The Apostles' Creed, part 2

Introduction
A few year ago, I had a church member tell me how much he appreciated reciting the Apostles' Creed in church each Sunday.  You see, he didn't grow up in a Methodist church, but a little country church and they didn't say the creed.  And when he came to the Methodist church, he was skeptical of what seemed like a unnecessarily formal ritual.  But after a a while, he asked his young daughter what Christians believe and she recited to him the Apostles' Creed.  And man told me, "I get it now."

The Apostles' Creed is a beautiful and succinct summary of the basic Christians faith--what we believe.  It’s important to know, everything in the Creed is based on Scripture.  Now, you can't look up the Apostle's Creed and find it in the Bible.  But all the principles it teach are in the Word.  And that's why we believe it.  

Matthew 16:13-17
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[a]
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[b] the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,[c] because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.

Ephesians 1:4-5
Scripture tells us that God sent Jesus to save and perfect His children.  Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.”

Who is Jesus?  If a person stopped you on the street and asked, “Who is Jesus?”  What would you say?  What would you say if they asked you what He did?  Perhaps you would be at a loss about what to say, but you don’t have to be, because we recite who Jesus is and what He did every Sunday in our Apostle’s Creed.  Say it with me:

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: 
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended to the dead;
the third day He rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead...

The Creed (founded upon Scripture) tells us who Jesus is and what He did:
“He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary…”

You know the Christmas story.  God sent the angel Gabriel to appear to Mary.  In Luke 1:34-35 it says, Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”

Jesus is special.  He was part of God’s plan to save us from the beginning.  He is the Son of God.  He is the product of a miraculous birth. He is the fulfillment of a multitude of prophecies given hundreds of years ahead of time. 

Yet He was also born as a helpless baby to a very human mother.  He was flesh and blood. 
He had to grow up like us.  He had to learn.  He felt emotions, got his feelings hurt, felt hunger, got tired, cried real tears and shed real blood.  Hebrews 2:17 says, “It was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.”

Jesus also suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.

Pilate – Pilate was the Roman governor in charge of Jerusalem when Jesus was arrested.
Matthew 27:1-2 – “Very early in the morning, the leading priests and other leaders met again to discuss how to persuade the Roman government to sentence Jesus to death. Then they bound him and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.”  [A real person…  Seat in Caesarea Philippi…]

Suffered – John 19:1-3 – “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head, and they put a royal purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, and they hit him with their fists.”

Crucified – John 19:17-18 – “Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went to the place called Skull Hill (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they crucified him.”

Buried – Mark 15:46 – “Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth, and taking Jesus’ body down from the cross, he wrapped it in the cloth and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.”
These are real places.  These are not just stories.  These events really happened.  Jesus is a real man who went through utter agony and paid the ultimate price for you and me!

Descended to the Dead - Not all denomination say this one; there are various interpretations and some choose to leave it out.  But this concept is also in Scripture.  In 1 Peter 3:18-20 it says, "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.  So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat."

And 1 Peter 4:6 — “For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead…”
(See also Acts 2:2, 31; Ephesians 4:8-10; and Romans 10:6-7)

There are differing interpretations on why Jesus descended to the dead and what it means.  I find comfort in thinking that it means even those who lived and died before Christ's atoning sacrifice had a chance to hear His message and be saved and Christ personally took them the message.

On the Third Day, He rose from the dead.  When the Jesus’ followers came to the tomb to put spices on his body in Luke 24:5-6, the angels said, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead!

Thousands, if not millions, of people visit this tomb every year.  Jesus is still not there.  I’ve been there and I’ve seen it and I can testify.  The tomb is empty; Jesus is risen!  I know He is risen, because I talked to Him just this morning!

We believe in a Lord who has authority over everything—even death.  When you begin to worry that your problems are too big, remember you believe in Jesus Christ who rose from the grave!  He can overcome any problem you face—even death.  

