The Town

<p>Paul was a man who had experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He claimed that he had times of owning much and times of having nothing. Paul had been through the best and the worst of what life had to offer. When he wrote to the Philippians he was in prison which most sane people would consider a pretty big low point in a person's life. And yet Paul says that he is content.</p>

<p>It is a well established fact that Jesus of Nazareth was born around 2000 years ago. History attests to the fact that this little child would have a grand impact on the world. But Christmas has us asking another question. 700 years before Jesus was born, a little known prophet said, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given." It is not enough to believe that that Jesus was born. When we look into the manger we must ask if the words of the Isaiah were meant for us. Was Jesus born unto me? Was the Son given to me? These questions have eternal implications for each of us.</p>

<p>How do we live a peaceable life? Paul says that we must rejoice in the Lord in all things and at all times. But what is the basis of that joy? Paul says, "The Lord is at hand." The basis of our joy is that Jesus is on his way back to make all things new. In the meantime, we are to do all that we can to be living in peace with others by prayer and thanksgiving. We are to think on things that are godly and pure.</p>

<p>Paul was in a big mess. His life was on the line. His ministry was on the line. He had enemies. He had every reason to look back on his accomplishments and faithfulness and become angry with God as he sat in prison for no good reason. But he doesn't wallow in self-pity. Instead he writes life-changing words, "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ."</p>

<p>We like to brag about things that make us look good. Paul had every right to brag about his religious upbringing and accomplishments. As a Jew he had done everything that a Jew was required to do and then some. And yet he says that all of his accomplishments and reasons to brag and rejoice in himself as loss rather than gain. The only gain that Paul would rejoice in was the life, death, resurrection and reign of Jesus Christ. <br><br>We have great reason to rejoice in the work of Jesus because his accomplishment has been credited to our account and we have been given all that is necessary to have a right relationship with the God of the Universe. As a result, we can echo Paul's words, "Rejoice in the Lord."</p>

<p>Selflessness is inconvenient. It is hard. It means we will lose a lot, maybe even our life. Jesus' life and ministry were not convenient for him. From his birth to his death Jesus was inconvenienced and was willing to give up all that he had in heaven in order to bring us great joy.</p>

<p>There is great joy in assurance. Paul tells the church in Philippi to live in obedience by working out their salvation with fear and trembling. If they are assured in their faith, they, like Paul in his time of suffering, will be able to rejoice in their time of suffering. Our assurance of salvation comes from the word of God. God promises that if we have trusted Jesus as our Savior than we have all that we need to be in perfect relationship with Him. There is nothing on earth or in heaven that will separate us from the love of God. This kind of assurance produces great joy in all circumstances of life.</p>

<p>Jesus left all that he had in order to give us all that he is. We call this the humiliation of Christ. His humiliation was voluntary. He desired to do the Father's will and in fact covenanted with God the Father before time began to become a man in order to save the Father's people from their sin. <br><br>While on earth, Jesus found great joy in doing the Father's will – even when it was hard and even when it led to his own death. As painful as Jesus' last prayer in the garden was, we still sense a deep-seeded joy in Jesus. He was going to accomplish all that the Father had willed. Jesus was able to remain steadfast in joy because the Father's will was also his will. <br><br>In order to have the kind of joy that Jesus had we too must humble ourselves willingly to the Father's will. We must constantly be willing to go to the places that Father has in store for us. It is in those places, whether of pain or happiness, that we can experience great joy because we are submitted to the Father's desire and plan for our life. The maximum amount of joy is found in the heart of God's will for us regardless of where that will lead us in life.</p>

<p>Suffering and salvation are both graced by God to the citizens of heaven. This idea of suffering as being graced to the believer is a far cry from what many preachers and churches proclaim today. Many churchgoers are told that belief in Christ leads to earthly prosperity and success. When trouble comes their way they bail on their faith because they don't understand that suffering and salvation are two different sides of the same coin.</p>

