Telling the Truth: A Testimony to The Truth (Matthew 5:33-37)

On March 20, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus continues to define the righteousness of his kingdom in the context of personal relationships. In previous verses, He addressed the issues of murder and adultery with their accompanying heart motivations: anger and lust. According to Jesus, true righteousness is not simply avoiding outward expressions of sin such as murder and adultery. True righteousness is doing the hard work of repenting of the sin in our hearts (such as lust and anger), loving what is pleasing to God, and by the power of the Spirit, seeking to live that out in our lives.

In this passage (5:33-37), Jesus transitions from pursuing righteousness in marriage relationships to pursuing righteous speech in all our relationships,

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.”[1]

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Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation? A List of Verses that Support Eternal Security (or Perseverance of the Saints)

On March 18, 2023March 18, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn TheologyLeave a comment

This week I had the opportunity to meet with a couple who wanted to talk about our church’s stance on eternal security (also called perseverance of the saints). Many people misunderstand what is meant by perseverance of the saints and are rightfully concerned that its proponents hold to a trivial form of “once saved always saved.” Their main concern is that we believe that as long as someone repeats a prayer or makes a profession of faith, their name is sealed in heaven and cannot be removed regardless of how they live post-profession. Thus, they are concerned that we might make salvation a trivial matter: say this, you are saved, and you can never lose it, regardless of how you live.

This is not, however, the historic view on the perseverance of the believer, nor is it the one we hold to. So what do we believe? We believe that when someone genuinely repents and places their faith in Christ, they are saved. They become a son or daughter of God and are given the Holy Spirit. That Spirit ensures their future endurance and is thus the guarantee of their salvation. They will not lose their salvation, because God Himself will complete the work that he started. And this work will be evident in their life!

Here is a categorized list of the verses that help us arrive at this position:

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A Thirst for Righteousness: The Antidote to Lust, Adultery, & Divorce (Matthew 5:27-32)

On March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

Last week we looked at the subject of anger in Matthew 5:21-26. The main idea was that true righteousness is not characterized by outward behavior but a pure heart. Therefore, simply avoiding murder isn’t a defining mark of righteousness, but cleansing our hearts from underlying anger and putting on love, forgiveness, and compassion is. This is the kind of righteousness that Jesus is calling us to. It is the righteousness that the Spirit will create in the members of God’s kingdom.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes what true righteousness looks like in the context of personal relationships. To do that, he quotes the law and shows where the religious leaders only obey the tradition at the surface level. But he also reveals how the principle should be obeyed at the heart level, where almost all of us stand guilty. This is exactly what he did with murder, revealing that the heart behind murder is anger. Thus, anyone who is angry is, in some sense, guilty of murder. This revelation is painful, but we must remember that the righteousness described in the SM is not a prerequisite for salvation. We are saved by Jesus, who has paid the penalty for our unrighteousness and has given us his righteousness. He has also cleansed our hearts and given us his Spirit, by whom he will flesh out the righteousness that the SM speaks of in our lives.

In Matthew 5:27-32, Jesus continues his discourse on relationships by addressing the relationship of marriage. What does true righteousness look like in the relationship between husband and wife? Jesus points to two aspects of the law to answer that question: adultery and divorce.

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The Power of Prayer

On March 10, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Prayer is a vital aspect of the Christian life and one of the highest privileges of God’s children. But it can be difficult! How then, are we to pray? And how can we persevere in prayer? By remembering the power of prayer. This power is found in the One to whom we pray. It resides the throne room of heaven, where God our Father sits eager to hear and answer the prayers of His people.

Manuscript:

This evening we will be continuing our series Mere Evangelism.[1] For the last few weeks we have been talking about the practice of evangelism: how to communicate the gospel, use imagery, handle objections, and expect opposition. Tonight we are going to discuss one of the vital organs to this body of evangelistic living: prayer.

Without prayer, our evangelism will be plagued by self-dependence, a deadly disease which weakens and kills any effort to serve God. Yet it is not only necessary for evangelism, but for all of Christian living. Someone once asked Charles Spurgeon which was more important, Bible-reading or prayer, to which he responded, “which is more important, breathing out or breathing in?” Prayer is an essential component to any life of faith, any relationship with God, and subsequently, any attempt to do something for God. We must pray.

But prayer is very difficult. Though it should be natural to us to speak to our heavenly Father, we all struggle with when, how, how often, or how long to pray. We need constant encouragement to remain faithful in this spiritual discipline, and we are given such encouragement in the Scriptures! I want to consider several of those tonight with you and look at prayer from a birds eye view and then take a specific look at how it applies to evangelism. We will look at four aspects of prayer: The privilege of prayer, the pain of prayer, the power of prayer, and the practice of prayer.

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30 Names and Attributes of God

On March 8, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Discipleship, Theology2 Comments

Though God is infinitely above our finite ability to understand or comprehend, he has revealed himself to us in his Word. There are numerous attributes of God’s character expressed in the Bible. These attributes help us know what God is like so that we can have fellowship with him, worship him, and serve him rightly. We should study them, share them, sing about them, take comfort in them, and pray them.

The below compilation of God’s attributes is from the campus ministry I was a part of in college, The Navigators. I believe it is one of the best tools for studying and praying the attributes of God. I am reproducing it here for ease of access for those I recommend it to. My suggestion is to take a different attribute each day, read the accompanying verses, and praise God for that attribute. May God bless you in your pursuit of him!

