Faith

Vision Sunday

Who Are We Going to Be Going into the Future?

Faith Church - A Ministry for Our City

Vision: “A Church Living for the Glory of God and the Good of All People.”

Mission: “A Church Living Out the Purposes of Christ in Our City and the Nations.”

Philippians 2:1-8 (NLT)

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Luke 19:10 (NIV)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Mark 10:45 (NIV)

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 13:3-5 (NIV)

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So, he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet.”

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // True Religion

Have You Ever Wondered, What Pleases God?

Isaiah 58:3-12(ESV)

“Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?”

Religious Activity Can Hide a Heart Far from God’s Heart.

God’s Heart (Light) Is Revealed in How We Treat People.

Fasting Isn't Merely Emptying Yourself of Food.

It's Learning to Empty Yourself for Others.

God Turns Surrounded People into Workers of Restoration.

Jeremiah 22:3-5 (NLT)

“This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent! If you obey me, there will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. The king will ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of attendants and subjects. But if you refuse to pay attention to this warning, I swear by my own name, says the Lord, that this palace will become a pile of rubble.”

James 1:27 (NLT)

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Romans 8:29 (ESV)

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 8:29-30 (MSG)

“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”

Mark 2:27 (NLT)

“Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”

Matthew 5:17-22 (NIV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

God Cares More About Your Availability, And He Does About Your Capability.

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // God’s Grace

Sin Can Take Us Farther Than We Ever Intended to Go

Grace Can Reach Farther Than We Ever Imagined

Restoration Produces a Transformed Life

2 Kings 21:1-9 (NLT)

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had destroyed. He constructed altars for Baal and set up an Asherah pole, just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. He built pagan altars in the Temple of the Lord, the place where the Lord had said, ‘My name will remain in Jerusalem forever.’ He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger. Manasseh even made a carved image of Asherah and set it up in the Temple, the very place where the Lord had told David and his son Solomon: ‘My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel. If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands—all the laws my servant Moses gave them—I will not send them into exile from this land that I gave their ancestors.’ But the people refused to listen, and Manasseh led them to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.”

Sin Never Remains Satisfied… It Always Asks for More

James 1:14-15 (ESV)

"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

Sin Always Promises Delights but Eventually Produces Destruction

Manasseh Led Others Astray

But God in His Love and Care for Us Will Warn Us and Discipline Us

2 Chronicles 33:10-11 (NLT)

“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.”

Grace Meets Us in the Place of Humility

2 Chronicles 33:12-13 (AMP)

"When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers."

Grace Doesn't Only Forgive—It Restores

True Grace Produces Real Change

Manasseh Points Us to Jesus

What Does This Mean for Us?

We Are Required to Pay It Forward…

From “In the Beginning” to Amen –

What Does God Really Want of Me?

Micah 6:6-8 (NLT)

“What can we bring to the LORD? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:1-5 (NLT)

“Listen to what the LORD is saying: ‘Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints. And now, O mountains, listen to the LORD ’s complaint! He has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel. O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me! For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you. Don’t you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the LORD, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.’”

God Doesn't Want Empty Religion

1 Samuel 15:22 (NASB)

Samuel tells Saul: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

Hosea 6:6 (NKJV)

“I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

Amos 5:21-24 (NIV)

“I hate your festivals…I will not accept your offerings…Instead, let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

Isaiah 1:11-17 (NLT)

“God says, ‘I am tired of your offerings. When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.’"

Obedience Has Always Mattered More Than Ceremony

God Has Told Us What He Wants (Micah 6:8)

Do Justly or Do Justice

Love Mercy

Matthew 18:33 (NLT)

“Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?”

Walk Humbly with God

Do Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with God.

The Gospel Isn’t "Try Harder”, It’s "Trust Christ.”

God Isn't Interested in or Impressed by Religious Activity That Leaves Our Character Unchanged

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // God's Dwelling Place

God’s Purpose Is Not That We Just See Him or Are Aware of Him, But Rather Seek Him and Know Him.

Psalm 132:13-14 (NLT)

“For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem he has desired it for his home. ‘This is my resting place forever,’ he said. ‘I will live here, for this is the home I desired.’”

God Always Chooses a People Before He Chooses a Place.

God's Passionate Desire Is to Dwell with His People.

Not To Exclude the Nations… But To Reach and Bless the Nations.

God's Interested in Building People but He Did Choose a Location… God Chose Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 6:6 (NKJV)

"I Have Chosen Jerusalem That My Name May Be There.”

God Was Showing That His Promises Never Fail.

Does Israel and Jerusalem Still Matter?

God Never Breaks His Promises.

Romans 11:28-29 (NLT)

“Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you, Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”

Jerusalem Still Matters Because God's Covenant Faithfulness Still Matters.

Hosea 14:4-7 (NKJV)

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel;
He shall grow like the lily and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain and grow like a vine.”

