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It's we're in the first Sunday of Advent which is exciting too, wouldn't you say? What do you say we stand up? We begin praising God together.
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Well, it's exciting to be here this morning. We've got a full full choir band, the whole deal. Had to make some space on the stage. This is exciting. Glad that y'all are here.
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It is the first Sunday of Advent. So, we might be trying to stick 10 pounds of sugar into a five pound bag today. But I've got a few announcements. There we go. Peak.
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Kids. Peak Children's Church. Kids, remind me to let you go right after the offering. Okay, right after the offering, the choir is gonna sing a special during the offering. I'd love for y'all to hear that but please remind me to let you go and the connect hour for those of you who haven't been here before, after we get through this service, people will be milling around and hanging around in here but there are donuts and coffee down the hall.
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So, there will be people milling around, hanging around down there. Just go connect with somebody down the hall in the fellowship hall. High school meets at seven: 3zero am, Friday for breakfast. This week, it's gonna be at the Reno's house in East Jackson, right? That's where it's gonna be.
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Renzy, breakfast chef, extraordinaire. 07:30AM, Friday for breakfast. Junior High is not gonna meet tonight. So, that's the solid rock announcement. On December 4, that is this coming Wednesday from twelve to one.
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Ladies, there's gonna be just a ladies Christmas party fellowship, lunch, worship, and teaching about the true gift of Christmas and that's gonna happen right here from twelve to one in the sanctuary. Celebrating the reason for this season. Oh my goodness. We are having this is an annual event now. We are having in just two weeks, the world famous, incomparable, incredible, insufferable chili cook off contest, also known as the buzzard breath, chili cook off.
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Bring your best attempt at chili. We've even talked about having a regional competition this year because we have so many representing so many regions. So, please plan on doing that. We want to bless the community too with caroling. Caroling is gonna begin at five.
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We have think we have yeah. Maybe. Trailers of great proportions to carry all the people that are gonna be caroling at 05:00 on the fifteenth, December 15. That's gonna be a fun time. And then chilly back here after the caroling.
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So please plan and come and do that. And that's it for the announcements. The rest of the things that just happen every week, which are still cool too, are in your bulletin. If you didn't grab one on the way in, you can grab one on the way out. I'm glad that you're here.
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Would you stand up and welcome one another in? And we've got one more thing. One more thing. One more thing. I told you, 10 pounds of sugar, five pound bag.
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Before you get up and greet one another, I'm gonna invite Aaron Heindel and his family up to do, light the advent candle for this advent season and he's gonna do a reading with the family.
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Our preparation for the coming of Jesus begins as it did long ago with the prophet Isaiah who said, the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
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For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.
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Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
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The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
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Isaiah said one would come who would bear the weight of the world on his shoulders.
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When Jesus came, he took on all our sins and carried them to the cross. He would be called wonderful counselor.
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Jesus is that counselor who guides us and gives us light and wisdom to our lives.
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He is the mighty God. He came to us as a helpless baby. He was God wrapped in our flesh with all the power and authority God possessed. He he is the everlasting father.
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Before the foundation of the world, Jesus was chosen. He is the one that John says was in the beginning with God, and he will be there with us for us forever.
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He is the prince of peace. His coming to Earth means that God has made a way for us to be restored to fellowship with him. Jesus brings peace between us and us and the father.
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Jesus is all Isaiah prophesied. Today, we remember that without him, there is no Christmas and there is no peace. Let our prayer be that this thought will fill every moment of our celebration.
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We light this advent candle to symbolize the long years people waited for God's peace plan to come and we proclaim with joy that he has come and he is God's only begotten son.
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Amen. Now would you stand up and greet one another in God's peace?
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Lord, we give you thanks this morning that you are the Lord of heaven and earth. And this world is yours, and we are yours, and created by you and created for you. And remind us of that, Lord. Thank you also for being our our redeemer. Thank you for being Emmanuel, God with us, that you came to live among us, and let us not forget, Lord, what that meant, that you took on our pain, that you took on everything that we go through from day to day.
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You felt our suffering, our pain, and got behind us in line, and you took our sin and you nailed to the cross. And through our faith in you, not through our works in you, but through our faith in your work, we are saved. And, Lord, that's the that's the message, Lord, this Advent season. That's the gospel, and we thank you for that. Amen.
