Our Wednesday night class recapped the sermon series on the Kings of Israel looking for the relevance for today. God, through the prophet Samuel, warned the Israelites that by seeking a king, they were rejecting God. He warned them of the ways that the kings would rule over them (1 Samuel 8) and then instructed Samuel to give them what they wanted.
As we read about all the kings, we find that king after king failed to provide for the nation of Israel. Even David, who repented of his sins and was truly loved by God, did not provide an heir to the throne who served the nation well. Solomon started well but finished badly and the kings following did the same (most didn't even start well).
By studying these kings and their shortcomings, we learn that putting our faith and trust in anyone other than God, will lead us into despair. God wants to be our Lord and He sent us Jesus to be our King for eternity. In Jesus, we have a King who will not take from us as worldly kings, but He will give to us. He gives us love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and an eternal home with Him in heaven. He is not a King who separates himself from his people...He is a King who lives within the hearts of His people.
Discover and Proclaim the Truth of The Bible which is: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." (John 3:16 NRSV). Jesus came to humanity to proclaim and give evidence to that love and He has commanded us to do the same. We, who believe, must not merely be followers, but we must be proclaimers of the Gospel Message and we can only do that by being filled with the love of God.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sermon Replay Class...1 Timothy: 3....Examples for the world!
As we reflected back over the past several weeks studies in the Old Testament, we saw over and over how God would send a prophet to speak to the Jews. The prophet was recognized as being a man of God and the words he spoke were given special attention. God would insert His chosen person into a worldly situation to deliver His truth.
Today, God inserts believers into situations to deliver His truth...the mission of His church...but do we realize that we are the person God is depending on? The world is in need of healing today as it was when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as a prescription to heal the world. We are the prescribed medicine today that Jesus sends to continue His work. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament were set apart to bring God's word, we have been set apart to do the same thing.
God wants us to be the Christian in the workplace, the light in times of suffering and despair, and the witness when lies and slander are dominating the conversation. Paul petitioned Timothy (1 Timothy: 3) to be an example for the church. Paul identified the qualities of church leaders so that the world would have examples of the life Christ desires for all people. We are the church today and Christ's qualities have not been changed. We; the church, are the prescription for today's troubled world and if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, God's truth and love will accomplish all that He sends it to accomplsh (Isaiah 55: 11).
Today, God inserts believers into situations to deliver His truth...the mission of His church...but do we realize that we are the person God is depending on? The world is in need of healing today as it was when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as a prescription to heal the world. We are the prescribed medicine today that Jesus sends to continue His work. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament were set apart to bring God's word, we have been set apart to do the same thing.
God wants us to be the Christian in the workplace, the light in times of suffering and despair, and the witness when lies and slander are dominating the conversation. Paul petitioned Timothy (1 Timothy: 3) to be an example for the church. Paul identified the qualities of church leaders so that the world would have examples of the life Christ desires for all people. We are the church today and Christ's qualities have not been changed. We; the church, are the prescription for today's troubled world and if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, God's truth and love will accomplish all that He sends it to accomplsh (Isaiah 55: 11).
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