Agonize the Good Agony
"The Apostle Paul encourages Timothy to continue to fight the good...
When life gets hard, it can feel like God is distant. But the truth of the gospel is that God came down to us in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived among us as a man, experiencing all the emotions, temptations, triumphs and heartbreak that we experience. He laughed, He cried, He got angry, He loved friends and lost friends. It means He knows exactly what it’s like to experience everything we experience in life. At the same time, in His perfection, He lived a life we couldn’t live: a life without sin. He’s a perfect Savior because He is Emmanuel - God with us.
The season of Advent is when we look both back and forward at the gift of Jesus. We look back and give thanks for the gift of Jesus our Savior, born as a baby 2,000 years ago to live among us and pay the penalty for our sin once and for all. We also look forward in anticipation of the day when Jesus will return to make all things new and to rule and reign as King for all eternity. As the Christmas season brings all kinds of distractions and challenges our way, the Bible is clear in its encouragement to “hold fast” to the truth about Jesus: that we were lost in sin, but Jesus came to make us alive in Him. There is no greater hope to look toward than Jesus!
When Jesus says, “love your neighbor”, who comes to mind? We probably first think about the people we choose to reach out and help because we already have compassion for them. But what about the people who are harder to be around, or the people we might consider our enemies? In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus gives us a radical picture of what it looks like to look past our preferences, cultural barriers and politics, and simply show love and care for others, period.
Have you ever been given an important assignment by someone you admire and respect? Chances are you took that assignment pretty seriously. Jesus has given every single one of his followers an assignment: to go into the world, wherever your sphere of influence might be, and tell others the good news about the Kingdom of God. Not only did he give us the assignment, but he also equipped us with the story to tell and the power (through the Holy Spirit) with which to tell it. Each new day is a new opportunity to share the joy we have in Jesus.
The call to follow Jesus is a call to lay down our desires, our priorities, and even our comfort. It's not just costly, but to truly follow him costs us everything. So we must ask ourselves, am I prepared to place Jesus over everything?
The greatness of Jesus is on full display all around us as we remember that through him everything in existence was created. But even more incredible than that is the greatness of how personal Jesus is. In his ministry he showed great care and compassion for humble, everyday, broken people. Through the cross, he showed his great love for each one of us personally. We follow Jesus because he’s both the great Lord and King, but also our great personal savior.
Have you ever had a ‘mountaintop experience’ in your faith? Maybe it was a moment when God’s glory shone through a situation, or when you’ve felt God’s presence in an incredible way. When Jesus’ disciples witness his transfiguration on the mountain, they’re overcome by the experience. Later in their ministry, that experience would provide encouragement and the eternal perspective of glory that would help sustain them through the suffering and challenges they faced.
Who do you say Jesus is? While some try to minimize him to simply a good teacher of life lessons, Jesus actually doesn’t give us that option. Jesus claimed - and proved - to be the Christ, the Son of God and one with the Father. To follow Jesus means to put our own interests aside as we sacrificially live and love like Jesus.
God provides. It’s a simple statement, yet we can be quick to forget it when challenges in life make us think that our needs won’t be met. When Jesus miraculously provides food for thousands of people from a single meal, he teaches his disciples an important lesson about God’s provision, love and care for His people. God doesn’t just provide - He provides in abundance.
What does it look like to proclaim God’s Kingdom to the people around you? Just as Jesus gave his disciples a mission to go out into the world to tell people about the Kingdom of God, we have that same mission today. No matter where our day-to-day lives takes us - work, school, family, sports, hobbies and more - we have an opportunity to point others toward the hope of God’s Kingdom. Are you ready to be sent by Jesus?
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Sermons by: Jeff Stevens
Know Your Audience
What will our lives reflect? Will you be known as a follower of...
He Knows Your Name
"We serve a great God! 3 John looks at three characters within the...
Love and Obedience
The book of 2 John focuses on protecting our fellowship from those who...
A Social Test of Love
1 John 3:11-18's command to love is both glorious and frightening. In...
Practicing Righteousness
In 1 John 2:28-3:3, John now reverts to his cycle of tests, expanding...
Knowing Our Advocate
The call of a Christian is to 'go and sin no more', but the truth is...
Walking Warrior: Part 2
How do you fight a spiritual battle? God has equipped us with...
Beautiful Contrast
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been made new through...