Monmouth Church Of Christ Sermons

On Being Persecuted

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

The kingdom of God: you cannot earn it, but you can choose it!

In many ways the beatitudes confront us with paradoxes. It is not the successful who inherit the kingdom of God, but the faithful. It is the poor, the downtrodden, and those who have committed their lives to being disciples of Jesus' teaching that will find themselves being persecuted. Finding one's self in the way of God, or the way of righteousness, is also to find one's self in the way of persecution for those commitments.

The theme of persecution is important in Matthew most likely because of the time in which the gospel was written-a time of intense persecution, both from non-believing Jews and from Roman hostility. As new believers experienced rejection from either their own community or from segments of the Roman Empire, they needed to be reassured and they needed help to endure it.

Persecution for the cause of Christ is not in vain. Those who are persecuted for righteousness sake inherit the kingdom, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” I Peter 4:14 echoes these same words: “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

As we follow Christ and the life changing ways of the kingdom, we will certainly encounter resistance from the world. As I Peter says, these may be fiery trials that we must endure. But just as we encounter these trials, we will remember that Christ also endured persecution for our sake. “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

Are being persecuted for righteousness sake?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching

Blessed Are The Peace-Makers

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Blesses are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

The kingdom of God: you cannot earn it, but you can choose it! Peace is at the center of the kingdom of God. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, peace is fundamental to the presence of God. The kingdom of God is not brought about by violence. In Jesus' day, the Zealots had the idea that a militaristic revolution would bring about God's reign. By saying that peacemakers will be sons of God, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God will come into being separate and apart from any human revolution and effort.

Those who inherit the kingdom of God are those who bring peace and reconciliation, not those who cause division and bring war. Jesus speaks of loving one's enemies (Luke 6:27-36), care for one's neighbor, and doing good to those who bring hatred, cursing and discord. Making peace is a theme throughout the New Testament across all writers-Paul (Romans 14:19) “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”; Hebrews (12:14) “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy”; James (3:18) “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness”; and Peter (I Peter 3:11) “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil….he must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.”

Making peace is a key ethic of the kingdom of God. Those who are in the kingdom join with the work of God in making peace in the world. As indicated by the scriptures noted above, making peace with others and working for reconciliation is the key to being in the will of God.

Are you a peace-maker?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching!

Pure In Heart

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Blesses are the pure innheart, For they will see God."

The word “pure” comes from the Greek word “catharos” from which we get our English word “catharsis.” Purity has to do with the condition of the inner core of a person's being. Purity calls us to account for our motivations and thoughts. Jesus' mention of being pure in heart in anticipates that a person will take to heart and internalize his teachings which follow.

Purity of heart assumes that one wants to do the right things. However, to be pure in heart requires a consistency between what one believes and what one does. In other words, the person who is pure in heart “practices what he or she believes.” There is no saying one thing, but habitually practicing something else. In the Old Testament, God is good to the “pure in heart”-to those who earnestly seek his face (Psalm 73:1).

To be pure in heart means that one is single-minded, not double-minded. The book of James exhorts those who are double-minded to “purify their hearts” (James 4:8), and to humble themselves. In the context of Jesus' words, being pure in heart denotes a condition of humility where we take the needs of others seriously. Thus to become more pure in heart one must repent-turn away from a desire to be satisfied by the world and its pleasures, and a turning towards Jesus' teaching about life in the kingdom of God.

Would you like to be more pure in heart?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching
and be filled!

The Mercy Of God

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Blesses are the merciful, For they will be shown mercy."

Mercy. You can't earn it, but you can choose to give it to others. Mercy arises out of a heart of compassion towards others. Jesus illustrates mercy in Matthew 18:21-35 as he tells the story of a servant who could not repay a large sum owned to his king. Out of a merciful heart, the king heard the servant's plea and cancelled the debt.

In sending his son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin, so that we be free from the power and grip of sin, God shows himself to be a merciful God. Jesus says that God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, and that we should likewise be merciful, just as our Father in Heaven is merciful (Luke 6:35-36). James tells us that mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:12-13).

Showing mercy is essential to kingdom life because the Jesus, our king, and God, his heavenly Father, is merciful. Mercy is a higher value than judgment. While it is good to be right, it is better to be merciful. In the story Jesus told, the king had the right to do what was necessary to acquire payment from the servant. But he was a merciful king, and cancelled the debt and let the servant go free.

