Sunday, July 27, 2025
Saturday, July 26, 2025
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE - The Certainty of Life 7-27-25
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE - The Certainty of Life 7-27-25
INTRODUCTION
New series about the Bible
In the following story we get an entirely different view of the world of words. "A New York columnist set out one time not long ago to prove that no one really listened to what anyone said at a cocktail party and, when he was invited to such a party, he always would arrive late. When he arrived the hostess greeted him and he explained why he was late. ’I had to stop for a moment and murder my mistress, and it took longer than I thought.’ Without blinking an eye, the hostess said she understood perfectly, ’I was almost late myself, everyone is quite busy. Enjoy yourself. Have a good time.’ As he mingled around the party, someone asked him what I he did for a living. ’Oh, I am the executioner for the State Penitentiary.’ The person continued, ’Well, that must be an interesting line of work. How does business look this year?’"
Tim Zingale, "The World of Words" 1/26/2009.
What does the Bible say about the Bible?
Restoration Movement - Scottish Common Sense Philosophy
The doctrine of the clarity of Scripture (often called the "perspicuity of Scripture") teaches that "the meanings of the text can be clear to the ordinary reader, that God uses the text of the Bible to communicate His person and will...ordinary people, who approach it in faith and humility, will be able to understand what the Bible is getting at, even if they meet with particular points of difficulty here and there."
Theopedia
The Power of Words
A careless word may kindle strife,
A cruel word may wreck a life,
A bitter word may hate instill,
A brutal word may smite and kill,
A gracious word may smooth the way,
A joyous word may light the day,
A timely word may lessen stress,
A loving word may heal and bless.
T. J. Bach, Pearls from Many Seas.
On October 7, 1857, C. H. Spurgeon preached to his largest audience ever, some 23, 654 assembled in the mammoth Crystal Palace for a national day of fasting and prayer. A few days before the event Spurgeon had gone to the huge hall to test the acoustics. Stepping into the pulpit, he lifted up his voice like a silver trumpet and proclaimed:
"Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Then Spurgeon repeated the one verse again: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Satisfied with the acoustics, he left and went his way.
Unknown to him, there were two men working in the rafters of that large auditorium, neither one Christians. One of the men was pricked in his conscience by the verse Spurgeon quoted and became a believer later that day! Such is the penetrating power of God's eternal word! Little wonder that Paul is so insistent on our "preaching the Word."
Dr. Larry Petton, Sermon Central, January 25, 2021.
The source of life is the Word.
LET US PRAYER!
I. THE WORD WILL STAND FOREVER
The late Pastor Valbracht says in his book, Exit Interstate 0, the following about words.
"It was in the early years of my ministry that one Sunday preaching my sermon, and I had just gotten well into the sermon, when a baby started to cry down in one of the front pews. The mother, very much embarrassed, snatched up the baby and started out the aisle aisle. I stopped right in my sermon, and I said, ’Madam you don’t have to take that baby out. He isn’t bothering me.’ She said, ’No?’ Well, you’re certainly bothering him.’
Louis H. Valbracht, Exit: Interstate 0, C.S.S. Publishing, 1976.
Isaiah 40:6-8 NIV
“A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.””
Isaiah 40:6-8 NIV
A. Eternal
B. Enduring
1 Peter 1:22-25 NIV
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”
1 Peter 1:22-25 NIV
II. THE WORD WILL NOT PASS AWAY
Matthew 24:35 NIV
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Matthew 24:35 NIV
A. God’s Word and Jesus’ words
B. Outlasting this world
C. Still relevant to life
We don’t need to change or add to the Word.
Years ago, my Dad's physician told him to take one aspirin a day for his heart. My Dad was a very smart man, but he figured if one aspirin is good, two would be better. So my dad "added" to the word of his physician, and day after day my dad took two aspirin.
Everything went well until one day his nose began to bleed... and it bled, and bled, and bled. He panicked and rushed to the ER.
You know what the problem was? TWO aspirin.
Dad had added to the word of his physician...and it hurt him.
Jeff Strite, Sermon Central, January 22, 2012.
Malachi 3:6a NIV
“I the Lord do not change.”
