Lisa Godard (Lisa)

“Until He Comes: Faith, Love, Hope and Grace”- Colossians 1:3-8 For what is Christopher Columbus best known? Benedict Arnold? Paul Revere? Mother Theresa? Judas? Doug Bruce: Haiti; Larry Knowles: wordsmith; Pastor Tom: Yankees. For what are you known? Colossian Christians were known for faith, love and hope. Colossians 1:3-8 2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, we should be known for the right things. What motivated Paul to pray for these Colossians? 1)He was an apostle, 2)He was a concerned brother - “Colossian Heresy”, 3)He was thankful to God for the Colossians - faith, love & hope. I)Their faith in Christ Jesus Faith is “the conviction of the truth about anything; belief.” (Strg’s) In what is your faith? Government? Goodness of man? Karma? Colossians Christians - faith in the Lord Jesus Christ They believed “the word of truth, the gospel” - vs. 5b Gospel - “good news/tidings, specifically good tidings of the kingdom of God & of Jesus Christ. They “understood the grace of God” - vs6; Ephesians 2:8-9 The gospel is still bearing fruit throughout the world - India, Africa, China, S. America, etc. II)Their love for all the saints - Important connection. Faith in Christ leads to love for Him and for all those who are His - Saints - holy ones, set apart ones. John 13:34-35 Vs8 tells us that this love is the work of the Holy Spirit w/in us. III)The hope laid up for them in heaven. All three are intertwined. Hope bolsters our faith & increases our love. Hope - the expectation of Christ’s return, eternal life w/Him, & unhindered fellowship with our God. Until Jesus comes, we should hold fast to our faith, give way to the Spirit who will love thru us, & live in the hope laid up for us.

Gospel - “good news/tidings, specifically good tidings of the kingdom of God & of Jesus Christ. They “understood the grace of God” - vs6; Ephesians 2:8-9 The gospel is still bearing fruit throughout the world - India, Africa, China, S. America, etc. II)Their love for all the saints - Important connection. Faith in Christ leads to love for Him and for all those who are His - Saints - holy ones, set apart ones. John 13:34-35 Vs8 tells us that this love is the work of the Holy Spirit w/in us. III)The hope laid up for them in heaven. All three are intertwined. Hope bolsters our faith & increases our love. Hope - the expectation of Christ’s return, eternal life w/Him, & unhindered fellowship with our God. Until Jesus comes, we should hold fast to our faith, give way to the Spirit who will love thru us, & live in the hope laid up for us.

“Until He Comes: Faith, Love, Hope and Grace”- Colossians 1:3-8 For what is Christopher Columbus best known? Benedict Arnold? Paul Revere? Mother Theresa? Judas? Doug Bruce: Haiti; Larry Knowles: wordsmith; Pastor Tom: Yankees. For what are you known? Colossian Christians were known for faith, love and hope. Colossians 1:3-8 2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, we should be known for the right things. What motivated Paul to pray for these Colossians? 1)He was an apostle, 2)He was a concerned brother - “Colossian Heresy”, 3)He was thankful to God for the Colossians - faith, love & hope. I)Their faith in Christ Jesus Faith is “the conviction of the truth about anything; belief.” (Strg’s) In what is your faith? Government? Goodness of man? Karma? Colossians Christians - faith in the Lord Jesus Christ They believed “the word of truth, the gospel” - vs. 5b Gospel - “good news/tidings, specifically good tidings of the kingdom of God & of Jesus Christ. They “understood the grace of God” - vs6; Ephesians 2:8-9 The gospel is still bearing fruit throughout the world - India, Africa, China, S. America, etc. II)Their love for all the saints - Important connection. Faith in Christ leads to love for Him and for all those who are His - Saints - holy ones, set apart ones. John 13:34-35 Vs8 tells us that this love is the work of the Holy Spirit w/in us. III)The hope laid up for them in heaven. All three are intertwined. Hope bolsters our faith & increases our love. Hope - the expectation of Christ’s return, eternal life w/Him, & unhindered fellowship with our God. Until Jesus comes, we should hold fast to our faith, give way to the Spirit who will love thru us, & live in the hope laid up for us.

“Until He Comes: Who’s Who”- Colossians 1:1-3 “Who’s Who?” - applies to a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biographical information on particular groups of people (Who’s who in America, American High School/College Students, History, Contemporary prominent people, etc). Paul had his own list of who’s who in his intro to Colossians. 2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, it’s important to know who’s who from God’s perspective. Colossians 1:1-3 - Numerous identities - a list of who’s who. Who Paul was - “An apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” Apostle - “delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders” (Strong’s). Who Timothy was - “our brother” - fellow believer in Christ All believers are brothers/sisters in Christ - family. Who the Colossian Christians were - “saints” - “set apart ones” All believers are set apart by God for Himself - holy ones

- “Faithful brothers in Christ” - believer who shows his/herself faithful, worthy of trust, trusts in God’s promises, believes & follows Christ. If you are a brother/sister in Christ, would you be called faithful? We should treat each other as brothers and sisters (in a good way). Who God is - “our Father” - Paul’s, Timothy’s, Colossian believers’, every believer’s - brought into personal, intimate relationship through faith in Christ “To be God’s children, you’ve got to be born again.” John 1:12 - “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” - Jesus is the divine Son of God That means Jesus is our spiritual brother! Who Jesus is - “Christ” - the Messiah sent from God, appointed as judge and redeemer. Acts 10:42-43 - “Lord” - “kyrios” - “He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord; possessor and disposer of a thing; owner, who has control of the person; the sovereign, prince, chief” (Strong’s) Lord means Owner! As believers, we belong to our Lord. He owns us and we must live for Him. We must give ourselves away to Him everyday. The benefits are great (relationship with God, forgiveness, new life, eternal life, purpose, security, God with and within us, etc), but the Christian life is not necessarily easy (most likely hard!). “It’s not an easy road we are traveling to glory,” but it is the best way and only way to true life. Who are you? Are you in Christ? A child of God through faith in Christ? Forgiven? Part of God’s forever family? If not, why not today? If so, live like it! Until Jesus comes, we should learn who’s who from God’s perspective and be who He has made and called us to be.

