Sure Thing: What Do I See? 8.13.17

Sermon Notes

Sure Thing: What do I see?

 

I love the city that I live in!

Love it!

 

As good as this city is OR as bad as it gets.

 

There is a new city!

The new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God!

 

When things seem like they are shaking!

The speed at which things are going.

The direction they are going.

 

  1. These people represent something that lies just below the surface.   Sheer terror.
  2. If these are all that can be gathered! This is it!  I pray this is the final death throws of a view of life!

 

A meal with great friends and some new ones.

 

 

You think of someone who has deep faith! Call them…

 

Hall of Faith!

 

SLIDE: Hebrews 11:13  Hall of Faith!

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,

 

:16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

 

Pg. 974

 

Looking and longing go together

 

Hebrews 12  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

To run the race you have to pay attention!

Look where you are going.

 

Where do you look?  To Jesus   To A city that is to come.

My heart … They are a part of the human race.

 

 

Warning and Encouragement

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

 

 

15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

 

:16  See that no one is sexually immoral,…

We look into the areas that people say “that is NONE of your business!   Yes it is.  Stop that.

 

 

How do you do that?  Grace that is greater.  Amazing grace!

You can fall short of the grace of God.

 

This is serious business!  This is not Disney land, holywood

 

Hebrews 13: 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

 

The oppressor behaves

 

The evil the oppresor commits robs him of his humanity, the oppression  he inflicts dehumanizes the victim…

 

Essau  the athelete who lives inder the bridge.  Had it all… cashed it in for nothing.

 

 

SLIDE:  Revelation 21:2  I saw the Holy City,  the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Pg. 1004

Pastor Pete Hartwig