Christian Life Community Church - online podcast

Christian Life Community Church - online podcast

Christian Life Community Church - online podcast

Christian Life Community Church - online podcast

3/7 of our Church Wide Initiative "Everyday Grace" preached by Dr. Andrew Evans

Sermon Summary

This week we are looking at another dimension of everyday grace. While usually we think of grace as unmerited favour and in particular we realize that we have received what we don’t deserve. This other dimension of grace is also called mercy. It is not receiving what we really do deserve.

The penitent thief who died on the cross next to Jesus is a great example of this kind of grace. Full of shame and recrimination he admits to the other criminal that they were getting what they deserved but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. He asks to join Jesus when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus of course grants his request and more: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

The account settles for us a number of important matters. 1. Death immediately ushers us into the presence of the Lord. Not purgatory here; no long lineups. 2. The immediate follow-up to death for those who trust in Jesus is paradise. The image is of fellowship with the Lord and other saints in a gardenlike setting waiting for the resurrection and the new heaven and new earth. 3. There is nothing the thief could do to prove his faith. There were no demands placed on him in order to gain entrance to “heaven.” He didn’t have the time to earn or merit salvation in any way.

We need this merciful aspect of grace every day. We must not live with shame and regret but rely on his mercy.

Sermon Summary

This week we are looking at another dimension of everyday grace. While usually we think of grace as unmerited favour and in particular we realize that we have received what we don’t deserve. This other dimension of grace is also called mercy. It is not receiving what we really do deserve.

The penitent thief who died on the cross next to Jesus is a great example of this kind of grace. Full of shame and recrimination he admits to the other criminal that they were getting what they deserved but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. He asks to join Jesus when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus of course grants his request and more: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

The account settles for us a number of important matters. 1. Death immediately ushers us into the presence of the Lord. Not purgatory here; no long lineups. 2. The immediate follow-up to death for those who trust in Jesus is paradise. The image is of fellowship with the Lord and other saints in a gardenlike setting waiting for the resurrection and the new heaven and new earth. 3. There is nothing the thief could do to prove his faith. There were no demands placed on him in order to gain entrance to “heaven.” He didn’t have the time to earn or merit salvation in any way.

We need this merciful aspect of grace every day. We must not live with shame and regret but rely on his mercy.

Sermon Notes

Series: CWI: Everyday Grace: Living One Day at a Time

Sermon Title: Every Day Deserves a Chance

Psalm 118:22-29

This is the first week of our Church Wide Initiative. This is something we do each year to bring all of our church together to focus on one theme for about seven weeks. This year our theme is “Everyday Grace.” It is partially based on a devotional I read this past Summer entitled “Great Day Every Day” by Max Lucado. It prompted me to think and pray about living one day at a time and realizing the wonderful grace God has for us each day.

This week we are looking at a Psalm that Jesus and the disciples sang just after the Passover meal they shared before his betrayal and arrest. I find it ironic that they would sing the words of this song considering what was going on in their lives. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This must have been the worst day in Jesus’ life and that of his disciples, up to this point in the story.

Every day we experience all kinds of emotions. Some days are very good days, others are; well…not so much. But in spite of what the day brings we are encouraged to rejoice. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4) We can only do this when we have a Jesus view of yesterday and tomorrow. Our yesterdays can cloud over our todays and the worry over tomorrow can suck the life out of today.

The key of course is to have a Jesus attitude for today. Give it a chance, allow the Lord to bless you, focus on the positive. “God is good, his love endures forever” they sang. “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” God has his ways of turning around the darkest of days.

Discussion Questions:

1. Talk about the context of the Last Supper. What might have been the Disciples and Jesus feeling as they sang this song?

2. Discuss how we are to view yesterday and tomorrow. How do we prevent our past and the worry over our future from ruining our todays?

3. Discuss the difference in rejoicing over our circumstances and rejoicing over the day. In other words, we are not told to rejoice over the bad things that happen to us. We are told to rejoice in spite of them because we know of God’s goodness.

