has a plan and purpose for our struggle.

IV. Trusting in God’s Sovereignty

Romans 8:28 (ESV): “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The Apostle Paul is another example that we can learn from.

Written from Prison:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” (Philippians 1:12)
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” (Philippians 1:29)
“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
“And we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

Can we trust God?

Isaiah 46:9-10

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.‘”

Conclusion:

We can trust the Lord with all of our lives on this earth.

Suffering
Trials
Tribulations

But I want you to remember:

God is a God in Control but not OF Control

He doesn’t force you to accept His plan or His outcomes.

It is up to you to trust Him. This includes trusting Him in this life and for the next.

Have you trusted Him with your eternity?

He has allowed you to hear the message today, but He is not forcing your response to it.

Salvation is a gift He offers to us, but it is up to us to receive it.

This is why we should be thankful for the Gift of His Sovereignty.

His Sovereignty brought you here, but the response is up to you.

Will you receive His Gift of salvation?

Finding Peace

In a world full of anxiety and unrest, we all long for peace. But where can we find real, lasting peace amidst the chaos? According to Scripture, true peace comes only from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The “peace of God” described in Philippians 4:6-7 surpasses human understanding. It guards our hearts and minds when we bring our requests to God in prayer instead of being anxious. This supernatural peace comes from being in relationship with God. This is the peace you’re not only searching for, but you need.

Jesus Himself promised this peace to His followers in John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” The peace He gives is not like worldly peace that depends on circumstances. It comes from being united with Him by faith, even in troubled times. This peace is His gift to us.

To experience Christ’s peace, we must trust in God wholeheartedly, as Isaiah 26:3 describes. Fixing our minds on Him through scripture meditation, prayer, and worship nurtures an attitude of trust, resulting in “perfect peace.” Perfect peace only comes by us trusting in the One that lived perfectly.

Living in gratitude also enables us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, as Paul instructs in Colossians 3:15. Thanking God for His presence and blessings keeps us centered on Him. It is also this peace that works its way out by us seeking to live in peace with those around us. It is this peace in our hearts that helps us to be more patient, more understanding, and seeks to motivate us to be the peacemakers He calls us to be.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the key to walking in true peace. When Jesus healed people in the Gospels, He often said, “Go in peace.” Their faith had made them well and filled them with peace. As Luke 1:79 says, God guides our feet into the “way of peace” when we walk by faith in Him. Through our faith in Jesus, we are restored to a right relationship with the Father, giving us peace with Him.

Even when facing tribulation, we can have peace in Christ, knowing He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Fixing our eyes on Jesus gives peace and courage to endure hardships.

No matter what you are going through, Jesus’ peace is available to you. Come to Him in faith, pray for His salvation, trust in His promises, and let gratitude guard your heart. Walk in faith, knowing He has already won the victory. You were created to live in His perfect peace.

Making God Hear Your Prayers

Don’t you wish there was a way to know that God was hearing your prayers? I mean, all of us have had the experience of feeling like our prayers were just going into thin air or hitting the ceiling and not making their way to the Father’s ears. But what if you could be sure He heard your prayers? Would it cause you to pray more? Trust more?

One of the most important acts a disciple of Jesus is to be doing is praying to the Father.

Even Jesus, God in the flesh, prayed to the Father…often going out and praying alone.

One of the hardest things to deal with as a Christian is also prayer…unanswered or unheard prayer.

Even Jesus had prayers that went unanswered.

Unanswered prayer is often cited as a reason for unbelief. Just this morning I read this:

The past two years has been really hard on me and my family, and here lately I’m feeling my prayers are going nowhere, or the opposite of my prayer happens.

Have you been there?

How can we make sure our prayers are heard by God?

The Heart of Prayer

An insincere or selfish heart can hinder prayers.

Often we overcomplicate prayer…

Jesus lays it out pretty clearly in Matthew 6:5-8

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

Jesus tells the disciples – WHEN YOU PRAY – Not IF

Don’t do it to be seen – What’s your heart when you pray?

Don’t babble – Prayer can be simple, no special wording, or length is needed.

Do it privately

Who do we pray to? Pray to the Father

Jesus gives a warning included in this “how to pray” teaching:

They have their reward – babbling won’t help you

It’s an act of the heart

Aligning with God’s Will

Regarding our hearts in prayer, we always have to evaluate our motives and desires.

Why are we praying to God, and what are we asking for Him to do?

Did you know the bible teaches us to do one thing to be sure that God hears our prayers?

1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.

If we ask anything according to his will…Whose purpose are we here for?

Prayers that go against God’s will may not be answered as we desire.

Prayers you’ve asked that you know now weren’t His will.

Do we really want things to happen that aren’t His will?

Faith and Persistence

When it comes to our prayers, often another question of evaluating our prayer is to examine our faith in making the request to God.

James 1:6-7

But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

James goes on to add: That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

We are not “word of faith” people. Explain

Just because we want something and don’t doubt does not guarantee we will receive it.

In context, James is talking about wisdom…not everything we ask of God.

He is speaking of wisdom through trials.

It is often our trials that cause us to pray in the first place.

It is in the trials that, when we ask for wisdom, God can teach us the most.

An elderly lady was telling her nephew about the efficacy of prayer. ” With sincere and fervent prayer, you can achieve anything, ” she said.

” Will prayer help me find my marbles? ” asked the child. His aunt assured he would.

The next day, the boy was playfully and happily moving around. “So, you got your marbles?” asked the lady.

“No,” said the child. “But God taught me not to want them anymore!” was the boy’s reply.

The little boy found solace in God’s wisdom instead of what possessions he had desired.

Knowing God’s will and seeing Him make it happen is the most refreshing answer to prayer.

But we must remember to keep faith when the answers do not come quickly.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus says: Ask, Seek, Knock.

In Luke’s Gospel, He tells a parable of a widow who kept bugging a judge with her request for justice. She continued until she annoyed him to the point that he gave in to her request just to get her to leave him alone.

The annoying child

How badly do you want what you are praying about? Will you take a no answer?

Forgiveness and Relationship.

One of the biggest hindrances to our prayers is a sin-infected life.

