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This is the audio from the August 6, 2023 sermon, “Good News: Preparing the Way”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 3:1-18, Isaiah 40

Today I began 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 arrives on the scene “in the fullness of time”, John fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah as the “voice of one calling in the wilderness”.  When we think of Jesus coming to earth, it is easy to think of John preparing the way or even Jesus Himself being the One to prepare the way.  However, when we look at the actual wording of the quote from Isaiah that Luke uses, we find that John is the one calling in the wilderness and it was those who heard his words that were to be involved in preparing the . . .

• Warning: (Luke 3:1-9, Isaiah 40:6-8)

  • John’s role in calling people to prepare the way for the coming of God included a warning as to the dangers of not being prepared.  When God called Isaiah to speak to His people, the message was to be one of comfort.  Yet, even with a call to comfort the people God begins by telling him to cry out a warning about the brevity of life.  John’s warning was similar in that the time was near for the judgment of God to fall upon those who failed to produce good fruit.  When we heed God’s call to be involved in preparing the way for others to know Jesus, we do so with a warning that nothing is more important than being right with God.

• Answer: — (Luke 3:10-14, Isaiah 40:9-11)

  • God’s Word tells us that we should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us and to do so with gentleness and respect.  As John taught people what it looked like to prepare the way for the arrival of Jesus, he was prepared with answers to the questions that arose from people paying attention to the warnings.  These answers were the practical application of how to treat one another with love and respect.  Isaiah gave a similar answer in describing the response to the warning being an acknowledgement of a good shepherd who cared for his flock with gentleness and concern.  When we heed God’s call to be involved in preparing the way for others to know Jesus, we do so with the answer of God’s goodness seen through our life.

• Y: — (Luke 3:15-18, Isaiah 40:28-21)

  • I know, Y is a letter and not a word but in this case it represents the why of preparing the way.  The why has a lot to do with both the warning and the answer.  While the why given by Luke describes the gathering of those who belong to God, it also describes the eternal destruction of those who rejected God.  Luke said that all of this, along with many other words, was proclaiming good news to those who would hear.  Isaiah tells a similar story when chapter 40 concludes with the statement that all people grow weary but those who wait, or put their hope, on the Lord will have renewed strength and rise as on wings of eagles.  When we heed God’s call to be involved in preparing the way for others to know Jesus, we do so with the purpose of seeing others come to know the good news of Jesus.

Today, how will you be involved in preparing the WAY?

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This is the audio from the July 30, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: A Home of Hope”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 9:11-15

Today I concluded a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

While the book of Amos is filled with warnings and proclamations of the dire consequences of sin, it really is a message of hope.  God makes it clear through the message delivered by Amos that disobedience has consequences, but God will always shine a light on the way home.  No matter how near or far we are, when we turn toward God we find He illuminates a path to a home of . . .

• Help: (Amos 9:11-12)

  • When the consequences of sin creates a separation from God, it shouldn’t take long to realize we need help.  When it comes to being part of God’s family, He not only provides help, He does what we could never do — He does the restoring and rebuilding of all we have destroyed.  When we as individuals, and as the church, seek to reflect the image of God, we live with the help of God’s Spirit to become a home of hope as we learn to help one another within the body of Christ.

• Opportunity: — (Amos 9:13)

  • When we respond to God’s call to be in relationship with Him we find a home of opportunity.  God tells the people in the days of Amos that a time was coming when the harvest would be so plentiful that they would still be harvesting when the plowmen came to prepare the fields for the next planting.  We live in that time now and the harvest that is plentiful is a harvest of people for the kingdom of God.  When we follow God’s calling to be a home of hope, we find it when we experience and extend a home of opportunity to one another.

• Protection: — (Amos 9:14)

  • One of the great difficulties experienced by the people of God when they would stray away from Him is that they became vulnerable to raiders and bandits who would steal and destroy everything they could.  God speaks through Amos to proclaim a time when the people would be safe in their homes without worrying about their vineyards and gardens.  Unfortunately for those that think this would mean a protection from all physical harm or difficulty, that simply doesn’t align with the teachings of God’s Word.  The protection God offers within His home of hope is a spiritual protection through our willingness to put on the full armor of God.  When we follow God’s calling to be a home of hope, we find a home of protection from the many schemes of the devil.

• Eternity: — (Amos 9:15)

  • One of the great thieves of hope is our limited view of time.  We tend to lose hope because the thing we have hoped for doesn’t happen in the time frame that we had pre-determined.  When God speaks through the prophet Amos, He declares a home of hope in which they would never be removed.  That same promise was echoed by Jesus as He prayed for His disciples, and for us, that we would one day be where He is.  When we follow God’s calling to be a home of hope, we discover a home of eternity that can never be taken from us.

