Pastor Dale Critchley Sermons

In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe. His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he received the highest position, the one next to the Father in heaven. The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs. God never said to any of his angels, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” And God never said to any of his angels, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” When God was about to send his firstborn Son into the world, he said, “All of God’s angels must worship him.” God said about the angels, “He makes his messengers winds. He makes his servants flames of fire.” But God said about his Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice. You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong. That is why God, your God, anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy.” (Hebrews 1:1-9, GWV)

At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All the people went to register in the cities where their ancestors had lived. So Joseph went from Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a Judean city called Bethlehem. Joseph, a descendant of King David, went to Bethlehem because David had been born there. Joseph went there to register with Mary. She had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant. While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her child. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7, GWV)

Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. God has shown us his love by sending his only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. (1 John 4:7-11, GWV)

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the LORD your God for a sign. It can be anything you want.” But Ahaz answered, “I won’t ask; I wouldn’t think of testing the LORD.” “Listen now, descendants of David,” Isaiah said. “Isn’t it enough that you try the patience of mortals? Must you also try the patience of my God? So the Lord himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel [God Is With Us]. He will eat cheese and honey until he knows how to reject evil and choose good. Indeed, before the boy knows how to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings who terrify you will be deserted. “The LORD will bring on you, your people, and your ancestor’s family a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria. (Isaiah 7:10-17, GWV)

Remind believers to willingly place themselves under the authority of government officials. Believers should obey them and be ready to help them with every good thing they do. Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone. Indeed, we, too, were once stupid, disobedient, and misled. We were slaves to many kinds of lusts and pleasures. We were mean and jealous. We were hated, and we hated each other. However, when God our Savior made his kindness and love for humanity appear, he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal. God poured a generous amount of the Spirit on us through Jesus Christ our Savior. As a result, God in his kindness has given us his approval and we have become heirs who have the confidence that we have everlasting life. This is a statement that can be trusted. I want you to insist on these things so that those who believe in God can concentrate on setting an example by doing good things. This is good and helps other people. Avoid foolish controversies, arguments about genealogies, quarrels, and fights about Moses’ Teachings. This is useless and worthless. Have nothing to do with people who continue to teach false doctrine after you have warned them once or twice. You know that people like this are corrupt. They are sinners condemned by their own actions. When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, hurry to visit me in the city of Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there. Give Zenas the lawyer and Apollos your best support for their trip so that they will have everything they need. Our people should also learn how to set an example by doing good things when urgent needs arise so that they can live productive lives. Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet our faithful friends. God’s good will be with all of you. (Titus 3:1-15, GWV)

The desert and the dry land will be glad, and the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like a lily the land will blossom. It will rejoice and sing with joy. It will have the glory of Lebanon, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen limp hands. Steady weak knees. Tell those who are terrified, “Be brave; don’t be afraid. Your God will come with vengeance, with divine revenge. He will come and rescue you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged. Then those who are lame will leap like deer, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Water will gush out into the desert, and streams will gush out into the wilderness. Then the hot sand will become a pool, and dry ground will have springs. Grass will become cattails and rushes in the home of jackals. A highway will be there, a roadway. It will be called the Holy Road. Sinners won’t travel on it. It will be for those who walk on it. Godless fools won’t wander onto it. Lions won’t be there. Wild animals won’t go on it. They won’t be found there. But the people reclaimed by the LORD will walk on it. The people ransomed by the LORD will return. They will come to Zion singing with joy. Everlasting happiness will be on their heads as a crown. They will be glad and joyful. They will have no sorrow or grief. (Isaiah 35:1-10, GWV)

Tell believers to live the kind of life that goes along with accurate teachings. Tell older men to be sober. Tell them to be men of good character, to use good judgment, and to be well-grounded in faith, love, and endurance. Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue. In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children, to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands’ authority. Then no one can speak evil of God’s word. Encourage young men to use good judgment. Always set an example by doing good things. When you teach, be an example of moral purity and dignity. Speak an accurate message that cannot be condemned. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed because they cannot say anything bad about us. Tell slaves who are believers to place themselves under their masters’ authority in everything they do. Tell them to please their masters, not to argue with them or steal from them. Instead, tell slaves to show their masters how good and completely loyal they can be. Then they will show the beauty of the teachings about God our Savior in everything they do. After all, God’s saving kindness has appeared for the benefit of all people. It trains us to avoid ungodly lives filled with worldly desires so that we can live self-controlled, moral, and godly lives in this present world. At the same time we can expect what we hope for—the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to set us free from every sin and to cleanse us so that we can be his special people who are enthusiastic about doing good things. Tell these things to the believers. Encourage and correct them, using your full authority. Don’t let anyone ignore you. (Titus 2:1-15, GWV)

Then a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. He will gladly bear the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear. He will judge the poor justly. He will make fair decisions for the humble people on earth. He will strike the earth with a rod from his mouth. He will kill the wicked with the breath from his lips. Justice will be the belt around his waist. Faithfulness will be the belt around his hips. Wolves will live with lambs. Leopards will lie down with goats. Calves, young lions, and year-old lambs will be together, and little children will lead them. Cows and bears will eat together. Their young will lie down together. Lions will eat straw like oxen. Infants will play near cobras’ holes. Toddlers will put their hands into vipers’ nests. They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain. The world will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD like water covering the sea. At that time the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people to gather around. The nations will come to him. His resting place will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1-10, GWV)

