Foundry Community Church
Sixth Sunday of Easter - Year A
  • I Love To Tell The Story

      • Psalm 66:8–20NIRV

      • 1 Peter 3:13–22NIRV

  • Breathe on Me, Breath of God
  • John 14:15–21 ESV
    15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
    Have you ever noticed that people are searching for something deeper—but often looking in the wrong places?
    Some search for peace through success.
    Some search for identity through culture.
    Some search for hope through relationships, politics, pleasure, or religion.
    Yet even in a world filled with information, technology, and endless opinions, people are still spiritually empty, anxious, and wandering.
    The truth is this:
    Humanity has always been searching for God.
    In our passages today, we see four powerful pictures of what it means to truly know Him.
    Jesus tells us that loving God is more than words—it is obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit.
    Peter reminds us that faith is proven not only in comfort, but also in suffering.
    The Psalmist declares that God hears, refines, and sustains His people through every trial.
    And Paul stands in the middle of a confused and idol-filled culture proclaiming that the one true God is not far away—and that all people are called to repentance and life in Christ.
    These scriptures remind us that Christianity is not just a belief system—it is a living relationship with the risen Christ that changes how we live, suffer, worship, and witness.
    Today’s message is about this truth:
    In a searching world, God is calling His people to live faithfully, visibly, and boldly for Him.
    And the question we must all answer is:
    Will our lives point people toward Christ—or blend into the confusion around us?

    Main Theme:

    God calls His people to love Him through obedience, endure suffering with hope, worship Him with sincerity, and proclaim Him boldly to the world.

    Love and Obedience Reveal God’s Presence

    Jesus teaches that true love for Him is demonstrated through obedience. He promises believers they will not be left alone but will receive the Holy Spirit—the Helper who remains with them forever.
    John 14:15 ESV
    15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
    Jesus was very clear of the results of our love for Him. Now there are a great number of people who believe that this Scripture is demonstrating “works based faith.” That could not be further from the truth. What He is saying is very, very simple. Our Lord is saying, “Your love for me will produce fruit. My love for you will nurture that fruit and produce more fruit.” ~ “Keeping my commandments is the natural byproduct of your love for me…”
    WE DON’T HAVE TO PROVE OUR LOVE FOR CHRIST, WE LOVE CHRIST AND NATURALLY WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
    WHY? ~ BECAUSE WE IN OUR LOVE FOR CHRIST BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST AND HIS DIVINE NATURE IS DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER, SO NATURALLY, OUR NATURE WILL ALSO DO THE WORK OF THE FATHER ~ HIS COMMANDMENTS.
    But this begs a question. What if we need some help? Jesus is telling us, when we need His help, He’s got us! He’s sending the Helper!
    John 14:16–17 ESV
    16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
    The last part of the reading lets us know something wonderful!
    John 14:18–21 ESV
    18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
    He’s not going to leave us alone, He’s coming back for us and will manifest himself to us!

    Key Truths:

    Obedience is evidence of genuine love for Christ.
    The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live faithfully.
    Jesus reveals Himself to those who follow Him.

    Application:

    Faith is not merely emotional or intellectual—it is relational and obedient. The Christian life is lived through daily surrender to Christ.

    Supporting Statement:

    When we walk in obedience, we experience the nearness and presence of God.

    Faithful Suffering Produces a Powerful Witness

    A missionary once shared the story of a church member who had lost nearly everything.
    He lost his job because he refused to compromise his Christian convictions. Friends distanced themselves from him. His future became uncertain. For months he prayed, struggled, and wondered why God allowed such hardship.
    One day a coworker who had mocked his faith approached him privately and said:
    “I’ve watched you suffer, and I still can’t understand why you haven’t turned bitter. Most people would have quit by now. Whatever is holding you together—I need that in my life.”
    That conversation opened the door for the man to share the Gospel.
    What changed the coworker’s heart was not comfort, success, or easy circumstances. It was seeing a faith that remained steady in suffering.
    That is exactly what Peter is teaching in 1 Peter 3.
    The world expects believers to fall apart under pressure. But when Christians suffer with hope, peace, gentleness, and confidence in Christ, our lives become a testimony that points people to Jesus.
    Anyone can praise God when life is easy. But faithful endurance in difficulty reveals that our hope is anchored in something eternal.
    V. 13 has a great message for us.
    1 Peter 3:13 ESV
    13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
    We have been journeying through the Easter Season. We have to remember the one reason why Christ came in the first place.
    1 Peter 3:17–18 ESV
    17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
    He suffered once, so we could be free from sin, given righteousness so He could bring us to God.
    He set the perfect example for us so that when we suffer, we find the Power of God that is unto Salvation that keeps us from sin ~ grace ~ so we can also be an example to others.

    Key Truths:

    Believers should not fear opposition for doing good.
    Christ suffered once for sins to bring us to God.
    Our hope in suffering becomes a testimony to others.

    Application:

    Trials become opportunities to display Christlike character, gentleness, and unwavering hope.

    Supporting Statement:

    The world watches how believers suffer, and faithful endurance points people to Jesus.

    God Deserves Worship and Must Be Proclaimed

    A pastor once visited a small village where electricity had only recently been introduced. For generations, the people lived in darkness after sunset. When the power finally came on, the entire village gathered outside to watch the lights illuminate their homes for the very first time.
    One elderly man stood silently in tears.
    When the pastor asked why he was crying, the man said:
    “I knew darkness my whole life. I never realized how much I was missing until the light came.”
    That moment became a powerful reminder of what Paul experienced in Acts 17.
    Paul walked through a city full of idols, religion, and philosophy—yet spiritually, the people were still living in darkness. They were searching for meaning, worshiping unknown gods, and trying to fill a void only the true God could satisfy.
    So Paul boldly proclaimed:
    God is not distant.
    God gives life and breath to all people.
    God calls everyone everywhere to repent.
    And true life is found in Him alone.
    Psalm 66 reminds us that God hears, refines, and sustains His people, and because of His faithfulness, worship naturally overflows from grateful hearts.
    The truth is: People all around us may look successful, educated, or spiritually curious—but many are still living in darkness without Christ.
    And just like that village experiencing light for the first time, when people truly encounter the living God, everything changes.
    That is why worship matters. That is why proclamation matters. And that is why the church must never stay silent.
    The Psalmist praises God for sustaining, refining, hearing, and delivering His people. In Acts, Paul boldly proclaims the true God to a culture full of idols and spiritual confusion.

    Key Truths:

    God refines His people but never abandons them.
    Worship flows from gratitude for God’s faithfulness.
    The Gospel must be proclaimed clearly in a confused world.
    God now calls all people everywhere to repentance.

    Application:

    The church must both worship passionately and witness courageously. We are called to declare the truth of God in every culture and generation.

    Supporting Statement:

    A transformed life becomes a testimony that invites others to know the living God.

    Conclusion

    Jesus calls us to:
    Obey faithfully
    Endure courageously
    Worship wholeheartedly
    Proclaim boldly
    In a world searching for truth, believers are called to live as visible witnesses of God’s love, power, and salvation.

    Closing Challenge

    Will your life merely reflect religion—or will it reveal the living Christ to the world around you?

      • John 14:15–21NIRV

      • John 14:15NIRV

      • John 14:16–17NIRV

      • John 14:18–21NIRV

      • 1 Peter 3:13NIRV

      • 1 Peter 3:17–18NIRV

  • MYSTERION
  • Doxology
  • Come Thou Almighty King (Italian Hymn)
  • Now Unto Him
Foundry Community Church
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