Shadyside Church of Christ

When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His leaving the earth, He said that He was giving them His peace.  What was He talking about?  Much of the world is not at peace, and there seems to be trouble and even chaos in many places.  So many people today seem to be worried, agitated and confused.  Is it possible today to have the peace of which Jesus spoke?

Over the years, most of us have enjoyed our sci-fi thrillers about wars in outer space.  But all of us humans are actually engaged in a real warfare with enemies which are not flesh and blood.  We tend to forget this (if we are even aware) and stay focused on our day to day lives.  We need, from time to time, to be reminded of the big picture of what is really happening all around us.

When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her husband to the front lines to die in battle, he needed help in order to deal with his sins and move forward in his life.  Today, we need the same things that David did to deal with our sins and renew our relationship with God.  But we need to have the right heart, a heart like David's.

Scripture teaches us that Jesus was in agony in the garden when He was facing the cross.  Certainly, anticipating the excruciating pains of being crucified would be enough to cause any human being to be deeply troubled.  However, when we consider everything that happened with Jesus on the cross, we can see another reason which would cause Him to be in agony.

We all know how a "promo code" or "coupon code" works.  Enter the proper code, and you get the deal - free shipping, discount, etc.  When it comes to forgiveness of sins and salvation for eternal life, we need a "Promo Code" to get the "deal."  We have nothing to offer except our sinful selves.  Paul tells us that Christ is our "righteousness and sanctification, and redemption."  Only in His Name is there life eternal.

 In recent years, masculinity and being a man in general has been looked down upon and ridiculed by many.  Men have been blamed for all the trouble in the world.  But perhaps it's the world's interpretation of what a man should be that has caused all the trouble?  Jesus was a man.  He demonstrated to the world what a real man should be.  All of us men need to follow His lead.

Perhaps you are a fan of the game of baseball and perhaps not.  But if we take some time to consider the game and how it's played, we'll see why life is very much like the game of baseball.  You're on a team.  It's a long season.  Sometimes you get a hit.  Sometimes you strikeout.  There is more.  A lot more. 

Through the years, mountains have played a significant part in God's dealings with people.  Four of the most important events in Moses' life happened on mountains.  These events also mirror our own lives as they reflect the same events which happen to us.  These are all happenings which bring us close to God - shall we say "mountain top experiences"?

Since there have been people on the earth, they have sought the answers to these questions of life:  Who am I?  Where do I belong?  What is my purpose?  The answers to these questions are found in God's word of life.  And the answers are powerful and thrilling!  We just need to seek them out, take God at His word, and follow Jesus.  Then see where He leads you.

We are all familiar with the childhood chant of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me."  Although this may be true for some, we know that name calling (bullying) has hurt and deeply harmed many young people.  Scripture says that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."  Words have meaning and power.  Christians need to speak up and use their voices for good.

The narratives in scripture are filled with meaning about God, life and ourselves.  We just need to take the time to read them thoroughly.  Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar is one such narrative.  It just overflows with meaning like the living water which Jesus promised would become "a well of water springing up to eternal life" in those who drank of it.

Jesus said that if we loved Him we would keep His commandments.  His commandments can be very challenging, especially considering a person's individual weaknesses and history of interaction with the world.  What is your most difficult commandment to keep?

God blesses all people though His creation and graciousness.  Everyone can enjoy the beauty of our world, tasty food, the love of family and friends, etc.  But beyond such blessings, some people are blessed in a multitude of other ways, even carrying over into the next life.  And having a "next life" is one of those blessings!  Are you one of these people?

Influencers abound these days on social media with podcasts and videos everywhere.  Of course, God will never be upstaged and has been the greatest Influencer of all since the beginning, warning Adam and Eve about the forbidden fruit, and counseling Cain about his anger.  Jesus came as "the Light of the world."  But God has given His people the great honor to be the greatest influencers of the day by being "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world."  Their influencing has eternity in view.

When the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's wisdom and the splendor of his court, she had to come and see for herself if it were true.  Jesus praised her for her honest perception of all she heard and saw saying that she would rise up in judgment against His own generation who did not believe in Him.  We can learn a lot from this queen.

As promised, we want to look at some scriptures in this lesson which especially bring us joy, hope and comfort.  We need such words from God to inspire faith and to strengthen our faith in times of trouble and distress.  We all have some of these "go to" scriptures which are particularly meaningful to us.  Perhaps we'll use one of yours in this message.

God's book contains many of the saddest words and most distressing events which we will ever read about.  They can bring tears to your eyes and make one's heart to hurt.  Yet, we can learn many great and profound lessons from these very sad words.  Let us be careful to do so.  (Next week, Lord willing, some of the most joyous and hopeful scriptures!)

Jesus' instructions in Matthew about making disciples (28:18-20), include several uses of the word "all."  Some of these speak of an inclusiveness and others of an exclusiveness.  We need to correctly understand what Jesus is teaching us and telling us to do.  We need to remind ourselves that all means all.

