Richvale Community Church
Sunday, January 4 2026
- Good morning…Over the years, we’ve taken several trips to San Francisco, and one of our favorite hidden gems is the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps.Tucked away in the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood, these steps are easy to drive past without noticing.From the street, they look like any ordinary set of concrete steps climbing a hill.But the moment you step onto them… everything changes.Each step is covered with thousands of tiny mosaic tiles:Different colorsDifferent shapesDifferent texturesSome tiles are smooth, others rough.But when you step back… You seewaves. Land. Sky. Stars.Step by step. Piece by piece. Something beautiful takes shape…into one beautiful mosaic...This morning message — I want to talk about the church becoming a living Mosaic… because that is what God does with us..He takes ordinary, imperfect people—… like us— and He places us together..He puts us in community …where we can grow and become like Him..Where we serve one another,“spur” one another to love and good works,honor one another,With kindness and compassion..He forms us into a living mosaic that reflects His glory.of .who he is...The question is..T/s How do we become this living mosaic that reflects his glory?1.Walking with God – A Personal RelationshipWhen I graduated from college, I was given a devotional book as a gift—My Utmost for His Highestby Oswald Chambers.It’s a wonderful devotional, one I’ve returned to at different points in my life for wisdom and guidance.Oswald Chambers once said:"There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord.Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs,and God will fulfill His purpose through your life."OSWALD CHAMBERS..He said this is our primary responsibility…maintain a relationship with the LordBUT..What doesn’t it means to have a personal relationship with the Lord?One day, Jesus was tested by a religious lawyer, who asked Him what was the greatest commandment —Now ..There are some 613 laws to follow… It was trick question…out of all those laws which is first..Jesus didn’t avoid the question..but went straight to the heart of the Mosaic law . And says to the lawyer.. that the entire Law and the Prophets rested on two primary pillarsone Found.Deuteronomy 6:5 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.”Leviticus 19:18 – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Jesus said the whole law is fulfilled in those two commandments..live God and live others..Here’s the thing: having a personal relationship with Jesus engages every part of who we are—It touches every aspect of our existence.Loving with our..our heart (our deepest thoughts), our mind..intellect (, and our soul (our very being).But here’s the challenge—it’s easy to drift from these principles..Loving God and loving others…Loving kingdom values..
Matthew 6:33 ESV But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.…especially when life gets busy…pressured and complicated.We see this again and again in Israel’s history.There was a time when God’s people were under tremendous pressure.They were struggling how to live out their faith.This was during the pre-exilic period, just before Babylon would take the people into captivity.And like so many times in life, the people thought that if they did the “religious stuff,” everything would be okay.They were just going through the motions.They went to the temple, brought their sacrifices—but their hearts weren’t really in it.That’s when Micah comes on the scene.Micah was a country preacher —Not exactly someone the religious leaders in the big cities were paying attention to—but somehow his message got to the religious capitals—Samaria in the north and Jerusalem in the south. And he had a clear message:"If you keep living like this, Babylon is coming, and it’s going to be a disaster."Here was the issue…The people had an idea about what it meant to be religious. They thought:“Do the rituals, check the boxes, and God will be happy.”But Micah says: “No. That’s not enough.”You have to live this out daily. There has to be consistency. ‘Micah says in Micah 6:8:Micah 6:8 ESV 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?In this one verse..Micah expresses what everyone is really struggling with…How do you live out your faith…consistently..…How do you live righteously on a day today basis??..“What is actually required? What do we need to do?”Micah doesn’t just ask the question—he answers it.Micah says the way you Living Righteously -Show Justice:To show justice means more than simply following rules or punishing wrongs.justice flows from righteousness—our right standing before God—and it’s expressed horizontally, through the way we relate to one another. Showing Justice me and.. .. proactive in building wholeness..It means me we working toward conditions where people and communities experience wholeness and flourishing.In other words .“Justice is about how we treat people, build community, and care for those around us.”Love Mercy:Means Showing kindness and compassion.Being kind involves caring for others, bearing their burdens, and valuing them above ourselvesHumility:Speaks of Our walk… the way we conduct ourselves and live our lives before other.Walk humbly with God.“Walking with God— is not about obligation -It’s about intimacy.”It about closeness— humility included..things like prayer, reading Scripture, worship —If should be difficult..— Yesterday - Our family went for a walk in Bidwell Park… so beautiful see the Sun coming through the clouds… feel it’s warmth the sun…everyone loved it — including the birds..Walking—is simply being with each other… making connection..When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden— They lived in perfect hamony with each other and creation…We told God that they walked with God in the cool of the day… ..They made connection everyday…if Adam and Eve lived is in a perfect world —needed times with God.. how much more do we need him to day fallen and broken world..Sometimes walking with God feels like a quiet stroll beside a gentle stream.Other times, it feels like climbing a steep hill.Either way, He is with us—guiding, restoring, and shaping us.Walking with God is the first step in the mosaic.T/s How do we become this living mosaic that reflects his glory?1.Walking with God –Without this personal relationship, we cannot truly reflect His beauty to others. Second..2: Walking Toward Others –The story behind the Mosaic Stairs is pretty awesome. It all started with a bunch of people in the neighborhood with a vision to turn ..ordinary public stairs into something beautiful and meaningful.And get this—it wasn’t some big construction company that did it.It was the community. Local artists, neighbors from all walks of life, everyone pitching in and using the gifts they had.Over 300 people sponsored tiles, came to workshops, and helped make the panels that became part of the stairs.Everyone added their own little piece, and together… it turned into something amazingThis is what it means to be a living mosaic: each of us a unique piece, shaped and placed by God, coming together to reflect His glory.Paul gives this image of the Church being his body..in Corinthians..A living organism with many parts...ButThe reason He wrote the letter of Corinthians was deal with some of the confusion on how the gifts operated—The problem in the church was that gifts were becoming self-serving, instead of being used for others. they were being treated like a badge of honor..I stead if a gift if grace..D. A. Carson, puts it like this,.. he says..