Sermon Notes

May 3, 2020

WINNING BY LOSING

Matthew 16:25-26

We live in a world where everybody wants to win. I watched the first few episodes of the recent Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance,” and one of the things that jumps right out at you early on, is Jordan’s insatiable desire to win. He could not stand to lose—whether it was basketball, shooting pool, playing cards, or on the golf course. He was driven by a desire to win. I’m sure that Jordan is not alone. No doubt if you were to spend time with other professional athletes, business leaders and entrepreneurs, political leaders, and other successful people, you would probably find in many of them a strong desire to win and to keep winning; some no matter what the cost. The truth is, we all want to win. Nobody wants to lose. Well, here in Matthew 16:25, Jesus essentially says, “You’ve got to lose in order to win. Now, let’s understand the setting wherein Jesus makes this profound statement. Jesus had just told His disciples and others in the crowd, that He was going to Jerusalem, where He would suffer and die… Peter then pulls Jesus aside, protesting, “That can’t happen to You; You need to rebuke that thought!” Jesus turns and admonishes Peter; and then He says, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it…” First, Jesus is saying to Peter, “I didn’t come to do what was good for Me; I came to do what was good for you.” “I did not come to do My will, I came to do My Father’s will.” “I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give My life as a ransom for many.” Jesus was also sharing with His disciples what it means to belong to Him, and what it could cost to follow Him. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus is talking about winning by losing! Jesus is saying that “Winning by losing,” as paradoxical as it may sound, is really how we live lives that are vital, vibrant and victorious from God’s perspective. In order to embrace Jesus’ type of discipleship, first:

You will have to lose your fear of losing. We are taught to view losing as bad or unacceptable. A lot of us are terrified at the thought of losing. In Super bowl LI (51) the Atlanta Falcons had a 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots in the third quarter. And then they changed their style of play. They became conservative in their play calling. All of a sudden they were no longer playing to win, they were playing not to lose. Well, New England came back and won the game 34-28. Here’s my point: You can’t be afraid to lose. “I can’t lose my stuff.” “I can’t lose my job.” “I can’t lose my woman.” “I can’t lose my man.” The truth is: God sees things differently. He blesses us through our losses. Jacob lost his son Joseph for a time, but God returned Joseph to Jacob as a great leader and provider in a time of famine. God can use your losses to bless you. God can use losing to simplify your life. He can use losing to focus your life. He can use losing to purify your life. If you want God’s best for your life, you need to lose your fear of losing. “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake…”

You must lose the desire to be in control of your life. Look closely at the text: “Whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus offers two choices. You can live life as you see fit, on your own terms. You can be your own boss. You can call the shots, you can come up with your own plans and then try to work your plans; but in the end you will lose your life. The other choice Jesus offers is: To commit your life to Him. You can deny your own will, and surrender to His will. Let Him be your Boss. That involves dying to self, daily, as you take up the cross and follow Him (v.24). The Lord wants you to stop trying to control your own destiny, but to let Him direct you. If you trust your life to Him, you won’t lose your life!

It is those who give all who will get all in the end. When Jesus says,  “…but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it,” He’s referring to those who have discovered their true purpose for living, and that is giving their lives in service to Christ, not living for themselves. Jesus makes it clear that following Him involves risking it all: Safety, security, satisfaction in this world and life. But He promises that in His economy, those who give all will get all in the end; not those who live for this life, but those who give up their lives for My sake. The losers will be the winners. How many losers are watching to today? Thank God that you are a loser! You’re not alone.

Jesus, by the world’s standards was also a loser!

When Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins, He won through losing!

Jesus didn’t take power, He gave it up—and then He got up!

Paul said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!

March 22, 2020

A GOOD GOD FOR BAD TIMES
Nahum 1:7
Nothing is known of the author of this book, other than that he identifies himself as Nahum, the Elkoshite. Nahum means “consolation” or “comfort.” The book of Nahum is one of the shortest and most often overlooked books in the Old Testament. This book has only three chapters and forty-seven verses. The focus of this book is its prophesy of the fall of Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria, one of the cruelest, vilest, most powerful, and most idolatrous empires in the history of the world. Nineveh sat on the Tigris River, very close to the modern Iraqi city of Mosul. One hundred years before Nahum’s call, Jonah had preached in the streets of Nineveh; the people heard God’s message and turned their lives around. One hundred years later, the city again returned to its evil ways, and Nahum pronounces judgment on this nation. But God intended for the message to Nineveh to be overheard by His people, Judah. For God’s people, the message of Nahum was a message of comfort. Their comfort would be in knowing that God is still in control. When we consider the difficulties we are facing here in Memphis and Shelby County, across America, and around the world, we need a message of comfort during a time of chaos, a message of hope during a time of despair, a message of tranquility during a time of trouble. We need the reassurance that God is still in control. To those who are feeling stressed and depressed, or who are feeling beaten up by difficult circumstances, I want to tell you that we have: “A Good God for bad times!” Notice what the text says:

The Lord is good…(The personality of the Lord). This expression speaks to the absolute goodness of God. It is God’s nature to be good. Goodness is part of the character or personality of God. It is important for all of us to know this, especially in seasons of adversity. When things happen in life that are not good, that does not mean that God is not good, and it does not mean that God’s goodness is not being experienced or is not flowing into your life. Some of you know that God can take the bad and bring the good out of it (what does Romans 8:28 say?) Don’t become suspicious of God’s goodness when adversity strikes. Even when things are bad, God has a purpose that is good, a plan that is good, and a reason that is good, because God is good. Can you testify to God’s goodness? So because God is good, we know we can endure difficult days.

A stronghold in the day of trouble…(The protection of the Lord). The safest place in South Florida during the hurricane season may be the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The structure consists of 10-inch concrete walls capable of withstanding Category 5-level winds of up to 185 mph. Because these storms come every year, the Center is there to provide a safe working environment for the people who monitor the weather and issue weather warnings. When other residents leave the area, they have to stay. And just like hurricanes, storms also come in our lives. Often they come without warning, and linger long enough to test the limits of our faith. But God has given us a place of safety in the midst of our situations. The text says, that the Lord is, “A stronghold in the day of trouble. In Psalm 46:1-2, the psalmist stated, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed.” The people of Nineveh thought they were safe in their fortifications, but their security was nothing in comparison with the comfort and safety that God provides for His people. It is not our strength but God’s strength that shields us during the storms of life.

He knows those who trust in Him (The personal walk with the Lord). The word “trust” implies relationship, and a personal walk with God results from placing one’s trust in Him. How reassuring it is to consider the fact that God knows those who trust in Him. Jesus said, I know My own sheep, and they know Me (John 10:14). God knows you; He knows your prayers, your tears, fears, desires, He knows what you are, He knows what you’re not; He knows all about you. And, in times like these, it’s good to know Him. It’s good to know that whatever is going on, we can depend on God to see us through. It’s good to know that we can hold to His unchanging hand. It’s good to know that in tough times He’ll never leave us or forsake us. He’ll prop us when we’re leaning, He’ll shield us from danger, He’ll enfold us in His love, and save us by His grace! I’ve got a feeling everything’s going to be alright!

March 8, 2020

KEEPING YOUR FOOTING WHEN THINGS ARE CRUMBLING AROUND YOU

Psalm 11

Just about every day something is happening locally, nationally, or globally that serves as a reminder that we are living in troublesome times. Any rational, reasonable person would conclude that the problems that we are experiencing in this country and around the world are concerning. We’re now wrestling with a global outbreak of the coronavirus, with no vaccine to treat it—that’s concerning. There is a toxic political climate in this country. Our leaders are fighting with each other, while the issues that are plaguing the nation—health care, education, good paying jobs, reducing crime, getting guns off the streets, are not being addressed—this is concerning. On a personal level, we have reason for concern. You can prepare yourself, map out your plans, and in the blink of an eye, things can go in a different direction. It can happen with your heath. It can happen with your marriage and your family. Just the other night, right up the road in Middle Tennessee, people went to bed with no idea that a deadly tornado was going to tear through their communities, and leave the lives of so many changed forever—that’s concerning. Things can happen that will cause you to come unglued, make you feel like the bottom has dropped out—I’m talking about things you can’t control. Yes, we are living in some very troubling times. And in this psalm David is also troubled by what was taking place in his world. We are uncertain of the historical setting of this psalm, but we do know that David was experiencing some terrible ordeal that was very concerning to him, because of the danger it posed for his nation and for the people of God. It appeared that the very foundations of the kingdom were crumbling beneath him. We can identify with what David was feeling, Can’t we? Now the question is posed to him, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” That’s a good question isn’t it? Well, let me ask you, “What can you do when it seems that everything meaningful is crumbling right beneath your feet?” Here are some things we learn from the psalmist:

