Preach It | Abundant Life Ministries

[Music]

he

[Music]

well hey good morning everybody it is

Sunday morning it's time to worship

together if there's anyone out on the FL

we'd invite you to come on in and join

us in here as we set out to praise the

Lord and glorify him this morning church

let's just pray together as we begin our

time of worship Lord we thank you for

all that you've done Lord we see your

goodness surrounding Us in life how

faithful you've been how powerful you

are and how much hope we have Lord as we

consider the future we have a hope that

is alive and expectant about all that

you're doing and all you're intending

Lord we know your plans and your ways

they are good for us and so we just want

to praise you this morning we want to

glorify your name and so Lord let this

song bless you let this song be pleasing

and let your name be praised and

glorified in our midst today in Jesus

name we pray amen can you say Amen to

that let's stand up together and worship

our

[Music]

Lord I was lost in a shame could not get

pass my blame until he called my

name I'm so glad he changed me Darkness

held me down but Jesus pulled me out and

I'm no longer

bound I'm so glad he save me

see now a new creation in

Christ the old is gone there's new

life I live my faith not

by there is a new name written down in

glory and it's

mine yes it's

mine I've met the author of my

story and he's

mine yes he's

mine sin had left me blind but Jesus

opened my eyes

now I see the light I'm so glad he

changed me now I'm walking free I've got

the victory see it's all over me I'm so

glad he changed me see

how now a new creation in

Christ the old is gone there's still

life I live by faith by

side there is a new name written down in

glory and it's

mine yes it's

mine I met the author of my

story and he's

mine yes he's mine there is there is a

new name written down in

glory and it's

yes it's

mine I met the author of my

story and he's

mine yes he's

mine I am who I am because the I am

tells me who I am I am who I am because

the I am tells me who I am I am who I am

because the I am tells me who I am I am

I am who I am because the I am let's

sing it together I am I am who I am

because the I am tells me who I am I am

who I am because the I am tells me who I

am I am who I am because the I am tells

me who I I am who I am because the I am

tells me who I am oh there is a new name

written down in glory

and it's

mine yes it's

mine I met the author of my

story and it's

mine yes he mine oh there is there's the

new name written down in

glory and it's

mine yes it's

mine I met the author of my story

and he's

mine yes he's mine he's mine and he's

mine yes he's

mine oh he's

mine yes he's mine Hallelujah just give

the Lord Praise together Hallelujah we

thank you Lord thank you Lord for saving

us and healing us you make all things

well Hallelujah

PR and I Look to You and I won be

overwhelmed

give me

Vision to see things like you do God I

look to you you're where my help comes

from give me

wisdom you know just what to do

[Applause]

to you and have W be

overwhelm give me

Vision to see things like you do God I

look to

you where my help comes

from give me wisdom

you know just what to do I love you Lord

my

strength I will love you Lord my

shield I Love You Lord by around forever

all my days I will love

go to you I willon be

overwhelmed give me

PA see things like you do God I look to

you

help comes

from give me

wisdom you know just what to do I will

love you Lord my

strength I will love you Lord my

sheld I love you Lord

I forever all my days I will love you

God I will love you Lord my

strength I will love you Lord my

sh and I will love you Lord my RO

whoever are my days I love you

[Music]

God

hallelu our

God

hallelujah our

god

hallelujah our god

reigns forever all my days

hallelujah sing it all together

hallelujah

hallelu our

god yes it does

hallelu our

God

hallelujah our god r

forever all my day

Hallelujah come on just lift up your

hands and Worship the Lord

hallelujah oh we praise

you we give you

worship

Wonder let's all sing Hallelujah come on

let's sing it together

hallelu

God

hallelujah our

god

hallelujah our

god forever all my days hallelujah

[Music]

we give you praise

Lord to you you're be

overwhelm give me

Vision to see like it do

[Music]

if you would with me let's just close

our eyes

together and think for a moment on What

the Lord Has

Done what he's given us victory over

what he's changed in our

life what battles he's brought us

through what generous things he's

offered to

us what he's done for us that we never

would have been able to do on our own

but by his grace he saved us and made us

alive and

new the enemy is been

defeated death couldn't hold you down

you're going to lift our voice in

Victory going to make your Praises

louder the enemy has been

defeated and death could hold you down

we're going to lift our voice in Victory

we're going to make your Praises loud

the enemy has been defeated

and death couldn't hold you down we're

going to lift our voice in Victory we

going to make your Praises loud the

enemy has been

defeated and death couldn't hold you

down we're going to lift our voice in

Victory we're going to make your

Praises oh the enemy has been defeated

Jesus overcame death could hold you down

we're going to lift our voice in Victory

we're going to make your Praises l oh

the enemy has been defeated I believe it

and death couldn't hold you down you're

going to lift our voice in Victory we're

going to make your prais come on we're

going to shout together here we go shout

to God with a voice of triph shout to

God with a voice of praise shout to God

with a voice of trium We Lift Your Name

up We Lift Your Name up shout unto God

with a voice of Triumph shout unto God

with a voice of Praise shout unto God

with the voice of triph We Lift Your

Name up We Lift Your Name up shout to

God with a voice of triph shout out to

God with a voice of Praise Shout god

with the of triph we lift your come on

sh believe it's done sh to God voice of

sh to God with the voice of Praise shout

to God with the voice of trial We Lift

Your Name up We Lift Your Name up shout

to God with the voice of trial shout

unto God with a voice of Praise shout

unto God with a voice of Tri We Lift

Your Name up the enemy has the enemy has

been

defeated death couldn't hold you down

we're going to lift our voice in Victory

we're going to make

Praises oh the enemy has been defeated

yes he has the death could hold you down

we're going to lift our voice in Victory

we're going to make your praise shout

together Hallelujah shout to God with a

of Tri shout to God with the voice of

Praise shout out to God with a voice of

Tri we let

your shout to God with a voice of shout

to God with a voice of Praise Shout with

the of Tri we LIF your name

shout to God with the voice of shout to

God with the voice of prise Shout with

the of

Tri shout god with the of sh god with

the of Praise sh god with the voice

of let your name your name to God with

the of Tri shout to God with the of

shout to

God

God Tri shout to God with a voice of

Praise shout to God with a voice of

triph We Lift Your Name up one more time

all together

of Tri shout to God with the voice of

Praise shout to God with the voice of

Tri LIF your name

up Hallelujah Hallelujah Lord come on

just Shout It Out

hallelujah praise the Lord amen praise

the

Lord oh Lord we give you glory

[Music]

you are the word in the

beginning one with God the Lord most

high your hidden glory in

creation Now revealed in you are Christ

what a beautiful name it is what a

beautiful name it

is the name of

Jesus Christ my

king what a beautiful name it

is nothing compares to this what a

beautiful name it is the name of Jesus

[Music]