1. JEHOVAH

The name of the independent, self-complete being—“I AM WHO I AM”—only belongs to Jehovah God. Our proper response to Him is to fall down in fear and awe of the One who possesses all authority. Exodus 3:13-15

2. JEHOVAH-M’KADDESH

This name means “the God who sanctifies.” A God separate from all that is evil requires that the people who follow Him be cleansed from all evil Leviticus 20:7-8

3. INFINITE

God is beyond measurement—we cannot define Him by size or amount. He has no beginning, no end, and no limits. Romans 11:33

4. OMNIPOTENT

God is all-powerful. He spoke all things into being, and all things—every cell, every breath, every thought—are sustained by Him. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Jeremiah 32:17-18; Jeremiah 32:26-27

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Murder in the Heart: Jesus’ Teaching on Anger (Matthew 5:21-26)

On March 6, 2023March 13, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Devotionals, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus begins his commentary on the traditions of the Law by defining his relationship to the Law. His definition is staggering. Not only does he claim that he did not come to abolish the Law, nor that he has perfectly kept the Law, but that he is the fulfillment of the Law.

What does this phrase mean? It means that the Law points to and culminates in Jesus. It means that he is the righteousness that the Law points to. It means that his life and his work are the epitome and the completion of the Law. He himself, who he is and what he does, is the fulfillment of the Law.

As the Law’s fulfillment, Jesus can free his people from the demands of the law (Galatians 3:24) and enable them to live in accordance with the true intention of the Law. What is that true intention? To possess a genuine righteousness that is a light to the world and brings glory to God (Matt 5:6, 14). This righteousness, Jesus says, must far surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 5:20). How can it do that? Because it is a different kind of righteousness altogether.

In Matthew 5:21-47, Jesus begins to unpack the meaning of the true righteousness of the Law in the context of relationships. This should not surprise us, because Jesus himself describes the law as loving God and loving our neighbor. The two go hand in hand! Consider 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar.”

Jesus begins by quoting the law and confronting the religious leaders’ surface-level adherence to them. I believe He does this for three reasons. First, to expose the false righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. Second, to help us be poor in spirit by revealing our lack of true righteousness. And third, to motivate his people to pursue true righteousness (i.e. to be those who ‘hunger and thirst’ for it; Matt 5:6). Let’s consider these reasons in light of murder and anger in 5:21-26.

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James 5:7-12: Being Patient Until Jesus Returns

On February 28, 2023March 1, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MessagesLeave a comment

Sermon Manuscript:

Please turn with me to the book of James, chapter 5:7-12. The main idea of our text this morning is patience. Patience is a difficult subject to discuss. It is something that we all know that we need, but we often fail to possess. It is something that we want and admire in others, but in a tough moment, we do not want it and are aggravated by those who have it. But for followers of Jesus, patience is an integral part of our faith. We are commanded to “be patient.” Patience is a defining mark of love, according to 1 Cor. 13. It is a fruit of the Spirit, according to Galatians 5. To remain impatient is not an option for the Christian.

I confess from the outset that I have not mastered the art of patience. I struggle with impatience frequently. In fact, it may be one of the sins that I struggle with the most! So I come before you today to proclaim what James says about patience. Or better yet, what God says about patience through James. Not to tell you what I am proficient in. But it is my prayer that God, through the preaching of His Word and the power of His Spirit, may equip each of us this morning to grow in being patient for our good and His glory.

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Romans 5:8- The Demonstration of God’s Love

On February 20, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Miscellaneous1 Comment

Tonight I have the privilege of preaching at a homeless shelter in Atlanta that our church supports. As I have wrestled with what to share, I have settled on one of my favorite verses, Romans 5:8. My plan is to break this verse down and explain the gospel as clearly as possible. I’ve included a rough draft of what I plan to say below. If you have the chance to read, I hope that it is helpful to you, too!

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrated his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This is one of my favorite verses in all of the Bible. Though its just one sentence, it captures the meaning of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It contains the primary theme of God’s Word. It is the key to understanding every book of the Bible. Yet not only is it the key to understanding the Bible, but all of life itself. This one verse has in it the power of life. The power of hope. The power of eternity. Have I convinced you that its important? I hope so!

During my time tonight, I want to stick with this one verse. I want to consider it from every angle. Backwards and forwards. Every word, every phrase. And I want to apply its meaning to our lives. There is not a single person here who doesn’t need to hear what this verse is saying to us. So I ask you- please listen!

Let’s dive in.

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Mere Evangelism- The Stirring of Uneasiness

On February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MinistryLeave a comment

Do you want to hear the bad news or good news first? Have you ever been asked this question? Are you a good news first or bad news first kind of person? Whichever camp you may fall in, when we share the gospel of Jesus, we have to share the bad news first. Why? Because without the bad news, the good news isn’t good news.

So what’s the bad news? And how does it make the good news good? How can we stir up the uneasy feeling that the bad news creates and prepare people not only for good news, but the best news in all the world? In C.S. Lewis’ words, how can we open wounds so that we can heal them with the gospel? That is the heart of this message, The Stirring of Uneasiness.

Praying for New Believers

On October 20, 2022 By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

When Paul hears of new believers, he immediately prays, and continues to pray, for two things:

1. That they would be filled with the knowledge of God.

2. That they would be strengthened with power.

He prays for these two things so that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bear fruit in their work, and have endurance in their faith. (Colossians 1:9-14).

Let us pray the same for each other, for those who have recently come to faith, and for those who have been walking with Jesus for years. May we all be filled with the knowledge of God and strengthened with His power, so that we may walk in a manner worthy of Him, bear fruit in our works, and have endurance in our faith!