tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24368778067923031842024-03-27T22:29:11.745-04:00Living light and in the LightThe emptying of our nest of 4 beautiful children has allowed us to reset our lives by living light for the sake of spreading the Light through Interim Pastoral Ministry (http://www.interimpastors.com) This blog is the musings and ministry of the Wolfgangs as we go wherever God leads. May we live light and in the Light, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.comBlogger1963125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-10237660765717623642024-03-27T16:15:00.001-04:002024-03-27T16:15:31.297-04:00God gave us a good weather window to travel...yeah God!!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRMkL6CI_LmtHyuNhh0lJ2mW5vxHV8eBuA0HU8wtoa4eJc81GkILCDpemnimzpXjndVXgY54cLYrizs7zfeEXGpCI-ApaVuMaMdnpqfpG47dl1d6Gmg9yqJ0rexotGzd5141BjsU7I142P1dyVum_DH5UWi8FKRR3-5lslyJf5-1uwpE1czm4NIbq1w/s1600/1000000520.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRMkL6CI_LmtHyuNhh0lJ2mW5vxHV8eBuA0HU8wtoa4eJc81GkILCDpemnimzpXjndVXgY54cLYrizs7zfeEXGpCI-ApaVuMaMdnpqfpG47dl1d6Gmg9yqJ0rexotGzd5141BjsU7I142P1dyVum_DH5UWi8FKRR3-5lslyJf5-1uwpE1czm4NIbq1w/w470-h627/1000000520.jpeg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Here we are at the top of Berthoud Pass. It was a whirlwind week to conduct a "<i>hand off</i>" service in Wisconsin on 3/17 and then preach a Palm Sunday sermon in Colorado on 3/24. We give God all the glory for this happening. So there are two video links at the bottom of this blog. One is for the Wisconsin service and the other is for the Colorado service. I racked up over 12,000 in the last 7 weeks. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tKIHt7COMXU426oeFLJOgODgpSeVD56yoffEwTKrYhnaX8IYywQPG-WQN2cnKRXoBn-XlTAa8r2IcBodfEZu-LEjw56D6psao2pxNEy_CQtyTHVLXD2lf-oDNWylA6PFwrMWnBoAVFiyiYzQeYzCyEDEoIII-w1sD8X325TjjiWOeRXuNJbm6xUidA/s2374/20240317_101523%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2374" data-original-width="1452" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tKIHt7COMXU426oeFLJOgODgpSeVD56yoffEwTKrYhnaX8IYywQPG-WQN2cnKRXoBn-XlTAa8r2IcBodfEZu-LEjw56D6psao2pxNEy_CQtyTHVLXD2lf-oDNWylA6PFwrMWnBoAVFiyiYzQeYzCyEDEoIII-w1sD8X325TjjiWOeRXuNJbm6xUidA/w196-h320/20240317_101523%202.jpeg" width="196" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I love to take these pictures sitting from the front row of chairs and listening to the one God has provided for the church I had been serving for 20 months. I now have 3 and I am so thankful for the opportunity God gave us to serve Him in this type of ministry over the last 5 years. It has been great to add to our daily prayer list Zach in Maine, Chris in Ohio and now Stephen in Wisconsin.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuQeE56Ks12bAWatkGDNfz-VM__JgvcrD_mOVcCD1x_wHEJHkm7DEYuVe8D9J0h6wmBKFm1JAr35TLL8RiLgnv4QAbS51YN_aFj-4jvtmz4e3yp9zGt0siqeZhXy56B04jtH__CIPxSaOWHXttmEndiOiJCH9LvPkMQRwKXgd5JOVEPO-YecUKUTZ5w/s3264/20240319_165902.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuQeE56Ks12bAWatkGDNfz-VM__JgvcrD_mOVcCD1x_wHEJHkm7DEYuVe8D9J0h6wmBKFm1JAr35TLL8RiLgnv4QAbS51YN_aFj-4jvtmz4e3yp9zGt0siqeZhXy56B04jtH__CIPxSaOWHXttmEndiOiJCH9LvPkMQRwKXgd5JOVEPO-YecUKUTZ5w/w503-h283/20240319_165902.jpeg" width="503" /></a></div><b><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>This was our set up for the 2000+ mile trip. No "<i>hiccups</i>" except for the strong eastern winds in Kansas. Of course everything was quite a bit dirtier when we arrived. We were so thankful that Stephanie didn't have to drive separately and we could enjoy the trip together along with Buddy our dog. </b></span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>My part of the service in Wisconsin was to commission to new teaching pastor. 2 Timothy 3.16-4.6 was the text I used. It is a text that I am speaking back to myself as I am charging another with the calling of a pastor. My points were:</b></span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We <u>elevate</u> God's words. 3.16</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>God's words <u>equip</u> the man of God. 3.17</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We acknowledge the true <u>audience</u>. 4.1</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our <u>what</u> is to preach the word; our <u>when</u> is in and out of season; our <u>how</u> is to mirror what God's word does in v.16; and our <u>why</u> is because they will not endure sound teaching. 4.2-4</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>How we are to <u>be</u> is very important. 4.5</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>God provides <u>shepherds</u> for His flock. 4.6</b></span></li></ol><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>It was great to collaborate with the district superintendent and it is sweet to have the new teaching pastor end the service. The "<i>hand off</i>" is complete. </b></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAYyB8Qb93w" width="481" youtube-src-id="kAYyB8Qb93w"></iframe></div><br /><b>I enter now a new phase of ministry at the Stillwater Community Chapel. I went from my assessment of a packed house of maybe 300 in Wisconsin to a small group of 25 with 10 being children in Colorado. The shift in delivery and style couldn't have been more drastic. Stephanie plays the piano and I lead the songs for now and we are starting to walk through the Gospel of Matthew. We jumped ahead to the Palm Sunday passage and will do the same for the Resurrection Sunday passage this week but then we will venture back to Matthew 1.1 and track it all the way through.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Trying to be more interactive, I pulled out the white board but I also asked questions looking for answers from those in attendance. At about mark 30:30 I asked a question about what the children were doing and a grade school boy answered the question so perfectly(turn up your speakers to hear). God made the point as it was in His scriptures that the young are to cheer him and give perfected praise. It was the highlight of the morning. It was probably the most convicting too. Our children watch our actions and are mimicking them. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I know many were praying for us on this transition. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I are excited to see what God is going to do amongst the mountains of Grand County.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/78nifyU2GQU" width="477" youtube-src-id="78nifyU2GQU"></iframe></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-61229452261324975262024-03-14T08:43:00.001-04:002024-03-14T08:43:15.070-04:00A week of lasts - 23 minutes with the Bible<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcen6ruaS1421Wvv6fgsS5aQXMJHL_gZcU_q6ESiRKf8U6fnnclX-3LtauGOBYKmbSIOs2RG-Qvx-hBZupUxog2VRFndTsYISRErHtUBHukl1t-rEgM-CICRkBMW-xBZvlbkdUjsFZr_TAghAkMyfaYZiVUKsP6dnIJE9jFBEDf-xtMHajrktRz2sAjA/s2341/20240312_101043%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2341" data-original-width="1143" height="884" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcen6ruaS1421Wvv6fgsS5aQXMJHL_gZcU_q6ESiRKf8U6fnnclX-3LtauGOBYKmbSIOs2RG-Qvx-hBZupUxog2VRFndTsYISRErHtUBHukl1t-rEgM-CICRkBMW-xBZvlbkdUjsFZr_TAghAkMyfaYZiVUKsP6dnIJE9jFBEDf-xtMHajrktRz2sAjA/w431-h884/20240312_101043%202.jpeg" width="431" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is a week of lasts. The last day in the office, the last full sermon to the WCC congregation, the last Tuesday morning men's group, the last fish on Little Hills Lake, the last WCC staff meeting, and the one that hits probably the hardest is the last coach call with the man who has walked with me through these 3 intentional interims, Lynn Kent. I know that I will be in contact with Lynn in the future but his counsel has been priceless over these 5 years and 3 interims. I wish I had taken a picture of us both but we have actually only met in person 2 times over the 5 years. The role of a coach is so important to fulfilling a demanding task. At times I truly felt like the player on the bench being sent into the game by my coach standing at the end of the bench but this coach many times was kneeling in prayer on my behalf. A huge thanks to Lynn!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu-CZTvSK3fUOtJfLw51j0_0nfP7RAv_RPt7pW7ee1MHXukgQHTIB-rVIEC_UplHonwTDmIYaMQOR8iUtVsaO5pyhdQaoZbuwpKDBdzFO5RbH8ZuC3nfgiErpcYtYPnsKL1egE3KYqFs4zs2W1t9Om94r7X5e4qBN90MFf3KazYLmhCqJvDXx47i8XA/s289/262501368_441039817538696_1462222271329049175_n%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu-CZTvSK3fUOtJfLw51j0_0nfP7RAv_RPt7pW7ee1MHXukgQHTIB-rVIEC_UplHonwTDmIYaMQOR8iUtVsaO5pyhdQaoZbuwpKDBdzFO5RbH8ZuC3nfgiErpcYtYPnsKL1egE3KYqFs4zs2W1t9Om94r7X5e4qBN90MFf3KazYLmhCqJvDXx47i8XA/s16000/262501368_441039817538696_1462222271329049175_n%202.jpg" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The top picture tells the story of this blog post. A new name is on the sign for WCC! God has provided another shepherd to join the group of shepherds at WCC to keep advancing the gospel effort to Waushara County and beyond. Stephen is another associate pastor who is stepping into the main teaching role of a church. I have now seen this happen 3 times. In college I thought this would be the ideal situation. I would go and serve under someone else for awhile and then step into the weekly responsibility of teaching but I was thrown right into the effort 38 years ago. I don't regret it and actually I am praying and seeing the need that more young men need to take the step I did right out of college. Maybe they need a coach like Lynn, someone who has served well, encouraging, praying, and guiding them through the new waters. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>My last sermon at WCC is a sermon I shared 7 years ago on a Resurrection (Easter) Sunday morning at the Oglesby Union Church in Oglesby, Illinois. I wanted to give those who basically attended once or twice a year the bigger picture of the Bible and also how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection fit into the overall story. I called it "<i>23 minutes with the Bible</i>" because that is how long it took me to get through it originally. I liken it to a Reader's Digest Condensed Version of the Bible, not exhaustive but hitting the highlights with an overarching theme. I remember after preaching that sermon that many asked for the transcript and the same was true this last Sunday. I don't take credit for this technique because I am sure other pastors have done the same thing at times. It was a good practice to speak through from Genesis to Revelation in a story form. It actually took me 23 minutes again, 7 years later.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I now commission the new teaching pastor of WCC and then travel to Florida to reunite with my wife. We load up a truck and head to the mountains of Colorado. The Stillwater Community Chapel has been waiting for our arrival since December. The most precious thing that Stephanie and I take with us to Colorado is God's words of salvation in Him to share with others. Different place but same message.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8FP50fSrzDk" width="481" youtube-src-id="8FP50fSrzDk"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b><br /></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-20233217391146668972024-02-28T11:05:00.000-05:002024-02-28T11:05:02.714-05:00Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMlptD952vauxBpVBxa2PLrItYXeDLsqTA_0-bUhptPPUBaOsDF3Qr3j5XIYu94D32muyG_xFefKfgiq2lbdqJjH9-GfXBLBdCiW6iPuQO9m3oFC8feIkcv3JRFZQ0MSHzliMRy7MwPq3woC4ImTnZMSUm_bTqEuBWAyhv_q0KRpaFvI9p1KOQDYBcQ/s1595/Resized_20240227_061942%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1595" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMlptD952vauxBpVBxa2PLrItYXeDLsqTA_0-bUhptPPUBaOsDF3Qr3j5XIYu94D32muyG_xFefKfgiq2lbdqJjH9-GfXBLBdCiW6iPuQO9m3oFC8feIkcv3JRFZQ0MSHzliMRy7MwPq3woC4ImTnZMSUm_bTqEuBWAyhv_q0KRpaFvI9p1KOQDYBcQ/w610-h431/Resized_20240227_061942%202.jpeg" width="610" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs. I feel like the Willy Nelson song, "<i>On the road again...</i>" I don't know if I agree with the next line though. "<i>...I can't wait to get on the road again.</i>" One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition. Traveling mercies prayers please.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia. He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region. The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone. Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins. The summary statement of the letter is found in <b>Galatians 6:15 (LSB)</b>. "<i>For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.</i>" Translated another way earlier in <b>Galatians 3:28 (LSB)</b>, "<i>There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.</i>"</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the things I have appreciated about going through this book of the Bible is Paul's affection for the people. He calls them "<i>brothers</i>" at least ten times stressing the family relationship in the body of Christ. He also calls them "<i>beloved</i>" at times, those worthy of love. He finishes out the letter in his own handwriting that apparently was very large. He adds this as his personal touch to them that it truly is he who is sending this communication to them.</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When was the last time you received a handwritten letter? You think of what went into that effort and also what you have in your hands. You see the handwriting of another and if you have received many from them, you recognize by the handwriting that it is from them. In our world of digital, the personal touch is still the greatest way to communicate that you care. It is similar to my children texting me but sometimes I just need to hear their voice. In the church, we need to make sure that we are providing a "<i>personal touch</i>" to those who are gathering. They know us by our "<i>handwriting"</i> and that this has been sent or said because we love them so much. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Paul, the man whose <b>method is discipleship</b> (walking alongside with others to grow in Christ), who gives them the <b>message of Jesus</b> (the good news of God's grace and peace), relays that message with the <b>motive of love</b>. He loves his God so much who gave His one and only Son to provide him salvation and he loves others so much to even bear the marks of His Savior to tell them about God's love too. I pray we mimic Paul's actions as he was mimicking the actions of Jesus. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And so ends another book of God's wonder love letter to us!