You Can’t Serve Two Masters

Message begins around 34:00

You Can’t Serve Two Masters

Dave Riddle - 8/28/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters…”

  • Jesus in Matthew 6:24a

  • “No one” = oudeis (οὐδείς) - not even one

    • Romans 3:10

  • “Can” = dynamai (δύναμαι) - to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom

  • It is impossible!

  • “Serve” = douleuō (δουλεύω) - to be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary):—be in bondage, (do) serve(-ice).

  • “Masters” = kyrios (κύριος) - supreme in authority

    • Romans 10:9, Luke 6:46

“…he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.”

  • Jesus in Matthew 6:24b

  • It’s impossible for us to love (agapaō: ἀγαπάω - perfect unconditional love) two supreme masters at once.

    • Compare to Jesus’ comments about the good “single” eye from last week, Matthew 6:22.

“…You cannot serve both God and money.”

  • Jesus in Matthew 6:24c

  • “Money” = mamōnas (μαμωνᾶς) - Mammon - everything we pursue in life. Riches, treasures, dreams, feelings, idols. Everything that isn’t God.

  • Joshua 24:15 - “…choose this day whom you will serve...”

Spiritual Astigmatism 

Message begins around 34:00

Spiritual Astigmatism 

Dave Riddle - 8/21/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:22-23

“Eyes are the windows to the soul” - Shakespeare… or Cicero… or someone else

 “The eye is the lamp of the body” - Jesus in Matthew 6:22a

“The Evil Eye”

  • Matthew 6:23

  • A concept found in many world cultures and elsewhere in the Bible

    • Deuteronomy 28:54, 56

    • Proverbs 28:22

  • A person who lacks generosity. A person who looks out for their own self-interest. Narcissistic, self-consumed.

  • Matthew 20:15 - literally translated “is your eye evil because I am good?”.

The Single Eye (Healthy Eye)

  • Matthew 6:22

  • haplous (ἁπλοῦς) - simple, single, whole

    • haplos: bountifully, liberally

      • See James 1:5

    • haplotes: singleness. Subjective Meaning: sincerity, without pretense or self-interest), or Objective Meaning: generosity.

      • See 2 Corinthians 8:2

What Are You Chasing?

What are you chasing?

Dave Riddle - 8/14/22

Key Passage: Matthew 6:19-21

The STUFF we love is temporary

  • Matthew 6:19

    • The things we chase so fervently disappear so quickly.

  • James 4:13-14

    • We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

      • Life is unpredictable!

    • Your life is like a puff of smoke.

  • Psalm 39:4-5

    • Temporary, fleeting, gone so fast.

  • Psalm 39:6

    • We rush around in vain, gathering possessions that won’t last.

What are you chasing?

  • Dreams

  • Money

  • Possessions

  • Love

  • Happiness

Eternal Rewards

  • Matthew 6:20

    • Store you for yourself treasures in Heaven.

  • What are they? We don’t know.

  • How do we receive them?

    • By pursuing Jesus.

    • Giving to the needy

    • Prayer and fasting

    • Being persecuted for Jesus

    • …all without seeking earthly recognition.

  • 1 Timothy 6:17-19

    • Be rich in good works

    • Be generous and willing to share

    • …This is truly life!

  • “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot love”. - Jim Elliot

  • Luke 12:15-21

    • Are we chasing and hoarding the things that we cannot keep?

  • Matthew 6:21

    • Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Examine your heart to see which treasure you’re really chasing.

We Can’t, but God Can

Message at 37:30

We Can’t, but God Can

Dave Riddle - 8/7/22

Key Passage: Mark 10:17-31

“Good teacher, what just I do to inherit eternal life?” 

  • Mark 10:17

Jesus’ curious response

  • Jesus tailors his answer for the question asker

  • Mark 10:18

    • Jesus starts by redefining “good”

  • Mark 10:19

    • You know the commandments…

      • He lists five of the six commandments that talk about our relationships with others.

        • He leaves out “do not covet”

    • Jesus knows this man’s heart and sets him up a little bit.

Really!? Wow.

  • Mark 10:20 - “I have kept all these commandments from my youth”

    • He saw himself as a good person.

Jesus being Jesus

  • Mark 10:21

    • Looking at him, Jesus loved him…

      • emblepō: to observe fixedly, or to discern clearly

      • agapaō: divine, unconditional, perfect love

    • “You lack one thing”

      • Sell all you have… and follow me!

        • Take up your cross and follow me.

        • Jesus knew what one thing stood between this man and his ability to surrender to Jesus.

    • Jesus see each of us clearly and sees OUR one thing that stands between us and our ability to surrender to Him.

A Poignant Moment

  • Mark 10:22

    • He was dismayed by this demand and he went away grieving because he had many possessions.

