Sunset Road Baptist Church Sermon Notes: September 27, 2006 - When The Preacher Steps On Your Toes

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

September 27, 2006 - When The Preacher Steps On Your Toes

Audio Available

Audio Version Available

By Rev. Steve BassSeptember 27, 2006

INTRODUCTION

Sometimes I get the impression that some of you think you should wear safety shoes to church

I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me after a service and said: "Steve- you really stepped on my toes this morning!"
Folks, I know I've got some pretty big feet-

But come on!
They're not THAT big!

Of course I know you don't mean I've literally stepped on your toes during a sermon

you're using a metaphor to say...

The sermon spoke to you
That you felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit during the message

And if that happens- I'm THRILLED!

My hope is that EVERY sermon will have that kind of impact on your life
My prayer is that God will ALWAYS use me as His messenger- revealing His Truth for His people!

But even if it meets my expectation it isn't pleasant to feel like your toes have been stomped on

So short of wearing steel-toed safety shoes to church
What should you do when you feel like God has spoken directly to you?

That’s what I want us to think about this evening

LISTEN TO GOD

I want you to turn with me to Exodus 33:7-11
How many of you have ever had that kind of ‘face to face’ conversation with God?

What? you've NEVER had a verbal conversation with God?
Well...join the club. Neither have I!

Let me ask you another question: Do you think God is still speaking to His people today?

You're right!
The Bible makes it clear that God is speaking to His people EVERY SINGLE DAY!

For instance, sometimes God speaks to His people

Through the...

Ebb and flow of daily life or the beauty of Creation
Great, soul-stirring music or the simple wisdom and guidance offered by fellow Christians
Reading of His perfect Word and the gentile impulse of the Holy Spirit

And sometimes God uses preaching to speak to His people

Illustration: "Results Of Sermon"

A few years ago I preached the Homecoming sermon at NSCBC in Henderson

I remember preaching about the sin of worry and anxiety
And the peace God wants to place in your life

After the service Helen Wright- one of the sweetest ladies God ever made- came up to me and said: "Steve- I felt like you were talking directly to me...You know me- I worry about EVERYTHING"

Folks- in nearly 25 years of preaching I've NEVER directed a sermon at a particular person
The fact is that I do sermon planning about 4-6 months in advance

Trust me- there’s no way I could know what’s going to be happening in your life on say...the third Sunday in March 2007
...But God does!

God already knows the challenges you'll be facing- and the burdens you'll be carrying- on that Sunday
And He’s busy- right now- preparing the message you need to hear that morning!

So what SHOULD you do when you I've stepped on your toes?

Do what Eli told Samuel to do when he kept hearing God’s voice
Tell God: Speak to ME Lord! For your servant is listening!

The next thing you need to do is to...

EVALUATE THE MESSAGE IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD

One of the dangers of a long-term pastorate is that a church can reach a point where they put their pastor up on a pedestal

Sometimes...

This happens because people love and respect their pastor so much they think he can walk on water
And sometimes churches put their pastor up on a pedestal because- to be honest- that’s where the pastor expects to be

But here’s the problem with putting ANY pastor up on a pedestal. If you're not careful...

You can wind up confusing the fallible words of a human being
With the infallible word of God!

This is what happened with the members of the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas

No matter what David Koresh said-

Those people believed it
They took it as the absolute Gospel truth

No one ever...

Challenged Koresh when he said: If the Bible is true- then I am the Messiah!
Stood up and said: Wait just a cotton pickin’ minute here! What does the WORD OF GOD have to say about this thing?

Folks- when I stand in this pulpit I sincerely try to rightly divide the truth of God’s Word

Each week...

I spend hours and hours in prayer and meditation and Bible study
I labor and struggle over every word that goes into the message- trying to make sure that what I'm saying is what God wants me to say

But you know what?

I still make mistakes!
Sometimes in the heat of the moment

My mouth will get ahead of my brain-
And I'll say something that’s wrong

Now that’s not a problem...

If we're talking about the details of an illustration or story I'm telling
BUT when you feel like God is using that message to reveal His truth for your life- you'd better make SURE I'm right!

