Gtcotr/ss062820
I
want to go on record this morning to say how blessed we are as citizens of
Texas, and specifically Jefferson County, to have the political leaders, the
law enforcement officers, the judges and the justices of the peace, the
precinct commissioners, the school board members, the Church leaders, none
better than our own COTR Eldership, along with so many other sane, fair-minded
decision makers, who shoulder the responsibility and care enough to make the
tough calls when it comes to our safety, security and continued economic
health.
If
you have not had the chance to read Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick’s
recent letter to the citizens and the media, please take time to do so, even if
you do it while I am preaching. You can find it at KFDM.com.
It may not be popular with everyone but nonetheless, it is a good Sunday
morning message in and of itself … and you may want to share it with someone
you know. Judge Branick, who is not running for re-election this year, has my respect,
my appreciation, and my full support.
Now,
let’s get to God’s Word and the message He has for us today.
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now
abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This
morning when we talk about:
·
Faith = Our Spiritual
Health and Wellbeing
·
Hope = Our Mental
Health and Wellbeing
·
Love = Our Social
Health and Wellbeing
1.
Faith
Hebrews 11:6 But without
faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.
·
Faith
makes us pleasing to God.
·
Trust
in God helps us to move the many mountains of adversity we face in life.
·
No
one can follow God without faith.
·
Faith
makes things happen and turns impossibilities into possibilities.
2.
Hope
Psalms 31:24 Be of good
courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
·
Hope
gives us Courage
·
Hope
strengthens our heart
Three
times in Psalms 42 the Psalmist said: “Why are you so downcast o my soul, put
your hope in God.”
Hope
keeps a smile on my face, joy in my heart, and peace in my mind.
Hope
is our anchor in all times. Our hope is in Jesus who loves us, gave Himself for
us and is coming again to take us home with Him.
Our
hope is found in the message of the Gospel.
·
Soon
you will hear the sound of a trumpet and see a great light …
·
The
thrill of your soul will be inexplicable and undeniable …
·
You
will lift the eyes of your spirit heavenward and the clouds will part …
·
Much
like taking off a garment or slipping out of your skin, you will be drawn up
and escorted by angels to meet the Lord Himself.
·
The
eyes of your understanding will be enlightened, and you will see everything
from God’s perspective, and it will all make sense.
·
Friends
and loved ones will be waiting with great joy and will celebrate your arrival
in heaven where you will enjoy the great wedding supper and participate in the
unfolding prophecies yet to occur as written in the book of Revelation chapters
20, 21 and 22.
That
is our hope, and Nothing is going to sink my ship,
destroy my faith, rob my joy, steal my peace, or make me stop being a witness
for Jesus.
Hope
encourages me to wait on God to do what only He can do …
I
have faith in God, and I am filled with hope for myself and my future is
secure! You might question … “What about all the unrest and trouble around us?”
To that I reply:
Romans 8
37 Yet in all these things we
are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things
present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor
any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“For,
I am determined, to be invincible, until He’s finished His purpose in me.
Nothing shall shake me, for He’ll never forsake me. I am determined to live for
the King.” And ain’t nothin gonna sink my ship!!!
That
brings us to point #3:
3.
Love
1 Corinthians 13
4 ¶ Love suffers long and
is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in
iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails.
Faith moves mountains - Hope moves me - Love moves others
1 Peter 1
22 Since you have purified
your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren,
love one another fervently with a pure heart,
That’s
not a suggestion … that’s a command!
23 having been born again, not of corruptible
seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24
¶ because “All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its
flower falls away,
25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
1
Peter 2
1
¶ Therefore, laying aside all malice,
all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is
gracious.
Faith
makes things happen
Hope
waits for things to happen
Love
triumphs over things that have happened
·
Love
conquered and triumphed over my sin
·
God
so loved the world …
·
If
God so loves us, we ought also love our brothers and sisters … and even our
enemies.
These
are all three present in the “now” moments of life.
Faith in God
Hope for myself
Love towards others
Come
on saints … do not let anyone sink your ship, destroy your faith, rob your joy,
steal your peace, or make you stop being a witness for Jesus.
We
have a job to do that will require us to have hope, faith, and love … and the
greatest of these is love!
Show
the love of God to others … and pray that Jesus comes quickly!