The Love of God, sung by Pastor Bruce and his sister, Dreama.

“Until He Comes: Who’s Who”- Colossians 1:1-3 “Who’s Who?” - applies to a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biographical information on particular groups of people (Who’s who in America, American High School/College Students, History, Contemporary prominent people, etc). Paul had his own list of who’s who in his intro to Colossians. 2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, it’s important to know who’s who from God’s perspective. Colossians 1:1-3 - Numerous identities - a list of who’s who. Who Paul was - “An apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” Apostle - “delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders” (Strong’s). Who Timothy was - “our brother” - fellow believer in Christ All believers are brothers/sisters in Christ - family. Who the Colossian Christians were - “saints” - “set apart ones” All believers are set apart by God for Himself - holy ones - “Faithful brothers in Christ” - believer who shows his/herself faithful, worthy of trust, trusts in God’s promises, believes & follows Christ. If you are a brother/sister in Christ, would you be called faithful? We should treat each other as brothers and sisters (in a good way). Who God is - “our Father” - Paul’s, Timothy’s, Colossian believers’, every believer’s - brought into personal, intimate relationship through faith in Christ “To be God’s children, you’ve got to be born again.” John 1:12 - “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” - Jesus is the divine Son of God That means Jesus is our spiritual brother! Who Jesus is - “Christ” - the Messiah sent from God, appointed as judge and redeemer. Acts 10:42-43 - “Lord” - “kyrios” - “He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord; possessor and disposer of a thing; owner, who has control of the person; the sovereign, prince, chief” (Strong’s) Lord means Owner! As believers, we belong to our Lord. He owns us and we must live for Him. We must give ourselves away to Him everyday. The benefits are great (relationship with God, forgiveness, new life, eternal life, purpose, security, God with and within us, etc), but the Christian life is not necessarily easy (most likely hard!). “It’s not an easy road we are traveling to glory,” but it is the best way and only way to true life. Who are you? Are you in Christ? A child of God through faith in Christ? Forgiven? Part of God’s forever family? If not, why not today? If so, live like it! Until Jesus comes, we should learn who’s who from God’s perspective and be who He has made and called us to be.

“Until He Comes: Grow Forward!”- II Peter 3:14-18 When you know something/one important is coming, & there are things you can do to prepare, that’s the best course of action - look forward to it & get ready for it. That was Peter’s emphasis as he concluded his 2nd epistle. 2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, we must grow forward, that we might be found by Him w/out spot or blemish, & at peace. Peter’s 1st epistle aimed to encourage his readers in the midst of persecution/tribulation. Peter’s 2nd epistle calls us to hold fast to the truth of God’s Word in a world of false teaching & lies. One of the truths we must hold to is the sure hope of Christ’s return, the coming of “the day of the Lord. II Peter 3:14-18 Vs14 - “Be diligent” - “exert one’s self, endeavor” (Strong’s) - Work hard. There is a very real sense in which we need to stop striving to please God. We must depend totally upon the Holy Spirit to work in/thru us, Jesus to live His life in/thru us. But that’s not a passive thing. Continually give way to Him, depend on Him, long to know Him more, draw near to Him, draw life from Him, apply ourselves to what He calls us to be/do. Work hard to be found by Jesus, when He comes: 1)W/out spot or blemish - that means “free from censure, irreproachable, unsullied; blameless” (Strong’s). 2)Be found by Him at peace - “harmony, accord” (Strong’s). Romans 5:1, Romans 12:18 Vs15-16 - God is patiently waiting for those yet to be gathered into His fold, patiently working in us to make us like Christ & save us from ourselves. God’s timing will always be right - He is never late - Galatians 4:4. Jesus won’t be late when He comes again. Romans 2:4 There are some who twist the truth, even the truth of God’s word, to their own ends. Gudzik - “Just because someone quotes the Bible doesn’t mean that they teach Biblical truth. It’s possible that they twist the Scriptures. Therefore, we should be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), ‘examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.’” Vs17 - The way to maintain stability in your faith/life is to grow. Vs18 - We prepare for Christ’s coming & the day of the Lord by knowing Him as Savior & Lord & steadily growing. We are to grow in “the grace & knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.” We grow in grace by receiving more & more grace from God, but how? I Peter 5:5b-7 How do we grow in the knowledge of Christ? Study, yes, but much more by spending time with Him. Peter closed w/a great benediction: “To Him be the glory both now & to the day of eternity. Amen.” Until Jesus comes, we must look forward & be ready. We must grow forward, that we might be found by Him w/out spot or blemish, & at peace.

"Sea of Change" Part B, Pastor Tom Johnson

"The Sea of Change" Part A, Pastor Tom Johnson