We all long for more peace, more joy, more fulfillment, and more of almost everything. Could it be that our longings are hunger pains for God? 700 years before Jesus’ birth the prophet Isaiah wrote, “…they shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God with us.” Yet, can God really be with us today? The announcement in this message is “YES.” After Matthew recounts God with us walking on water, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and raising dead children, he relays Jesus resurrected words, “…I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is the promise of God’s enduring presence for all who believe in and follow Immanuel.
Sermons by Dean Wertz (Page 36)
On this 4th Sunday of Advent we worship God for His gift of hope. Like oxygen, we all need a positive future to anticipate. Yet most everything we hope for is perishable. In this message we remember the hope of the Wise Men as they journeyed to see the new born King of the Jews. Centuries before His birth the prophet Isaiah announced that “in His name all the nations would put their hope” and years after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension Paul called Christ “the hope of glory” and Peter described Him as “a living hope… imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” So, let us wisely and humbly set our ultimate hope on the only King whose birth announcement was a star.
On this 2nd Sunday of Advent we worship Jesus whom John describes as “full of grace and truth.” We all tend to be stronger in either grace or truth. Yet, the more we exhibit both qualities the more we are capable of blessing others. When there is no grace people cannot hear. When there is no truth people cannot respect. In this message we worship King Jesus who rules in this unique way and who extends His grace to make all of His disciples in His kingdom to become more like Him.
The word Advent comes from a Latin word meaning “to come.” On this 1st Sunday of Advent we celebrate the first coming of Jesus as the light of the world. Similar to the transformation from darkness to light that we all experienced when we were born, so everything changes when the light of Christ shines into our spiritual darkness and we experience our new birth from above.
As life gets busy it can be easy to drift from our created purpose of worshiping God. As a man after God’s own heart, David worshiped God on the battlefield, in solitude, and with the gathering of God’s people. In this message we learn from David’s example how to grow in worshiping God.
Loss is hard, especially when we lose someone or something we love dearly. In this message from the book of Ruth we meet Naomi and Ruth who combined have had many losses: death of their husbands, death of children, loss of homelands, moving from familiar childhood cultures and so much more. How do you respond when you’ve lost so much? These women chose to honor God and remain kind to people. As a result, God blessed them by including them in His vision to bless the world. The good news is that God desires to do the same for all of His children who walk faithfully through unexplainable loss.
Do you ever drift away from God and His ways? If so, you are not alone. We all are “prone to wander” from the God we love. In this message you will see that Israel repeatedly abandoned God during the time of the Judges, you will discover two hazards that can cause us to drift, and you will be encouraged by God’s consistent compassion for His children both then and now.
God fulfilled His promise to Abraham to bless his descendants with the Promise Land in Canaan. After 40 years in the wilderness and the death of Moses, the book of Joshua records Joshua’s rise to leadership and then Israel’s conquest of city after city. In this message we celebrate God’s fulfillment of His promise, grapple with some difficult questions raised by the complete destruction of the Canaanite cities and marvel at God’s grace toward Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho.
As thousands of runners passed by mile 21 ½ for the Denver marathon this morning, many people encouraged them to keep going all the way to the finish. In our service we received 3 encouragements from God’s Word to “run the race with endurance that is set before you.” Endurance is the ability to continue in the midst of pain until the task is finished. If you ever consider giving up on Christ because it is too hard, first reflect on these encouragements and the huge reward at the finish line for all who run with endurance!
Don’t waste your life! Israel wandered for 40 years because they doubted God’s command to conquer Canaan. Listen to God’s clear and loving voice and trust Him by doing what He commands and promises. In this you will chose life. In this you will not waste your life!