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God, we do give you thanks that you have given us your spirit, that you haven't left us here as orphans, but you live in us and through us to your Holy Spirit. We thank you for that, that you've given that until your work is done, until you return to us. And so this morning, we want to wanna be a blessing to you, Lord. We want to stop focusing on us and start focusing on you and and your work, on your spirit, and what you can do in and through us. That the message gospel of forgiveness and grace, that that would go worldwide, go global, starting here, right here in Jackson, Lord.
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Burdened. Burdened by how many folks don't know you this this season and could know you and could know true joy and true peace. And that's what you offer. That's what you give, and it's a free gift of God by grace. If only we would receive it.
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And so Lord, we receive it. We give you thanks, and I pray God for the blessing on the rest of our service today through the proclaiming of the word and worship of giving. May there be great joy in serving you. We pray in the precious name of Christ. Amen.
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Be seated. I'm gonna invite the frontline team forward. Today, we have speaking today will be Ken and Lori McCune. They are missionaries, have been missionaries for a long time in Latin America and now back in The States but primarily spreading the gospel among Latino Americanos. And so here in the valley and also down in Pinedale, Big Piney, I'll let them tell you more about that.
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They are one of our missionaries. The missionary units and we have each year three or four times. This year, it's been four times where we'll take up a double offering on a Sunday and so we're this offering right now is the general fund offering. So, if you would like to, you know, help support the church in the ways that we normally take up offering on Sunday morning. All that good stuff.
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Then, this is the offering but if you just came prepared to do it once, Ken and Lori, we'd like to bless their ministry within faith, American Missionary Fellowship to do the work God's called them to do. So, we'll be taking up a second offering after they speak. So just letting you know ahead of time, but this is
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Okay, there we go. Thanks. Our mission is now called In Faith. And if you keep track of any missions, you might know that missions are changing their names all over the place. And my sophomore in college nephew when I told him what the new name was he said, Oh Aunt Lori, that's such a hip name.
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And I thought, Yeah, that's what missionaries are known for. But anyway, if it attracts young people to come and serve with us, great. So we're now serving under in faith, it's the exact same mission as American Missionary Fellowship, nothing else changed. And prior to that it was called American Sunday School Union if you've been around a long time. Ken grew up on a ranch near Colorado Springs where his 92 year old dad still ranches and daily rides the range on his four wheeler.
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He says he can't catch his horse anymore. Studied aircraft, Ken studied aircraft maintenance and got his private pilot's license in exchange for his first job ranching. He worked on helicopters in Northern California, the Northwest and South America. He received his call to missions during a short term mission trip to Venezuela to work with MAF, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and New Tribes Mission. Laurie grew up in Minnesota.
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This looks not like Minnesota. God called me into missions during a college chapel with a missionary from Italy, and I was studying to be a school teacher. We met at college and were married in 1978. And if you're wondering why I'm not wearing my wedding ring, after thirty five years it is worn out and it is in repair. On a regular basis, would you rather travel by circuitous river routes in a dugout canoe?
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Travel by ox cart through swamps? Travel for days through trackless jungle? Or arrive in an hour flying in a small plane. We served in Peru and Bolivia with South America Mission Air for fourteen years. During that time, we always tried to minister to and with the national church simultaneously with the aviation ministry.
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We were able to help plant three churches all functioning well today. The first church was started in Peru's rainforest. It eventually morphed into Mil Palmeras Church, a thousand palms. Now one of the largest churches in the state of Ucayali, pastored by the motocross champion of Peru. Together with National Pastor Zacarias Choke, the Iglesia Independencia in Santa Cruz, Bolivia was planted and grown up.
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The church in Barrio Las Misiones, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, pastored by Felix Pedraza and his wife Roxana, began with me teaching aerobics classes in our living room. Yes, me. And since 1995 we've lived in Driggs, Idaho ministering among Spanish speakers. God has used us to help start two Hispanic churches, one here in Jackson and one in Driggs. Here's Ken baptizing Raimundo.
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A commissioning service for the new pastors and leaders of Iglesia Cristiana International in Jackson and Driggs took place on July sixth of this year. On a beautiful day in early April this year, we left our home kids and beautiful three grandchildren in Driggs to live in a fifth wheel in Wyoming in order to more effectively evangelize and disciple Hispanics. God provided this 1999 Arctic package fifth wheel via some college friends in California. After living in it for eight months, we've decided that Arctic package means you can live in Northern Arizona in it. We decided on Big Piney, Wyoming as our first target town due to our longtime friendship with Delfino and Erica who already lived there.
