Refuge Church

The story of Noah and the flood is often told in children's church but doesn't make its way into adult sermons too often. But if we would listen to the story with fresh ears, we would hear a beautiful message of redemption and preservation, of salvation amidst judgement, and we would see how Jesus is the true and better Noah.

Genesis 6-9

We believe weakness is bad and strength is good. It is at the very core of human nature. And everything around us tells us the same. Pain is weakness leaving the body. Flaws are diminishing, and perfection is the goal. If we show the cracks that we have, then we’ll be less useful, less revered.

We cannot stand to be seen as weak, so we always play to our strengths.

But with God, this is flipped on its head. God makes beautiful use out of what is broken(God makes beautiful things out of the dust), God specializes in using human weaknesses, even yours! This is what Paul discovered firsthand with God, and that’s the truth he’s sharing with the Corinthians in these verses this morning. He wants them and us to know that our weakness shows Jesus’ greatness.

We think we can determine who is deserving of mercy. Though, by its very definition, mercy is undeserved. Thankfully, God is too good to limit his mercy to our standards.

We tend to believe that the most important things must be done by the most important people. We value power, position, and control. But in the book of Jonah this morning we see that God's work does not begin top-down but bottom-up.

When we resist our calling, we hit rock bottom. The longer we resist, the deeper we sink. But the good news is that God will take you to the depths if it means finding him there. Because it’s only when all our best efforts have failed, our resources exhausted, and our plans have blown up in our face that we can truly learn to depend on God. Rock bottom must become the solid foundation on which we rebuild our lives.

What happens when you run from the call of God? Why do we run from the call of God? This morning we meet perhaps the most reluctant of God's missionaries and hopefully see just little of ourselves in him.

As Jesus and the disciples and the crowds approach Jerusalem, the journey is puzzling and dark but at the same time joyous and bright. Soon Jesus will bear the sin of the world with Satan and his demons looking on believing they’ve triumphed. But in this death, Jesus will take on the blindness and sins of the whole world, overcoming them once and for all. And it tells us that though we will oftentimes feel confused by God’s work in the world and in our lives, this tension we experience is being resolved and will be fully when Jesus returns.

Join us this morning as we conclude our series in the Gospel of Luke...for now!

Almost half of all Americans believe they're the best person they know. We all tend to think we're better than we are. But Jesus comes this morning with a fairly shocking reality check, and that is that in the kingdom of God the self-righteous are rejected while the humble are accepted.

We doubt God is just, that he cares. And in those moments of doubt, we lose heart and give up on prayer. If we truly believed God is who is says he is, we would pray persistently and not lose heart...we would bother God!

Too often our skepticism keeps us from taking action. We prefer to be 100% sure when making important decisions. But some of the most important decisions and commitments we'll ever make must be made without complete proof and assurance: marriage, choice of university, job offers, career switches, etc. All of these must be made without complete assurance. And our faith is much the same. If you wait for 100% proof, you'll be waiting a long time. Rather than submitting to our desires, Jesus' message is simple: The kingdom of God is within your grasp—take hold of it!