LBC Sermons & Messages

I Samuel 23

In this passage, David gets words that the city, Keilah is getting destroyed by the Philistines so he prays for direction. God tells him to go to the city and save it even though David is running for his life. Saul seeks to kill him because his son Jonathan is rightful heir to the throne, but David is anointed to be king by God.
After beating the Philistines, David and his men barely escape certain death by the hand of Saul and hide in the wilderness. Saul is fuming and tries to find David but is unsuccessful.
Jonathan leaves the palace and seeks for David until he finds him risking his life. When he finds David, Jonathan strengthens his hands in God. He gives all to encourage David.
We, the church, are to encourage each other. Let’s look at what the Word has to say about encouraging. First, Titus 1:9 tells us that we are to encourage each other using sound doctrine. God and His Word are the only things that do not change or fall apart. They are eternal.
Secondly, we are to encourage each other with longsuffering according to II Timothy 4:2. Sometimes it can be difficult encouraging others, especially when they seem not to listen. We are to give truth but be patient. I am sure glad that God is longsuffering with me and we need to be with each other.
Next, Hebrews 3:13 tells us to encourage daily. Most church goers think that coming to church on Sunday and Wednesday is enough, but apparently it is not. God has wired us in a way that we need each other daily. Let me challenge you to take time to visit, call, email, write, etc. someone this week and make it a habit.
Lastly, we are to encourage each other in God. There are a lot of things we can talk about, but only eternal things make a difference in lives. We are called to encourage each other so let’s be faithful to God and give all just as Jonathan did.

John 1:43-45

Philip is the fifth disciple mentioned in each of the four lists given in the gospels. If you look into the grouping of the disciples you will notice the first group is Peter, the over all leader, Andrew, his brother, and James and John the Sons of Thunder. The second group is lead by Philip. Today we will look at his life.
Philip’s name is Greek. He is the only one that does not have a Hebrew name. His name means “Lover of Horses.” Philip the disciple is also not to be confused with Philip and the Eunuch.
Peter, Andrew, James and John are all following John the Baptist and listen to his teachings. John the Baptist then introduces them to Christ. Then Christ goes and seeks out Philip. Philip then goes and tells Nathaniel that they found the Messiah that Moses and the prophets wrote about. Here we see a perfect picture of God’s sovereign will and seeking out mankind and mankind’s ability to choose God. God calls all mankind to him but few seek Him and find Him.
Philip also responded to Christ in a certain way. First he evangelized. He went right to Nathaniel and told him about Christ. When we meet Christ, He changes our lives and we cannot help but tell others. When was the last time God worked in your life in a way where you could not help but let it out? He also said come and see. The way we live our lives should show Christ to this world. Does your life match up with what you say?
Philip’s life with Christ was characterized by lack of faith. John 6:1-7 and 14:1-10 give us glimpses of this. However, the end of Philip’s life is much different. Through the ministry of Philip, multitudes came into a relationship with Christ. He also gave all for God and had ultimate faith as being one of the first disciple martyrs for the kingdom. His faith became sight as he opened his eyes in heaven to see our Savior’s face. When trials and hard times come our way, will we have faith like Philip or become cowards?

Psalms 147:1-4 — Message by Pastor Roe

According to Answers-in-Genesis in the July – September 2008 issue volume 3 number 3 in 2010 astronomers hope to have completed the multi-million-dollar Sloan Digital Sky Survey. They are cataloging over 100 million stars and objects in 1 million different galaxies. This sounds like a huge accomplishment and it is, but imagine what is not catalogued.

It is estimated that there is 100 billion galaxies with an average of 100 billion stars in each galaxy. That is 10 thousand billion billion stars yet to be name and identified. Our passage tells us that God numbered the stars and calls them by name. What an amazing God.

In Psalms 8:1-4, David talks of the splendor of God and how he thinks of how God stretched out the universe and how wonderful His creation is. Then he asks a question, “What is man that thou art mindful of him?” God is so infinite and yet he wants to have a personal relationship with us.

