True Identity #1: Your Choice

Galatians 1:1-12

WELCOME: Welcome to Central Church of Christ, not a place, not building, not a creed, or religious system, but a people called out by God in the Upper Cumberland to Show God’s Love, Tell God’s Story, and Be God’s Family.  Today we start our new sermon series called, TRUE IDENTITY as found in the book of Galatians.

GALATIANS Background:

Where are we?

Upon arriving back in Antioch from his first missionary journey after eighteen months on the road, Paul received a report that the churches he had started in Galatia had fallen into hard times—specifically, they had fallen into error. A group of Judaizers—those who sought to make living under the Mosaic Law a requirement of the Christian faith—had gained an influence in the Galatian churches. Paul wrote the book a few months before his attendance at the Jerusalem Council in AD 49, a meeting where the apostles would take up this very topic (Acts 15:1–30).

Why is Galatians so important?

In advance of the Jerusalem Council, Paul’s letter speaks wisdom and clarity into the first real controversy that plagued the church in its early years—the relationship between Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles. Paul’s aggressive tone shows just how important it was to him that the people embrace unity in Christ, no matter their racial distinctions. For him, this was no minor issue, as he went so far as to call the Galatians deserters of Christ, people turning from the truth toward a gospel contrary to the one they had received from Paul (Galatians 1:6–9).

What’s the big idea?

When the Galatians fell away so quickly from the gospel of grace Paul had preached to them, they also made clear their disloyalty to Paul’s authority as an apostle. Therefore, Paul began the letter to the Galatians by spending two chapters defending that very issue. Only in chapter 3 did he begin to get to the heart of their error; namely, that these Galatians sought to be justified by the Mosaic Law. In contrast, Paul presented his argument that justification comes to people by faith in Jesus Christ, not by their works under the Law.

In Galatians 1:10 he writes: “am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

  John said it this way: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other….” Matthew 6:24

Galatians 3:27-28 Paul told them “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.       (i.e. you don’t need to do anything else) There is neither Jew nor Greek (i.e. you don’t have to become a Jew 1st) there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

“even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8-9

Roughly half of Americans believe they will go to heaven if they are “generally good” or “do enough good things” (2020) https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/wakeup-call-for-the-church-half-of-americans-say-good-deeds-get-you-to-heaven-poll-shows.html

Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of NY https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/04/michael-bloomberg-i-have-earned-my-place-in-heaven/437457/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share&fbclid=IwAR0HxuonfPAuO2vHR9RSK2Rkg34u1fLmmJtIOLmESoFVkP4mMAHYzW2cETw said it this way: “I am telling you, if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven.”

Romans 3:10 Paul writes: “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one’”

“I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I RECEIVED IT BY REVELATION from Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:12

“our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do THE OTHER SCRIPTURES.” II Peter 3:15-16

Jesus described it in what we’ll talk about in our growth group meetings tonight.  “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ when you don’t do what I say?”  – Luke 6:46

CLOSE: I want introduce you to a person who has chosen their identity in Christ.

