https://www.bible.com/events/49176570

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

God With Us – In the Waiting

The most faithful people of the first advent were the ones who didn’t let waiting cloud their hope.

Today we kick off our Advent series entitled “God with Us”.

Christmas, in a word, is about presence. You can’t talk about the significance of Christmas, the most life-changing story in human history, without talking about presence.

This week we begin by understanding why the presence of God with us is such a foundational part of Christmas, and how we can experience His presence in seasons of waiting.

Matthew 1:18-23

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

-Matthew wants to make sure that we understand more about what type of Savior this would be, so he points back to the prophecy in the book of Isaiah some 700 years earlier. His name literally means, ‘God with us’.

-We live on the other side of Christmas, and the other side of the cross and resurrection. Perhaps it’s difficult to imagine the glory in the presence of God – God actually being with us – unless you know what it’s like to be away from His presence, which is the Israelites had experienced for far too long.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

The presence of God with us changes everything.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to talk about what it means that God is with us no matter where we find ourselves:

-He is with us in the waiting…waiting for answers, for the fulfillment of His promise.

-He is with us in our uncertainty, in spite of our doubts and fears.

-He is with us in the midst of obscurity, when our present reality seems insignificant or undesirable.

-He is with us always, both now and for all eternity.

The arrival of Jesus didn’t happen until after there were 400 years of silence. Four centuries of waiting.

-If you think about it, the Christmas story is a story of waiting, so it’s only fitting that we would begin our series talking about “God with us in the waiting.”

-Some may have waited so long; they forgot about the promised Messiah and went on with their lives, or perhaps some believed it was a promise that wouldn’t come true.

-But the people we find in the story of the first Christmas hadn’t forgotten:

Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The people present for the young life of Jesus hadn’t let 400 years cloud their memory – the Magi, Simeon and Anna.

Romans 4:18-22

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.

How we wait matters. What we do ‘in the waiting’ matters to God.

That’s why we see Abraham’s name attached to the Christmas story. At the start of Mathew’s Gospel, in the lineage of names, begins with Abraham.

Through Abraham’s obedience, even in the face of waiting, we receive the Presence of God, God with us, Jesus the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Matthew 1:17

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Two questions for us to consider:

1. What are you waiting for?

2. How are you waiting?

Bottom Line:

The most faithful people of the first advent were the ones who didn’t let waiting cloud their hope.

Verses for further study/reflection:

Exodus 33:15

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 53

Malachi 4:2-3

Luke 1:18-25

2 Peter 3:8-9

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49173827

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Minor Prophets – Malachi

Famous last words

Today we are finishing up our teaching series on the Minor Prophets studying the last recorded words of a prophet named Malachi.

The way our bibles are organized, Malachi literally gets the last word before the New Testament.

We don’t know a lot about Malachi himself. He was prophesying after the children of Israel got to return from exile in Babylon, somewhere around the 5th century.

The Book of Malachi recounts the people’s unfaithfulness through six “disputes” with God. God will call the people out for their sin and rebellion- and they repeatedly deny it.

As you read the words of Malachi, it becomes clear that the people could not discern the real condition of their hearts.

We focus on the farewell words of the Old Testament. Words that gave way to 400 years of silence from God.

In many ways these last words summarize the whole Old Testament, the law of Moses and the prophets. They call people to action through repentance and returning to the Lord. They call on them to remember the words of the prophets, words of warning, words of judgement, and words of hope. This morning we are glancing back to the minor prophets, but with an eye toward the coming advent season.

Malachi 3:1-7

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

The Lord points once again to a coming day of judgement for his people. Within this text we see consequences for sin, but we also see a promised effect of God’s coming-

That he would purify and cleanse, and that He will restore proper worship and relationship with Himself.

God takes sin seriously- the minor prophets have shown us that again and again. But we also see the heart of the Father in calling His people to repent and return to him.

God’s heart is not His people’s destruction, but their restoration in relationship with Him.

And that brings us to the famous last words of Malachi.

Malachi 4:5-6

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

Following these words is 400 years of silence. There were no new prophecies, and no recorded words from the Lord- only the command to remember, to wait, and to watch. And many didn’t.