Covenants have been the primary way in which God has dealt with individuals and peoples from early on.  Some of these early covenants are still in effect, but some are not.  Misunderstanding these differences has led to a lot of confusion in what people believe today and how they try to serve and worship God.  In fact, many Christians don't even know what a covenant is!

When Joseph's brothers return to Egypt to buy grain they bring Benjamin, a stipulation by "the man."  When Joseph's silver cup is planted in Benjamin's sack and "discovered," Judah steps up to plead for the lad since he had become surety for him to his father Jacob.  This is too much for Joseph, and he breaks down in tears as he reveals himself, telling his brothers that God has been behind it all in order to save them during the famine.  Since both shepherds and Hebrews were loathsome to Egyptians, how else could God have them sheltered there except by having a Hebrew over the whole land?

The famine is so severe that Jacob sends his sons to buy grain in Egypt.  Joseph recognizes them, but they don't know him.  He speaks harshly to them and treats them rather roughly.  He accuses them of being spies and finally holds Simeon hostage until they go back to Canaan and return with their younger brother.  All of this sparks guilt in the brothers seeing these events coming upon them for what they had done previously to Joseph.

Joseph languished in prison for two years, but when Pharaoh had dreams, the chief cupbearer remembered him.  Not only was Joseph able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, but he was also able to give him a remedy for the coming seven years of devastating famine.  All this was by the power of God, of course.  Pharaoh was so moved that he elevated Joseph to the second place of power in all of Egypt with all its benefits.  Joseph immediately went to work to prepare for the coming seven years of famine.

Joseph prospers in the prison because God is with him, and he applies himself.  When the incarcerated chief cupbearer and chief baker have dreams, Joseph offers God's interpretations for them.  The chief cupbearer's dream indicates that he will be restored to his position with Pharaoh.  Joseph asks him to remember his plight, but the chief cupbearer fails to do so.  Joseph is forgotten in the prison, but not by God.

Joseph prospered as Potiphar's slave in Egypt because God was with him.  But he got thrown into jail because of false accusations made against him by Potiphar's wife because he refused her advances.  But even in the prison God caused him to prosper.  Joseph is a great example for all of us when we are in that "life isn't fair" mindset.

Life's Not Fair, Maybe - "Life's not fair" is a theme we hear often.  Joseph's life was very much like that, and we can learn a lot from it.  Young people especially need to learn to expect the twists and turns of life.  Sometimes it's good, and sometimes you don't get what you deserve.  However, when God is with you, He will see you through it all.

Jesus referred to Himself as "the bread of life" and "the living bread."  But He also spoke about "living water."  What was He talking about?  Was this another reference to Him or was this something else?  Who was this "living water" for?  What might it do for a person?  And how does one get it?  Is this something that's been somewhat overlooked? 

In a few years' time, the early disciples were accused of upsetting the world and proclaiming "another king, Jesus."  How had they "turned the world upside down" in such a short period of time?  What had they done?  What was the driving force in their lives?  And was Jesus really a King?  Is He still a King?

Filling in for Jeff this week is fellow Shadyside Church of Christ member, Bob Moore with his sermon titled...Pictures. Enjoy!

Jesus taught that His people were the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world."  We understand those metaphors for what they are, but how do they translate into practical living?  Jesus mentions our "good works," but what are these?  Are we to fill an arena with 30,000 and preach the gospel to them?  Are we to head up a relief ministry which feeds thousands a day?  Just what does Jesus mean?

It is quite easy to turn the Christian faith into a rule-keeping exercise.  "Do this, and don't do that."  Certainly there are things to do and not do, but at the center of it all stands a person - Jesus Christ.  He is the reason for and the focus of the Christian faith.  He is alive at the right hand of God and intercedes for us even now.  And the end of the journey is to be where He is.  Do you love Jesus?

After Nineveh repented, and Jonah saw that God relented of bringing disaster on the city, Jonah got angry.  He went to the east of the city, made himself a little shack and waited to see if the Lord would really not destroy the city.  But using a plant, a worm and a scorching east wind, God tried to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion.  We hope Jonah learned the lesson.  What about us? 

After Nineveh repented, and Jonah saw that God relented of bringing disaster on the city, Jonah got angry.  He went to the east of the city, made himself a little shack and waited to see if the Lord would really not destroy the city.  But using a plant, a worm and a scorching east wind, God tried to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion.  We hope Jonah learned the lesson.  What about us? 

After being thrown overboard from the floundering ship, the great fish swallowed Jonah.  Jonah had tried to flee from the presence of the Lord, so the Lord found him a good place for that - dark, lonely, uncomfortable, scary.  So, what do you do in such a place?  Jonah reflects, remembers and prays.  What does He learn? 

