FBC Independence Podcast fbcindep

Our nation is currently in a political ‘battle’ to choose a new President. Although some enjoy this experience, most of us rather dread the whole process: One candidate criticizes the other, political parties and followers line up with ‘their’ candidate, and we are forced to endure a seemingly endless number of political speeches, TV commercials, and even cleverly-written bumper stickers. Worst of all, in my opinion, is the continuous pleading of the candidates, each saying essentially the same thing:  “Vote for me,”“Join me,” and, finally, “Follow me.”
 
Of course, we all understand and accept this—we know that people must ‘follow’ others in this life—be they a family member, boss, or even political leader. We function better when we learn that we must all look to others for guidance and leadership! This goes for every area of life, even that of religious faith.
 
This week, we begin a series of messages dealing with that very issue—the idea that we must learn to follow someone to have a healthy and productive life of faith. The series is entitled “Reasons We Follow Jesus.” For the first week, we focus on the fact that one would do well to follow Jesus because “He is the only God there is.”
 
Here is a passage where the Apostle Paul makes the case that Jesus is The One God: “And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him, all things were created, visible and invisible in the heavens and on the earth, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:15-17
 
Paul makes the case here that Jesus was present at the beginning of time and was the ‘creative agent’ that God used to bring about all that exists. God’s power, at work in and through Jesus, formed the raw materials that make up all things, created the laws of physics that order all things in this universe, and then fashioned the raw materials in life and every living thing. 
           
Doesn’t it make sense that if we seek a ‘greater power’ than us, we will worship The One that created us? Why would we look to anyone else for guidance, strength, and comfort?
           
Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when I say that we should follow Jesus because He is the only God there is:
 
Jesus, God the Son, was “in the beginning” before all things. No one else ‘created’ Jesus. He is the fullness of Deity. 
 
Because Jesus created us physically, spiritually, and emotionally and designed us to live in relationships with others, He is uniquely qualified to understand and help us. No one else can know us like Jesus!
 
Finally, Jesus is eternal God, without beginning and end. He is without equal and will exist forever: He will always be there for us!
 
We follow Jesus because He is The One God. Join us in this faith!
 
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We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/. 
 
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Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

Rev Kev is on vacation this week, so Pastor Dave is filling in. He shares a message about how Christians can Live In the World, Not Of It.
 
You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family. 
 
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/. 
 
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here: https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/.
 
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

Following Jesus is easy and clear—until it isn't! What I mean by that is when someone first receives Jesus as Savior, the issue is usually very simple: "Do you want to be forgiven of your sins and commit to following Jesus?" The answer is usually, "Yes, I do." However, at some point, when the new convert begins to struggle against the sin that is their life, or they struggle with biblical teachings that challenge them, they begin to realize just how 'extreme' this Christian faith can become!
 
The 'extreme' nature of the faith occurs in at least two areas of life. First, the beliefs that lead to salvation are quite extreme. We believe that our salvation is based on the truths of the Gospel: God came in the flesh as the infant Jesus and lived a sinless life. When he was about 33 years old, though, he was crucified by the Roman government, buried, and then came back to life after three days in the grave. This was God's way of offering us cleansing from our sins and a chance at a better life now, as well as an eternal life with Him after our life on this earth is over. This is an extreme set of beliefs!
 
The other area where the faith becomes extreme is how we live our daily lives. God calls us to not only learn some of the spiritual beliefs of the faith but also expects us to live our lives based upon those beliefs! The self-control of our emotions and passions and offering love and forgiveness to others are to be valued by those who follow Jesus. He also calls us to give up part of our lives to serve others in the name of Jesus, help those in need, and proclaim the message of Jesus to anyone who will listen.
 
This is an extreme faith! It is much more than just "listen and learn." It is also "practice and do!" When we live as God calls us to live, our lives are better. God blesses us, and we can even become a blessing to those around us.
 
You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family. 
 
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/. 
 
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here: https://a3a.me/firstbaptistofindependence or by Liking our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/1stBaptist/.
 
Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.