Finding our place in the story:

1. Sometimes when we should learn our lesson, we don’t. Just like the Israelites who should’ve learned after experiencing exile, and didn’t. They remained unfaithful. Sometimes we learn and, as proven by the people during the time of the Minor Prophet Malachi, sometimes we don’t.

2. You may feel like ‘silence’ is your reality right now. What would it felt like to receive these promises, delivered through the prophet Malachi, and yet receive nothing else from the Lord? Some of us feel as though God’s silence means God’s absence.

Luke 1:11-17

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Despite all that had gone before, despite a rebellious and disobedient people, by His great grace, God intervened in a moment of time.

The last words of the Old Testament became first cries….

The cries of The Savior.

The famous last words of Malachi point to the messenger and the manger.

Christmas didn’t come because we needed a holiday- it came because we needed a savior.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49173508

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

Minor Prophets – Malachi

Famous last words

Today we are finishing up our teaching series on the Minor Prophets studying the last recorded words of a prophet named Malachi.

The way our bibles are organized, Malachi literally gets the last word before the New Testament.

We don’t know a lot about Malachi himself. He was prophesying after the children of Israel got to return from exile in Babylon, somewhere around the 5th century

The Book of Malachi recounts the people’s unfaithfulness through six “disputes” with God. God will call the people out for their sin and rebellion- and they repeatedly deny it or accuse God for it.

As you read the words of Malachi, it becomes clear that the people could not discern the real condition of their hearts.

We focus on the farewell words of the Old Testament. Words that gave way to 400 years of silence from God.

In many ways these last words summarize the whole Old Testament, the law of Moses and the prophets. They call people to action through repentance and returning to the Lord. They call on them to remember the words of the prophets, words of warning, words of judgement, and words of hope. This morning we are glancing back to the minor prophets, but with an eye toward the coming advent season.

Malachi 3:1-7

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

The Lord points once again to a coming day of judgement for his people. Within this text we see consequences for sin, but we also see a promised effect of God’s coming-

That he would purify and cleanse

He will restore proper worship and relationship with himself.

God takes sin seriously- the minor prophets have shown us that again and again. But we also see the heart of the Father in calling his people to repent and return to him.

God’s heart is not his people’s destruction, but their restoration in relationship with him.

And that brings us to the famous last words of Malachi.

Malachi 4:4-6

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

The Old Testament closes leaving the people leaning over the banister of time, looking into the future.

400 years of silence, no new prophecies, no recorded words from the Lord- only the command to remember, to wait, and to watch. And many didn’t.

If our journey with the Minor Prophets has taught us anything, it is that God takes sin very seriously. God’s anger was displayed, but his heart was always inviting his people to return to him. But they refused.

And here we are with Malachi, a nation of rebellious people, refusing to acknowledge God in their lives. And in these famous last words of the Old Testament, it can seem like it’s all over. Like nothing will ever change

But then…despite all that had gone before…despite a rebellious and disobedient people. By His great grace, God intervened in a moment of time.

The last words of the Old Testament gave way became first cries….

The cries of The Savior

The famous last words of Malachi point to the messenger and the manger.

Christmas didn’t come because we needed a holiday- it came because we needed a savior.

He changed everything for his people, and he can change everything for you.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49169508

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Minor Prophets – Zephaniah

What is God like?

Today we continue our series entitled ‘Minor Prophets’. We are taking a deep dive into 4 of the minor prophets from the Old Testament scriptures.

They are full of redemptive themes that should convict us, equip us, challenge us, and encourage us.

The purpose of this series is our desire to gain a new appreciation for the “minor” prophets but also see that God has important things to say to us in 2023 through them, affirming the relevance of every part of the Bible. We want to have a greater understanding of these four minor prophets and what God wants to teach us through them.

Today we are looking at Zephaniah

Zephaniah was a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah during the time of King Josiah.

We don’t know a lot about the Prophet himself. The 3 chapters we have of his work are poetic, prophetic and in many ways, apocalyptic.

In short- Zephaniah can be really challenging to work through. But we don’t want the challenge to discourage our pursuit of God through his word.

