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A Long Awaited Coming
How long is too long to wait? Waiting is not easy. It can be trying, anxious, eager, or even desperate, but always hopeful! Why? Because none of God’s promises have ever failed! The biblical stories of Advent and Christmas give us grounds for trusting in everything we have been promised concerning Christ’s return and our eternal home. Take heart! The Lord is near.
A Tale of Two Adams
The New England Primer teaches us, "In Adam's fall, we sinned all;" That curse was undone when Christ became the second Adam, the Innocent Adam, the sinless and perfect Adam who stood in our place and bore the weight of our sin - Adam's helpless race. Give thanks for a Redeemer who loves us and bought us with his own blood.
Not Even One
Is there anyone out there who has perfectly kept the law of God? No, not even one! Even for those whose salvation is secure in Christ, the process of overcoming that inborn sin nature will not be complete until we see Jesus in glory. By faith, our assurance rests in God's own ability to finish that which he has begun in each one of us whom he is calling to himself, for his own glory!
A Rule For The Heart
The tenth and last command gives us a rule for the heart. A covetous heart is greedy and grasping; a contented heart knows joy and peace. From the abundance of a well ordered and contented heart will flow loving and healthy relationships.
What is the R in ARP?
Reformation Sunday brings us back to one of the core beliefs that has shaped our protestant tradition for the past 500 years, with roots all the way back into the writings of Paul the Apostle. We cannot DO anything to deserve entrance into God's heaven; it is by faith that we place our trust in what Christ has DONE for us on the cross. It's all about grace.
Honoring
Giving honor, where honor is due, is far more than standing in awe of someone whose character and deeds are honorable. It also entails reverence, respect and obedience. We honor God by keeping His Sabbath; we honor our parents when we submit to their godly direction and discipline.
No Other Gods
God commands that our total and exclusive worship be directed to Him, and Him alone, for our good and His glory. He alone is worthy - our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer. Let us bow down before Him.
The Law
If love and obedience are the keys to glorifying God, then it follows that his greatest commandment calls us to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. God's Law points to his highest desire and purpose for us: a healthy relationship with himself and with others, made possible through Jesus Christ.
Give God The Glory
All of God's works bring glory to their Creator, but we alone among all of his works must choose to do so. We have a heart, a mind and a will that give us the capacity to freely love God or not to; to obey him or not to; to serve him or not to - and that is why God takes such great joy in us when we freely bow in worship and humbly obey his commands. Thus we bring joy to his heart and glory to his name.
Creation: Very Good!
The goodness of God is manifest in every molecule that moves, in every creature that draws breath, and in every plant that drinks from the earth and reaches for the sun. The beauty, harmony, symmetry and balance that exist in all of creation leave us with no doubt that our God is above all great and good! Such wonder and majesty can only lead us to doxology - praise to our Creator for all he has made.
In His Image
Why did God create us? Because he was lonely? To have someone to love him? Servants to do his bidding? "None of the above," is the correct answer! Our highest purpose, being created in his image, is to do just that - to bear his image, to demonstrate who he is to a watching world and reflect it back to him to the praise of his glory.
Three In One
The mystery of godhead is profound in its essence, yet surprisingly simple to understand. God has always existed in three persons, equal in substance, power and authority. He graciously invites into the fellowship He has enjoyed since before time began, called by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit.
Creator And Sustainer
We can never adequately wrap our brains around the scope of who God is and what He has done. We can, however, walk around in his creation with wonder and awe in our hearts, and diligently study his written Word - for it contains everything he wants us to know about himself and how we should live in his presence. How wonderful to know that He alone is God!
We Are Not Our Own
We live in a world that every day is trying to convince us that we get to choose our own identity, that we are in charge of our own destiny, and that we ultimately get to decide who we are. Nothing could be further from the truth! We do not belong to ourselves, but have a loving and gracious Creator who made us for Himself, and has redeemed us for His own glory. We belong to Him!
3 John: Love and Truth
In this, the very briefest of all the letters in the New Testament, John's passion for truth is exceeded only by his heart of love for the church. It is not some abstract warm feeling for a concept, or an ideal, but rather a very personal and gritty affection for real people (he even names names!) dealing with real issues in a local congregation. May the Holy Spirit use it once again as a tool in our church for building healthy relationships among ourselves as fellow members of the Body of Christ.
2 John: A Solemn Warning
If you see danger approaching someone you love, your first instinct is to sound the alarm! Give out a warning! Such is the urgency of this small letter, written to dearly beloved people by the last surviving apostle. The danger is not immediate or urgent - like an approaching tornado or some other imminent catastrophe. It is rather the slow creeping erosion of lies and deception that causes spiritual dry rot and the eventual collapse of a church. There is a cure! Take warning and live!
Philemon: A Bold Request
Have you ever asked somebody for a huge personal favor? Were you afraid it would be asking too much? Or that you would be turned down? ...that it would be awkward? ...that it might even ruin your relationship to the person you were asking? In his letter to Philemon, the Apostle Paul boldly makes one such huge request. How was it received? The answer: That letter is now part of the Bible!
The Promise
When Adam & Eve broke fellowship with their Creator God, He made them a promise: “The wrong that ruined Eden will one day be made right through one of your offspring.” Down through the ages, generation after generation: to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, and to King David in Jerusalem, the Promise was renewed and reaffirmed until finally, “The Promise (Word) was made flesh and walked among us, full of grace and truth - Jesus!”
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While we hope to one day have all of our sermons from sermon.net available here - that’s still a work in process. For now, anything prior to January, 2022 is still available, but through our older channels.