Several years ago, my wife and I bumped into an old college friend; he was a great guy, and we both liked him very much. He went by a nickname that fit his character, and I could never remember calling him by his proper name. He seemed ok with that, so I had no reason to question the practice. When we ran into this old friend, he was with his young wife, whom we had never met. I walked up to him and called him by the nickname I had always used, and the situation immediately became very awkward. He ignored me entirely and turned to walk away, and his wife, who heard me call out to him, didn’t seem to recognize the name I had used for her husband!  
 
My wife and I were a little hurt, but then we talked about it. My wife, who tends to ‘read’ social situations better than I do, finally concluded that he had likely never liked the nickname and now, as an adult, did not want it to be used. Rather than confronting me, though, he just chose to walk away!
 
Sometimes, people are known for something and given a name, even though it may no longer ‘fit,’ or they simply don’t like it anymore!
 
There is a story in the Bible about a man who was nicknamed for one of his actions. If he were alive today, he would be repelled by the nickname he was given. The story is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 20.
 
Jesus called out the disciples from everyday life, and one of them was Thomas. This man was strong and outspoken, but he sometimes tended to be stubborn.
 
All in all, though, Jesus thought he would make a good disciple. A couple of times, he blurted out something foolish or ‘over the top,’ but nothing that really amounted to anything. And then, just three days after Thomas and the other disciples watched Jesus die on the cross and heard the story of his burial in a tomb by a wealthy man named Joseph, something unimaginable happened. The disciples had gathered together to grieve the loss of their Rabbi, and all of them were there except for Thomas. At some point in their time together, Jesus appeared to them! He had risen from the dead, as he had predicted, and they were amazed and excited and relieved to see Jesus alive. It was a wonderful time for them all!
 
The next time the disciples gathered, Thomas was there. They told him the good news, and he couldn’t believe it! He was so adamant in his disbelief that he proclaimed, in front of his friends, that unless he could see the wounds on Jesus’ hands, put his fingers in those wounds, and the cut on his stomach, he would not believe! Eight days later, the disciples gathered again, and Jesus appeared to them all. He gave them a greeting common in that day, and then, without wasting any time, turned to Thomas and said, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands, and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” (v.27)  Thomas was stunned! He looked around and then examined Jesus’ wounds. Without saying anything else, he blurted out, “My Lord and My God!” (v.28). Jesus chastised him a bit, explaining that those who believed without seeing him were blessed. The issue was never addressed in the Bible again. Forever after, in church history, Thomas was given the nickname “Doubting Thomas.”
 
It was insulting and unfair, to be sure, but the name has ‘stuck’ on this disciple for over 2000 years!
 
Unfortunately, he has never received the credit he deserved for his life of faithful service because of that one ‘failure of faith.’
 
“Doubting Thomas” continued to follow Jesus faithfully and ended up in India, where he led hundreds to faith and established many churches up and down the coast in that heavily populated nation. 
No one who knew him and served with him would ever have called him by the nickname he still uses today in the Western Church! He is remembered as a strong, passionate, and dynamic minister of the Gospel. 
 
“Doubting Thomas” simply no longer existed!
 
God works

I was talking to a good friend recently, and we were lamenting that it was becoming increasingly difficult to believe what our political leaders would tell us. Sometimes, it is obvious they do not understand what they are talking about; sometimes, we get the distinct impression that we are being lied to, even though we cannot prove it. To emphasize that this has happened before, I mentioned a report that recently came out regarding our government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in the spring of 2020. The report clarified that many mistakes were made, including false information being passed on to people. Because of this, even more mistakes were made, and people began to lose faith in "the system." The commentator who reported on this then mentioned, almost casually, that it would be long before the people's trust would be gained.
Once you lose someone's trust, it is tough to gain it back!
 
There are many passages in the Bible where God promises to us.
 
Sometimes, He promises a blessing if one follows a particular pattern of behavior; other times, He promises to act in certain ways and work to bring about a specific outcome. Whenever He promises to us, He always follows through! God may not do things according to our timetable, but He always makes good on His Word.  
 
