THE ANGELS OF CHRISTMAS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Zechariah (Luke 2:1-20) 12-22-24

THE ANGELS  OF CHRISTMAS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Zechariah (Luke 2:1-20) 12-22-24

Christmas Angels - faith, mercy, hope

When you think of joy, what event comes to mind?

Christmas Joy: A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds 96% of all U.S. adults celebrate Christmas (consistent over the past decade). This includes a high level of participation, 84% among non-Christians. Most Americans feel positive toward Christmas. 50% say it is a great time, including 15% who say it is the best time of the year. An additional 35% say it is a good time. 8% say it is neither good nor bad, and 3% say it is a bad time. Younger adults are more likely than older adults to describe it in positive terms. 61% of 18-29-year-olds say it‘s the best time of year or a great time. Among those 30-49 it’s 54%, with the 50-64 set it’s 45% and just 38% for those 65 and older.

Gallup Alert, 12/22/05.

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. 

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2:1-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  GOOD NEWS

Our world is desperately in need of some good news. Suzanne Jennings wrote this song in 1999:

I woke up Monday morning, walked out on the lawn

My eyes were barely open, and my mouth began to yawn

Picked up the daily paper, every single headline said,

That this ole world is full of trouble, and I wished I'd stayed in bed.

Sometimes the bad that's goin' on's enough to bring you down.

Turned on my television and began to flip on thru

All 100 channels, On Demand, and Pay per view

Not one message had a meaning that was good in any way

Just before I wrote the whole world off, I heard the Father say,

"Don't forget what I have promised, you can overcome it all!"

Well my knees began to shake, and my heart began to beat,

And a funny new sensation worked its way into my feet

The Spirit of glad tidings came from somewhere deep inside,

And holdin' back the flood was just like holdin' back the tide.

I couldn't help but circulate to everyone I know.

I'll spread this talk all over town about the peace and joy I've found in You, good news!

This story is about to break and blessed are the feet that take the Truth, good news!

I'm slippin' on my gospel shoes--Cause I've got good, good news!

Suzanne Jennings, “Good News” performed by Gaither Vocal Band, Sermon Central, 1999.

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Jesus will be born.

B.  Jesus will be savior.

C.  Jesus will be messiah.

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!””

‭‭ Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭42‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

How do we respond to this good news?  Look at how we sing about our faith.

Sadly, our period in history is not, by any means, the first to argue, fight or shoot at one another over our opinions about what does and does not make a worthy song of worship. Nor is ours the first in which there were scores of people in the congregations who sang the words of their worship songs from habit and rote memory, rather than from heart and with imminent understanding -- even during such ’high holy seasons’ as Christmastime.

In the first half of the 18th Century in England, many of the hymns that we still fondly remember and sing today were written. Some of them were popular from their inception and kept with the traditions of their day. Others sought to make adjustments respective to a changing and adjusting people and were met with great criticism. Interestingly enough, of those that continue to survive and be sung today, the most prolific hymn-writer was one of these ’radicals.’ Isaac Watts, the author of such hymns as ’O God, Our Help in Ages Past,’ ’I Sing The Mighty Power of God,’ ’When I Survey The Wondrous Cross,’ ’At The Cross,’ ’We’re Marching to Zion,’ and many others, was met with great controversy by his own contemporaries. In fact some of the church leaders of his day insisted that no ’sound Christian’ should ever sing a hymn written by Isaac Watts!

One of his earliest and most controversial songs, however, grew to become one of today’s most popular and endeared Christmas carols - "Joy To The World," written in 1719. What, you may ask, could be so controversial about "Joy To The World"? In Watt’s day many of the most prominent Christians (especially the Calvinists, of which Watts himself was), taught that ALL songs sung in church MUST be very close, literal word-for-word translations of the Psalms. When Watts wrote "Joy To The World," he based the lyrics on Psalm 98. However, rather than write it as a very close, literal word-for-word translation, he re-wrote it as an expressive paraphrase.

Why would Watts so ’buck’ the traditions and conventions of his day, especially in relation to communicating Scripture? It starts with his experiences as a teen, where he became increasingly frustrated that so few people seemed to be genuinely showing or understanding their faith while they were singing the psalms in the traditional form. He began to write his own hymns in order to bring more life and understanding to worship. To accomplish this, he sought to write songs that remained true and accurate to Scripture, but that would also be expressed in words and ways that people would more easily understand, remember and celebrate.

Todd Leupold, "Joy To The World," Sermon Central, 12/21/2008.

II.  GREAT JOY

To quote Charles Spurgeon:

"It is joy to all nations that Christ is born, the Prince of Peace, the King who rules in righteousness . . . Beloved, the greatest joy is to those who know Christ as a Saviour . . . The further you submit yourself to Christ the Lord, the more completely you know Him, the fuller will your happiness become. Surface joy is to those who live where the Saviour is preached; but the great deeps, the great fathomless deeps of solemn joy which glisten and sparkle with delight, are for such as know the Saviour, obey the Anointed One, and have communion with the Lord Himself...you will never know the fullness of the joy which Jesus brings to the soul, unless under the power of the Holy Spirit you take the Lord your Master to be your All in all, and make Him the fountain of your intensest delight."

