Revealing Christ: Recent Episodes
Chad Dietz
1 Corinthians 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified...that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
In a world full of men, Jesus the Christ chose Mary Magdalene to be the first to witness and proclaim to them that Christ had risen from the dead, and they didn’t believe her. They needed to have their own eyes behold it. Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? How will God do that? What will our new bodies be like?
There is great significance to the Triumphal Entry of Christ to Jerusalem. Jesus usually walked everywhere, but today He’s riding a donkey? Have you ever seen a Jerusalem Donkey? They bear a cross on their backs.
Did you know that after Christ revealed Himself to Peter and Andrew, they still went back to work and didn't follow Him right away?
Many people claim to know God but have no desire to follow Him full time. Even demons believe and tremble before Him, yet many people have no fear that someday their opportunity to truly follow Him will be over!
Jesus goes back to His hometown of Nazareth. They know Him there as the 'Carpenter'. He gives His first sermon that's recorded in the Bible, less than a minute long and He was rejected immediately by His own people!
Why would Jesus help this guy out? Why would one of Herod’s elite seek Jesus? Because he has bigger problems than politics, his child is dying.
She's a lesser race and a lesser gender! Why's Jesus talking to her? She's about to win the prize of salvation though, and the apostles are about to get schooled.
The religious world considered her worthless because she was a foreigner and she’d been married 5 times.
Luke 2:35 “…a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
The second time John exclaimed "Behold the Lamb Of God"! The First Disciples Were Andrew and ??? Jesus asked them "why are you following Me?" Why did I come to Christ? Why do you follow Him?
Most people don't know that John the Baptist said this two days in a row. John states "I did not know Him". Even later on John struggled with who Jesus was. How many of us struggle to 'know' Him?
Greedy church leaders turning church into money! That's a good way to make God mad. This is the first time Jesus Cleanses the temple, at the beginning of His ministry. This was prophesied in the book of Malachi, ironically a book that money-loving preachers twist to collect money to this day.
Is your church better than others? Jesus is just getting started in His 3-year ministry, and there are already problems among believers who see each other as 'competition'. John The Baptist has the cure "He must increase, but I must decrease".
If anyone didn't need to partake in the baptism of repentance, it's Jesus. John tried to stop Him.
The cross Jesus was crucified on... it belonged to Barabbas. That cross should have been ours. It should have been written over it "Murderer". What would be written over your cross as your crime? Instead, that sin was erased and replaced with this inscription: Jesus Christ, The King of the Jews. Pilate took credit for it, "What I have written, I have written". For once he was correct. Written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
Two sisters married to the same guy? What a mess. Rachel was hot. Leah was not... is that true? Did Leah have the face of a horse? No. Study it with me and you may be surprised to see how God worked this out for Leah to be greatly loved by Jacob.
As Jesus stumbled through the streets carrying His cross, He said something very terrifying! Luke 23:27-29 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’
My favorite text in all four gospels. The greatest worship service the earth had ever seen, and not a word was spoken! No longwinded prayers, no music, no flag-wavers, no drums, no fog machines. Just Jesus and one woman who knew Him and knew who He really was! In a room full of men and not one of them joined in, all they did was judge.
The slavery of kidnapping someone and forcing them into chains is an abomination and condemned by God. Becoming a bond servant -as the bible mentions- has nothing to do with the crime of slavery this country was guilty of almost 200 years ago. Give this short teaching a chance to show you some of what the bible actually says about this sensitive subject. You'll be glad you did!
Genesis 24:67 ...and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. This is the first mention of a woman being loved in the bible. This marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ's love for His Bride, the church. The imagery in this text reveals multiple infallible typologies that testify of Jesus' perfect love and what it requires to have a relationship with Him.
This world is made a mess by people claiming to follow God's plan. My own family included. None of this mess with Abraham was Hagar's idea. She was abused, used, and rejected... Yet she was dearly loved by God and blessed by Him. It makes me sick when some preachers disparage her and also her son because of the symbolism applied to them thousands of years later. How many times did God appear to her? How many times did God appear to you? Don't be a jack wagon. Get over yourself.
The first to be with Christ at His birth... a woman. The last to be with Christ at His death... a woman. The first to be with Him at His ressurection... a woman. The first to declare a risen Christ... A woman!
Jacob and Esau. Family troubles... wanting a child, wanting godly spouses for your children. Was Jacob a pansy? Did God really hate Esau like we define hatred today?
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil”. Do you ever feel in life like you are just along for the ride? If God is driving, what’s up with all the bumpy roads? How can we pray 'lead us not into temptation' when we lead ourselves there on purpose?
