Last weeks Sermon !

15                                       Finishing the Work

                                Acts 1: 1-11

I wonder if we really understand that the Christian life is all about helping the Lord Jesus Christ to finish the work that He began…... Well the first disciples got it…… They shook the known world with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus…..

They knew that they were called to finish the work that Jesus began…. Listen to what Paul said to the leaders from Ephesis….

Acts 20:24                         NLT   Neues Leben

24But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

 24 Doch mein Leben ist nichts wert, wenn ich es nicht nutze, um das zu tun, was der Herr Jesus mir aufgetragen hat - das Werk, anderen die Botschaft von Gottes Gnade zu bringen.

What is the work that Paul and we have been given to do?.... the last part of v24…. the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

We have been redeemed to Glorify God in our lives…… How do we do that?…… How does the individual Christian become what God wants him to be?……. I don't really think that most Christians understand their calling….. We are called to be witnesses……. To be salt and light in this dark and dying world……. Big job…

We desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us…..   working through us….. so that we can be effective witnesses for Him…… So that we can finish the work that Jesus began…. When we are in the position of really seeing the power of God in our lives….. When we really yield to the Spirit of God….. Then we can begin to be the salt and light that Jesus has called us to be….  We are here to finish the work that Jesus began…. We need to see the power of God at work in our lives….

 As we study the book of Acts….. We will see the birth of the church….. These same fearful believers that were hiding……. Have now seen and touched the Risen Lord Jesus…… Jesus continues with them….. Fellowshipping with them and teaching them… 

I wonder if we really understand that the Christian life is all about helping the Lord Jesus Christ to finish the work that He began…... Well the first disciples got it…… They shook the known world with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus…..

They knew that they were called to finish the work that Jesus began….

Turn with me please to Acts 1…... v1…

Acts1: 1-11                      NKJV

 1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me[a] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Acts 1: 1-11                  Schlachter 2000

1 Den ersten Bericht habe ich verfaßt, o Theophilus, über alles, was Jesus anfing zu tun und zu lehren,

2 bis zu dem Tag, da er [in den Himmel] aufgenommen wurde, nachdem er den Aposteln1, die er erwählt hatte, durch den Heiligen Geist Befehl gegeben hatte.

3 Ihnen erwies er sich auch nach seinem Leiden als lebendig durch viele sichere Kennzeichen, indem er ihnen während 40 Tagen erschien und über das Reich Gottes redete.

4 Und als er mit ihnen zusammen war, gebot er ihnen, nicht von Jerusalem zu weichen, sondern die Verheißung des Vaters abzuwarten, die ihr [— so sprach er —] von mir vernommen habt,

5 denn Johannes hat mit Wasser getauft, ihr aber sollt mit Heiligem Geist getauft werden2 nicht lange nach diesen Tagen.

6 Da fragten ihn die, welche zusammengekommen waren, und sprachen: Herr, stellst du in dieser Zeit für Israel die Königsherrschaft wieder her?

7 Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Es ist nicht eure Sache, die Zeiten oder Zeitpunkte3 zu kennen, die der Vater in seiner eigenen Vollmacht festgesetzt hat;

8 sondern ihr werdet Kraft empfangen, wenn der Heilige Geist auf euch gekommen ist, und ihr werdet meine Zeugen sein in Jerusalem und in ganz Judäa und Samaria und bis an das Ende der Erde!

9 Und als er dies gesagt hatte, wurde er vor ihren Augen emporgehoben, und eine Wolke nahm ihn auf von ihren Augen weg.

10 Und als sie unverwandt zum Himmel blickten, während er dahinfuhr, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in weißer Kleidung bei ihnen,

11 die sprachen: Ihr Männer von Galiläa, was steht ihr hier und seht zum Himmel? Dieser Jesus, der von euch weg in den Himmel aufgenommen worden ist, wird in derselben Weise wiederkommen, wie ihr ihn habt in den Himmel auffahren sehen!

 As Christians we talk a lot about the finished work of Christ, and we should…… On the cross when our Lord said, Tetellestai….  He said it is finished….. And He did finish the work of redemption…….    Salvation is a finished work……… Es ist vollbracht….

But   Jesus also has unfinished work….. one of those things is here in v 1….

Acts 1:1                   NKJV  Schlachter 2000

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

1 Den ersten Bericht habe ich verfaßt, o Theophilus, über alles, was Jesus anfing zu tun und zu lehren,

Of all that Jesus Began to do and teach….. Jesus did so much in His earthly ministry…..The rest of the Book of Acts tells part of the story……. And as we talked last week…. The story is still being told today…. WE as believers are finishing the work that Jesus began….. And when it is finished…… The LORD JESUS Christ returns….. We are in the process right now of finishing the work which Jesus began…...

All through the Book of Acts, we have evidence that the men of God understood this….. As we read earlier In Acts chapter 20…. The Apostle Paul was on his way to Jerusalem….. And on the trip he had been told that he would be put in prison, and that he would suffer pain…... He knew that he would never see these leaders again…… this side of heaven….

Acts 20:24                         NLT   Neues Leben

24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

 24 Doch mein Leben ist nichts wert, wenn ich es nicht nutze, um das zu tun, was der Herr Jesus mir aufgetragen hat - das Werk, anderen die Botschaft von Gottes Gnade zu bringen. 

Paul says, "Look, I only have one thing that I'm concerned about…... My life doesn't matter to me…... All I want to do is finish my part of the unfinished work of Christ….