He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

It was important for Jesus to return to heaven.  It tells us that His home is heaven.  Jesus has taken His rightful place on the heavenly throne.  We too should set our sights on our Heavenly Home and think not only of this world.  For even if we suffer and die here (as Christ did), our true Home is in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus’ ascension to heaven also tells us that we have a job to do here on earth.  If Jesus wanted to do all the work, He would have stayed until all the work was done.  He ascended to heaven so we would have a chance to do some of the work ourselves.  Though Jesus empowers us and helps us to accomplish his plans, we are the ones who have to act as his hands and feet.  We are his body.  If we don’t act as Jesus to this world, no one will.

Acts 1:11b say, “Someday, just as you saw him go, [Jesus] will return!”  One of the fundamental beliefs of our faith laid down in the Bible is that Jesus is going to come back to judge the living and the dead.  One day, all people will be held accountable for their actions.  Therefore, it would be wise for us to live a life of godly service, doing as much good as we can with what we have in the time we have left. 

Say it again with me:
We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: 
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended to the dead;
the third day He rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Salvation Comes from Jesus
Do you truly believe?  Reciting the words doesn’t save you. Only a personal relationship with Jesus based on true faith saves you.  It is when your eyes are suddenly opened and you realize, “Oh my!  Jesus really does want to save me!  He really did suffer and die for me.  He was whipped for my transgressions.  He was punished for my disobedience.  He bled to wash away my sins!  He died for me!  And on the third day, He rose from the grave.  He ascended to heaven and one day He’s going to come back for me and I want to be ready!” 

When you realize that, repent, and you pray in your heart, “Lord, I believe in You and I want You to save me!  Forgive me!  Help me to live the way You want me to live!  Be the Lord and Savior of my life!” Then, you will be saved. 

The Apostles' Creed, Part 1

Introduction
Nicole is an old acquaintance of mine from High School. She grew up as a good Catholic girl and took classes to teach her the basics of the Christian faith.  One of the lessons she learned was the Apostles Creed—the same creed we say on Sunday mornings, the same creed used in thousands of churches of many different denominations all around the world.  

As an adult, Nicole still remembers the creed she learned as a child and it is a continual reminder of the Christian faith.  Nicole has hosted many exchange students from around the world and the Apostles’ Creed helped Nicole share her faith with them as she explained what Christians believe.  Nicole has been a good an ambassador for Christ.  

Christians should take advantage of every opportunity to share our faith with others.  But in order to do that, we have to know what we believe.  Perhaps, like Nicole, the Apostles’ Creed can help you be more effective in explaining what you believe.  The Creed is a succinct declaration of our belief—the faith handed down to us for generations all the way back to the 12 Apostles in the Bible.  (And most of us probably have the Apostles’ Creed committed to memory by now!)   

Over the next few weeks, we’ll study the Apostles’ Creed—mining the rich treasures of our faith hidden in each section.  But first, let’s hear the Word of God.

Scripture Readings
Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

I believe in…
Now, say the first section of the Apostles’ Creed with me:  We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord…  Here we have the first and most basic statement about our Christian faith.

We Believe in God
We believe in God.  We believe there is a Higher Power that is beyond us.  There is more to life than just us and what we see.  There is a God.  

That simple fact changes life from a mere struggle for the survival of the fittest to something altogether more meaningful.  It means there must be a grander purpose to life.  These four simple words,

“We believe in God…”, beg us to ask all kinds of questions like: Who is this God?  What is God like?  Can I know God and how do we relate to each other? 

The next words of the Creed provide some of the answer the Christian faith offers:

“We believe in God the Father.”
God is like a father.  He looks after and cares about His children.  He provides for them.  He teaches them.  He disciplines them.  He plays with them.   

When my kids were little, we would sometimes wrestle and tickle each other.  What a sight to see an grown man with his children climbing all over him, laughing and playing.  

God is a Father.  We can play with God, but He will also discipline us when we are disobedient. 

We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
God is almighty: all powerful, all knowing, and present in all places.  God is the last word, the final say.  He has authority over all things.  No one and no thing can overpower Him or circumvent Him. 

These words may be troubling to those who wish to disobey or disregard God; but, knowing that God is Almighty is a great comfort to those who seek Him for strength to overcome adversities that are too big for us to handle on our own (but never too big for an Almighty God). 

