Woodland Hills Church of Christ

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Woodland Hills Church of Christ episodes

October 04 1 Peter (Intro)
Bible Classes / Speaker:David Desloge
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45 min
October 04 The Curse of the People-Pleaser Gospel
New Testament Sermons / Speaker:David Desloge
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34 min
October 01 2 Chronicles 36
Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
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46 min
September 27 Reaching the Lost: Every Part Doing its Share
Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
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42 min
September 27Sewell Hall’s Lesson on Dandelions
Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
Sewell Hall’s Lesson on Dandelions
Introduction: Philippians 3:17, ESV “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”
We are not too surprised when we hear Paul urging Christians to imitate him. In itself, it is amazing that God inspired Paul to write the words, “Imitate me.” None of us would dare urge others to imitate us. We are simply too aware of our own flaws. However, in this text Paul not only tells the Philippian Christians to imitate him, but also to “keep their eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”
I would suggest that though all of us, including Paul, have flaws, nearly every dedicated Christian excels in certain areas of living, and therefore those qualities need to be observed and followed. For example, it is one thing for scripture to give us the command to love, but watching someone excel in loving others helps us see how to love.
Sewell Hall passed away a few weeks ago after preaching for about 80 years. His first sermon was just before his 15th birthday. Recently, I found a short lesson by Sewell that was translated into Spanish by his son, Gardner as they taught people in New York City. The lesson was given not too many years before Sewell’s death. As I listened, I thought about the above text. Of all people, Sewell Hall was a person to “keep our eyes upon” because of how beautifully he followed the example of Paul.
The lesson Sewell gave was on Dandelions. He delivered it along side his son in front of a field of Dandelions. It was simple and to the point, but the message was unforgettable. This morning, I would like to give you his lesson. I can’t do it like Sewell would, but it is the message that we all need to hear. All the main points made in this sermon are what Sewell said in his lesson.
How Did All These Dandelions Get Here?
How could this beautiful field of dandelions have come about? Do you suppose someone hired a gardener to plant each flower? No, we would all understand that the labor involved would be overwhelming.
Maybe there was one pod of seed that grew up and a little boy plucked it and blew on it. Or, maybe the wind blew it, and next year flowers were everywhere.
In Revelation 2-3 we read of seven churches. These were seven churches filled with many Christians scattered throughout a large area of Asia Minor. Where did all those Christians come from?
In Acts 19:1, we read, “And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus.” Ephesus was a capital city, and from it there were roads that fed all the cities of Asia. As Paul would typically do, he went into the synagogue and boldly taught the about the kingdom of God for a number of months until the Jews became stubborn and began speaking evil of him.
But Paul did not give up. He took the disciples he had made and began teaching/reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. Luke gives an amazing brief summary of Paul’s work in Ephesus: “This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” Later, in Acts 20, Paul tells the elders at Ephesus that in all he had spent three years with them.
How do you suppose all Asia heard the word? Did Paul use Ephesus as a home base, traveling to city after city for those two years? No. We read in Colossians that Paul never went to Colossae. So how did all Asia hear the word? It was simple. There were men and women who traveled through Ephesus and heard the word from Paul. When they returned to their homes, they taught others, and the one’s they taught also taught others until all of Asia heard the word. How long did that take? Two years. Just two years, and there were Christians everywhere.
What we see illustrated in Asia is explained in the Parable of the Sower. The gospel is the seed. When it is sown in good hearts, it produces other Christians. Jesus was the original “Sower.” How did Jesus sow the seed in the whole world?
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)
Before Jesus ascended, he told the apostles to go and make disciples of all nations. Well, how were twelve men supposed to do that?
It’s fairly simple. The apostles started making disciples of anyone and everyone. When they baptized people who wanted to follow Jesus, they also taught them to observe all that Jesus commanded them to do. That included, “Go and make disciples…”
And the last thing Jesus said to give them confidence in their mission was, “and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” God’s power and presence with us never fails. As the Messiah said in Isaiah 55:11, “my word will not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
That’s what happened in Asia. Paul made disciples and taught them to observe all that Jesus commanded, which included going and teaching others the same commandments they were taught. And that is how all Asia heard the word.
Sewell’s Account of His Trip to Zimbabwe
Sewell discovered churches and Christians everywhere, and he inquired about how the gospel spread in the country. The Christians in Zimbabwe were traced back to one Christian man who came to the country as a brick mason. He needed workers, so he hired men to work his quarry. As they worked together, he taught them the gospel. And those who became disciples went back to their villages and taught others.