That's all I want to do…... I'm not going to protect myself from trouble…… I´m going to follow the Lord Jesus wherever He leads me…… No matter what it costs….

Paul was totally committed to his calling…. He was totally motivated to finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave him to do….

We should all have this sense of motivation….   Look at what Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers…. Eph 5…. 15….

Ephesians 5:15,16     NKJV   Schlachter 2000

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

15 Seht nun darauf, wie ihr mit Sorgfalt wandelt, nicht als Unweise, sondern als Weise; 16 und kauft die Zeit aus, denn die Tage sind böse.

 The German is perfect here…. Buy it up, maximize the time that you have on this earth….

 We need to be faithful to fulfill our part of the unfinished work of THE LORD JESUS…..   I realize I only have so much time….. And if I am to finish the work that Christ gave me, I've got to maximize the time that I have….. That's the way Paul felt…..

Now let's go back to Acts 1…..

Acts 1: 1-3                   NKJV

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Acts 1: 1-3                  Schlachter 2000

1 Den ersten Bericht habe ich verfaßt, o Theophilus, über alles, was Jesus anfing zu tun und zu lehren,

2 bis zu dem Tag, da er [in den Himmel] aufgenommen wurde, nachdem er den Aposteln1, die er erwählt hatte, durch den Heiligen Geist Befehl gegeben hatte.

3 Ihnen erwies er sich auch nach seinem Leiden als lebendig durch viele sichere Kennzeichen, indem er ihnen während 40 Tagen erschien und über das Reich Gottes redete.

Luke says, "I wrote earlier about all that Jesus began." Now he says, "I am writing a book, the Book of Acts, about all that Jesus continued to do through His people." That's what the whole Book of Acts is all about...... finishing the unfinished work of the LORD JESUS…..  picking up where Jesus left off….. that's what you and I are called to do……

In order for us Join the Lord in His work…..  we have to have some tools….. These are the things that are needed for you and I to finish the unfinished work of Christ….

Tools for finishing the work…

1   The Correct message….  The GOOD NEWS…… Repentance for the forgiveness of sins….. mercy….

2  Our own personal experience with the risen Lord Jesus…….

3  The power of the Holy Spirit….

Let´s start with the first one…

1   The Correct message….  The GOOD NEWS…… Repentance for the forgiveness of sins….. mercy….

Up until the day in which He ascended through the Holy Spirit, He continually gave commandments to the apostles….. All through  the time Jesus had with those men He  taught and disciple them…..   

This text is talking about the time that Jesus spent with the disciples after the resurrection..... Jesus continued to do what He had always done with them…. Jesus spent 40  more days with them and during that time…. He appeared to them   and confirmed His word…. continued to speak of His Kingdom…. and continued to give them commandments…... And the reason He did was so that we might have this wonderful record that they might preach the proper message…….

 The Word of God is the foundation of all faithful ministry…..   

One of the great tragedies of the church is ignorance of the Word of God…... We ignore the Word of God and it destroys our personal walk with the Lord Jesus and our ability to minister to our own families and others…… Look in Hosiah 4: 6 ….

Hosea 4: 6       NKJV   Schlachter 2000

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.

6 Mein Volk geht zugrunde aus Mangel an Erkenntnis; denn du hast die Erkenntnis verworfen, darum will ich auch dich verwerfen, daß du nicht mehr mein Priester seist; und weil du das Gesetz deines Gottes vergessen hast, will auch ich deine Kinder vergessen!

Listen people….. God does not give bonus points for ignorance……. There are no bonus points for not knowing……. The scripture is clear even if we don´t know….. we are still without excuse….

The reason we have so much difficulty finishing the unfinished work of Christ is because we don't know what the message is….. We are substituting garbage for the true message…. Today there are all kinds of messages…... God wants to make you rich….. God wants to give you perfect wealth and perfect health….. 

The Apostle Paul knew what the message was, and he preached it and stayed with it…... In Acts 17:1…..

Acts 17:1- 4                    NKJV

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

Acts 17:1- 4                  Schlachter 2000

1 Sie reisten aber durch Amphipolis und Apollonia und kamen nach Thessalonich, wo eine Synagoge der Juden war.

2 Paulus aber ging nach seiner Gewohnheit zu ihnen hinein und redete an drei Sabbaten mit ihnen aufgrund der Schriften,

3 indem er erläuterte und darlegte, daß der Christus leiden und aus den Toten auferstehen mußte, und [sprach:] Dieser Jesus, den ich euch verkündige, ist der Christus!

4 Und etliche von ihnen wurden überzeugt und schlossen sich Paulus und Silas an, auch eine große Menge der gottesfürchtigen Griechen sowie nicht wenige der vornehmsten Frauen.

 this Jesus whom I preach unto you is the Messiah, and some of them believed."

Now that is the message...the message of the Kingdom...that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died   to die to pay the penalty of sin….. that He rose from the dead….. Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures…...

In verse 10 of the same chapter, "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming there went to the synagogue of the Jews again. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily. Whether those things were so, therefore many of men believed." The message is Jesus Christ, dead and risen again, and they searched the Scriptures........ that's the message…… And our effectiveness in finishing the unfinished work of Christ is directly related to our understanding of the Word of God…... We have to know the scriptures for our own walk with the Lord…… We have to teach the scriptures to point others to Jesus…. He is the only source of Mercy and forgiveness…… Jesus alone provides hope for a lost and dying world…

To finish the work that Jesus began, we have to know the message….. And that's why all through His ministry, he poured that message out…… That message is recorded in the gospels and commented on in the rest of the New Testament…… And the better we know the gospels and the better we know the commentary on the gospels….. which are the Epistles…. the better able we are to defend the truth, right?