Preaching Minister – Sasha Prokopchuk

The minister says he gets a bit embarrassed when people in this eastern Ukrainian city recognize him as “that preacher on TV” who walks around town in a turtleneck, talking about the problems that vex Ukrainians and offering free Bible lessons.
Standing in the TV ministry’s “response center” — a converted apartment in a crumbling, Soviet-era building — Prokopchuk takes a letter from the top of a stack and reads it. A viewer wants to receive a magazine produced by the ministry and is interested in what the Bible says about love and marriage. Similar requests come, via letters and e-mail, from across the country — and from other former Soviet nations, including Russia.
For Prokopchuk, who has preached on the airwaves of Ukraine for more than a decade, those requests make the notoriety worthwhile.
“I don’t feel like I’m a TV guy — never,” he says. “God created this.”
Prokopchuk grew up in the Soviet Union as an atheist. He and his wife, Victoria, were newlyweds when his government called him to serve in the Red Army. He later worked in a Soviet hospital but earned little money. He tried coal mining and truck driving to support his family. When the Soviet Union collapsed, they lost what little money they had.
Frustrated and depressed, Prokopchuck read to take his mind off his problems. One night, unable to find a newspaper, he picked up a “black book with a cross” that his wife had bought from a beggar woman in a train station. He flipped through the pages and found a passage in which the author lamented that all of his life’s pursuits — from drinking wine to amassing riches — had proved meaningless. “I realized, ‘This book is about me,’” he said.  
He kept reading the Bible, and found encouragement in Jesus’ teachings about prayer and repentance. His relationship with his family improved — including his mother-in-law, who was housing them at the time.
After two years of studying on his own, Prokopchuk and his wife met Denny Kruse, a U.S. missionary in Donetsk. Kruse baptized Prokopchuk on May 2, 1995, and encouraged him to preach.
Prokopchuk served as minister and elder for the Petrovsky Church of Christ in Donetsk, which grew to nearly 400 members, he said. In 2004 he helped plant the Transfiguration Church of Christ, where he now ministers, in the city’s downtown.
He launched the TV program in hopes of reaching more lost souls. The episodes are filled with the life lessons he learned from studying the Bible. In 2001, Kruse helped secure funds to broadcast the show nationally.
“People like the episodes about human emotions,” Prokopchuk said. “We go through conflicts and worry … the Kingdom of God, peaceful life.” A key focus is making God’s word understandable, he added.

Scripture Reading: John 21:15-17

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.”                                                      (I Corinthians 13:4-8)

God gives us an example of what true love is like.

Ephesians 5:25-27 says “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

https://www.southerndigest.com/article_3bcfe8ad-7fbf-5c6c-a400-46cde8907d8e.html

https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_bride_of_christ

Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV / 639 helpful votes

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

 Revelation 19:7-9 ESV / 580 helpful votes

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

 2 Corinthians 11:2 ESV / 416 helpful votes

For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

 Revelation 21:2 ESV / 412 helpful votes

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 John 3:29 ESV / 322 helpful votes

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

 Revelation 21:9 ESV / 304 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

FOCUS SCRIPTURE OF LOVE: Look again at John 21:15-17

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’

Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’

 He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’

The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’

 Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”

 “Now the overseer (an Elder) must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” 1 Timothy 3:2-5 

Steven Curtis Chapman asked this question in his song, “How Do I Love Her?”

            Lyrics

Well, you know it’s not the first time
And it will not be the last
When you find me here, on my knees
Praying for the storm to pass
But what I am really needing
Is much more than just relief
I am crying out for wisdom
Only You can give to me
Cause it’s such a mystery
I’m a clueless man, when it comes
To knowing how to love a woman

How do I love her
How do I let her know
She means more than anything to me
How do I love her
How do I love her
Love her

Out of all of the gifts You’ve given
Besides the very gift of life
There is none as precious to me
As the treasure of my wife
And still, all the love in my heart
Is like a raindrop to the sea
When compared to Your love for her
And that’s why I’m asking please
Will you teach me what she needs

How do I love her
How do I let her know
She means more than anything to me
How do I love her
How do I love her
Love her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzSvDqBerHs

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:22

Ephesians 4:29 says that we Christians should “…not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” – Matthew 18:15

Helen Keller, who completely lost her sight and hearing at 19 months from a severe infection, tells how she learned the meaning of love from Ann Sullivan, her teacher, who was half blind herself.

Helen told about their 1st meeting 3 months before she was 7 years old.

“The morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave me a doll… When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word,  D-O-L-L. I was excited when I finally spelled the word myself. And I ran downstairs to show my mother.”

  Several days later, Helen told of how Miss Sullivan pumped cold water on her hand and spelled out water on her hand and spelled out W-A-T-E-R.

  After learning to spell hundreds of words, one day Miss Sullivan spelled out he word, L-O-V-E in Helen’s hand. Perplexed, Helen spelled back, “W-H-A-T I-S L-O-V-E?”