Sin keeps us out of a right relationship with the Father…so I want to make sure you have a right relationship first…then we will proceed to the next great hindrance to our prayers being answered.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior?

The next hindrance

Are you praying and yet have a broken relationship with someone else? Does someone legitimately have something against you?

Matthew 5:23-24

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

First, be reconciled!

Are you living a life of forgiving others? Or are you holding onto past hurts unwilling to forgive someone that wronged you?

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.

How much has God forgiven you?

How can you withhold forgiving someone else?

A salvation issue?

Praying in Jesus’ Name

You hear many folks promise you that if you pray this way, your prayer will be heard. Even Jesus teaches:

John 14:13-14

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

This isn’t like asking a genie. Jesus isn’t promising that His Name is like a grab bag for our requests.

One Scripture doesn’t make a theology. Context always matters.

The context: John 14:12

Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

Whose works?

It goes back to Whose will are we seeking? Ours or God’s?

Like our lives when we come to Christ, our prayers shouldn’t be about us…our will.

Make your requests known, but understand that it’s His will we are to seek.

Understanding Unanswered Prayer

If you do all of what we’ve talked about up to this point in making our prayers to God, and your prayers seem unanswered let me remind you of a few things we spoke about last week.

We have to trust in God’s plan and purpose, and His wisdom.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways”, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

God’s timing and our patience

Unanswered prayer doesn’t mean unheard or a no answer.

Remember the persistent widow but also remember to trust in His will, plan, purpose, and wisdom.

Conclusion

In conclusion let me remind you, that if you want to make sure your prayers are heard by God, do these things:

Pray with a sincere heart

Seeking God’s will not your own

Pray in faith with persistence

Check your relationship with Him and others

Always ask in Jesus’s Name

Do this and trust that He knows what you need. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.

Our greatest need is salvation and a restored relationship with God the Father. And Jehovah Jireh did provide that for you and me.

Application

This week remember, prayer isn’t overly complicated. Just check yourself and your motives.
Keep a prayer journal, so that you can gain strength and faith in your prayer life as you see the answers and even come to an understanding of why some prayers may have been unanswered in your life.

Understanding Unanswered Prayer

Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt that your prayers were unanswered? How did it make you feel, and how did you respond?

We had a little bible study and discussion on this vary topic, and I wanted to share with you the notes here so maybe you might be encouraged in your own prayer life, even when your prayers seem unanswered.

What Does the Bible Say?

1. James 4:2-3 (ESV)

“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

What does this passage say about the reasons for unanswered prayer?
Discuss how motives and desires can affect the effectiveness of prayer.
What are some wrong motives people might have when praying, and how can we ensure our motives are aligned with God’s will?

2. Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

How does Jesus encourage us to approach God in prayer?
What assurance do we have regarding God’s response to our requests in this passage?

3. Psalm 66:18 (ESV).

“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

What does this verse suggest about the importance of a righteous life in relation to answered prayer?
What are some practical ways to maintain a righteous life and a close relationship with God, as Psalm 66:18 suggests, to enhance the effectiveness of your prayers?
How does repentance and maintaining a close relationship with God can impact our prayers?

4. 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV).

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

According to these verses, what is the key to having confidence in prayer?
How do you differentiate between prayers that align with God’s will and prayers that may not align with His plan?
Where have you seen prayers aligned with God’s will being answered?

5. Luke 18:1-8 (ESV) (the parable of the persistent widow).

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while, he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?'”

What does this parable teach us about persistence in prayer?
How should this parable influence our approach to unanswered prayer?
Think of an example from your life or from the Bible of a prayer that was initially unanswered but was later answered in God’s timing. How has that helped your faith in prayer?
How can the concept of persisting in prayer, as seen in the parable of the persistent widow, be applied to your life when facing unanswered prayer?

Conclusion:

We need to approach unanswered prayer with the perspective of seeking God’s will, maintaining a righteous life, and persisting in prayer.

God’s timing and wisdom are beyond our comprehension, and He always works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

We have to continue in faithful prayer, trusting that God hears and responds according to His perfect plan.

Building Courage Through Trust in God

Taken from our last sermon of our fear series “Beaking Ground.” See it here

Fear is inevitable in life. From health crises to new jobs to just daily worries, anxiety comes for us all. In those moments, it’s tempting to let fear win and paralyze us from moving forward. But with faith in God, we can find the courage to press on despite the fear.

Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s being able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when afraid. God does not want us to live in bondage to anxiety and fear. He desires for us to live boldly and fully in the purpose He has planned. When inevitable worries arise, we can confront them head-on with trust in the power of God working within us.

So how do we build courage through trust in God? Here are some practical steps:

Bring your fears to God in prayer. Pour out your heart as David did in Psalm 55:1-7, 16-17:

“Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy…My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me…But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.”

Ask God for strength in your fears, then leave those burdens fully in His hands.

Renew your mind with scriptures about God’s power and faithfulness, like Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Recall specific times God has brought you through trials in the past. Let these build your trust in Him for the future.
Take small steps to practice courage in manageable situations, building your “faith muscles.”
Journal about fears you face and how God helps you. Use these as touchstones when bigger fears arise.
Find supportive friends to walk this journey with you. We were not made to battle alone.

With each courageous step forward in trust, your confidence in God will grow. Before long, you’ll be ready to face any fear head-on, knowing He is right by your side. Our God is for us – who can stand against us with Him on our side? Don’t let fear have the final say in your life. Keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and boldly walk into the purpose God has for you. With Him going before you, what do you possibly have to fear?

Finding Hope Even in Our Suffering

Adapted from a reason sermon found here.

Life is full of joys and sorrows, but there are moments when the weight of suffering becomes too much for us to bear. During these times, it’s natural to question where God is amidst our pain. In this blog post, we will delve into a brief story from John chapter 11 that addresses these very questions. It’s my hope that we discover encouragement together as we explore the biblical account of Mary and Martha, who experienced profound loss and disappointment, yet found strength in their faith.

The Sorrow of Loss

In John 11, we encounter John telling us of Mary and Martha, two sisters who were incredibly close to Jesus. They were grieving the loss of their brother Lazarus, who had passed away due to an illness. In their sorrow, they couldn’t help but express their disappointment that Jesus hadn’t arrived in time to prevent Lazarus’s death. I believe this resonates with many of us, as we too have questioned why God seemingly remains distant when we are in pain and why suffering persists.

