Sunday, April 22, 2018

Church of the Rock Bronx Community

Pastor Mark Hughes

Our Identity in Christ
Who do you be? 
1st World War shell shocked soldiers forgot who they were. They had a rally where each of a 100 soldiers asked the group, do you know who I am?

Jesus always knew who he was. Peter said you are the Christ the son of the living God. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury got on an mental tour bus and when he said who he was he got counted with the nuts. 

Augustine
1.  No longer ashamed
2.  No longer insecure
3. 

Paul said that. He was the persecuter. He had a reputation to live down. 

Last week met someone who wanted to tell him about his past. That's behind. 
Don't look back. 

2. No longer insecure. Self esteem is the new era. Sin is the biggest problem that leads to low self esteem. One's ability to achieve is directly related to self esteem. 
All Things have become new. 
God why did you make me like this. God has a right to do what he wants. 
We're all of equal value. We are not created equal. All unique. Took I. Q. Test. 21 questions. Tough. Discovered I'm an idiot. We need to remember we are unique. Know thyself. Who you are. Do what God created you for. JFK began to think he was great. Nikita Khrushchev beat him up in negotiations. 

3 times Paul told us to be and 1x to do. If you be what you be you can do. 
Jesus chose 12 uneducated men and entrusted them with the kingdom of God. 

Preached 1st message and messed it all up. Billy Graham messed up his first sermon. 

You are God's masterpiece. If God be for you who can be against you? 

We always desire approval. The most important approval comes from God. 
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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Redeemer Presbyterian East Side

Abraham Cho 
If work is as glorious as Genesis says what's wrong with it?
1. Work becomes rebellion
They began saying to each other, "Let's make bricks and harden them with fire." (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.)
Genesis 11:3 NLT
Come let us make a rival creation 
The materials to be used was a statement of rebellion. 
A tower to show the power of mankind. Set us up as gods to make a name for ourselves. So we don't have to fill the earth. 
A motive in every heart to reject God. Hubris the fatal flaw that leads to failure. 
Desire to scale the walls of heaven is our hubris. 
Our work goes wrong when we get hit with hubris. 
1. Love God 
2. Love your neighbour. All we do is to be driven my motivation of love. 
If not it becomes loving yourself. About winning and being in control. Toil by three sweat of your brow. It goes wrong when it becomes rebellion. 
2. Work becomes salvation.
V3 moving East is going farther away from God 

Then they said, "Come, let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world."
Genesis 11:4 NLT
We want our name to be a top hit in Google
The Greatest Showman track is what my family is listening to. 
The love story of creating the greatest show and looking for validation. 
Come back home. I drank champagne with kings and queens. These eyes will not be blinded

We are most godlike when we're working. How am I doing things that only God can give. Only God 

3. Work becomes defeat. 
But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.
Genesis 11:5‭, ‬9 NLT
They are scattered. Babel the gate of the gods comes to mean gibberish. 
Mercy is in God's response of scattering them. God confuses our languages to protect us. 
Abraham was promised a name by God. As a gift of grace. 

Our performances can never reach to heaven. Only God can reach us. Jesus came. The cross of suffering and shame is the human creation that reaches to heaven. Babel couldn't do it. Only the Prince of Peace could seal our salvation. 
He is bearing our hubris to silence our discontent. 
Come too Jesus today. 
Let's pray.  
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Sunday, April 08, 2018

The Empty Tomb

http://www.youranchorpoint.com
Armann Jakob Palsson associate pastor. In Winnipeg since June. 
Donavan - church went witnessing yesterday. Lots of good contacts. Next time on the 28th. Some people got on the bus for Good sharing. 

The Empty Tomb for now we see dimly. 

I see dimly. Like going to the ocean for a thimble of water and getting excited about that. 

How can we achieve more? Gratitude and relationships are as important as reading the Bible. 
Growth Gratitude Relationships
Jesus loved stories. 1/3 of his teaching was in parables. 
The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?" He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them.
Matthew 13:10‭-‬15 MSG
You will be given more wisdom joy faith. 

He who improves what he has will get more. 
Be faithful, courtiers. Extend love.

Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That's why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live.
Romans 13:1‭-‬3 MSG

We may throw the dice but God controls how they fall. 

Honour God and others.

Let's make a rule to avoid distractions for certain hours each week. 

Mom was born in a barn with a drunk doctor that threw her away. 

Listen on line. 

Susan Pinker Ted Talk personal close relationships helps people live to 100 on an island in Italy.

How can I bless the people around you. Think of others before yourself. JOY - Jesus first Others next Yourself last.

We need each other. Live long by being with others. Live long spiritually by being with others in church. Get pumped to be with others.

Let's not tear each other down. Keep meeting and encouraging one another. 

Contact the missing. Keep an eye out for one another. 

Think about this song, 
 In the morning, when I rise,
in the morning, when I rise,
in the morning, when I rise,
give me Jesus.

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Sunday, April 01, 2018

Happy Resurrection Day

Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus' body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:38‭-‬42 NLT

www.EasTview. org chor: Hear the bells ringing Jesus is risen

They sealed the tomb

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. for until then they still hadn't understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home.
John 20:1‭-‬2‭, ‬7‭, ‬9‭-‬10 NLT

Alone in my sorrow and dead in my sin. Your grace was so free washes over me
When death was arrested and my life began
Oh, Your grace so free
Washes over me
You have made me new
Now life begins with You
It's your endless love
Pouring down on us
You have made us new
Now life begins with You
Christ is risen indeed
500 eye witnesses proved Jesus had risen. It took a miracle to convince the disciples that he was alive. Remember the empty tomb. 

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. "Dear woman, why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him." "Mary!" Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for "Teacher"). Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she gave them his message.
John 20:11‭-‬12‭, ‬15‭-‬16‭, ‬18 NLT

The doors were locked. Jesus did not need to open doors. Just to be where no one else could go. 
Jesus can help when no one else can. He'll give you victory. He can reach in to you. He simply shows up. Would you allow Jesus to find you today? 

There are so many nice resurrection songs why do we need to listen to noise? 

Doors were locked in the evening when loneliness and fear is at the highest. Jesus stepped into it. 
Behind locked doors we feel safe. 
Satan tries to mess you up. To leave you hanging there. 

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" "My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."
John 20:24‭-‬25‭, ‬27‭-‬29 NLT

Filled with wonder awestruck wonder

Jesus's death was difficult. Thomas was agitated. The sceptic in him screamed that he had to touch the wounds.

It happened. Jesus showed up in person. My Lord and my God! Those who believed he gave the right to be children of God. Surrender to Jesus today. Get the peace He offers. Pray now. 

Jesus Messiah name above all names

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? The King of Glory. 
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