Grace Dover Messages

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from 1 Samuel 3:1-10 & 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Often times in our lives we allow sin to prevent us from living out the gospel. This causes division and disfunction in our lives as well as in the church. This can only be reconciled by returning to the feet of Jesus in humility and being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Unity of broken people can only come through the holiness that comes through Christ given to us through his gospel.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Isaiah 60:1-6 & Ephesians 3:1-12

This Sunday is a special day in the life of our church family as we will install Rev. Joshua Suh as our new Associate Pastor. For this service to fall on Epiphany, when we recognize the unveiling of Christ to the nations, is indeed a great opportunity to once again see what God is doing in making known the mystery of Christ. The Scripture reading for Epiphany speaks of the mystery of Christ now being revealed. Paul explains the mystery of Gentiles and Israelites being heirs together, members of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus. Paul is showing us that the mystery of Christ is the unity of the nations in Christ or the end of segregation. You might ask what does this have to do with Joshua Suh's installation? Precisely this; that we are a church seeking to make plain to everyone the fellowship of this mystery (vs9). We are a local fellowship living out the mystery of Christ with at least 22 nations represented in our church. In a time when ethnic reconciliation still takes a back seat in the church to other issues, we are taking the mystery of Christ to the center of our identity as a people.

This sermon will be a charge to the newly installed Associate Pastor and to the congregation, reminding us that making known the mystery of Christ is our message and motive for living together. It also maintains the eternal purpose of God that he's accomplished in Christ.

The mystery of Christ is desegregating and is central to the good news of the gospel. And the result of believing in him is that we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Jeremiah 31:7-14 & Ephesians 1:3-14

Our Scripture reading for the second Sunday after Christmas and the first Sunday of the new year, is one that teaches us that God, our Father, works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. This is hard to believe, but it is absolutely correct. This statement speaks to us about the sovereignty of God, the power of God, the purposes of God, the people of God and the end for which God created everything. But what does this mean? It means that there is a person who has a plan that has been predetermined to produce the praise of his glory through Jesus Christ. Christ's life gives us assurance that God will accomplish what he has purposed. The good news of the gospel is that trouble is not a deterrent to the will of God, but that God actually uses trouble to serve his purpose in accomplishing his will. Christ suffered the worst and the most trouble in order to reconcile sinners to God. He suffered separation from God in order for us to be brought near to God. God vindicated and validated Christ's sacrifice on our behalf by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand. And the scripture teaches us that God and Christ did all of this for the church and to the praise of his glory. So, what will we face this year? We don't know, but we do know that God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

This sermon's focus will encourage the heart of believers to trust God's good purpose in whatever the year might bring forth, since he works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Isaiah 61:10-62:3 & Galatians 4:4-7

Four words that changed the world are found in our scripture reading on the last Sunday of 2020 and the first Sunday after Christmas Day.

Just as it served to strengthen and encourage the faith of believers in the first century, the ramifications of God sending his Son are sources of strength and hope as we face a new year. Because Christ entered the world our daily living is now changed. God sending his Son changes everything from the womb to the tomb. God sending his Son changes what we were, changes who we are, and changes what we have. We were slaves, but now we are sons who have an inheritance.

These truths are also reflected in the Table of our Lord. For God sending his Son is the fulfillment of the ancient promise of a Savior to our first parents, Adam and Eve. This Son is the focus of the memorial of our redemption. The Lord's Supper also looks forward to the day when we will eat this bread and drink this cup anew with Jesus in his kingdom, of which we are heirs together with and through him. God sending his Son acknowledges the reality of our suffering and the fulfillment of our deepest hopes. And God himself will make this deliverance a universal spectacle for all time.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Luke 2:1-14

Our Scripture reading takes us back to the time of Jesus' birth, and Luke the historian draws us in with these words, " In those days". These words capture the mood of the day, the year, the circumstances. These words remind us of the ordinariness of Jesus' entrance into the world. We often find it difficult to reconcile how complicated and puzzling life can be with all of its seemingly random events and circumstances. Yet God is at work in every piece of the puzzle, from the trouble with taxes to the perils of travel. God is at work in all of the puzzle to bring to us the missing piece; a baby who is born the Ancient of Days. He is the child of Bethlehem who is born the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Christmas reminds us that Jesus joined us in the puzzle of this world and fills in the missing, (Pun alert!), peace.

Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 and Romans 16:25-27

This fourth Sunday of Advent's Scripture reading gives us the perfect benediction to the Advent of Christ. For as Christ's coming is the perfect gift for humankind this doxology at the end of Romans unwraps for us the meaning of this gift. Namely, "that all nations might believe and obey him." Paul says this is "my gospel" that is a mystery hidden for long ages past, revealed through the prophetic writings by the command of God so that all nations might believe and obey him "through Jesus Christ!"