Look up at the stars in the night sky.  There are a thousand billion trillion stars in the universe.  The stars you see are trillions of trillions of trillions of trillions of miles away.  God is present on each of those at the same time that He is here.  God created it all and He has power and wisdom and authority over it all.

Now, Christians are not the only religion that believes in God.  Every civilization in the history of the world—regardless of where in the world they lived—has believed in God in some form.  But of all the religions of the world, Christianity is unique because we believe in Jesus Christ.  Without Jesus Christ, our faith is incomplete.

We believe in Jesus Christ.
The word Christ means Messiah, the chosen one. We believe Jesus was appointed by God for the special purpose of saving humanity.  We believe that Jesus can save us.  We believe that Jesus can save our children.  We believe that Jesus can save our parents, our friends, our neighbors, our wife or husband.  We believe that the salvation of the world comes through Jesus the Christ!

We believe in Jesus Christ His only Son.
Jesus is more than just a man.  All religions have great people who have shaped their religions—Jews have Moses, Buddhists have Buddha, Muslims have Muhammad.  But these men were mere mortals. 

Christians believe Jesus is more than just a man.  Jesus is the Son of God.  John 1:1 (which refers to Jesus as “the Word”) says, “In the beginning the Word [Jesus] already existed. He was with God, and he was God.”  So, Jesus is the Son of God and He is God.  Jesus was with God when the world was created.  What a mysterious faith we have!

We believe that Jesus is God and also the Son of God, that Jesus is a divine being and also lived as a man! We don’t have enough time today to explore all the ramifications of Jesus as the Son of God—but it is a fundamental and unique belief of the Christian faith that Jesus is the Son of God.

And we believe Jesus is the His only Son.
That is, Jesus is unique in his relationship with God.  There are no other “sons” of God that can lead us to God besides Jesus.  

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Our Lord
And finally, we believe in Jesus Christ the only Son of God our Lord.  That is, we submit to the Lordship of Jesus in our life.  We surrender our lives to him and accept his authority over us.  We seek to obey his teachings and follow his direction for daily life.

Say the first part of the Apostles’ Creed with me again:  I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord…

Conclusion
Members of our church promise to support the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness.  We must know what we believe if we want to be effective witnesses. 

The Apostles’ Creed helps us know what we believe.  It gives us the basics of the faith in a few short statements.  I hope it will help you share your faith with others as you recall the deep meaning of our Creed.

Not only do I hope you will share your faith.  Even more important, I hope you will truly believe.  Do you truly believe the words you say when you recite the Apostles’ Creed?  Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?  Do you believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord?  More than anything, I hope you will truly believe and know the eternal life that God offers all who do.

God is Love | A Christmas in July Sermon on Luke 2:1-7, 22:39-24:12 & Psalm 136:1

Introduction
VBS starts tomorrow!  I’m so excited!  We’ve been working our way through the themes for each day of VBS to get ready.  Today, let’s explore the theme for Day 4, which is God is Love.  Our memory verse for Day 4 is Psalm 136:1

Psalm 136:1
¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.

Christmas in the middle of July is a crazy idea, but it can actually help us move beyond the commercial hoopla that is so prevalent in December that clutters the true meaning of Christmas.

In December, everyone is so busy running around trying to buy the perfect Christmas gifts we forget why we give gifts in the first place.  Why do we give gifts at Christmas?  Well, the Wisemen gave gifts. But it’s deeper than that.   It’s because God gave the first Christmas gift – John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life." 

Christmas is God giving the very best Christmas gift of all–His Son, the Messiah.  Israel was expecting the Messiah to be a mighty warrior, but God had a better plan–a plan full of grace and love, an offer of peace and reconciliation.  So instead of a mighty warrior charging in on a horse to conquer with a sword, God sent a precious baby born to loving parents.

Luke 2:1-7
¹ At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Jesus is the Greatest Christmas Gift of All
Jesus came as a baby–God’s great gift to the world.  But this gift wasn’t complete yet. 

