Matthew

Following Jesus – What Will You DO? (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – What Will You DO? (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the June 29, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: What Will You DO?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 21:18-46

 

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’“
Matthew 21:28 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  When we choose to follow Jesus, we must answer His question of what will you . . .

  • Discuss/Decide:  Matthew 21:18-27

    • When people encountered Jesus there was often a discussion, sometimes out loud and sometimes internally, about who He was and what He was teaching, and how He did the things He did.  It is out of those discussions we have in whatever form, that we eventually decide what we’ll do with Jesus.  Even when the discussions of the day would lead the religious leaders to consider the truth about Jesus, they often led fear lead as they held on to their own beliefs and traditions rather than embracing the person of Jesus being God with them.  When we choose to follow Jesus, we must gaze intently into God’s Word and allow the discussions we have to lead us to a point of decision. 

  • Obey:  Matthew 21:28-46

    • One of the great difficulties of humanity is overcoming the fear which often keeps us from moving off a point of decision and into the action of obedience.  Jesus made it clear in His teaching that if you truly love Him, you will obey His commands.  Real love, especially real godly love, chooses to do what’s best for the one we love even when we don’t feel like it.  Obviously our human desires are not always pure, so there are times when seeking the best for the one we love is different from what they want, but God’s love and desire are pure, and our obedience becomes a reflection of our growing love for Him.  When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose a life of obedience even when our initial reaction is one that says, “I don’t want to!”.

 

Today, what will you DO?

Following Jesus – Working For the KING! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – Working For the KING! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the June 22, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: Working For the KING!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 20

 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  As Jesus began to prepare His disciples, and the crowds, in earnest for what was to come, we find teaching about what it is like to work for the . . .

  • Kingdom:  Matthew 20:1-5

    • While it looks like it should be obvious, working for the King requires that you work for the kingdom.  If the owner of a business hires you, it is generally expected that you work for the benefit of the business he owns.  If you are constantly talking badly about the place and people you work for, the logical question to me would be why do you still work there.  When people want a relationship with God through Jesus yet the works of their hands and their lips are not building up the kingdom of God, I have to wonder how much are you really working for the King.  Our life ought to be about making Christ and His kingdom known by the way we work at all things. 

  • Invitation:  Matthew 20:6-16

    • As Jesus tells the parable of a landowner hiring workers, he encounters individuals who have been standing around all day without working simply because no one had invited them.  I remember hearing at times the question, “what are you waiting for, an invitation?”, when there was obvious work which needed done and I was not involved in it.  Yes, it is nice to be asked, but our response to Jesus being King ought to lead us to recognize His invitation to be involved in kingdom work at all times.  Loving my neighbor, being a neighbor, serving people, making phone calls and visits are all things that shouldn’t require an invitation beyond the one already issued in God’s Word to all believers.

  • Need:  Matthew 20:17-19

    • Working for the King will always surround a meeting of the real need people have . . . the need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Jesus made it clear that He came to seek and save the lost.  He communicated very directly to His disciples that He would go to Jerusalem and be crucified only to rise from the dead on the third day.  His work was about meeting the need each one of us have in paying the debt of sin that we can’t afford.  When we work for the King we become messengers of good news to all people that their ultimate need can be met in Jesus.

  • Greatest:  Matthew 20:20-34

    • I am the greatest of all time is a claim many try to make but it really only fits One, and that is Jesus.  When approached by the mother of James and John about positions next to Jesus in His kingdom, Jesus replies that they don’t really know what they are asking for and it is not His place to give those.  He goes on to reemphasize the kingdom truth that the way to greatness is through surrender and serving.  In fact, the one who wants to be greatest will end up so by the willingness to become servant of all.  Jesus did this as He let loose His grip on the things of heaven to take on the form of a human becoming obedient even to death.  It is in His choosing to serve all mankind rather than be served by mankind that we find working for the  King really is working for the greatest!  

Today, how will you work for the KING?

Following Jesus – Understanding the TEST! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – Understanding the TEST! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the June 15, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: Understanding the TEST!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 19

 

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”  
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  Mathew chapter nineteen opens with a discussion about divorce, but it isn’t really because those asking about it cared . . . the conversation takes place because the Pharisees wanted to test Jesus.  As Jesus interacted with those who would test Him, He taught us how to understand the . . .

