Sermons

Chosen To Be . . . A Living STONE! (Sermon Audio)
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Chosen To Be . . . A Living STONE! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the July 14, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be A Living STONE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 2

“As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

This morning’s message continued a series through 1 & 2 Peter with a theme of “Chosen To Be . . . “.  As God works the miracle of revival in our life, we discover He does so as the God who chooses us!  This is an important message to all who feel distant from God for whatever reason.  To those believers who are scattered around the known world, God communicates a message that they are known by Him, loved, by Him, and chosen by Him.  As we gaze into God’s Word and examine what it means to be chosen by God, we find that we have been chosen to be a living . . .

  • Sacrifice:  1 Peter 2:1-5

    • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living sacrifice.  God calls us to live a life that is first given to Him so that our giving to others is meaningful.  It is when we offer our self as a living sacrifice that we engage in the worship of God which is both reasonable and spiritual.  As building blocks for a living kingdom, we must willingly sacrifice our desires to the will of the Builder.

  • Testimony:  1 Peter 2:9-10

    • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living testimony.  Every person has a story to tell and our story is the opportunity to testify to the goodness and power of God.  As God shapes us and forms us into the living stones of His kingdom, our testimony can help others seek and experience the power of God working in them.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we give testimony when we tell our story and give God the credit.

  • Occupant:  1 Peter 2:11-12

    • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living occupant.  While we do live on this earth as kingdom citizens, we still live as occupants of this world.  We must continually draw on the help of God’s Spirit to know how to effectively live in the world but not of it.  God has us each occupying a unique combination of home, school, workplace, recreation areas, and so many other places so that together the light of Jesus shines in ways it never could if it depended on any of us individually.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we are His living occupant wherever we are.

  • Nation:  1 Peter 2:13-17

    • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living nation.  We have been called out of darkness into the light of Christ so that we have a new citizenship that is not of this world.  While I don’t take lightly the benefits and privileges of living in the great nation I call home here on this earth, I must constantly be mindful of the living nation of God’s kingdom to which I belong.  When I live as a foreigner, I respect the ways of my temporary home while not losing sight of my true citizenship.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we are a living nation as His holy people.

  • Example:  1 Peter 2:23-25

    • Chosen to be a living stone involves our choosing to be a living example.  There is an old phrase that says, “you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?”.  It is important that we rid our lives of all things which are sinful and that set a bad example for those who observe us.  People tend to watch what we do long before they seriously listen to what we say.  Our lives ought to be lived as such an example that people will not only “see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”, but they would also see those works and have reason to “ask about the hope which lies within you”.  As building blocks in the kingdom of God, we are to be a living example to everyone around us.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be a living STONE?

Chosen To Be . . . HOLY! (Sermon Audio)
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Chosen To Be . . . HOLY! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the July 7, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be HOLY!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 1

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

This morning’s message began a series through 1 & 2 Peter with a theme of “Chosen To Be . . . “.  As God works the miracle of revival in our life, we discover He does so as the God who chooses us!  This is an important message to all who feel distant from God for whatever reason.  To those believers who are scattered around the known world, God communicates a message that they are known by Him, loved, by Him, and chosen by Him.  But it is not just a generic choosing that allows us to be whatever we want to be, rather it is a reminder from God that we are chosen to be holy just as He is holy.  As we gaze into God’s Word and examine what it means to be chosen by God to be holy, we find that we have been chosen to be . . .

  • Hopeful:  1 Peter 1:1-5

    • Chosen to be holy begins with a recognition that the God who chooses us has the power and desire to make our holiness possible.  While is ought to be apparent that holiness is not possible on our own, we can live with confident hope in a God who chooses us to be His and transforms us by the power of His Spirit so that we can be holy as He is holy.

  • Obedient:  1 Peter 1:13-15

    • Chosen to be holy should lead us in a growing desire to be obedient to Christ in all things.  When we obey in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, our obedience usually ebbs and flows based on whether or not we think our disobedience will be noticed.  When we live with the realization that God chooses us, our obedience ought to grow from a position of desire to honor the One who has chosen us.

