S.U.M. It Up! 4-27-22

THE CHALLENGE 4-24-22

"The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years.  “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act.  Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting).  The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

Here is The Challenge for 4-24-22.

               1.  Are you currently suffering from grief?

              2.  Do you long for rescue?

              3.  What is your most common response to grief (fatigue, tears, sorrows, fears)?

              4.  Do you have the confidence of faith?

              5. What purpose can you see in grief?

Journals and pens are available at Kenwood for anyone who wants them.  If you are unable to pick them up at the church, I can mail them to you.  Just contact me via email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org) or phone call (248 417-9218).

4-24-22 Kenwood Church Live Stream

MY HOPE IS IN YOU: The Heart Broken by Grief 4-24-22

MY HOPE IS IN YOU: The Hear Broken by Grief 4-24-22

 

INTRODUCTION

 

As we concluded the sermon series, “The God of Hope,” on Easter we move into a series called, “My Hope is In You,” inspired by a book by Bill Crowder.  This series will look at psalms that comfort and mend the soul.  We will be looking at various topics in which we need hope.  Our topic this week is grief.

 

Charlie Brown “Good Grief!”

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross “On Death and Dying” (5 stages of grief)

 

“Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.”

                            Psalms 6:1-10 NIV

 

I.  GRIEF

                           

              A.  Grief is personal.

             

“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.”

                            Psalms 6:6-7 NIV

 

“My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.”

                            Psalms 6:7 NKJV

 

                            1.  The death of my beloved grandfather

                            2.  The death of our beloved Phyllis Washburn

 

              B.  Grief is honest.

 

                            1.  David has issues with others, but his greatest issue is with God.

 

                                          a.  David feels as though he is being punished.

 

“Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.”

                            Psalms 6:1 NIV

 

                                          b.  David feels this pain to the bones.

 

“My soul is in deep anguish.”

                            Psalms 6:3a NIV

 

                                          c.  David feels abandoned by God.

 

“How long, Lord, how long?”

                            Psalms 6:3b NIV

              C.  Grief is painful.

 

“Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.”

                            Psalms 6:2 NIV

 

                            1.  Grief makes us weak.

                            2.  Grief hurts down to the core.

 

              D.  Grief longs for rescue.

 

“Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?”

                            Psalms 6:4-5 NIV

 

                            1.  David recalls his favorite refrain, “HIs love endures forever.”

                            2.  David remembers that God will rescue him.

 

II.  GRIEF’S DEEP RESPONSE

 

“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.”

                            Psalms 6:6-7 NIV           

 

              A.  Fatigue

 

“I am worn out from my groaning.”

                            Psalms 6:6a NIV

 

              B.  Tears

 

“All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”       

                            Psalms 6:6b NIV

 

              C.  Sorrows

 

“My eyes grow weak with sorrow;”

                            Psalms 6:7a NIV

 

              D.  Fears

 

 “they fail because of all my foes.”

                            Psalms 6:7b NIV

 

The only way out - the way of trust.

 

III.  THE CONFIDENCE OF FAITH

 

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

 

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

 

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

 

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

 

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

 

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

 

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;”

                            Job 13:15a NIV

 

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.”

                            Job 19:25 NIV

 

              A.  The present trust

 

“Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

                            Psalms 6:8-9 NIV

 

              B.  The future hope

 

“All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.”

                            Psalms 6:10 NIV

 

                            1.  Future tense of verse 10 compared to the present of verses 1-9

 

“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

                            John 16:22 NIV

 

              C.  Purposeful grief

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

                            2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

 

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it?"

                            C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

God is with us in our grief.  We have a deep response to grief.  We can overcome by the confidence of faith.

 

CHALLENGE

 

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers. 

 

              1.  Are you currently suffering from grief?

              2.  Do you long for rescue?

              3.  What is your most common response to grief (fatigue, tears, sorrows, fears)?

              4.  Do you have the confidence of faith?

              5. What purpose can you see in grief?

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life. 

S.U.M. It Up! 4-20-22

4-17-22 Kenwood Church Live Stream

THE CHALLENGE 4-17-21

"The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years.  “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act.  Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting).  The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

Here is The Challenge for 4-17-22.

               

             1.  Do you have any hope?

              2.  What is the hope of Easter?

              3.  Do you find hope in the resurrection of Jesus?

              4.  How has the hope of Easter helped you when you were lost?

              5.  What hope do you receive from the Scriptures? 

Journals and pens are available at Kenwood for anyone who wants them.  If you are unable to pick them up at the church, I can mail them to you.  Just contact me via email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org) or phone call (248 417-9218).

