Our House is your House

Scott

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New Living Translation Chapter 1

11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Christ Is Supreme

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

NLT

He came home in a pretty good mood which was unusual for him. Under his arm was a case of his favorite or cheapest beer. It was probably a good bet that he had already had a few in him. I can’t remember if my brother was there or not but it was me and my sister and I remember him taking out two cans placing them on the bumper pool table that doubled as our dining room table opening them and giving one to my sister and one to me and told us to drink with him…my sister took my can and hers and put them back on the table…this sent my dad into a rage…he went from happy go lucky to incredibly angry at the fact that his daughter would dare to defy him…I do not know what was said but they exchanged words and my dad started hurling a linty of curse words toward my sister and then out of nowhere he unleashed a physical barrage of slaps physically abusing my sister...

Over the last few weeks we have been talking about why Our House is a place that people want to be We started about by talking about how our church that understands what it is to thrive even in the midst of adversity. Week to we talked about the fact that we are a church that never stops learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus…Jesus is always teaching us through His word (The Bible) and through His continuous Presence in the right now (the Holy Spirit)…And finally we talked about how this church is continuously doing the work of ministry even when others are not involved or even ridiculing us for caring for God’s people (Which is the Entire world).

I thought it was normal…this was just they way families were and I had no idea that this was not the way things were supposed to be…fast forward a couple of years and through a bus ministry and the invitation of some friends I started going to the Lynn Ind Church of the Nazarene.

These things and more are the real reasons for God’s people to Gather together in Sacred Assembly…The greek word for this is the Ecclesia (ekklēsía)…a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observing religious rites, attending regular religious meetings...

Lynn was a small town and everyone knew my dad and how difficult he was but none of that mattered…this church embraced me as if I had always been part of the family they loved me. They did not yell at us, curse at us, hit us, or even complain about us they loved us and I found myself wanting to be in church every time the doors were open...

However if this is going to be true we must

However the Church does not make sense until we make sense of the head of the Church…this is not the pope nor it the pastor nor is it the church board nor is it the congregation itself. The head of the church is Jesus Christ .

Not only were they welcoming to me but they reached out to my mom and dad…even though they had a reputation there was no judgment just love…

This was such a different way of life to me…I didn’t know people like this existed…They had to have the superpower of being nice…

the reality is that they were just like everyone else…they all had problems they all had things they either overcame or where in the process of overcoming…the big difference between them and my family was they all had a relationship with Jesus.

It was through this man...Jesus that they provided me a true sanctuary....

If there was every a time where people needed a true sanctuary it is now.

Sanctuary is a place of refuge and safety. This place Broken Arrow Nazarene is and can be your sanctuary from the craziness of the World…Yes partly because you have the superpower of being nice but mostly because of Jesus.

Who is this Man and how do we grow in knowlege of Him?

Jesus is the Visible image of the Invisible God

Even though I did not know who Jesus was he was always there. He was guiding these people to love me and to accept me so that they could be a part of my eternal story.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Jesus is in fact present in all of our lives even before we know it…preparing our heart preparing our mind, preparing others for the moment we would allow them to introduce Jesus to us.

Jesus was holding my life together in the midst of all the disfunction that was there. I did not realize that until later…

Even today it is important to know that Jesus is present in the mess that people of the world has created. He is present waiting to be invited into that mess so He can bring something beautiful out of the mess.

V-15-17

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

Jesus did not just show up on Christmas day…Jesus was from the beginning, but is the only physical expression of God.

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross

Jesus is the head of the Church

Jesus

Watching a little of the Crown the identify crisis caused by Queen Elizebeth being head of the Church and a monarch while being human.

The president is not the head of the church, the pope is not the head of the Church, The pastor is not head of the Church, Church goers are not head of the church…people are not in charge of the Church.

The president is not the head of the church, the pope is not the head of the Church, the Queen of England is not head of the Church, The pastor is not head of the Church, Church goers are not head of the church…people are not in charge of the Church, We are all members of the Church we make up those people what meet in sacred assembly to learn, worship, serve the world, and each other on earth.

We are all Participants in the Church we meet in sacred assembly to learn, worship, serve the world, and each other on earth.

When human beings take over the leadership role of the church it results in a bit of an identity crisis.

Freedom comes when we allow Jesus to be the head of the Church and we allow ourselves to be human being obedient to the leading of Jesus.

Jesus is the way to peace.

20 and through him (Jesus) God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

The rest of the story…as I continued to go to that Nazarene Church in Lynn Ind my family was drawn in and a change took place in my family at that time that I knew was only because of Jesus.

Even though things were not perfect in my family a Jesus brought a peace to my childhood that my sister and brother never got the chance to experience.

For a time all the disfunction that had defined my home life was replaced by the peace I would need to come to a place where I was able to accept my humanity not as a weakness but as a gift from God.

Even though things were not perfect in my family after that Jesus brought a peace to my childhood that my sister and brother never got the chance to experience. For a time all the disfunction that had defined my home life was replaced by the peace I would need to come to a place where I was able to accept my humanity not as a weakness but as a gift from God.

I was able in that time of peace to allow Jesus to be present in my life, guide my life and save my life.

This is the single most important day of my life…a day where a congregation of people made me feel like I belonged and helped me the rest of the way on my journey…and still helps me today…maybe not the Lynn Ind Church but the Church of the Nazarene has walked with me helped me to learn and overcome in difficult times and this church is that type of church as well.

If you would like to experience peace this morning? It starts with a prayer but it includes a Faith Journey in a Faith Community.

As a child During a special meeting at this Church an invitation was given to accept Jesus as my saviour.

On that day I a hyperactive 3rd grader responded to a call to give my heart to Jesus and I knelt at altar on the right hand side of the sanctuary and asked Jesus to forgive my sins…as I was praying I felt hands on my back and as I got up I saw all the men in the church gathered around me praying for me…

This is the single most important day of my life…a day where a congregation of people gave me sanctuary and enabled me to find peace through Jesus…and still helps me today… this church is that type of church as well.

You can start your journey today in this place of Sanctuary...

You can respond Three ways:

1. If you would like to come to the altar and pray you are welcome to do so?

2. You can take the communication card from the seat back in front of you and fill it out and in the comment section write I have accepted Jesus as my saviour.

We will follow up with you and start you on a discipleship process that will help you to draw closer to Jesus and to be an important part of this local church.

3. Or you may not be ready to do anything…you are free to belong as you figure things out.

You belong here…and as such you are all welcome to receive the Lord’s supper with us.

Connecting people to God and others by creating a space where everyone can belong

The Lord’s Supper, was instituted by our Savior Jesus Christ, this sacrament proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It also serves as a reminder of His coming again.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.