Sermon Reflections from Transform the World | Damon Hopkins | August 27, 2023
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This Sunday Damon embarked on part 2 of the sermon he started last week.  He reminded us that the first step is to take in from God.  Be that going to church, from Christian radio, podcasts, or your own study, we need to avail ourselves of hearing the Word and encountering God.  When we do, the next step is to take it and share it.  Our love for God is energized by encounters with Him.  We are to use opportunities within the week, within our sphere of influence to share about Him.  God commands us to do this in Matthew 28:19-20 “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.”

Part 2 of this process is to make the sharing real.  We are not perfect for sure, as we are all sinners saved by grace, but our sharing should be authentic and genuine to the core.  We should seek to reflect Jesus in our lives then the hearer or seer will see that our walk with Jesus reflects our talk about Jesus.  Damon had several examples of this from his life and pointed out to us that humility is required.  One needs to be quick to admit their inconsistencies and praise God for His forgiveness and righteousness that covers our sin.  Admitting our own constant need for the Savior requires humility. Although humility is difficult, scripture teaches us that it has great benefits.  It is the high calling of all Christians and helps us reflect our Lord and Savior to the world.
Benefits of humility:  Rest for our souls, Matthew 11:29
                               Salvation as our crown, Psalm149:4
                               Wisdom, Proverbs 11:2
                               Guidance and His teaching, Psalm 25:9
                               Grace, God’s unmerited favor, Isaiah 66:2b
                               Exaltation from God, Matthew 18:4, Matthew 23:12
So when Damon encourages us to be real, vulnerable and open in our sharing, it is the attitude God desires.  To be like Jesus we need humility in our walk with Him.  Our lives are constantly being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.  We need to listen, accept and respond with boldness so we may show Christ to our needy world.  

If we seek to show Christ in our lives, we will see a growth in the fruit provided by the Holy Spirit.  Check yourself, think back and reflect on how you have changed in regard to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life. 
Galatians 5:22-23  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.’  How have you seen growth in the fruits of the Spirit in your life?  Are you more forgiving, patient, faithful? 

Do you allow the Holy Spirit to use you to comfort others? 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 “ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
How about your desire to talk to others about Christ?  Do you feel His boldness spurring and engaging you in conversations that before you would have wanted to avoid?   Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Scripture also speaks of a hope that comes from His indwelling Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:3 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Are you feeling this, are you more hopeful in Christ and willing to share that hope of a solid affirmed future with others? Do experience peace when you know the situation is desperate but God gives you peace and joy?  That is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life!

How about your time with others at work or church?  Do you seek unity of Spirit or demand your own way? Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

The Holy Spirit imparts gifts to every believer.  Think about your gifts and ask yourself- am I allowing God to use them within me? 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6,7-11  Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 

There is much to ponder and evaluate this week.  If we are to reflect Christ in our lives we need to be humble and use the gifts God imparts to us through His Holy Spirit. 

Thanks Damon for your encouragement to dynamically seek to live for Jesus in both word and deeds.  It requires intentional living for Him!  Thankfully, those He calls he equips!  (Hebrews 13:21 and 2 Timothy 2:17)
Linda
 
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Pastor Alex used the text in Acts 16:9-15 to show us how encompassing God’s love is.  Last week we saw how Cornelius was let to faith in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. God meant for Gentiles to be included in His family. This week, we see Paul extending the love of Christ to Lydia, a gentile woman, who readily embraced Christ and then led her whole family to faith.  Both Cornelius and Lydia wanted their loved ones to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. They wanted them to know the joy of being filled with the Holy Spirit and having a purpose greater than themselves.   We see the God has not put limitations on His love and it cannot be contained.

Both Cornelius and Lydia brought their families to faith.  That required an open heart and a willingness to risk their lives and reputations.  The desire to see their loved ones come to know Christ surpassed any fears they may have had.  Is that the same with you?  Are you willing to ‘risk’ it to see your family come into the family of God?  Here we see that Lydia and Cornelius were willing, and through their open hearts they were able to lead generations to come into the knowledge and love of God.

