Qohelet Web Ministry Sermons

(Heb 5:10 - 6:8) We need to avoid stalled progress in spiritual growth because it leads to dulled hearing/understanding of the deeper things of God, which can lead to abnormal immaturity, spiritual senselessness, which can ultimately lead to permanently falling away and spiritual death. In order to avoid stalled progress, we need to be disciplined disciples that truly listen, learn, practice, and bear fruit.

(Heb 5:1-9) Because Christ is a different and better kind of priest, and we are his priesthood, we need to follow his leadership and example, especially in his prayer of relinquishment in the face of extreme difficulty. When we humble ourselves in obedience as Christ did, then God will lift us up.

(Hosea 2; 11) The model for what it means to love can be found in God, who describes his love toward us as a man loves his wife, and as a parent loves his child. But the most vivid expression of God's love is in the cross. God's love is a model for how we are to leave in each of our relationships in our lives.

Labor Day is set aside to celebrate the value and dignity of work. The Bible has some concrete things to teach us about work. Work is not a curse, but part of our created purpose so that we can serve God. The curse is increase hardship, not work. In fact, work is a reflection of the God who has been working from the beginning. By design, work brings various benefits to others and us. This does not mean that rest is bad. Idleness is bad but rest is good, endorsed, and even instructed by God.

The Church of Christ is to be a Christ centered family, learning, sharing, and caring. This means that we are to be focused on Christ in all of our worship, that we are to live in the word and integrate it into our lives so that it transforms us into the image of Christ, that we are to serve others from our means and share the good news of Christ, and we are to be connected to each other in Christian fellowship, caring for and encouraging one another.

(Rev 13:11-18) Everyone has spiritual identification that identifies who they are and to whom they belong. There are only two kinds of identification, a mark or a seal. Those with the mark have made what appear to be reasonable compromises in the interest of happiness, prosperity, and blessing. Those with a seal have made a total, uncompromising commitment to Jesus as Lord, refusing to take the mark. In the end, those with the mark will be destroyed, but those with the seal that identifies them as belonging to Christ will be saved from eternal destruction at the judgment. In order for us to have the seal, we need unwavering and uncompromising commitment to the Lordship of Christ.

Scripture describes the final destination of God's people as a state of eternal life, work without weariness, having an abundance of what you need, a time of safety, and especially a time of face to face fellowship with our Lord. God has made this a possibility through his son, and leaves the decision to us on where our final destination will be.

The Bible provides some snapshots of Hell that could be described as a city dump, incinerator, isolation ward, and bottomless pit. These describe various kinds of suffering which include emotional, physical, and spiritual pain and anguish. But God provides a means of rescue through the Gospel of Christ because he does not want anyone to be lost. It is now up to us to accept it through faith, repentance, and baptism.

Sin is a devastating reality that exists for all people whether they acknowledge it or not. Sin is not an antiquated religious concept that needs to be redefined in medical or some other terms. Redefining sin only increases its power. Sin is falling short of God and affects our life, our moral will, our intellect, and our relationship with God, making us helpless. The only solution is to accept rescue from our savior, Jesus.

When taking a long trip, it is necessary to plan ahead to make sure you have everything needed in order to make the trip. The same is true when it comes to travel plans for Heaven.

The primary purpose of assembling is not worship, but edification. Therefore the question we should ask is if we have edified each other with excellence, and if we have brought visitors closer to God.

Being a Christian and being a disciple should be the same. Every Christian is a disciple of Christ, which means he is a follower and imitator of Christ. In order to be followers of Christ, we need to take up our cross, remain in the word, bear fruit, of which the greatest is the fruit of love, and reproduce.

(Psalm 112)Like the woman of honor in Proverbs 31, God also praises Men of honor in the 112th Psalm. He praises the godly man for fearing God, for accepting responsibility, for acting courageously, and as a result, the godly man becomes a blessing to his family and many others. This means that the ideal of manhood is far from being a quaint relic from the past, but is defined, affirmed, and praised by the God who created it.

(John 6:26-29) There are many kinds of "food" in the world that promises life, happiness, meaning, etc., but in reality are perishable dead ends, so we need to make sure we have "food" made the right way that gives true life, which is Jesus. In order to get this bread, we need to believe him and follow his instructions, and he will grant us this imperishable bread that brings true imperishable life.

(1 Pet 3:3-4; 1 Tim 2:5-10)Modesty is important to God not because it is merely about dress, but because it is a reflection of the heart which is expressed in outward behavior that is molded by the Gospel. This makes modesty a matter of godly disposition

(James 5:19-20) The church has a calling to be a rescue operation for those who have strayed away from the truth and those who are lost. Jesus demonstrated that this was a passion of his and now has passed on this mission to his church

Every person has a vocation, which means he is called by God through the Gospel. This calling is not limited to full-time ministry. Features of this calling involve transformation of self, stewardship of resources and ability, redemption and restoration toward our created purpose under the Reign of God. In whatever endeavor we engage in, our vocation/calling will involve these things.

