Category: Zeal

The sermon is introduced by the text of Isaiah 2:1-3, where it is said, “Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths” (vs. 3).

This indicates that in the Kingdom of God, invitations will be extended to others. We as Christians are responsible for extending that invitation. Practical applications include inviting people to worship services, inviting them to study the Bible, and inviting them to obey the gospel of Christ.

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Matthew 4:18-22

After being tempted by the devil (vs. 1-11) we find in this passage the beginning of Jesus’ preaching ministry (vs. 17). He immediately began to assemble his disciples, and recorded in this passage is his recruitment of Peter, Andrew, James and John. Each of these disciples were fishermen, and Jesus met them as they tended their nets on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Matthew was added to the disciples in chapter 9, and the full list of the twelve is given in chapter 10.

One interesting aspect of this text is Jesus’ play on words as he addressed Peter and Andrew. The Greek states that Peter and Andrew were “fishers” (halieus). Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (halieus anthropos) (vs. 19).

Using the illustration, we are to “lure” men with the gospel of Christ (cf. Romans 1:16). We seek to entice them, and capture them for Christ. In so doing, we benefit them spiritually, as their souls are saved.

Brethren, it is fine to be a fisherman. But it is a far better vocation to be a fisher of men. Christ expected it of his apostles, and he expects it of us as well.

(Editor’s Note: The following article was the first article written by me, that appeared in the local bulletin here 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it).

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(Article excerpted from the well-known fishing magazine, The Catfish Chronicle)

The West Side Fishing Club, a member of the Fishing Clubs of Texas, has had its charter revoked. Although the members are still meeting regularly, they are no longer recognized by their Parent Organization.

Continue reading “The West Side Fishing Club” →

(The following article was written by Tommy Davis, one of the members of the West Side congregation. I commend it to you. Stan)

Take a minute to answer this question, do you have dreams for the future? Do you want to be a doctor, make a scientific breakthrough or do you want to be a professional athlete? Some people dream of good health or being wealthy and living in a huge house. People in nearly every culture have dreams for the future. We hear about holding onto our dreams at events like graduations, and when we get married, we feel like a dream just came true. Most of us don’t dream of terrible events like death or destruction.

God has a dream for us too. When God created man, he longed to walk with man on earth and have relationships with us. For a while in the Garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day — Genesis 3:8. I often wonder what those conversations were like! This soon came to an end when sin entered our lives, and now we are separated from God. No longer do men walk with God and talk to him face to face. We are imperfect and impure; not fit to be in the presence of God. The relationship was broken!

Continue reading “Dreams” →

The Sermon Discusses small things that are nevertheless great in the Sight of God. Things such as:

• The Power of Two or Three
• Only a Cup of Cold Water
• Little Children
• A Single Person of Faith

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Those who live by faith will be faithful in their walk. They will obey God, and diligently live for His cause. They will set their affections on things above, where their reward is to be found.

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This eighth sermon preached by Jerry Fite in our gospel meeting May 9-14, 2009 shows that we must be righteous in the choices we make as we seek to serve God.

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Sermon Audio: Sorry, the audio did not come out for this sermon. We have the powerpoint file only.

This fifth sermon preached by Jerry Fite in our gospel meeting May 9-14, 2009 points out that the Christian faith is a radical faith. Unlike the common expression of “Christianity” seen in our time, the true church and true Christian is and is seen as radical in our time.

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2 Timothy 1:8-12

2 Timothy 1:8-12

Even though the text is five verses long, it is made up of only two sentences. In the first sentence Paul exhorts Timothy, “…do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (vs. 8). In the second sentence Paul states, “…I am not ashamed” (vs. 12).

Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel for the following five reasons: 1) Jesus saved us and called us to holiness; 2) the holiness He calls us to is His own, not ours; 3) He revealed what that righteousness is when he appeared to us; 4) He has abolished death; 5) He has brought eternal life and glory to us.

Further, Paul told Timothy not to be ashamed of him (Paul) as an ambassador of God and a preacher of that message.

It is in this context that Paul affirms that he himself was not ashamed. He was willing to suffer because of his faith in Christ, and his confidence in Jesus Christ. “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to Him.”

May we have that same confidence, in the hope of eternal salvation, when that inevitable day of Judgment comes upon us.

One of the most sobering passages I can think of is found in John 15. There Jesus said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (vs. 2).

The text disproves the common belief expressed as “once saved, always saved” and soberly warns us to be industrious as Christian servants.

The text tells me that I need to develop the proper skills needed to be a fruit bearer. It tells me that I need to be spending the time and making the effort necessary to bear fruit. And, it tells me that I need to identify the type of fruit that Jesus expects me to produce.

It also tells me that there are a lot of Christians who need to get started before it’s too late! (Think about it!)

Stan

The Lesson is an exegetical treatment of Romans 12:1-8. There are four marks of devotion evident in the life of any faithful child of God. Self-sacrifice, Self-alteration, Self-examination and Self-involvement. The lesson identifies and discusses these marks.

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Bodily exercise profits a little, but is is much more important for the Christian to be spiritually fit. The lesson encourages and instructs in this.

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The sermon discusses a number of practical suggestions regarding prayer, study and personal conviction that will benefit any Christian, but especially those who are young, and young in the faith.

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Preachers sometimes compare notes about the congregations where they preach. I have noticed a term that several have used, (and I have used myself), to describe some Christians. The term is “high maintenance.”

Some cars are referred to as “high maintenance.” I came across a quote from a man who drove a Fiat. He said it stands for, Fix It All the Time. But, in his mind it was worth the headache to be able to drive a high performance machine. Of course, there are some jalopies that are high maintenance as well. Another word for these cars is “junk”, and they are hardly worth the effort to keep them running.

Some ladies are referred to as “high maintenance,” referring to the amount of attention they demand. They expect constant gifts and attention, and if they don’t get what they want their feelings are hurt or they lose interest. Used in this way, the term is certainly not a compliment. Nor is it normally a complement when a preacher refers to a Christian as “high maintenance.” However, it is not always a negative thing either.

Continue reading “High Maintenance” →

The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9, establishes the authority a preacher has to receive financial support as he labors in the word. Paul did not take advantage of that privilege, lest his motivation be suspect. He did not preach for money, but to save souls. Our motivation too must be to save both ourself and others.

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