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Our sins are forgiven.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.””

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  God's promises are fulfilled.

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  With faith, mercy and hope bring joy.

Someone once said, “The difference beween happiness and joy is that happiness comes from happenings and joy comes from Jesus.”

A few years ago Michael Bublé wrote a song that became very popular among the young military members deployed and their loved ones back home. The title was simply, “Home.” One part of the lyrics describes this painful separation from those we love with the words,

Let me go home

I'm just too far

From where you are

I wanna come home.

As we walk this adventure of life together on the highway to heaven, we know that every day brings us a little closer to the other side of eternity, when we will be with our beloved Jesus face-to-face, along with all others who love him. That’s our true home. We don’t rush our homecoming; we depend on God’s timing. Yet, because of the certainty of the life ahead, we can have an eternal joy, no matter what life brings our way here.

Kerry Haynes, Sermon Central, December 15, 2019.

“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

III.  GLORIFYING AND PRAISING

A.  What is the result of joy?

B.  What do you do when you rejoice?

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭47‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.””

‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  What reasons do you have to rejoice today?  

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

CONCLUSION

We have been given Good News. (Jesus has come.)  We have reason to rejoice.  (Our sins can be forgiven.)  We must glorify and praise God for what He has done.  (He has offered us salvation.)

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.”

‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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.

12-18-24 S.U.M. It Up!

    

12-15-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THE ANGELS OF CHRISTMAS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25) 12-15-24

THE ANGELS  OF CHRISTMAS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to  Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25) 12-15-24

“God is with Us” 10 day devotional

The Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth

INTRODUCTION

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  THE HOPE AND PROMISE OF MARRIAGE

“The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

‭‭ Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Marriage should be honored by all,”

‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭4A ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

‭‭ 1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Hope

B.  Wishful thinking

C.  Reality

Marriage is when you agree to spend the rest of your life sleeping in a room that’s too warm, beside someone who’s sleeping in a room that’s too cold.

Unknown

II.  HOPE IN THE LIGHT OF DISAPPOINTMENT

A wife woke up one morning and said, “Honey, I just had a dream that you bought me a new gold necklace. What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know, but Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Tuesday, you’ll know,” He replied.

A few nights later, she again woke up after having a dream, “This time, I dreamed you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know Tuesday,” He replied.

The night before Valentine’s Day, she again woke up telling him about her dream, “This time I dreamed that you brought me a diamond necklace. What do you think it means?”

“Honey, be patient. "You’ll know tonight." he said.

That evening, the husband came home with a package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it--to find a book entitled, "The meaning of dreams."

Steve Miller, Sermon Central, February 12, 2006.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  How do we deal with reality?

One Christmas my husband put an assortment of beauty products in my stocking. I tried one of the facial masks, and was about to wash it off when my eight-year-old son, Callum, walked in. I explained to him that it was a present from his dad and it would make me beautiful.

He patiently waited by my side as I rinsed and patted my face dry.

“Well, what do you think?” I asked.

“Oh, Mom, it didn’t work!” Callum replied.

Lynn Thibodeau, Ajax, Ontario

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

‭‭ 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  The foundation of hope is trust.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

‭‭ Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

III.  HOPE IN THE PROMISE OF GOD

A.  Angel - the messenger of God

B.  God's Word - our source of hopeful information

C.  Faith - trust in God

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

IV.  LIVING IN HOPE

In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert hit the Louisiana coast. At that time it was considered the “Storm of the century.” It battered the shoreline, severely disrupting the shrimping business. Many shrimp boats were lost, causing great concern for several families dependent on shrimping for their livelihood.

On the morning news I watched an interview with a shrimp boat owner. He was asked how the storm would impact the shrimpers. With the devastation of Gilbert as a backdrop, this man said, “well, there is a good side. The storm will have stirred up the bottom of the ocean, making for better shrimping once we’re able to get back out there.” This man understood hope!

Stevenson, P. (2007). 5 Things Anyone Can Do to Lead Effectively (p. 18). Indianapolis, IN: WPH.

A.  Joseph woke up and did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him.

B.  Joseph took Mary home as his wife.

C.  He did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son.

D.  He gave him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

“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

Eugene Peterson (Living the Message: Daily Help for Living the God-Centered Life) points out that what a lot of people call hope is in reality something different. It's wishing, not hoping: and wishing and hoping are not the same thing.

"Wishing," Peterson says, "is something all of us do. It projects what we want or think we need into the future. Just because we wish for something good or holy we think it qualifies as hope. It does not. Wishing extends our egos into the future; hope grows out of our faith. Hope is oriented toward what God is doing; wishing is oriented toward what we are doing."

Peterson goes on to say that we can picture wishing as though it were a line coming out from us with an arrow on the end, pointing into the future, pointing toward that thing we most want to possess. Hope is just the opposite. It's a line that comes from God out of the future, with its arrow pointing toward us.

"Hope," he continues, "means being surprised, because we don't know what is best for us or how our lives are going to be completed. To cultivate hope is to suppress wishing -- to refuse to fantasize about what we want, but live in anticipation of what God is going to do next."