<p>How can a mother who has lost a child sing "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" just minutes after receiving the news that she won't see her child on this old earth again? How can a husband draw close to the Lord when his young wife is dying of cancer? How can a man sing the praises of a sovereign God when he doesn't know where the next meal for his family will come from? Paul says that his joy in prison comes from a confidence that Jesus will be honored in Paul's life or in Paul's death. We have proof that Paul was right! We are still studying his letters to this day and billions of people are changed because of his perseverance to continue in the faith.</p>

<p>What is first in your life? If you have been part of a church for any amount of time than you already know the difference between what the answer should be and what it actually is. You might know that the Gospel should be first and foremost in your life – but is that reality? The reality of whether or not the Gospel is first in your life is directly linked to the depth of joy you can experience in all situations.</p>

<p>Real relationships bring real joy which is only found in Jesus. Real relationships that bring real joy are built and sustained by the Gospel. This means that we see one another as co-laborers in Christ and that we have something bigger than ourselves in common with one another.</p>

<p>Our first worship service on our new property in the heart of west Middletown.</p>

<p>God's tactics for winning battles is very different than ours. He chose Gideon a very weak man to win a great victory for Israel. Today, God works through Christ in a very similar way: he chooses the weak things of this world to shame the strong. Christians will find the source of great spiritual victory when they realize their weakness and embrace dependency on the living God in Christ.</p>

<p>Heaven is the ultimate realization of God's promises to mankind. It is a place, a destination and beyond our imagination. And yet, the Bible tells us much about what God has in store for His people and their eternal life.</p>

<p>Jesus' teachings about hell are some of the most divisive and controversial words of the Savior. It is hard for is to understand how a loving God could punish sin for eternity. This is mostly due to us thinking of our sin as less deserving of punishment than it actually is. Sin against and eternal God is deserving of eternal punishment. Jesus' teaching on hell should compel the Christian to find assurance in the work and love of Christ, compel them to share Jesus with the world and give thanks for God's eternal grace and offer of eternal life through faith in Jesus.</p>

<p>The defining characteristics of the church are what theologians call the marks of the church and they identify the true church of Jesus. Jesus has instructed the church to disciple members through discipline, to preach the Gospel to believers and nonbelievers and to celebrate the sacraments of baptism and Communion. Each of these marks play a vital role in the individual and collective life of believers.</p>

<p>The church is not an organized religion or simply a non-profit volunteer organization. It is the only institution that Jesus died for. The church is an assembly all over the world of those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ - they are the people that belong to God has his children. The Scriptures paint a picture of how God's people are the church.</p>

<p>God has predestined his children, called them with the Gospel, implanted to new life by His Holy Spirit and has given them the gifts of saving faith and repentance unto life - but what happens next? A whole new standing before God. God in his loving kindness changes treasonous and treacherous people into dearly loved sons and daughters. By faith we are united to the work of Christ and declared righteous by God and before God. We are adopted into his family receiving all the benefits and privileges of the children of God. And we are changed as the Holy Spirit empowers us to become more like Jesus every single day. We are no longer enemies but dearly loved children of the God of the universe.</p>

<p>The only possible of outcome of really hearing the Gospel and believing the Gospel is repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. In this sermon Pastor Dan takes a look at what the Scriptures say about saving faith and repentance unto life. Both faith and repentance are gifts of God's grace. Though salvation belongs to the Lord from beginning to end, it is at this point in the process of salvation that those God saves react to the Gospel, turning from sin, turning from our own work, and turning toward Jesus in faith and repentance. The Christian hates their rebellion and sin and looks to kill it every day. But at the same time, the Christian has real joy in knowing that Jesus has done all that needs to be done to save us from our sin.</p>

<p>Few Christians terms are well-known to the world more than "born again". And yet so many misunderstand what it actually means to be born again. There is a point where we hear the Gospel and God implants new life into us so that we can and will believe on Jesus Christ as Savior. To be born again means to have new life implanted in us. It is something that God does to us because of love, mercy and grace. The big question we all have to answer is whether or not we have been born again.</p>

