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This is the audio from the December 3, 2023 sermon, “Good News of Christmas: TIME”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 1:1-25

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  Throughout the month of December we will continue our Good News series with a look at The Good News of Christmas as found in the first tow chapters of Luke.  Luke makes it clear that his goal in writing is to set forth an orderly account of the story of Jesus.  In the fullness of time God sent His Son to be the fulfillment of His law and prophecies.  While many had grown tired, and some had even quit looking, Luke records for us the good news that the time had come and that announcement first makes its way to a couple who needed to hear the good news of time!  As we consider the Christmas story, we find the good news of  . . .

• Trust: — (Luke 1:1-7)

  • When things don’t happen according to our timetable, our doubt can grow to the point where we eventually lose hope in the desired outcome ever taking place.  In our text, Zechariah and Elizabeth lived at a time when people had become skeptical concerning the promised Messiah and they had also lived to an old age without having any children.  While there were likely many claiming God had forgotten them, they remained steadfast in their trust of Him no matter what.  Our trust in God isn’t about experiencing everything we want when we want it, rather it is believing that God knows best and we learn to trust in His plan and timing.  The good news of trust says that I will believe God even when I don’t understand.

• Incense: — (Luke 1:8-12; Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4))

  • It was a privilege and special responsibility to be chosen as a priest of God to burn incense before the Lord in His temple.  It was in this fullness of time that Zechariah was chosen by God through the casting of lots so the he would carry out the task of going before the altar of the Lord to burn incense.  When you consider the altar of the Lord was a place of sacrifice where the blood of bulls and goats was brought in to temporarily pay the penalty for the people’s sin, the burning of incense by God’s direction was meant to make the offering a sweet aroma before the Lord.  In the book of Revelation we find that the incense being offered to God is the prayers of God’s people.  Even in our text, as Zechariah is burning the incense before the Lord, it is taking place in tandem with the prayers of the people who were outside worshiping God.  The good news of incense says that my prayers carry a sweet aroma before God which is pleasing to Him.

• Meaning: — (Luke 1:13-17)

  • As Zechariah is fulfilling His responsibility before the Lord, an angel comes and stands before him to announce that his prayers had been heard.  I suspect that if an angel would appear to any one of us announcing that our prayers had been heard, we would want some clarity as to what exactly was meant.  For Zechariah, the first level of meaning to having his prayers heard was that he and Elizabeth would have a son even in their old age.  But I suspect that Zechariah, as one who was considered by God to be upright and blameless, had been praying for much more than a son.  In fact, the angel goes on to say that the meaning of this birth announcement was that this child would be the one to prepare the way for the Lord.  The good news for us is that each of us have meaning and value because we were knit together in our mother’s womb and called into being by God.  The good news of meaning says that God knows what He is doing and He knows when He is doing it so that His work in us and through us always has purpose.

• Encouragement: — (Luke 1:18-25)

  • Because God operates on a timetable that we generally don’t understand, we must rely on Him for the encouragement necessary to continually live with the faith He desires to find in us.  Zechariah had doubts and was made to be unable to speak as a sign to him that God was indeed in the midst of this.  While the silence may not sound very encouraging to us, when Elizabeth became pregnant the silence of Zechariah was a continual reminder that God was in the midst of this.  When we live with a focus on what God is doing, it is our sharing of that with others that encourages both us and them.  Especially when the working of God comes at a time we least expect, we discover His faithfulness in helping our trust and obedience be an encouragement to others.  The good news of encouragement is that God desires to use each one of us in ways that not only build us up individually, but also in ways that builds up and encourages the body of Christ.

Today, what will you do with the good news of TIME?

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This is the audio from the November 26, 2023 sermon, “Good News: An Upward MOVE”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 19:1-27

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As we continue gazing into the gospel of Luke, we find the story of a man who desperately wanted to see Jesus and a parable Jesus told in response to His statement of purpose.  What began as an upward move by Zacchaeus simply so he could get a better view quickly became instruction on how we can make an upward move that leads to eternal life.  When we realize we are part of the lost which the Son of Man came to seek and to save, we turn to God with an upward . . .

• Motivation: — (Luke 19:1-4)

  • When we set out in pursuit of a God, it generally doesn’t take long before we run into one obstacle or another.  For a man named Zacchaeus, one of the obstacles in seeing Jesus was his short stature.  Rather than allowing the obstacle to keep him from Jesus, Zacchaeus was motivated to climb upward just to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by.  When we live with an upward motivation, we live with an unwavering pursuit of Jesus that keeps us focused on the eternal goal.