  • Loving:  1 Peter 1:22

    • Chosen to be holy is not only about how we relate to God and respond to His love, but it also shows us how we ought to love others.  When we view holiness as a sacred purity devoted to God, the way we love others should begin to reflect the way God loves them.  It is in this act of loving others sacrificially that we live out the instructions of Jesus who says the world will know we are His disciples by the way we love one another.

  • You:  1 Peter 1:23-25

    • Chosen to be holy should remind us of the great value each person has to God simply by being you.  But this isn’t you as defined by self, or by the world.  No, this is you as created and defined by God and made new by the power of His Spirit.  Chosen to be you doesn’t mean you can continue in sin with the excuse that it is simply who you are — God makes it clear that you are chosen to be holy just as He is holy which means being you must be defined by the purity and righteousness of His Word.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be HOLY?

Building For Revival: Just Keep At IT! (Sermon Audio)
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Building For Revival: Just Keep At IT! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the June 30, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Just Keep At IT!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 13

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV)

This morning’s message concluded a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work and once it is accomplished you are never really finished — there are always maintenance and repair needs to be done.  As we experience a revival of the heart by the work of God’s Spirit, we must also pay attention to the ongoing work and just keep at . . .

  • Instruction:  Nehemiah 13:1, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

    • Because God’s Word is living and active, we find that there are always things to learn when we gaze into it.  Even after experience a great revival and renewal, the people of Israel continued to discover instructions from God’s Word which they had somehow missed.  We build for revival when we choose to spend time in God’s Word asking Him to instruct us.

  • Transformation:  Nehemiah 13:30-31, Matthew 7:24-29

    • Instruction is only half the equation when it comes to keeping at it in regard to revival.  In fact, keeping at instruction can cause more damage than good if we fail to apply what we learn from God’s Word.  As the people of Israel heard from God’s Word regarding His commands and precepts, they chose to make changes which would align them with God’s instructions.  We build for revival when we choose to be doers of God’s Word and not hearers only.

Today, how will you choose to keep at IT?

Building For Revival: A Revival of AWE! (Sermon Audio)
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Building For Revival: A Revival of AWE! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the June 23, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: The WORK of Giving!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 11 & 12

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work and not everyone appreciates what is taking place.  The good news as we build for revival is that the One who is for us is greater than the one who is against us.  As we build for revival, and are being built in revival, we must recognize the work of God is a revival of . . .

  • All:  Nehemiah 11:1 – 12:26, Acts 2:38-39

  • Worship:  Nehemiah 12:27-43, Acts 2:42-47

  • Enough:  Nehemiah 12:44-47, Acts 4:32-35

Today, how will you experience a revival of AWE?

Building For Revival: The WORK of Giving! (Sermon Audio)
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Building For Revival: The WORK of Giving! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the June 16, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: The WORK of Giving!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 10

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As we build for revival and choose to spend time listening to God’s Word and agreeing with what He says and what He says we ought to do, our response ought to be an expression of love.  It is in that relationship that we learn to give freely and generously because we choose to express our love in every way possible.  After time focused in God’s Word and confessing their sin to God, the people of Israel were prepared to notice needs of every kind and came together to commit themselves to the . . .

  • Worship of Giving:  Nehemiah 10:28, Romans 12:1-2

  • Obedience of Giving:  Nehemiah 10:29, Luke 14:33

  • Responsibility of Giving:  Nehemiah 10:32, Acts 20:35

  • Kindness of Giving: — Nehemiah 10:39, Acts 4:9

Today, how will you participate in the WORK of giving?

Building For Revival: Confess SIN! (Sermon Audio)
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Building For Revival: Confess SIN! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the June 9, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Confess SIN!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 9

“On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.  Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.  They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.  Standing on the stairs were the Levites — Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani — who called with loud voices to the LORD their God.  And the Levites — Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah — said: ‘Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.  Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.’”
Nehemiah 9:1-5 (NIV)

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As we build for revival and choose to be a righteous generation, God’s Word will always reveal that which keeps us from being holy as He is holy. The correct response to sin in our life is to agree with God not only about our sin, but also about what needs done with it.  Our response to God’s Word ought to include a time when we go to God and confess . . .

  • Scripturally: — Galatians 5:19-21

  • Intentionally: — 1 John 1:8-10

  • Naturally: — Galatians 5:22-26

Today, how will you confess SIN as you build for revival?

Building For Revival: Remembering the PAST! (Sermon Audio)
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Building For Revival: Remembering the PAST! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the May 26, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Remembering the PAST!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 7

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As you build for revival, it is important to pay attention to what God is doing and to what He will do, but it is also necessary to review what He has done as the history of past revival, and your own revival, helps in remembering the . . .

  • Protection: — Nehemiah 7:1-3, Psalm 77:11-13

  • Access: — Nehemiah 7:4-7, Psalm 42:4

  • Sacrifice: — Nehemiah 7:66-72, Psalm 20:1-3

  • Trust: — Nehemiah 7:73, Psalm 20:6-7

 

Today, where will this PAST take you?

Building For Revival: Standing FIRM! (Sermon Audio)
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Building For Revival: Standing FIRM! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the May 19, 2024 sermon, “Building For Revival: Standing FIRM!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Nehemiah 6

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)

This morning’s message continued a series from the book of Nehemiah about Building For Revival.  As with any construction project, building for revival takes a lot of work.  As God prepares us and does a work of revival in our life, the enemy does everything in his power to oppose the transformation God is bringing about.  As we gaze into God’s Word, we discover He has given us all that is necessary to keep us standing . . .

  • Faithfully: — Nehemiah 6:2-4

    • As Nehemiah continued the work God had called him to, the enemies of the rebuilding process were relentless in their opposition.  When we open ourselves to God doing a work of revival in our life, we can be sure the enemy will use every tool possible to derail such work.  Standing firm is not simply resisting the various temptations and attacks of the enemy, but it involves standing faithfully each and every time the accusations of the enemy come our way.  Standing faithfully is a way of life which says we will not give up regardless of how often the enemy comes at us.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing faithfully.

  • Intentionally: — Nehemiah 6:8-9

    • When direct opposition failed to accomplish its intent, the enemies of Nehemiah sent an unsealed letter of accusation designed to stir up the gossip and rumor mills into a frenzy of doubt.  It is in the midst of this attempt to weaken the work from the inside out that Nehemiah chose to stand intentionally with God.  When we understand the true nature of revival, we discover we must be intentional in our conversations with God about our need for His help.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing intentionally.

  • Respectfully: — Nehemiah 6:11-14

    • How we treat those who oppose us says a lot about the strength of revival in our life.  There are some who believe that standing firm gives permission to treat people in ways that are far from Christ-like.  Fortunately, Scripture gives us instructions on how we ought to treat all people with respect and love.  Even when opposed directly, Nehemiah chose to leave judgement and the fate of his enemies to God.  Standing firm in the midst of opposition, when done God’s way, requires that we not only give an answer for the hope that is within us, but that we also do so with gentleness and respect.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing respectfully.

  • Mentally: — Nehemiah 6:15-16

    • God’s Word gives us the instruction to take every thought captive because our mind is often the opening the enemy uses to distract and destroy us.  We find that by trusting God and following His plan, the people of Israel were able to stand strong mentally while their enemies were filled with fear.  Standing mentally is not about us claiming victory because of our might or power, but rather it is about enduring in a way that makes the work of God clear to everyone . . . everyone including our enemies.  We build for revival when we build in a way that is standing mentally.

Today, how will you use God’s Word to assist you in standing FIRM?