Ablaze Church Sermon Podcast (Audio)

“Lost” is a rather scary word. “I lost my phone,” is a thought that sends a dreadful sensation through me. The same with a wallet or some prized or “essential” possession. Losing something valuable begins a frantic search. Remember the great feeling of relief when the lost was found. Not only that, but you feel like celebrating and you want to share your joy. More distressing than losing something is being lost. When any person, a cherished creation of God, is lost or estranged in relation to God, God searches. He listens for the cry of distress. When He finds us trapped in our hiding places, He offers rescue and release. He offers relationship and redemption. When we are restored to the place God’s has for us, He rejoices and invites the angels to celebrate with Him. Can you imagine the joy in heaven as that happens?

The current pandemic has a way of revealing underlying issues in people’s lives. The epidemic of drug abuse and suicide leading to these being much more significant causes of death than previously, indicates that so many do not value their lives. What is YOUR life worth? Every life is individually created by God and loved by God, with the intention of fellowship with Him lasting through eternity. He further demonstrated the worth of each of us by paying the highest price ever paid for anything in human history. That price is not measured in dollar signs, but in the sign of the cross. God offered himself in human flesh of Jesus, God the Son. That the price paid to redeem us from sin, death and the power of the devil.

Message from Rev. Tim Dreier on October 31, 2021

Everything great began as something small. Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed, where the small and seemingly insignificant seed became a great shrub, capable of providing food and shelter for the birds. He told us that this is like the Kingdom of God. Do not despise the small things because they can be a seed which, if planted, can bring results in the Kingdom of God. Think of simple prayers, acts of charity, or a witness given about the grace of God. Think of faithful service, love expressed to others, and a life example that impacts others.

According to the biblical writer Paul, Christ is to have preeminence, first place, gold medal, in everything. The universal human tendency is to even put ourselves above Jesus himself; that’s why there is a First Commandment. It has to do with the sin of dethroning the King of the universe. He is God and we are not. There are many ways to diminish or down play the glory of Christ.

According to the biblical writer Paul, Christ is to have preeminence, first place, gold medal, in everything. The universal human tendency is to even put ourselves above Jesus himself; that’s why there is a First Commandment. It has to do with the sin of dethroning the King of the universe.. He is God and we are not. There are many ways to diminish or down play the glory of Christ.

To build a lasting structure you need a secure, permanent foundation. That’s what the New Testament teaches about. It is built on a foundation anchored by three piers. The first is Jesus’ Resurrection. Jesus showed those apostolic church-builders that he really had risen from the dead. He even showed his pierced hands and feet. He met with them over a 40-day period. So convincing was this, that many of the apostles died as martyrs. The second pier us the teaching of those apostles of Jesus, who fearlessly spoke and wrote the truths Jesus taught them. The third is power of the Holy Spirit who always accompanied and animated the teaching of the apostles. They were empowered to do the impossible. The church is not only build on this foundation, it is formed for something – a great mission. The mission is to tell others of the Savior and make disciples. The Holy Spirit is still available and eager to do this through the church today.

Most of the people of Israel were expecting a conquering king who would rid them of the Romans and make Israel great again. When He enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he is hailed as king but it’s clear he is a different kind of king; his kingdom is “not of this world." He sought to conquer the heart by bringing salvation through a cross. Here is a king born to die. That was the plan from eternity. His death on a cross is the only act that could save us from our sins. As the sinless Son of God, he is the only one qualified to be our Savior. When he comes again in the clouds of glory, he will decisively defeat every power that sets itself up against God, including Satan. Then he will unveil for us the perfect world believers will enjoy forever, apart from all sin and suffering, in his presence.

Jesus was eager to sit at table with any who would welcome Him. The Pharisees had a “stay away” philosophy regarding anyone who did not measure up. Jesus had a “you can’t keep me away” attitude and welcomed sinners, tax collectors, and other outcasts. He actually sought them out and hung out with them. His mission was to “seek and save the lost.” That includes us. We start out as lost sinners. Jesus seeks and finds us, reaching out his welcoming arms that once hung on a cross, through the Good News of the Gospel. He is willing to sit at table with us, inviting us to partake of the fellowship of his Holy Supper.

To accomplish the mission of bringing salvation to the world, Jesus had to go through the desert training camp and then face the showdown, at his weakest physical time – which would make him mission ready. If Jesus, the Son of God, had to rely on the Word and Spirit, how much more must we, to be successful against the temptations of Satan!