That’s our objective as members of Christ’s bride… to trace into the hands of the people around us the love our Savior Jesus.

https://www.awakin.org/v2/read/view.php?tid=379

New Beginnings: Creating Longing

Tik Tok artist named Tyler Shaw, posted on Youtube on January 13, 2022. It’s music starts just the same but continues with these lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeaLd3VfWU0

(Lyrics Chorus):

a b c d e f g h i love you still

and you know i always will till the end of time

i won’t change my mind

love you i’ll be there

i will never disappear

WELCOME:  to Central Church of Christ, not a place, but a people called out to show God’s love, tell God’s story, and be God’s family.   We shifted from a wonderful Christmas season to thinking about the new year of 2022, we wanted to focus on New Beginnings and Psalm 119 is the perfect place to orient us.  As listed on BibleStudy.org, the number 8 is widely recognized as the number of “New Beginnings” and with all 176 poetic verses in Psalm 119 organized into groups of 8, I very well say that Psalm 119 is a great place to begin again in the new year.  After looking at many stanzas that have taken us all over the Bible, Today we look at the last segment of Psalm 119 that points us to a very desperate and needed truth in our faith! 

¹⁷⁴ I long for your salvation, O Lord,
    and your law is my delight.
¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live and praise you,
    and let your rules help me.
¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
    for I do not forget your commandments.

Mark Twain was a noted humorist and atheist in his day didn’t think much of heaven.

“There is no humor in heaven.” (Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven)

And he said he preferred “Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.”

Revelation 4:2-3 – “The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were SINGING A NEW SONG before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders…”

I Corinthians 15:51-53  “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

John said he saw “a NEW heaven and a NEW earth” Revelation 21:1

‘Behold, I am making ALL THINGS NEW…’” Revelation 21:5

“The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,… etc. etc.”   Rev 21:18-19                                

In Psalm 37:4 God promises:

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

2 Samuel 12:8  “if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!.”

Revelation 21:3-4 “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Someone took this promise and composed a poem that goes like this:

“No dust, nor rust, no rats, no rot,

No raucous rock, no potent pot.

All tell the truth, state only facts,

No wars, no debts, no income tax.

No growing old with weakened sight,

No dentures slipping when you bite,

No bombs, no guns, no courts, no jails,

Where all succeed and no one fails.

According to this dream of mine

In Heaven no one stands in line.

And there are only smiling faces

And lots and lots of parking places.”

(Humorist Richard Armour)

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven WITH A SHOUT…”

I long for your salvation, O Lord,

    and your law is my delight. – Psalm 119:174

• The scheduled ministry presentations & signups will be postponed one week to 9AM on Sunday, January 23rd in the auditorium.
• For this Sunday, Jan 16, 8AM LifeCare, 9AM Bible Classes, 10AM Worship, and 5PM Singing Service are all scheduled as normal.
  Due to the inclement weather forecast, we will let the congregation know at 7AM Sunday regarding any changes in services via phone tree, email, app, and social media.
• We are prepared for virtual Zoom worship if travel conditions become hazardous. The Zoom meeting code will be 673-063-1503 with a passcode of 8362874. We will also continue to livestream on Youtube, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Facebook, & the church website http://www.christiscentral.org . We will notify the congregation at 7AM on Sunday regarding any changes in services.
• If you would like communion packets, we will have them available at four locations for pickup this weekend. They will be available in the front seat of the unlocked small church van at the building for those living toward the east; at Jimmy & Pat Wallace’s house for the southern side of town, at Ty & Janet’s for the northern side of town, at Les & Becky Tubb’s house for the west side of town.

WELCOME: to Central Church of Christ. As we shift from a wonderful Christmas season to thinking about the new year of 2022, we want to focus on New Beginnings and Psalm 119 is the perfect place to begin!

II Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

James 1:22 “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  (And Luke 6:46)

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,

    who walk according to the law of the Lord.

