Make This Your New Years Resolution

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“Make This Your New Year’s Resolution”

Pastor Jerry

Philippians 3:10-14

 

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Have you heard about the man who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there? It wasn’t long until there was one lady he was especially attracted to, & she was attracted to him, also. Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him.

The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer. So he went to her and asked what she answered.

Sometimes I feel that way about New Year’s resolutions. I forget what was it that I said I was going to do. Maybe you have that problem, too.

So this year I have a suggestion for a New Year’s resolution that we ought to be able to remember. It’s just one! Here it is – let’s promise ourselves & God that we will make a change for the better. That’s it! let’s make this one resolution – we’re going to make a change for the better.

And to help us do that, let me suggest 3 ways in which we can make a change for the better.
I. DEVELOP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK TOWARD LIFE

During the Pandemic it has been hard to keep a positive outlook.

How do you feel about your life? Is it worthwhile? What would it take for you to feel that living is worthwhile? What has to be happening to make you feel really positive about your life?

If you won the lottery, or had a change in your marriage, or if your kids made you proud, or if you got a career promotion? What would it take for you to really feel positive about your life?
Now if that’s the way you’re thinking then you’ll probably will never feel really positive about life because those instant grandiose events will probably never occur.

I have the right answer for how to make life worthwhile. It’s in Philippians 3 of our text this morning. When I read that passage this morning, did you realize that Paul was in prison under horrible conditions, when he wrote that. Yet despite that Paul writes these wonderfully positive words, “Not that I have already obtained all …but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me….I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Now stop for a moment, “What is Paul trying to grab hold of?” Paul tells us in vs. 10, “I want to know Christ & the power of His resurrection…” What is he reaching for? What is his goal? Paul’s goal is the resurrection from the dead. His goal is eternal life with Jesus. That is what makes living worthwhile.

Now here is the point. If our goal is eternal life with Jesus Christ; then all these little setbacks in life, the challenges, the pandemic, the losses, they are only stepping stones getting us closer to the time when we will be with Jesus.

There will be disappointments in life, but every day that passes is one day closer to the time when we will be with Jesus. If that is our goal, then Romans 8:28 is true. “All things” do “work together for good to those who love God & are called according to his purpose.”

The world says that the way to feel good about yourself is by climbing the ladder of success – by making a lot of money – by receiving a lot of awards. But the Bible teaches us that we are to feel good about ourselves because God loves us.

A second way in which we can make a change for the better.
II. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH

One thing that is right about the church is that our desire is simply to lift up Jesus, to reach out to a lost & dying world with the message of salvation. Yet people criticize the church. You see, we have a different value system than the world. The world thinks you’re wasting your time going to church.

John Wesley was a great English preacher of the 1700’s and one Sunday morning he was criticized for wearing a bow tie that had long ribbons. And she took out her scissors & cut them off.  Wesley calmly asked, “May I borrow the scissors for a moment?” As she handed them to him, he said, “Please stick out your tongue.”

In Ephesians 4:15 Paul says, “We need to speak the truth in love.” We need to make sure it is the truth but we also need to be sure that we are speaking it in the spirit of love. So we need to develop a positive attitude towards the church.

A third way in which we can make a change for the better.
III. DISPLAY A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS

This is a hard world, sometimes it’s a dog-eat-dog world. The Pandemic doesn’t make it any easier. People are jockeying for positions for food, and with unemployment, and to pay their bills. They’re filled with all kinds of stress & anxiety.

But the church must be a place where we all can come & be accepted & loved & encouraged & built up – a place where there are people to help us carry our burdens & everyone feels welcome. One of the things about the Boones Mill Church that I really appreciate is that when I talk with people they say “Everyone is so warm & friendly in the church. We really felt at home there.” You see, when we treat each other with love then wonderful things will happen for the kingdom of God. So this new year let’s make sure that we display a positive attitude toward others.

People need people. But more than that people need positive people – people who care and love one another. That’s why I’m encouraging you to make this your one resolution this year- to make a change in your life for the better.

I’m suggesting that a change for the better would be:. “I’m going to be positive as I look at my life. I’m going to be positive as I look at the church. And I’m going to be positive as I look at others.”

If you make this your one resolution this year …to make a change for the better …it will be that you “want to know Christ & the power of His resurrection…”

If you are here today without Jesus Christ as your Lord & your Savior, then you have an opportunity to make a change for the better right away. Come today, and accept Him as your Lord & Savior. But before I pray with you about that, I want you to pray to Jesus during this song…

I invite you to come and give your all to Jesus as I pray for you, right now, today.

Remembering This One Thing

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“Remember This One Thing!”

Pastor Jerry

2 Peters 3:1-9

 

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The ability to remember is a wonderful gift that God has given to us. In a flash you can be a child again. And reliving those times are the blessings of memory.

Some of our memories are happy, but some of our memories are sad.

2 Pet. 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE THING. We humans often forget things. But Peter is saying, “Don’t forget the Lord and don’t forget that the Lord’s view of time is different than ours. Don’t forget that God is faithful. He keeps His promises”

We human beings are forgetful about important things. We do forget God and forget what His Word says.

Forgetfulness. We all experience it and it seems to get worse with age. Some things need to be forgotten, but other things need to be remembered. One thing we should not forget…IS THE PEOPLE AROUND US!  We should be thoughtful of ONE ANOTHER! We must love one another. Why? …because God is Love …and wants us to share His Love with everyone.

God loves You! That is why He sent Jesus into the world at Christmas; that’s why God sent Jesus into the world to die to save people …because of Love! And whether we realize it or not, our business as a church in this world is also to remember and to love people.

On this Remembrance Day I want us to be people remembering one another in 4 diff. ways:
1- Remember the good and encourage…
2- Remember the hurting and pray…
3- Remember those who have gone on before us and be thankful…
4- Remember the Lord and what He has done for us …

I. REMEMBER THE GOOD AND ENCOURAGE…

We need to honor people when they do good. Eph. 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs…” Unwholesome talk is often words of criticism. Talk that builds up is talk that commends, appreciates, praises, and encourages. Of all our loved ones remembered today, there is much good in their lives to commend them for.