THE GOD OF HOPE: The Hope of Easter 4-17-22

THE GOD OF HOPE: The Hope of Easter 4-17-22

 

INTRODUCTION

 

I heard a story about a man who went on vacation to Israel with his wife, and his very difficult-to-deal-with and ever-nagging mother-in-law, and while they were there sadly the mother-in-law passed away.  So, the man was trying to figure out what to do with the body, where to bury her, and he went to a local undertaker and asked about it.  The man said, “Sir, it will cost you $5,000 to ship her back to the States, but you can actually bury her right here in the Holy Land for $150.”

So, the man thought about it for a few moments and said, “Alright, I’m going to go ahead and ship her back to America.”

 

And the undertaker said, “Sir, did you hear what I said?  You can bury her here in the Holy Land for $150, why would you want to spend $5,000 to ship her back?”

 

And the man replied, “Well, a long time ago, a man was buried here and three days later he rose again from the dead.  And I can’t take that chance.”

 

The resurrection changed everything.  Our world and our lives have been forever changed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

 

              A.  Where is your hope?

                            1.  Our hope is in God.

                            2.  Our hope is not in technology.

                            3.  Our hope is not in human solutions.

                            4.  Our hope certainly is not in politicians and governments.

                            5.  Our hope is not in churches or preachers.

             

“It’s been said that man can live 40 days without food, 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air, but not 1 second without hope.”

                            Anonymous 

 

              B.  Have you lost hope? 

                            1.  Covid

                            2.  Discouragement

                            3.  Marriage

                            4.  Job

                            5.  Family

 

              C.  Jesus’ followers lost hope

                            1.  Scared

                            2.  Burned out

                            3.  Jesus was not who they thought he was.

                                          a.  An earthly king

                                          b.  Avenger of Israel

                            4.  Jesus was murdered in cold blood.

                            5.  Some of them walked away (literally)

                                          a.  At least 2 disciples left town

                                          b.  They went to Emmaus.

                                          c.  They were joined by another traveler, Jesus.

 

So, let’s read what happens here in Luke 24:13-24:

 

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.””

                            Luke 24:13-24 NIV

 

I.  Easter Offers Hope for Ordinary People

 

              A.  Cleopas and his companion

 

              B.  Ordinary people like you and me

                            1.  Mary Magdalene

                            2.  Not Peter, James, or John.

                            3.  Cleopas is only mentioned one time and his companion doesn’t even get a name.

 

Quick poll.  How many of us were always the best at sports in our town?  How many of us were always the smartest person in class?  How many of us are the richest person in our community?  How many of us are more ordinary than extraordinary?  Easter offers hope for us ordinary people.

 

II.  Hope Is Not Always Easily Recognized

 

              A.  God is with you.

 

              B.  God is with you even if you can’t see Him.

 

“Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.”

                            Mark 16:12 NIV

 

This past fall I replaced my old garbage disposal.  After 4 months of a sink that drained very slowly, I turned the garbage disposal antimicrobial quiet collar sink baffle upside down and remarkably the sink flowed like it should.  Sometimes the answer is right in front of our eyes.

 

              C.  God is with you even if you can’t see Him and life is hard.    

                            1.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

                            2.  Daniel

 

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

                            Isaiah 43:2 NIV

 

“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.””

                            Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

 

III.  Easter Offers Hope When You’re Lost

 

              A.  We have all wandered and gone astray

 

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

                            Isaiah 53:6 NIV

 

Don’t run from God.  Run to God!

 

              B.  The resurrected Jesus of the Scriptures is our way back home.

 

I heard a story about a little boy in northern England who got lost.  The policeman found him crying in the shadows and he asked the little fellow where he lived.  But the little guy said he didn’t know where he lived.  “You don’t know you’re address son?”  “No, I don’t.”  So the constable started listing restaurants and stores and hotels but the boy didn’t recognize any of them.  Then the officer looked toward town and in the distance, there was a church that had a large steeple with a cross that was lit up.  And he said, “Son, do you live anywhere near that?”  And the little boy’s face lit up and he said, “Yes, lead me to the cross.  I can find my way home from there.”

 

              C.  The glory of God is our hope.

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

                            Romans 5:1-2 NIV

 

IV.  Easter Offers Hope Found in the Scripture

 

But although these guys were going the wrong direction on that first Easter, notice that Jesus doesn’t give up on them. 

