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Our God is not only a pursuing God, he is a sending God. Jesus’ great commission is for his people to go and do likewise. To go and seek those who are lost and share their witness, their testimony of who Jesus is and what he has done in and through our lives. God calls us to be part of the rescue mission, the search party, the body of Christ to love those who are lost.
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). Therefore, we must conclude that those who are lost, those who have yet to believe in Jesus, and those who are living according to the flesh are of value to God. If they are valued by Him, we must also recognize their worth and love them as Christ loved them. Maybe you’ve tried to love those who are far from God. That’s great! Guess what God calls us to remember their worth and continue to love them through Christ-like action.
We begin a new series in this new year. It’s entitled, “The One.” This first we we think and talk about ourselves being the one who Jesus sees. Before we become passionate about sharing Christ with others, we have to become secure in the fact that He first loved us. We have to personalize His promises and to a heartfelt understanding that we are God’s dearly loved children.
As Christians, we’re not simply called to put our faith in Christ Jesus at a moment in time, we’re called to perseverance. Knowing and believing that Jesus came to take all of our griefs, sorrows, shame, and guilt upon himself is why we can persevere with joy. We can proclaim, “Blessing, and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever” because of what He has done.
How many of you want God to do something new in your life? *Raise your hand* Scripture reminds us that it takes faith, a small amount, a mustard size faith for the new to come, to change, but we must be willing to change. Making a fresh start begins by allowing God to do His will and way in and through us to make all things new. When we hold onto what we’ve always done, where we’ve always gone it doesn’t take faith. In fact we then are stuck in a rut. Let this Fresh Start Sunday become truly a fresh start walking with God, talking with God and allowing His to do some amazing new things through our faith in what He can and will do.
Our faith as Christ followers needs to overcome the turmoil and testing that comes at us each and every day. We are called to be bold. Bold in our witness of what Jesus has done in and through our lives even if we come under persecution, even if the rains come, even if the floods start rising, even if we are rejected. Scripture reminds us that “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). I know we all want to be liked but standing up for our faith is more important than ever.
As the hymn testifies, “To God be the glory great things He has done.” The greatest act of God besides creation is sending Jesus Christ to redeem the world from the slavery of sin and death. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is to be glorified and worshipped. He is the only one who deserves our praise and adoration.
So much of what we do is empty without the love of Jesus fueling our actions. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus consistently showed compassion to others. That’s because Jesus is real and He invites us to follow his pattern of consistency in ways we live out our love for the people God puts in our paths. Jesus’ example invites us to make love and service part of our everyday life.
In biblical days, an armor-bearer was one who actually carried the shield and armor of his leader as he went into battle, often acting as his personal assistant. The term itself originally meant to figuratively or literally lift up, support, or simply help. The basic attitude of a Modern Day Armor-Bearer is one of servanthood. We are called to lift each other up, to support one another, to encourage, equip, and strengthen each other for the fight of faith. Therefore, it's no surprise the general functions of an armor-bearer: attend to, minister to, care for, help, be of use, assist, benefit, promote, support, make easy for, nourish and encourage are found in the formal definition of "serve”. We all need an armor-bearer as we walk the Christian walk.
If you think back over your week, there probably was a time when you forgot something. Maybe it was you forgot to pick up something at the store. You forgot to say something to a friend or co-worker. Or even, you forgot a special day. Memorial Day is that day that reminds us to remember. Remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. We have a pattern of forgetfulness. Maybe its in how fast paced our lives have become but we not only forget the simple things we forget the all important spiritual things in our lives. This weekend, we will gather to remember and worship the God who remembers.
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