Travel is difficult at best.

There is a bit of a desent and climb getting through the river

I was amazed to find about a foot of water in the river after four months of no rain.

The ladies waiting to start the service.

The kids waiting as well.

A short sermon summary: Gremar talked about the 7  “I am’s” in John describing who Jesus is, of which; “I am the light of the world whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life”. (John 8:12) is one of the seven and was the theme for the day.  She moved on quickly to describe Jesus’ light as found in John 1:1-5. Jesus, the creator of all things came to us as one of us to be the light of men and that light is life; life ever lasting. But not everyone walks in the light; only those who follow me Jesus tells us.  To what extent do you follow Jesus? Do you know him well enough to follow him? Do know his character to the point  that you are like him in your daily walk  displaying the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22-23) Jesus as the light of the world does not end with us following him and being like him  but that we as individual Christians and collectively the Church are now the light of the world.  (Matthew 5:14-16)  Our walk with Christ is our witness since we are the body of Christ and his light to all those we meet every day. Is your lamp trimmed? If you are shining brightly today what about tomorrow? What about your daily dealings? What about teaching your children? What about Christian education for them? By God’s grace and the Spirit’s power may we shine brightly for Jesus and for his Church here in Niger State and beyond.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Idaci also has one of the CRCN Christian Schools. 200 Primary students and 39 Jr. Secondary School students. They are working on  accreditation to add a Sr Secondary School as well.

Three Classroom blocks.

Nine full time staff, housing provided.

GOD IS GOOD! PRAISE HIS NAME!

I. The Gospel of Mark is a fast moving account of Jesus’ life probably written for Roman Gentiles. Mark 1: 1-12

A. Of the gospels Mark was written first and most of Mark is found in Mathew and in Luke. Most people think Matthew and Luke copied Mark but revised it to meet their situation. Matthew wrote to the Jews and Luke to Gentiles. Both Mathew and Luke added their own material.

Punishment Isa. 39

The initial prophecy “I will send my messenger to prepare the way” that Mark quotes was written by Isaiah to give comfort to those who would be exiled. Isaiah prophecies the punishment in chapter 39; was Hezekiah too proud of his treasures that he showed it all to the visiting Babylonians? Perhaps he did not give God the glory. More than likely there were many reasons over the years and Hezekiah’s indiscretion was the last straw. Judah was to be exiled.

B. Isa. 40: 1-5

But in the next chapter Isaiah is directed to comfort God’s people by prophesying their release from hard service and that their sin is paid for. Salvation is the tie on point where the passages are connected to Mark’s gospel and connected to God’s provision for his people and for all the people of the world.

II. Prepare the way for the Lord

A. The way back to God

“A voice calling in the wilderness; prepare the way for the Lord, fill in the valleys and level the high places, the rough ground smooth”. This Isaiah passage is a direct reference to John the Baptist and all the authors of the gospels make that connection. But Isaiah also has a more graphic connecting point; coming to Jesus and back to God. Isaiah chapter 35

B. The Highway Isa. 35

1. Not only is the way open for Jesus to come to us, (his incarnation) all the obstacles that prevents us from coming to God are removed as well. Isa. 35 describes the highway: it is called the “way of holiness, only the redeemed walk on it, they enter Zion with singing and everlasting joy, gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow will flee away.”

The whole chapter is a wonderful description of restoration and redemption.

We are on it and nothing; not Satan and not our confessed sins, will remove us.

2. That highway is here today, many people don’t know how to get onto the highway. Where is the “on ramp”? Isaiah’s prophecy applies to us the church and the people of the church. We are to remove the obstacle of self righteousness, the barrier of condemnation, the deep gully of lack of compassion and the mountain of tradition or whatever it is that keeps people from seeing the “on ramp” to the way of the redeemed. What is it here in this place, here at Acre, that keeps people from seeing the road of righteousness? What is it that keeps people from finding the way? Maybe nothings stands in the way, maybe there are no obstacles. We are on the way of holiness and the only way we can help others find the way is to walk with them, we are to make the path smooth and straight and easy to find. Amen? Isaiah’s prophecy is a two way street, Jesus’ coming to us and all of us coming to Jesus, and Mark begins with Jesus’ baptism.

III. Jesus is Baptized

A. John objects. Matt. 3:13-15

1. Jesus tells John, go ahead and baptize me “in order to fulfill all righteousness”. Baptism is about Jesus. Baptism is not about us.

2. Baptism symbolizes our participation in Jesus’ death and resurrection; the washing away of our sins, baptism therefore is about God.

3. Listen to what God says at Jesus’ baptism; “you are my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased”. When anyone of us is baptized God says to us and he announces to the whole world: this is my son, this is my daughter, I love you, I am pleased with you.

4. God loves you no matter what, baptism or not ,but baptism gives God the opportunity to announce his love for you to the whole world.

