LBC Sermons & Messages

John 2:12-22

We all have items that are special to us and are not for common use. In effect they are sanctified, set apart from everything else… so to is the Temple with God, for this is where he abides with His people. It is holy and as such the nation of Israel was to treat it with reverence. The book of Leviticus was written to show us how to enter into God’s house and have fellowship with Him.

By the time of Christ, the temple had become more a place of trade than of promoting a proper atmosphere of worship. Jesus upon observing these profane practices and with righteous anger drives out the traders of commerce.

The Jewish nation had in effect, got it all wrong. They lived as if outward compliance of the law would lead to inward renewal, and as a result took something sacred and made it common.

Christ’s actions were clearly Messianic, signifying that he had come to establish the kingdom and part of this was purging his house (the temple) of corruption. He was in effect fulfilling the prophesy of Zech 14:20-21 and Mal 3:1-3, both of which stated the Messiah would do this.

The Jews failed to recognize this act and requested a sign of authority, upon which Jesus gave them a sign of His coming death and resurrection.

Because of the resurrection the physical temple has been replaced with a new temple. Those who accept Jesus as their Savior now become the new temple of God (I Cor 3:16; I Cor 6:19; I Peter 2:5).

Since our bodies are now the temple of God, we need to be concerned that we are not profaning this temple. Christ in visiting the churches in the book of Revelation, stated His observation of their practices and we, as believers need to make sure that our practices are pleasing the Lord.

John 2:1-11

This is the first of a series of signs that John uses to prove that this Jesus is the eternal God in the flesh revealing God unto mankind.

Weddings are “big deals”. They are today and it was then also in the lives of those living in New Testament times. John is going to use the events at the wedding to set the tone for all the other sign that he will use to prove who Christ is. Namely by showing the inadequacy of the old and how Jesus will replace it with some thing better, both in quality and quantity.

Embarrassment looms for these newly weds and Jesus is asked to step in and do something. Now the dialogue between Mary and Jesus reveals two thoughts. First is that Jesus is very aware of God’s timetable for his life and does not want to deviate from God’s will, and we need to strive for this same commitment. Secondly we see an indication of what our attitude should be in our prayer life. Mary makes her request and then steps back confident that Jesus will do something about it, we need to exhibit that same confidence without trying to tell God how to handle the situation.

But this miracle primarily manifested the glory of God (v11), in two ways, by pointing out that the reality of God in the Old Testament is now being exhibited in Jesus. First by changing one element into another, it reveals his power and in effect states that he is the creator God, who in Genesis 1 did the very same thing. Secondly it shows grace, by his kindly act which resulted in joy. The empty jars would represent the inadequacy of Judaism and our dead works, unable to meet our salvation need. Filling the jars with water symbolizes the act of receiving Jesus by faith (John 4:13-14) and Jesus will turn that into wine, which symbolizes joy (Psalm 104:15). Wine also is a picture of the blood of Christ (I Cor 11:25), and it is only thru the blood of Christ that this can be possible in our lives.

The disciple’s faith was strengthened by this and they became more confident in Jesus. Our daily walk with Christ should become progressively stronger. The unbeliever, this Jesus is God who can meet your need. Turn and receive him as your Savior today.

I Kings 18:7-15

Devastation is the norm. For the last 31/2 years drought has brought starvation and death. In our text we also discover that Jezebel was waging a war of terror on the prophets of God and Ahab was constantly searching for Elijah.

God’s timetable for confrontation with the king, his wife Jezebel and the proponents of Baal worship was at hand and Elijah has been told to meet with the king. In our text we see how God’s providential care is working to bring all this to pass and in this context we are introduced to Obadiah – a person of authority and position as the manager of the king’s household. But he was also a follower of God, a secret believer yet a believer of courage as he personally protected a 100 of God’s prophets from the terror of Jezebel.

Was it wrong to remain silent? Not necessarily. Was he fearful? Obviously he was. But in God’s providence he will have Obadiah help Elijah, so that Elijah would not have to enter the palace of King Ahab and also Elijah was going to encourage Obadiah.

Obadiah’s fear seem to be the result of a misconception about trials (v9a), thinking they were the result of some sin and we today often times fall into this same type of thinking. Also he became more concerned about a potential problem (Elijah leaving again) and therefore got his focus off of God. Elijah simply ministered to him in verse 15 by getting his eyes back on God and the task at hand and promised Obadiah that he would not let him down.

Ephesians 4:11-12, relates how we are to be in the work of the ministry, building up the body of Christ. I Thess 5:11, states that we are in the business of encouraging one another. We are to be functioning as salt and light, not constantly pointing condemning fingers at each other.

God sends folks in our lives to help us in the ministry and also to encourage. May we do so.

