The Town

<p>The Gospel brings healing big time. Our sick souls are mended and our broken relationship with God is restored. The Gospel also promises to bring physical renewal to the world and our bodies when Christ returns. In a similar way, the church is to go forth and bring the healing of Jesus in both word and deed.</p>

<p>Jesus was making big waves by challenging the burden of the Law. His compassion and mercy trumped the traditions of the day, which failed to fulfill the heart of the Law. Jesus demonstrated a great truth about the character of God even as he created commotion.</p>

<p>This sermon was preached by Steve Hartland from Trinity Church <a href="http://(http://www.trinitymd.org" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(http://www.trinitymd.org</a>) on Colossians 1.</p>

<p>Jesus was becoming well known in the region. The demons knew him and those who needed healing knew him. As Christians, we are attached to the most famous person who ever lived, who was also God incarnate. We should make much about him.</p>

<p>The calling of a Christian is one of invitation, not force. Jesus calls us to follow him toward work here on earth and eternal life to come. But He doesn't leave us to our own devices. He is the source of our strength and the perfect model for a life of holiness.</p>

<p>The kingdom of God is a kingdom of repentance from our sins towards an allegiance with the King. Jesus inaugurated it and it continues to advance this very day. The church is an agent in this kingdom, and we are charged with bringing forth the Gospel to all people.</p>

<p>Our God is not detached from the pain and struggles of the world. In being fully man, he endured real trials and temptation. He is also a warrior-king who fought for his people, continues to intercede for them, and will one day return to finally put away all of His foes.</p>

<p>Jesus was the promised remedy for the curse laid on mankind from Genesis 3. After generations upon generations, Mark announces that the Messiah has come. The "good news" is here, dwelling among us.</p>

<p>The main character in the book of Ruth is God. This story is included in the canon to show us how theline of David would be preserved and ultimately lead to the birth of Jesus. The mundane details are never mundane in the life of a believer. Ruth was simply looking to make a living for herself and Naomi when she met Boaz. They would be the great grandparents of the greatest king to rule over Israel. The lives of believers are never mundane. Our story is part of God's greater redemptive story. We all have a part.</p>

<p>Naomi sees what is going on. She sees that there is an opportunity for Ruth's situation and her own situation to change. She also sees the budding romance between Boaz and Ruth. In essence, she instructs Ruth to go for it and offer herself to Boaz. She wants Ruth to make a move. Ruth risks her relationship with Boaz and sneaks in to his room while he is sleeping. She lays out her intentions for marriage in a daring move. Boaz could have taken advantage of Ruth but instead answers her graciously and lovingly. He reflects the character of God as his broken people come to him for a relationship. Jesus calls the weary and broken and sinful to himself. He offers to carry the burden and to be the remedy. Jesus asks us to risk everything and trust him. He asks us to take a gamble.</p>

<p>As the story moves along we see the generosity of Boaz. He has great compassion on Ruth and Naomi. He is a godly man who reflects the character of God in his life and mission. Because God has been generous to Boaz, Boaz is generous to Ruth and Naomi. God uses his people to meet the needs of his people. Worshippers of a generous God will be generous to others. God has been generous to us in giving us his only son Jesus to cover over a multitude of sin.</p>

<p>When all seems lost along comes Boaz. Boaz is the perfect man for Ruth and yet somehow, in her suffering, Naomi had not realized there was still hope in Bethlehem. In this sermon we will meet Boaz and begin to see the love story unfold. God is sovereign over the details of our lives. Naomi and Ruth have resigned themselves to live out their lives in hopelessness when along comes Boaz. Our lives were hopeless until along came Jesus our Redeemer. Each of the details of our lives brought us to realize our need for a Savior and that Jesus is our only Redeemer.</p>

<p>Ruth opens with great suffering in the midst of great national suffering. Bethlehem is starving, the people of Israel are doing whatever is right in their own eyes. Naomi and Ruth lose everyone that is close to them and there seems to be no hope at all. It is so bad that Naomi changes her name to "bitter." When we are suffering we, like so many before us, will wonder about the sovereignty and goodness of God. The story of Ruth demonstrates to us that God is both good and sovereign even in our affliction. God uses the suffering of his people to sanctify them and make them more like Jesus while working out his good and perfect will in the world.</p>

<p>Time. Treasure. Talent. These are resources that God has given to us to be stewards. We either worship our resources or we worship God with resources. Jesus says that there is no in between ground to stand on. Money is either God or gift. Time is either a slave master or a tool. Talents are either a prison or emancipation to serve and glorify Jesus.</p>

<p>This sermon was preached by Chuck L. Betters from Glasgow Church <a href="http://(http://www.glasgowchurch.org" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(http://www.glasgowchurch.org</a>) on Luke 8 about the story of Jairus and his daughter.</p>

