Point of Grace Online Worship - May 14, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 5.14.23 Sermon Notes – “Resurrection Rescue – Part 6”

Resurrection Rescue – Rescue from Evil

Ephesians 6

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

The battle is real! In my baptism, God gives me real and effective armor …to wear! Putting on the armor of God is like a parent helping a child get dressed.

Don’t take off what God puts on! Wear it!

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, Jesus is the Truth who speaks truth. We need to be belted with truth and the Truth! “I am the Way the Truth and the Life” John 14

with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 2Cor5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God The end of striving …. True life is not performing to be approved it is the overflowing result of being given approval.

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Peace with God through Jesus replaces the burdens of fear and anxiety with a ready agility to respond to Jesus. John 16 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph. 2:8 “By grace you have been saved through faith, this is a gift from God” Faith is the relationship conduit through which God gives His gifts to us. This connection extinguishes the enemy’s arrows .

17 Take the helmet of salvation Romans 8:6 the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. My thinking needs saving. My mind needs boundaries and leading.

the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Matthew 43 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Armor of God Prayer

Jesus, I now put on the full armor of God to stand firm in this day of battle,

I put on the belt of truth….. I receive you Jesus as the Truth

I put on breastplate of righteousness …… I receive Your perfect righteousness to cover me perfectly

I fit my feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace – I receive Your peace Jesus …   

Peace with you gives me agility and confidence to love and serve today as You direct.

I take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ---

Jesus I receive afresh the gift of faith…. I believe help my unbelief…

I take up the helmet of salvation – Holy Spirit, govern my mind, save my thinking, reign Jesus over my mental life.

I take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God….. give me ears to hear, a heart to desire and a mind to remember your word.

Amen

Point of Grace Online Worship - May 7, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 5.7.23 Sermon Notes – “Resurrection Rescue – Part 5”

Resurrection Rescue – Rescue from Evil

John 8 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!

Jesus called the devil the father of lies! Satan – the adversary, the accuser

The Rescue from Evil Recipe: “The truth in me and me in the Truth”!

truth #1 Every day we wake up in a world at war with our enemy on the prowl!

Ephesians 6 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1 Peter 5 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith,

The enemy is a trinity – the devil and his accomplices!

The Devil – the enemy above -Satan – the lying deceiver- accuser – a conscious less enemy of God and His children

The World – the enemy around - collective humanities values, initiatives, institutions and culture formulated without God in the center– a godless endeavor

The Sinful Self – the enemy within – every person is born estranged from God – our natural default is to trust “self” over God for life

Third Party Alert

What I need is my Rescue Recipe: “The truth in me and me in the Truth”!

truth #2 Our enemy is a conscious-less deceiving liar who hates God and all God loves!

Genesis 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it

With every lie comes the temptation to believe it and then live like it is truth.

The Lie of Lies

We can have true “Life” (love, joy, peace. hope, happiness, meaning, fulfillment, etc.) without God… … in fact God and His rules for living are in our way. Not sure He can be trusted if He is there at all. It is up to us. In other words, we can have Eden again by human effort and will … without God.

This is the bottom line lie of all lies!

Living this lie is signing up for a life of pain!

What I need is my Rescue Recipe: “The truth in me and me in the Truth”!

truth #3 Jesus is Truth, tells the truth, is good, is alone victorious over evil and in Him we are victorious too! Rescued!

Colossians 1 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins

Genesis 3 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers; he will crush[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Ephesians 6 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

My Rescue Recipe: “The truth in me and me in the Truth”!

Jesus, all authority in the heavens and on this earth has been given to you and you are worthy to receive all glory and honor, power and dominion, now and forever. I sincerely receive you as my everlasting victory against Satan and his kingdom and I now take my place in your victory.

In my identity given me in baptism, I bring the authority, rule, and dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ and the full work of Christ over my life, over every aspect of my living and over all my kingdom and domain.

I bring the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and the full work of Christ against every evil power coming against me, my family and my kingdom and domain, [You might need to name them—what has been attacking you?] I cut all forces of evil off and banish them away from me and mine in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 30, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 4.30.23 Sermon Notes – “Resurrection Rescue – Part 4”

Resurrection Rescue Fundamentals – Forgiveness Forgiveness is ……… forgiveness is not……….!

Forgiveness rescue has two interlocking dimensions. Forgiveness rescues as it comes “to” us and comes “through” us to others.

