Harbor Rock Tabernacle

 The details of the last hours before Jesus was crucified are hard to read, as He was brutalized and mocked. Part of His torture was having a crown of thorns jammed onto and beaten into His head. It was our crown--representing the consequences of our sin, and man's attempt to prove we're in charge. The enemy thought he was gaining a victory, but Jesus turned that crown into a picture of the victory He would secure a few days later.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eUk-zzuP3c

Jesus doesn't randomly go through the events of Holy Week--every word and action points toward the cross and the resurrection ahead.  So when He enters Jerusalem on the donkey on Palm Sunday, He is the King who came to save.  The crowd recognizes this by shouting Hosanna and laying down coats and palm branches to show He is worthy.  Revealing God's deep and gracious heart for us, Jesus weeps over the city, mourning the blindness and lostness of mankind, and because of it's destruction 40 years later.  This shows how wonderful Jesus is, offering eternal cleansing from the corruption inherent in our heart.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawftvxjNuw

As the Gospel expanded to the world, there were many people who still wanted it's advance and it's ambassadors to be stopped. During the first Passover after Jesus went back to heaven, James was killed and Peter arrested. But the night before he was to be martyred, Peter was sleeping in his cell, surrounded by guards in an impossible situation. Rather than fear and doubt in the Lord's provision, he has calm confidence in the Lord's plan and purposes. The Lord's deliverance of Peter reminds us that having a strong, secure trust in the Lord's faithfulness is always the best way to live.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fclOm7KxvzY

The church in Antioch never got a New Testament letter from Paul, but it was a pivotal church in Acts where he spent a year teaching new believers. This church was the first true mix of Jews and Gentiles who had been radically saved in a idol worshipping, deviant city. Luke described them as having "the hand of the Lord with them"--marked by 7 distinguishing characteristics that invited His blessing. When we study how logical they are, it stirs us to pray fervently that the Lord would build them in us, and start to do them with greater passion.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F_KZsBDbv0

Throughout Scripture, the Lord communicates the concept of redemption--being saved from something and being saved to something better. This means that He not only wants to declare us not guilty from our sin, He also provides that we are given a hope and a future, adopted as His own. Like Ruth and Naomi, who dealt with great loss, the Lord provides redemption that brings great joy. When we trust and live for Jesus Christ, He brings us into fullness. Will we continue to drift back into the darkness of our old life, or live in the light of His great work?  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD47yPfxLWA

Most of us don't enjoy change. We like what we are used to, what is comfortable, and what we think is best for us. But that can adversely impact our lives and our relationship with the Lord. And when He is doing a fresh work, our ability to discern and follow that will be determined by our love for Him and trust that His way is always right. In Acts 10, as the Gospel continued to the Gentiles, both Cornelius and Peter needed their thinking changed to be used in powerful ways. Their example of fearing the Lord and moving toward what He was doing challenges us to see change as exciting rather than intimidating. Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1NjsqyU_s

 In one of the most pivotal chapters in Acts, 3 men face significant challenges to their thinking. Saul had been persecuting Christians, but the Lord humbled him, because He had plans for Saul that completely changed his life. He then met Ananias, who had to face his fear in order to be the catalyst for Saul's conversion. Then, when the disciples were hesitant to accept Saul (now Paul), Barnabas helped everyone work through the new perspective on the ministry of the Gospel. Each bridge they had to cross offers us insights into how to respond when the Lord offers us opportunities to serve Him.   Video o this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0rZeWUFFfE

We may be inclined to have low expectations for how we can be used of the Lord, and even to doubt His plan and power for us, especially when we compare ourselves to the believers in the early church. But in Acts 8, Philip serves the Lord in a way that should be foundational for every Christian. After leaving Samaria with Peter and John, the Spirit takes him on a solo journey into the desert. When he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, he provides spiritual guidance by speaking truth, and leads the man to faith in Jesus Christ. As the first Gentile convert, the Ethiopian also take the Gospel message into a new area, further expanding fulfillment of the Great Commission. Philip's faith and obedience shows the power of one faithful believer who is willing to be used by the Lord.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWZBA8KnXok

What do people learn when they look at our lives? Are they convinced of our convictions and drawn to Jesus Christ? As the opposition to the Early Church increased, Stephen was put in the position of defending himself and the Lord against lies and defamation. By recounting the history of Israel, he established how the religious leaders had repeated rebellious, faith-less behavior, culminating in killing Jesus. His strong, disarming defense was observed by a man named Saul, who would eventually trust Jesus and become a fervent defender and evangelist. This reminds us that we never know who the "Sauls" are around us, but we can make a significant impact when we stand for the Lord.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n772VRBgX8

 Our character is the mental and moral qualities that are distinctive to each of us--it is who we are, rather than what people think we are. To that end, the Bible says that a good character is more valuable that great wealth. In Acts 6, the apostles character and motives were questioned, by people who accused them of insensitivity and lack of care. So they chose 7 men to specifically serve, with the qualification that they were full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Of them, Stephen stood out even more, because he was also filled with faith, grace and power. All these Spirit-equipped characteristics are available to every believer, so it is incumbent on us to die to self and be filled with Him.  Video of this service is also available:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw1funGfTos