<p>Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus telling them "for this reason", that is Jesus Christ, he gave thanks for all the saints there. The church must be made up of saints who believe that all that we do is for the reason for which Christ came and died -- the glory of God.</p>

<p>Being a Christian is the most serious of things. Churches everywhere are filled with those who consider their Christianity an extracurricular activity. But Christ paid an eternal price for the souls of his people. We should delight in him, which moves us past just knowing him.</p>

<p>Being a Christian is the most serious of things. Churches everywhere are filled with those who consider their Christianity an extracurricular activity. But Christ paid an eternal price for the souls of his people. We should delight in him, which moves us past just knowing him.</p>

<p>We are all plagued with fears of varying types, but Jesus tells us not to worry or be anxious. Learning to trust in his work and his promises is the key to shacking off the bonds of debilitating fear, allowing us to enjoy a rich life with Christ.</p>

<p>This sermon was preached by Isaac Shaw of Delhi Bible Institute <a href="http://(http://www.delhibible.org" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(http://www.delhibible.org</a>).</p>

<p>Every single human being is an image-bearer of God and was designed to find their identity in him. As broken people, we find our identity in the things we've done to ourselves and the things done to us. Jesus gives us a new identify if we come to him in faith.</p>

<p>There are a variety of circumstances that contribute to depression and loneliness. Some are a result of our sin; others are a result of the effects of sin in the world. Both hurt. Jesus knows what it means to mourn and experience loneliness. But he is a king who will make all things new and we can find hope in that.</p>

<p>The Gospel is about God restoring his broken children so that they can enjoy a right relationship with him. Parenting is an earthly demonstration of this truth, and we need to look to Jesus not only for the grace to love our children well, but to also trust that he is ultimately responsible for their souls.</p>

<p>When church is on Sundays we will ruin everything. James closes his letter with a look into how the Christian should understand the church. We are to be truthful with each other. We are to be praying for each other. We are to be confessing our sins to one another. We are to restore one another. In summary, we are to be the church. If we are to evolve as a church we will have to grasp the concept that Church is not on Sundays</p>

<p>When Jesus' return is irrelevant to our mission and community we will ruin everything. James encourages us to live like Job. That takes perseverance. James' reminds us that the story of Job promises that the Lord would be compassionate and merciful as he preserves those he has saved. A church must do everything with the coming of Christ in view. Jesus' second coming must be relevant as we work with urgency.</p>

<p>If we are going to plant a church that is making a big impact, we will have to make hard decisions in each of our personal lives. It doesn't seem like your one personal choice will affect the bigger plan—but when a church is full of people who are making bad stewardship choices the collective effort is ruined. When we are not intentional with our time, money and resources we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>It takes about 3 minutes from the birth of a church program for church people to be willing to die for a program, idea or tradition. Some of the same church people who are willing to die for a sacred cow were at one point willing to kill if the sacred cow was erected. Sacred cows become sacred because we seek our own ends and not the Lord's will. Sacred cows graze when we are not flexible to the desire of God. Sacred cows starve when a church's mission is to glorify Jesus alone. When we allow sacred cows to graze we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>The lead pastor of Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll, makes it a point of saying, "I am just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about a somebody." This just about sums up what James is saying in these verses. We often find ourselves slandering other people rather than taking inventory in our own lives. It is very difficult to pass judgment and slander others if we have in view that we are nobody trying to tell everybody about Jesus. When we are honest with everyone but ourselves we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>When it is all about us we will ruin everything. For three weeks we will examine this one area in which we could ruin everything. Our mission and community cannot be about us. We must make much about Jesus. The third area we will deal with is what we are drawn too. When we stop drawing near to Jesus and drawing others to Jesus we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>When it is all about us we will ruin everything. For three weeks we will examine this one area in which we could ruin everything. Our mission and community cannot be about us. We must make much about Jesus. The second area we will deal with is our influence. We know that our mission is about us when we stop transforming the culture and are instead transformed by the culture.</p>

<p>When it is all about us we will ruin everything. For three weeks we will examine this one area in which we could ruin everything. Our mission and community cannot be about us. We must make much about Jesus. The first area we will deal with is our personal desire. When our personal desire drives us we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>Satan and his demons have a real handle on Scripture. Many of them could probably surpass our best theologians with their knowledge and understanding of who God is. If it were possible, they could pass ordination exams, seminary classes, and even disguise themselves as good Christians. They have knowledge that appears to be wisdom. But this wisdom is from below. It is a pseudo-wisdom. When our wisdom is from below we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>Words kill people every day. A father can crush his children with his words. A marriage can fall apart when words are too many or too absent. Rumors can bring a person to ruin regardless of the truth. Words can also bring healing. They can build up. They can be constructive. When gossip rages on and the image of God means nothing we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>Fame is a god that has no place in the church. Many of us desire to have a place of fame. We want to be noticed. Technology has given us all kinds of ways to be famous among our friends. A clever Facebook status makes us popular for a day. Our good deeds make us look good. Perhaps we are a good teacher and can really conduct a great Bible Study or Community Group. And yet James gives us a somber warning. Fame seekers cannot glorify Jesus for they glorify themselves. When ambition and power drive the church it will ruin everything.</p>

