Church of the Nazarene

 Leaving To Go Home
By Jon Walker

Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!” John 6:68–69 (HCSB)

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Jesus fed the 5,000, and then Jesus walked on water. He showed the disciples that, with a mustard-seed faith, they too could step onto, and not into, the water, like Peter taking baby steps toward Jesus.

But then Jesus said he was the Bread of Life – that his ministry wasn’t about giving the faithful a free lunch, all the food and miracles anyone could ever want. “Don’t come to me for what you can get,” Jesus explained. “Come to me because I am the One.”

“From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” (John 6:66–67, HCSB)

Peter, forever stating exactly what he’s thinking, says there’s no where else to go. “We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!” (John 6:69, HCSB)

And God wants to bring us to this same place, where we understand there is no other way, or truth, or life, but Jesus (John 14:6); where we stop wandering in the wilderness, holding on to a hopeless hope that there is someone else, something else that can do for us what only Jesus, the One, the Son, can do.

We believe there is somewhere else to go when we step out independent from God, following the wrong gods home. We may chase after little gods, such as drugs, sex, or theft; but the danger is that we also follow the more subtle false gods of anger, gossip, or lying.

But like the prodigal, we keep coming back to Jesus, until we finally understand deep within that only he has the words of eternal life; only he is the Holy One of God. (John 6:68–69, HCSB)

In my own walk, I have come back in confusion; I have come back in heartbreak; I have come back in defeat. I have come back with my anger and my shame, crying out, “I am leaving; I am leaving; I will leave.”

Yet, I remain because my Savior never leaves.

What does this mean?

•    God is pushing you toward the narrow gate – He knows that there is no one else to go to and so he is drawing you toward the narrow gate: “How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” (Matthew 7:14, HCSB) God’s insistence that there is only one Way, one Truth, one Life is not a selfish demand; he knows, painfully so, that there is no other way to him except through Jesus Christ.

•    Really, there is no one else – For many years, I chased after the wrong things, and I’m still tempted to do so today. Sometimes, when I hear voices from the far country, I turn my gaze toward the horizon. But I’ve learned through costly trial and painful error that I’ll eventually just end up right back at the feet of Jesus. So, I sit back down at the Master’s feet, and turn my gaze upon Jesus. Ask God to help you – and to help me – act as we believe: “We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!” (John 6:69, HCSB)

•    Look to where God is pushing you – God is pushing you closer and closer to the One who has the words of eternal life. By coming to the place where you can say to Jesus, “You are the only and Holy One of God,” you have also come to the place where you are seeking him, and him alone.

 Jesus Or The Boat?
By Jon Walker

“But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.” Matthew 14:24 (HCSB)

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Jesus needed time to refresh and so he sent his disciples on ahead, across the Sea of Galilee in one of their fishing boats. But storms sweep across this inland sea like tornados that emerge from nowhere.

And now the disciples were in a fight with the Goliath-like forces of nature. Some of the disciples were fishermen. They understood the danger, and so they fought the storm long and hard, but made little headway.

It was three o’clock in the morning, that no-man’s-land time of day when you haven’t yet escaped the night, but you still haven’t crossed into morning. It’s the kind of time when you wonder if you’ll even make it through until sunrise.

The Golan Heights, rising from the water like a wall within a quarry, are hard to distinguish against a sky so dark and drench. They’re over a mile from shore, and the water is transforming into an evil presence, so deep and so menacing.

And just then, someone on the boat yells, “Look! What is that? It looks like a man, but it just can’t be.” Before he’s even finished saying them, his words disappear into the wailing wind. But no one has to say anything else. All eyes are on this ghostly figure walking toward them like an incarnation of the storm!

And then Jesus says, “It is I.” (v. 27)

What does this mean?

• Jesus or the boat? – When faced with such a situation, where is the safest place to be? In the boat or in the arms of Jesus?

• Jesus peace – Logic tells us we’re safer in the boat; but the Bible tells us we’re safer in the arms of Jesus, the Lord and Master over the storm. He offers a peace that passes all understanding.

 The Suffering Of A Saint
By Jon Walker

“We carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:10 HCSB)

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When we confess our belief in Jesus as the Holy One of God, we often assume our lives will become easier. It doesn’t help that some pulpits and small groups teach that.

Certainly Jesus taught that his yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30) and the apostle Paul spoke about the “Sabbath rest” of God (Hebrews 4:9), but both these examples teach the need to develop a deep trust in God, not that following Jesus is easy. We’re to step into the will of God and stay there, trusting he has our best interests at heart. (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28)

With God’s Spirit working in us and through us – as we rest in God’s arms – we find we can do all things through him who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13 HCSB).

Yet the deeper we head into God’s heart, the more difficult things are likely to become, as God builds within us a Jesus-like character. You may have heard it said, “We want to be saints without living the lives of saints.” We want to make a significant contribution to the kingdom of God, yet we want to sidestep the trials Paul experienced: “Pressured in every way but not crushed … perplexed but not in despair … persecuted but not abandoned … struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 HCSB)

A few years ago, my wife and I were facing the death of a child and grappling with how to help my mother, who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In the middle of all that, our refrigerator began to sink into the floor of our kitchen. We discovered a repairman had inadvertently creased the small pipe that pumped water to the ice maker, and this tiny, dripping leak softened the flooring, causing considerable damage.