II. REMEMBER THE HURTING AND PRAY

We are to see hurting people and try to help them. As a minimum, pray for them. Matt. 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus saw hurting people. We must see the hurt in others before we can do something for them. I think any time we pray for people it does good.  That’s a part of following Christ. That’s a ministry, which we all can do.

III. REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE GONE ON BEFORE US AND LIFT PRAISE

I Thess. 4:13-14 “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

Those who have died in Christ are yet alive. What a glorious hope we have in Christ!  It is so reassuring when Christian people die with faith in Jesus.

2 Pet. 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” Peter is saying, “Don’t forget the Lord and don’t forget that the Lord’s view of time is different than ours. He is not limited by time as we are. Don’t forget that God is faithful.

Today, as we remember those who have gone on before us, we are to trust the Lord for His salvation. No one goes to their grave perfect. Nor will their faith be perfect, but hopefully, they trust in a perfect Savior, the Lord Jesus. And look forward to your own day when the Lord will call you home..

IV. REMEMBER THE LORD AND WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US

God so loved the world that He sent His Son at Christmas time. God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son on the cross to die for our sin. God loves everything He has created because it’s good, but His most important creation is YOU. God’s heart is set on YOU. And so ours must be set on one another.

Remember people and commend them. Remember and pray for them. Remember and thank God for them…and do not forget this one thing …that God gave YOU Jesus at Christmas …so you could have a Blessed and Happy New Life!

A Celebration of Love

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Christmas Long Ago – Part 4

“A Celebration of Love”

Pastor Jerry

John 1:1-18

 

(A first person narration/drama – by the Apostle John)

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning….In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it…

Even as I write these words, my heart is filled with so many emotions, so many thoughts. The Spirit of God has prompted me to write—So much I’ve learned, so much I still do not understand.

For the longest time, I struggled with one question, “Why would the Word of God—the Son of the Living God leave the glory of heaven to come to earth?”

Like so many of the people in our land in that day, I wanted a Messiah who would come and rid us of Rome. I wanted a Messiah who would come in judgment.

But I learned that this is not what the Master had come to do. He came to show us the way into the Kingdom of God. But what compelled him to come, he who made the earth and sky? Only now do I truly understand. The reason the Messiah came to us was simple—he loved us.

The memories come flooding back to me now. Oh, let me introduce myself. I am the Apostle John. I remember the time a Pharisee came to see Jesus. Nicodemus was his name. He came to the Master by night. He didn’t want to be seen. A pharisee he was—and a member of the Sanhedrin. Jesus told the Jewish leader that he needed to experience a new birth. The Kingdom of God was not about keeping the law, but about receiving the free gift of salvation that came through the grace of God. – How about you? Are you in the Kingdom? Jesus told Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be lifted up. He was talking about his death. Jesus looked Nicodemus, and loved him—and was willing to give himself for him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… Such an incredible love. Do you have this love?

I recall a trip we made through Samaria, stopping at Jacob’s well, Jesus asked a Samaritan woman –(a woman who had quite a bad reputation) for a drink of water. We couldn’t believe Jesus would talk with woman like that. He told us to open our eyes, everywhere around us the fields were ripe to harvest. I have trouble talking to people like that woman.  Do you? Later the entire village came out to see Jesus because of this woman. And many believed in the Lord. All because he loved a Samaritan woman—and was willing to tell her some Good News. Amazing love!

Of course his love was not limited to individuals. I can see so clearly one of the most amazing miracles he worked for a mass of people. Once a huge crowd of people followed us—at least 5,000 men. Instead of turning them away (which is what we wanted Jesus to do), he invited them to Him, taught them. And when time for the afternoon meal, he told us to feed them! Jesus ever asked you to do something you think you can’t do? And Jesus fed the entire crowd and he had us gather up the leftovers and we filled baskets full. Why didn’t he just turn the crowd away? He loved them. Such a generous love.

His love for people got him in trouble though. Self-righteous hypocrites came to him once, dragging a woman behind them. They threw her at Jesus’s feet. She was barely clothed. She was so overwhelmed with shame. She had been caught in the act of adultery. They wanted Jesus to pass judgment upon her. They knew if he said “stone her” then all of his talk of love would sound like a lie to the crowds. If he said “let her go” then they could claim he had no respect for the law.

Then, quietly, and quite calmly, Jesus knelt down and drew in the dirt. He was silent for a moment, then raised to his feet. He looked at the men and said, “Which ever of you is free from sin may cast the first stone.” Within moments the crowd was gone. Jesus told the woman that he would not condemn her, but that she must not go back to her life of sin. Jesus was so kind! Jesus offered her grace. Why? He loved her, even in her sin, He loved her. You ever need to be forgiven? Even though she didn’t deserve forgiveness, she was given it that day. All because of love. Oh, what gracious love!

I received a very personal glimpse of Jesus’ heart of love the day we found out his friend Lazarus had died. We were on the way to Bethany thinking that Jesus might heal Lazarus. Jesus let us know that Lazarus was already dead. Had been for days. Martha and Mary met us and each told Jesus that he could have saved their brother had he arrived earlier. Jesus assured them that Lazarus would live again. Jesus went to the grave side and wept. — wept at the tomb of his friend. Jesus called Lazarus back from the grave. It was such a glorious miracle. Have you ever been down and out and need help to get back to real living? If Jesus knew what was about to happen, Why did he cry? I believe He wept for Lazarus, Martha, and Mary that day, because he loved them and he did not want them to suffer. Such a compassionate love.

