Sermon Reflections from A Future For The Faithful | Alex Hardt | March 26, 2023
 
Considering our world today, Pastor Alex’s sermon topic was exactly what I needed.  Our world is in turmoil and chaos following a worldwide pandemic, natural disasters, wars, famine, economic downturns, etc.  It is hard to watch the news without being depressed.  However, there is light for those of us who believe in Jesus, our Sovereign, and Omniscient God.  As we look to the words of Isaiah the prophet again this week, we see hope and a future guaranteed by God.

What can make this possible?  God and God alone is able to reform and transform our lives and world.  Isaiah 66:1-2a shows God’s perspective on our world. “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?    Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. 

God reminds us that He alone is creator and brought our world into being by His Word.  I know that God did not desire the world to be filled with sin and corruption.  Man brought about those things through his sinful nature and disobedience towards God. 

​How can things be turned around?  Look into God’s Word for the answer.  Isaiah 66:2b shows us “These are the ones I look on with favor:    those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”  To be transformed by God one must be willing and humble yourself before Him, have genuine sorrow for you sins and look to His Word for guidance.  Jesus is the living Word of God- look to Him.  The Bible is the written Word of God-open it and read for guidance and restoration.  God will give us what we need if we are willing and to look to Him.  Above all God desires our hearts and wants to receive us with open arms if we turn to Him. 

What does God see for you and me?  We can’t seem to see beyond tomorrow let alone next year?  God is omniscient and He knows the beginning from the end.  When the Israelites were languishing in captivity in Babylon, God sent this message though Jeremiah the prophet.  Jeremiah 29:10-12 “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”  His message gave them hope that their time of captivity was not unending.  We can find hope in that too, as trial and tribulations are time limited.  They will not go on forever!  Praise God!  Further, God had great plans for them, and He has great plans and a purpose for you and me. They are not plans to hurt us or bring us grief but to encourage us and bring us hope.  God sees a future that we can’t envision.  I am so grateful for this truth.

Lastly, God ends the book of Isaiah with hope as He shares a bit of what He has planned for us.  Isaiah 66:22-25  “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”  God promises a new place, a new heaven and new earth, which will be enduring.  He also lets us see what will become of those who do not turn to Him.  That is a grim sight that none of us want for our loved ones.  Since God provides us with a Hope that is enduring and future that is secure, why not share that ASAP with those who do not know Him.  None of us wants the alternative reality for those who do not know Him.  Who can you tell today that, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6 or John 11:25-26  “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”   

Looking to the future we see the truth in the fact that our HOPE is in surrendering to the future God has envisioned for us.  He knows. He sees ahead.  He can and will guide us.  Tell others so they can be with us too.
Linda
 
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Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. 

Sermon Reflections from A Faithful Tomorrow | Damon Hopkins | March 19, 2023
 
We had the privilege of hearing from Damon Hopkins again this Sunday.  His text was from Isaiah Chapters 36 and 37.  This is a very rich passage that has much to teach us in 2023.  Damon pointed out that King Hezekiah was remembered for his faithfulness to God.  What a wonderful legacy that I know each one of us would love for our lives.   2 Kings referred to King Hezekiah 18:3 “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.  And 18:5 “He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.”  

King Hezekiah chose to believe God when he was in a situation that was ‘against all odds’.  He saw no physical way he could defeat the king of Assyria, Sennacherib. The Assyrian army was brutal and overpowering. They had marched through northern Israel and taken them captive. They had conquered lands and people around Judah.  Sennacherib had his eyes on Judah and was marching towards Jerusalem.  He sent a messenger to ‘scare’ King Hezekiah into submission.  The messenger announce publically that they were doomed and that their God would not and could not save them from the mighty Assyrians.   King Hezekiah sent word to the prophet Isaiah asking him to inquire of the Lord.  Isaiah brought this message of hope from the Lord, Isaiah 37:6-7 “Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”  I’m sure Hezekiah was encouraged by this news.

Then, Sennacherib heard that Cush was going to come to Judah’s aid and join the fight.  He sent a letter to King Hezekiah defaming the power and might of God.  Isaiah 37:10 ““Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”  When Hezekiah got the letter he made a bold choice.  He went to the temple and laid the letter before God and prayed: 37:16-20  “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 20 So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”  

What does King Hezekiah’s prayer say about Hezekiah’s faith?  He knew whom to trust.  He knew that Sennacherib was just a man but God was God and sovereign over all people, place, times and events.  He knew that God was bigger than his greatest fears.  He knew that God would defend His name. He knew where he should place his trust He prayed so that he could move forward.  At present he was blocked in by Sennacherib but that was only temporary as God was greater than this earthly king and would deliver them just like Isaiah had told him.  He chose to trust God when things got difficult. 

What about you?  Do you choose to trust God to provide, rescue and deliver you day by day?  Hezekiah’s hope was propelled forward though prayer.  How do you face difficulties?  Do you chose to go it alone or turn to God and ask Him for help?  Hezekiah followed the advice James gives in James 1:5-6 “ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 4:2b-3  You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”   King Hezekiah knew that God had the wisdom and power to save them so He asked in faith, not doubting.  He also knew He needed to humble himself and ask God for help. 

I pray you will take some time this week and read Isaiah 36 and 37.  Let King Hezekiah’s experiences speak to you as you consider how you can incorporate prayer into your life in a new and vibrant way.  Prayer brings results- ask Hezekiah or someone at Crossroads. God answers prayer!

Linda

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ISAIAH: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE | A Faithful Tomorrow
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Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. 