Today, will you pursue a home of HOPE?

~

This is the audio from the July 23, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: No Place To Hide”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 8:3-7

Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

While there are many times people try to completely hide from God, such as Jonah did, perhaps more common is the thought that we can hide certain actions from God and He won’t notice.  The people in the days of Amos would observe the Sabbath and worship times set by God, yet in the midst of those times which should have been sacred they were concerned about getting back to the business of mistreating and cheating people.    When we live as those called by God, as His people, the way we treat others says a lot about our relationship with God.  Even when we struggle with differences within the body of Christ, God wants us to treat one another in a way that promotes honor and respect.  Doing so every day that we live shows that the family of God really is no place to . . .

• Humiliate: (Matthew 18:15)

  • The people in the days of Amos appear to have made it a habit to lift themselves and put down others.  Often times our mistreatment of others begins by making them out to be less of a person than we are.  Even in the midst of conflict, God says His family is no place to humiliate one another.  In fact, He gives us instructions on how to handle situations when we sin against one another.  Rather than point that out to anyone else, our first step is to protect the reputation of others and go to them privately to work out the issue.  As those called by God, we must be very careful that our dealings with others are always done with the utmost care so that the family of God is no place to humiliate anyone.

• Injure: — (Ephesians 4:29)

  • The people in the days of Amos not only had not problem humiliating others, they would extend that into the way they actually treated the people they looked down on.  While the old playground phrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me”, was often repeated, it was far from the truth.  God says that when we don’t guard our words that sin abounds.  What we allow to grow in our heart will eventually come out through our words and then make its way into our actions.  Living as the family of God calls for us to protect others from injury by only speaking what is useful and builds them up according to their need.  As those called by God, there is no place within God’s family to injure anyone.

• Destroy: — (Galatians 5:14-15)

  • The hearts of the people in the days of Amos seem to be set on destruction.  I suspect that it didn’t begin that way, but once we allow the seeds of humiliating and injuring others to slip into our lives the path to destruction becomes the natural flow.  It is by holding fast to God’s command to love our neighbor as our self, we are transformed into seeing people the way God sees them.  God warns us that a life spent “biting and devouring” one another will lead to destruction.  Living as the family of God calls for us to care about others and to love them with the same love that God has shown to us.  As those called by God, there is no place within God’s family to destroy anyone.

• Enslave: — (Colossians 2:8)

  • The ultimate digression of mistreating people is to enslave them in one way or another.  The people in the days of Amos had devalued others to the point that they were simply another commodity in the process of lifting themselves.  While it is unlikely that any Christian reading this would consider enslaving someone else in the traditional sense of the word, our methods of doing so typically revolve around forcing others to live by our standards and preferences rather than letting Christ be the head of the body.  In fact, God warns us about the dangers of being taken captive, or taking others captive, through the tools of human tradition and worldly principles.  Living as the family of God calls for us to be submissive to one another and allow for differences that don’t violate the Word of God.  As those called by God, there is no place within God’s family to enslave anyone.

Today, how will you live in God’s presence so there is no need or desire to HIDE?

~

This is the audio from the July 16, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: The Need to Obey”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 7

Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

God’s desire for each one of us is that we would grow in relationship with Him.  As God calls us to not only accept Him but to grow in this relationship, our response is often put to the test.  God’s plan for us has always been to use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.  That only happens when we understand the need to . . .

• Observe: (Amos 7:1, 4, & 7)

  • When called by God, Amos learned to observe the things that God intended for him to see.  We also have been called by God and He expects us to pay attention and observe His nature and His work as we spend time in His Word and in prayer.  Being able to gaze into scripture and notice the laws and instructions of God ought to put us into a position of listening.  Because we are called by God, we must understand the need to observe all that He has commanded.

• Believe: — (Amos 7:2 & 5)

  • Observing the nature and character of God is one thing, but the true test comes in what we choose to do about what God has revealed.  When Amos observed the judgement that God revealed was to come upon Israel, he cried out to God for mercy because he believed God would do what He said.  Observing the truth of God’s Word and the promise of the return of Jesus ought to compel us to have great concern for ourselves and for everyone around us.  Sometimes we fail to be all that concerned for others because we may be harboring doubt about what God has shown us in His Word.  Because we are called by God, we must believe in a way that compels us to action.