Of course the greatest testimony of the Master’s love was not in a healing. The greatest testimony of his love happened at a place called Golgotha. For months Jesus had been preparing us for his death. We simply would not believe him. Then our last Passover together was celebrated and that night he was arrested. Judas betrayed him, yes. But we all failed him. He was given a “trial,” if you could call it that, and was sentenced to death. That day of his crucifixion, I stood at the foot of his cross, I found his mother, Mary. She was weeping bitterly. I held her to my side, trying to comfort her as best I could. As I looked up into his face I finally understood—this was what he meant. This was the fulfillment of his words to Nicodemus. The Son of Man was lifted up. Somehow, this was in the great plan of God. How could such a perfect love which started at His birth on that first Christmas –be stamped out in such a cruel way. Even in death Jesus continued to love. He looked down and said Father forgive them.

Jesus died that horrible day. My faith was tested. But Love was triumphant. Jesus rose from the grave—and salvation became a reality in my heart! Do you have Jesus? Why did Jesus come at Christmas? I now know the answer. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. He came ALL BECAUSE OF LOVE!!!

A Time for Joy

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Christmas Long Ago – Part 3

“A Time for Joy”

Pastor Jerry

Luke 2:8-20

 

(A first person narration/drama – by a shepherd named Jacob)

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Well, well, well …What do we have here?

Hello, my name is Jacob. I am by trade a shepherd. Oh, do not worry good people I am not a thief or a bandit. I wish to harm no one.

I know, I know—you think shepherds cannot be trusted. That’s what everybody says. Many of my brothers have given surrendered to the views of others. “If they think we’re thieves, then why not live up to their expectations!” Imagine that! Almighty God in his holy scriptures has been called a Shepherd. And now, people hold the profession itself in disdain and discuss.

Even you look quite surprised that a “shepherd” could know holy things of God. Please realize that my heart belongs to my Lord and God. Even though I cannot participate in temple activities, I take great pride in knowing that my work is essential to the functioning of the temple. I help tend the flocks of the Temple.

But good people, I haven’t stopped by here today to justify myself and my profession—I’ve come to give you good news. Last night, the most amazing thing happened. We were out in the fields, taking turns at guarding the sheep throughout the night watches. Suddenly, before us in all of his glory, stood a messenger from God—an angel! A tremendous sense of power and majesty flowed from him.

I do not remember falling to the ground. But there I was—face first in the grass. I knew that my life was over. I had faith in the God of Israel—but I knew that I was unclean. I was so afraid—so unready to meet my God!

And then the angel spoke such a gracious word to us. What did he say? “Stop being afraid!” Somehow I knew in my heart that God was not going to take my life. I knew that God still loved me.

“I bring you good news of great joy for all people! This very day in the city of David, a Savior has been born—Christ the Lord has come. A sign is given to you—you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, all about us, as far as I could see, there appeared a great host of heavenly creatures. They declared with power and love, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

And then, they were gone. I stood there, dumbfounded—unable to fully grasp the wonder of what I had just seen. “Come on now, let’s go into Bethlehem—let’s go find the child!” The Lord has spoken to us, “we must go and search out what he has shown us.”

We quickly penned the flocks,—and then we left for Bethlehem. I have never been so excited in my life. To think, God chose us! The people of Judea might not want us about; but God sent a choir of angels to celebrate the birth of the Messiah—and HE sent them to us to announce Messiah’s birth! Can you imagine—God chose us and my heart was bursting with sheer joy.

Once we got to Bethlehem, we quickly searched through every cave, every stable in town. And then, we found HIM—just as the angel had promised. Outside an inn, lying in the stable, the Christ had come. When we made our way in we were perhaps a little abrupt in our joy. “Where’s the baby, let me see the baby.” When we saw the child, we began to cry tears of joy.

We told them all about what we had seen and heard. Mary and Joseph (those were their names, you know), were surprised, but not unbelieving when we spoke about the angels. It seems that they, too, had been blessed by seeing the holy messengers of God.

We decided that it was time for us to move on. But I am afraid we did not leave so quietly. People were beginning to stir in the small village—and if they came upon my friends and I, they received a burst of praise and celebration—we told everyone we could see what had happened.

We have just now finished delivering the sacrificial lambs to the Temple. And we still cannot be silent. Please, my good people, I know that it seems hard to believe, but it is true. In Bethlehem, the Christ has been born. This my friends is a time of great joy for all people!

Brothers and sisters, do you understand what this means. No one has to be left out! No one has to be left behind! This is even greater joy now that I understand. All of my life, I have been left behind. Raised in a shepherd’s home, I knew what it was to be an outcast.

People walked by and looked at me as though I were some horrible creature. They looked at me as though I were “unclean.” But praise be to God—He saw me through different eyes! God had room in his kingdom for me! A shepherd could be part of the family of God! I know this—for the angel brought tidings of great joy for all people! This, my good people is incredible. No one is too small! No one is too far gone! This is good news of great joy!

I must say good-bye now—others have got to hear the good news! I know that you have been told to distrust shepherds. This time, please believe. The Messiah is born! Go see for yourselves! You can find the Christ, too. An invitation to joy has been given to you. Everyone who would receive this great news is welcome to come. For God has promised through his angels—this is great joy for all people!

 

A Cause for Peace

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Christmas Long Ago – Part 2

“A Cause for Peace”

Pastor Jerry

Matthew 1:18-25

(A first person narration/drama – by Joseph)

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O Lord, how could this happen to me? I do not know what to do.

Have you heard? …Mary is going to have a baby and it is not mine.

O God…when I was first engaged to be married to Mary, I never dreamed I could come to love her so much. We have been honorable throughout our engagement.

But…now, I find that she has been unfaithful to me!

I could not believe it when I found out. Mary has always seemed such a faithful and amazing young woman. We followed the custom of our people here in Galilee—we were always chaperoned.

And now this—I find that she has made a fool of me.

Lord…Mary has run off to see her cousin, Elizabeth. Mary claims that her pregnancy is not what I think, and she claims to have been told by an angel to go and see Elizabeth.

O Lord, what should I do?

I believe the only choice I have is to divorce Mary? Because—that is the only way to break our engagement. But, O God, beyond the divorce itself—how should I handle the situation?

I feel like I ought to do what is right, and what is right according to the law demands that Mary pay for what she has done. I have been raised to follow Your laws. I have followed Your law as closely as I know how.