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A Bible study was begun in homes in early June. Discipleship for men, women and children continues on Wednesday evenings and a Sunday service was started in November. This man recently accepted Christ. Our first Bible study in Pinedale began July 11 after three months of making contacts, visiting, sharing Christ. Once a month, we also visit and have a study with a couple Hispanic families in Wamsutter and Freedom, Wyoming.
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You know where Wamsutter is? Don't blink when you go by I-eighty. Recently commissioned pastor Francisco holds a weekly Bible study in Alpine as well. Pray for us and pray for the salvation of our Spanish speaking neighbors and yours. Pray that the Lord would lead us to people whose hearts are longing for him and they would give us the opportunity to share the hope that is within us, Jesus Christ.
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Pray for a place to meet in Big Piney as we're growing out of Delfino and Erica's single wide trailer. For God to raise up leaders willing to study his word and grow in obedience to him. Should you be interested, our most recent prayer letter and magnetic prayer cards are on the table in the back. There's a picture with our pictures and name on it. They're yours for the taking.
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And if you'd like to be on our mailing list, just jot your address and our email address down on the paper there, and we'd love to share with you what God is doing in and through us. Thank you first B for partnering with us in the gospel. We could not do this without your prayers. We cannot. We can't do it without your love and we thank you for your gifts.
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Eight.
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Let's I to the nine Matthew turned it on and off and then back on again. So Matthew nine thirty five-thirty five eight. I would just like to share with you what something that I hope is a motivation to you all and to me because I constantly need to be motivated to reach out to people and love people in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and help them know Him. But in, Matthew nine thirty five-thirty eight, as we were studying through here, and, I have this little Bible study going in Pinedale. We have one rule.
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We talk about nothing and nobody except Jesus Christ. And, because of I listen to people, and people have all sorts of religious things, but not very many people really know the Jesus Christ of the Bible. But here, especially we're thinking of Christmas, what Jesus came to do. And here in chapter nine, he started his ministry, and then in, 36 says, and he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, that's NIV here, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciple, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
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Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest field. Different verses of the Bible. Mine says harassed, helpless, others says distressed and dispirited. In Spanish, it says, It means completely worn out and disenfranchised. Nobody was looking after them, and Jesus had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
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What motivates you to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ? And I would love to study chapter 10 with you. So take a that's what I did. Rip off a piece of your bulletin, stick it here. And then in your house, this week in your devotional time, dribble through chapter 10.
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I got almost the whole, chapter marked up because it talks about, it just said, praying for laborers. Jesus didn't plan on having only 12 disciples. He planned on having millions. He said the kingdom is near. Well, Christianity is always building kingdoms.
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But who was near? Well, Jesus was near. And it's that relationship with Jesus Christ instead of religion that I think of what he was talking about. Talked about don't worry about money. Here we are, missions and everything like that.
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It's always about money. He said, ah, don't worry about it. Don't even take a billfold. Just go. Wow.
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Counter culture. And he said that the gospel would divide people. It's meant to unify people, but sometimes it divides people. And that's just the reality of things. We're going have to be able to get over it.
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And he said the disciples should follow and look like and act like their master. Who do we act like? So do not be afraid of people and their opinions. So to follow Christ said it's a matter of love. It's a matter of coming out of the heart.
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The loves of the heart is who you're gonna follow in this life. It says we have to take up our cross and follow Jesus. A lot of things have to die in our lives so that we can follow Jesus in a way that brings blessing to Him. And at the end, he says everything that you do for the Lord Jesus Christ will be rewarded. I love it.
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Spend some time, marker, stick it in there. Laurie and I did a strange thing. First time in my life I've ever recommended a non Christian book, especially from a pulpit, but Bill O'Reilly from Fox News, Killing Jesus. Anybody read that yet? Lori and I drive thousands of miles out here in the Wyoming nothingness.
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Have you checked that out of the Pleiadian Library and love it? And I recommend it because it helped me understand what it means when the time of Jesus Christ was, what was going on. The Romans were there. You know, Bill O'Reilly. He's all about politics and all about history.