That's why the Bible says, "Study to show yourself approved unto God…. 2 Tim 2: 15…

2 Timothy 2: 15    NKJV      SChlachter 2000

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

15 Strebe eifrig danach, dich Gott als bewährt zu erweisen, als einen Arbeiter, der sich nicht zu schämen braucht, der das Wort der Wahrheit recht teilt.

 Rightly dividing the Word of truth….. We do not follow legends or traditions…. We must live and teach the truth…. And there is only one truth…. Francis Schaeffer said we need to teach “true truth”…. Peter says in 2 Peter 1: 16….

2 Peter 1: 16-21               NKJV  

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1: 16- 21                   Schlachter 2000

16 Denn wir sind nicht klug ersonnenen Legenden gefolgt, als wir euch die Macht und Wiederkunft8 unseres Herrn Jesus Christus wissen ließen, sondern wir sind Augenzeugen seiner herrlichen Majestät gewesen.

17 Denn er empfing von Gott, dem Vater, Ehre und Herrlichkeit, als eine Stimme von der hocherhabenen Herrlichkeit an ihn erging: »Dies ist mein geliebter Sohn, an dem ich Wohlgefallen habe!«

18 Und diese Stimme hörten wir vom Himmel her ergehen, als wir mit ihm auf dem heiligen Berg waren.

19 Und so halten wir nun fest an dem völlig gewissen10 prophetischen Wort11, und ihr tut gut daran, darauf zu achten als auf ein Licht, das an einem dunklen Ort scheint, bis der Tag anbricht und der Morgenstern aufgeht in euren Herzen.

20 Dabei sollt ihr vor allem das erkennen, daß keine Weissagung der Schrift von eigenmächtiger Deutung ist.12

21 Denn niemals wurde eine Weissagung durch menschlichen Willen hervorgebracht, sondern vom Heiligen Geist getrieben haben die heiligen Menschen Gottes geredet.

Look at the end of verse 16…. "We were eyewitnesses." Peter says… "I'm giving you my testimony….

That´s good, but even better….  but watch this...verse 19...

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy."

A more sure word than experience is the Word of the Scripture….. Experiences can deceive us….. We need the Word of God….. It is certain…. We got to know the Word, or we can't finish the work that Jesus began......

Sometimes you get trapped in that experience-centered Christianity….. where all you've got to say to anybody is all about your experience….. and there isn't any content there….. I mean this is my argument in one area with the charismatic movement as we see it today…... It's all experience…… Everybody's got an experience….. but nobody knows anything about the Scripture….. That's an unfortunate blissful ignorance of the Word of God…...

And then of course there's also the danger of using a self centered approach in evangelism…...you're really   appealing to somebody's egoismus…. Selfishness….….. How would you like….. You need…. You deserve…. Just have enough faith…. Just claim it….. speak it into your life….. These ideas about faith and God´s plan for us is not Biblical….

That´s not what the Bible teaches…. In 2 Timothy 3… Paul wrote about his own suffering for the sake of others…. For the Gospel…. He said that all who live Godly lives will suffer….

It's very dangerous…... If we're going to finish the work that Jesus began….. we're going to have to teach what Jesus taught….

Back to Acts 1….. v1….

Acts 1:1               NKJV   Schlachter 2000

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

1 Den ersten Bericht habe ich verfaßt, o Theophilus, über alles, was Jesus anfing zu tun und zu lehren,

The account is All the things that Jesus began to do and teach…… Everything that  Jesus taught He also Did….. Jesus was not a hypocrite…… Sadly…. People often refuse to listen to our message because the way we are living doesn´t match with what we say… There is an saying in English…

Practice what you preach….. Jesus said this too….

in Matthew 23...

In order to continue and finish the work of Christ we need something more….

2  Our own personal experience with the risen Lord Jesus …. Look at verse 3…

Acts 1:3            NKJV     Schlachter 2000

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

3 Ihnen erwies er sich auch nach seinem Leiden als lebendig durch viele sichere Kennzeichen, indem er ihnen während 40 Tagen erschien und über das Reich Gottes redete.

Now Jesus knew it wasn't enough just to have information…... There had to be  a personal encounter…. A very personal experience with a Risen Lord Jesus…..   And so He appeared to them over and over again….. so that they might know that He was alive……

Listen folks…… We cannot finish the unfinished work of Christ unless it flows out of a vital reality of Christ in our lives, unless we're seeing and feeling and knowing and fellowshipping and sharing with Him…… You can't be a secondhand witness….. You can't give somebody else's testimony…... You can't pass on Scripture that is irrelevant to you because you've never personally met Jesus Christ…... You say, "Yeah, but I can't see Him." Well, you don't need to see Him…..

Peter says, in 1 Peter 1:8….

1 Peter 1: 8                  NKJV   Schlachter 2000

8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory

8 Ihn liebt ihr, obgleich ihr ihn nicht gesehen habt; an ihn glaubt ihr, obgleich ihr ihn jetzt nicht seht, und über ihn werdet ihr euch jubelnd freuen mit unaussprechlicher und herrlicher Freude,

…. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory….. We can experience the risen Lord Jesus because the Holy Spirit has been sent…. To convict the World of sin…. The Holy Spirit also shines the Truth of the Word of God in our hearts so that we will repent and believe the Good News….. And that produces Joy in us….. And hope for the world….