Unfortunately, in the story Jesus told, the one to whom mercy was extended refused to extend mercy to another. In our technological age, we might say that the servant downloaded mercy, but uploaded unforgiveness towards others. So grave a sin was this that Jesus said the king threw him into prison until he repaid the debt (see Matthew 18:32-35). Because the servant was extended mercy, he should have shown mercy to others. Why? Because God is merciful, and he has extended mercy to us in canceling the debt of sin that we owe.

Are you showing mercy to others?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching!

Kingdom Life

Sun, 31 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Blesses are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled."

The kingdom of God: you cannot earn it, but you can choose it! When we are thirsty and hungry, food is the priority. We must have food to survive, and the impulse to be fed is a human drive that supersedes all others. When we are hungry, we desire to be filled. We don't stop seeking food until it is found.

Jesus speaks in terms of hunger to present us with a kingdom reality: we will be fed if we are spiritually hungry and if we thirst after righteousness. Likewise, if we are not hungry or thirsty we will not be filled even if we are surrounded with the very best spiritual food available. In the kingdom, everyone who earnestly desires a relationship with God will find it-and find it to the full.

One of the great spiritual problems we face is apathy, just not caring about spiritual things. We may be hungry for food, success, money, or satisfaction in life. However, if those drives and hungers take priority in our lives, we will lose our thirst for spiritual things. We can become indifferent to spiritual nourishment because we have spent so much time pursuing other things. Consequently, we will not be filled with the nurturing spiritual food of Christ.

The kingdom of God is available for all. However, we must choose it. We cannot earn a place in the kingdom. Jesus came to show us the way to enter the kingdom by faith. Jesus asks us to look into our lives and see if we are indeed truly spiritually hungry and thirsty. If so, we will be filled.

Are you hungry for righteousness?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching
and be filled!

Pride Before Destruction, Humility Before Honor

Sun, 24 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor"

The dictionary defines pride as Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.

Society considers pride a virtue worth possessing, however Scripture is clear that it is sin.
"Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!" (Pro 21: 4)
Pride is seen in all men in some form, irrespective of position, irrespective of wealth, and it causes destruction as we see from the various examples in the old testament.

So what then can we do to guard against pride? The first step is realizing that it exists in us, then working actively to remove it. We must then work toward replacing it with humility. It is not enough to try to get rid of pride - absence of pride does not result in humility, instead it is a virtue and a gift of the spirit to pray for continually.

We have a great example in our Lord Jesus - "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."(Phil2: 6-7).

In the washing of the disciples feet Jesus sets an example, and offers some lessons for us. There can be no room for God in a heart that is prideful , we can be certain that God will deal with it.

May the Holy Spirit preserve us from pride, and produce in our hearts humility.

Inheriting The Earth

Sun, 17 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Blessed are the meek, For they will inherit the earth."

Meek is not weak. Meekness is “power under control.” It is not the physically strong, the , intelligent, or the powerful that inherit the earth.

Jesus says that, “from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matthew 11:12). The kingdom of God is not about talk or politics. It is about power. As Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not about talk but of power.” (I Corinthians 4:20).

And what kind of power is kingdom power? Kingdom power is the power of grace, God's work in us to transform our lives and the lives of others that we touch. Jesus came in the power of the Holy Spirit to not only teach, but to demonstrate the transforming power of God. During Jesus' day, kingdom power was manifest in healing the sick, ministering to those who were poor and downtrodden, and giving them hope. Jesus showed us that the power of God was not meant to destroy others, but rather to build others up according to their need.

Kingdom people are meek people. We are people empowered to make a difference in the world, not for ourselves, but for the good of others. As we share in the kingdom of God that is advancing, we inherit the best life has to offer, both in this life and in the life to come.

Are you experiencing God's power?
Are you meek? Is your power under control?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching!

Experiencing God's Comfort

Sun, 10 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

"Blesses are those who mourn, For they will be comforted."

In His kingdom, God cares about those who mourn. Psalm 34:18 encourages us that God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 68:11 tells us that He is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, and one who sets the lonely in families. The prophets tell us that the people of God are to care for others: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

Those who mourn are those who lament. Lament is the distance between the way things are and the way they are supposed to be, or at least the way we think they should be. In teaching about the kingdom of God, Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted. God will attend to those who grieve over loss in their lives.