1John 1;8-2:2 - Forgiveness “to us” Rescue If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Forgiveness “to us” rescue can be sabotaged by not agreeing with God about sin, not owning our sin through confession and not believing the atoning work of Jesus is payment enough.

I am sorry for ___________! I receive Your complete and total forgiveness!

Matthew 6 – Forgiveness “through us” Rescue 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness is a decision based on faith in God and His forgiveness of us.

When it comes to forgiveness, faith must lead and feelings must follow!

Words are a good place to start!

I am sorry for ___________! I forgive You for __________!

Forgiving others means I am giving up the right to make them pay for their sins against me because

God doesn’t make me pay for my sins against Him.

Forgiveness makes reconciliation possible but doesn’t insure it.

Forgiveness is given freely ……. Trust in a relationship must grow through trustworthiness.

Forgiveness “through us” Rescue:

If it is worth an “I’m sorry!” … it is worth an “I forgive you!”

Luke 7 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[c] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 23, 2023

Point of Grace Worship 4.23.23 Sermon Notes – “Resurrection Rescue – Part 3”

One of the greatest rescues the Resurrected Jesus brings is the rescue of our “thinking”!

Romans 12:2 “2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

My mind needs rescuing? - The Battlefield of the Mind - Clarity is needed!

Romans 8 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind (mindset) governed by the flesh is death, but the mind (mindset) governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

The “flesh” is the natural state of sinful man we each are born with. Our sinful nature is “self-reliant”! This stands in contrast to the “born again of the Spirit” nature of the Christian who is “Spirit-reliant”! Therefore, the Spirit-reliant me is in tension with the old self-reliant me – Which one will lead my mind today?

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

My identity in Christ is a gift that leads to a change of life everyday – not the other way around!

My identity in Christ means the daily life of my mind gets to be governed more by the Spirit of life and less by my self-reliant flesh!

- Soaking in the presence and truth of Jesus invites Him to govern (leads) my mental narrative every day!

- Rescue from worry! Matthew 6 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

- Consecrating my mental life daily!

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I consecrate my mind to you, I offer my mental life to you and you alone. I surrender my thoughts, attention and focus, my memory, speculation and worry, my understanding, imagination and interpretation of life events, past and present I give it all over to you … for Your leadership and Lordship. I present my thinking life to You Holy Spirit …. I ask you to govern my thinking … I need your provision and protection over my mental life.

“The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Holy Spirit… govern my mind … fill my mind with Life and Peace. Amen

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 16, 2023

Point of Grace Worship        4.16.23     Sermon Notes – “Resurrection Rescue – Part 2”

Our rescue needs are many ….. our Rescuer is One!

John 21  Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

When life is frustrating, disappointing and aimless!  “Oh, Jesus, Catch my heart!”

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”    “No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Is it time for a ridiculous run to Jesus?  “Oh, Jesus, I want You … I need You…You are so faithful!”

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

“Come and have breakfast?”          “Oh, Jesus, Yes Jesus, I get to be with You.”

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”Jesus said,  “Feed my sheep.

Jesus loves us too much to leave us burdened!    Jesus, I love You.  I love You Lord.  I love you Jesus”

 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

“Jesus, Help me follow You …. No matter where You lead.”

“Oh, Jesus, Catch my heart!”    “Oh, Jesus, I want You … I need You…You are so faithful!”

“Oh, Jesus, Yes Jesus, I get to be with You.”

 “Jesus, I love You! Jesus I love You! Jesus I love You”   “Jesus, Help me follow You …. No matter where You lead.”

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 9, 2023 (Easter Sunday)

Point of Grace Worship        4.9.23     Sermon Notes – “Resurrection Rescue – Easter 2023”

There is a “Rescue” for us in the reality of the Resurrection of Jesus!

1 Peter 1 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Life is rescued from death…. Hope is rescued from despair … Joy is rescued from grief

Faith is rescued from doubt … Salvation is rescued from the sum of our circumstances!

John 11 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

The Resurrection Rescue of Jesus is not only from death but also for life!

John 20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

We need rescue from our “self-reliant” defaults that ultimately lead to graveyards!

The Resurrected Rescuer calls us by name into LIFE with Him leading … He births new LIFE into every part of our life.

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 7, 2023 (Good Friday)

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 6, 2023 (Maundy Thursday)