The Town

<p>God has not only made certain and precious promises but he has graciously given his church visible signs and seals to assure use, identify us, and remind us of who he is, and what he has done and will do for us.</p>

<p>God meets us on the road of affliction. In fact it is there that we find out what we're made of. Affliction either hardens us, breaks us or changes us. The good news is that God sees us and he hears us on the road of affliction.</p>

<p>Is the God of the Bible one who can be trusted? Is there reason for us to trust Him? When Abram was sinking into a deep depression and wondering if he had fooled himself into thinking that God had spoken a good word to Him, God condescended and made a covenant with Abram. God promised that he could be trusted no matter what suffering might over take Abram or his people. God has made promises to his church that often seem far away when we suffer. But God has sealed his promises in his Son Jesus. Indeed, God can be trusted for He is trustworthy.</p>

<p>There are moments in our lives, maybe even long stretches when God's promises seems far off. We are tempted in those moments to stray from our faith and trust in the Lord. But God even uses those moments to reveal Himself to us. When we stray we usually make a mess of things and we wonder if there is any chance of making it back home. There is no mess that God won't redeem.</p>

<p>The purpose of the church is to be used by God to save the world. This is an urgent call that the church must answer. God called Abram to go into a land that he would show him. This was the beginning of a journey that would ultimately lead the world to Jesus Christ. In the same way, the church has been called by Jesus to go into the lands that he will show us in order to bring the good news of the Gospel.</p>

<p>What does a civilization look like when it is built solely on the basis of the power and independence of man? It looks like a civilization that collapses under it's own weight of sin. History is on repeat - the world never does anything new. That is until God became one of us and turned the kingdoms of men on their collective heads. Our hope and joy can never be found in the institutions of man for they are consistent failures. Our hope must be found in a new address - the Kingdom of God.</p>

<p>The story of Noah is not a children's story. It's is a terrifying story of God's righteous judgment on sin. But God gave grace and favor to Noah, and He made a way of salvation by grace.</p>

<p>Once sin entered the world it didn't take long for it to truly take root in mankind. As man sought to be a law unto themselves they would spiral deeper into their own depravity. What greater crime and heartache could come from one brother killing his own brother out of rage and jealousy. Yet God's plan for redemption would not be thwarted. Though the war between the line of Cain and the line of Seth would continue, ultimately Jesus, a better Abel, a better Adam, a better man would bring redemption for us all.</p>

<p>When all seemed lost, God promised a Redeemer in the curse. He did not leave an undeserving people in sin and misery but instead gave grace. His promise of a redeemer was realized in Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, all is not lost - today or ever.</p>

<p>A King created an unbroken kingdom for an unbroken people to be in an unbroken relationship with Him.</p>

<p>The average faithful church attender will hear 3500 sermons in their lifetime. It is important that we have a game-plan for coming to church. We should come expecting to hear from God in the sermon and ready to be changed as His Word is proclaimed in the local body.</p>

<p>Christians are a citizen of the Kingdom of Christ. We are foreigners in every other kingdom. This gives us every reason to have great joy even when the world has every reason to panic. The joy of citizens of this world rests in fellow citizens hands. But our joy is found in the sovereign rule of God.</p>

<p>Jesus has redefined the definition of success. The greatest moment in human history was when Jesus died on a Cross in our place to satisfy God's divine and righteous judgment against His people. When all others thought he had failed, Jesus had accomplished victory. It is in this victory that our own failures are redefined.</p>

<p>Who is in control of this world? When we look around it seems that a purposeful God has missed the mark. But the Bible teaches us that God has decreed all things that come to pass and that God's decree is good. Jesus tells us that this same God knows how many hairs we have on our head and that he will provide for all of our needs if we would just seek His kingdom first.</p>

<p>In the past 10-15 years we have been witnesses to an historic age of communication development. But along with instantaneous news and video the heart of the world has been laid bare and it's not a pretty picture. We live in an age of unending digital tragedy on an international, a national, and a local level. We have access to the tragic world in which we live. But how are we to live in such a time? Do we ignore the news? Do we try to come up with answers? Or perhaps there is something greater and more eternal that we can learn from the bad news. Jesus offers something better in a broken world of unending bad news.</p>

<p>The pleasure that God the Father has in Christ the Son is reason enough for us to rise and have no fear. The King of kings has squelched any power that death might have over those who have put their faith in Jesus.</p>

<p>Who do you believe Jesus is? This is an unavoidable question that we all must answer. Do you believe he was a great moral teacher and nothing more? Does Jesus himself give us the option to believe he is anything other than the Son of God? In this sermon we discuss who Jesus is and how the power of his identity should inform our faith in our day to day lives.</p>

