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Real Dudes,
I had the privilege of being able to preach this past Sunday for Father’s Day at Grace Community Church here in Grinnell. Below are my sermon notes. I’ll leave you to read through these this week and next. Hope the words in this message will cause each of us to grow in Him. Enjoy! Nate Title: A Father Who Forgives Luke 23:34a (NIV) Jesus said [prayed], “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Who was Jesus praying to?
What was Jesus’ request?
Who is the “them”?
He prayed Father, forgive…wipe their slate clean, pardon them, cancel their debt. Who? The one’s mocking, persecuting, and rejecting Him. Jesus prayed to His Father, so Who do we pray to?
How should we pray when mocked, persecuted and offended…by family members, by co-workers, by our brothers and sisters in-Christ?
Challenge:
I’ll leave you with these lyrics from the Song: Forgiveness by Matthew West It's the hardest thing to give away And the last thing on your mind today It always goes to those that don't deserve It's the opposite of how you feel When the pain they caused is just to real It takes everything you have just to say the word... Forgiveness Forgiveness It flies in the face of all your pride It moves away the mad inside It's always anger's own worst enemy Even when the jury and the judge Say you gotta right to hold a grudge It's the whisper in your ear saying 'Set It Free' Forgiveness, Forgiveness Forgiveness, Forgiveness Show me how to love the unlovable Show me how to reach the unreachable Help me now to do the impossible Forgiveness, Forgiveness Help me now to do the impossible Forgiveness It'll clear the bitterness away It can even set a prisoner free There is no end to what it's power can do So, let it go and be amazed By what you see through eyes of grace The prisoner that it really frees is you Forgiveness, Forgiveness Forgiveness, Forgiveness Show me how to love the unlovable Show me how to reach the unreachable Help me now to do the impossible Forgiveness I want to finally set it free So show me how to see what Your mercy sees Help me now to give what You gave to me Forgiveness, Forgiveness
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Real Dudes,
I recently came across Matthew 22:14 (NIV) during my devotions time. This verse reads as follows…14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” So, what does that mean? The article below is from gotquestions.org…I provide what our response and responsibility should be at the conclusion of the article. Enjoy! Nate “What does ‘Many are called but few are chosen’ in Matthew 22:14 mean? This statement is the conclusion to the Parable of the Wedding Feast. Jesus spoke this parable to show what the kingdom of heaven will be like when the end of the age comes. In the parable, the king sends his servants out to gather the wedding guests to the wedding feast. But those invited refused to come, some because they were too busy with their own worldly pursuits and some because they were positively hostile toward the king. So the king commands his servants to go out and invite anyone they find, and many come and fill the wedding hall. But the king sees one man without wedding clothes, and he sends him away. Jesus concludes by saying that many are called/invited to the kingdom, but only those who have been ‘chosen’ and have received Christ will come. Those who try to come without the covering of the blood of Christ for their sins are inadequately clothed and will be sent into ‘outer darkness,’ (v. 13) i.e., hell. Many people hear the call of God coming through His revelation of Himself through creation, the conscience, and the preaching of the Word. But only the ‘few’ will respond because they are the ones who are truly hearing. Jesus said many times, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear’ (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8, 14:35). The point is that everyone has ears, but only a few are listening and responding. Not everyone who hears the gospel receives it but only the ‘few’ who have ears to hear. The ‘many’ hear, but there is no interest or there is outright antagonism toward God. Many are called or invited into the kingdom, but none are able to come on their own. God must draw the hearts of those who come; otherwise they will not (John 6:44). Second Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.’ God creates life, grants repentance and gives faith. Man is totally unable by himself to do these things which are necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. Ephesians 1:4-6: ‘For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.’ Salvation is by God’s will and pleasure for His glory. John 6:37-39, 44-45: ‘All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day…No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.’ So, all of God’s ‘chosen’ will be saved without exception; they will hear and respond because they have spiritual ears to hear the truth. God’s power makes this certain. Romans 8:28-30: ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew (loved) he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.’ How do we know if we are among the few that have ears to hear? By responding to the call. Assurance of this certain call, this chosen call, is from the Holy Spirit. Consider Philippians 1:6, which says, ‘Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’ ‘Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose’ (Philippians 2:12-13.) If we listen with our spiritual ears and respond to the invitation, there will be fear and trembling in our souls as we recognize that it was God’s work in us that caused our salvation.” https://www.gotquestions.org/many-called-few-chosen.html The response and responsibility of a follower of Christ: Obey the command to "go." Be invitational and let God do His thing. Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV) The Great Commission 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Real Dudes,
Again, lots going on this past Saturday in Grinnell…with the Prairie Burn and baseball tournament at Ahrens. But we still had a solid 26 in attendance with two new visitors which was exciting. Aaron Harper did a great job as he explained how to be strong and of good courage from the Book of Joshua. Below are a few notes I took as he spoke. And here is the link to his challenge on-line at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrtfo2zizK0. Enjoy, Nate As God’s people were on their way to the Promise Land we read about conversations that were had leading up to the transition of Leadership from Moses to Joshua. Notice when reading Joshua 1:5-18 how many times the phrase be strong and of good courage is mentioned.Why the emphasis on this phrase?