 

              A.  Jesus guides them to the Scriptures

 

“He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?””

                            Luke 24:17-18 NIV

 

“but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.”

                            Luke 24:21 NIV

 

              B.  The Scriptures restored their hope.

                            1.  The truth of the Scriptures.

 

“He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

                            Luke 24:25-27 NIV

 

                            2.  The purpose of the Scriptures.

 

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

                            Romans 15:4 NIV

 

                            3.  The effect of the Scriptures.

 

“They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””

                            Luke 24:32 NIV

 

              C.  The Scriptures remind us of the HOPE of Easter. 

 

As Paul writes in his letter to Titus,

 

“. . . we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us . . .”

                            Titus 2:13-14a NIV

 

 Or as Peter writes in the opening pages of his epistles,

 

“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,”

                            1 Peter 1:3 NIV

 

Author Willard Aldrich, in his book, When God Was Taken Captive, writes, “I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me.  Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack.  All that remained was the chimney . . . the charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession.  In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls.  It was evident that the child was crying.  Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy.  They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life.  Those words were, ‘Hush child, God ain’t dead!’” 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Easter offers hope.  Whether you are lost or found, Easter offers hope.  Whether you are paying attention or not, Easter offers hope.  Whether you are a “church” person or not, Easter offers hope.  The hope of Easter is the only hope we have.

 

Easter eggs

 

CHALLENGE

 

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers. 

 

              1.  Do you have any hope?

              2.  What is the hope of Easter?

              3.  Do you find hope in the resurrection of Jesus?

              4.  How has the hope of Easter helped you when you were lost?

              5.  What hope do you receive from the Scriptures? 

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life. 

S.U.M. It Up! 4-13-22

 

THE CHALLENGE 4-10-22

 "The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years.  “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act.  Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting).  The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

Here is The Challenge for 4-10-22.

              1.  Do you believe you have the Spirit of God within you?

              2.  Do you live like someone who has the power of God in them?

              3.  Do you need power for living?

              4.  Do you know that God has “given us everything we need for a godly life?”

                5.  Are you living in the power of the Spirit?

Journals and pens are available at Kenwood for anyone who wants them.  If you are unable to pick them up at the church, I can mail them to you.  Just contact me via email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org) or phone call (248 417-9218).

              

4-10-22 Kenwood Church Live Stream

THE GOD OF HOPE: Hope and the Holy Spirit 4-10-22

THE GOD OF HOPE: Hope and the Holy Spirit 4-10-22

INTRODUCTION

“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.”

                            Romans 15:13 NIV

David Platt in his book, Radical, has a chapter entitled "Beginning at the End of Ourselves -- The Importance of Relying on God's Power” (Subsection entitled - “Dependent on Ourselves or Desperate for His Spirit?”).

“This is where I am most convicted as a pastor that I am part of a system that has created a whole host of means and methods, plans and strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God. I am frightened by the reality that the church I lead can carry on most of our activities never realizing that the Holy Spirit of God is virtually absent from the picture.”

"Without the power of the Holy Spirit, all human efforts, methods and plans are as futile as attempting to propel a boat by puffing at the sails with our own breath.”

                            D.M. Dawson

Without the Holy Spirit the church could not exist. It is He who inspired the writers of Scripture, and He who dwells in every Christian, giving us life in Christ. All our efforts are dust and ashes apart from Him.

A young man asked an old rich man how he made his money. The old guy fingered his worsted wool vest and said, "Well, son, it was 1932, the depth of the Great Depression. I was down to my last nickel. I invested that nickel in an apple. I spent the entire day polishing the apple and, at the end of the day, I sold the apple for ten cents.

The next morning, I invested those ten cents in two apples. I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them at 5:00 PM for 20 cents. I continued this system for a month, by the end of which I’d accumulated a fortune of $3.50. (pause) Then my wife’s father died and left us ten million dollars."

When Jesus died for us He sent us the Holy Spirit, enriching us with all we need to live in Him.

                            (From a sermon by Greg Nance, The Holy Spirit, 12/5/2009)

 

I.  HOPE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

As Christians we may be compared with a reservoir for producing electrical power, like one of those you see when you drive to Niagara Falls. When we accept Christ, construction of our reservoir is complete. We now have the potential to be useful and to affect lives. But until the flood gates are opened and the cascading river waters pour through, no power is realized.  We open our lives to God and the Holy Spirit pours into us and through us. It is then we become most effective in God’s service.

