#1 Refreshed

Opening

• Welcome

• Happy New Year

• Boudreaux Joke

Message Opening

• Pray

• New Year - resolutions - usually a series about restarting

• something to bring our resolutions into alignment with the Word

• Uncertainties • disorder • social unrest • Inflation

• Aliance closing

• Praying and this phrase (leading to text) came to me:

Acts 3:19 NASB95

19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

• NEED a time of refreshing

• In the face of what we’re dealing with - we need refreshing!

Refreshing is a Bible Theme

• Image of the beginning

• God labored for 6 days

• God rested on the 7th day

• God didn’t need rest - it was a type a shadow for His creation

• And He set it out

• He set aside the 7th day as holy so that man could rest

• What that means for this church service

• What it means for Sunday

• What church should be

• Let’s look at our text in more detail

times of refreshing

• start with the phrase that God brought to my mind in prayer

• I was praying for renewal, for fresh perspective, fresh inspiration

• God brought this phrase to my memory

• There is a time of refreshing that God can send

• What is it • How do I receive it?

• times = season, period of time • Sunday • annual prayer times

• refreshing = renewal, restoration • ANOTHER IMPORTANT PHRASE:

"so that”

“so that”: a prerequisite

• has to happen before the good things come

• How do I get it? • Bring it about

• What makes “so that” happen?

Repent

• Traditionally “I’m sorry”

• partly

• but more to

Repent: turn back

• turn away

• the things that are holding me

• keeping me off course

• drawing me in the wrong direction

• tv, sports, hobbies, work

• Once I’ve turned away from those things, I must

Return:

• simple really

Return: begin to move toward God

•

• And where am I going

(T)he “presence of the Lord”

•

(T)he “presence of the Lord”: before His face

• Greek is literally “face”, in front of

•