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And he puts that in a way that I've never understood it before, just how horrible things were when Jesus Christ came. Do you say in the Bible, in the fullness of time, in the perfect time he came? You kinda understand that better if you listen to that book or read. I I suggest you listen to it. It was great listening to it in the audiobooks as we we traveled.
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But the Romans were so cruel that they actually ran around in bands of three. So if anybody tried to be lenient with the law, with the Roman law, the other guys would jump on his case and get him in trouble and get him beat for not applying the law in its full cruelty on people. It was they lived in a time of decadence and greed and selfishness and, compassion, low compassion. And the religious leaders, what were they like? They've been making money off the sacrificial system.
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All those sheep and everything for the big sacrifices and everything that was going on when the time when Jesus was crucified was all about money for them. They were all nepotism and all these horrible things. And that was actually prophesied in Jeremiah 20 three:one-three, I don't have time to look at it there, and it says, Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture. Then it goes on to a messianic prophecy about the Lord Jesus Christ, and said He would come and He would pastor the sheep, and He wouldn't lose one of them. Cool.
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Do you like that? I love that. And it says that the but the Jewish leaders said they were putting a heavy load. I assume they're talking about the legalism. More and more laws and rules and taxes.
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Of course, you can imagine Bill Riley. He's talking about taxes the whole time. The Romans taxed him. The Jewish people taxed him. Guy comes, he's out fishing.
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He gathers 100 fish, and he's coming into the shore. There would be a tax collector sitting there on the bench waiting for him to come in. And he didn't want to be paid in fish. He wanted to be paid in money. So if you didn't have the money to pay for your taxes, you had to go up and borrow money from the Jewish leaders and come down and pay that Roman guy your taxes.
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Cool. Horrible times. Difficult times. And he said they did not lift a finger to help the burden of their people. And said that when somebody came to, convert into Judaism, they became seven times the devil that their leaders were.
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Got a glare on that clock. Got to watch that thing. Motivation. Oops, sorry. Trying to beat that clock up there.
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Found this book, it's out of print, you'll never find it in one hundred years, but it's about a guy, it shows there's Utah and there's Idaho, This book has Jackson, Wyoming in here, and it's about a weird guy. He's a bald guy. He had suffered from albinism, albino. He was an albino. From somewhere down in Mormon family down in Utah, and he came to know the Lord, and he started riding the train, the old steam train.
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This is talking about nineteen ten to 1930s in there. Somewhere out of Utah, and if you get over here by Ashton, there's steam trains that come in the Teton Valley and stuff. That guy had a pass. The train companies used to give passes to preachers so they could come and ride around and have Sunday schools and VBSs and preach at people. And this guy named, Peacock, George Peacock, he even talks in this book about him riding in the Teton Valley on the other side and getting a ride with a logging truck or something over the top, old Teton Pass, can imagine in 1914 or something like that, come over here and have a vacation Bible school in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
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But it's interesting. This guy says, don't ever call me a shepherd. I'm not a shepherd. Jesus is the shepherd. I am, he says, the shepherd's dog.
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You ever thought about that concept? Think about that. I I realized, okay. I'm living out in Wyoming, so so all we see out there is sheep and and antelope and cows. You know?
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I like to say, to stand in front of this many people would take me about, you know, half a year in our little Bible studies that we have going out there, but it really is motivating me to be the shepherd's dog. You know what my job is? To go around and round up sheep and point them to the shepherd. Chase them to the the shepherd of Lord Jesus Christ. Think about that.
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And that's what he said. My job is just to gather up the sheep and point them towards Jesus Christ. Chase them over there. I look up I look back at Jesus. Said, what do what do you want me to do with these guys?
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And Jesus is telling them what to do. And we have the word. We have the Holy Spirit to motivate us in what to do. I believe that there should be no little place in The United States where anybody that's seeking the Lord out could not find somebody that could faithfully preach the word of God, the plan of salvation of Jesus Christ in simple and complete terms to those people. It motivates Laurie and I.
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It's the reason we went to Pinedale. Hispanics there, but no real Christian ministry among them. And I know we live in difficult times. The Hispanic community, just like the Anglo community, is abandoning the things that are important to us, Christians, rapidly. It's, I had to, shut up though from whining when I read this Bill O'Reilly book because we're not the only difficult time where it's not popular to have be a person of faith, to believe that the Bible is the true message of God, and that there is morality, and there is things that we need to be doing and things that we shouldn't be doing to please God and to live a blessed life.
