[0:00] . Thank you.
[1:00] Thank you.
[1:30] Thank you. Thank you.
[2:02] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
[2:19] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
[2:31] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us pray.
[2:42] Oh, Lord, we come to you this day rejoicing in who you are and who you've called us to be. We pray that this service of worship will be in honor and glory to you, that you will be glorified and we will be a blessing unto you.
[2:57] We thank you for your presence, Lord, and we pray that you'll continue to draw us closer to yourself. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Please stand if you're able as we sing together, Jesus, thine all-victorious love.
[3:09] Jesus, thine all-victorious love, shed in my heart abroad.
[3:28] Then shall my feet no longer roll, rooted and fixed in God. Oh, that in me the sacred fire might now begin to glow.
[3:45] Burn up the dross of grace's desire and make the mountains mow. Oh, that in thou prom and might fall and all my sins consume.
[4:01] Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call, Spirit of burning come. Refining fire and gold through my heart, illuminate my soul.
[4:16] Scatter thy life through every part and sanctify the whole. The Lord be with you.
[4:27] And also with you. Please be seated. I'd like to invite Teresa Ash to come up and share with us about our mission moment this morning. Good morning.
[4:40] Good morning. So, I just wanted to talk a little bit about Equistar, which is going to be our mission moment this morning. And I first witnessed the benefits of therapeutic riding decades ago as a grade schooler.
[4:55] I was able to participate locally through the Easter Seals program. And this is a Pastor Tom type story. I watched as tough, hardened baker boys would be bussed in to help assist the students in wheelchairs to ride horses.
[5:12] And these baker boys would go from arguing in the parking lot and, you know, with their staff and, you know, not wanting to put out their cigarettes in the parking lot. And they would come into the barn and they would gently lift these students onto the horses.
[5:28] And they just melted. They just changed. It was amazing to see. So, it was beneficial for both those boys and also the students who are riding. So, years later, horses are still helping so many humans borrow freedom.
[5:43] Freedom from wheelchairs, freedom from judgment, freedom from anxiety. We are so lucky to have this local program. And it assists those with, you know, visible physical difficulties.
[5:55] But also those with invisible wounds like our veterans. Keeping horses is very expensive. And it's always a constant struggle to keep this program afloat.
[6:07] So, if you are compelled to donate monetarily, you know, we would really appreciate it. However, maybe you would like to give some time, which would be equally valuable. I'm going to be in the fellowship hall after service today.
[6:20] So that you could, you know, maybe give me an email address. And if you're interested in volunteering, we have people who could help around the barn. You can brush horses. Maybe you've always wanted to be around horses and you've never had the opportunity.
[6:31] This would be great. So, please see me in the fellowship hall afterwards for more information if you'd like it. Thank you. Thank you.
[7:12] Thank you.
[7:42] Thank you.
[8:12] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So, we thank you for the support of this wonderful ministry.
[8:26] We're thankful for so many things. I want to put out there that I'm very thankful for the encouragement and support of this church with our youth in missions. Our youth, young adults and adults will be heading off on a mission trip later today.
[8:41] And so, we covet your prayers for that. But I am just so blessed to be a part of that group of people who are willing to spend a week serving out in the world.
[8:51] It's not just a week serving out in the world and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. So, I lift that up as something that I'm very thankful for. I'd like to hear from you today. What are you thankful for? Yeah. 41 years with Chonin.
[9:08] I don't know about the glamping. Anyone else want to share? yeah jan didn't rain it was beautiful weather beautiful weather great time i love it anyone else want to share well as we take our time to give back to god we take this opportunity to reflect in our lives just how good god is for the many blessings we have received so take your time reflect and rejoice this day in how good god is good morning so we know that um sometimes it can be really hard to hold on to the knowledge of god's presence and love in our lives especially when maybe life starts to feel like a series of losses disappointments struggles and worries and the song was written actually for someone in our church after i imagine a pretty frightening experience for her and i thought you know maybe she could use a little reminder that she is not forgotten she is not forgotten by god and that even in the midst of our uncertainty we can still call out to god and this weekend you know i also thought about um just really fabulous group of some of our youth and of course the wonderful adults um that are so willing to give of their time and their love and their hard work um maybe to reach into the lives of people who may also have that uncertainty and with their giving perhaps they can help these people see a little bit more of god's presence and love in their lives so mother father father do you know you are lost mother father do you know i'm lost too and i don't know where to go what to do i'm so confused while i still pray i'm so unsure if god is there and he is or cares but i still pray i i need you i need you lord i i need your love i need you jesus i i need i need your love i need your love i need it now i need it now i need it now
[13:10] i need it now i need it now how you is part you live Bear And days fly by and darkness hides.