Sermon Reflections from Unmatched Strength | Alex Hardt | March 12, 2023
Pastor Alex used one of my favorite scriptures as the text of his sermon this Sunday. Isaiah 40: 27-31 are beloved verses as they give hope in the midst of our troubled, stress-filled lives.  It gives us perspective on the world and our troubles and leads us towards and attitude of HOPE!

I like to start with verses 25-26 “To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.”      

We are to be reminded that no one or nothing is greater than God.  Who could even be compared to Him?  He is the Holy One and Creator of all the heavens and the earth.  All that is was made is by His hands and at His Word. 

Isaiah 40:27 follows with another question.  Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”? 

Do we adopt this same attitude when we approach God?  Do we try to chastise God because He has not revealed everything to us?  Do we often cry, Why, Lord?  Isaiah answers these questions with God’s character in verse 28  

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.”  

Isaiah says, haven’t you heard that God is the Creator and source of all strength?  You want strength- Look to the Lord.   Don’t spend your time questioning God?  He is God and He will let us know what we need to know.  We need to have some perspective and realize the truth of   

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  

God is infinite and his ways are perfect.  He will do as He pleases, but God is and can be the source of our strength.  When we turn to Him, He will give us strength.  Worshipping God lead us to the source of all strength.
Isaiah continues in verse 29-30.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;    

Have you ever prayed and asked God for strength?  I’m sure you have as I know I have on multiple occasions.  Why is that?  When we realize that our present circumstances are beyond our physical or emotional strength, we know we can turn to God for help. 

Claim Hebrew 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” and Hebrews 13:6 “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”  

Our response to weariness is answered when we stretch out to God and seek His strength.
Lastly, we come to verse 31 “but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.  

​This is a verse with a promise!  If we will put our hope, faith, trust in the Lord He promises to renew us and cause us to soar!  He is the one with everlasting strength, the eternal one upon whom we can rely.  Does our hope in the Lord cause us to wait upon Him? Yes, it does, but waiting will lead to greater faith and renewed strength.  

I love David’s resolve in Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord”.    

May this be our resolve as well that we will wait with confident Hope in the Lord.  His ways are perfect and His timing never ceases to amaze me!  Wait in hope as God is faithful.  Lamentations 3:21-23 “But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.”   

Our hope is found in God’s faithfulness, so wait for Him.
Linda

SERMON LINK
ISAIAH: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE | Unmatched Strength
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Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.   

Sermon Reflections from Hope In Pursuing A Holy God | Alex Hardt | March 5, 2023

A new month and a new theme to receive a new perspective from God about His Holiness and our great sinfulness. Isaiah is the perfect place to begin as it is often referred to as the Gospel of the Old Testament.  Isaiah has many words of wisdom and encouragement for us today as well as prophesies that increase our faith as we see their fulfilment in the New Testament through Jesus the Messiah.

Alex started us off with Isaiah’s vision of the throne room of God and his encounter with God Almighty.  We see that God is Alive and desired to communicate with Isaiah.  God had a mission for him but wanted him willing.   We are created with free will and just like Isaiah God has a purpose and mission for us but will not order us to do His will.  As we looked at the scripture we see why Isaiah was willing to go and do what the Lord asked.  When he first saw the throne room, the seraphim and heard their proclamations of the holiness of God, he was overcome with the realization of his own sin.   “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5  The seraphim heard his distress and immediately came to him with cleansing fire in a coal.  The touching of the fire of God provided cleansing and forgiveness of sin for Isaiah.  We can experience that same cleansing and forgiven when we confront and confess our sins to Jesus. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Once Isaiah was clean he was able to hear and speak to God. Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 

 What is your response to God when He presents you with a task?  Are you willing to go like Isaiah or do you hedge and say “I’ll think about it” or “maybe later would be better?”  God in His aliveness spoke to Isaiah and we can be assured that He can and will do the same for us.   Are you willing to listen?

Isaiah was humbled by the appearance of the throne room and the presence of Almighty God.  He did not treat it lightly but realized what a privilege it was to be in God’s presence.  He knew he was sinful and became painfully aware of that leading to His cleansing. How would you response to the earsplitting sound of the seraphim saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;    the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke?   

Would you humble yourself and surrender to God’s will like Isaiah.  
You might ask, what is it you want Lord?  If you can’t think of something specific look at what God says in Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?   To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.” 

Or perhaps Jesus’ words came to your mind from Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Or 1 John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  God tells us in His Word what He desires of us.  Are you willing?

Lastly, think about the holiness of God. Alex defined holy as ‘set apart from the world.’  God is high and lifted up. He is set apart from His creation. Our English word “holy” is from the same root word as “whole.”  God is whole- perfect in goodness and righteousness.  No one is like God. Even God’s holy angels tremble in reverent worship before Him.  God sets apart His children for Himself and commands us to be holy as He is holy.  Being holy makes you whole, what God intends you to be.   Isaiah wanted to be aligned with God and His holiness. 
He replied to God, “Here am I. Send me!”   Then God replied, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’  

The mission God had for Isaiah was to give His Words of praise and comfort and to confront their sinfulness.  It was not an easy task. What God has for us is not easy either but we are assured in 2 Timothy 2:16-17 that His Word will equip us to do His work, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  Christ himself will be with us, Ephesians 4:11-12 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”   Are you willing to say Yes to God and go where He sends you?

Let Isaiah’s encounter with God open your eyes to your own sinfulness and need for repentance and surrender. Let his encounter open your eyes to the majesty and grandeur of God. Let his encounter open your eyes to see and experience God’s holiness and His desire for you to be holy through His Son Jesus.  “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” in John 14:6. 

Let Isaiah lead you to Holy Savior in Jesus.
Linda
 
 
SERMON LINK
ISAIAH: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE | Hope in Pursuing A Holy God
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Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.