you didn't want heaven without without

us Jesus you brought

Heaven

down sin was great you love is

greater what could

seate us now what a wonderful name it is

what a wonderful name it

is the name of

Jesus Christ my

king what a wonderful name it

is nothing compares to this what a

wonderful name it is the name of

Jesus what a wonderful name it is the

name of

Jesus it's all in Jesus

name it's only through Jesus

death could not hold you the veil T

before you silence the bo of sin and

gra the heavens are

Rory the praise of your

glory Lord you are raised to life

again you have no

rival you have no

equ now and

forever God you

re yours is the

kingom yours is the

glory yours is the

name above all name

what a powerful name it

is what a powerful name it

is the name of

Jesus Christ

my what a powerful name it

is nothing can stand

against what a powerful name it is the

name of

Jesus you have no

rival you have no

equal now and

forever God you

re yours is the

kingom yours is the

glory yours is the

name

above one of powerful name is

what a powerful name it is the name of

Jesus

Christ what a powerful name it

is nothing can stand

against what a powerful name is the name

of

Jesus what a powerful name it is the

name of of

Jesus what a powerful name it is the

name of Jesus

[Music]

don't you know he's overcome the enemy

that he's overcome the grave he's

overcome

sin he's given us power in jesus' name

it says in Revelation that he went and

took the keys the very authority of

death of sin he took them LED captivity

captive and Rose on high a Victor

overcoming everything that the enemy had

once in store for us but in jesus' name

we've been saved in jesus' name I've

been redeemed I've been set free and

today I live a Victor in Christ come on

who's a Victor in Christ today just lift

your hand and say I'm a Victor in jesus'

name I shout I sing I praise because of

what Jesus has done for me and what he's

done is enough I have all I need in

Jesus

because he's overcome everything that

stood against me if God is for me who

can be against me I say no one and

nothing can stand against jesus' name

Hallelujah let's sing this and death

could not hold you the veil T before you

you silence the B of s and

brave the heavens are roaring

the praise of your

glory for you are raised to

life again you have no you have no

rival you have no

equal now and

forever God you

Reign yours is the

kingom yours is the

glory yours is the

name above all

name what a powerful name it

is what a powerful name it

is the name of

Jesus Christ my

king what a powerful name it

is nothing can stand against

what a powerful name it is the name of

Jesus what a powerful name it is the

name of

Jesus what a powerful name it is the

name of

Jesus we just give glory to your name

Jesus it's all because of you Jesus

we sing we worship we meet we live

transformed and changed only because of

what you've done Jesus we love you we

thank you we honor you today and it's in

Jesus name we praise amen can you say

Amen just tell somebody how you love the

Lord this morning invite you to take

your seats

is any wonderful

church he is good and uh this morning

we're just going to continue recognizing

what the Lord has done for us as we

prepare to receive communion together as

a church family and so our ushers are

going to come forward at this time and

prepare the tables um as they do this uh

here in just a moment I'm going to

dismiss the first row and uh if you've

been here before on a Sunday where we've

received communion the way we do it

these days is the first row will come

forward and they'll take a cup and a

piece of bread and then return to their

seats and then the second row can come

up and get the elements and once

everybody um has received the elements

and returned to their seats then we're

going to look to the word together and

uh I will lead us in prayer as we thank

the Lord recognize what his body and

blood has done for us and then receive

with much thanks and gratitude um the

elements representing Jesus body and

blood and so um here we're going to have

music play if our first row would come

forward I think we're ready for you

please come up and uh take of the cup

and the bread and then return to your

seats once everybody's back we will uh

we receive together and as you're

waiting for your turn to come up I

encourage you just take this time and

reflect in your heart about what God's

done for you through Jesus think about

Jesus giving himself is an offering

think about Jesus hanging on the cross

his body and blood being offered once

and for all time for you so that you

could have everything that you need

let's just thank the Lord together let's

look both at our need and on his

provision made at Calvary Lord I Thank

you for the blood of Jesus

[Music]

