[0:00] Harmony To proveif portail Avion Doom Thank you.
[0:51] Thank you.
[1:21] Thank you. Thank you.
[2:21] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[2:33] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We pray that you will come and dwell among us. Prepare our hearts, Lord, to receive you and help us to experience you in a powerful way as we praise your name.
[2:47] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'd like to invite you all to stand, if you're able, as we sing together, Take My Life and Let It Be. Take my life and let it be.
[3:15] Consecrated Lord to Thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
[3:28] Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
[3:47] Take my voice and let me sing, always only for my King. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
[4:05] Take my silver and my gold. Not a might would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
[4:24] Take my will and make it Thine. It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own.
[4:38] It shall be Thy royal throne. Take my blood, my Lord, I pour. At Thy feet its treasure store.
[4:51] Take myself and I will be ever only all for Thee.
[5:01] Let us join together in professing the Christian faith as contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Do you believe in God the Father? I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
[5:15] Do you believe in Jesus Christ? I believe 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, died, and was buried.
[5:32] He descended to the dead. On the third day, He rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
[5:44] Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
[5:58] Amen. Amen. Amen. The Lord will be with you.
[6:37] And also with you. Please be seated. We have a couple of clipboards to pass out this morning. And as we pass out these clipboards, I'd like to invite those participating in membership to come on forward.
[6:52] We're going to be kicking off our time of praise with membership. So as we pass these out, these are about, with their sponsors, yes. The clipboards are for the fish fries.
[7:05] We're continuing with that on Fridays. We could really use some more help with that. And the other one is for the upcoming Easter celebration and egg hunt coming up on Saturday. So take your time with that.
[7:20] All righty. Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the sacrament of baptism, we are initiated into Christ's holy church. We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water in the spirit.
[7:34] All this is God's gift offered to us without price. As a representative of this congregation, I present Sean Hoffman, Suzanne Bedworth, Carrie Bazzinette, Cheryl Panza, Don Pietro Bono, and Michael Goris for a membership.
[7:59] You guys can come over this way. There you go. As our new candidates for membership take their membership vows, I invite all those who are members of our church to recommit to their vows as well this morning.
[8:19] Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? I accept the grace of Jesus Christ as my Savior and acknowledge my need for forgiveness. I reject the power of evil, repent of my sin, and promise to serve Jesus as Lord.
[8:36] Will you love the Lord with all your soul? I will love the Lord with all my soul. I pray, attending worship regularly, and supporting the church financially with a goal for a title.
[8:49] Will you love the Lord with all your mind? I will love the Lord with all my mind. By committing to reading the Bible and growing in my understanding of the Christian faith, I will participate in opportunities for learning about God through the church.
[9:07] Will you love the Lord with all your heart? I will love the Lord with all my heart. By caring for others that have been centered in the United States church, I will make an effort to be involved in groups and activities, to get to know the people, and develop friendships at the church.
[9:24] And will you love the Lord with all your strength? I will love the Lord with all my strength. By serving in the ministries of Pendleton Center United Methodist Church, using the gifts God has given me, and by sharing about Jesus with others.
[9:40] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on over here, Suzanne. There we go. Suzanne Bedworth, may the Holy Spirit work within you, that having been born by the water and the Spirit, you may remain a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
[9:56] Amen. There you go, Suzanne. Sean Hoffman, may the Holy Spirit work within you, that having been born by the water and the Spirit, you may remain a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
[10:10] Amen. Amen. Don Petrobono, may the Holy Spirit work within you, that having been born by the water and the Spirit, you may remain a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
[10:24] Amen. Michael Goris, may the Holy Spirit work within you, that having been born by the water and the Spirit, you may remain a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
[10:36] Amen. Amen. Cheryl Panza, may the Holy Spirit work within you, that having been born by the water and the Spirit, you may remain a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
[10:50] Amen. Carrie Bazinet, may the Holy Spirit work within you that having been born by the water and the Spirit, you may remain a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
[11:03] Amen. Shall we greet our newest members into the family of God? And I'd like to invite you to a reception after church, greeting them and welcoming them into our church.
[11:16] Good to have you all with us. Catch a couple of hands over here. Thankful for that we have people taking the step to commit further in their faith.
[11:26] I celebrate that absolutely along with you. I wanted to also celebrate the fish fries. We sold 644 this past Friday. So, woo-hoo, keep up the good work.
[11:38] Thank you, everyone, for serving in that ministry. Are there any other praises? Who else would love to share their praise this day? Because God is moving and God is good. All the time, God is.
[11:50] I'm telling you. So, if God is good all the time, tell me how God is good. What's God doing in your life? Go Lady Bulls. Okay. Come on. God is good.
[12:01] What is God doing? Yeah, Karen. You're going to be grandparents. Woo-hoo. All right. That's wonderful. Blessings for Victoria. That's great. Who else?
[12:14] Where? Okay. Yeah. Betty Commander is coming home finally. Yay. Praise God. That's wonderful. And someone else over there? No? Yeah.
[12:25] Debbie. Debbie. No progress with the PET scan, which means the cancer is not spreading. So, keep her in prayer, please.
[12:36] Yeah. But that's good. That's good news. Okay. Anyone else? Dave Johnson came home too. Praise God. That's wonderful.
[12:47] Keep Dave in prayer as well. Thank you. Spring is coming. They tell us it is. And the sun is shining.
[12:58] And there is just so much to be grateful for. God is so good. So, as we reflect on God's goodness, on God's grace and mercy, let's return our gifts, tithes, and offerings to the Lord.
[13:09] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[13:41] Amen. We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road And those who've gone before us lying away Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let's run the race not only for the prize But as those who've gone before us Let us leave to those behind us The heritage of faithfulness Pass on through godly lives Obey all who come behind us Find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way
[14:47] May the footprints that we lead Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey O may all who come behind us Find us faithful After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone And our children sift through all we left behind May the clues that they discover And the memories they uncover Become the light that leads them To the road we each must find Obey all who come behind us May the fire of our devotion light their way
[15:54] May the footprints that we lead Lead them to believe Lead them to believe Lead them to believe Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey To obey To obey Obey all who come behind us Find us Find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way Obey all who come behind us May the footprints that we lead Lead them to believe Lead them to believe Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey Obey all who come behind us May the fire of our devotion light their way Obey all who come behind us Find us faithful This is my prayer This is my prayer This is my prayer Lord, find us faithful Thank you Lord, find us faithful expertise
[16:55] Order, find us faithful As we go to our church Obey all who come behind us English To bear teep The Maps Are you faithful Let yourRhoy Keep your Tae.
[17:12] Obey all who come behind us Year Obey all who come behind us If we come behind us Oh, Lord, we come this day with faithfulness in our heart, with commitment to you, and we give back to you a reflection of our love, of our faith, our commitment.
[17:45] May these gifts be to you a blessing, and may you bless them to go out and transform the world in your love. For it's in your name we pray. Amen. Please be seated.
[17:59] I wanted to share some concerns in our church family. Please pray for the Zittel family who experienced a loss in their family in his mourning.
[18:10] Anna K. Anderson is still hospitalized with pneumonia. As we said, Dave Johnson is home from the hospital, and Sandy Garrick is also home from the hospital. But please keep both of them in prayer as they continue on in their health journey.
[18:25] Jackie Shimwell was in the hospital but is now home as well. And Lauren Earl is still in rehab. And Mark Ash is asking for prayers for healing.
[18:37] What else do we have to lift up to the Lord today? Everybody? Everybody's good? No one wants to share this morning? Yeah, Carol.
[18:54] Your great nephew, who is five years old, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. So please pray for him. What is his name?
[19:06] Max. Max. So please pray for Max. And for Max's family. Yes, Jan. So pray for Jan's brother-in-law who has been diagnosed with cancer.
[19:24] Yeah, Dave. Your sister Dorothy passed away, so please pray for Dave and his entire family. Anyone else?
[19:40] Okay, let's pray. Lord, we love you, and we come to you carrying burdens on our heart, things that trouble us, things that we're afraid of.
[19:53] We pray, Lord, that you will be with us and take away fear, take away the anxiety, take away any of the depression, Lord, and help us to trust in you.
[20:05] We pray for healing, healing upon people's bodies, healing upon those who are struggling with their bodies in pain, with disease, in any kind of discomfort.
[20:16] Lord, we pray that your healing touch will be upon them and that anything that is not whole and well, that you will bind it up and cast it out, that they will be able to proclaim you in their incredible healing through you.
[20:27] We pray that you will send healing of people's minds, that people will become refreshed in you, have your mind, and be able to move in your way. And you'll take away any of the darkness and set us on the right path.
[20:43] We pray, Lord, that you will be with our families, that you will fill our families with your love, and that you will bind our families closer together and take away the distractions that keep us from loving you and praising you in our families.
[20:57] We pray that you will fill our families with your goodness and your strength to walk together through whatever may come our way. Lord, we pray that for this church, that you'll continue to point the direction, and may we walk boldly following you.
[21:12] Lord, we pray for those in mourning, those with heavy hearts. We pray that you will lift them up and carry them, that you'll wrap them in your loving arms and help us to be a community of people that reaches out and supports the people.
[21:31] Lord, we pray that you'll continue to guide us, that you'll continue to send us in your way and fill us with your light. Help us to trust you more.
[21:43] Help us to follow you more. Help us to commit to you more so that our lives may reflect your goodness and your healing and your mercy and your grace and your awesome and mighty power.
[22:00] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now let's hear from the word of the Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Good morning.
[22:33] Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.
[23:04] All these I have kept since I was a boy, he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
[23:19] Then come, follow me. When he heard this, he became very sad because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God indeed.
[23:32] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Those who heard this asked, Who then can be saved?
[23:45] Jesus replied, What is impossible with man is possible with God. Peter said to him, We have left all we had to follow you.
[23:56] Truly I tell you, Jesus said to them, No one who has left home, or wife, or brothers, or sisters, or parents, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come eternal life.
[24:15] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Thank you, Elizabeth. This is the last in a sermon series on what should we be as a church.
[24:29] What does God want us to be as Christian people? What does God want us to be individually before him? What does he want us to do? There was a rich, young ruler came to Jesus and said, What do I need to do?
[24:41] Tell me. What do I need to do? Jesus said, Well, you know the laws. Be good. He said, I am. And Jesus said, Take everything you've got and sell it and give it to the poor. And then come follow me.
[24:53] Well, he never got to the third one because he couldn't get past the second one. Give it all away. What does it mean to follow God?
[25:04] What does it mean for our church to follow God? What does it mean for us to follow God, to love God with everything? This passage from Mark is famous to us.
[25:18] What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? What do we put between us and God?
[25:32] Most of us have simple dreams. We don't worry about being very wealthy like this man. We just like to be reasonably comfortable financially, have a little joy in life, have someone to love and have someone love us and have a little respect.
[25:47] That's pretty much what most people want. Amen? Amen? Amen. It's not a lot to ask for. We're not asking for everything. This guy was living the dream. I mean, he had it all.
[25:59] He was rich. He was popular and ruled. Somebody says. He was young and alive.
[26:10] He had good moral values. He believed in God. He had everything. He was like, this is the guy we want our daughters to bring home to us and say, look who I've got.
[26:22] Right? And yet Jesus says to him, give up all your money. That's not the guy we want. Give up all your money.
[26:34] Why would Jesus ask him to do such a thing? Because he knew that his money was what was chaining him up in life. He knew that he was so committed to his money that he couldn't live for anything else.
[26:51] Jesus tells us that we can't serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and money.
[27:04] It's a first commandment. Have no other gods before me. It's not just about money. It's about anything that we put before God.
[27:15] Anything that ties our lives up, chains us down, and keeps us from living the life God would want us to do. For some people it's their work.
[27:28] For other people it's their pleasure. Or even their family. Or even their church. And the church struggles with this sometimes too. What if God would want us to destroy this building?
[27:40] And we were convinced God wanted us to do it. We'd say, what's the matter with you? Are you kidding? Right? We struggle as churches with all sorts of things that can hold us from our purpose.
[27:55] What if somebody wants to change the day we worship? What if they want us to get a new pastor? What if they want us to sing a different song? What if God wants us to be something we don't understand?
[28:10] What do we put between us and following God? Because the only purpose a church should have, the only purpose a church should have is to follow.
[28:25] Starts with G, ends with a D. It's an easy answer. Right? That's it. Nothing else. And if God is our King and our Lord, why wouldn't we be willing to give anything?
[28:39] But you see for a lot of people God is really more of a pastime. More of a pastime. Peter says to him, Lord, we've left everything to follow you. But have we?
[28:52] What chains are holding us? Is it our pride? Is it our success? Is it our friends? Is it drugs? Is it love?
[29:06] Is it our health? Is it our country? What would we be unwilling to give? If God asked it from us?
[29:18] This is not an easy passage to read. It would be easy if the man was poor, right? Give everything you have to the poor and come and follow me.
[29:29] Well, that's okay if I don't have much. But he's rich. That was the goal of his life. Jesus said, how hard it is.
[29:39] How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. People have tried to come up with all kinds of explanations about that.
[29:53] Even something about some needle gate in Jerusalem. Jesus meant it's as hard for a camel to go through the eye of a little needle as it is for someone who's wealthy.
[30:04] To enter the kingdom of God. To give up everything. And trust God. But that's what we say we'll do.
[30:15] Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You know, we talk about that. We talk about the love. We talk about the heart, the soul, the mind, and strength. People even made a commitment up here.
[30:26] But the one thing we rarely talk about is the one little word in between there. Love the Lord your God with all. Everything. Everything we have.
[30:41] I became a pastor because God told me to. I didn't really want to. I'll be real honest with you. I thought it was a crazy idea. I knew who I was. But God said I should be a pastor.
[30:53] I was actually living a pretty good life. We weren't like, you know, incredibly well off. But we were pretty good for people in their 20s. We had a nice house in Cheektowaga.
[31:03] I had a job. I got the calculator out from the internet. And basically they said I was making the equivalent of about $60,000 a year today. We had benefits. I had seven weeks vacation.
[31:15] We had a couple of cars. We were doing pretty good with our little family. My wife had just gotten a job. We were going to do fine. And God said become a pastor.
[31:28] So I call up the pastoral church people. And I said, so what can you do to make this work? They said nothing. And I said, really?
[31:39] They said nothing. So I signed up for school in the fall with a complete expectation that I would be going to school on nothing.
[31:49] Instead, somewhere around June, they called me up and they said, we've got two little churches for you. You can go there if you want to. You can live in their crummy little house that's all beat up if you want to fix it up and pay for it yourself.
[32:04] They don't have any money. And we'll pay you $9,000 a year. That's the equivalent today. Not back then. Back then it was $75 a week. $9,000 a year.
[32:17] What? How am I supposed to raise a family and pay for school? I've got to go for a master's degree. I've got to pay for this. How am I supposed to do this? But we loaded up everything we had and we moved out to Wyoming County.
[32:32] Trusting in God. That's a hard thing to do. It's very difficult. Empty your savings account. Throw away your pension.
[32:46] Sell your house. And go trust God. Do we trust God? Do we really trust Him? Because until we can trust God, He can't give us the blessings He wants to.
[33:03] Until we really love, we can't really receive love. One of the most popular passages years ago for weddings was Ephesians chapter 5. Which read, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
[33:16] We stopped reading this because people really didn't like the idea of submission. It says, wives submit to your husbands as the church submits to Christ. And men, submit to your wives and love your wives the way Christ loved the church and was willing to die for us.
[33:33] Or in other words, are you willing to give everything you are to someone completely?
[33:45] Chance. Chance. Chance. Chance. Chance. Chance. Chance. My baby's got me wrapped up in chains. And they're not the kind that you can't see.
[33:56] What if God asked me to give away my wife? I can't do this stuff. It's too hard.
[34:07] See, the difficulty is, is this is impossible. You understand that following Jesus the way it talks about here is impossible.
[34:20] That's what the disciples said. Jesus, nobody's going to make it if this is what the expectation is. Who can be saved? Who can be saved? Who can be saved? But you see, the giving is really about us.
[34:37] It's not about God. It proves that God can trust us. Proves our faith and our love. Same thing in a relationship, isn't it?
[34:53] Whatever my wife would want, it's hers. When we got married, or when we got engaged, I went home to my bank account and I took out every penny I had to buy her her ring.
[35:06] Where's a crummy little ring? I've got to admit. I don't have that much. But what if she wanted everything I have for a ring now? I would say, no.
[35:18] No. That's crazy. But not because she doesn't have a right to it.
[35:28] We give to each other so that we can trust each other and believe that we really love each other. Here's the interesting part.
[35:40] Jesus didn't say, take all that you have and sell it and give it to me. Right? He didn't even say, like he should have, and give it to the church.
[35:51] Right? Kidding. He said, give it to the poor. You see, God doesn't need our money.
[36:02] I don't know if you know that. God doesn't ask us to give gifts because he needs money. The church can use the money for very good things, a lot of which is for your benefit. But God doesn't need money.
[36:14] God knows we need to be willing to give it. Give it away. Give it to somebody in need. Give it to somebody who's hurting. Because otherwise it will hold on to you like you're chained to it forever and ever and ever.
[36:31] Anything we put before God, he'll ask us for. Abraham, the only thing he valued in life more than anything else was his son. He was wealthy.
[36:43] God didn't ask for his money. He lived in Haran and God asked him to move. Abraham said, fine. Whatever God asked, Abraham said, okay. But then God asked for his son, his only son, to see whether God really, whether Abraham really loved him.
[37:02] God asks for what we hold back from him. From Paul, it was his religion.
[37:14] Are you willing to give up this thing that you've devoted your life to, this religion, for me? What if God asked you to give up your house?
[37:28] What would you do if God asked you to give up your house? You know, the place you live. Well, let's see what they did in the Hundred Acre Woods. Hey, have you seen Piglet? Excuse me.
[37:39] I have. What I mean is... Here I am. Pooh, you rescued Piglet. I did? Yes. And it was a very brave thing to do.
[37:51] It was? You are a hero. I am? And as soon as the flood is over, I shall give you a hero party. Yay! Attention, everybody.
[38:07] Now, this party is a hero party because of what someone did. And that someone is... I found it.
[38:18] Found what, Eeyore? House for Owl. I say, Eeyore, good show. Oh, isn't that wonderful? Oh, where is it, Eeyore? If you want to follow me, I'll show it to you.
[38:32] So everyone followed Eeyore. Then, to the surprise of all, Eeyore stopped right in front of... Piglet's house. Why are you stopping here, Eeyore?
[38:45] This is it. Owl's new house. Oh, dear. Mercy me. Oh, dear. Mercy me, too. Names on it and everything. W-O-L.
[38:58] That spells owl. Bless my soul. So it does. Well, what do you think of it? It is a nice house, Eeyore, but...
[39:10] It is a lovely house, Eeyore. But it's the best house in the whole world. Tell them it's your house, Piglet.
[39:22] No, Pooh. This house belongs to our very good friend... Owl. But, Piglet, where will you live?
[39:35] Well, I... I guess I shall live... I suppose I shall live... I shall live... With me. You shall live with me. Won't you, Piglet?
[39:46] With you? Oh, thank you, Pooh Bear. Of course I will. Piglet, that was a very grand thing to do.
[39:56] A heroic thing to do. Christopher Robin, can you make a one-hero party into a two-hero party?
[40:07] Of course we can. Silly old bear. Piglet gave up his house.
[40:17] Would you give up your house? And then he got one back. You see, here's the thing.
[40:29] God doesn't want us to give up so that we'll be without. He wants us to give up so that we will be blessed even more. He wants to break the chains that hold us back from the life he intended us to live.
[40:42] And then he can give us the blessings that he wants us to have. In verse 29, he says, No one who is left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and in the age to come eternal life.
[41:04] God will give us people. God will give us love. God will give us what we need to live on and then some. God will bless us that we can be a blessing. God will bless us with forgiveness.
[41:14] God will satisfy our soul with a purpose in this life. And God will give us eternal life besides. He doesn't take from us because he wants to hurt us. He takes to give.
[41:27] First Corinthians chapter 6 says, I have a right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial. I have a right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by anything.
[41:42] The point of this is that God wants us to be freed from the chains that bind us. Those things that are holding us in life. Those things that are keeping us from what he intends us to be.
[41:55] To bust those free. Free. He wants God to be our master. And he said, My burden is easy.
[42:06] My yoke is light. But it's hard. I mean, it's almost impossible to do this. When he heard this, he became very sad because he was very wealthy.
[42:20] He had spent his whole life getting money. And now, God wants him to give it away. It's impossible to do this.
[42:32] There's an old story. Remember this? About a chicken and a pig standing in front of a restaurant. And they're deciding whether to go in for breakfast, bacon and eggs. And the pig is hesitating.
[42:42] And the chicken says, What's your problem? He says, Look, for you it's a donation. For me it's a total commitment. I know that's old. But really, that's how we look at our faith in God.
[42:55] I surrender some. I surrender some. All to Jesus. Right? I'll give you something, Lord.
[43:08] And he says, I want you to give me everything. All of it. I'll tell you the truth. I think this is the only time in the Bible that God asked somebody to give up all their money.
[43:19] This isn't the normal pattern in the Bible. There's something about this young man that money was just too much for him. I mean, some people in the Bible are actually very rich. God made them rich.
[43:30] Like Solomon or Abraham or King David. Even Saul seemed to be pretty well off. In fact, if you give everything away, how are you going to get by?
[43:44] It means others will have to take care of you. They tried that in the church in Jerusalem, and they ended up poor. I don't think the point of this is to give away all your money. I think the point of this is to give away whatever holds you.
[43:56] You know, Peter says we've left everything, but we know he didn't, because in the Bible, it tells us Peter would go home to visit his wife and his family. He had his boats in dry dock, according to the end of the Gospel of John.
[44:09] He hadn't given it up. He just put it aside, and he would go and visit it from time to time. It wasn't all of it, which is why Jesus talks so much about giving up family to Peter. He didn't want to give it away.
[44:23] He wanted to give it to him. He wanted to bless him. But it's hard to give everything away. Sure, I quit my job. Sure, I went to live in a crummy house that I had to fix up myself.
[44:36] But I had a house to live in. I had a little salary to live on, and I took a U-Haul full of stuff with me and a bank account to pay for it. I didn't give it all away.
[44:49] I took a risk for Jesus. And the truth is, is that when we take a risk for Jesus, he takes care of us. We don't need God to do what's easy.
[45:03] We don't need God to do what's possible. We need God to do what's impossible. Amen? What's impossible with people, Jesus said, is possible with God.
[45:17] God will test us again and again. None of us are good according to Jesus. Jesus said, we fail. We have problems, things to work on. I don't worry about money anymore.
[45:29] That's not my concern. That's not my chain. Right now, it's time. I just want some time. I want time for this and time for that and time to travel, time to be with my wife, time to be with my family, time to do the things I've never had a chance to do.
[45:44] I just want some time. I had a clever idea. I said, I know what I'll do. I'll just retire and then I'll have all the time I want. And you know what God said to me?
[45:56] No. No. He said, no. You'll retire when I tell you you can retire. How many of you want to decide your retirement date on when God tells you you can retire?
[46:09] Hello! But we have to give whatever holds us and God will make a way. God will find a way for that to work. What's impossible with us is possible with God.
[46:27] Piglet lost his house and Pooh says, move in with me. How many of you would do that? Really? I'm not as good at hospitality as I'd like to be. I like to wake up in my house without friends and relatives and whoever else there.
[46:41] You know? But I have a place for people to go and sometimes I have friends and they want to come visit or they need to visit or they need to be around somebody. And so God pushes us and calls us to practice the things that we're not as good at.
[46:58] Tests us to see if there's chains that are holding us and if they're not then he can bless us with more. Nothing really matters if God is not our God.
[47:10] If something is holding us and chaining us in life we're not really free. We're broken and we're held captive by something that's hurting us.
[47:23] Romans chapter 6 says to us, you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God. The benefit you reap leads to holiness. The result is eternal life.
[47:33] The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God wants us to bless us in the life to come and in this life if we let go of the things that chain us down that hold us back.
[47:49] That's true for us as individuals and it's true for us as churches. The church exists to serve a couple of you got it. Yeah. God.
[48:01] Anything else that we do anything else we get worried about or concerned about or focused on is the wrong thing. It's a broken thing. It's the same for us.
[48:13] Discipleship is a total commitment just like love is a total commitment. You don't go into marriage and promise to be faithful and true and loving sometimes.
[48:27] God expects more than that. It's what love demands of us. We give to God and God gives to us.
[48:38] Too many people want Christ to die for their salvation but are unwilling to live their life for God. God wants to break those chains those chains that hold us.
[48:52] I will follow him follow him wherever he may go. Really follow him. Go to what's impossible.
[49:03] Go to what can't be done. Go to what can only be done with God himself. Not because God needs what we have. Not because somehow God wants our stuff.
[49:17] But because God wants to pour out overflowing blessings on us. There's something each and every one of us is holding on to. There's something each and every one of us in our lives we're trying to cling to and it chains us down and it causes us to be separated from God and then separated from his blessing.
[49:36] Whatever we're holding we need to give to God so that his spirit can flow into us and change us and bless us in this life and the life to come. Break your chains.
[49:49] Let go. And live for God. aloudương coland Oh, let the Son of God Infold you With the Spirit and His blood Let it fill your heart And satisfy your soul Oh, let Him have the things that hold you And His Spirit like a dove Will descend upon your life
[50:49] And make it whole Jesus Oh, Jesus Come and fill your last Jesus Oh, Jesus Come and fill your last Oh, come and sing this song with gladness As your hearts are filled with joy Lift your hands in sweet surrender To His name Oh, give Him all your tears of sadness Give Him all your tears of pain
[51:53] And you'll enter into life In Jesus' name Jesus Oh, Jesus Come and fill your last Jesus Oh, Jesus Come and fill your last criar�� arts入宮 Amazing grace
[53:07] How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost But now I'm found Was blind but now I see Trust grace that's gone My heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious skin That breaks the fear The hour I first believed My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior
[54:08] Has ransomed me And like the flood His flesh erased Unending love Amazing grace The Lord has promised good to me His word my hope secures He will my shield And fortune be As long as life endures My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior
[55:11] Has ransomed me And like the flood His mercy reigns Unending love Amazing grace Amazing grace My chains are gone My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior Has ransomed me And like the flood His mercy reigns Unending love Amazing grace Amazing grace Amazing grace The earth shall soon Dissered up Dissered up Like snow The sun For days to shine
[56:16] But God Who holds me Here below Will be Forever mine Will be Forever Mine You are Forever Mine Forever As a child of God You know the church Is not called to be a place of judgment And a place of condemnation The church is called to be a place of grace A place of healing A place where we come as broken people On this journey together through sanctification That we are drawn closer to God And becoming more and more in His likeness All of us All of us are sinners All of us have chains And it just has this time where we can recognize within ourselves As the Holy Spirit reveals it to us
[57:17] What that is Each and every moment God making us more and more in His likeness If we are willing And so I ask you As someone who is willing To pray a prayer of confession along with me As we prepare for the table of grace Lord I am a sinner Lord I am a sinner I need your love I need your grace Forgive me Lord Forgive me Lord Reveal to me my chains Forgive me my chains The things that hold me back Things that hold me back From loving you And living for you And living for you And fill me with your peace With your peace With your guidance That I may walk In your ways And reflect you In all that I do That I may be an example Drawing closer to you In your name we pray In your name we pray Amen
[58:18] Hear the good news You know Christ did this for us Not so that we could be condemned But so we can have a life of abundance A life of joy And he died for us While we were still sinners And this proves God's incredible love For you and for me So in the name of Jesus Christ Your sins are forgiven In the name of Jesus Christ Your sins are forgiven Glory to God Amen And now as a forgiven body of Christ Let's greet one another With the peace of the Holy Spirit Hey there, peace be with you Please be with you Jack What's up Can I leave this on?
[59:00] Please be with you Oh yeah We do this one after communion Don't we Please be with you Please be with you Oh yeah Peace be Amen Didn'tanno Can I leave this on?
[59:28] Please be with you Who need for you keys for us In Bethesagtin I've been I've been
[60:34] I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been
[61:36] I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been I've been You need freedom to save him.
[62:40] He's a prison-shaking savior. You've got chains. He's a chain breaker. Some powerful words because we have a powerful God.
[63:02] A God who wants to be in relationship with you and if you are called to be in a relationship with Christ, committing your life to Jesus the Christ who saves one and all, whether this is your first time here, you've been here all along, if you want that commitment, I invite you to the table of grace.
[63:23] The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
[63:42] You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God and spoke to us through the prophets.
[63:58] And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
[64:14] Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you. And blessed is your son, Jesus Christ.
[64:26] Your spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people.
[64:42] He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
[65:02] When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always in the power of your word and Holy Spirit. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took the bread.
[65:14] He gave thanks to you, and he broke the bread. He gave it to his disciples, and he said, take and eat all of you.
[65:24] This is my body, which is given for you. And when the supper was over, he took the cup.
[65:41] He gave thanks to you, Father Almighty, and he said, this is the blood, my blood, of the new covenant, poured out for you, poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
[65:56] Drink of this, often remembering me. And so, in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, and thanksgiving, as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
[66:20] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. And on these gifts of bread and wine, make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world, the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
[66:40] By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in your Holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever.
[67:00] Amen. And now let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[67:15] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[67:29] For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Will those who are serving, please come forward. Amen. Amen.
[68:05] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[68:29] Amen. Thank you.
[69:01] Thank you.
[69:31] You know, when we confess our sins, God takes away all the brokenness, all the pain. It's like the first half of a basketball game. It really doesn't matter anymore.
[69:42] It's all done. Now we're in the second half. It's important that we know what we're doing in the second half, like the Bulls didn't yesterday, you know? We need to bring it home, which means we need the power of God.
[69:56] So there's something that's been holding you, something that you've been letting run your life, and God wants you to give that away. God wants you to give that to Him so that His power can break over you.
[70:06] So come this morning to receive not just the table, but the presence of God Himself. Come to the table to receive God. Come to the rail to give away whatever it is that's holding you and keeping you broken.
[70:17] Come and lift up your prayer as you light a candle. Come and join us. Receive the power of God. Come and join us.
[70:53] Come and join us.
[71:23] Come and join us.
[71:53] Come and join us. Come and join us.
[72:23] Thank you.
[72:53] Thank you.
[73:23] Thank you.
[73:53] Thank you.
[74:23] Thank you.
[74:53] Thank you.
[75:23] Thank you.
[75:53] Thank you. Thank you.
[76:25] Thank you. Thank you.
[76:57] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[77:33] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[78:07] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[78:19] Thank you. Thank you.