To be honest, part of me wants nothing else but justice here. She betrayed my trust. She has to pay. She has done me so wrong.  But, if I divorce her publicly, she will carry the shame of her unfaithfulness the rest of her life.

That is what I ought to do—I know this.

Do you know what is so troubling about my dilemma? I love her, I love Mary. While I clearly cannot marry her, I do not want society to see her as an evil person.  

I feel so strange, my anger tells me to let the whole world know what she had done to me. Yet, my love tells me to show her mercy. Is there a way I can find peace in this time of confusion in my life?

(NO…)

O Lord, I know that righteousness demands justice. I am so troubled. I need time to think.

YES! I know what I should do. I will divorce Mary quietly—give her the bill of divorcement and simply not list a charge. I could just tell people that we decided to end the engagement and leave it at that. I simply can not put Mary to public shame.

Oh how exhausted I am …I need some rest so that I can clear my head!

(Put head down…to rest…)

Something awesome has just happened to me. In the midst of my sleep, an angel of the Lord appeared to me—I had a vision. The Lord spoke to me through his angel.

What he had to say was astonishing! Mary was not lying to me. Her pregnancy is a miracle. The Holy Spirit of God created the new life within her. She has not been unfaithful at all—she has been touched by God!

It is true! The angel told me that Mary’s child was the child of Peace for all people. This child would be the salvation of the world—he would save his people from their sins. He even told me what to name the baby, “JESUS!”

JESUS – means — “The Lord is Salvation.”  

I know that this seems incredible. But I really do believe the vision that came to me in my rest—I really do believe that Mary is still a virgin. The child she carries comes from God—the child she carries is the Prince of Peace!  

You know what? I now have a peace that I would have believed impossible earlier. My troubled heart is troubled no longer! Mary has been true to our love.

What a story!!!

Surely there should be a place for faith in our hearts. Is it so hard for you to believe that God has spoken to me? Please believe me—Mary is telling the truth.

God has given me Peace. God is the one who has let me know the truth. God is showing me even now what I should do.  

I will obey God — Mary will become my wife. It does not matter what the world believes—I know the truth. I hope and pray that one day, you will know the truth as well.   

I am going to Mary now. I am going to beg her forgiveness for my lack of trust in her. I love her—and I will be proud to raise her child as my own. I know that I can have peace, because I know that God has spoken to me.

I must tell you one last thing that I am confused about. I do not know how to be a father. But I do know this—I will look to God for guidance. I will trust that he will show me the way. This child will be raised in the house of God and this child will be raised hearing the Word of God. JESUS will bring God’s salvation into people’s hearts. I pray you will let Him into your heart!   …SHALOM …Peace…

A Reason for Hope

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Christmas Long Ago – Part 1

“A Reason for Hope”

Pastor Jerry

Luke 5:5-25, 57-80

(A first person narration/drama – by the priest Zechariah)

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Shalom, good people. I want to tell you an incredible story. I lived at a time when people were down and out without much HOPE.  People were  ill… people had trouble providing a home for their families. It was a dark and uncertain time. But God promised His people that He was sending them light. God’s promise was our HOPE!

Do you need HOPE?

OH … let me introduce myself. My name is Zechariah and I am a priest from the hill country of Judea. My wife, Elizabeth. This is our story, but so much more.

You see, there are far too many priests in Judea for all practical purposes. There are about 20,000. We have been divided up into twenty-four sections. I serve in the eighth section of Abijah. Only during the feasts do all of the priests serve at one time. The rest of the year, each of us serve in the Temple twice, for one week at a time. This time of service is the highlight of our lives.

With so many of us, the duties are assigned by lot.

Every morning and evening sacrifice is to be made for the whole nation. We make sacrifice because God says if you sin… you will surely die.

Have you ever sinned?

God gave the sacrifice as a substitute for your sin and death. Before the sacrifice of the male lamb there’s the lighting of the incense in the holy place. Many of my brothers have never had the chance to light the incense—many never will. But on the day my story began—I drew the LOT. This was the greatest honor of my life (at the time).

Only one thing darkened my life at the time. My wife and I were childless. For years Elizabeth and I had tried to have children. In my culture, many believe that to be barren is a sign of reproach—a sign that God is angry with you.

Have you ever had God angry with you?

Elizabeth and I both loved our God with every ounce of our beings. We sought to serve him faithfully every day.

Do you love God? Do you serve Him every day?

With only this one thing missing in my life, I entered the Sanctuary to perform my assigned task. I sprinkled frankincense upon the coals on the altar. Then, I lay upon the ground, face down, in prayer for my people—as prescribed by our custom.

Suddenly, I was aware that I was not alone! “This cannot be,” I thought—law forbade anyone but myself to be in the Sanctuary.  I looked up and saw the most incredible creature standing next to the altar of incense.

I cannot describe the creature—but he filled my heart with awe and terror. “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16 Many people will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

This was too much; I could barely make sense of it all. He had just given me a promise so powerful, so magnificent, that it was too hard to believe.

Have you ever not believed God’s promise?

I was to have a son—the one void in my personal life was going to be fulfilled! To my great shame, I couldn’t believe it then—and I told the creature so.

“How can this be?” I asked. “My wife and I are far too old.”

There was rebuke in the sound of his voice as he answered. “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”

Suddenly—I could not speak—just as the angel had told me. I walked out of the Sanctuary and gestured wildly trying to let people know what had happened, many understood that I had received a message from God.

After my week of service was through, I returned home to Elizabeth. She conceived our child—and was thrilled with a hopeful joy.

Nine months later, our little boy came into this world. Everyone was so excited for us—they even sought to help us name the boy. Elizabeth knew about my visitation, and told our anxious friends that the baby would be named “John.” It means “God is gracious.”

When they came to me, I wrote upon a pad—“His name is John!” At that moment, my lips were freed, and I could speak again! At that very same moment, I was filled by the Holy Spirit of God—filled throughout my being. I burst forth into a word of glorious praise and prophecy.

