Sermon (video): The Blessings of Obedient Living (Matthew 7:24-29)

Maybe as a little child in Sunday School, you sang: "The wise man built his house upon the rock..." This text is so simple that little children can sing about it but it is at the same time profound in its ramifications. Get the truth of this text wrong and you miss Heaven!

I enjoyed unpacking Jesus' words for the congregation at First Baptist Church of Brooksville, Florida. I hope you enjoy it, too, and that it helps you think through your standing with Jesus.
 
To view this sermon, click here.

Sermon (video): Are You Headed for Heaven or Hell? (Matthew 7:13-23)

This is a lengthy sermon but few people tuned out as I preached. I suspect that was because of the relevance and seriousness of this topic.

I hope that as you watch this sermon, you will examine yourself to see if you are really a child of God on your way to Heaven ... or if you are deceived as to your true standing before the Lord. This sermon, that elaborates on Jesus' words in Matthew 7:13-23, should help to clarify the matter for you.

Click here to view the sermon.

Relaxing Day in Floral City

Sean took off to a friend's house last Saturday. Kim, Zach, Joseph and I went out and did a few things together and ended up in Floral City. Kim, Zach and I enjoyed a delicious(!) fresh strawberry shake but Joseph would have none of it. He ordered this:

Kim absolutely enjoys wooden swings and so we sat together for awhile enjoying the awesome weather we were having. We took a few pictures ...

Afterward, we went to Floral City Park where Kim and Zach walked the trail. Joseph and I enjoyed some conversation. Then, he decided he was Spider-Man...

The Essence of the Christian Life

What does it mean to be a Christian? Pure and simply, it means to follow Jesus; to love Him; to learn of Him from His Word (the Bible); to immitate Him; to obey Him. It's all about becoming more and more like Jesus.

It is illustrated beautifully in the following verse:

"And as he (Jesus) passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him." (Mark 2:14)

Sermon (video): How to Confront Sin in Others (Matthew 7:1-6)

Are we supposed to "judge" others or is it none of our business when a fellow Christian slips into sin? If it's our business, how do we confront them?

This sermon dives into the answers that Jesus gives us on this tough subject.

Click here to view the sermon.

Sermon (video): Preparing for Heaven's Award Ceremony (Matthew 6:19-24)

When we get saved, we are called in that moment to obey our Lord Jesus for the rest of our days. Yet, one question that may arise is in regard to what our motivation for obeying is.

Do we obey Jesus simply because we have to? Does Jesus give us an added incentive for obeying Him? Is it wrong to be at least partially motivated by promised rewards for our obedience?

Click here to listen to this sermon explain what it means to lay up treasures in Heaven.

The Joys of Jesus Explaining the Scriptures

Part of being human is enjoying the sensation when the "light bulb" goes on in our minds. You know what it's like, don't you? Someone shares some information that fills an empty blank in your understanding and your eyes widen as you say: "NOW I get it!" We love it when pieces are fitted together perfectly and our understanding is broadened!

 

Well, God created us that way and I believe that Heaven is going to include those very same sensations. How do I know? Let me give you a couple of things to think about...

First, we know that the Bible is the one book that is going to last forever. Peter quoted Isaiah 40:8 when he said:

" ...All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever..." (1 Peter 1:24-25)

God's Word, the Bible, is going to be a vital part of Heaven forever and ever. It is not intended to bless us only in this life. It will remain with us for eternity. "...the word of the Lord remains forever..."

Second, I believe that part of the overwhelming joy of Heaven will be listening to Jesus explain the Scriptures so that the "light bulb" continually goes on bringing with it the joy of the experience!

With our limited abilities to understand and our sinful propensities that blind our eyes, we cannot fully understand God's Word this side of Heaven. It seems to me that there is coming a time when God will open up our understanding and show us just how incredible His Word really is.

Let me take you to a story in Scripture that shows how wonderful it is when Jesus explains the Bible to some folks who were eager to understand it. It's found in Luke 24:13-35. For the purposes of this post, I won't go into all of the details of this story. Let me summarize it and then provide a few verses.

On the day of Jesus' resurrection (Sunday - Luke 24:13), more than likely late in the afternoon, two of Jesus' disciples were walking back to their home in the city of Emmaus. As they walked, Jesus caught up to them (Luke 24:13-15). However, they didn't recognize Him at the time. They knew that Jesus had been crucified and there was rumor that the tomb was empty. They couldn't imagine that Jesus was alive much less talking with them at that moment.

As Jesus conversed with them, He began by asking what they were talking about (Luke 24:17). They expressed their amazement that He was apparently the only one in Jerusalem that had not heard what had happened to Jesus over the previous three days (Luke 24:18).

Still unrecognized by them, Jesus reprimanded them for not understanding the Scriptures. Then, listen to Luke 24:27 - "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

Did you get that? Jesus began to explain the Scriptures. He may have started with Genesis 3:15 as the first reference to the Messiah and that it pointed to the fact that He would be harmed. He may have explained how the offerings of lambs as a sacrifice for sin was a foreshadow of how Jesus, the Lamb of God, would be the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin. He may have pointed out that just as Moses (representing the Law) could not save the people, Joshua (meaning "God saves") took the people into the Promised Land. (And by the way, Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua.) He may have pointed to Psalm 22 and shown how that what took place on the cross was sometimes word-for-word from that Psalm. Etc., etc., etc.,

We don't know exactly what Jesus said or how long He took to say it. But what we DO know is that as He was explaining the Scriptures, the "light bulb" was going on in those disciples' minds. They LOVED listening to Jesus explain the Word of God. How do I know? Listen to this ...

When they arrived at their home, Jesus remained long enough to sit down to eat. As He broke the break, their eyes were opened and they knew it was Jesus and He disappeared from their sight (Luke 24:30-31). After that happened, listen to what they said to each other about hearing Jesus explain God's Word...

Luke 24:32 - "They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?"

Their hearts burned within them! What do you suppose they meant by that? It sounds pretty cool to me! Their minds weren't simply absorbing information. Their bodies were actually enjoying the experience. They wanted Him to keep talking. That's why that asked Him to stay for dinner (Luke 24:28-29).

Do you suppose that there will be times on the New Earth (Revelation 21-22) when we'll sit down before the throne as Jesus explains yet more of the incredible mysteries of Scripture? Do you suppose that our minds and bodies will absolutely enjoy the experience of having the "light bulb" go on as we say, "NOW, I understand!"? Do you suppose that when He acts as if He's about to finish, we plead with Him to keep telling us more?

I suspect so!