• Examine: — (Amos 7:8)

  • Observing and believing are great places to start, but it is not enough to just do anything that comes to mind.  As God set forth a plumb line for Amos to observe, He was calling Amos to examine the standard by which God calls people to Himself.  Our enemy is a master at deception and does everything he can to distort God’ Word in order to confuse our actions.  We must be careful to use the straight edge of the Word of God as the standard by which we live and act.  Because we are called by God, we must consistently examine what is before us so that our response to God and to those around us would always be right.

• Yield: — (Amos 7:14-16)

  • As Christians we tend to accept the need to observe, believe, and examine.  The difficulty often comes when we attempt to put those elements into action and are required to fully yield to God.  God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things because that is really all that any of us are.  Amos was an ordinary farmer who was called by God to deliver an unwanted message and even when the message and messenger was rejected, Amos yielded to God as he continue to do the work God had called him to.  Because we are called by God, we must learn to continually grow in the ways we yield to God in all things.

Today, how will you OBEY?

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This is the audio from the July 9, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: A Matter of the Heart”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 6

Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

As God speaks to His people through the prophet Amos, He makes it clear that simply going through the motions or being born into the right family is not enough to be right with God.  As God looked at the people of Israel and Judah, and as He looks at us, it is the condition of our heart that is most noticeable.  The difference between a heart that will fall and a heart that is full can be seen in the single letter that is different between fall and full.  A heart that will fall is a heart with arrogance at its core.  The heart that is full is one with understanding being its central feature.  God sees through all of our facades and pretenses and looks directly into the heart of the matter — our  . . .

• Head: (Colossians 3:2)

  • While it may seem strange to talk about the head being involved in a matter of the heart, it is important to note that when the Bible talks about our heart it generally refers to the very core of who we are and why we do what we do.  Our head is definitely involved in our decision to love God with a whole heart or not.  The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we set our mind on things above so that we move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.

• Emotions: — (Jeremiah 17:9)

  • Of all the characteristics we’ll talk about today in regard to a matter of the heart, the matter of our emotions is likely the one that most corresponds to our cultures view of heart.  We use the heart symbol to express a love that is based on feelings of good toward someone else.  While we need to be aware of our emotions and pay attention to how God uses them to guide and direct us at times, we must also recognize in this regard our heart can be deceitful and lead us into making poor decisions.  The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we put our emotions in submission to God as we move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.

• Actions: — (Matthew 12:34-35)

  • A matter of the heart will always be reflected in our actions.  Whether it was the people of Israel and Judah in the days of Amos, the religious leaders in the days of Jesus, or you and I today, God makes it clear that what is in our heart will eventually come out to reveal who we are.  The condition of our heart is what produces our words and actions not only in our relationship with God but also in our relationships with one another.  The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we pay attention to our actions so we make the appropriate adjustments to move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.

• Response: — (1 Peter 3:15)

  • I suspect that most of us have had times when our response to others, or even to God, has not been what it should have been.  There are a lot of factors in that, but at the core of it is an overflow of the heart at the moment in that we become defensive rather than learning.  God’s desire is that our heart would be completely filled with Him so that our response to others is one filled with gentleness and respect.  The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we pay attention to how we respond so that we can make the adjustments necessary to move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.

• Time: — (2 Corinthians 6:2)

  • While we often don’t recognize it, or even feel like it is true, time is the great equalizer.  Each day that God gives us contains the same 24 hours no matter who we are or what we do.  When we’re honest with ourselves, we realize that the only time we really have is the moment that is now.  Because our responsibilities and commitments vary greatly from person to person and between stages of life, it can be easy to lose sight of what is really important when it comes to time.  The time to be right with God is always right now.  The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we examine this very moment of time so that today we move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.

Today, what will you do with your HEART?

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This is the audio from the July 2, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: Repent NOW”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 5:4-6, 14-15

Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

The story of Amos is not only about God calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things, it is also about God calling His people to return . . . to come home.  The way of returning always requires that we change direction in what the Bible calls repentance.  When God’s Word convicts us and calls for repentance, the best response is to repent . . .

• Noticeably:

  • Repentance may be about changing our mind, and it may well begin in the mind, but true and godly repentance will always involve a noticeable change.  It can be easy to go about the motions that give a casual observer the impression you desire, but real change stand up to the scrutiny of examination.  When we turn, or return, toward God in repentance, He begins a work in us that should be visible in such a way that people see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

• Obediently: —

  • Rather than being about judgment or condemnation, the repentance God calls us to is a restoration of obedience.  The change of direction we choose to make becomes led by our desire to obey God’s Word as we look to Him for help in doing so.  Our attitude and desires change so that our obedience is not done out of compulsion, but rather out of love.  When we turn, or return, toward God in repentance, He creates both the desire and ability within us for a life of obedience.

