12/15/2024 Church service

周日礼拜

视频

 

   Joy 喜悦 

Heb 12:2 - We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!
希 伯 來 書 12:2: 让我们把目光集中在耶稣身上，他是我们的信仰的先驱和完善者。他为了前方等待着他的欢乐，忍受了十字架上的痛苦，蔑视被钉死在十字架上的耻辱，如今他已经坐在了上帝宝座的右边。(page 1955)

John 4:34: “My food,” Jesus said to them, “is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do.
約 翰 福 音 4:34- 耶稣说∶“我的食物就是执行派我来的那位的旨意，并完成他交给我的任务。” (page 1723)
1 Peter 2:21: For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps…
彼 得 前 書 2:21- 上帝就是为此而召唤我们的，因为基督不但为我们受难，并且还为我们留下了榜样，好让我们跟随他的脚步。(pg 1968)

Acts 3:19: And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.
使徒行传 3:19- 所以你们要悔改，归向上帝，祂将除去你们一切的罪恶 (page 1768)
Matt 24:12-13: Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
馬 太 福 音 24:12,13: 由于世上的邪恶不断增长，许多人的爱心都会消失， 但是坚持到最后的人会得救。(page 1603)

 

 

 

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视频脚本 Script

JOY – Advent Week 3 (2024)
Hebrews 12:1,2
“We light these candles as a sign of our joy in the beautiful things of this season – not just the things that glitter and flash, but the deeper things, the beauty of the heart and the soul, the beauty of love shared in service and hospitality. We light this candle of joy because company is coming.”
- Advent Week Three Liturgy.

The Age of Social Media - Comparison is the thief of Joy

Ed Mylett: Two keys to fulfillment: Growth and Giving

Don’t both of these spring forth from gratitude? “There is no joy without gratitude”

“Love what you do and you’ll never work another day in your life.”

“You’ve lost your drive because you’re not driving!”

Hard work is painful when life is devoid of purpose.
But when you live for something greater than yourself…
…then hard work becomes a labor of love.

Heb 12:2 - We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

This tell us that the crucifixion was literally a labor of love for Jesus “Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His”

Jesus did his Father’s will –
John 4:34: “My food,” Jesus said to them (His disciples,) “is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do.

Nothing was more important to Jesus than doing God’s will. Though he was tired, thirsty and hungry, God’s will was more important to him than his own rest and personal comfort. Nothing stopped him from doing God’s business.

1 Peter 2:21: For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps…

There are times when the challenges of life can get to be too much for us.

Our strength is drained. When we focus on the task rather than the mission, the purpose, we can lose our focus, and lose our strength. Our joy seems depleted.
“How can I do this any longer? I am depleted. Out of strength – or at least, out of motivation.”
FOCUS is the Key to keeping our strength up – to keeping our faith up.
If you have a strong enough “why,” the “how” will take care of itself.

“Because Jesus’ heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His”

We have to keep our eyes on the prize – “we fasten our gaze onto Jesus” “keeping our eyes on Jesus” “fixing our eyes on Jesus”

Acts 3:20: times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord

We must live in the moment – present moment awareness is KEY.
But we must also move toward a clear destination

We may feel like we’ve lost our mojo – we have to look for something worth fighting for.
If not, we grow weary in the fight.
If you find yourself growing weary in the fight, you may be looking at the wrong things.

It’s time to get our JOY back.

Nehemiah 8:10 – “ …the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
“Restore unto me the JOY of Thy Salvation”

Our scripture tells us that Jesus endured the cross – looking forward to the spoils of victory.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it.
Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God

YOU. He had YOU on His mind. Jesus came to buy you back -
- that you might have Life and Life More Abundantly. (John 10:10)

Every spiritual blessing

Eph 1:3 - Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate Him with all our hearts!
He came to supply all your needs To bear your sorrows
To take your sin - and your infirmities – upon Himself

…and He came to give you His gift of Peace
John 14:27 - “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

To get our joy back, we need to let go and let God
Acts 3:19: And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.

All of these blessings should draw us to God – to His Presence – as we recognize His Daily Grace availed to us – and how we can make a new choice today to receive that from Him

Heb 2:1: “Make every effort”
“ …to pay the greatest attention to the truth that we have heard and not allow ourselves to drift away from it.”

Sometimes we just need to get back on track
We call this “repentance”
“I will arise and go to my Father.”

Eph 2:8 - For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift (by faith – trusting in God’s grace)

2024 - It has often been a challenge for some of us to keep our Joy full

Maybe you feel your well is dry today?
The struggles – the hurts – the cares of this world – can harden our hearts and drain the joy out of our daily lives

Can you make room in your heart for Joy again today?
Is there room in your heart for more joy today?

Jesus didn't come to earth to establish a new religion. He came to restore a broken relationship. He came to make the primary, primary again.

1 Peter 2: This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back.
He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.
He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.

Have you lost – or misplaced – your JOY today?

Jesus described the last days in this way: “There will be such an increase of the sin of lawlessness that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold. But hold your hope firmly to the end and you will experience life and deliverance.”

MSG: “nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes”

To get our Joy back, we truly need our minds renewed.

"You are cordially invited to start your life all over right now. There is nothing to prevent you from doing that except your own treasured false belief in yourself, a false belief in an unwanted self. Just think of what I said. You have a belief right now that is preventing you from starting life over right now, because you have a nature, you have a code of conduct, you have preferred methods of thinking that you want to cling to. And the very same time that you value them, you don't want them. You fail to see this division in yourself.”

(that thing that I would not do)

Acts 3:19: And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.

Today we are going to pray a special prayer to God to make that a true reality in our hearts today

Repentance: “I’m sorry”
Accept responsibility. Own It. “Confess your faults” “If we confess our sins”

Ask Forgiveness: “Please Forgive Me”

Gratitude: “Thank You, Jesus”
We are thankful for His grace – for the free gift of salvation

Love: I Love You, God

Repentance: “I’m sorry”
Ask Forgiveness: “Please Forgive Me”
Gratitude: “Thank You, Jesus”
Love: “I Love You, God”

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

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