See…it’s written here…

68 “Praise be to the Lord…because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

69 He has come to bring salvation for us…70 (as he said He would long ago), He said He would come to enable us to serve him without fear …75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And your child, will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, …77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, …79 to shine on those living in darkness …to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

This is our Hope …the Child born at Christmas …His name is Jesus!

Do you know Him?

Let Him save you?

Giving Thanks during a Pandemic

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“Giving Thanks during a Pandemic”

Pastor Jerry

Luke 17:11-19

 

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This is the year of the coronavirus pandemic. Do you think we are living in unprecedented times? The answer is actually “NO!” no we are not. The world was going through this same kind of experience 100 years ago with the so called “Spanish flu.”

On Thanksgiving more than a century ago, many Americans were living under quarantines, and officials were warning people to stay home for the holiday. Dozens of cities across the U.S. implemented mandatory face mask orders and curfews and locked down.

A newspaper ran an article that said, “Thousands dead since March. Cities in lockdown. Vaccine trials underway.” You see more than a hundred years ago Americans found themselves in a similar predicament as do the millions today.

So, how are we going to celebrate Thanksgiving this year? Celebrating during a pandemic is weird. And I know there’s a lot of people like me who are going to be so grateful for 2020 to be over.

It is easy for people to become bitter and frightened in these circumstances, and many will question God. But as much as this year has been challenging, it’s also can teach us how we can be a lot better. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–17) God’s Word tells us of a better way: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” These verses give us actions that will enable us to overcome the worst circumstances.

There’s a lot to give thanks for, too, even when we’re going through difficult times. God is with us, and He is in control. Each and every day, we have the opportunity to turn to God in His Word to be uplifted and refreshed even when the world around us seems to be closing down. Through the faith that God gives us, we know it is God’s will that we rejoice in Him and seek His peace in the midst of this virus pandemic.

Thankfulness is so much more than a comparison of our own situation to someone else’s. Thankfulness is a state of being and a way of life, and we usually fail to live in a state of thankfulness because we take it for granted.

In this morning’s Gospel reading, Luke shares with us the account of one leper who did not take his blessing for granted.

First of all, being thankful is not only expressed through prayer and public proclamation, but through your attitude in living life. I doubt this leper had a great deal of joy in having leprosy.

Now, I’m not suggesting that we thank God for this pandemic, or for crises or pain; but what I am suggesting is that thank God for the strength and growth that we experience during crises. If this was your situation, I wonder how much joy and thankfulness would exist in your life? I believe this leper, had a spirit of hope, which enabled him to more fully appreciate what Christ had done for him.

We have all experienced a kind of “leprosy” during this pandemic; a time where we felt separated and alone. This feeling of aloneness can also be felt during the death of a spouse, or the loss of a job, or the dissolving of a marriage, or the stress of emotional pain. We’ve all have experienced circumstances in life where we’ve asked, “God, what did I do to deserve this?” My understanding and my relationship with God tells me that the leper didn’t deserve it, and the same can be said for each of our own bouts with “aloneness.” But do we share something else in common with the leper; do we also share his thankful attitude?

Does your life, represent a spirit of thankfulness? Being thankful is so much more than a comparison of circumstances. Being thankful is so much more than a private prayer or public proclamation. Being thankful is expressed through your attitude in living life.

The leper also teaches us that thankfulness completes healing. Healing means to be made whole, and while all ten of the lepers found physical healing, only one found wholeness, healing of the soul. There’s a lot to give thanks for, even during this pandemic, even when we’re going through difficult times.

I believe the leper maintained a spirit of hope and thankfulness throughout his battle with leprosy. He indicated that God has heard his pleadings and prayers; his heart trusts in God and that God is his saving grace. Thankfulness is an attitude. Thankfulness is a way of life. Thankfulness enables healing to bring wholeness.

And finally, those who receive life as a gift to be lived in dependence upon God will be characterized by gratitude that drives them into the community of God’s people. To live under God’s teachings, to live as God intends, is to live as part of God’s people, and God’s people live in dependence upon God rather than upon self.

When we live life with a spirit of thankfulness, we realize that life is a gift…a gift from God, and in gratitude for that gift, we are driven into the community of God’s people.

The Presidential election process this year has been so distressing as it has revealed the division and unkindness toward one another who have opposite ideologies.

And, even though thanksgiving is a national holiday originally sanctioned by the federal government, it was set aside to offer thanks to God. Hear the words of George Washington in proclaiming the first Thanksgiving Holiday:

“Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!” Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks…”

Let’s not lose sight of what this week is about: Being thankful is an attitude for living life, thankfulness is a part of being made whole, and thankfulness is recognizing life as a gift from God that drives us into the community of God’s people.

Amazing Grace

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Sermon Series

All Have Sinned–But, There’s Grace! – Part 8

“Amazing Grace”

Pastor Jerry

Luke 4:14-22a

 

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For the last seven weeks we’ve been looking at the good news of God’s grace. Today let’s review the seven things that we’ve looked at concerning the benefits of grace:

First, the Bible says we’re (1) saved by grace, that the only way to heaven is through the doorway of Grace. The Word of God says, “For by grace you are saved through faith and even that is not of yourself it is the gift of God, not of works so no one could boast.”

Second we’re (2) sustained by grace. Philippians 2:13 says “God is always working in you to give you the will and the power to do what He’s called you to do.”

Third, the Word of God teaches that we’re (3) healed by grace. God heals our broken hearts and binds up our wounds.

Fourth, we are to (4) share grace. Jesus said it like this in Matthew 10:8 “Give as freely as you have received.”

Fifth the Word of God says we’re (5) forgiven by grace. James 2:10 “The person who keeps every law of God but makes one little slip is just as guilty as the person who has broken every law there is.”

Sixth, we’re (6) restored by grace. Lamentations 5:21, “Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to You again. Give us back the joys we once had.”

Last week we talked about the seventh benefit of Grace, how we (7) grow in grace. The Scripture says in 2 Peter 3:18 “Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.”

The more you grow in grace, the more you’re going to grow spiritually. You should be closer to God today than you were last year. How about it? Everything that God does in you, He does by grace. We live, move and have our being because God’s grace.

