Madison Trinity Church

We've all been on job interviews in our days. And some of the questions we have as we go through the interview process are related to the "fringe" benefits of that job. We want to know our salary, what are the health benefits, dental benefits, vacation time and the list goes on. But today, we are going to look at the benefits of God's love. These benefits are not "fringe". The benefits of God's love are core, central and solid benefits that we will experience as believers in Jesus Christ.

Faith is powerful. Every person alive depends on faith at some level every single day. We would not be able to function for long without some measure of faith. When we get into our car, we have faith that it will start and will safely get us from point A to point B. But what about faith when it comes to our eternity. Are we confident our faith is in the right place? Are we sure we have a saving faith? Who is the object of your faith? Do you rely on your wealth? Do you rely on your good deeds? Do you rely on your skill and ability? Do you rely on the One True God? Ultimately, where we place our faith for eternity makes all the difference. More specifically, who is the object of your faith?

Today, I would like to take some time and examine what being a follower of Jesus looks like. Because we do not always follow Jesus the way that we should. And it is important for us to remind ourselves that we are neglecting God's work. We are neglecting our relationship with Him. We are placing our wills ahead of the will of the Father in heaven. But when we pay attention to God and listen to Him, when we put His will above our own will, it is amazing the things he works out in our lives. And God cares for all the details of your life. He cares for and loves you deeply. After all, He has given His best for you. He has given you His Son Jesus Christ, who became the propitiation for our sins. Because of Him, our sin debt has been wiped clean. Jesus doesn't just want us to participate in the work He is doing. He wants us to be confident in Him and confident in His grace, confident in Him to direct our path and lead us into righteousness as we share His great love with the world.

Have you ever been required to do something and been resistant in fulfilling your responsibility? Have you ever known something is important yet you were reluctant to getting it done? Have you ever known that if you do not get a specific task completed that there would be grave consequences? Yet you decide to wait, put it off until later or procrastinate anyhow. I am sure we have all found ourselves in these types of situations. Maybe we do not like the task at hand. Maybe we do not think that we are good enough to finish the job well. Maybe we just don't feel like it. Or maybe we are worried that we will make things worse if we take the necessary steps to simply get it done.

Uncertainty is one of the things that causes us to be vulnerable, dependent. It certainly doesn't bring about self-confidence or self-fulfillment. It is in this state, that God can accomplish his greatest work in our lives. It is when we realize that we are vulnerable. We are dependent, solely and wholly on Him and Him alone. And during these past few weeks of uncertainty, I have asked myself many questions. And as I was perusing the scriptures, I came across a story of a man by the name of Nathanial. Though his circumstances are different than mine in so many ways, I could not help but to see parallels that could happen in our thought processes.

Happy New Year Church family. Today is the first Sunday of 2021 and I pray God blesses the Church with great power and influence over the culture of the world this year. I pray that rather than being assimilated into the culture, we become change-agents in today's world. I pray the Church impacts the world mightily and that many hearts are drawn into a saving relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ. I remember before I became Christian listening to my mom and dad discuss with other family members and some visitors about God. I remember that I was always intrigued by their conversations and hung on their every word. I didn't know much about Him but I was, by that time, keenly aware that I did not always follow the rules and that I disobeyed God and my parents from time to time.

It is the Sunday before Christmas which is a time of celebration for the Church of Jesus Christ. In just a few days, we will be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. It is a day of great rejoicing, a day to bask in the wondrous work of God. The day of Jesus' birth was planned by God before the foundations of the earth were set into place. This day has been prophesied numerous times in the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus birth has had such a profound impact that His birth is celebrated across the globe every year and has been celebrated now for more than 2 centuries.

Today we are joyful because of our confidence in Christ. We are joyful because we know that one day we will be in God's presence forever. We will never know trials and difficulty, pain or suffering, nor shall we know sin anymore. Because we will be in the presence of Almighty God with OUR glorified bodies never to be troubled again. This eternal bliss, the bliss that fills us with joy is because we have chosen to lean on the everlasting arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Since our new birth, he has strengthened our faith consistently until now. As we trust Him more, he increases our faith.

