When God Walks on The Earth
The song they have any Sundays we get to talk about the good news every single thing every song. We have sung this morning points the good news of Jesus Christ the Messiah of the kind of crazy to me today that here in America that Christianity continues to being declined or around the world like fire. Where people hear the good news of Christ? And I believe it. A couple years ago. There was a missionary Pastor from India that came and had lunch with us at our last church and he was describing the missional church movement in India where it reminded me of John Wesley what he did here in America, he would train up these young boys 16 17 years old that newly Christian to go out and preach the good news. And they would have maybe a 48-hour crash course of Seminary but no way they got everything. I can't learn Greek and Hebrew that quit, but they got the basics. That Jesus Christ was the Messiah and you know just today or yesterday. I was reading online how in India a church was burned down to the ground and how the Christians were threatened to be killed. So this is a real thing you're at the Christmas season that Christians around the world that are fighting to proclaim. The good news are Mark and we herfel opportunity to preach the good news to share the good news with our neighbors and the worst thing that can happen to us if they don't like us anymore. But they're not going to kill us. At least not now so we have to go in this country get a fire under us to go and preach the good news of Jesus. It's a joyous Sunday to hear that. Jesus was born that that Jesus died for us.
Lars Hermann is when God walks on the earth and the lectionary has really been challenging me to preach out of Isaiah cuz I wouldn't if not first Sunday after Christmas. It's so it didn't even take acting classes in high school or college. Man, I wish I would have I wish that would have been great because I needed to self confidence boost like 2 years ago. I was told by Pastor that I needed to find my what the road does that mean? I need to know who I really am. I would have Richard the person and then Richard the preacher and have two different voices every Sunday. What was that about? I didn't know who I was I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. And I almost had like the split personality disorder right where your two people and what I have found is it's much easier just to be one person all the time be who you are. And you might be like this at work maybe with your friends. You're a different person. But that gets really hard to maintain and I am sure as you get older that goes away more and more from what I hear. But as a young man, you have certain circles that you're apart of. But the truth is when we go before the Lord the King of Kings, he does know when we sleep does know when we make mistakes. We talked about our citizenship mean in heaven last week our DNA comes from God. Our DNA tells us that God created man in His image. We are physically Heart Of God, we did a conference for young girls in Illinois. And one of the things that we said about the Beautiful You conference. And we had kids, you know didn't have parents and what not and we would tell these kids they were made in the image of God. How powerful is that? We are made in his and he knows my good days and my bad when I pray and when I forget to you knows when I read the Bible and I don't read the Bible knows when I'm in church when I'm not in church. There's no second personality with God. He knows it all. I get it when I die and go before the Lord. I hope that he can say good and faithful servant. That's my hoe this morning. We're going to really talk about what it means to be Children of the king what it means to be Children of the Living God the God who walked on the Earth. That's incredible. No other God has walked upon the Earth. First 7,000 this morning of God unchanging love. He tells us here. I will work out the Lord's faithful acts. I will sing the Lord's Praises because all the Lord did for us. For God's great favor towards the house of Israel. God treating them compassionately and with deep affection.
In the moments that God is with us and is easy to praise him. It's the moments that we think he's not the moments of difficulty that it becomes harder to say praise be to God but it reminds me of the song 106 praise the Lord give thanks to the Lord because he is good because his faithful love endures forever. Who could possibly repeat all the Lord's Mighty acts are publicly recount all of his grace?
God is a good parents. He is the model of what it means to be a parent. Regardless if we've had good relationships or bad relationships with our moms and dads are grandparents. God is the example not the other way around. Why because our Salvation the love of God is not dependent upon what we do. Has nothing to do with that as we read and that last verse did that's what's important this morning. It is a covenant God steadfast Covenant Covenant is a clause in a contract contract. That God will love us. Yeah, it's hard for people even like me that grew up in a faith tradition. That was very legalistic where you got to do all these steps and then God will love you. Are you don't do things because you're afraid that you might go to help me out when I was a teenager not to get in trouble. Right? I didn't get in too much trouble. I might have gotten that was the fighter now. She got them, too. But this morning.
I don't know what to do.
There should be a picture of presents.