So, what is our response to God and His greatness? First, we need to worship Him and Him alone Ex. 30:14, I Chor. 16:29, Matt. 4:10. We need to worship God for who He is not for what He has done. When we worship God for what He has done, it is still selfish.

Secondly, we need to love God Duet. 6:5. God tells us to put Him first, then our families, then our church, followed by the world and lastly, ourselves. If you want to love your family more, love God. If you want to love others more, love God. He must be first.

Lastly, we need to obey God commands Josh. 1:5-8. In Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, the first sentence says that it’s not about you. It’s not about what we want but what He wants. Trust in God and obey Him period.

This week remember you have a responsibility to God.

Luke 6:14, Matt. 10:1,2

Message by Pastor Roe

Simon Bar-Jonah is his earthly name. Luke introduces him as Peter which mean little rock. He is also called Cephas which is the Aramaic for Peter. There are two contexts in which the name Simon is used. The first is using it in a possessive way when it came to earthly goods or family. The second is when Christ had to rebuke him for being carnal.

Peter was the chief or lead disciple. He was also ambivalent, abrasive, impulsive, unsubmissive and loud. Peter is mentioned in the gospels more than any one else outside of Christ, he speaks more than anyone else, Peter is rebuked more by Christ than anyone else, and he denied Christ three times and yet Christ choose Peter to lead the disciple. Why?

Peter was inquisitive. He asked more questions than any other disciple. It was Peter who spoke up and asked Christ to clarify hard concepts Matt. 15:15. Peter also had initiative Matt. 26:47. He was the one who pulled the sword out at Christ’s arrest defense of Christ. Peter was also involved. He was not afraid to fail or get dirty. A true leader goes through life with a cloud of dust around them. It was Peter who jumped out of the boat and walked on water. Peter served during the feeding of the 5000. He was involved.

Peter also had to learn some pretty hard lessons as do we. He had to learn submission Matt 17:24-ff. He had to learn restraint, as when Christ was teaching him during His arrest. He had to learn humility. Christ modeled this when He washed their feet at the last supper. Peter needed compassion so Christ modeled this when the woman caught in adultery was brought to Him. Lastly, Peter needed Courage John 21:18, 19. Christ foretells of Peter’s death and prays for him. Later in Acts Peter is beaten and thrown in jail and has courage when they are told to not preach any more.

This week, will you be a Simon or a Peter?

II Kings 22, 23
Message by Pastor Roe

The foundation of the church is Christ and we are given the necessary information through His Word to live and function. The holy, inerrant, inspired Word of God. Therefore, we as the church have a responsibility to it.

Matt. 4:4 tells us the man cannot live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. If we want to live we must be people of the Word. I believe that families, churches, and our country have gone the way they have because we have forgotten the importance of the Word. It must be foundational.

Well, then how do we place the Word back as the foundation to our lives and our church? First, we must do what Psalms 119:11 tells us to do. We must hide His Word in our hearts that we might no sin against God. We can make excuse after excuse about memorizing or our lack of that ability but they are just that, excuses. The challenge this week is to memorize a verse and do it as a family or with someone else. When Christ was tempted, He quoted scriptures because there is power in the memorized Word. Christ also did it as an example to all those who follow after Him.

Next, we need to make God’s Word a lamp unto our feet, Psalms 119:105. Too many times when decisions need to be made, when trials come our way or when we are tempted, we turn everywhere but to the Word. It should be the first place we turn.

Lastly, we need to engraft it into our life. To engraft means to implant and make part of. The Law of Cognition says you are what you think. The Law of Exposure says that what you expose yourself to is what you think. To implant the Word into our lives we must expose ourselves to the Word continually.

Let’s be doers of the Word and take up our responsibility to the Word!

Mark 3:1-15
Message by Pastor Roe

The twelve disciples were ordinary men who had problems just like us. They also knew the cost of being a disciple and still left everything to follow Christ, the Rabbi.

Christ then trained them for a specific task. The task was to preach the Word to the world, Mark 3:14. He would train 12 ordinary men in three and a half years to do what normally took 14 years of intense training.