[13:39] A trail of fears behind my tears. And while I still pray, I'm still unsure.
[13:53] If God is there and hears or cares. But I still pray, I need you, Lord.
[14:08] I need your love. I need you, Jesus.
[14:21] And I need your love. I need it now. I need to see.
[14:35] If there's a place in your heart for me. I need you, Lord.
[14:52] I need your love. I need it now. Father.
[15:07] Father. Father. There's still a chance to be found.
[15:19] I need you, Lord.
[15:42] Thank you. We do need you and we pray thanks to you for you being there for us, for caring for us, for the blessings you have given to us.
[16:19] And we give back to you a reflection of our gratitude and our love. We pray that you will bless these gifts, that they may go out and spread your name, spread your holiness, spread your love.
[16:32] Bless these gifts, Lord, to be a blessing to others. In your name we pray. Amen. Please be seated. Okay, let's pray. Oh Lord, we come to you this day.
[16:47] Rejoicing in you and yet there are concerns in our hearts. People, Lord, that are struggling in so many ways. We know that you are the master physician, the glorious one who comes into our lives and brings restoration.
[17:04] And we pray that your healing touch will be upon those people. Lord, we lift up people who are struggling physically. People have gone through surgeries or are struggling with diseases.
[17:15] And we're struggling with even the heart transplant. Lord, we pray for complete healing in the body, that your hand will be upon them and their bodies be restored to the way you created them to be.
[17:27] We pray for your healing touch to be upon people in their minds as they struggle with grief. The sorrow, Lord, the heavy heart.
[17:38] We pray that they will experience your peace and your comfort. Lord, that they will experience you in the midst of a trying time. And as people go through life and they're experiencing uncertainty and anxiety and stress and depression, Lord, all these things that are not of you, we pray that you will cast them out and fill them instead with your love and your peace and your grace.
[18:03] Lord, we pray that you will make peace and your grace. Clear people's minds, Lord, that they may see you more clearly, know you more, and follow you, so that they may live the life that you've intended for them.
[18:16] We pray for people as they struggle with their jobs. There's a lot of uncertainty, Lord, and we pray that you will create opportunities and that any of the issues that are going on in the workplace, we pray that you will settle that out.
[18:32] We pray for all relationships to be healed. We especially pray for relationships of our families. We pray that if there be any brokenness, Lord, that there be healing, that people will be restored and renewed in their love and trust of one another.
[18:53] We pray for your grace to abound in our families, and you put a hedge of protection over them. We pray thanks to you for what you're doing in our lives.
[19:04] We pray thanks to you for what you're doing in our church. May it continue to be a witness in the world. Help us to walk boldly in your name. For all of us, Lord, to be a witness to the world, that people will come to know you through us.
[19:21] We thank you and we praise your holy name. For it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now let's hear from the word of the Lord.
[19:34] Good morning. Today's scripture comes from Romans 8, verses 1 through 15. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
[19:59] For what the law was powerless to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.
[20:12] And so he condemned sin in the flesh in order that righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
[20:26] Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
[20:36] The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.
[20:48] It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh, but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
[21:04] And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
[21:19] And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
[21:33] Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
[21:49] For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you receive does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again.
[22:00] Rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship, and by him we cry, Abba, Father. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
[22:12] Thank you, Bill. Jane Smith, I was talking to her from the hospital, and she said, well, one good thing about coming in here is I was scheduled to do the reading this week, and I saw how long it was.
[22:30] You know, I've talked to you over the years about my father and how sometimes when I was young it felt like he was the enforcer. My mother would tell him which one needed to be punished, and he'd mete out the punishment.
[22:44] I think sometimes we picture God that way. We picture God as someone who just wants to somehow punish us or somehow smack us around. And oftentimes we find churches that are focused on God the Father or even God the Son.
[23:02] God the Father, that one who gives us the rules, the one who gives us morality, that gives us some guideline on how we should live out our lives. And God the Son, we think of as the one who forgives us of those same sins and all that comes with that.
[23:19] The book of Romans is a book about Paul's theology, and that's why we're walking through it these months so that we can have an understanding of our basic theology. Today I want to talk to you about the third person of the Trinity and why that third person is so important, the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost.