</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Adam</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="357" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3-QZcxKzhT8" width="480" youtube-src-id="3-QZcxKzhT8"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-57681441614770728932024-02-07T16:57:00.000-05:002024-02-07T16:57:07.744-05:00Galatians #14 - Galatians 6:7-10 - One word for each verse<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO42b8tU2ncVglH45uV1NYH22hugQlL0vZwh8sGNKjPtJkxhIDpBMS4qeDgcL-S1yk9XByUACZvZriTmgzBJMb8qTuHyFKLyRtzfxaMbvnJbIiGobt5lXbMoL08b9NZhsbvGOCxUlqMSIPO_ils_ycgcl-wCq467701qfqrakML6klXD42Fv6283c8Vw/s1775/426265234_795670829272324_6978893593636221576_n%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1775" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO42b8tU2ncVglH45uV1NYH22hugQlL0vZwh8sGNKjPtJkxhIDpBMS4qeDgcL-S1yk9XByUACZvZriTmgzBJMb8qTuHyFKLyRtzfxaMbvnJbIiGobt5lXbMoL08b9NZhsbvGOCxUlqMSIPO_ils_ycgcl-wCq467701qfqrakML6klXD42Fv6283c8Vw/w605-h327/426265234_795670829272324_6978893593636221576_n%202.jpg" width="605" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I sometimes can't believe I get to help in such ways in a local church. The picture above is my opportunity to walk with this church and this man, an associate pastor of the church for 24 years, to receive his ministry license from the denomination. Many autonomous churches don't realize the freedom and the opportunity they have to train, evaluate and launch people into ministry under the authority of the local church. More of this should be happening in the local church. We gave Robert his ministry license certificate; a new Bible with a commitment to continue to teach and preach with clarity, conviction, and a call to Jesus; a basin and towel with at commitment to continue to serve the flock with his very example; and a shepherd's staff with the commitment to continue to tend the flock with leading them to green pastures and still waters of God.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We are nearing the end of our study of Galatians. We started the first Sunday of October and we will end the last Sunday of February. 15 sermons or 15 weeks of diving deep into this letter to the 1st century Gentile Christians of Galatia. There is so much to learn from going through a book of the Bible, chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Patterns come together and also teaching points that carry from sermon to sermon. You can develop talking points that hopefully will stick with us when we come back to the book in the future or when it is referenced. An example is: a man, Paul, with a message, the Gospel, and a manner, life being in Christ. Or another is Paul's soap box message that our salvation is in Christ alone, nothing added or nothing taken away. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Some passages just lay out so logically. Verse 7 gives us 3 facts; verse 8 gives us the context of those facts; verse 9 gives us the dilemma of the context; and verse 10 gives us the application to avoid the dilemma.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Verse 7 -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We can be deceived by others, ourselves and Satan.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>God is God and can not be mocked.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A man reaps what he sows is a God given universal law.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Verse 8 -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We apply this God given universal law to the sinful nature and the Spirit.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Following the sinful nature leads to destruction from within us.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Following the Spirit leads to eternal life given from above.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Verse 9 -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>As saved by God's good work of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection from the grave, we do good works but we can get weary.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We can get so weary that we can give up doing good works.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>How do we not become weary and give up on doing good works for God?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Verse 10 -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We looking for what is <u>fitting</u> and we act. What is fitting and favorable will change over time and the stage of life we are in.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We act without showing <u>favoritism</u>. "<i>All</i>" means all.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We put an emphasis on the church <u>family</u>.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I always have a couple of highlights in a sermon and one was the training ground or test dummies or guinea pigs of the church family. We are to love one another and practice all the other "</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">one anothers</i><b>" so that it becomes our mode of operation when "</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">doing good to all people</i><b>." Another is how strong the Bible is against favoritism, prejudice, and putting oneself over another. Paul points this out to Peter in Galatians 2. James gives a great teaching in James 2:1-9. Paul instructs Timothy to not cherry pick God's instructions and to not show favoritism. Jesus directs us to the back of the line and to serve all from that position in Mark 9:35. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I am going to miss being in the book of Galatians but as I have been referring back to 1st and 2nd Peter since going through those books starting back in June of 2022, I think I will be doing the same with this book also. I have the opportunity to preach this sermon in Florida and then in Colorado on consecutive Sundays which will be a first for me. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="368" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9SbnLNz9AkE" width="481" youtube-src-id="9SbnLNz9AkE"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-14483730635074202042024-01-22T20:26:00.000-05:002024-01-22T20:26:22.167-05:00Galatians #13 - Galatians 6:6 - Attendance, Attention, & Acceptance<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWPP0p5bqY8WWE0ooqYXFAN1g42-39CvQhopkoVNwg2RgS18dyS64cyLN3Vq7h2i-9JauZqkNt69Y_ZOuCwgQAH2Diwb88GvnpZ5Xda2R9rScCf33oIrFR3Hu31YiFsypIHd2iHOCAiEKULt4F3iL4Z0mHNx6_WfRz80mgk4zm2SXQjdsHPhPIYpedg/s640/galatians6_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWPP0p5bqY8WWE0ooqYXFAN1g42-39CvQhopkoVNwg2RgS18dyS64cyLN3Vq7h2i-9JauZqkNt69Y_ZOuCwgQAH2Diwb88GvnpZ5Xda2R9rScCf33oIrFR3Hu31YiFsypIHd2iHOCAiEKULt4F3iL4Z0mHNx6_WfRz80mgk4zm2SXQjdsHPhPIYpedg/w607-h456/galatians6_6.jpg" width="607" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This was our one verse this Sunday. It was also a Sunday to prepare for a candidate weekend of a possible next teaching pastor at the church where I am an intentional interim pastor. If you listen to the second half of this sermon/talk you can get a glimpse of what I have been doing for the last 5 years. It is humbling to be used of God in this way to walk with part of God's family through a transition.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The verse above begs of application. How do we fulfill this command? Again we have two parties represented, the one who has received the instruction from the word and the one who has given the instruction from the word. The one is sharing and the other needs to receive to fulfill this verse. Both can have their difficulties.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>For a start we can be in attendance on a more regular basis when the instructor is teaching us the word. We can also make sure our attention is given to the instructor whether it is a Sunday morning gathering or some other type of communication he gives to the congregation. The other side of the equation is the instructor accepting the "<i>all good things</i>." How we were raised might make this even harder and we might also allow our pride to get in the way. We put piety on not needing anything or any help for anyone and at the same time slam the door on this verse. Over the years, I am thankful that I have swallowed my pride and allowed people to fulfill this verse in my life. God showed me later how that "<i>good thing</i>" was just what I needed to serve Him all the more.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sometimes the points in a sermon bring up sidebars that need to be addressed because the culture can so easily creep into the church. One sidebar was how attendance in churches has declined over the last ten years. One reason is people have given up on church. The other big reason is because we don't attend the gathering as often as we used to. We have filled up our lives with other things and our time with God among His people has taken a back seat to the shiny things of this world.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Another sidebar is our attention in public places when a speaker is addressing us. In our culture it has become common place to feel like we can talk while others are talking. We also have the hinderance of our cell phones that we don't have command over. It is not that we can't interact with each other with a smile or a chuckle to a joke but when we venture into even a short conversation we will miss part of the message from God's word.</b></span></p><p><b style="font-size: large;">The last sidebar is how Christian's are to be "<i>other</i>" minded in a very "<i>me</i>" world. We are think of others more than ourselves. We are to be servants of others. We follow after the Servant of all who washed His disciples' feet and hung on a cross for our sins. We can walk into our church gatherings with more of a "<i>me</i>" attitude than an "<i>other</i>" action. Notice that one position takes us more inward while the other one takes us outward like our Master. Follow the Master.</b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The talk at the end is very directed to this congregation and its weekend ahead but even in that I gleaned how important it is to listen to one another and especially if you are a spiritual leader in the church. So many things are not sin issues that divide us. Our divided culture creeps into the church family and as the culture stops listening to each other, we can do the same. Many times I don't change my position but I keep in compassion and love for my brother or sister in Christ by at least listening and that is so important to our unity. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I learned so much this Sunday just covering one verse and I am so thankful that God called me to do what I do. Humbled but grateful for how He speaks to me through His word while I prepare to share with the church family.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="355" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rpLU3T8aSfk" width="482" youtube-src-id="rpLU3T8aSfk"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-51495040031788202602024-01-17T09:19:00.000-05:002024-01-17T09:19:36.414-05:00Galatians #12 - Galatians 6:1-5 - The Very Practical of a Christian Life<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXD6Hf3RSBsf7f89AQG9bduWA-xLR3u2G45ZGDo-keOqXRgBUm_7AsW9CqYDaXIscq5MaBfytz13dZ-HZ5oh8Rv5g4PVQHuFpyfz9hySkhwHCOUq_Sga5ko_OYavw5g-LkkOafYrzipsxzq62mcNBK45SzkGOS8DI_86Wny8MY3vw_Ed0xqS6OOzaeiw/s2826/Touch_Gently_(3022697095).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2826" data-original-width="2716" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXD6Hf3RSBsf7f89AQG9bduWA-xLR3u2G45ZGDo-keOqXRgBUm_7AsW9CqYDaXIscq5MaBfytz13dZ-HZ5oh8Rv5g4PVQHuFpyfz9hySkhwHCOUq_Sga5ko_OYavw5g-LkkOafYrzipsxzq62mcNBK45SzkGOS8DI_86Wny8MY3vw_Ed0xqS6OOzaeiw/w506-h526/Touch_Gently_(3022697095).jpg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin,</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>you who are spiritual</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>should restore him gently.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>But watch yourself,</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>or you also may be tempted.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Galatians 6:1 (NIV, 1978)</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>If you have an opportunity to listen to this sermon, you will not only hear me with a very raspy voice from recovery of the Rhinovirus and acute bronchitis but you will also hear the overlay of some other Scriptures onto this verse. I take the Parable of the Good Samaritan of Luke 10, the woman caught in adultery of John 8, the Galatian account of being caught between Peter and Paul of Galatian 2, and the passage about church discipline from Jesus of Matthew 18. It was a great exercise to take the principles of this one verse and see it played out many times.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2 people are involved here. The one caught in a sin and the one who is spiritual. Interestingly, the bulk of the instruction in this verse and the following ones is for the one who is spiritual. Paul is instructing those who are walking with, being led by, and keeping in step with the Spirit rather than focusing on the one caught in the sin. The in-person service ended in a great time of response to surrender and act according if we have sinned or if we have not handled the situation as those walking in the Spirit.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The commitment of those who are spiritual is great. We are going into the situation with the attitude that we will help carry the burden which at this point is too heavy for the one caught in sin to bear. We will have an attitude and action of humility to the other with no elevation of self. We will continually test our attitudes and actions according to no one other than Jesus Himself and then only will we be able to give praise and glory back to Him because we have followed His example. Lastly, we will always remember that there is a load that we are carrying for we are continually being shaped into the likeness of Christ.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sometimes you get a Sunday morning verse to add in and mine was 1 Timothy 1:15-17 (NIV, 1978) when Paul displays this type of humility and recognition of how God has used the most unlikely to be utilized as His instrument to reach others for Christ. The one who persecuted Christians was now being used of God to preach Christ to those who don't know Him. (underline mine)</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--<u>of whom I am the worst</u>. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in <u>me, the worst of sinners</u>, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience <u>as an example</u> for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul is in awe of how God is using Him and it is only because of God. It was God who showed mercy and God who displayed His unlimited patience and God who grants eternal life. May we also who are spiritual never forget where our salvation has come from and how much it cost. This should be a help when we are called upon to be God's instrument in helping a brother or sister in Christ who is caught in a sin and given the task to restore them gently.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oPELWpMsuYQ" width="481" youtube-src-id="oPELWpMsuYQ"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-33802608619095403252024-01-08T10:24:00.001-05:002024-01-17T08:29:23.111-05:00Galatians #10 & #11 - The Manner of Life - Galatians 5:2-15 & 5:16-26<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_X4xdDh8fKU4062BuDw5QEg43TaNA89TkKSAM1crZgu-j0e8SbX8iaVtyRS1CB_4s1KRzB9whPLRkYbqWpgigWPoYsg8A8UFBxsY1tr4cq53WsNGc714Srvo2svSwb1ah2FS0NMQWCj5jsGZmbBIAjfhft4yjnH7xRq8I7Mcjqfkvo2Dy-MFropqIHQ/s500/Duitse_staande_korthaar_10-10-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="500" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_X4xdDh8fKU4062BuDw5QEg43TaNA89TkKSAM1crZgu-j0e8SbX8iaVtyRS1CB_4s1KRzB9whPLRkYbqWpgigWPoYsg8A8UFBxsY1tr4cq53WsNGc714Srvo2svSwb1ah2FS0NMQWCj5jsGZmbBIAjfhft4yjnH7xRq8I7Mcjqfkvo2Dy-MFropqIHQ/w614-h407/Duitse_staande_korthaar_10-10-2.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul is pointing the way for the Galatian Gentile Christians to live. This is a two-fer post because of being under the weather. The common cold morphed into something else that took my mind away from functioning properly to type out a blog post. On the mend enough to catch us up on our trek through the book of Galatians.