• Obedience: — (Luke 19:5-10)

  • Even with an upward motivation that helped Zacchaeus see Jesus, he was still left with a choice regarding his response to the encounter.  When Jesus stops at the very spot where Zacchaeus had climbed the tree and calls out for him to come down so that He can visit his house, a decision must be made regarding a willingness to obey.  We find that the response of Zacchaeus goes beyond simply climbing down the tree and taking Jesus home with him, he displays an upward focused response which seeks to excel in obedience to God’s Word in making things right with those he had cheated.  When we live with an upward obedience, we live with a deliberate decision to obey God’s Word in all things.

• Value: — (Luke 19:11-13)

  • As the crowds mutter about the inappropriateness of Jesus spending time with Zacchaeus, Jesus responds with a parable which shows the value of being faithful with all that is entrusted to us by God.  The people were expecting the kingdom of God to show up at any moment and to look like they were imagining it — victorious over the Roman empire.  In their version, they were the heroes and people like Zacchaeus had no place in it.  As Jesus calls us to lift our gaze upward, He shows that our opinion of who ought to be in charge doesn’t excuse us from a faithful obedience to the One who is really in charge.  The stuff of this world only has real value as we use it for the sake of the King.  When we live with an upward value, we begin to store up treasure in heaven rather than investing in the things of this world.

• Expression: — (Luke 19:14-17)

  • As the parable continues, we find that the subjects of the man who would be proclaimed king did not want him to rule over them.  Yet in the midst of such feelings, there were those who took what was given to them by the king and used it for the king’s benefit.  God doesn’t seek our approval to be King and He doesn’t need it.  In fact, even when we object through a life that seeks to serve self, God continues to entrust us with tangible and intangible gifts with a desire that our expressions of those gifts would glorify Him.  It is our upward motivation, obedience, and value which leads to the highest expression possible toward us — “Well done!”.  When we live with an upward expression, we insist on using the things of this world for the good of God’s kingdom with a goal of hearing Him say well done.

Today, how will you pursue God with an upward MOVE?

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This is the audio from the November 19, 2023 sermon, “Good News: A Time To PRAY”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 18

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus walked this earth, prayer was more than just something to open a meeting or bless the food, it was His lifeline with His Father.  His example and His teaching not only shows us how to pray, but tell us it is time to . . .

• Persist: — (Luke 18:1-8)

  • While many people find the parable in the beginning of Luke eighteen to be confusing, the Bible makes it clear that this was told by Jesus to teach people that they should always pray and never give up.  If unjust people will eventually do what is right because of the persistence of a person seeking justice, how much more will our persistence pay off with a greater understanding of God always doing what is right.  Our persistence in prayer isn’t about us changing the mind of God but rather it is about us staying in communication with God so that we understand more fully His will in all circumstances.  When we realize that now is a time to pray, we find that now is a time to persist in our prayers.

• Repent: — (Luke 18:9-14)

  • As Jesus teaches about our need to remain faithful in our conversations with the Father, He tells a story of two men who went to the temple to pray.  The story was told to address the problem of people putting their confidence in their own righteousness and thus looking down upon others.  The self-righteous Pharisee prayed to himself, or about himself, or probably a bit of both.  In fact, his prayer was even thankful that he was not like the sinners of the world or even like the other guy who had come to pray.  The other guy was a tax collector that came in a spirit of repentance asking God to have mercy on him.  His prayer brought him closer to God where he was justified and exalted through a humble spirit.  When we realize that now is a time to pray, we find that now is a time to repent.

• Accept: — (Luke 18:15-17)

  • One of the favorite pictures in my mind is of a line of parents bringing their little children to Jesus just to have Him touch them.  As Luke tells this story, the picture is marred by the rebuke of the disciples who thought that Jesus was too important to bother with the little ones.  Jesus makes it clear that it is the children who understand the kingdom of God in a way that we never will until we become like little children.  At times, we have a tendency to create in our mind an idea of who should come to Jesus and who shouldn’t.  We push people away with our words and actions while Jesus desires for us to call them near.  It is not that we are called to accept the sin of others anymore than we are to accept our own sin, but we are called to accept the people.  When we realize that now is the time to pray, we find that now is the time to accept others just as we ourselves have been accepted.

