COG Sermons
Ron Dart 1998 Sermons
| 9802 Power of the Spirit |
| 9803 The Real Work Dart goes over the land Sabbath, the Jubilee, the year of release as an intro to what Jesus’ work was, that is, specifically, to heal, to feed, to provide the real human needs to the needy. Of course He did more than that, but this is one aspect. If we don’t care for people’s very real human needs, what makes us think we will be given that responsibility in the Kingdom of God? |
| 9805 Leaders and Morals |
| 9807 A Good Marriage This is less about the doctrine of marriage than it is about the experience of marriage, from the perspective of Ron Dart. He interweaves his 45-year marriage to Allie with apt Biblical wisdom and advice. Dart closes with his own personal advice for both the married and the not-yet married. |
| 9809 The Forgiveness of Kings |
| 9810 It Begins With Devotion “By their fruits you shall know them.” Have we as a church had good fruits? Does the church teach Christian character? How? Is there an authentic devotion to Christ? Does the church teach moral perception and courageous action? Do the members love God with all their heart, soul and mind? The little choices we make every day make a difference in our relationship with God, thus we must be stirred up at church. Do I want to be different than I am? Dart shows how this is all very do-able in a very inspirational message. We each have a role. God will multiply our efforts, but a thousand times zero is zero. |
| 9811 Teach Me To Pray Dart goes beyond the Lord’s Prayer and its collective nature and discusses intensely personal prayer with “advanced instruction in prayer.” Includes lessons in prayer from the Psalms - - when you are on top of things, when life’s got you down, when you’ve sinned, when you’re falsely accused, when you’ve been stupid, when you’re in deep trouble, alone, forsaken, devastated. When we ask God concerning our enemies, we ask the same thing for ourselves. Do you want to come out of prayer still feeling defeated, angry, or down? Or do you want to come out feeling that your meditation on God is sweet? Open the prayer looking to God and close it glorifying Him, and being joyous in Him! |
| 9813 The Historical Passover Jesus observed the Passover early on the 14th, yet the Jews observed it late on the 14th. Were the Jews wrong? Dart examines the Exodus Passover account. What is "between the evenings"? How the Exodus Passover was different from the rest. What the Bible says about sunset. Leaving by night. The night to be much observed. The "9th day at even" is the end of the 9th day. There is little dispute today about when Christians are to observe the Passover. But, there is much dispute about the timing of the Old Testament Passover. |
| 9816 The Prosperity of Fools We have had and still have today those among us who are in general terms sometimes referred to as sundowners and doomsdayers. The message goes on to point out the dangers in setting dates and times and specific scenarios in world events and even our own personal lives. Even though the message is obviously dated by references to then current economic and political events, the similarities with today are and should be a warning to us all. Are we in real danger today and what is really important in life? The message answers the question of what is real prosperity, where does it really come from and what are we supposed to do and what are our responsibilities as a Christian? |
| 9819 Dialogue |
| 9822 Great Prayers Prayer is central to the Christian. Why are we often unskilled or unmotivated? How do we get the faith to know that God is listening when we pray? There is a posture and a place for regular prayer. This sermon is largely about David’s prayers – in the Psalms, concerning the temple, David’s enemies, trials, and joys. It is OK to tell God things – He knows already. It is possible to persuade God. Model prayers are not constraints. God wants prayers from the heart. David’s prayers were direct, focused. How did David get to be a man after God’s own heart? His was a simple faith; one that might even look foolish. Written prayer vs spoken. Quiet time in prayer. The discipline of prayer. Truth in prayer. Meditation. Details in prayer – be specific. Is there anything more important than our time with God? |
| 9825 Dialogue 2 |
| 9827 Great Prayers 2 A look at King David, his stages in life, his writings, and his relationship with God. David’s Psalms are prayers written during times in his life that we can relate to. Times of innocence, persecution, sinfulness, exaltation, aging, and more. Dart suggests that the 23rd Psalm was written the night before David fought Goliath. |
| 9830 Acts 1 Dart goes over the chapter of Acts 1. He discusses, as background, the Jewish culture of the time (against which Acts 1 takes place), the selection of Matthias, and why the disciples seemed so slow to get things that seem obvious to us today. He relates this time of tradition in the early church to the time of transition taking place in the church of God at this time. |