<p>Most parents at some point in their life wonder if they have what it takes to raise their children right. Most kids at some point in their life wonder why God gave them the parents that he did. We often seem so mismatched from one another. Paul has some simple instructions for the Christian home. Our families are to be distinctively Christian. Children who love Jesus will look for ways to honor and obey their parents even when it's hard. Parents who love Jesus will reflect Jesus to their children in the home.</p>

<p>Paul's message to the Ephesians has implications for all people in all stages of life. In this text, he turns his attention to slaves and masters, those in authority and under authority in the workplace. He gives us the commands us to obey and use our authority in a way that honors our God. He also gives us some future promises that motivate us to use our calling to bring God glory with our vocation.</p>

<p>The idea of the biblical submission of a wife to her husband is not popular in our cultural, but it is often misunderstood. God has designed husbands and wives to complement one another. The Bible teaches the complete equality of men and women as God's image bearers, yet they each fulfill distinct roles in the context of marriage. As husbands are called to lead with a self-sacrificial love, women are called to trust in them to do so. This relationship, while marred by the curse, is of God's good design for humanity. We have to look no further than the relationship within the Godhead to see this beautiful communion of equality and subordinate distinction. And it is in Jesus, our teacher and example, that we see both of these realities lived out in our world.</p>

<p>Husbands have a high calling. We aren't satisfied with a happy wife so that we can have a happy life. We want much more than the status quo. Husbands are called to lead, love and glorify their wives just as Jesus leads, loves and glorifies the church.</p>

<p>There is a war. There is strength to fight the war. That strength is found in the power of the Lord and the armor Jesus has fashioned from his person and work. Christians are called to do battle with the spiritual forces of this world. Behind every human battle there is a cosmic battle. But where the Gospel is the Kingdom of God moves forward in this world. God has given us the and dressed us in an armor and strength that can only come from him so that we might not only survive these battles but become more like Jesus in them.</p>

<p>The Christian life is inherently hard, as we are called to continually put off our old nature and put on the new nature we have in Christ. But we shouldn't despair that we are consigned to a miserable existence. Christian people should be those filled with thankfulness for what God has done, is doing, and will do in the future. Paul understood this as a man who faced both blessing and hardship. If we truly believe that God has given us all things in Christ, it should leave no room for complaint. Thanksgiving is an antidote against the temptation to sin and the fatigue of sanctification, and it is a marker for those who claim to be "children of light."</p>

<p>God has given us ordinary means to encounter him and be changed in an extraordinary way. His Word, Our Prayer, and His Church are all gracious gifts given to the people of God by God Himself. God graciously speaks to us, listens to us, and relates to us through these means. The church, though imperfect, is one of the most important means God has given us to experience him and be changed.</p>

<p>God has given us ordinary means to have an extraordinary encounter with Him. He has given us His Word, Prayer, and His Church so that we might become more like Jesus every day. When we read the Scriptures, when we spend time in prayer, and when we spend time in fellowship with other believers we put ourselves in the pathway of God's grace and will experience spiritual growth as the God makes us more like Jesus in those encounters.</p>

<p>God has given us ordinary means to know his extraordinary grace more and more every day. The mains means God has given us to know Him is His Word. If we want to be more like Jesus we must encounter Jesus. If we want to encounter Jesus we must encounter his word.</p>

<p>One cannot encounter Jesus and remain the same. Jesus changes us and we have a new identity where we find our purpose and place in his person and work. Paul tells the church that they must not only pursue unity but that they must also pursue holiness. God's grace is not a cheap grace. The grace we have in Jesus leads to a pursuit of Jesus where we will not remain unchanged.</p>

<p>God gifts the church so that they might transform the culture. It is good that w meet together to worship, but our worship must continue throughout the week. We are called to use the gifts that God has given us so that He might transform the community through us. As the church grows in depth and number the community of which they are a part will be transformed.</p>

<p>The unity we have in Christ is multiplied by the diverse and gracious gifts Jesus has given to his Church. A healthy church is a church where every member of the body of Christ is looking to discover their gift, enjoy their gifts, and worship God by using their gifts to serve others and love Jesus.</p>

<p>Jesus prayed that the church might be one as He and the Father are one. Unity is a big deal for Jesus and it is a big deal for the Apostles. Why? Because a church that is united under the Gospel puts the manifold wisdom of God on display for the world to see. We are united under one Savior and our pursuit of the one Savior testifies to his power and glory.</p>

