Archive for category Sermons
Are You Prejudiced?
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Discipleship, Preaching, Sermons on August 3, 2011
In Galatians 3 the Apostle Paul mentions three common areas of prejudice that the churches of Galatia faced in his day. Prejudice was present in that day and discrimination was often the result. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul:
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
Keep in mind that the Apostle Paul founded the churches of Galatia on his second missionary journey and revisited them on his third missionary journey. Although some Biblical scholars believe that the Book of Galatians was written earlier, most believe the letter was written around 58 A.D. Tens years earlier, the Christian leaders gathered in Jerusalem to discuss some of these same issues (Acts 15). Some Jewish believers, called Judaizers, taught that Gentile Christians had to follow certain Old Testament regulations in order to be saved. They were prejudiced towards the Gentile believers and demanded they look and act like them. Paul seems to be addressing this issue 10 years later in this letter.
The truth is, bias, prejudice, and discrimination, never completely go away. They were still present ten years after the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) where they addressed the issue and they’re still present today. Even worse, they’re still present in the church!
Let me ask a few questions. Are you prejudiced towards….
- Christians of other races?
- Christians from different income levels?
- Christians of the opposite sex?
- Christians of different ages?
- Christians who prefer a different worship style than you?
- Christians who prefer a different translation of the Bible?
- Christians who prefer a different type of music?
- Christians who dress differently than you when they come to church?
Can A Christian Be Divorced?
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Life Happens, Preaching, Sermons, Worship on June 22, 2011
I am currently preaching a Summer Sermon Series called Hot Topics. This week’s sermon is entitled, Can A Christian Be Divorced? Several of my pastor friends believe that this week’s “divorce sermon” will be the most difficult message to deliver in the entire series. I suppose they’re correct, but all that I know to do is to explore what the Bible says on the subject.
During this series, I have been reminded over and over that most people want to hear the truth. They want a preacher to stand with a heart full of love and share straight from God’s Word. Even if the topic is difficult, they want to know what God has to say! Well, this summer, I’m desperately trying to share what God has to say on each of these hot topics.
If you would like to hear any or all of the sermons from this series, you can listen to them on our website at www.shelbyvillebaptist.com.
“Hot Topics”
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Funny, Sermons on June 1, 2011
Through the summer I’m opening up a can of worms at Shelbyville First Baptist Church! I’m wading in waters where I might just drown! I’m going out on a limb! I’m biting off more than I can chew! I’m waking up several sleeping dogs! I’m swimming with the sharks! I’m taking a stick and hitting a hornet’s nest. For the entire summer, I’m going where very few preachers will dare go!
On Sunday, June 5, I will begin a sermon series called HOT TOPICS! I will address some of the most difficult and sensitive questions in life today. Here’s the list:
- June 5: What Does the Bible Say about Homosexuality?
- June 12: Is Laziness a Sin?
- June 19: Is Sex a Four-letter Word?
- June 26: Can a Christian Be Divorced?
- July 10: Is Osama Bin Laden in Hell?
- July 17: Is Abortion Always Wrong?
- July 24: Is It a Sin to Be Rich?
- July 31: What Music Is Real “Christian” Music?
- August 7: Are We Prejudiced in Shelbyville?
True Satisfaction
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Life Happens, Preaching, Sermons, Worship on May 3, 2011
In 1965, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards released a song that gave the English rock band, the Rolling Stones, their first #1 hit. One of the unique features of the song was the repetitive, three-note guitar riff throughout. The song was titled “Satisfaction.” Here are the words to the chorus:
I can’t get no satisfaction. I can’t get no satisfaction. ‘Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try. I can’t get no satisfaction.
This was one of my favorite pep-band songs in high school because the trombones played that three-note guitar riff. You can probably guess that I played trombone in school. BUT, at the time, I didn’t know how sad the song’s lyrics were.