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?

    By living according to your word.

10 I seek you with all my heart;

    do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you.

Matthew 15:18-20 “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”

Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Psalm 119:11 “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

James 1:16-17 “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” 

14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 

http://www.pecangrovechurch.com/people/robert-reid/

ILL.- The Anvil of God’s Word

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

When looking in, I saw upon the floor,

Old hammers worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had,” said I,

“To wear and batter these hammers so?”

“Just one,” said he; then with a twinkling eye,

“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so, I thought, the anvil of God’s Word,

For ages, skeptics blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed – the hammers gone.

~ John Clifford

John Clifford has poetically explained what the good Lord taught 2600 years ago:

‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’ (Jeremiah 23:29)

Christmas Prep4: A Grateful Hope

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:33-38

INTRO: A Hopeful Invitation

https://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/a-story-of-presidential-kindness/

WELCOME: to Central: Week 4 of Christmas Prep

            Week 1: Repentence – God prepared the Christmas story with John the Baptist first.

            Week 2: Deep and Abiding Faith – God prepared for Christmas with Mary making at least 8 references to God Almighty –  instead of references to a cute baby.

            Week 3: Humility – Do you have a humble heart that makes room for Jesus?

            Week 4: Grateful Hope!

Luke 2:25-26  “there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for (anticipating) the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Luke 2:38  “she began to give thanks to God and to speak of (Jesus) to all who were waiting for (anticipating) the redemption of Jerusalem.”

YES IMPORTANT! BUT THEY WERE! They were important to God! And do you know HOW I know they were important to God? God told us their names… and He told us what they said. Their lives mattered because God said they mattered.

God says that Simeon was “righteous and devout” (Luke 2:25). 

            https://www.shinesty.com/products/western-ugly-christmas-suit – 

            Devoted – https://www.thescore.com/news/1973115

 Anna was an 84 year old widow who “did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” (Luke 2:37) Anna was always at the Temple, and she COMMITTED herself to fasting… and to praying night and day.

This is my story, this is my song

I have a hope that’s stronger then the dust I’m standing on

This is my anchor, my cornerstone

This is the anthem I’ll be singing, till the Kingdom comes

I am committed, I’m not ashamed

I pledge my allegiance to Jesus, My King

I am committed, got nothing to hide

I’m not giving up, not selling out, I’m in this for life

I am committed, to Christ

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/salvation-army-bells-noise-complaint/story?id=17780903

ILLUS: CHRISTMAS WISH LIST! 10 year old girl.

 https://www.boredpanda.com/10-year-old-christmas-gift-wish-list/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

  When Anna saw Jesus “she began to give thanks to God and to speak of (Jesus) to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:38

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the earth,

Every creature was stirring, awaiting a birth.

The time for Messiah was certainly near,

The prophets foretold it; the Bible was clear.

From the book of beginnings, the very first sin,

God’s word made it clear how His grace entered in.

Born of a virgin, He’d come as a man.

The Creator among us, the time was at hand.

The stars were arranged to show marvelous things,

Setting Wise Men to journey and find the true King.

Shepherds in Bethlehem gazed on the sky,

Longing to see him, their Lord the Most High.

How could they know that the very next night

An angel of God would speak words of delight?

How the Savior was born, it was news of great joy.

In a cloth and a manger they’d find the dear boy.

And a heavenly host would soon join to sing

Of the glory of God and of wonderful things.

He entered creation, set position aside

To show us how deeply his love did abide.

Sin sent us away from our almighty Lord.

He became one of us that we might be restored.

He’s the Prince of our Peace; He’s the one who makes whole.

He is Wisdom Incarnate, a Shepherd of Souls.

He’s the Author of Life; He’s the Ruler of All.

He can offer salvation, on His name we call.

The shepherds and Wise Men would bow to adore

Holy God among men, our greatest reward.

All glory and honor is due to this King.

Let all join in worship; let every tongue sing.

