When everything is changing, focus on the constant
The Message • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Do you ever get unsettled? Worried? Anxious? Trust God but find it difficult?
For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
Encouraging - So did David | Everything changing | Petrol Pries | What’s popular | music | How to pick up women | everytihng aroudn us changing, uncertain - What can you count on?
People will let you down | Finances don’t seem like enough | World news “How can it get any better” | ppl say “I would hate to riase a child in this. What, as Christ followers do we do?
Mesage series “The message” - Talking about what the disciples said about God. I want to look at a specific part of scripture;
Context; Acts 3 - Peter just healed a lame man | Saducees are angry again | and they say this little passage
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
Author of Life | Greek Word | Archegon = originator, founder, beginning, ruler, Chief - The first Only used a couple of times in scripture, here is one of them
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
We serve a Lord that is the Originator of everything | a Lord that is constant, that doesn’t change - When everything around you is changing, Jesus is the same.
Title: When everything is changing, focus on the constant
My Hope: Is that today will be the day you decide to rely on that which is constant. On that which is true, on that which is perfect and it will steady your ship.
**Pray**
That same guy in the psalm before, cried out “Are you listening?” then says;
They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Because Jesus is Perfect, can’t get any better | Jesus was God in the flesh | We serve a God is that is Holy | No one like him | Only one that could be resurrected |
It’s called the immutability of God - state of not changing or not being able to change.
Go through 3 things that show that Jesus is Constant if you have the FAITH to see it.
If God does not change, it begs the question, why pray?
Jesus said;
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
We know God wants us to Ask | God wants to be glorified | wants us to depend on him | and if we ask - He will do WHAT EVER we want…until he doesn’t
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Which one is true? Both. God responds to our prayers | Will only give to us what is in his will | Purpose of prayer is not to get what we want | The purpose of prayer is to get to know God so we can do His will.
God wants us in Relationship | Prayer reminds us that we or the world is not in control and keeps us close to the one who is.
This means, if you have real issues, financial stress, over reaching mother in laws, addiction, etc, you can take it to Jesus who intercedes for us.
Truth 2: What else reminds us that God is constant? God’s Word - Living | Active | Never returns void | never changes, but it changes you.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Word of God Fixed | True | Indestructible - Not book of the week, month, year but AGES | change you | Living | Powerful | Read the same thing you did yesterday, be completely different | Word of God that never changes
Sharper than any 2-edged sword, Your offensive weapon.
truth 2: God’s word never changes but it will change you
Truth 3: God’s Character never changes | Didn’t study, but WISE | doesn’t do loving, he IS LOVE | STRENGHT | PATIENT | KIND | didn’t need to show mercy, His mercy is ever lasting | His Character will never change.
HIS LOVE FOR YOU DOES NOT CHANGE.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our God is always Good, Always Loving, Holy and Just and Righteous, ALWAYS patient, FULL OF COMPASSION.
This means when you are worried - unsettled - anxious - you can bring it to God
You remember, Prayer will bring you close - God’s word, never changes, God’s character, never changes.
Application
Application
If this is true - Then why do we struggle?
Let’s turn to a story - It’s palm sunday - If you didn’t know | This was the day Jesus rode into Jerusulum | Paint the picture, walked up massive hill | Have a donkey | Disciples around him | Tourist season, 80,000 people here, 10,000 romans, very nerve rackking for romans.
Waving Palm Branches screaming “HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNA, BLESSED BE THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD”
there was a king - Judah the hammer - destroyed the Greeks - Restored Israel, Rode in on Palm Sunday - They thought Jesus was this king |
Palm branches = Symbol of Rebellion, symbol of Isreal - On the temple, saying to the Romans “We got you”
**Show picture of temple**
So Jesus, marching up, HOSANNA HOSANNA, Palm Branches Waiving, 80,000 following him - to the roman garrisade | turns, into the temple - The tourist destination - Petticoat lane | massive stone tables | Starts flipping them |
saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
Something changed here | Could of overthrew and answered the prayers of thousands, instead, went straight to the heart - The king they wanted was gone, but the king they needed was here.
What would transpire over the next 3-4 days would have stunned disciples | Told to pay taxes | the poor widow giving the coins | last days | Tells them war is coming | Persecution is coming | Judas betrays Jesus | Jesus is whipped | Tortured | put on a Cross | Laid in a tomb.
and in the middle of all of this | Fear | Doubt | Confusion | Death - in the middle of His blood pouring out - Misery - He is still, Yesterday, today and forever, the AUTHOR OF LIFE and He wants to be YOUR author of Life.
Have you got an idea in your mind about what Jesus should do? Is he flipping over tables? Is he doing something unexpected?
Inspo
Inspo
He wants to do something IN YOU | He wnts to author life in your life | Break an addiction in your lfie | Heal relationships | stop lies from the enemy | renew strength | renew passion | light a flame | what is it and how do we do it?
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Pray- Brings us close to him
Seek - The word of God
Then His Character is to HEAR and to FORGIVE and to HEAL.
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
All the promises, in his word, that are HIS, are what? YES AND AMEN. Listen - YOU ARE NOT WHAT THEY SAY, NOT WHAT YOU TIHNK YOU ARE, YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE. YOU ARE FREE, FORGIVEN, CHILD OF GOD.
IF you are IN CHRIST, you are HIS.
No matter what is changing, feeling, thinking, you are HIS, and HIS promises are YES AND AMEN.
You might be asking, What aare his Promises? Start somewhere, open the Bible - Jesus is the AUTHOR OF LIFE - LET HIM GIVE YOU LIFE THROUGH HIS WORD.
When you hope in the Lord | We will renew your strength | You will mount up on the wings of Eagles
No Weapon Formed against you shall prosper
He promises that even though you walk through the shadow of death you will fear no evil
Your mercies are new every morning
Any time you are tempted, God promises you will aLWAYS be given a way out
When you SIN - He is FAITHFUL and JUST to CLEANSE you from ALL YOUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUERER THROGUH CHRIST JESUS
He promises that if you are in Christ, not by religious efforts, not because you think you deserve it, BY HIS GRACE THROUGH FAITH. Your name is written in the lamb book of Life.
Who is Jesus? the Holy and Righteous One | Beloved son | Bread of Life | Cornerstone | First and the Last | Good Shepard | The Just One | Lamb of God | Our Redeemer | True Vine | True life | King of Kings and Lord of Lords | The Life, the way the truth and he is the AUTHOR OR LIFE.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever - He is CONSTANT, when things are CHANGING - When everything is changing, focus on the constant
Jesus has gone BEFORE YOU. Preparing a place. He will come back, trumpet from heaven will sound, dead in christ will rise, and believers will meet him in the air, and there will be NO MORE TEARS AND NO MORE PAIN.
THE NEW WILL COME!!!!
HE IS CONSTANT IN EVERY WAY
WORD APPLIES TO YOUR VERY MOMENT
CHARACTER IS CONSTANT
PROMISES ARE YES AND AMEN.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
JESUS IS THE AUTHOR OF LIFE AND HE WANTS TO AUTHOR SOMETHING IN YOU.
**PRAYER**
**Altar Call**