~

This is the audio from the May 15, 2022 sermon, “All-Sufficient GRACE”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  2 Corinthians 12:7 – 13:11

God has a way of bringing “thorn in the flesh” situations into our life for our benefit and, like Paul, we have a tendency to want them removed as quickly as possible.  I believe these last two chapters of 2 Corinthians are not only God’s answer to Paul, but they also show Paul’s response to living out the all-sufficient grace of God.  While grace is often defined as an undeserved gift, as I look into the nature of God and the actions of Paul, I see at least five characteristics which represent the grace we need and the grace we ought to share with others.  When the lessons of life seem overwhelming to us and to the people around us, God calls us to lean into, and share, His all-sufficient . . .

• Goodness.  2 Corinthians 12:14-15, Romans 15:14, 2 Peter 1:3
  • Paul was willing to give of himself because he understood the all-sufficient goodness of God as a good and loving Father.  God’s nature is provide what is best for the good of His children regardless of their level of obedience.  It is a self-sacrificing goodness best demonstrated through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  We carry the all-sufficient goodness of God to others when we help others reach the full potential that can be theirs as a child of God.
• Restoration.  2 Corinthians 12:19-21, Galatians 6:1, 1 Peter 5:10
  • As one who had lived in total opposition to the gospel of Jesus and to those who believed it, Paul knew first hand the all-sufficient restoration of God.  The power of God at work in a life goes much deeper than a simple surface change — it is a complete restoration to make a new creation in the person sin had destroyed.  Recognizing the tension between what was, what is, and what will be is at the heart of living not only as one who has been restored by God, but as one who carries a message of an all-sufficient restoration to everyone regardless of where they are currently at in the process.
• Acceptance.  2 Corinthians 13:4-6, Acts 10:34-35, Romans 15:7
  • Paul makes it clear in a number of his writings that he considers himself to be the least worthy of God’s love, yet because of that love he knows the grace of an all-sufficient acceptance.  I suspect that many times we struggle with the word acceptance because there are those that thinks it means nothing needs to change.  God’s acceptance of me, and of you, is always as we are but with His expectation that we will be transformed by His presence in us.  Even when we, or the people around us, are not living fully as we ought, God calls us to accept one another just as He in Christ has accepted us.  Living out that instruction leads us to embrace one another with an all-sufficient acceptance.
• Compassion.  2 Corinthians 13:9-10, Luke 15:20, 2 Corinthians 1:3
  • As a spiritual parent to the Corinthian church, Paul understood what it meant to share in the pain of others with an all-sufficient compassion.  He understood this is the compassion that God demonstrated toward him even as he lived in opposition to the gospel message.  The picture of the father in the story of the prodigal son is of a dad that has waited for his son to come to his senses and choose to come home.  That home-coming scene is an incredible image of compassion and embrace instead of judgment and condemnation.  We carry that all-sufficient compassion when we welcome home all who have strayed . . . even our self.
• Encouragement.  2 Corinthians 13:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, Hebrews 3:13
  • Paul knew the value of receiving an all-sufficient encouragement from God and from the people God used for that purpose.  Throughout his letters to the churches, we find that encouraging believers everywhere is a core concern of his.  Even when writing the difficult words of needed correction and rebuke, Paul seems to have always done so in ways meant to offer hope and confidence.  In the midst of what seems to be ever-increasing discouragement among people everywhere, imagine the difference you can make in the lives of people when you carry the message of an all-sufficient encouragement that can be found through the grace of God.

How do you need to experience, and share, the all-sufficient GRACE of God today?

~

This is the audio from the May 8, 2022 sermon, “Called To BE Different”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  2 Corinthians 10 & 11, Romans 12:1-2

As I look back through scripture, I find a consistent record of God calling people to Himself in a way that compels them to be different — different from what they were before and different from the people around them.  Today, let us consider a God who calls us to . . .

