Spring City Fellowship
250518Sunday
Sunday May 18, 2025 10:15AM Service

      • Psalm 150:3NIV2011

  • 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
  • What He's Done
  • God You're So Good
  • You Are My All In All
  • Jesus
  • Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”
    It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.
    We are spending the entire year in the Gospel of Matthew.
    We began by going very slowly through twelve verses at the beginning of chapter five, known as the beatitudes.
    These verses talk about how to live a good life and that “the good life” according to Jesus , is exactly opposite of what you might think.
    The, we skipped ahead to chapter 25 and moved through the teachings and narrative of Jesus’ Passion, leading up to His death and resurrection.
    Last time we went back to chapter five to pick up where we left off.
    We talked about being salt and light - a demonstration to the world of who God is.
    When Jesus preached the sermon on the Mount, after the beatitudes, he then talks about how those who follow His teaching will help to change the world.
    But first, that change needs to happen in us.
    Remember the caterpillar and the butterfly?
    The butterfly is an illustration of metamorphosis - a total transformation.
    Jesus continues to teach about what that transformed life will look like and how we will be different.
    In fact, most of the rest of our time in Matthew will be spent examining the way that Jesus describes the renewed life that we have in Christ.
    Given what Jesus says about how we should live and what He demonstrated in His own life, death and resurrection; we will find that the way Matthew tells the story of Jesus is meant to introduce us to the renewed life that we have in Christ.
    So what does it look like to live as a changed person?
    In the middle of the 18th century, John Newton, a slave trader, experienced a radical transformation after a storm at sea led him to Christ. He went from a life of sin to becoming a preacher and abolitionist. Newton later wrote 'Amazing Grace,' which talks about finding redemption. His life was a testament to the profound change one can experience when Christ enters the heart. It reminds us that no matter our past, we can live boldly as changed people for His glory.
    Amazing Grace is one of the most popular hymns in America.
    Most people, even those who have no church affiliation or background know at least a few stanzas of Amazing Grace.
    And it is interesting to see people sing the words “that saved a wretch like me, : sometimes choking back the tears to get the words out.
    Are you a changed person? - How do you know?
    Well first of all, you don’t look at other people the same way that you used to?
    Your posture toward God changes - He becomes more real to you and you pay attention.
    And lastly, your whole attitude toward life changes - you move through life with meaning and purpose.
    This is the renewed life in Christ.
    Like everything else Jesus has said, its going to be different from what you probably thought - but that’s the difference that Jesus makes!

    Your orientation toward others.

    Love everybody, especially those you don’t like.

    Matthew 5:43–48 ESV
    43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
    When I do weddings, most couples want 1 Corinthians 13 to be included in their wedding ceremony.
    1 Corinthians 13:4–7 ESV
    4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
    First of all, Paul was not writing about a romantic sort of love.
    He alludes to Christians who were made human torches by Nero.
    And he also mentions the final apocalypse - the regeneration, as Jill preached about a few weeks ago- an how most of what we know will not survive, but love will.
    So when I talk about this at a wedding - of course, I leave out a lot of context of these verses -
    but the essential message, even with the context considered is that this love that Paul and Jesus are talking about is not our normal human concept of love.
    It’s a different kind of love.
    Natural human love is an emotional response to something that makes us feel good or something that meets a need.
    I love chocolate - it makes me feel good.
    We love flowers, puppies, sunny days - they all make us feel good.
    I love my wife and kids - sometimes they make me feel good, and sometimes they don’t - but they meet a need.
    They are my family - they help define my role and purpose in life.
    Maybe it is not always a “feel good” thing - but they definitely contribute to my life in significant ways that would naturally make me want to love them.
    I can love people who are important to me, even if I don’t like them in some moments - because they are valuable to me, even in those hurtful moments.
    But Jesus challenges us to love our enemies.
    These are no just people who do not make me feel good - they make me feel bad.
    They do not contribute to my life in positive ways.
    In fact, I might wish that they were not in my life at all.
    There is not positive emotional response that is natural here.
    But Jesus is not talking about a natural emotion here.
    He is talking about a decision based on godly perspective.
    It’s not just about which people I like or who likes me.
    People have value because of who God made them to be.
    People have inherent value apart from their value to me.
    Some times love and hate are not so far apart - we can hate someone when we really love them, but we are deeply hurt by their actions.
    But this kind of hate has nothing to do with love.
    These are people who hate us.
    Who view us as an obstacle to their happiness or fulfillment.
    There is not reason for natural affection here.
    For the Jews of jesus day, it would have been
    the Gentiles who lack any sense of decency or modesty,
    the non-practicing Jews who side with the Romans
    or the half-bred Samaritans who occupy the best cities in the highlands of Israel.
    These are the people you want nothing to do with.
    If fact, you might wish they could just disappear.
    And Jesus says love them...
    You don’t know it, but they have value to God.
    And because they have value to God, they have value to you too.
    That is, if you value what God values...

