Sermon Reflections from Transform For God | Alex Hardt | August 13, 2023
 
Pastor Alex began his message on Transformation by God by helping us to see who God really is.  We know our finite minds cannot fully comprehend God, but He has given us reason and intellect to see that He is undeniably good.  His attributes describe His character both the things we cannot obtain like His incommunicable attributes of omniscience, omnipresence, eternality, immutability and omnipotence.  God also has communicable attributes like love, holiness, grace, peace, faithfulness, wisdom, and kindness.  In these communicable attributes we cannot attain the fullness of His character but we can draw nearer and have those as part of our character too.  It is like saying He wants us to be more and more like the character of Jesus, His Son.  I was reading Psalm 89 this morning and came across these verses that seem to mirror what Alex was saying.  Psalm 89:6-9, 14-15
For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
The psalmist was seeking to understand and praise Almighty God.  God is above all and worthy of our praise and love.
Once we grasp who God is, we see Him in stark contrast to the sin-filled world we live in.  We see His motives, ways and actions are above this world and are pure and driven by his Omnibenevolent character.  The world is motivated and driven by greed, hate, discrimination, hopelessness, division, and strife as a result of SIN.  When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they brought sin into a perfect world.  Sin corrupts both man and the world in which he lives.  Pastor Alex reminded us that when we identify with the world and let it dictate who we are and what we are doing, we buy into a destructive narrative that leads to death.   We see the truth of Romans 3:23 in our own lives. “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   If we follow the world’s standards we fall short of what God has for us.  We let sin invade and pervade our lives.  If we turn to Him, we can see an end to the destructiveness of the world and its influences.  Romans 6:23 reminds us of the joy of turning to God “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Christ is the answer and the way to God.
Pastor Alex’s final point in our transformation to God was to receive the promises of God and to reorient ourselves to God and His plan.  We know from Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  We will never fully understand God but we can know His character and His promises. His promises are true and are tangible hope we can cling to as we seek to follow Him.  He are a few life changing promises you can claim.
The accessibility of God Almighty in my life:  Psalm 86:5-7 “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.6 Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.”
The faithfulness of God in my life:  Lamentations 3:21-23 “Yet this I call to mind   and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,    for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning;   great is your faithfulness.”   And Matthew 11:28-30 ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
 
The Forgiveness of God towards me:  1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
 
The Guidance of God in my life:  Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
 
The Hope God give into my life: Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  And 1 Peter 1:3-5  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
 
The Salvation God gives through my faith in Jesus:  John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
 
The Love God inputs into my life for now and into eternity:  John 3:16 “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.”
 
Which promises of God will you claim today?  Which will you use to reorient your life and your thinking towards God?   God keeps His promises- ALL of THEM!
Linda
 
If you want to study more about living a life that is more and more like Jesus, try my devotional book “Strategic Living.”   If you want to study more about specific promise try my devotional book “Promises for Dynamic Living.”  I have copies of both or you can order them from Amazon or Certa Publishing.  Both are topics I am passionate about.

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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.

SUSermon Reflections from Transform For Mission | Alex Hardt | August 6, 2023

Pastor Alex sought to answer the basic questions we all have: Who am I? Where do I belong?  Why am I here?   When we succeed in answering these questions basic to life, we become more self-assured, hopeful and motivated.  We can all agree that without the answers to these questions we will be doubting life, drifting, not connected and without purpose.  Those without Christ seek answers in the world with things, people, projects, education, etc.  Those with Christ know He holds the answer to each questions providing us with hope, motivation and value.

Pastor Alex began with Who am I?   He wanted us to see how God sees us and gives us value. Our identity and our value is given to us by God.   God was intentional in our design and loves us even when we do not love Him!  I particularly liked Ephesians 1:4-6 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”  We are loved and valued by God and He made a way for us, sinful man, to be blameless in His sight through Jesus. Our value and identity come though Jesus as God loved us so much He made the ultimate sacrifice in sending His Son to redeem us. “ 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.”  John 3:16.   God’s motivation was LOVE.  He desires a relationship with us and He made a way for that to happen. My heart is always gladdened when I read Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in his: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   God loved and valued me even before I came to Him.   How wonderful is that?!!!

Next, Pastor Alex tackled the question of Worth with the concept of where do I fit in?  Where is my place in this world?  Where do I belong?   Our worth comes from God.   We are His treasured possession as proclaimed in Exodus 19:5 “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,”   How does that make you feel?  The God of the Universe loves and treasures you!  Jesus also spoke of his family and our adoption into His family. Romans 8:15 tells us that we belong to Him and can call God our Father.  “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  We are adopted into His family.    Mark 3:34-35 “ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”  Each and every believer Jesus considers His brother and sister.  How much more valued can we get?  Belonging to the King is a special place and honor. Galatians 4:6 tells us how we can know for sure we belong to Him. “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  His Spirit within us is our proof.  I claim the truth of Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”  Praise God we can know and feel His presence in our lives and know for certain we are loved by Him!

Lastly, Pastor Alex answered the question, Why am I here?   The basic answer is God created us for a purpose to glorify Him and for His pleasure.  His pleasure will bring us pleasure too. His purposes will give meaning and definition to our lives.  One of my favorite scriptures I claim is Jeremiah 29:11-12   “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.”   We are made for relationship with him.  He promises direction, a listening ear, hope, a future and plans that are for my benefit.   There are multiple scriptures that guide us in seeing God has a plan and a purpose for which we were made.  Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’  God has a purpose and plan for all things.  Colossians 1:16  “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.“  This gives me comfort in knowing God has a plan for our world and nothing happens without His allowing it. 

We know that God has a plan and purpose for us but how do we know what that is? 1 Peter 4:10 gives us a glimpse into this. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”   We are to use our gifts given though the Spirit in addition to His Word as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 suggests. “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.”   He has good works for us to do that will benefit the body of Christ. “  How personally are we to take this work God has for us.  Here is Paul’s perspective in  Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   How serious are you about serving, using your God given gifts, studying the Word for direction and guidance and prayer?
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Blessings as you ponder life’s questions and the answers God gives through Jesus.  Comb the scriptures and you will see abundant proof of His LOVE, Your WORTH in Him and Your PURPOSE! 
Linda
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MESSAGE LINK
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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.