Monmouth Church Of Christ Sermons

I Am The Good Shepherd

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

“I AM the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-I lay down my life for the sheep.”
(John 10:14-15, NIV)

Jesus is the good shepherd who protects us. He stands at the gate and watches for influences that would harm us. When he describes himself as the “good shepherd,” he is teaching us that he is not passive with respect to our well being, but active. As the good shepherd, and as the gate, we might say that Jesus is our “alarm system” that both warns and protects.

The enemy wants to kill and destroy. He wants to break in and steal what Christ came to do for us: free us from the guilt and condemnation of sin and the hope of eternal life. In Christ, we have been given the gift not only of salvation, but the gift of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the likeness of Christ. By the Spirit, we have been given grace, the power of God working in our lives to change not only what we do, but the perception of how we see Christ moving in the world through us.

If we are Christ's sheep, then we know his voice just as he knows our voice. We are protected as we listen to the voice of Christ that is continually assuring us of our value, our worth, and our mission in Him. If we listen to other voices then we are vulnerable. Satan can “break in and steal” if we let him into our thoughts. Satan is accusing, condemning, hopeless, and negative. Listening to these voices will not lead us to realize the gifts Christ has for us. Rather, as we listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ and think about the grace and the hope we have, we are protected from damaging influences that would “rob us” of our joy and our hope in Christ.

Are you listening to Christ's voice?

I Am The Light Of The World

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

“"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12, NIV)

Jesus is repeatedly identified as the Light which give life. This is similar in language to the Old Testament language used of God. “The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1

The idea of God calling someone to be the means of bring light into the world is rooted in ancient Judaism, In the prophet Isaiah it is Israel that is light to the world, and later in the book it is the Lord's servant who is anointed to bring God's truth to the world. Jesus claim as the light of the world is a claim to be Israel's Messiah.

Light has certain properties:

Light repels darkness - Jesus is the cure for the world's sin problem, however darkness starts in our own hearts.
Light reveals - Once Jesus comes into our lives, He reveals those things that need to change, for He intends to make us an abode for His dwelling.
Light illuminates - Jesus as God's own son, exudes His glory. Without Jesus in our lives, we can't see clearly.

In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, Jesus says that we as God's people are the "light of the world.”, and that our deeds should cause those around us to glorify God, our Father.

We should then respond by reflecting the light that God shines on us, through the holy Spirit, to those around us that are in need of the light.

"Streams Of Living Water"

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 7:37-38

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
(John 7:37-38, NIV)

By streams of living water, Jesus meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive (John 7:39). In the gospel of John, the living water contrasts with stagnant water-the water in the cisterns at the wedding feast and the water that needed to be stirred in order to bring healing. Stagnant water represents the old forms of the law and its inability to bring inner life. Running water, water from the well, living water is the very life of God given to believers through the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive streams of living water.

The Spirit gives us true life, not simply energy or vitality, but life. Through the Spirit the heart and mind of God flows through us, always new, always fresh, always relevant. We may grow old in the physical body, but the living water of the Spirit keeps us fresh, always truly alive and responsive to the life God has for us.

What keeps us from partaking in this living water? Jeremiah 2:13 says that the people have committed two sins: they have forsaken God, the spring of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Have we forsaken God? Instead of going to the source of true life, are we making lives for ourselves (cisterns) that ultimately are broken?

What cistern are you digging? What water do you hope it will hold? Humanly dug cisterns will ultimately fail. Only God can provide us the stream of living water that does not know the walls of a cistern. Let us come to Jesus-the source of the living water and find real life!

"I Am The Bread Of Life"

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 6:35

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
(John 6:35)

As Jesus spoke about being the “bread of life” he said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63). To “feed” on Jesus is to internalize his words and to make them a part of our lives. The Gospel of John tells us that if we desire to have true spiritual life, we must come to Jesus, hear what he says, and make his teachings a part of how we think and act.

Many were offended at this teaching. They not only did not believe, but they could not imagine what Jesus might have meant by describing himself as the “bread of life.” When Jesus asked the twelve disciples if they would leave too, Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68).

The question before us is: with what kind of food do we nourish our bodies? Certainly, we are not talking about physical food, but rather spiritual food. Do we have a daily spiritual diet that will allow us to live a vibrant spiritual life? As we spending time with the words of Jesus?