CONCLUSION:Jesus’ baptism is the beginning of his public ministry.

In much the same way at our baptism or our profession of faith, if baptized as a child ,we also begin a new phase of service for God; we have a new sense of calling and a new sense of power in the Spirit. Let us thank God for His blessings, and for opening up for us the highway of holiness. Praise be to God!

God speaks to us: “Live a life Worthy of God’s Call”

INTRODUCTION: Paul; begins by claiming his trip to Thessalonica as a success. We read the account of his visit in (Acts 17) and we see that he spent only three weeks with them. This church has been here for  0ver 100 yrs but If you had only three weeks to present the gospel to your neighbor what would you do?  How would you do it? What would you say? This question comes to mind. How effective, how successful is our ministry?  How successful by God’s standards is our sojourn here at Grant CRC and on the street where you live?  On the street where I live? Not just for  pastors  but for all of you together because we are in this together. Amen.   What is important in this passage is what Paul said to them, and secondly, equally important is how they lived among them. Paul and Silas wanted to start a church turning people from paganism to Jesus Christ. That is our purpose here: turning people from secularism and from superficial religion to a deep personal relationship in Jesus Christ. We should be a church of new beginnings; because Jesus isn’t interested in our failures or our short comings or in our sin except to turn us from that bondage of sin and brokenness to a new life in Jesus Christ. He accepts us no matter what our situation is as long as we are seeking to move closer to him. That means bridging a cultural gap, a psychological gap, it means becoming like Jesus by identifying with the broken, sharing our lives with them, loving them and accepting them as Jesus did. He became like us so that we could be like him. Amen. Paul and Silas were men approved by God and I believe that not only are pastors approved to speak about Jesus but all of us are people approved by God. That is why God brings us to this church and why the church exists in the world.  Amen!

I.  Pure motives.

A. We speak as men approved by God

There must have been others going around promoting religion or new ideas because Paul makes a big point of not trying to deceive them or trick them for unjust gain but they came as men approved by God. That goes on today, turn on your TV. Listen to some, not all televangelists but some. It is no wonder many people are turned off by the church.

B. Not trying to please men.

No. Paul says our motives are pure we are not trying to please men. We did not come to you with flattery or to tell you what you want to hear. Along with Paul we say: No, we are approved by God and we bring you the Word of God.  Nothing but the word of God.

C. But God who tests our hearts

1. Paul and us as well say what is pleasing to God. We speak God’s Word, and more obviously we live God’s Word. God is the one who tests our motives, our words, and our actions because he tests our hearts.

2. Paul and Silas clarify their motives and now they turn to relate how they lived among them. It is instructive for us because we struggle with how to relate meaningfully to non Christians and with people who do not attend church.

II. Gentle among you

A. Not a burden

1. We where gentle among you; Lesson #1 gentleness, a fruit of the Spirit. Paul is speaking of the financial burden but I think it is more than that given the example he gives of a mother and a father.

We need to be gentle with people who fall into sin. 1/3 of the couples in America living together are not married.  Many are single parent households. Drugs and alcohol, and deviant sexual behavior are rampant and we also find it in the Christian community.

2. Should we be righteously angry about all that? Yes! We should be but condemnation gets us no where.  We as Christians need to be the examples for people to follow; we are the light, the salt, and the guide. And we cannot be that example unless we develop a relationship with the person or family God wants us to influence. Paul and Silas were facing what we are facing; Living as Christians in a broken world.  How did they do it?

B. Like a mother’s love

1. We treated you “like a mother caring for her children; we loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel but our lives as well because you has become so dear to us”That is a direct quote v.8.

2.  So now we have two principles of relating to our neighbors, Gentleness and love. In short sharing our lives with those around us.

C. Our toil and hardship

We worked day and night Paul tells them, “While we preached the gospel of God to you”. There we have a third principle; hard work and  perseverance, let’s call it faithfulness.  Be faithful! Keep praying for that person God put on your heart keep looking for ways to influence that person. That neighbor! That co worker!

III. Righteous among you

A.     Like a Father

Paul says we shared our lives and we lived among you as holy, righteous, and blameless. We were like a father dealing with his children. This whole evangelistic event in Thessalonica is rooted in parental love. The principle of love, “love your neighbor as yourself” keeps coming up and now we add a fourth principle, live holy lives.

B.     Encouraging

When we share our lives with others it must be based on parental love, because like a father we are to encourage those around us, not discourage by concentrating on faults but to encourage change, to encourage repentance, to encourage with the Word of God. We encourage people at New Community by hanging in there with them though the indiscretions, past the sin, and the shortcomings and encouraging people to move closer to Jesus by reading his Word as the answer to these problems. The word of God! Is the answer. Amen

C.     Live a life worthy

Paul acts like a father; he says we encourage you to live lives worthy of God” the one who calls all of us.  Paul and Silas exemplified living worthy of God’s call and they shared it with those who before they came did not know what that meant. God wants you to not only live a life worthy of God but to share it as well.