(James 5:13-18) In any situation in life, whether good or bad times, the first response should be prayer, which can in include praises or petition. Even in times when one is beat down emotionally and spiritual by circumstances or sin, one should not pray alone, but involve others in times of prayer and confession so they can pray for him and strengthen him.

(Gen 1-2 & Various)By God's wisdom that created a beautiful, orderly world with a delicate balance and symmetry, God also created women because man was incomplete without a woman and would not be able to fulfill God's plan of being fruitful and multiplying to fill the earth. Along with manhood, womanhood is a reflection of the character of God.

(James 5:13-18)In any situation in life, whether good or bad times, the first response should be prayer, which can in include praises or petition. Even in times when one is beat down emotionally and spiritual by circumstances or sin, one should not pray alone, but involve others in times of prayer and confession so they can pray for him and strengthen him.

(James 5:12) We are instructed not to make oaths. Scripture demonstrates that oaths are not inherently sinful, but that the problem stems from basic human dishonesty, which may be especially inherent in unsanctified people. Making flippant or dishonest oaths and breaking them profanes the name of the Lord and leads to condemnation

(James 5:7-11) We need to remember that God is faithful and is therefore definitely coming both to reward the righteous and judge the wicked. This is how we strengthen our hearts so that we can patiently persevere in our struggles and not find ourselves grumbling at each other.

(James 5:1-8) God allows us to "overhear" his judgment on rich oppressors so that we can be strengthened and persevere through difficulties, knowing that God will make it right. Also, it gives us perspective on the nature of ill gotten wealth so that we will not envy or pursue it, but instead be patient in our poverty, or be generous in our material wealth.

(Rev 22:3-5) Since life’s pursuits without God are just a vapor, we need to discover our purpose through God’s word, which teaches us that we were created to glorify God by fulfilling his purposes for us, which is to be caretaker of his creation by exercising dominion according to his instructions and desire. Sin separated us from God, life, and truth, which resulted in idolatry, death, and deception. God redeemed us from sin so that we can fulfill his purpose, which unlike vapor, stands forever.

(James 4:13-17) In making plans and conducting our activities, we need to recognize and consider the foolishness of counting on tomorrow as a guarantee and the frailty of our life on earth. Our first action in making any plan is to consider the word of God above all else before going forward with it. We need to avoid making our own plans and then asking God to bless it, but instead to begin with asking what God's will is.

(James 4:11-12) We are to be doers of the law, which says we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we speak against our brother instead, we put ourselves in the position of judge, which we are not. Only God is the lawgiver, judge, savior, and destroyer. We, on the other hand, are to be faithful servants and nothing more.

(Rom 5:6-11) There is no sweeter message than the message of rescue. God has gone to very great lengths to provide a means of rescue. God wants those who are already rescued to participate in his rescue ministry, which is why he left us the Great Commission. This means that the power of rescue is in the Gospel, but the instrument of rescue is us, the church.

(Eph 5:25-32) True love does not come from Hallmark, Hollywood, or anything else from this world. It comes from the God who expresses his undying love for us in terms of betrothal and marriage that weathers all kinds of storms. Therefore, true love, even romantic love, is a beautiful reflection of the God who created and demonstrates it.

(James 4:4-10) Since pride, jealousy, selfish ambition, and envy are a part of fallen human nature, what we need to overcome it is God’s greater grace which he grants to those who submit to him in humility, sorrow, and repentance while resisting the Devil. In this way, it will be God and not pride that lifts you up which means you will not be brought low due to pride.

(James 3:13 - 4:4) The solutions to various problems are not found in natural wisdom, which often leads to disorder and evil and includes such things as brute power, intelligence, self ambition, technology, education, ability, etc. The solutions are found in the Lord, who is the source of heaven wisdom by which the world has been designed. This wisdom is pure, peaceable, righteous, and leads to good results.

(James 3:1-12) Since speech can be a strong force for destruction and is not easy to tame, we need to keep it under control. If we do not, then our religion is worthless and repugnant to God. Instead, we ought to focus on using our tongue for good.

(Eph 6:12) It is valuable to understand how history, tradition, and culture have shaped our faith and mission today. Medieval, reformation, and enlightenment thought have all left distinct impressions on our faith and mission. We need to name these "principalities" and "powers" with discernment in order to evaluate them more effectively.

(Psalm 51) You cannot worship God acceptably with unresolved sin in your life. In order to be acceptable, you must bare your heart to God with confession and repentance, and then he will cleanse your heart and you will be pure. Then you will be able to know the joy of his presence and learn what it means to worship him

The definition for life and death comes not from the unbelieving biologists, philosophers of the world, but from our Lord, who is the author of life and the victor over death. Death is not natural but an enemy that our Lord defeated. Life comes from him and no one else. More than biology, life is found in the Word of life, which helps us to know God when we accept it and live by it. The result is transformation into the character of God, which is summed up in love, which is connected to life.