COG Sermons
Ron Dart 1993 Sermons
| 93-01-30 We Have Sinned Daniel’s prayer from Daniel 9 and its application to the U.S. today. Billy Graham probably based his Clinton inaugural invocation upon it. “We have sinned and the curse is poured upon us.” The litany of social sins will cause the land to vomit the people out. A scathing condemnation of our country from the scriptures, especially concerning sex, greed, theft, bribary, government, the pastors, politics, the arts. “All of the things that the prophets said would come to pass against Israel will come to pass against us.” Dart first heart this from Herbert Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong. Dart asks, “Who knows how much farther we can go before God will cut our legs off.” (Given in 1993, how much closer are we today?) A very sobering sermon. There is a time to put your life right. That time is now. |
| 93-04-10 Harvest of Firstfruits Dart talks about "The first day of the weeks" (plural), the beginning of the harvest, the wave-sheaf offering. How does the harvest relate to us today? Christ conveys a sense of urgency -- we don't have forever. What is the harvest? How does Pentecost fit in? Paul gave his all because what he did made a difference in whether some people would be in the first resurrection or not. Alternatively, some take a casual approach to the fruits believing that God will call whomever He wills. There's more to it than that, says Dart. What Paul did made a difference and what we do can, too. We are somebody's fruit. Will somebody else be ours? How can we do greater works than Jesus? Are we? Are we even trying? |
| 93-04-24 Why Cults? Dart tells the story of a pastor who left WCG, started a cult, gained a following,failed spectacularly, quit his ministry, and went and got a job. Dart uses this to examine cults, why they occur. How they are an authority disorder. How your authority must be the written Word of God. What about progressive revelation? What about "call no man father"? Does God know everything about the future? How to avoid getting caught in a cult. |
| 93-05-01 Grow In Grace 1) Change is not necessarily growth. 2) Correcting error is not necessarily growth. Change for change’s sake is dangerous. Change based on God’s word is what should be striven for. Change should be one day at a time, which may not even be visible in the short term. How to write God’s Word on your heart. Grace allows us to work now on growing rather than working on atoning for past sins. The value of forgiven sins as badges of character. 3) You can’t grow by reacting against things. 4) Try looking at your world in terms of growth. |
| 93-06-26 World Tomorrow Workshop There is work that is more fun than play, and is far more satisfying. This is what God has prepared for those that love Him. Dart looks at all the problems that will exist at the start of the millennium, and how the solutions will be up to us to fix. We will have the power, the sense, the direction, and the help of God. We won't just sit around and watch God do miracles. The faithful will have rule over cities. The Gentiles will come to OUR light! Dart vividly describes what it might be like. A complete redesign and remake of the world, physically and socially. Why didn't God start out with the millennium? Is this planet earth project the first time God has done this? After all is said and done on earth, what then? What is in your future? What do you have to do to not miss out? |
| 93-07-24 Basic Christianity What exactly do you need to know, do, be, and practice, in order to be a Christian? Interesting origins of the early Greek words for Christians. Why did Paul go up the temple? What is the relation between the Christian and the law? The Old Testament? The prophets? Dart discusses the identity of God and all His traits, and how that identity is central to Christianity. True religion is a way of life. It is also a relationship that defines who you are, who your God is, and how you relate to Him. Christians define that relationship via Christ. Justification, righteousness, circumcision in the Old Testament and the New. Christianity is not a new religion. It is the logical progression of a very old religion. |
| 93-08-14 A Younger Ministry The naivete of youth can be an advantage, along with zeal and enthusiasm and energy and fresh idealism, but youth make mistakes. So should we play it safe? Jeremiah was young, Ezekiel was young. Samuel, David, the disciples, even Jesus Himself. Without a younger ministry, you will never have a minister with 35 years of experience. Dart concludes with a solid reasoning on the value of men who start their ministries at 30 years old, without dismissing the value of veteran ministers. |
| 93-09-11 Patterns of Atonement A very sober sermon about grief over betrayals. Dart begins by discussing the powerful friendship of David and Jonathan, then contrasts that with the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, of God by Lucifer, of David by Absalom. These are part of a pattern seen in Atonement, one of which is the parallel between the two goats, and Jesus / Barrabas. As David was grieved by the death of Absalom, it is entirely possible that Atonement is, in part, a day of grieving over the end of Satan; Abraham grieving over what he thought was the end of Isaac. God does grieve. Fasting is grieving. |
| 93-10-30 A Prescription for Slander Tale-bearing is a sin. Just listening makes you an accomplice. “Tale-bearing is without a doubt the primary single cause of the breakup of churches, the separation of friends, the destruction of reputations, and the destruction of relationships.” Dart tells how to protect yourself and the church from the ravages of tale-bearing with one surefire, simple practice that will stop it in its tracks. What’s the big deal if someone sins? Are you sin-free? Is anyone? Then why do the details of the sin matter? Don’t strive to be “in the know”, make others fee important and valued, but not by tale-bearing. Dart never mentions the word “gossip”, but this sermon definitely applies to gossip. |
| 93-11-14 A Hard Road Ahead “Woe to those that call evil good and good evil.” Israel went down the same path – Dart applies this to us today and shows that society really is deteriorating. One example is the normalization of deviant behavior and calling normal behavior deviant. There is an absolute right and an absolute wrong and they are defined in the Bible. Unless you change now, you are likely to live your last day the same as you lived yesterday. Dart has an excellent explanation of the parable of the unjust steward and making friends of unrighteous mammon and how to apply it today. Also, the importance of staying close to each other in preparation for hard times. |
| 93-12-18 7 Primary Objectives of the Church What if you preach the gospel to millions and don't convert even one? Have you done Matthew 28's Great Commission? No. You have failed. The commission is not optional. It is not negotiable. There are no excuses. Matthew 25's "talents" parable shows how important results are. We are accountable. Dart lays out 7 objectives of the national church, followed by 4 objectives for the local church. A church's objectives should be written down and quantifiable. Greater works can still be ahead of us. |
| 1993 A Nation Cut Short Discussion of the term “cut short”. How humans serve God better in pain than in prosperity. Multiple Biblical applications of this: If God did not cut short the time, even the remnant would not survive. When there is no shame, it may be too late to repent, be it a person or a nation. The sinful nature is not as much of a problem as the normalization of it. When sin is no longer recognized as sin, how long will it be until God cuts you short? Example: homosexuality. Yet, we can point the finger at Romans 1 when we’re guilty of Romans 2. An outstanding and unique view on “for the elect’s sake” in Matthew 24. With the increasing tolerance for sin, there will be no remnant left if God doesn’t intervene. |
| 9353 An End to Sin Dart explores sin. The first time you sin. Original sin. Sin is right there, but you can conquer it. Sin is not just arbitrary, no, it has consequences. So, the other goat has been killed, the blood has been shed, the sins have been forgiven, there is still sin that has not yet been made an end. The final atonement cannot be made with Satan unbound. God forgives the sin, but what about the debt? In the context of the Atonement ceremony, the live goat is sent to a place of separation, as are the devil and his demons at the return of Christ. |
| 1993 Civil Religion |
| 1993 Faces of Self-Righteousness |
| 1993 How Not to Play Church |
| 1993 No Time for Anger |
| 1993 Pentecost & Prophecy |
| 1993 To Condemn or Not Condemn |
| 1993 What is a Friend |
| 1993 Without a Shepherd |
| 1993 Would Jesus Like You? |
| 1993 Your God is Too Small |