That’s what we’ve looked at for the past seven weeks. But it would be a tragedy if we had gone through this entire series and some of you here today have never really opened your life up to receiving the amazing grace of God.

How do I receive this amazing grace of God?”

The Bible says it in three simple words: By trusting Christ. God made it so simple that nobody could say it was too hard to understand. That’s the wonderful news of God’s amazing grace.

The Bible says this in John 1:17 “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” All of grace, all of what we’ve talked about for seven weeks is wrapped up in a person. He is the source. Grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ – and it was all made possible because of His death on the cross for us.

You get grace through a relationship. “Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins making us friends of God. You become a friend of God. Not because of what you do, but because of what Jesus did.

The Bible tells us how much God loves us. 1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.” That’s what we should be grateful for.

Near the city of San Juan Campos in Brazil there is a remarkable facility. It’s a prison. Twenty years ago the Brazilian government turned it over to a band of Christians. They said “You can run it and you can run it on Christian principles.” So they cleaned up the prison and renamed it Humanita.

Not too long ago Chuck Colson went and visited this prison. I saw clean living areas. I saw people working industriously. The walls were decorated with Biblical sayings from Psalms and Proverbs.

My guide escorted me to the notorious prison cell that was once used for torture. Slowly he swung the massive door open and I saw the prisoner in that punishment cell. The prisoner Jesus hanging on the cross. He was innocent, but He’s doing time for the rest of us.”

This is what the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus is all about. Jesus has served your time. He paid your penalty. He was hung up for your hang ups. He died in your place. We need to say, “Thank You Jesus for Your amazing, outrageous, inconceivable grace.”

In light of what Jesus Christ has done for us, what should be our response? What do I owe Jesus Christ? I owe Him the rest of my life!

As we conclude this eight week series today, I want to give you three ways you can express gratitude for God’s grace.

  1. I can show my Gratitude for God’s Grace by MAKING MY LIFE COUNT.

1 Corinthians 6:20 “Don’t you see that you can’t keep on living however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? So let people see God in and through your body.” You can’t understand the grace of God and just keep on living the same way you’ve always lived. You were created for a purpose. And He wants you to fulfill it.

The abilities and the talents and the opportunities and the education and the freedom and the relationships and all the things that you have that bless your life were not given just to be squandered. They were given for a purpose. Make your life count.

  1. (Show my Gratitude for God’s Grace) by BECOMING A GENEROUS PERSON.

If you want to measure how much you are grateful for grace look at your giving. “Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in ever good work.”

What was Christ like? He was a giver. “God so loved the world that He gave.” The Christian life is summed up in three words — love, serve, give. Nothing is greater proof that you understand grace than that you are lovingly gracious and generous to other people and to God.

Romans 8:32 says “Since God loved us enough to give us His own son, won’t He love us enough to take care of every one of our other needs?” God wants me to become generous like Him. And He wants me to make my life count. Those are ways to show gratitude.

  1. (Show my Gratitude for God’s Grace) by SHARING THE GOOD NEWS OF GRACE.

Acts 20:24 “The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me — to tell people the Good News about God’s grace.” The most important thing in life is to fulfill your mission.

Part of that mission is to tell other people the good news of grace. You know Christ because somebody told you. Who has God put in your path to tell?

One of the ways we show gratitude for our own salvation is to share that good news with other people and to tell them. Because people are dying without the grace of God.

Everybody needs Jesus. Do not leave this worship service today after hearing the greatest news in the world, without praying for somebody that you care about, that you love, that you’re concerned that they hear the good news about God’s Amazing Grace. There are people around you who are desperate for the good news in this year of the Pandemic.

And we have the greatest news in the world. We have this news about God’s Amazing Grace. The way we show our gratitude for this amazing grace of God is by making our own lives count, by living a life of extravagant generosity, and by telling as many people as we can about this Amazing Good News.

Growing Grace

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Sermon Series

All Have Sinned–But, There’s Grace! – Part 7

“Growing Grace”

Pastor Jerry

Ephesians 4:17-24

 

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This is one of the hardest messages about Grace that I have prepared in this series. The reason it is so difficult is because the title combines two normally contradictory terms.

Well let’s get back to the point of this message. How do Growth and Grace fit together? It’s what we think when we hear an oxymoron. Do you know what an oxymoron is?  It’s a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. Let me give you some examples of oxymorons: pretty ugly, serious fun, boneless ribs, sight unseen, nonworking mothers, less is more, agree to disagree, almost finished, barley dressed, clean dirt, discovered missing, drip dry, drive-thru-window, fighting for peace, freezer burn,  growing smaller, hell’s angels, inside out, known secrete, numb feeling, running in place. I think you get the picture.

Growth is not how many. It’s not how many times you attend church. It’s not how many verses you memorize in the Bible. It’s not how many minutes you spend in a devotion time each morning. It’s not how many Christian books you read this last year. It’s not a matter of how many. A lot of time we make the mistake of thinking that just because I’m involving myself in what may be a growth producing activity I’m automatically going to be growing. Many people have thought through the years that if they just attended church more that somehow they would automatically grow. It doesn’t work that way.

Growth is how much. It’s the quality of life. It’s how much closer I am to God than I was at this time last year. It’s how much more I love my family because of God’s grace. It’s how much my character is being changed by God’s power. It’s not a matter of quantity it’s a matter of quality. Jesus didn’t say, “I came to give you more things to do in your life.” He said, “I came to give you an abundant life. A new quality of life.” God gave us His grace so we may grow. God’s purpose in our lives is to help us to change. It’s what His growth is all about.