In this life, we experience many things. We experience happiness, sadness, difficulty, times of peace, times of turmoil, love, hate, anger, excitement, times of wonder, times of hope, etc . . . However, the one thing that we experience on a regular basis and without fail is the experience of sinning. We find ourselves giving in to the temptation of getting our way; or doing what we want though we know it is wrong; or lashing out in selfish anger; or lying or gossiping, slander others, deceive, are boastful, are envious; or indulging with possessions, money, food, working too much, laziness, etc. As a Christian, I get frustrated, angry with myself and wonder how a righteous a pure God could ever forgive me time and time again. There are Christians who even want to give up on their faith because they feel hopeless in their sins.

The very definition of Advent is “the Arrival of a notable person. The arrival of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, is about as notable of an arrival one will ever know. For there is no one greater than He. It is Jesus who brought peace, everlasting peace into the world. The way we find lasting peace, eternal peace is ONLY through Jesus Christ. For it is by Him and Him alone that we can receive the gracious and free gift of salvation. So today, we begin Advent, we are going to focus on the hope given to mankind by God. Hope in anyone or anything else is fleeting and does not last. Our hope for a better future, our hope for lasting peace, our hope for salvation will not be lasting without God. You cannot know and experience everlasting hope until you know God and know Him on a personal level. It is when you begin a relationship with Jesus Christ that you begin to understand the power of eternal hope in Him.

God works out His will on this earth through His Church. This is His chosen method of spreading the Gospel message, to demonstrate His great love for humanity, to equip the brethren, to feed the poor, to serve the widow, and to demonstrate His great love by our unity in Christ. That is why I commented last week that it has always puzzled me when someone thinks it is okay to be a Lone Ranger Christian. They think it is okay to make it a habit of not assembling together and participating in worship and praise to our Lord, they make it a habit to be separate from the Body of Christ as we learn and grow, learn to be more like God. We have been called to participate in God's work together, to strengthen and encourage one another, to pray for one another. But when we have the capability and wherewithal to participate and we do not, we are missing a big part of who we are as a believer. If we refuse to assemble with the Body of Christ when we are capable to do so, (I believe) it is sin.

If someone asked you to define the Christian Church, how would you answer them? What does it mean to you when you say, “I am going to Church”? What does Church mean to you? How important is Church in your Christian life? Is it something that you can ignore? Is it something a believer can live without? Is the Church a place? Is it a building? Or is it something different? We don't just go to the Church. We are the Church. Every believer makes up the Church. The Church is not this physical building. If fact, this building can be destroyed and the property it stands on can be taken from us and that is okay because, none of it is the Church. This building, the property that it rests on is simply a place for the Church to gather that we might worship God. That we might prepare and do the work He has given us.

Has there ever been a time when you have lost optimism in life? Have you ever thought it is time to throw in the towel because of things going on in the world, in our nation, in your family? Have you ever felt there isn't any hope for things to change? Or what's the use trying? Have you ever been disgusted with what you are seeing on the news or on the political front? I am sure that most of us can answer yes to one or more of these questions. There are times when we struggle with what is happening in our lives and what is happening around us. In these times, we should never quit. We should strive to make a difference in the world. We should work towards a better tomorrow. We should be the most optimistic group of people on the planet. It doesn't matter who is in charge of our nation because God has placed them there. It doesn't matter who is your congressmen, God placed them there? It doesn't matter who your state representatives are, God placed them there. Don't misunderstand, we must participate in our civic duties and vote so our vote may make a difference. After all, God works through his people. It also doesn't matter who your boss is, God placed him in that position. It doesn't matter who your parents are, God placed them in that position of authority in your life. Brothers and sisters, we have so much to be thankful for as believers, after all, God has our backs. He will never leave us. He will never allow us to face a circumstance that separates us from Him. He is ALWAYS with us.

