Repost of Pastor Todd Boxley sermon of Try Jesus for life
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank all the new members for joining “Try Jesus.” Also welcome those in Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, Illinois, and Alabama this week.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6 KJV). God loves to make his people new (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26,26; Revelation 21:5).
How do you view society today? How do you view this world? How do you view your family? How do you view yourself? How do you view God? Might as well keep going, right? How do you view Jesus? How do you view the Holy Spirit?
It’s always a good thing to pick at the brain early in the morning. But also, in the afternoon and evening. How do I know? Here’s a hint. 24 hours. That’s it. I’ll tell you later in the message.
Let’s pray, “Heavenly Father, you never cease to amaze us. Thank you for this wonderful day where we can gather around your words. Just as Mary and Martha did some time ago. Lord, may your words today gather us to sit at your Holy feet.
Open our understanding by the Holy Spirit’s power. Thank you for showing mercy through another week, and we stand at the threshold of a fresh week, full of new beginnings. Lord, help us start this week in your presence.
Stir in us a deep desire to come into further relationship with you. Bless the word of truth, bless the teaching videos, and bless the worship videos to draw hearts to your love, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
If you’re a member of “Try Jesus,” and have followed the sermons, you have heard me mention in recent messages court room setting scenarios. Some of you are still playing those “Judge Judy” trials in your home.
I would like to think back to my own adolescent days of living in a house that always had those Sherlock Holmes investigations. Yes, there were times when my mom and dad would put down their gavels.
But there were a few times in their approximate 50 years of marriage when one of their children picked up the gavel of decorum to bring peace and understanding to unsettled challenges.
Many of you today are thankful that your home is filled with peace after a turbulent trial that lasted nearly a week. Today’s sermon is not about peacemakers, but it’s great to see those signs hanging in the home.
When chaotic times invade your home (because if you’re a genuine believer, the enemy Satan, wants to cause an uproar), God will always raise up a standard by the Holy Spirit to defeat him.
Have you ever had to tell the truth in your family when the whole family might not want the truth to get out? We’ve all heard the phrase “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” But sometimes getting things out can be beneficial to those who might be coming in.
Sometimes cleaning the house keeps Uncle Bob from seeing all the dirt that the family is trying to hide. How many of you remember the hilarious tide commercials with the stain on the guy’s shirt who was interviewing for a job.
There are two things to remember about the scene. The boss or interviewer could evidently see the stain. But what really captured his attention was when the stain began to share and testify his appearance.
No matter how much the job seeker spoke, he was drowned out by the issue that needed the most attention. It’s always good to bring sunlight to anything that wants to stay in obscurity.
The phrase “Truth be told” can help in your everyday family unsolved moments. Why because “truth” is like the sunlight that uncovers all the lurking shadows that might start a ruckus in your home.
My mother would sometimes put on that imaginary Sherlock Holmes hat when truth needed to be told and tell her children the phrase “Tell the truth, shame the devil.”
Then she would systematically go through each child on that dreaded witnessed stand (which somehow always had a belt nearby) to find out who would testify the truth about how an item got broke.
The word witness and testifying were great as long as you were considered the star witness. Just as it is in a court room setting, the prosecution team and the defense team will try to sway the jury by bringing on their “star witness.”
“But boy, oh boy, it was a terrible day in my parents’ home (house of law) if you turned out to fabricate your story. In my family, my parents really didn’t like the word liar.
I remember using the word fibber or using the phrase “they’re just making up things.” But as you get older, other words come to the light such as fabricator, fabulist, falsifier, prevaricator, storyteller, and distorter.
Not sure if I ever used the word prevaricator on my daughter (Smile). However, I have met many people who were great storytellers. They were great at sharing (testifying, being a witness) their story.
I would think that some people can be good fake storytellers also. But God always wants his story, (his love letter) the Bible to always be told truthfully.
I guess if you look at some words more closely with a spiritual Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass, you would find truth that places individuals in a position to be set free.
Let’s open our Bibles and take a look at that interesting passage most people have heard about. Jesus always spoke the truth. Jesus also testified about the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, Jesus spoke of bearing witness concerning his deity.
31} “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32} And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31,32 KJV).
13} “The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14} Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.” (John 8:13,14 KJV).
[The Pharisees thought Jesus was either a lunatic or a liar. Jesus provided them with a third alternative: He was telling the truth.]
Have you ever told the truth in your home but your siblings or maybe even your parents thought you were fabricating your story? Sometimes siblings will play keep away secrets from each other because they see one sibling as a tattle tale.
Some people refer to them as snitches. It’s not a good phrase to act on but some people use the phrase “snitches get stitches.” But God always wants us to be good witnesses no matter the repercussions.
I had an aunt named Nelly when I was very young. She was one of my favorite relatives. She had a relationship with God, but I was too young to fully grasp everything she said about Jesus.
My brothers and sisters used to think that I got away with some things because of her admiration and love towards me. Whenever there were sibling troubles, my aunt would say things like, “I know Todd didn’t do that!”
I had three relatives that left an impression on my mind about their relationship with Jesus. My aunt Nelly, my aunt Elsie, and my grandmother Sarah. They all shared a powerful witness and testimony about Jesus.
It’s amazing that when I became a teenager, that those were the last three people I wanted to be around. Satan never wants our homes to be like Joshua.
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 KJV).
I chose the world until I was about 24. Jesus took over from there. What a powerful dream/vision of a testimony he gave me due to the death of my seven-year-old niece.
But everyone has a story to tell, right? It’s what I always told others at the church I pastored, just tell your story. Sometimes when people tell a story, it can be a whopper. (No, not the burger).
They exaggerate their story hoping others will be drawn to them. The Bible tells us to put off certain character traits and put on our new nature. (Colossians 3:9-17).
Sometimes people will bend the truth because they want to be liked. They may also feel it gives them popularity and status.
But the gospel and your testimony are to be pure and undefiled. Lying to each other disrupts unity by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and may lead to serious conflict in the family and at church.
So don’t exaggerate statistics, pass on rumors and gossip, or say things to build up your own image. Be committed to telling the truth.
The hint at the beginning of the sermon is related to sharing the gospel 24 hours a day with our children. Just read (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). We are to testify to our children on a daily basis. Even when they don’t want to hear it.
We understand kids get a break from school in the summer, but the good news of the gospel should always be open to the lives. God’s word stays open 24 hours a day. Our kids need spiritual food fed to them until they can hunger for it themselves.
A guy named Saul (Paul) was fed religious food during his upbringing but just like the Israelites not following God’s direction about saving manna, the land stank.
Saul (Paul) was taking in food from the law. It had no regenerating value for his soul. But on his way to Damascus that would all change. He would end up meeting the King of this universe (Acts 9:1-5).
Paul ended up being one of the greatest star witnesses in the New Testament after his personal encounter with Jesus. It changed his life. He never lost his fierce intensity, but from then on it was channeled for the gospel.
Saul’s (Paul) powerful words about Jesus were powerful because he was a brilliant scholar. Even more convincing, however, was his changed life. People knew that what