John 1:35-51

Chapter 1 introduces us to Jesus, as the eternal God, who entered into human history as a man to reveal to us who God is. John the Baptist presents him to the nation of Israel as the Lamb of God, which would imply substitution and the writer John uses sixteen different names and titles to stress who he is. This demands then a response from us and these verses in our text have a strong emphasis on the need of “discipleship”.

The first two, Andrew and John, heed John the Baptist’s identification of Jesus and “followed” after him, who asks them “what are you seeking”. The ultimate question for those seeking peace with God. In other words, make sure I am what you want because if you follow me and be my disciple your life will change. Jesus calls them with “come and see”. In effect saying come and examine me which they do and became convinced that he was the Christ. When we have good news we want to tell others and this is what Andrew did. He went and told his brother Peter.

In verses 43 thru 51, Jesus and his followers head north, when they come upon Philip. Jesus challenges him to “follow” him, again a discipleship word and Philip recognizing Jesus as the prophesied One, does so. Again good news needs to be told, so Philip witness to Nathanial “we have found him”. Nathanial is skeptical “can anything good come from Nazareth”, but Philip tells him to lay aside his prejudices and to honestly examine him. Nathanial soon recognizes the supernatural character of Jesus and he himself becomes a disciple.

The whole point of this passage is that recognition of who Jesus is, demands a response from us, and that response is discipleship. We need to become followers of Jesus. As Jesus changed the name of Simon to Peter, so will he change us to what we can be.

To become a disciple of Jesus, we recognize our need and turn by faith to Him and accept Him as our Savior. Only by coming to Jesus can we comprehend what we are seeking spiritually.

1 Kings 18:1-6

Chapter 17, to the nation of Israel, it was a time of warning and judgment due to their continued disobedience to God. To Elijah, it was a time of preparation and refining. At the brook Cherith, Elijah learned to be alone with God and to trust him for his every provision. When God moved him to Zarephath, it was a time of confirmation as to what his task was.

In chapter 18, God will reveal that the drought was not just a set of unfortunate circumstances, but divine discipline and that it is Jehovah who is God not Baal.

The timing is all of God (v1), “now it came about after many days”. It is vitally important that that we recognize that it is God’s time not ours, that it is God’s plan not ours. In Isaiah 40:28-29, we find that God is inexhaustible and inscrutable (never tired, and there is not end to his understanding), therefore no matter what are circumstances are, God knows and cares.

The guidance of the Lord is based upon the Word of God (v1b). The word came to Elijah, told him what to do (show yourself to Ahab), and revealed what God would do (send rain). So it will be with us. Psalm 25: 4-5, 12, states that for those who fear the Lord, the Lord will reveal his will for our lives.

The rest of our text shows the severity of the situation and the hardness of the heart of king Ahab, who was more concerned about the welfare of his animals than the plight of the people.

Jeremiah 2:19 is a good commentary for those who continually reject the Lord. “Your evil will chastise you and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God”.

And for those of us following the Lord we need to just, live on day at a time resting and waiting on His leading, and to daily listen to the Word of God in the scriptures.

A message from guest speaker, Pastor Wayne Shatney.

Christians, when they’re first saved, are not automatically spiritually mature believers. Like newborn babies, their understanding is simple and their control over their movements is limited. Just as it’s natural for babies grow into children, then into adults, it’s the same with believers too. It was un-natural for the believers in the church in Corinth to stay stuck in spiritual babyhood.

Paul wrote the epistle,1 Corinthians, to them both to chastise and encourage the Corinthians to get back on the path to spiritual growth. The Corinthians were saved. Paul calls them brethren and laborers together with God. Yet, they were stuck in the carnal way of thinking of the unsaved around them.

When Paul was in Corinth starting that church, he fed the newly saved with “milk” – spiritually simpler material. Like a baby with no teeth, they could not be given the “meat” of weightier spiritual matters until they had grown stronger in the spirit. When Paul left Corinth, that is what he expected they would do – grow.

Instead, Paul heard that the Corinthinans were letting pride, envy, and divisions stunt their growth. One problem Paul addressed was their carnal preoccupation with having a human leader. Instead of seeing Christ, they couldn’t see beyond Paul or Apollos. They were letting their feelings control their thinking. The immature believer often talks more about their feelings than Scripture. The Corinthians were following their feelings, just as the carnal un-saved around them were doing.

The church today faces a very similar problem. Many believers remain as babes, guided primarily by their feelings. They focus on how the music makes them feel, not on what the hymn says to God. They dwell on whether the service was exciting or entertaining or uplifting – all feelings – and not what Scripture is saying to them. We need to make sure that we are growing spiritually, ready for the meat of Scripture, and not babes focused on our feelings. It’s just unnatural.