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We know in all this that Jesus is grieved. The Lord but the Lord knows that he's on the throne and he can use all this stuff in people's lives and I'm sure he is in your, we hate to sit down here and give testimony, one of other, of how to live that life that Jesus wants us to live, we'd be all excited. Unfortunately, I listen to Christians talk often. What do we talk about? The things we're against, the things we don't like that's going on in our society.
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I've got eight of them. I just came up just a little quick study of the Bible. We don't have time to talk about them. It includes things like, you know, what Jesus whined about. What Jesus didn't like, he he he was negative about stuff.
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He didn't like the fishing being poor. And one time, Peter, was out fishing. He all night, didn't catch a thing. And Jesus said, let let me go on your boat with you. Boom.
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Pretty soon, they couldn't drag all the fish in the boat. And fishing. Now, anybody come to know the Lord lately? Yeah, they do. But we whine about the fishing being poor that people are not pretending.
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They're not coming to the Lord. I read a statistic the other day that said 80% of Christians have never asked, invited people to come to their church or even tried to reach out to somebody that they know in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Talks about empty banquet tables. Jesus didn't like that. People talk about a guy that has in Luke 14 that he invited all of his friends to come to a banquet and they were all busy out riding their new snowmobiles and going to their vacation homes.
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And Jesus didn't like that. He said, well, go out and start inviting people. Go out. Get out there. Send your servants out to the streets and just drag people in here.
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And listen to it. Well, Billy Graham Evangelistic Society has a new thing that they're putting out these days. Don't know you've seen it. It's called My Hope America. You can download it off the Internet.
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And it's a way that you invite some neighbors in and spend some time with your neighbors, and you don't have to say a whole lot. Just kind of tell them what's going on, what your faith is, and they have a little message there. Would that be too much for us if we're really motivated? There's a lot of other things here. And going to have to leave those behind.
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But the things that God doesn't like compared to the things that you don't like. Is it the same list? Or we find that we we don't like a lot of things that the Lord said he likes and a lot of things that the Lord said he disdains that He doesn't like, we find we're pretty comfortable in their presence. I'm looking at something. I should have, ran this by Pastor Ray because I might get a tomato thrown at me.
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But how do I keep compassion for people? Because I grew up with people that are
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very
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critical. I grew up with people that hated alcohol. That my folks' lowest life form, was an alcoholic. Why? Because they saw their friends in times of it was rural America, times of depression, times of difficulty.
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Guys would start drinking, they couldn't stop. Next thing you know, their family are starving to death. It wasn't religious reasons. It was just because what they saw outside there. But I started thinking about all these things that we see that we we don't like in this world, and I try to walk it all the way back.
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What is, Satan and God? How did it start? Satan was made as Lucifer, a angel to serve the Lord. And what did he say? I will be like the Most High God.
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I will not serve God. I'm gonna have people serve me. I have a better plan. Adam and Eve. Okay?
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God had this wonderful fellowship with God. And Satan comes to them and said, you know, God's ripping you off. He's withholding the good stuff from you. Follow me, you're going to find the good stuff. And what happened?
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They ended up being expelled from the near presence of God because they followed Satan who said, I have a better way. Their kids, Cain and Abel, God told them, You must bring a blood sacrifice to pay for
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your
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sins. And Cain said, I am a farmer. I will bring my goods. I will worship God the way that I want to, the way that I think is right. He had a better idea, and it ended up in the death of his brother.
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Think about the worst thing you've ever done in life. How did it go? I think somewhere in your heart, you knew what was right to do, but instead of doing it, there were some voices and some influences and stuff, and you followed those. And in a way, you're a victim of this war, this war against of God and his purity and his plan for your life of blessing. And Satan said he's always been one who want us to kill and destroy and ruin relationships and separate people.
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And I know in your life, you've lost that battle a bunch of times. We have to look at other people with compassion, realize, yep, they just lost that battle. I'm gonna quit with John chapter 10, verse three. You know, a I'm a Bible thumper type guy. I gotta read just one more scripture before we go.
