Sermons on Joseph Ondu:

I Thirst

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 13, 2010

Fifth Word of a Seven-Last-Words service, summing up the first four as Jesus’ thirst for others, for salvation, for God, and finally for His own needs. Gethsemane Baptist Church, Washington, DC

True spirituality is to know that we have needs. It is only those who pose as ultra-spiritual who deny their needs. True spirituality is to need help, and to ask for it. Spiritual maturity means knowing when we are not adequate and knowing that it is all right to ask for help. It is only the ...read more

Scripture: John 19:28

Denomination: Baptist

Starting Over With God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 13, 2010

God, though He is a god of wrath, also gives Himself permission to start over with us; we ought to take a cue from that and give ourselves permission to start over in our relationship with Him.

Did you ever start something and then find that it was going so badly, it was such a mess, you just wished you could just start all over again? You started down some path, you knew it was a mistake, but you got so invested in it you felt you had to see it through, even though it was getting worse ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 11:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Baptism: Magic Or Mission?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 14, 2010

"How can I get God to do what I want?" is the poor question that has led to erroneous concepts of baptism. Baptism is, to the contrary, our signing on to how we can go what God wants.

The problem is that if you don’t ask the right question, you’ll never get the right answer. If you ask the wrong question, you’ll never get the answer you want. A long time ago I learned that it is the wrong question, definitely the wrong question, to ask, "Are we having dessert tonight?" If I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Asking Both Kings For The Wall

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 15, 2010

For every significant task, there is the "sit-down" approach and the "rise-up" approach. We need both to sit down and pray and then to rise up and do, but even then by involving the resources of others. Lone wolves are not appropriate.

When a big challenge faces you, essentially there are only two things you can do about it: You can rise to the challenge. Or you can sit down and ignore it. When there is a big task to be done, I am saying, there are two entirely different ways to approach it. There is the rise up approach and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Built Up, Bound Up, Lifted Up

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 16, 2010

We are so into upward mobility; but God's version is different. It involves building us up so that the powerless have power; binding up the wounded so that they can understand brokenness; and lifting us up so that we can use our power for others.

I can remember when the word "furlough" was a happy word. It was a happy word because it meant that somebody in your family was coming home from military duty for a while. "Furlough" for me brings up a memory of standing, as a small boy, in Union Station in Louisville, waiting for the train to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 147:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 17, 2010

ASH WEDNESDAY MESSAGE: We resist the "allness" of sin. David shows us that we must acknowledge it as our own, and that it has to do with our relationship to God, not just breaking rules. We have an even greater resource for our broken hearts than he had

His words were uttered in a commanding tone. It was clear that he was displeased. And to his displeasure he added a twist, as he said to his young son, “I said shovel all the snow off all the walks. What part of ‘all’ do you not understand?” And if, as a twelve-year-old who had soon grown tired ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

But ... But ... But

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 19, 2010

Introverts do not think they are ready for ministry, but actually their personality is a resource for ministry, for they can enable God to empower them.

The way we live out our lives depends on the kind of personality we have. What we do, how we do it, the way we go about our daily tasks, the ways in which we relate to one another … all these things come out of the kind of personality we have. You can argue, if you want, that cultural ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Automatic Door Openers

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 19, 2010

For deacon ordination: God has provided the wide door through which all may come, but also the narrow gate that calls for discipline and setting boundaries.

We seem to be fast coming to the place where we will scarcely have to deal with people at all. We can just deal with computer-driven machines to get what we want. I frankly cannot remember when I have dealt with a bank teller. I just roll up to an Automatic Teller Machine, punch in a few numbers, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-14

Denomination: Baptist

Ark, Anger, And Acceptance

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 20, 2010

We who are successful want instant gratification, but must know that God’s timing may be different, and that it is important to do something that enables others to succeed. In prayer we learn that we are accepted and so our efforts have meaning.

Success brings with it its own set of problems. If you get used to being successful, you soon expect it, and then if it eludes you, that can be very hard to take. I know that I am speaking this morning to reasonably successful people, by and large. Most of you, when you face a challenge, are able ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-27

Denomination: Baptist

A Good Soldier Of Christ Jesus

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 25, 2010

Funeral sermon for John Sheppard, retired Army sergeant, who had taken on a life of service and who had suffered with illness for several years.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then today the photographs you have selected will suffice for the message. In one of them there is a young man, wearing the uniform of the United States Army. This young man’s face displays dignity; his bearing is proud, his eyes are steady, his stance is ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Hurry Up And Wait

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 25, 2010

Funeral message for Thelma Harper Brown, who exhibited extraordinary patience during a long decline.

What must it feel like to spend every day waiting? Just waiting. Not going anywhere, not keeping appointments, not concerned about a schedule, but just waiting. Waiting through interminable days and dark nights; waiting to be fed, to be turned, to be spoken to. What must it feel like just to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-39

Denomination: Baptist

Six Miles Of Obedience

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 25, 2010

Funeral message for Eva Myers, whose distinctive discipline was six miles of walking daily ... a metaphor for walking with Christ.

"Whoever obeys [God’s] word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, ’I abide in him,’ ought to walk just as he walked." At first I didn’t believe it. Six miles a day?! How could anybody, especially one up in her years, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 26:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Word Of The Cross

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 26, 2010

Funeral message for Mrs. Athelstein Coleman, whose hobby was working crossword puzzles: a play on "crossword" to say that the "word of the cross" means wisdom and strength.

It's not only what people do that interests me; it's also why they do it. When I see someone doing something over and over again, I want to know what that behavior means. If there is a pattern in someone's behavior, what does that pattern mean? Often you find that people do what they do, even ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Denomination: Baptist

Stranger In A Strange Land

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 27, 2010

For Prayer Breakfast given by a Francophone African church. We must respond to immigrants because God commands it, our history demands it, it serves our own best interests, and the Gospel includes it.

Valentine Michael Smith was born on Earth, raised on Mars, and returned to Earth. He never felt fully at home in either place. But his interaction with Earth, when he returned as a young adult, transformed Earth culture and impacted many lives. His most important contribution to Earth was the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:11-22

Denomination: Baptist

Failing, Fruitless, Flourishing

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Mar 7, 2010

We are a part of this world's injustice and brokenness, and need to repent, for we have too often attempted nothing or have given ourselves to pointless activity. "Only what you do for Christ will last" and that is guaranteed by His risen life.

There are just too many things that are not the way they ought to be, and I don’t like it! Are you with me? There are too many things going on that should not be going on, and when I hear about them or experience them, it disturbs me. I don’t like the brokenness I see in this ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

Denomination: Baptist