Daniel 1 (by Pastor Shatney)

Conviction is having decided on something, having made up your mind. When you’re convicted about an issue, you’re no longer “on the fence,” you’ve got both feet on the ground and know what you will do. Daniel is an excellent example of conviction.

Daniel was taken from his home in Judah while he was still a young man. Uprooted from familiar patterns and his family, he was placed in a foreign culture, surrounded by people who did not know him, or his God. Like many a young college freshman away from home for the first time, who would know if he misbehaved or not? Who would know if he just did as the Babylonians did? Apparently Daniel had been well taught about the things of God. Even in his distant isolation, he put God’s ways ahead of his own convenience.

The Problem: Daniel was served the king’s food, which must have violated Jewish dietary laws. What was Daniel to do? Go along? Do as the Babylonians do? Who would know? Certainly the Babylonians would think nothing of it. Yet, in verse 8, we see that Daniel “purposed in his heart” NOT to go against God’s ways.

His Proposal: To be of any real value, convictions must result in actions. Daniel did not insult his hosts, or act with an air of arrogance. Instead, he tactfully offered a test. If he did not look acceptably healthy after 10 days of doing things God’s way, he would accept the king’s food. Daniel had faith that following God’s will would be rewarded.

His Testimony: Daniel had earned the respect of his keepers even before he made his proposal. When the 10 days had passed, Daniel and his friends were even healthier looking than those who had been on the king’s diet. God is pleased with faithfulness and rewards it.

If we stay faithful to God’s ways, he will bless. We must, like Daniel, purpose in our hearts to stay true to God’s ways – especially when we’re far from anyone who would know. We must have conviction, yes, but we must put our convictions in action.

Genesis 2:18-22 (by Pastor Shatney)

After God had created everything, he looked all the things he had made and said it was “good.” There was one thing, however, which God said was “not good.” Adam, being alone, was not complete. God then set about making the suitable helper to complete Adam. He created Woman. God’s plan for them, was to be a team. Neither was totally self-sufficient or complete on their own.

Dr. Dwight Small said that there cause to be humble on both sides. It’s humbling for the woman to know that she was made from man. It’s humbling for the man to know that he was incomplete without her. Yet, there is cause for satisfaction too. The woman completes the man. With the woman, man can be complete. The two become one. The two, however, are not identical.

The world of science is often able to quantify the differences between men and women. Men are more aggressive, while women are more nurturing. Men’s brains are more separated into two halves, while women’s brains are more unified. Men have a more detachable attention, they’re able to focus. Women are more mult-task aware. Each difference has its advantages and disadvantages. Neither is the all-around superior. The advantages of one help offset the disadvantages of the other. Together, they are complete.

God made these differences. He planned for men and women to come together to form a family. The husband-and-wife arrangement was intended to be permanent. While children grow up, they’re part of the family, but eventually they grow up, leave the home and begin their own families. The child-parent arrangement was not intended to be permanent.

Many of our social problems can be traced back to disruption of God’s design for the family. Many books offer quick-fix solutions to family problems, but the important place to start is understanding God’s plan for men and women and their children. After all, he created the family. He should know.

A message from guest speaker, Pastor Wayne Shatney.

Mercy: is not getting what you deserved, such as being spared a punishment you had coming. Grace: is getting what did not deserve. It is a gift you didn’t buy or earn or trade for.

God showed both his grace and his mercy to Abram. Before his name was changed to Abraham, Abram lived apart from God. He was worshipping idols, not God. It’s thought that Abram’s father, Terah, might even have made idols. Abram of Ur did not deserve any blessings, but God chose him anyway.

Abram did not leave right away, but traveled to the land of Haran with his wife, Sarai, his father, Terah and his nephew, Lot. He lived in Haran for many years. There was no spiritual growth. Yet, God had a plan for Abram, and was not deterred. Abram, like other great men of the Bible, was drafted. He wasn’t chosen for God’s plan because he was already going God’s way. In Haran, Abram wasn’t going anywhere. God told Abram to get up and go. To his credit, Abram got up and went.

God made a covenant with Abram, a one-sided promise, not a conditional deal. He promised him the land (Canaan), to bless him personally, and make him the father of many nations. He further promised Abram that through him, all nations would be blessed.

Abram did have faith to follow God’s instructions and came to Canaan. Abram’s faith was not complete, however. Shortly after his arrival, there was a famine in Canaan. Instead of trusting God to see him through, Abram packed up and headed south, to Egypt. Despite this lack of faith, God intended to keep his promise. He still had a plan for Abram.

God calls us out of the world. By his mercy, he calls us unto a new land: salvation. By his grace, he calls us to serve, to fulfill a purpose. Those whom he saves, he saves for a purpose. There is something he has for us to do. None of us are unnecessary “extras” in God’s plans.