Fairfax Church of Christ

Guest Speaker Dr. Monte Cox is the Dean of Bible and Ministry at Harding University. In this sermon, he wraps up our Onward series to challenge us to be a people that are not only sanctified but also sent.

Being on mission isn't something we do; it's who we are if we follow Jesus. Something amazing will happen when we move together on God’s mission to reach the world. It can be overwhelming. And it starts with one at a time. 

When we look beyond ourselves and begin to serve others, we are beginning to share in the adventure of following Jesus and becoming like Him.

When it comes to following Jesus and moving onward in his mission, prayer is not the last resort - it is the first priority. 

Jesus has invited us on a tremendous adventure. The only way to truly see what following Jesus is like is to explore it for yourself. But sometimes, our exploring is hindered by our lack of vision.  

God's perfect gift of love came into a world that wasn't looking for a baby but a warrior. He was rejected by his own. Yet, he would choose to love them by giving his life for them. To those who received him, they were given the right to be children of God. 

God did the unthinkable by squeezing himself into a human body, especially that of a tiny baby, but his great love and perfect plan made the impossible possible. We can experience great joy because of the one who dwelt among us. 

Jesus was the revelation of God to the world. The light had come into the word to bring the gift of peace - peace with God and with each other. 

Before the creation of the world, the Father’s good plan for rescuing his children was to send Jesus to earth to bring hope to a hurting world. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can't overwhelm it.

We often thank God for the positive things in our lives. But what about the small or negative things? The satisfied soul has learned to give thanks IN all things even if they aren't thankful FOR all things.

There is so much happening in our lives that we can be bogged down with the cares and burdens of today. The distractions of life shouldn't draw us away from prayer but deeper in communication with our Father. A satisfied soul always prays. 

Joy in the Lord brings contentment in this life and is an integral part of the Christian life. It’s easy to have joy some of the time, but the satisfied soul finds joy in all things. 

We live in a throw away culture - when something and broken we throw it away and buy a new one. But God places a premium on broken things. Suffering, pain and loss—God uses the pieces of a broken life to make you whole.

We believe it is our inalienable right to pursue happiness, and we want our stories to end up “happily ever after.” So it is no surprise that our worship of happiness gets mixed with our worship of God and comes out as “God wants you to be happy.” That sounds true, but does the Bible say that?

It is commonly believed with regard to salvation that “being good is good enough.” Apparently, the most popular defense before the bar of God is based on one’s goodness. But is that what the Bible says? 

"Don't judge me! The Bible says so." We hear this often in our world today, and so we try to refrain from all judgements of people. But, is that what the Bible says? Does it tell us that we should not judge? 

We've all been there. Stress, grief, difficulty - it hits us all at some point. And how often have we been told, "God won't give us more than we can handle." That sounds comforting, but is it true? What does scripture say about that?

We have this tendency to decide something is true because of how it sounds. “God has a plan for your life” sounds good. It is comforting to believe that God has our future all mapped out. But is that in the Bible?

It's one of the most popular things in fairy tales - just follow you heart. Behind “follow your heart” is the belief that your heart will always take you to the right place if you just have the courage to obey it. But what does scripture say?

Do you struggle with wanting to be in control but often find you are anxious? Many times, our desire to control is merely functional atheism. Control and Anxiety are the antitheses of Surrender and Rest.

Driven to the sea, overwhelmed by a fish, and motivated to obey finally, Jonah has done what God asked. But now, his bitterness toward his enemies leads him to complain about God’s compassion for them and he keeps running. When you encounter God's extravagant love, how do you respond?

Our God is the god of second chances. He is always ready to begin again. When we try to run from Him, His grace pursues us. We need only turn back to Him.

When we run, God chases. But what do you do once He catches up with you? When Jonah was caught in a situation he couldn't escape, there was only one place to turn. The same is for all of us: back to the One who never stopped chasing you.

When God called, Jonah ran. But when we run, God always catches up. God is calling…what are you afraid of?