The passage instructs us in the who, what, why and how of believing and obeying him. This is in keeping with our church's vision and mission. Our vision and mission is to love and serve our community and world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Bringing people together across the lines of race and class to worship and follow Jesus. When the gift of Christ is lived by the people of God, the true meaning of Christmas is made known to a world that is longing for love, peace and unity.

Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 & Luke 1:46-55

Over the last several years, on the second Sunday of December we have had an evening service that focuses on the "blueness" of Christmas. That is a service where we acknowledge the sadness that accompanies the Christmas season. It is both acknowledging the grief of life and turning to the One whose coming was to bind up the brokenhearted. Too often we forget that Christ's coming met us in our pain. So, we dare not try to mask our hurts. That would be to deny the reason for the Lord's coming!

Interestingly enough, it is the Lord's own mother who has something to teach us about dealing with grief, mourning, sorrow and oppression.

This sermon's focus is on what we can learn from the young virgin mother of God. She can teach us about magnifying the Lord because he is mindful. She can teach us about mercy and might. She can teach us about memory and mitigation. All things that the Lord has done.

How do you handle the many grievous things that have happened this year? How do you handle the pain of the past that you've been living under? What can this girl teach you? She can teach you what the Lord is doing and what he will do when he comes again. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 & 2 Peter 3:8-15

This second week of Advent, our Scripture reading turns our attention to the home of righteousness that will be the fulfillment of the Lord's promise at his second coming. Not only do we look for the Lord's return, but we look for what his return brings. Peter describes it as the day of the Lord which will bring both destruction and renewal. In the destruction, the old world with all of its fragmentation, injustice, impurity and unrighteousness, is done away with. In the renewal there is a new heaven and a new earth prepared for a new people. The question is, "Where are you in the repair?" Are you looking for the home of righteousness? That home, Psalm 85 describes, is one where love and faithfulness meet together and righteousness and peace kiss each other.

This sermon's focus is on our longing for home and how it gives us something to remember and a way to respond, under a wholesome thought that rules.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Isaiah 64:1-9 & Mark 13:24-37

Our reading for the first Sunday of Advent begins with a prayer requesting the Lord to come down. But it is a prayer that began in the previous chapter asking the Lord to save them. First the prayer is "look down" Isa.63:15, now the prayer is "Come Down". This reminds us that salvation is always the initiative of God who comes to us. We do not start the process of salvation. The truth of that statement is acknowledged in the prayer when the prophet says, "No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you...” (Isa. 64:7) However the appeal for the Lord's coming is the truth that "we are all the work of your hand." This acknowledges that we are created by the Lord, for the Lord.

The question is, does this prayer offered by the people of God get an answer? Yes it does. Mark 13 our New Testament reading reminds us that the Lord did come down, and he will come again. He will shake the heavens, and the stars will fall down. He will gather his people from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

To pray that the Lord would rend the heavens and come down is an appropriate prayer for the people of God to pray! This is not a prayer to escape the troubles of this world, as much as we would like that, but rather it is a prayer for the Lord to complete his purposes for the world and to fulfill his promise to his people. The issue is having our hearts aligned with the Lord’s. God's people should pray this prayer confidently, competently and cautiously. Confidently, knowing God is our Savior and we are his people. Competently, because we know that the Lord's coming is to save his people and judge his enemies. Cautiously, since we do not know when the Lord will come down again. So we stay awake!

It is a fair question to ask how do we stay awake? The Communion actually demonstrates for us the way to stay alert; obedient repentance and faith. To eat the Lord's Supper these three things come together in this statement: "For as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we remember the Lord's death until he comes."

So, during this season of Advent, let's pray, "rend the heavens and come down!” Amen. Even so, “Come Lord Jesus!"

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from O.T. Psalm 100 & Ephesians 1:15-23

Our reading for this Sunday's message reminds us of the importance of the church in God's plan for the reconciliation of everything. (Ephesians 1:10, 22) If you want to know what God is doing in the world, look at the Church. What does God say about the Church? He says it is his body of which Christ is the head. He says the church is the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Since this is true about Christ and the church, we can know that God, through Christ has made everything available to the Church to accomplish his will. Don't diss the Church!

If God places this kind of importance on the Church, then what type of church are we? Furthermore, if all of this is true, then how should our church pray in these times? How should we react to each other in these times of racial and political unrest? With so much uncertainty, it is comforting to know that God is at work in Christ faithfully, enduringly, and lovingly shepherding his people, unendingly. (Psalm 100)