Just as we cannot survive on “junk food” or fast-food that is filled with fat and sugar, we cannot live healthy spiritual lives on “spiritual junk food.” Spiritual “fast food” may make us “feel good” or “be interesting,” but it is often disconnected from the teachings of Christ. Spiritual junk food is plentiful on the internet, TV and radio and engages us more in what humans say than Jesus.

The “bread of life” is Jesus' words. Many of Jesus' words are hard teachings and difficult to follow. Yet, these are the very words of life! What is your spiritual diet?

Whose Approval Do We Seek?

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 5:44

“How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? (John 5:44)

Seeking human approval for our actions, our thoughts, and our very lives is a trap. Why? Because people are people and they will inevitably disappoint us no matter how good their intentions may be. Yet, even though we know this at some level, many of us still work to gain the approval of human beings more than we seek God's approval.

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath and immediately began to receive criticism from the Pharisees, Jesus knew the heart of their problem. They were seeking after people's approval and not God's. Jesus said, “I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” Those who were being critical of Jesus were unwilling to let go of what other people thought in order to see what God was doing in their midst.

Why is it that we are so ready to seek and accept people's approval but not God's? Is it because we don't trust what God has to say? Is it because the threat of human disapproval overwhelms us? Do we fear criticism? Are we afraid of being unloved or not accepted by people who are important to us? Or, is it because we have sought our identity in what other people think of us rather than who we are in Christ?

As Jesus says, the scriptures testifies about who He is. The scripture is not the “end” in itself. As we read the scripture, we are pointed to the testimony of Jesus and the assurance of God's acceptance of us through Jesus. As Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Let us put our faith and trust in God and seek His approval through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Real Spiritual Food

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 6:27

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34)

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:27)

People talk today about 'health food.” More than ever, our society is conscious of refraining from 'junk food' and putting things into one's body that are unhealthy. As a society, we are more conscious today of what we eat than ever before. The question is whether we are as conscious of “spiritual food” as we are of “physical food.” Are we “eating healthy spiritual food” or are we eating “spiritual junk food” or are we “overeating and not exercising our spiritual bodies?”

Jesus equates a healthy spiritual diet with exercise. Jesus says that his food is to do the will of the Father. In other words, the real feeding and nourishment comes not just from hearing the Father's desires, but doing them. Faith in action.

We work hard for things, approval, success, material possessions, money, and pleasure. We work hard to keep up our “image” our “reputations” and other things that we believe will help sustain us in the world. Many believe these will satisfy. But, we always find ourselves dissatisfied, disappointed, and wanting more.

But when we turn to spiritual food, many equate being “spiritually fed” with just hearing more or better preaching, reading or studying more Bible, or becoming more involved in church related activities. And while these are important, they also fail to satisfy unless what we receive from God is put into action.

How do we partake of real spiritual food. A good diet and exercise. Hearing the Word of God and then putting into practice what God says. In this way, we find true joy, real spiritual health, and a growth in our inner spiritual lives that does not spoil, perish, or fade away.

Accept The Gift

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 3:16-17

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him..” (John 3:16-17)

God so loved that he gave! God's love is expressed in action. God gave us the most precious gift so that we could have eternal life: his one and only Son. The gift has been given to us. He asks us to accept the gift. As the scripture says, God did not send Jesus in the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

In sending Jesus, God's desire, purpose, and plan was to save the world, to bring the world into a right relationship with him. God's purpose was not condemnation and judgment, but salvation. However, the choice is ours. Will we accept God's offer of love and reconciliation or will we reject it. Will we accept the gift?

The Gospel of John is clear that just as salvation is a choice, so is condemnation. If God offers us the gift of salvation and we refuse, then it is not God who condemns us, but we condemn ourselves. When we refuse to accept God's offer of love then the choice to walk in darkness is ours.

The scripture points out that some individuals love darkness more than they love light. The Gospel says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of life because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19-20) When the light of God's love shines into our lives and we choose to walk away, then there is nothing more that God can do. God has given us the gift. We have refused to accept it.

Accepting the gift means that our life is shaped by having made that decision. The deeds of darkness-selfishness, animosity towards other, immorality and the like-are no longer the narratives through which we make daily decisions and shape our interpersonal interactions. Just as God loved, our love for others is shown in action-in the way we serve others and extend the gift of God's grace to them.