Today we’re going to talk about how God grows us. We’re going to find out that just being a Christian doesn’t guarantee this change. There is a process of growth that God wants to work in our lives. I know some people who’ve been Christian a long time but haven’t grown a lot. God has a process that begins by grace — it’s a gift — but it also continues as a gift. We grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We’re going to look today at a simple three part process God gives us. It’s simple but it’s powerful. Here’s the process. One of the places it’s written for us in the Bible is Ephesians 4:22-24. Listen for the three parts. “You were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 First of the Three parts:

  1. YOU PUT OFF THE OLD. The old is what used to be. The old is my life without Christ and everything that had to do with that. First, let’s focus particularly on old ways of trying to grow, old ways of trying to make myself better and focus on three of them that don’t work according to what Jesus had to teach us about real, genuine personal growth:
  1. Trying to grow by doing good. If I could just do enough good things then I’m going to grow. Jesus gave His disciples then and now a great picture of why this doesn’t work. He talked about wine and wineskins in Matthew 9:17 “Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” What’s He talking about here? In that day they would pour the new wine into a leather wineskin and as the wine fermented it would expand and the wineskin would expand with it. Outside, the sun would beat down on it and the wineskin would harden, then they’d pour the wine out. If you took new wine and poured it back into that old hardened wineskin it would burst as it began to expand.

What Jesus was saying was you need room for growth, for expansion. There’s no room for genuine change in doing more things. I can’t grow just by doing more and more good things. Increasing the means doesn’t improve the result.


  1. You don’t grow by keeping rules.     Hebrews 13:9 “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” It’s not by obeying rules that my heart’s strengthened. It’s by God’s grace. Rules cannot produce growth. What’s the place of rules in the Bible? It helps you to focus on God. When you use rules to try to produce growth, all you get is religion. That’s what religion is. Trying to make a bunch of rules about my relationship to God thinking somehow that’s going to produce growth. It never has worked, it never will work. Growth comes from grace.
  1. Trying to grow by feeling bad. Doing good things can’t produce growth. Rules can’t produce growth. And guilt can’t produce growth, but we think sometimes, “If I just feel bad enough about myself, maybe I’ll get better.” Just logically, you can see what that wouldn’t work. If I feel bad about myself, I don’t get better, I just feel bad. Look at the promise He makes to those who put faith in Him in Romans 8:34 “Who then will condemn us? Will Christ? No. For He is the one who died for us and came back to life again for us.” If God doesn’t condemn us, why do we spend so much time condemning ourselves as if that’s going to work, change us. It doesn’t change us.

If I don’t grow by feeling bad about myself, if it doesn’t work just to have a list of rules, and doing good things doesn’t cause it, what does? Here’s the second part of the process of growth:

  1. I PUT ON THE NEW. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” This is a promise for those who are in Christ, for those who have trusted their lives to Christ and His leadership. It’s an incredible promise. The promise of the Christian life is the old has gone, the new has come. A couple of things about this new life that God wants to give to us.
  1. We don’t have to achieve our new life. I don’t have to make it work on my own. Newness is a creation of God. We don’t have to make ourselves new. We just have to put on the new life He’s given us.
  1.  We don’t have to keep our new life. I don’t have to hold onto it. Colossians 3:3 “Your old sinful self has died and your new life is kept in Christ in God.” Christ, in God is holding the key and He’s never going to give up on you. That the security of this new life that God has given to us. I don’t have to achieve this new life. I don’t have to keep this new life.
  1. I do have to put on this new life. There is a decision that I get to make, that I’m allowed to make everyday of my life about this new life that God wants to give. I do get to put it on.

It’s a constant decision. Stop worrying about my life, start trusting God when it comes to taking care of me. Sometimes it’s a decision made dozens of times the same day. Take off the old, put on the new. It’s God’s new way of living. The way Jesus talked to people becomes more and more the way I talk to people. The way Jesus dealt with relationships becomes more and more the way I deal with relationships. There’s ups and downs in it. It’s not perfect but it’s growth and you’re moving ahead. That’s the process of taking off the old and putting on the new.

The empowering step is number three in the process. That’s why the third step is so important.

III. BE RENEWED IN YOUR MIND.

This step of God, renewing our mind, empowers us to take off the old and put on the new.

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way that you think.” That’s where the power is. God wants to change the way we think. A renewed mind. God’s changed the way we think so I can see things as He sees them. I’ve often thought if I could just see life as God sees it, really see it as God sees it, it would change me. I would see how, and why and what to do.  Being renewed in your mind is starting to think about God in a new way, in His way. He’s the one who empowers our grace. A renewed mind is not just determination. It’s determined dependence on God.

Galatians 3:3 “You began your life in Christ by the Spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power? That is foolish.” It’s grace all the way through.

What I’m saying to you today is the Christian life is not a life of rules. The Christian life is a life of new power. You’re living a new way because you have a new power in your life. Real faith in Christ is built on God’s grace. There’s two questions people have about this thing called growth that I’ve heard come up again and again. The first is this: “Why does it take so long? I want to change and I change a little but why is it taking so long?” When something is valuable, it’s worth a lot.

Growth is a process that points toward eternity. When God changes your character, it’s not for a few months or years, it’s for the eternal life He has for you. The changes that are happening are eternal. They’re going to effect and impact eternity. That’s why it takes so long. God has a long term plan in mind for your life.

The second question that comes up is “Where do I start in this thing of growth?” One word: TRUST. Start with trust. Start by believing in God’s ability to accomplish this growth goal in your life. The motivational power for growth isn’t found within you. It’s found within Him. The motivational power is this: God wants and is willing and is working for us to grow everyday of our life. The minute I come to Him and give my life to Him, He’s working for me to grow. Growth is not accomplished by trying hard. It’s accomplished by trusting Him. That’s where growth comes from. There’s two unforgettable promises from the book of Philippians about how we can trust God to grow us once we come to Him as Christians. Those of you who are Christians, listen:  Philippians 1:6 says “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” That’s a promise.

Others of you who may not be a believers, listen: Philippians 2:13 “For God is at work with you, helping you want to obey Him and then helping you do what He wants.” Did you hear that promise! Not only does He help me want to do the right thing, He helps me do the right thing. It’s not that I never want to do the wrong thing because I do and you do too. But God’s never going to give up on helping us do the right thing. That’s what grace is all about. He’s not going to give up.

