current sermon series
Is It Time For a Comeback?
The last three books of the Old Testament represent prophetic messages during a time in which the people of God had been off the grid and were on their way back to prominence. They had effectively been put on the shelf for several decades due to their own wickedness and idolatry, but God was doing a fresh work of restoration. He was, in essence, bringing them back into the game. Christians today haven’t really been forced into exile like Israel was then, but many of them are not actively in the game, making an impact on the Kingdom of God where they live. Over the summer months of 2012, we’re going to let Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi challenge us to be contenders for the faith and maximize our influence on the world around us.
Messages
May 20 — The Time Has Come For too long, the people of God had lived as if God’s presence among them and the work He had called them to were casual things, only a marginal priority. Haggai called them to reestablish their relationship with God as their first priority and become, once again, contenders in the building of God’s kingdom. (Hag 1:1-15)
May 27 — From this Day Forward Sometimes our task as Christians can seem daunting. But the God of encouragement challenges us to work courageously. The degree to which you have been a contender in the past may be sporadic. And as a result, the evidence of God’s work and blessings in your life may be sporadic too. But God has placed His Spirit among us and promised us that our work will find both success & blessing. (Hag 2:1-23)
June 3 — Get Back in the Ring The first and eighth visions of Zechariah both point to God’s initiative in the restoration of His people to “contender” status. They had been on the bench for decades, due to their own lack of faithfulness, but God was opening the door for them to make a comeback. Many people who are not contending for the faith have the offer to get in the game, or get back in the game, by experiencing the Lord’s presence anew through worship and fellowship with God’s people. (Zech 1:1-21 & 6:1-15)
June 10 — Going Toe-to-Toe For contenders, threats to one’s constant training and effectiveness are always lurking. In Zechariah’s second and third visions, those threats come from outside, represented by the enemies of God’s people. In his sixth and seventh visions they come from within the individual himself or herself. Contending requires perseverance against all obstacles, both from within and from without. (Zech 2 & 5)
June 17 — VBS Sunday
June 24 — Who's in Your Corner? While the boxer may be the only one in the ring, he or she is clearly part of a larger team of coaches and trainers. In Zechariah’s fourth and fifth visions, the role of God in purifying and empowering His people comes to the forefront. It’s a reminder to God’s people today that while we may feel like the only visible person in the ring, the power of God’s Spirit stands with us, cleansing us from impurities and enabling us to contend effectively for our team. (Zech 3 & 4)
July 1 — Shadow Boxing After the Temple had been rebuilt, Israelites from Babylon were curious to know whether they should continue fasting and mourning its previous destruction. The Lord’s response challenged them to consider whether their religious devotion was truly a commitment to the Lord or just a commitment to themselves. His greatest desire was not that they be a people of fasting but that they be a people who upheld justice and tried to eliminate evil. In other words, they were just going through the motions, punching at the air. They were not contending. (Zech 7 & 8)