[23:35] Because we get caught up sometimes in the Old Testament where we've been looking at characters during this series. So I'm going to give you one that's maybe a little bit more difficult. He lived in the Old Testament, and he was one that had to talk to the people about the destruction they were facing.
[23:54] In fact, God told him to take a vase, go down into the city, and smash it in front of the people. I'm not going to smash this because I get in trouble.
[24:04] That's when I should have gotten an old one or something. That would have been so cool, right? To smash it because God is so angry at the people and their behavior that he's going to destroy their nation.
[24:19] He also told the same prophet that he was not going to really have a home like the rest of us where he could lay his head. He was not going to have a wife that he could share his pillow with.
[24:32] He was not going to have children because his life was going to be so miserable that there'd be no room for him to have a regular home and life. Anybody know who this one is?
[24:46] Somebody said it. Jeremiah. Very good. Very good. Jeremiah. The prophet that had to say to the nation of Judah, you're about to be destroyed.
[24:58] You're going to go into exile, and you're not going to exist anymore because you broke the laws. Verse 4 says to us that this is all in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us.
[25:15] That we might live doing what God wants us to do, keeping his commands. In John chapter 14, it says, if you love me, you will keep my commands.
[25:27] That's pretty simple, right? If you love me, you will keep my commands. But it's not easy to keep those commands. It's not easy to follow the law, and laws themselves don't seem to determine our behavior.
[25:42] I was talking to a truck driver who said to me, they have a saying, seven is heaven, eight is great, nine you're mine. And what that was aimed at was the troopers. Okay?
[25:53] They'll let you go seven miles over the speed limit. They'll even let you get away with eight, but you do nine, you're going to get caught. I live near Perry, New York.
[26:04] Let me tell you what Barney Fife and Perry thinks. Barney Fife thinks if you go one mile over the 30 mile an hour speed limit, you get a ticket. That little, that wonderful officer sits along the roadside, right as he comes into the village, and you better have your speed control on 29.
[26:26] Because you can ask Pastor Sherry, she got a ticket in Perry. I don't think she was going that fast. You don't have to be going fast. There it's three and you're mine. You see, the truth is, is we set these laws, but most people see them as sort of guides.
[26:44] Because our behavior is often determined by other things. Remember last week we had that verse from chapter 7, the very thing that I would do, I don't do. And the thing that I want to, don't want to do, that's what I do.
[26:59] The power of sin within us to cause us to do what we shouldn't do. Matthew chapter 26 said, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
[27:12] Paul talks about the flesh to denote the struggle we have within of the temptations that come oftentimes to please our physical selves.
[27:27] Paul says that the law is good, but the law was powerless, powerless, it says in verse 3, to give us the answer because it was weakened by our passions.
[27:42] Try driving the speed limit on the throughway. You will get run over. I'm telling you. It's not the ones that are going seven miles over the speed limit. It's not the ones that are going eight miles over the speed limit.
[27:53] How many of you have been passed by by somebody going 25 miles over the speed limit? And they come right up on your bumper, right? You know, I used to when I was younger, I would slow the car way down when they did that because I don't like people tailgating me, so I would just slow down and then I'd take off on them.
[28:13] I don't do that anymore because of something called road rage. It's not smart. I don't recommend it to anyone. I did it because it made me feel good, but it wasn't smart. And we do a lot of things because the flesh, the flesh causes us to sin.
[28:28] I went to Ted's Hot Dogs yesterday. Anybody ever gone to Ted's? I love Ted's, you know? And I ate a hot dog, which was good. And I ate the french fries, which was good. They weren't really good for me, but I ate them.
[28:41] But when I got up to the counter, there next to me is a guy with a strawberry milkshake. I'm like, really? Good gosh. Can you lead me more into temptation? I'm already on the margin and this guy's got a strawberry milkshake.
[28:55] Would you like a drink with that? I'll have an unsweetened iced tea. Thank you. The spirit is willing, but the flesh we struggle with.
[29:09] Philippians chapter 3 says to us, the people in this world often live into destruction. Their God is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
[29:21] See, we live in a conflicted world. We're hearing messages all over the place of what is true, what's good. One says, if it feels good, it is good.
[29:32] Go ahead and do it. Another says, you've got to be careful how you indulge. The doctor tells us this. The television tells us that. A political party says this. Our school says that.
[29:43] Our parents say one thing. Our friends say something else. Where's the truth? What's good? How do we know in a conflicted world?
[29:55] And honestly, don't you believe that most people, if they think it's going to mess up their lifestyle, well, they'll do what they did on Friends. Remember that show? I have plans with Joey tonight.