Pastor Alex directed us to 2 Corinthians 5:20.  “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God’.   Lydia counted it a privilege to be Christ’s ambassador in her family and in her community.  An Ambassador is a spokesperson, an official of the highest rank who is sent on a mission.  The mission Lydia and Cornelius were sent on is the same one we are to embrace which, is to spread the good news of Christ, the gospel message.  Do you need to hone your ambassador skills?  Are you representing Jesus and speaking out for Him?  I am reminded of our memory verse for this week from Romans 1:16-17. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,  just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Are you willing to proclaim the gospel without being ashamed of it? Do you truly believe it contains the revelation from God, Christ, which allows us to live within His righteousness?  If so, it is the best message yet.  Hope, redemption, right living with God, what could be better?  If so, who do you need to tell this week?   You too can have an immeasurable impact for Christ right where you live: in your family, neighborhood, town and country.
Linda

   The ruins at Philippi which are just over the hill from the stream where Paul and Lydia worshipped. Continue reading Acts 16 for further adventures of Paul and Silas at Philippi that landed them in jail and led to the conversion of the jailer and his family coming to know Christ, too. 

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Alex Hardt with Joselin April 16, 2023
 
Joselin was a breath of fresh air in the pulpit this Sunday.  Her love for God and passion for His Word was evident from beginning to end.  She spoke with confidence and hope as she reflected upon the story of Tabitha or Dorcas as related in Acts 9:36-43.  The lessons and truth she gleaned from this passage reverberate throughout the gospel as she drew from passages to explain and give application to Tabitha’s life work for Christ. 

Tabitha was an energetic, resourceful and dedicated early Christian believer. She let her faith permeate her actions as she served and helped those around her with her gifts.  They truly mourned her passing and turned to the Apostle Peter to intervene when they found out he was in the area.  He came, saw where she was laid, sought to be alone in prayer and asked God to return her to life.  God did and her story became a testimony to God’s power and glory in the entire area.

Joselin had several key points about Tabitha’s life, work and faith that can be applied to our lives as well.  First, Tabitha had first-hand knowledge of God and believed in the eternal life that God offers.  John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’   She believed like Mary and Martha in Jesus’ power of resurrection.  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?”    Tabitha believed and knew that through Jesus she received the righteousness of God. His death on the cross and resurrection was what gave new life and hope to all believers.  We too can have knowledge of God through prayer and the reading of His Word.  We know from 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  Our knowledge of God is based on Christ’s work on the cross and through his death and resurrection He imputed His righteousness to us.  Praise God!

Having knowledge of God and His righteousness through Christ, Joselin went a step further.  Just as Tabitha knew God’s righteousness in Christ, she then needed to have faith.  Having knowledge is not enough.  One must appropriate that knowledge and apply it in our faith.   She quoted 3 verses to help us see how to apply our knowledge of God to our faith.  2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. Our faith takes the knowledge God has given us and grows it in and with His grace!   Ephesians 4:13 “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  This growing process is grace based in Christ and has as its goal- our maturity and unity together in Him.   Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”   Taking on the knowledge God, using His grace to grow our faith in Christ is all good but without our true belief that God exists and wants all things for our good and His glory it will be meaningless.  God is pleased when we believe in Jesus and have faith in our Heavenly Father.

So what happened in Tabitha’s life when she had knowledge of God, faith in God and was growing in Him through His grace and power?  She had a changed life as is expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  She was a new person in Christ, filled with the love of Jesus for all those around her.  From Jesus’ teachings, she knew the truths and actions required to live as Jesus commanded in Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’   Loving our neighbors is God’s way of having us show the world our love for Jesus and our commitment to Him.  We do that by being light and salt in our world.  We want to shine God’s light in our lives to point others to Jesus.  We want to be salt to heal, preserve, and flavor our world with the love of Jesus.  Tabitha did that as she willingly served those around her by sewing.

What ways has God used you or is He using you to reach out to those around you?  You may not be a seamstress but can you write a note of encouragement, cook a meal, or help a neighbor with a project….? The list is endless of ways we can show God’s love to those around us.  As you reflect on Joselin’s words this week, pray and ask God to show you someone who needs a hand and commit to being there for them. 

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.