  • Trouble:  Matthew 19:1-12

    • Sometimes the testing we face in life is simply designed by the enemy to cause trouble.  Jesus was asked a question about the law and divorce, not because anyone really wanted to know but because they wanted to cause trouble with such a test.  When we understand the tests which are meant to cause trouble, we can choose not to be brought down to that level.  When the tests of life carry the trouble of this world, we can learn from Jesus who addressed their question with both the content of the law and the understanding of mankind’s weakness.  When we understand the trouble contained in our tests, we can take courage because Jesus has overcome. 

  • Example:  Matthew 19:13-15

    • After addressing the trouble trying to be caused by the Pharisees, Jesus turns His attention to the example of little children.  It is the little children around us who can teach us the value of trusting the One who cares for us.  Even when the disciples wanted to chase the children away from Jesus, He calls them to Himself and presents them as the example of what we ought to be.  When we understand the example of childlike faith in the midst of our testing, we find ourselves prepared to receive the blessing which comes from God.

  • Salvation:  Matthew 19:16-22

    • When the tests of life make us question everything we think we know, we reach the place of understanding the source of the salvation we need.  It can be easy for many of us to start to believe we have it all together and our goodness has somehow earned us favor with God.  It is in the testing that we find that real salvation is found in no other way than through Jesus.  When we understand the salvation which God offers through His Son, we realize there are tests which serve to show us our need for a Savior.

  • Truth:  Matthew 19:23-30

    • If you’ve ever opened a statement with the phrase, “Honestly, . . . “, you have a glimpse into the nature of Jesus saying, “Verily”, or “I tell you the truth”.  It’s not that His other statements are not truthful, it is simply Him highlighting the importance of what He’s about to say.  In our text today, we find the importance of humility as Jesus shares the truth of the danger of exalting our self, or somehow giving our self more credit than we deserve for the work God is doing in us and through us.  When we understand the truth, we discover that our definition of greatness is tested against the humility of the One who came to be servant of all.

Today, how will you be prepared to understand the TEST?

Following Jesus – Learning To CARE! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – Learning To CARE! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the May 25, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: Learning To CARE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 18

 

“I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk,” declares the LORD.”
Zechariah 10:12 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  When we examine the life and teachings of Jesus, we discover both His instruction and our need to . . .

  • Change:  Matthew 18:1-9

    • When asked about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus uses a child as an example and declares that unless a person changes and becomes like a child they won’t even enter the kingdom of heaven, let alone be in the running for greatest.  We learn to care like Jesus cares when we learn to change so that we live with the humility and faith of a child. 

  • Adore:  Matthew 18:10-14

    • As Jesus continued teaching, He indicated the children were not just examples but their great value to God should lead us to adore them.  Jesus made it clear that our love for Him ought to be seen in the way we adore children . . . not just in an “awe, how cute” kind of way but in a way that we do whatever it takes to protect them as our care is put into action by sharing Jesus.

  • Reprove:  Matthew 18:15-20

    • At first glance, you may wonder what reproving someone has to do with learning to care but Jesus makes it clear that He corrects those He loves and we ought to do the same.  Doing the same, however, also means we reprove in the way Jesus would direct so that the desired result is restoration.  When we correct in private, we show we care not only about what is right but also about the person needing correction.

  • Embrace:  Matthew 18:21-35

    • If you’ve ever become weary of forgiving someone and wondered how often you must do so, you are not alone.  It appears in our text that Peter was wanting a definitive answer from Jesus as to when he could stop with the forgiving of someone who had wronged him.  Jesus turns the story into one with very harsh consequences for living with an unforgiving spirit.  The true spirit of forgiveness shown to us by Jesus is one where we don’t keep count because we care enough to embrace.

Today, how will you CARE?

Following Jesus – Knowing the SON! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – Knowing the SON! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the May 18, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: Knowing the SON!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 17

 

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’”
Matthew 17:5 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  While the disciples spent time following Jesus, I believe they really knew Him as simply Jesus of Nazareth, their friend sent from God.  As we arrive in Matthew 17, God decides it is time for the disciples to really know the Son.  When we choose to follow Jesus, God invites us to know the . . .

  • Significance:  Matthew 17:1-13

    • More than just a good guy who could do wonderful and miraculous things, Jesus was revealed to be the very Son of God.  Even after the initial observation of the transfiguration and Moses and Elijah showing up, Peter thinks the best thing to do would be to memorialize the occasion with the erecting of shelters for each of them.  I believe in Peter’s mind, this was just another great moment with his friend Jesus.  It is when God speaks and declares Jesus to be His Son, it appears the disciples catch the significance of who Jesus really is as they fall to the ground in fear.  The correct response to knowing the significance of Jesus as God’s Son is to listen to Him in all things. 

