Dr. Mark Platt Transitional Senior Pastor

Transcription

1 Aug. 27, 2014 Dear River Oak Grace friend, When Margaret and I started dating, she took me to a concert by country singer Lee Ann Womack. That night I heard a song that changed my perspective. It was written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers. The song is I Hope You Dance. Here are the lyrics: I hope you never lose your sense of wonder, You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger, May you never take one single breath for granted, God forbid love ever leave you empty handed, I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean, Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens, Promise me that you ll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, Never settle for the path of least resistance Livin might mean takin chances but they re worth takin, Lovin might be a mistake but it s worth makin, Don t let some hell bent heart leave you bitter, When you come close to sellin out reconsider, Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. Dr. Mark Platt Transitional Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Message Sunday, Aug Psalm 139 Where Is God When I Need Him Now? I hope you dance...i hope you dance... These days, many people have forgotten how to bask in the joys of the life God gives us. They have become burdened with the cares of the world. Over time, some people become embittered by the injustices, and discouraged by the problems, that life often brings. As we age, we can forget the pleasures of life and the hopes for tomorrow. This week, for our mid-week chat, I want to talk to you about the importance of seeing amazing and awesome things in life. The words amazing and awesome have gotten hijacked by the world in recent years. It seems like every commercial uses the word amazing to describe their product, their event, or their service. Most every conversation I have, with someone under the age of 30, uses the word awesome. Actually these words are Bible words. Consider these verses: Joshua 3:5: Joshua told the people, Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you. Judges 13:19: And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched Revelation 15:3: And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and

2 Upcoming Events amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! (ESV) Psalm 47:2: How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! Psalm 65:5: You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior Psalm 66:3: Say to God, How awesome are your deeds! Maybe you have lost your joy and you would like to become truly amazed. Would you like to get your wonderment back? Would you like to focus on the truly awesome things? Here are 10 suggestions to see the amazing and the awesome: 1. Look at Jesus. If you look at Jesus, pattern your life after Him, use His principles to guide your life, your amazement and awe will increase. From His immaculate conception, to His earthly ministry to His resurrection, our Lord Jesus brought wonderment to people: Luke 2: 17-18: When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 5:26: Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, We have seen amazing things today! Luke 24:22; Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. Charles Gabrile and Edwin Excell wrote a song about this amazement. It said: I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean. O how marvelous! O how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior s love for me! When you look at Jesus, see how He lived a sinless life, taught such life-changing principles, performed miracle after miracle, chose to die a painful death, atoned for your sins, and rose from the dead you will be awe-struck and amazed. When you let Him run your life, the amazement will increase. The more you remember the eternal life He gives, amazement will heighten. So, continue to look at Jesus! He will amaze you, and leave you breathless with awe! If you accept Jesus salvation and pledge Him your life through faith, your life will be truly amazing and awesome! Thinking about Membership at ROG? We will have a Membership Class on Sunday, Sept. 14, 21, & 28 at 11 am/ room 401 This is a three week session. Learn Grow Connect Care You are invited to lead/facilitate a group, host a group, or join a group! Let us know of your interest by filling out a connection card on Sunday. Contact Curt and Sally Lance for more information. CR Meets every Wednesday 6 pm - dinner/7 pm - meeting