That’s why I encourage you to critically evaluate everything you hear from this pulpit in the light of God’s Word!

Trust me- you're not insulting me!
You're doing what God’s Word tells you to do!

Folks-

The Berean people loved Paul-

They respected him-
They listened to everything he had to say

But then they carefully studied God’s Word- to see for themselves if Paul was proclaiming the truth of God!

Here’s the bottom line...

God gave you a brain- He expects you to use it
God gave you His Word- He wants you to search it carefully and prayerfully and diligently
God gave you His Holy Spirit- He requires you let Him lead you into all righteousness

So when you feel like I've stepped on your toes- evaluate the message in the light of God’s Word
The third thing you need to do is to...

LET THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICT YOU OF YOUR SIN

You know a lot of people come to church because they want to be entertained

They come with an expectation that says...

The worship service should be upbeat and lively and filled with energy
That the music should be contemporary and ex-citing and only performed by talented people who genuinely love the Lord
That the preaching should be interesting and engaging and inspiring

That’s why a lot people hop around from church to church- they're looking for the "best show in town"

Here’s the thing: If you come to church to be entertained you've missed the boat

Worship is not about entertainment
Worship is about have your heart transformed by an encounter with the one true and living God!

Isaiah had that kind of encounter with God in Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah’s experience of worship was many things-

But it was not pleasant or entertaining
Read what he says in verse 5

Folks...

This isn't a round of applause
This is the response of a man who’s afraid for his life:

"I'm crushed! I'm destroyed! I'm a dead man! Because I now realize that I am a helpless sinner standing in the presence of an awesome and holy God!"

Any preaching worth its salt brings you to throne of God and BOLDLY confronts you with...

The sin and rebellion that’s in your life
And the glory and majesty of God’s holiness!

Look...

I don't ENJOY standing in this pulpit and telling you that...

You've failed God
Unconfessed sin is damaging your relation-ship with God

But I have to do it because that’s what God says in His Word!

But here’s the Good News-

Once God convicts you of your sin- once God steps on your toes
Then- and only then- He’s free to pour out His grace in your life

This is what God did for Isaiah

The Bible says an angel took a live coal off the altar and touched it to Isaiah’s lips
And then the angel said: "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Folks- even when you feel like I'm stepping on your toes don't miss the message of God’s grace!

God loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son into this world to die on the Cross for you
Jesus laid down His life so that your sins could be forgiven- and God could give you the gift of eternal life!

RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL IN YOUR LIFE

On September 11, 2001 hundreds of New York police officers, firefighters and EMT’s responded to the disaster at the WTC

A lot of them were killed when the Trade Center buildings collapsed. What they did was incredibly heroic
But you know what’s really amazing about their sacrifice? Many of them didn't have to be there

Their work shifts had ended just before the jetliners slammed into the Towers
They could have gone home- crawled into bed and been perfectly safe

But they didn't do that. Instead...

The instant they heard the 9-1-1 call
They RUSHED to the scene to do whatever they could

Folks...

When you feel like God has used a sermon to speak directly to you
You need to respond to God’s Call in your life!

Not next week- next month- next year
You need to say "Yes" to God

Right then- right there
Without ANY delay!

This is what Isaiah did after his experience of worship with God. Listen to what the Bible says in Isaiah 6:8
Folks- there’s no way I could know what God wants you to do- but I do know that He wants you to say Yes to Him

Not for that moment
But for the rest of your life

Let us pray

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About Rev. Steve Bass

Reverend Stephen M. Bass was called to serve as Pastor of Sunset Road Baptist Church in 1990. Steve graduated from UNCC with majors in history and political science in 1979 and went onto Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to complete his Masters in Divinity in 1992. Pam, his wife also graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with her Masters in Divinity in 1982. Read some of Steve's sermon notes here .

Steve and Pam met while in Seminary. Steve would visit Pam's home where he could get a good home cooked meal. They were married on August 2, 1980 and after graduation, Steve began serving at New Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Henderson, North Carolina. He service there until his move to Sunset in 1990. Pam serves as Sunset's Education Leader and leads the Sunlighters (Senior Citizens). Pam is also a contract writer for preschool curriculum for Lifeway Christian Resources.