<p>God has accomplished redemption, but how does He apply it to mankind? The act of redemption applied is miraculous. The Bible gives us a lot of information about how God actually saves us. Even the act of calling a person to believe the Gospel is a miraculous work.</p>

<p>The doctrines of grace teach that salvation belongs to the Lord. Every person ever born into this world is incapable of doing what is right or pleasing God. This is a central teaching of the Bible. But God, rich and mercy, has graciously chosen to save His people from their sin and radical danger. Even though we are radically corrupt, God has not only provided a way for salvation but has provided all that is necessary to save His people. In grace, God chose His people. In grace, God died for His people. In grace, God has revealed the truth of the Gospel to His people. In grace, God will keep his people until the day He returns.</p>

<p>In the church there are certain teachings that are debatable and there are others that are absolutely crucial to the Christian faith. We differentiate between these teachings as "open handed" and "close handed" doctrines. In this sermon, Pastor Dan outlines one of the close handed doctrines - that concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. His extraordinary person and work make mean an extraordinary lordship over every human life. Jesus' claims about himself set him in a category different from all other religions in the world. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer you must consider the claims of Jesus - after all no other man or woman has been able to change the course of history in the way that Jesus has.</p>

<p>This sermon was preached by Randy Manley of Molokai Baptist <a href="http://(www.molokaibaptist.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(www.molokaibaptist.com</a>) in Molokai, Hawaii.</p>

<p>The Bible is the story of how God relentlessly pursued his people and saved them from their sins. That story is told through the covenants God has made with mankind. God from eternity past made a covenant to elect his people and provide redemption through the Son, Jesus Christ. In that story God made promises through covenanting with his people. Jesus Christ is the ultimate realization of those promises. The Bible tells of two classes of people in the history of the world - those who are under the covenant of grace and those who are not. Jesus is either our Savior or we are trying to save ourselves. One of these classes of people have a glorious outcome and the other does not.</p>

<p>Man was created in the image of God with true righteousness, holiness and knowledge. Even though the world has fallen and sin has entered the world we still bear the image of God. In this sermon, Pastor Dan takes us through a journey in the Scriptures as we see the original state of man in perfection, the beginning of our war with God, the result of our war with God, the winner God has given us in Jesus Christ and finally what we will become through faith in Jesus. The world is broken and the image of God in man has been marred but we are not beyond repair because of the matchless grace of God.</p>

<p>God has ordained everything that had and will come to pass. He is sovereign over every molecule and very person and their actions. This is a foundational belief to every person that claims that God exists. It is also a basic teaching of Christian doctrine. It is also a doctrine that should lead us to comfort and a greater understanding of God's love for us and all His creatures. Pastor Dan preaches from Ephesians 1 and Romans 9 as he encourages us to lean into this doctrine as we make our own calling and election sure.</p>

<p>There are many ideas today about what God is like. All of these ideas except those found in God's Word are descriptions false gods even when they are well intended. Even in Christain circles we tend to make God fit into or box rather than trust the words of God Himself. In this sermon, Pastor Dan takes a brief look at several doctrines concerning God's person and attributes. The sermon gives the listener a good foundation to explore the person and character of God not fully on their own.</p>

<p>What do you believe about the Bible? Is it God's Word? Are there errors? Are there parts of scripture that are now obsolete? Christians believe some very important doctrines about the Bible that affect the way they see the world. We believe that God graciously gave the writers of the Scriptures His Word so that we could know Him, ourselves and the world around us. We believe that the Scriptures are perfect because God is perfect. These days we live in a post-Christian culture that questions just about every claim Christians make concerning the Scriptures. That is why it is more important now than ever that Christians know what they believe about the Bible, why they believe it and how it matters in real life.</p>