He makes himself real by the indwelling Spirit….. And we have the record of the infallible appearances. We have the record of His 500+ witnesses….. We have the record of the empty tomb…..  We have all the evidence that He is alive… and the evidence is also here in our hearts……  because we know Him to be alive and active in our own lives……

Because we know the Lord Jesus we also have  a firsthand message….. I couldn't get so excited about Jesus Christ if I didn't know that He was alive….. I couldn't get excited about Him if I didn't know that He was in my life….  

Back to Acts 1…. V4….

3  The power of the Holy Spirit….

Look at verse 4.....

Acts 1:4               NKJV   Schlachter 2000

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

4 Und als er mit ihnen zusammen war, gebot er ihnen, nicht von Jerusalem zu weichen, sondern die Verheißung des Vaters abzuwarten, die ihr [— so sprach er —] von mir vernommen habt,

He says… "Wait for the promise of the Father which you've heard from Me."

You say, "Now what is the promise of the Father?"   It's the Holy Spirit……  

The Holy Spirit could not be sent until Jesus went to the Father….. Jesus said in John chapters 14 to 16 that "He would go and send the comforter, and He would have to be there before the comforter could come…… The comforter was sent to the believers as a reward from the Father for the faithful work of Christ." Don't go anywhere until the Spirit comes……

Jesus says…… Just hang on….. Do you remember what Jesus said when he was comforting them as they finally began to understand that He was going away?…. John 14….v 18…

John 14: 18                      NKJV Schlachter 2000

18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

18 Ich lasse euch nicht als Waisen zurück; ich komme zu euch.

Because Jesus went to the Father……. He sent the Holy Spirit to us….. In this wonderful sense…… Jesus has not left us….. He has come to us… In this present age…. Every genuine Christian possesses the Holy Spirit as soon as they are born again….. Back to Acts 1…v 5

Acts 1: 5- 8                      NKJV

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1: 5- 8          Schlachter 2000

5 denn Johannes hat mit Wasser getauft, ihr aber sollt mit Heiligem Geist getauft werden2 nicht lange nach diesen Tagen.

6 Da fragten ihn die, welche zusammengekommen waren, und sprachen: Herr, stellst du in dieser Zeit für Israel die Königsherrschaft wieder her?

7 Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Es ist nicht eure Sache, die Zeiten oder Zeitpunkte3 zu kennen, die der Vater in seiner eigenen Vollmacht festgesetzt hat;

8 sondern ihr werdet Kraft empfangen, wenn der Heilige Geist auf euch gekommen ist, und ihr werdet meine Zeugen sein in Jerusalem und in ganz Judäa und Samaria und bis an das Ende der Erde!

verse 8......, then you will receive Power after the Holy Spirit has come on you."

That's why I want you to wait…... notice it says… You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit"...that's a classic use of the passive verb.... you shall be baptized…..  There's no effort involved…… The Spirit of God descends and comes as the Father sends Him…... And what happens? We receive Power to be witnesses for the LORD JESUS…..

Jesus is saying to his disciples..."I want you to finish My work…… I'll give you all the tools you need….

 I'm going to put My Holy Spirit in you….. and He'll do it through you……

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do the thing that God has given us to do.....

Jesus given us His Holy Spirit…... He is living in us…. We are to be witnesses for Him….

look at verse 9….

Acts 1: 9- 11                      NKJV  

 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Acts 1: 9- 11                      Schlachter 2000 

9 Und als er dies gesagt hatte, wurde er vor ihren Augen emporgehoben, und eine Wolke nahm ihn auf von ihren Augen weg.

10 Und als sie unverwandt zum Himmel blickten, während er dahinfuhr, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in weißer Kleidung bei ihnen,

11 die sprachen: Ihr Männer von Galiläa, was steht ihr hier und seht zum Himmel? Dieser Jesus, der von euch weg in den Himmel aufgenommen worden ist, wird in derselben Weise wiederkommen, wie ihr ihn habt in den Himmel auffahren sehen!

Jesus is coming again….. We have a job to do…..

Remember what I said about Paul as we began today?...

Paul was totally committed to his calling…. He was totally motivated to finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave him to do….

We should all have this sense of motivation….   Look again at what Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers…. Eph 5…. 15….

Ephesians 5:15,16     NKJV   Schlachter 2000

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

15 Seht nun darauf, wie ihr mit Sorgfalt wandelt, nicht als Unweise, sondern als Weise; 16 und kauft die Zeit aus, denn die Tage sind böse.

 The German is perfect here…. Buy it up, maximize the time that you have on this earth….

 We need to be faithful to fulfill our part of the unfinished work of THE LORD JESUS…..   I realize I only have so much time….. And if we are going to finish the work that Christ gave us…. We must use the time that we have….. That's the way Paul felt….. Jesus is  Coming back….. And if we're going to do anything… we're going to need to do it now!

Jesus is coming again…… And the fact that He's coming moves me because I don't know how much time…..

You know, we can finish the work that Jesus gives us……. His unfinished work....... We have everything we need……. We have the tools….