[30:06] So? He'll understand? No, he won't. And that's not even the point. Monica, I made a whole speech about how you do not cancel plans with friends. And now, you know what, just because potentially the love of my life comes back from Russia just for one night, I should change my beliefs?
[30:25] I should change my beliefs. I should just change my beliefs. That's the easy way. I'll just change what I say. The Bible says a time will come where people will gather preachers around that will say to them what their itching ears want to hear.
[30:41] You can find somebody to support almost any idea, even the most evil and wrong things. Jeremiah was a prophet in a time when the nation of Judah, the southern nation, was facing destruction.
[30:55] the ten tribes of Israel in the northern nation had already been taken off into captivity and disappeared from history because of their disobedience to God. And God said to Jeremiah, you've got to tell these people, they are this close.
[31:10] I'm about to smash them like a pot because of their disobedience. Christians. But the problem was in the city of Jerusalem there were other prophets, other preachers.
[31:23] And they said, here, you don't have to worry about what Jeremiah says. Don't worry about it. Because you see, God's name is on the city of Jerusalem. So he can't let Jerusalem fall because it would embarrass him.
[31:38] Go ahead and do whatever you want. We got God over the barrel. It will never happen because it would embarrass God so he won't let it happen.
[31:50] The way Jeremiah put it, there are people that are preaching peace, peace where there is no peace. They say what you want to hear. Not what we need to hear.
[32:02] It's hard. Because we live in a world of confusing messages. Matthew said, not all the people who call me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God.
[32:15] But only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. If we want to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we need to enter into what God wants us to be. And the problem is, we're facing the temptations and the struggles of sin.
[32:34] Remember we talked about the last couple of weeks. Sin with a big S. A power, a force. Not just the things we do wrong. A force that draws us and causes us to do what's evil.
[32:46] Verse 7 of this passage says, the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It doesn't submit to God's law, nor can it do so. We don't have the power.
[32:56] We don't have the power. We don't have the power to resist temptation, the power to resist evil, the power to do what's right, if we're trying to do it alone.
[33:10] The Holy Spirit gives us the power of God to overcome evil. And too often, we're trying to do it on our own. And we get in this situation where we're struggling.
[33:25] As a culture, we have people out there trying to live a moral life, but they have no ability to do it. I always find it fascinating that Christians think that they can ask people without the power of God to live as Christians should live, when we don't have the ability to do that without the power of God.
[33:44] all it does is create hostility towards God himself, anger and frustration and disappointment, fear and hurt.
[33:57] Like when you see those red lights flashing. You ever had that feeling? You're driving down the road and all of a sudden in your rear view you see the lights going.
[34:08] And your stomach goes, oh, no. And you can pull over to the side of the road. And if you have the power of God, you might have the ability to keep your peace and understand what you need to do.
[34:29] But too much in our world has become frustration and anger because people get to the point where they just get so frustrated, they not only get in trouble, they get themselves in more trouble.
[34:40] like this lady did. So I'm giving you the regular speeding ticket. Because you had two priors, you will have to appear in court for this one.
[34:53] The court date is the 5th of November, 12 noon. I haven't had a speeding ticket in 25 years. That doesn't make any difference at all. It does. You've had two this year.
[35:06] A speed and a stop sign, both in March. On this road. This road. That tells me that you have a problem with speeding on this road.
[35:18] No, it tells me that I'm not going to argue that. Okay. You must appear in court for this one. All of the court information is in this brochure right there.
[35:28] can you repeat everything you just said to me? No, I'm going to repeat it to you. You're the one who's getting the ticket. Well, I'm the one whose wife has been destroyed by police officers and I can't handle this.
[35:42] Okay. All you need to do is sign the ticket and you'll be done. You're not signing anything. You're not signing anything. Okay. If you don't sign the ticket, I'm going to arrest you right now.
[35:52] You're not going to arrest me. You're not signing the ticket. I'm going to arrest you for not signing the ticket. I'm asking you kindly to repeat everything for now.
[36:05] I will happily repeat everything to him as soon as you sign the ticket. I cannot sign that ticket. Step out of the car. Under arrest. I'm not under arrest. 5-7, start me under the unit.
[36:21] I'm not refusing to sign the ticket. I'm going to go for rear. 6-7, is that worth it? 6-7, is that worth it? 6-7, you can't do this.