How does God provide comfort? Certainly, God provides comfort through His counselor, the Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of Jesus in our lives, who gives us grace. God also provides comfort through the church, others in the kingdom of God. When Paul was in need of God's comfort, Jesus assured him that grace was sufficient. Grace is God's power at work within us that is strong when we are weak (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Similarly, we are to carry each other's burden's and to help each other in time of need (Gal. 6:1-2). In helping others, we fulfill the law of Christ and become instruments of his grace in the world.

Are you experiencing God's comfort?
Are you an instrument of God's comfort?
Come. Receive Jesus' teaching!

Are You Poor In Spirit

Sun, 03 May 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Matthew 4:23 - 5:3

God breaks into the world through the person of Jesus Christ to announce his reign on earth: the good news of the kingdom of God. The kingdom is not a worldly form of government or a system formed by the will of the people. The kingdom of God is a radically new culture: life as it was meant to be lived according to the will of God. The kingdom is for everyone who repents and believes the good news. Those who repent turn away from how they think life should be lived, and turn towards God to receive the good news of how He says life is lived in the kingdom.
The good news of the kingdom is not intuitive so it must be taught to us. That is where Jesus comes in. As Jesus sits down with the crowd, he teaches them about life in the kingdom so the people can connect with it and live it.

He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV). The word “blessed” denotes a state of wholeness and completeness, living the way God has made us to live. The phrase “poor in spirit” describes those who truly know their need for God. The poor in spirit are those who have realized they can’t make it through life on their own. They understand that the ways of the world have failed and hold no hope for the future. The poor in spirit know that worldly success, money, fame, easy-living, good reputations, and fine appearances are only fleeting at best. The poor in spirit are ready to hear and receive the good news of the kingdom.

Are you poor in spirit?
Are you experiencing life in the Kingdom of God?
Come. Receive Jesus’ teaching!

Connecting To The Kingdom Of God

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Matthew 4:12-5:2; Mark 1:14-18

         “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15).
         The time has come. The kingdom is near. We must repent and believe the good news!
         As we approach this emphatic statement Jesus makes at the outset of his ministry, we must understand some basic concepts. First, what is a kingdom? In a kingdom, a king reigns. A kingdom is not a democracy where people vote. A kingdom is not situation where the government changes every so often. In a kingdom, a king reigns. In a kingdom, the will of the king is done. Everyone in the kingdom is subject to the will and desires of the king. Thus, as Jesus comes proclaiming the kingdom of God, Jesus is proclaiming what God wants done. There is no negotiation with the king.
         God effective rule on earth is what Jesus comes to tell us. And, the news of God's kingdom is good news, not bad news! Jesus has come to tell us what God is doing and what God wants done. He is proclaiming the will of God.
         So, how do we connect with the Kingdom of God? We have to repent. What does repentance mean in context of connecting with the Kingdom of God? Repentance simply means that we have to stop doing what we want and begin doing what God wants. God is king. At the outset of Jesus' ministry he is clear that if we want to see what God is doing, we must turn from our ways to see God's ways.
         But in doing so, Jesus says we must believe. Believe what? We need to believe not only that God is king, but the good news of the kingdom has come through his Son, Jesus Christ. We must believe the good news of what God is doing in his kingdom as announced, taught, and lived out in the teachings of Christ.
         The work that God is doing in his kingdom is already on its way. The work of the kingdom is urgent, pressing, and moving forward forcefully. We are invited to see this work and to join it. We cannot make the kingdom happen, and we cannot earn admission into the kingdom by our own effort and merit. We cannot earn the kingdom, but we can choose it.
         As Jesus begins his ministry, he invites everyone to see what God is doing. He says to his disciples, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” To catch people in this process is to be so moved by the good news of the kingdom that we inspires others to see what God is doing and join him in his kingdom work. So pressing is the work of the kingdom, so inspiring is it to be apart of such an eternal enterprise that there is not a moment to lose.
         Again, we cannot earn the kingdom, but we can choose it. We can choose to repent: to stop what we want and see and join what God is doing. God will provide the strength and power to live the kingdom life. But we must repent and believe the good news.

Charles

Connecting to the Kingdom of God
Matthew 4; Mark 1:14-18

What is a kingdom? What does the king want accomplished in his kingdom?

What does it mean to repent? Why is Jesus say that we must repent?

We cannot_______________the kingdom, but we can _____________ it. (Fill in the blanks)

What is the “good news” of the kingdom that we must believe?

Are there places in your life where you need to repent in order to see the kingdom of God?