John said you must 'receive Christ'. There is a BIG difference between 'believing' and 'receiving'. Accepting a truth does not mean you 'receive' it. I believe Joe Biden is President, I don't necessarily 'receive' it! The Greek word 'receive' lambanō means "to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, to be amazed by, to attain, catch, to take by the hand, to take up a thing to be carried!" IF that is your commitment to Christ, THEN you're are a child of God.
If I force you to give money or coats or food, it’s not called ‘giving’ anymore. It’s called THEFT! But what should I do? Jesus and John both shared similar requests... give. How does Jesus say He is going to know who are His?
John the Baptist refused to baptize some people. Not until he saw some fruit of repentance. No wonder Baptist Preachers aren't very popular! Just because your daddy is a preacher, or your momma is the best Christian woman since Mother Mary herself, is no guarantee that you are a Christian yourself.
The gift of God… the natural overflow of His personality, is to bestow love upon us… and His desire is for us to love Him back by extending that gift to others.
Why doesn’t the book of Luke mention the ugly side of Christmas? Why is Rachel weeping in Ramah? Who are the meek that inherit the earth? Let’s put all this together!
The Magi traveled for two years to see the Christ child. The locals couldn’t make it 6 miles down the road, even though the Bible makes it clear His birth was widely known . Why was no one interested? It’s because Jesus was poor. Herod ‘the Great’ wasn’t concerned until he saw men of ‘stature’ and cash gifts involved.
Being a Parent isn’t easy. Mary had her hands full. This short sermon hardly touches the magnitude of a mother’s heartbreak, but it explains that a mothers love is to be respected and admired. Luke 2:35 “yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”I believe all mothers, and good fathers, can relate to this truth.
Matthew 16:4, where did Jesus immediately go after He died? To Paradise? Or to the belly of the earth? The answer is clear in the Bible and it may surprise you! One of my favorite studies! Hell, Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, and Paradise.
Christmas Sermon #2, Peace On Earth?
If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, where is my peace then? Christ’s birth reveals what that peace is and who it’s for. The poor, the broken-hearted, those who know they need a Savior.
Matthew begins the New Testament by introducing us to the lineage of Christ. If you ponder these names a bit, you’ll see that God demonstrates His love and provision among some really messed up people. So if you think your family is a mess, you will find encouragement knowing you’re not alone.
Do you ever feel like you’re being put to the fire? Trials and failures happen to everyone. Let’s see how God has reveals His patience and mercy during a few fireside get togethers He had in the Bible. One with Isaac, and two with Peter.
Cast all your anxiety upon Christ.
Peter wrote that. When did Peter learn to do that?
Was Jesus ever anxious? Is anxiety a sin?
Does God allow for divorce? Is it a sin? Can you remarry? What does the Bible actually say? In this 4 part series you will be set free from misogynist teaching that is used wrongly to support the abuser over the abused.
Does God allow for divorce? Is it a sin? Can you remarry? What does the Bible actually say? In this 4 part series you will be set free from misogynist teaching that is used wrongly to support the abuser over the abused.
Does God allow for divorce? Is it a sin? Can you remarry? What does the Bible actually say? In this 4 part series you will be set free from misogynist teaching that is used wrongly to support the abuser over the abused.
Does God allow for divorce? Is it a sin? Can you remarry? What does the Bible actually say? In this 4 part series you will be set free from misogynist teaching that is used wrongly to support the abuser over the abused.
8/10/20 Does Jesus make you feel like a worthless nothing?
Is that who God is to you?
A bundle of bad feelings that lasts all day and all night?
We are unworthy, but are we worthless? No!
I personally don’t get any pleasure from my wife or kids always confessing what a worthless nothing bag of depravity they are. They aren’t! I love them dearly!
They are made in the image of God.
8/7/20 What an amazing text! These few verses are a perfect example of how scripture points to Jesus Christ and His attributes. One of my favorite studies I've ever done!
8/3/19 Doves have a tenderness, a grace, and a devotion to one another so beautiful, that God uses them to describe His relationship with you. “Your eyes ARE doves.” What have we done to qualify for such a term of endearment from God Himself?
1/29/20 Duet. 15:11 says "For the poor will always be with you" Jesus even quoted this. Are there any poor among us? YES, they are all around us... and most don't even know it.
How many lessons do we need to hear in God's word before we understand. Has He given enough? Yes.
Who has He given it to? Us. Are we good stewards?
3/15/2020 Greatest worship service the earth had ever seen!
NO words. No long-winded prayers. No music even!
No flag-wavers, no drums, no fog machines,
One woman who knew who He really was in a room full of men who offered nothing but scorn.