Lord we just thank you thank you for the

sacrifice Jesus made for

us Church in 1 Corinthians 11 verse

1 Corinthians 11:28

28 the word says this is why you should

examine yourself before eating the bread

and drinking the cup before that what

the Apostle Paul described to the church

at Corinth was when people receive

communion in an unworthy manner those

who take and eat and they drink and they

think little of it not considering the

great price that was paid and as I just

reflect on what Jesus has done for me I

I can't get past the sacrificial nature

of what happened on the cross it was a

great price that was paid Jesus endured

much suffering much pain much

humiliation and it was all so that we

could have our needs met through his

sacrifice of Grace and so as we prepare

to receive and say yes to what God has

given us graciously through Christ I

think it's appropriate that we take a

moment and and we consider the weight of

what it cost for us in this moment today

to say I've received life and I've

received forgiveness in Jesus because

this bread we hold it does represent the

the very Body of Christ God in man who

was beaten and Afflicted humiliated spat

upon and hung on a cross to die for us

it was his body that bore the stripes so

that in times of infirmity we can look

to him and say by Jesus Stripes I've

been healed it was the body that bought

for us healing it was the body that

bought for us life and so as we examine

our self what we find what I find is

need Lord I need life I need healing I

need satisfaction I need peace I need

wisdom I need

strength and I recognize that it's only

in Jesus Christ that I find the

provision of that need met and so Lord I

recognize my need today but I see it met

in the body of Christ Church if you are

one who has said yes to Jesus and today

you want to reaffirm with me and thank

the Lord with me and remember with me

that we've receive life in Jesus name

would you bow your head and pray this

with me speak these words out as I pray

them and let's agree together in thanks

for the body father I thank

you for Jesus who came as a man dwelt in

flesh and then offered his

body His Life For Mine It Is by the body

of Jesus sacrificed on the

crossed that I receive re your provision

of healing of strength of satisfaction

and peace for today I receive receive

the body of Jesus with much

gladness as I look at this piece of

bread I thank you Lord that it

symbolizes the body Jesus offered for me

I thank you for it I remember it and I

receive in Jesus name

amen thank you Lord

and now as we look to the cup we think

on the

blood the blood that was offered for us

the blood that cleanses us the blood

that secures us as children of God

making us right in his sight forever

would you pray this with me if you've

received Jesus I want to reaffirm that

today Father I thank you for the blood

of Jesus which has paid in

full the price of every sin

every sin I have ever

committed every sin I ever would

commit has been paid in

full by the blood of Jesus Jes his

Precious Blood is what washes me

cleanses me and secures me as yours made

righteous in Jesus forever more Lord I

Thank you as I look at this juice

that the blood of Jesus BL of Jesus paid

for my every

need redeeming me forgiving me and

making me yours your thank you for the

blood thank you for the blood I remember

what it's done I remember and I receive

it reive with thanks in Jesus name

amen can't we just praise him for a

moment Church Lord we do thank you in

your own words thank him this morning

Lord I found myself in great need and

you met me you reached to me you came to

me Christ came and secured the provision

of my need he offered it to me I thank

you Lord for calling us and drawing us

to you so that we can be receivers and

those who walk in Abundant Life we do

love you Lord we thank you for these

things that are done and they are done

in Jesus name amen amen we believe that

isn't it good to us Church

don't we serve a wonderful God we

absolutely do and I'm so grateful for it

hey uh on these come together Sundays

when we receive communion you know we

recognize uh Jesus as the meter of our

needs and one of the things we like to

do is is um we like to meet a physical

need and so uh we'll have a free meal

after service out in the Redemption

Center building on the north end of our

parking lot so if you don't have lunch

plans made for today please stay please

come out enjoy some food with us

Fellowship uh because though we need

need uh fed in our physical body and

Jesus provides Supply to feed us that

way uh we also need fed as a spirit man

and uh I believe there's a supply for

that this morning that we'll get to here

in a little bit um and we also we need

we need relationships we need people God

didn't make us to be um alone in life

and so he surrounded us with people a

church family a body and so we certainly

want to take part in how he's met our

need there too and so these Sundays are

great times please do stay if you can

today and join us for some fellowship

and some good food out in the Redemption

Center um quick announcement uh you

you'll find this in the bulletin but

women of life is coming up not this

Tuesday but the one after it I think

that's February 11th um it's going to be

in Pastor Becky's home there will be

food there will be Fellowship there will

be uh Ministry from the word and uh we

you are asked to please bring a blank

Valentine's Day card uh for an activity

that you all will be doing at women of

Life we'll have a sign up text coming

out for that next week um if you don't

get the women of Life texts or any of

our other Church texts or alerts or

invites and you would like to um I think

we maybe have a slide with the church

messaging number uh you can text that

and say you know alert and we'll get

those to you otherwise for women just

talk to donana today after service if

you want to come to women of life but

haven't uh been receiving those invites

and we will make sure that you get the

information to be added to that list um

one more kind of date coming up is we

have a volunteer banquet on uh Friday

the 14th that is Valentine's Day and um

we just love our volunteers we're so

grateful for everybody who serves at the

ministry um we we definitely it takes

many people and we're grateful that God

has graced many people to come and bring

a supply uh to help us worship and to

serve uh the needs of the body and so uh

we want to serve uh and and give you a

really great meal and a fun evening and

so if you volunteer anywhere in the

ministry or uh you're you're getting

involved this year in serving anywhere

please sign up on the back table today

so we have a number uh to plan the meal

for and uh we're just looking forward to

a great time um sharing together um in

enjoying an evening together and we are

planning some Child Care uh if there is

a need for that and so this could be a

great opportunity for you know if

there's couples that have young kids and

it's hard to get out I can relate to

that um valent volunteer banquet could

be the perfect night for like a little

built-in date night so you know take

that what what do what you will with it

but if you're a volunteer please do sign

up we'd love to have you at our banquet

uh coming up not this Saturday but the

next one um one other just short update

I wanted to give you all we had been

talking about this over the last few

weeks uh but this last Monday um the

elders and myself we went down to the

Iowa state capital and we attended the

prayer Rally For Life and um I just

wanted to report that we were all very

encouraged by our time there uh seeing a

gathering of people that took time just

to go and to pray and to come into

agreement about um life in Iowa and

about valuing the life of every human

that is ever conceived we believe that

that is the biblical position we believe

that God doesn't make mistakes uh we

believe that God loves and values each

and every person who's created in His

image um and so we just went and spent

some time praying along those lines for

policies and for decisions and for um

opportunities for that to come about in

our state and we live in a state that

has made some moves uh toward pro-life

and we're grateful for that we also saw

down there our newest Mission partner a

local Mission out of De Moine called

Agape Pregnancy Center Agape works with

uh young women and they work with young

families uh to help them along uh the

pregnancy Journey they help them with

different needs related to to that part

of life and they stick with their

clients all the way up until uh their

youngest child is four years old and so

they're doing a great work in De Mo

meeting a very real need in supporting

life after babies are born um and so it

was such a pleasure to see them there

come into a time of prayer and agreement

uh with a representative from their

Ministry and I just wanted to tell you I

I left encouraged I'm excited about what

God is doing and I believe that this is

just one area of many where God is God

is making a move God is doing some

things and and changing people's hearts

about things and I really believe that

being in the last days there's going to

come a time where many come to the Lord

where many come and uh receive salvation

where many are transformed and Born

Again by the power power of Jesus and so

um I even see something culturally like

that changing as a shift as as people's

hearts change and so I'm excited about

what God is doing in the earth can you

say Amen to that church God's working

don't you know he's always working and

he's doing doing some things to bring

him glory um kind of along those lines I

do have another announcement and I

wanted to make this and then we'll

dismiss our kids after after I share

about this but um back a few weeks at