The Unanswered Questions

Let’s be honest; the questions surrounding suffering don’t always have easy answers that bring immediate peace and resolution to our struggles. We may have experienced immense loss, battled physical or mental ailments, or witnessed the suffering of our loved ones, leaving us wondering why God allows such pain in our lives. Even as a pastor, I grapple with the unknown reasons behind my own wife’s severe anxiety, despite our earnest prayers for healing. Sometimes, we simply don’t receive a clear answer.

Finding Encouragement in Faith

As we navigate through our own trials, it’s important for us to remember that suffering is not a new concept. The Bible is replete with stories of individuals who faced their share of pain—Joseph, David, Job, the Apostle Paul, John the Baptist, and Stephen, to name a few. We can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our struggles.

Jesus’ Purpose in Suffering

In the account of Mary and Martha, we see that Jesus had a greater purpose in mind when He allowed their pain and delayed His response. He wanted to demonstrate His divine power and bring glory to God. Through their trying situation, He aimed to strengthen the faith of those around Him. His hope was that others would see and believe and be saved as they witnessed the power of the Messiah.

Understanding God’s Sovereignty

It’s not always easy to understand why God permits certain things to happen. Yet, we are called to submit to His wisdom and intentions in our lives, even when it hurts. His sovereignty and righteousness prevail, even in the midst of our suffering. God knows our struggles and has a plan, even if it remains beyond our understanding.

Hope Beyond Suffering

While none of us desire suffering or hurt, Jesus reminded us that trials are a part of life. We still have human bodies that are prone to dysfunction, and these bodies have an expiration date. The reality is that we will experience loss and pain, but as believers, we have hope.

Our hope lies in the assurance that death is not the end. It marks a temporary rest until the day of resurrection when we will be reunited with our loved ones in the presence of the risen Son. On that day, we will experience the brightness of His glory within the new creation.

Conclusion

In the midst of pain and suffering, we may wonder where God is and why He allows certain things to happen. Yet, through the story of Mary and Martha, we can find hope and encouragement in knowing that God has a purpose for our struggles.

While the answers to our questions might not always be clear, we can trust in God’s sovereignty and divine plan. Let us draw strength from the examples of those who faced trials before us, and let us lean on one another for support and encouragement during these challenging times.

As we journey through life’s highs and lows, let us hold fast to the hope we find in Christ, knowing that one day, we will be reunited with Him and our loved ones for all eternity.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. - 2 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV

The Messiah Weeps

Sermon notes from Palm Sunday 2023 – video here

Luke 19:28–44 ESV

Today, around the world much of the Church will be singing and praising God just as those praised Jesus on this day some 2,000 years ago.

At first it seems as though it is indeed a glorious day as we read of Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.

The Bible even has the headings often written, “The Triumphal Entry.”

With such headings, you’d be led to believe this was indeed a happy and celebratory day.

The People Celebrated

For many at the time, they’d believed the Messiah was ready to take over! This was the moment they’d been waiting for.

Earlier in Jesus’s ministry His own brothers tried to convince Him to make Himself known, to show the world you might say, that He is who He says He is.

And His response to His brothers at that time was:

“The right time for me has not yet come.

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I keep telling it that its ways are bad.

The right time has not come for me.”

Like His brothers, His own disciples were excited because this was the moment He was going to go into Jerusalem as the King to take what was rightfully His, and theirs.

They thought He was going to retake the City and sit on David’s throne.

The bible informs us, that as He was heading down to Jerusalem from the Mount, as He drew near,

He wept over the city.

He Weeps Over Jerusalem

Image by Enrique Simonet, 1892

HE weeps saying, “if you had only known the things that make for peace.”

Instead, HE weeps because He knows judgment is coming upon them. He weeps because there will be no peace for them now.

When He is gone from the earth, Jerusalem would be ransacked by the Romans some 40 years later near this same time of year. There was to be no peace for them.

So, He weeps over His people.

He weeps over you and I when we don’t believe or don’t obey.

Sometimes we tend to think He gets angry at us for not obeying Him.

I think instead, He weeps because He knows what could have been for us if we’d obeyed.

He weeps over those of us that have tasted His salvation only to turn away from Him for other idols in our lives.

His desire is always for us to turn and be saved. To endure until the end He often says, to leave the old life behind and be the new Creation He makes of us.

He weeps because He knows our hearts, and He knows who truly loves Him and who is simply going through the motions for attention.

He weeps because He knows the price that has to be paid for His people. The price He paid for you and I.

The prophets of old had it right, the Messiah was coming, and on a donkey.

And the people believed, at least for a moment, that Jesus was He.

But in a week’s time, all that changed.

He Knew

Jesus knew it would.

He knew His people, some of them His very own disciples, would fall away. They would not only reject Him, but cry out for His blood.

So He wept.

His weeping was due to the future He knew they would face because of their rejection.

He Still Knows

He still knows.

He knows that many will proclaim Him their Savior one day only to reject Him on another.

He knows that many will call Him Savior yet still choose to live a life that doesn’t glorify Him.

He knows, and He weeps, because some of you will still, like the those Pharisees that were jeering Him that day, you will remain hardened against Him, blind to your own need for Him.

He weeps, because He knows some of you will face the fire of Hell because you have been blinded to the truth that God has offered you grace and forgiveness through His own Son.

He takes no joy in knowing there will be some that will suffer for eternity. So He weeps for you.

We Should Weep

Friends, we should be the ones weeping.

Weeping because we know it is on account of us that Jesus had to endure the beatings, the Cross, and the grave.

We should weep because He loves us enough to suffer all of that for us.

As He says of the rocks, we should cry out, “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Have You Weeped

Friends, have you cried out to God to save you?

Have you weeped over your own sins?

Cry out to Him now, and ask for His forgiveness.

No longer make Him weep over you, instead let Him rejoice over you for coming home to your Savior.

Going a Little Deeper

I wanted to share a few words with you, sort of a behind the scenes if you will on this day for our Lord.

The Prophecies He Fulfilled

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Isaiah 62:10–12 ESV

Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

Why did Jesus ride a donkey?