Seems pretty popular to say there is no rapture of the church lately, but Paul warned of it, John warned, Peter warned, JESUS warned. What's the purpose of warning us without giving us exact understanding? When, where, who and how? Let's talk about that.
Matthew 17 at the Transfiguration of Christ, God said "This is My beloved Son... Hear Him!” Some say His words aren't for today, but His words fit now more than ever! Have you heard what Jesus says? Hard things. What and where is His kingdom? Does it function in you according to His Words? Are you being transformed into His likeness? Let's talk about that!
The Poor you have with you always. 26,500 children every day by poverty related deaths. Doesn’t Jesus care? Stewardship. 1 John 3:17 "whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
Many people have had prayers met by God, but never returned to say 'Thanks'. They knew Gods mercy but didn't honor him as God. Millions of people say grace, but far too many prove they never were thankful for it.
Text is Luke 17:1-6 "Lord, Increase our faith!". What's the context? Forgiveness. What were the last 5 parables about? Repentance and Forgiveness.
No wonder they asked for help. If the Apostles themselves felt need to pray about this, how much more should we!
Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, Lost Son, Lost Job. What are the "True Riches"? These parables are not about money. It's about forgiveness. Nothing cost more than that.
"whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and DOES them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock".
These SAYINGS of Mine… What are they? He just spent three chapters telling us, but men don't like what He just said. They would rather be blind, angry, confused and full of fear, because they refuse to trust His ways.
Text is Genesis 3:18-19. Why the Thorns? This New Years Day sermon is dedicated to the remembrance of Thomas Morales, one of our 'bus kids' whose testimony of faith has glorified God even in his passing at the young age of 21 from Brain Cancer.
Luke 2:12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Every text of scripture should cause us to examine our own need for salvation. The fact that Baby Jesus was wrapped in rags says more than most care to ponder.
Isaiah 64:6
Did Jesus want His disciples to actually sell their coat and buy a real sword? The answer will surprise you when you find out what it was FOR. Context brings clarity. Get your bibles out and follow along on this study and be set free from the fear of man!
Christ guides us into relationship with Him, not for the purpose of judging others, but to love Him and love others. Gods description of a horse in His word is an edifying look at how He is Lord and Provider of what we are to Him as we go through this life.
Ever feel worthless? There is a beauty that the Good Shepherd gives to us that the world can’t appreciate, it’s the beauty of a loving relationship with God. If we are true seekers of Christ then our hearts will long to be near Him AND His people.
The Song of Songs defines true love in a way the world just doesn't get. If you truly belong to Christ, you are no longer defined by what the world has to say about you. If you truly love Jesus, the world shouldn't be guessing whether or not your love is true. This book is a diamond mine of metaphors about Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him.
A revelation in God’s Word should lead to a revelation of God’s Word, the person of Christ. A true work of God begins on the inside, not the outside. The tabernacle for the Ark was just a tent, as are you. Is our faith pleasing to the One who dwells on the inside? That’s where the kingdom of God is. Not on your mountains. Not music, not military, not gov, not in your finances, but in the attributes of Jesus Christ.
What is the best way to implement the Kingdom of God? Is it possible to force it upon a world that rejects it? We need to recognize the symptoms of kingdom confusion and we need to be able to discern whether or not we display true Christ-like attributes in our own lives.
The most popular sin in the world and in the supposed church is to badmouth people. God forbid that we spend more time in criticism of someone, than we do in prayer for that person. God forgive me for my words!
The book of Song of Songs reveals whether or not we have a true love for Christ. Our Christian walk is a journey of sanctification, and if you are truly His, it will reflect in your passion for Him, His word, and His people.
This completes the series of sermons on the book of Jonah.
Most of us use Gods Word fit our judgement of others while ignoring our own need for mercy. What is the value of a human soul? Of a child? Of a ...cow? The most bizarre ending to any book of the Bible, I am sure!
This is the 4th message in a series of sermons on the book of Jonah.
What was the sin of Nineveh? Violence was at the top of the list. Are we any better? Is a harsh message of true repentance legitimate for us to preach today? Are we 'lukewarm' and don't even know it?
This is the 3rd part in a series of sermons on the book of Jonah. Here we see that true love warns others, even our enemies, of their impending judgement by God. No one ever had more success in winning souls than Jonah, not before and not even to this day has anyone ever won an entire city of 120,000. How did he do it? He had help from the most unlikely source!
This is the second part in a series of sermons on the book of Jonah. The words of Jonah echo the words of the Psalmist and the words of Christ. The darkness that Christ went through on the cross can be more clearly understood by studying Jonah.
