Where Is The Church?
Sermon from Online Worship April 26th, 2020
Easter 2020
Jesus as our Example
Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
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.
Renunciation of Sin & Profession of Faith
Not yet? What are you waiting for? God is waiting! This is for you now!
Online Worship Message 3/29
What Have You Heard?
What Have You Heard?
Let’s look at what Jesus said and compare what you have heard.
Matthew 5:21-30 (AMP)
“You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever murders shall be guilty before the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice against him shall be guilty before the court; and whoever speaks [contemptuously and insultingly] to his brother, ‘Raca (You empty-headed idiot)!’ shall be guilty before the supreme court (Sanhedrin); and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fiery hell. So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you, leave your offering there at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come and present your offering. Come to terms quickly [at the earliest opportunity] with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way [to court], so that your opponent does not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you are thrown into prison. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid the last cent.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble and leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus deals with the intent and attitudes of the heart, and not only external actions!
Communion
What it means and is.
1 Corinthians 11:17-32 (AMP) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A17-32&version=AMP
It is important to understand why Holy Communion is important.
For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again]. verse 26
#NewYear #SameGod
Matthew 4:12-24 (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A12-24&version=AMP
God Promises to use us in ministry when we follow Jesus.
“Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men.”
Anyone who follows Jesus is already part of Gods plan to save people.
Money Matters
One thing we know about money matters is that money matters.
God thinks money matters too.
I say that because money and possessions are one of the most talked about subjects in the Bible.
More than prayer, more than faith or more than salvation.
That’s because God knew what areas we would struggle with.
That is why we started the year off looking at somethings that God says about money. My hope is that we can get a better understanding of what God says about money.
The more understanding we have the more we can align our finances with God’s will for our lives.
The more we learn to follow God’s will, the more we can honor God.
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 (Amplified Bible)
“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money
Asbury UMC, Seaford DE 1/05/2020
Week 2: Living Generously
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (Amplified Bible)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+15%3A7-11&version=AMP
We need to be able to take care of our basic needs.
We need our money to take care of our needs.
Most everyone I know has worked hard for their money.
What we have been able to save we usually have plans for.
And besides for people who go to church like us, they give to the church.
Many of us also give to other charities.
We think, well of course I am generous, look at the money I donated.
Generosity is much more than how much money we give to help others.
Being Generous is a way of living.
Merriam-Webster defines generous as “liberal in giving: open-handed”
That sounds familiar, may-be they got that definition from God’s Word.
Being generous is how God wants us to live.
If we try to say that this story is from the Old Testament.
It is only a command to those people at that time we are ignoring the what the rest of God’s
Word shows us about money and possessions.
Jesus in the sixth chapter of Matthew clearly taught about the need to not place money and
possessions above God.
Jesus reminds us that the material things we have in this world really don’t matter to God.
It is our attitude towards God that is the most important thing.
If we aren’t already living this way, how can we learn to live generously?
Remind ourselves what we have is because God has allowed us to have it.
What Jesus said about money.
Matthew 6:1-4
“Be [very] careful not to do your good deeds publicly, to be seen by men; otherwise you will have no reward [prepared and awaiting you] with your Father who is in heaven. “So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing [give in complete secrecy], so that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
Asbury UMC 1/19/2020
We do good things to please God not to please people.
Jesus requires us to give to the poor and do acts of kindness.
Not to draw attention to ourselves, not to gain God’s favor, but to bring glory to God!
Come All Ye Faithful
Last Sunday of Advent. Week 4 of Songs of the Season.
Trust
We learn to trust in God by growing our relationship with Jesus. Spend time reading the stories of Jesus found in the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Spend time talking with Jesus in prayer… Relationships only grow as we invest time in them. Our purpose in life is first to joyfully embrace this friendship with God .
