Sermons

Is Jesus God? That is the question we pose today. There are many opinions and ideas about Jesus and who He is. Some believe that He was a good man and a great teacher, but not God. Some believe that He is a created being, not eternal and simply a nice guy who had good things to say. I love what CS Lewis says about Jesus saying, A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. So, may we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that we may have life in His name.

Many people are walking in darkness in our day looking for hope, looking for something better. Many are seeking, searching, wondering, and struggling. Some feel left out and alone. Some feel God has been silent in their life. Some are wondering is there really one true God and if so, who is He? Some are wondering if there is one true God, and if so, then how does He fit in all of this? Many become very busy and distracted during this time of year. Even Christians get caught up in the rush of consumerism. Many become materialistic and more concerned with the right gift than whether or not their heart is right during this special season of celebration and focus on Jesus. So, whether, one is seeking, in darkness or has a walk with Christ they will be encouraged to prepare their heart to receive Christ for who He really is this advent season. May this advent season truly be all about Jesus.

Stewardship “Steward” is a lost word these days. We prefer the word “manager”. Both words are biblical yet in our culture “manager” implies someone who is the boss, director, or leader. “Steward” still connotes the idea of a servant or agent who handles the property of someone else. To discover what the Bible says about stewardship we must start with the first book of the Bible. As the Creator, God has absolute rights of ownership over all things and we are merely the stewards of His creation and gifts. Nothing belongs to us. We have no possessions. It is all God’s. To miss this basic truth is like misaligning the top button on your shirt - nothing else in our finances will ever perfectly line up. Everything belongs to God. As stewards, we are accountable for more than just giving 10% in tithes. We are also answerable for the other 90% as well. God makes us His stewards in administering all His gifts in all aspects of our life – time, energy, relationships, health, environment etc. Stewardship is not about God taking something from us. It is about our consecration of His possessions that are entrusted to us – to use as He directs. Ultimately, stewardship is about finding our purpose and calling that God individually assigns to us as He orchestrates His redemptive movement in this broken world. It’s about using our giftedness to join God in missional living. Stewardship is our intentional and obedient witness to God’s sovereignty.

How shall we live in these days before Christ returns? That is what the apostle Peter wants the church to ask itself. Will we live a wasted life or will we give all we have in serving God for His glory? Those are the two options. The church is called to live in tough times as the end draws near and under such circumstances we are to serve others for the glory of God. It is important how we serve and today we will look at that.

We are half way through a teaching process focused on the organizing of God’s local church here at The Ridge. We are asking people to affirm or to reaffirm their membership here. The point is not to set up the organization, focus on the maintenance of it and then become busier than ever, but with less and less real missional impact. The goal is to get the team together and on the same page, so that we can extend God’s mission into the world. God is on a mission of reconciling the world to Himself through His Son, Jesus. He has given His church that same mission. We are to be about reconciling people to God through Jesus Christ. This is why the community of Christ exists. We exist to image God and proclaim the good news of what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. Around here we like to say, Disciple: Be One, Make One. We must be a people for the community and the community for the world kind of community instead of a consumptive people wanting the church to be a community for me type of institution. Today we continue in our church and membership series with a look at community.

This month we are looking at the unity of God’s church and we are doing that by taking four weeks and going through membership classes together. Unity is God’s work. He creates it. Our job is to be diligent to maintain the unity that God has created. Our focus has to be on the things that unite us and not the things that divide us. In marriage, just resolving conflict doesn’t create a great relationship. Having peace does not create a great relationship. What makes a great relationship is being unified in mind and thought. Your marriage can be relatively free of conflict and peace is all around. But, if husband and wife are not unified in purpose and common beliefs then they are going nowhere. They are going nowhere peacefully, but nowhere. But if a husband and wife get unified on family direction and Biblical beliefs, conflict stays at bay and an awesome marriage is forged! The same is for God’s church. “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 For a church to be united in “mind and thought”, there are certain essential beliefs that we must agree upon and hold dear. While the Bible has many life applications, there are central doctrines that reinforce unity in God’s church. These essentials knit us together and of course like all things, must be expressed in love.

It is an exciting time for the church in Carrollton. Over the last four to five months we have been praying along with our brothers and sisters at Trinity Valley Church about the potential of our two local bodies becoming one. On this Sunday, October 23, the potential of what could be is now becoming a reality. King David proclaims in Psalm 133 saying, How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! So, we will praise the Lord for what He is doing in our midst this Sunday as we gather together around Jesus.

John Samways was Team Rector of Keynsham in 1997-2009. A former geography teacher, his passions in life include the natural environment and outdoor recreation, engaging with the local community, sport (especially cricket, rugby and Watford FC) and the family. In retirement he lives with his wife Chris in Frome, Somerset. John has a pastors heart and a passion for people to live on mission. John is one of those guys who just 'gets it'.

God is fashioning together a people for His glory, called the church. He brings them together as one body through the blood of Christ. Christ brings peace between God and man, as well as between man and man through the cross, with the goal of making one body to God. As the church, we are to maintain this unity in the way we live, both in being and doing. We are to give ourselves, who we are and our gifts from the Spirit, to the church until the church becomes more like Christ. God has gifted all believers to serve. When every believer exercises their gifts the body enjoys unity and becomes more like Christ. May it be our great joy to diligently preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

When we gaze into the first century, we see eleven men on the verge of something great. Jesus has died and been risen. He appears to these apostles and tells them to keep waiting. The disciples were focused on one thing, the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth. They want to know if this is it in its fullness. Jesus tells them though to keep waiting and trusting. Together as one, they do just that. Who knew that these men and others would be on the onset of one of the greatest days in history? These men could have retreated, but instead with simple acts of obedience they moved forward. Our prayer, as we gather today, is that we would simply obey God as we go, live, risk and move forward together for the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth.