Alex Hardt    The Altitude of Gratitude, Clicked Into Others on November 20, 2022

Pastor Alex and Pastor Damon gave us a sober reminder this Sunday from Ezekiel 33:2-7.  Did you identify with the watchman? Do you see yourself as one who is a herald for Jesus?  The passage was clear that if we know there is trouble coming and don’t take heed ourselves then the destruction is ours to bear.  If however, we see trouble coming and do not shout a warning to others of the coming destruction then their deaths are on us and God will hold us accountable. 

As a culture we like to think of ourselves as independent and the masters of our own destiny.  The truth for every believer is that we are inter-related to one another in love because of Christ’s love for us.  He loved us first as Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Christ specifically commissioned us to tell others and love them.

​John 13:34-35 ““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

You many ask, what does love have to do with it?  If you know something is going to happen to a love one, then you act and try to prevent it, right?  God tells us that each and every believer is a loved one of His and we are to act in love towards them.  He also includes non-believers.  We are to act differently from the world and love them, show them grace and give them the message of salvation.

Romans 10:16-17 remind us, “But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”    We have to tell them about Jesus and His love and sacrifice for all. 

Pastor Alex reminded us that refusing to open your mouth and tell others is considered by God an Act of Rebellion.  It sounds like the child that whines, why me Lord?  Why do I have to tell them?  Why do I have to warn them that “the wages of sin is death” Romans 3:23 and that “ Jesus is the way and no one comes to God except through Him”  John 14:6.  Can’t someone else tell them, I’m busy, I don’t like them, they are mean to me, they aren’t worth it….. Jesus’ answer, is NO!  It is your privilege to tell them about me because you LOVE ME and I LOVE You and I Dwell within you!  Jesus empowers us to tell others and gives us the words and love for them.

This Thanksgiving be bold and speak of the love of Jesus to those around your table.  Tell them of what Jesus has done for you and continues to do each and every day.  Let them know and see your love for Jesus.  I spoke at the memorial for my best friend earlier this year.  The line that God gave me to repeat was, “My friend Joan loved Jesus”.  It was evident in how she spoke and acted.  Words of praise and encouragement were on her lips and she loved to talk about her Savior. She loved Jesus.  What about you? What is on your lips- words of praise and thanksgiving or words of discouragement and selfishness?  If you love Jesus, it will be easy to speak about Him and what He’s done for you.  Damon exemplified this in the story he shared about the job he miraculously got at Safeway that allowed him to share his new faith and new found love for Jesus with others. 

Remember Psalm 107:2 “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    whom he has redeemed from trouble”

SERMON LINK
The Altitude of Gratitude | Climbing the Relationship Mountain
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Sermon series, "The Altitude of Gratitude" Today Alex and Damon teaches from Ezekiel 33:2-7

​If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.

October 24, 2022 following Pastor Alex Hardt's sermon of October 23, 2022.

I thought Pastor Alex made a compelling argument as he sought to explain why we can believe in the miracles of science as well as the miracles of faith.  They are not exclusive from one another.  One of the key factors is to look for the goodness of God in all things.  We see God’s goodness reflected in the beauty of the world around us, the intricacy and complexity of all life forms and the vastness of the universe.  I know our ability to see the goodness of God is dimmed by sin.  Before sin entered the world, God’s creation was all good and humankind was very good.  (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 25, 31) Since sin entered the world all creation has suffered.  Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:20-21 “20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.   Man suffers along with all creation due to the effects of sin. One of those effects is doubt.  Eve doubted God’s truthfulness about the effects of eating from the tree of good and evil.  She chose to believe the serpent’s lies.  As a result we all suffer.

We can apply this to science as well.  Do you chose to believe that God created all things or in some big bang force?  Do you believe in the creation of mankind by a benevolent being or by chance or an accident of nature?  Choosing to believe in the goodness of God and His power of creation is a choice of faith.  The Bible tells us that faith is a gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—   

What do I do if I don’t have faith?  If you truly desire to believe in God and His Son Jesus- pray and ask God to reveal himself to you.   Open His Word and read and mediate upon it.   Open your eyes and heart to see God in the world around you.  Look at the natural beauty of creation and also the love and kindness of others.  Jesus promises if you seek him, he will be found. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  God keeps His promises and you will find Him! Be a seeker of His truth and love!

Got Faith?  If you have faith, ask yourself do you live like you believe in God?  Are you open to His leading in your life?  Do you thirst for greater knowledge of who God is and how to serve Him?  Do you live in a way that reflects the goodness of God?  All of these are questions for serious prayer and meditation, but I would encourage you to see that goodness in our character is a result of being with God, being indwelt by His Holy Spirit and knowing Jesus as Savior.  In Christ alone we find the power to behave with goodness and reflect the quality of goodness of God in our lives. 

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  We are personally made by God, His way, to do good things and reflect His glory.   May Paul’s prayer for his fellow Roman Christians be upon our lips and in our hearts as we seek to do good and bring glory to His name.

Romans 15:5-6   “ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is good all the time!
Linda

SERMON LINK
Why? God... | Are Science and Faith Opposed?
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Sermon series, "Why? God...." Today Alex Hardt teaches from Luke Genesis 1-2

​If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.

I am disturbed when I hear people say, ‘there are many ways to God.’  Jesus spoke plainly that HE was the only way to come into right relationship with God. He is the only one who can make us clean before God. He is the only one who can reconcile us to God and eliminate our sin.
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Sin is what separates us from God since Adam and Eve brought sin into the world and changed our very natures. We are born with a sin nature- a bent towards sinning. There is no way for man to ‘make himself or herself’ acceptable to God. We cannot be good enough, do enough good works, keep ourselves from having impure thoughts, or just trying to be good. We cannot do it! Only God! According to the scriptures, God’s plan to save humankind is by providing a Savior who will take our burdens, sins, and punishments upon them. Jesus is the only way!

Jesus had gathered his disciples in the upper room for a final session of teaching before his death. He assured them that He was going to prepare a place for them and that they would one day be with him there. Thomas, the doubter, asked “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” in John 14:5.  Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except though me.”   This promise of Jesus gives us hope and assurance. Here are several lessons and truths we can glean from this verse alone.

1. Jesus is the only way to come into a relationship with God. Jesus says plainly it is through him and him alone that we can know and see the Father. Because we know Him, we can know the truths about our Father in heaven.

2. Through Jesus we can have a life that is full and eternal. In Him we can have abundant life that is filled with hope and assurance.                     

3. Jesus reveals the truth that is God and about God. Knowing Jesus leads us to see truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Knowing truth in Jesus brings us to God.

So, what is keeping you from trusting Jesus? Are you having doubts about the exclusivity of Jesus and His way?

Look at John 3:16, it shows why God sent Jesus—it was because He loved us and desired us to be with Him eternally. “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.”

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to humankind by which we must be saved.”   Paul states it plainly too that Jesus is the only way to salvation.

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Just as Jesus assured the disciples, through Him we can know the way to heaven, to an abundant life and greater knowledge of God. Claim it! Live it with Jesus today!

​Linda

SERMON LINK
Why? God... | Is Jesus The Only Way?
Click Here to View the Sermon
Sermon series, "Why? God...." Today Damon Hopkins teaches from John 14:1-7

​If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am.
​Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.