• Believe Differently.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6
  • God calls us to be different as we believe differently through a renewing of our mind.  It is critical that we take every thought captive and make each one obedient to Christ.  Our battle is not a flesh and blood battle, in fact it is most often a battle in the heavenly realms and in our mind.  We are on the road to becoming different when we believe differently about ourselves and about others.
• Express Differently.  2 Corinthians 10:12,18; 11:30
  • God calls us to be different as we express differently because of the work God is doing in our life.  Jesus says that it is out of the overflow of our heart that the mouth speaks.  Our love for people, or lack of love for people, will speak volumes that will either confirm our words or contradict what we say.  While the world teaches us to promote our self, God wants us to be representatives that make Jesus known.

How will you BE different today?

~

This is the audio from the May 1, 2022 sermon, “Something To EAT”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text:  Mark 8:14-38

After feeding the 5000 in Mark 6 and then feeding a slightly small crowd of 4000 at the beginning of Mark 8 with just a handful of provisions, the disciples framed a statement of Jesus about being on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees as calling them out for only having one loaf of bread with them.  Before I come down too hard on the disciples for being focused on the physical and missing the spiritual, I need to look at myself to see how often I am more concerned about the physical meals I pursue than I am about the spiritual food that Jesus offers.  When we realize that Jesus has food that sustains both body and soul, we begin to understand the importance of turning to Jesus for something to . . .

• Examine.  Mark 8:14-21
  • We find something to eat from Jesus when we begin to examine His work in scripture and His work in our life.  When we become distracted by our own thoughts and the chaos of life, it is important to remember how He has provided in the past and how He continues to provide today.  When we complain about only having one loaf, it is good to remember all that Jesus can do when we offer everything we have to Him . . . regardless of how big or small it might seem.
• Accept.  Mark 8:22-30
  • We find something to eat from Jesus when we begin to accept not only what He has done, but also accept who He is.  Sometimes the work of Jesus in our life seems rather messy and unpleasant, kind of like Jesus spitting in the eyes of the blind man of our text, but in the  messiness we must choose to accept God knows what He is doing and it is always for our good.  It is accepting that God knows what He is doing that we begin to see Jesus for who He is so that regardless of who others say He is, we accept and acknowledge that He is indeed the Son of God.
• Teach.  Mark 8:31-38
  • We find something to eat from Jesus when we begin to teach the things we are learning.  Even when we think we know how things ought to be, there will be times we find ourselves in need of correction so that we may teach more accurately.  We have something to teach not because we are so smart, but because we have listened to God’s calling to surrender everything to Him as we daily take up our cross and follow Jesus.  We teach best when our words and actions match and we allow God’s Spirit to work through us.  As we consider what we teach others, I believe a fair question to ask our self would be, “Who would the people around me say that I say Jesus is?”.

Today, as you consider your spiritual need, will you turn to Jesus for something to EAT?

~

This is the audio from the April 24, 2022 sermon, “Godly Sorrow”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  2 Corinthians 7:2-16, Psalm 30:4-5

Sorrow tends to come to each of us from a variety of sources and for different purposes.  While most of us would rather avoid sorrow, God says there is a kind of sorrow that, when allowed to do its work, produces a great . . .

• Journey.  2 Corinthians 7:2-7, John 16:33
  • I suspect that there are aspects of any journey we have undertaken that either haven’t gone exactly as planned, or we simply didn’t like what we went through.  One of the keys to pressing on through the midst of sorrow is to realize our journey is taking us to a destination that is full of joy.  The godly sorrow that we experience, and even the godly sorrow that we cause, can all be part of a great journey that helps us appreciate the goodness of God even in the midst of difficult times.
• Obedience.  2 Corinthians 7:8-11, Jeremiah 42:6
  • One of the primary differences between godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world is how we react.  God’s desire for us in our experiences of sorrow is that we would respond with obedience.  Paul acknowledges that he was one of the sources of sorrow for the Corinthians, but because that sorrow led to repentance Paul did not regret the things he had written.  While there are times our sharing of God’s Word may bring sorrow into our life or into the lives of others, when our heart and motives are pure that sorrow ought to lead to a greater obedience.
• You!  2 Corinthians 7:12-16, James 1:2-4
  • I suspect that if I were to ask if you wanted to be mature and complete, your answer would either be that you thought you already were or that you would like to be.  James tells us that we should consider it pure joy when we face trials (sorrows) of various kinds because the end result is that we would be made mature and complete.  When our sorrow is lived out as godly sorrow, it changes you as it changes your journey, your obedience, and YOU!

