January 1, 2023
Morning Service

Jas 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  (23)  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; (24) for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  (25)  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

            It is not enough to just be a student of the Word, but we must begin to apply it to our lives and put it into action.  A great example of that for us was your generosity and commitment to fill 28 Christmas baskets with tangible items, but also you filled them with the love of Christ.  We saw a need and did what we could to fix it.  The same is true for our spiritual lives as well.  In our study of Colossians, we got a clear picture of Jesus in His Divinity and it was also clear the changes in our lives that should come with that revelation.  When we read in the Word (look in the mirror) and see an area where we are not being obedient or faithful, then we need to have the courage and resolve to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to change us.  Don’t just read and study the Word, live it!  In doing this notice God will bless us in what we are doing (v- 25). That is how we grow in the Lord, cultivating our relationship with Him by hearing and doing.  James also told us this about our efforts to grow and draw closer to Jesus:

 

Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

            Drawing near to God takes action on our part.  We need to be pursuing Him through the study of His Word and then the application of that knowledge to our lives.  We place ourselves as tools in His hands and by reading, praying, and attending services we keep ourselves sharp and ready for action.  As we spoke a few weeks ago, Paul reminded us that we (the church) are the avenue by which this world will hear of the love of God and the healing that He offers to all.  We have been commanded to take this message to a world that is hungering for it.  I pray that the Holy Spirit is working in each of you to grant you opportunities to share this gift with those around you and the courage to follow through with it.  As we look forward into the challenges of 2023, let’s look back at the challenges that we have been facing over the last several years that are still unresolved and have actually gotten worse.  There are more, but I have chosen to speak on these three:

1.     A Nation Divided:

This issue has continued to grow worse with time, not better.  We as the American people are becoming more divided than I have ever seen.  A wall has been built that is growing taller every day.  Politically we are no longer allowed to agree to disagree.  If you don’t go along with the agenda, then you are the enemy and will be canceled by our culture.  Our challenge for 2023 as Jesus Followers is to be the voice of love and truth in this time of hate and confusion.  Jesus calls us to be “peacemakers” and in doing that we will be called the “sons of God.” (Matt 5:9).  We can do this by putting these three scriptures into action.

 

1Ti 2:1-3  Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  (2)  for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  (3)  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

 

Jas 1:19-20  So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;  (20)  for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

 

1Co 16:13-14  Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.  (14)  Let all that you do be done with love.

            Let’s pray for our leaders instead of criticizing them.  Let’s use our words to build up rather than to tear down knowing our anger “does not produce the righteousness of God.”  Let love define who we are and all we do.  When we apply these principles of God into our lives, we will see change in those around us and even more importantly inside of us.  It is part of becoming the “New You” that Paul spoke about in our study in Colossians.  Changes in this area of division in 2023 will begin inside each one of us as we seek to live out these scriptures.

 

2.    Drug Abuse Epidemic

This issue as well has not been resolved and we could say that it continues to escalate in our society.  Each of us has been somehow affected by this problem in one way or another.  Our challenge comes from these two scriptures:

 

Php. 4:6-7  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  (7)  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

Jas 2:14-17  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  (15)  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,  (16)  and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  (17)  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

            We were challenged to be in “prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God.”  I trust all of you have been praying for those you know that have been affected by this issue and will continue to do so in the coming year as well.  The second part of the challenge was to not only pray, but to get in the fight and get our hands dirty trying to do something.  Our Fellowship continues to support he work done by Dave Norris at Heaven Nevaeh ministries.  We are still open to finding those who are looking to solve this issue through faith based ministries and will support them.  We are actively now investing in families that are suffering and offering love and support for them to know there is an answer to the problems and His name is Jesus.

 

3.    Children at Risk

This problem just like the other two has not gone away.  We know our enemy has come to “kill, steal and destroy” and Peter warns us this way:

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We as parents, grandparents, and even just Jesus Followers have to be “sober and vigilant” about our approach to protect our children.  They are at risk to have their world view molded for them from the television, internet or even the school curriculum that takes no account of what the Word of God says is truth.  These that are teaching these things to our kids are not confused or ignorant, they have an agenda and the agenda is pure evil.  They seek to destroy our children having them to question everything we hold true from God’s Word even beginning with questioning their own gender!   Don’t be caught unaware, listen to what your kids are saying about school and monitor what they watch on devices because a lot of those things suggest subtlety and sometimes quite openly things that we do not want our kids to hear and see. We protect our children with car seats and by locking the doors to keep them from physical harm, but we need to protect them spiritually as well.  Paul admonished parents to do this:

 

Eph. 6:4  And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

We must teach them to know that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.  We tend to emphasize to our kids the need for academic or athletic success, but those things need to be secondary to spiritual things.  Emphasize the importance of being plugged in to the church and relying on the support we receive there.  Encourage them to define themselves from the truth of the Bible not the lies of the world.  If we don’t, the world will steal them from us.  We have taken steps to invest in our children here as we now have given our teachers tools that use the advanced technology to teach God’s truth in hopes to reach on levels that they are all very familiar with.  We still need help in this area, please be praying about getting involved.  Most of all parents, you must model the Christian life at home, teaching your kids through every day experiences what it means to have Jesus walking with you.  Show them through your choices that putting God first is always the best choice.  They will most likely follow the example you provide for them.

 

 As we enter a new year today with 2023, I wanted us to keep our heads in the battle and continue to fight along these 3 fronts.  There are many others we could have spoken on, but my goal is to move each of you to put your faith into action and make a difference in this world somehow somewhere. Jesus said this about us:

 

Mat 5:13-16  "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  (14)  "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  (15)  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  (16)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

Heavenly Father, build our faith strong enough to allow us to be the “salt of the earth” and to “let our light so shine before men” as we strive to reflect Your glory.