• Yield: — (Luke 18:18-30)

  • Jesus continued to teach about our communication with His Father as He interacted with a rich ruler who seemed to have a desire to relate to God on his own terms.  His desire is to know what must be done to gain eternal life and initially believes he has done everything that the law would require.  Jesus lists off a number of commandments which the man claims to have kept from the time he was a young boy.  It is interesting to me that he knew the law and felt he had kept the law, but was still concerned about whether his goodness was good enough.  The instructions of Jesus to this man calling on him to sell everything he had and give to the poor struck at the heart of this man’s real god, his wealth.  God knows even more clearly than we do regarding who or what is our god and His desire is that we would learn to yield fully to Him.  When we realize that now is the time to pray, we find that now is the time to yield to God in everything we think and do.

Today, how will you PRAY?

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This is the audio from the November 12, 2023 sermon, “Good News: A Not So Ordinary LIFE”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 17

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus walked this earth, much of what we know about His activities took place in the ordinary circumstances of life.  Ordinary people going about the ordinary tasks of life, at least until they met Jesus.  Whether you think your life is ordinary, extraordinary, or less than ordinary, God’s desire is that you would have a not so ordinary . . .

• Love: — (Luke 17:1-4)

  • The ordinary love of this world tends to focus on self more than sacrifice.  As Jesus teaches in the context of temptation and sin, He points us to the importance of forgiveness.  With sin being inevitable, His desire is that we not be the cause of the sin others find themselves involved in.  The Bible teaches us that love covers a multitude of sin and we experience that when we find God’s forgiveness of our sin and then reflect that same nature in the way we forgive others.  When we live with a not so ordinary love, we learn and practice forgiveness not based on what is deserved but based on what is needed.

• Involvement: — (Luke 17:5-10)

  • The ordinary involvement of this world generally revolves around us doing what we want to do.  Even when we do what is required, we do so with a constant awareness of how we benefit.  Sometimes our involvement in the work of God reflects more of what we want than what He wants.  Jesus taught that we must always keep in mind the difference between God and us in relationship to responsibility and authority.  When we live with a not so ordinary involvement, our service to God is based on Him being in charge and us being His servant.

• Faith: — (Luke 17:11-19)

  • The ordinary faith of this world isn’t really faith at all but rather a human attempt to believe in what we create in our own mind.  When Jesus heals ten men who had leprosy, He says it is their faith that made them well.  We often focus, with good reason, on the one who returned to give thanks, but it appears that all of them were healed as they went off in obedience to the command of Jesus.  As lepers, their actions of going to show themselves to the priest would be completely unacceptable if they had arrived with visible signs of leprosy.  When we live with a not so ordinary faith, we take God at his Word in more than a mental acknowledgement but in a life of obedient action.

• Example: — (Luke 17:20-37)

  • The ordinary examples of this world are often people who accomplish great things and claim to do so on their own.  As Jesus taught about the coming of God’s kingdom, He did so with examples of faithful obedience in the midst of a disbelieving culture.  The Bible then tells us that all of the events recorded for us in God’s Word are there as examples for us in either how to live or how not to live.  When we live with a not so ordinary example, our life becomes a shining light of Jesus that we choose to make visible everywhere we go.

Today, how will you live a not so ordinary LIFE?

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This is the audio from the November 5, 2023 sermon, “Good News: A Time To ACT”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 16

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of God, we find Him telling some stories that may appear to be random.  Stories of a shrewd or unjust manager, of choosing a master, of God’s kingdom, of adultery, and of a beggar and rich man.  I believe a closer look at this chapter reveals a common thread of being ready for when this life ends.  Because we don’t know when our time on earth will be over, now is a time to . . .

• Accumulate: — (Luke 16:9-12, Matthew 6:19-21)

  • I suspect some people find it a bit strange for me to start a message stating that a time to act is a time to accumulate.  I think it sounds strange because our first thoughts often go to money and stuff when we think about accumulating.  Luke 16 opens with Jesus telling a story that can seem very confusing because it sounds like He is condoning dishonesty when He is actually trying to teach us that we ought to use our Master’s resources to accumulate people who will spend eternity with us in heaven.  Worldly wisdom says to use whatever we can to gain an advantage here on earth but godly wisdom says to use all our resources to accumulate a family of believers.  When we realize that now is the time to act, we begin to understand that now is the time to accumulate treasure in heaven . . . the only treasure we can take with us — people.