Raising The Temple In Three Days

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 2: 19-21

“Jesus said to them in reply, 'Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days.' So the Jews said, 'This sanctuary was built in forty-six years; will you raise it up in three days?' But he was speaking about the sanctuary of his body.”
(John 2:19-21)

By the time John was written, the physical temple that Jesus referred to in John 2:19-21 had been destroyed. Reconstruction on this temple had begun under Herod the Great in 19 BC. Forty-six years later (about 27 AD) the majority of the renovations were completed although the finishing touches to the whole enterprise were not finished until 63 AD, seven years before it was destroyed.

In John 2:13-25, Jesus cleanses the temple court of the money changers which occasions a critique from the Jewish community. Here Jesus draws a distinction between the entire temple complex (hieron) and the sanctuary of the “holy house” proper (naos). The “naos” rather than the “heiron” was the proper dwelling place of God. While the “heiron” will be destroyed, the “naos” will be raised in three days. As indicated in the scripture, Jesus was equating the “naos” to his physical body that would be raised from the dead (John 2:22).

The emphasis of the entire passage is the passing away of the old order of the physical temple and the inauguration of the new order where Jesus' body and presence is the “new spiritual temple.” Several passages in the New Testament speak of this new temple: I Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; and I Peter 2:4-5. As the “new temple,” the church, the body of Christ is to live in such a way that glorifies God. Not only are we as individual Christians to honor God in our body, but we, as the Church, are to honor God as a community of believes by the way we interact with each other, and in our assemblies.

Jesus Makes The Father Known

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

John 1:16-18

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.” (John 1:16-18)

Since God is Spirit and no one has ever seen God, how is God known? How do we understand the nature of God? How do we interact with God? If God were a person, how would he act and react in the world? More importantly, how would God react and interact with us?

Everything that is God-the Word, the logos-came into the world in the person of Jesus, the Christ (the Messiah). As light coming into a dark world, Jesus as God, in flesh and blood, came to show us God. Jesus came into this world full of grace and truth-he comes to make God's love known to us.

As the Word of God, Jesus embodies all that God is. Jesus was with God in the beginning, the world was made through him. Jesus appears as the light that brings understanding to not only all that God is, but all that God wants to reveal to humanity. The question is whether or not we will believe that Jesus is God in the flesh? Will we accept that God broke into human history in the person of Jesus Christ? If so, we have the right to be re-born as sons and daughters of God.

In Jesus, there is real life, the life we are all searching for. But as the Gospel says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:3). The world and its ways will not readily accept the true life of God. The light will shine, but the darkness will not understand it. Just as we seek to live out the “light” of Christ in the world, the world will not always understand or accept it.

The law that Moses brought could only show the holiness of God and the sinfulness of human beings. The law could point to God, but not bring grace and truth to us. As in very nature God, Jesus brings the full blessing of God to humanity. He invites us to accept and grow in God's expression of love and grace. Even though no one has seen God, Jesus makes him known.

Jesus: Savior, Christ, And Lord

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT

“The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Jesus came into the world as Savior, as Christ (or the Messiah), and as Lord.

As Savior, Jesus comes as the one who will proclaim the good news of salvation from the eternal consequences of sin. He comes to show God's forgiveness and mercy towards everyone through his life, death, burial, and resurrection.

As Christ, or as Messiah, Jesus comes as the one who ushers in the reign of God on earth. He comes not only proclaiming the good news of salvation, but demonstrating God's love and grace through healing the sick, giving the blind their sight, making the lame walk again and raising the dead. As Messiah, Jesus fulfills the long awaited promise of a different kind of life in God-one that is “not of this world” but a kingdom of the heart. A kingdom that will never perish.

Through his death, burial, and resurrection, God makes Jesus Lord. As Lord, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly realms far above all rule, authority, and dominion. God has placed all things under his feet and given him authority over everything in the church (Ephesians 1:21-23). As Lord, Jesus has conquered death, defeated the powers of evil, and present in us as believers through the Holy Spirit.

As Savior, Christ, and Lord, Jesus has saved us and delivered us into the kingdom of God where he now reigns. He is present within us to work in us his will and plan. As the church, we are His body-his presence-on earth to continue his work: to bring the good news of salvation, to enact His work on earth, and to do so under his authority, guidance, and love.