<p>Has there ever been a time in your life where you just didn't feel ready? Maybe something or someone caught you off guard or you just didn't prepare well. Christians are to be prepared for every good work that God has in store for them. Preparation comes through understanding the Gospel. As Paul is wrapping up his letter to Titus he begins to insist that Titus pay attention to the conduct, service and obedience of the people in the church. He exhorts the church to be ready for every good work. A church that is maturing will grow in it's readiness to do good work as a natural response to the good work that God has done in them. When the church is maturing there will be a willingness to obey God and His commands, community will flourish, the testimony of the church will be bright and people will be changed. But this change is not the result of trying harder or humanistic effort. Maturity to readiness happens when a church is gripped by the Gospel and the extravagant love of God.</p>

<p>The Church is book-ended by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus on one hand, and the anticipation of his glorious return on the other. As Christians living in the middle of these two events, we are called to wait for this "blessed hope" to come. But we don't wait passively. In the reality of living in this "present evil age," the same grace that provided redemption is the same grace that trains us to renounce sin in our lives and turn toward righteousness. And the promised return of Christ spurs us on with confidence, knowing that he will finish the work he started.</p>

<p>Now that Paul has addressed the leaders in the church, he turns his attention to the members of the church. He paints a picture of what a godly member looks like in various stages of life, from the older men to the younger women. Paul encourages their doctrine to be sound in contrast to those he previously described in Crete. He goes on to encourage a healthy spiritual life in Christ that flows out of that healthy doctrine. But he does not only describe the character traits he desires to see in us; he also gives us the motivation of transformation of grace.</p>

<p>In Crete a crisis had been brewing for a long time. A church was growing but there were those inside the church who sought to make much about themselves rather than Jesus. They were teaching things that weren't lining up with the teaching of Jesus or his Apostles. To combat the false teachers and their insubordination, Paul instructed Timothy to identify, train and equip leaders who would be more committed to Jesus than anything else. In this sermon, Pastor Dan takes a look at a passage that gives instruction to churches on how to choose leaders and grow leaders from within the congregation. A church that is growing will need leaders that are willing to grow along with the church, protect the church, and look out for the purity of the Gospel that goes out from the church.</p>

<p>Titus is a letter written by Paul to a maturing church on ancient Crete. In it, Paul identifies what a maturing church looks like. A maturing church possesses the Gospel and is possessed by the gospel which leads to godly living. Churches that want to grow must have sound doctrine pursue sound living.</p>

<p>As Solomon ends his journey to find the meaning if life he sums up the whole meaning of life - we are to worship God and live in obedience. Only Jesus gives us the power to live in obedience and the reconciliation we need to live a life that is glorifying to God. Jesus is our Lord who gives us all we need to have purpose in this life.</p>

<p>In Ecclesiastes 11, Solomon is beginning to close his journey as he reflects on the strength of youth and the joys of old age. Through a beautiful poem, Solomon expresses how the human life begins to reach it's twilight. But even in those years, years that our culture tries to ignore, we can rejoice because this life is preparation for the life to come.</p>

<p>Even the best of intentions can lead us to a life lived in foolishness, derailing our good intentions, relationships, and our goals. Solomon defines what foolishness looks like and how the wise not only identify foolishness when they see it but strive after wisdom so that they can be all that God desires for them to be. Ultimately, every person born into this world will act foolish on a daily basis. That is why Jesus teaches us that wise men do not build their life around their own desires, works, and goals, but rather around the work of Jesus and God's goals for their life. The difference between wisdom and foolishness is the object of our faith.</p>

<p>Though God is sovereign life sometimes seems random and confusing. Additionally, it doesn't always seem fair. In the end, like a bunch of chess pieces after a game, everyone, no matter what their rank and role in life will end up in a box, or in an urn if you want to go that way. If our lives are going to bring glory to God we must live like we're dying. Solomon gives us incredibly practical advice on how we can enjoy life even in light of death. We have to live like we're dying to the glory of God.</p>

<p>There are times in our life when we can't make much sense of what is going on around us. Solomon demonstrates how we can live in light of things we don't understand by growing in grace. When we grow in grace we will grow in our trust of God's sovereignty and love for us.</p>