<p>If what we believe does not impact the world, we will ruin everything. When we return to authentic faith, we will know it. Our community will know it. Our friends and family will know it. We are not just speaking about an individual faith but a church full of people who have an authentic faith that works.</p>

<p>When our Christian walk is defined by our knowledge alone, and/or we lack a life of gratitude, we will ruin everything. James gets right to the point when he says that a faith that has no works is not able to save. The reason being is that a faith without a life of gratitude is not faith at all. James really brings it home when he says that a faith without works is very much like the faith of demons. They believe. It isn't enough to believe. Jesus changes people. Plain and simple. Are we changed?</p>

<p>When we fail to realize that every single human being has been created in the image of God, we will ruin everything. James confronts the church regarding favoritism. He uses the example of the rich receiving preference over the poor. This example has many applications. A theme we will take a look at is the theology of Imago Dei. We are all created in the image of God. Every human being ought to be treated as such.</p>

<p>We have all been there. We are moved by the preaching, the music, and the fellowship. But when Monday comes, we can barely remember why we went to church outside of the fact that we are creatures of habit. When worship and our daily lives are not connected, we will ruin everything.</p>

<p>If men and women cannot be quick to listen, slow to speak and instead continually seethe in anger, they will ruin everything. Every Sunday, there is an epidemic across the world—hundreds of thousands of people are falling asleep in pews. But what is even worse is that there are millions whose eyes have been opened who have also fallen asleep in their faith. Many Christians are not inclined to hear God's Word on a Sunday morning. How will they then give a rip throughout the week?</p>

<p>If men and women cannot be broken before God and each other, they will ruin everything. There are times in our lives when God doesn't seem so good. James admits as much. But he tells us not to be deceived about God's character. You can sense James' pastoral nature when he encourages the church to not fall into the deception of believing that God is not good.</p>

<p>The devil certainly did not make you do it. If men and women are unwilling to own up to their sin, they will ruin everything. Whatever it is that you see in this combat zone you can be certain that the Devil probably doesn't even know your name. When you sin, it is because you made you do it. In this passage, you will be challenged to examine the various temptations in your life that you are continually playing with rather than putting to death. We will also see that we are not powerless; rather, we have been made powerful through Jesus Christ to walk away from temptation.</p>

<p>If the men and women aren't maturing in their faith, they will ruin everything. We are unwise. The generation that walks the earth today is lacking in wisdom and maturity. Statistics show that men are no longer the spiritual heads of their households but can school their buddies in a mean game of Modern Warfare. They know incredible button combinations on their Xbox controllers and computer keyboards. They are the leader of their online guild. For these men, the word, "halo" refers to a game to be played, not something you earn on a cloud in heaven.</p>

<p>James doesn't make it easy on us. If the church is unwilling to "count it all joy" it will fail. The first confrontation is to see how deep our joy goes. Church people love to talk about joy--until their lives are wrecked. Joy becomes an elusive concept when the wrecking ball smashes into the side of our American dreams.</p>

<p>Can you imagine what it must have been like for those 40 days in between the time Jesus rose from the grave and his ascension? We only have a few snippets of the euphoria that surrounded the followers of Jesus. Acts 1 gives us some insight as to their mindset. The Disciples believed that Jesus was going to usher in the fully realized Kingdom of God. There would be no more death, no more pain, and no more oppression. But in the middle of the euphoria and joy, Jesus says a couple of final words and begins to rise up into heaven. The disciples were very confused. They just stood there staring into heaven. It took two angels dressed in white to get everyone moving again! The writings of the New Testament demonstrate to us that the earliest Christians lived in expectancy. They really believed that Jesus would return at any moment. Christians are called to live as if Jesus will return at any moment. If we lived like this we could change the world! We must be living in expectancy because when Jesus returns he will make all things new, punish the wicked, reward the righteous, and bring the final resurrection.</p>

<p>Almost every single Jesus movie ever made will cause you to doubt how a man like the one portrayed on the screen could rule the universe. It is true that Jesus was poor, a peasant, and from a backwater part of the Roman Empire. However, he probably didn't have long hair and never wore blush on his cheeks. He left the halo in heaven and worked like a blue collar man. Even so, Jesus is no longer the peasant man. He is seated at the right hand of God, ruling the universe. Have you ever wondered what Jesus is doing right now? He gives us some ideas throughout the Bible. Jesus reigns from heaven, over all, by making intercession, while preparing a place for God's people, and while he is with us as we tell the world about him.</p>