    Don’t try to impress people more than God.

    Matthew 6:1–4 ESV
    1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
    Everybody has a need to be seen and to belong; it is a fundamental part of our identity.
    It is precisely when people feel that they are not seen, do not belong or are not valued that they gravitate toward attention- seeking behaviors that are not healthy.
    These can even be good things:
    Like achievement
    Or philanthropy
    If you do enough of both - you can have buildings and scholarships named in your honor.
    In one sense, there is nothing wrong with that - where would we be without people who are willing to sacrifice to do great things!?
    It only becomes a bad thing if it is more important than knowing God.
    When it comes time to stand before God, are you going to tell Him all the great things that you did?
    Or are you going to say, “God,whatever I did that was good, it was all from you and for you!”
    Revelation 4:10–11 CSB
    10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, 11 Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.
    Whatever accolades I may receive are crowns that I get to throw at Jesus’ feet!
    That is what we are going to be doing in heaven - get used to it!
    It’s not about you!
    It never was, never will be.
    Any good that I do comes from Jesus and is for His glory.
    Yes, like anybody else, I have a need to be seen.
    But do you know who sees me? - Jesus!
    Who knows me inside and out” - Jesus!
    Who makes me belong? Who gets me? - Jesus!
    If you have that perspective, you don’t need to impress anybody - because you are only trying to impress one person - Jesus!
    Decades ago, Athletes in Action—and subsequently other organizations—began talking at their camps to collegiate and professional level athletes about playing with an “Audience of One.” The intent of the phrase is to help Christian players remember that everywhere in life—even in a stadium full of people—“we live and move and have our being in Him,” and it’s His pleasure we should pursue above all else.
    More recently, Carson Wentz created his own “AO1 Foundation” whose mission is to “demonstrate the love of God by providing opportunities and support for the less fortunate and those in need.” He and other members of the Philadelphia Eagles made a video to highlight the phrase and how it motivates them to live.
    “What does AO1 mean to us? It means that we are playing for an Audience of One. When the lights go on and all eyes are fixed on us, our eyes are fixed on Him: Jesus, the creator of the universe. It’s not just a slogan, it’s a lifestyle. Living for Him, playing for Him, and giving Him all the glory. Win, lose, or draw—I play for an Audience of One. What about you?”
    How is your posture toward others determined by you posture toward God?
    Do you play, work, serve and live for an audience of One?

    Your posture toward God.

    Jesus continues to talk about how people practice religion, but once again, it’s not what you might think.
    Faith and religion does not exist to make people feel good about themselves.
    Wow! Mind blown - somebody should really tell people that they are doing it all wrong!
    Oh wait, that’s right - Jesus did.
    It’s not about you - it is about Him!
    It always has been and always will be.
    When you realize this, life actually begins to make more sense.
    Proverbs 9:10 CSB
    10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
    It all begins with putting God in His rightful place in your life.
    At the top
    In the center
    Not just a priority, but THE priority.
    Jesus shows us what this can look like.

    Pray like you mean it.

    Matthew 6:5–8 ESV
    5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
    When you pray, why do you do it the way that you do?
    Does it matter if it sounds good when you pray?
    Does it need to sound like King James?
    Do you prayers need to sound theologically insightful?
    Do the need to have a certain cadence?
    Do they need to be long?
    Do they even need to have words?
    Are your prayers meant for anyone else to hear besides God?
    Do you remember the first time you were asked to pray in public or in a group?
    I’ll bet you thought, I hope I do it right!
    By that we usually mean, I hope this doesn’t sound stupid.
    But if you are praying to God, you cant do it wrong - because he knows what you mean to say before you say it.
    If fact, the only reason you need to do it out loud is so that people can hear and agree with you in prayer.
    OK, sometimes paying out loud is important just so you hear it yourself and get it through your thick head.
    Or as a declaration so that the enemy and whatever spiritual beings are listening in understand the impact of your prayer.
    But you get the idea - prayer is not just for you - it is toward God and you need to be thinking about God when you pray.
    Know that God hears you.
    Know that He loves you.
    Know that He is for you.
    But also know that the best thing that can happen in prayer is for your thoughts and desires to be conformed to His ultimate plan and purpose.

