To Fathers - Avoid the Path of Grief and Heartache

Last November, Pastor preached a message from the life of David entitled "The Painful Path of Grief and Heartache."  This message contained some powerful reminders for men.  So, with Father's Day approaching, I thought it would be good to take another look at it. 

In his message, Pastor reminded us that sin always brings consequences.  As fathers, it is so important for us to remember this every day.  All of our sin has consequences.  Our sin affects the everyone around us. 

Pastor said,

"The pain of the reaping always eclipses the pleasure of the sowing!"

In his message, Pastor identified 8 consequences that were a direct result of David's sin.

• A Son Dies
• A Brother Violates a Sister
• A Brother Hates a Brother
• A Brother Murders a Brother
• A Son Rebels and Runs Away
• A Son Leads a Conspiracy
• A Son Shames a Father
• A Friend Murders a Son

Unbelievable.  Dads, remember, sin will destroy your marriage and your family.  

 Pastor closed his message with three reminders.

1. David's haunting cries calls to a wife or husband allured by the fantasy of a secret affair.  His cries call to the parent drawn to the busyness and rush of life that leaves little or no room for children.  His cries call to anyone who is tempted to exchange their future peace for the fleeting pleasures of sin.  Let me ask:
     
• Are the selfish choices we so easily and casually cast to the wind, worth the whirlwind that waits to strike us and the ones we love?
   
2. If you are starting to veer into the path of carnality, thinking that you can do what you want and God's grace will cover your tracks - STOP and THINK again.  Yes, God's grace cancels the debt of sin, but it does not cancel the consequences of sin.  Yes, God's forgiveness is sure, but so is sin's painful fallout.  Before you make a terrible decision ask yourself:
     
• How many innocent people will suffer in the wake of my sin?
    
3. The best time to brace yourself and your house against a storm is before the rain starts falling and the strong winds begin to howl.  Likewise the best time to protect yourself against the stormy consequences of sin is before temptation strikes.

On this Father's Day, choose to avoid the painful path of grief and heartache!  

• Listen to Pastor's Sermon on our website or your can order it on CD or DVD.

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Eight Analogies of Grace from 2 Samuel 9 (by Pastor Osborne)

 Recently, Pastor Osborne preached a message entitled Eight Analogies of Grace.  In that message, from 2 Samuel 9, Pastor looked at the kindness David showed to the last member of Saul's family - Jonathan's son Mephibosheth.  Pastor highlighted Eight Analogies of Grace that we can see from that story.
   

• There was a time when Mephibosheth enjoyed fellowship with his father.
• So did humanity in the Garden of Eden.
    
• When disaster struck, fear came, and Mephibosheth suffered a fall that crippled him the rest of his life.
• When sin came, humanity suffered a fall, which has left us all spiritually corrupt and crippled.
    
• Out of unconditional love for his friend, David sought anyone to whom he might extend grace.
• God, because of His unconditional love for His Son and His acceptance of His Son's death on the cross, continues to extend His grace to humanity.
    
• The crippled man was destitute and undeserving.  All he could do was accept the kind's favor.
• As sinners we are undeserving and without hope.  In no way are we worthy of our king's favor.  All we can do is humbly and gratefully accept it.
    
• The king (David) took the crippled and broken man (Mephibosheth) from the barren wasteland and seated him at the royal banquet table in the palace.
• God, our Father, has rescued believers from a moral wasteland and seated us in a place of spiritual nourishment and intimacy.
    
• David adopted the crippled man into his royal family, providing every blessing within the palace.
• Believers have been adopted into God's family in which He has provided to us full privileges as adult sons.
     
• Mephibosheth's crippled feet were a constant reminder of David's grace.
• Our moral feebleness and weaknesses keep us from forgetting that where sin abounds, grace abounds so much more.
    
• When Mephibosheth sat at the king's table, he was treated with the same respect as David's sons.
• Some day all true believers will sit at the wedding feast of the Lamb.  We will sit with the prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors and missionaries from Peter, to Luther, to Calvin, to Moody, to Corrie ten Boom, to Billy Graham.  God's tablecloth of GRACE will cover us all!

   
Related Posts:

• Sermon Archives:  Esther - The Providence of God
• Sermon Series on Spiritual Defection
  

The Sad Results of Playing the Fool (by Pastor Osborne)

Pastor Osborne recently preached a message entitled The Sad Results of Playing the Fool.  In that message we looked at the life of Saul.  Listen to that message on our website.

In a vulnerable moment Saul uttered what became his epitaph:

"I have played the fool."  (1 Samuel 26:21)

When we look at the life of Saul, it is interesting to compare the death of Saul with the death of Jesus.

• The death of Saul appeared to signal an end of hope in Israel.
• The death of Jesus appeared to signal an end of spiritual hope to the disciples.
   
• The death of Saul had Israel afraid and on the run from her enemies the Philistines.
• The death of Jesus had the disciples scared to death and on the run for their lives.
   
• The death of Saul brought to Israel the belief that their enemies had won.
• The death of Jesus made it seem like the devil had won.
   
• The death of Saul paved the way for a new and greater king to rise and bring relief to the nation.
• The death of Jesus led to the resurrection of Christ, the defeat of the devil, the opening of grace, and the glorious beauty of our salvation in Christ.
   

What can we learn from studying the life & death of Saul?