This single brick mason could not teach all of Zimbabwe, but he could teach those he met and worked with. In the same way, we cannot expect to employ one man to teach a whole community. But if each Christian followed the teaching of Jesus and taught one more person, and that person teaches one more, the kingdom multiplies, just as we see Luke recording time and again in the book of Acts.
Conclusion: That’s the lesson of the Dandelions. One little Dandelion in a field can spread to fill a whole field of beautiful Dandelions.
Personal Note: My parents raised me to see neighbors and friends as opportunities. I repeatedly watched them teach others who later also taught others. When I began to work with Bernice, she taught me the how to open my eyes and see the harvest that was right in front of me. With her example, I began to teach others, and they have taught others, and they have taught others. There is no way to count the number of souls that have been saved simply because Bernice taught me to “open my eyes, the fields are white for harvest.”
Story of Art and Diane Parmentier
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24 min
September 27 2 Timothy Class (Lesson 12)
Bible Classes / Speaker:Adam Malone
Comparing 1st Timothy & 2nd Timothy
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45 min
September 24 2 Chronicles 35 & 36
Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
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44 min
September 20 2 Timothy Class (Lesson 11)
Bible Classes / Speaker:Adam Malone
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43 min
September 20Jeremiah 20: You Can’t Win!
Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
You Can’t Win!
Jeremiah 20
Introduction: On Wednesday evening David led a short talk from 1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” But no matter the warning, we are always shocked!
Jeremiah 20 concludes a strange and shocking period in the life of Jeremiah. He was called to be a prophet to Judah in his early twenties, about 626 BC. He became a prophet just 20 years prior to the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. What is shocking to Jeremiah is that he is a prophet during the reign of Josiah, one of the best kings Judah ever had. One would expect he would experience success with the people. But in his first 20 years, Jeremiah is unable to convince anyone, and his discouragement reaches an all time low.
As a reminder, God had instructed Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house two times.
First, Jeremiah observed a potter making a vessel that became spoiled in his hand so that he had to rework it. Therefore, Jeremiah was to remind Israel that they were as this clay that had become spoiled, and just as this potter, God had the power to reshape them for disaster. They needed to return from their wicked ways and be spared.
In the second visit to the potter’s house, Jeremiah was commanded to purchase an earthenware flask that he was to shatter in the presence of the elders of the people. The nation was now past the hope of being clay that could be reworked, they now would be shattered by their enemies.
Jeremiah now enters into a battle, with himself, with his enemies, and with the Lord.
Persecution Turns Physical (1-6)
Jeremiah 20 begins with the response of a priest who was the chief officer of the house of the Lord.
In previous chapters Jeremiah had dealt with threats, verbal abuse, and plots against his life. We remember that Jeremiah was shocked and confused by those responses, and even repeatedly prayed for the people. But now, he is being physically abused. It is the first of many times in the coming 20 years of Jeremiah’s life.
The real surprise is that it is the chief priest over the temple who instigates the abuse, and it is severe. Remember, the purpose is to silence Jeremiah. That is the purpose of all persecution; that is the purpose of Satan and those who follow him. But it is also the repeated warning of the Lord to his people. We are not allowed to keep silent.
“But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:19-20 ESV)
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11 ESV)
Another thing that makes this trial extremely difficult for Jeremiah and repeatedly happens throughout scripture—the persecution comes from a fellow priest, a respected, religious leader. Jesus repeatedly warned that those who think they are doing God’s service, are the ones who will desire to kill you (John 16:2). That was a first century normal for disciples of Christ!
Consider, who will the people more likely follow, Jeremiah, a lone voice, or a multitude of priests and even the chief priest who say he is a liar? How would you feel if you were that lone voice? Even Elijah, considered the greatest prophet of all, fell into deep depression and tried to escape the reality of it all. This is the nature of fiery trials.
Now notice Jeremiah’s response when he was released the following day. It is as if Pashur let’s him loose expecting that he has learned his lesson and will simply disappear. But no. The moment Jeremiah is released, he refuses to go away quietly. He tells Pashur that God has given him a new name. Oh, isn’t that nice! Will it be like Abraham’s new name or Jacob’s new name? No Pashur. God’s new name for you is, “Terror on Every Side.” I wonder what went through this priest’s mind when years later he was chained along with his friends that he had deceived, and carried off to Babylon. He would never see home again. He would die in captivity.
