07/05/2025 Church service

周日礼拜

视频

   Table of Grace 恩典表

Titus 2:12-14: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.
提 多 書 2:12-14: 这恩典管教我们，使我们拒绝不敬神的事和地上的欲望，在今世能过自制、公义、敬神的生活， 期待那蒙福的盼望，以及我们那伟大的神、救主耶稣基督[e]荣耀的显现。 他为我们献上自己，是为了救赎我们脱离一切罪恶[f]，并且洁净我们做他自己特选的子民，做美好工作的热心人。(page 1935)

Col 2:13 - You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
歌罗西书 2:13: 你们从前在自己的过犯和没有受割礼的肉体中是死的，神却使你们与基督一同活过来了。神已经赦免了我们的一切过犯

Eph 2:4,5: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.
You are saved by grace!
以弗所书 2:4,5: 不过神有丰富的怜悯，因着他爱我们的大爱， 甚至当我们还死在过犯中的时候，就使我们与基督一同活过来——你们得救是藉着恩典！(page 1895)
Romans 5:1,2: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
罗马书 5:1,2: 这样，我们既然因信称义，就藉着我们的主耶稣基督与神和好了； 我们也藉着他，因信[a]进入了现在所站的这恩典中，并且以盼望神的荣耀而夸耀。(page 1827)

 

 

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The Table of Grace: Finding Renewal in Christ
I used to love to stay up late on Friday nights. Sometimes I would stay up half the night - maybe even watch two movies. Not so much anymore.
I know you can blame part of that on my age, but honestly, I know it is much more than that. It is also a symptom of the age we all live in.
We get overwhelmed. We know we need to regroup - refresh - revive.
What I may have “lost” in my late-night routine, maybe I have gained in my mornings.
Jesus, the Bible tells us, rose up early in the morning, while it was still dark to pray

Mark 1:35: The next morning, Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house while it was dark, and made his way to a secluded place to give himself to prayer.

“Domination at Dawn” “Rise Early. Reign Daily”

A good night's sleep can work wonders...but there's a part of true restoration that can't come from just sleeping more. Like a remote control with dead batteries needing new power from an outside source, we, too, need renewal that comes from beyond ourselves.
In the mornings I am full of ambition - but like Paul says in Romans 7:19, 'I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.'
Maybe we all need our spiritual batteries recharged today.
When our plans break down due to exhaustion or lack of focus, it's a sign we're disconnected from our power source.
We are the branches and Jesus is the life-giving vine.
Without that connection, we wither.
Paul continues in Romans 7:25: 'I am thankful to God for the freedom that comes through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!'
This is the answer to our spiritual exhaustion.
The vine is where the life is.
Through God's grace, we have access to this life that we now live by faith.
Galatians 2:20: 'I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.'
We need a constant flow of God's grace to live in victory and to walk in peace. Without it, we can become spiritually depleted.
Titus 2:12-14 tells us: 'For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.'
This scripture states that the Grace of God makes us 'eager to do good works.'
Spurgeon : 'Our good works, if we have any, spring from a real conversion; yet more, they spring also from a constant spiritual influence exercised upon us, from the time of conversion even until the hour of death. It is not like the planting of a tree in our hearts, which naturally of itself bringeth forth fruit; but the sap cometh up from the root of Jesus Christ. We are not trees by ourselves, but we are branches fixed on the living vine.'
God's grace reaches out to us (prevenient grace) and teaches and instructs us (sanctifying grace).
John Wesley: By ‘means of grace’ I understand outward signs, words, or actions ordained of God, and appointed for this end – to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to men preventing, justifying, and sanctifying grace….
The chief of these means are prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation; searching the Scriptures (which implies reading, hearing, and meditating thereon) and receiving the Lord’s Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of him; and these we believe to be ordained of God as the ordinary channels of conveying his grace to the souls of men.

In Holy Communion, we find this means of grace - a sacred connection to the source of our spiritual power.
Imagine what happens when we truly connect to Christ, the True Vine.
Colossians 2:13 says, 'You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.'
TPT: 'This "realm of death" describes our former state, for we were held in sin's grasp. But now, we've been resurrected out of that "realm of death" never to return, for we are forever alive and forgiven of all our sins!'
Picture yourself as a branch drawing life-giving sap from the vine.
See the fruit that grows naturally when you're connected.
Envision the peace described in Romans 5:1-2: 'Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.'
Imagine hearing those powerful words from Romans 5:9, that through the blood of Jesus we have heard the declaration, 'You are now righteous in my sight.'
And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, (that same passage tells is) we will never experience the wrath of God.
Our life and strength that we draw from the Vine comes through God's grace and mercy.
But it requires something of us - we must yield to that grace, surrendering to a power greater than ourselves.
William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army with his wife Catherine, said:
'The greatness of the man's power is the measure of his surrender.'
As God spoke to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.' (acknowledging this is a form of surrender)
To which Paul responded: 'Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.'
I invite you today, as we come to the Lord's Table, to surrender anew to God's grace. To acknowledge your need for spiritual renewal and to receive the life that flows from Christ our Vine.
In this sacrament of Holy Communion, we have the opportunity to be re-awakened, to have the victory of the cross within us revived by the very grace of God.
"Coram Deo" is a Latin phrase meaning "before the face of God" or "in the presence of God". It's a concept in Christian theology that describes living one's entire life in the presence of God, under His authority, and to His glory.
1 Cor 10:16: The cup we use in the Lord's Supper and for which we give thanks to God: when we drink from it, we are sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread we break: when we eat it, we are sharing in the body of Christ.

We believe Christ is very present in this means of grace
1 Cor 11:29: For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

Renewed at the Table of Grace
Titus 2:12-14 reminds us: 'For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.'
We live in the busiest world that has ever existed. (am I wrong?)
All the modern “conveniences” have not simplified our lives.
Technology has blessed us with 24/7 lifestyles. (no escape)
Distractions rob us.
We have to learn when to turn them off.


“Must Be Present to WIN”

Holy Communion is a time for FOCUS.
This is a foundational part of “seeking first the Kingdom of GOD”
Ephesians 2:10: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Today, as we come to the Table of Grace, we do exactly what we need - we re-awaken to the victory of the cross within us through this means of grace, the sacrament of Holy Communion.
We need grace to become the people we were called to become.
To strengthen that which is alive and remains.
To walk in true freedom and holiness.

Romans 5:10 tells us, “Now that we are at peace with God, and because we share in his resurrection life, how much more we will be rescued from sin's dominion!"
Let us come to His table now, acknowledging our need for renewal, and receiving by faith the grace that transforms us from depleted believers into branches vibrant with the life of Christ.

Hillside United Methodist Church
3739 US 80
Phenix City  AL  36870
United States
Pastor: Mike J Koger

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