They are okay great. So like the Christmas present and let them sit there and look pretty under that tree. Ricky Lee's going to unwrap wants to know what time if we never unwrap them. We will never fully know the joy of what the wrapping the present is really not knowing what you're going to get. So this should have taken the closet few times, but I think we Sinners Forever by unwrapping that presser. Are we on rapping? Are we going to sit there on the couch? area going to read through first response to our Praises. He says God said truly they are my people children who won't do what is wrong. God became their savior. P we always ask on Sunday for the whole East within each of us God is in our heart a four-year-old a little child come down upon us to fill this space to make its versus says if we will be his people will be our God.
Notice of state that children who won't do wrong now. I talked a little bit earlier about finding your voice find our voice because our being our self becomes who God wants us to be. We don't have to think about it. When I was in high school, right the Christians were accused of not having fun. Having fun as a Christian. I have had more fun than those which I really love. still going Israel for my Seminary graduation out to the countless kids and chollanu that we've impacted and then a part of and once in awhile, I guess I think this is what older people do. I don't know Amanda and I will sit there and talk and it's incredible to sit and watch God in the church. I remember when we left Monroe V Ministry. How incredible God did nothing else during that time except call that kid in the ministry awesome our job was done. But because that's who we are as children of the king. It becomes who we are personality four corners of the earth baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ship with them.
I know what can you help me out?
Are we go Joshua 24:15 the Lord? Do we have to ask ourselves? It's not just a cliche that we put up on the wall. But do we really mean that my family and I will serve the Lord whatever that looks like. No. Christians and Jews got to got to hide Jewish people persecution. We're hiding Jewish folks Chris. I helped the Underground Railroad getting for a long time have done the unthinkable.
Being a time in our lives that God asks us to step up to the just serve the kingdom. the surface children our last verse here this morning. Send me verse 9 and it tells us that God hurts. Turn all their distress Scott also was the struts. So a messenger who sings lifting and carrying them through out earlier pops. The parrot God hurts when we hurt when we have joy. He finds joy. So let me think that is has to be real for you when your kid cries still to this day brings up his school. Is that their school? Because he was there a lot of change in a very short. Of time for a 4 year old. And sometimes it's sad and he'll tell you I'm sad. And again as a dad, I just want to I want to pick them up. I want to love on them. But I also know that it's an excuse for bad behavior. So God cries and I mean correction when we need correction, and sometimes we don't like it very much because most of the time until we get to that point. And I have seen people that he's going through a lot. God is the parent that with ternatea and there is nothing another scripture. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. We can all be big centers this morning. And say hurtful things and that's not good. But God is still going to love us anyway. Now should we get on our knees absolutely. Should we ask God to record Behavior? Absolutely and when you ask God to fix something in your life, believe it or not. He's going to do it. And sometimes it's unlikely how he's going to do that. But God is that model of that good parents still on my own children. So when he grows up when Anna grows up where Christianity has just Fallen apart in this country. advice in the church guy is right there fighting for each of us lifting us up in our moments of trouble and distress. God is there. It says not Isaiah 41:10. Don't fear because I am with you. Don't be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you I will surely help you. I will uphold you with my righteous strong hand.
You ever had a fear God is there?
You're not our God walks with us.
He is different. All these other religions have a God. In fact for Generations in the Bible. They were there. Drop the entire Old Testament, but we are told that the god of Israel the god of Jacob the god of Isaiah the god of the Bible is real. Jesus demonstrated us to us through the Miracles due to rising from the dead and fulfilled. Because he is our hope. So the question is this first Sunday after Christmas. Are we willing to open the presents under the tree that it gave us the present of Salvation that we don't have to do anything for? Accept say yes. Are we willing to be a child of the king? How do we do that by being his people as he tells us from the scriptures? And if we are if we're red. Just get ready put on your seatbelts because being a Christian is really a roller coaster. You never know where God is going to bring you. I look forward to being on that Journey with you to seeing where God leads us as a church continues to lead us as the faithful people of this congregation.
Oh mighty God. We thank you for The Scripture. It speaks for itself this morning. That you are with us all the days of our life. That through what you did for us in your fur. and Ascension God we praise you for those miracles of the faith that you fulfill the Old Testament. God that you are the Living God the Messiah of the world. God help us by being a Christian all the days of our life of your son preach the good news to this community.