Sermon Reflections from Transform Through Others | Damon Hopkins | August 20, 2023
 
After hearing Damon’s impassioned sermon about sharing Christ with others, I asked myself what did I learn or experience that I want and need to share this week?   Damon’s premise was – if I love the Lord, then I should be compelled by my love for Him and excited to share it with anyone and everyone I meet.  Many of us are so worried about the circumstances, is it the right time?, will it be received? is it the right place to share?, that we decide the answer is No- it is not the right time, place or people and say nothing.  

As Damon pointed out saying nothing is not an option!  We are commanded by Christ to go and share.  Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Jesus did not say, do you want to?, He said, Go and do it!   He seeks to reassure us that He will be with us and empower us though His Holy Spirit all the way! 

So again, what did I learn that I can share?  I learned anew that it is my privilege to share God’s love with others.  I have His Spirit living inside me and I feel His love and care every day.  Why wouldn’t I want to share that with someone so they can feel loved and cared for by the Lord Almighty?  As I was reading in Psalms this morning Psalm 107:1-3 jumped out at me. 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story--
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.

Those of us who know Christ as our Savior are redeemed.  He bought us back from the pathway to death and gave us life through our faith in Jesus’ work on the cross.  We need to tell our story-how we came to faith, what God is doing in our lives, the benefits we see each day in walking with Jesus.  God is good and works in my life each and every day.  I need to look around, see Him and His work in my life, and talk about it to others. Say So!

Another thing I learned was from Ezekiel 33:1-6 “The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’  Believers are put in this world as watchmen, like Ezekiel was.  We are to watch and warn others about the coming destruction.  God’s judgement on sin. 

​Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  If they listen and heed our warning, praise God!  If they do not, then the consequences are on them.  However, verse 6 says, it is our responsibility as God’s watchmen to warn others and if we do not we will be held accountable.  That is a sobering thought, Jesus asks us to tell others about His plan of Salvation and if we remain silent and do not speak of Him we will be held accountable.  Damon reminded us of this with his life verse: Matthew 10:32-33 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.  Sobering words.
I am convicted anew of the truth our memory verses hold for us. 

​Philippians 2:1-2.  Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  If we experience Christ in our lives tell others, say so!

Thanks Damon for the challenge to speak up and speak out about our love for Christ.  It is a command and good to be reminded it is a privilege with benefits. 
Linda

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Sermon Reflections from The Bible is A Guide | Alex Hardt | May 14, 2023 
 
Pastor Alex started us out with Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”   Why is it important to be reminded that God’s Word is eternal and unchanging?  First, I think it goes to the lastingness of the Bible’s Words of truth.  Second, it reminds us that God does not change, He is immutable, and so is His Word.  Why would we want to base our lives on truth that was not lasting and solid? God’s Word is just like God, the same yesterday, today and forever.  We can count on it as we seek to build our life on something solid.  If it changed from generation to generation, it would be like building our lives on sand which can shift or even be blown away.  I am thankful that God’s Word is constant and that the ancient words have truth and meaning for my life today just as it did for those who came before me. 

In addition to God’s Word being immutable, it is also alive.  Pastor Alex pointed us to 1 Peter 1:23 in addition to Hebrews 4:12 that speaks of the dynamic living Word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 “ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”  Something that is alive has the ability to interact with the living and effect change.  That is what the Word of God does in our lives.  God’s Words are alive. His Word changes us from the inside out.  Praise God for His Word that works within us!

God’s Words are sharp and may have to cut deep to expose our sins. They desire to bring into the light that which is dark and causing us grief or distress.  These are things that grieve God that we are allowing to have a place in our lives.  He desires to see us rid of them.  Hebrews 4:12-13 in the Message translation explains how piercing God’s Word can be “God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.”  God wants to get our attention and often uses His Word to do just that!  He desires that we have a new heart and character that is responsive to Him. Ezekiel spoke of this transformation in Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”   God’s Words are sharp and pierce the deepest most secret parts of our heart.  We cannot hide our true nature from God.  He know our heart and desires to give us a new heart and a new spirit! 

Lastly, Pastor Alex reminded us that God’s Word will be used to judge our actions, attitudes and thoughts.  Have you considered how you might be willfully going against God’s Word?  Do you tell small ‘harmless’ lies?  Do you treat others with callousness when you are having a bad day?  Do you think unwholesome thought towards your family, friends or enemies?  Hebrews 4:13 in the Message came with a warning, “. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.”   I like the analogy God used for Amos to show the people His standards.  

Amos 7:7-8 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”
“A plumb line,” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

The plumb line that God gave to Israel was his Word. That was their guiding line to measure all things against to see if they were true, uplifting and honoring to God.  We have that same plumb line today in the Bible.  It is God’s truth to which we can compare anything and everything.  I love our memory verse for this week from Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet,  a light on my path.” Thank goodness we have God’s Word to light our pathway so that we will not stumble and fall into darkness.  God’s Word will hold us accountable, but also will give us direction and guidance through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Have a great week as you consider the power of God’s Word and what place you will give Him and His Word in your life. 
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.