Be careful of who you turn to for advice. When David’s crisis arose—and let me say this, even though David was God’s anointed, he was not exempt from trouble. You know that being a Christian does not exempt you from difficulties and trials. There will be times when we will have to face adversity. But in David’s case, when disaster struck, his counselors immediately advised him to leave Jerusalem and “flee to your mountain” (v.1). Listen, when adversity strikes, be careful of who you turn to for advice—be careful who you listen to. David’s counselors were not bad people; they were just walking by sight. In adversity, you need spiritual counselors. Peter was walking by sight when he tried to counsel Jesus not to talk about dying on the cross (Mark 3:32). That was bad advice. David’s counselors were afraid because they saw dangerous conditions and crumbling foundations. But listen to the psalmist, “In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, ‘flee…” (v.1). David was saying, “I believe the Lord will see me through. How many of you believe that? We have to learn to trust God in all situations.        

When things are tough, instead of giving up, try looking up. The psalmist says this in verse 4, “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven…” The temple represents God’s presence amongst His people. His throne in heaven represents His sovereign power. When was the last time you thought about looking up? Isaiah looked up and saw the Lord on His throne, high and lifted up (Isa. 6:1). Instead of giving up, try looking up.  When you look around, you see problems; but when you look up, you see the answer to problems. God will help you keep your footing when things are crumbling around you, because He is in control—“He’s in His holy temple, His throne is in heaven.” He’s sovereign, and His power is not diminished by anything that’s going on in this world or in your life. Instead of giving up, try looking up!

In the end God’s justice will prevail. Finally, when things seem to be out of hand, David offers some things in these remaining verses (vv.4b-7) that should enhance our perspective. First, God observes all that people do (v. 4b). Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place…” And then God “examines both the righteous and the wicked” (vv. 4c-5). Some never consider their accountability to the Lord. They feel as if they can live their lives however they please and not be accountable to anyone. But God sees and God will examine or test every life. And in the end, His justice will prevail (vv.6-7). There will be a day of reckoning. The wicked will not win or get away. The wicked will one day stand before God, and face destruction—coals, fire, brimstone, burning wind is how the psalmist describes their day. But concerning the righteous, God tests will become a refining fire. In other words, God does not shield us from every trial, but He will use our troubles to bring out the best in us. And this is the result: David said, “The righteous shall see His face” (v.7).

It’s time for celebration now!

No matter what’s going on, don’t forget that one day, “The righteous shall see His face!”

When storm clouds hang low, remember the righteous shall see His face!

When your problems seem big, remember the righteous shall see His face!

When your journey seems long, remember the righteous shall see His face!

When you’re condemned and criticized, remember the righteous shall see His face!

Is there anybody here who wants to see His face?”

“If you trust Him, keep the faith, and live right, you will see His face!”

I don’t know about you, but I want to see Jesus!

Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith!

Jesus, who said I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, ye may be also!

Jesus, who died out on Calvary, but arose early Sunday morning!

 

March 1, 2020

A VISIT TO THE POTTER’S HOUSE

Jeremiah 18:1-6

The Old Testament Parable of the Potter and the Clay is essentially a picture or illustration of how God works in our lives. In this parable the clay actually represented the people of Judah, but this representation can also be applied to you and I. Clay has no value in and of itself; but it can become something of great value if it is placed in the right hands. Nobody can calculate the potential of a life that has been touched by the Lord’s hands. Let’s take a trip with Jeremiah down to the potter’s house. As we stand in the doorway looking in, we see a craftsman sitting in front of two parallel stone wheels that are joined by a shaft. The potter is turning the bottom wheel with his feet and working a lump of clay on the top wheel. The potter is transforming a simple lump of clay into a useful vessel. As we think about how God deals with us, there are some of the lessons we can take from this visual of the potter working with the clay. First, the potter’s work on the wheel illustrates the fact that:

Our lives are in the hands of Someone who genuinely values us.

 

God shapes our lives with a vision in mind.

 

Real transformation results only from the Master’s molding ministry.