| 9832 All To The Glory of God Do we members delegate Christian responsibilites to the ministry? Does every aspect of our lives honor Christ? Or do we separate our secular life from our religious life? Do we neglect Christian service? Is evangelism only about announcing the truth or is practicing Christianity part of it also? Dart relates stories of how important doctrine has been in the Worldwide Church of God and how that has led to many splits today. Thus, we define ourselves by how we’re different rather than what we are and what we do. Our calling is more than our initial entry into the church. Group prayer as a Biblical example. We think of the church as a private institution, but the New Testament church was a public institution. What is the task God has for me? What does God want for me? Danger of large corporate churches getting in the way of local works. |
| 9833 Galatians 2, Acts 15 Dart looks at Paul's struggles with the Jews, their laws, and their attempts to control the church. Sticking mainly to these 2 chapters, Dart shows how Paul rejected Judaism, how Paul acted without the guidance, permission, or even the knowledge of Jerusalem, how Paul fought off attempts to control the church, how Paul was subject to neither Peter nor James. Dart shows how Judaism was not the religion of the Old Testament; not the religion of Jesus Christ. Dart talks about Gentiles coming into the church, why they were not subject to the Jewish traditions nor to the men who tried to control the church and this conversion process. Paul is fighting the idea of legalism for salvation. He never rejects the law, but the Jewish traditions and oral laws. |
| 98-09-05 Acts 1:15 - 2:40 During this time in Ron Dart's career, he did a lot of traveling around the country and often gave talks and studies on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, in addition to Sabbath sermons. This is one such talk, and is somewhat informal. In it, Dart goes over the chapter of Acts 1. He discusses, as background, the Jewish culture of the time (against which Acts 1 takes place), the selection of Matthias, and why the disciples seemed so slow to get things that seem obvious to us today. He relates this time of transition in the early church to the time of transition taking place in the church of God at this time. This is a different message from "9830 Acts 1" above. |
| 9837 Old Testament Trumpets The holy days have a historical Jewish perspective and a prophetic Christian perspective. Dart discusses both, and looks at the silver trumpets and the shofars, why and when were they used. What does the “Great Trumpet” have to do with redemption? Trumpets that assemble; trumpets that warn and scatter. The necessity of blowing the warning trumpet. The Day of the Lord. A time of judgment. While the symbolism of Trumpets is obscure in the Old Testament, all kinds of things start coming clear when Christology overlays the holy days. “These festivals are more significant for Christians than they ever were for Jews, if we just had the eyes to see it.” |
| 9838 To Hold Fast Deceit Dart looks at the historical and current use of political propaganda and mass lies and how they have been used in ancient Israel and the United States today. We have met the enemy and he is us. Dart talks how a Christian should behave in such an atmosphere. He says we ought to judge the sinners and the non-repentant. Dart laments the state of our society in 1998, especially with regard to truth-telling, and it would be hard to argue things are better today (2020). |
| 9841 To Love the Church Dart shows how the Bible lambastes the leaders in the church of God who seek to draw a following for themselves; those who say, “In order for me to be the great leader, I must separate those who will follow me from those who won’t.” In the process, they are destroying the Church of God. Dart looks at the church in the broader sense, as the body of Christ, not as the local congregations. Christ loves the church – that is, the instutition, every part. He is sactifying and saving the whole church. “Whenever we denegrate any part of the church, we are running down the body of Christ.” If you estrange yourself from the rest of your brethren, you risk estranging youself from Jesus. It has not been the church that has done harm over the years, but the leaders (Acts 20, Ezekiel 34). The people were scattered because of the corruption of the leadership. Instead of blaming the men who did these things, we mistakenly say, “the church has done a lot of harm to a lot of people,” when in reality, it is the church that has had harm done to it. It it evil men and seducers that have wrought havoc on the church. The church is the whole community of believers and those who segregate us from one another -- these people are the enemy. |
| 9843 Prophecy - The Basics |
| 9844 Another Holocaust Dart describes the horrendous facts surrounding the Holocaust. He narrates the fascinating historical events that Hitler used in ratcheting up the persecution of the Jews. This is a riveting story. Dart then switches to a discussion on the blessings of keeping God's law and how we in the U.S. have been so blessed. But, there is a real danger in prosperity leading to apathy and complacence. Don't forget your past; be thankful when you have eaten and are full. Be thankful you weren't a Jew in Germany in the 30s. The Jews were not responsible for what came upon them, but it serves as a warning of apathy in the face of evil that hates God. "The Bible seems to tell us that we will face that precise type of circumstance again. |
| 9847 The Key to Paul |