Malachi 3:6a NIV
As Jack Hayford describes,
Consider the one thing this world which you and I can touch that has "eternity" written into its fabric. It’s the Word of God. Every time I take a Bible in hand, I hold eternity, because the life-force inherent in that Word exceeds all time and space: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word shall not pass away."
III. THE WORD WILL REMAIN FOREVER
Norma Lauby, of La Mesa, California, was browsing in the ladies’ department one day with her son who was just learning to read. Trying to read all the signs he could, he came upon one in the maternity department. “Look, Mom!” he said excitedly as he pointed at the sign. “They’re even making clothes for eternity now!”
Norma Lauby, La Mesa, CA, “Heart to Heart,” Today’s Christian Woman.
Psalm 119:89-96 NIV
“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts. The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes. To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.”
Psalm 119:89-96 NIV
A. The Word “stands firm in the heavens.”
B. “Your laws endure to this day.”
1. “All things serve you.”
2. “I would have perished in affliction if your law had not been my delight.”
3. “(Your precepts) have preserved my life.”
4. “For I am yours; I have sought out your precepts.”
5. “I will ponder your statutes” even though “the wicked are waiting to destroy me.”
C. “Your commands are boundless.”
“All that is not eternal is eternally useless.”
C.S. Lewis
CONCLUSION
The Word will stand forever. The Word will not pass away. The Word will remain forever.
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Saturday, July 19, 2025
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE - The Source of Life 7-20-25
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE - The Source of Life 7-20-25
INTRODUCTION
I am preaching a new series. It’s actually the one I thought I would be preaching following the series on the Book of James.
Restoration Movement
The famous American author, Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain, attended a Sunday service. He met the preacher at the door afterward to shake his hand. And he told him that he had a book at home with every word he had preached that morning. The minister assured him that his sermon that morning was an original. But Twain was adamant. The preacher asked to see the book. So, Twain sent it over the next day. When the preacher opened the package he found a dictionary. And inside the cover Twain had written, "Words, just words."
What does the Bible say about the Bible?
I. THE WORD WAS IN THE BEGINNING
Words are the voice of the heart.
Confucius
A. God’s Word
John 1:1 NIV
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1 NIV
According to the Atlanta Journal "The Ten Commandments contain 297 words. The Bill of Rights is stated in 463 words. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address contains 266 words. A recent federal directive to regulate the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words."
In the Greek, John 1:1 contains 17 words.
Those 17 words, according to one commentary, are the “most compact and pulsating theological statement in all of Scripture.”
Another writer says of the first verse, “…the force of what he says is so staggering that the words almost seem to bend under the weight that they are made to bear.”
Paul Decker, Sermon Central, "What did He Say?", October 17, 2003.
1. Logos
2. God’s Word and God
3. No mystery religion
B. Word of life
1 John 1:1-3 NIV
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:1-3 NIV
1. From the beginning
2. Visible in Jesus
3. Eternal life
C. Word of light
John 1:4 NIV
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
John 1:4 NIV
1. Life gave light to mankind.
2. The light shown to all mankind.
II. THE WORD IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE
A. The Word created all things.
Colossians 1:16-17 NIV
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17 NIV
1. The Word created all things through him.
2. The Word created all things for him.
3. The Word holds all things together.
B. The Word gave the possibility of eternal life.
The power of words
A woman died and went to heaven but when she arrived at the "Pearly Gates," she found Peter. "Before you can come in, you have to spell a word," he said.
"What word?" she asked.
"Any word?"
"L-O-V-E. Love," she said.
"Come on in. But I was wondering if you'd do me a quick favor. Stand here for a few moments. I'll be right back. If anyone comes, just follow the same procedure."
Peter left and behold here comes her ex-husband. "What are you doing here?,” she said.
"I just had a heart attack. Did I really make it?" he asked.
"Not yet. You have to spell a word," she said.
"What word?"
After a few moments she said, "Czechoslovakia."
Mark Eberly, Sermon Central, October 27, 2008.
John 20:31 NIV
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John 20:31 NIV
1. The Word was given so that you may believe in Jesus.
a. He is the Messiah.
b. He is the son of God.