February 16, 2020

 

LIVING TO CAPACITY

Joshua 17:14-18

Beginning with chapter 13 of the book of Joshua, we have the division of the Promised Land to the various tribes of Israel. After seven years of battle, the major strongholds in Canaan have been dismantled, the land is distributed, and the people are to finish taking and settling into the land. Canaan—the Promised Land, is not a type or picture of heaven, but it represents living the victorious Christian life, which is inclusive of battles and blessings. God wanted Israel to possess all that He had given to them. And He wants the same for His people today. He wants you to live on the level of God’s provision for you. God want you to live to capacity—nothing less. But here in this passage, the descendants of Joseph, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are examples of some who failed to maximize their potential. We learn from their mistakes what it takes for us to live to capacity. First of all:

Our attitude must be right (verse 14)

 

If we want more, we must be faithful right where we are (verses 15-16)

 

We must believe that what God has promised He is able to do (verses 17-18)

 

February 2, 2020

GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING

Romans 11:33-36

One of the common responses to life’s trials and tragedies is to want to know why such things happen. The recent death of Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year old daughter and seven other persons in a helicopter crash is just one example. Huge numbers of people are still struggling to process this tragedy. So many times we simply want to understand why things like this happen, and God just doesn’t reveal the reasons to us. But when life doesn’t seem to make sense, those who know God have to trust that He knows what He’s doing. Corrie Ten Boom, author and Holocaust survivor, wrote, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” It’s no different with life. We have to trust God farther than we can “see.” “We walk by faith, and not by sight,” (2 Co 5:7). Our God is awesome! It has been said that, “What truly defines us is what we think of God. At the end of Romans 11, Paul moves from theology to doxology (praise). After completing a lengthy section of doctrinal teaching, including how the death and resurrection of Jesus makes it possible to be righteous before a holy God through faith in Jesus Christ, and how we are to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh, and how God plans to incorporate both the Jews and Gentiles into His kingdom; Paul then paused to consider the greatness of a God who could accomplish all of these things, before completing the last part of his letter. The God that Paul celebrates is a God who knows what He’s doing, even when life is mysterious and doesn’t make sense. And in his doxology, Paul points out some basic truths that give us reasons to praise God:

God’s perspective is complete, but ours is limited (verses 33-34)

 

God doesn’t owe us anything, but we owe Him everything (verse 35)

 

The world does not revolve around us it revolves around God (verse 36)

January 26, 2020

SPIRIT-LED MINISTRY: WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Acts 16:1-12

If you are familiar with the old westerns, you probably remember seeing the self-defense approach or strategy the pioneers used called, “Circling the wagons.” They would form their wagon train into a circle so that the people could camp inside and keep Indians and wild animals out. Today, some people see the church as a circle of wagons, protecting them from the world around them. That was not Jesus’ intention for the church. He taught His disciples to reach out to those on the outside. In case you didn’t know it, the church is not here to keep people safe from the world; the church is here to change the world. We’re not here to hide from the world; we’re here to offer hope to the world. That was the major focus of Paul’s ministry. No other person, with the exception of Jesus Himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. Before his conversion, little had been done to take the gospel to non-Jews. But after Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to taking the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, which included three missionary journeys. In Acts chapter 16, Paul was just beginning his second missionary journey. The purpose was to visit the churches that had been established on his first campaign. After revisiting these churches, Paul had a vision for greater outreach. He wanted to take the Gospel into new territory. It’s great to have a vision; it’s great to want to see Kingdom expansion, and it’s great to be a part of helping to change lives; but this passage gives us insight into what Spirit-led ministry looks like. One of the first things that jumps out in the text is this:

The Holy Spirit will supply the workers that are needed. Before Paul could begin this second mission trip, he had already lost two members of his team. Barnabas and John Mark had gone in a different direction. When it comes to ministry, we cannot accomplish all that God has given us to do without people to help us. And for ministry to be successful, we need the right people. Paul replaced Barnabas with Silas, and when they arrived in Lystra, The Holy Spirit guided Paul to a young believer by the name of Timothy. Timothy had probably gotten saved during Paul’s first visit to Lystra. Now look at what it says in verses 2 and 3: “Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey.” We don’t know much about Timothy’s skills, talents or education. What we do know is that he had proven himself to be faithful to the Lord. The Lord is not concerned about your abilities—He’ll take care of that; but what He looks at is your faithfulness. Paul invested in Timothy, and trained Timothy to invest in others, so that more and more people would be equipped to do ministry. We see in verse 5 that with the right team in place, the church was strengthened spiritually and continued to grow.

The Holy Spirit will direct us to the right opportunities for ministry. After visiting the churches he had founded, Paul did not wait for directions from God on where he was to go next. He went to the most logical place. He went to where he thought there would be an opportunity. But verses 6-8 tell us that when Paul tried to enter the province of Asia, the Holy Spirit stopped him. And then when he tried to go north into Bithynia, the Spirit closed the door again. God will sometimes open doors, and then sometimes He will close doors. He will open and close doors to direct us to what His will is. You may have things all planned out. You are going this way. You’re convinced that God’s will is this way. And then you get a phone call that changes the course of your life. Your boss tells you that they’re downsizing, and your job has been eliminated. The Holy Spirit stopped Paul, because God had something else for him to do. And what we see is that Paul was in tune with God, and dependent on His leading. Spirit-led ministry is sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, ready to change plans or direction at the Spirit’s instructions.

