Do you have a “secret” past or present sin? No one is immune from wandering from God into an act or habit that produces guilt and shame. While King David was “a man after God’s own heart” he was still a man. As a man he put himself in a place where he then gave in to the temptation of lust. Next, like many embarrassed children of God, he sought to cover it up. Fortunately, God loves His children, so in His grace, He pursues us to bring us to a moment of clarity in which we can confess our sin. In this text God is so good to reveal that when we confess our sin, He is gracious to restore us to our relationship with Him and to our significant role as laborers in His harvest.
"restoration" Tagged Sermons (Page 3)
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.
There are many beautiful examples of peace coming at times of crisis in our world: two of them are the Christmas Truce of 1914 and the life of Nelson Mandela. But peace in this world tends to be temporary and incomplete, and it leaves us longing for something more lasting and whole. Humanity continues to be rocked by violence and we continue to be cynical of the word “peace.” The beauty of Christmas is that Jesus comes as the Prince of Peace, to bring peace that is “not of this world.” We are given Him to receive lasting peace, and we can become transmitters of His peace when we receive it.
Everyone loves a good story that begins with “Once upon a time…” Genesis 1 begins with the similar phrase, “In the beginning, God…” This message declares that God is the maker of heaven and earth and that He is devoted to relating with the humans whom He has created. When Adam and Eve turned from God for the first time, God unveiled that He is committed to restoring their relationship with Him. This was great news for them in the garden as it is for us today.