How will you allow godly sorrow to produce great JOY?

~

This is the audio from the April 17, 2022 sermon, “Do You Love ME?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  John 21:4-19

In the midst of the uncertainties, confusion, and routines of life, Jesus calls out to ask a simple question — “Do you love . . .

• More.  John 21:11-15, Philippians 1:8-10, Luke 7:41-43
  • While there are various opinions on what Jesus was referring to when He asked Peter if he loved Him “more than these”, I believe He asks us us each day if we love more.  More than we love the world.  More than we love our self.  More than we loved yesterday.  More.  Love is not a static element.  It is either growing or declining and our love for Jesus is one that ought to be growing in depth and insight — both in knowledge and application.  The more we realize just how much our sin separated us from God and the greatness of His forgiveness, the more we ought to love.
• Enough.  John 21:17-19, Luke 6:32-26, John 13:1
  • Even when we answer Jesus with, “Yes, I love more.”, I believe He still asks if we love enough.  Loving more is a great start, but do we love enough to do something about it?  While Peter kept affirming that he indeed loved Jesus, the question seemed to remain about whether he loved enough to feed His sheep and care for His lambs.  Is your love for Jesus enough to allow Him to do the impossible through you?  Is your love enough to motivate you to serve, teach, visit, give, help, care for all people?  When we have a love that is enough, it will compel us to do the things that force could never make us do.

How will you respond as Jesus asks, “Do you love ME”?

~

This is the audio from the April 10, 2022 sermon, “An Offering of PALMS”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Goshen Christian Church.

Text:  Luke 19:30-48

It can be easy to look at the final week leading to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and be shocked at how quickly the crowds go from shouting “Hosanna!” to yelling out “Crucify Him!”  Before we come down too harshly on all those present for the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we probably ought to take a close look at our own life and how it changes from Sunday worship to Wednesday workplace.  God’s desire is that we would hail Jesus as King every day as we offer Him our . . .

• Praise.  Luke 19:37-38, Hebrews 13:15
  • Praising God ought to be a natural characteristic of a child of God.  While it is good to gather with others in a worship service and lift praises to God, a genuine offering of praise is something that should be done throughout each day that we live.  It is that daily offering of praise that keeps us on track to honor God as He deserves.
• Attitude.  Luke 19:39-40, Ephesians 4:22-24
  • When we offer God our attitude, we ask Him to change us and make us more like Jesus from the inside out.  Many times our jealousy and pride keeps us from representing Jesus well when we are outside of our comfort zone and feel we have to prove our self to the people around us.  It is a daily offering of our attitude that allows us to humble ourselves and take on the attitude of Christ in the way we treat one another.
• Love.  Luke 19:41, Ephesians 5:1-2
  • The things that break the heart of God ought to be the things that break our heart.  As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he wept.  We offer our love to God when we learn to love people like He loves people.  Loving like Jesus is not easy but it conveys a life-changing power that only He can provide.  As you weep with those who weep, it is a daily offering of our love that helps those who are hurting know the love of Jesus.
• Motives.  Luke 19:45-48, Proverbs 16:1-2
  • According to the Bible, the why we do the things we do can be just as important, or perhaps even more so, than the actual things we do.  I’ve heard numerous church growth presentations that seem to center on everything except the main thing — introducing people to Jesus.  God wants us to offer Him our motives, since He know what they are anyway, so that instead of gathering to benefit ourselves we gather to become a house of prayer.  It is a daily offering of our motives to God that helps us to live with purified actions.
• Stuff.  Luke 19:30-36, Luke 12:15
  • I’m always intrigued by the story of Jesus sending His disciples to borrow a colt with only the explanation that “the Lord needs it”.  I wish I knew the backstory of the guy the colt was borrowed from as it appears he raised no objections.  How would your life and my life be different if we held our stuff loosely and learned to share more readily?  Living with a growing awareness that “every good and perfect gift comes from above” ought to help us be more deliberate in offering our stuff to be used by the Lord.  It is through a daily offering of our stuff that we grow in our ability to trust God to supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory.