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In John chapter 10, think about that to make sure that you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is your shepherd. He is your good shepherd and knowing that he has compassion on you He has a plan to lead you into a blessed life. And just, says the watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. John chapter 10, that's three down there. And he says, he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out.
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When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will no longer follow a stranger. Do you follow strangers? In fact, they will run away because they do not recognize a stranger's voice. And let's dribble down to, nine.
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It says, I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and he will find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and they might have it to the full.
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I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And that's what Jesus came to do. We celebrate at Christmas time, and it's kind of fun to be here between Thanksgiving when we think all the things the Lord has done for us. And then we think of Jesus Christ coming to be our savior and to me, that's great motivation to love him more, to follow him more carefully, and to point other people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Amen. Thank you for your time. Brothers.
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It's not normal. We didn't pass the plates once and and just say, wow, we didn't get enough and come back and pass the plates again. That's not what's going on. This offering is gonna be to bless McCunes and their ministry within faith or formerly American Missionary Fellowship and Carl, would you and the band come back up and play there as a redeemer again? Or hey, Kale.
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We'll play something pretty. Thank you. I'm gonna ask a blessing. God, would you please bless the gifts that are given and the giver today, lord? I can see that you've blessed the ones who will be receiving the gift.
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Thank you for Ken and for Lori and for the compassion that they do feel on the community. Lord, for stirring in their hearts to move them on down to Pinedale. For a lot of us, it's really hard to imagine the rolling and tumbling that missionaries often have to do but God, you're the one who grows your church. You're the one who builds it. Some people lay the foundations.
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God, and that's what they're doing with the starting these churches. Thank you for growing them up. Lord, unless you build a house, they labor in vain. In Jesus name, lord, would you bless this offering to the multiplication of your kingdom? Amen.
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Thank you. Now, I'd like to invite the elders forward and we're going to take a time of the Lord's supper and I am thinking about Ken and Lori and about so many Bible studies that we've been in people's living rooms, these small little living rooms. Yeah, four of y'all can come forward, Mike. Thank you. And what a sweet time it is when you get together and you break bread together and you enjoy the cup.
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This is a symbol of Christ's sacrifice. And what we're doing here together is open for any of you who have put your faith in Jesus Christ. Absolutely open. I don't really care about your tradition so much but if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, in his blood, to cleanse you from your sin and unrighteousness, then this table is open for you. God, would you please bless this time as we as we remember your broken body and your shed blood on our behalf.
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Bless each heart, lord. Let us not take this in unworthily or lightly, lord, but considering in this Christmas season when God full, true spirit became incarnate man. He grew up from a baby and grew this body that we're celebrating today, lord, before it was broken on our behalf. Would you bless this time and this bread? Amen.
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And after supper, on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and he broke it and after giving thanks, he said, this is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Lord God almighty, I thank you that it's by your stripes, Jesus stripes that we are healed. God, thank you for your body given sacrificially for us, lord. I ask that you'd bless this cup as we consider the the blood of Christ.
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Would you bless us lord as it as it goes in? Would we just be reminded that it is down to our innermost. Your spirit is within us. That this is the new covenant in your blood. That you will and have written the law on our hearts.
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That compassion flows out of our innermost being if you reside there. So God, would you please bless this symbol of Christ's blood? In Jesus name, amen. And in the same manner that he took the bread after supper, he took the cup saying, this is my blood. The blood of the new covenant.
35:24
Take this and drink and do this as often as you will in remembrance of me. I look out between prayers in between this communion time and it's kind of a somber time in the room but this is a celebration. I always remember Paul's words. Every single time I get up here at the end, I think he says that by doing this, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Well, band is going to get up here.
35:49
We're going to stand and sing together and proclaim his life. We are surveying the wonderful cross. The greatness of a God who would give his own son. The greatness of knowing that it's not what you do, but it's who you know, who you believe. So we're gonna sing, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, would you stand and sing with us?
36:13
Isn't that the great part about being a church is that we get to boast about Jesus? Really, I mean, it is. That that's what we do. We boast about the work of of Christ and and not us, and and that's where boasting in today. And and there is really, there's a time to be, like you said, somber about it, and there's also a time to to celebrate too.
36:35
And so as a sing, let's sing in spirit of
36:38
Amen. Now may the Lord bless and keep you and make his face to shine upon you and give you peace so that you may share it. Amen.