Jesus had to grow up in our broken world, experience it,  and remain faithful.  And He did. 
Jesus is the only person who ever lived who never sinned.  He lived a perfect life of love.

We hear mixed messages about love.  Songs say it’s about feelings.  Back in the 90s, Bon Jovi sang a song, "I'd die for you!  I'd lie for you..."  I used to love that song.  I guess when you're a teenager overwhelmed with hormones and your "in love" you might actually do something crazy like die for your romantic interest because they make you feel so in love.

But Jesus reveals a different kind of love--one that’s selfless, sacrificial, and unshakeable.  Jesus didn’t just love based on who deserved it, He loved because that’s who He is. God is love.

And that’s why God’s perfect Christmas gift wasn’t complete without the cross.  Though Jesus never sinned and only spoke the Truth and helped people, His very existence threatened religious leaders and Roman authorities who wanted to stay in power.  So they arrested Jesus, lied about Him, convicted Him in a kangaroo court, and sentenced him to death by crucifixion.

Jesus could have saved Himself and avoided the humiliation, the suffering, and death.  He could have run away and hid before He was arrested–He knew it was coming.  He could have recanted during the trial.  But He didn’t; He confirmed He was God’s Son, the Messiah.  And ultimately, as God’s Son, Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels to rescue Him and destroy His enemies.  But He refused, because He knew His death on the cross would pay the penalty for the whole world’s sin.  Because He died, you and I can be forgiven. 

And so, because God is Love, Jesus went to the cross and died for you and me.  Isn’t that incredible?  Think of what that means for us.  This was a great Christmas gift, but it still gets better!

Jesus Defeated Death
Because God’s love is even stronger than death!  Jesus died on the cross for our sins.   

His brutalized body was taken down and placed in a borrowed tomb.  There it lay, until on the third day, the stone rolled away and Jesus walked out alive!

The cross shows us the depths of God’s love–He suffered, bled, and died.  The resurrection shows the power of God’s love–it can overcome anything, even death!  Now think about that.  Have you ever known anyone who can defeat death?  No one. Some have been revived from death–brought back to life–but even this is temporary.  Only Jesus has the power to defeat death–completely.

And those who put their faith in Him, will overcome death too.  We will be raised to new life–eternal life forever in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But it’s not just about heaven.

You see, because if Jesus can defeat death in you, He can defeat anything in you.  Well, what does that mean?  Well, I don’t know what you’re struggling with, but whatever it is, Jesus can help you overcome it!  

So, we're not just looking forward to what happens after we die.  No, we're also expecting how Jesus can heal and perfect us in this life.  Because if He can defeat death in you, imagine how He can perfect life in you.

Closing
The baby born in a manger tells us that God is love.
The Cross shows us the gave everything for you.
The empty tomb tells us that God’s love wins. 
Sin doesn't win.  Hatred doesn't win.  Fear doesn't win.  Death doesn't win.  The love of God wins.

And because God's love wins, you don't have to let your failures define you.  
You don't have to let your guilt keep you away from God.
You don't have to let fear control your future.
You don't have to believe your brokenness is beyond repair.

Because the same Jesus who walked out of the tomb is still alive today.
He still forgives sinners.  He still heals broken hearts.  He still gives hope to the hopeless.
He still changes lives.  He still loves people like you and me.

The greatest Christmas gift God ever gave wasn't wrapped in colorful paper or tied with a bow.
It was wrapped in swaddling cloths.  And that gift was unwrapped on a cross.
Then, on the third day, it burst forth from an empty tomb so that everyone who believes in Jesus might have eternal life.

The manger points to the cross.  The cross points to the empty tomb. 
And together they proclaim one glorious truth:  God is love.

Today, if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, receive God's gift. You don't earn it. You don't deserve it. You simply receive it by faith.

Jesus has already done everything necessary for your salvation.
All that's left is for you to say yes.

In just a moment, we're going to stand and sing one of the best-known Christmas hymns ever written: "Joy to the World."

Most people sing it at Christmas—a song about Jesus' birth. 
But it's really a song about Jesus’ reign.
It celebrates the King who came at Christmas, gave His life at the cross,
rose from the grave on Easter morning, and reigns forever.

As we sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King,"
don't just sing about a baby born in Bethlehem.
Receive your King.  Receive His love.  Receive His forgiveness.  Receive His gift of eternal life.

God is Forever | A Sermon on Psalm 115:8 & Revelation 21-22

Introduction
I feel like I have a tall order in my sermon today. Because, this weekend, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of our great nation–the land that I love. But, we are also working our way through the themes for our upcoming Vacation Bible School, which will be July 13-17 from 6:30-8:30. 

But God is good, and I believe He’s given me just the right Word to share this morning. But in order to make this work, I sensed God wanting me to skip ahead and preach on the Day 5 theme for VBS today and then do Day 4 next Sunday. So I flip-flopped my original plans, because I want to be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s direction. 

The title for Day 5 of VBS is God is Forever.  The Memory verse for the lesson is Psalm 115:8. But to give a broader context for this pass, lets read verses 1-9. 

Psalm 115:1-9
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. 2 Why let the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. 4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. 5 They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. 6 They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. 7 They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. 8 And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. 9 O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield.   

The Book of Revelation
In addition to the memory verse in Psalm, our VBS lesson teaches about John’s vision of Heaven in the Book of Revelation. That’s pretty bold! Revelation 7:17 - For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes. 

People often think the point of Revelation is to predict the future. But the purpose of Revelation’s more than that. (By the way, there is no “S” in Revelation) 

In Revelation, God shows John what’s really going on in his world–things we can’t see. Now, John (one of Jesus’ 12 Disciples) lives in a world dominated by the Roman empire. Rome is the superpower that controls John’s world (and all the Christians in it). It is a pagan world, unchristian to its core, and the Romans empire is anti-Christian. Christians are this tiny, persecuted minority, with no political power, seemingly at the mercy of Rome and everyone else. Because they believed in Jesus, Christians were often ostracized. Their businesses failed because often no one wanted to do business with "those Christians".  For the same reasons, they often can’t find work. They are kicked out of synagogues and they sometimes even lose their homes or are driven out of town. 

And Christians often became scapegoats who got the blame for any disaster that befell a town. When a terrible fire destroyed much of Rome, emperor Nero blamed Christians.  Many historians (even Roman ones) believe it was actually Nero who started the fire.  So Nero had to do something.  He had many arrested and doused in pitch, tied to stakes, and turned into human torches to light the streets of Rome--all in a effort to divert the blame from himself.  

And so these Christians were asking, “What’s the point of being a follower of Christ?” It is into this world of hurt that God gives the Apostle John his Revelation. And Revelation isn’t just a vision about what’s going to happen at the end of time (why would the hurting people reading Revelation in the 1st century care; tell me how this helps me NOW). 

Revelation Pulls Back the Curtain
God gave Revelation to pull back the curtain on their CURRENT events and show Christians: there is way more going on around you than what you can see. Everyone thinks Rome is a mighty empire, that it’s permanent, but it’s not. It will soon be gone. But the Kingdom of God is forever. And you are citizens in God’s Kingdom that will last forever. 

Think about all the things people back then thought were so important and would last forever. The Temple. Caesar. The Roman Empire. Their own suffering. But God pulls back the curtain in Revelation and says, “These things are temporary. But My Kingdom lasts forever. And ultimately, all the empires of this world will fall, and all the rulers of this world will cease, and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.” 

And here’s the thing, God’s Kingdom isn’t just something we look forward to in the future. No. God’s Kingdom is now. It starts for us the moment we say YES to Jesus and it exists behind the curtain of what we can see. It’s not just coming; it’s here now. And when we follow Christ faithfully, we participate in God’s Kingdom. 

Many Things We Love Are Temporary
God’s Word also reminds us that many of the things we love are temporary. When I was a kid, I used to love swimming in pool.  I would hate it when my parents said, “It’s time to go!” As a parent myself, I tried to soften this with my own kids by giving them a 5 minute warning.  

But we all know that some things we really like don’t last forever. (Vacation ends. Summer break ends. Baseball season ends. Favorite toys break. Pets die.) We even know that houses deteriorate. Careers end. Health fades. Even church buildings don't last forever. And on a wider scale: nations rise and fall. Ancient Egypt lasted 3,000. Greece lasted 600 years. Rome lasted 2,000. But all faded away. 

This weekend we celebrate 250 years of our nation. I'm deeply thankful for America. I love this country. I'm grateful for the freedoms we've enjoyed. But Scripture reminds us that every earthly kingdom—even the greatest ones—are temporary. We can be thankful we live in a great nation, with a proud history. We should be grateful for the patriots who made tremendous sacrifices to build our country and preserve it for 250 years. And we should do our best to honor them by taking care of America the best we can. 

Where Is Your Hope?
Where is your hope? Since we’re in church, we would probably all answer “Jesus!” It sounds good and we know it’s probably the right answer. We should put our hope in Christ. But here’s what I’ve found about myself (and maybe it’s true for you too): Our reaction to world events can reveal where our hope is and, sometimes, how we may need to ask God to help us change our thinking.

Consider: 

If we lose hope because our candidate doesn’t win, it could reveal that we have placed too much hope in a candidate instead of in God. 

If we give up because we see our community or our nation changing in ways we don’t agree with, it might reveal our priorities are misaligned. 

What happens inside you if: The stock market crashes… If your health changes… If life doesn't go the way you hoped… 

If our hope dies because of these things, it is a clue that maybe we’ve put too much hope in the things of this world instead of God. We might not want to hear that, but that’s what God wants us to know. 

By all means, Christians should be actively involved in trying to shape the world around us to match the values of God’s Kingdom. Our prayer is always with Jesus’ in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…” Yet we don’t put our ultimate hope in the systems, people, governments, or kingdoms of this world. Our hope is in the Lord and our eternity is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Revelation 21:3-4
Revelation 21 gives the grand vision of God’s heavenly Kingdom. Verse 3-4 says: “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 

God’s love never runs out, never changes, never leaves. God’s love is permanent, His promises are unbreakable, and His home is waiting for all who trust Him. That means we don’t need to be afraid of the future. It means we don’t have to lose hope in the present–even if things don’t go our way. We can live with hope, confidence, and joy–because no matter what happens, our “forever” is safe in God’s hands! 

God Knows Everything | A Sermon on Psalm 139

Introduction
Vacation Bible School at my church, Stark Methodist Church, is July 13-17.  We’ll step through the mist into Rainforest Falls (by Group Publishing), overflowing with wild waterfalls, towering trees, and colorful creatures. Beneath a canopy of chattering birds and howling monkeys, kids plunge into a lifelong adventure of discovering the nature of God. They’ll explore what it means to be rooted in relationship with God, their creator, a safe place in life’s storms.  If you haven’t done so already, I suggest you talk to Kristin Williams to find out how you can get involved.

The title for Day 2 of VBS is “God Knows Everything” and the Memory verse for the lesson is Psalm 139:1 

Psalm 139:1
O Lord, you have examined my heart, and know everything about me.

Kids Today
The kids in our community live in a world that constantly watches them.  They have cameras on their phones, pictures on social media, and security cameras in their schools.  Everyone is watching!  In spit of all that attention, many kids still feel unseen, unknown, or misunderstood.

Psalm 139 reassures kids (and us) that God doesn’t just watch them, God knows their hearts—like a loving Father.  God sees their struggles, their dreams, their quiet worries… and God cares. 

God Saw David When No One Else Cared
To illustrate how God sees and knows us and how He cares, our VBS lesson takes us through the life of David.  Before David was a king, he was just a kid who was over looked by his family.

From Scripture, we learn young David was sent out to watch the family’s flock of sheep.  In the cold of night, David looked up into the stars and tried to count them, thinking of the God who made them.  When a Lion or Bear attacked, trying to steal on of the sheep, David trusted God to help him fight off the predator.

And when David was left out in the field while the rest of the family had a feast, God saw David and knew him and knew his heart.  God didn’t forget about David.  God chose him to be a king who was a man after God’s own heart. 

Do You Ever Feel Forgotten?
Kids today, often feel overlooked or forgotten. 
Even if we lavish attention on them, do we just see a little kid?  Or do we see them as the unique individual they really are?  Do we just treat them like a kid?  Or do we take the time to really get to know them and treat them with respect and not just a kid?

 How about you?  Do you ever feel overlooked or forgotten?  

I want you to know, you are more than just a vote to be counted, or a customer to be served, or a number in a database.  God sees you for who you really are.  He sees you and He knows your heart—because He made you.

God Sees When You’re Mistreated
God saw David out in the field and knew his heart and chose him to be the next king of Israel.  But the current king, Saul, was jealous and tried to kill David.  He saw David as a threat.  David had to flee for his life and spent years as a fugitive hiding in caves in the desert.  Even though David had served Saul faithfully, Saul wanted him dead.

But even while David was hiding, God continued to see David.  You can hide from people, but you can’t hide from God.  God saw David. He saw his suffering.  He saw his integrity.  God saw that David tried to do the right thing even when others didn't treat him fairly.  And God never forgot David.  He took care of him and continued to bless him. 

Do you ever feel like you have to hide from people?  Do you ever have to hide your true feelings?  Do you ever keep your mouth shut instead of saying what you really feel?  Sometimes it’s better to stay silent than to say what you really think.  But it never feels good, does it?  Oh that we could always and everywhere just say what’s on our mind.  But that wouldn’t be wise or even necessarily helpful.  So, we bite our tongues sometimes until we nearly bite them off.

But God sees us even when we’re hiding.  He sees us and He knows our heart.  And He knows that sometimes it’s better to silent.  He gave us Proverbs 21:23 which says: “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”

But if you ever feel unseen or unheard because you have to keep your true heart hidden, know this:  God sees you.  God hears you.  God knows your heart.  God knows everything.

God See Our Sin
God sees everything.  But that means God also sees our sin.  But the Good News is, God loves us anyway.  And we see this play out in the life of David too. 

Eventually, David did become king, according to God’s plan.  And David was a good king.  He loved God and he loved God’s people, Israel.  But David was also a human, and humans—even the best ones—are full of sin.

And one day, David committed adultery with a woman named Bathsheba and she became pregnant.  David tried to cover it up.  When he couldn't manipulate Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, into sleeping with to make everyone think it was Uriah's child, David had Uriah murdered by stationing him on the front line in the army when they attacked a city.  Uriah was killed in battle because of David's orders.

David tried to hide his sin so no one would see what he had done.  But God saw it.  God knew David’s sin.  And God sent a prophet to expose David’s sin so he could be held accountable, repent, be forgiven, and be healed.

God sees when we sin.  Even if no one ever finds out, God knows.  And sin breaks His heart and separates us from our loving God. Sin cuts us off from life.  But even when we sin, God never stops loving us.  Romans 5:8 tells us:  “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

I don’t know what you’ve done—what sins you’ve committed.  But I know you’ve sinned, because we all have.  Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  So we are all guilty.  And God knows it. 

Psalm 139:2-3 says:  “You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.”

And still, “God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  Because “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Jesus already paid the price for our sin.  He took the penalty on himself, even though He was completely innocent.  Jesus offers mercy and forgiveness if we will repent and turn to God through Him.  If you have not done so already, I pray you will repent and turn to Jesus. 

Conclusion
So, in a few weeks, we will welcome a crowd of kids to Stark Methodist for Rainforest Falls VBS.  On day 2, we will teach that God knows everything about them.  Even if they feel unseen by the world, we will remind that that God sees them and cares.   

But today, I want you to know:  God see you.  God knows everything about you—and that’s a good thing!  Because God loves you unconditionally.

God sees your struggles, your dreams, your failures, your quiet struggles… and God cares. 
So put your faith in Jesus Christ.  Don’t hide from Him, don’t run away.
Run to God through Jesus Christ His Son.  Be accepted.  Be forgiven. Be loved.
And then you can go out and love others the way God loves you.