GLORY!

In this sermon, Pastor Rick reminds us what it is to glorify God teaching, "Ultimately, we are to view the glory of God on display all around us and be called to repent and return unto Him that His glory might be restored in us and that Christ may dwell in us and that His present glory dwelling in us might reside as the hope of glory to come!"

Pastor Rick concluded with a personal Exclamation of praise:

"I want to conclude by worshiping for a moment.  I cannot conjure some magical feeling of soulfulness that will convince you arbitrarily that God’s glory is present for you or that some emotional experience is His presence as is done so often in modern worship.  But I want simply to conclude with my words of worship to God....

Let me tell you about God.  God has been faithful to me all my life.  He was faithful to me as a child raising me up in an environment where God was preeminent.  He was faithful to me as a teenager when I nearly drowned, calling me from the precipice of sin back to Himself.  He was faithful to me as a young adult patient every moment with my questions and doubts.  He has been faithful to me as an adult amid my struggles and fears.  All my life He has been longsuffering and faithful in spite of my greatest sins; In spite of my unfaithfulness; in spite of my weaknesses; in spite of my failures; in spite of my pride; in spite of my unbelief; in spite of every darkness of my heart, he has been faithful to me.  The Apostle John wrote that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believed on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  I want you to know this morning that God gave His only Son for me: for me, a sinner who like Israel had forsaken and forgotten and abandoned the glory of God! He did not forsake me.  He did not forget me.  He did not abandon me.  He did not leave me alone in the darkness.  Instead He loved me and shone the light of His love around me and gave himself for me and prayed that I would let Him back into my heart to rediscover His glory!

And so this morning, I give Him praise! I glorify Him and magnify Him!  I worship Him! I lift Him up!  I am unworthy, but He is worthy! I cannot magnify Him or glorify Him enough but I worship Him and praise Him anyway!  I welcome Him and His presence and His glory to fill my heart and life!  I pray the same for you and ultimately that He will fill our church with His genuine presence always."

Christ Our Rebar

Connected with the last two sermons, Pastor Rick shares how Christ is our strength, inviting us to stop struggling; stop escaping.  Instead, surrender, relax, let go and let Him display His strength in the midst of your weakness.  Let Him have control of you and your life and your circumstances and discover what Paul discovered when Christ’s rebar strengthens your concrete. 

Pastor Rick also "translated" 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 into his own words to help us understand it.  Here is his elaboration: 

Christ said, “My graciousness of manner and actions, my benefit, favor, joy, liberality, and pleasure is enough for you.  You don’t need anything else.  I will suffice. Because, my miraculous wonderful mighty violent power is made complete and is accomplished in your feebleness of mind and body amid any of your maladies, frailties, diseases or infirmities, or sicknesses.”  Because Christ said this, with great pleasure I would rather boast about and rejoice in my weakness, frailty, feeble mind and body, that the miraculous mighty power and ability of Christ will tent upon me and abide upon me and rest upon me like the ancient Shekinah glory of God rested upon the tabernacle.  Instead of relying upon my own strength, I will rest in His.”
 

Are we relying on our own strength or resting in His?  Is Christ your rebar?

God's Waiting Room

Listen as Pastor Rick shares a sermon that is in some ways related to the last sermon about suffering.  In this sermon, Pastor Rick reminds us to wait expectantly, patiently, and hopefully upon God.  In His waiting room, may we find courage and strength for the journey and may we draw closer to Him.