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Galatians has basically 3 parts. Chapters 1 & 2 are about the man, Paul. Chapters 3 & 4 are about the message, the Gospel. Chapters 5 & 6 are about the manner, the manner of life. We have started this 3rd part.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>How then shall we live as Christians? What does a Christian's life look like? How do we navigate as <i>"free in Christ fully justified by Him"</i> in a world that is in <i>"slave to the curse of the law and unjustified by works?"</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The first illustration is found in 5.7 (NIV, 1978) - <i>"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?"</i> We, <i>freed in Christ,</i> have a lane we are running in that we need to stay in. 5.10a (NIV, 1978) has become a favorite verse of mine for the book so far. <i>"I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view." </i>Paul has been preaching that there is no other salvation than in Christ alone. You cannot add to it and you cannot take from it. This is the lane we are in.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The lane has boundaries on each side and one is this faith in Christ alone comes from the love of God and is expressed in love back to Him. The other side is that this love is expressed through our service to others. This is the Christian life that is devoted to the One who saved them to love Him and serve others. When the church gets out of this lane it starts to diminish its Great Commission to proclaim Christ to the world. It's solution to life can become something other than Christ transforming a life by changing his or her heart. The solution might be having all the right rules or making sure everyone is included. These solutions seem to always diluted the Church's and Christian's message.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The second sermon deals with walking in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit and walking in step with the Spirit. There is the sinful nature and there is the Spirit and the two do not mix. The sinful nature for the Christian is to be crucified to the tree. We are to acknowledge that Jesus' crucifixion paid the price for our sins and when we sin, we rise up grabbing the hand of Jesus. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We are given another list of the acts of the sinful nature that are obvious, evident, and known. Those who live this way habitually will not inherit the kingdom of God. Why? Because there hearts have not been transformed to walk, be led, and keep in step with the Spirit. But, and this is a big "<i>but</i>", the list that comes next is a description of those whose hearts have been transformed by God. We receive and express a love, joy and peace that has come from God. We display patience, kindness, and goodness toward others. We practice faithfulness, gentleness, and self control coming from within ourselves. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>It is within this environment the individual Christian and also the body of Christ that we experience spiritual growth and maturity. The more we allow into the body of Christ the ways of sinful nature and make them not evident and obvious, the farther we wander out of our running lane of "<i>Christ alone</i>." We live in a time when our world sees these acts of sinful natural as not obvious and actually are normalizing them. We also live in a time when church denominations are taking some of these acts of sinful nature and are painting them to be acceptable alternatives. The true Christian and the true Church body will have a manner of life that takes God's words seriously.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="353" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iKxy4ymqtHY" width="482" youtube-src-id="iKxy4ymqtHY"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="361" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hmoxlHaf7l4" width="482" youtube-src-id="hmoxlHaf7l4"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-86896109634182865222023-12-21T13:26:00.001-05:002023-12-21T13:26:44.918-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWDkBenx-igL9YFiNfKkFFaRpmgYhgOtJbz5zflvFmsGumwlEptxFA6G5K6SZM8cBHlR_N06kQddmJnRpmq6cdg0RoBCZHq_Af8p9DEVYrNB26JdY57kEVFP0RE9iZIvlt2SNr9eczXreJOG1hmeuLo2SMRBUT37Uz9rjtGfLehp448p0H9SXxGH8mdQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="4368" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWDkBenx-igL9YFiNfKkFFaRpmgYhgOtJbz5zflvFmsGumwlEptxFA6G5K6SZM8cBHlR_N06kQddmJnRpmq6cdg0RoBCZHq_Af8p9DEVYrNB26JdY57kEVFP0RE9iZIvlt2SNr9eczXreJOG1hmeuLo2SMRBUT37Uz9rjtGfLehp448p0H9SXxGH8mdQ=w607-h339" width="607" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">https://pixexid.com/profile/cjxrsxsl7000008s6h21jecoe</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">What a fantastic picture by this artist! It is one of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is to sing the carols. So...I added a whole sermon of carols this year to show the difference between the "<i>red</i>" songs, the "<i>relax</i>" songs, and the "<i>religious</i>" songs of Christmas. I titled the sermon, "<i>There's A Song In The Air!</i>"</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We didn't touch the "<i>red</i>" songs about the plump man in a red suit. I figured he has plenty of air time. It is quite a shock to move from "<i>I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...</i>" to "<i>O holy night, the stars are brightly shining</i>..." You switch from songs that focus on you to carols that point you to the Kings of kings and the Lord of lords. You move from a perfect setting of snow and everyone happy to being told of a world in sin and error pining and Satan's power which influences our going astray. The "<i>relax</i>" songs speak of the moment but the "<i>religious</i>" songs speak of the Who who has come that affects our eternity. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I end the sermon with "<i>Angels From The Realms Of Glory.</i>" Many hymnals include the verses about shepherds, sages and saints but leave out the verse on sinners. Here is that verse.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Sinners, wrung with true repentance,</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Doomed for guilt to endless pain,</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Justice now revokes the sentence,</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Mercy call you; break your chains.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sinners are called to turn (repent). Since we are all sinners, for all have sinned, our doom or destination is hell. We are away from the presence of God and enduring pain. But God has a plan, a provision, and a passage to another destination. The sentence has been revoked by the justice provided by Jesus on the cross. This merciful act calls out to sinners to follow Jesus. "<i>Come all ye who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest</i>" and "<i>Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The "<i>religious</i>" Christmas songs tell us the true story of Christmas. Grace has come to provide justice in such a merciful way. I think the appropriate response and posture is given to us in the carol "<i>O Holy Night.</i>" At the end of the first verse it says,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>"Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!"</i><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Christmas is a time to find ourselves on our knees before our heavenly Father who gave His one of a kind, unique, beloved Son to pay the price for our salvation and eternal life. May we find some time this Christmas season to be in this position.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="373" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4xiNPTzbGDc" width="480" youtube-src-id="4xiNPTzbGDc"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-8901648453461965902023-12-14T11:04:00.001-05:002023-12-14T11:04:20.255-05:00Galatians #9 - The Great Illustration - Galatians 4:21-5:1<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH879Qsi-pbjw0nWuaJ3DW52OmmPUKWxmax4vet9ybQ9f6Nj6K1NjxSZuaozwpZiRo_Qmo3fHmkoXzeZqgclg7SEZMjxVwtfLW2fDF_xT67WZgBP-ndIt5NikUoYvfyKHsOSeESpMUI9kxv0hNKM5uz_UvU5N_GAA02gYE-Ll8D45bq-MYOx3lUjHTxw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1649" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH879Qsi-pbjw0nWuaJ3DW52OmmPUKWxmax4vet9ybQ9f6Nj6K1NjxSZuaozwpZiRo_Qmo3fHmkoXzeZqgclg7SEZMjxVwtfLW2fDF_xT67WZgBP-ndIt5NikUoYvfyKHsOSeESpMUI9kxv0hNKM5uz_UvU5N_GAA02gYE-Ll8D45bq-MYOx3lUjHTxw=w608-h287" width="608" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Another great photo from Wikipedia to help make a point. When we think of fast, we think of the cheetah and sometimes we describe how they run is "<i>as the wind.</i>" It is an illustration of using one thing, the wind, to describe the other, how the cheetah runs. We have that same principle in the Scripture passage today. Paul uses one thing, a historical event found in the book of Genesis, to describe the difference between those who are still slaves to the law and those freed by the promise.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul has now used 6 arguments to make his point that salvation in is Christ alone.</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The personal - <i>"Did you receive the Spirit by...."</i></b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Scriptural - 6 Old Testament quotations - <i>"The just shall live by faith..."</i></b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The logical - <i>"<u>If</u> you belong to Christ, <u>then</u> you are..."</i></b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The historical - <i>"The heir...until the time set by his father..."</i></b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The sentimental - <i>"I plead with you, brothers,...My dear children,..."</i></b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The final illustration - <i>"These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants..."</i></b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul re-introduces his readers (1st century Gentile and Jewish Galatian Christians) and his distractors (the Judaizers - 1st century Jewish Christians who believed you needed to be circumcised and follow other Jewish practices also to become a Christian) to the historical event of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>He lays out the historical elements that Abraham had a son by the slave woman Hagar in the ordinary way and his name is Ishmael. Abraham later had a son by the free women (his wife) Sarah according to the promise of God and his name is Isaac. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Now Paul shifts gears and goes from the historical to using it as an illustration between the two covenants, the old and the new. The old covenant is represented by Hagar, the slave woman who produces a slave son. Paul connects this with the present Jerusalem that is still holding onto the law rather than what the law points to, the promise. The law has become prominent and Judaism is still looking to it for justification in which it will never come. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul says the new covenant is represented by Sarah, the free woman who produces a free son based on the promise of God. Paul connects this with the heavenly Jerusalem that is to come. The promise is prominent and Christianity focus in not what is but what is to come. Christ has overly sufficiently fulfilled the law with His very life and now a relationship with Him provides the righteousness (His righteousness put upon us) that allows us full assurance of our salvation in Christ alone.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>These two women describe two types of people. There are those who are relying on their own efforts for salvation and those who are relying on the promise given by God. One is still in slavery but the other has found freedom. Pauls says in verse 31, <i>"Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman."</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This freedom has come through Christ and Him alone and therefore we are to <i>stand firm</i> against the attacks from <i>a different gospel which is really not gospel at all</i> and also against our own wandering back to the <i>yoke of slavery</i>. Paul finishes his arguments and now prepares to move into <i>"how then shall we live"</i> as those who are free? Stay tuned.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GoEIQI_aP-I" width="482" youtube-src-id="GoEIQI_aP-I"></iframe></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-83194114168833113872023-11-28T12:17:00.002-05:002023-11-28T12:17:40.306-05:00Galatians #8 - Galatians 4:1-20 - Are we less zealous?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4Y5XqJyfYZoyvN1V6INirn1muSyz9fu9hyBjvjO2I9WH5iZ05Gfb7SnTYxELgtU-dT7yle8cUNaPCGfelg3h5hnXK3vZCQ5HwBzGQ-NucWoK7GBKn9rNv13yv3OgM2DxxnNuye8qE447DhuBCjDkZpYcL0oj4iLbM8Zu2pQWHPaFKmvNKHuqsIEk3w/s225/download.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4Y5XqJyfYZoyvN1V6INirn1muSyz9fu9hyBjvjO2I9WH5iZ05Gfb7SnTYxELgtU-dT7yle8cUNaPCGfelg3h5hnXK3vZCQ5HwBzGQ-NucWoK7GBKn9rNv13yv3OgM2DxxnNuye8qE447DhuBCjDkZpYcL0oj4iLbM8Zu2pQWHPaFKmvNKHuqsIEk3w/w400-h400/download.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I am sure I have written this before but I am my worst critic at times when it comes to my sermons and also my delivery of the material. This Sunday was one of them that I am thankful I have the avenue of this blog to clarify somethings that came out of my mouth and those that got stuck in my brain. </b></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul has given the personal argument of <i>"Did you receive...?"</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul goes to the Scriptural argument and provides 6 Old Testament references.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul moves onto the logical argument of <i>"If this, then that."</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul introduces the historical argument of how a physical inheritance works to the heir.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul finishes with the sentimental argument of <i>"I plead with you..."</i> and <i>"My dear children,..."</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The final argument will be the allegorical argument using Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac, and the old Jerusalem and the new Jerusalem.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We find Christmas in Galatians in 4:4-5 (NIV, 1978).</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>"But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son,</i> (like John 3:16)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>born of a woman, </i>(think Isaiah 7:14) </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>born under the law,</i> (think Philippians 2:6-7)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>to redeem those under the law,</i> (think 1:4; 2:20; 3:13-14, 24) </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>that we might receive the full rights of sons."</i> (think Romans 6:23)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I think this could be taken personally with the time fully coming to you to see Jesus for who He is in relationship <u>to</u> you and now <u>with</u> you. The Father has set the time for you to <u>recognize</u> and <u>respond</u> to the good news (the gospel) of our only salvation in Christ alone. Because of their recent variance from this good news, Paul is perplexed.