HomileticsOnline.com, 11/27/11, illustration for Psalm 85.

CONCLUSION

Have you ever seen the Christmas classic, A Christmas Story, the saga of a little boy named Ralphie Parker growing up in Gary, Indiana of the 1950’s. Ralphie has been drinking Ovaltine for months, saving up box tops so that he could send in a get a Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring. Finally the Secret Decoder Ring arrives. He listens to Little Orphan Annie on the radio, waiting for the secret code message. He carefully writes down the code and then rushes off to the bathroom to be begin the decoding process. The suspense builds as he decodes the first few letters "Be sure to.." Be sure to what. The fate of the world could rest in his hands. His pencil flies as he feverishly struggles to decode the rest of the message. "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine." A crummy commercial?! Sometimes you just don’t feel like you get what you asked for.

That is not the case with the Christmas story.  The fulfillment of the hope is greater than we can imagine.

Hope and promise are key elements of the Christian life.  Hope and promise play a major role in the Christmas story.  Hope and promise are evident in marriage.  We need hope in light of inevitable disappointment.  Our hope needs to be based in the promises of God.  We need to live a life of hope.  Christmas is about hope.

Bruce Emmett, Sermon Central, March 5, 2001.

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! 12-11-24

    

12-8-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THE ANGELS OF CHRISTMAS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Mary (Luke 1:26-56) 12-8-24

THE ANGELS  OF CHRISTMAS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Mary (Luke 1:26-56) 12-8-24

Camp cards (sit down and talk to the church)

The Life of Jesus

“God is with us” 10 day devotional

Video – “God of Heaven and Earth” trailer

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.”

W.T. Ellis

CHRISTMAS SIGNS

- From a toy store: "Ho, ho, ho spoken here."

- In a bridal boutique: "Marry Christmas."

- Outside a church: "The original Christmas Club."

- From a department store: "Big pre-Christmas sale. Come in and mangle with the crowd."

- In a Texas jewelry store: "Diamond tiaras: $70,000. Three for $200,000.

- A reducing salon: "24 Shaping Days until Christmas."

- In a stationery store: "For the man who has everything: A calendar to remind him when payments are due."

Jeff Strite from Mikey’s Funnies@YouthSpecialties.com

Dietriech Bonhoeffer was a pastor and theologian who spoke out against Hitler and the Nazis. As a result he was arrested, imprisoned and then executed just hours before the Allies liberated the concentration camp where he was held. While there, he wrote a series of meditations on Christmas. In one he wrote, "It is not a light thing to God that we celebrate Christmas and do not take it seriously."

INTRODUCTION

The Angels of Christmas: Divine Messengers

Zechariah and Elizabeth - message of faith, good and bad

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

"How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. 

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” 

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” 

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1:26-56‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Mercy - Who do you think of when you hear the word mercy ?

I.  GOD SHOWED MERCY THROUGH A FRIGHTENED YOUNG LADY

““I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  The mercy of God through a miracle

B.  The mercy of God through unconventional means

C.  The mercy of God in a baby

THE COST OF CHRISTMAS

One person observed that the message of Christmas was not one of convenience but "cost":

* It cost Mary and Joseph the comforts of home to take a long journey to Bethlehem while she was "very" pregnant with her new child.

* It cost the shepherds their comfort by the campfire and the ease of their shepherd's life answering the call to the manger and then the conviction to tell others the good news.

* It cost the wise men a long journey and expensive gifts and changed lives.

ULTIMATELY

* It cost the early Apostles and the early church persecution and sometimes death.

* It cost missionaries of Christ untold suffering and loss to spread the Good News.

* It cost Christian martyrs of all ages their lives for the sake of Christ.

MORE THAN ALL THIS

* It cost God the Father His own Son--He sent His Son to the earth to save men.

* It cost Jesus a life of sacrifice and service--and a cruel and horrible death.

The Christmas message is ultimately one of cost... not convenience.

Jeff Strite, Sermon Central, December 4, 2011.

II.  GOD SHOWED MERCY TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM

"His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation."

Luke 1:50

A.  He has performed mighty deeds with his arm.

B.  He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

C.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

D.  He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

COUNTERFEIT CHRISTMAS

According to a British Paper (Romsey Advertiser):

"Christmas shoppers looking for a bargain should be wary of counterfeit goods which flood the market in the run-up to the festive season," the UK Border Agency has warned.

"Fake Ugg Boots, GHD hair straighteners, iPhones and iPads are among the tens of thousands of counterfeit items that have been seized by officers as they have been brought into the country in recent months."

While some people may unwittingly buy counterfeit gifts, many more people celebrate a counterfeit Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ birthday with little thought of Jesus.

Ed Vasicek, Sermon Central, December 12, 2011.

III.  GOD SHOWED MERCY BY KEEPING HIS PROMISE

"He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:54, 55

A.  God kept His promise to Israel.

B.  God kept His promise to Mary.

C.  God will keep His promise to you!

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!””

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭45‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. Pastor Mike was looking at the nativity scene outside when he noticed the baby Jesus was missing from the figures.

Immediately, Pastor Mike turned towards the church to call the police. But as he was about to do so, he saw little Jimmy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant, Jesus.

