Lisa Godard (Lisa)

“Until He Comes: He Is Our Hope” - Colossians 1:21-29 Before and after pictures - weight loss, facelift, etc. No one wants the before picture shown unless there is an after picture. Is there a before and after in your life? Certainly so, if you are a Christian. 2012 Theme: Until He Comes - looking for Jesus to come again & living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, the before and after should be evident in our lives, and we should especially be people of hope. Paul paints a before and after picture in Colossians 1:21-29. Colossians 1:21-29 Seeking to combat false teaching, Paul has expressed his gratitude to God for the Colossian Christians’ embrace of the gospel, has prayed for them to understand God’s will in their lives and to endure the trials that have come their way, and has reminded them of the total sufficiency and preeminence of Christ. They/we need no other Savior, have no other Lord. Now, Paul seeks to remind them (& us) of the difference Christ has made in their (our) lives, in the present and for the future. I)Once alienated from God, now reconciled to Him - 21-22a. This is the work of Jesus, the agent of reconciliation. II)Once reproachable, now holy and blameless and above reproach before God - 22b-23. This is our position/standing before God because of Christ - II Corinthians 5:21. We can’t make ourselves acceptable to God, but are to live out what God has worked Our part is to continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, enabled by the Holy Spirit. Our practice is proof of our position. III)Once living for self, now living for Christ - 24-26. We, like Paul, are called to service, to the proclamation of the Gospel. “What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” - not that Jesus didn’t complete the task or suffer enough, but Paul identified with Christ by taking on the stewardship of the gospel given to him. The spread of the gospel and building of the kingdom of God always has and always will be costly, but it is a cause worth taking up and a cost worth paying. IV)Once separated from God, now Christ is within - 27. Mystery - truth once hidden, then revealed. Christ and the gospel was not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles, all who would believe. Miracle of miracles! By the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ lives within each believer - John 14:23, Galatians 2:20. This is the hope of glory - I John 5:11-12. Do you have the Son? Can the beauty of Jesus be seen in you? Are you hopeful? We win, we win, we win! V)Once without direction, now being made like Christ - 28-29. To make us mature in Christ is God’s design - Romans 8:29. To become mature in Christ must be our aim, cooperating with Him, giving ourselves away everyday, learning to think new, live new - Romans 12:1-2. Until Jesus comes, the difference He makes must be evident in our lives, and we should be people of sure hope.

“Until He Comes: Who Is He?” - Colossians 1:15-20 Focus your attention today on the Lord Jesus Christ - just who is He? What does who He is mean for you? Who is this One who divided history? BC - Before Christ, AD - Anno Domini - “The year of our Lord” Good man? Good teacher? Miracle worker? Friend? We like our Jesus tame, manageable, close but not too close, but a tame, manageable, remote Jesus cannot save, is not Lord. 2012 Theme: Until He Comes - looking for Jesus to come again & living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, it is imp that we see Him as He is & respond to Him as Lord. To discover or describe the real Jesus Christ is nearly an impossible task, except that He is revealed in Scripture. Paul combated false teaching which denied the deity of Christ on one hand, and on the other, that the Son of God came in the flesh. Colossians 1:15-20 I)Image of the invisible God - likeness, manifestation - The Son is the only perfect representation of God - John 14:9 II)Firstborn of all creation - priority in time, superiority in rank. He is before all creation - “begotten, not created” III)Agent of creation - through whom all was created (the Father spoke the Word and the Spirit brought form and fullness). “Invisible” - spiritual beings “for Him” - for His glory, under His control IV)Before all - pre-existent, supreme Lord Clayton Blackstone quote: “There is absolutely nothing about which Jesus doesn’t rightly say, ‘This is Mine, this belongs to Me.’” V)Agent of Preservation - unifying principle and sustainer of all. VI)Head of the Church - Founder and Lord of the Church. VII)Beginning, Firstborn from the dead - source of life and resurrection - John 11:25-26 - life only in Christ! VIII)Preeminent - supreme over all - Philippians 2:9-11. Herbert Carson - “Lord of creation and Lord of the Church, He must be Lord in the lives of His own, with a sovereignty which brooks no rival.” IX)Fullness of God - completeness, totality - Jesus Christ is God. X)Agent of Reconciliation Reconcile - “bring back into a former state of harmony” (Strong’s). All things - not just mankind, but creation itself - Romans 8:19-23 “The blood of His cross” - Jesus accepted the curse and died in our place. That which/he who is not reconciled will be destroyed. Psalm 2:12 Until Jesus comes, it is imperative that we see Him and worship Him as He is, and surrender to Him as Lord of our lives.