Jesus is Lord, all creation proclaims.

He’s the first and last, He is always the same.

History turned on the first Christmas day,

When God became man in a humble display.

As we think of the manger in which He was laid,

Let our hearts welcome Him to the world He made!

Luke 2:1-7

 “I don’t have room for you in the hotel, but I’d love to have you come in for milk and cookies.”

WELCOME To Central Church of Christ.  Week 3.  Put more time into decorating your souls for the coming of the Christ than decorating your house for the coming of Christmas.

            Week 1: Repentence – God prepared the Christmas story with John the Baptist first.

            Week 2: Deep and Abiding Faith – God prepared for Christmas with Mary making at least 8 references to God Almighty –  instead of references to a cute baby.

 Oprah Dealing with Family Disfunction– Rooted in Biblical Principals – https://www.oprah.com/omagazine/dealing-with-a-dysfunctional-family-during-the-holidays/all

Hebrews 11:22

Nadin Khoury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjinnZzdqk
https://inspiremykids.com/nadin-khoury-from-bullying-victim-to-brave-spokesperson/

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.” Hebrews 11:22

“I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore (promised) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26

ILLUS Jewish Graves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitation_stones#:~:text=The%20act%20of%20placing%20visitation,placed%20by%20the%20left%20hand.

“Since WE have these promises… let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” I Peter 4:12-14

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

. Isaiah 26:3 we’re promised that “(God) will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in Him.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33

Romans 8:28 carries a step further “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Ephesians 2:10  “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do” 

John 3:16 says… “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Joseph said “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore (promised) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26

 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

“What Shall We Do!!!!        And Peter replies: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. FOR THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:37-39

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-15

OPEN (Thomas Edison):  On the night of December 9, 1914, Edison Industries was virtually destroyed by fire. Edison lost two million dollars that night and much of his life’s work went up in flames. He was insured for only $238,000, because the buildings had been made of concrete, at that time thought to be fireproof.

  (Edison’s son) Charles was 24; Thomas was 67. The young man ran about frantically, trying to find his father. Finally he came upon him, standing near the fire, his face ruddy in the glow, his white hair blown by the December winds.

  “My heart ached for him,” Charles Edison said. “he was 67 – no longer a young man – and everything was going up in flames.”

  He spotted me. ’Charles,’ he shouted, ’where’s your mother?’

  1 don’t know, Dad,’ I said.

  ’Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this again as long as she lives.’”

  The next morning, walking about the charred embers of all his hopes and dreams, Edison said,

“There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew

  Three weeks after the fire, his firm delivered the first phonograph.

                 https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/butterworth-on-disappointment/

                        https://www.business2community.com/strategy/the-great-value-of-disaster-0160198

WELCOME: DETOURS –  Welcome to week four of Detours with Joseph: If you’re new with us, joseph is a big deal in the bible first book genesis (he get’s more scripture time than any Genesis hero) and we’re looking at his life because joseph he took a lot of detours in life.  Some of you are on a detour right now; it could be financial or relational or just in your spiritual journey. The problem with detours is sometimes you just feel stuck and joseph’s life gives us a model of how to come out the other side of the detour better than when we went in. So if you’re new to us welcome to Central,  i hope you have a great Biblical experience. If you’re new watching online, We hope you have a spiritual experience connecting with God’s Word and we  hope to see you soon here at the building for worship together.  We’re going to be in genesis chapter 45. Now last three weeks we were in genesis chapter 37, 39, & 41 and I shared from Joseph’s life a few big truths,

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

Poem by: Louisa Fletcher

“I wish there were some wonderful place

Called the Land of Beginning Again

Where all our mistakes, and all our heartaches

And all our selfish griefs

Could be cast like a shabby old coat at the door

And never be put on again”
https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2013%252F05%252F10.html

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15

Genesis 45:5-8 “… do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

  “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15

 He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent 17 debt-canceling letters by certified mail.