3 2. Meet God every day. C.S. Lewis said: The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express that same delight in God which made David dance. Lewis is referring to the time in 2 Samuel 6:14 when David was so overcome with the joy of the Lord and awestruck with the goodness of God that he danced. When you read the Bible, the stories, the wisdom, the doctrines, the redemptive history, you will be awe-struck and amazed as you see God at work. Like Isaiah (6:1), when you meet God in worship, you will find Him high and exalted. Have a daily quiet time with Bible reading, prayer, and meditation! When you do, your awe and amazement will grow! 3. Seek God. In the noise of the world and the busyness of life, Satan is heard; but it is in the stillness and silence of private worship that God is heard. Psalm 111:2 says: How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in Him should ponder them. So slow down. When was the last time you were moved by something beautiful, inspired by what you read, or brought to tears by something that touched your heart? The more you look full in God s wonderful face, the more wonder you will see. Make the pursuit of God your focus and wonder will return to your life. 4. Commune with God in His creation. Many people are so busy that they are oblivious to the beauty and blessing around them. I lived 3 blocks from the Pacific Ocean for 13 years. Sadly there would be days when I was so busy that I didn t ever look at the waves. I could be so consumed with my work and my life that I missed the redwoods on the drive in and out of Half Moon Bay. Exodus 15:11 says: Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Watch the sunrise and sunset. Smell the roses. Take a walk in the park. See God s hand in everything. Let Him speak to you as He did to the writer of Psalm 19. No one is like Him, so be amazed and filled with awe at Him! 5. Turn off the entertainment on a regular basis. I love movies, television, and the internet; but you can get so addicted to the glitz and glamor that the awesome things of God no longer seem that awesome. When we live in the surreal world of video games, television, movies and the internet, our senses get dulled by the entertainment of the make-believe world. We become so anesthetized that we miss the excitement of watching real life unfold. The worst thing is that the world s entertainment creates amazement and wonder apart from God. Don t let that happen! Shut that stuff off! 6. Look up. Choose to turn from cynicism to faith. Don t let the bugs on the windshield destroy your view. Things swirl around us so much that we get jaded by things that seem insurmountable and impossible to fix. As Nehemiah (1:5) faced an impossible task, he saw an awesome God. He prayed: O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands As Nehemiah (4:14) lead the rebuilding of Jerusalem, he told God s people: Don t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. God s people should not lose their sense of awe at God s ability to do whatever we ask or think. Discipline yourself to see all God has done and is doing. Register THIS SUNDAY at the information center! Carpooling available. Speaker: Dr. Darryl Delhousaye Sunday, Sept. 21 after 2nd service We will be bidding a fond farewell to our beloved Pastor Paul, as we send him off with blessings and prayers for His new ministry. According to the first letter of your last name, please bring the following: A-M main dish N-Z dessert If you have any photos of Pastor Paul, please them to: kdavidson@riveroakgrace.org Welcoming Our New Youth Director! Kord Jacobsen is now officially on staff here at ROG as Director of our Youth Ministry. Please welcome Kord as he begins this Sunday (Aug. 31) evening at our 5:30 pm Youth Fusion.

