New Hope Christian Fellowship Sermons
Web Site: New Hope Christian Fellowship
Total Sermons: 44
Total Amens: 2
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Living The Truth
LIVING THE TRUTH Introduction: Albert Lee, a writer for Our Daily Bread, wrote a devotional thought for 04 January 2009, which speaks directly to what it means to live a truthful life. He shares: The year 2007 was labeled the “Year of Living Deceptively” for South Korea, because of the country’s numerous scandals involving fake academics and corrupt politicians. A survey of 340 professors selected the Chinese phrase “ja-gi-gi-in” (deceiving yourself and others) to sum up the year. It should not surprise us to hear of deception like that. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:13, “Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” To deceive is to make others believe falsehood as truth and accept wrong as right. This short thought reflects the essence of our message for today. The question I want for you and me to consider today is “Are you living the Truth?” In other words, is there a truth that so influences your life that you have changed or are willing to change the way that you live to effect a better future for you and those whom you love? Today’s message provides an excellent example of what it means to live the truth. Our scriptural focus will be John 6:16-29. If you have your Bible with you, turn there with me.
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Feed Your Need
FEED YOUR NEED Introduction: One of the most exciting times that I have experienced in my life is when I retired from the Marine Corps to begin following God’s lead into full-time ministry. One critical part of that excitement I still experience today is seeing people’s needs met, when they choose to place their trust in God. After all, 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares or anxiety upon Jesus, because He cares for us. Some of you may be saying, “Well, Pastor Bob, how can God help me when I cannot see any evidence of His involvement in my situation?” Let me share a personal experience with you.
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Is Your Life A Testimony to Christ
IS YOUR LIFE A TESTIMONY OF CHRIST? Introduction: Have you ever thought about how important the testimony of a person is? When we look at society around us or take a longing gaze at the resources of media we interact with, the testimony of a person is, at times, quite important. In fact, the testimony of a witness can dictate whether a person lives or dies. James Montgomery Boice identifies that when an attorney prepares a case, he or she will often organize their witnesses to save the most critical testimony of a witness for last. Such testimony is often instrumental in a jury’s determination as to whether an accused individual(s) is innocent of a committed crime. I find myself wondering, at times, the value that God places on testimony. Jesus tells us of its importance in the gospel of John. I believe God’s question for you and me today is “Is our life in Christ a testimony to our Savior?” In other words, when people look into the life that you and I live, do they see our words and actions testifying to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and that we have chosen to trust in Him as our Savior and Lord? If you have your Bibles with you, turn with me to John 5. We will be looking at verses 31 – 47.
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AUTHORITY IN YOUR LIFE
AUTHORITY IN YOUR LIFE Introduction: What do you think about when you hear the word authority? I don’t know about you, but I often think of a person or organization that make and enforce rules within the environment where you may live or work. Often times, people take the wrong perspective about authority, thinking that is abrasive in nature. Maybe its because authority is so often used in an abusive way upon those who are obligated to it. Regardless of how we feel about authority, it is an integral part of God’s character (Deut. 5:6-7). God’s word, the Bible, provides insight as to how God wields His authority in creation. In fact, the Bible teaches you and me that God is our supreme authority and that when we hear His Word, we are to obey it. Deuteronomy 6:1 – 12 teaches the Israelites, or, in our case, as believers in Christ, that we are to keep God’s commandments and teach them to our children. God also teaches children to honor and obey their parents (Deut. 6:16; Col. 3:20). In other words, children are to submit to the authority of their parents. God’s authority is even evident in our culture, as He is the one who puts our authorities over us into power (Romans 13:1-7). I want us to get a bit closer to the issue of authority, or in other words, a bit more personal. How is authority handled in your life? Whose authority are you submitting to, or are you the authority in your life? Last week’s study in John 5 revealed the unity that exists between God the Father and God, His Son. Today, we will take a closer look at the authority God has given His Son in regards to life. If you have your Bible, open it to John 5. We will be studying verses 24 - 29. Background thought: Chapter 5 of this gospel reveals a change from Jesus’ wonderful way He touched people’s lives, through miracles, signs, and spoken words, to being persecuted by those under the mindset of unbelief. The Jews refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God. They didn’t like the fact of Him healing on the Sabbath and to even claim Himself to be co-equal with God, which, in the eyes of the Jews, was blasphemy. Today’s text brings us into the middle of Jesus’ response to their accusations, to include the potential outcome for those who choose not to believe Him to be who He says He is. Let’s look at our text for today.