[36:32] Step out of the car. I can't do this. You're under arrest. Step out of the car. You're under arrest. We're not signing the ticket. We're not signing the ticket. Get back. Not signing the ticket.
[36:48] It sounds insane. It looks insane. But really, it's just an example of where we've gotten to.
[37:01] Because when we're frustrated and we're struggling in a culture where we don't know what's right, what's wrong, what's good, what's bad, what we're supposed to do, where everything seems so contextual, we find ourselves going deeper into brokenness to the point where God said to Jeremiah, take a pot down to the city square and tell the people, you guys are so close, you're about to get arrested.
[37:35] We're not signing a ticket. And they still didn't see what they needed to do. God did take the people into exile.
[37:47] They did eventually come back, but they still didn't do what's right. And so in verse 3, it says that God sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.
[38:00] And so he condemned sin in the flesh. In other words, God stepped into our brokenness. God stepped into our struggle, into our temptation, so that he could break through the brokenness.
[38:22] I hate, probably shouldn't admit this, but I have had several times where I've been the guy in the driver's seat when that police officer pulls you over. Just saying.
[38:36] And what I've discovered is they typically ask a couple questions. The first one usually is, do you know how fast you were going? Now I have to admit, 90% of the time I don't.
[38:50] They do. I know they do. But I don't. Because I found that most of my speeding tickets are for not paying attention. I'm not the guy going 90 miles an hour on purpose.
[39:01] I'm the guy whose foot got heavy. Right? And then they ask another question, which seems to be totally irrelevant. Why were you in such a hurry?
[39:14] Where were you going? You're like, you want to say, what do you care? You're giving me a ticket? Doesn't matter. But you see what they're doing is they're stepping into your world.
[39:26] Because, by and large, that will help us to be a little more receptive to them. If they give us the opportunity to explain why we did something wrong, well then maybe we won't feel so angry with them.
[39:45] God steps into our world. Why were you doing something wrong? Do you know what you were doing wrong?
[39:57] Do I need to give you like a whole book of rules so you can figure it out? Would it be helpful if I came into your world, came into your very soul to point this out to you?
[40:15] Now we often wonder why would God do that? You know, like why did God say to Adam, did you eat the apple? We know God knew that, right? Why do parents say to their kids, did you eat that cookie?
[40:31] Why does my wife ask me about my blood sugar? No, no, no, that's a different story. I'll get it. And the reason is very simple. Because they want us to confess.
[40:46] They want us to say there's something wrong with us that needs to be fixed. Police officers might have entirely different motivations. I'm not a police officer. So maybe it's because they're just simply trying to find out.
[41:00] Who knows? Maybe you have a real good reason you're speeding and they won't give you the ticket. Or maybe they're just trying to make a rapport with you. I'm not sure. But God does it because he wants to make sure you know that you did something wrong.
[41:17] And make sure you know you're broken and need to be fixed. Because once we confess, God can fix us. So if you're willing, I'm going to invite you to do that right now.
[41:28] If you'll pray with me. Dear God in heaven, I have sinned. I've broken your rules. I've broken your heart.
[41:40] I've done the very thing I shouldn't do. And I've neglected what I should do. Forgive me, Lord. Change my heart.
[41:53] Change my living. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. And God said that if we confess our sin and if we repent or turn from our sins and we believe or be living as God would want, then we will enter the kingdom of heaven and we will be forgiven.
[42:15] We will be saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen. Doesn't that feel good? You know, did you know you're perfect right now?
[42:28] Absolutely perfect. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but you are perfect. For this time, you're perfect. I mean, think about that.
[42:39] Everything you've ever done that offended God has now been completely and entirely removed from your life. That's what it means to be saved.
[42:53] We don't have to feel anger. We don't have to be frustrated. We don't have to even feel guilt or shame anymore because God has removed that. But you see, a lot of people think that's where Christianity ends.
[43:07] We appease that God, the Father, by turning to God, the Son, who saved us. And we forget about God, the Holy Spirit, who is so essential because I don't want you to lose that perfection.
[43:23] How do we hold on to it, at least for a while, at least for some portion of our life, is by turning to the Holy Spirit of God. He gives us the ability to overcome sin and to do what's right.
[43:38] because through Jesus Christ, the law, through Jesus, the law, the Spirit, excuse me, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
[44:00] The law of the Holy Spirit takes away the power of sin in your life and sets you free. So we are not only not condemned, we have the ability now to choose what's right by accepting and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.