My friend, Nancy Guthrie, said, “When you’re in the middle of a crisis, you’d like to think God would give you as pass on the every day problems.” At the time, Nancy’s daughter, Hope, had just been diagnosed with Zellweger’s syndrome – a disease for which there is no treatment or cure – and had only a few months to live.

Yet, within her heartache, I saw Nancy move deeper and deeper into the heart of God. She and her husband didn’t dwell on the question, “Why me?” Instead, they began to ask, “God, what do you want to do with this circumstance?”

The apostle Paul says, “We carry the death of Jesus in our bodies, so the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:10 HCSB; emphasis mine) We carry Jesus’ death in our bodies, and then God resurrects the life of Jesus within us.

Hope lived 199 days, and tragically the Guthries had another child, Gabriel, who also had Zellweger syndrome and only lived 183 days. Despite their deep, deep God-faith, they once again faced significant suffering. (You can read more about Nancy’s story on her website, www.nancyguthrie.com.)

What does this mean?

• God, what do I do? – Instead of asking, “Why me?” when you are suffering, ask God to show you what to do with this tragedy. I’m not suggesting this is easy. God is not unaware of your struggle, and he can handle your anger as you talk to him. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”

• God is with you – God will never leave or forsake you. He’s not just beside you; he’s inside you, represented by the Holy Spirit.

• Rest in the certainty of God’s care – Trust God to work through any situation for your good. (Romans 8:28) And even though it may be difficult to see how God can do that – or to even see God at work – trust that he is moving you toward a hopeful future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

 The Power of Words
 
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. when they saw how deep the pit was, they told the tow frogs that they were as good as dead. The tow frogs ignored the comments and tired to jump up and out of the pit with all their might. the other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. the other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” the frog explained to them that he was deaf. he thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
 
This story teaches two lessons:
 
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them through the day.
 
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say.

Gods Plan for the Rest of Your Life - Enabling The Plan - Part 2

1 Timothy 6.18-19(LB) Tell people to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they’ll be storing up real treasures for themselves in heaven - it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down her as well.

Click on the link below for Sermon Handout.

2008-02-24 Sermon Handout.pdf

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2008-02-24 Sermon

Making Allowance For Each Other’s Faults
By Jon Walker

“Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2b NLT)

The more we understand, the more patient we become.

When we see the hurt beneath the anger, or the reason behind the behavior, we’re more likely to “make allowance for each other’s faults.”

The ability to understand is a sign of patience. (Proverbs 14:29) The Bible teaches, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11 NIV) God’s wisdom teaches us that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4), and that impatience is not love.

When facing a challenge to our patience, it helps to remember God is not asking us to give more patience to others than the patience he gives to us. The apostle Paul uses his own life as an example of this, saying God showed him mercy, despite his many sins, so that “Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience.” (1 Timothy 1:16 NIV)

We need patience with one another because God created each of us with different shapes, assigning each of us a different mission in life. We all have different backgrounds, and we’re each at a different place in our journey with Jesus. Practicing patience keeps our view on the things above, allowing us to see how God works even in the most difficult of circumstances. It is in patience we often learn that diversity is a strength, instead of a weakness.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with – even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.” (Romans 14:1 MSG)

What does this mean?

• Work at being consistently patient – Anybody can be patient when it’s convenient, but it’s much harder to remain patient when the day is slipping away or when you’re faced with the same mistake for the third time in one week. Patience often comes at significant cost; it requires you set aside your agenda and yield your rights in order to “welcome each other with open arms.”

• Learn to listen – Listening means more than just hearing someone talk; it means carefully considering what the other person is saying and actively trying to understand his or her point of view. The Bible says, “Listen before you answer. If you don’t, you are being stupid and insulting.” (Proverbs 18:13 TEV) That’s pretty clear! It means we shouldn’t evaluate what someone has done or said until we’ve heard the full story. God gave us two ears and one mouth, perhaps to tell us we should listen twice as much as we talk. Ha!

• Ask yourself these questions:
? What makes me impatient?
? What does my impatience say about my priorities?
? How can I better understand the people who bring out my impatience?
? Have I taken time to listen to their full stories?
? In what ways do people have to be patient with me?
? Do I give the same amount of grace to others as I expect them to give me?
? “Love is patient.” (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV) – that means love puts up with a lot for a long time. The next time your patience reaches its limit, remember how patient and understanding Jesus is with you.

Church board has a training session. Leaving at 7am. See Pastor Larry for details.

Angel Food orders wil lbe ready for Pickup at 9am

Our Lord has Risen !!!!

Join us for Sonrise service at 9am.

Pancake Breakfast at 10am

Easter Service at 10:45am

Jeff Denton and Mandi Speaker are getting married at 2pm.