Joshua 3:5 Sermon: “Preparing For God To Work”

Posted on 2014/07/20 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at FBC Pauls Valley, OK, Sunday morning July 20, 2014)

A couple of weeks ago our son Michael took a Drivers Ed class in Norman. We were all excited about it; we pre-registered him online, and we made sure to check the list of all the things he had to have ready for the first day: the payment for the class; a folder to hold his papers in, a highlighter, lunch plans. We went by the school to make sure we knew where it was and how long it would take us to get there, etc. We weren’t leaving anything to chance; we are ready for him to drive, so we wanted to make sure everything was prepared & ready for him to take that class!

You’ve probably done the same thing with certain events like that in your life: perhaps getting your kindergartener ready for their first day or class, or a big job interview. If we make that kind of preparation for those kinds of things, how much more should we prepare for the things of God?! I want us to turn to a verse of scripture that speaks of God’s people preparing for Him work, Joshua 3:5:

“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.'” Continue reading →

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Suddenly Everything Can Change

Posted on 2014/07/18 by Shawn Thomas

When God speaks and acts, things can change faster than you can imagine!
In II Kings 6, the Northern Kingdom of Israel’s capital city, Samaria, had been under seige, and they were starving. Chapter 6 verse 25 recorded that “a donkey’s head was sold for 80 shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels”.

But in Chapter 7, the prophet Elisha declared that God would bring immediate relief to the people. He said in Verse 1: “Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel”.

This would be an amazingly quick turnaround. You almost feel sorry for the official in :2, who doubted Elisha’s word and as a result did not live to see it — for who could have believed it?

But it is a good reminder that with God, everything can indeed change in a moment: Continue reading →

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Guarding In Prayer

Posted on 2014/07/17 by Shawn Thomas

Colossians 4:2 commands us: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” The word rendered “devote” is “proskartereo”, which Thayer’s lexicon translates, “persevere”, “give constant attention to”, “continue” in. This seems to indicate that the Colossians were already praying, but that they should guard themselves against the danger of being distracted from it. So should we!

Continue reading →

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The God of Little Things

Posted on 2014/07/16 by Shawn Thomas

The problem described in II Kings 6:1-6 is not what many people would consider a “big deal.” An axe head that one of the prophets had borrowed accidentally fell into the Jordan River. It was a common, ordinary, everyday type problem. It was not a child who had died, or a nation that needed revival, a plague that was destroying the people, or any such thing. It was just a borrowed axe that fell into a river! One might say, “Oh well!” No big deal. But it did matter to the son of the prophet who took the problem to Elisha — and evidently it mattered to God too, for He allowed Elisha to perform a miracle to bring the axe head up for him.

Continue reading →

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The Little Condo on the Prairie (7-15-14)

Posted on 2014/07/15 by Shawn Thomas

I can’t share every conversation our family has, but when I can, it goes on “The Little Condo”… 🙂 A few stories from the past few weeks:

A MOTHER’S PRIDE
I called my mom in Tulsa on Mothers Day and in the course of the conversation we had the following exchange:
Mom: “So they had a big crowd at the church today, huh? I guess word got out that you were preaching!”
Me: “Uh, Mom, I think that most likely had to do with the fact that it was Mothers Day!” Continue reading →

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Character Leads To Conduct

Posted on 2014/07/15 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 14:1 opens with its well-known words: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds.” This verse is revealing on several accounts:

Continue reading →

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Your “Guard Duty” in Prayer (Colossians 4:2 Sermon)

Posted on 2014/07/14 by Shawn Thomas

(Preached at FBC Pauls Valley, OK, Sunday evening 7-13-14)

On April 17th, 1862, private William Scott was pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln for sleeping on guard duty. That may not sound like a big deal, but the private had been sentenced to death by firing squad for his neglect. Lincoln decided to pardon him, because of his previous service, and the heartfelt entreaties that were made on his behalf, but he noted in his pardon: “The duty of a sentinel is of such a nature, that its neglect by sleeping upon, or deserting his post, may endanger the safety of a command, or even of the whole army, and all nations affix to the offence the penalty of death.”

All armies take the duty of the sentinel seriously: they are watching out for the safety and well-being of their army by their duties. We need to understand that we have a similarly serious duty, in our responsibility to pray. Colossians 4:2 gives us our “orders”:

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” Continue reading →

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Not “lords” but THE Lord!

Posted on 2014/07/14 by Shawn Thomas

Colossians 3:22 admonishes, “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” It is interesting that the two words in this verse for the ones we are serving are the same: Continue reading →

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The Drink Offering: Don’t Waste Your Life (Philippians 2:17 sermon update)

Posted on 2014/07/13 by Shawn Thomas

(This is the text of the sermon I preached at First Baptist, Pauls Valley on Sunday, July 13th 2014. It is a revised and updated version of a previous message by this title I preached at FBC Moss Bluff, LA in 2011)

Some time ago, as I was getting out of my car, I saw that I had a can of Coke in the cup holder.  I can’t stand to leave anything in the car, so I picked up the can to take it in, and noticed that I still had a little bit of Coke left in it.  I didn’t really want to drink it right then, so I just poured it out on the ground not far from the car.  It was just wasted.
Then a few weeks ago, Cheryl & I were out driving in Northwestern Oklahoma, and we saw some of those big irrigations systems they have out there, that pour water out on the ground. An ignorant bystander, watching the watering go on, might say, “What a waste, just pouring all that water out on the ground like that.” But of course we know that water was not “wasted”, it was purposefully being poured out to water the crops that feed thousands of people. There is a big difference in something which is poured out being “wasted”, and being “invested” for a greater purpose.

Continue reading →

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Am I God?

Posted on 2014/07/11 by Shawn Thomas

In II Kings 5 the king of Aram, having heard of the prophet Elisha, sent his leprous general Naaman to the king of Israel so that he might be cured of his leprosy. We find the king’s response in verse 7: “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?” Despite his other failings, at least the king demonstrated an important attitude here:

Continue reading →

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