Tools for finishing the work…

1   The Correct message….  The GOOD NEWS……Repentance for the forgiveness of sins….. mercy….

2  Our own personal experience with the risen Lord Jesus…….

3  The power of the Holy Spirit….

Jesus is coming again….. The message is still the same… Judgment is certain…. Repent the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand… We don't know when He's coming….

One last scripture… Col 4… v….17.. Paul was always on message…. Get to work….. finish the work….

Colossians 4:17    NKJV   Schlachter 2000

17 And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

17 Und sagt dem Archippus: Habe acht auf den Dienst, den du im Herrn empfangen hast, damit du ihn erfüllst!

Let´s finish the work…. Let´s fulfill the mission of the Lord Jesus…. Remember verse 1 of Acts 1…. All that Jesus began to do and teach…… Jesus himself has begun a good work in each of us…. And He will fulfill it…. Phil 1…verse 6…

Dear friends….  we have everything  we need…… The only missing thing is the commitment to use those things for His glory……

26.2.2012 Forgiveness

Ephesians 4: 21- 32 and Eph 5:1

Today we have the great joy of Sharing communion together….. sharing in the remembrance of His death on the cross for us……

We are studying the life of Jesus……. Jesus often taught in parables….. word pictures to help us see ourselves and to help us see the LORD…….. 2 weeks ago……. we studied one of Jesus most powerful pictures…… a picture of God´s unfailing love and mercy……. Shown to us in the picture of the Good Samaritan……. A very simple story…… but full of power…….. full of spiritual meaning…….. It is one of many occasions when Jesus warned us about Hypocrisy……. He reminds us of our tendency to pretend to be Super Christians………. Looking good….. But really not loving and helping others……. Especially if we decide that they don´t deserve our mercy……

Today we will continue to look at what the Bible teaches…..

focusing on our internal attitudes……. Our hearts and motives…… Mercy is a very important part of our Christian life …..We have received mercy that we didn´t deserve….. and we need to show mercy……. Even to those who don´t deserve it…..

This morning….. I want us to look at another component……. another internal attitude that is absolutely necessary in the life of the church….. One that we must exercise at all times …….. it is none other than the attitude of forgiveness......

You can add to your list……. We must show mercy…….. We must be a gracious and forgiving people……. Covering people with love….. The same love that the LORD has shown us…….

The church is no place for grudges……. The Christian life is not to be characterized by grudges or revenge……. or bitterness or pride……. All of these are destructive and must be dissolved in a forgiving attitude……. it is very important for the church to examine itself…….. and to deal with sin……. So that we maintain purity……. As a fellowship of believers….. and as individuals…. We are not perfect…….. But that is our goal….. We want to confess and repent as often as is necessary…….. We want to let the LORD wash the garbage out of our lives……

In the life of the church there will be imperfections…… there will be wrong attitudes……… there will be sin…… and they will occur at every level of the church……. These things will even occur in the lives of those in leadership……. they will occur in my life and in the lives of other pastors and elders……. and they will occur in the lives of everyone in this church…… and in any church…… The Apostle Paul looking at himself at the very end of his life……. identified himself as the chief of sinners……. There will always be imperfections and always be errors…….. and we will always be saying to ourselves, "O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death?"

In fact……… the more we mature in Christ…… the more our sin becomes obvious to us……. because the greater our sensitivity to it becomes……… the more likely to see our failures…….. And so because there will always be imperfections and sins and transgressions and misjudgments……. there will always be a great need for the exercise of forgiveness in the life of the church…….. And wherever there is an unforgiving attitude…….. there will be a damaging of the fellowship and there will be a limiting of the usefulness……. and there will be a stealing of the joy that we should experience……… There will be a robbing of the peace that the Lord has given us through His Spirit……

In today's culture bent on exercising and glorifying the sin of self-esteem…….. forgiveness is mocked and vengeance is exalted……. This is just the opposite of what the Scripture teaches us……. We must express an attitude of forgiveness in our personal lives….……

I want to talk about forgiveness this morning before we celebrate communion………… I have a few things for us to think about ……. First of all, forgiveness is the most godlike act a person can do....... Nothing is more godlike than forgiving someone…… And never are you more like God than when you forgive…….

If it is your heart's prayer to be like Christ……. to be as God's beloved children who manifest His character……. then you must necessarily be characterized by forgiveness……… Forgiveness is a marvelous thing……. Forgiveness is a promise…… Forgiveness is a statement of undeserved……. unearned love that says no matter what you've done there is no anger……. no matter what you've done there is no hatred…… no matter what you've done there is no desire for vengeance……. no matter what you've done there will never be any retaliation…… I pass by that transgression completely……. I do not hold you guilty…… I do not blame you…… I feel no self-pity for myself because I've been offended…… rather I pass by that transgression completely and extend my love to you fully……. That's forgiveness and that's Godlike…….

In Exodus 34 God revealed Himself to Moses saying…..

I am the LORD GOD……. compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness........

Loving kindness…..CHeSED in the Hebrew……that's another word for grace......... and truth who keeps loving kindness for thousands…… who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin."

God is by nature a forgiving God…….

David knew this about God very well……

Psalm 32: 1- 6 NLT Neues Leben

¹ Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!

1 Ein Psalm Davids. Glücklich ist der, dessen Sünde vergeben ist und dessen Schuld zugedeckt ist.

Again and again in the Psalms the theme of forgiveness is brought up……… Another one that is worth noting is in Psalm 130….

Psalm 130: 3-4 NLT

³ LORD, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
⁴ But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you.

