Sermon Reflections from Forgiveness | Karyn Sorenson | May 26, 2024
What a pleasure it was to hear from Karyn Sorenson this Sunday. As her sending church, we take ‘pride’ in claiming her as one of our own and marvel at the way God had mightily used her counseling and teaching ministry gifts. We stand alongside her in prayer for the suffering people of Micronesia that are held in bondage spiritually and culturally by sin. She has been witness to many of these chains of bondage being lifted and cleansing redemption take hold of lives in the name of Jesus. She spoke to us from her heart this Sunday as she pointed us to forgiveness and the mighty character of God. In Matthew 18:21, Peter asks Jesus about forgiveness. “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answers this question with a parable which is the text of Karyn’s sermon. Matthew 18:23-35 recounts the story of a King, who is the picture of God in this parable, and his servant who owed him a ‘ton’ of money. When settling up his accounts the King finds out the servant owes him way more money than he could ever possibly repay. He tells the servant he is accountable for this and that his wife, children and he himself will be sold so the King can at least recoup some of his losses. The servant begs, ‘Please be patient with me’. The King took pity on him and forgave his debt and let him go. Directly after being released the servant found another of his fellow servants who owed him a bit of money. The forgiven servant grabbed him and began to choke him. The fellow servant begged, ‘Please be patient with me.’ The forgiven servant did not listen, was not moved or wasn’t even reminded of his recent close call with the same situation and had his fellow servant thrown into debtor’s prison where there was no possibility that he would ever get any monies from him- nothing but punishment without hope. Other servants saw how the first servant was forgiven and how he was unmerciful towards his fellow servant for the same exact problem. They were outraged and went and told the master, the king. The master, king, took immediate action and called the forgiven servant before him. He called him wicked for being forgiven and yet refusing to show forgiveness to his fellow servant. At that point he was handed over to jailers and was to be tortured until he should repay the debt he owed. Since there was no way to ever repay that debt, his was he was left without hope. Jesus concluded this parable saying in verse 35, ““This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” What do we learn about the King, God, from this parable? Karyn named several attributes of God that are clearly portrayed in Jesus’ parable. God is compassionate. The servant did not deserve his forgiveness and there was no possible way he could pay off his debts. The king forgave him all of it. God did this for us through Jesus’ work on the cross. Colossians 2:12-14 “ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” God is calling us to be compassionate too. Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. The parable also revealed that God has forgiving love. The king forgave the servant all his enormous debt. It was all wiped clean away. That is what God does for us when we accept Jesus into our hearts and trust in him. What the servant deserved was death in prison. Likewise Romans 6:23 tells us how God responded to our debt of sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s word tells us why God did this in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love motivated him to seek us out and offer us forgiveness, John 3:16-17 “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Lastly, Karyn reminded us that God holds us accountable too. Just like the king in the parable, God desires that we ‘pay it forward’ and treat others with the mercy and forgiveness that was shown to us through Jesus’ work on the cross. The heart of our forgiveness needs to rest upon how we were forgiven completely when we did not deserve it at all. James 2:12-13 puts it this way, “ Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” God expects us to live lives filled with mercy because we have received such mercy from God our father. God will hold us accountable for the way we treat others. He expects us to be forgiving, loving, compassionate and merciful even when it is undeserved. This is an unattainable attitude for our human nature so it is only through Christ within us that we can walk this pathway. Matthew 19:26 ““With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Thank you Jesus! Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube 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 Turning Anger into Love | Damon Hopkins | March 17,2024
I love to hear Damon speak as he always speaks from experience and a heart in tune with God. Like Pastor Alex when he began this series, he began with an experience of anger and its consequences. Damon’s experience was an anger or dislike of a person based on something he could not readily identify. The dislike or hatred grew each time he was with this person. Being in tune with the Holy Spirit within him, his spirit was agitated as his feelings did not line up with what he felt a Christian should feel. Damon turned to God and asked him to reveal the source of this dislike and turn it to good. Over time, Damon learned to love and appreciate this individual because God led and he listened. The Holy Spirit can and will do a mighty work within us moving, changing, refining, and molding our character so that we can better reflect our Lord Jesus. Damon has gleaned 3 principles about anger that he shared with us.
