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The church has met on Sundays for almost 2,000 years. It has been the Lord’s day since John was on the island of Patmos. And one of the key components of worship has always been giving, supporting the ministry of the gospel. We’re called not to just raise big offerings at the point of need, although that’s a great thing to do too, we’re called to give each week, as we receive from the Lord, we give back to his kingdom through the local church. That’s how we’re all in this together. God has given the church to function as a community, it’s one way he comforts us. He allows us to go through hard times so that we can help others through similar situations, that’s community. Forgiveness, encouragement, care, these are the marks of a great church family, all rooted in the triumphant Christ. We are a covenant community bought with the blood of Jesus, that is our identity. The Gospel message is our purpose. We are flawed and will make mistakes, but the message is pure and leads to life, real life. Even though this earthly existence is temporary, we have an eternal home, and we’ve been given the job of telling the world. To reconcile God and man through Jesus Christ, that’s why we’re here. Our lives preach a message, do those around you know Jesus through you? Is your core, the most important thing to you, Jesus or is it something else? Are your friendships or other relationships more important to you than your relationship with Jesus? If someone rejects Jesus, do they reject you? Where is your joy. Is it when someone comes to Christ, or something else? Are we generous with our time, or talents, or finances? Where is our heart? Are we investing in the next generation, like Titus, or do we highlight their shortcomings? Are we cheerful in what we sacrifice for the Lord, or do we expect something in return? If we were put on trial, would be be found “guilty” to the charge of being a faithful Christian, like Paul? Is our message the gospel, are our actions genuine? Have we suffered because of a stand that must be taken, or when the going gets tough, do we look for a way out? Following Jesus is not an easy road, but it’s worth it. It doesn’t mean we always get our way. Sometimes we get the opposite so that we can learn of God’s provision. His grace is enough for us, we don’t need anything else. Engage in his mission!

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God has given us a gift called marriage. It’s not something we can pick and choose how we use it, it’s his design. We don’t have to accept it, that’s not a sinful decision to not be married, but should you choose to be married, it needs to be God’s way. When we think we can mold and shape marriage to be whatever we want, it does us more harm than good. We all need to learn to be content with the status we find ourselves in. Contentment doesn’t mean we never aspire to something more, but it means we leave the results up to God. We put his will ahead of our own. We surrender our rights for the sake of God’s mission. When we worship ourselves, seeking to fulfill our own desires ahead of anything else, we make ourselves an idol. Even if something is technically “ok” (meaning it’s not sinful in and of itself) if it doesn’t add to God’s glory, we shouldn’t do it. Our purpose is to help people towards the Lord, not push them away from him. If there’s something that doesn’t have to do with who Jesus is, be willing to let it go. Our whole lives are about his glory, and we need reminders. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a reminder. His body, his blood, a new covenant to provide access to God. This covenant is also a community, the church. Salvation isn’t just about individuals, but it’s about the church, a group of people, a body. The only way for a group to function together is love. We must not be selfish and individualistic, but selfless with one goal, to bring God glory. Corporate worship is not about my own individual preferences or desires, but what builds up others, so that people come to know Jesus. Our faith is rooted in the concrete reality of the resurrection. Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again. If there’s no resurrection of Jesus, there’s no eternal life… but Jesus was raised from the dead. He is our hope! Do you trust him?

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From the beginning, God has been creating a people who would worship him and show his greatness in all of creation. He would not let this plan be thwarted. He has always allowed a small group, a remnant, to remain even through persecution punishment and falling away. Then, at just the right time, through Jesus Christ, he has made a way for anyone to become his. It’s hard to understand, God is like that, his ways are greater than ours, but it is nonetheless true, salvation is real, even if we can’t always grasp God’s reasons. Our lives are his, and if that’s true, we have God’s grace. If we are truly his, we will be marked by love. We will find evil things detestable. We will care for people and we will remain true. Our place isn’t to be rabble-rousers, but to be ideal citizens who accentuate godly ideals wherever we should find them. Our goal isn’t to live-up to some kind of perfection as though we could get there ourselves, our purpose is to love others as a way of showing our love and gratitude to God for loving us. We are not the judges of the world, that’s Jesus. We are to show grace and mercy, even as he did for us. We need to be a help, not a hindrance, to our fellow believers and to those who would come to know him as Savior. Jesus is the perfect example, we strive to be like him, but we know we won’t ever get there… our hope is in him, not in ourselves. The Apostle Paul is a great example of this. He was flawed, broken, and even a persecutor of the church, yet God used him to preach the message to the world. We must strive to work together to this same end, to se the gospel go out to those around us, always.

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God is the one who is the judge. We don’t get to decide what we think is right or wrong, he has declared it in his word. In and of ourselves, we are not able to be righteous. That is to say, “do right” all of the time. But the good news is, literally, Jesus lived that righteous life for us. By placing our faith in Jesus Christ, his righteousness becomes ours. Even faithful men like Abraham, were not counted as one of God’s children because of his great acts, but because of his faith in God. We are given the opportunity to have peace with God through Faith. Adam and Eve chose to go their own way, they fell into sin and chose not to follow God’s command. They brought sin and death into the world. We too, choose sin, every single one of us, and thus we prove that we are in Adam. Just as they went, so do we… but that need not be the end of our story. Jesus Christ died for us so that we can be saved. We don’t take this for granted, or we shouldn’t. The Law doesn’t have power over those who trust in Jesus, but we don’t come to him so that we can live however we want. We now live by the Spirit. We allow him to guide our ways. We become God’s children and we count Jesus as our brother. Life is tough, but it doesn’t compare to the future in store for believers who fully trust in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is with us always to give us the strength to carry on. He is the one in control, it has always been that way, and it always will be. Those who chose to follow the Lord are his, those who do not, aren’t. Choose to follow him today!

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Paul was always ready to make a defense of who he was in Christ. His most powerful message is also our most powerful message, how we came to know Jesus Christ as Savior, our testimony. This divided people. Paul would have even lost his life if god had not been for the provision of the Roman government. He was mistreated and bounced around from council to council before various rulers, never taking the opportunity to feel sorry for himself, and always taking the opportunity to tell the story of Jesus. His goal was always to go to Rome and beyond, and God got him there. It wasn’t through his own planning, but by God’s will. If God calls you to something, he will get you there. Even though storms and shipwrecks may happen along the way, if you will remain faithful to speak the gospel to all you encounter, the Lord will bless your efforts. In Rome Paul was able to preach God’s truth. The truth that God has a message for the heart of man. It’s not a message of compromise and easy-believeism but a real message of hope. Should we genuinely make God our God, and not our own selfish desires, he will lift us up and hold us close. Trust in the Lord, the only Lord, Jesus, and he will save you!

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