SERMON NOTES
Sunday, April 14, 2024
God's Faithfulness
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalm 36:5)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it
is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11)
God's Justice
Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. (Leviticus 19:15)
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:5)
(Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. (Isaiah 42:3-4)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
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Justice looks at the systemic barriers to thriving, at the misuse of power that exploits people’s lives, labor, and dignity. This means that justice is intricately tied to power and seeks to repair harm and inequities. Powerful people (that often includes all of us!) command society’s political and economic resources, and utilize them to maintain power.
Specifically, there were four main areas the first church was seen as supporting biblical justice:
They were sold out for racial justice.
They were deeply concerned about the poor and the marginalized.
They were committed to the idea that sex was designed by God
They spoke up for the powerless and vulnerable.
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Sunday, February 18, 2024
1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;
3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
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After Cain has killed his brother, God asks him where Able is and he responds:
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
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Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
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II Corinthians 4:18:
18 There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
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Matthew 17:5-6
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
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Matthew 17:10-13
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
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Sunday, December 24, 2023
Song referenced in sermon: "Your Peace Will Make Us One" - Words by Audrey Assad
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
You are speaking truth to power, you are laying down our swords
Replanting every vineyard 'til a brand new wine is poured
Your peace will make us one
I've seen you in our home fires burning with a quiet light
You are mothering and feeding in the wee hours of the night
Your gentle love is patient, you will never fade or tire
Your peace will make us one
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Your peace will make us one
In the beauty of the lilies, you were born across the sea
With a glory in your bosom that is still transfiguring
Dismantling our empires 'til each one of us is free
Your peace will make us one
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Your peace will make us one
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Your peace will make us one
CS Lewis quote:
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
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Sunday, September 3, 2023
The religious community, particularly the Pharisees, believed the Jewish people were to be God's instruments on earth, from whom the Messiah would come to institute that glorious age when Israel would be a great and free nation. Many others, especially the secular community and apparently some of the Sadducees, noted the present reality of the rule of Rome and determined that cooperation was the best policy. The tyrannical rule of Rome and the paganism of its religious and Hellenistic culture heightened the contrast between the situation at hand and the messianic hopes. This difference produced increasing fragmentation of the people, and several movements developed in response.
(https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/the-jewish-revolts)
Matthew 20:26:
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant
Song mentioned:
https://youtu.be/VeWuavHf4oY?si=yOzEhojgN0Pn7te-