[44:19] Verse 9 says to us, you are not in the realm of the flesh, but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
[44:30] The Holy Spirit puts us under a different power. It marks us as a Christian. Jeremiah went down to the potter's house and he was forming a pot on the potter's wheel.
[44:43] And God said, watch the potter. He's forming this pot. He's making it and shaping it. And the potter was shaping it and making it and then it went off kind of sideways. It didn't do what the potter wanted and so he smashed it.
[44:55] And he started over again. God said, I can do that to anybody. If they give me trouble and it fights with me and they make it difficult, I can just smash it down and start over.
[45:10] Make a whole new creation if I have to. But if the clay works with me, I can mold it into something beautiful. Something incredible. Something godly.
[45:20] Something God wants it to be. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 says, If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone.
[45:32] The new is already here. We look forward to a new creation to come, which is next week's sermon, but we actually have already entered into it because God is changing us right here, right now, transforming us.
[45:44] If we allow God to work in our heart, the Holy Spirit to surge through our being, we can do what's right. You can actually remain perfect the rest of the day.
[45:59] Maybe the rest of the week. Christians don't have to live according to human rules. Verse 5 says, Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have the mindset on what the Spirit desires.
[46:17] If we fill our lives up with the Holy Spirit, then we won't even desire sin. We won't have room for it. It changes us.
[46:28] It marks us. Verse 12 says, It gives us an obligation, but it's an obligation of love. God working in us. John 14 did say to us, If you love me, keep my commands, but it also says, And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth.
[46:51] The world can't accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. He won't leave you as orphans. He will come to you. We don't have to look for God out there.
[47:03] We don't even have to look for God in here, because we have God in here. God, our very living, our lives, who we are. He's our advocate, our helper. He tells us and shows us what we should be.
[47:15] We cooperate with Him, and He will change our very behavior. I was riding in my Jeep. I got a Jeep now. And I was riding in my Jeep with a friend of mine. And I was driving through a place where the speed limit was 45 miles an hour, and I hit 52.
[47:33] And a voice came over my Jeep saying, The speed limit is 45 miles an hour. Oh, he just started cracking up. He thought that was the funniest thing he had ever heard. And sure enough, as we're driving down the road, any time I went more than seven miles over any speed limit, my car would say to me, The speed limit is 35 miles an hour.
[47:55] This is going out all day. And he's just like, Really, dude? What kind of car is this? I need to tell you something very important. Since I got that Jeep, I've not gotten a single speeding ticket.
[48:09] I haven't even been stopped. Because as soon as I hear that voice, my eyes go to the dash, and my foot comes off the gas pedal. I never wanted to speed.
[48:20] I don't want to break the law. I know the rules. Seven is heaven. Eight is great. Nine, you're mine. I'm not going to do it. I don't need it. I don't need the hassle. I don't need the expense. I don't need the trouble.
[48:33] And I don't need the danger. And it's all because I've got a voice in my car that tells me what to do. Is that great? Modern technology.
[48:44] You too can have a voice. Never mind. But we can't have a voice in our heart that tells us what to do. And that's what the Holy Spirit is about. It marks us as Christians.
[48:57] It changes our behavior, our beliefs. Because the reality is, it's not how much we know. It's not if we know every single rule. It's not if we've got all the laws memorized.
[49:09] It's not if we understand all the theology. It's not what we know. It's who we know. That makes all the difference in the world. So years ago, I was barreling down Fisk Road.
[49:21] Anybody know where that is out here? Remember I had that big old yellow Cadillac? What a target. I'm barreling down the road. And I see the red lights flashing. And I'm like, I pulled over.
[49:35] And a police officer comes up and says, Sir, you know how fast you were going? I said, yes, sir. I was going over the speed limit. He says, where were you going? I said, well, I was in a hurry to get to you.
[49:48] So he goes back to the car. You know how this works, don't you? He goes back to the patrol car. He's back there for what seems like three hours. I don't know what they're doing back there. Play a game of solitaire. Freeze us out.
[49:59] I don't know. And he comes back up to the window. And he says, Now, Pastor Tom, it's not safe for you to be driving that fast on this road. So please slow down, okay?
[50:11] Drive careful. And he walks away. And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is somebody who knew who I was. Oh, my Lord. Please give me a ticket. There'd be some stranger cop I've never met.
[50:23] He let me go because of who I was. I knew him. He knew me. God lets us go because of who we are. Because he knows us and loves us.
[50:34] But an obligation of love means we don't want to hurt the people we love. I would rather have had a police officer I didn't know give me a ticket than have somebody, and I don't know who it was, call me Pastor Tom.