“Spiritual gifts are not something on top of grace or better than grace, but are manifestations of God’s grace to his people.”Spiritual gifts are meant for the body of Christ …In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the church as one body, where every member has at least one spiritual gift.Paul reminds us: there are many gifts, but one Spirit.1 Corinthians 12:4–6 ESV 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.There many kinds of gifts..The Bible mentions over 26 spiritual gifts, though that’s not a comprehensive list.What we learn is this: even though there are many gifts, services, and activities,they all flow from the same Spirit—God, who works through us as one body.Every church has a unique mix of gifts, collectively given so we can serve together.Our gifts complement one another, and when they are used rightly, the body functions as God intended..Ultimately, the purpose of our gifts is to edify and build up the church, reflecting God’s glory1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.Notice he says.. each one…is given a manifestation gof the spirit.... you are given a least one gift..For the common good,What he is saying it at that our gifts are not personal advancement or private benefit,Put for others.. “ for the common good.. must not to be mistaken with the greater good>’In Ethics they talk about the greater good… when it comes to morality…Often nations justify actions..because of the greater good of humanity..but this not what Paul is saying…Paul says our gifts are given to be blessing from the least to the greatest… it means the“most good for all people”Regardless..of stature.. or position or power.. or ethnic group..our gifts are for others. Paul tells us how this plays out..1 Corinthians 12:26–27 ESV 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.Paul is saying that when there is a need The body of Christ brings about mutual care..Our gifts are revealed in needs.. arround us.. our gift not form our own consumption … but some needed what you havr.How do we exercise our giftsWalk towards the need!! — there are simply two directions—- we either walk towards the need or walk away—- —Jesus told parable if the Good Samaritan to illustrate this....Levite and the priest walked by..But the Samaritan stoped..Walking toward others is the natural overflow of walking with God.It shows up in simple ways—a phone call,a meal for someone in need,or volunteering.It can me an inviting someone into community,or sharing the hope of Christ.Every act of service, every step of care, is a tile in God’s living mosaic, reflecting His glory in our community.Life application:I want challeng e you..Step into someone else’s life intentionally.Serve, encourage, and support fellow believers.Celebrate joys and bear burdens together.Remember: no act of love is too small;T/s How do we become this living mosaic that reflects his glory?1.Walking with God – Second..2: Walking Toward Others –3: Walking together as a Missional CommunitySometimes as Church—we need to stop and Celebrate some wins… I think that — there so many good things happening our community 2025.… and we need to celebrate… hWhen it comes to commitment — whether mens and ladies groups… and Alpha.. Grief share — the bible Course… Romans course.… we saw faithfulness..How many meals did we server and receive…When it to baptism and membership — you stepped up..—- … really amazing..This is what the church looks like when it is healthy..This is what the early church modeled . after the day of Pentecost the church expanded…. three thousand added after Peters sermon… but it didn’t just stop there..Luke tells us that the people devoted themselves to the Lord..Acts 2:42–47:Acts 2:42–47 ESV 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.After the revival the churchDevoted themselves to the apostles teaching..What we are devoted to reveals a lot about us. Devotion exposes our deepest values and priorities.We devote ourselves to what we believe matters most—what we’re willing to invest time, energy, and resources into, even without any guarantee of immediate return.The early Church devoted themselves to four practices:Devotion to Scripture and Apostolic TeachingThese were the very words of Jesus.He had commissioned His disciples to make disciples and teach them to obey all that He commanded.Devotion to FellowshipA few years ago, I preached a series on Jesus and meals, and the Theology of Food. Jesus often built His ministry around the table.Fellowship—breaking bread together—spoke to unity, belonging, and being present with one another.Sometimes just being at the table matters.Devotion to the Breaking of BreadCommunion, Eucharist, participating in the life of the church, the “communion of the saints.” Sharing gifts, serving one another, and expressing the life of Christ together.Devotion to PrayerMuch of what happens in our churches flows from prayer.Prayer is foundational . It reorients our priorities around God’s kingdom values.And what was the result?God began to do signs and wonders, and people were filled with awe at what God had done.The y began live it out in range able ways..The early church also shared possessions, praised God together, and testified boldly about Jesus (Acts 4:32–35).They ministered to one another, and the church grew.People were added daily those being saved.Their unity, generosity, and joy drew others in.How does this translate today?It begins with what we are committed to.This isn’t about a New Year’s resolution that fades in a week—it’s an invitation to a walk.When we walk with God, walk toward others, and grow deep and wide, we become a living mosaic:Conclusion:What’s amazing is that when you finally reach the top of the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, the view takes your breath away—the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate bridge.., the city below.Suddenly, every step makes sense. Every tile, every effort, every small contribution comes together to create a picture of beauty that can only be seen from this perspective.… one day God will say well done good and faithful servant enter my restChurch, Our vision for 2026 is to Walk with God. Walk toward others.I am always challenged by William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, who took the Gospel beyond the borders of England to India and beyond. He famously said:“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” William Carey..Each of us is essential.Each act of love counts.And together, we reflect the glory of Christ to the world.Let’s step into 2026 ready to place our tiles, walk faithfully, and love out loud.The picture is unfolding, and the view—oh, the view—is worth every step.Amen. Micah 6:8CSB
Philippians 3:13–14CSB
Isaiah 43:18–19CSB
Proverbs 3:5–6CSB
Jeremiah 29:11CSB
Romans 8:28CSB
2 Corinthians 5:17CSB
Richvale Community Church
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