• Change: — (Luke 16:14-17, Matthew 18:3-4)

  • As the religious leaders began to sneer at Jesus because of His teachings regarding money and worldly possessions, He confronts them about the condition of their hearts.  He talks about the work of John in calling people to repentance and then His work in proclaiming the kingdom of God.  Rather than respond to the call to change, the religious leaders became the barrier that many were pushing through in order to enter God’s kingdom.  This change Jesus calls us to is a change of heart, mind, and action such that we become as little children in our in how we live out our trust and faith in Him.  When we realize that now is the time to act, we begin to accept that now is the time to change to become the child of God He calls us to be.

• Teach: — (Luke 16:27-31, Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

  • In the final illustration of this continuing story being told by Jesus, we find a beggar dying and finding himself carried to the presence of Abraham while a rich man died and was taken to a place of torment.  When it became clear that nothing could be done for the rich man after he had died, he had one request that someone would go back and warn his brothers.  The rich man is told clearly that God’s Word is all that would be given and that it was enough.  Our responsibility today is to teach God’s Word as the message of salvation to all people.  This moment in time is what we have with no guarantee of the next.  When we realize that now is the time to act, we must understand the urgency of today being the day of salvation as we teach the good news of Jesus everywhere we go.

Today, how will you ACT?

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This is the audio from the October 29, 2023 sermon, “Good News: HOPE When We’re LOST”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 15

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of God, we find Him being criticized for because “tax collectors and sinners” were coming to hear Him and He would eat with them.  Knowing what the religious leaders were muttering about, Jesus tells three stories of lost things being found with much emphasis on the final story of a lost son, or two.  What does it look like to be lost?  Many times we use that term, and rightly so, to distinguish between those who are saved and those who are not.  But as we look into Luke 15, I believe there are times when those of us who belong to Christ still manage to wander into places of being lost in different ways.  Even when we know we belong to Christ, we can feel lost when we feel:

Lonely — Loneliness and isolation can make us feel lost.  The lost son found himself all alone as his friends abandoned him.

Objectified — Not being seen as a person can make us feel lost.  The lost son felt no value once his money ran out.

Sinful — Sin is the great separator and will make us feel lost.  The lost son recognized his sin against God and his father.

or just plain
Tired —  Our weariness can affect us at every level of our being, bringing about a feeling of being lost.  The lost son was weary beyond belief just trying to survive.

While I spent much of the week focused on the above points of what it looks like to be lost, late in the week God shifted my focus to the real point of the message — finding hope when we’re lost.  Whether we’re lost in a state separated from God or simply lost in the overwhelming nature of life, It is God’s desire to use His Word, His Spirit, and one another to bring us to a place of . . .

• Healing: — (Luke 15:17)

  • It is often said that the first step in receiving help is our need to admit we need help.  For the lost son in our text, the journey of healing began when he “came to his senses”.  Regardless of the reason we feel lost, coming to our senses in regard to God’s desire and ability to heal us will set us on a journey of being found.  Not in finding our self, but in finding who we are in Christ.  We carry a message of hope to the lost around us when we carry a message of healing.

• Observation: — (Luke 15:18)

  • Once the lost son in our text came to his senses, he was able to look around and observe accurately where he had been, where he was, and where he could be.  Finding hope when we are lost is possible when we willingly gaze into God’s Word to discover the truth about our self and the truth about God.  We take note of what is separating us from Him and we respond in faith to all we see in the life example of Jesus.  We carry a message of hope to the lost around us when we carry a message of observation.

• Position: — (Luke 15:19)

  • Our natural tendency is one that seeks to elevate self to a position of importance and/or value.  When we are lost, it becomes difficult to think or believe we have value to anyone, let alone to God.  It is from that position of humility that we realize with the Psalmist that even being a doorkeeper in the house of God is better than anywhere away from God.  After coming to his senses and observing his current condition, the lost son knew that any position with his father was better than the continued separation.  We carry a message of hope to the lost around us when we carry a message of a place, or position, for them within God’s kingdom.

• Embrace: — (Luke 15:20)

  • There is nothing like a good and honest embrace to overcome the feelings and experience of being lost.  Even as the son returned in humility with a willingness to accept whatever fate awaited him, the father was waiting with open arms to welcome him home.  God’s call to everyone of us when we are lost is that we would repent and return home.  His desire is to embrace us and keep on embracing us as we find true hope in being cleansed by the blood of Jesus.  We carry a message of hope to the lost around us when we carry a message, and action, of embrace.

Today, will you experience and share HOPE when you are LOST?

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This is the audio from the October 15, 2023 sermon, “Good News: The GIFT of Repentance”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 13

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of God, we find Him giving us a closer view of repentance.  I suspect that gift is not the first word that comes to mind for most of us when we think of repentance.  When we know God’s desire and patience that wants all people to repent, we begin to understand just how much of a gift repentance is to all who would turn to God.  In turning to God with a desire to change, we find the . . .

