South Union Sermons

Bottom line: Turning To God leads to God turning the page to a new chapter in our story, e.g. life story, love story, etc.

Because Ruth turned to God, trusted Him, and came under His wings, God turned the page on her love story. God providentially worked to bring about the right man, the right woman, in the right location, at the right time to begin a love story between Ruth and Boaz.

You cannot manufacture your love story, but you can trust God and turn to Him and watch Him providentially work through natural circumstances to fulfill His supernatural plans for your love story.

Bottom line: We may not know what hangs in the balance of our choice to return, but we can trust that it is something good from the One who loves us.

The backstory of Ruth's love story is a story of famine, wrong choices, pain, death, sorrow, running away from problems, returning home, and renewed hope. Love story's backstory is a story of God's providence to take the good, bad, and ugly and work it to the good both cosmically and individually (i.e. for Naomi and Ruth). And God does it for us too. He wants us to be a part of the Love Story He is writing.

Bottom line: Let's prioritize our generosity toward God because God has been generous toward us.

God lays our three principles of generosity when He asks the Jews to bring an offering for the construction of the tabernacle.

1) The principle of how: We are to give generously (willingly) from the heart.

2) The principle of what: We are to give generously to the Lord what He has first generously given to us.

3) The principle of why: We are to give generously so that the purpose(s) of the Lord can be accomplished.

Generosity should mark us as God's children because as God's children we've been marked by God's generosity.

Bottom line: Let's prioritize pushing away from the table and serving like Jesus by serving the needs of others.

Jesus pushed away from the table in the upper room and served a practical need of his men (i.e. washed their feet). In doing so, he demonstrated his humility through the action of serving. After Jesus washed their feet, he plainly tells them to replicate his actions, i.e. serve others by meeting needs. Jesus invites us today to push away from the table and serve for at least two reasons: 1) when we serve, the life of Jesus is expressed in this world; and 2) when we serve, we live a better life. Our sacrifice to serve leads to satisfaction in life.

Bottom line: When we prioritize being together at the table of the King, we experience the betterness of togetherness.

If church were likened unto the family home, the small group setting would be the dining room and living room of the church. It is where our together life happens best.

Many of us as believers idealize what our walk with God should be and how it should be experienced. In reality, we don't realize what we idealize. We realize what we prioritize. When it comes to the small group setting there are several things that we need to set forth as priorities. We must prioritize connecting relationally together, serving together, growing spiritually together, and practicing accountability and care together. If we don't prioritize it, we probably won't realize it, i.e. connect relationally, serve cooperatively, grow spiritually, practice accountability, or care ministerially.

Bottom line: Let's prioritize extending God's invitation to come to his table of grace as sons and daughters.

We see in David's invitation to Mephibosheth to come to his table as a son a wonderful illustration of God's invitation to us to come to His table of grace as sons and daughters of the King. Charles Stanley said God's highest priority for each of us is an intimate relationship with Him. If that is true, then our highest priority should be our own intimate relationship with God and prioritizing extending an invitation to those far from God to come His table.

Bottom Line: Let's prioritize coming to the table with God by welcoming His Word into our hearts consistently and acting on His Word instantly.

God welcomes us to the table He has prepared for us, but do we welcome His invitation to sit down, fellowship, and dine with Him? Charles Stanley said, "You were created for intimacy with God...His highest priority for you is to be involved with Him..." If God's highest priority for us is our intimacy with Him, then our highest priority should be our intimacy with Him too. If we are going to make coming to the table with the King a priority in our lives, then we must welcome His Word consistently and act on His Word instantly.

Our hearts our open to receive God Words when we can say, "God, I welcome your guidance, instruction, encouragement, and your power to do what Your Word is asking me to do." Acting on God's Word means to obey it. Obedience is the agent of change, growth, maturity, and intimacy in our relationship with God.

Bottom line: Show the world the score in 2024 by living out the victory given to us in Christ.

What's in store for God's people in 2024? Victory! We can live out the victory of Jesus in our lives if we will live our lives in obedience to God.

How do we live out the victory?

1) Shout the victory

Proclaim your thanksgiving for what God has done for you through the victory of Jesus. God has given us victory over death because of Christ's victory on the cross, victory over the sting of death which is sin, and victory over the one who held the power of death, Satan.

2) Sense the victory

Respond to the reality of your life by sensing the person, place and permanence of victory. Let's live our lives in close proximity to Jesus.

3) Smell of the victory

Light the incense of your life so that the world may smell the victory of Jesus in your life. Light the incense by transforming your hurts into hallelujahs. Light the incense of your life by letting your persecution be turned into praise. Light the incense of your life by living out the victory of Jesus in your life.

Bottom line: The Christmas choice is the choice of who will or will not be king.

The choice of Christmas is illustrated in the choices made by the wise men, Herod, and the professional religious class. The wise men sought the king, sacrificed to the king, and submitted to the king. Herod saw Christ as an intruder into his own kingdom and totally rejected Christ as King. The professional religious class were actually ambivalent to the news of the birth of the King. If anyone should have been anticipating the birth of the King or attentive the news, it should have been the religious rulers, yet they were completely ambivalent.

We too have a choice regarding the birth of the King: accept His invitation to salvation; accept His invitation to coronation, i.e. choose Jesus as Savior and King. Let's be like the wise men: seek Him, sacrifice to Him, and submit to Him.