  • Opportunity:  Matthew 17:14-23

    • As Peter, James, and John are with Jesus on the mountain, a man brings his son to the other disciples so that they would heal him.  Unfortunately, the disciples were not able to do so and after Jesus returns and heals the boy, the disciples want to know why they couldn’t.  Matthew tells us Jesus responds to them about their little faith.  Other gospel writers indicate that prayer and fasting was required . . . and evidently not being practiced fully by the disciples.  I suspect the disciples were simply trying to do what Jesus had done before, yet they never stopped long enough to understand how Jesus did what He did.  As the Son of God, Jesus reveals to them the opportunity to do even greater things if they would only have a faith that was fully placed in what God could do, and what God wanted to do.  The correct response to the opportunity which comes through knowing Jesus as God’s Son is to be available for God to work through you.

  • Nature:  Matthew 17:24-27

    • When Peter is questioned by the collectors of the temple tax, he appears to answer without really knowing if his answer was accurate.  Not wanting to be in trouble, he gave what sounded like it should be the correct answer, “of course Jesus pays the temple tax!”.  I say that I’m not sure if Peter’s answer was correct simply because the response of Jesus to Peter seems to declare His belief that He was exempt from the tax as the Son of the King.  Yet even with that statement, we find in the very nature of Jesus a desire to do all that He could to not offend people.  The nature of God’s Son is to provide for Himself and for those who are His.  The correct response to understanding the nature of Jesus as God’s Son is to trust Him to care for you.

 

Today, how will you experience the SON?

Following Jesus – The Right TRACK! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – The Right TRACK! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the May 11, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: The Right TRACK!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 16

 

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  As we make it to chapter 16, we find Jesus leading us to the right . . .

  • Teaching:  Matthew 16:1-7

    • Jesus often found the need to correct the teaching of the religious leaders of His day.  Instead of following the teachings of God’s Word and acknowledging the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah, the leaders often tried to use their understanding of scripture to test Jesus.  Unfortunately, it isn’t just the people in the days of Jesus who fall into the trap of making up teachings which they agree with.  We are surrounded by people who teach a variety of things of their own making, and some who do so claiming they represent Jesus.  When we choose to follow Jesus on the right track, we must gaze fully into His Word to follow the right teaching. 

  • Report:  Matthew 16:8-14

    • As news of Jesus spread, many had their own idea of who He was.  In fact, when asked who the crowds said Jesus was, the disciples had a variety of answers based on the reports they had encountered.  We also will encounter people with all kinds of claims about who God is, and even reports of some who claim to be the returning Messiah.  Rather than be derailed by false reports, when we choose to follow Jesus we evaluate the source of every report and only accept as truth that which comes from God.

  • Answer:  Matthew 16:15-20

    • One of the things which people often came to Jesus about was a desire to have an answer which would fulfill their greatest questions.  The difficulty came as people settled for their own answers rather than turning to Jesus for the right answer.  Peter gives the classic answer of who he believes Jesus is and we’re told that this answer was not of his own doing but came from God Himself.  When we choose to follow Jesus we must be careful to both give and receive the right answers . . . answers which come from the truth of God’s Word.

  • Christ:  Matthew 16:21-23

    • The Bible makes it clear that there were many, and will be many, who claim to be the Christ.  Some of these individuals can be quite persuasive and they lead many people astray.  As Jesus declares Himself to be the Son of God, He defines the Christ in a way which is exclusive and as God providing the way for us to be right with Him.  When we choose to follow Jesus, we do so with Him as the fulfillment of all prophecies concerning the coming of the Christ to save His people from their sin.

  • Kingdom:  Matthew 16:24-28

    • As Jesus lived and taught, He told of the coming of a kingdom like no other.  This was a kingdom that required repentance in order for people to be prepared for it.  The right kingdom is the kingdom where God is King and we are His subjects.  It is through our willingness to take up our cross daily that we identify with this spiritual kingdom where Jesus is Lord, not just of the kingdom but of us.

Today, how will you follow the right TRACK?

Following Jesus – Living With FAITH! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – Living With FAITH! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the May 4, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: Living With FAITH!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 15

 

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  As we make it to chapter 15, we find Jesus preparing people to live with . . .