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul also recognizes that the false teachers who are trying to add to the gospel are very zealous in their efforts. The zealous effort is not to be condemned but rather it needs to be directed to what is good. So we can be zealous like they are but with a different motivation. Their motivation is to direct people <u>farther from</u> God's word and the Christian's motivation is to direct people <u>to</u> God's word. A recent speaker at the church talked about how we point fingers at the problems of our world that are driven by a very zealous agenda but are we as zealous to bring God's words to the problems of this world in word and deed?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>So we can be perplexed like Paul with the 1st century Gentile Christians in the region of Galatia to the modern day church in America. Why are we following the way of fear rather than the way of faith. Jesus said to His disciples on multiple occasions, <i>"O ye of little faith..."</i> Why are we following the ways of the world and using the tools of revenge instead of seeking ways to restore. Jesus told Peter to put away his sword in the garden. Why are we focused on being selfish rather than being selfless. Jesus corrected His disciples on their focus of who is the greatest multiple times. None of these perplexing problems are new and therefore we need to continually guard against falling prey to them. They and we are so quickly deserting (1.6) and being bewitched (3.1) and turning back (4.9).</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Will we be zealous like Paul to stand on our soap box and preserve, protect and proclaim <i>"Christ alone"</i> to the world? May we trust the One who gave His very life for us because He loved us.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam<br /></b></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dpj9fuHpo_k" width="482" youtube-src-id="Dpj9fuHpo_k"></iframe></div><br /></div>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-62847677761589281922023-11-20T19:11:00.003-05:002023-11-23T20:05:41.067-05:00Galatians #7 - Galatians 3:15-29 - The great cresendo<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHAIrqRCnzrA6TAJSMDrN_VOocvNrh-fOzGZBNE1Pyq8RVFwdqARaQtfqZ8-3in7RikqmO37gnNWj-gVJQGn5-t_Oo04-Haij7cW83s1xM7IOuHXWLqDp4aER_JZFm2VPcS5CZr_bpWzsx2qZzFpYKiPrlJXjTxWJduEGe6MngKxcve2JEQohyQ8sng/s1100/Crescendo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="1100" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHAIrqRCnzrA6TAJSMDrN_VOocvNrh-fOzGZBNE1Pyq8RVFwdqARaQtfqZ8-3in7RikqmO37gnNWj-gVJQGn5-t_Oo04-Haij7cW83s1xM7IOuHXWLqDp4aER_JZFm2VPcS5CZr_bpWzsx2qZzFpYKiPrlJXjTxWJduEGe6MngKxcve2JEQohyQ8sng/w610-h155/Crescendo.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p>What a great graphic to explain a word. Knowing how to read music I loved to see the <i>cres.</i> signature between the staffs or to see the "<i>less than</i>" sign (<) in mathematics because is the just the opposite in music. Usually you would also see the <i>f</i> or <i>ff</i> or better yet <i>fff </i>with the crescendo sign. This was what every trumpet player was looking for. I'm sure it was true also for those in the percussion section. It is time to get loud about something.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul builds to the great crescendo in our passage today. He has taken the Gentile Galatian Christians through the personal and Scriptural arguments of their assurance of their God provided salvation through Christ alone. Now he adds the logical argument, if that, then this.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I love how Paul doesn't throw out the law, he just puts it back into perspective and gives us its purpose and limitations. It is inferior to the promise. It needs a mediator where the promise does not. It is in place because of our sins; to give a regular right and wrong to all of the world; and to do its greatest task of declaring and pointing us to the Savior. Now that we are children of the promise and not merely children of the law, we live the remainder of our days here in light of our relationship with God rather than by the curse of law that we can never perfectly keep. The law is not opposed to the promise but it can't do what the promise can do. The promise can bring righteousness to the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I liken this to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and His giving of the spirit of the law rather than just the letter of the law. <i>"You have heard it said...but I say to you..."</i> We are not to murder (an external action of the hands) but Jesus says we are not to hate (an internal condition of the heart). If I don't hate my brother or even my enemies in my heart because my heart has been changed then I am not going to murder with my hands another. I am following my heart that has been changed by Jesus rather than following an external rule made because of a continuous rebellion against God. The once rebellious heart is now a repentant heart.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>There are times I wish I could be in the room when some of these words are said by Paul or read to that first audience. <i>"You are all...for you are all...for you are all..." "There is neither Jew nor Greek </i>(nationality), <i>slave or free </i>(social standing), <i>male nor female </i>(sex)<i>, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. </i>(Galatians 3:28 NIV 1978, parenthesis mine) Gentile Galatian Christian you are in Christ! You can sing, <i>"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine..." </i>with a great crescendo! There is nothing more because anything added to promise nullifies the absolute necessity of the promise of God for a rescue from this present evil age and gift of His grace and peace to you. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Last point. Paul in Galatians 2:20 speaks very declaratively of his own salvation, <i>"I have been crucified with Christ." </i>Now in Galatians 3:29 he speaks very declaratively of their salvation, <i>"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise"</i> (NIV, 1978). There are times for us to testify of our salvation and there are times for us to edify others in their salvation. It was great to be a part of a Sunday School class that follows our morning worship service that uses the Scripture of the sermon to foster more conversation and application of the passage. It was so great to hear the participants doing just this. They were declaring their salvation from their God of the promise and also speaking to others of the assurance we can have that what God has said and what God has done through His given Son, Jesus Christ, is what we have our eternal hope in. And I love it when this comes from the senior saints to those who just grasping the extend of God's grace!</b><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="358" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dpfnaOq02GA" width="481" youtube-src-id="dpfnaOq02GA"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-85554292161688917782023-11-06T09:52:00.005-05:002023-11-06T09:52:52.927-05:00Galatians #6 - "Blessed Assurance...Jesus is mine" - Galatians 3:1-14<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZWrzfNQ7vRlZQo5lokMHAHnzjh75FjVBE-c6q2Dl5M940ONGlGNuJo8ibVLTPScRJ6ZeAGMtD6Pq7E-qzxF0-6acIskN1WNsYhCr6I8j-C1_vdazj1upH6E4W9l_yxrse8bKOhd02mys5d_SUua2eUFPtoRnoJTYYUfLbP1cBMSF6h8f-3ImodO7tEQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="500" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZWrzfNQ7vRlZQo5lokMHAHnzjh75FjVBE-c6q2Dl5M940ONGlGNuJo8ibVLTPScRJ6ZeAGMtD6Pq7E-qzxF0-6acIskN1WNsYhCr6I8j-C1_vdazj1upH6E4W9l_yxrse8bKOhd02mys5d_SUua2eUFPtoRnoJTYYUfLbP1cBMSF6h8f-3ImodO7tEQ=w609-h450" width="609" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hopefully this old photo grabs your attention. The young lady on the far right is Fanny Crosby who is blind but wrote these beautiful words.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine </i></b></span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>Oh what a foretaste of glory divine</i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>E'er of salvation, purchase of blood </i></b></span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood</i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>This is my story, this is my song </i></b></span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>Praising my Savior all the day long</i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>This is my story, this is my song </i></b></span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>Praising my Savior all the day long</i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul is in all out mode to help the Gentile Galatian Christians to be assured that their salvation in Christ alone as enough. It is sufficient. It is all that the Scriptures teach. Anyone adding to this gospel is diminishing the gospel that they have heard. I keep going back to Galatians 1:3-5 (LSB) for this simple description of the gospel and I have put in some parentheses of who, what, where, when, why and how.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(What is the gospel) <i>Grace to you and peace from</i> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(Who gives it) <i>God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,</i> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(How is it given) <i>who gave Himself for our sins</i> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(Why is it given) <i>so that He might rescue us from</i> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(Where are we now) <i>this present evil age,</i> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>(When is it given) <i>according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>With the help of Warren W. Wiersbe (the original www) we see an outline of Paul's arguments to give assurance of a salvation that is based on Christ alone.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The personal argument - 3.1-5</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The scriptural argument - 3.6-14</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The logical argument - 3.15-29</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The historical argument - 4.1-11</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The sentimental argument - 4.12-18</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The allegorical argument - 4.19-31</b></span></li></ol><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The big question in the personal argument is, "<i>Have we went from the grace of God as the source of our salvation to now emphasizing more the works of man?</i>" Have we walked across the platform like Peter did out of fear to the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem from the position of faith of Christ alone? </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The big question in the scriptural argument is, "<i>Do we cling to God's words over our own words?</i>" How does God say faith came by? What does God say about the place and purpose of the law in our lives? What is the great limitation of the law that Jesus and only Jesus can overcome by giving Himself for us?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I end the sermon with an "<i>importance</i>" and an "<i>illustration</i>." The importance is that we are proclaimers of the true and simple gospel and we are the preservers of it. We proclaim to the world and pray for understanding to be made known to others of God's love through His Son Jesus Christ to us. We are preservers because we are prone to wander from one side of the platform to the other. We start in faith but we drift back into living in fear.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is when another hymn came to mind,...</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness </i>(Christ alone!)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>I dare not trust the sweetest frame </i>(bewitched, desert) </b></span><b style="font-size: large;"><i>but wholly lean on Jesus's name</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large;"><i>On Christ the solid rock I stand </i>(faith)<i> all other ground is sinking sand </i>(fear)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large;"><i>All other ground is sinking sand.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The illustration is Peter going from faith to fear. Jesus is walking on the water and Peter is the one who says, "<i>If it is You...</i>" In faith, Peter steps out of the boat toward Jesus but then in fear he looks at the winds and waves. He calls out to Jesus and Jesus stretches out His hand to him. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I see the same happening again with Peter. In faith he is worshiping in the name of Jesus with those who are "<i>in Christ</i>", Jew and Gentile. In fear he separates himself from them to be with those who hold and esteem "<i>other things</i>" as necessary to be a "<i>true follower of Jesus." </i>Paul sees this happening and realizes that Peter has went from standing on the solid rock to the sinking sand. Paul in this very public confronting account reaches out his hand to Peter to pull him out and we know of later scriptures that Peter writes that he is back firmly on solid ground of Christ alone. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May we have brothers and sisters in Christ who see when we are going from faith to fear. May we reach out to their outstretched hand and grab it to pull us out from the sinking sand of fear and back onto the solid rock of faith in Christ alone! May we do the same for them also.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YYuLvCBp0PU" width="480" youtube-src-id="YYuLvCBp0PU"></iframe></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-23407230985295294512023-10-30T11:48:00.001-04:002023-10-30T11:48:13.651-04:00Galatians #4 & #5 - Galatians 2:1-10; 11-21 - The 3 R's and "How much do I (Paul) believe this?"<p>Foreverwiser, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivI2jK0DuIfpZhEa8ymPP5mv_S0Q03D2-DjIlg9Ok3v1p0IlEJokVxFIbK3TOnN5h8h83QrAWcSGMvOYP_LJt7BIFQIE6NfAqncOYtaVHv9QsLYrAxLbkG9HjDVI1BRoMCfJ3nmscpoYkmLK8bMnJXAJkzywzKDxfq_-gXXGdLg9Ha83tBRyIt9m3rpg/s3456/St._Peter_and_Paul_Russian_Orthodox_Church,_Orr_Minnesota-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3456" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivI2jK0DuIfpZhEa8ymPP5mv_S0Q03D2-DjIlg9Ok3v1p0IlEJokVxFIbK3TOnN5h8h83QrAWcSGMvOYP_LJt7BIFQIE6NfAqncOYtaVHv9QsLYrAxLbkG9HjDVI1BRoMCfJ3nmscpoYkmLK8bMnJXAJkzywzKDxfq_-gXXGdLg9Ha83tBRyIt9m3rpg/w610-h406/St._Peter_and_Paul_Russian_Orthodox_Church,_Orr_Minnesota-1.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The picture above is a church named after Peter and Paul. Actually there are many of these all over the world. It is a testament to these two men's love of proclaiming the gospel. It is also a testament that the correction in today's passage didn't end their relationship. This church is in Bramble, Minnesota.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is a catch-up blog post so I am including material from 2 sermons in the book of Galatians and they will both be posted below.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In way of review, Paul's soap box is "Christ alone!" He wants to bring assurance to the new Christians in the new churches of the region of Galatia of their salvation in the simple gospel found in Galatians 1:3-5. The problem is that there are those who are trying to add to the gospel message to be Jesus + and Paul will have none of this.