2. The Word was given so that you may believe in Jesus and have life in his name.
III. THE WORD IS THE SUSTAINER OF LIFE
Did you know that the average person spends one-fifth of his or her life talking? That’s what the statistics say. If all of our words were put into print, the result would be this: A single day’s words would fill a 50-page book, while in a year’s time the average person’s words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each!
Gordon Curley, Sermon Central, November 29, 2010.
A. The Word of God sustains all things.
Hebrews 1:3
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Hebrews 1:3 NIV
B. The Word of God sustains us.
Matthew 4:4 - not by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””
Matthew 4:4 NIV
CONCLUSION
PREACH THE WORD
I am greatly diappointed in the preachers of today,
With their logic and their ethics, their aristocratic way;
With their science and their theories and their new theology,
Full of everything but Jesus and His love for you and me.
There is plenty in the Bible for preachers of today
If they will but search it pages and for help Divine would pray;
For God’s word is everlasting, it never will grow old,
‘Tis indeed a priceless treasure far more precious than pure gold.
If the Preachers in our Church would preach Jesus crucified,
How through love for us he suffered and through love for us he died,
Then our lives would not be empty as so many are today,
But be filled to overflowing in the good Old Fashioned way
What we need is just plain gospel, just good old fashioned Preaching,
Not Emerson and Shakespeare, or this modern, liberal teaching.
What care we for all their saying, or teaching true and tried?
I want the the dear old story of my Saviour cricified
What we need is consecration in a good true man of God,
With a Bible education, and a love for God’s dear Word;
Who can lead us and direct us to the truth, the Life the Way,
Who brings peace to the soul and body through the burdens of each day/
This alone can save the sinner, this alone can set men free,
Just the precious dear old story of God’s love for you and me;
That is what the people’s needing, that is what they need to see,
The preaching of Bible stories that they heard at mother’s knee.
The Christian Herald
The Word was in the beginning. The Word is the source of life. The Word is the sustainer of life.
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Saturday, July 12, 2025
JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - The Prayer of Faith (James 5:13-20 NIV) 7-13-25
JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - The Prayer of Faith (James 5:13-20 NIV) 7-13-25
INTRODUCTION
The joy of perseverance to maturity
True religion
Equality in the church
Faith and works
Taming the tongue
Sowing seeds of peace
Trusting God
Danger of pride
Warning to the rich
Patient perseverance
James 5:13-20 NIV
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
James 5:13-20 NIV
Prayer - email, congregational, prior to worship, prayer groups, prayer list
"I am so busy now that if I did not spend three hours each day in prayer, I could not get through the day."
Martin Luther
I have had prayers answered--most strangely so sometimes--but I think our heavenly Father’s loving-kindness has been even more evident in what He has refused me.”
Lewis Carroll
I. PRAY
A wife invited some people to dinner.
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
"Would you like to say the blessing?"
"I wouldn’t know what to say," the girl replied.
"Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said,
"Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"
Johnny Creasong, Mary, Didn’t You Know?, Sermon Central, April 8, 2008.
James 5:13-16a NIV
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
James 5:13-16a NIV
A. Trouble
B. Happy
C. Sick
1. Call the elders
a. Pray over them
b. Anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord
2. Prayer offered in faith
a. Will make the sick person well
b. Will forgive their sin
D. Confession and sickness
1. Confess
2. Pray
3. Then healing
II. PRAYER
James 5:16b-18 NIV
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
James 5:16b-18 NIV
A. Powerful
B. Effective
The researchers at Columbia University conducted a study with 199 women at an in vitro fertilization clinic in Korea. Unknown to the patients and their doctors, groups of strangers from the US, Canada, and Australia were asked to pray for their success in getting pregnant.
Pictures of patients in the test group were sent to the people praying, and when the women began hormone treatment, prayer continued for the next three weeks. No one knew which group was which until the three weeks were up.
The patients in the study were all undergoing in vitro fertilization, an assisted reproduction technique in which a man’s sperm, and a woman’s eggs are combined in a laboratory dish where fertilization occurs. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the uterus to develop naturally. According to the latest statistics from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the success rate of in vitro fertilization averages 22.8 percent live births per egg retrieval.
