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Category Archives: Michael Rue

How to avoid spiritual nearsightedness

I have been inspired by the latest sermon from my pastor, Mike Rue at our local church, Calvary Baptist Church, to do a short blog posting. The sermon series is a verse by verse study of the second epistle of Peter titled “Know”, as in to “know” God. This past Sunday we delved into chapter 1 verses 3-11. I know it seems like a large chunk of scripture to bite off at once, but the context seems to warrant the large bite. The section of verses teaches the believer how to recognize and experience spiritual growth. During the sermon the one verse that attracted my focus was verse 9.

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

The context of this verse is a counter that refers to the qualities that mark the believer in Christ mentioned in the previous verses. A growing Christian should be one who supplements their faith in Christ with virtue, and virtue, with knowledge, and knowledge, with self-control, and self-control, with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. As Peter mentions in verse 8:

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just like The apostle John writes in 1 John 5. He writes these things so that you may know that you have eternal life. The apostle Peter also gives us encouragement in what are qualities of the believer in Jesus Christ. I pray that these qualities are found in me and by the grace of God increase my vision to 20/20.

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Posted by barrydean on May 8, 2014 in 2 Peter 1:3-11, Calvary Church Wahoo, Michael Rue, nearsightedness, spiritual growth

Why Christ Came To Die Part 2: To Work as Our Perfect Savior

18 Jan

Notes from last week’s sermon:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ John 1:29

The presumed injustice of convicting an innocent man.

I. The Need

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 2:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27

II. The Means; Behold The Lamb of God

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Gen. 3:21

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Lev. 17:11

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Rom. 2:4-5

but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:19

How will we escape the wrath from God that is to come?
John 1:29

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

III. The Result: The removal of your sins – 1 Peter 3:18

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Ps. 103:12

Revelation 5 – Only the Lamb is worthy.

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Posted by barrydean on January 18, 2013 in 1 Peter, Calvary Church Wahoo, Fifty Reason Why Jesus Came To Die, Michael Rue, sermon notes

Why Christ Came To Die: To Bring Us To God

10 Jan

This past Lord’s day our pastor began leading us in a new sermon series called “Why Christ Came To Die”. The series is based on the book “Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die” by John Piper. The following are my notes from the first sermon installment.

1 Peter 3:18
The Past Accomplishment of Christ’s Work
We have a deep need to commune with God.
We create a God in our own image.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

I. The Need: Fellowship with God

Deut. 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

II. The Means: The Suffering of God’s Perfect Son

the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God,

III. The Result : Fellowship With God

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

God is most glorified in us, when he is most satisfied in Him. Desiring God mission agreement statement.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

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Posted by barrydean on January 10, 2013 in Calvary Church Wahoo, Fifty Reason Why Jesus Came To Die, John Piper, Michael Rue, sermon notes

Knowing God: A Sermon from Jeremiah 9:23-24

16 Dec

This morning pastor Mike Rue took us through a bible study on how to know God. This may be as a result of the latest evil tragedy perpetrated on the teachers and students in Newtown, Connecticut this past Friday December 14th, 2012. Here are my notes from the sermon.

Knowing God (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.” ~ A.W. Tosier

1. Strive to know God.

Strive to have an intimate relationship with God. We can do this by reading and meditating on His word, and going to Him in consistent prayer.

2. Failure to know God will result in discipline or destruction.

The heart of biblical discipline is redemptive. Hebrews 12:7-11.

Proverbs 3:11-12 – My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

3. Take shelter in knowing God.

We can then have a proper perspective of tragedy.

But sin can veil this proper perspective. (Jeremiah 9:12-14)

How to Know God

1. Through creation.

2. Through is word.

3. In Jesus Christ

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Posted by barrydean on December 16, 2012 in Jeremiah 9:23-24, Knowing God, Michael Rue, Wahoo Calvary Baptist Church

Tags: Christianity, newtown connecticut, theology

Food, Fellowship, and Football: Redeeming Thanksgiving from our Traditions (Psalm 30)

18 Nov

Food, Fellowship, and Football: Redeeming Thanksgiving from our Traditions
Psalm 30

Recognizing the goodness of God in our lives. A Christian should have a disposition of thankfulness.