  SIXTEEN of the 17 letters were returned, unsigned and undelivered.

  Why? Because the clients refused to sign for them and open the envelopes. They were afraid that the attorney was suing them for their debts. So – in their fear – they ended up running away from his forgiveness.              (Rick McCarley, https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/7400/forgive-us-our-debts-by-rick-mccarley, Preacher at Crosspoint Church in Osawatomie, south of Kansis city. )

………………………………………………. % forgive………….. % not forgive

Told lies about them ……………………… 73 ……………………….24

Stole money from them   ………………….67………………………..31

Slapped or punched them…………………64………………………..32

Held them up with a gun…………………..42………………………..54

Murdered someone in community……..33…………………………59

Raped them……………………………………22………………………..73

Raped a family member……………………19………………………..77

 (Time 4/5/99 p. 58 Yankelovich Partners Inc. Survey)
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,22227,00.html

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12

“For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“… love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Romans 8:28 “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

“… do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” – Genesis 45:5-8

Genesis 50:20 – As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

CLOSE: There’s a book, “An Invitation to Healing” by Lynda Elliott and in that book Lynda writes this:

“I had a choice to make. If I choose to behold Jesus, to focus on Him, I could be transformed into His image (to become like our teacher). Likewise, if I continued to behold the image of my neighbor, I could be transformed into her image.”

• Whose life can you bring light and joy to?
• Who in your life brings you joy and refreshment?

Genesis 41:1-49

WELCOME: Welcome to week two of Detours with Joseph: If you’re new with us, joseph is a big deal in the bible first book genesis (he get’s more scripture time than any Genesis hero) and we’re looking at his life because joseph he took a lot of detours in life.  Some of you are on a detour right now; it could be financial or relational or just in your spiritual journey. The problem with detours is sometimes you just feel stuck and joseph’s life gives us a model of how to come out the other side of the detour better than when we went in. So if you’re new to us welcome to Central,  i hope you have a great Biblical experience. If you’re new watching online, look i get it i yelp restaurants before i go to the restaurant, so hope to see you soon here at the building for worship together.  We’re going to be in genesis chapter 41. Now last two weeks we were in genesis chapter 37 & 39 and I shared from Joseph’s life a few big truths,

REVIEW: New Definition of Detour: A change in our plans God uses to develop our character and competency, so we can arrive at a better destination.

GOD CARE’S FOR US DURING DETOURS: God is never far from us. He never allows us to remain to stay on the detour longer than we can stand. And when we have gone through the twists and the turns of live avoiding the temptations along the way, God will have brought us to a better destination. 

Numbers 12:3 “… Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” KJV

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Mt 11:29

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth”

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

So he says I cannot do it but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” Genesis 41:16

Genesis 41:39-44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.

   You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

   So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”

   Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.  He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

   Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”

1 Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, preparing your minds for action,^[b] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

A few years ago, Denzel Washington was interviewed by a major magazine and one of the questions was this:

 “How do you deal with fame?”

And he replied: “It ain’t about me. The one thing for me, understanding how I understand God, is that it keeps me humble. Keeps the pronouns out of the picture. I’ve been given certain abilities, and I look at it this way: What are you going to do with what you have? Who are you going to live your life for? 

https://www.christianpost.com/news/10-powerful-christian-celebrities-in-hollywood.html

GENESIS 50:20 – As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

Who Will Follow Jesus?

“Daddy’s Money” by Ricochet

“She’s got her daddy’s money, her momma’s good looks.

More laughs than a stack of comic books.

A wild imagination, a college education.

Add it all up it’s a deadly combination.

She’s a good bass fisher. A dynomite kisser.

Country as a turnip green.

She’s got her daddy’s money. Her momma’s good looks, and look who’s looking at me!”