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul has met with the apostles privately and shared the gospel message he is sharing with the Gentiles and they added nothing to his message. He also had in his presence Titus, a Gentile Christian, who the apostles didn't compel to get circumcision as an "add on" to his salvation in Christ. The apostles and Paul concluded 3 times it was great that Paul would take this gospel to the Gentiles and Peter would take this same gospel to the Jews.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Assurance should be high that what was shared with them (the Galatian Christians) was the truth of the gospel but then Paul puts the cherry on the top. This is how much I believe what I am saying about "Christ alone." Previously he did not budge on this message being face to face with the false brothers in Galatians 2:5 but now he goes face to face with his brother Peter in Galatians 2:14 that the "truth of the gospel" would not be diminished.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What jumped out at me through this passage what how Paul confronted Peter on this issue. Peter was with the Gentile Christians but then separated himself from them to join the Jewish Christians who had arrived from James (Jerusalem). He did this out of fear. His action caused the other Jewish Christians with the Gentile Christians to also separate themselves and even our beloved Barnabas to do the same. What Jesus tore down, Peter was building back up. We are all one in Christ Jesus but Peter was stressing by his actions something very different. Paul steps in to address what he has just seen.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Timing can be crucial and powerful to address a problem as it is happening or soon after but how you address it is just as important. Paul sees the events unfolding and points out what is happening but then goes into an explanation of why it is wrong from the Scriptures. Grammatically Paul goes from "you" (Peter) to "we" (Peter and Paul) to "I" (Paul) in his correction. Paul gets Peter's attention and then he identifies with Peter as someone like him going through this transition and then he declares his resolution because of the sufficient work of Christ through His death and resurrection. Ephesians 3:4-6 (LSB) helps us to understand this shift that is God's plan. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men,</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body,</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What was not known is now revealed to the apostles that there are not two groups but rather one group who are "in Christ." There is still two groups when it comes to those who are saved and those who are not saved, those who are of the light and those of the darkness, those who are sheep and those who are goats, those who are on His right and those who are on His left but when it comes to those who are "in Christ" there is to be no division. We are fellow heirs, members and partakers of the promise of Jesus Christ. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>It is because of this truth revealed that Paul goes into all of his "I" statements in Galatians 2:20-21. The obvious question pops into my head, "Have I rebuilt what Jesus has destroyed?" "Have I treated other Christians as less than 'fellow' to me?" It makes me think of Peter later on calling the elders he is writing to in 1 Peter 5:1 as "fellow elders" rather than him being supreme over them. They are the same "in Christ."</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>With so many divisions in our world today let's not make another in the body of Christ. We may have differences that we can discuss and maybe even debate within the church but let us not make them an unnecessary division of Christ's body. The unity stays when we come back to our alignment with the gospel. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is becoming a challenging book to me.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="365" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mozUGxEGPJs" width="480" youtube-src-id="mozUGxEGPJs"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S5Ru8aD-IMc" width="481" youtube-src-id="S5Ru8aD-IMc"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-75844936569058228502023-10-21T11:30:00.000-04:002023-10-21T11:30:41.392-04:00Galatians #3 - "The Rest Of The Story" - Galatians 1:11-24<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2PBfhQQwbFEBpehboAWrkuAnTp9hE0kfCof8YZCwmuPyPkFwen3QjC12hP8iXPn9MbKBOKfgTgBxNkJa2PaXL4ARoEogfyazmta1960g_8384ix6MvMwiymlSKjJsptmsXb0jo3NRfqPVFLZygPWwg3OIB7p3vEicEli2pPct0nWv1tKhxoKnyK5uA/s789/stacks_image_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="789" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2PBfhQQwbFEBpehboAWrkuAnTp9hE0kfCof8YZCwmuPyPkFwen3QjC12hP8iXPn9MbKBOKfgTgBxNkJa2PaXL4ARoEogfyazmta1960g_8384ix6MvMwiymlSKjJsptmsXb0jo3NRfqPVFLZygPWwg3OIB7p3vEicEli2pPct0nWv1tKhxoKnyK5uA/w606-h294/stacks_image_2.jpg" width="606" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul Harvey, an Army veteran of WWII and ABC radio commentary, would start off his program with "<i>Hello Americans</i>" and would end with "<i>Good Day</i>." His most popular version of his radio program was the Saturday edition titled "<i>The Rest Of The Story.</i>" You received the front half of the story and then after the commercial break you would receive the back half of the story. I relate this to our passage as Paul is giving us the rest of the story around his conversion to Christianity to help the Christians of the Galatia churches to see and understand the simple and genuine gospel presented to them.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul is making the gospel the focal point of every section. In the first section it is the explanation of what the gospel is and in a way, what the gospel is not. In the next section he stresses the importance of holding to the gospel as presented to them. In this section, Paul will relate the gospel to his very life and also share with his readers the rest of the story on what happened after his conversion on the road to Damascus. All of this is to help the Christians of Galatia to have confidence in what they have heard and not something that is trying to be added to the message of all sufficiency in Christ alone, Paul's soap box. He will carry this explanation through chapter 2.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul tells us where he was; who he met; who he didn't met; and also the impact of what happened to him on those who just heard the story. He is giving a detailed account of his movements and human interactions. Paul is defending himself and later he defends the truth of the gospel shared with them and he is probably wishing he didn't have to spend ink and parchment on this content. I know it is all God's words and inspired by Him through the Holy Spirit so therefore it has a supreme purpose for them and us to read these accounts.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In the midst of clarifying himself as an apostle with a message given by Jesus and also verifying the true message of the gospel, nothing more and nothing less than Jesus, Paul shares again his experience and reflection of this good news on his life in verses 15 & 16. I say reflection because I think our understanding of our rebirth or conversion to being a Christ follower changes over time. At first, it is focused much on me and my sins and my salvation. Later, after much time with the Lord and His words, we switch our focus to Him and His sacrifice and His salvation to us. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul connects that God not only had a huge part in his physical birth but also his spiritual birth. His physical birth is tied to his spiritual birth for the glory of God. (v.15). Paul also ascribes the grace of God in which he was called to was revealed by God to him by opening his eyes to see God's Son, Jesus Christ. This salvation had a purpose from the very beginning to proclaim Him to the Gentiles (v.16). God had a plan before Paul had a plan. When God's plan was revealed to Paul through rebirth and salvation, Paul answered the call with repentance and obedience. Now Paul is fulfilling God's plan rather than his previous plan of persecuting those who followed Jesus Christ.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I think this is also true of us who have answered the call of Christ on our lives. At first we see it through our eyes but later we start to see it through the eyes of God and His word. We realize He had a plan for our lives all along. His plan always involves us answering the call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and to follow Jesus. It is through Jesus that we now see His plan to employ His followers to be proclaimers of Him. My salvation becomes His salvation provided for me. My benefit of forgiveness of sins and escape of God's wrath and receiving eternal life becomes a mission to spread the good news to others (Gentiles). My eyes go from what I am receiving from God to what and why He did all this for me. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is why the gospel is needed to be heard by the unsaved and the saved. The unsaved need to hear the gospel to respond appropriately when called. The saved need to hear the gospel to respond appropriately to fulfill God's plan for our lives, to be proclaimers of Him. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ymUELnsd0_Y" width="480" youtube-src-id="ymUELnsd0_Y"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-15617981437448439342023-10-11T15:00:00.000-04:002023-10-11T15:00:27.161-04:00Galatians...Another Gospel?! - #2 - 1:6-10<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8A5T1JM02mbU9LUCemEjyqJvh_ZXuxD-US4OhuXCketCsXW7-mOFpyZ3aIUuHegxL2B_ul6JUnHRFhoPMTSwiEJlI6CFEJ1TR9hegYcQVzblugPKTLe0iX16Aszfav6CF8p9MmIBMilSKJ-jYz4aDSMfuGPMyhBe-A7lXNLvRyw4sUTUFA41lrXdcQ/s540/360_F_376495527_nqqqKCKx4OWhGZc8NyKXKISUs34rnSqR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8A5T1JM02mbU9LUCemEjyqJvh_ZXuxD-US4OhuXCketCsXW7-mOFpyZ3aIUuHegxL2B_ul6JUnHRFhoPMTSwiEJlI6CFEJ1TR9hegYcQVzblugPKTLe0iX16Aszfav6CF8p9MmIBMilSKJ-jYz4aDSMfuGPMyhBe-A7lXNLvRyw4sUTUFA41lrXdcQ/w605-h403/360_F_376495527_nqqqKCKx4OWhGZc8NyKXKISUs34rnSqR.jpg" width="605" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Paul has something he is very passionate about. He is on his soap box about the clarity of the gospel as Jesus and nothing more. I remember the story about R.C. Sproul and the discussions about justification by faith alone that took place in late nineties in Florida. His friend John MacArthur, who was also at the private summit, said of him,</span></b></p><p><span style="word-spacing: 1.92px;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>"At one point he became so passionate in making his argument that he literally climbed on the table, making the plea on his hands and knees from the tabletop until each person on the other side of the table had made direct eye contact with him. There wasn't a hint of malice in the gesture, and everyone in the room understood that. The passion that motivated R. C. was his love of the gospel and his zeal for making sure that the message is proclaimed without compromise or confusion."</i></span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;">Paul speaks so strongly about those who would add to the gospel therefore making what Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His </b><span style="word-spacing: 1.92px;"><b>resurrection</b></span><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;"> from the grave to be as not sufficient enough. We will see Paul play this out farther into the letter with Peter but he has drawn a line in the sand about this issue. If it is not drawn, we are soon pulled into a works based salvation rather than a grace given salvation. It easily becomes all about us and not all about God.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;">Paul truly is standing between two groups of people at this time. He is sharing the gospel with the Gentiles who believe in many gods and many ways to God and Paul says "<i>no</i>." He is also addressing Jews and Jewish Christians who say Jesus is great but you still need to be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1) and Paul is says "<i>no</i>." He is definitely not trying to please men or to be politically correct with whichever crowd he is with. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;">Sometimes being a servant of Christ you will find yourself standing all alone but if you are standing for what Christ has said then you are never alone. Just like the 3 Hebrew young men who defied the orders of the king of the world to bow down to a man made idol of gold at the sound of the band but continued to stand for God who said to have no other gods before Him and suffered the man made consequences of a fiery furnace. They also received the God given consequences of His presence as the 4th man in the flames. What they would have missed if they would have bowed down!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;">May we stand for the pure gospel of Jesus Christ today. May we proclaim that it is grace and peace from God given through His Son Jesus Christ who rescued us from this present evil world by dying for our sins and rising from the grave victorious. This plan of rescue was God's will and His doing. My eyes have been </b><span style="word-spacing: 1.92px;"><b>opened</b></span><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;"> by Him and my heart has been changed by Him to proclaim to others the good news that they angels proclaimed to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem. <i>"Today in the town of David A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord."</i> (Luke 2:11, NIV)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;">Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="367" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QreCWPFhjt8" width="482" youtube-src-id="QreCWPFhjt8"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><b style="word-spacing: 1.92px;"><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-49398133231222337842023-10-06T11:45:00.001-04:002023-10-06T11:45:11.792-04:00Galloping Through Galatians...#1...Galatians 1:1-5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_GH2_KhPPWQacH2HU0I4cjJ9oBivtEz5JO7vLNIh0m8sDXEHT1wBX6mIQgl3aNl-ZPN3vtpRbF8oggQlY4ODsHPRmDMsWsaVHQDvBnbUI91WdSLbN3Mf7znBilL4eu0VpDF1ZYLtBWnP6zQSIOINCaDbhIDxqQmGzeinEF5vjcZ8aWrC5g-2peJcsw/s3010/A_galloping_horse_and_rider._Wellcome_V0048753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2335" data-original-width="3010" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_GH2_KhPPWQacH2HU0I4cjJ9oBivtEz5JO7vLNIh0m8sDXEHT1wBX6mIQgl3aNl-ZPN3vtpRbF8oggQlY4ODsHPRmDMsWsaVHQDvBnbUI91WdSLbN3Mf7znBilL4eu0VpDF1ZYLtBWnP6zQSIOINCaDbhIDxqQmGzeinEF5vjcZ8aWrC5g-2peJcsw/w519-h402/A_galloping_horse_and_rider._Wellcome_V0048753.jpg" width="519" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div>https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_galloping_horse_and_rider._Wellcome_V0048753.jpg</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I have the privilege to "<i>gallop</i>" through the book of Galatians, which is a letter to the churches in the region of Galatia (Asia Minor), with the church were I am serving as an interim pastor. Each book of the Bible I preach I like to start with the 3 a's: author, audience, and autographed. The letter points to Paul as the author and the churches of Galatia as the audience. Historical events point to an autographed date of 48 to 52 A.D., not long after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the early 30's A.D.