This week we are going to focus on the love, grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are going to focus on the very power of God to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin. From all eternity, God has been full of grace and mercy. He has always loved us with an everlasting love, with a love that surpasses our comprehension. Before the foundation of the earth, God had a plan for our redemption. He always planned to accomplish His saving work at the cross. He demonstrated His great love for all mankind through His redeeming work at the cross. He knew the world would see it as foolish. Yet His mind was not and will never be on what man thinks. His purpose and will shall always be worked out by His wisdom and His plan. When Jesus began his ministry, His disciples never realized that Jesus was going to ultimately, willingly, lay down His life. He was going to lay it down of His own free accord. Remember, Peter, rebuked Jesus in Matthew 16:22 when he told the Lord, “Never, Lord! . . . this shall never happen to you!” Jesus immediately responded to him and said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

When it is very dangerous and unpopular to live for Jesus, what type of preaching do you need to hear. You need to hear preaching from James who wrote the book of James and is the half brother of Jesus. He wrote his letter to people who were being scattered all over the world because of their faith in Jesus Christ. He was teaching the Church the real Gospel. He didn't teach that everything was going to be okay and that you would experience only health and wealth as a believer in Christ. He knew better and he taught truth. He prepared the Church for difficult times, for times of trouble. He taught them to endure trials and to endure trouble. It really is time that we start teaching that everything is NOT going to be okay. We need to start teaching that there will be trouble and that life will not be a bed of roses. Life will not be filled with the fulfillment of your every desire and your every longing. Rather, we need to teach that we will struggle with this world. We will find ourselves at odds with the rulers and powers of this world. We should find ourselves exposing the truth regardless of the consequences. But we must endure and find the blessings of God in our struggle. Find blessing as we endure trouble. As we are about to learn, we are called to count it ALL JOY as we face trials of many kinds.

It is amazing to me how many people journey through life without a care in the world. Some chase after the next big thing. While others work and toil for the next toy they can bring home. We have become a very materialistic culture. And our focus has turned to entertainment and any pleasure there is to be had. We are always filling our minds with something. We must have the television on, the radio on, a book in our hand, a website on our computer screen, or be glancing at the latest social media content available on our cellular phones. What happened to being quiet, being still? What happened to pondering and meditating before the Lord without any background noise? What happened to just being present with Him and without distraction?

God did not establish the Church to be unproductive, unchallenged, unprepared, unfulfilled, lazy, procrastinators who simply sit in the pews every week to pray, sing a few songs, listen to the pastor preach, socialize for a while and then go home. The Church is far more than this. Its mission is too important and there is too much at stake for us to be tepid, to be weak or to be neutral in our beliefs. No, the Apostle Paul told us that we are MORE than conquerers in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we get so focused and immersed in what we are doing or we are one who gets overwhelmed easily or we are one who didn't get to play the role we wanted to play or we are one who thought we should go in a different direction, we still must serve the Lord in a manner that is honoring to Him. We do not want to be one who is caught up in complaining and grumbling. We cannot get the work of God done in an effective manner by grumbling and complaining. In all we do for the Lord, we should do it as though we are doing it directly for Him because, in reality, we are. We should do it with hearts of appreciation, humble hearts, and willing hearts.

Jesus' willing sacrifice at the cross was THE most selfless act ever to take place in all of time. The humility, the act of making Himself nothing on behalf of the world who does not deserve His mercy and turned their backs on Him is an act He did out of His eternal deep love for humanity even as we rejected Him and mocked Him. God still loves us! He gave His all for us. And we are called to humbly imitate Christ. We are called to give of ourselves. We are called to be His servants and to follow in His example.

Throughout the centuries, the sword was the primary weapon used in hand to hand combat. The sword was always at hand and ready to use. The sword is vital to the success and survival of any soldier during those times. Without a sword, the soldier would quickly fall at the hands of their enemies. For without it, the soldier did not have any means of attack. It was his primary offensive weapon. When we look at the Sword of the Spirit, we know that the word Spirit describes the nature of the sword. It is not a physical sword. Rather, from the context we are aware that the Sword of the Spirit is a spiritual weapon. We know that this is the primary weapon we, as believers, will use as we struggle against our spiritual enemies. See the Sword of the Spirit indicates the moving of the Holy Spirit.