To the surprise of the researchers, the women who were prayed for ended up with a significantly higher pregnancy rate than those who were not prayed for. "About 50 percent got pregnant in the prayer group and about 26 percent in the non-prayer group," the lead author of the report, Dr. Roger A. Lobo, Columbia’s chairman of obstetrics and gynecology said on Good Morning America. The study appears in the current Journal of Reproductive Medicine.
David Yarborough, Sermon Central, October 15, 2001. [The study “Does Prayer Influence the Success of In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer?” was published in the September 2001 issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine (J. Reprod Med. 2001;46:781-7)].
C. Elijah
1. He was a human being, even as we are.
2. He prayed earnestly.
a. It did not rain for 3.5 years.
b. It rained and earth produced its crops.
The Characteristic of the prayer of Elijah was his FERVENCY. He prayed fervently.
He used that particular Hebrew idiom - "praying he prayed." In other words when he prayed he got down to business. Remember that the prayer of a righteous man is of great force when energized - not merely when energized by the Holy Spirit, as every effectual prayer must be; its force comes from the energy that the man or woman themselves throws into it.
So goes that saying, No Prayer - No Power; Little Prayer - Little Power; Much Prayer - Much Power!
Charles Jones, Sermon Central, March 28, 2012.
III. PRAY FOR AN OPPORTUNITY
James 5:19-20 NIV
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
James 5:19-20 NIV
A. Should you wander from the truth?
B. The wanderer can be brought back.
C. Sinners can be turned.
1. Saved from death
2. Covers a multitude of sins
CONCLUSION
George Muller was born in Prussia on September 27, 1805. His father was a collector of taxes and George seemed to inherit his father’s ability with figures.
When Muller was converted to Christ he was impressed by the many recurring statements of Jesus for us "to ask." At this point in Muller’s life he and his wife launched into a daring experiment. First, they gave away all of their household goods. The next step was even more daring, he refused all regular salary from the small mission he had been serving. He then set out to establish an orphan home to care for the homeless children of England.
The first home was dedicated in a rented building on April 21, 1836. Within a matter of days, 43 orphans were being cared for. Muller and his co-workers decided their experiment would be set up with the following guidelines:
1- No funds would ever be solicited.
2- No debts were ever to be incurred.
3- No money contributed for a specific purpose would ever be used for any other purpose.
4- All accounts would be audited annually.
5- No ego-pandering by the publication of donor’s names.
6- No "names" of prominent people would be sought for the board or to advertise the institution.
7- The success of the orphanage would be measured not by the numbers served or by the amount of money taken in, but by God’s blessing on the work, which Muller expected to be in direct proportion to the time spent in prayer.
When the first building was constructed, Muller and his friends remained true to their convictions. The public was amazed when a second building was opened six months after the first. They kept concentrating on prayer and eventually there were five new buildings, 110 workers, and 2,050 orphans being cared for.
George Muller not only counted on God to provide, but he believed that God would provide abundantly. For over 60 years Muller recorded every specific prayer request and the results. Muller was responsible for the care of 9,500 orphans during his life. These children never went without a meal. Muller never asked for help from anyone but God. $7,500,000 came to him over the course of his life and he vows it was all in answer to believing prayer.
Boyce Mouton, Carl Junction Christian Church Newsletter, January 30, 1980.
Pray! Prayer is effective. Pray for an opportunity to turn a sinner from the error of their ways. Pray!
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Saturday, July 5, 2025
JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - Patient Perseverance (James 5:7-12 NIV) 7-6-25
JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - Patient Perseverance (James 5:7-12 NIV) 7-6-25
INTRODUCTION
The joy of perseverance to maturity
True religion
Equality in the church
Faith and works
Taming the tongue
Sowing seeds of peace
Trusting God
Danger of pride
Warning to the rich
Full circle
James 1:2-4 NIV
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4 NIV
James 5:7-12 NIV
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.”