In Biblical times, it was common for kings or important people to arrive by a procession riding on a donkey. The donkey symbolized peace, so those who chose to ride them showed that they came with peaceful intentions.

Why did they put their cloaks and palm branches on the ground, (also waved)?

It was common practice to lay them down before the new king when he was announced: 2 Kings 9:13

2 Kings 9:13 ESV

Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

Did they believe He was the Messiah?

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David. Mk 11:10

Mark 11:10 ESV

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

It was His disciples, the multitude, that were crying out. The Pharisees wanted His disciples to quiet down.

Luke 19:40 ESV

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

David and the Mount

It is interesting to me that we have Jesus descending from the Mount to go into Jerusalem, when His ancestor King David, ran from his own son, Absalom, up the mountain in fear and weeping himself.

What was this “Hosanna” saying about?

Listen to Psalm 118 and see if you can figure it out.

Psalm 118:19–26 ESV

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.

It translates to “save us,” and it would seem to be a pronouncement of knowing that Jesus was the Messiah they had been seeking.

They recognized He was coming in the name of the Lord.

Watch the sermon here.

Don’t Waste Your Pain

Sermon note for March 26, 2023

In this message we are focusing in on pain, and I believe God can use, and will use, pain in our lives for His purposes.

I’ve been reading a book recently about pain and God’s work through it:

‌Catherine Campbell’s book, “Broken Works Best”

‌

The Truth

The truth is, I believe, we all want to avoid pain. None of us want to suffer. It’s not something we seek out in life. And I believe God gave us wisdom, and created our minds and bodies, to avoid pain as well. It’s a normal human attribute. However, pain is an absolute in this life we live on earth. So what do we do with it? How can we learn from, and not waste pain in our lives?

‌

Don’t Waste Your Pain

The idea of pain and not wasting it came to me in one of the chapters of Catherine’s book…titled: “Don’t Waste Your Pain.” Catherine begins the chapter in the delivery room with a young wife crying out:

‌‌“I’ve changed my mind!” “I don’t want to have the baby now!”

‌‌The pain the mother to be was experiencing was excruciating. And, she was done. It had been a long period of labor, the author shares, and the woman had physically given up. She was too tired to push any more. She was hurting too bad to continue on.

To read the author’s details of the situation, the woman had nearly lost her mind. She was kicking, screaming, and even biting, she tells us.

‌‌And of course, she at some point blames the husband for this situation, telling him it was his fault, saying, “the next time you want to have a baby, you can have it yourself!”

‌Some you know what that’s like.

‌‌But there was a problem looming with the birth of this child due to the mother’s distress. From the author’s stand point, who was holding one of the legs of the young mother, the baby was there and ready to come out. All it would have taken was one good push, but the mother couldn’t do it any longer.

‌Because of the mother’s resistance against the pain, she was obstructing the delivery of the baby.
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The baby’s heart rate was beginning to show the effects of tiring, just as the mother had grown tired, but it was threatening the child’s life now.

‌‌Finally a senior midwife entered the room, noted how precarious the situation had become and took charge. She grabbed the tired and spent young mother’s face in her hands and sternly gave her the correct wisdom at the correct time.

‌“Listen to me! Don’t waste your pain!”

‌“The pain is going to give you a beautiful baby. Now don’t waste it, use it!”

‌

Don’t Waste Your Pain

‌‌You may be hurting now, and may be way more familiar with pain than I might be. And so you’re thinking, “yeah, I just want the pain to stop.” And I get that and truly feel for you in your suffering. So I pray you can find some hope and peace in today’s word as well, even while the pain rages on.

‌

Forms of Pain

Of course, we are aware that there are many forms of pain and many things we would say that are painful in this life.

‌‌Pain can be physical, mental, emotional.

Pain can be distressing and discomforting

‌‌Pain is temporary, but can be permanent.

‌‌Pain cannot be avoided.

Pain can be useful And God can, and does, use pain for our good.

‌‌Pain can first and foremost lead us to rely on God more deeply.
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‌We don’t tend to seek God in the midst of everything going great in life. It’s most likely when we’re suffering that we are most willing to cry out to Him for relief, for answers. And we may even cry out in anger, I and I believe that is okay too.

‌Like a Good Father, He desires for His children to lean on Him. He also desires that we trust Him. He can use pain to help us to see our own weakness, and to further trust in Him.

‌

‌2 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

‌

‌Paul and his companions had been through some trying circumstances, and you can hear in his words how bad things were mentally for them. Yet he says, “it was to make us rely on God who raises the dead.”

‌‌And when faced with his own ailment, his own thorn in his side he spoke of, he asked God to remove it. God replied:

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

‌

‌You see, Paul knew all about pain and suffering. Not only had he some kind of “thorn” ailing him, but listen to all that he shares he suffered:

‌2 Corinthians 11:23–28 ESV

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

‌

Yet he also says:

Philippians 4:11–13 ESV

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

‌

‌I Can Do All Things

‌Friends it is that last, all to commonly quoted, word I want you to remember: I can do all things through Christ

‌You see, God uses pain in our lives for good…

‌This was His Word to the Jews living in exile through the prophet Jeremiah, and I tell you this is His Word to you today.

‌Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

‌

‌But, He may allow pain to get us to where He wants us to be… Maybe that’s to mold us, maybe it’s to call us to Himself, maybe it’s to cause us to trust Him more.

‌I promise you, there’s a purpose for your pain.

So Don’t Waste It

‌You see, if there is a purpose, then we have to continue on to get to that purpose right? Too often we want to stop in the middle, lay down on the ground and beat our fist until they bleed. Or like the story from the book, Broken Works Best, we want to stop pushing.

‌If we don’t push through the pain then we will miss out on the future glory He has planned for us.

‌That’s the truth of today that I wanted to get to.

‌If you hurt and give up, then you miss out on the blessing, on the purpose of the pain. You waste your pain. It’s like signing up to run a marathon and giving up in the last mile or two. You were almost there, you almost made the goal, but you quit. Don’t quit!

‌‌To be successful at running a marathon, you have to endure the pain of not only the race, but also the training and even recovery afterward. To get anything good really, to improve anything about ourselves, we have to endure some pain, some discomfort. We have to put in the work, the effort, to get there.