| 98COHU4 The Elements of Unity There are two primary elements of division -- self-exaltation and condemnation of others. The solution is humility and respect. What distinguishes differences from divisions? Did WCG have unity? Unity under the heavy hand of leadership is not unity at all. What about today's leaders who condemn others? Why do we have to be against one another? If you are sure they are wrong, take Gamaliel's advice from Acts 5. God does healings and miracles without running it by us first. By saying those that are not of us are of Satan puts us in danger of saying what the Pharisees said about Jesus. There is a place for centralized organizations, but we are personably responsible to Jesus Christ to do His commission and that does not include opposing others. To those who have built walls, our job is to not add another brick. If we don't actively oppose, who knows what might happen? Will we be known as disciples because we love one another? |
| 98COHU7 Cohutta Q & A At a Christian Renewal Conference in Cohutta, Georgia, Dart covers several subjects in an open Q & A session. Subjects include: Emphasis on Christ, youth ministry, tape program, the calling of children, radio stations, local evangelism, local empowerment supported by CEM, CEM's goals and operations. |
| 98DOC Toward a Doctrine of the Church Dart opens with his personal history in WCG, the beginning of CGI, and the beginning of UCG, especially in relation to church government. This frames a discussion on ecclesiology, or a doctrine of what the church is. He goes thru the primacy of Peter, the place of safety, exclusivism, and what the New Testament church is and isn't. Also, the transition of pharisaical authority to apostolic authority. |
| 98DTL Defining the Law What is the basis for civil law? Do men inherently know God's laws (or some of them)? How? Human-discerned? God-implanted? Is God's law arbitrary and can therefore be abolished? Or is it based on human nature and divine nature and therefore cannot be abolished? Knowing the law isn't enough. Does God look with more favor on the "Gentile" who keeps the law than He does on the "Jew" who doesn't? Dart makes you think concerning the letter vs the spirit. The law defines good and evil. It is designed to make your life better, not to bring you into a relationship with God. You can't gain credit with God for keeping the law. You have only done what is required of you and remain an unprofitable servant. An excellent look at Romans 2 & 3 and the law of God in the life of the Christian. |
| 98FO Peace, Goodwill Toward Men Opening night Feast of Tabernacles message. |
| 98F1 A Tabernacle for the Sun Typically in the church of God, the Feast of Tabernacles has been said to be symbolic of the Millennium. Dart, however, shows at least 5, and up to 8 different symbolic meanings for the Feast, one of which is the symbolism of God temporarily dwelling (tabernacling) with men, after the millennium, during the wilderness wanderings, and during the time of Christ. Dart goes into speculation about the universe, its age, its destiny, man's role in it, and how it seems everything is temporary. |
| 98F7 Why Prophecy? Does God have an exact schedule for end-time events? Is prophecy "history written in advance"? Dart examines our methods of analyzing prophecy and the damage caused by mistakes in doing so. He challenges a lot of assumptions about prophecy and the future. Dart's conclusion? "All prophecy is conditional." The Bible shows us that we need not say "There is no hope". God tells us the future so that we can change the future.... just look at Nineveh. |
| 98GG God's Grace Ron Dart reminds the listener that the law of God is still in effect, and it is our actions that count. Given that, Dart shows examples of God showing grace, mercy and patience. He also explores grace vs license, as well as justice and judgment. Three things happen when we sin: 1) natural consequences, 2) If that doesn't work, chastisement - God trying to turn us around, 3) If that fails, punishment & judgment. We should treat all adversity as if it is from God, in order to grow and change. God shows great grace to us; we ought to toward others; bear with & forgive. |
| 98LAM The Lost Art of Meditation Meditation is directed thinking. It is important, yet neglected. Dart talks about what it is , why it is needed, how to do it. Schedule time for thinking so you will have time to process and apply God's law. |
| 98LWH Lord, What About Him? |
| 98NSG No Sin Too Great |
| 98SC Seven Churches |
| 98SOR A Spirit of Renewal |
| 98ULB Feed My Lambs Did the disciples receive the holy spirit when Jesus breathed on them? This was the point where the interpretive authority for the scriptures passed to the apostles of the church. Are all of God’s sheep in the church? Churches have a tendency to think they are the “one true church”. Yet, Jesus has sheep that are not of this fold. Dart suggests that feeding His sheep and making disciples are the same thing. “I have sheep; go find them and feed them.” |
| 98WDBW Worn Down by the World Is there no knowledge of God in the land? Does God the have a controversy with us? Dart notes the striking parallel between Israel in Hosea's prophecy and the United States today. We no longer have our moral anchor in the law of God, are losing our knowledge of right and wrong, and the children are the victims. Jesus, as a teacher of the law, shows how obedience can keep the world's evils from you. Yet, "The more they increased, the more they sinned." "They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply." People have become so distant from God, he won't even bother to correct them. Destruction looms. This is what prophecies are for, to warn us to change. |
