shawnethomas

“Comforting or Convicting? 4 Tests of Genuine Salvation” (I John sermon)

Posted on 2018/12/17 by Shawn Thomas

One of the most common questions people in our churches have is, “How can I know for sure if I’m really saved?” That’s NOT a silly question. If there really is life after death — and the Bible tells us there is — then there is nothing more important than knowing for sure that you have eternal life in heaven.

So how can you know?
— Some people say, “Well, if you ‘made a decision’ at some point in your life, then you can know that you’re saved. But Jesus said in Matthew 7, “NOT everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” So you can’t know you’re saved just because you’ve “made a decision” some time and claimed that Jesus was your Lord.
— Other people say, “Well, if you were baptized, you can know.” But Paul talks in I Corinthians 10 about how they were “all baptized,” but “nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased.” In other words, people are not saved just because they’ve been baptized.

So how CAN you know? Thankfully God’s word gives us the answer to this. And one of the best places where we can test ourselves and get assurance for our salvation is in the Book of I John which we read a few days ago in our Daily Bible Reading. I John 5:13 gives us the purpose of the book. It says: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.” So John says the central purpose of this book is to give Christians the assurance of their salvation. And it does that by giving us a series of tests throughout this book, about some of the things which will be present in the life of a person who is genuinely saved. So as a person reads these tests, they should either be COMFORTED, because they see that these things are really present in their life and they are really a Christian, or they should be CONVICTED, because they don’t really see them in their life, and they will realize they are not really saved. Which is it for you? Let’s look at some of the tests God gives us here in I John, of the genuine Christian. Will this COMFORT you, or CONVICT you? Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Aristides, assurance, baptism, cardboard testimonies, comfort, conviction, conviction of sin, David McCullough The Wright Brothers, doctrine, don't fight flip, examine yourself, fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, Hadrian, holiness, Holy Spirit, I John 2:1-3, I John 5:13, I John sermon, Incarnation, Incarnation of Christ, John 13:34-35, John 16:8, love, marriage, marriage counseling, obedience, Oberkfell decision, Orthodoxy, Romans 8:15-16, Romans 8:9, salvation, sanctification, service, Spirit of God, test, they love one another | 4 Comments

“Standing By The Cross” (John 19:25 message)

Posted on 2018/12/03 by Shawn Thomas

One of my favorite stories of the Civil War is of a Union officer whose unit was coming under particularly heavy fire from the Confederate cannon. Someone rode up to him and said they thought they knew why they were getting so much heat: this officer had posted “Old Glory,” the American flag, in such a prominent position overhead, that it made a great target for all the Confederate artillery, and they were focused on bringing it down. They suggested to him that he move his flag to some less conspicuous position and it might lessen the fire. But the officer looked up at the flag and said: “Let it wave high; it is our glory.” In just a few moments that officer fell to Confederate fire. But he stood by his “glory” to the end.

Just as our country’s flag is the glory of the patriot; so the cross of Jesus Christ is the glory of the Christian. And just as the soldier is called to stand by his flag; so we as Christians are called to stand by the cross of Jesus Christ.

I love the picture of :25 here when it says: “Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.” Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "nothing in my hand I bring, "simply to Thy cross I cling", A Christmas Story, Acts 8, Charles Spurgeon, Christmas program, Civil War, cling to the old rugged cross, cross, cross of Christ, discipleship, evangelism, faith, Galatians 6:14, good works, gospel, I Corinthians 15, I Corinthians 1:17-18, I Corinthians 2:1-2, I Peter 2:21, John 19:25, let it wave high it is our glory, Lottie Moon offering, ministry, Old Glory, one way, Philip, preaching, Rock of Ages, salvation, saving faith, SBC International Mission Board, Sentinel Island missionary, sin, stand by the cross, standing by the cross, Sunday School, the cross, the gospel, the message of the cross, The Old Rugged Cross, trust, why should I let you into My heaven?, witnessing, women, women's rights, works, works and salvation, worship, worship services | Leave a comment

“Heaven’s Comfort For Earth’s Disappointments” (John 13:34-14:6 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/25 by Shawn Thomas

How many of you had some pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving week? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but an article came out last week, with the headline, “Canned pumpkin isn’t actually pumpkin.” You know, those cans of Libby’s and other cans of “pumpkin” that many of us use to make our pumpkin pie filling? The article says there isn’t really that much pumpkin in those at all. It says government regulations are very lenient on what “counts as pumpkin,” so what you actually get in those cans is mostly butternut squash, not pumpkin. A professor friend of ours at Michael’s school posted that article on Facebook last week, with the disappointing comment: “I feel like my whole life up to this point has been a lie.”

Well he was joking of course. But in reality we DO experience great disappointments in life, that really challenge us. Jesus’ disciples in this passage were experiencing some great disappointment — but they also heard some of the greatest words of hope from Jesus, that can comfort us as well. First, His disciples experienced: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

“He Will Hold Me Fast” (John 10:27-29 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/19 by Shawn Thomas

We have SO many blessings to count this Thanksgiving season, don’t we? But surely one of THE greatest blessings we have to give thanks for as God’s people, is the SECURITY of our salvation in Jesus Christ — that “HE will hold us fast” and will not let us go.