<p>Our calling to follow after Christ is a gift and a privilege. But it is also a life that demands the pursuit of holiness. Jesus, who is our hope, has not called us to follow him and remain the same; his love for us continues as he prunes and sanctifies. The Christian is to take seriously this work, as the unity of the church is greatly affected by our sin. This involves identifying sin patterns, walking in community, and wrestling in prayer with the Holy Spirit as we each seek to put off sin and put on righteousness.</p>

<p>The world has no hope if Christians devalue the means God has ordained to draw the world to Himself.</p>

<p>When we are captured and compelled by God's purpose for our lives we become living sacrifices where we at once die to self and live for others.</p>

<p>Jesus has destroyed the wall of hostility - we are a people under one roof and with one family name.</p>

<p>The Resurrection has changed the reality of the world where death once reigned.</p>

<p>You cannot have the glory of Sunday, without the crucifixion on Friday.</p>

<p>A person captured by the good news of the Gospel is a beacon of good news to others – you are God's workmanship.</p>

<p>It is by grace that God saw us as we were, loved us, and saved us to make us what we are.</p>

<p>The Gospel doesn't erase our past, it transforms our past.</p>

<p>Why does it matter that the church meet together? We exist to tell one another of the past, present, and future spiritual blessing we have in Christ as we take part in the grand plan God has for us. There are so many benefits that come with a body that is united in Christ. We support one another, we give thanks for one another and we pray for one another. But all of this happens as we take part in a bigger plan, part of a bigger narrative, that is bigger than any one person.</p>

<p>Why does it matter that the church meet together? We exist to tell one another of the past, present, and future spiritual blessing we have in Christ as we take part in the grand plan God has for us. There are so many benefits that come with a body that is united in Christ. We support one another, we give thanks for one another and we pray for one another. But all of this happens as we take part in a bigger plan, part of a bigger narrative, that is bigger than any one person.</p>

<p>The heart of God is clearly seen in his past faithfulness to His people, the work of Christ on this earth, and the promise of Jesus' return. God has given us the Holy Spirit to remind us that His heart towards us has not changed - He will be our God and we will be His people and this will be accomplished because of his long suffering love for us. Be confident in the fact that God's feeling toward you is not based on anything in you, but rather everything that is in him.</p>

<p>God has shown his love for us by sharing his mind with us. What was previously veiled through shadows and signs has been fully revealed to those whom God has chosen and adopted. Christians have received full access to the plan of the gospel: that God sent his Son to secure redemption and forgive transgressions, and that he will one day unite all things in heaven and earth under the headship of Christ. This should incite the church to worship, persevere thorough trials, and proclaim this good news to everyone God has placed in our paths.</p>

<p>In Ephesians 1, Paul gives us one reason after another to worship God. And yet, these are God's words to his children. He is like a father shouting from the sidelines to his kids, "o I've had you in mind since before time. I chose you just because I love you. It is my desire to give you all that you could ever need – every blessing imaginable. My love for you has no beginning and it has no end. My goal for you is so much more than the vapor of this life. My aim is to be your Father and you my son. I have saved you from something, but I have also given you all that you need to be something – without blemish! The price for which I have bought you back from slavery, the way in which I have forgiven you is according to an bottomless, eternal grace without end. I have met the conditions for your salvation." God's purpose in salvation is to create a new family where He is Father and we are His children.</p>

<p>God has chosen a people for Himself, and this is reason enough for a life of worship.</p>

<p>What does it mean to be "all good"? It is something we all want. It is the desire of the human heart – we want to be in a good place. There are many examples and areas of life that we want to be able to say – "Everything is in order. It's all good." Relationships. Family. Marriage. Job. Children. Retirement. Even when all of these things are "all good" there is always something nagging at us. Because even those who have charmed lives, where everything is all good, there is a deeper need that must be met – because the grave is all bad. This is why, when Paul says, "Blessed be our God and Father in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ," that there is no other response but doxology. Your greatest need this, no matter how good you think things are, is to know that Eternal God has made you all good in Christ – a greater good than any good that could ever be felt or accomplished on this earth in and of ourselves.</p>

<p>There is a spiritual haze in evangelicalism today. Christians in America are living in a post-Christian culture and we don't always have good answers to the cultural narrative. Our response to change and claims to truth is often a fearful one because we don't know how to respond to the new cultural narrative. How can we not only exist but thrive in a post-Christian culture when the narrative seems so hostile? The answer is found in Ephesians when Paul says that God has given us every spiritual blessing - in Christ. Our identity in Christ will shape the way we live, breathe and interact with new culture in which we are living.</p>