      • Jesus offered him a choice and he chose his own desires over following Jesus.

The Hard Truth

  • Mark 10:23

    • What stands between YOU and a full surrender to following Jesus?

  • Mark 10:24-25

    • The disciples were astonished.

    • It went against their cultural understanding of blessing and favor.

The original question revisited 

  • Jesus’ set up pays off

  • Mark 10:26

    • “Then who can be saved!?”

    • “With people it is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God”

  • Romans 8:3

    • What the law was powerless to do, God did.

Dying to Live

Baptisms at 14:30 • Message at 34:00

Dying to Live

Dave Riddle • 07/31/2022

Key Passage: Romans 6:1-11

A Provocative Challenge
- Romans 6:1

A Piercing and Passionate Answer
- Romans 6:2a - “Absolutely not!”

A Comprehensive Explanation
- Romans 6:3 - Identification

- Romans 6:4-7 - Dying to Live

The Triumphant Jesus
- Romans 6:9-10

A Parting Challenge
- Romans 6:11 - Consider yourself dead to sin…

What is Communion?

Message begins around 30:00

What is Communion?

Dave Riddle • 07/27/2022

Key Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:24-28

Communion: A Jesus-ordained ceremony 

  • Baptism is the other “ordinance” that we regularly practice

  • Matthew 26:26-28

An Act of Commemoration 

  • Remember

    • 1 Corinthians 11:24

      • Remember who Jesus is, and what he has done for us.

    • Exodus 12:2-3, 6-7, 12-14

      • A permanent statute

      • A lasting ordinance

      • Jesus fulfilled the old Passover and, in a sense, instituted a new Passover.

A Gospel Proclamation 

  • Proclaim

    • 1 Corinthians 11:26

      • Communion preaches the Gospel.

An Opportunity for Contemplation 

  • 1 Corinthians 11:28

    • dokimazō - to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not). To recognise as genuine after examination.

  • Galatians 2:20

  • Romans 6:11

A Way to Celebrate Unity

  • koinōnia (Greek: κοινωνία) - fellowship, association, community, intimacy, joint participation (the share which one has in anything), communion.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

    • One body (the Church)

    • One loaf of bread (Christ)

  • John 17:9-11

A Cause for Hopeful Anticipation

  • 1 Corinthians 11:26

    • “…until He comes”

  • Matthew 26:29

Jesus Prays for Us

Message begins around 26:30

Jesus Prays for Us

Dave Riddle • 07/10/2022

Key Passage: John 17:20-26

Jesus Prays for Our Unity

  • John 17:20-21

    • Not just organizational unity, but a deep, abiding, spiritual unity.

  • Philippians 4:2

  • Growth and maturity cannot exist in isolation from one another.

  • Perfectly united just as God is perfectly united.

    • John 17:22-23

  • Our unity is a priority to Jesus.

    • 4 times in this prayer

Why?

  • So the world will know that Jesus was sent by God (v.23)

    • ginosko: to know in a deeply experiential way.

We have to care about each other.

  • We have to show concern

  • We have to be affected

  • Our hearts have to break for each other

We have to be involved 

  • we have to have relationships

  • We have to be present

We have to accept one another

  • We have to accept our brothers and sisters in Christ despite our differences.

  • Unity in diversity

We have to contribute

  • Our faith is not a quest for individual blessings and happiness.

  • We belong together in the church of God.

  • “The Bible knows nothing of an individual religion” - John Wesley

Ask yourself: “Am I an agent of unity in the body of Christ?”

Why Did Jesus Leave?

Why Did Jesus Leave?

07/03/2021 - Paul Trulock 

Key Passage: Acts 1:6-11

Jesus has dominion over everything 

  • Acts 2:34-35

    • A footstool, a doormat, walked all over…

  • Philippians 2:9-11

    • Every knee

The Real Thing - Our King and High Priest

  • Hebrews 7:20-25

    • You have a high priest sitting at the right hand of the father who intercedes for you.

  • Hebrews 7:26-27

    • Isaiah 53 - the messiah was innocent

    • Daniel - He will die a violent death

    • David - He will not see corruption

    • Romans 8:1 - There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ

  • Hebrews 7:28-8:2

    • The work is finished!

    • The work is perfected

    • Matthew 27 - God tore the veil to signify that WE can now enter into the presence of God.

What does it mean for us today?

  • Hebrews 10:19-25

    1. Let us draw near to God

      • V. 22 With a sincere heart and full assurance of faith.

    2. Hold fast to our Hope

      • V. 23 hold onto hope without wavering

      • Our hope is based upon a sure foundation.

    3. Encourage one another

      • V. 24 spur one another on towards love and good deeds

        • 1 Peter 2:9…

    4. Be in community

      • V. 25 - do not neglect meeting together

        • We can’t think ONLY of our own sanctification.

