Do Not Free Only Believe

Do Not Free Only Believe

I want to start us off this week encouraging us to pray for our pastors and our government leaders.  One this we all need to remember is that none of them have ever been through anything like this.  The last major pandemic was the Spanish Flu of 1918.  Let’s be praying for supernatural wisdom for Fred, Carl, John, our President, our Governor, and all who have to make decisions during this time.

Let’s pray and begin.

Father, I do pray this morning for all our leaders: our three pastors, our government officials, those within the CDC, and others who are making decisions and policies during this very trying time in uncharted waters.  I ask that You would give them wisdom to make decisions.  I pray that You would help us to follow the directives and to help us to seek ways to encourage each other and spread the Gospel during this very trying time.

I pray also that You would give me Your words this morning, not mine, and that You would bless this meeting as it has a very different twist to it than what we are all used to.

A common topic as of late has been fear.  Fear of contracting the virus.  Fear of death.  Fear of a deep financial recession.  Fear of how all of this will affect our November elections.  But, as we all know, believers should not be people of fear.  We should exude joy and confidence in these tumultuous times. 

Faith in the Face of Pandemic

Faith in the Face of Pandemic

Welcome! In a world that is changing so quickly that it takes your breath away, I (Carl) want to open this morning with straight Scripture. I encourage you to let these truths, which you have all heard before, wash over you, so that you are reminded again of what you already know to be true.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:8

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9b

When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy. – Psalm 94:19

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philipians 4:6-7

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27

Gifts of the King

Matthew 9:9-34

Welcome!  Glad to see all of you here this morning!  We’re in the middle of a series on the book of Matthew entitled “The Kingdom of Jesus.”  In the decades before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, expectations grew for the Messiah who would bring the kingdom of God to earth.  For centuries, prophets had written about the coming King and kingdom, but the age of the prophets had seemed to end. Life in Israel at the time of Jesus was difficult as a result of foreign occupation and interference. Matthew gives us the fantastic true story of how in the midst of trying times Messiah had come.

King Over All

Matthew 8:18-9:8

One of my tasks this past week was to give some advice to two friends who are working in a remote part of Central Asia. Some cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been showing up in their country, leading to rumors that some borders might be closed and even internal travel restricted. These friends have been wondering if it would be better to just stay where they are or try to get out while they still can. I wasn’t sure what to tell them. It is very difficult to predict what the long-term impact of this virus will be. You probably saw the news recently that our top health officials are now predicting that there will be significant community transmission of the virus in the US and it is likely that more than half of the world’s population will eventually be infected. The human and economic cost could be massive. But it is just so difficult to know which predictions to believe.

In the uncertainty and chaos of the world around us it is good to remember what the title of this week’s message states: Jesus is king over all. This sermon series in Matthew is focusing on the kingdom of Jesus. He came not just to bring salvation and eternal life but also to proclaim this rule of God, to assert his authority over the world and everything in it. His reign means the defeat of Satan and victory over all the evil effects of sin.

Faith in the King

Matthew 8:1-17

If you interviewed people to see what they thought of Jesus I’m sure you would get a wide variety of responses.  Some would say that he was just a man, nothing more.  Some would say that he was a myth or legend.  Some would say that he was a great religious teacher and that we would all be doing good by applying the golden rule of loving our neighbor.  Others would say that he was a prophet speaking on God’s behalf, but he wasn’t God.  Some people would tell you that he was homophobic or sexist.  There are people that think of him as harsh and judgmental.  And there are some who would say that he only loves people and doesn’t judge anyone.  And still others would just say that they have no idea about him. I’ve heard people tell me all of those things, and then some.

Laws of the Kingdom: Not This

Matthew 6:1-7:6

Welcome! Today we continue our series into the book of Matthew, continuing with what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Our Title is a follow-up to last week’s title, which was “Laws of the Kingdom: Do This.” What we will see as we go through today’s passage is Jesus telling people what not to do in multiple areas of life.

One of the amazing things about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to me is how it speaks simultaneously to people in very different situations, and the message is quite different to different people even though they are the same words. This was true for those in Jesus’ audience on that day the message was given (and on other days Jesus gave similar words), and it is also true today to listeners like you and me.

True Identities

Matthew 5:1-16

Today we continue our series titled “The Kingdom of Jesus”.

But before we begin let’s pray and ask God for wisdom on how to apply His message from Matthew five verses one through sixteen to our life.

The title of Today’s message is “True Identities”. Today’s passage is commonly known as the eight Beatitudes.  The Beatitudes were named from the initial words in the Latin Vulgate Bible (beati sunt, translated in English as “blessed are”). Now the word Beatitude gets it’s meaning from the root of the Latin word beatus, meaning both “happy” and “blessed”.  This is why you will find some Bible translations of this passage have replaced the word blessed with the word happy instead.  This works well except for the second Beatitude (Blessed are those who mourn) because it is difficult to picture or comprehend being happy and grieving at the same time.  So in that case the word blessed may have been more appropriate. 

The Kingdom Has Come Near

Matthew 4:12-25

Welcome back to our series in Matthew. This is my first message of the new year and the new decade that we are now in. Does it still seem new to you or is writing the date correctly already old hat? I am anticipating some changes for me in 2020, though I don’t yet know exactly what God has in store. Do you feel like you are on the verge of something new? Some of you may be graduating this year and moving on to the next stage of your lives. Some of you will experience other types of changes in your life or work or family. Transitions can be a challenge, sometimes exciting and scary at the same time. That’s why it’s important for each of us to live with a sense of God’s purpose and an assurance that he is in control. He is always preparing us for what lies ahead.

Tested and Attended

Matthew 4:1-11

Welcome! Today we continue our series into the book of Matthew, picking up the story in Chapter 4. Last week, we looked at Chapter 3, which focused on the baptism of Jesus. The chapter ended with the following:

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16-17

Heralds of the King

Matthew 3:1-17

Who is familiar with Epiphany?  It is a holiday, a day of commemoration.  We typically do not point it out or celebrate it here in our church.  The word epiphany comes from the Greek and means to show or to reveal.  In western churches that do celebrate Epiphany, it is sometimes called Three Kings’ Day.  In other words, in the western church, Epiphany is often associated with the arrival of the magi to worship the child Jesus as told in Matthew 2.

I did not realize though that the arrival of the magi is only one event which is associated with this holiday on January 6^th or also the first Sunday after New Year’s.  In the Eastern Church, particularly the eastern orthodox churches, Epiphany is rather a commemoration of Jesus’ baptism which we are going to look at today in Matthew 3.