When I think of these sad lyrics, I think of King Solomon. He spent most of his life searching for satisfaction. Listen to his frustration:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiates 1:2
“All life is far more boring than words could ever say. Our eyes and our ears are never satisfied with what we see and hear.” Ecclesiates 1:8 (Contemporary English Version)
“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiates 1:14
As a pastor, I have learned that many people in life are just like Solomon. They are seeking true meaning in life, but don’t know where to find it. Fortunately, our search can end well if our search brings us to Christ. Listen to what the Apostle Paul writes in Colossians:
“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him (Jesus).” Colossians 1:16 (Msg)
If you are reading this and have an emptiness in your life, then I encourage you to give your life to Christ. Find purpose and meaning in a personal, intimate relationship with Him. Pray and invite Him into your life. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Follow Him, love Him, serve Him. If I can help you in some way to that end, please contact me at srice@fbcshelbyville.com.
Record Attendance on Easter 2011
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Sermons, Worship on April 26, 2011
We had a BIG Day on Easter 2011 as we kicked off our new sermon series called The Life You’ve Always Wanted. Since 2007, we have been carefully tracking worship attendance and last Sunday’s attendance was a record for that time period. Thank you for all your hard work toward making Easter at Shelbyville Baptist a huge success.
This Sunday we will continue our sermon series with a message entitled Life with Meaning. We will study King Solomon and his quest to find true meaning and purpose in life.
Luke Wisely, our new contemporary worship leader, will be leading our 8:30 am service and Gene Wright, our worship pastor, will be leading our 11:00 am service. See you there!
EASTER SERIES: “The Life You’ve Always Wanted”
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Sermons on April 18, 2011
One of my favorite authors is John Ortberg and one of my favorite books that he has written is “The Life You’ve Always Wanted.” In the book, Ortberg talks about spiritual disciplines for ordinary people.
This Easter, I’m borrowing his title for my new sermon series. The series is not about spiritual disciplines; it focuses on helping people find purpose and meaning in life. It will talk about living a full, satisfied life that brings glory to the Lord.
Here are the sermon titles:
- April, 24 Easter – “Life without Fear”
- May 1 – “Life with Meaning”
- May 8 – “Life with Love”
- May 15 – “Life with Margin”
- May 22 – “Life with the End in Mind”
- May 29 – “Life without Guilt”
The Kind of Person God Uses
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Discipleship, Life Happens, Preaching, Sermons on March 27, 2011
Have you ever wondered why God uses a particular person or a certain church? Have you ever looked at them and wondered what they had that you did not have? I believe there are at least four observations we can make about people or churches that God uses….
- God uses the person who is following His mission. As Dr. Henry Blackaby said in Experiencing God, most of us pray “Lord, bless what I’m doing” when we should be praying “Lord, help me to do what you are blessing!” God will bless those who are focusing on HIS mission instead of focusing on THEIR mission.
- God uses the person who is willing to risk failure. Following Jesus is not for the faint at heart. Acts 15:26 reminds us that Paul and Barnabus “risked their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Erwin McManus says that we have become domesticated Christians, unwilling to risk anything for the cause of Christ. The truth is, that lifestyle is far-removed from the Book of Acts. I’m not saying we should simply take foolish risks for no reason, but we should be willing to go anywhere God leads and attempt anything God says we should attempt, even if there’s no guarantee of success.
- God uses the person who expects to be used. Jesus told the two blind men, “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29). Rick Warren says that there is one consistent ingredient he sees in every church where God is working — people who are willing to believe God. In other words, the faith factor.
- God uses the person who never gives up. Paul reminds us to “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Most people miss the harvest simply because they quit too soon. The harvest takes time, but God’s timing is always perfect. We should NEVER give up. Sometimes the game is won on a last-second shot….on a two-out blast….on a hail-Mary heave.
This past week my mom’s youngest brother went home to be with the Lord. As I sat and heard his children, my first cousins, talk about what a wonderful father he was and what a Godly example he was, I was reminded that we should serve God passionately. We should serve Him daily. We should serve Him to the very end of our life. We should finish the course and keep the faith. THAT is the kind of person God uses.
Created to be Like Jesus
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Discipleship, Preaching, Sermons on December 3, 2010
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)
As believers, our ultimate goal is to become like Christ. He is the bullseye. He is the mark. He is the goal! Here are the basic points from a sermon I preached once entitled, Created to Become Like Christ.
WE BEGIN TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST WHEN WE . . . .
1. Turn over the steering wheel. God doesn’t want to be co-pilot; He wants to be pilot. The Apostle Paul said, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord….” (Vs. 6). When I ride with someone else, I find myself wanting to grab the wheel, hit the brake, or stomp the accelerator. Similarly, I sometimes do that in my Christian walk, but Jesus deserves to be Lord in my life as well as yours. I must continually turn the wheel of my life over to Him.