The helment of Salvation protects the head of the believer. Think about the fact that it is our in our minds that the attacks of the devil happen. Spiritual warfare is not a physical battle. It is a spiritual fight. When Satan attacks, he attacks us in the mind. One of his most powerful weapons is to attack with discouragement and doubt. He knows that if he causes a believer to doubt or to be discouraged that he can negatively impact our spiritual impact in the world and in our personal spiritual walk with the Lord. Remember, God wants His children to depend on Him. He wants us to willingly trust Him.

Consider the Christians spiritual footwear, the Gospel of Peace. Without the Gospel of Peace, the Christian will quickly stumble and fall. Because he is lacking the power of the cross without being equipped with the Gospel of Peace. He is one who will suffer many defeats. We have talked about the importance of the Gospel many times. In fact, the Gospel is the premise of every legitimate Christian sermon preached. The Gospel is at the center of every legitimate Christian organization and Church. Without the Gospel, we might as well close the doors to this building. For without the Gospel, our message is pointless and without affect.

I remember in the early '90's the call to action that the American military was about to experience through Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. It was a time that the strength of our military was going to be put to the test. During deployment, it was a massive undertaking. We had to send massive amounts of equipment, artillery, firepower in general and manpower to the Middle East to prepare and fight. It was a time of unrest for our nation and our young men and women who were being called to serve in a manner that could require them to lay down their lives.

As believers, we are called to serve God and be imitators of Christ. We are called to Christian living. We must make a conscious decision everyday to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, to deprive them of their wicked desires. This conscious decision is something that requires us to continually be prepared for battle and when the time comes, we will fight the wicked desires of our sinful flesh.

We recently started a bible study in the book of Romans. One day as I was handing out the study guide for the next study preparation which was titled, “The Bad News”. After a few comments over this title, I started thinking about the gravity of the BAD NEWS. It dawned on me in a fresh way how important it is that we understand the bad news. For if we do not understand it, how is the good news really any good.

WWW.MADISONTRINITY.ORG There is a great danger that we must always be on guard against. We must be diligent in our work for the Lord. We must keep our eyes on the prize. We must keep our focus heavenward. Because we do have an adversary, the devil. He will do all he can to disrupt our Christian growth. He will send us false teachers. He will put stumbling blocks in our path. He will do all he can to discourage us and to cause us to doubt our salvation.

WWW.MADISONTRINITY.ORG If we are eager to come before the Lord and listen to what He is ready to teach us today, we, most likely, spend much time with Him throughout the day, everyday. We, most likely, open the pages of Scriptures every day and dig in to the meat of the Gospel. We, most likely, spend time meditating on the Word. We, most likely, spend time in prayer seeking understanding. We, most likely, are growing in relationship with the Lord because we are spending quality and quantity time with Him.

WWW.MADISONTRINITY.ORG Several times in the last week, I found myself focusing on past sins. I was thinking many what if situations. I was really being hard on myself about things I cannot change. I can't make the consequences nor the outcome change. They remain and life moves forward. Don't misunderstand, meaningful reflection is important and we should reflect. These reflections remind us of where we've been so we can more fully appreciate where we are headed. For example, as I reflect on past sins, I find myself more appreciative and grateful to God for His amazing grace and forgiveness. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that Christ intervened on my behalf and paid a sin debt that is more costly than I could ever pay.

WWW.MADISONTRINITY.ORG Most everyone enjoys a good story. We love a story that holds our attention and keeps us at the edge of our seat in anticipation of what is coming next. Many people love to tell good stories and are masters of the tale. But there is a storyteller that we all should watch out for. We should be ready to quickly end the story and bring it to a close. There may be some who are listening to me who is one who is this type of storyteller, one who loves to talk behind the backs of others, to tell tales, to embellish the truth to make the story more exciting or more astonishing than it really is.

WWW.MADISONTRINITY.ORG This name, “I AM” had great significance to Israel. So in Jesus' day, it would certainly have serious significance to the Israelites. Any mention of that name would certainly rouse any eyebrow of any Jewish leader.