Why did Jesus leave? 

  • He entered the Holy of Holies , to be crowned as king and to present Himself as our perfect High Priest

Sorrow Turned to Joy

Sorrow Turned to Joy

Dave Riddle • 06/12/2022

Key Passage: John 16:16-33

You’ll see me in a little while

  • John 16:16-19

  • What is Jesus referring to?

    • Possibly:

      • His death and resurrection

      • His followers seeing him in Heaven after his ascension and their deaths.

      • The gift of the Holy Spirit.

Grieving People Transformed into Joyful People

  • John 16:20

    • Joy comes from a transformation in our lives when we understand what God has done and is doing for us.

Joy and Pain From the Same Source

  • John 16:21-22

    • A mother and her child

    • The disciples and Jesus

You Will Have Peace

  • John 16:33 - peace

  • eirene: a national state of tranquility, harmony, and safety. In a Christian context: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation

  • shalowm (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם) - a very broad term that means health, security, tranquility, good condition, success, comfort, and more.

    • it has layers of meaning related to peace.

    • Widely used in the Hebrew Bible, shalowm clearly depicts a satisfied condition, an unconcerned state of peacefulness.

  • John 16:33 - You will have suffering (distress) in this world.

    • Suffering/Distress = thlipsis (Greek: θλῖψις) - pressure (literally or figuratively). oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits

In A Little While

  • Our pain, distress, “thlipsis” is temporary.

Satisfied By God’s Love - Grad Sunday

Satisfied By God’s Love

Phil Woodman • 6/5/2022

Key Passage: Psalm 90

Psalm 90 - A Psalm of Lament

  • Asking God for aid in overcoming calamity.

    • We are in trouble! Help us Lord!

  • A Psalm of Moses. Possibly the oldest Psalm in the book of Psalms.

God is our refuge

  • From eternity past to eternity future.

    • He is God and we are finite.

  • Our lives are often filled with sadness and struggle.

    • Our difficulties stand out so much more than the good days.

The Turn

  • Teach me to make the most of the time that I have.

  • Have compassion on your servants.

    • God had abundant compassion for Moses.

Satisfy us with your faithful love

  • The prayer of a person who has experienced this before.

  • John 15 - abide in me. Be satisfied by me.

  • Psalm 8:5-6 - he has given us so much more than we could ever ask or expect.

What Did Jesus Say About The Holy Spirit?

Message Begins around 24:15

What Did Jesus Say About The Holy Spirit?

Dave Riddle • 05/29/2022

Key Passage: John 15:26-16:15'

The Helper

  • John 15:26-27

    • Helper = paraklētos - summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate. One who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor. In the widest sense, a helper, aider, assistant

  • John 7

  • John 14:16-17

Jesus leaving was to our advantage!

  • John 16:7-8

The Work of The Holy Spirit in our Lives

  • Convicting

    • John 16:9 - Conviction of our lack of belief.

  • Convincing

    • John 16:10 - Revealing the truth about Jesus

  • Condemning

    • John 16:11

    • 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

  • Guiding Us in All Truth

    • John 16:12-13

    • John 14:26

What Does Jesus Say About Hate?

Hate The World?

Dave Riddle • 05/22/2022

Key Passage: John 15:18-16:4

The “World” Hates Jesus

  • John 7:7 (CSB): The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it—that its works are evil.

    • Compare to John 15:18-19

A message for those of us who don’t want to be hated.

  • James 4:4 - Friend of the world = enemy of God

A message for those of us who enjoy looking for a fight

  • Romans 12:18 - as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

We need to live in the tension between these two passages.

Expect Persecution

  • John 15:20

  • Matthew 5:10

    • Persecution is a blessing!

  • Matthew 5:11-12

    • Rejoice!

    • A blessed inheritance

Hating Jesus = Hating God

  • John 15:21-24

    • Jesus makes a claim of divinity.

      • John 10:22-38

  • Why did they hate Jesus? For no reason.

    • John 15:25

Jesus sends help!

  • John 15:26-27

  • The Holy Spirit

    • More on this next week.

“Fall away”

  • John 16:1-2

    • Fall away, stumble, be trapped

    • skandalizō - to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall. to offend

Outcasts

  • John 16:1-2

    • Outcasts: put out of your religious community, academic community, social community.

      • Did it happen? Yes.

        • Acts 26:9-11 - Paul’s testimony.

Why do they do this?

  • Because they don’t know Jesus or the Father

    • John 16:3-4

      • Jesus doesn’t want his followers to be caught off guard.

What Does Jesus Command?

What Does Jesus Command?