The story of Jesus' crucifixion is just such a word. God promised us, in many ways and times, that He would send an anointed one, a 'Messiah,' to come and save humanity from sin. This Messiah would offer himself up as a sacrifice and, in doing so, would pay the price for our sins and make our salvation possible. One such promise comes through the prophet Isaiah: "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging, we are healed." 53:5  The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth over 750 years later, wrote of the fulfillment of this promise of God: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sin according to the Scriptures." 15:3  God kept His word! This has happened hundreds of times in Scripture. Christians often speak of God keeping his word to care for them, protect them, and give them encouragement and strength - just as He promised in a biblical passage.
 
This week, we will remember Jesus' crucifixion on the cross and be reminded that it fulfilled one of God's promises to us all.
God is a God of His Word! You can trust Him with your life and believe what He says in Scripture. You can base your life on it!
 
Please join us for worship and praise every Sunday starting at 10:30 AM. We are located at 500 W. Truman Road, Independence, MO.
 
Our ministry is also reliant on the generosity of our congregation. Please consider contributing online by clicking here: https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
 
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Thank you for listening. We will see you next week!

Have you ever heard a story that seemed impossible? The Bible has many such stories!
          
In one Old Testament book, the book of Jonah, there is the story of a man who was in a boat during a tremendous rainstorm; the situation was so desperate that the sailors on board began to throw everything off the ship to lighten its load and raise it in the water. The man, Jonah, realizing that he was the reason for the storm because of a wrong decision on his part, told the sailors to throw him into the water; they did so, and the storm stopped, and the waters immediately calmed. Instead of drowning, though, Jonah was swallowed by a giant fish; after three days, the fish vomited him up on a nearby beach. What a story! Why in the world would such a story be placed in the Bible, which is considered a religious work that happens to include a history of the Jewish people?
           
The story of a man swallowed by a big fish who lived to talk about it is an account of how God worked with one of his prophets, Jonah, to reach a people group in a nearby city with his message of forgiveness. Let me explain:
           
Jonah was a prophet with the Hebrew people when God called him to go and preach a warning of imminent destruction to the people of the city of Nineveh. He was to go and tell the people that their destruction could be avoided if they would turn from their wicked ways and worship the Hebrew God. Jonah refused because he did not like the Ninevites. 
They were sinful people, and Jonah, rather than warning them of coming judgment, wanted just to let them die! 
 
He refused God's call, got on a ship, and went as far away as possible; this is where the story of the storm and great fish came from! God had caused the storm to stop Jonah from running away; the great fish was one of God's ways of rescuing him from drowning and giving him a chance to reconsider his choice to run away. Jonah relented while in the fish's stomach and, after being vomited up on a beach, proceeded to Nineveh. He went and warned them of their coming destruction, and, in an act that surprised everyone, the people turned from their sin and became people of faith, thus saving themselves from certain destruction!  
           
This should have made Jonah happy, but instead, it made him angry. He didn't want them to be saved! So, he threw a fit, ran, and hid from God in the desert. God grew a special plant to shade the prophet from the blazing sun to demonstrate the prophet's messed-up priorities. And then, God destroyed the plant, and, predictably, Jonah threw another fit about the plant. God confronted him by saying, and I will paraphrase here, "Jonah, you're so messed up; you care more about a dead plant than you do about the people of Nineveh! I am God and care about all people, not just those you like."
           
Wow – what a story! And, more importantly, what a great truth that story communicated! 
 
The point of the story was not that God could save Jonah from drowning by using a big fish; the point was that God loved everyone, even the sinful Ninevites, and wanted to save them! Jonah only loved certain people and only certain types of people. Instead of representing the truth of our loving God, he chose to ignore the very message he was to preach: Jonah was a bigot! A bigot rejects and even hates those who are different or from a different group or nation – that was Jonah.
           
God loves everyone, and he calls his people to do the same. It is a message that can change the world when we live out a truly revolutionary conviction!
 
You can best support our Ministry by sharing these podcasts with your friends and family.
 
We also need your financial contributions to make our Ministries a possibility. You can contribute online at https://firstbaptistofindependence.aware3.net/give/
 
If you would like to stay up to date on all things FBC, download our App by clicking here https://a3a.me/firstba