4 AWANA Starts This Tuesday, Sept 2nd 6:25 pm - 8:00 pm Pre-registER on Sunday in the lobby or online at For kids ages 3-6th grade. YOuth Dance Outreach Addicted To Jesus Dance Outreach Ministry GIRLS 7th grade and up Thursdays, beginning Sept. 11 6:45-7:45 pm/room 301 Questions? Erica at: air4everme@ gmail.com, or express your interest on a connection card this Sunday. & STARTS THURS, SEPT. 4th at 9 am in the FLC 7. Stay away from the mall. Constant acquisition produces synthetic satisfaction. When we use our awe and amazement on the search for the next gadget, the next trinket, and the next purchase, your amazement will diminish. Be careful that your desires for car, houses, clothes, or whatever floats your boat, will take away the true and lasting joy of simply living and enjoying life as God meant it to be. Nothing will take away awe and amazement like materialism. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said: life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Don t let material stuff keep you from real life. 8. Watch for things that inspire awe and wonderment. When was the last time I was moved by something beautiful, something inspiring, or something that touched my heart? I like many of the Chicken Soup books because they are stories of ordinary people who found joy in something they experienced. I read books by Max Lucado, A.W. Tozer, J.C. Ryle, Watchman Nee, Richard Foster, Randy Alcorn, and dozens of others. Work at keeping a natural curiosity in your heart about God, wisdom, doctrine, faith, and so much more. Be humble enough to learn from others who know how to stay amazed and awe-struck. 9. Look back with gratitude. Last year, I pastored a church near Seattle, one of the places I grew up. Years ago, my family lived a block off of Green Lake. Back then, it was my route home from school. One Sunday afternoon last year, I walked around Green Lake again. It was nostalgic to be walking the same path 50 years later. On that 3 ½ mile walk, I must have stopped 15 times to reflect with awe and amazement. With tears of gratitude in my eyes, I thanked God for the love of my mom and dad. I thanked God for several teachers who taught me so well. I thanked God for Elim Baptist, where I had some good and godly mentors. I thanked God for Lee Foote, my Youth for Christ director, who showed me how to lead. I thanked God for my dear Christian friend, Tom Ossinger, who was my fellow- struggler in following the Lord. I thanked God for Herb and Nellie Kendall who taught me to ski. I thanked God for His forgiveness and grace in some things that I am not proud of. I thanked God for His protection and mercies. I thanked God for taking me, this insecure kid, with so many hang-ups and entrusting me with things I never deserved. By the time I was done with my walk, I may have used up my handkerchief, but I was also filled with awe and amazement. Maybe you need to take a walk down memory lane too? There you will be amazed by the goodness of God and awe-struck by the blessings He has given you! 10. Remember God s amazing grace. Mature Christians should never lose the simple wonderment that God sent His Son to die for our sins. With John Newton, the slave trader turned Christ follower of the 18 th century, we should be singing his song: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. Unfortunately, over time many long-term Christians lose their wonder and astonishment of God s grace. My dad used to call them sermon-soaked saints. Sometimes people hear the Good News so many times, know God s grace so well, and taste the sweetness of the Christian life, that they lose their amazement. The songs, the Bible stories, and the Lord s Supper become so common place that some Christians

5 Ladies Potluck Breakfast Sat, Sept am/ FLC Come meet other Ladies of Grace & enjoy some fellowship! If your last name begins with: A - G please bring fruit H - S main dish T - Z pastry new Bible Studies don t ever think about their meaning, or the joy they bring. Don t let that happen to you! With Psalm 111:9, keep saying: He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever holy and awesome is His name. Every Sunday, we gather to increase our awe of God and our amazement of His love. This Sunday, we will wind up our Psalms for Your Summer series. God has given me a great message I am calling: Where Is God When I Need Him Now? Psalm 139 is a personal prayer of David as he struggled with adversity, hardship, loss, chaos, and danger. There are some poignant lessons God wants to tell us from this psalm that will encourage, help, and guide your life. Maybe you have a hurting friend, a seeking neighbor, or a friend from work? This would be a good day to invite them to come to church with you and hear about new life in Christ! Be sure to stop by the Heavenly Brew Café for some coffee and a muffin. Drop the kids off at our Children s ministry classes so they learn to be amazed and awe-struck with the things of God. Go to one of our adult classes. Hang out in the lobby for some meetin and greetin. Come to worship God with some very nice people at ROG! Monday Nights 6:00 pm A seven week study by Angela Thomas based on the Sermon on the Mount. We are only two weeks in to the class. For more information, contact Wendy Marshall. Book cost: $16 A Study of the Book of Nehemiah So, see you this Sunday for worship! Bring a Bible, a smile, and an open mind to let God talk to you. Remember, we have: 9 AM Worship Service in the Amphitheater up-beat praise and worship 9 AM Classes/Groups learning opportunities for every age and stage 11 AM Worship in the Family Life Center upbeat praise and worship 11 AM Classes/Groups learning opportunities for every age and stage 1:30 PM Hispanic Service Ministerio en espanol I love being your pastor! Pastor Mark Platt Wednesday Mornings at 9 am Starting Sept. 3 Sign-up TODAY! Book cost: $15 New Ladies Study Wednesday evenings starting Sept. 7 pm Off campus location. Contact Charlotte by at: cbrewer640@aol.com. mplatt@riveroakgrace.org D aily B ible R eading August 31-Sept 6 Proverbs 23-31; 1 Corinthians 6-10 September 7-13 Ecclesiastes; 1 Corinthians 11-16