• Goal of repentance: — (Luke 13:1-5, 2 Peter 3:9)

  • When we read the answer of Jesus to members of the crowd who were talking about individuals who had been killed by Pilate, it appears that perhaps there was a thought that these people somehow deserved it.  Jesus uses this opportunity to address the true goal of repentance — that without it we all perish.  The will of God is that no one would perish but that all would come to repentance as the way to avoid perishing.  When we embrace the gift of repentance, we come face to face with the goal of eternal life.

• Integrity of repentance: — (Luke 13:14-16, Isaiah 26:2-3)

  • With the goal of repentance being eternal life, it is important that we apply this gift with integrity.  Jesus had a practice of healing those who would come to Him in faith, regardless of whether the religious leaders thought it was an appropriate time or place.  God’s Word tells us that when our mind is fixed on God and our trust is placed in Him, we can experience perfect peace.  It is a peace that comes when we understand the results of our repentance has more to do with God’s integrity than ours.  When we embrace the gift of repentance, we find an honesty before God that lifts us to a place of peace.

• Freedom of repentance: — (Luke 13:18-20, Psalm 119:30-32)

  • As Jesus tells parables to describe the kingdom of God, He makes it known that there is growth and room for all who would come to Him.  The kingdom of God begins as a seed of truth planted in the hearts and minds of people and it grows into something that has room for all who would seek rest.  God’s Word provides that boundaries that allow us to run in freedom according to His commands of truth.  We don’t get to set the requirements or expectations of what repentance ought to look like . . . that is God’s job.  When we embrace the gift of repentance, we find freedom to live for God and the wisdom to help others know that same freedom.

• Transformation of repentance: — (Luke 13:24-30, Colossians 1:21-23)

  • Jesus makes it clear that there are many who will try to enter the kingdom of God and not be able to enter it because they never changed.  It is not enough to go to church, sing the songs, listen to the sermons, and even give time and money.  Jesus makes it clear that when we experience the gift of repentance we will be transformed by His power.  We are presented blameless before God, not because we have become perfect through our efforts but because we have been transformed through an acknowledgement that we needed God’s help in living in a new direction.  When we embrace the gift of repentance, we find the will and power to live a transformed life.

Today, what will you do with the GIFT of repentance?

~

This is the audio from the October 8, 2023 sermon, “Good News: A RICH Life”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 12

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of God, He is interrupted by a guy that wants Jesus to solve a family financial dispute.  Jesus seems to see through the heart of the matter and addresses the issue of greed by telling a story of a man whose crops produced an abundant harvest.  The man thought he had it made and could take life easy but God proclaims the man is a food because he only stored up for himself and was not rich toward God.  As we look at the surrounding context of this story, we discover what it looks like from God’s perspective for us to live a life that is . . .

• Righteous: — (Luke 12:1-3)

  • Jesus begins this chapter of Luke with a warning regarding the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  In fact, He will state elsewhere that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of God.  Being rich toward God requires that we live a righteous life, not by our own power, might, or ability but by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus.

• Instructed: — (Luke 12:22-31)

  • After telling the parable of the rich fool, Jesus goes on to instruct His disciples about why storing up for ourselves without being rich toward God is a foolish thing.  The instruction that we need when it comes to using wisely all that God has entrusted us with centers around Him as the source of all good things.  Being rich toward God requires that we live an instructed life so that we know and do what pleases Him.

• Compassionate: — (Luke 12:32-34)

  • As Jesus continued instructing His disciples, and us, He made the application of our contentment leading to a compassionate sharing with those in need.  When we learn to value people more than we value the stuff of this world, we learn to seek that which benefits others even at our own expense.  Being rich toward God requires that we live a compassionate life that makes all that we have available for God’s use.

• Humble: — (Luke 12:35-40)

  • Jesus fully understands the humility required to serve others, especially if we think we ought to be in charge.  In fact, Jesus showed us the full extent of His love, and His humility, when He loosened His grasp on heaven to come to earth as the sacrifice for our sin.  His life was lived as a servant of all even to the extent of washing the feet of His disciples.  His expectation for us is that we would humble ourselves to become a faithful servant that is watching for the return of our Master.  Being rich toward God requires that we live a humble life so the He is the One who lifts us up to be seated with Him in the heavenlies.

Today, how will you live a RICH life?