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. (Psalm 30:1 ESV)

The context here is like The Lord drew David out of a dark pit or well.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. (Psalm 30:2 ESV)

David acknowledges his dependence on God, and his relationship with Him.

I. Praise God (vv. 1-3) This should be our life’s ambition.

II. Proclaim God’s goodness (vv. 4-10) When we experience goodness in our life, we naturally want tell everyone we know about it.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” (Psalm 30:6 ESV)

The pride of self-sufficiency.

For this sin, God hid his face.

By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. (Psalm 30:7 ESV)

David was undone.
In verses 8-10 David cries out for mercy.

III. Thanking God (vv. 11-12)

The context of parallelism:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, (Psalm 30:11 ESV)

Mourning to dancing
Garments of sackcloth to clothes of gladness
God delivers us so we can praise Him. He saves us for Himself.

that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
I will give thanks to you forever! (Psalm 30:12b ESV)

We should turn (repent) our Thanksgiving traditions to a disposition of thankfulness and praise to God Forever!

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Posted by barrydean on November 18, 2012 in Calvary Church Wahoo, Michael Rue, Psalm 30, sermon notes, Thanksgiving

Joy In Mercy

11 Nov

It has been a very long time since I’ve posted anything to my blog. I will have to admit that I have been more distracted with social media like Facebook and Google+. My pastor mentioned to me this morning that he was going to deactivate his Facebook account at the end of the year because of it’s distraction. This prompted me to start thinking about how much I’ve let the social media distract me from living a more productive life. Along this line of thinking I am going to post my sermon notes from the sermon this morning. Pastor Mike Rue has been taking us (Wahoo CBC) through a biblical exposition study through the Beatitudes. (Matthew 5) This morning we looked into Matthew 5:7 and the joy of mercy. The following are my notes:

Joy in Mercy (Matt. 5:7)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matthew 5:7 ESV)

Mercy is a relief from a plight.

The assumption of this verse is that mercy has already been given to the believer. There is also a future mercy.

Mercy – Compassion in action.

To be merciful is:

I. Realize the mercy shown to you by God.

II. Respond to the needs and miseries of others.

Example: The good Samaritan Luke 10:29-37

Look for opportunities to serve others in need. Driven by compassion.

III. Relieve the guilt of others.

Everyone lives in a spirit of guilt or regret.

Matt. 18:21-35

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14, 15 ESV)

Regardless of the sin another has done toward you, your sins against a holy God are even greater.

Soli Deo Gloria

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Posted by barrydean on November 11, 2012 in beatitudes, Matthew 5, mercy, Michael Rue, Wahoo Calvary Baptist Church

Standing in the Battle, Part 5 – Sermon Notes

27 May

The Shield of Faith – Ephesians 6:16

The following are my notes from our pastor’s sermon this morning.

I – Know what faith is.

With the shield of faith you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. Flaming darts = discouragement, temptation, depression, disunity, etc. Our faith is not our own. It is firmly rooted in the relationship with Christ.

Faith is not positive thinking.

Great examples of faith are found in Hebrew 11.

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

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Posted by barrydean on May 27, 2012 in Calvary Church Wahoo, Ephesians 6, Michael Rue

Displaying Christ from 9 to 5

17 Apr

This past Lord’s Day our local pastor, Mike Rue, exposited on the scriptures found in Ephesians 6:5-9. This section of scripture is usually sub-titled “Slave and Masters” in most bible translations. Culturally we can relate to this section
of scripture as “Employees and Bosses”. The text provides answers to the following: How, as Christians, do we behave within the confines of our daily grind, (job used in a popular negative term) and relate to our bosses or employees.