Psalm 130: 3-4 Neues Leben

3 Herr, wenn du unsere Sünde anrechnen würdest, wer könnte da bestehen?

4 Doch du schenkst uns Vergebung, damit wir lernen, dich zu fürchten.

Feared meaning worshiped……. treated with awe…… and respect and honor……

We see that God is worshipped by those whom He so graciously forgives…… God forgives us for His own sake….It is His nature to forgive….…….

In Isaiah….. Isaiah speaks about God's forgiveness in the forty-third chapter of his prophecy……… You remember that much of his prophecy has to do with judgment……. and then it turns to the promise of God to send the Messiah…..the redeemer……… to purchase our forgiveness with his own death…….. Jesus came…… exactly where and when he was prophesied……….. He was born to die……..offering forgiveness and a glorious future to all who were willing to repent of their sins……. In Isaiah 43:25 we read…....

Isaiah 43:25 NLT Neues Leben

²⁵ “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.

25 Ich - ich allein - bin es, der deine Übertretungen um meiner selbst willen tilgt und nicht mehr an deine Sünden denkt.

What a great statement……

"I will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.

What does that mean? GOD puts His character on display as a forgiving God…….

And then that great text in Isaiah 55 verses 6 and 7……

Isaiah 55: 6-7 NLT

⁶ Seek the LORD while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

Isaiah 55: 6-7 Neues Leben

6 Sucht den Herrn, solange er sich finden lässt. Ruft zu ihm, solange er nahe ist.

7 Der Gottlose soll seinen Weg verlassen und der Übeltäter von seinen Plänen absehen! Stattdessen soll er zum Herrn umkehren, damit er sich seiner erbarmt. Ja, bekehrt euch zu unserem Gott, denn bei ihm ist viel Vergebung.

If we repent of our sins we run into God Himself…… He generously forgives and as we read earlier in Isaiah 43…..……"I will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.

Jesus taught many parables…….. they dominate much of His teaching…..

Perhaps the most famous one is the parable of the prodigal son……. It is actually not the parable of the prodigal son, it is the parable of the forgiving father……..

It is recorded in Luke 15 ……. God is seen like a father who totally forgives an unworthy and undeserving son…….. The son in that parable was not unlike many sons…… greedy……. self-centered……. In a hurry to get his hands on the wealth he had not earned…….. foolish……. wasteful in the way he spent it on fast living with those who……… took advantage of him and left him in misery when his money ran out……..

Slowly coming to his senses…. eating pig slop…… he looked at his life and said to himself, "My father's servants live far better than I, I'm going to go home."

He didn't really expect forgiveness…… in fact that was the last thing he expected…….. He said I'll just go home and be a slave……… what a terrible son I've been…….. I don't expect to be accepted as a son……… I will go back and ask if I can just be a slave……. And he started on the road back.

When he arrives near the house of his father…… Jesus teaches us what it means to forgive…….. Because what does the father do? The father doesn't wait for the sinner to arrive…… As soon as he sees him coming he runs to meet him, while he's still far away the father runs……… When he starts to open his mouth and speak, before he can even say…… sorry…….. before he can say anything…….. the father runs to him and throws his arms around him…….. and starts to kiss him….. and immediately calls for a celebration….. notice he hasn´t said anything…….. He is already forgiven……..because he came back to his Father……His father tells the servants to cook up the best meal that anybody could ever imagine….. start the music, call my friends to rejoice with me…… My son is home………. That's the lavish character of forgiveness…….

When God sees the sinner moving in His direction….. God throws His arms around the sinner and hastily lavishes His forgiving love on that sinner....... that's forgiveness the way God forgives…….

I'll tell you something as a pastor…… I grieve deeply over people who carry bitternesses……. It is so ungodlike….. It is so unlike the character of Jesus Christ…… I grieve over people who think they have to retaliate for every wrong that was rendered against them…… Somehow they've got to get their pound of flesh……… Somehow they have to react preserve their ego and their pride…….. they become divisive……causing division and strife in the Church……

I grieve over those people who want to undermine the church of Christ…… and undermine the work of God….. undermine the life and ministry of faithful servants……

The forgiving father can only say that he loves the unworthy son…….. He can only say that he will always love that son who has committed such gross sins…... And those sins were committed directly against that father……. And he will do nothing but rejoice over that son and lavish him with the expressions of forgiveness……. Our Father forgives for the sheer joy of reconciliation…….

It's very hard to divide a church full of forgiving people because you can't get anything started……. No matter what failures your pastor may make…… or your leaders may make….. or you might make……. or somebody around you might make…….. when there's a rush to forgive it's very hard to cause those divisions that so dishonor the Lord…….

Jesus hanging on the cross looked out over the people who were taking His life……. the sinless Son of God….. and lifting His eyes to heaven…… He said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."

And Stephen as he was being stoned to death…… looked up to heaven……. saw Jesus Christ in a glorious vision and said…… "Lay not this sin to their charge……. O God, don't hold them responsible for what they're doing."

It was Sir Thomas More, the lord chancellor of England, after having been tried at Westminster and condemned to death….. prayed for the salvation of his executioners...... that's forgiveness.......

God has been unjustly offended and blasphemed and dishonored by all of us……… and yet joyfully showers us with the expressions of His forgiving love…… Which we do not deserve…….which we could never earn……. We talk often about earning forgiveness……. We could never earn God´s forgiveness……….. So He showers us with forgiveness because of His mercy and unfailing love…… AND

We are expected to forgive others…..