Pastor Mike walked up to Jimmy and said, "Well, Jimmy, where did you get the little infant?" Jimmy replied, "I got him from the church."

"And why did you take him?"

With a sheepish smile, Jimmy said, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to little Lord Jesus. I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in it."

http://www.beliefnet.com

We must let others know about the Christ child.  With what He has done for us, how could we do anything else?

CONCLUSION

God shows mercy through a frightened young lady.  God shows mercy to those who fear Him.  God shows mercy by keeping his promise.  

“Can This Be Christmas?” by M.R. DeHaan, MD 

What’s all this hectic rush and worry?

Where go these crowds who run and hurry?

Why all the lights—the Christmas trees?

The jolly “fat man,” tell me please!

Why, don’t you know? This is the day

For parties and for fun and play;

Why this is Christmas!

So this is Christmas, do you say?

But where is Christ this Christmas day?

Has He been lost among the throng?

His voice drowned out by empty song?

No. He’s not here—you’ll find Him where

Some humble soul now kneels in prayer,

Who knows the Christ of Christmas.

But see the many aimless thousands

Who gather on this Christmas Day,

Whose hearts have never yet been opened,

Or said to Him, “Come in to stay.”

In countless homes the candles burning,

In countless hearts expectant yearning

For gifts and presents, food and fun,

And laughter till the day is done.

But not a tear of grief or sorrow

For Him so poor He had to borrow

A crib, a colt, a boat, a bed

Where He could lay His weary head.

I’m tired of all this empty celebration,

Of feasting, drinking, recreation;

I’ll go instead to Calvary.

And there I’ll kneel with those who know

The meaning of that manger low,

And find the Christ—this Christmas.

I leap by faith across the years

To that great day when He appears

The second time, to rule and reign,

To end all sorrow, death, and pain.

In endless bliss we then shall dwell

With Him who saved our souls from hell,

And worship Christ—not Christmas!

M.R. DeHaan, M.D., Founder, Radio Bible Class: Galaxie Software. (2002).

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.

12-4-24 S.U.M. It Up!

    

12-1-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Zechariah (Luke 1:1-25) 12-1-24

THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Zechariah (Luke 1:1-25) 12-1-24

INTRODUCTION

Video - Good New (Christmas)

Give out “The Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth”

Sheep, shepherds, and angels - church Christmas programs

There was a couple who desperately wanted children. They prayed to the Lord and he gave them 4 children in 4 years. When the children were still 5 years old and younger, they were the stars of the Christmas pageant. Here are the mothers words to describe the production: “My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My 5 year old shepherd had practiced his line, ‘We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.’ But he was nervous and said, ‘The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes.’ My 4 year old (playing the part of Mary) said, ‘That’s not wrinkled clothes, it’s dirty, rotten clothes.’ A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. Finally, my other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, ‘We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur.’ The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation. ‘I’ve never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one,’ laughed the preacher, wiping tears from his eyes. ‘For the rest of my life, I’ll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur.’”

Davon Huss, Sermon Central, December 24, 2012.

This sermon series will focus on the Biblical stories about the angels of Christmas.

Angel = messenger

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.””

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1:1-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  LACK OF FAITH

A.  Zechariah was startled and gripped with fear.

B.  Zechariah did not believe the Angel of God.

“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.””

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Zechariah did not believe God could do it.

“I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety.

In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact."

But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

Dr. E. Stanley Jones

II.  FULL OF FAITH

A.  Elizabeth was with child when she was well along in years.

B.  Elizabeth gives credit to God.

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Elizabeth believed God could do it.

"Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. As a result, faith enables us to do what others cannot do."

Warren Wiersbe

III.  A CALL TO FAITH

A 2001 newspaper article explained that the president celebrated many faiths during the holidays – not only Christmas, but also presiding over a Jewish Hanukkah celebration and commemorating the end of Ramadan in a Washington mosque. Ari Fleischer, presidential spokesman, said, "The purpose is not to preach a particular faith. The purpose is to celebrate faith itself."

Christianity offers something different. Christmas preaches a very particular faith, because it is God’s specific fulfillment of a very precise promise.

Glenn Durham, Sermon Central, “The First Promise – The Enduring Hope”, 6/7/2010.

A.  The birth demands our faith.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Our faith in the Christ child changes everything.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Our faith now is the hope for others to have faith at some unknown point in the future.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while 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 from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

CONCLUSION

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

This reminds me of the story from Alex Domokos of Winnipeg as told in Readers Digest, Dec. 2004.

My mother, a teacher, was having a hard time settling on a suitable role for one of her students in the Grade 3 Christmas pageant. Finally, she decided he should be the innkeeper, a role she felt he could handle. All he had to do was tell Joseph, "There is no room at the inn."

Everything went fine at rehearsals, but when Joseph begged for a room for his pregnant wife during the first performance, the lad didn’t have the heart to turn him down. To everyone’s surprise, he said, "If it’s so urgent, please come in."

This story is so urgent that God sent messengers to deliver the message.  As you are confronted with an opportunity to demonstrate your faith, will you?  Will you be faithful?  Will you live by faith?