As you shout Hosanna today, what place does Jesus have in the details of your life?  Have you chosen to offer Him everything as you offer Him your PALMS?

~

This is the audio from the April 3, 2022 sermon, “Making It PLAIN”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  2 Corinthians 6

While everyone of us stumble and fall at various times in our life, sometimes of our own doing, sometimes caused by others, and often caused by a combination of our self and others, we would do well to live in such a way that we don’t put a stumbling block in the path of anyone.  Because sometimes it is a lack of clarity that causes a person to stumble, we would do well to present the good news of Jesus in a way that we make it . . .

• Personal.
  • We make the good news of Jesus plain to others when we make it personal.  Everyone who has come to a saving faith in Jesus has a personal story of how that happened.  Paul writes of being commended as a servant through life circumstances that are difficult, pleasant, and everything in between.  When we personalize how God is with us in good times and bad, we help others see the hope which can be found in Christ.
• Loving.
  • We make the good news of Jesus plain to others when we make it loving.  Paul writes about his affection for the Corinthian people, even when they were not loving toward him.  When we learn to love people regardless of how they view us, we help make the good news of Jesus real.
• Active.
  • We make the good news of Jesus plain to others when we make it active.  When Paul writes about not being unequally yoked, I believe one of the things he is addressing is a consistency that we need to have when it comes to our words and actions pulling in the same direction.  While this section of 2 Corinthians is often applied to marriage, there are many other areas of life that we can find ourselves joined with people who are pulling in different directions.  God says we cannot serve two masters and our actions ought to show we only have one.
• Instructive.
  • We make the good news of Jesus plain to others when we make it instructive.  Paul makes it clear that the instruction he gives is not based on his wisdom but on God’s.  When we share with people, it is important that God’s Word is the foundation upon which we learn and teach.  The changes that God wants to make in our life are not random or arbitrary, rather they are always consistent with His Word.
• Now.
  • We make the good news of Jesus plain to others when we make it now.  Paul made it clear that “now is the time of the Lord’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”  There is an urgency to the message because the message is a matter of life and death.

As you consider how the good news of Jesus has impacted your life, how will you be more involved in making it PLAIN to the people around you?

~

This is the audio from the March 20, 2022 sermon, “A Valuable Jar of CLAY”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  2 Corinthians 4

In the times when you feel plain and useless, it is important to realize you have great value because you are made by God, you are filled by God, and you are completed by God.  Regardless of how ordinary you feel you are, you have great value when you live as a jar of . . .

• Compassion.
  • When we begin to realize God’s mercy sustains everything we do, it should become apparent just how much compassion He has shown to each one of us.  When our jar of clay is filled with compassion, the people around us can begin to know just how valuable they are to God.
• Light.
  • When we live with the light of Jesus shining through everything we do, He ends up being the one who is seen.  In a world filled with darkness, God’s light in us becomes valuable not only to us but to all who see Him in us.
• Ability/Availability.
  • It is far too easy to evaluate our abilities based on comparisons to someone else, and in so doing we often feel we fall short.  The good news is that God has uniquely gifted each one of us for specific work within the body of Christ.  Many times the ability God has filled our jar of clay with isn’t noticeable until we choose to make our self fully available to God.
• Yeast.
  • Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast that is mixed into the dough until it spreads and influences all of it.  You are a valuable jar of clay because you are part of that yeast that spreads the good news of the kingdom to everyone.  .

Today, how will you live as a valuable jar of CLAY?