June 22, 2008 Sermon Notes

Pastor Marty Grubbs -- June 22, 2008
“One Prayer … for Our City”
One Prayer series, part four

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -Acts 1:8

A witness is one whose life and actions exemplify the worth and effect of faith.

What keeps us from being His witnesses?

1.      We are preoccupied.
“A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.” -Luke 10:31

2.      We are insensitive.
“So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.” - Luke 10:32

How can we be HIS witnesses?

1. Give
   “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”          -2 Corinthians 9:12-13
2. Pray
   “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately.” -Philippians 1:9 The Message
3. Serve
   “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” -I Timothy 6:18

“What are the good works that bring transformation to the world and glory to God? They are every visible manifestation of our lives; what we say, how we live, the way we treat others, our reactions to trials, the consistency of our faith-everything”. -Chuck Swindoll, Simple Faith

 

 

A morning thought…

The words of Jesus that admonish both the rich young man and the Pharisee to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27) are applicable to us as we consider the work to which we are called. We ask, “Who is my neighbor?” After looking at the root words in “neighbor,” we find it applies to the “person drawing near to us.” Whether it is the person coming towards us on the street, the person beside us in the store, or the neighbor next door, they are all considered “neighbors,” whether or not we know them personally.

As we consider our community and the Oklahoma City area, our neighbors are many. We have a responsibility to love them and enable them to know the gospel of Jesus Christ through as many different venues as God will give us in creative energies and resources. Through opportunities sponsored by our people, we see God at work ennobling children, teenagers, students, singles, couples, and the elderly by giving them new hope through health care, emotional support, education, and spiritual direction. What a privilege it is to be part of what God is doing!

–George R. Skramstad, 2008