• Worshipfully: —

  • One result of our responding to God’s call for repentance ought to be an increase in our offering of worship to Him.  It is through repentance that we allow God to examine us fully and purify our heart and mind so our worship flows freely from a life devoted to Him.  Rather than allowing our sin to distance us from God, repentance invites God in to clean up our mess so that nothing would hinder our worship.  When we turn, or return, to God in repentance, He creates within us a clean heart which can worship Him fully.

Today, will you hear God’s call and repent NOW?

~

This is the audio from the June 25, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: SIN Is Always Over-Priced”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 1 – 4, Romans 6:23

Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

Sin. It’s a topic we don’t like to talk about and when we do it is generally focused on the bad things others do rather than on an examination of how our own life stacks up according to God’s standard. God’s message to mankind has always been that it doesn’t matter if the sin is acceptable or unacceptable by our standards, it is always over-priced and must be rejected by God’s children.

• Selfishness Is Always Over-Priced:  —  Amos 2:6-8, James 4:1-3

  • While at first glance selfishness may appear to get us what we want, it never accomplishes what is promised.  God’s message to Israel through the prophet Amos was in part a message that they would soon pay for their selfish behavior and it would be a cost far greater than they imagined.  God tells us through James that our selfishness can cost us the response from God that we truly need and desire.  When we consider the sin of selfishness, we would do well to remember that selfishness is always over-priced.

• Idolatry Is Always Over-Priced: —  Amos 4:4-5, 1 Corinthians 10:12-14

  • Idolatry is the practice of putting anything in place of God or above God.  While we often think of idols being physical things or even people, the nation of Israel had made their religious practices into idols which they worshiped and honored more than God.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and to us, about the need to resist temptation and look to God for deliverance from it.  It is within this context that he says to flee from idolatry.  When we choose to worship anything but God, we have diminished our connection with the One who can help us overcome.  When we consider the sin of idolatry, we would do well to remember that idolatry is always over-priced.

• Neglect Is Always Over-Priced: —  Amos 3:1-8, Luke 11:42-44

  • I suspect that we all have things that we mean to do but we just don’t get around to it.  While that may be a natural part of the human life, when we begin to neglect our relationship with God and the building up of our self and others that He want to accomplish, we pay a price far greater than we imagine.  While the people of Israel claimed to be God’s people, God delivers a message that points out their neglect in maintaining that relationship which God had called them to.  They were not much different from the religious leaders Jesus addressed about how they focused on doing religious activity while neglecting the greater tasks of justice and love.  When we consider the sin of neglect, we would do well to remember that neglect is always over-priced.

Today, will you seek God’s help to overcome SIN which is always over-priced?

~

This is the audio from the June 18, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: Dare To Be . . . Amos?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Amos 1:1, 7:14-15

Today I began a sermon series which will be based from the Old Testament book of Amos.  If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos.  See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.

“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere.  The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.”  (Irving Jensen)

This introductory message deals with the appropriate response when God calls us as His children and as His servants.  God has a tendency to use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things and Amos is an excellent example for us to see how that works.  In fact, when we consider some of the characteristics present in the life of Amos, we would do well to put those principles into action and dare to be . . . .

• Available:  —

  • Amos makes it clear that the work he was called by God to do was not according to his custom, practice, or way of life.  In fact, God called him away from what he was accustomed to doing in order to use him as a messenger of truth.  When we live as those called by God we must live as those who are available to God for His purposes and will.

• Motivated: —

  • Delivering a message of truth is often met with opposition and that was certainly the case for Amos.  When those with authority and power tried to send him away and discredit his message, Amos stayed true to delivering what God was giving him to say.  When we live as those called by God we must live as those who are motivated by the truth of God’s Word in all we say and do.

• Obedient: —

  • It is one thing to be available and motivated when the task at hand is something we want to do.  It is an entirely different thing when we’re facing a task that is in conflict with our own comfort and security.  Amos took God’s message to the people of Israel not because it was easy or comfortable, but because God called him to it and he obeyed.  When we live as those called by God we must live as those who are obedient to God no matter what.

• Serving:  —

  • When Amos put his availability, motivation, and obedience into action he was in the perfect position to serve God and serve people.  He did what he did and said what not because it was beneficial to him or self-serving in any way, but because he chose to live as a servant of God.  When we live as those called by God we must live as those who serve Him and serve one another in love.

Today, will you dare to be AMOS?  What will that look like in your life?