The Main Thing - Sunday Sermon: Pastor Fadi

Part II

by Pastor Fady Nouneh

"Only 2 words after attending Church! "

This is Sunday. 

Let's get up early, and do first things first:

I remember reading once the following truth: 

" The Main Thing is to keep The Main Thing: The Main Thing!"

Maybe funny, but true. 

What is included in "The Main Thing"?

What do l mean when l say, "Let's do first things first"?

Before opening my eyes, as my brain is now awake & out of my dreams, & l "know" very well that l am alert now, so the first thing l must "do" is:

1. Speak/think in my mind: to the Lord. 

A. Thank Him for life, whole and sound brain/mind & body, health, family, house, bed, food & all what l need, & on top of all: for Who He is, His salvation in Jesus, the true faith in Him in my heart, His Holy Spirit Who dwells in me, & last but not least, for His Holy Word & His precious promises, including that He is coming soon and l will be in and with Him forever.  

B. Put yesterday and all the past in His hand, since l can't change anything in them. "What is done is done!", like "What is written is written! ".

C. Ask Him to forgive me for any wrong which uttered from me, even if it was accidental, yesterday and in the past; or even for what l didn't do which l must have done.

D. Think of today and what l must "do". 

E. What He wants to teach me today, so that l may know His will for my life, understand it, receive it, accept it as it is, without adding or omitting anything to or from it, be in it, do it, share it, & accomplish it in my life as He wishes. 

Then... 

2. Open my eyes.... yeyyy!

A. I'm still alive and well! 

B. I'm not in pain.

C. I can sit, see, seek & search in His Word... 

D. Since, l just talked to Him in prayer; so now, it's time to find what He wants to tell me in His Word (not in any other book or source, but), His Holy Bible...

But...

Hello?

Pastor Fady? 

Are you here? 

What are you talking about? 

Oh. I see: your children are grown up now. 

& your wife is the kind, gentle & quiet Sister Ramona...

So, you don't have the difficult situation which l live in! 

My kids woke up before me...

My wife is nagging at me since before yesterday, (l wanted to say, since last month)... and didn't stop, day and night...

My phone just rang and they want me to go NOW to work...

My car refused to start yesterday night and l have to run and rush to the train..

My...my...my... oh my my my...

Hmmm...

But???

Do you think that your pastor lives on another planet? 

Do you really think that he is already in Peace Eternal? So, he doesn't know your situation? Or, doesn't do what you have to do? 

Didn't he live in your same situation, only few years ago? 

Do you think that his adult children grew up suddenly from age 5 to 35?

Didn't he work long hours at his work? & besides, even at the stage of his current life: Do you know what he is facing daily? 

Do you know who is attacking the gates of the kingdom of hell?

Who are Satan's first line enemies? 

Who is Satan wanting to get rid of first? 

Have you ever checked the life story of the men of God in the Bible? 

Ok. Let's pick 2 examples: 

Any two?

Yeah. Any two examples/characters, men of God! 

Who did you choose? 

Yeah, l am asking you...

Ok. That's the problem with reading a sermon... There is no possible direct personal communication... no answers to the Pastor's Questions...

Therefore, ok, l will pick them...

But, let me ask you first: How can you "know" what "does" this have to "do" with the previous sermon and the main questions about: "ls it enough to attend church, watch your Pastor preaching, or listening to/reading a sermon?"?

Aha...  How can l "know" what "does" this have to "do"... hmmm.

Let's go to the 1st point (the 1st man of God l picked is) 

1. The Disciple or Apostle whom Jesus loved: John Ben/Son of Zebedee, the Evangelist.

John the Apostle

c. AD 6 – c. 100, one of the Twelve...

Generally known as the youngest apostle, son of Zebedee & Salome. 

His brother is James.

We know that he outlived the remaining apostles and :

We believe he was the only one to die of natural causes. 

However, some think that He was killed by Emperor Domitianos Who ordered that he be thrown in boiled oil! 

Peter, James and John were the only witnesses of the raising of the Daughter of Jairus. 

All three also only witnessed the Transfiguration.

&, these same three witnessed the Agony in Gethsemane more closely than the other Apostles did. John was the disciple who reported to Jesus that they had 'forbidden' a non-disciple from casting out demons in Jesus' name, prompting Jesus to state that 'he who is not against us is on our side'. Jesus sent only John and Peter into the city to make the preparation for the final Passover meal (the Last Supper). At the meal itself, the "disciple whom Jesus loved" sat next to Jesus. It was customary to recline on couches at meals, and this disciple leaned on Jesus. After the arrest of Jesus, Peter and the "other disciple" (John) followed him into the palace of the high-priest.

John alone among the Apostles, with only His mother Mary, remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross. On Calvary alongside myrrhbearers and numerous other women; following the instruction of Jesus from the Cross, John took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his care according to almost the last words of Jesus before He died. 

After Jesus' Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, John, together with Peter, took a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the church.  He was with Peter at the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Porch (or gate) in the Temple. And, he was also thrown into prison with Peter, just afterwards.  He went with Peter to visit the newly converted believers in Samaria.

While he remained in Judea and the surrounding area, the other disciples returned to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council (about AD 51). Paul, in opposing his enemies in Galatia, recalls that John explicitly, along with Peter and James the Just, were referred to as "pillars of the church" and refers to the recognition that his Apostolic preaching of a gospel free from Jewish Law received from these three, the most prominent men of the messianic community at Jerusalem.