The Lord gave His prophet Jonah an assignment which he didn't want to do, so he tried to run from the presence of God.  He ended up in a very dark and lonely place.  Not a way to spend your life.  Has something like this ever happened to you? Scriptures:  Jonah 1:1-3;  2 Kings 14:25;  Jonah 1:4-6;  Jonah 1:7-9;  Jonah 1:10-12;  Jonah 1:13-14;  Jonah 1:15-16;  Jonah 1:17

Defining God is an impossible task.  Scripture reveals many of His attributes and His nature.  Here we want to discus three aspects of His character.  God cannot act contrary to these, and they have always been behind everything which God has done or said.  God is holy.  God is love.  God is good.  We should be thankful that He is. Scriptures:  Isaiah 55:6-9;  Leviticus 19:1-4;  Hebrews 12:7-11;  1 Peter 1:15;  Jeremiah 31:1-5;  1 John 4:7-10;  Psalm 145:1-9;  Mark 10:17-18 

For today's church to grow strong in the face of adversity and do the work of God, it must remain attached to its roots and the Source of its power.  One important way to provide encouragement in this endeavor is to take our cues from the early apostles who were witnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Sermon Description: Some Christians still wonder about their forgiveness.  Their conscience still bothers them at times.  Can a person know they are forgiven of their sins?  How does that happen?  The Holy Spirit goes to great lengths in scripture to assure us that "in Christ" a person is forgiven of all trespasses.  So, how does that happen?

When the chief priests and elders had brought Jesus to Pilate, there was a lot of back and forth about who He was, what was happening, and the need to release one prisoner.  After all of this Pilate asked the question: "What shall I do with Jesus?"  It is a question which every person must ask and answer.  You cannot avoid it.  What about you?

Scripture teaches Christians to be ready for every good work to meet urgent needs.  However, sometimes we are so involved in something (even some good work) that we miss an opportunity which God puts right "under our noses."  In this event in Jesus' life, He teaches us about being ready and having the correct priorities. 

Many believers today are skipping the Sunday assembly of the saints in favor of virtual meetings or just being "spiritual."  But the early church met on the first day of the week, and there were several reasons they did so.  If these first disciples saw the need to meet on the first day of the week, how can we afford to ignore their example and teaching? 

Babylon was a very rich and imposing world power.  When Daniel and the other captives were led there in chains, they faced many pressures to abandon their heritage and faith, and to conform to Babylonian culture.  But Daniel and his three companions remained faithful, and God blessed them greatly.  Today, Christians are living in their own "Babylon."  Will you and I remain faithful? 

We humans are good at procrastinating.  Whether it's something in our every day affairs or our spiritual lives, we delay in doing things which we know we need to do.  Putting things off just keeps us mired in a place which we know we don't want to be.  So, is today the day for you to make those life-altering changes?  Is today the day for you to come back to Jesus?  To be baptized?  Is today the day Jesus appears in the sky? 

Too often, we Christians tend to focus on the blessings of the next life and overlook the blessings promised in our daily walk with God.  These blessings are given by our Lord to help us face the rigors of life with peace and joy, so as not to get distracted by the troubles in the world and fall into despair and even lose faith.  God is with us and for us!

God is a God of life.  He made the earth to be inhabited by all sorts of living things from vegetation to fish to birds to creatures of all kinds.  The pinnacle of His creation was humankind for which He planned a truly great blessing - life eternal!  God is all about life, both of the body and of the soul.

Despite demonstrating authority over everything on earth and even death and demons, Jesus was rejected by His own and crucified.  He had forewarned of this often and even told a parable about His being rejected as King.  Jesus still invites people to serve Him in His kingdom, but scripture indicates that far too many will still reject Jesus as their King.  In doing so, they forfeit all hope for a future life in the next age.

When Jesus came proclaiming a kingdom of God, He was speaking of more than a new religious body.  Through the many miracles and wonders which God performed through Him, He demonstrated that the rule of God had come, and in some ways had returned to the world.  Jesus showed power over every facet of creation and affirmed that the "ruler of this world" was to be cast out.

 Because of all the trouble and chaos in the world today, some people are beginning to wonder if God is really there, or if He is, whether He can handle all that's going on! Let's meet someone who heard of God's mighty works and believed in Him because of what she heard. Those mighty works are still on record as well as many others. They continue to affirm the power and majesty of the Lord God who is still ruling over all.

It is a good thing for us all to be reminded that everyone who is saved is saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  His grace is amazing, but it's also outrageous.  That God would offer forgiveness and a place in His eternal kingdom to the vilest of sinners is an incredible thing.  But such is the outrage of grace.

The church is called by its Lord to do good works. But the church should beware of getting so involved in doing good works of all kinds that it forgets the primary purpose and mission which Jesus has given to it. And that would be to proclaim the gospel to a lost world. Many groups and agencies do good works, but only the church has the gospel to share.

By and large, people do not understand love as God does. The world sees love as a warm feeling which, in turn, doesn't want to hurt the feelings of others. God says: I love you just the way you are, but I love you too much to let you stay that way. God has our best interests at heart - our eternal interests. Problem is - too many people choose to ignore their eternal interests.

Long ago, Job wondered that if a person died would they live again.  Resurrection of the dead is difficult to believe in.  It just goes against the reality which we know.  Even some of those present on the very day of Jesus' resurrection would not believe it happened.  Yet, others rejoiced that Jesus was alive again.  Eye witnesses reported a risen Jesus.  If their witness is true, this changes everything!  What about you?