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This letter from Paul is very different from his other letters. It gets right to the point. It shares more details about what happened to him after he met the Lord on the Damascus Road. Galatians outlines nicely into 3 sections over the 6 chapters. Chapters 1 & 2 are about the man, Paul and it is <u>personal</u>. Chapters 3 & 4 are about the message, the Gospel and it is <u>doctrinal</u>. Chapters 5 & 6 are about the manner, how we live now and it is <u>practical</u>. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This introduction sermon was a great time to emphasize the purpose statement of the church I am serving. Their purpose statement can be communicated as: We have a <u>message</u> that is <u>Jesus</u>; We have a <u>motive</u> that is <u>love</u>; and We have a <u>method</u> that is <u>discipleship</u>. I saw all three of these points in these first 5 verses.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul has a method of discipleship as he continues to encourage the local churches that emerged from his proclaiming of the gospel and also the including of other brothers who were with him. Paul is not alone in his walk with the Lord and he encourages the local bodies of Christ to grow together in Christ.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul gives again the message of Jesus to the churches of Galatia. He lays out the contributions of God to them of grace and peace from Him, a willing Son who gave Himself, a rescue from this evil world, and a plan that is His will. Our only contribution is our sins and our response should be that of glory to God.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paul also displays the motive of love as he responds with an admiration and glory of God. This love of God for the salvation that he has received is proclaimed to the ones he loves, the recipients of this letter. Out of love, Paul is going to write a letter that helps the Galatian Christians to keep on track with this wonderful and precious gospel.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I finished our time with these verses with a medley of songs that express glory to God. <i>"All glory be to Christ my King, All Glory be to Christ..."; "Glory to His name, Glory to His name...."; "All glory laud and honor to you Redeemer King..."</i>; and then ending with one that I think could have been taken from these very verses, <i>"To God Be The Glory."</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>To God be the glory great things He has done,</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Who yielded His life, an atonement for sin,</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>And opened the life gates that all may go in.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>O come to the Father through Jesus the Son</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>And give Him the glory, great things He has done.</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>May we ever be reminded of the true gospel. We we recognize our contribution of sin and God's contribution of His own Son, Jesus Christ. His contribution is always greater and the only redeeming part. Saddle up with me for this gallop through Galatians.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="373" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c_fjRFnUj0o" width="481" youtube-src-id="c_fjRFnUj0o"></iframe></div><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-35246795486101474342023-09-27T10:07:00.000-04:002023-09-27T10:07:35.437-04:00Bible Engagement...part 2...Matthew 18:12-15, 20<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnveOkOU9xD9isynNHgoZN0cv2Y4OvpUemazJsR9MkrSWcbDT6ebk7FpRQbyv50NiNIkKu9f1Gy3NqfGAmjHYRgp7FWlhGrSukrsRm1vOumBxUrP9GXcRBfhMTqSOeTxIuWA2GPOBUw3YzWqWaFaXK5kT6m5r6kvU9xxZoRtFsc2Ot9r-f5A2G1dyGA/s650/Asrlar_Sadosi_2008c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="650" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnveOkOU9xD9isynNHgoZN0cv2Y4OvpUemazJsR9MkrSWcbDT6ebk7FpRQbyv50NiNIkKu9f1Gy3NqfGAmjHYRgp7FWlhGrSukrsRm1vOumBxUrP9GXcRBfhMTqSOeTxIuWA2GPOBUw3YzWqWaFaXK5kT6m5r6kvU9xxZoRtFsc2Ot9r-f5A2G1dyGA/w511-h340/Asrlar_Sadosi_2008c.jpeg" width="511" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>By Patisserie - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25849465</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Nobody loves confrontation but can we back it off to conflict resolution? Conflict resolution within a body of believers is so important to have in place. Jesus gives His disciples the guideline of how to proceed forward in Matthew 18:15-20. Jesus gives us the steps but He doesn't give us the time frame between each of the steps. I am going to gather that it is longer because of grace than our instant culture demands at times.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In the context of the passage Jesus is presenting a flip flopping of thinking to His disciples about their view of who is the greatest among other things that have taken the religious world in the wrong direction. Jesus also stresses the seriousness of sin and being in "<i>search</i>" mode rather than "<i>stab</i>" mode. As the shepherd searching for his lost sheep there is an "<i>if</i>" to actually retrieving the lost one. In regards to God there is a "<i>not willing that any should be lost.</i>" Any of our illustrations always come up short to the completeness of God.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>When we get to verse 15 of Matthew chapter 18 (LSB), we are back to the "<i>ifs</i>." </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Now if your brother sins,</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>go and show him his fault,</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>between you and him alone;</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>if he listens to you,</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>you have won your brother.</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I brought out 3 "<i>p</i>"s this Sunday in this verse, postures, positives, and party. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our posture is so important when we are engaged in a Matthew 18:15. How is my <u>physical</u> posture? Am I showing physically that I am attentively listening? How is my <u>mental</u> posture? Am I reminding myself that who is in front of me is a creation of God and also a part of my spiritual family? How is my <u>emotional</u> posture? Am I in tune with the emotions of the other person? How is my <u>spiritual</u> posture? Am I thinking of God's word to guide me in this conversation?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The positives are great when we take the first step (and hopefully only step) of Matthew 18:15. We have the possibility of the avoidance of the temptation and fulfillment of other sins. We have the opportunity to forgive, to seek forgiveness, or to clarify what was said or not said. We have the opportunity to have continued family opportunities to serve and love one another. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The party is a possibility and in the midst of the party is God Himself. Verse 20 (LSB) says, <i>"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." </i>Why? Because His children are taking sin seriously and also taking His words, Scripture, seriously. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Someone asked why I didn't go to step 2 and 3 of the passage and it was on purpose because I want us to get to step 1 and focus on how we should be going into that conversation. If we don't go into step 1 right, we probably won't conduct step 2 or 3, if needed, right either. So many times we bypass Jesus' instruction and do things our way or rather the ways of the world rather than the ways of God. We miss out on better communication (postures), possible beneficial outcomes (positives), and a great celebration with some of your church family and God Himself (party).</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I keep praying that the family of God keeps falling in love with God and each other more. This takes a great emphasis on the discipleship of each other by being with each other. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="363" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c7xlDgOmoZc" width="481" youtube-src-id="c7xlDgOmoZc"></iframe></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-81180567373710049282023-09-07T10:28:00.000-04:002023-09-07T10:28:08.240-04:00Bible Engagement...part 1...Matthew 15:1-20<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ULk5fdnVn9pmSJdjn_jqenkHZT8VTd5ueP_PJ5XslrMv8yYd-eT6YVdumcpKNM5dXqkRxBLzxPxr7bam9uA2F5rfnjTsWaUB2TMhP-VPgpr972q8NZwEGTgWcNQE3cROvGpsyYKXxJea45CrAtwbfIm8A5hpejQmxpHxWzyEHPE70Oo-LIFwMKnyCA/s1920/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ULk5fdnVn9pmSJdjn_jqenkHZT8VTd5ueP_PJ5XslrMv8yYd-eT6YVdumcpKNM5dXqkRxBLzxPxr7bam9uA2F5rfnjTsWaUB2TMhP-VPgpr972q8NZwEGTgWcNQE3cROvGpsyYKXxJea45CrAtwbfIm8A5hpejQmxpHxWzyEHPE70Oo-LIFwMKnyCA/w609-h342/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper.jpg" width="609" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The passage covered this Sunday had another tough saying by Jesus. Matthew 15:11 (LSB) says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>"It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, </i></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."</i></span> --Jesus--</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This verse should be for myself a gauge or indicator of when I am not in alignment with God's words for me. It makes me evaluate what has been coming out of my mouth lately that indicates the condition of my heart because later in verse 18 (LSB) it says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, </i></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>and those defile the man."</i></span> --Jesus--</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Another verse that I relate to this one is 1 John 4:20 (LSB) which says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Taking this verse apart from the beginning, <i>If someone says, "I love God,"</i>... but notice I am the one saying this. It is not others saying this about me or it is not about what I am actually doing. It is what I am saying about myself.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Moving farther, ...<i>and hates his brother,</i>...but this is actually what I am doing. I am holding something against someone who is in the family of God. My mouth is saying one thing about God but my actions are saying something very opposite about my family member.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Moving farther, ...<i>he is a liar;</i>...What am I lying about? I am lying saying that I love God. Why? Because the God I say I love told me to strive to love Him and to love others and here I am hating my brother. This is an oil and water situation. Me saying I love God and hating my brother at the same time are incompatible. They don't mix.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>So what do I do if I am in this situation? What do I do if I find myself hating my brother? Most likely the hate has come from a sin that has been committed. I have been hurt by my brother and my first response usually isn't love for him. So what do I do?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I know what Matthew 18:15 (LSB) says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;">"Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault, between you and him alone; </span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;">if he listens to you, you have won your brother."</span> --Jesus--</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is what I should do but sometimes I have went to others first. In the best sense, maybe I am seeking wise counsel with the full intent of following Matthew 18:15. Maybe I need to make sure I am going in the right frame of mind and so I lean on Proverbs 12:15 (LSB) which says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>The way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes, </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Or Proverbs 11:14 (LSB) which says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Where there is no guidance the people fall, </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>But in abundance of counselors there is salvation.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Or Proverbs 19:20-21 (LSB) which says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Listen to the counsel and receive discipline, </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>That you may be wise in the end of your days. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Many thoughts are in a man's heart, </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>But it is the counsel of Yahweh that will stand.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>If it is truly wise counsel, the wise counsel will guide me back to Matthew 18:15. Now I am at a pivotal point. Will I do it? Or will I go and seek a second opinion as they say? If I don't do Matthew 18:15 then most likely I am going to speak to others about what had happened to me but do I realize at that moment that I am the one sinning? I am going against what God has said to do and I am taking a different route. Now we have two problems to deal with, the original sin done to me and the sin I am now committing. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I want to make what I am doing wrong smaller than what has been done wrong to me but now we have the plank and speck scenario of Matthew 7:3-5 (LSB) which says,</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>"And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? </i></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? </i></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."</i> </span>--Jesus--</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The plank or log is related to me (the bigger object) and the speck is related to the other person (the smaller object). <u>Many times I have to start a Matthew 18:15 situation with me first confessing to my own sin.</u> The initial sin (wrong) is now secondary, the speck, to my responsibility to take the plank or log out of my eye as primary. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I find myself continually looking for a different way to deal with sin than the way God has prescribed. I have tried the avenues of time or distance. I have tried to just coexist with the situation by being at least civil with each other. I know none of these man made methods will bring about resolution but I try them anyways. The Bible says that confession is the Christian's bar of soap. Confession cleanses me because I have submitted again to God's words and His ways. Confession is obedience.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I am so thankful that my heart has been washed by God through Christ's action on the cross. I need to keep my feet washed by Him at times because I have sinned and sometimes it is because of my sinful actions that followed being sinned against. I need to be reminded that sin won't rightfully be resolved in any other way.