4. God has his way of turning very bad circumstances into good. Think of the circumstances surrounding the Last Supper in light of the “good” that was to come. This is the essence of the Gospel.

Sermon Notes

Series: CWI: Everyday Grace: Living One Day at a Time

Sermon Title: Every Day Deserves a Chance

Psalm 118:22-29

This is the first week of our Church Wide Initiative. This is something we do each year to bring all of our church together to focus on one theme for about seven weeks. This year our theme is “Everyday Grace.” It is partially based on a devotional I read this past Summer entitled “Great Day Every Day” by Max Lucado. It prompted me to think and pray about living one day at a time and realizing the wonderful grace God has for us each day.

This week we are looking at a Psalm that Jesus and the disciples sang just after the Passover meal they shared before his betrayal and arrest. I find it ironic that they would sing the words of this song considering what was going on in their lives. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This must have been the worst day in Jesus’ life and that of his disciples, up to this point in the story.

Every day we experience all kinds of emotions. Some days are very good days, others are; well…not so much. But in spite of what the day brings we are encouraged to rejoice. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4) We can only do this when we have a Jesus view of yesterday and tomorrow. Our yesterdays can cloud over our todays and the worry over tomorrow can suck the life out of today.

The key of course is to have a Jesus attitude for today. Give it a chance, allow the Lord to bless you, focus on the positive. “God is good, his love endures forever” they sang. “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” God has his ways of turning around the darkest of days.

Discussion Questions:

1. Talk about the context of the Last Supper. What might have been the Disciples and Jesus feeling as they sang this song?

2. Discuss how we are to view yesterday and tomorrow. How do we prevent our past and the worry over our future from ruining our todays?

3. Discuss the difference in rejoicing over our circumstances and rejoicing over the day. In other words, we are not told to rejoice over the bad things that happen to us. We are told to rejoice in spite of them because we know of God’s goodness.

4. God has his way of turning very bad circumstances into good. Think of the circumstances surrounding the Last Supper in light of the “good” that was to come. This is the essence of the Gospel.

Sermon Notes

Series: Stay Blessed, Salty and Bright

Sermon Title: Stay Bright

Matthew 5:14-16

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is setting the stage for what it is to be like his followers. He is breaking away from the religion commonly taught by the Jewish leaders of his day. Not only was God doing a new thing and new modes of operation needed to be applied. The current state of affairs in the religious life of the average Jew was not at all what God intended. It was time for a complete makeover.

When Jesus says to his disciples that we are the light of the world this is in direct opposition to the long held belief that Israel was to be the light of the world (see Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:1-3). Jerusalem was to by the City on a Hill that lit up the world. Since Jerusalem was located on a hill (actually 7 hills) it was in reference to Jerusalem that Jesus said “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Israel’s failure to be a light to the “nations” is at the forefront of this teaching. The word “Nations” can also be translated “Ethnics.” This then becomes the priority of Jesus; to reach all the ethnics of the world, including us of course.

Note also that Jesus is also saying something important about the world. It needs light. It is in darkness. Without his light in us the world is a bleak place. In John 9:5 Jesus says “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” In 1 John 1:5 we are told that God is light. So God is light, Jesus is light, and we are light. The implication is that the light responsibilities transferred from Jesus to the disciples after his ascension. It is his light in us that needs to shine.

The challenge for us is to not hide our light. The challenge a verse earlier was not to lose our saltiness. Our light is defined as our “good deeds.” The question then is how might we avoid hiding our good deeds. The answer of course is by not living out publicly the life of Christ. By not standing up for the oppressed, by not speaking up for truth, by not living as Jesus did in the world.

Discussion Questions:

1.The Gospel writers and Jesus himself put a great deal of emphasis on the light/darkness metaphor. In what ways is this way of picturing the world still relevant today?

2.Describe opportunities for “good deeds” that have come across your path. In what ways have you failed to capitalize on these kinds of opportunities?

3.How might you make sure that you are not hiding your light? What are some best practices for light bearers?