‌‌I think it’s important that Paul uses the runner analogy when he speaks of living out our faith. He says to keep running!

‌‌Hebrews 12:1–3 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

‌

‌Don’t grow weary! Keep running! It is all loss if you don’t keep going.

‌

Philippians 3:8–14 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

‌

Nothing was worth it unless Paul pressed on! And it was also all loss compared to the prize that laid ahead of him.

‌

Press On!

You see folks, we must press on. We must push once more! One more time, take that deep breath in and push it out like your life depends on it! The prize, not only the eternal prize Paul speaks of, but even the purpose God has planned for you here, is within your grasp. But you’re going to have to push through the pain to get there.

‌And what if it truly is just one more push ahead? What if it takes pushing through one more wall or one more boundary to get to where you can see the Promised Land, the life He means for you to have here and now?

‌What if you have just one more wall to climb and when you get to the top, or to the other side? What do you see?

‌Do you see the person you want to be? Do you see the escape you’ve desired for so long? Can you suffer the pain to get there? Will you waste the pain, or will you use it as motivation to get to where God is wanting you?

‌

Jesus Endured the Pain

‌How important is the future you desire to you?

‌Jesus knows all about the pain you’re suffering or the pain that lies ahead. He endured it all Himself, the mental anguish in the garden knowing the Cross lied before Him. The mental anguish of knowing He was going to have to suffer being so blackened by our sin before the eyes of His heavenly Father as He would hang on the Cross.

‌And oh the beatings He would suffer before the Cross. The betrayal of His friends, and the betrayal of the people He came to set free from the curse of the Law and sin. But He knew. He knew what was on the other side of that bark hole in the ground He was going to spend three days in. He knew His hope, His plan for humanity, was going to cost Him pain to get to the finish line.

Paul reminds us in Hebrews 12:2,

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

‌

You and I are the joy He saw when He looked beyond the Cross. He knew that to get us to where He wanted us to be, He’d have to go through the Cross.

‌‌Jesus didn’t waste His pain, and neither should you. He’ll help you get there. He’ll see you through. He’ll give you just enough strength to get you to the other side.

‌

Post Service

‌

Read these words of Isaac Watts

Let me but hear my Savior say,

Strength shall be equal to thy day;

Then I rejoice in deep distress,

Leaning on all-sufficient grace.

‌

I glory in infirmity,

That Christ’s own power may rest on me;

When I am weak, then am I strong,

Grace is my shield, and Christ my song.

‌

I can do all things, or can bear

All sufferings, if my Lord be there;

Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains

While His left hand my head sustains.

‌

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. LVII Unparalleled Lovingkindnesses (No. 3,242)

If I were to look within my own heart for comfort and hope, I should often be in despair; but when I look away to my Lord alone, then I realize what he has done and is still doing for me, for he still “healeth” all my diseases.

‌Spurgeon

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What About When Healing Doesn’t Come

‌There are times when we have experienced brief physical pain, or great mental pain, that at first we simply want to give up, to give in, to throw in the towel.

But then we awaken, we give thought to the Lord and fall back in complete helplessness on the chest of Jesus. It is at this point that we give up struggling, and resign ourselves to His perfect will. And when we do that, we then experience that perfect peace, that great joy, that can not be experienced at any other time.

‌

Discipleship Lessons from Gardening

Sermon notes on our Parable of the Sower series from Mark 4:1-20.

This series was applied to the work of disciple making. We spent four weeks on the parable and you can find the full teachings on our YouTube channel. Below is mostly sermon notes from the last teaching today but with a little background on the other soils from the parable as well. Feel free to comment, ask questions, or discuss.

My First Gardening Experience

Quite a number of years ago, I tried my hand at growing my first garden. I cut the grass off the top of the soil with a shovel and then using a hand hoe and rake, I tried “tilling” the soil a bit. I may have tried adding some fertilizer but I honestly don’t recall. However, after planting seeds and giving it a few weeks, I had little seedlings popping up through the dirt look as pretty as ever.

As those little seedlings began to grow, my excitement did as well. I couldn’t wait till they’d begin to put on “big leaves” and one day produce some fruit to eat. Eventually though, my excitement turned to aggravation. Along with the little seedlings, almost as if overnight, the grass and weeds began to grow all around my pretty little garden patch. I could see there was no winning the battle against them. Apparently, I hadn’t prepared the area well enough nor did I remove all the weeds and grass enough for my little garden to grow.

The Parable Explained

Jesus speaks of gardening in His parable of the Sower. In the parable, He speaks of a farmer sowing seed and says some fell on the path and was stolen by birds. Other seed fell on the rocky soil, sprung up quickly only to wither when the sun hit it because it had no roots. And yet, other seed fell among the thorns and the thorns choked out the plants that grew up. Then there was this other seed that fell in good soil and it grew and produced grain, some thirty times as much, some sixty times, and some a hundred times as much as was planted!

Jesus explains that His parable is about the Word of God being sowed into the hearts of men (and women). Some it can barely penetrate their hearts because they’ve become hardened to it. And He says Satan steals it. The seed that fell on the rocky ground was indicative of those that hear the Word, receive it with joy, and are glad. But then they do not persevere in the faith due to the trials and persecution for the Word that comes against them. And the seed that fell among the thorns? It was likened to those folks that receive the Word but then are lured away by the temptation of riches and the cares of the world.

Making Disciples

The parable is about making disciples and producing the fruits of repentance and the Spirit. The fruits of repentance is the turning from unbelief and sin to the Lord for salvation, and the fruits of the Spirit are those gifts that are expressed through the saved soul by the Spirit of God…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22). These are the fruits the disciple of Jesus should be producing.

So how does this effect making disciples? Well, I believe, like my garden, the lesson is in the soil, the preparation, and the nurturing of new disciples. You see, making disciples is not an easy task, like gardening isn’t easy either. Both can be hard, slow, and dirty. But, to produce fruit, one must be up to the task and use wisdom in doing so.

I did a 4-week video teaching on the subject if you want to go deeper, but I’m going to try and save you a little time by summarizing four weeks of teaching into one blog post here. Sound good? Cool!

