Today, the Pastor's wife, Dajunna) rang the bell long and hard calling attention to (among other things) the wages of sin. (She didn't use this phrase today though).
Also, she spoke of a parable Jesus told about a rich man and a beggar name Lazarus (you can read it below). We were reminded there are more important things than money and riches, and there is not enough money in the world worth one soul.
Dajunna warned us about the possibility of spending an eternity in agony and that holding onto things that tie us to the world will not help us.
Read her notes below. I'll come back this week and add some clipart to make this more reader friendly.
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Faith Community of Hope
What is Community?
The definition of community is all the people living in an area or a group or groups of people who share common interests.
a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.
A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals: the sense of community that organized religion can provide:
What is Hope?
to cherish a desire with anticipation; to expect with confidence
a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
to believe, desire, or trust
Grounds for believing that something good may happen: he does see some hope for the future
A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.
So if we are a church that is truly a Community of Hope then we are a group of people who fellowship together, sharing the same goal of reaching the lost for Christ understanding that our ‘Hope’ comes from knowing that Jesus is coming back and one day we will live in Heaven with Him. We are confident that this will happen and that expectation gives us Hope beyond measure.
Jesus came to save us from sin and hell. Jesus came to save us from sin (which is knowingly disobeying God) and from hell (which is where we will spend eternity if we continue to knowingly disobeying God and never ask for forgiveness).
1 John 3 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation (Hope) will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.
10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
Oswald Chambers said, “Either God or sin must die in my life. If sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed.”
Satan is deceiving us by telling us that we have plenty of time to live like we want to (He says, “then you can be saved – just live it up now”) and he’s gotten the church to water down the truth of what will happen if we continue to live like that. And what’s so sad is that the church is believing the lie!!!
I recently read a Lenten Devotional from Rev. J. D. Sailors –
Luke 16:19-31 Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. 24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
We've been introduced to the nameless rich man. (There was a ‘certain’ rich man). Now we meet the poor, helpless man whose name Jesus purposely gives us. Does that not tell you how unimpressed God is with riches, fine clothes and luxury? Lazarus was a diseased beggar - no social security, no Medicare. He begged for crumbs and left-overs at a home that had plenty of each. Jesus doesn't say that his longings were ever satisfied.
The details of the dogs that came by to lick his sores do not inspire the thought of help or comfort for Lazarus. If we go back and read about making friends with money, not following two masters and being trusted with true riches, then this story will make more sense.
• "Jesus, help us to see the poor and helpless persons at our gate. Give us enough heart to know their names and do for them as we can."
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried."
Bro. Sailors said, “Although I have used this story to teach about the state of the dead - there is a more important reason for this story. This is about what we do with our resources while we have the time so that we might be welcomed into eternal dwellings. You see, Lazarus the beggar dies and finds himself in the place of the righteous dead. The other man, the man with all the possibilities in life, the nameless man, just dies: No angels, no Father Abraham, no Lazarus to welcome him. He has no obituary in glory because he has no name - he sold it. In Luke 6:24-25 Jesus teaches, "But woe to you who are rich for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry."
The rich man had poor eyesight on earth. He could not see far enough to see the beggar at his gate. But in the place of the dead (Hades), he could see Father Abraham "far away" and he could make out the form of Lazarus who was being comforted in Abraham's bosom. Now he had 20/20 vision. He could have been with Abraham, but what went wrong? Were not his riches and lifestyle the sign that God was blessing him?
The roles are reversed: The rich man once watched a beggar and did nothing for him. Now he begs for one drop of water for his own tormented tongue and body. He knows Lazarus' name. I'm sure the name haunts him as does his thoughts of what a little kindness would have profited both of them. This is agony - unquenchable agony.
• "O Lord God, what am I doing? Help me to realize what I do for others
is directly related to my final condition."
I used to be able to read this story and talk about how shallow, selfish and cowardly the rich man was. I would feel such disdain for him and felt okay with how he was receiving his just desserts. But now I am disturbed because I am certain that Jesus is aiming this story at me. And it is about those I see who beg food and those who need emotional companionship and certainly those who need to hear the gospel of salvation. I'm the rich man now. What will I be later?
Jesus is telling us in this story through the words of Abraham to the dead rich man that our eternal destiny is sealed when we cross over from life to death. The time for changes and seized opportunities has passed. There are no "make up classes". There are no "do overs". There is no seeking of forgiveness after we die. There are no prayers or offerings made for us to a church that will change our ultimate state. Abraham and Lazarus are on the blessed side of Hades and the rich man is in the torment side; all awaiting the final resurrection and judgment.
The rich man just now realized that his actions had eternal consequences. Jesus speaks a word of prophecy through the mouth of Father Abraham that explains why the resurrection of our Lord and Savior has not inspired the entire world to repent of their sins and seek God with all of their hearts. The world does not want to hear that there is a God who will require an accounting for our deeds. It doesn't matter if the speaker has just returned from Jerusalem, New York City or from the Lake of Fire; most just don't want to be bothered. Jesus said it, "For wide is the gate and broad the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it."
Now – you may think that you don’t qualify as a ‘rich man,’ but let me clarify something. 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 a day! That’s less than $300 a month or less than $3,560 a year! Compared to 80% of the world, most of us are filthy rich!! And what’s worse is we’re spending it all on ourselves! What makes us happy, what makes us comfortable, what makes us feel ‘good’ about ourselves.
We gripe, we complain, we judge, we condemn others when we’re doing worse than they are, and you can forget God about asking us to do something we don’t want to do.
Folks, Jesus didn’t want to have to endure the cross!! In John 12 Jesus said, 27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”
Right before He said that He told his disciples, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”
Then we see Jesus true human ‘feelings.’ He was agonizing over going to the cross!! But did that stop him?!!! No!!! I have watched people lately ‘agonizing’ over decisions. Should we go here for vacation, should I buy this for my house, should I charge that to my credit card which is already almost maxed out? And on top of all those agonizing decisions, Jesus has been quietly saying, “Follow me. What I have for you is so much better than anything the world offers. Will you stop and listen?”
How long has it been since we’ve ‘agonized’ over that family member who is so far out in sin, or that co-worker who is struggling with an addiction, or that friend who is battling illness or depression? How long has it been since God has called us to do something that we actually sacrificed to do?!
Sacrificing to us has become “having” to get up and go to church! We’d much rather do our own thing with ‘our’ time and forget that the world is going to hell!!! What is “our time” anyway? We don’t even know if we’ll be alive tomorrow and, what’s more, we have absolutely no control over it!!!
Real church is not a social club. It’s not where we go to ‘feel good’ about ourselves. It’s where we go to be re-claimed by God and to be recharged and re-fired and renewed and inspired to go out into a world full of lost, hurting people desperately needing Jesus and make a difference!
If Jesus were to come back this morning, would you be ready? If not, the altars are open and Jesus is calling to you. If you say, “I’m ready. I’ve got no concerns about where I’ll spend eternity,” then I would ask that you would come and pray with those who aren’t ready or pray for someone in your family or a friend you know that needs Jesus. Agonizing in prayer over a lost soul is the fastest way to get over feeling sorry for ourselves.
That’s what a Community of Hope is all about: Praying for each other and with each other until Jesus comes back. We need Jesus and we need each other. Don’t let satan deceive you into thinking any differently!
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