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! 11-27-24

    

11-24-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The fulfilled vow 11-24-24

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The fulfilled vow 11-24-24

INTRODUCTION

We need to act grateful.

We need to proclaim gratitude.

In the middle of President Lincoln’s Presidency, an elderly lady made an appointment to see him. As she entered his office, he inquired, "How can I be of service to you, Madam?"

The lady answered, "Mr. President, I know you are a very busy man, and I have not come to ask you for anything. I simply came to bring you this box of cookies."

There was a long silence. Tears flowed from Lincoln’s eyes as he began:

"Madam, I am greatly moved by what you have done. For since I have become President, people have come into this office one after another asking for favors and demanding things from me. You are the first person who has ever entered these premises asking no favor but bringing a gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Jeff Strite, Just "That Close" To Loving God, 2/7/2010.

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭116:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  RECOGNIZING GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭ 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I’m sure you have all heard of Rudyard Kipling. He is the author of famous books like The Jungle Book and Captain Courageous. His writings not only made him famous but also brought him a fortune. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.” Then the reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your hundred dollar words.”

Rudyard Kipling looked at the money, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks!"

Sajeev Painunkal, Sermon Central, October 10, 2010. 

A.  Count your blessings

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  How has God been good to you?

“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.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  God’s blessings in Jesus

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

II.  FULFILLING OUR VOWS TO THE LORD 

Eric Snyder, Minister of the Farwell Church of Christ tells this story:

I recently did a wedding. During the wedding rehearsal, the groom pulled me aside and made me an offer.

He said "Look, I’ll give you $100 if you’ll change the wedding vows. When you get to me and the part where I’m to promise to ’love, honor and obey,’ I’d appreciate it if you’d just leave that part out." He gave me a $100 bill and walked away.

The day of the wedding the bride and groom were in front of me and we were to that part of the ceremony where the vows are exchanged. When it came time for the groom’s vows, I looked at the young man and said "Will you promise to bow down before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall

live?"

The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, "Yes." Then He leaned in and asked “what happened I thought we had a deal."

So I gave him his 100 dollars back and told him that she had made a better offer.

Eric A. Snyder, Minister, Farwell Church of Christ, in the sermon,"A Friend Like That.”

A.  Doing what we say

“When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

‭‭ Numbers‬ ‭30‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Completion of a promise

        It’s the story of a friendship forged during one of the worst battles of World War II, and a promise made almost 60 years ago, a promise that was finally kept Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001. HAROLD HUGGINS, a veteran of 10 major campaigns in World War II and the last survivor of his battalion, traveled halfway across the country by train on one last mission in memory of his best buddy.

"I had this on my mind for 57 years, trying to locate his sister and loved ones out there in California," says Huggins. "Part of him lives in me."

Huggins, from Albany, Ill., and Mack McClain from Marysville, Calif., were best friends in the army. They wound up together at Anzio Beach, Italy, scene of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Mack had a premonition that he wouldn’t make it out of there alive, so he gave Harold some mementos, a belt, some photos, and said: "’Give this to my sister, tell her that I love her,’ Huggins recalls. ’You can even give her a kiss.’"

Harold promised if anything happened to Mack he would do what was asked. One day later, Mack was killed in an artillery barrage. After the war, Harold looked for Mack’s sister but he never found her until Harold’s daughter sent out e-mails to various veterans groups. Some California vets found Mack’s sister, Grace, whose last name changed when she married.

"We have always hoped and prayed that we would meet somebody that would tell us about Mack," says Grace.

Thursday, Aug. 2nd, at the place where his buddy’s name is engraved in marble at the veterans memorial in Marysville, Calif., Harold Huggins kept that promise he made 57 years ago, meeting Mack’s sister for the very first time and giving her that kiss that Mack asked Harold to deliver, turning over those mementos from his fallen friend.

Steve Shepherd, Sermon Central, October 31, 2002.

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.”

‭‭ Deuteronomy‬ ‭23‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.”

‭‭ Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Honoring our Lord

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭33‬-‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

  

III. FULFILLING OUR VOWS AS GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

A.  Fulfill a vow you made to the Lord.

B.  Tell someone else why you fulfilled your vow to the Lord.

C.  Demonstrate your devotion in the presence of all his people.

CONCLUSION

We must recognize God’s goodness to us.  We must “fulfill our vow to the Lord.”  We must demonstrate our devotion in the presence of all his people.

Writer and speaker Lewis Smedes says:

Yes, somewhere people still make and keep promises.

They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through.

They stick to lost causes.

They hold on to a love grown cold.

They stay with people who have become pains in the neck.

They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make.

I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you will not forsake, if you have causes you will not abandon, then you are like God.

What a marvelous thing a promise is!

When a person makes a promise, she reaches out into an unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable: she will be there even when being there costs her more than she wants to pay.

When a person makes a promise, he stretches himself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at least one thing: he will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be.

With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty.

When a person makes a promise, she stakes a claim on her personal freedom and power.

When you make a promise, you take a hand in creating your own future.

Lewis Smedes, "The Power of Promises," A Chorus of Witnesses, edited by Long and Plantinga, (Eerdmans, 1994).