One of the things Zephaniah helps us to see is what God is like- both in how he deals with sin and how he relates to his people.

Zephaniah 1:4-6

“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests— those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek, those who turn back from following the Lord and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”

In a very real sense Zephaniah begins painting a familiar picture of a wayward people, with the message that God is about to bring judgement upon them for their actions.

The consequences of their sin and rebellion were close at hand. As the prophecies unfold, Chapter 3 completes the picture of just how rebellious God’s people had become.

Zephaniah 3:1-2

Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.

The people of God, to be a signpost to the nations, had become a city of oppressing rebels, marked by sin.

They would not obey, they would not receive the Lord’s teaching, they would not trust him, they would not draw near to him.

Despite all God had done, hundreds of years trying to persuade his people to follow the way of righteousness- they refused.

Finally, God says “enough is enough”

Zephaniah 3:8

Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.

If the minor prophets teach us anything about who God is, it is that he takes sin VERY seriously.

God would not be good; he would not be Holy if he simply allowed sin to go on forever un-checked. A loving God would not ignore sin and its terrible effects.

What we often fail to recognize is that God’s anger is motivated by his love and compassion for his people.

God knows full well what sin does, how it destroys our lives, how it breaks relationships not least our relationship with Himself. He knows how sin ruins his good creation.

So, when God moves to deal with sin yes, we will see consequences to those actions. Those consequences can be really difficult, painful even.

But if that’s all we see, and angry old principal dishing out discipline, we don’t have the full picture.

The Lord’s anger, his judgement, his discipline in dealing with sin is motivated by his desire to see his people restored and brought near in relationship.

Zephaniah 3:14-17

Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Rejoice people of God! God’s anger is not focused on your destruction, but on your restoration.

What we see in the prophet of Zephaniah is a Compassionate God, who is angered by sin, but relentless in pursuit of his people. That’s who He is.

Will you see God as he really is this Christmas season? He is THE GIFT- and your name is on the palm of his hands- will you receive him?

Will you see him as a God who is right there with you in the midst of your story?

Will you know him as the mighty warrior who can save you from sin and darkness?

Will you believe that no matter how bad you have messed up, God can restore you?

Will you imagine God singing over you in pure delight?

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

This morning we have reached Part 3 of our series on the minor prophets of the Old Testament. We began with Jonah two weeks ago and studied the story of Hosea last week.

Zephaniah, was a priest who ministered to Israel at about the same time as the prophet Jeremiah.

The first two chapters of Zephaniah speaks on the consequences of sin and rebellion.

Warning the people of that day, and warning us, to turn from sin and to turn to God.

Chapter 3 closes with an amazing image of redemption and celebration, a message of hope.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you by his love. He will exult over you with loud singing.”

Did you get that image? God is singing and rejoicing over His people.

God sings and rejoices over YOU!

Our Lord, our Father, our Savior is chanting a song over you, over everyone in this sanctuary.

During today’s message, please try to imagine the idea and the sound of it: God singing over you.

God loves you so much that He breaks into singing over you!

That is so important that it is worth repeating.

God loves you so much that He breaks into singing over you!

That is amazing! God is lavishing us with His love and praise. WOW!!!

Today is a message of God’s outrageous love for you.

That’s a hard idea for some.

You are more likely to think about God correcting you

than singing over you.

Zephaniah speaks loudly to me that God takes your life, my life, and our relationships with Him seriously.

The central theme of the book of Zephaniah is the Day of the Lord.

The prophet foresaw the devastating consequences of God’s judgment on sin.

It is clear from Scripture that this day will not only be a time when God will pour out His judgement upon the wicked,

but it will also include a time of blessing for the Lord’s faithful ones.

The Day of the Lord points directly to Jesus.

Zephaniah ends with a message of hope through restoration in the Lord.

Zephaniah 3:14-17.

14 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. 16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

For those that turn to God, He is a loving Father.

He is a God of restoration and hope.

Today, if you would ask people on the street “What does God think about you?”

You would hear many different answers:

· There is no God.

· God has given up on me!

· God is mad at me.

· God is mad at me and He should be.

· God loves me.