our annual meeting I know some of you

all attended some didn't that's okay uh

but at our annual meeting one of the

things I will do every year as we go

over finances we go over things from the

past year and then we look ahead at the

coming year one of the things I

mentioned um three weeks back at our

annual meeting was that I envisioned uh

Alm adding a Ministry assistant this

year that we'd bring someone on as a

part of the staff of the church to help

with the work that's going on here help

facilitate and run programs help serve

and and meet needs where um it just

takes some that's had the time to really

get trained up on the systems and the

methods and the things that uh we as a

Ministry do and so I shared that this

year that was something that I was

praying and hoping and envisioning uh

would happen and so in the last three or

four weeks there have been some really

exciting developments along that line

and and today I'm excited to share with

you uh that I believe we have found a

suitable candidate to come and uh join

the staff as a Ministry assistant and so

uh to give you a little bit of backstory

about this and and I'll just be brief

this morning because some of you don't

care uh but some of you do so I'll share

just enough so that you got an idea um

at the start of 2024 um I really I was

praying kind of coming up on the annual

meeting and really just seeking

Direction and thinking about the work of

the ministry everything that we're doing

everything that we've got going on

things that God's calling us to and just

considering Lord how does all of this

happen and and what about these spots

and these spots and and I really began

uh feeling led to pray about adding

staff which is not like something that I

I I don't want to just add people or

have more people here to say that we

have people but really to meet very

present in real needs in the ministry

and accomplish different parts of work

that I can't do or don't have time to do

um and so at the beginning of 2024 over

a year ago now I really began praying

about this and I had a conversation with

our church Elders about it and said hey

I I don't necessarily think this is

going to happen right away but I really

do want to kind of open up the

conversation about possibly bringing

someone on in the near future someone

that can help us as our church grows

someone that can um you know carry

leadership on some projects or I can

delegate an area um so they can really

get involved and do it well and give

more attention than I can and over the

last year um I I turned over all the

Rocks I could find so to speak I had

lots of conversations with pastors and

leaders I went to organizations that I'm

affiliated with and asked you know who

who do you have and who's available and

um is there anyone I should talk to

about coming to work and there were a

few people that I did have conversations

with a few people that expressed maybe

interest but it as we talked just seemed

they weren't really a good fit and so

over the last year I would look but I

wouldn't have peace I would talk but I

wouldn't have peace I would want but I

wouldn't be led and so we just waited

and waited and waited and then uh at the

end of 2024 it was actually two days

before Christmas I heard that there was

this young lady by the name of Morgan

Jasperson who might be interested in

having a conversation about serving as a

Ministry assistant at a small Church in

Iowa and I thought well hey that's a

great fit because we're a small Church

in Iowa and we need a Ministry assistant

and so I got a hold of Morgan we had a

phone call and we talked about church

talked about callings talked about

things of the Holy Spirit and we felt

like it would be worth continuing to

talk and so after a few conversations it

seemed good uh we both had peace and and

it was just uh I think two weeks ago now

Morgan actually came and visited life on

a Sunday morning so some people thought

she looked like Emma Schroeder but it

wasn't Emma in glasses it was Morgan and

so Morgan came and visited a service at

Abundant Life um she met some of the

people that serve in kind of key uh

leadership areas and at the end of that

service at the end of that visit um she

said well I feel called here I feel like

this is somewhere God would have me come

and be and I feel peace about this

decision and uh I will tell you I feel

peace about this decision I feel

absolutely like God um has worked things

out in perfect timing with perfect

provision to bring uh someone here to

help us labor in the work that God's

called this church to um and so I see

Morgan coming on to staff here as an

answer to something I've been praying

about for over a year now and I think

that's exciting because you know what

God answers prayers and he does it in

ways that we may not always expect

because I I thought this he answered Ed

this prayer in a way that was so much

easier and so much better than something

I could have asked or thought or

imagined you know this this connection

with Morgan and and the potential of her

coming and serving here it didn't come

through like nonprofit business channels

of hiring people we didn't go and Source

out an agency to find us someone we just

prayed and we waited and we sought the

Lord and to this morning when we

received the offering I'm going to talk

about Luke 6:38 the Lord dropped a

Luke 6:38

blessing right in our lap and the same

for Morgan too cuz she feels like this

is going to be uh very much a blessing

and an opportunity for her and so I just

want to encourage you Church the the

prayer for Laborers to be sent to the

Harvest is being answered and will

continue to be answered because I

believe where the church obeys the Lord

and takes up his work he's going to send

the people to make the work happen can

you say Amen to that and so um I believe

I believe God has worked this also

because there is Harvest to happen here

there is a greater measure of of growth

and harvest and things that God has our

church to do and so that excites me the

fact that God would make this happen and

bring someone out of his provision and

Supply that tells me that God's got some

work for us to do God's got some things

for our church to be a part of and our

church to accomplish for his glory and

Kingdom in the Earth today do you agree

with that church and so I'm very

expectant um I'll share just for a

minute about who Morgan is and I mean

the best way to get to know is going to

be to meet her when comes and and

that'll be happening uh probably the end

of this month or or possibly later but

we're expecting the end of this month uh

that Morgan will be coming to Abundant

Life um Morgan comes from a big family

she's the oldest of seven children her

mom and dad were high school sweethearts

and for uh their adult life they have

been serving and working in faith

churches um as she has grown and so

she's been around the church all her

life around people of like Faith all her

life and has seen it modeled before her

a life of serving God God serving in

church and being a part of his work um

she's Iowa born and mostly raised she

spent a couple years in Missouri and

Oklahoma but we won't hold that against

her uh she did come from Iowa and she's

been in Iowa for the past several years

she's got strong connections to Word of

Life Family Church in winet Iowa and the

Fellowship Church in Oakland which are

two Iowa churches that we have great

relationship and partner with and so

she's already familiar with much of the

network that we associate with and uh

Morgan is the granddaughter of one of

our previous missionar Partners Nancy

Jasperson who uh was a missionary in

England for several years we supported

her there before that I think she was in

Africa for a time and um she's got this

this model before her and her grandma

too of someone who was found as being

critically critically necessary and

successful and helpful in a supportive

role in the RMA Europe campus and so her

grandmother has kind of that history and

and so we're expecting great help from

Morgan as well um you know just getting

to know Morgan and you will when she

comes but uh what I have seen in talking

to her is that she's young but she's

already taking steps with what she's

chosen in her life to Faithfully serve

the Lord both in volunteering in the

church and um even even offering him um

Direction over her own planning which is

such such a such an important thing for

all of us to get that that his plans are

better than our plans and being obedient

to him is better than trying to figure

it out on our own can't you to say yes

to that church and so Morgan's Morgan's

got that in her and so I am very excited

um she'll be coming on like I said uh

we're we're hoping the end of this month

of February she's going to be joining us

here and um she'll be involved in all

kinds of different areas of the

Ministries and that's one of the things

about um just working in a family church

like ours is you just you get involved

in everything if you're in you're in all

right if you're in you're in and and

she's going to be in so we're expecting

her to get involved in lots of different

parts of the ministry but we're so so

excited um if you have any questions for

me about Morgan about uh Ministry

assistant or anything else that I've

shared anything that I share just come

and talk to me uh my office is open I'm

I'm here through the week and I would

love to talk with you and so get a hold

of me if you have questions and we can

make some time to talk this week

otherwise uh that's what I have to share

so aren't you excited can we give God

praise for working and moving and

supplying for our needs he always does

it in every way his grace is always

sufficient so hey we're going to dismiss

our kids to go out to their class at

this time and so if there's any of them