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

‭‭ 2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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! 11-20-24

    

11-17-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The proclamation of gratitude 11-17-24

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The proclamation of gratitude 11-17-24

INTRODUCTION

A young salesman lands a job selling new windows door to door. On his first day of the job he comes across this sweet older lady who agrees to purchase a beautiful new window in her living room. A few days after the job was completed the salesmen gets a call from the lady informing him that she is not happy with the view from her new window.

Wanting to make a good impression at his new job the young salesmen works with the lady and replaces the window with a much larger one at no additional cost.

A few days pass and he once again gets a call from the lady saying that she is not happy with the view from her window; once again the salesman doubles the size of the window at no additional cost.

As predicted a few days pass and the lady calls him again letting him know that she is not happy with the view from her new window. The young salesman explains to the woman that he has just installed the newest, most efficient, largest window that the company sells and asks her what the problem is with the window.

The lady responds that every time she looks out the large new window she can still see the ugly old oak tree in her front yard.

Bill Love, Sermon Central, July 29, 2009.

We need to act grateful.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

‭‭ Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

John Henry Jowett said, “Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.”

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

Cicero

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭116:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  RECOGNIZING GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭ 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Count your blessings

What is your second greatest blessing?  How many blessings were in the running?

B.  How has God been good to you?

In a sense, gratitude is an expression of modesty. In Hebrew, the word for gratitude - hoda’ah - is the same as the word for confession. To offer thanks is to confess dependence, to acknowledgment that others have the power to benefit you, to admit that your life is better because of their efforts. That frame of mind is indispensable to civilized society.

Jeff Jacoby, "The Power of Giving Thanks,” Boston Globe Staff, 11/23/2000.

C.  God’s blessings in Jesus

A lady was on a lake steamer when her little girl fell overboard, and the woman was almost frantic. A gentleman on the boat had a large Newfoundland dog. The dog was directed to leap into the water and save the child. He did so and swam ashore with the little girl, part of her dress in his mouth, I suppose. The mother seized her saved child, and kissed her again and again. Then turning to the dog, she hugged and kissed that dog, with a heart full of gratitude to the animal.

That’s more than some people have ever done for Jesus Christ, although He hung on the cross to save them from sin and hell.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

II.  CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me," said the great British athlete C. T. Studd, "then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him."

Norman Grubb, C. T. Studd, Cricketer and Pioneer, p. 141.

A. Verbal proclamation 

Too often our gratitude is dependent upon the circumstances of life. A beautiful hymn was written by Martin Rinkart during the thirty-year war to help us look beyond our circumstances and see the hand of God. Rinkart was a pastor in Saxony, Germany as the turbulent years of the war dragged on. For a time he was the only pastor in his town. His pastoral duties caused him to preside at nearly 4500 burials in 1637 alone. In the context of this sad situation and these unfavorable circumstances he penned the words to Now Thank We All Our God. It is a hymn of unconditional gratitude to God.

Now thank we all our God

With Heart, hands, and voices

Who wondrous things has done

In whom his world rejoices

Thankful people don’t have to have everything going their way to rejoice.

John Roy, Sermon Central, January 19, 2001.

“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Speaking to God

Fanny Crosby was only six weeks old when she developed a minor eye inflammation. It was a simple thing to treat even in 1820, the year she was born. All the doctor had to do was apply some poultices to her eyes with a little medication. Only the doctor that treated Fanny Crosby was careless. He put too much medication in the poultices, and she went totally and permanently blind.

Later in life, she said of the doctor, "If I could meet him now, I would say 'thank you' over and over again for making me blind." That’s because she saw her blindness as a gift from God. It’s what helped her see Jesus in ways others seldom saw Him, for her blindness had given her spiritual insight few ever had. (Bible Illustrator #500-502, 10/1988.19)

C. Philip Green,Sermon Central, “The Blind See,” 10/28/2009.

C.  The name of the Lord

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭69‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

D.  Private or public?

  

III. PROCLAIMING GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

A.  Say something that shows you are thankful.

B.  Tell someone else that you are thankful to God.

C.  Challenge others to proclaim gratitude to God.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

CONCLUSION

We must recognize God’s goodness to us.  We must “call on the name of the Lord.”  We must proclaim our gratitude for God’s goodness to us.

To illustrate how we often fail to give God the thanks he deserves, Chuck Swindoll told the following story of a man he visited in a dismal veterans hospital:

The day I arrived to visit, I saw a touching scene. This man had a young son, and during his confinement in the hospital, he had made a little wooden truck for his boy. Since the boy was not allowed to go into the ward and visit his father, an orderly had brought the gift down to the child, who was waiting in front of the hospital with his mother. The father was looking out of a fifth-floor window, watching his son unwrap the gift.

The little boy opened the package, and his eyes got wide when he saw that wonderful little truck. He hugged it to his chest.

Meanwhile, the father was walking back and forth waving his arms behind the windowpane, trying to get his son’s attention.

The little boy put the truck down and reached up and hugged the orderly and thanked him for the truck. And all the while the frustrated father was going through these dramatic gestures, trying to say, "It’s me, son. I made the truck for you. I gave that to you. Look up here!" I could almost read his lips.