2. Dig in with Christ. There were a number of false teachers in Colossae, so Paul emphasized the need to be “rooted and built up in Him” (Vs. 7). One way to be rooted is to dig into God’s Word. Common sense tells us that we can’t watch television 5 hours a day, then read the Bible 5 minutes a day, and expect to grow spiritually!
3. Build our lives in Jesus. Paul said that we are “built up in Him” (Vs. 7). Construction takes time. Some building projects take longer than others. The same is true in our Christlikeness. Discipleship is a lifelong, exciting journey.
4. Pump up with teaching. Several years ago two famous Saturday Night Live characters regularly said, “we are here to pump you up!” Paul told the Colossian believers they were “strengthened in the faith as [they] were taught” (Vs. 7). Paul connects teaching of the Word of God with spiritual strength. We should “pump up” regularly with good Biblical teaching.
5. Spill thankfulness everywhere you go. Paul concludes verse 7 by reminding us that we should be “overflowing with thankfulness.” I remember a couple of times a waitress accidently filled my glass so full that it overflowed. As mature believers, we should intentionally be so full of thankfulness that we overflow for others to see. I believe that genuine thankfulness is a mark of spiritual maturity.
The Lord Jesus is our model and we often fall short. But, always remember that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6, NIV).
Discover Prayer
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Preaching, Sermons on October 25, 2010
Yesterday at Shelbyville First Baptist Church I kicked off a new series I’m calling Discover. Each week we will take an in-depth look at one of the key elements of the Christian life. The first sermon in the series I called Discover Prayer.
In the first sermon, I answered the following four key questions concerning prayer:
- What is prayer?
- Who can pray?
- How do we pray?
- What can prayer do?
The text was taken from the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. The main memory verse from the sermon was Matthew 6:6.
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
People Pleaser or Leader?
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Preaching, Sermons on September 21, 2010
I love to please people! All my life, I have wanted people to like me, affirm me, and generally think that I’m wonderful. As I have matured as a leader and as a pastor, I’ve discovered that I have to sometimes set those desires aside and do the right thing regardless of what other’s think. My goal MUST NOT be to simply “please people” — my goal must be to help people. Sometimes I have to set boundaries and tell people “no” in order to help them. Other times I have to model a new approach and lead people to walk in a more effective, efficient manner.
Everyone seems to have their idea of what I should do as a pastor and how I should use my time. Hardly a week goes by, that someone does not pull me aside and share with me their personal assignment for my life. Most of the time, the assignment is fair and reasonable, but it almost always matches their personal preferences and desires. As the senior pastor I MUST consider the big picture and keep the entire church body in mind as I lead. If I simply jump from personal assignment to personal assignment, I will not lead with vision and God-given direction.
Here are the 5 promises I made to the church during my first sermon as senior pastor on November 2, 2008:
- I promise to love God. In order to fulfill this promise, I must be disciplined in my private time with the Lord. The man who never spends time with God in private is no good in public.
- I promise to love my family. I love to work hard and I love being a pastor (most the time). Because of this, I have to guard against neglecting my family. I have asked other staff members to tell me if they see this in my life and I have pledged to tell them if I see it in their lives.
- I promise to love you. I love Shelbyville First Baptist Church and all our people. I look forward to serving our Lord together for many years to come. Keep in mind that all our pastors love God and love our people.
- I promise to love the unchurched. I want to see people come to Christ. I need to spend more time around lost people. I need to get out of the office more and into the community.
- I promise to preach the Bible. I have tried my best to focus on God’s Word in my sermons and in my teaching. It takes time to prepare true, Biblical sermons, but it is worth all the hard work and extra effort. Currently, I set aside Tuesday and Wednesday as my main study days. Occasionally, I will schedule an appointment or meeting on those days, but I try to devote those days to preparation for preaching and teaching the Bible.
As we move forward, I pledge to always be open to suggestions and ideas. My default of wanting to please people will always be there, I’m sure. But, I promise when I’m faced with the choice of “simply pleasing someone” or “providing Godly leadership,” I will strive to choose providing Godly leadership every time.