<p>Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 is a series of wisdom sayings from King Solomon as he reflects on all that he has done and his all encompassing search for meaning under the sun. It's as if an old wise man is sitting down with the reader to share with them in a few sentences everything they know. What we learn is that grace makes us wiser. The human life is a journey either under the sun or with Jesus as Savior. With Jesus as Savior we walk with wisdom personified and Solomon tells us what life will look like when we are growing in grace.</p>

<p>Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 is a series of wisdom sayings from King Solomon as he reflects on all that he has done and his all encompassing search for meaning under the sun. It's as if an old wise man is sitting down with the reader to share with them in a few sentences everything they know. What we learn is that grace makes us wiser. The human life is a journey either under the sun or with Jesus as Savior. With Jesus as Savior we walk with wisdom personified and Solomon tells us what life will look like when we are growing in grace.</p>

<p>Life without God is like a person on a treadmill. When we exercise on a treadmill we will often try to distract the monotony and meaninglessness of the treadmill by watching a movie, listening to music or turning on the TV. We try to distract ourselves so that we forget that we are on a treadmill that leads to nowhere. Solomon turns the TV off and removes the distractions of life to show us that the treadmill is actually in a room painted white and has no meaning - that is, when life is viewed under the sun alone. There is no amount of success, stuff, or pleasure that can bring meaning unless God's glory is our meaning in life. But Jesus tells us that when our idols are laid bare and we trust Him as Savior that everything matters. Only Jesus can rescue us from the meaninglessness of life without God.</p>

<p>In this message, Pastor Dan preaches from Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 as Solomon considers the issue of power and wealth. Once again, Solomon demonstrates how loving something such as money or power is meaningless in that money can never satisfy us, save us, or have a meaning beyond death. However, when money is used to the glory of God, and Jesus is the source of our love rather than the acquisition of more stuff and money to maintain the stuff, everything changes. Solomon challenges the idol of money and wins.</p>

<p>There are times in our lives where we think we know the Scriptural answer to our issue, we know we need to trust God, we know that God has promised to never forsake us, and yet we feel like God is silent, the only voice we hear is our own, we don't trust God and we feel forsaken. How do we worship God when we disagree with God? Solomon has some answers for us in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. In this sermon Pastor Dan preaches from Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 where we learn that while in a spiritual desert we must tread carefully, listen loudly, quiet down, and trust in the finished work of Jesus.</p>

<p>The world is broken. People are broken. Our motives are impure. We desperately need one another, we need community, as we navigate through trials, temptations and moments of faithlessness. Solomon knew the value of friendship and community and he expresses it here in the context of pain and suffering. Pastor Dan preaches on why community is necessary and how to go about building community within the church.</p>

<p>What happens when we die? That is a big question that every human being longs to understand. No matter what your religious belief or lack of religious belief the answer to the question is one of faith because no one but Jesus has ever died and live to tell about it. In this sermon, Pastor Dan takes us on a journey through the Scriptures to show us how God has answered the question is even now calling you to have faith in Jesus so that you will know what happens when life ends.</p>

<p>We often take credit for the good things in life and blame God for the bad. But the Bible teaches that God is to be credited for joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, birth and death. He is sovereign over every aspect of life. God plays the notes of life both on the black keys and the white keys, making a divine symphony of sound for He makes all things beautiful in His time.</p>

<p>One of the biggest questions we ask is why we are here. In our most profound moments of thought we realize that there has to be meaning bigger than us. Solomon takes several journeys to find meaning and comes up empty on this side of the sun. In the end he realizes and the Bible teaches that Jesus gives new meaning to everything we do.</p>

<p>Every human being has been haunted by the question, "Why?" Why do bad things happen? Why do good people die? Why is there sadness? Why do people do stupid things? Why don't I feel like I have any purpose? Why is happiness so fleeting? Solomon, a man who had at it all asked the same question and did not come up short in his memoir, "Ecclesiastes." Pastor Dan begins our journey through this book as we take a look at the futility and frustration of the human existence when it is devoid of God's meaning, love, and salvation.</p>