Sometimes God’s provisions come from the most unexpected places. Nonetheless, He always comes through for us in His perfect way and timing.
Matthew 17:26-27 (NLT) 26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” How do you know if someone is talented at sports, coaching, baking, carpentry, giving a haircut, drawing, giving tattoos, mowing, etc.? Their end product is evident.
How do you know if some people will keep their word, fulfill their promises, be a reliable resource, make it through tough times, knows God’s Word and His ways, etc.? They've proven themselves. In Philippians 2:22a (NKJV) the Apostle Paul says this about Timothy, “But you know his proven character…” One author states that Timothy’s “’Character’ had been proven. That means it’s been through the wars with Paul and has come out stronger. His integrity has been firmly established and proven true. Proven character only comes through tribulations, trials and suffering.” Full Article Furthermore, “Character is defined as strength of moral fiber. A.W. Tozer described character as ‘the excellence of moral beings.’ As the excellence of gold is its purity and the excellence of art is its beauty, so the excellence of man is his character. Persons of character are noted for their honesty, ethics, and charity. Descriptions such as ‘man of principle’ and ‘woman of integrity’ are assertions of character. A lack of character is moral deficiency, and persons lacking character tend to behave dishonestly, unethically, and uncharitably. A person’s character is the sum of his or her disposition, thoughts, intentions, desires, and actions. It is good to remember that character is gauged by general tendencies, not on the basis of a few isolated actions. We must look at the whole life. For example, King David was a man of good character (1 Samuel 13:14) although he sinned on occasion (2 Samuel 11). And although King Ahab may have acted nobly once (1 Kings 22:35), he was still a man of overall bad character (1 Kings 16:33). Several people in the Bible are described as having noble character: Ruth (Ruth 3:11), Hanani (Nehemiah 7:2), David (Psalm 78:72), and Job (Job 2:3). These individuals’ lives were distinguished by persistent moral virtue. Character is influenced and developed by our choices. Daniel ‘resolved not to defile himself’ in Babylon (Daniel 1:8), and that godly choice was an important step in formulating an unassailable integrity in the young man’s life. Character, in turn, influences our choices. ‘The integrity of the upright guides them’ (Proverbs 11:3a). Character will help us weather the storms of life and keep us from sin (Proverbs 10:9a). It is the Lord’s purpose to develop character within us. ‘The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart’ (Proverbs 17:3). Godly character is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification. Character in the believer is a consistent manifestation of Jesus in his life. It is the purity of heart that God gives becoming purity in action. God sometimes uses trials to strengthen character: ‘we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope’ (Romans 5:3-4). The Lord is pleased when His children grow in character. ‘You test the heart and are pleased with integrity’ (1 Chronicles 29:17; see also Psalm 15:1-2). We can develop character by controlling our thoughts (Philippians 4:8), practicing Christian virtues (2 Peter 1:5-6), guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:18-20), and keeping good company (1 Corinthians 15:33). Men and women of character will set a good example for others to follow, and their godly reputation will be evident to all (Titus 2:7-8).” From gotquestions.org So, what about you? Does your life reflect Christian character? Do you recognize personal tribulations, trials, and sufferings as opportunities to prove your Christian character to God, self, and others? Desire to be a proven person of character who can be used by God to help others through their difficult times of life. Bring that experience that your onlookers so desperately need. Practicing His Presence, Nate |
AuthorNate Smith is a college baseball and football coach, a husband, a father of 6 girls, grandpa to 3 granddaughters, a police chaplain, and has a passion to see men grow in Christ. 
#girldad including granddaughter
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