  • Focus:  Matthew 15:1-3

    • Living with faith requires that we live with an accurate focus on the actual things of God rather than our tendency to be sidetracked by making our likes and dislikes the things of our life’s focus.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus because He is the beginning of our faith and the completion of our faith.  Even our traditions must be evaluated by how they serve God’s purpose in bringing people to a growing faith.  When we live with faith, we understand the need to live with a focus on God. 

  • Acceptance:  Matthew 15:4-9

    • Living with faith requires that we have a complete acceptance of Jesus being Lord, therefore He is in charge of all things.  Far too often we can become guilting of having ears which do not hear and eyes which do not see, simply because we don’t want to hear and see truth.  This is not an acceptance of all things being equal, or of any way being as good as any other.  No, it is the acceptance of the teaching of Jesus being that with all authority.  When we live with faith, we live with an acceptance of Jesus being King and Lord of our life.

  • Instruction:  Matthew 15:10-20

    • Living with faith requires that we live with, and according to, the instructions of God’s Word.  as Jesus prepared to ascend back into heaven, He left us with the command to make disciples.  This process involves us going, it involves people being immersed into Christ, and it involves teaching everything Jesus commanded.  Faith should always lead us to do what God says even when, and especially when, we don’t fully understand.  When we live with faith, we live according to the instruction of Jesus.

  • Trust:  Matthew 15:21-28

    • Living with faith requires that we live with complete trust of the One we place our faith in.  In this section of Matthew 15 (which I did not actually read during the sermon) we find a Gentile woman whose faith led her to trust Jesus could heal the sick . . . even a sick Gentile.  While all the reasons were stacked  against her, and even Jesus seemed reluctant to help her, it was her faith that drew the attention which not only gained the healing needed, but it resulted in a commendation from Jesus regarding her great faith.  When we live with faith, we live with a trust in a God who can, even when it seems impossible.

  • Hope:  Matthew 15:29-39

    • Living with faith results in a life of hope which surpasses all the world’s reasons not to hope.  As Jesus cares for people and ministers to their needs, He once again is filled with compassion for their physical needs as they had been with Him for three days with nothing to eat.  It was hope for real help that sustained the people even more than a hope for temporary help ever could.  As Jesus takes a few loaves and fish to once again feed a multitude, it was the power of God evident in His compassion which filled the people with great hope.  When we live with faith, we live with a hope which the world cannot take away because this hope is placed in, and fulfilled by, Jesus.

Today, how will you live with FAITH?

Following Jesus – Jesus In Your BOAT! (Sermon Audio)
by

Following Jesus – Jesus In Your BOAT! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the April 27, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: A Time For LIFE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 14

 

“And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
Matthew 14:32-33 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  While we often focus on Peter getting out of the boat to walk to Jesus, we also see the disciples making room for Jesus in a greater way.  In the midst of life, we must be deliberate about living with Jesus in our . . .

  • Beliefs:  Matthew 14:13-16, 25-26

    • When faced with situations which seemed impossible, such as feeding large crowd or seeing someone walk across a lake toward you, the disciples were often challenged by a common belief that they couldn’t accomplish what needed done.  When our boat of life is tossed about in the storms which come, we would do well to invite Jesus into our beliefs so that we consider what He can do rather than what we can do. 

  • Observations:  Matthew 14:17-19, 27-28

    • What the disciples believed was often influenced by what they were able to physically observe.  In Matthew 14, the disciples observed a lot of hungry people and very little food.  Then they observed the figure of a man walking across the water and in both cases their observations led a an incorrect conclusion.  When our boat of life is tossed about in the storms which come, we would do well to invite Jesus into our observations so we would see what He can do rather than what we cannot.

  • Actions:  Matthew 14:20, 29-30

    • By the time it comes to action in the stories from today’s text, we find the disciples finally listening more fully to Jesus in obedience to what He asks.  After inviting Jesus into their beliefs and observations, they were willing to distribute food to all and Peter was even willing to step out of the boat onto the storm-tossed waves.  When our boat of life is tossed about in the storms which come, we would do well to invite Jesus into our actions so that He would do more in us and through us than would ever be possible on our own.

  • Touch:  Matthew 14:21, 31-36

    • One of the defining characteristics in the life of Jesus on earth was His willingness, and even desire, to touch those He encountered.  It was the touch of Jesus on the bread and loaves which multiplied them to feed a multitude.  It was the touch of Jesus to lift Peter from his doubts which carried them both back to the boat where the storm was to be calmed.  When our boat of life is tossed about in the storms which come, we would do well to not only live as those touched by Jesus but to extend His touch to all we encounter.

Today, how will you live with Jesus in your BOAT?