One of our men told me just a few days ago, that he was SO glad that he didn’t have to worry, when he lay down his head at night, if he was still saved, and right with God. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the gift of knowing for sure that we are saved. These verses in John 10 that many of us read this week, and that we read again a few moments ago, are among the strongest in the New Testament regarding the eternal security of the genuine believer in Christ:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

These verses contain at least FIVE strong statements from Jesus regarding the security of the salvation of His genuine sheep: Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Doctrine/Theology, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Amazing Grace, backsliding, C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, devil, discouragement, double negative, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 2:8-9, eternal life, eternal security, He Will Hold Me Fast, Hebrews 13:6, II TImothy 1:12, II Timothy 2:13, John 10:27-29 sermon, Kristyn Getty, Lectures to My Students, Matthew 24:25, Matthew 5:20, My Father, My Father's hand, never perish, once saved always saved, ou me, perseverance of the saints, pluck out of My hand, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:35, salvation gift, salvation works, Satan, Sears Kenmore warranty, security, sheep, sin and security, snatch out of My hand, Spurgeon down to God's price, temporary life, The Ballpark in Arlington, when we've been there ten thousand years | 4 Comments

“Working The Works Of God” (John 9 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/12 by Shawn Thomas

You can definitely tell that it’s fall now — not only from the temperatures, but also from all the leaves that are falling. I spend a good deal of time Thursday afternoon gathering and burning over 11 wheelbarrows packed with leaves from our yard. And now today you can’t even tell that I did it!

I was telling Keith & Amanda & Jane about doing the leaves the other day and Keith & Amanda were telling me that when Keith gets out with his big “backpack leaf blower,” that Zeb also goes out with a little battery operated blower and “helps” dad with the leaves. That’s a sweet picture isn’t it? The son, helping in his father’s work.

Well as the children of God, it is one of our great privileges — and a calling for each of us — to help our Heavenly Father with His work here on earth too. In John 9 here Jesus said: “WE must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day.” When Jesus said “WE” there, that meant that His followers are also to be involved in His Father’s work, just like He Himself was. Let’s look together at this passage and see some things that help us as we “work the works of God”, our Heavenly Father: Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged adoption, believe, BUCM, Burke United Christian Ministries, care, caring, church program, discipleship, evangelism, Evangelism: How The Church Speaks of Jesus, faith, Fall, felt need vs. spiritual need, John 6:29, John 9, John 9 sermon, leaves, Mack Stiles, man born blind, ministry, Orphan Sunday, salvation, sin, Sunday School, time, time change, time management, work, works | 1 Comment

“On The Road With Jesus” (John 4 sermon)

Posted on 2018/11/05 by Shawn Thomas

One of best ways to learn about someone is to spend some time on the road with them. I remember reading an article by the renowned actor, Charlton Heston (who played Moses in the classic 1956 movie “The Ten Commandments”). Heston was conservative politically, and was supporting Ronald Regan as he ran for office, so one time he went on the road with him. People had sometimes suggested to Heston that he follow in Reagan’s steps and run for office, but he said spending that time on the road with Reagan taught him a lot of lessons, among them being how HARD it is to be a candidate like that: how hard the travel is; how many meetings there are; and how many people to try to meet and keep happy. He said he could tell that Reagan just “fed” off of the people; he said the more he met, the happier he seemed to be, and the more energized. But Heston said all that would have killed him! So he learned some things about politics, and about himself, while “on the road” with Ronald Reagan.

This is one of the reasons why Jesus took His disciples “on the road” with Him: so that they could spend time with Him, and learn from Him. And they did learn amazing lessons that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. You and I did not get that opportunity to personally walk with Jesus like they did, but through God’s word, we can “virtually” go “on the road” with Jesus and His disciples in their trip to Samaria in John 4, and as we do, there are a number of lessons we can learn from it: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Ten Commandments" movie, ask Jesus into your heart, Charlton Heston, cheap grace, confront sin, conviction, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, direction, discipleship, Don Sunshine, evangeism, gospel, Gospel Resurgence, help, hope, I AM, I Peter 2:21, Incarnation, Jesus Christ humanity, Jesus Deity, Jesus is the answer, John 14:6, John 4, John 4 sermon, Luke 13:3, Matthew 19, Matthew 24:30, ministry, peace, prayer, repent, repentance, repentance and salvation, rich young ruler, Ronald Reagan, salvation, sin, strength, The Cost of Discipleship, tiredness, weariness, witness, woman at the well, YHWH | Leave a comment

“The Household of God” (I Timothy sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/22 by Shawn Thomas

In our “Discovering The Ridge” class for those who are joining our church, I often tell the story of the group in our home town which was starting a new church, and for some time they met in the home of one of their members. But one of the group’s little girls just couldn’t see it as a “church.” She said, “This is not a chu’ch. This is Twoy’s house! A chu’ch doesn’t have a bedwoom; a chu’ch doesn’t have a couch!” That little girl had made the classic error of mistaking the BUILDING that houses the church, for the reality of the church itself. And many adults make that same mistake. The church is not a building. As Paul writes here, a church is “the household of God.”