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JSMfjKJgJ1E" width="480" youtube-src-id="JSMfjKJgJ1E"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-14914415453225600202023-09-01T11:57:00.002-04:002023-09-01T11:57:25.757-04:00Authentic Worship...part 2...John 4:4-34<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_nVI7C1pERFVhW5oufUzWyh0TAuztJnkU7WnHtt5Mpd5kb0HVC_QheUkUuYr4YM7wRUJN7jPvR1mTyCWJZsSMTLhhVctQZIgOkm13wCdpeDbknQkldJeZxR34oLeO_KQB_riorR7oDR8RB4q2Gii3f9Y6lexEjBbONSGg7sNmQ7EwJ-ExEloRIzdMA/s1200/worship-spirit-truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_nVI7C1pERFVhW5oufUzWyh0TAuztJnkU7WnHtt5Mpd5kb0HVC_QheUkUuYr4YM7wRUJN7jPvR1mTyCWJZsSMTLhhVctQZIgOkm13wCdpeDbknQkldJeZxR34oLeO_KQB_riorR7oDR8RB4q2Gii3f9Y6lexEjBbONSGg7sNmQ7EwJ-ExEloRIzdMA/w609-h319/worship-spirit-truth.jpg" width="609" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This image is from GotQuestions.org and here is an article and video from them that expound on the topic of authentic worship. <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/worship-spirit-truth.html">https://www.gotquestions.org/worship-spirit-truth.html</a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">We have finished our month of looking at the Jesus' discipleship practice of authentic worship. This narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well bring worship front and center. The conversation goes the route we tend to think of worship as something that happens at a "<i>where</i>." The church becomes the building and worship becomes our singing. We know it is more than that but our vocabulary many times limits worship to a place and a specific activity. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (LSB) challenges this practice.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the sanctuary of God, God will destroy him, for the sanctuary of God is holy, and that is what you are.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>As I shared on Sunday, when the people of God leave the building, worship leaves the building too. The worship of God goes wherever His children go. This also ties all that we do, say, and think to the worship of God. This is a humbling thought that should guide all of our activities of life.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In this passage, the phrase <i>"in spirit and truth"</i> is used twice. The worship of God is the fabric of the converted who <u>will</u> worship and <u>must</u> worship with his/her spirit connected personally to God who is spirit and also with the truth outside of themselves that His word is the truth. Jesus is that word who is the way, the truth and the life as recorded in the gospel of John. The worship of God is both subjective and objective.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Jesus is declarative that this Samaritan would worship God in spirit and truth. This Samaritan would be a true worshipper. We see her leave her jar; go back and proclaim; and give an invitation to others to see Jesus. The elements of a true convert are seen here. A true convert repents, leaves their water jar. A true convert has a new message to share with others, goes back and proclaims. A true convert share the hope now within them which is Jesus, an invitation is giving to also know this one named Jesus.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The disciples come back into the scene after the conversion with the Samaritan woman. Jesus now focuses on them and helps them so see beyond the physical to the spiritual. There are so many other people who are being called by God to worship Him. Do we see them? Or is our focus on ourselves and our comforts and preferences even when it comes to the topic of worship? Have we reduced worship down to something to be consumed, to be manufactured and to be on the level of just being sincere? </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our true worship of God will move us into the realm of serving rather than consuming; being Spirit-led rather than man manufactured; and being God-centered rather than a performance showing our sincerity. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>One prayer was that the term and definition of worship would be enlarged in the life of the church-goer. Dillon said that we all worship someone. This is true and I would pray for the Christian that our <i>365</i> and <i>24/7</i> would be singled on God and God alone. As Jesus said recorded in Matthew 4:10 (LSB),</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="357" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KKsr0CtOInQ" width="482" youtube-src-id="KKsr0CtOInQ"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-58274220608583285392023-08-07T09:16:00.000-04:002023-08-07T09:16:26.829-04:00Authentic Worship...part 1...The Way of Cain...Genesis 4<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWHXRVeALoUnwVxKQ8beofhGiAck0XRdXAqKiW61kz2VXMxkmLgs7A356rIDb633TfLCecOJAu_zAE-XxNw6Uonff4-rXd6FQBpUyBeqT0MO2FMD_EHD11sALhPE2n4tdLv3qG-V5EeVnESVwjWLq3QY1ybqSuO3VHDoDBCx37X64p6h-RwjqEmfW1Q/s2500/robert-ruggiero-X2bcQMMhaow-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="2500" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWHXRVeALoUnwVxKQ8beofhGiAck0XRdXAqKiW61kz2VXMxkmLgs7A356rIDb633TfLCecOJAu_zAE-XxNw6Uonff4-rXd6FQBpUyBeqT0MO2FMD_EHD11sALhPE2n4tdLv3qG-V5EeVnESVwjWLq3QY1ybqSuO3VHDoDBCx37X64p6h-RwjqEmfW1Q/w517-h343/robert-ruggiero-X2bcQMMhaow-unsplash.jpg" width="517" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In the Bible, some numbers are very significant. 7 as the number for perfection or completion. 12 as the number of the tribes of Israel or the disciples of Jesus. 40 as days and nights or 40 as years in the wilderness or the length of a generation. This Sunday I used the number 2 for its significance is found throughout the Bible. We have it here in the opening chapters of Genesis and we also find it in the closing chapters of Revelation. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In our Genesis passage we have 2 sons, occupations, offerings, responses, questions, paths, sins, voices, wives and people. The one I want to focus on is the 2 paths. There is the wide road and the narrow path; there are the sheep and the goats; there are the wheat and the tares; and the list goes on. Today we have the way of Cain or the way of Abel.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We start off the passage with a worship experience. Both boys brought an offering to God. Abel's was a blood sacrifice of the firstborn and the best. Cain's was a bloodless sacrifice of just some of the fruit of the ground. Immediately you see the difference between these two offerings. Abel and his offering were regarded by God but Cain and his offering were not. The key word is "<i>and</i>". God was looking not at just what they brought but also at themselves. Abel was conveying an obedience to God's instruction while Cain was presenting what he thought was good enough.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Verse 7 is the key as God speaks to Cain about the 2 options he has at this moment after experiencing God's rejection of him and his offering.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door; </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Obedience to God is what will get Cain out of this situation. A merciful, loving God who has just been disregarded by Cain's actions is instructing Cain on his options and what the outcome of those options will be. If you do what is right, you will be relieved. If you don't do what is right, sin will latch onto you. Therefore, the obedience of God is the way you master over the grip of sin. All this comes out of a worship experience.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cain does not confess rather he commits another sin. The first was a disregard for what God said and next comes a disregard for one of His creations, his brother Abel. The loving, merciful God comes back to Cain with more questions but Cain continues to not confess and lies to God and mocks his responsibility to others. This is the opposite of loving God and loving others, the 2 great commandments. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The non confession leads to the consequence given by God and what does Cain do? He complains. Unconfessed sin usually goes here. We commit the crime but then we claim we are the victim. Cain is doing what his father Adam did when asked of God if he ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. <i>"The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate."</i> No confession, just complaining. This is a red flag in our lives when we are complaining more than we are confessing. Sin has latched on.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cain's sin grows and moves down through the generations even though life goes on. Society is benefiting from God's common grace with the development of food sources, the arts, tools and creating life itself. But...sin magnifies with a man named Lamech, 5 or 6 generations down from Cain who defies God's order and takes 2 wives and also dictates what God will do for him rather than what he will do for God. Pride is rampant in the life of Lamech.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>But the account doesn't end here. It starts with the God honoring worship of Abel and it ends with the birth of Seth and some God honoring worship coming from his line. The last sentence of verse 26 says, <i>"Then men began to call upon the name of Yahweh." </i>The way of Cain or the way of Abel. What will it be for you today? </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Unconfessed sin hinders true worship. Unconfessed sin grows and spreads. Unconfessed sin is a bigger deal than you think. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">"Oh it will just go away." "I can just live with it this way." "It is not affecting anyone else."</i><b> These are all lies. God is the forgiver of sin but only through confession. The connectives of the body of Christ doesn't have space for unconfessed sin not to affect it. If you live with your sin, you will never live fully for God. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A little longer post today because I am looking forward to developing this message more. So much practical application that deserves our attention so that we truly come before God being His alone and with an acceptable expression of our love for Him.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/capjLbOLUVo" width="480" youtube-src-id="capjLbOLUVo"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-64544067006418868702023-08-02T08:29:00.000-04:002023-08-02T08:29:36.497-04:00Humble Service & Generous Lifestyle...part 5...Romans 13:8-14<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8ZjwizcptvyVirRpDS1eSIj1Wv4kaeDBAQU8-EU_JWRDTp6hhmSW9pIY8wFDBJ-x1DwDwWYP0R063aVxnA9JdMqGf9I0nkeoRbVD5ky-3vTD-UoPMUF7KZBSsLdzeFwxhC45LDnzw4Kug3FUIc9DqoeiXz_YNYZdsdie0bDSrrlFH79-prv33HZRag/s1748/20230730_120426%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="1748" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8ZjwizcptvyVirRpDS1eSIj1Wv4kaeDBAQU8-EU_JWRDTp6hhmSW9pIY8wFDBJ-x1DwDwWYP0R063aVxnA9JdMqGf9I0nkeoRbVD5ky-3vTD-UoPMUF7KZBSsLdzeFwxhC45LDnzw4Kug3FUIc9DqoeiXz_YNYZdsdie0bDSrrlFH79-prv33HZRag/w506-h490/20230730_120426%202.jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A couple weeks ago I told the joke about the chicken and the pig in my sermon. They were going into business together and the pig asked the chicken what kind of business. <i>"Ham and Eggs"</i> was the chicken's response. The pig responded, <i>"What a minute, you are only giving a contribution but I am making a sacrifice." </i>Last weekend a lady in the congregation brought me this plate that she found at a flea market. Now I have a prop to tell my joke!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>July has 5 Sundays so I have the opportunity to speak about humble service and generous lifestyle one more time. Jesus speaks of this often to His disciples because they and we are steep into a culture that emphasizes pride and selfishness. The disciples were always arguing about who was the greatest and we are continuing trying to figure out who is the GOAT (greatest of all time) of our time. In the midst of that, Jesus is calling His disciples and us to be humble and selfless.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We were able to include some physical examples of those who recently went on short-term mission trips to other parts of the world and also those who commit themselves to the humble service and generous lifestyle here closer to home within our community and local church. It was a great morning to listen to others and how living for God has impacted their lives. I have said over and over, <i>"We have been saved by Jesus and through Jesus' sacrifice to serve Jesus with our very lives."</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our passage this Sunday, Romans 13:8-14, that was more of a devotional. It starts out with our foundation of love in which humble service and generous lifestyle must come out of to be genuine. Paul then gives us 3 things to be aware of. We need to <u>w</u>ake up; we need to <u>c</u>lean up; and we need to <u>c</u>lothe up. Conveniently taking the first letters it is WCC which are the first letters of the church I am currently serving, Waushara Community Church. Therefore, easy to remember and take out of the 4 walls of the church building, I hope!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We are to <u>wake up</u> from our slumber over the great salvation that we have received. We have been justified and therefore saved from the penalty of sin. We are being sanctified and therefore we are being saved from the power of sin. We will be glorified and therefore we will be saved from the presence of sin.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We are to <u>clean up</u> by putting aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. These deeds of darkness listed seem to be from greater to lesser but they are lumped together as all deeds of darkness and to be put aside. Even if we did look at this list as from greater to lesser, it seems the lesser are the ones we commit more and therefore need more attention given to. Therefore, no getting off the hook here.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We are to <u>clothe up</u> with the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to put on each day the One you belong to (Lord), the One who saved you (Jesus), and the One who was sent by a loving heavenly Father for you (Christ). This is the way we make no provision or do not think about gratifying the desires of the flesh or the deeds of darkness. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We have been operating under the guidance of our 3 "m's" and I see them here. Out of the foundation of love we wake up, clean up, and clothe up. Our motive is love. The process of cleaning up, of putting aside and putting on is discipleship. Our method is discipleship. The ultimate example that we clothe ourselves with is Jesus. Our message is Jesus. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The devotional is at the 41 minute mark but the interviews are great to listen to also, maybe even better! May we wake up, clean up and clothe up!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="356" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q1Z6c9fgwSQ" width="480" youtube-src-id="q1Z6c9fgwSQ"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-83733540523421691792023-07-25T13:33:00.000-04:002023-07-25T13:33:16.781-04:00Humble Service & Generous Lifestyle...part 4...Mark 8:34-38<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7l5n_kbLw2PxYdZcAd2gXXQtJCU2b7qJYgtFchQlXoZunftY_JZPtcPrSnxx2IoITraa3JEW61rVUx08swMCdNNNvK8gdQRKe6feb2OSHCqYCcuxe42U6TKmKfxSF4GefAHi65t4jHcEG_tYBJ11WLVhGO0s19X3LkvNo19tMAJDb93mT7OtGUPDm7Q/s1272/IMG_7516.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="848" height="685" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7l5n_kbLw2PxYdZcAd2gXXQtJCU2b7qJYgtFchQlXoZunftY_JZPtcPrSnxx2IoITraa3JEW61rVUx08swMCdNNNvK8gdQRKe6feb2OSHCqYCcuxe42U6TKmKfxSF4GefAHi65t4jHcEG_tYBJ11WLVhGO0s19X3LkvNo19tMAJDb93mT7OtGUPDm7Q/w456-h685/IMG_7516.jpeg" width="456" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p>My dear cousin passed away last week. It was a fun trip to head to Oscoda to see this part of the family when I was a kid. Also, this dear one would spend time with us in the summer when my mom was on summer break from school. I learned a lot from this dear one. She even made it into some of my sermons! She kept me grounded to the expansion of grace both common (to all) and saving (to God's children). Much more could be said here but I will leave it that her passing was a diversion I needed this week.