left in here I saw some already went out

but if there's kids or teachers you all

can head out to class at this time thank

you for worshiping with us and everyone

who's staying and I referenced this a

minute ago uh but I'd like to go to Luke

Luke 6:38

6:38 as we prepare to receive the tithe

an offering if anybody needs an envelope

to give today just put your hand up one

of our ushers will come find you

otherwise we'll have some online options

available on the screens just briefly as

we prepare to give we want to set our

hearts on this action in the right way

we want to put our faith in God and what

he's doing and what he said he would do

and in Luke 6:38 this is what Jesus

Luke 6:38

teaches to his followers he says give

and you will receive your gift will

return to you in full pressed down

shaken together to make room for more

running over and poured into your lap

the amount you give will determine the

amount you get back I every time I read

that I just think what a great promise

what a great promise that is that what I

give out God's going to multiply it he's

going to run it all together make some

more room increase it make some more

room with that keep increasing and

increasing until there's no room left to

bless and then he just pours it right

out into our lap I mentioned that with

Morgan that I I really see her as

provision being made for the work that

is being done here and and you know I I

I made the effort to find it out on my

own and find uh somebody to come and

help but you know what God just poured

poured out his provision in our life and

that's the way God does it so many times

I could give you several testimonies in

my life where I was trying to make

something happen but then God just

poured out a blessing in my lap where I

was trying to work it out trying to

understand trying to find the wisdom

find the way through on my own and then

the blessing would just I mean it was

like it just fell from heaven right into

my life and I said Thank You Lord and

then we moved on this is how God wants

to work in your life this is what God

wants to do is that we give we're

obedient we trust him we take part in

what he's directing us to do and then he

just pours blessing out on us you see

this is the wonderful thing about sewing

and reaping this is a a a a key to how

the world Works Jesus is sharing here he

says you know give and you will receive

it but not just what you put in you will

receive it in Greater measure you will

receive it increased you will receive a

multiplication and I think you know if

the creator of heavens and earth is

telling us here how it works I think we

can trust him that that's how it works

and that's where we have to start God

you said it so I believe it that settles

it that's how the saying goes right I

believe what you said is true and so

Lord you said give and I'll receive so

I'm going to give and I'm going to

expect to receive in your time in your

way with your increase and I will tell

you as a testimony to this I've seen

this happen in my life I've seen it

happen in my parents life I've seen it

happen in my grandparents life I've seen

it happen in other people's lives too

but I I just know more of the story with

my parents and grandparents because I

see what you know the the daily walk is

like and I'll tell you when you trust

God when you give to God when you're

generous and you obey and what he

instructs you to do this is the result

you'll receive it'll be return to you in

full press down shaken together running

over and it'll be set right back in your

lap and so whatever you're given in life

whatever you're giving whatever you're

offering God to work with that's what

he's going to work with you see God has

given us a supply of

something you've got something to give

God today if if you've got air in your

lungs you can give God praise today and

if you give him praise you're going to

get the fruit of Praise back in your

life you're going to get the blessing of

Praise back in your life you might have

two pennies sitting in your purse today

if you've got them I'll tell you what if

you offer those to God and let him work

with them he's going to do a whole lot

more with that than what you could have

done with that not that anybody can do

much of anything with two pennies today

right eggs are like five over $5 a cart

and you're not getting even an egg with

two pennies but that's not really the

point give God what you've got and what

he will do with with it will Amaze you

and he doesn't make it hard it's it's

not like God takes it and then you I

mean he's not like one of those

companies that say hey we'll give you a

30-day money back guarantee but then you

call the office and no one answers and

you can never get a hold of them he's

not like that God is faithful to his

word and so if you entrust him he will

bring it back to you in perfect time he

will make it clear to you he will

provide away for you all I'm trying to

tell you this morning is that Jesus gave

us one of the keys to how we live and

interact how things work in our world

and it's given you will receive because

what you give is what God has to work

with in your life and think about the

little boy who had Five Loaves and two

fish you know what required him giving

so that God could do something

miraculous with that that's just the way

God works give what you've got he'll

bless it he'll use it and so if you if

you've got you know if you want

friendship in your life give friendship

God will bless that he'll use it he'll

increase it if you want wisdom in your

life give give whatever wisdom you've

got he'll increase it he'll bless it if

you've got provision for something give

it he will bless it he will increase it

he'll multiply it and so I see in our

life our church uh God God generously

provides for every need you know I

really I see Abundant Life as a

testimony here again of this principle

that when you give you receive and God

just does amazing things to bless you

know uh we share this so it's not like

you know information that's should

shouldn't be surprising but our church

church this year in our our budget we

are we're planning to give 25% away of

everything that comes in to missions

Works in in the state of Iowa but also

out around the world and that's like

that's been the pattern of the church as

long as I've ever known about Abundant

Life which has been most of my life uh

it's always been a giving church it's

always been a mission oriented church

it's always been a church that gives

away um a large part of what it receives

and I think you know it's such a

testament to God's faithfulness that a

giving church is also a provided for

church a giving church is also a blessed

church and and let me just tell you I'm

not saying this cuz I'm the pastor of it

but we're a blessed Church yes we are

and I don't think it takes long to see

that I think we're a blessed church

because God is is doing great things

providing great things God is working

here can you say Amen to that church so

I'm that's all I'm going to say we're

going to bring the ushers forward we're

going to pray and ask the Lord to bless

the offering that's given today I just

want to encourage you in this give in a

heart of Faith trust that what God saids

say is true that what you give he will

multiply he'll bless and he'll use so

that we can receive and have poured

right back into our life great benefit

it's not about us growing and getting

things but it's about letting God work

in our life and don't we all want God to

work in our life amen let's pray and

bless this offering father we do thank

you for your word and for your promise

we believe that what the Bible says is

true we believe that what Jesus said is

real and so as we give today we expect

We Trust we are assured of the reality

that when we give Lord you use what's

given you take what's given and do

something glorious with it you bless it

you increase it you multiply it and you

make a way to bring it right back so

that we can be more blessed and continue

Lord to be generous continue in the good

works that you've led us to called us to

and open doors for us to do and so Lord

I Thank you for blessing us individually

and that you've blessed us as a church

as we give with a heart of Faith

trusting in you today Lord I call this

offering blessed in Jesus name I thank

you that what is given today will be

used and multiplied For Your Glory

bringing many to an awareness of Your

Love of your light and the truth as the

gospel is proclaimed through the world

Lord we desire to declare your glory to

all the nations in Jesus name we pray

amen amen it's true and so we trust him

in that hey Church

uh let's get into the word together if

you want to open your Bible uh first

verse I'm going to look at this morning

is in Mark chapter

Mark 16 · chapter mention

16 uh we're going to spend a little bit

of time in The Book of Mark today before

um I I look at that verse what I want to

share with you is one of the key parts

of our church one of our if you wanted

to say you know our missional statements

one of the missional statements we as a

church have is that we are an

Evangelistic Church what that means is

not just that we are a church that

believes in the message of the Gospel or

a church that believes in the idea of

evangelism but to be an Evangelistic

Church at least in the way I understand

it means we are a people who prioritize

and we take seriously and we take

personally the scriptural command to go

into all the world and preach the gospel

this morning the message I I felt led to

preach is is just simply called preach

it can you say preach it this morning

church see I mean and you can I'll just

tell you as as someone who preaches

weekly you can say that anytime anytime

I'm preaching you can go ahead and Shout