Possibly the greatest challenge is the realization of how much of one’s life is being taken up by the trial. It seems that your “life” has been ruined. It is a prolonged nightmare. In Jeremiah’s case, it is essentially his whole adult life.
Please remember, this kind of life experience in serving God is not unique to Jeremiah. When we closely examine Paul’s explanations of what God expects of a servant of Christ in 2 Corinthians, it is evident that though the sufferings and challenges are different for each Christian, we are not to be “surprised by the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Cf. 2 Timothy 3:12
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)
Jeremiah’s Lament (7-13)
First, please note: When Jeremiah is at his lowest, where does he turn? The challenge of every trial is the loneliness of the burden being carried. Others around us, even those who love us, cannot feel the immensity of the pain. There is only One who can truly sympathize with us and bring us through, and that is the Lord.
Now notice a repeated phrase used four times in verses 7-11:
7: Concerning God, “you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed.” Jeremiah continues to speak to God as if the Lord did not warn him of the consequences of delivering God’s warnings of judgment to the people. Maybe Jeremiah thought he would be such a persuasive preacher that he would surely have success. After all, he had many friends, and he was a priest! But to his horror, his very friends and relatives have plotted to kill him! Therefore, God was stronger than him and prevailed over him as his prophet.
9: Concerning Jeremiah, “I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot [prevail].” Jeremiah finds himself with two impossible choices. If he speaks he becomes a laughingstock and threatened with violence. If he decides not to speak, God’s word is burning like a fire inside him and he cannot overcome the battle against himself either!
10: Concerning his enemies: “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome [prevail] and take our revenge on him.” This verse shows how determined his “close friends” are. He has called Pashur “Terror on Every Side,” so they turn that against him and whisper “terror on every side.”
11: Concerning the Lord: “But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome [prevail] me.” Finally, Jeremiah takes the proper course. He realizes the battle cannot be won by himself. Therefore he looks to the Lord as a “dread warrior” so that the persecutors will not be able to overcome him.
12-13 His words in these verses shows how he has come to a condition of peace and praise to God, knowing that he will deliver his life from the evildoers.
Here is the lesson that must be learned by every child of God:
Trials find us in an impossible condition. We begin by basically battling against God (without realizing what we are doing) concerning what we are having to endure. We complain as did Jeremiah, but we do not win; God overcomes us.
Then we might conclude, this is hopeless, I might as well give up. But we can’t. We recognize that like Jonah regardless of the pain, God expects us to endure, and the fire inside will not allow us to forget God. [which reminds us of the need to prepare for trials.]
Then the trial gets worse, to the point that it seems there will never be any relief; my life is over, Satan is crushing me.
Finally, in the depth of despair we remember the promise of God, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God sees my heart and my pain. He will not allow the “enemy” to succeed. Now I can stop battling God, and instead trust him as a dread warrior who will not allow me to be defeated. The result? “Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy!” Peace, peace, perfect peace!
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Paul gives the perfect explanation.
Jeremiah Curses the Day of His Birth (14-18)
These verses seem out of place compared to the previous verses. How can he go from praising the Lord to cursing the day of his birth? I will suggest two principles we must learn:
First, this illustrates the ups and downs of trials. We can finally find peace that the Lord will deliver us and we can trust him. But that does not mean the trial vanishes or the pain goes away. Having our eyes on God gives us joy, but true glory is yet to come.
Second, Jeremiah now realizes that with the upcoming destruction of the city and the nation, he has been born for a life of suffering. Not every trial ends with the blessing of Job in this life. In such a condition, we can easily go through a time in which we mourn what could have been. The purpose of the inspired text is to remind us of the despair we can feel in our flesh and alert us to these negative feelings.
In conclusion, consider Peter’s encouragement:
“But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (1 Peter 4:16-19 NAS20)
Peter’s message is that as Christians we are suffering “judgment” [suffering] now, through which we obtain salvation. But if the Christian goes through such “fiery trials”/judgment now, what will become of the godless and sinner in eternal judgment! Our “judgment” is suffering now. The unrighteous will suffer eternally.
Berry Kercheville
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34 min
September 17 2 Chronicles 34
Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville
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45 min