More than anything else, this book of I Timothy is about The Church. There is much more here about the church than we can cover in one morning, but let’s look at some of the important things this great book teaches us about “The Household of God,” His church: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 2, Acts 20:28, Acts 6, Apostle Paul testimony, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis Athanasius quote, Christian bookstores, Christian music, church, church buildings, church handbook, church leadership, deacon, deacon qualifications, deacon servants, deacons, doctrine, doctrines of demons, ecclesiology, elder, evangelism, false teachers, gospel, grace, he did not move with the times, heaven, I Timothy, I Timothy 4, leadership, mercy, morning prayer, offices of the church, overseer, overseer pastor elder, pastor, pastor qualifications, salvation, test the spirits, the church, the gospel, witness | Leave a comment

“The Faith That Pleases God” (Hebrews 11 sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/15 by Shawn Thomas

What kind of gift makes your spouse happy? That’s important to know, isn’t it? Because people vary so much in what pleases them. For example, some women might be delighted if you got them a certain kitchen appliance for Christmas or for their birthday — but there are others that if you got them a kitchen appliance as a gift you’d be in “the doghouse” for the foreseeable future! One of the keys to a good relationship is knowing what kind of gift pleases the one you love.

And this is true of our relationship with God as well. What pleases Him? That’s an important question. Since you are here at church, I assume that means you probably have at least some kind of desire to please God. So what pleases Him? We see it in this passage: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged "name it claim it", archeology, believe, Bible and faith, Blaise Pascal enough light, blind faith, Christianity, discipleship, Don Sunshine evangelist, faith, faith acts, faith and works, Faith works, false teaching, Galatians 1:10, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, God's word, Hebrews 11:, Hebrews 11:1-6 sermon, Herman Melville Moby Dick, Hinduism, I Corinthians 6:19-20, I Peter 1:8-9, James 2:17, James 2:26, John 20:29, Luke 9:23, MasterLife, Mormonism, people pleaser, pleasing God, reasonable faith, religion vs. practical world, resurrection of Jesus, salvation, salvation by faith, scripture and faith | 3 Comments

“Opportunities For The Gospel” (Colossians 4:2-6 sermon)

Posted on 2018/10/01 by Shawn Thomas

Well, most of the church has probably heard about it by now, but in case you haven’t: I had a missed opportunity at our church senior adult cookout last week. I showed up at 6:00 last Saturday night, which was all fine and good — except the cookout started at 4:00! Somehow I just had it in my mind that it started at 6:00. I forget who it was who said, “Well Pastor Shawn, you not only qualify age-wise, you also qualify MENTALLY as a senior adult now!” Jan and Diane and the crew were very gracious and gave me a meal to take home — but I did miss the opportunity for fellowship with everyone.

Maybe you’d say that you also had a missed opportunity last week: you missed a chance to go somewhere, or buy something, or do something. But one of the most important opportunities that any of us as Christians can miss, is an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. Here at the end of Book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul talks about how important these opportunities are:

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom towards outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors for Christ, Christian conduct, Christian walk, Colossians 4:2-6, conduct, Don Sunshine Make A Difference evangelism, evangelism, evangelism and prayer, gospel, gospel and words, Hudson Taylor, I Corinthians 15:3, kairos, lifestyle, lifestyle evangelism, missed opportunities, opportunities, opportunity, OU, prayer, prayer bookmark, prayer for the lost, praying for opportunities, Romans 10:1, salvation, Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out, sharing the gospel, St. Augustine words if necessary quote, the gospel, University of Oklahoma, witness | 4 Comments

“The Gift That Is An Insult” (I Kings 9:10-14)

Posted on 2018/09/24 by Shawn Thomas

In “Henry V”, one of my very favorite plays or movies, Shakespeare tells of how when King Henry V of England was considering invading France, the French ambassador came to him with a “treasure,” saying that the Dauphin (or Prince of France) thought that this treasure would be more fit for him than invading their country. Henry asked his Duke of Exeter to examine the box and see what the treasure was. He peered in and reported: “Tennis balls, my liege.” Of course it was an insult: the Dauphin was implying that Henry was more fit for playing tennis than he was for warfare. It was an ancient form of “trash talking,” and that was a “gift” that was in actuality an insult.

Many gifts are actually insults like that — and so was the “gift” we read about in I Kings 9 this morning, that Solomon gave to Hiram. I want us to see that this is more than just an inside look into the relationship between two kings, but is a challenge for us in the way we serve our God as well. Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged alabaster vial, cabul, commitment, corporate worship, dedication, discipleship, Endor, Galilee, Genesis 4, gift, gifts, giving, hard work, Hebrews 11:16, Henry V, I Kings 9:10-14, II Samuel 23, James 1:17, Jerusalem, King Hiram, Magdala, Malachi 1, Mark Twain, marriage, mission trips, missions, palace, personal worship, President John F. Kennedy, sacrifice, Shakespeare, Solomon, Sunday School, Temple, The Innocents Abroad, Tiberias, tithe, we choose to go to the moon, widow's mite, work, worship | 21 Comments