Sunday worship and word > June 7, 2020

This is a special one . . . our first with people in the seats, after we have been taking precautions during the COVID-19 shutdown.

I am now working on getting it embedded. I hope to have this going in a few minutes, and it is live for a while, starting at 10:30, I think . . . here we are > I think you need to turn up the audio on the far lower right >

We need to process our views about this world, based on God's word, not on our own biases.

How do I deal with people who are different than I am?

What does the LORD require?

Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

Worship song . . .

Prayer > only God can soften hearts. Please change our hearts, make us more caring, empathetic, and loving.

Gratitude is the beginning of Christianity . . . to appreciate Jesus dying on the cross for us.

We need to be humble, to see how we have been sinful.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. We need to not see ourselves as being more than we are.

We need to not see ourselves as being more than we are > Romans 12:3 >

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."

Do we retreat because of the social injustices? No, but we need not to be fighting and hating.

We are called to a ministry of reconciliation. Our primary way of responding to injustice is to preach and live out the Gospel.

We need to listen, so we can help bring change. We are not called to primarily fight culture. But do change culture . . . by being shepherds, not by being warriors.

Walk humbly, ministering reconciliation. And walk the walk.

When we mess up, tell our children our behavior wasn't Christlike.

And have not only Christian music, but also a Christian heart.

We need to see we need to change. The Christian life is changing more into how Jesus is. So, yes there is more needed!

God works through His word, but also God works through His people.

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

Jesus goes to the lost sheep. Jesus favors the outcast, and those who know they are broken.

He came to heal the brokenhearted.

Revelation 3:14-21 >

The Laodiceans thought they were doing great, but they were naked and in trouble, and needed to repent.

But we should not lose heart, if Jesus rebukes us, because He rebukes and chastens the ones He loves > Revelation 3:19.

We can be gracious in judging ourselves, but rigorous in judging others. But pride is a major problem, which stops us from loving mercy and justice and love and walking uprightly.

We can judge a group as a whole. But not all whites, not all blacks, not all of each other group, are alike.

The LORD does not see as man sees, but the LORD looks at the heart.

But we can just divide, into groups . . . when not all in each group are going to be alike; each will answer to God.

"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)

But we can be so busy with pointing out things wrong with others.

We hear how a black person has died, but certain ones right away have talked about police being killed. Instead, grieve and mourn with the ones who are suffering!! If you heard that someone's child just died, you wouldn't just change the subject to say some other child just died.

Affluence and influence can be good. You can use wealth and power for God's kingdom. So, the more you have is the more responsibility you have.

We will not answer for what was ours, but it is what God has given to us. So, we will answer for what God gave us.

In school, why can't we stand up for the one being bullied??

The Good Samaritan was the one who helped the man who was robbed and beaten almost to death. But the religious and high-class men did nothing. The socially higher ones might have been able to talk about what is socially right, and cultural theories; but they did nothing.

Jesus went to the Samaritan woman. Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans. But Jesus feels for people. He had compassion for her.

But we need to have wisdom about what we get involved with.

We need to learn from people who are different from us . . . not objectify them and categorize them with one-size-fits-all conclusions and policies.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 > God comforts us so we can comfort any person "in any trouble".

James 2:1-5 >
Are you giving preference to people who are just like you?

The greatest injustice is disregarding the shed blood of Jesus.

What we do to the least of Jesus' people is what we do to Jesus.

We are not saved, just to shelter ourselves from this world's troubles. But we are saved to serve. See past our biases, see the hurt, see the need.

So, this is very good for me. I can see a tragedy and right away get into the theory of things.