The Hard Soil

The “beaten path” here is the one whose heart is nearly impenetrable due to the circumstances of life they’ve experienced hardening them to the Lord. They’ve been beaten down, and now have been hardened to anything concerning God. It doesn’t mean they can’t be broken; we can try and create cracks in the ground, using God’s Word, His commandments, and pointing out how we have all sinned, showing them the mirror of God’s Law and the salvation offered through Christ.

But, be forewarned. This is truly a hard nut to crack and should usually be dealt with by an experienced “gardener,” (gifted in evangelism). But I’ll dare say we should not simply give up on them! Pray for them for sure, in fact pray for all that need Christ before trying to disciple them!

The Rocky Soil

The rocky soil is the person who has no root, and the sting of hardships in life keep coming at them and has caused them to question the faith. Their initial joy is gone because they thought salvation meant their troubles would end, that they would now experience prosperity and peace in this world. For these folks, and anyone we desire to disciple, we have to be clear about the commands of Jesus and how He warned His followers that troubles and trials would come. We need to try and help them develop roots to protect them against the storms of life by helping them to go deeper into the world and make a deeper commitment to the Lord.

Weeds and Thorns

This is the seed that is choked out by the weeds and thorns of this life, those desires for things and riches of the earth. These wannabe disciples want to accept Christ but still live for the world. They’ve not crucified the desires of the flesh and instead are chasing after the wind. They are lured away by the advertisements of this world, offering them just what they need to have a good life.

If they are the disciple under our wing, then we want to help them to turn off the ads so to speak, to protect themselves from the things the world offers and desires to use to cause division as well. These need to be correctly pointed to the truth that dear old Solomon found…nothing is fulfilling without the Lord.

The Fruitful Spoil

The last of the soils is the fruitful soil and this is the goal of every gardener and disciple maker. It is also what we disciples ourselves desire to be!

My next year of gardening went better. I decided I needed to start fresh, in a way that I could control the environment of my plants. So, I built raised beds for my garden, filling them with fresh black soil and fertilizer. I controlled the soil, had no weeds to worry about, and had an available water source at hand as well. All that was left was to keep the plant supported through their growth and watch out for the pests that would occasionally attack them. Because of this care and wise gardening, I produced the most fruitful of small gardens. I had so much I was giving tomatoes, cucumbers, and hot peppers away!

I believe this taught me the key to helping make disciples and produce the fruit in my own life that Jesus desires of us. I want to be, and produce, fruitful disciples.

In His parable Jesus says this soil, with the seed sown into it, produces grain, or bears fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and even a hundredfold. This is what a farmer would call, “fertile ground.” Fertile ground is of course where good crops can grow. It contains the right atmosphere the right nutrients, and all the right support materials.‌

Discipleship is about more than getting someone to say a prayer. It is about helping lead another in the right way to live under the reign of Jesus in their lives.

Apprentices

Some say that the better word for making disciples may be “apprentices.” This is more closely aligned with what Jesus did with those first disciples. He taught them, but He also sent them out to be apprentices of His.

‌Paul did this with Timothy.

‌An apprentice learns by hearing, by watching, and then by doing. They are sent out to try the new skills they’ve been taught. So, if we consider this idea of apprenticing along with the seed sowing parable, what does that mean for us as disciple makers? What does it mean for us as disciples of Jesus ourselves?

‌

The Environment

‌When sowing the Seed of God’s Word, we need to make sure the environment is right. For me and my own raised bed gardens, I was able to create the right atmosphere, the right soil conditions, for the plants I was planting.

‌How can we apply this to our own planting efforts?

‌Remember, it starts with fertile soil. It’s hard enough work in itself, but it is all the more difficult if the soil is like those other soils we’ve already looked at in the parable.

‌In sharing the Gospel, in seeking new disciples, we can’t just speak about Jesus anywhere and at any time and expect fruit to just pop up. The environment must be right.

When I used to drink, I was the best evangelist, or so I thought. I had the courage, false courage mind you, to share about Jesus to my friends, but the environmental conditions were wrong.

‌I myself was wrong of course, living in two worlds.

In years past, this “environmental change” was often done by inviting folks to a revival church service, or now, today, we may invite them into a regular Sunday at some churches so that the atmosphere, and the environment, could be controlled and made conducive to creating that emotional response inside a person.

‌I’ve even wanted to use music or some other media, or even a story, to help “soften the soil” you might say.

‌But the truth is, this may work well enough to get one to say the Sinner’s Prayer, or maybe come back to church again, but I’m afraid too often, you end up with one of the other soils Jesus speaks about. Usually the rocky soil or the weedy soil, cuz there’s no root to their faith.

‌‌Man can’t live on bread alone, Jesus says. Bread has no real sustenance, we need real food. We need more than a one time prayer or Sunday church service to grow and be fruitful disciples.

‌‌I too want you, if you’re not saved yet, to say the prayer. But I also know, and honestly most Pastors know, that’s not the end of it.

‌

Repentance

‌This is where I believe repentance needs to be taught and encouraged. Jesus said, “repent and believe.”

‌‌You see, sometimes in gardening we have to transplant little seedlings from indoor protection to the outdoors. This takes patience for one, as well as knowing the right time. In the Spiritual life of a new believer, many aren’t prepared for the outdoors yet. Many have believed the Gospel, but they’ve not come out of the old environment. When they’ve repented, turned from their old lives, then they’re ready for real salvation in Jesus.

‌The Sinner’s Prayer is more than a prayer, it is a dedication to, an agreement to persevere in Jesus.

‌The bible often speaks of believing in Jesus, and this leads to salvation. But to believe in Him, the bible means we are to trust Him, not just believe He exists, or even that He is who He says He is. To believe in Jesus, to have a faith that saves, is to give Him all of your trust, all of your faith, to place the bet that in Him you will find true life in this world and the next.

‌‌Disciples may need to leave friends behind, family behind, work conditions behind, and maybe even find themselves alone for some time as they leave the old environment of temptation and sin to live in the new ground of faith and obedience to Jesus. ‌‌Until you leave, or until you help your disciple to leave the old environment behind, spiritual growth will be stunted.

This is good soil, this is fertile soil that will allow the seed to grow into a new plant.

