09/17/2023 Church service

周日礼拜

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 Us & Us
Acts 15:6-11
Technology is supposed to make our lives simpler.
In some ways, it has. But in other ways…

If it was all so simple, why do we have to find a young person to help us fix our phone?

Everything is “self-serve.” Pay online. Order on line. Self-checkout.

When I was younger, when you wanted you haircut you just showed up, sat down, made a few suggestions and hoped for the best.
NOW it’s “Do you use a one and fade up to a two? Do we use a six on the top?”

NONE of us know it all or can do it all.
Everyone is special. Everyone has special gifts, talents, and abilities.
We need everyone.

Life is Sacred - People are Priceless - Time is Precious

Most of us have seen the movie Titanic (at least, one version or another)

I remember us seeing the James Cameron version on New year’s Eve, 1997. By the time it was over, it was 1998 (long movie!)

I was crushed and exhausted at the end. The last hour was so unsettling.

The tragic sinking of the ship was magnified by the class struggle – and how the lower class passengers really didn’t have a chance of survival (though many did)

The minimal number of lifeboats loaded up the first class passengers - women and children first – and then steered the boats as far away from all of the other passengers slowly freezing to death in the icy waters.

Eventually they took their half-full lifeboats back to the scene of the disaster, but by then all of these people has either drowned or dies of hyperthermia from the freezing cold waters.
? How would you feel it if it had been you in that freezing water – knowing that half-full lifeboats were just out of reach?

Those images (and many others) have stuck with me all these years, and for that reason alone I just could never subject myself to watching it a second time.
The movie seemed to indicate that many of the privileged few had little issue with abandoning those they left behind.
You and I live in a world where so many are headed to a final judgement without hope – many without even knowledge of a Savior? We may be separating ourselves from them because we think we can justify it because of their lifestyles and contrary values.

Sometimes we may even isolate ourselves from other Christians because the worship differently or (in our opinion,) incorrectly?

In the words of Peter (from today’s scripture) “Surely the fact is that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved by faith, just as they are!”

We do not have the time nor the right to view the world as “us and them.” We must recognize it is simply “us and us.”

In our scripture passage today, some of the Jews were trying to force the new Christian men who had come from other religions that they would have to be circumcised in order to officially be “true believers.” They were still living under the Law of Moses.

After a lengthy debate, Peter rose to his feet and said to them, “Brothers, you know how God has chosen me from the beginning to preach the wonderful news of the gospel to the non-Jewish nations. God, who knows the hearts of every person, confirmed this when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just like he has given the Spirit to us. So now, not one thing separates us as Jews and gentiles, for when they believe he makes their hearts pure. So why on earth would you now limit God’s grace by placing a yoke of religious duties on the shoulders of the believers that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? Don’t you believe that we are introduced to eternal life through the grace of our Lord Jesus—the same grace that has brought these people new life?”

Gal 3:2 - Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.

There are only two kinds of people: Those who are lost, and those who are saved.
Rescued by God’s Grace – made possible by the Cross of Jesus Christ.

The truth is, at some point, we were all part of the first group. (amen?)

There was a time when our eyes were not yet opened to the truth.

Jesus said (Matt 13:16) “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”
“I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see”

It’s not “us and them” – it is Us & Us

Jesus was harshly judged just for eating with the tax collectors
Luke 15:2: the “Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Matt 21:31,32: Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”

What was the difference? The chief priest and elders did not believe that the Messiah had come.
They did not believe John’s message of “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

“but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.”

“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore”

Are we going to steer our lifeboats back to those who are sinking? Before it’s too late?

It’s frustrating seeing the wickedness of this world and wondering why it just goes on and on

We hear and read about the crimes being committed against our own nation, knowing that these same people never seem to answer for their crimes – but just continue doing these things

Even in ancient times, the Psalmist wrote: Why do the heathen rage?

God’s mercy is not just toward us. (you & me)

2 Peter 3 - the fact is that he is very patient towards you. He has no wish that any man should be destroyed. He wishes that all men should come to repent.

God is patient. Mercififul.
God has been patient (with me – and maybe you, too?)
His patience demonstrates that His desire is that ALL should come to repentance and salvation
2 Peter 3:15: “And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.”

God is still giving us a window of time to repent

The lifeboats are not gone

Our job is to continue to be the LIGHT in a dark world.

“But they reject me. Even ridicule me.”

Understand: Darkness does not like LIGHT.

Eph 5: Steer clear of the activities of darkness; let your lives show by contrast how dreary and futile these things are. (You know the sort of things I mean—to detail their secret doings is really too shameful). For light is capable of “showing up” everything for what it really is. It is even possible (after all, it happened to you!) for light to turn the thing it shines upon into light also. Thus God speaks through the scriptures: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Being a Light in a dark world is the only way others can come to the truth and find salvation in Jesus.
Being a Light – no matter what your position in life is – you job – your skills – your education.
We ALL have our part in this Great Commission.
“You don’t decide your purpose – you discover it.”
We are all unique and gifted uniquely.
God will use who YOU are to bring Light to a dark world.

A merciful God allowed your eyes to open and your heart to receive the truth of the gospel.
We all need the same Grace. We all need the same Divine Mercy.
“Surely the fact is that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved by faith, just as they are!”

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

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