· And even many other responses.

I doubt that you would hear many say “God is rejoicing and singing over me.”

The question today for you is “What do you think God thinks about you?”

Do you believe that God is singing over you? (Pause)

I pray that after today’s message, you will have a different idea of God.

Zephaniah was written in 640-621 BC during a time of almost two generations of Godlessness.

Zephaniah boldly spoke God’s judgment against idolatry, unjust killings and, believe it or not, child sacrifice.

The people of the day were sinful to the core.

Zephaniah cried out for godliness and purity in God’s people.

The people of Zephaniah’s day were well established, prosperous, and they no longer cared about God.

They had come to trust their own abilities.

They were proud of their money, their things and their successes.

Their wealth gave them a sense of security that would turn out to be false.

It was written during a time that the people rebelled with worship to Baal, Molech and the worship of the heavenly bodies-the sun, moon, and stars.

The priests were also guilty of leading the people astray by being involved with pagan practices.

Today in 2023, there are false gods, new idols with different names.

Think about it this way…whatever a man or woman sets their heart on and trust in the most, becomes their god.

Just to name a few, today many worship little ‘g’ gods such as:

· Identity. We tend to define ourselves by our social media “likes”

· Substances.

o There are obvious ones, like hard drugs, but there are less obvious ones that help to numb the pain or provide spice to our boring lives: Such as comfort food, alcohol or nicotine, just to name a few.

· Money. There is absolutely nothing wrong with money. We need money.

o But for the ‘love of money’ people do crazy things.

§ Bernie Madoff is an example. Bernie’s love of money, led to one of the biggest financial crimes in modern day. In 2009, Madoff was convicted and sentenced to 150 years in prison for running what was described as the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.

· Family/Children. I would be so happy if I could just get a wife, or if I had a husband, or if I had kids. Right?

o Our spouse and our children are blessings from God. However for some, their family, their kids, their spouse, have become an idol– more important to them than God Himself.

There are so many idols in the world in which we live. Many more than what I have named.

The beginning two chapters of Zephaniah announce the Threat of Judgment.

The world had become exceedingly wicked, much as in the days of Noah, and God had determined to administer judgment.

HOWEVER: Although Zephaniah spoke on the judgement of sin, he ended with a message of hope through the restoration of God’s chosen people.

We live in a time that we can see sin all around us.

We have atheists who do not believe in the existence of God or gods.

We have agnostics who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.

Then we have folks that say, “There is more than ONE way to heaven.”

We live in a time that some believers justify sin in their own lives or in the lives of others.

I would go as far to say that there are believers who go to church every Sunday, who check the box that they attended, without ever experiencing a heart change towards God and towards people.

What about you?

Are you resisting God? Are you running from God? Are you blaming God for something that has happened?

Do you know what Zephaniah confirms for you?

If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it!

If God had a wallet, your picture would be in it!!!

God is with you, and He loves you.

Zephaniah Chapter 3:17 says five key points:

17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.

Point 1: I am with you.

He is with you. He is in the midst of everything going on in your life.

Often when things are going wrong, and pressures are all around,

we may be facing difficult times, and we find ourselves in seasons of waiting, and we begin thinking “Where is God?”

God is here. He will never leave you.

Immanuel, the name Immanuel literally means “God is with you.”

People let you down, but God will never let you down. God is always faithful.

Jesus ends Matthew 28 by saying “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” God is with us! God will never abandon you.

Philippians 4:4-9 says, “God is always with you.”

How can you stress less and relax more? Choose to trust that God is with you.

God is with you in the good times and the bad. God is with you when things are really, really good and even when the world feels like it is falling apart.

As you spend time with God, you get to know Him, and that He cares about you.

I am an early morning person. I begin my days alone with God.

I talk to Him about everything.

I spend time reading His Word and writing in my prayer journal.

I love watching the birds outside, and listening to the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my day.

The Lord is not disappointed or frustrated by your struggles, doubts or pain. He can help you address them. God is with you. Great is His faithfulness always!

the Mighty Warrior who saves.

Point 2: A mighty warrior who will save you.

God is saying: I will save you.