From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent to lead God’s chosen people to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to a godly life. My message is based on the confidence of eternal life. God, who never lies, promised this eternal life before the world began. God has revealed this in every era by spreading his word. I was entrusted with this word by the command of God our Savior. To Titus, a genuine child in the faith we share. Good will and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Savior are yours! I left you in Crete to do what still needed to be done—appointing spiritual leaders in every city as I directed you. A spiritual leader must have a good reputation. He must have only one wife and have children who are believers. His children shouldn’t be known for having wild lifestyles or being rebellious. Because a bishop is a supervisor appointed by God, he must have a good reputation. He must not be a stubborn or irritable person. He must not drink too much or be a violent person. He must not use shameful ways to make money. Instead, he must be hospitable, love what is good, use good judgment, be fair and moral, and have self-control. He must be devoted to the trustworthy message we teach. Then he can use these accurate teachings to encourage people and correct those who oppose the word. There are many believers, especially converts from Judaism, who are rebellious. They speak nonsense and deceive people. They must be silenced because they are ruining whole families by teaching what they shouldn’t teach. This is the shameful way they make money. Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, savage animals, and lazy gluttons.” That statement is true. For this reason, sharply correct believers so that they continue to have faith that is alive and well. They shouldn’t pay attention to Jewish myths or commands given by people who are always rejecting the truth. Everything is clean to those who are clean. But nothing is clean to corrupt unbelievers. Indeed, their minds and their consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but they deny him by what they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do anything good. (Titus 1:1-16, GWV)

This is the message which Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem. In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. All the nations will stream to it. Then many people will come and say, “Let’s go to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them.” The teachings will go out from Zion. The word of the LORD will go out from Jerusalem. Then he will judge disputes between nations and settle arguments between many people. They will hammer their swords into plow blades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again. Come, descendants of Jacob, let’s live in the light of the LORD. (Isaiah 2:1-5, GWV)

Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee on his way to Jerusalem. As he went into a village, ten men with a skin disease met him. They stood at a distance and shouted, "Jesus, Teacher, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he told them, "Show yourselves to the priests." As they went, they were made clean. When one of them saw that he was healed, he turned back and praised God in a loud voice. He quickly bowed at Jesus' feet and thanked him. (The man was a Samaritan.) Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men made clean? Where are the other nine? Only this foreigner came back to praise God." Jesus told the man, "Get up, and go home! Your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:11-19, GWV)

One of the criminals hanging there insulted Jesus by saying, “So you’re really the Messiah, are you? Well, save yourself and us!” But the other criminal scolded him: “Don’t you fear God at all? Can’t you see that you’re condemned in the same way that he is? Our punishment is fair. We’re getting what we deserve. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “I can guarantee this truth: Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43, GWV)

Some of the disciples were talking about the temple complex. They noted that it was built with fine stones and decorated with beautiful gifts. So Jesus said, “About these buildings that you see—the time will come when not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down.” The disciples asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will occur?” Jesus said, “Be careful that you are not deceived. Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them! “When you hear of wars and revolutions, don’t be terrified! These things must happen first, but the end will not come immediately.” Then Jesus continued, “Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and dreadful diseases in various places. Terrifying sights and miraculous signs will come from the sky. “Before all these things happen, people will arrest and persecute you. They will hand you over to their synagogues and put you into their prisons. They will drag you in front of kings and governors because of my name. It will be your opportunity to testify to them. So make up your minds not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. I will give you words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to oppose or prove wrong. “Even parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will betray you and kill some of you. Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But not a hair on your head will be lost. By your endurance you will save your life. “When you see armies camped around Jerusalem, realize that the time is near for it to be destroyed. Then those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. Those of you in Jerusalem should leave it. Those of you in the fields shouldn’t go back into them. This will be a time of vengeance. Everything that is written about it will come true. “How horrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. Indeed, the land will suffer very hard times, and its people will be punished. Swords will cut them down, and they will be carried off into all nations as prisoners. Nations will trample Jerusalem until the times allowed for the nations to do this are over. “Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint as they fearfully wait for what will happen to the world. Indeed, the powers of the universe will be shaken. “Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “When these things begin to happen, stand with confidence! The time when you will be set free is near.” (Luke 21:5-28, GWV)

Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’ There were seven brothers. The first got married and died without having children. Then the second brother married the widow, and so did the third. In the same way all seven brothers married the widow, died, and left no children. Finally, the woman died. Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? The seven brothers had married her.” Jesus said to them, “In this world people get married. But people who are considered worthy to come back to life and live in the next world will neither marry nor die anymore. They are the same as the angels. They are God’s children who have come back to life. “Even Moses showed in the passage about the bush that the dead come back to life. He says that the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He’s not the God of the dead but of the living. In God’s sight all people are living.” Some scribes responded, “Teacher, that was well said.” From that time on, no one dared to ask him another question. (Luke 20:27-40, GWV)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them: “Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are those who mourn. They will be comforted. Blessed are those who are gentle. They will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval. They will be satisfied. Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be treated mercifully. Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure. They will see God. Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called God’s children. Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways. (Matthew 5:1-12, GWV)