Turn if you will to Ephesians 4: 30…….

Ephesians 4: 30-32 and Eph 5: 1 and 2 NLT

³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,^[e] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

¹ Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us^[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Ephesians 4: 30-32 and Eph 5: 1 and 2 Neues Leben

30 Achtet darauf, den Heiligen Geist nicht durch euer Verhalten zu betrüben. Denkt vielmehr daran, dass ihr sein Siegel tragt und dadurch die Gewissheit habt, dass der Tag der Erlösung kommen wird.

31 Befreit euch von Bitterkeit und Wut, von Ärger, harten Worten und übler Nachrede sowie jeder Art von Bosheit.

32 Seid stattdessen freundlich und mitfühlend zueinander und vergebt euch gegenseitig, wie auch Gott euch durch Christus vergeben hat.

1 Folgt in allem Gottes Beispiel, denn ihr seid seine geliebten Kinder.

2 Euer Leben soll von Liebe geprägt sein, wie auch Christus uns geliebt hat, denn er hat sich selbst als Gabe und Opfer für unsere Sünden gegeben. Und Gott hatte Gefallen an diesem Opfer, das wie ein wohlriechender Duft zu ihm aufstieg.

Look at verse31…….

v³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Instead…….³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Be kind and forgive…… because……God has forgiven us thru The LORD Jesus Christ……

And that kindness includes being tenderhearted…… That's a simple phrase to understand, tenderheartedness........ treating people tenderly……… And here is one way to do it, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you……..

You are never more like God than when you forgive….. when you express kindness…… when you are tenderhearted and forgive just as God has forgiven you…… And it's not a shallow forgiveness, it's a deep forgiveness, it's a generous….overflowing forgiveness………

In Colossians 3:13….. Paul unfolds the same great truth,

Colossians 3: 13-14 NLT

¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3: 13-14 Neues Leben

13 Seid nachsichtig mit den Fehlern der anderen und vergebt denen, die euch gekränkt haben. Vergesst nicht, dass der Herr euch vergeben hat und dass ihr deshalb auch anderen vergeben müsst.

14 Das Wichtigste aber ist die Liebe. Sie ist das Band, das uns alle in vollkommener Einheit verbindet.

Forgiving anyone……that includes ….my wife my friend my enemy…… everyone who offends me…… with same kind of generosity with which the Lord forgave you from the heart…… Forgiving each other is the key to Christian unity and the key to our testimony in this unloving and unforgiving world….. How far does this go…… We are commanded to forgive our enemies…..

Luke 6: 35-36 NLT

³⁵ “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. ³⁶ You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Luke 6: 35-36 Neues Leben

35 Liebt eure Feinde! Erweist ihnen Gutes! Leiht ihnen Geld! Und macht euch keine Sorgen, weil sie es euch vielleicht nicht wiedergeben werden. Dann wird euer Lohn im Himmel groß sein und ihr handelt wirklich wie Kinder des Allerhöchsten, denn er erweist auch den Undankbaren und den Bösen Gutes.

36 Ihr sollt gütig sein, wie euer Vater gütig ist.

Turn back to that text of Ephesians 5 for just a moment……

^{Eph 5:1-2 NLT}

¹ Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us^[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

^{Eph 5:1-2 Neues Leben}

1 Folgt in allem Gottes Beispiel, denn ihr seid seine geliebten Kinder.

2 Euer Leben soll von Liebe geprägt sein, wie auch Christus uns geliebt hat, denn er hat sich selbst als Gabe und Opfer für unsere Sünden gegeben. Und Gott hatte Gefallen an diesem Opfer, das wie ein wohlriechender Duft zu ihm aufstieg.

We imitate God when we forgive……..

By the way, Paul wrote Ephesians and Colossians, those two letters that call for forgiveness from a jail where he was unjustly and hatefully imprisoned…… He was practicing the very thing he was exhorting the believers to do…..

A second thought as we think about forgiveness is this…… whoever has offended you has offended God more.......

You say, "What's the point? The point is…. if God can forgive when He has been so sinned against…….. Why can't you forgive?

You say, "What do you mean by that?" I mean by that what is clearly indicated in Psalm 51…… Psalm 51 was written by David at the time when David was convicted of his sin with Bathsheba…… and the murder of her husband Uriah……. And in the midst of his repentance…… he wrote Psalm 32 and 51…...

In Psalm 51 and verse 4 he makes this very important point about his sin…….

Remember now, he had violated Bathsheba by engaging himself in sexual relationship with her……. He had violated Uriah by making sure that Uriah was put in a compromising position on the battlefield so that he lost his life…… So he was guilty of adultery and he was guilty of murder…… He certainly sinned against those people……. But notice what he says in verse 4….. It´s verse 6 in German….. ……

Psalm 51: 4 NLT Neues Leben

⁴ Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.

6 Gegen dich allein habe ich gesündigt und getan, was in deinen Augen böse ist. Darum wirst du Recht behalten mit dem, was du sagst, und dein Urteil über mich ist gerecht.

All sin is primarily against God…… Although it would seem to us a major sin against Bathsheba and a major sin against Uriah…… it is really a major infraction against God Himself…….

Listen, God is perfectly holy……

He is of purer eyes than to behold evil, cannot look upon iniquity……. He cannot tolerate sin…… He despises sin….. He hates sin…..

