COG Sermons
Ron Dart 2004 Sermons
| 0402 Here I Am Lord “There is a need for leadership in God’s people.” Dart looks at the youth of Jeremiah, Timothy, Isaiah, Samuel, and Jesus’ disciples. “Our youth ministry should not just be for the young, but by the young.” Dart talks a lot about prospective ministers. Does one have the desire? Reluctance is normal. Imperfection is not an impediment. It is important in all groups to create loyalty to Jesus Christ, rather than loyalty to the group, in case the group dissolves or the individual moves away. “Somewhere, somehow, someone will make room for young people in the ministry of the church.” |
| 0404 The Last Passover |
| 0406 A Heart for the Sabbath Is the Sabbath just a doctrine or does it help shape our lives? People regularly resist Sabbath-keeping. Sabbath in light of the exodus, the kingdom of Israel, the enforcing Pharisees, the church. Dart talks extensively about “exceptions” to keeping the Sabbath. The role of Sabbath enforcement in driving people away from keeping it. God looks at the heart in the way we keep it and in any exceptions we may do. It is entirely our choice whether the Sabbath is a blessing or a burden. The Sabbath identifies not us, but our God. We honor not the Sabbath, but He who is Lord of it. |
| 0412 The Wicked |
| 0416 The Honor of the Sabbath |
| 0418 How Does God Work? |
| 0421 The Organizing Principle The Holy Spirit in the early church. Detailed discussion of the early church from the first Pentecost. There was no structure in the early church -- leadership came via the Holy Spirit as the organizing principle. The lesson of the ant, and a self-organizing ministry. Why did early church enthusiasm fade, and what is the solution? |
| 0423 Without a Cause |
| 0425 The Greatest Nation In the context of the Ronald Reagan memorial service, Dart looks at the "greatest, wealthiest and most powerful nation that has ever existed on this planet". To what do we owe that greatness, and do we have any obligation? The term "British Israelism" has been used by racist organizations and as such, Dart disavows usage of the term. "There is no way to trace the history of Israel through genetics or history with any certainty." One reason is that the blessings of God do not follow genetic lines (Rom 9:6). However . . . |
| 0427 The River |
| 0428 Give Love a Chance |
| 0431 The King of the South Islam is the most dominant religion the world has ever seen. It is the most dangerous religion the world has ever seen. Dart explains why, by examining some very interesting Islamic history and how it impacts us today. He then transitions into Daniel 11 prophecies and the King of the South. Dart notes that some of Daniel 11 has yet to happen, and also, just because a prophecy happened once doesn't mean it can't happen again. Dart goes through some end-time prophecy, cautioning against assumptions. |
| 0433 Christian Safety |
| 0434 The Great Misunderstanding |
| 0437 Bad Seed |
| 0442 The Genesis of Leadership |
| 0444 Taking Your Faith for Granted Even though God knows, why does He want us to ask? Be quiet sometimes in prayer. Story of Dart's conflict over leaving WCG. Too strong a leader can disempower. List of how to avoid neglecting God. |
| 0446 The Shield of Thanksgiving |
| 0448 Ten Kings Prophecies of Daniel 2, 7, 8. Detailed historical fulfillment with emphasis on the recurrence of the little horn. |
| 0450 A House of God |
| 04CTF A Call to Freedom Dart talks first about politically free countries and how the wide availability of information thwarts government power to control. He then discusses two propositions: 1) Liberty is the plan of heaven for humanity, and 2) It is the calling of the United States to bring that liberty to the world. How does God's look upon human liberty? Dart states that the United States is the spiritual descendant of ancient Israel, and as a result, inherits the responsibilities, one of which is being a blessing to the world and spreading freedom to it. Also, as inheritors of Israel, rebellion, complaining, and turning from God have become our lot. |
| 04F1 Born Under This Moon |
| 04F2 The Passing With a somewhat sorrowful tone, Dart reflects about how we long to have a permanent home, but are destined to be pilgrims. Abraham and others left their home for the promise of another, but didn't receive it. We are here today and gone tomorrow. We are not home, and have a place better than this. Hope in this world is vain -- a theme for a lot of old gospel music. We are all faced with the reality that our time here will end. Dart ponders the death of his "sometime friend" Ted a year earlier and thinks about his own time to come. |
| 04PJC The Passion of Jesus Christ In the context of Mel Gibson's movie, Dart examines the movie's accuracy in terms of the Bible and asks the question "who really killed Jesus?" Dart studies the crucifixion events closely. The evidence points overwhelmingly to the temple elite, the religious hierarchy. But is that the answer? |
| 04PRP Prophets and Politics Dart talks of political corruption in Old Testament Israel and the prophets confronting them. What about our corrupt politicians today? “To suggest that we should ignore politics and have nothing to say when our people are going precisely the same way that Israel of old went – I think that’s absolute nonsense.” “Sometimes the duty that falls to men of God is to speak the truth to power.” Dart cites Jeremiah: “Shall not my soul be avenged on a nation such as this?” Dart looks at the Ezekiel warning as a responsibility that he has. Dart looks at Daniel (Daniel 9), concluding that we, too, are part of this sinful nation. |
| 04SG Seeing God The 24 elders "saw" God. Job "saw" God. Sinful Isaiah's experience in seeing God. Jacob's interaction with God. We, however, have never had a "close encounter" with God. Neither did King David. Yet, David never considered there was no God, and he remained close to God. Do we just go about our business being distant from God? Dart seeks to impress on us the immediacy of God; the closeness of God. Do not let yourself forget. It is a greater danger than temptation. |
| 04WAJ What About Judas? What will be of Judas? Dart explores this question. Why did Jesus choose Judas? Did Judas repent? Dart covers the events, what the gospels say about Judas, and what the prophecies and psalms say about Judas. Dart also discusses betrayal, and how we can count on Jesus to never betray us. |
| 04WYM What You May be Missing The traditional Church of God meaning of the Holy Days is fine, that God has a plan and these days illustrate it. But there is so much more. Dart goes into a deeper meaning of the Holy Days. Why does one have to dig into the Bible so hard to find this? Well, you have to understand the basics first. Dart then goes beyond the basics and states that the Holy Days are a fundamental Christian institution and have been intended to be so from the start. There is a comprehensive Christology to the holy days. They all picture Jesus Christ, His ministry, His life, His work, His goals, His purposes. |
| 2004 Thankful for the Hard Times |