Finally the mother and the orderly turned the boy’s attention up to that fifth-floor window. It was then the boy cried, "Daddy! Oh, thank you! I miss you, Daddy! Come home, Daddy. Thank you for my truck." And the father stood in the window with tears pouring down his cheeks.

How much like that child we are.

Neil Olcott, "Our Identity In Christ," 7/9/2009.

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! 11-13-24

    

11-10-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The cup of salvation 11-10-24

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The cup of salvation 11-10-24

INTRODUCTION

Thanksgiving - my reasons for giving thanks

Let's consider the first Thanksgiving in America. It was in the fall of 1621, one year after the Pilgrim’s landed. There was great affliction in their voyage. 102 Pilgrims the left Holland, stopped briefly in England before sailing to America. They were at sea for 66 days. There were fierce Atlantic storms, so severe that at the half-way point, the sailors debated whether or not to turn back to England. Their accommodations were very limited, with all 102 Pilgrims below deck in the ship’s hold which was smaller than a volleyball court! With the hatches closed to keep out the beating ocean, the air grew foul, making their sea-sick condition even worse. There were no fires, and little water. Two Pilgrims did not survive the journey, and two were born during the journey.

When they landed in Massachusetts, they had no place to go. There were no villages. No stores. No one to welcome them. No way to restock their ship. They lived on and off the ship, surviving basically on the ships provision through the first winter. They built one make-shift building, and lived in fear of the Natives who were not known. They were supposed to land somewhere north of current NYC on the Hudson river, but strong winds kept them from getting there. 47 of the 102 pilgrims died during the first winter!

Govenor William Bradford wrote concerning their faith, “God gave them health and strength in a good measure; and shewed them by experience ye truth of ye word, Deut. 8. 3. Yet man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of ye mouth of ye Lord doth a man live.

Bradford, William (2011-03-17). Bradford’s History of ’Plimoth Plantation’ From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts (p. 133). Kindle Edition.

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭116:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  RECOGNIZING GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

A.  Count your blessings

While on a short-term missions trip, Pastor Jack Hinton was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago. A woman who had been facing away from the pulpit turned around.

"It was the most hideous face I had ever seen," Hinton said. "The woman's nose and ears were entirely gone. She lifted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, 'Can we sing Count Your Many Blessings?'"

Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was followed by a team member who said, "I guess you’ll never be able to sing that song again."

"Yes, I will," he replied, "but I’ll never sing it the same way."

Guy McGraw, Sermon Central, February 16, 2012.

B.  How has God been good to you?

C.  God’s blessings in Jesus

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭8‬a ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

D.  Jesus’ cup 

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.””

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?””

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

II.  LIFTING UP THE CUP OF SALVATION

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.””

‭‭ Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A. The cup symbolizes something received.

B.  The lifting up of the cup symbolizes an oath.

C.  The cup of salvation is a reminder that salvation is a gift.

D.  This act is an outward expression of an inward reality.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”

‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

After one of the terrible battles of the Civil War, a dying Confederate soldier asked to see the chaplain. When the chaplain arrived, he supposed the young man would wish him to ask God for his recovery; but it was very different.

First the soldier asked him to cut off a lock of his hair for is mother, and then he asked him to kneel down and thank God.

"What for?" asked the surprised chaplain.

"For giving me such a mother. Thank God that I am a Christian. And thank God for giving me grace to die with. And thank God for the home He has promised me over there."

And so the chaplain knelt down by the dying man, and in his prayer he had not a single petition to offer, but only praise and gratitude.

Bill Butsko, Sermon Central, May 9, 2008, from the Christian Herald.

  

III. DEMONSTRATING GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

Think of that little band of people who crossed the Atlantic in a boat that was 26 feet by 112 feet and landed on the New England coast during a bitter cold winter. At times that first year the daily ration of those who were well was only five grains of corn. In early New England, it was the custom at Thanksgiving time to place five kernels of corn at every plate as a reminder of those stern days in the first winter when the food of the Pilgrims was to depleted that only five kernels of corn were rationed to each individual at a time. The Pilgrim Fathers wanted their children to remember the sacrifice, sufferings, and hardships through which they had safely passed -- a fitting hardship that made possible the settlement of a free people in a free land. They wanted to keep alive the memory of that sixty-three-day trip taken in the tiny Mayflower. They desired to keep alive the thought of that stern and rock-bound coast, its inhospitable welcome, and the first terrible winter which took such a toll of lives.

They did not want their descendants to forget that on that day in which their rations was reduced to five kernels of corn, only seven healthy colonists remained to nurse the sick, and that nearly half their members lay in the windswept graveyard on the hill.

They worked seven years to repay London the loan for their trip. That was before the days of credit cards. After suffering every kind of hardship, they had a harvest of 21 acres of corn and in the fall of 1621, they immediately offered thanks to God for His blessings. This little group led by Gov. William Bradford marched triumphantly through the cornfields singing, "The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein." Then they sat down to a meal in gladness and joy. They were giving thanks to God no matter what.

Gerald Steffy, Sermon Central, “Thankful No Matter What”, 10/14/2009

A.  Do something that shows you are thankful.

B.  Say something that shows you are thankful for your salvation.

“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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 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.”