It was truly a pleasure to have Damon back to speak to us. He is a walking miracle and brings God’s light whenever and wherever he speaks. Thanks Damon for your heartfelt words of wisdom from Gods’ Word. Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube 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 Stumbling Over Anger | Alex Hardt | March 4,2024
Pastor Alex took time this week to instruct us on the makeup, use and disposition of anger in our lives. It is an emotion all of us have from time to time and the intensity of our anger varies. Often times we are angry without knowing the root cause of our anger and as in the case of an iceberg it is often very deeply hidden. In Ephesians 4 Paul speaks of this root as sin in 26-27 “ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. “ Misuse of anger leads to sin. James is very plain in James 1:20 “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Knowing that anger needs to be ‘handled’ so as to not to lead us to sin, we need to take it seriously and seek God’s help in controlling, recognizing and dealing with it. Pastor Alex said the recognizing the source urges us to uncover our emotions leads towards healing instead of destruction. How can we do that? Scripture gives us ways to see anger for what it is. Ephesians 4:26 would imply that anger can be continued day to day. It can fester and grow. By not letting the sun go down on our anger we are containing and addressing it right away. Letting it fester produces bitterness, more anger and strife. We do not want to let our anger grow. James 1:20 tells us “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” The anger of man for man’s sake or reasons is sin, it is not anger expressed righteously for something done against God. Man’s anger is self-driven and does not produce the righteousness of God. That anger causes us to sin and sinning does not work towards God but away from Him. 1 Corinthians 13:5 is speaking of love but also teaches us about anger. “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” Anger helps us keep a record of wrongs done to us for which we may want to seek revenge. Back to the question, how do we get rid of anger or overcome it? Scripture gives us advice on this in Ephesians 4:30-31 we are given a reason to be rid of it as well as what it includes. “ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Our sinful anger grieves the Holy Spirit, it saddens Him as it is not from God and of God. Paul advises us to get rid of it. Put it out of your life, leave it behind, make be inaccessible in your mind through the power of God. Pray, study, confess and ask God for His help. “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil’. Is the advice of the psalmist in Psalm 37:8 Proverbs 15:8 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” As you can see, scripture has much to teach us about anger. If this is an issue for you, pray and search scripture for comfort and strength to help with your anger issues. Pastor Alex wanted us to realize too that Satan is pleased with anger and as we have said it does not lead to God’s righteousness or right behavior. Satan wishes to destroy our witness and lead us away from God. He cannot take our salvation but he can destroy our witness, make us unhappy and lead us farther away, bringing grief to the Holy Spirit within us. I love the verses in 1 Peter 5:8-9 that Pastor referenced. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Overcoming Satan’s power to draw us into anger requires resisting, standing firm, being aware of this pitfall and taking him seriously. He is not a threat to God but is to us if we are not rooted, grounded and firmly focused on God. That’s why Peter, who experienced this first hand, tells us to be on guard- watchful and serious. Remember 1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Take Heart in Jesus! What does one conclude about anger and dealing with it in a godly way? Lean on Jesus, seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit to root out the causes of your anger. Be alert and seek to not give in to Satan’s schemes and devices to lure you into sinning with anger. God’s plan is for you to live righteously and glorify Him in your words and deeds. Ponder James 4:17 “ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” Be strong in Jesus! Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube 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 based on from Cosmic Interpretations, Galactic Forgiveness | Alex Hardt | January 28, 2024
What a wonderful way to end our series on Joseph and God’s goodness. Redemption and Forgiveness are at the heart of the gospel and were so well demonstrated in the story of Joseph. Our memory verse, Genesis 50:20 shouted out to us each week the truth of God’s sovereignty, goodness and omniscience. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Pastor Alex began with Genesis 45:1-4 where the story of Joseph’s revelation of himself to his brothers shows his great humility and love for his ‘lost’ brothers. During a great famine in the whole land, Joseph’s brothers had journeyed to Egypt to buy grain. (Joseph had interpreted a dream Pharaoh had concerning 7 good years and 7 lean years. Pharaoh believed Joseph and put him in charge of the plan to keep them all alive during the 7 lean years. Genesis 41.) In chapter 42, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain but did not allow his youngest Benjamin to go with them. While buying grain they encountered Joseph but did not recognize him. He required that they leave one of their brothers there and bring their youngest brother to him to verify their story, he had accused them of being spies. Then Joseph had his servants put the silver they had paid for the grain with back in their sacks. When the brothers discovered this, they were terrified and decided not to go back. Well, the famine continued and they eventually needed to return. The fact that Jacob’s youngest, Joseph’s brother, was required to go troubled Jacob immensely. All he could think about was how he had lost Joseph and feared losing Benjamin too. Judah promised that he would bring Benjamin back or die trying. When they appeared before Joseph this second time, they were very afraid of his retribution for the ‘stolen’ silver. Joseph as overcome with emotion at their meeting and said in Chapter 45:4-5 “ Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” After all that had transpired, Joseph had seen God’s hand in all that God had allowed to happen. He did not have hatred or revenge in his heart but overwhelming love. Joseph had seen God’s provision from the pit to the palace. He knew from experience God is sovereign and omniscient! He tried to relay this to his brothers, but they had not made the journey from pit to palace and did not understand Joseph’s love and compassion. Our life’s journey gives us opportunities to see God in action, experience His love, compassion and forgiveness first hand. If we allow Him to work in our lives we are enriched in both faith and character. Joseph is a wonderful example to us of God’s power of sanctification and how He grows and matures us in our faith. Joseph wanted restoration of his family and reconciliation with them not revenge. Joseph is an example to us of the power of forgiveness. His life was transformed from possible bitterness and hatred to love, acceptance and longing for his brothers and father. Forgiveness is transformative to each of us on the inside. It works it wonders by making us better in Christ. We can accept hurts, betrayal, wrongs and hatred and let them go. Christ will take those and replace them with love and kindness. Letting go frees us and gives us a new pathway in Him. Joseph certainly had a new pathway with his brothers and father and whole family who come to be cared for and settled in the land of Goshen. Where are your pathways leading you? Are you moving forward with forgiveness by embracing Christ? God promises forgiveness in Christ, Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Through forgives we are free to serve Him, Psalm 130:4 “But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” Our memory verse from our study of 1 John was 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” Forgiveness in Christ brings us into God’s light and the darkness is dispelled! Praise God! 1 Timothy 6:17 wisely speaks to us and I see Joseph lived by these principles. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Joseph kept his focus on God. May we do likewise and experience His providential care, forgives of sins and love. Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube 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 The Bible is A Love Letter | Alex Hardt | May 7, 2023
Pastor Alex started this series on the Bible with a passage in Ephesians that is jam packed with lessons and truths for all of us. As I read the portion with my name inserted as Pastor Alex asked us to do, it brings warmth, love and hope to my very being. Alex’s sermon points of God’s story being personal, a love letter directly for me and one that connects us to His love is fully explained as we go through the handout questions he provided. We can see what God has done for each of us that know Jesus as our Savior. What has God done for me and you?
Thanks Pastor Alex for leading us through these soul seeking questions. We can know God and know His answers for our life through His Word. His love letter to us in complete and gives us all we need for life and godliness. Linda SERMON LINK Click Here to View the Sermon 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. |
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