CONCLUSION: Paul thanks God because the Thessalonians accepted his words as the Words of God.  By this passage we see the Word of God at work in the hearts of Paul and Silas and the Thessalonians and today we see his Word at work in our hearts and in our fellow church members. These are the principles we need to practice if we are to be that example of a life worthy of God’s call on us. Generally: Share the Gospel and your life because people you get to know are dear to you. That means: One: gentleness with those overwhelmed with life, and overwhelmed with sin. Two: faithfulness; hard work and perseverance. Three: Live holy lives; righteous and blameless. Four: encouragement; concentrate on salvation and the life that is worthy of God and the quality of life that only God can give us. Fifth: Love; love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Practice parental love, that deep caring for loved ones with your neighbors. I put Love last but in fact it comes first. Principle, 1-4 do not function outside of that kind of love.

This is the bottom line. It is not so much cultural separation from non Christians, It is not our church buildings with its steeple that prevents people from coming, It is not our worship services or our programs or the lack there off that keeps people away. It is our hearts; we need to change our hearts so that we delight in presenting not only the Gospel but share our very lives as well, to all people God places in our path. It is a mater of changing our hearts.

God speaks to us: Do you love me more than these?

Intro: Jesus words are in the context of sending out his 12 disciples but here in Matt 10 he is sending them to the Israelites. He tells them to be on guard because there will be suffering and discord. He says to them; don’t think I have come for peace because I will turn families against each other. So Jesus’ discourse about family is in the context of believers and unbelievers in the same family. Jesus asks Peter this question when he was reinstated after denying Jesus and this morning Jesus asks us that question as well: Do you love me more than these? More than what? For Peter; his occupation, his fellow disciples, his family? Put in there whatever it is you love most. What do you love most? Jesus says do you love me more than that? That is what this is all about, but we should not think that loving Jesus is at the expense of family. I mean immediate family and only those who believe. Non-believers whether family or not, will always oppose us as believers.

I. Not worthy of Jesus, v. 37

A. Father and mother.

So Jesus says to us: if you love your father and mother more than me you are not worthy of me. You are not worthy of following me. It does not mean that you do not love your parents but you do not allow them to stop your service to God. Example: Gremar’s mother wanted her to be around and if you could look in her heart she would try to stop here from going to Africa. She did not because she was a believer but if she was not a believer she would try to stop her.

B. Sons and daughters.

1. But Jesus becomes more intimate than parents, he includes children. If you love them more than me, Jesus says you are not worthy. Personally, I don’t think God expects service at the expense of our children and spouses.

2. What he expects is that we serve as families. Our families thought we were crazy taken Steve to Nigeria at six months of age. We may even have siblings who think we waste our time at church and are irresponsible giving to the church. We can’t listen to that kind of talk. We must do our service as families. As missionaries and as a pastor we have always done ministry as a family, our kids knew why we did what we did they helped us do it.

Jesus also says…..

II. Take up your cross and follow me. v. 38

A. What does that mean really?

Crosses stand for suffering. This weeks study at family night showed us 5 different kinds of crosses but all of them entail horrible suffering. Jesus is saying; don’t quit following me when it becomes hard, when it starts to hurt us, or starts to cost us. Be willing to suffer if necessary.

B. Take up your cross

So whatever situation confronts, you do not have an option but to do what you are capable of doing. Not more but not less than you are able.

C. Follow me!

But it is not only worship and doing things to help others, it is following Jesus. That means we do what He did, we give of ourselves as Jesus gave of Himself. Pick up your cross and follow me. Do what I would do and do not count the cost Jesus says.

III. Finding and losing your life. v 39

A. He who finds his life

If you are always thinking about yourself, always thinking on what you want or on what you think is right and on what is best for you, then you have found your life and you are holding onto it. If you do that, Jesus says: you lose it. You have already lost it.

B. He who loses his life.

But Jesus says if you give up your life, it may mean giving up your ambitions or your dreams and replace it with what God wants you to do for Him. That is how you gain your life. You let go of it so that you get to keep it. Jesus is talking about spiritual death and spiritual life. Faithful service always means believing in Jesus. To follow Jesus means to let go of yourself completely.

IV. Receiving Jesus and the Father. V. 40-41

A. Receiving a prophet and a righteous man.

If you receive Jesus, believe on Him then you receive God the Father. If you receive a prophet, a church worker, a pastor, fellow church members you will receive a reward. What Jesus is talking about is not salvation but rewards for serving him after we believe.

CONCLUSION: It is not talk but action. Don’t tell me how much you believe in Jesus, don’t tell me how much you love him. Show me! Show everyone! Give that cup of water that Jesus talks about. Serve Jesus as families, get the whole family involved. You will not lose your reward. Amen!

We love you Pastor Case and Gremar