December 25th, 2016
Christmas Day
Text: Ephesians 2:8-9
Subject: Year End Sermon
Title: Back Where We Started
Merry Christmas to everyone! What a blessing it is to be able to stand here with you and share my heart this morning!
I want to begin with this – Some of you may have seen my post on FB and on the church Facebook page from Thursday morning. I think I need to share that with all of you.
As I was going through my normal discipline of reading the Word and praying through my prayer list and then just spending time seeking the Lord and listening, I heard the Lord, not in my ears but in my spirit, and He was taking me back to my childhood days in Ferguson, MO before my mom and dad divorced. Family life wasn’t always the greatest then for us, but Christmas always brought something special. It was like the Christmas season brought us together somehow and on Christmas Eve our family was always together and at that time everything seemed perfect. There was the camaraderie and fellowship that families are supposed to have and the sensed of belonging. And on top of that there was the anticipation of what the next day would bring. The anticipation was heightened by our expectation.
And as I was before the Lord Thursday morning He spoke into my spirit, “This church is that family that you sought as a child, and the anticipation and expectation that you experienced is about to be unleashed in this family in such a powerful way that you will not be able to miss it when it comes.”
Hallelujah!
So we want to thank you all for being our family.
Not only is this Christmas Day, but it is also the last Sunday of the Year. And I thought about where we began the year and how we got to the place where we are today… you know, I presidential elections, one of the things that candidates ask is, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” My question to you today is, “Are you better off (spiritually speaking) than you were last year at this time”?
Today I want to look at the past year and hit some of the high points of the many sermon series that I preached in 2016, and see how we got to the place where we are today.
We begin today with this one basic scripture from Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
I believe this is God’s word…
I believe it is for me…
I accept it as mine…
I will appropriate it to my life today…
In Jesus’ name…
We began the year with a series about grace called Growing in Grace. And my focus through that series was to help you understand that grace is available to you at every point of your life story. Were it not for grace we wouldn’t even be hear today. Without grace you couldn’t get out of bed, work a job, have your breakfast or be here in church this morning. It is grade that puts breath in your lungs.
When we talk about grace, what is it that we really mean? The most popular definition of the word “grade” is this… grace is God’s unmerited favor… The words grace and favor are the same Greek word. IT IS THE GIFT OF God GIVEN TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE.
Our beginning scripture tells us that grace is involved in our salvation. God has done His part through His Son – His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, and finally His ascension into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for you and me.
Grace has been given for us to be saved but it is not until we agree with God concerning His work and then receive it by our faith that we are saved. And the same holds true for every aspect of the total work of Christ on the cross. That work included or healing, our blessings, our authority, all of which we can only receive by faith. God has already done His part. Have you received any grace recently? If not, don’t you think it’s about time for your faith to kick in and to begin receiving grace, and then more grace, and then abundant grace. For the Lord gives us grace in proportion to our faith.
One of my favorite definitions of grace – and I guess it’s more than a definition, but an explanation of grace at work in you – grace is God’s power and presence manifested in your life. The early disciples were the proof of grace being continually poured out upon those who would receive it. They had received salvation by faith when Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit…” They were baptized in the Spirit’s power by faith on the day of Pentecost – another act of grace… Acts 4:33 (NKJV)
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
Following our series on grace we began a series on healing. Our focus scripture was Matthew 8:16-17 (NKJV)
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."
The topic of healing was a natural progression from our series on grace because healing involves grace and that grace has already been given according to our scripture passage.
In order for us to be healed we first must be convinced that it is God’s will that we be healed. In order for us to do that we have to look at the progression of events in human history.
1. The sin of Adam. Romans 5:12 (NIV2011)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
In our world today what is it that brings death to most people? Isn’t it sickness? If death came into the world through Adam’s sin then didn’t sickness also come that way?
2. The work of Christ…
But 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV2011)
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 John 3:8 (NKJV)
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
3. Your response to His promises…
1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
The promise of healing comes in our response to His Word and our obedience to His word, and our faith in the Living Word. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Our next series was “Releasing God’s Power by Your Faith.” Our focus was on this body of believers becoming a power church. Do you have power? According to the scriptures, if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit then you have the power of God available to you so that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Is that power in you? How did you receive it? It is by grace through faith … the same way as with every other gift given by God.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (NKJV)
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
You see Peter said to the crowd in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost concerning the power of the Holy Spirit …
Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NIV2011)
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
I read one time, and I don’t remember where, but a denominational traditional preacher was trying to downplay the moving of the power of God in the early Pentecostal movement, and he said that at the end of time there would be a focus of power in the church and that people would forget about holiness…
In a sense he was right, because as we near the end the church is beginning to realize the need for power to fight the spiritual battle against an unseen enemy. But the second part of his prophetic word is distorted, because without the power of God in our lives our holiness, then, stems from what we can do without the power.
Oh, come on church. I’m just hitting the high points in these series, but oh the power of God is here right now to change your life.
Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
I’m just going to touch on the topics of the remaining series that led us up to today.
The bible is the inspired Word of God. Without that understanding everything that we profess to believe has no validity.
The series on the One True God... We worship in truth and in spirit the godhead – three in one – the trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A series on the Holy Spirit – The Greater Gifts – What is the greatest gift of the Spirit? The one that is needed at the appropriate time.
Hearing God’s voice – You can know that it is the Lord speaking to you…
Being a Servant of God. What does servanthood look like?
The Seed Principle – Sowing and Reaping by Faith…
By His Stripes we are Healed…
And that led us up to our current series which we are in about our 6th week - Redeemed from the Curse.
We began the year with grace and we finish the year with that same grace but I see something different in the church today than what I saw a year ago. Today I see a church that is responding to the blessings that God has desired to pour out on His church for over 2000 years and we are finally understanding the purpose and the benefits of the blessings.
We look forward to continuing to minister to you through the worship, through the word, and through our family get togethers every week.
Thank you for being our family and thank you for the expectations you have of God and for anticipating a move of the Spirit every time we come together. 2017 is coming. And so is Jesus.
So let’s continue to celebrate His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His power, His authority, His body- us – the church, the bride of Christ.
Let’s close with this passage that covers just about everything we have talked about this year.
Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