The Hebrew word for mighty is gibbowr (ghib-bore’) which translates as powerful.

He rescues us from our sins. God can save anyone.

There is no one outside of His reach.

The name Jesus means, “God saves.”

God saved me!! And He will save whoever asks for His forgiveness.

Jesus whole purpose was to come to save the lost.

When we are saved, we begin to experience the freedom of God, so that we are no longer in the bondage of sin.

God is a deliver!!! He wants to heal you from:

· Addiction

· Hatred

· Selfishness

· Allowing your past to dictate your present and future.

· Unforgiveness that continues to cause you bitterness.

· Being negative. He wants you to stop being negative.

· You fill in the blank.

God knows and He can save you!! He can save anyone who comes to Him.

It is NEVER too late for God.

Thomas and I have a friend. To protect his confidentiality, I will call him John.

When I met John, he was 24 years old, homeless, addicted to drugs and alcohol.

His parents were alcoholics. After meeting John, I invited him to church.

I remember John getting out of jail. Thomas and I were waiting outside to take him to U-Turn for Christ in Pennsylvania, a Christian-based rehabilitation center.

John agreed to go.

John called me on Father’s Day from the rehab center, because he couldn’t get his dad on the phone to wish him “Happy Father’s Day”. His dad had just died, and I was the one to inform John of this news.

Through encouragement and love, John stayed at the program and didn’t return home when his dad died. John graduated the program.

2023, 10 years later, John is clean from drugs and alcohol. He is working a full-time job, and he recently got his very first apartment. John loves Jesus. He is faithfully attending church and serving.

The Lord is able to heal us from all addictions.

He will take great delight in you;

Point 3: He will take great delight in you.

The word delight means “to gain great pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness.”

God rejoices in our thinking, feeling and doing what is right.

In this verse, God is saying:

I delight in you, and you, and you, and you. (Point to the individuals in the congregation.)

The words ‘He will’ is a promise.

When the Bible says “He will”… That is a promise from God.

Do you believe that God delights in you?

YES…Y-O-U!

Let me tell you, “You are precious to the Lord.”

Yet you may think, “That’s sweet. But that is only a lovely thought.”

No, this truth is much more than a lovely thought.

It is the very key to your deliverance from every battle that rages in your soul.

It is the secret to entering into the rest God has promised you.

Until it becomes a foundation of truth in your heart — you won’t be able to withstand the trials of life.

Let me say it again…God delights in you!!!

He doesn’t just like you…God delights in you!!!

God loves you so much that the Bible tells us that “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Isaiah 49:16.

The Bible tells us “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” John 3:16

To believe, to trust, and to know that God delights in you will change your whole life. God loves us because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.

If we really believe that God delights in me, in us, we will see the world differently:

· Our cup will be half full instead of half empty.

· When we sing praises to the Lord, we will sing with all of our heart.

· When we give, we will give generously of our time, our talents, and our resources.

· Our prayer life will change. We will pray without ceasing.

God delights in you!!!! God delights in me!!!

in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

In the NIV translation it says, “I will calm you down.”

Point 4: I will calm all of your fears.

God knows exactly what you need to hear to calm you down.

God knows what is going on in your heart and mind.

On a particular Sunday, when the pastor says exactly what you need to hear from the pulpit.

It seems that someone must have given the Pastor the words to speak directly to you, however, that didn’t happen, that is the fact that God knows. He cares and He shows up.

but will rejoice over you with singing.”

The King James version says “…He will joy over thee with singing.”

I love this translation because the word ‘joy’ is used. The Hebrew word for ‘joy’ is ‘giyl (gheel) which means to spin around, to be joyful, and to rejoice.

Point 5: I celebrate you.

Many passages in the Bible are about us as His people ‘singing and worshipping the Lord’.

However, this passage is speaking of God celebrating you! He is celebrating me!

God is singing over you. A song of joy. A song of love.

Video: God’s love. 2.12 minutes. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vab3nrtuw3o1dip/AACu19imcelX0PU_AzNsOn02a?dl=0&preview=Gods+Love+Story+2_12.mp4

Nothing will separate you from God’s love.

God is rejoicing over you!!!