Are We Getting to Somewhere??? 2 Pet 1:12-19; Lev 26: 9-13 NIV
Purpose: After listening to the sermon, we will be able to understand that God is in control of the spreading of the Kingdom, even though the world is full of negativity.
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,
14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[a]
18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
9 “‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.
10 You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
11 I will put my dwelling place[a] among you, and I will not abhor you.
12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
This is the Word of God, for the people of God. Praise be to God. Amen
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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Are We Getting to Somewhere??? 2 Pet 1:12-19; Lev 26: 9-13 NIV
Purpose: After listening to the sermon, we will be able to understand that God is in control of the spreading of the Kingdom, even though the world is full of negativity.
Outline
I. Introduction
II. Are we disappointed or discouraged???
III. Explanation of the biblical text
IV. Conclusion[s]
V. Prayer
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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Are We Getting to Somewhere??? 2 Pet 1:12-19; Lev 26: 9-13 NIV
Purpose: After listening to the sermon, we will be able to understand that God is in control of the spreading of the Kingdom, even though the world is full of negativity.
Are you a follower of the news on TV??? Sometimes it is very hard to hear the news because they only report bad and negative events. It is part of how they operate. Also, they tell the story according to their own point of view. That means that it is disappointing and disturbing to know that the majority of what people want to hear is depressing and harmful!!! On the other hand, it is important to notice that they are based on the events of the moment. For example, starting maybe three weeks ago, the news began reporting everything they could get about the presidential candidates. For example, such and such is saying that taxes are going to be in such and such way, or the theme about illegal immigration, or the subject of nuclear deals with other countries. At the same time, the news has spent a great deal of time on one of the most divisive and hot topics of nowadays, the gay marriage. Lately, clerk Kim Davis has been in jail for denying marriage licenses to people of the same sex. She was incarcerated for her honest and strong beliefs about Christianity. This is highly disturbing and discouraging for serious and committed Christians. And the international news is just as painful and scary as the national news. They are telling us that the world is facing the worst immigration crisis since World War II. People from Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria, at least 50% of them are Syrians, seeking
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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shelter from violence or persecution at home.1 They are traveling in very dangerous and unsafe ways. The human conditions that the Syrian people were living have been terrible to the extreme that they are risking the lives of their children and their own lives in order to try to change their living conditions. In the field of health, it seems that California has passed a law that allows doctors to prescribe life ending medication for terminally ill patients.2 It is as scary and disturbing as the rest of the news. And the last news that I was interested was about a dentist that killed a poor lion called "Cecil the Lion." People want him to return to Zimbabwe in order for him to face trial for the death of Cecil.3 Ok, dear ones, tell me where is the positive, uplifting, and cheering in the world that we are living? That is why it is very hard for me to spend time watching the news. It makes me angry and I doubt about the credibility and seriousness of the events. Please don't take me wrong, I am not advocating to quit watching or reading or listening to the news. What I am saying is that the news is full of negativity, pain, injustice, and manipulation. On the other hand, I believe that it is important to know what is happening around us, but it seems like everything is very, very ugly. So, after reading about the news of this past week, I started understanding why people give up hope, joy, and peace. Actually, a lot of people become cynical and pessimistic, because through the lenses of
1 http://irusa.org/refugee-crisiseurope/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=europe%20refugee%20crisis&gclid=CP 7Dr4L36scCFQoKaQodNQYOlw (Accessed on September 9, 2015). 2 http://news.yahoo.com/california-lawmakers-approve-die-legislation-193816152.html (Accessed on September 10, 2015). 3 http://news.yahoo.com/minnesota-dentist-killed-beloved-lion-returns130500684.html;_ylt=AwrC1C16APJV7SgAV3LQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByNXQ0NThjBGNvbG8DYm YxBHBvcwM1BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg-- (Accessed on September 10, 2015).
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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negativity there is just chaos in this world. The reality is that sometimes it is very difficult to see when something good is happening in the world. And even if we know that we walk in the world but we don't belong to the world, it is easy to get down and start focusing in our circumstances. We can reach the point of throwing up our hands and saying, "Ok Lord, now what!?!?! Are we getting anywhere with all this bad stuff around us?!?!!? Are we spreading the Kingdom??? I have turned my head to the right I have turned my head to the left, and I cannot see any good!!!! I am tired, disappointed, and I just want to give up!!! Well, I am sure of one thing, I don't want to be God. How He can keep up with us and not give up??? We know that human nature has not changed over the centuries. That is why in the reading of today, Peter was uplifting the recipients of his letter. They knew, we know, we have engraved in our minds and hearts the truths of the promises of God. Why was Peter concerned for them if they knew who God was and they knew about His faithfulness??? However, our human tendency is to focus on the negative of the moment, on the fact that the majority of the times, we believe that problems don't come alone, they come in groups, but they don't come in groups. We are in the mindset and in the disposition to expect the negative in any new situation. This is the moment when we can become vulnerable to thinking that God doesn't pay attention to us, that God has better things to take care of, such as nuclear deals between nations or the immigration of Syrians to Europe and other countries, or people who are having more serious challenges than we. In fact, it seems like the same hopeless attitude was commanding the attention of the people to whom Peter was writing. He was telling them that the message of God always has been trustworthy and reliable. The promises of God shine in our hearts and minds. There are not double agendas in God's
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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character or in God's communication to us, as in the news. Without doubt, as a beloved and caring Father, He is not going to let our circumstances darken our lives. In the same way that God brought His people out of Egypt and helped them through the wilderness, He is going to lead us. He is going to help us to get out of our difficulties and He is going to guide us in the wilderness of this world. On the other hand, there is a part that we need to play in order to keep the covenant with God. It is to remember. We need to refresh our memory, indeed. Through our memory comes experience and knowledge. No one can take away our thoughts and our experience. That is why, when we are getting downhearted through the news and even through the challenges of our own lives, we need to remember the experience where in such and such situation God was there right next to us, helping us, carrying us, giving us peace and calm. That is when we know that we live above the problems of the world and even above of our own personal circumstances. It is when we hold our head up because we know that our lives have direction and meaning. It is when we know that we are getting somewhere.
Let us pray Dear and Good Father, Thank You for Your presence in this fallen world, even though the news agencies report what they want to report and how they want to report it; even though sometimes our conditions can challenge us, we know that there is
Sermon for Service on September 13, 2015 by Claudia Nava-Galloway _____________________________________________________________
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always more good than bad in our lives, because of You. You are perfect love and divine care for Your beloved children. Help us to remember our experiences with You because in this way we know that we are getting somewhere. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
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