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We are getting to the end of our focus on humble service and generous lifestyle. July gives us an extra Sunday this year to wrap it up with a little different type of service. We are back in Mark with Jesus again addressing His disciples with what is going to happen and answering their insertion that "<i>they</i>" are in control rather than a full surrender to Jesus truly as the Christ!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The main illustration this week I heard first from Alistair Begg. That pesky little box that needs to be checked saying you agree with the <i>Terms & Conditions</i>. You are stuck until you check it. You can't get to what you want on your phone or app or new computer until you make this decision. Did you read them? Most likely you didn't. You blindly trusted what you didn't read written by people you didn't know. And then...they update and revise the <i>Terms & Conditions</i> and you need to do it all over again. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>What are Jesus' <i>Terms & Conditions</i> for those who would come after Him? These <i>Terms & Conditions</i> are not in fine print and they never are revised or updated. They are written by One we can know and who loves us so dearly that He paid the price for our salvation to stand before the holy God. When you put the two beside each other you see how different God's system is than the world's system. And yet...we many times disregard what we do know said by the Christ Himself. It doesn't seem logical, rational or even sensical.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Three conditions: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The terms of <i>deny yourself</i> is to quit trying to save yourself. The terms of <i>take up your cross</i> is to be willing to live daily by the salvation you have received from Jesus. The terms of <i>follow Me</i> is to be unashamed of Jesus and His words.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The world's system ends with you being your own god.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>God's system ends with you embracing Him, suffering for Him, and following Him. The long haul is that you will be embraced by Him for eternity; you will rejoice before Him triumphantly; and you will sit at a table with Him!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="359" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z9fh-nqFmhA" width="477" youtube-src-id="Z9fh-nqFmhA"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-87739839516747818742023-07-17T09:45:00.001-04:002023-07-17T09:52:50.231-04:00Humble Service & Generous Lifestyle...part 3...Mark 12:38-44<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgchgUbcc4Eob0NEjm8PAWtx6i_3hJH0a6OHuf128vXwZlLYeiucitGYWbXDwmgZH8taZiYZ6AFWTSaTzAonrziCsOFPYY8_5MGQ0YTPSVVSkKpxGYevlt8q3wO3KWovRYmos0MDw2fUlZyVXijx8xTXIEhZn5lCqF5vKiEzHFizN1JF0skrmHRhQ9g/s2664/20230705_105951%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2664" data-original-width="1836" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgchgUbcc4Eob0NEjm8PAWtx6i_3hJH0a6OHuf128vXwZlLYeiucitGYWbXDwmgZH8taZiYZ6AFWTSaTzAonrziCsOFPYY8_5MGQ0YTPSVVSkKpxGYevlt8q3wO3KWovRYmos0MDw2fUlZyVXijx8xTXIEhZn5lCqF5vKiEzHFizN1JF0skrmHRhQ9g/w138-h200/20230705_105951%202.jpeg" width="138" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our church has a pantry and these are a couple of the pantry team members posing for a picture for me. Thank you ladies and also for all the work you and the team do twice a month for those needing assistance. It is an act of humble service and displaying a generous lifestyle. The shelves behind them represent many of the church who donate on a regular basis to help those in need. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The title of the sermon this Sunday is "<i>Beware & Be Aware!</i>" Both of these commands require our attention. <i>Beware</i> of religious leaders who are putting on a show and following after them. <i>Be aware</i> of those who are displaying true faith and also for ways to serve them. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The first beware deals with salvation or goodness or my ticket to paradise tied to anything I say or do or wear. There are definite changes in my life since I responded to Jesus with repentance and with faith of Him being the One who rose from the grave. Some of these changes can be seen from the outside. This eternal transformation of my heart by God has made me adjust my present life to be honoring of Jesus. The world could recognize a change because some of my outward actions have changed. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>An example might be, someone uses profane language profusely and then that person encounters Christ in a saving way and starts striving to change their vocabulary to whatever is right, pure, wholesome and so on. The world may recognize it and question what has happened. All is good except if that person ties their transformed action to their goodness rather than keeping the goodness only tied to what Christ did for them on the cross. It is so easy to focus on what we do rather than what He has done. When we do this it will lead to prideful actions like the religious leaders of Jesus' day. <i>Beware</i>! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>As a church we need to "<i>leave no doubt</i>" about salvation. I described the clip from the <i>Remember The Titans</i> movie to illustrate this point. May there be no doubt that salvation is only from God and through Jesus Christ. Here is the clip.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i8vXroMMGdM" width="480" youtube-src-id="i8vXroMMGdM"></iframe></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We also need to "<i>be aware</i>"of those who are in need because many times those who are in need are displaying the greatest faith. The widow who put in her last two small cooper coins was the one Jesus was pointing to as having the greatest faith. In our world we miss this fact. Many times we are looking in the wrong direction. Jesus gathers up His disciples eyes to see the one who was trusting God for everything. "<i>Be like her</i>" might have been Jesus' pep talk in the huddle that day. "<i>Be like her</i>" and now "<i>go serve her</i>" that you are aware of. (She is probably at the back of the line where you are suppose to be!)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The idols of this world can so easily creep into the church and then also become "<i>holy-fied</i>" to bring attention to ourselves rather than the only holy One. </b></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZTV988Bhsoc" width="480" youtube-src-id="ZTV988Bhsoc"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-81919476162663308032023-07-10T09:33:00.001-04:002023-07-10T09:33:29.166-04:00Humble Service & Generous Lifestyle...part 2...Mark 9:30-41<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEgvYde_szaoXt0dnTsmE8HJLhkd5e6u22fj6lPgh0VsPz0GIVXDLTQWBY-gEDh7SE6TTlBXt7EwH1uLUNE8PTACDCg1vCVX4TzY0dbUvbms-S9MwHfXp8DyLi4HoMukRPWPGpaGAqxpk0GgZOMVGiRDzNWYNDH1PdLuGmfibERAdNzQv4EsNpsQHXQ/s2801/20230701_110927%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2801" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEgvYde_szaoXt0dnTsmE8HJLhkd5e6u22fj6lPgh0VsPz0GIVXDLTQWBY-gEDh7SE6TTlBXt7EwH1uLUNE8PTACDCg1vCVX4TzY0dbUvbms-S9MwHfXp8DyLi4HoMukRPWPGpaGAqxpk0GgZOMVGiRDzNWYNDH1PdLuGmfibERAdNzQv4EsNpsQHXQ/w611-h401/20230701_110927%202.jpeg" width="611" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I took this photo of the courthouse of Waushara County just recently. I was curious to why wherever there was a "<i>u</i>" needed, a "<i>v</i>" was put in its place. For example, instead of "<i>court</i>" it is etched into the stone "<i>covrt</i>". I was thinking that it is probably easier to chisel a "<i>v</i>" rather than a "<i>u</i>" because of the curves but then we have "<i>c</i>" and "<i>o</i>" and "<i>r</i>" in the word that have curves as a part of their letters. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>After some internet digging, did you know that "<i>v</i>" was used for both "<i>v & u</i>" until "<i>u</i>" was added? This was also the case of "<i>i</i>" for "<i>j</i>" which is the last letter added to the English alphabet. "<i>I</i>" and "<i>V</i>" were doing double duty for awhile. Have you ever felt you were doing "<i>double duty</i>" and could use another "<i>letter</i>" to help you out? Some stages of life put you in that place being pulled from both directions but sometimes it is because we have become a society of consumers instead of servers...even within the church body. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In our passage we find the disciples again struggling to be "<i>king of the hill</i>" in Jesus' kingdom and He has to set them straight. It is so hard to go against the grain of the popular society to live according to God's economy. We are yelling "<i>We're number 1!</i>" and Jesus is saying to move to the back of the line and serve others while you are there (Mark 9:35). </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Pride comes with the world's system. It fuels whatever gets done. But pride limits us to seeing what God can do because we limit what God can do in relationship to our limited resources. God's arms are only as long as our amount of cattle in the fields and fish in the sea (Numbers 11:21-23). We don't experience what God can do and provide because it is reserved for those who truly trust Him.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I want to stay in the camp that sees God's arm stretch down and do what He said He would do. This requires that we don't abandon prayer to God and replace it with pride in our abilities. It requires that we continue to make God bigger than what we can imagine. He is where we are not and His view is always superior to our own.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I want to develop this thought more about spiritual gifts and serving. For the Christian you can't have one without the other. Your spiritual gift is seen while you are serving and while you are serving your spiritual gift is apparent to others. You can be serving on the nursery team and you have the spiritual gift of teaching, it will come out! You can be serving on the set up team and you have the spiritual gift of encouragement, it will come out! You can be serving on the men's ministry team and you have the gift of mercy, it will come out! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The very nature of the God given spiritual gift to His children is married to service. The spiritual gift is not identifiable outside the act of service. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="353" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mFjBWGv4l0A" width="480" youtube-src-id="mFjBWGv4l0A"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2436877806792303184.post-27088069262630179142023-07-03T09:39:00.003-04:002023-07-03T09:39:32.224-04:00Humble Service & Generous Lifestyle...part 1...Mark 10:35-45<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqRr5fpHEBLUmYnIQLFL1Nn-JtpDp1JaDA-wRIrNTNxEhBgCupluhg5SNYX7iO_B1lV3vMlRn_2nkjWPy5DAXufUZmWVcl42QzJ6LjF9EeDhIXLhRwoM1PuwlV5G_knSebJbr64CKx1oZ8dEEhq8ih_ZFyckjiyvt3xIFMV_xVRYenyfmIcXVn4Wv1A/s560/1_ibeR0t5fbiDua8_aYRX9gA.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqRr5fpHEBLUmYnIQLFL1Nn-JtpDp1JaDA-wRIrNTNxEhBgCupluhg5SNYX7iO_B1lV3vMlRn_2nkjWPy5DAXufUZmWVcl42QzJ6LjF9EeDhIXLhRwoM1PuwlV5G_knSebJbr64CKx1oZ8dEEhq8ih_ZFyckjiyvt3xIFMV_xVRYenyfmIcXVn4Wv1A/w608-h343/1_ibeR0t5fbiDua8_aYRX9gA.webp" width="608" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I quoted C.S. Lewis a couple of times in the sermon and here is another. <i>"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less." </i>As we venture into a new month, we also move onto two more of Jesus' discipleship practices with His disciples. These help us to <i>be</i> disciples so we can fulfill the Great Commission to <i>make</i> disciples. We will look at Jesus speaking and showing humble service and a generous lifestyle.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>To look at the positive or the desired result, sometimes it is a help to look at the negative or undesirable result so...pride and selfishness. This first sermon deals mostly with the topic of pride but selfishness is so closely tied to pride that it comes out in the real life examples that I give. I should say that when I share real life examples I do so trying not to elevate myself or my hearers or readers but to give flesh to the principle. I can say that almost every example I have regrettably displayed myself at times. We learn from our mistakes but hopefully we learn also from applying and holding onto God's principles when the temptation to do otherwise presents itself. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Although many will remember the stories, the positive points I would like to stress all the more are the characteristics not of a prideful Christian but a humble one.</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A humble Christian has grateful language.</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A humble Christian is willing to serve anywhere.</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A humble Christian has their notebook open.</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A humble Christian is pushing others into the spotlight.</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A humble Christian is confessing before they are addressing.</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The last bullet point makes me think of Jesus' illustration about pulling the log or plank out of your eye before attempting to remove the speck from your friend's eye. The removing of the plank is us being a confessing people. The removing the speck is us being an addressing people. The order is so important. Confess before you address.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Humility involves thinking of others and when you tie it to service it brings in a physical action. Many times this involves the gift God has given His children called spiritual gifts. They are from Him and to be used for the common good of His family. I speak in the sermon about the best (in my opinion) study on spiritual gifts by a pastor named Chip Ingram. He gives no spiritual gift test with many questions but rather a theology of spiritual gifts, a short explanation of the spiritual gifts and warnings about abuses of the gifts. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBRNUqMXJQRJmMpyZTF-G8YK6aHbYxBjG" target="_blank">Your Divine Design</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I speak boldly against pride but know that I struggle with what I am speaking about. Godly humility comes from a constant focus on Jesus, a commitment to love God and others, and a consistency with a community that disciples you in the ways of God. Let us make sure all 3 are in place in our lives.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Adam</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyGs4ISvTEU" width="481" youtube-src-id="yyGs4ISvTEU"></iframe></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p>Pastor Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14260319946678971259noreply@blogger.com0