[50:50] Where I felt like, oh, really? How disappointing it must be. I can see him going back to the barracks right now. Yeah, I pulled over the pastor today.
[51:00] Oh, jeez. There is no condemnation now that we are in Christ. Because if we're in Christ, we have a new creation in our heart.
[51:16] And God doesn't see us the same way. It'd be like getting pulled over by a traffic officer, and this is what happens. Sir, do you have any idea how super cool you are?
[51:29] Yeah, thanks. I have a picture of you for above my bed, please. It's a super cool picture. Super cool. Here's your picture back. I don't deserve it.
[51:40] Also a short poem I wrote about you. So super cool. If only everyone saw you the way your dog does. And you're in the middle. And that's the difference.
[51:57] Because instead of God seeing you as an angry father, he's now seeing us as a loving daddy. My life changed with my father the day that he stopped being the enforcer and started becoming my loving daddy.
[52:16] That basically happened when I became a father and understood why he was doing what he did. He didn't want to hurt us. He didn't want to contain us. He wasn't trying to punish us. He was trying to figure out a way to get us to do what would be good for us, just like our daddy in heaven does.
[52:31] For those who are led by the spirit of God are the children of God. The spirit you receive doesn't make you slaves so that you live in fear again. Rather, the spirit you receive brought about your adoption to sonship.
[52:42] And we cry, daddy. Daddy in heaven. And everything changes. It's all about that relationship.
[52:54] About three weeks ago, my neighbor across the street was having problems. His grandson called me up and said, Pastor Tom. They call me different names.
[53:05] But Pastor Tom, can you come over and help my grandpa? He can't get into bed. So I went over. And I helped with the grandson. And we got him into bed. And I said, Ed, I'm calling 911.
[53:16] I said, you really need medical attention. He says, yeah, I'll get it when I get back to Wilmington. I said, dude, you aren't making Wilmington. I'm just telling you I'm calling 911 when I walk out of this room.
[53:29] So I went downstairs and I called 911. Now, out there, calling 911 means the ambulance will show up in about a half hour. There's no fault. I just know it takes them a while. That's the way it is.
[53:40] But within less than five minutes, I would say probably three minutes, two police cars pulled up. And who got out of the police cars?
[53:53] Those Perry police. You know, those guys sitting on the side of the road to give us tickets. They were there in like three minutes. Assessed the situation.
[54:04] Called the ambulance and said, hurry it up. Helped get this fellow down the stairs. Calmed down his wife and all of us. And helped us feel like things were okay.
[54:17] And while we were chatting, the one said to me, I know you. I didn't get a ticket in Perry.
[54:28] He says, I lived three years in that house next to yours. Your mother was in a wheelchair. I remember that. How cool.
[54:39] Now I know the Perry police officer. I'm still going to go 30 in Perry. Because when we needed help, he was there.
[54:52] I don't believe that 98% of the police officers who go into that work go into it because they like giving people speeding tickets and making their day miserable. They go in it with the hope that sometimes they're going to find someone who really needs help.
[55:08] And they'll care for him. And it makes a difference. When you know someone. The Holy Spirit tells me, God loves me.
[55:19] God wants to change who and what I am and how I live. And God wants me to think of him as my loving daddy. To watch over me.
[55:31] Today and forever. I will never be.
[55:45] I will never be.
[55:59] The same again. I can never return. I've closed the door. I will walk the path.
[56:11] I will run the race. And I will never be. I will never be. Be the same again. God like fire.
[56:24] Sun like rain. Flow like my waters. Again and again. Swim away the darkness.
[56:36] Burn away the shadow. And let a place burn. And let a place burn. To glorify your name.
[56:47] There are higher heights. There are deeper seas. Whatever you need to do. Lord, do it me.
[56:59] The glory of God. The glory of God. Builds my life. And I will never be the same again.
[57:12] God like fire. God like fire. So quite great. Flow like my waters. Again and again.
[57:24] Swim away the darkness. Burn away the shadow. And let a place burn. To glorify your name.
[57:38] I will never be the same again. I can never return. I've closed the door.
[57:51] I will walk the path. I'll run the race. And I will never be the same again.
[58:03] And I will never be the same again. I long for your embrace.
[58:31] Every single day. We'll lead you in this way. See face to face.
[58:47] Will you show me? Reveal yourself to me. Because of your mercy.
[59:00] I fall down on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me.
[59:13] Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty. Out of the wonder of your time. Here is a small man's eye.