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Soaking It Up

‌The goal of young seed should be to soak up nutrients, right? You plant it in the ground and then water it and feed it nutrients in the hopes it will soak it them and grow. A new disciple is often like that young seedling or plant. They’re hungry and need to be fed the right nutrients. Maybe they’re asking questions of you about Jesus, God, or the Bible.

This is great if so! Make sure you take the time, especially if you don’t know the answer right off, to share with them your thoughts or find the answers for them.

‌They’re usually hungry for God’s Word cuz this new relationship with God they are experiencing makes them want to get to know Him better. Give them the Word, point them to an app, give them a bible, invite them to a bible study with you, or just make sure you have time to spend together in the Word with them.

‌Feed the new plant wisely. Too much fertilizer can hurt the plants too! Be patient but supportive.

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Soaking and Sprouting

Do you know anything about growing crops by soaking and sprouting? I read about this earlier; soaking some food items, like beans for instance, to make them sprout. Basically, you just soak them in some water for a time, in order to ultimately lead to a sprouted product. This soaking and sprouting process helps with nutrient absorption, human digestion of their fruit, and nutrient density.

‌‌We want new disciples to sprout! We want them to grow by absorbing all of God they can. And the truth is, when you’re helping one to grow, you’ll find you grow with them, you too will sprout new leaves, new buds, new flowers.

‌This process, in gardens, also helps the new seedling to grow new roots before placing them in the ground, so it can soak up more nutrients. The more nutrients it soaks up the more dense and healthier it becomes. For the new disciple, the more rooted we become, the better able we are to withstand the trials and temptations of life in this world trying to pull us from our faith.

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Soaking and Baptism

‌Maybe this soaking is where Baptism comes into play for us disciples.

‌It is similar to Jesus’s words about a grain of wheat…

John 12:24 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

When a new disciple is baptized, it is as though they have been “buried” with Christ, or cleansed by Christ, and are now able to become fruitful disciples.

‌There are stats on that show baptized new believers have a higher percentage remaining in the faith than those that weren’t.

‌‌Baptism is more than just a display of the faith, or outward expression, as we tend to say of it, but it is a step of obedience to Christ, along with, I believe, a Spiritual transformation process. While not required for salvation, I believe it is required for our growth in the faith.

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Further Care

Like my raised gardens, once I’ve done all the work with the environment, and given proper nourishment to the plants, or disciples, I find that it is easier to protect them. Weeds stand out against the new growth that has had some time to grow up a little.

‌Remember in my previous garden attempt, I couldn’t tell the difference between the seedlings and the weeds. However, a true disciple, even a new disciple, when raised up properly, can better see the weeds and thorns coming at them. Once they’ve become separated from, repented from, the old environment, it is easier to defend and stand against the trials and tribulations. It is easier to withstand the scorching and hard winds of the trials of life, because they’ve had time to become rooted in the Vine of Jesus.

‌‌John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

‌‌When we abide in Him, we are protected from the elements of this world. They may hurt us, but they will not destroy us.

‌John 10:28 ESV

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

The Right Lighting

‌There is one more thing we must have when properly sowing seed into fertile soil.

‌We must have the right Light. Very little will grow in the shadows. When I built my raised gardens, I did so in the most lighted area I could, because truly, it is the sun that gives flavor to your fruits. The same goes for the life of Jesus’s Disciples.

John 8:12 ESV

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

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Disciples cannot grow in the dark. They must have the Light of the world within them. It is the Son, the Light of the World, that makes us fruitful disciples.

Disciples cannot grow in the dark. They must have the Light of the world within them. It is the Son, the Light of the World, that makes us fruitful disciples.
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Closing

To be fruitful, is our task in this world. If we want to bear fruit, and if we want to raise up other fruit bearers, we need to make sure we are connected to the Vine, Jesus.

‌We need to make sure we have repented and are repenting.

‌Make sure we’re careful of our own environment.

‌Soak up all his nutrients we can through prayer, Word, and service to the Lord.

Your purpose, and my purpose, is to bear fruit in this world. Fruits of our own discipleship and fruits in making other disciples. And may we all be about this for the glory of Christ.

Who Is Really In God’s Family?

We all claim to be God’s child, but are we really?

My family rarely does family reunions but my wife’s family has one every year. I’m not a fan. Not because I don’t like the people, but because there are always many there I don’t know. So I become self conscious.

Sometimes when we have family reunions we have to ask, “who is that? I didn’t know they were in our family?” Or, we have to get the rundown on how so and so married in, had kids, been living so and so place, and this is how they came to be. And sometimes we have that annoying, or different family member that no one understands or wants to be seen with right?

In today’s Words from Jesus, He has been teaching, as we are stilling looking at Matthew 12, where He’s been responding to the Pharisees and religious leaders about His power to heal, and their hard hearts.

As He is nearing the end of His teaching, word comes to Him that His mother and brothers want to see Him and talk to Him but they can’t get to Him. And He poses an astonishing question, and comments about His family that we’re going to dive into.

Matthew 12:46–50 ESV

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

In Mark 3, prior to this Scripture, we see where it is possible that His mother and brothers were concerned for His well being.

Mark 3:20-21 ESV

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Do you think this idea played a role in His family trying to get to Him?

It does sounds as if His family was just concerned for Him.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I would think that if my mother and brothers couldn’t get to me because of people I don’t know listening to me, I’d probably make a way for them to get closer, or at least send a proper message to them. But Jesus doesn’t.

Jesus responds as if they aren’t even His family, saying, “Who is my mother and brothers?”

Did Jesus just disown His mother? I mean I can see maybe disowning His brothers as they never did really seem to see what the fuss was all about surrounding Him. They hadn’t believed He was the Messiah to come at this point. But His mom? Remember it was her who nudged Him to miraculously fix the wine at the wedding situation, where He turned 6 stone barrels of water to 300 gallons of the best wine the party had ever tasted.

I don’t believe believe Jesus disowned His mother of course. But He did use the opportunity to speak about the family of God. And I believe He was making a point that being bound by our faith in Him was more important than any human relationship…even including the parental relationship.

