In the third message in the Gospel of John, we ended chapter 1 this past Sunday. Rather than simply having Jesus described for us by the author, we met Him, as it were, face-to-face through the eyes of His first 5 disciples. What do you encounter when you see Jesus? His glory. Listen to last week's message and come and see Jesus for who He is.
John the Baptist was an enigma in his day. He captured the attention of a nation, but then diverted everybody's attention to another, making it clear that he had been sent to prepare the way for the coming King. He attracted attention in the same way that a neon arrow attracts attention. Our lives aren't all that different. What do you do with the attention you receive?
This Sunday, we introduced a new sermon series in the Gospel of John. John introduced us to the Word. This "Word" is the answer to all of life's biggest questions and unlike anyone you've ever known or met or heard of. He's God, yet He's has always been with God. He's eternal and omnipotent, yet He dwelt among us. He Himself is the fullness of God and also the fullness of grace. His name is Jesus and we'll meet him and become increasingly amazed by Him every week as we dive deeper and deeper into this book.
We believe God has called us and positioned us to build a church in Santa Ana and to partner to plant more churches in Orange County. As churches grow and multiply, so does the need for godly leaders and teachers. We hope that many, if not all of these people will come from within our church, and thus, we want to give ample opportunities for men and women to serve and grow in their gifts.
For this very reason, we give opportunities to men wondering about a call to pastoral ministry. One of these opportunities is the opportunity to preach. We had the privilege of hearing God's Word from Jeff Schlieder this past Sunday, reminding us from 2 Samuel 7:1-17 of God's tremendous record of promise making and promise-keeping.
This last Sunday was significant for our small church. We finished our first Old Testament sermon series AND officially switched to morning services. God has been merciful toward us while He's positioned us to be merciful toward our neighbors. He's also called us to spread the message of God's mercy through Christ, which has been the theme of the book of Ruth from start to finish.
As we neared the end of the book of Ruth, this past Sunday, we learned how to evaluate the opportunities that we have before us in life - and how to determine which opportunities have true value. In God's economy, we learn that the right question isn't "what's in it for me?", but instead "what's in it for them?". Opportunities to invest in mercy toward others are some of the most valuable opportunities we'll ever come across.
Whenever we have goals, desires or needs, we strategize. We plan, for better or worse, means by which to achieve them. In chapter 3 of the book of Ruth, all three characters - Naomi, Ruth and Boaz - all develop strategies. They teach us that whatever plans we do make, we should always plan to be surprised by God's mercy.
At Sovereign Grace Church Santa Ana, we believe that God is multiplying and maturing disciples of Christ - who will serve the body in many and multiple ways to His glory. We want to do all that we can to ensure each member is able to use the gifts the the Spirit has given them. In other words, we want to invest in the dear brothers and sisters God has given to us. At times, this investment comes in the form of giving men opportunities to preach and develop a potential gift of teaching. Through this investment, we believe that God will build, and sustain, this local church. The next generation of teachers, preachers and leaders are likely sitting among us.
This last Sunday, we had the privilege of hearing from Mike Alvarez, a man who usually uses his gifts as a musician to lead us in worship on Sundays. On this occasion, he stood behind the pulpit and boldly preached God's Word from the book of Ruth.
Ruth has been called "the classic love story of the Bible". If you know anything about the book, you know it's a story of love between Ruth and Boaz. But on a much more significant level, it's a story of God's love - for His people. Listen to Sunday's sermon and be reminded that "even in the worst of times, God is often laying foundation stones of greater joy".
This Sunday, we opened up a six-sermon series in the book of Ruth. It's a book that starts our on a sour note that just becomes more sour, leaving the characters asking, "where is God?". When compromise becomes the option of preference, Ruth reminds us that it's never all that it's cracked up to be. Yet, even when it appears that God is furthest away, when we feel that we've drifted too far away or that God has become completely inactive, it's often then when we find that He's working His most glorious purposes.