Christ had His work cut out for him because the 12 had many flaws. First, they were thickheaded. They were not academic elites and Christ had to explain himself to them over and over again, Mark 15:16, 17. After following Christ closely for over three years it changed them and they changed the world.

Next, they lacked humility. In Matthew 20:20-28 the Sons of Thunder, John and James, were fighting over who was going to sit next to Christ in heaven. The other disciples joined right in and got all upset. Christ on the other hand, handled himself with humility in everything He did. He even washed the disciple’s feet dirty, stinking feet.

They also lacked commitment. When the soldiers came to arrest Christ, Peter alone stands up trying to defend Christ. However, when it was all said and done, verse 50 tells us that they all forsook Christ and fled. They not just forsook Christ but ran when the time got tough. Once again we see the training kick in the last years of their lives because all, except for John, died a martyr’s death. In the end they were committed to the death.

Lastly, they lacked power. However, once again they allowed God to work through them and they accomplished what the Master sent them to do. We too are limited but Acts 1:8 says that God will give us power to preach the Word.

Will we make the choice to let God change us so we can change the world?

I Peter 2:6-10
Message by Pastor Roe

What is the Church? Church is not the building. If you search the scriptures you will find that the church always refers to the people.

First, verse 9 tells us that the church is made up of chosen or saved people; people who have repented of their sin and turned to Christ as Lord and Savior. We have all sinned whether it is lying, lusting, stealing, using the Lord’s name in vain, etc. Therefore we all need a Savior and when we realize that, accept Christ as our personal Savior and are baptized, we become part of the local church.

Secondly, we the church are a royal priesthood. When we accept Christ as Lord, we are adopted into His family and become heirs to God. Priesthood means that we have the ability to go directly to God the Father through Jesus Christ. It also carries the idea of a brotherhood or fraternity. When People are added to the church they become brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thirdly, the church is made up of people that are a holy nation. We should be pure and set apart for the use of the Master. We are also a nation of pilgrims or foreigners. We are just passing through this world. We need to lay up treasures in Heaven that are eternal.

Lastly, we are a peculiar people. Strange in the fact that we should live for Christ and others, not self. It also means that the church belongs to God (Colossians 1:16, 17) and we also belong to each other (Romans 12:4, 5).

In closing, Christ talks about the church in Matthew 16:13-19. Christ commends Peter for realizing that He is the Son of the Living God and then Christ says that he will build his church upon the Rock. The Rock is referencing the fact that Christ is the Son of the Living God not Peter. Christ also says that He will build His church. We are simply tools to be used by the Master Builder to bring praise to Him.

Matthew 10:2-4; Luke 6:12, 13
Message by Pastor Roe

When we look at the disciples as a group we see four were fishermen, one was a politician, one was a tax collector and the others were unknown. They were a diverse group in trade, personality, and background.

The first four were Peter, Andrew his brother, James, and John. These were the first called and the closest to Christ. Peter and Andrew are brothers and so are James and John. They also came from the same region and most likely grew up together. They came from Galilee which was known for developing disciples and rabbis.

To become a rabbi one had to become a disciple, mathetes. This was a long process and started with schooling at the age of 6 for both girls and boys called Bet Sefer. For six years they learned the scriptures and had to memorize the whole Torah, or the Pentateuch. This consists of the first five books of the Bible which were written by Moses.

Next, at the age of 13 the boys who had what it took were allowed to go one to Bet Midrash. At this time they were taught more scriptures and had to memorize the Tanach which was basically the rest of the Old Testament. The boys who were not chosen to go on took up the family trade and raised families with the girls.

Lastly, the best of the best went on to Bet Talmud at the age of 16 and it lasted till they were 30. This was a period of mimicking the rabbi. Doing exactly what he did, when he did it, and the way he did it. This is why Christ’s ministry started at 30.

These men knew what it meant to be a disciple and the process of sacrifice of becoming one. They all failed because they were all in other professions and yet Christ chose them. They were common men that turned the world upside down.

They used to say, “To become a disciple, one must walk in the dust of the rabbi.” Are you walking close in the dust of Christ?