I often think about my Heavenly Father as I watch my children grow. I often ask God if I bring Him that kind of joy when I obey. Does His heart hurt when I turn my back on Him and disobey His established structure for my life? Does He rejoice when I finally understand the WHY behind his rules and His guidance?

The first answer to that nagging hole in our hearts is to recognize that it is a God shaped hole that is filled by knowing Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. When we trust Christ and turn our lives over to Him. We have THE most fulfilling relationship a human being can ever experience. He is always with you. He always has your back. He listens to you when no one else will. Your hope is found in Him alone.

Have you ever had a period in your life where you felt all alone? Have you ever felt that there isn't anyone there for you? Have you felt lost with the feeling of no support and of no one understanding you?

God has empowered men and women with His Spirit to produce much fruit. He has empowered His Church to move according to the Spirit of God. As the Spirit gives us utterance, God's mighty work will be accomplished through us. It is by the power of the Spirit of God that God's power is expressed and demonstrated through the Church. As the Spirit works in and through us, we can accomplish much for the Kingdom of God because God is moving us.

When the Bible teaches the Church about end times, these teachings are meant to bring us comfort in our times of trouble. They are meant to bring us hope that one day there will be no more evil and no more trouble. One day God will restore the Earth to its original purity. The study of end times has been a consuming passion of many in today's church. There are many sensational best-selling authors who argue that the current events of the day fulfill biblical prophecy. There are many dubious interpretations of biblical prophecy and many who even claim to know the day or hour of Christ's return. Which is amazing since Jesus did not even know the day or the hour.

God is teaching His people that they have no reason to fear for He is our God. We are His children and there isn't anyone who can harm us for He is with us. God wants us to come to Him in our times of trouble. He longs for us to depend on Him that is why He said, “Do NOT be dismayed.” Because He is our strength, He is our hope, He is our refuge and in Him alone will we find rest for our souls for He is our God, our Lord and our King and there is NONE like Him.

The job of being a mother is one that never ends this side of heaven. Our mothers will always seek to protect and defend us. They always want what is best for us and each one demonstrate it in a different way. God has entrusted every mother with an eternal person. They have participated in bringing an eternal soul into the world. Each mother has been given an enormous responsibility to train her child in the ways of the Lord, to ensure they know and understand the awesome majesty and glory of the Most High God and Jesus Christ who brought them into existence. Being a mother is a very high calling that should never be taken lightly. May God's grace and enduring love shine through every mother today and may the light of His Kingdom be seen in their daily walk.

There was a period in my walk with Christ that I got caught up in listening to the false teachers without realizing it. I was pulled in by their message as well. Once I admitted it, I had to decide whether I should turn my heart to the One True God or remain a faithful listener of the teachers I've grown fond of over those years. At the end of the day, each of us must choose, do we believe the teachings of Christ or do we believe the teachings of these false teachers?

I personally cannot imagine facing death without knowing my Lord. I can't imagine the fear and anxiety I would have as I stood at death's door. And rightly so, aside from the power of the cross, we have no hope, no redemption. We would be left to face the complete and eternal separation from the Creator of the heavens and the earth. We would face eternal torment and only because we chose to turn our backs on God.

Today let us take a look at how God restores us and gives us hope in Christ and the confidence we have because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can have confidence in the resurrection of Christ. There are some who will try to refute the resurrection just as they did in Jesus day. They will say that it cannot be proven. But the fact is there is a wealth of proof out there for anyone willing to take the time and objectively seek it out and give consideration to the weight of evidence for the resurrection of our Lord. Our primary text, as Christians, is the Bible. In the Bible, we will find much to support the resurrection. We see many eyewitnesses who boldly proclaim He has risen.

Today is a day of victory for the Church. It is a mighty day of victory where we stand and shout from the mountaintops that He is ALIVE, the KING has risen. Death could not hold Him. His tomb is empty and his body is not in decay. Praise the Lord! Our loving and gracious KING has risen from the dead. We have our victory in Him. From this day forward, death shall not rule in the life of any believer. We WILL reign with Christ.