Zechariah 12:2-3, 9-10 (NLT)

“I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves… For on that day, I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on ME whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son.”

Because Wherever God Places His Purposes… The Enemy Concentrates His Opposition.

Don't Be Surprised When the Place God Chooses Becomes the Place the Enemy Attacks.

Behold… The Dwelling Place of God Is with Mankind.

From “In the Beginning” to Amen – Telescopes and Tardigrades

Psalm 104; Romans 1:19–20

Romans 1:19–20 (NIV)

"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

Creation Reveals the Greatness of God

Creation Reveals the Care of God

Creation Invites the Worship of God

Living With Wonder

Slow Down Enough to Notice God's World.

Let Creation Underpin Your Faith.

Allow Wonder to Birth Worship.

Trust The God Who Holds Everything Together.

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Jonah - Who’s Reputation Matters Most?

Am I More Concerned About My Reputation or God’s Name and Reputation?

Romans 9:1-3 (NLT)

“With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ! —if that would save them.”

It Is an Attitude Truly Conformed to Christ.

The Most Forceful Examples of God’s Wrath Begin as Examples of His Patience.

Whoever And Wherever We Are, God’s Patience Invites Our Repentance.

1 Peter 3:7-13 (NLT)

“And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around, us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”

From “In the Beginning” to Amen //

Nothing Is Impossible, Nothing Is Insignificant

2 Kings 6:1-7 (NLT)

“One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, ‘As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.’ ‘All right,’ he told them, ‘Go ahead.’ ‘Please come with us,’ someone suggested. ‘I will,’ he said. So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. ‘Oh, sir!' he cried. ‘It was a borrowed ax!’ Where did it fall?’ the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. ‘Grab it,’ Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it.”

Two Wonderful Truths:

Nothing is Impossible with God.

Nothing is Too Insignificant for God.

God Is Not Limited by Natural Laws. He Created Them.

“Impossible” Is Not a Problem for God.

Matthew 9:25-26 (NKJV)

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God All Things are possible.’”

Nothing Is “Too Insignificant” for God

God Simply Cares

If It Matters to You, It Matters to God

Truth #1

Nothing Is Impossible with God.

Truth #2

Nothing Is Too Insignificant for God.

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Searching for God Knows What

1 Kings 19:1-3 (NKJV)

“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.”

1 Kings 19:4 (NKJV)

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’"

Even Elijah Had a Breaking Point

God Doesn’t Abandon Us but Rather Meets Us at Our Point of Weakness

1 Kings 19:5 (NKJV)

“Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So, he ate and drank and lay down again.”

1 Kings 19:7 (NKJV)

“And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.’ So, he arose and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.”

God Ushers Him into His Forty Day Journey

1 Kings 19:9 (NKJV)

“And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ So, he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’”

Second Point of Hope - He Does Not Abandon Us in the Darkness of Fear and Doubt

1 Kings 19:11 (NKJV)

“Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.’ And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.”

Exodus 19:16-19 (NLT)

“On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply.”

Exodus 20:18-20 (NLT)

“When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. And they said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!’”

God’s Declaration in His Very Existence and Being… His Presence, His Breath…

1 Kings 19:13 (NKJV)

“So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

1 Kings 19:14-15 (NKJV)

“And he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’ Then the LORD said to him: ‘Go, return on your way…’” “Let’s get back to it…”

Third Point of Hope - God Is Not Done with You Because You Are Wandering or on a Dark Place

Even In Our Faith We Are Mortal

Find Rest for Your Mind and Body… When We Are Spent Physically and Mentally, We Are Really Vulnerable

God Has Not Abandoned You…

He Is Not Condemning You; He Wants to Encourage You, Strengthen You and Sustain You…

God Is Not Wanting to Use You Up and Discard You… He Wants You to Find Rest and Be Restored

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

”CAST ALL YOUR CARES AND ANXIETIES ON ME, BECAUSE I CARE FOR YOU..."

He Goes with You and Prepares a Place He WILL Meet with You

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NLT)

Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

Hevel = Smoke

Temporary

Paradoxical

Ecclesiastes 9:3 (NLT)

“It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate…”

Smoke

Ecclesiastes 2:4,10-11 (NLT)

“I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all of my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”

A Warning:

Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 (NLT)

“So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.”

Fear God and Obey His Commandments

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NLT)

“That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”

The Answer is Fear God, Stop Grasping, and Receive Life as a Gift.

“Nothing Better”

A repeated phrase in the book. So, be joyful, do good, enjoy walks, a garden, a friend, a tasty meal, a swim, a sunrise, etc…

Remember God

Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NLT)

“Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.’”

Accept This: You cannot Control Your life

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (NLT)

“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.”

You Cannot Control Your Life, but You Can Control Your Attitude.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 (MSG)

“Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, Drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes —God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don’t skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love Each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, for there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think in the company of the dead.”

Ephesians 2:2-10 (NLT)

“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”