Dave Riddle • 05/15/2022

Key Passage: John 15:12-17

John 15:12 (CSB): This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.

  • Love = agapaō - agape, immeasurable and unconditional love.

John 15:13 (CSB): No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.

  • He calls us friends when, in reality, we were His enemies.

    • Romans 5:8

John 15:14 (CSB): You are my friends if you do what I command you.

  • Abraham: James 2:23

  • Us! John 15:15 - no longer blindly obedient servants, but friends.

John 15:16 (CSB): You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 

  • Referring back to John 15:1-8

  • He chose us!

“These things” I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17

  • Possibly: All of His commands boil down to “love one another”.

  • Or: the result of all of His commands is that we will love one another.

John 15:17 (CSB): “This is what I command you: Love one another.”

  • Not optional.

    • Command, enjoin, an imperative

    • entolē = an order, command, charge, precept, injunction

Everything we do should be deepening our love for one another.

The Trinity in Jesus’ Own Words

Message begins around 33:15

The Trinity in Jesus’ Own Words

Dave Riddle • 05/01/2022
Key Passage: John 14:16-31

The Father will give you a helper/counselor

  • John 14:16

Jesus and the Holy Spirit

  • John 14:17-18

    • You already know Him

    • I am coming to you

  • Compare this to what Jesus said in the passage from last week.

Jesus and the Father

  • (Last week) John 14:8-10

    • “You have seen the Father”

    • Jesus and the Father are one

  • John 14:20-21

    • I am in my father and my father is in me.

Jesus’ call for us

  • John 14:21 (John 14:15)

    • If you love Me, you will keep My commands.

      • Love = agapaō all four times in this passage.

    • (Matthew 28) obey… and teach others to do the same

      • If we don’t know his commands we can’t keep them, and we definitely can’t make and teach new disciples.

  • John 14:23-24

    • …we will come to them and make Our home with them.

      • We are part of the kingdom of God right now!

        • Already, not yet.

    • Sent = pempō: dispatched or sent on an errand.

The Holy Spirit and Jesus

  • John 14:26

    • But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit —the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

      • How do we love Jesus? Keep his commands.

        • The Holy Spirit enables this by teaching and reminding us of the commands of Jesus.

  • John 14:27

    • Peace = eirene: a state of tranquility, harmony, and safety. In a Christian context: the tranquil state of a soul, assured of its salvation, fearing nothing from God, content with their lot, whatever it might be.

Jesus and the Father

  • John 14:30-31

Believe. How? Love. How? Live in obedience to his commands. How? Through the power of the Spirit.

Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled

Message begins around 32:30

Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled

Dave Riddle • 04/24/2022

Key Passage: John 14:1-15

Don’t let your heart be troubled

  • John 14:1

    • Troubled = tarassō (Greek) - stirred up, agitated, inward commotion, to take away one’s calmness of mind.

  • John 12:27 - “now my heart is troubled”

    • Jesus faced this too!

      • Not a sin issue.

The answer for a troubled heart

  • John 14:1 - “believe in God, believe also in me “

    • Believe = pistueo (Greek): to think to be true. To be persuaded of; to place confidence in. To have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing). To believe.

I’ve got a spot for you 

  • John 14:2-4

    • A place for you

    • “You will be with me!”

    • you know the way to where I am going.

Wait… where are you going?

  • John 14:5 (HCSB): “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”

    • Thomas sets it up on tee for Jesus

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life

  • John 14:6

    • No one comes to the Father except through Jesus

Know and See

  • John 14:7

    • Know = ginōskō: to know experiential, in contrast to oida, which means to know intuitively or perceive.

    • See = horaō - to stare at. to see, i.e. become acquainted with by experience, to experience.

They Miss the Point

  • John 14:8

    • They still don’t get it.

  • John 14:9

    • Philip… you still don’t know me?

    • The one who has seen (horaō) me has seen the Father.

  • John 14:10-11

    • There is such a close relationship between Jesus and the father that you can’t separate them.

A Surprising Promise

  • John 14:12 - Don’t miss this!

    • The one who believes in me will do even greater works than me.

      • Not exclusively referring to miracles, but instead referring to the entirety of His life.

      • Why? The Holy Spirit is coming.

        • The impact of the ministry of the church goes worldwide as a result of the power of the Spirit.

I Will Do It

  • John 14:13-14

    • Ask in my name, and I will do it.

      • Jesus is not a divine vending machine or our personal Genie.

      • When we are aligned with Jesus’ mission and motives and allow God to use us He will do incredible things.

Keep My Commands

  • John 14:15 - if you love me, you will keep my commands.

    • Keep = tēreō - to attend to carefully, take care of.

How often do we stress over things that have little eternal significance?

  • Everything we do is rooted in our faith and trust in Jesus as leader of our life.