We have to be ready to act when we are called to our tasks. The Lord can use a variety of means to reveal to us the tasks He’s calling us to. In this case, we’re told that Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia, who was begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us, (v.9).” This vision convinced them that God wanted them to go to Macedonia and preach Jesus. So, what did they do? They got on a ship and headed for Macedonia. They acted on the revelation they received. Once you have determined the will of God, what’s your next step? Your next step is to do it! Once His instructions are clear, we don’t need to sit around and talk anymore. It’s time to get up and get busy! When we get busy with Spirit-led ministry, great things will happen! The Lord will open doors for us! The Lord opened a door for Paul in Macedonia and many souls were saved. It started with a woman named Lydia and her household; next it was a demon-possessed slave girl; and then it was the jailer who was guarding Paul and Silas, and his family.

You ought to want to see people saved!

No, we can’t reach everybody, but we can reach somebody!

The Lord has need of workers to till His fields today, so kindly He has led me to walk in wisdom’s way; I pray for grace to help me with all my heart to say, O blessed Savior count on me!

Can He count on you today?

 

January 19, 2020

 

THE CHURCH IS BETTER WHEN WE’RE ALL TOGETHER
Ephesians 4:3-12

When it comes to believers, unity or oneness, is being on the same page spiritually.
Before coming to chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul has explained to his readers about God’s
great mystery and plan for His church, and he has prayed a powerful prayer that they
might know all of Christ’ love and all of His blessings. In chapter 4, Paul deals
extensively with the call for unity among believers. Many of the challenges that churches
were confronted with in Paul’s day are not very different from the challenges of the
church today. One of the major problems that the early church had to deal with was the
problem of disunity. Sadly, disunity—divisiveness—disharmony are clearly problems
that continue to hinder our ability as the body of Christ to show the world who Jesus truly
is. Today’s text offers several insights with regards to oneness. First:

• Our lives ought to communicate the conviction that the Body of Christ is one (verses
  1-6).
• Every believer is gifted in their own way to serve this one body (verses 6-7).
• The expected outcome of our unity is spiritual development (verses11-13).

January 12, 2020

 

BEING IN THE PLACE WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE

Genesis 35:1-7

One of our greatest struggles as believers is surrendering our wills to the Lord and following Him to the place where He wants us to be. When we are not in the place of our appointment, which is the place where God wants us to be, then we cannot be as productive or effective for the Kingdom. In fact, we can find ourselves moving farther away from God. In today’s text, that was Jacob’s experience. God had met with Jacob at a place called Bethel, when Jacob was running from his brother Esau. Jacob had vowed that if the Lord would bring him back safely to his own land, then God would be his God. God did His part, but when He brought Jacob safely home to Canaan, Jacob did not return to Bethel—the place God wanted him to be, but he settled in a place called Shechem. When Jacob recognized the consequences of going his own way, he decided to go to Bethel—the place God wanted Him to be. As we look at this passage about Jacob’s journey to Bethel, we glean several insights:  

We have to listen when God is speaking to us (verse 1).

 

We must get rid of the stuff that hinders our spiritual focus (verse2, 4).

 

We must acknowledge God with our worship (verses 3, 6-7).

EMBRACING GOD’S VISION IN 2020: A CHURCH THAT’S ALL IN
Romans 12:1-2

As we begin a brand new year, some of you are excitedly setting new goals for 2020. You’re ready to take on new challenges. You’re ready to conquer new territory. What a great place to be! But there are some, for them; the beginning of 2020 is a time to push the reset button, a time to refocus, it’s a time to get things back on track. God wants 2020 to be a great year for you. And He has a plan for each and every one of you. In Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, he dedicated most of it to doctrinal teaching. But in the last section, chapters 12-16, Paul’s focus shifts from the doctrinal to the practical, from what we should believe, to how we should live in this world. As we look at the first two verses of Romans chapter 12, Paul shares some principles with us that, for those who will embrace them, they will position us for a great year in 2020. Here is the point: “If you want to be blessed and live up to your potential in 2020, you’re going to have to embrace God’s vision for you.” Here’s what that looks like:

You have to give yourself to the Lord completely (v.1)

The Lord is only interested in living sacrifices (v.1)

The Lord’s vision for us is transformation and renewal (v.2)