Doctorate of Deception Part A -Pastor Tom Johnson

Doctorate of deception Mat 16:24 (ESV) Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Unfortunately the words of the Newsboys song RSL 1984 stand true You don’t know you’re deceived - until your not. Matthew 16:24(ESV) ‘Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me…” Mat 6:21 (ESV) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Mat 10:37 (ESV) Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 1Jn 5:20 (ESV) And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Mat 16:24 (ESV) Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 2Co 4:10 (ESV) always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. This person’s name is Jesus Christ - Jesus will be manifested thru Paul’s own body His own flesh. His Jar of clay So people will see Jesus And the work that Jesus is doing thru the flesh of Paul 2Co 4:6-7 (ESV) For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 1Jn 4:16 (ESV) So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. God is Love Eph 5:18 (ESV) And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, Eph 3:19 (ESV) and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 2Co 5:14 (ESV) For the love of Christ controls us… John 14:15 (ESV) "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Paul’s name before his conversion was Saul - He was a student of God’s Law. - he had sought the Law of God So he could live a right life for God. So he could try to please God But no longer Now Paul sought the Face of the Law Giver He was being filled with the Law Giver Rom 2:14 - 15 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them Jer 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 1Co 1:24 (ESV) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1Co 1:30 (ESV) And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, And we need to be like Paul Who wanted just to know Christ more. The more He was filled with “…the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The more He was filled with Him who is Love The God who is Love controlled Him The Love of Christ caused Him to obey Christ’s commands 2 Cor 4:11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. This is all done by the most beautiful person Who wants us to seek His Person And get to know Him He will do the work All we must do is set our gaze on Him And hand this jar of clay over to Him He will change us And we will not be disappointed We will become like Paul And want to know with an undying thirst the one that has become the treasure of our heart And the treasure has the most beautiful name His Name is Jesus Christ

Eli Knowles shares his testimony

Eli Knowles shares his testimony

B)Increasing in the knowledge of God - II Pet.3:18 - Experiencing the truth of God. III)Be strengthened for endurance and patience - vs11. - Endurance - “In the New Testament, the characteristic of a man (or woman) who is not swerved from his/her deliberate purpose and his/her loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings” (Strong’s). - “According to His glorious might” - Eph. 6:10. IV)Giving thanks to the Father - vs12-13. He has: A)“qualified [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light,” We are “rendered fit” for the kingdom of God only by the death of Christ in payment for our sins and His righteousness being credited to us. B)“delivered us from the domain of darkness,” John 8:12, Eph. 5:8, I Pt. 2:9 C)“transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” Rev. 1:5b-6 D)“in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” - Redemption - “releasing effected by payment of ransom” (Strong’s). - Forgiveness - “release from bondage or imprisonment,” “pardon of sins - letting them go as if they had never been committed, remission of the penalty” (Strong’s). Until Jesus comes, we should pray for one another and ourselves as Paul prayed for the Colossians, that we might be filled w/the knowledge of God’s will, walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, be strengthened for endurance & patience, and give thanks to the Father for His many splendored grace.

“UHC: Be Filled, Walk Worthy, Be Strengthened, Give Thanks” - Colossians 1:3-8 Parents are always concerned for their children, no matter the age. So, we pray and teach. Pastors/Elders feel much the same way. One of the responsibilities is to protect. Do so in part by praying and teaching. 2012 Theme: “Until He Comes” - looking for Jesus to come and living according to that perspective. Until Jesus comes, we should pray for one another, teach one another, and heed the teaching of Scripture together. Colossians 1:9-14 Paul was concerned for the Colossian Church because of false teachers. So he prayed, then he taught them. I)Filled with the knowledge of God’s will - vs9 - “filled to the full” with “precise and correct knowledge” of “what God wishes to be done” (Strong’s) for us, in us, through us. - This requires wisdom and understanding, that we might know what to do with this knowledge and discern false teaching. - This knowledge, wisdom and understanding comes from the Word of God, illumined to us by the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of Truth - John 14:17. - The will of God, according to Romans 8:29, is that we be “conformed to the image of” Jesus. If we are conformed to Christ, then we will walk worthy of Him. II)Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord - vs10. - Walk = conduct of life - Fully pleasing: A)Bearing fruit in every good work - Eph. 2:10,