‭‭ 1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Share your hope of salvation with someone else as an act of gratitude.

CONCLUSION

We must recognize God’s goodness to us.  We must “lift up the cup of salvation.”  We must demonstrate gratitude for God’s goodness to us.

In the 18th-century classic, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law made the following statement:

“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it turns all that it touches into happiness.”

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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.

11-3-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

10-27-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

10-20-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

GOD USES LITTLE THINGS: NOTHING TO OFFER 10-20-24

GOD USES LITTLE THINGS:  NOTHING TO OFFER 10-20-24

INTRODUCTION

Dust, stick, jawbone, 5 stones, handful of flour and some oil, still small voice, a kid’s lunchbox

I.  PROBLEM - We don't believe God can do mighty things through us!

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.””

‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  What we are

1.  Not wise

2.  Not influential

3.  Not noble 

“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.””

‭‭ Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

"Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment

Trust in money and you may have it taken from you;

But trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity." 

D.L. Moody

B.  What God does

1.  Uses foolish to shame the wise

2.  Uses the weak to shame the strong

3.  Uses the lowly and despised and things that are not to nullify the things that are

4.  Uses unimpressive so that no one may boast

5.  We are perfect!

“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

"There’s something about believing God that will cause Him to pass over a million people just to get to you"

Smith Wigglesworth

II.  SOLUTION - We are in Christ

A.  Because of God

I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much. 

C. H. Spurgeon

B.  We are in Christ Jesus

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

1.  Our wisdom from God

2.  Our righteousness

3.  Our holiness

4.  Our redemption

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  In Christ, we are more than enough!

A preacher friend of mine named Mike told of his conversion to Christ. He told me his family was known throughout the community as the worst examples of humanity. The parents were irresponsible. The kids were troublemakers. They lived like animals, even eating food out of trashcans.

Everyone who saw them thought, "That’s just who they are. That’s all they’ll ever be. They’ll never change."

But Mike did.

There came a point at which he heard the powerful message of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and he decided that was what he wanted for his life. He believed in Jesus, repented of his sins, and was buried in the waters of baptism for the forgiveness of his sins. He eventually became a preacher and part of his ministry reached into his family – of whom he baptized several.

Then one day, Mike was at the funeral of his brother-in-law. One of the women who was there (and who had not seen him since his conversion) spoke with him and she said that she was amazed at the change that had taken place in his life. She was surprised at what HE had made of himself.

Mike responded: "Oh I really appreciate your compliment, but I really didn’t change myself. It was Christ IN ME that brought about the changes in my life."

It was Christ in him – the hope of Glory. As Romans 6:11 taught him, Mike counted himself "…dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Jeff Strite, Sermon Central, June 26, 2011.

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

III.  SYNOPSIS

A.  God uses small things.

B.  We are nothing.  

C.  God gives us everything.  

In Christ, we are small things in the hands of a Big God!

Christ Has No Body by Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

CONCLUSION

We must believe that God can do mighty things through us!  He uses small, insignificant things. We have nothing to offer apart from Him.  We have everything we need for life and godliness!

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

In a large cathedral in Europe there was a very large, magnificent pipe organ. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the custodian was making one final check the organ loft high in the balcony at the back of the church.

He was startled to hear footsteps echoing up the stairway. He turned to see a man in slightly tattered traveling clothes coming toward him.

"Excuse me, sir," the stranger said, "I have come from quite a distance to see the great organ in this cathedral, and would you mind opening the console so that I might get a closer look at it?" The custodian at first refused, but the stranger seemed so eager and insistent that he finally gave in.

"May I sit on the bench?" That request of the stranger was met with absolute refusal by the cathedral custodian. "What if the organist came in and found you sitting there? I would probably lose my job!" But again the stranger was so persistent that the custodian gave in." But only for a moment," he added.

The custodian noticed that the stranger seemed to be very much at home on the organ bench, so he was not completely surprised when he was asked by the stranger to be allowed to play the organ. "NO! Definitely not!" said the custodian. "No one is allowed to play it except the cathedral organist."

The man’s face fell, and his deep disappointment was obvious. He reminded the custodian how far he had come, and assured him that no damage would be done.

Finally the custodian relented and told the stranger he could play the instrument, but only a few notes and then he would have to leave.

Overjoyed, the stranger pulled out some stops and began to play. Suddenly the cathedral was filled with the most beautiful music the custodian had ever heard in all his years in that place.

In what seemed all too short a time, the dowdy stranger stopped playing and slid off the organ bench and started down the stairway.

"Wait!" cried the custodian. "That was the most beautiful music I have ever heard in the cathedral. Who are you?"

The stranger turned for just a moment as he replied, "Mendelssohn." The man was none other than Felix Mendelssohn, one of the greatest organists and composers of the 19th century!

The custodian was alone now in that great stone edifice, the beautiful organ music still ringing in his ears. "Just think," he said softly, "I almost kept the master from playing his music in my cathedral!"

God has designed this wonderful life. He made it and designed it.

Offer it to Him, and allow Him to play wonderful music through it.

Christian Cheong, Sermon Central, December 26, 2007.

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.