that out I will receive it with joy and

gladness all right and so preach it um

we're called We're command I'm going to

use stronger word we're commanded by the

Lord his disciples were told go into all

the world and preach the gospel you see

Evangelistic it's not just an adjective

that describes our beliefs but it it is

a it is a directive that we live out

that that we are Evangelistic people I I

take that call of evangelism that take

that that call to go and proclaim the

gospel I take it personally I I take it

directionally from my own life and so we

we desire as a church to reach others

not not just talk about the idea of

reaching others but actually take steps

to reaching other people with this

message of good news in life that we

have this message that Jesus has come to

Earth and done everything that we needed

that that his his one coming Jesus has

completed everything that we needed to

be transformed and changed into the

Glorious image and plan of God

you know I used to think about

evangelism and there was a time when I

was younger if I thought about

evangelism it basically meant two things

it either meant I was on a street corner

you know yelling something about Jesus

or I was going door too knocking and

trying to talk to people about Jesus and

for a while that was the framework of

what evangelism meant to me now praise

God I grew out of that pretty quick um I

realized that evangelism the Lord helped

me see evangelism is much more more than

an activity that we attend though it can

be that yes evangelism can be you know

an event something that you're going to

do for that specific purpose but

evangelism is more than an activity or

an event that we attend evangelism must

become a purpose and a posture that we

live with so evangelism can't just be an

an activity or an event it needs to be a

purpose and a posture that we live with

a purpose for our life because Jesus our

lord told us that it's something we're

supposed to be about doing in Mark 16:15

Mark 16:15

Jesus said this to his disciples go into

all the world and preach the good news

to everyone over in Matthew 28 he he

says instead go and make disciples of

all the nations well I'll tell you

discipleship happens as the gospel is

preached you're not going to become a

disciple of Jesus if you never hear

about Jesus right and so uh the

proclamation is essential to discipl

making but here we have it really direct

go into all the world and preach the

good news and let me tell you something

when he says go into all the world and

preach the good news he really means go

into all the world and preach the good

news now that means yeah we need to send

people to all the far reaches of the

world that we may never personally step

foot on where we may not know of anybody

that's ever been in there to preach the

gospel but it also means go out into

your workplace go out to the coffee shop

to the gas station go out into all those

part parts of the world and preach the

good news to who to everyone go out

wherever you're going go there to preach

the gospel go with the purpose of

proclaiming the good news about Jesus

and so it's a purpose it's something we

do because Jesus told us to do it but I

say it's a posture because I believe we

can't we we should not compartmentalize

evangelism into a block in our schedule

evangelism isn't something we can just

do for an hour a week and I don't know

anybody that's like evangelizing for an

hour a week I'm sure there are people

that do that but you can't just schedule

in your evangelism for one part of your

week or a part of your day or a monthly

thing not that there's anything wrong

with scheduling times with specific

purposes like that but it needs to be a

posture of our life not just an activity

that we take part in

sometimes and the reason I say it must

be a posture is because like if I'm GNA

go into all the world and I'm gonna

preach to everyone then I I need to be

doing it all the time and something I do

all the time isn't an activity it's not

attendance it's not an event it's it's a

part of who I am it's a it's a part of

the way I live my life and so posture is

the word I'm using for that and the

truth of the matter is this if you just

consider your life the opportunities to

proclaim the gospel they come in all

kinds of times and places isn't that

true I mean you you may have

opportunities to preach the gospel to

somebody if you're up at Living Water

with us at Tower standing under the tent

where we say Jesus the living water come

and we'll pray for you I mean you might

be able to have some expectation to do

it there but I think about times in my

life where I've had an opportunity to

share the good news with somebody I've

had like random phone calls where

somebody calls me I wasn't expecting it

I didn't really want it but you know

what there was a leading and the Lord

led me into a conversation with them

where I was able to share the good news

I've talked to telemarketers about Jesus

before that's not something you block

into your schedule cuz they call you all

kinds of times you don't want to be

called

right I uh sold a John but like a little

you know rickety old leaky John Boat one

time and this guy comes and we're

talking about this little boat and he

starts telling me about all these like

problems he had I've got this I've got

this problem with my arm and this thing

hurts and this thing hurts and I started

talking to him about Jesus who is the

Healer who's my healer and the good news

that goes along with that you know he

healed and Through the Bible you know

what Jesus healed people to show them

and prove to them that he came to for

forgive them and it's like we got right

into the message of the gospel and I got

to pray for him I got to preach to him

had another time my trash guy showed up

and my trash guy started talking to me

about all these things in his life and I

I sensed in my heart hey just tell him

you've got an answer you know tell them

you know you know something that helps

preach to them about Jesus times where

people just make little passing comments

about things and you know what there

opportunities there open doors that show

up to preach

if the only time anybody ever hears

about Jesus is the hour the minister is

talking on Sunday morning then the only

people who will hear about Jesus are the

people that already go to

church right that wasn't in the notes

that was just free for you this

morning we are all called to go out into

all the world and preach to everyone

about Jesus and so preach it isn't just

for the past on Sunday morning it's for

all of us who live with the posture that

evangelism is a part of what I'm on

Earth to do and so to be an Evangelistic

Church doesn't mean that sometimes we go

and we do evangelism it means we're a

Congregation of preach people who preach

the gospel I butchered that so let me

say it again it means we are a

Congregation of people who preach the

gospel can you say Amen to that we

preach it we preach it with the way we

live we preach it with the way we treat

others we preach it with the words we

speak out we preach it as we worship and

we sing We preach preach and we proclaim

the good

news and so we desire to be Evangelistic

both in a personal way but in a

corporate way as well you know the only

reason the only way you become an

Evangelistic Church is when you have

Evangelistic

people amen you know the the church is I

mean the church is the body of Christ

and it is what God says but how we walk

that out is by individuals getting

revelation of things by individuals

seeing the truth of what Jesus has done

he's made us what he's provided and then

living like that so when we all walk it

out together then the church looks like

what Jesus you know says the church

should look like and so when it comes to

evangelism on the personal level we must

each believe that I've been called and

commanded by Jesus to preach with my

life that my life should preach the good

news and on a corporate level it means

that we want people to see when they

look at our church when they look at our

gathering our body the people that are

here oh we desire that they would see in

our worship in our teaching in our

prayers words that proclaim the glory of

God the goodness of God and the news of

what he's done that when they see

actions and fruits the things that we're

doing the things we're a part of that

their hearts would be pricked by the

reality of Heaven that's what we desire

as an Evangelistic

Church and so what it means then to

preach let me get down to kind of the

history of this word the word to preach

or other translations will say Proclaim

it comes from the image of someone who

was a heral now a heral and this is

where you get the idea of standing on

the street corner just yelling about

Jesus to everybody a Herald was somebody

who would be given a very specific

message by a king and they would be sent

out to the public to tell everybody

about it and so they would go out and

sometimes they would yell and they would

call out and they would tell everybody

but I also believe a heral would go and

they would have conversations with

people they would go into homes and tell

people that were influential and

purposeful they say hey this is what's

going on this is the message you need to

know see they were just Messengers

people who had relevant information that

needed to be shared with the masses they

were they were Facebook before there was

Facebook sort of and so these Heralds

would go out and they would tell

everyone about the message that they had

received in Webster's Dictionary he says

to to preach is to earnestly advocate

for something for a belief for a

position to earnestly

Advocate and it's this kind of

proclamation that we see in the Bible

it's not just hey I heard this I thought

you might want to know about it it is

