It is one week after Easter. But in Pastor Mike’s sermon, he recounts the story of two Jesus followers on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus that first Easter Sunday. We don’t know for sure, but even these who had walked with Jesus failed to recognize him as he joined their Journey. But when he did reveal himself to them, they were lit up and unstoppable.
What is your Emmaus journey like?
How praise-worthy to hear about the work that Jesus did for us by dying on Good Friday but rising again on Easter Sunday! We are done with daily, weekly, annual sacrifices because Jesus died “once for all” so that we can be right with God for all time.
Today is Palm Sunday. As one of our Elders observed: “There were a lot of folks dressed and on their way to church this morning, and that encourages me.” And we were thankful for each one out this afternoon to worship; to hear God’s Word preached, and to fellowship and be encouraged by God’s people.
When Jesus came to Jerusalem that Palm Sunday, the crowd was there when he arrived, but seems it had totally dissipated by the time Jesus left Jerusalem for Bethany early evening. What happened? He as just hailed as the coming king a few hours earlier?
Pastor Jeff really ‘harped’ on the fact that not much happens to us unless and until God makes something happen. Some people respond to the gospel message immediately or shortly after they hear. Others are months or years before they seemingly ‘get it’. Well, it’s not about us getting it, but that is how God ‘calls’ his own.
(So sorry, no audio for this week due to some technical reasons.)
Lots of churches preach lots of messages, but Pastor Larry emphasized, as did St Paul in his letter to the Galatians, that without Christ there is no gospel.
It seems almost unimaginable that King Solomon would stray from ‘true religion’, yet that is exactly what happened to this king of Israel. What is the lesson for us today?
You don’t have to be particularly religious to feel that humanity is in need of “saving”. No matter how long you think humans have been around we don’t seem to be able to rid ourselves of the “bad things” that plague us: Hate, war, abuse, frustration, etc. Pastor Alan shared from Mark 8, that Jesus is, in fact, the Savior that we all need.
Pastor Jeff continued his series on the First letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.