Today is Palm Sunday. It is the day we celebrate the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when palm branches were placed in His path, before His arrest on Holy Thursday and His crucifixion on Good Friday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. There is much during Holy Week that we, as Christians, should ponder and celebrate. For this is the week that encapsulates the purpose of Jesus' earthly ministry. His primary purpose will be fulfilled during Holy Week. On Thursday, He will be arrested and on Friday, He will be crucified and next Sunday we will celebrate His resurrection. But today we will primarily focus on His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and the meaning behind His death.

03/29/2020 We must understand that if we do what we do NOT want to do, we agree the law is good. Nothing good lives in us, that is, in our sinful nature. We learn that if we do what we don't want to do, it is no longer us who do it, rather, it is sin living in us that does it. For our inner being delights in God's law. There is another law that is working in us. We know this law is found in Jesus Christ. And it is Him who frees us from the bondage of sin. In our minds, we are slaves to the law of God. Our flesh is a slave to the law of sin. That is why we, as Christians have a war waging inside of us. We continually battle the temptation of our sinful flesh. While, in our minds, we want to be pure and serve the Living God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We know until the day we stand in the eternal presence of Jesus Christ, we will fight this war. But we can be confident, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in each one of us who believe that we will endure to the END.

Over the past several weeks, we have experienced troubles in ways we have not seen in our times. I never thought I would see a time when schools, business and organizations would be shut down across the entire nation due to an outbreak of a virus sweeping across the globe. We still don't know what the full impact will be. There are many who are in panic, stressing and worrying about the unknown of what may or may not happen. All you need to do is walk through a local supermarket to grasp how panicked people are getting. The shelves are stripped bare in many parts of the stores. It is easy to get wrapped up in what is happening. We cannot turn on the television or radio without hearing about the latest developments. We can't browse the internet, especially in social media without reading about the corona virus. You cannot even go to work without it being THE topic of discussion throughout the workplace.

Grace covers a multitude of sins. There is not one sin too great for God's grace to cover it. His grace is sufficient enough to pay the debts of every sin ever committed in the past by the entire world, every present sin and every future sin of every man. Because of God's grace is greater than sin, there is hope for every individual ever born to know Him. God's grace abounds far beyond our greatest sins! Since this is true, should we be cavalier in our sins and ignore righteous behavior?

There are many places in the Bible where we read about Living Water. We know that Living Water is precisely what our souls need. If we drink of this Living Water, we will never thirst again. We will be set free from the burdens of sinful living. It is this Living Water that will sustain us to Eternal Life. Today we are going to take a journey with Jesus through the town of Samaria. As we journey here, we will see the fruit of this Living Water play out in the life of a woman and her entire town. There are a couple of lessons I would like us to learn on this journey.

God's creation opens our eyes to the fact that we have a Creator. When we look at nature around us, the mountains, the canyons, the massive sky, the stars, the birds of the air, the creatures walking the earth, the flowers and grass and lakes, rivers, streams and oceans, all of these things cry out of a Creator who keeps order and everything in its place. It is too complex to see it any other way. It was not an accident.

We serve the One true God. He loves us with an everlasting love. He doesn't expect us to have a blind faith as we serve Him. He has given us every opportunity to know Him intimately. As we examine the world around us, we can see God in all His creation. We see the work of His hands. He has given us His written Word so we might know Him more intimately. We learn about our fallen nature and His enduring love for us through the Word of God. He teaches us many lessons as we peruse the pages of Scripture. Today I would like to spend some time in Ephesians to learn some practical lessons of living from the Lord.

There are different types of love which we will briefly discuss today. However, I would like to focus on the love that is far deeper and meaningful than the fleeting love we so often see in the world today. The love we routinely see in the world is one that involves no commitment and easily gives up. As soon as things get difficult, this love quickly dies and moves on to the next person or situation that gives us the FEELING of love.

As Christians, we are part of the family of God. We are His possession. We live and dwell in His presence. he has brought each of us under the shadow of His protection. We cannot be destroyed by our enemies. God has lavished his abundant love, grace and mercy out on every believer. He is OUR Father and in Him we find our rest.