1. We were created to love, obey, worship and enjoy God forever.  We are here so that our lives and personalities may fulfill His will and accomplish His purpose.  When we obstinately live our lives independently of God, we lose the true meaning and purpose of life.  In greater or lesser degree, we like Saul, play the fool.
     
2. There is no more sure sign that a man or woman is on the road to ruin than when their hearts or minds are hardened to divine warnings.  When men and women are determined to have their own way, when they will not listen to Biblical counsel, when they think they can manage their own lives better than God can manage them, then there is only one way to deal with them - let them go - to walk the path of life they form with their own hands.  If they do not stop, confess sin, and turn toward God, then they like Saul, will reap the bitter harvest of failure.  This is tragic!
     
3. If Saul's life teaches us anything, it is that opportunity and talent do not guarantee that you will be a success.  I would encourage you to ask yourself, "What advantages, gifts, and talents has God given me?"  and "What do I need to do to keep my life on God's course?"  Staying on God's course is success.

"The Disciple's Prayer" - A Sermon Series by Pastor Osborne

(image by Sue Whicker)

"If you think prayer is for your benefit you have missed the point.  The reason we pray and the reason God answers is to put Himself and His glory on display.  His glory is the issue."  (Pastor Osborne - from the 1st sermon, Jesus Teaches His Disciples to Pray)

On Sunday morning January 23, 2011, Pastor Osborne began a 12 sermon series on The Disciple's Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13.  For convenience, we have gathered links to all of the sermons and also to the PowerPoint notes that went with each sermon.  We hope this will be a blessing to you.

We plan to prepare a DVD package of all of these sermons.  The editing process is long, but it has begun and we hope to have this available sometime this fall. 

1. Jesus Teaches His Disciples to Pray (audio and PPT notes)
2. "Our Father"  (audio and PPT notes)
3. "Hallowed be Thy Name"  (audio and PPT notes)
4. "Thy Kingdom Come"  (audio and PPT notes)
5. "Thy Will Be Done"  (audio and PPT notes)
6. "On Earth As It Is In Heaven"  (audio and PPT notes)
7. "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" - part 1  (audio and PPT notes)
8. "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" - part 2  (audio and PPT notes)
9. "Forgive Us Our Debts" - part 1  (audio and PPT notes)
10. "Forgive Us Our Debts" - part 2  (audio and PPT notes)
11. "Lead Us Not Into Temptation"  (audio and PPT notes)
12. "Thine is the Glory"  (audio and PPT notes)

10 Reasons Why We Shouldn't Worry (by Stephen Simpson)

Photo by Paul Cleveland

I recently preached a message from Matthew 6:25-34 entitled 10 Reasons Why We Shouldn't Worry.  The message is available on our website.  Here are the ten reasons that I elaborate on in my message.

1. God has given us things far more valuable than the things we are worrying about.
2. God has provided for those who are far less valuable than we are.
3. Worrying is futile. It is a waste of time.
4. Worrying dishonors God by flaunting a lack of faith.
5. We have a kind and gracious Master.
6. The world worries and we are not to be conformed to the world.
7. God is omniscient.
8. We are children of a heavenly Father.
9. God is sovereign and holds the future in His hands.
10. We have much better things to be thinking about.

Related Posts:

• See Matthew DelValle's excellent post on the parallel passage in Luke 12 - The Anatomy of Anxiety

Are You a Slave? (by Stephen Simpson)

Photo by Paul Cleveland

Several weeks ago, I preached a message from Matthew 6:19-24 entitled Are You a Slave?  In the message we looked at the verse "No one can serve two masters" and observed that it could be better translated "No one can be a slave to two masters."  We considered our role and identity as slaves of Jesus Christ.

Closing Poem
At the close of my message, I read a poem written by my grandmother.  It is entitled 'The Slave Girl' by Anne B. Simpson.  It was written in 1951 shortly after she and my grandfather were saved at a Billy Graham crusade in Boston.

I was a slave in the market places;
Shackled and striped with sin's cruel traces;
Chains about my ankle, bands around my wrist,
Nor knowing, nor caring of One's loving tryst.

"Comely and black," the auctioneer said.
"I'll give a ruby, the deepest of red!"
"I'll give a pearl of exceeding great worth!"
"I'll give a diamond dug deep from the earth!"

When suddenly out of the throng stood one...
His head was as most fine gold in the sun,
His eyes were soft as the eyes of the dove,
And in His torn hands lay the cost of love.

The price was paid, the transaction done
With His own precious blood, and there was none
Could bid any dearer!  With joy I cried,
For He bought me, a slave, to be His own Bride!

Related Book:

• Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (by John MacArthur)
  

Are You an Overspending Under-Sacrificing Christian? (by Jonathan Reiner)

Jonathan & Jenny Reiner, J.D., Jakey, Juleah, Jillian

As I have been thinking about our Mission Conference I remembered a message from our 2006 Mission Conference that was preached by Jonathan Reiner, missionary to Brazil.  He preached a convicting message entitled Investing in Eternity:  The Overspending Under-Sacrificing Christian.  His sermon was taken from Acts 5 - the passage on Ananias and Sapphira.  You can listen to his message on our website.

There were three main points to his message:

1. Their (Ananias and Sapphira) plan to cheat God
2. Their partner in crime against God
3. Their punishment carried our by God

I challenge you to listen to the message and then ask yourself, "Am I an overspending under-sacrificing Christian?"