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Honoring Your Saviour
HONORING YOUR SAVIOR Introduction: What does it mean to honor someone? Why do we do it? Mart De Haan, a writer for the devotional book “Our Daily Bread,” provides a good example of someone who deserves honor and why in his devotion dated 12 July 1995. He writes: “In the jungles of eastern Sri Lanka, 15 soldiers of a government commando unit were saved by two dogs adopted as mascots. According to a news report, the soldiers were completing a 10-mile hike when their dogs sensed danger. Running ahead toward a water hole where the unit planned to rest, the dogs suddenly began barking and circling the area. The troops searched carefully and found 12 buried grenades attached to a taut wire trigger. It's intriguing to think about those two jungle mascots whose senses were tuned to the smell of danger. The soldiers escaped serious injury and even death because they listened to those barking dogs.”[1] As you can see in the text, the dogs served their masters in an honorable way, sniffing out the grenades to preserve the lives of the soldiers. How did the soldiers honor the dogs? They did so by simply honoring or listening to and obeying the distress signals of the dogs. Unfortunately, the opposite extreme happens in the lives of people too often. They refuse to give honor to others, refusing to listen to or obey the counsel they hear. Such was the case for the Jews we see confronting Jesus in the fifth chapter of John’s gospel. They were upset because Jesus had broken one of the Ten Commandments by healing on the Sabbath. They certainly were not believing that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God and refused to give Him due honor.
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Have You Been Made Whole?
HAVE YOU BEEN MADE WHOLE? Introduction: One of the greatest struggles I have, as a man, is with following instructions. Most men can relate with what I am saying. Men, have you ever purchased an item from a store that required assembly, only to find that after you took it home, and skillfully put it together, find a few extra parts. I have. The, after going back to read the instructions, I realize that I had left out a few of the parts during the construction process. I often times find myself tearing the product apart in order to install the extra parts. Without my doing so, the product I bought will not function as it was designed. It’s not complete. In other words, it’s not whole. Such is the case with a person without a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Such people are blinded to the ways of God and see His ways as foolishness. Without a relationship with God, you and I are incomplete. We can’t function properly due to the absence of God’s Spirit within us. So, how can a person be made whole? If you have your Bible with you, please open to John 5:1-16.
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IS SEEING REALLY BELIEVING
IS SEEING REALLY BELIEVING? Introduction: As people, we have a tendency to form our beliefs based upon what we read and / or what we see. I often recall people saying that “Seeing is believing.” In many respects, the statement is true. Many people run out of the path of a moving car in order to avoid being hit. They see the car coming at the last moment and realize the truth that if they don’t move quickly to get out of the way, they will be experiencing a lot of pain or, maybe even die. The reality for most people is that they will only believe what you tell them only if they can see with their own eyes. The problem with this way of thinking, especially for believers in Christ, is that we often times doubt that God is at work in our lives because we cannot see any evidence. Such thinking brings doubt into the mind of the believer, and for nonbelievers, if they don’t see some unusual event to persuade them of God’s existence, they refuse to believe. Jesus certainly provided some insight for us when He confronted one of His disciples, Thomas, concerning his desire to touch Jesus’ hands and thrust his hand into the side of Jesus before believing Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus said “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." After Thomas’ confession of Jesus as his Lord and God, Jesus went on to say “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:27-29) (NIV). So, how can we wrestle this issue to the ground, or better yet, how can we better understand what it means to believe? As always, God’s Word, the Bible, provides the valid answer to such questioning. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to John 4. Our focus for today will be on verses 43 through 54.
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Telling Others About Yourself
TELLING OTHERS ABOUT YOURSELF Introduction: Let me begin this morning by asking you a question. How do people know who you are? People often base their beliefs about a person upon what they observe a person saying about themselves and by their actions. For example, most of you here this morning don’t know much about me. Unless I was to tell you, you wouldn’t know that I served in the Marines. Some of you may think that because I have come from the South, with somewhat of a southern accent, that I was born and raised in the South. However, I am actually a northerner, born and raised in upstate New York. The key point is that some things people can’t know about you unless you tell them. In many respects, people won’t know that you are a believer in Christ unless you show them and tell them you are. You may be asking the question to yourself, “What difference would it make to tell someone else about my faith in Jesus?” Our message today provides a solid answer to this question. If you have your Bible with you today, please open it with me to the Gospel of John, Chapter 4.
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