WELCOME: Welcome to week two of Detours with Joseph: If you’re new with us, joseph is a big deal in the bible first book genesis (he get’s more scripture time than any Genesis hero) and we’re looking at his life because joseph he took a lot of detours in life.  Some of you are on a detour right now; it could be financial or relational or just in your spiritual journey. The problem with detours is sometimes you just feel stuck and joseph’s life gives us a model of how to come out the other side of the detour better than when we went in. So if you’re new to us welcome to Central,  i hope you have a great Biblical experience. If you’re new watching online, look i get it i yelp restaurants before i go to the restaurant, so hope to see you soon here at the building for worship together.  We’re going to be in genesis chapter 39. Now last week we were in genesis chapter 37 and I shared from Joseph’s life a few big truths,

REVIEW: New Definition of Detour: A change in our plans God uses to develop our character and competency, so we can arrive at a better destination.

“What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all (pause) he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” Genesis 37:26-27

“The LORD was with Joseph” 

You see it in vss. 2, 21, and 23.

Genesis 39:5 says “From the time (Potiphar) put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.”

“The LORD was with (Joseph); he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” Genesis 39:21-23

“I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

“…the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him…” 2 Chronicles 16:9.

Psalm 34:15 assures us that: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry”

Romans 8:28 declares: “…we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

“There’s something suspect about a faith that has never been tested.

An army going through basic training is not ready for battle. Not until soldiers have faced the battle, and been under fire do they consider themselves proven, hardened, worthy.

 A ship cannot prove that it has been sturdily built as long as it stays in dry dock. Its hull must get wet; it must face a storm to demonstrate genuine seaworthiness. (Joel C. Oregory, Growing Pains of the Soul

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. – Genesis 50:20

  “The HAMMER is a useful tool. But the nail, if it had feeling and intelligence, could present another side of the story. For the nail knows the hammer only as an opponent a brutal, merciless enemy who lives to pound it into submission, to beat it down out of sight and clinch it into place.

 That is the nail’s view of the hammer, and it is accurate except for one thing:

The nail forgets that both it and the hammer are servants of the same workman. Let the nail but remember that the hammer is held by the workman and all resentment toward it will disappear.

The carpenter decides whose head shall be beaten next and what hammer shall be used in the beating.

That is his sovereign right. When the nail has surrendered to the will of the workman and has gotten a little glimpse of his benign plans for its future, it will yield to the hammer without complaint.

  The FILE is more painful still, for its business is to bite into the soft metal scraping and eating away the edges till it has shaped the metal to its will.

Yet the file has, in truth, no real will in the matter, but serves another master as the metal also does.

It is the master and not the file that decides how much shall be eaten away. What shape the metal shall take and how long the painful filing shall continue.

Let the metal accept the will of the master and it will not try to dictate when or how it shall be filed.

  As for the FURNACE, it is the worst of all. Ruthless and savage, it leaps at every combustible thing that enters it and never relaxes its fury till it has reduced it all to shapeless ashes. All that refuses to burn is melted to a mass of helpless matter, without will or purpose of its own. When everything is melted that will melt and all is burned that will burn then and not till then the furnace calms down and rests from its destructive fury.” (A.W. Tozer “The Root of the Righteous”)

¹⁹ As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. ²⁰ And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. ²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. – Gen 39:19-21

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/growth-trauma

CLOSE: Country song about an Unpleasant little Detour: Carrie Underwood – Jesus Take the Wheel

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati on a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her mama and her daddy with the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go, and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It’d been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind, and she didn’t pay attention
She was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn’t even have time to cry
She was so scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
‘Cause I can’t do this on my own
I’m letting go
So give me one more chance
And save me from this road I’m on
Jesus, take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said, “I’m sorry for the way
I’ve been living my life
I know I’ve got to change
So from now on tonight

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
‘Cause I can’t do this on my own
I’m letting go
So give me one more chance
And save me from this road I’m on.”

Oh, Jesus, take the wheel

Oh, I’m letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I’m on
From this road I’m on
From this road I’m on
Jesus, take the wheel
Oh, take it, take it from me
Oh, why, oh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydBPm2KRaU