As with the reservoir, this power-generating experience is not intended to be a one-time occurrence. It is to be an ongoing process. When our spiritual power runs low, we need to return to the Source and let the blessed Holy Spirit pour into us again, bringing fresh power.

                            From a sermon by Donnie De Loney, Pentecostal Power, 5/22/2012

              A.  Hope and the love of God

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

                            Romans 5:1-8 NIV

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

                            Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV

              B.  Hope and the family of God

 “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.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

                            Romans 8:15-17 NIV

II.  HOPE, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND PROMISE

Great Quote by A.W. Tozer on the Holy Spirit:

"If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what we’re doing in our churches would go right on and nobody would know the difference!

I do not believe in a REPETITION of Pentecost, but I do believe in a PERPETUATION of Pentecost—and there is a vast difference between the two!"

To be filled with the Holy Spirit means that we allow him to occupy and control every area of our lives. How much of you does the Holy Spirit have?

[Produce two glasses of water and two packets of Alka-Seltzer. Open one packet and empty into one glass; drop the other unopened packet into the other glass.]

Both glasses have the Alka-Seltzer, just as all Christians have the Holy Spirit. But notice how you can have the Holy Spirit and not his filling. Let's make it our goal this year to live in such a way as to unwrap the packaging around the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within us.

              A.  Hope and a promise

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

                            Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV

              B.  Hope and the promise of power

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

                            Romans 8:22-39 NIV

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

                            2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

              C.  Hope and freedom

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

                            Romans 8:18-21 NIV

III.  HOPE, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE BIBLE

“He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scripture in his hands has all he needs.”

                            Anonymous

              A.  Hope and the Word

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

                            Romans 15:4 NIV

              B.  The Word and the Spirit

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

                            1 Corinthians 2:6-14 NIV

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

                            Isaiah 40:31 NIV

CONCLUSION

N T Wright, the famous New Testament scholar talks about the task of Christians in the world. He says, "Many say, 'Oh yes, the Holy Spirit came in his place to live in us.' Yes, but for what purpose? The Holy Spirit came to empower us to be God's life in the world. We are to do the work of God in the world. We are to be God to the world. And we cannot do that alone. The church is God's redemptive community in the world. Without you, and without you joined with God's other children, God's work will not be done. He will not do it without us. He will not do it for us."

                            (From a sermon by Rodney Buchanan, The Message of Jesus, 11/16/2009)

"It’s not about how much of the Holy Spirit we have. It’s about how much the Holy Spirit has us."                                Steve Gulbronson

“God does not fill with his Holy Spirit those who believe in the fullness of the Spirit, or those who desire him, but those who obey him.”

                            Tony Abram

There is a children's sermon that tries to explain the Holy Spirit. It isn't original to me or to the first person I heard use it, but I think it's powerful.

I take an empty glove and tell the kids that it's a magic glove. I tell them it is amazing because it can pick things up. Then, I drop it on a hymn book or Bible and tell it to pick up the book. When it doesn't move, I apologize for its failure and assure them that I've seen it pick up books before. I suggest it might be too heavy, so I move to a smaller book. When it still doesn't work, I move to a piece of paper.

When it still doesn't work, one of the older children is usually on to me and says that I need to put it on. I then suggest that I neglected something important. A glove can't pick anything up without a hand inside it. Then, I share that we can't do anything significant unless the Holy Spirit is inside us. Just as the glove can do things with my hand inside it that it cannot do by itself, so we need the Holy Spirit.

And yet, so many believers try: to deal with their sin problems without calling upon the Holy Spirit; to handle their personal problems without getting guidance from the Holy Spirit; and to serve God without getting power from the Holy Spirit. How can this be? I believe it’s because we are thinking of the Holy Spirit as a resource rather than as God's Person in our lives. I think it’s because we think about the Holy Spirit as one point on our spiritual checklist instead of responding to the leading of the Holy Spirit in terms of growing in a wonderful relationship with God. I think it’s because we treat the Holy Spirit as our "Sunday clothes" instead of letting God be involved in our ordinary, daily life.

CHALLENGE

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers. 

              1.  Do you believe you have the Spirit of God within you?

              2.  Do you live like someone who has the power of God in them?

              3.  Do you need power for living?

              4.  Do you know that God has “given us everything we need for a godly life?”

              5.  Are you living in the power of the Spirit? 

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.