Bible Verse for Sunday Service January 30, 2022
Zechariah 4:5-6
Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
Announcements:
Last week the church had the annual meeting at which it accepted a budget, and elected officers. All those who agreed to serve received Pastor’s thanks. Annual reports reflecting the results of the meeting are available. January brings a month with five Sundays so today the offering goes to the Capital Improvement Fund. Projects that these funds potentially go to include a storage shed and paving the parking lot. We also learned that the Gideons who were to speak today would be rescheduling for a later day.
Sermon:
Pastor continued his review of the beatitudes in Matthew, 5:7-8, Jesus’ proclamation of the arrival of the Kingdom of God with a message titled “Benefits of the Beatitudes.” And enjoying the beatitudes mentioned in today’s verses is easy in that they are mercy and purity. In covering mercy, pastor covered the transmission of mercy in God’s Kingdom. First from God to us, then us extending mercy to others, and lastly how God responds to us when we receive mercy and pass it on to others. As a way of summarizing this process, pastor provided this quote from John Newton, the famous reformed slave trader and author of “Amazing Grace:”
When people are right with God, they are apt to be hard on themselves and easy on other people. But when they are not right with God, they are easy on themselves and hard on others.
So recognizing we receive God’s mercy, and correctly using it, extending it others, enables us to be a part of God’s Kingdom here on earth. We extend God’s influence this side of eternity.
Similarly, the second beatitude benefits us in how we see God. Pastor explained that those who have a pure heart benefit in that they have the clarity to see God, and see Him and know Him for who he really is. So again that reciprocal relationship in God’s Kingdom is illustrated. Having a clean heart by accepting Jesus’ work on the cross, and being an active participant in God’s Kingdom allows us to see God and see him at work in His Kingdom. That vision of an active God at work today in restoration is comforting. Our God loves us, can be trusted and is always at work in His Kingdom for good.
Accessing the Service, Bulletin and Sermon Outline:
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