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" Matthew 12:40
Of all the prophets Jesus could compare Himself to, why did He choose Jonah? I can assure you that the story of Jonah was just as unbelievable then as it is now. How is it possible that a disobedient Prophet could be similar to Christ? This is the first part in a series of sermons from the book of Jonah that reveals the heart of Christ in many ways.
Can you buy Jesus? Mark 10.
Did Jesus buy you? Matthew 13.
The plank in our own eye is blocking us from seeing the Kingdom of Christ. Matthew 7. We will never succeed in Christ's Kingdom using our own carnal means.
Jesus said "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; AS I have loved you". What's new about that?
Can you be a follower of Jesus and not actually 'follow' Him.
Does He really expect us to 'obey' His 'commandments'?
The only thing man can do that pleases God is reflect the attributes of Christ. It seems that we have forgotten what His attributes are. When Jesus said "You should do as I have done..." what had He just done? Something you most likely won't.
So often we miss the whole point. It's not about collecting 'blessings'.
Don't mistake God's silence as a sign of His approval on our bad behavior. The purpose of God isn't to give us land and goats- but to make us more like Christ.
It's only the attributes of Christ that impress God, nothing else.
We must be constantly vigilant to set our worldly kingdom desires aside and be willing to submit our will to Christs will.
There are things your Christian coloring books just can't communicate.
We've taken the slaughterhouse out of the sacrifice. We've wiped off the blood and made it into jewelry. "Oh the beauty of the cross!" Really? I've never heard anyone say that when it comes time to take up their own cross.
What do you think about when you see a handicap child? Do you judge God? Do you see them as a blessing or a curse?
When somebody says "it's just love", it makes me want to punch them in the mouth! Seriously though, it's not that easy. While studying this I realized my desperate need to be more like Him.
We have mangled the SOTM by taking most verses out of context. It's amazing how our interpretations contradict what Christ is actually saying. Are we to withhold the pearls of God's kingdom from those we deem as 'unworthy'? Or is Christ telling us not to take the pearls of His kingdom and use them wrongly for personal gain?
The first pages of this book are gold to be mined.
The perfect man and the perfect woman and they ruined it! How did this happen?
Do you ever warm your flesh by the fires of the world?
Peter, warmed himself by a fire, while Christ endured spit and fist.
We love a sermon that causes us to judge others, but when that sermon causes us to judge ourselves, we immediately start to look for fault in the preacher… who is he to judge?
Some Christians have lost the desire for the milk.
They might make better Muslims than Christians.
Do we put as much effort into loving our enemies as we do hating them? Have we already been won over by the worlds way of fighting? Our hearts have been overtaken and we don't even know it.
God would never be allowed to put you into a position to suffer for your faith, if some of you had your way. Are you more concerned about your rights than you are to submitting to be like Jesus?
Angels fold their wings over their faces lest they look upon the Lamb, they cover their feet with their wings lest their feet touch His Robe, yet to you He says, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me."
False teachers merge the kingdom of God with the kingdoms of the world. Why would Satan want to include God in his kingdom?
Because Satan knows that once he can confuse the believer into thinking you can have a fresh water well AND a salt water well, Jesus AND coffee, Jesus AND Hollywood, Jesus AND money, Jesus AND beer, Jesus AND cheerleaders, he knows that your testimony will be utterly USELESS.
This small group of Christians, including Count Zinzendorf, promoted the gospel and nothing else. They were rejected and persecuted by Protestants and Catholics alike.
They had a genuine understanding that Christ was their King, and they existed in this world to do His will. I taught about them to the best of my ability and would welcome any feedback. Thanks.
Do you know people who are cheap on mercy?
They are Cheap on everything else too!
God reserves the right to take His mercy back.
Who has the joy? The One with child like zeal.
Jesus spoke these 3 parables in the context of "who is the greatest?"
It reveals that the main character in the 3 parables is not the sheep, nor the coin, nor the prodigal son.
Our culture has lost the understanding of what a real man is.
In the end times the world will be full of men who act like boys.
Men who dominate instead of leading by example, as Christ did.
It will be difficult to be a Christian in the end times... and it may not be why you think!
How can we tell if we 'abide' in His love?
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
What is the 'Kingdom of God'?
How can we recognize it? How does it function in our lives?
The sermon on the mount has a big clue.
Luke 8, Psalm 126
Can the seed produce fruit without being sowed carefully? Without tears to water the word?
Jesus gives us clarity on how His Kingdom grows by His words being carefully placed and watered.
Why would Peter and John go to a defunct temple after God dismantled the whole system? Because there were people there.
Most preachers share the story of Samson and then move on to other things. This text is what happened right after Samson gave his life for the tribe of Dan. What was there response? Nothing good.