The Important Concern

Look, we can all understand Mary’s concern for Jesus. Even though she knew who He was, as she was the one it was revealed to at her conception by the Angel, she was still concerned for His well being. A mother’s love knows no bounds right?

Was it her concern for Him not eating? How many mothers and wives out there worry that their spouse or son isn’t eating or drinking enough when the demands of work continue to pile on them? I joked with my mother-in-law Tuesday night because of the many times I’ve seen her continue to remind her husband to eat or drink while he’s out working in the garage on whatever project has been keeping him busy.

As for the brothers? I think they were just supporting mom! But maybe their brotherly love was their concern as well.

It was a messenger that told Jesus His family was outside wanting Him. So, He didn’t tell His family face to face to leave Him alone. But He took the opportunity to teach the messenger and those in His hearing, that what He was teaching in the moment was more important than His family’s concern for Him.

Interruption

In this moment, the family’s concern was an interruption for Jesus. He was busy teaching God’s principles, and God’s truths, and instead of His family listening to His Words, they were more concerned about their own earthly concerns.

I’m reminded of His Words to His mother and father when they lost Him in Jerusalem when He was twelve and His family had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. They lost Him for three days! And when they finally found Him, I’m sure His mother was beside herself asking where He’d been. His response then was just as astounding as it is here.

Luke 2:49

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

I can only imagine what my mom would have said, or done to me, if I disappeared for three days and responded like this when she finally found me. But for Jesus, He mission one was doing the Father’s will!

And here again, it’s almost as if His family had forgotten the importance of Jesus’s mission here on earth. He came to seek and save the lost. He brought God’s Kingdom to earth, the grace of God in this moment to people most in need of His grace and truth.

No one will thwart the mission of God, including Jesus’s mother or brothers.

The Family

After His questioning about who is His family, He turns…

Matthew 12:49-50

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Woah, wait a minute! Here are His mother and brothers?

He points to the crowd and says, “You are my family…” But we can insert an IF in that sentence. Because it is an “IF” you do the will of His Father, then you are His family.

Remember the context of His teaching here. He was being denied by the Pharisees and religious leaders. They weren’t going to accept Him as the Messiah, much less the Son of God, though He’d been clear in showing and teaching this was the case.

But, they thought presumptuously that because they were Jews, they were already God’s family. They were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (later renamed Israel). They were God’s family through blood right?

How many people today walk around saying they are God’s child, yet they never obey a Word He has said. Much less their acceptance of Jesus as His Son, they don’t even believe the Bible, God’s Word. We’re all God’s children right? Well, I got news for you.
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We’re Not

We’re not all God’s children.

Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus is very clear when He tells the religious leaders:

John 8:42,47

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

This was the claim of the Pharisees, “Abraham is our father.” This is their great ancestor whom God made a covenant with to bless him and make from him a great nation of peoples.

Notice Jesus says, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did.” Abraham was obedient to God. These Pharisees are not. They are all about themselves, about looking good on the outside while inside they were evil. Jesus had pointed this out many times.

Their actions prove who their father is, and Jesus lays it out clear for them:

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”

Created But Not His

I know some wrestle with this idea, because we are “created in His likeness” right? That’s what the bible teaches. But being created in His image does not mean that we are His children. I can hear you gasp at that comment. Let me explain.

Look at your life. Are you obeying God as your Father, or is He simply that “big man in the sky” that is there to make you have a good life? Is He the Father loves you, or is He the one you say, “sends people to hell”,” so you want nothing to do with Him.

You see, He created you and gave you a choice. And when sin has taken hold of our lives, we choose to deny Him as our Father. It isn’t He that divorces us, it is we that divorce Him. It is we that choose this life over an eternal life with Him because we’d rather live our best life now.

Listen to these words for the letter of 1 John.

1 John 3:8-10

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

We’ve talked a lot about the fruit of our heart, that is our words and our deeds. Here Scripture says that if our fruit is the practice, the continued sin, then we are of the devil. We act just like him. If we are God’s children then God’s seed, His Holy Spirit abides in us, and we cannot keep sinning because we have been born of God.

Go all the way back to when we talked about the Pharisee Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night and Jesus telling Him, “You must be born again, you must be born from above.” That is we must be born again of God, regenerated you might hear it said. This is done by us trusting in and believing Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God, and asking Him to be the Lord of our lives. And when He is the Lord of our life, we will seek to obey Him and the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

But you have to hear these words! That’s the problem the Pharisees and religious leaders had in Matthew 12, they didn’t want to hear it. They didn’t want to receive it. So Jesus says this:

John 8:47

Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

If you are of God, you will hear and heed His Words. But if not, then you prove you are not a child of God.
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Faith and Blood

So Jesus waves His hand over the crowd in front of Him and says, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

He’s saying, “look my mom and my brothers are family by blood here on the earth, but you have the choice to be my mother and brothers if you will obey my Father as I have.”

You want to know God’s will for you?

Believe on the One He has sent.

How do we obey God? By placing our faith in Jesus His Son.

What made Abraham so great to God that He made a covenant with Him? Abraham believed God. He heard His Word, He trusted His Word, and He obeyed God because He believed.

We’re not part of God’s family by our fleshly blood. We are part of His family because we choose to be, by placing our faith in Jesus. Faith over blood you might say.
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Romans 8:9 says, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

Romans 8:11 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Who Is Your Father

The question we have to ask ourselves is “who is my Father?” Look at your life and see the fruit of your own heart. Are you hearing God, listening to Him, obeying Him? Have you placed all your faith and hope in Christ?

If you’ve heard and believed then praise God because He has adopted you into His family.

Romans 8:15b

but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Your Extended Family

So here’s the other great lesson in this Scripture. One day we’re going to have that great reunion in eternity. And in this reunion you’re going to get to see many who are in your family that you had no clue about.

My hope is that you already know many who are in your spiritual family. And that you treat them as brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers. With love, dignity, and respect.

If you are in Christ, then you are one of a large family of believers. You’ve got brothers and sisters you don’t even know yet. But I tell you, we welcome you as family. We want you as family. You belong in God’s family with us. Your faith in Christ, makes you my brother, my sister, my mother, my father, by faith, by Jesus’s blood.

I taught this message Sunday August 7, 2022. You can find the video here on YouTube.