He calls on all people everywhere to repent……. And while He is forgiving there will be an end to His patience…… and He will not endure sin forever……. There will come a time of judgment and justice……

At the same time that God is forgiving……. there is an end to His forgiveness…… because ultimately His holiness will take over where there is refused to repent….…… He is perfectly holy…… ultimately does require a just punishment for sin........ either from the sinner……. or from a substitute for the sinner…… The lamb of God ……. His Son the Lord Jesus Christ…… To say that is to say that God is holy and sets a holy standard……. unforgiven sinners will be damned to an eternal hell of punishment……. There's no question about the extent of God's holiness…… And that in itself makes His forgiveness all the more astonishing…… God then who is most holy…… God who is most supremely offended……. forgives…….

We who are unholy shall we not forgive?

What is it, some kind of God complex people have who won't forgive?

Indeed it is…….. We think that we are better than whoever sins against us……WE have an elevated opinion of ourselves when we refuse to forgive……. We have exalted yourself to a standard higher than God…….

I believe that from the heart we are to forgive all offenses all the time…….. My enemies and those who persecute and hate me are unlikely to ask for my forgiveness, and yet Jesus said, "Love your enemies and do good to them." And that manifests an attitude of forgiveness……. And there are going to be Christians who offend you and me……. There are going to be Christians who are bitter and full of vengeance and want retaliation and want their pound of flesh and are going to do things that hurt us……. because they've been hurt by us or imagined they have…….

And I really believe that from the heart it is essential that we extend to them a kindness…… a tenderheartedness and a forgiving love…….. That forgiveness should be mutual……. I should forgive you and you should forgive me…….. We should ask each other for forgiveness…

But let me tell you something……. You can't wait for thatI mean, look at it in your own home, look at it in your own marriage…… look at it in your own family…….. Are you just going to accumulate a whole long list of sins that someone may have committed……. or offenses that someone may have committed…. until they ask……?

No……. love covers a multitude of sins…….

from the heart…… forgiveness has to be given you will accumulate bitterness in your own heart…...

He who is most offended forgives freely, shall not we?

Remember the story that Jesus told in Matthew 18?

…….. that story about the man who came before the king……. He could not repay his debt…….. and he was forgiven and then went out and strangled another man who owed him just a small debt…… And the point Jesus is making is how can you accept the forgiveness of God for all your sins…….. and not forgive someone else…….

God who was most offended and God who is of the highest and holiest standard has given you complete forgiveness…… How can we refuse to forgive others?

Matthew 18 is a very important text, I wish we had time to look at it…….. It´s a great study for your own queit times this week……

But one final point…… and it takes us into the place of preparation for the Lord's table…… We must repent of our sins…. And we must forgive everyone around us……

We're talking about that which has to do with your joy, your peace, your usefulness, your fellowship…….

Remember what Jesus talked with Peter about when Peter said……. "I want a bath," and the Lord said, "You already had a bath, you just need your feet washed."

For those of us who are believers……. It's not a question of you being clean….. you're clean…… you just got some dirt on your feet that makes you a foul fellow for sitting at the table with us…… Bitterness and unforgiveness does not belong at the Lords Communion Table……

In Matthew 6……. In part of the Lord´s Prayer……. We will study that next week…. The Lord willing…… Jesus said this, "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." And then down in verse 14, "For if you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive men then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

That makes the point about as clearly as it could ever be made……… God will forgive you if you forgive others…….

Eternal forgiveness....... that's a settled issue……… We have that in our justification and that settles the issue of future blessing……. But practical day to day forgiveness…… is something that we need in our sanctification…… and that is the issue of present blessing……..

DoYou understand the difference…… Eternal forgiveness which we have in our justification……. settles the issue of future blessing……. Practical day to day forgiveness is what we must give now…… We need it in our sanctification process…… as God purifies the garbage in our hearts……

The point is……. if you're not forgiving others regularly and consistently and completely…… You will forfeit blessing and you will come under chastening…….

God chastens those who do not forgive others……

I have found the emptiness…… the dryness….. the lack of joy, the lack of power…… the lack of usefulness in the lives of people is often related to an unforgiving heart……. It's due to God's blessing being withheld…… because of an unwillingness to forgive…….

Today is a heart check for all of us……. Have you looked at your heart?

What is coming out of your heart…… anger…. bitterness…….?

Maybe it is the lack of forgiveness that is causing all of these trials in your life…….

We are to forgive because it is like God…… whose children we are……

We are to forgive because we have been forgiven the greater sins against God……. and should be able to forgive lesser ones against us…….

We are to forgive because not to forgive is to forfeit fellowship…….. and the love of the brethren……. and it is to be chastened…….

if we don't forgive we're really not fit to come to the Lord's table……. we're not fit to worship………

Now this is very basic…… If you have an unsettled grudge with somebody else, settle it…… Right now …..from your heart……. Reconciliation needs to precede communion and worship……. Where there is bitterness and anger and unforgiveness……

Forgiveness brings heaven to earth and restores peace in our sinful hearts…….

Forgiveness is the image of God…… the forgiving Father……. Mercy forgiveness and God´s love are the Keys that set us free….. to worship and love and serveThe Lord and each other……

Never are you more like God than when you forgive……

Before we take communion this morning….. Iwant us to take some time to pray…… to confess and repent and forgive……

Maggie will lead in worship….. while she does………. Let´s settle our issues with the Lord…… I will pas out the elements…..let´s wait land take them together