did you hear and do you know and it will

change you if you believe you see

there's there's an urgency about it

there's a a position taken you see

preaching the gospel it's not this ho

hum doesn't really matter what you think

doesn't really matter which side you

take it is urgent and it is with purpose

that you you you you really need to come

along and receive what Jesus has done

you really need to come and step into

God's kingdom it's to advocate for a

position and so any any quote unquote

gospel that doesn't call people to

repentance is not the gospel because the

gospel absolutely advocates for coming

into the kingdom I'm a little bit fired

up this

morning I don't you want to hear

something crazy I didn't even drink any

coffee today isn't that isn't that nuts

praise the

lord it's to Advocate

earnestly oh I I am I am on board with

this I am all for this

side I'm all for this thing and I'm

going to tell you about it cuz it

matters a whole lot it's preaching it's

not just to relay some information but

it's to take a position to identify with

the message with the cause and to

passionately offer ourselves as a

mouthpiece and an example for that which

we are advocating and you know people

don't think about it but they really

preach all the time people probably

preach to you more than you ever think

that they do how many times in a week do

you hear somebody advocating for a

position encouraging you manipulating

you coaxing you pressuring you into a

position what are they doing well bad

preaching false preaching I mean oh

man I could I could ruffle some feathers

this morning I'm I say this in love it's

mostly a joke all the Kansas City fans

right now they're preaching

right sorry I I love yall a lot I love

you and I love you yeah see

he's just for example sake here it's not

really about the team it's about what

goes on how many people they make their

life's mission to preach about a sport

team we've got the best we have the most

we've got the history we've got the

accolades so join us what are they doing

they're

preaching politics you hear it all the

time preaching our position is this

we'll get this we know how to do this

they're bad for this what are they doing

preaching come to my side come to my

position believe what I believe

Community projects it's all about

preaching if we get this then it's going

to do this and it'll change this and

we'll have this and we'll be this the're

preaching and people are looking for

preaching people want somebody to preach

to them a message that brings life

everybody wants somebody to preach to

them but most people are preaching the

wrong thing amen

I've got more I should leave the

examples

alone it okay diets books

fads

preacher see you're going to get more if

you do that what is it it's people

preaching something but they're

preaching a false gospel they're

preaching a false message of Hope a

false message of good news because you

know what sure the team might win and we

might feel good for an afternoon but

what comes after that how does what does

that do to factor into eternity it is an

empty shell of what God has really

provided in the message of

Christ and that's why we're all called

to preach the good

news not just good news not just

something good not something that you

know peps you up for a minute but we

need the eternally good news which is

the gospel of Christ and so how much if

there's all this preaching in the world

how much more ought every believer be

convinced of Eternal realities and

earnestly advocate for the of Heaven

it's so much more valuable this is the

most imp important preaching that will

ever be done is preaching about the

kingdom of God preaching about the good

news and so in the Christian context we

see preaching as common you know you you

come to church and you probably expect a

pastor to preach in some way often when

we talk about preaching we're talking

about uh the five-fold ministry gifts

proclaiming a message to the flock of

God's people I'll go to Second Timothy

2 Timothy 4:2

4:2 just to show you something quick

here in 2 Timothy 4:2 Paul's writing to

2 Timothy 4:2

a young Pastor whose name is Timothy

same name of the book and he instructs

him he says preach the word he says

preach the word be prepared in season

and out of season correct rebuke and

encourage with great patience and

careful instruction and that's what

preaching the word will do when the word

is preached it will it will bring

correction it will bring rebuke but it

will also encourage because those are

the things that the word does that's

what the word does it corrects it

rebukes it instructs it trains helps us

live righteous those are the things that

the word does so when the word is

preached it's going to produce those

things and so that's a type of preaching

the feeding of the flock of God's people

giving direction as the Lord leads you

know a preacher a minister to Proclaim

some part of the word of God it's to

offer a sermon an anointed an actionable

a true directed by God uh word that the

spirit leads so that's one type of

preaching and I want to be clear this

morning there's a delineation in the

Bible there there's a difference in the

Bible between preaching and proclaiming

the gospel and preaching and proclaiming

the word because what we're going to see

if we go back to Matthew 16 the

disciples were all told go and preach

the gospel here it's just written to a

pastor go and preach the

word and maybe this will I just share

this with you as I am getting

it sometimes when we try to preach the

gospel but we end up preaching the word

we turn people away because people

aren't ready to hear the correction of

the word but they need to hear the good

news and so as I talk about proclaiming

the gospel I'm really talking about the

gospel not every part of the word I I'm

not talking about you know you need to

go to someone that's they're lost and

they don't know anything about Jesus but

you need to go and convince them to give

up all of their gossip and give up all

of their ly and give up all of their

sexual immorality and they need to stop

drinking and they need to start reading

their Bible because this this is what

the word says to do well you're

preaching the word what they probably

need is you to preach them the gospel

the gospel and there's a difference

preaching the word preaching the gospel

the gospel is part of the word so this

morning I'm I'm preaching the word right

now here in a second I'm going to preach

you the gospel which is this this

message of what Jesus has done what the

good news really is and so I just I say

this because there's a difference not

all preaching is the same not all

proclaiming is the same not all words

that a Christian speaks are are the same

can you say Amen to that we're all

called to preach the

gospel we're all called to preach the

gospel and pastors are called to preach

the word and so I Endeavor as your

pastor to preach you the word and I hope

and I ask and I pray that you as the

church will preach the gospel because

it's what we're called to do and we're

an Evangelistic Church can you say Amen

to that preach it there's a wider

definition preaching to be understood as

well in Acts there's this word used I'm

probably going to not say it

right you aelo I should have looked it

up uelo it's spelled e a g g e l i z o

it's close to the middle of it is kind

of like the word Angel but it's got some

some prefixes added to it in Acts they

use this word to describe preaching or

proclamation of the news about Jesus so

this isn't the whole context of the word

but it's the proclamation about what

Jesus has done and it combines these two

words U and angalo U angalo and then

uang U angalo that's probably closer U

angalo it means good or well and then

announce or Herald those are the two

words a message that is good which is

being spoken and proclaimed out and this

is that picture once again of what we're

all called to do about Jesus this is the

messenger who shows up with good news to

Proclaim it's a message of joy and

transformation and so when we're

preaching the gospel let me tell you

something we ought to be showing up full

of joy we ought to be showing up with

the heart that believes transformation

is possible and

available and if we're preaching a

message that's not full of joy then it's

probably not the

gospel because good news is I'm I'm full

of joy when I hear good news do you like

getting good news do you like it when

somebody tells you you got a raise do

you like it when somebody tells you you

know you you got favor you got something

free do you like it when somebody tells

you you won an award when somebody made

a nice comment that's good news right

and even these

little frivolous kind of meaningless

pieces of good news they they produce a

little bit of joy in our life how much

more should the eternally good news

produce a great and Lasting joy in our

heart and so as we preach the good news

it should fill us with joy and it should

bring joy to others

too because it's good amen it's good

news so how could a church that claims

to have the good good news be filled

with anything but joy we have to be a

joyful church cuz we have good news amen

I challenge you if you're if you're ever

feeling down just think about the gospel

for five

minutes it might I think it will totally

change your expectation it will totally

change your

focus the proclamation of the good news

emphasizes the Victory and totality of

God's good plan coming to pass

and so this word yuango it became the

term Christians Ed to describe their

mission of spreading the message of

Christ to All Nations and fulfilling the

Great Commission we see it from the

church in Acts 8:4 says but the

Acts 8:4

Believers so it wasn't just preachers

wasn't just pastors wasn't just well