James 5:7-12 NIV
I. Be Patient until the Lord's Coming
This week I read about a first-grade teacher who was having a difficult day. It had rained that entire day and the children couldn’t go out for recess, so they got more and more restless and hyperactive as the day wore on. The teacher couldn’t wait for the bell to ring at 3 o’clock. About 2:45 she saw it was still raining, and so she decided to start getting the kids ready for dismissal. She sorted out their boots and raincoats and started helping get them on. Finally, they were ready to go, all except for one little boy whose boots were just too small for his feet. There were no zippers or straps, and it took every last ounce of strength she had to get them on.
When at last she did get them on, she straightened up with a sigh of relief. That’s when the little boy looked down at his feet and said, "Teacher, you know what? These boots aren’t mine!"
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but being the good teacher she was, she smiled bravely and started taking them off. And they were harder to get off than they were to put on. She yanked and tugged until finally the boots were off. That’s when the little boy smiled at her and said, "They’re not my boots, but they’re my sister’s, and I got to wear them!"
Ajai Prakash, Sermon Central, October 15, 2008.
James 5:7-9 NIV
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”
James 5:7-9 NIV
Dick Innes shared his thoughts about patience on his website, actsweb.org.
Patience
1. Is the ability to sit back and wait for an expected outcome without experiencing anxiety, tension, or frustration.
2. Is the ability let go of your need for immediate gratification and be willing to wait.
3. Patience is the trait that displays tolerance, compassion, understanding, and acceptance toward those who are slower than you in developing maturity, emotional freedom, and coping abilities.
4. Patience is the ability to remain calm in the midst of turmoil because you know God is in control.
A. The farmer
1. Waits for the land to yield its valuable crops
2. Waiting for the spring and autumn rains
B. Be patient and stand firm
1. The Lord's coming is near
2. Don't grumble
a. You will be judged.
b. The Judge is standing at the door
II. Be Patient in the Face of Suffering
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on their door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger in the pouring rain is asking for a push. “Not a chance” says the husband- “It’s three o’clock in the morning!” He slams the door and returns to bed. “Who was it?” asks his wife. “Just a drunken stranger asking for a push” he answers. “Did you help him?” She asks. “No, I didn’t-it’s three in the morning and raining out.” ‘Well, you’ve got a short memory” says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down on vacation and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him.” The man does as he is told and gets dressed and goes out into the pouring rain and calls out into the dark. “Hello-are you still there?” “Yes,” comes the answer. “Do you still want a push?” calls out the husband. “Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark. “Where are you?” asks the husband. “Over here on the swing” the drunk replies.
Joe Bedy, Sermon Central, nd.
James 5:10-11 NIV
“Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
James 5:10-11 NIV
A. The prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord
1. They are blessed because they persevered
B. Job's perseverance
1. The final outcome
2. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
III. Be Patient with Your Words
"Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became one of the greatest physicists who ever lived.
"Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school." Newton, like Einstein was one of the smartest people of his day as a scientist.
"A newspaper fired Walt Disney because he had "no good ideas" Listen to the rest of the story about Mr. Disney. "It is reported that Walt Disney was not only a remarkable man but also a remarkably happy man. Somewhere recently there was a story about his early years. When he started out in Kansas City, he couldn’t sell his cartoons. Some hinted that he had no talent. Disney had a dream, so he set out to conquer his foes. He found a minister who paid him a small amount to draw advertising pictures for his church. Disney had no place to stay, so that the church let him sleep in the mouse-infested garage. One of those mice which Disney nicknamed Mickey, became famous---as the world knows. How satisfying life must have been for Disney when he remembered the hard struggle from lean years spent in a church garage."
"Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college." It was later on that he wrote the literature classic that we know as "War And Peace".
"Werner von Braun failed ninth grade algebra." Later in life he became a rocket engineer.
Be patient with those whom God has planted in your life.....they may bloom into a shining star one day.
Dr. Larry Petton, Sermon Central, March 22, 2024.
James 5:12 NIV
“Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.”
James 5:12 NIV
A. Do not swear
1. An attempt to speed up the result
Matthew 5:33-37 NIV
““Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:33-37 NIV
B. Just say "yes" or "no"
C. Otherwise you will be condemned
CONCLUSION
Be patient! Be patient until the Lord returns. Be patient in the face of suffering. Be patient with your words. Be patient!
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.