The disciple whom Jesus loved

The phrase the disciple whom Jesus loved as a brother, or in John 20:2 whom Jesus loved as a friend, is used six times in the Gospel of John, but in no other N. T. accounts of Jesus. John 21:24, claims that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of this disciple: he heard, saw, touched, and truly "knew" Jesus personally, & witnessed all what He "said" and "did". The disciple whom Jesus loved is referred to, specifically, six times in John's gospel:

It is this disciple who, while reclining beside Jesus at the Last Supper, asks Jesus, after being requested by Peter to do so, who it is that will betray him.

Later at the crucifixion, Jesus tells his mother, "Woman, here is your son", and to the Beloved Disciple he says, "Here is your mother."

When Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb, she runs to tell the Beloved Disciple and Peter. The two men rush to the empty tomb and the Beloved Disciple is the first to reach the empty tomb. However, Peter is the first to enter.

In John 21, the last chapter of the Gospel of John, the Beloved Disciple is one of seven fishermen involved in the miraculous catch of 153 fish.

Also in the book's final chapter, after Jesus hints to Peter how Peter will die, Peter sees the Beloved Disciple following them and asks, "What about him?" Jesus answers, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!

Again in the gospel's last chapter, it states that the very book itself is based on the written testimony of the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn 21:24).

None of the other Gospels has anyone in the parallel scenes that could be directly understood as the Beloved Disciple. For example, in Luke 24:12, Peter alone runs to the tomb. Mark, Matthew and Luke do not mention any one of the twelve disciples having witnessed the crucifixion.

There are also two references to an unnamed "other disciple" in John 1:35-40 and John 18:15-16, which may be to the same person based on the wording in John 20:2.

Now:

Why did l pick John, the apostle?

What does he have to do in relation to our 

Questions? 

What specific important point(s) related to him can help us find the 2 key words which help us benefit to the most when we attend Church, watch our pastor preaching, or when we read or listen to a sermon? 

Ok. Think think think??? Hmmmm...

Can we find the first word at least?

But, we know that John wrote a Gospel, 3 epistles, & Revelation. Now, where can we find this very  important word? Shall we read all the above 5 books?

Now? 

The right answer is: YES!

Oh, l know, can someone else do it for me, please? I just like to "eat ", not to "cook"!

Well, let me tell you : just "to eat" is for babies! 

While, "to cook" is for grown-up adults.

So, what shall we do? 

I think and really know that l must not do what each one of us must know and do;  but, that each one of us must know and do what they must know and do...

So, l prefer not to do your homework. 

Take your time, search in the Word, & if you do well your homework and know exactly the "2 keywords" which are very clear and obvious before your eyes as you read, like the sun in the sky in a blue uncloudy summer day... knowing exactly what John was doing while writing his 5 books, and you could discover them, then you tell me by replying only to me. 

Just to let you know that several brothers and sisters have answered me already and none of them hit or got 10/10, yet.

You have permission to send this  sermon/study to all your friends, to work together, in order to find them...

1 got 9.5/10

2 got 9/10

Some: 4 or 5 /10

& others were very far...

Would you like to receive another hint ?  

Ok.  

Let's pick an O.T. man of God... 

Can you know who he was or what did he say or do, just by reading the writings of John, without me giving you his  name?

I already gave you a good hint here above in my question...

I know you are smart: l picked a man since l said "a man" of God and "his" name...

See: I told you it is not difficult...

So, What are the 2 words?

Please, stop pastor Fady... What are these two words? 

You already took all your time for this second sermon, & you promised to give us these 2 words... didn't you?

Ok. But l am still cooking... 

Don't you know, hear or see? 

Still cooking... l am  doing something very important...

The water is still not boiling, yet... 

Is there anything else boiling? 

You certainly need time to find the 1st word in the writings and style of John... and the 2nd example, who is a man of God in the O. T. , is very important in order to discover "both words...", not only the second one. 

See: l already gave you more than one hint...

Here's another one: this man of God had a ... who didn't "know"... (well, not really "didn't know"... but ... said so)... and unfortunately, didn't do what... must do... but did what... must not do... I believe... did so because ... "didn't know"... (well, not really ... ... ... but ... said so)...

Ok... whom am l talking about? 

What important person John talked about or quoted or referred to in his writings (you know, l am not rich in words in English, but l am doing all my best) in the O. T., or about his... who said (not really)  ... didn't know (because l know that ... did know, but ... didn't do what ... must do)?

Again:

Read my previous sermon.

Re-read the present sermon.

Find in the writings of John what these 2 key words are in order to perfectly (10/10) answer the following questions... and l believe by next Sunday, the water will certainly boil, the food will be ready, & you will enjoy eating it... at least, you will perfectly know what l wanted to do...

Ok. No more waiting or suspense: 

The Lord Jesus said, "He who loves Me, keeps my commandments!" &, we are urged by the Apostle James not to only hear the Word of God and then forget it, or not do it, like looking to our face in the mirror, & few moments later, we forget how we are...

So, what's required from us, listeners, church attendees, and worshippers? 

The whole Answer and Truth behind it, is bound to 2 words!

What are they?

Ok. What are they?

I am asking you: What are they?

Take notes, follow with your bible, and review these at home meditating in what the pastor said.

(I look at my watch and see that my time is up)... 

So, l will let you think, pray, read and search the Word of God, in order to give you a fair chance and opportunity to find them (the 2 words... right?)

If you know what these 2 important words, which help you getting more and better benefit from attending church, watching a preacher, or listening to a sermon, are, then, please answer me only: reply only to me...

I promise to complete this sermon/study next Sunday or..., Lord willing... And, l will answer you... or...help you..._ _ _...

I am really searching for true believers, Bible students, sincere worshippers, & faithful seekers of the truth...

The Word of God is not cheap, although it's easy... but, it's only easy for the prudent & the sincere researcher & seeker (ask Solomon)...

Expecting your answer...

Your brother and partner in this journey...

Fady