they were preachers but they weren't

pastors they weren't Apostles they

weren't prophets they were just they

were believers they were people who gave

their life to Jesus it says the

Believers who scattered preached the

good news about Jesus wherever they went

what were they doing they were doing

Mark 16:15 they were fulfilling the

Mark 16:15

Great Commission the plan that God gave

us and so I'll say this about the good

news what I see from studying this word

of preaching if we're going to preach it

preaching requires both speaking and

doing preaching really does require both

that we say and we do we we speak and we

live from this good news that we have

you've heard it said before actions

speak louder than words words you've

probably heard it said practice what you

what

preach because where actions and words

don't align what you have is

hypocrisy and we don't want to be

Hypocrites Jesus was rough on the

Hypocrites so if we're going to speak a

message with our mouth it it sure ought

to be lived out with our life as

well but then I think of words as well I

I think of the example of the Angel who

came and announced Christ's birth to the

Shepherds that was some good news behold

I have Glad Tidings of great joy for you

see Joy was in that message you know

what is interesting about that account

it says the glory of the Lord filled the

area with light and he said Don't Fear I

have good news and so there was both

this presence of good news but then the

proclamation of good news as well and

when we preach I talk about you need to

do it in Joy because if if you're trying

to preach the good news to somebody and

you look like your dog just died no one

wants to hear

that oh Jesus came and he saved us

great that's not I don't want to be part

of that if that's how you feel about it

bring the glory of the news with you I

mean have you ever seen somebody who's

got really good news the way they walk

they got like some pep in their step you

ever seen a kid who did something they

think is pretty good stuff and they walk

in they're like look what I did they've

got good news and they're kind of fired

up about the fact that they've got good

news so should we the church be fired up

about the fact that we have good news to

Proclaim yes we do and so I'm going to

show up with with my life in this way

some scriptures that I think apply to

this speaking and doing how will they

ever hear without someone to Proclaim

that's Romans 10:14 life and death are

Romans 10:14

in the power of the tongue and So

speaking has to be a part of this we

have to speak out these words of life if

they're going to be manifested and

realized in people that's Proverbs

Proverbs 18:21

18:21 speaking that which gives or

imparts grace to the hearer we're

supposed to speak things that impart

Grace the good news is going to impart

Grace that's Ephesians 4:29 let your

Ephesians 4:29

light so shine that they may see your

good works Matthew

5:116 and so the the actions have to

follow it can't just be words can't just

be empty talking points but it's got to

be good works actions living it out as

well whatever you do work heartedly is

for the Lord in Colossians 3:23 and so

Colossians 3:23

I'll just tell you my conviction my

belief is that preaching the Good News

requires both you need word and deed y

you need to speak it but you need to

live it too that's that's the only way

as far as I can see in the word that we

Proclaim with our life good

news Jesus our example he preached the

gospel Jesus preached the gospel

probably better than anybody else

definitely better than anybody else cuz

he knew it better than anybody else

Jesus lived the gospel but Jesus spoke

the gospel too if you want to turn

earlier in Mark go to Mark chapter 1 and

Mark 1 · chapter mention

in verse 14 and 15 of Mark chapter 1 we

Mark 1 · chapter mention

see Jesus preaching the gospel

says in Mark 1:14 later on after John

Mark 1:14

was arrested Jesus went into Galilee

where he preached God's good news the

time promised by God has come at last he

announced the kingdom of God is near

repent of your sins and

believe and I Look to this passage this

morning because I believe here in Jesus

summarizes the gospel for us it says

Jesus came and he preached the good news

well what was he preaching you know as

someone who preaches often if I hear

about a great message you know what my

first question is well what' they say

it's like yeah I'm glad you had a great

tell me I want to know too so that I can

share it as

well Jesus preached God's good news and

this is what he said the time promised

by God has come one statement number one

the time has come at last number two the

kingdom of God is near here's Point

number two and then number three repent

of your sins and believe the good

news and so the gospel as Jesus

apparently presented it really just had

three points the time of Promise has

come the kingdom is right here at hand

it's with you now and uh repent of your

sins and

believe believe you could say receive

this good news so if I can this morning

and I'd like to break down those three

points of the gospel for you and talk

about why this is the good news why why

do we call these simple three little

things good news because I bet if you

asked a 100 Christians what's the gospel

you you'd get at least at least 50

different answers probably more than

that you get a lot of different answers

because people know it's about Jesus but

you know what about him is it that he

healed the sick is it that he opened

blind eyes is it that he you know made

made the deaf to

hear is it that he spoke The Sermon on

the Mount and gra gave great Direction

and wisdom of heavenly things to people

you know what what was it that Jesus did

that was really good is it that he died

on the cross is it that he was in the

grave for three

days definitely that he rose again

that's definitely part of it what's the

good news Well Point number one Jesus

said is the time has been fulfilled let

me paraphrase that in the way my brain

comprehends it there is a need in Earth

but God has a plan for it

and the time of waiting has has come the

time of of waiting has ended is what

he's saying here because if we look back

in the word the time has been fulfilled

what time are we talking about well

after the Garden of Eden in the Garden

of Eden when man sinned you know Eve and

then Adam ate of the fruit of the

knowledge of Good and Evil it's there's

this there's this sin that enters

there's this fall that happens and

there's this curse that comes upon man

and the world and all creation and in

Genesis 3:15 is God is talking about

Genesis 3:15

this curse that sin has brought into the

world something he says to the serpent

to the enemy to the devil is there is

one the seed of woman that will be

raised up he will crush your head is

what God says to the enemy to the

serpent just a little side note Judah

Taylor taught him to say snake is bad

because of the Garden of Eden so now he

walks around and goes get out of my

house snake so I love that get out of my

house snake it's good stuff

anyway serpent the Lord tells him he

will rise up and crush your head you'll

you'll bruise his heel but he will crush

you he will defeat you he will end

you and as Jesus says the time has been

fulfilled I believe he's talking about

every prophecy that spoke about the time

when someone was going to show up and

deal with the Enemy all the way back to

this first moment in Genesis 3:15 and

Genesis 3:15

this isn't the only prophecy there's

lots of words in the Bible spoken to

Israel and God's people that talk about

how there's going to be someone that

comes he's going to be a mighty

conqueror he's going to be a king he's

going to rule he's going to defeat the

enemy and give you

Victory and they all knew about it they

were all waiting on it and Jesus says

the time has been fulfilled what is he

saying he's saying it's go time today is

the day now is what you've been waiting

for all that time through history where

you were beaten up and defeated by the

enemy and the adversaries it's over

because the fullness has come now says

the time is up the time is up he says

next the kingdom is at hand and so that

time of being lost in sin without a

savior needing needing Deliverance

needing Redemption needing Freedom he

says that time has been fulfilled

because now the kingdom has

come he says in this statement the

kingdom is at hand he's telling them

there is a different life available for

you now cuz the kingdom has showed up

the kingdom is here he's saying this you

had a need the the time of need has been

fulfilled now provision has been

supplied now the the meeting of your

need is here he's saying today is the

day because God has brought his fullness

to Man in Christ Jesus the kingdom is at

hand he's saying God's power is here

God's Victory Is Here God's healing his

life his provision his truth they are

here among you now to be

received and you know as I think about

that statement I think that's such a

thing that the church needs to hear

again and again and again that the

kingdom is here the kingdom is at hand

the kingdom Jesus said later it dwells

among you it's present right now you're

to live in the Kingdom today and and I I

just I love this point because it calls

us to the glory of God's kingdom if

we're going to be part of God's kingdom

then well that's going to be better than

not being part of his kingdom but as I

think about you know church and

Christianity as a whole thing as I see

it and recognize it on Earth today I

think unfortunately there's lots of

Christians or at least some that live

with the perspective that we're saved

but we have to wait till heaven to

experience any other part of the kingdom

of God it's like yeah God saved me by

his grace but I have to wait till Heaven