Sermons on Joseph Phillips:

The Parable Of The Lighted Cabinets Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 25, 2009

Story form sermon about a man who put all the symbols of recognition on display, but no one noticed. Finally someone asked who helped him attain all this. The world does not need to see display cabinets; it needs to see the God who empowers us.

Like it or not, every day, every moment, we send out messages about who we are. Whether it is about our work, our home, our civic life, our possessions, or our spirituality, we send out strong signals about what is in our very core. Those around us will receive those signals, make no mistake; ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Denomination: Baptist

On That Great Gettin' Up Morning

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 26, 2009

For Remembrance Sunday: getting past grief means crying out honestly and insistently for help, and it means having confidence in the God who raised Christ from the dead and thus defeated death itself.

The hymns we have sung and the Scriptures we have read have one important word that is common to all of them. That word is "morning". "Morning", as in "good morning". "Morning" is an important Biblical image. I am leading us to worship around the symbol of morning today because I want us to use it ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-3

Denomination: Baptist

Lofty Lord, Live Lips, Long Layby

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 28, 2009

Where do we get the motivation to keep doing what the Lord wants us to do? We affirm that we are called by a God of power, who is able to equip us; He will give us victory eventually even though it may come slowly (Deacon Ordination Sunday).

This evening two very good football teams will face each other under the dome. The outcome will hinge not only on physical condition and coaching strategy and just plain luck; it will hinge also on motivation. Who really, really wants to win? Who is hungry to win? One of the great personal issues ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 28, 2009

Growth can come by pruning, cultivating, or simply letting it happen. God wants the church to grow, and all these methods are used.

Growth takes place in one of three ways. Things grow because one of three things happens. First, some things grow just because it is in the very nature of those things to grow. You don’t have to do anything, you don’t have to feed them or nourish them or encourage them. Some things just grow. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:4-16

Denomination: Baptist

Rahab: Marked By Scarlet Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 29, 2009

God is ready to forgive all sinners and use them for His purposes; and God’s people must receive them, no matter the nature of their sin, for all have sinner and are forgiven. (Spools of scarlet thread were distributed for people to unroll and hold).

Soon through your hands will be passing a scarlet thread, a scarlet cord. I do not say a red cord, but a scarlet cord. Scarlet, you see, is a special kind of red color. The art books tell us that scarlet is a bright red with just a tinge of orange in it. And scarlet has some special ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 2:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

Handling God's Success When We Wanted It For Ourselves Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2009

Ministry looks impossible, and we want to run the other way. But when we do finally tackle it, and God redeems, then we want the credit. In His grace He assures us that we are not forgotten even though we are inappropriate.

All during this month we’ve worked together on the theme of compassion. Because we are a church which urgently needs to do ministry in this community; because we are a people with much to give and much to share, and with a place to share it, by the time this week is over we will have invested four ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Raising The Roof: Sickness Down, Dander Up

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 29, 2009

It will be necessary to do some unusual things that will raise the anger of some Christians and will not be understood in the larger community. But the bottom line is getting help to those who need it.

Several years ago, when housing prices began to shoot up into the stratosphere, we began to see something new in my neighborhood. We saw many of the houses being opened up from the top, and then construction of new second stories or new dormers or even decks and balconies, way up high. What was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

The Pharisees: Stuck In Correctness Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 30, 2009

It is easier to be smug than satisfied, to be correct than compassionate, to be religious than real. What we need to do is to cry, "Lord forgive my sin."

The surest formula for unhappiness is have to be right, all of the time. If you are expected to be one hundred percent correct, never making a mistake, no blunders allowed, then you are asking for a serious heart attack, for high blood pressure, and for plain old unhappiness. It’s an awesome burden ...read more

Scripture: John 10:31-39

Denomination: Baptist

Rare Words Yield Worthless Children

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 1, 2009

Eli’s two sons were counted "worthless", and the fault can be traced to "the word of the Lord was rare in those days". Eli did not connect "church" and home for them. We must teach our children Biblical truth or face the consequences.

Nothing delights us any more than the birth of a new baby. Everybody gets sort of squishy and sentimental around a baby. And I suspect that it is not only because they are cute and cuddly and helpless and small, but also it is because they are full of promise. Babies are nothing more than a bundle ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Official Language: Spirit

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 2, 2009

The church’s communication medium is the Spirit, who understands us and allows us to understand one another.

Of all the achievements of human genius, nothing is more wonderful than language. And yet, it is also true that nothing is more destructive than language. For language unites us and yet, language also separates us. Of all the gifts we have been given, nothing is more useful than language. With ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

I Refuse To Grow Up

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 4, 2009

Jesus’ admonition to become like a child blends with Proverbs solemn command to get wisdom. Refuse to become bland and careful; to be closed to new truth; to be cynical.

Without question the clowns were the hits of our Vacation Bible School a month or so ago. Fonzie the clown got things off to a rollicking start on Monday night, and the kids cackled at his fright wig and squealed with astonishment at all the wonders of his brown paper bag. Every joke was hilarious, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Honor, Love, And Reverence

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 5, 2009

Emmaus Baptist Church, Quinton, Va: To be good citizens means that we follow Peter’s counsel and honor everyone by supporting the public good; love the church by investing in it; and reverence God by making sure of our personal relationship to Him.

This is a day to celebrate being a people of God in a nation shaped by the will of God. This is a day to remember who we are, where we came from, and to what we are called. This is a day for honor, love, and reverence. Two years ago, the last time I was here, I mentioned that I had been doing ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:10-25

Denomination: Baptist

What's Done Is Done

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 9, 2009

For Christmas Eve Communion: what God has done in Christ means that peace has been accomplished, and this world’s contradictions have been resolved. The Father’s love has embraced us.

“What’s done is done." We say it when we want to pronounce the final words, when we want to speak the ultimate truth. "What’s done is done", as if so obvious a truth really needed stating. "What’s done is done.” It becomes a way of insisting that there is no more to be said, no more to do, no ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

Denomination: Baptist

When All Is Said And Done, It Isn't

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 10, 2009

We come to a point when we feel depressed and think our lives have no meaning. Then God blesses us with physical, spiritual, and emotional sustenance, and sends us out to bless someone specific.

"What are you doing here?" What a question! Has anyone ever asked you that? "What are you doing here?" You were some place where nobody expected to see you, but you turned up, and that was the reaction. I have heard it in the grocery store. I cannot go to this Safeway up here without running into ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

Pointing To The Light Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 11, 2009

John the Baptist knew who he was not and who he was, and accepted his task of pointing to Christ. Our mistakes are imagining that we are more than we are, or that we are less than we are. The real task is: just point to the light.

My son and his wife live in a five-level townhouse in Reston, Virginia. You enter into a kind of combination corridor and stairwell at the second level. Typically I turn right when I arrive and go into the kitchen area. But when I leave that level to go to another one, I walk out of that kitchen ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-28

Denomination: Baptist