Today, what I want to close with is an opportunity for you to pray and ask God to make all things new …to Grow you in His Grace.

Restoring Grace

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Sermon Series

All Have Sinned–But, There’s Grace! – Part 6

“Restoring Grace”

Pastor Jerry

Mark 14:27-31

 

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How is your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ during this pandemic?

You’re either growing closer to the Lord or you’re drifting away. You never just stand still.

You probably have known some Christians who are no longer walking with the Lord. At one point their hearts were warm and on fire for God but today they’re nowhere to be found. We all know the struggles in our own heart.

We’ve been looking for the past five weeks at the grace of God. We are in a series called “All Have Sinned—but, There’s Grace!”  Today I want us to look at Restoring Grace.

When we blow it, God says, “You can come back to Me.” We can pray the prayer that was prayed in Lamentations 5:21, “Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to You again. Give us back the joys we once had.”

That’s what I want to talk about this morning. How do you get the joy back in your Christian life?

First, I want to identify four common causes of why people fall away from the Lord. There are many reasons.

In Mark 14 the Bible tells us the story of Peter and His denial of Jesus on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested. In that story, we have an example of four common causes of why people fall away.

Jesus had been in the upper room with His twelve disciples, then He shocked all of the disciples by announcing, “One of you is going to betray Me.” They all began to say, “Lord, is it me? Peter, in his typical bragging way, says, “Everybody else may stumble in their faith but I will not. “  

  1. This is the first reason people backslide — OVER CONFIDENCE.

We begin to think we can handle everything on our own. We begin to think we are so strong we could never fail. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful.” You should never say, “I could never fall for that.” That’s called overconfidence & that’s the first step in falling away.

  1. The second cause of falling away is LAZINESS.

We get tired and kind of slack off. All those good habits we used to do like praying every day, reading the Bible every day, going to church, we give up.  When you do that, it ought to be a warning light, because this happened to Peter. He just got tired. That’s when you are starting on the slippery slope to falling away.

  1. The third cause of falling away from Christ is FEAR OF DISAPPROVAL.

We’re worried about what other people will think. This is what happened to Peter. After Jesus was arrested it says in Mark 15:54 “Peter followed Him at a distance.” One of the signs that you can know that you’re slipping away from Christ is you start to become ashamed of Him.

  1. CONVENIENCE. We want to have a faith but we want to have a comfortable faith.

We want it to fit our schedule. Sure I want to follow Christ as long as it doesn’t cramp my style. I want to follow Christ when it’s convenient. If you try to enjoy the world’s campfire and pleasures, you’re going to get burned. Then you start to fall away.

What happens to a person who’s a genuine Christian, who’s committed their life to Christ, but for one reason or another they’ve backslidden, fallen away? How does God respond to those kinds of people?

He responds the way He always responds to His children. By Grace! Romans 8:1 “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” This is not a promise for everybody. It’s not saying anybody can do whatever they want to do and there’s no condemnation. It says for those who are in Christ Jesus. If you are a genuine believer in Christ there is no condemnation.

Notice it does not say there are no consequences. It says no condemnation. There are a lot of consequences. When a Christian sins, what happens? You lose your fellowship with Christ. You lose your witness on earth. You lose rewards in heaven. You lose your joy here on earth.

WHY DOESN’T GOD REJECT BELIEVERS WHEN WE SIN?

For five reasons. This is what Grace is all about.

  1. Because His love is unconditional.

God will never stop loving you… because you are a child of His grace. Lamentations 3:22 “God’s compassion never ends. It is only His mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.” God does not reject believers when we sin because His love is unconditional.

  1. Because my salvation isn’t based on my performance.

God doesn’t reject believers when they sin because my salvation isn’t based on my performance. The only way you ever have any hope of getting into heaven is by the grace of God. You can’t earn your way into heaven. Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy.”

  1. Because Jesus has already taken my punishment.

God doesn’t reject me when I sin because Jesus has already taken my punishment. Two thousand years ago, Jesus stretched His arms out on the cross and took the punishment for my sin and for yours. He took it all. What sins did He die for? All of them. The Bible says. 1 John 2:2 “When Jesus served as a sacrifice for our sins, He solved the sin problem for God, not only ours, but the whole world’s.” So God doesn’t reject me when I sin, because Jesus has already taken the punishment.

  1. Because Jesus understands my human weaknesses.

He’s understanding. He knows my frailties, my faults. One of the most beautiful truths you’re going to need to learn in the Christian life is this: God is patient with you. Hebrews 4:15 “He understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin.” Christ was in human flesh so He understands your weaknesses. He knows what it’s like to be tempted. He’s sympathetic.

  1. Because God doesn’t hold on to grudges.

Psalm 103 (NLT) says “God will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does He deal with us as we deserve. He is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.” This is the benefit of being a believer. If you are a believer, God is not angry with you. Why? All of the punishment was taken on the cross.

You may think you’ve strayed too far away. If you’ve strayed far away from God, He says to you: (Jeremiah 3:22) “Come back to Me, you unfaithful children, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful.”

Many people do not understand the difference between fellowship and relationship. Fellowship is your current status. Relationship is your permanent position. When you sin you don’t lose the relationship. You lose the fellowship.

When you became a believer in Christ, you were born again into God’s family and you cannot be unborn. So, although the fellowship with God has been broken, the relationship is still there. You’re only one step away from returning.

What should I do if I am out of fellowship with God?

Return! Come back to Christ.

Jeremiah 15:19 “If you return to Me, I will restore you …”

No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen, God says in Isaiah 1:18 “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow.” It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. Isaiah 54:7, “With great compassion I will take you back.”

If you are out of fellowship with God, you may think God’s forgotten you. He hasn’t. If you have slipped away and need to return to Christ, you need to pray the prayer that David prayed when he came back to God. Psalm 51 David prayed, “Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation.”.

Do you need to pray that? Do you need to come home to Christ today? All will be forgiven. That is the Restoring Grace of Jesus Christ. Come on home! God’s calling! God loves you.

That is the grace of God.