[59:25] I surrender to your love. You're everywhere I go. I am not alone. You call me as your own. You know you and me. You are holy.
[59:36] And I fall down on my knees. You are holy. And I fall down on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me. And I fall down on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me. Suddenly I'm lost within your view. And I fall down on my knees.
[59:47] And I fall down on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me.
[59:58] And I fall down on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me. And I can feel your presence here with me.
[60:09] And suddenly I'm lost within your beauty. Got up in the wonder of your time. Here in this small man's eye.
[60:21] I surrender to your love. I surrender to your grace.
[60:37] I surrender to the one who took my place. I can feel your presence here with me.
[60:49] Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty. Got up in the wonder of your time. I surrender to your love.
[61:00] Here in this moment I surrender to your love. And so we're here as a community of faith.
[61:19] A community that's filled with God's grace. And we're going to be preparing for the table of the Lord. Where we experience the grace that God offers freely to all of us.
[61:31] So as we prepare for that, let's greet one another with the peace of the Holy Spirit. We're not a gay boy. We're just doing a thing. We're just doing a thing. We're just doing a thing.
[61:44] Don't worry, Josh. We've got it covered. Today. Everything all good? All good? All good? All good? All good? All good? All good.
[62:06] All good? Thank you.
[62:38] Thank you.
[63:08] Thank you.
[63:38] Thank you. Thank you.
[64:10] Thank you. Thank you.
[64:40] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[64:52] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All I am is yours This is your first time here, you're getting your own law You are welcome at the table The Lord be with you And also with you Lift up your hearts Let us give thanks to the Lord our God It is right to give our thanks for Christ It is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere To give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth
[65:54] You've 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 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 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 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 liberty those who are oppressed And to announce that the time would come when you would save your people
[66:55] 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 On the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us He took the bread He gave thanks to you He broke the bread He gave it to his disciples and said, take and eat This is my body This is my body Given for you Do this in remembrance of me When the supper was over He took the cup He gave thanks and said, this is my blood Blood Blood of the new covenant Poured out for you For the forgiveness of sins
[67:57] The drink of this Offering Remembering me And so in remembrance of these Your mighty acts of Jesus Christ We offer ourselves In praise and thanksgiving As a holy and living sacrifice In union with Christ's offering for us As we proclaim the mystery of faith Christ is died Christ is risen Christ is still coming And pour out your holy spirit on us gathered here And on his 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 By your spirit make us one One with Christ One with each other 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
[68:58] And the Holy Church All honoring glory is yours Almighty Father Now and forever Amen And now let us pray the prayer That Jesus taught us Say Come Father Who art the heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven 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 to the rest of the people Who art the kingdom And the power And the glory And the power of our heaven Will those who are serving Please come forward for our yearsedom
[70:18] Jayyer Thank you.
[70:51] Thank you.
[71:21] Thank you.
[71:51] Thank you.
[72:21] Thank you. Thank you.
[73:21] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[73:33] Thank you. Thank you. I've told you about this cottage that I own. Well, I owned it with my parents at first. My wife and I bought it with my mother and father.
[73:45] Now, you know, I've always respected my father, but as you get older, you get a little different relationship. So one time we were in an argument out at the cottage, and he said, well, if you don't like what I think, you can just get out of my house.
[73:55] And I said, Dad, with all due respect, it's my house too. And you can't kick me out. And you got one of those looks that the dogs do, you know, when they're confused.
[74:06] He said, well, let's go on the front porch and have a drink. Because you see, the difference between father and daddy is like night and day. I've been blessed that I've been the spiritual daddy to a lot of people over the years, and we have one of them with us, the Reverend Nicole Henderson, who I'm going to have come up and offer a blessing for us.
[74:33] That's okay. Good morning. Good morning. It is good to be with all of you this morning, and I bring you greetings from Batavia, Ohio, not Batavia, New York.
[74:44] Sorry. But this is Joe, by the way, and he's my little assistant at church, and his other half, his sister, is out. And she's going to be so upset that she missed communion.
[74:57] So let us pray. Heavenly Father, will you send all of us from this place, renewed by the power of your blood, by the power of your body, broken for us, so that we might continue to do your work and your service in this place, in this world.
[75:14] We pray over all of the teen and adult missionaries, and we pray that each and every one of us be a missionary in our own way as we go from this place, blessed, forgiven, and freed.
[75:25] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[75:53] Amen. Amen. Amen.
[76:55] Amen. Amen.