    Let your prayers change you.

    Matthew 6:9–14 ESV
    9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
    We all know these verses as the Lord’s prayer.
    I’m not going to take the time to go through it.
    I did that last summer in a series that began in June.
    You can still find it on our church website or on YouTube.
    What I would like to highlight or to add to what I have already said about it is that the Lord’s prayer is not just meant to shape the way that we pray, it is meant to change us.
    It makes us mindful of God and our relationship to Him.
    It reminds us of our dependence on God and inspires gratitude for all that He gives.
    It facilitates a habit of examining our own hearts and motives and renewing clarity in our relationship to God and to others.
    It recognizes the impact of living in a fallen world and appeals to God for His intervention.
    Most of all, it reminds us that living in this world and navigating our lives successfully intricately connected with growing in relationship and obedience to God.
    When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we will do well to meditate on it.
    Let it not be just words, but truth and life that penetrate our very being and conform us to His image.
    Don’t just pray the Lord’s prayer - ponder it.
    Become what you are praying for.
    Let it change you.

    Your attitude toward life in general.

    Your reverence toward God leads to a love borne out of respect for everyone who is made in God’s image - including you!
    Changing your attitude toward others and guarding your attitude toward God will result in a general change in attitude toward all of life.
    What is your first thought when you wake up every morning?
    Is it good morning Lord?
    Or is it Good Lord it’s morning!
    OK, most of us do not naturally wake up cheerful - that’s what coffee is for!
    But what if we began each day with God and centered ourselves on the very reason we are here?
    That is what prayer and devotions are for - even better than coffee.
    Or even better with coffee...

    Do the right things for the right reasons.

    Matthew 6:16–21 ESV
    16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
    Notice that Jesus doesn’t say “if you fast” but “when you fast.”
    Jesus is talking to religious Jews -who, of course, practice fasting.
    But what Jesus is saying about fasting could be applied to any of our religious practices.
    Don’t just do them - remember why you doing them!
    I just finished my Doctoral thesis on the subject of baptism. Of course, that means that people who want to make conversation ask me their baptism questions. Do you know what they most often ask?
    “You’re an expert on baptism - so what is the right way to baptize?”
    That is precisely the wrong question. The question you should be asking is “why do we baptize.” We baptize for a multitude of reasons but the one thing they all have in common is to make followers of Jesus.
    If you are making followers of Jesus - then whatever way you are doing it is the right way.
    Jesus applies the same reasoning to religious practices such as fasting and giving offerings.
    What is your goal?
    Is you goal to be seen doing the right thing?
    Or is your goal to do the right thing for the right reason?
    If you are doing it for the right reason, then you can hardly get it wrong.
    Because God is not just looking at what you are doing - He is looking at your “heart” in doing it.
    So what is in your heart?

    Be clear about your intentions.

    Matthew 6:22–24 ESV
    22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
    They say that the eyes are the window to the soul.
    It’s hard to look a person in the eye and think anything bad about them.
    In fact, it is hard to look a person in the eye at all if they are not someone you care for.
    Having a "bad eye" is a metaphorical concept that goes beyond physical vision, encompassing perception, attitude, and moral character. In various religious and cultural contexts, a "bad eye" or "evil eye" is associated with negative traits such as envy, covetousness, and a lack of generosity. It represents an unhealthy spiritual state that affects one's perception of the world and others, leading to pessimism, negativity, and moral darkness. This concept is contrasted with having a "good eye," which is linked to generosity, kindness, and the ability to perceive goodness and potential in people and situations. In some traditions, having a bad eye is believed to potentially cause harm to others, leading to superstitious practices and sayings.
    Jesus’ audience knew what “having a bad eye” meant.
    It means that anyone can see that you have a bad attitude.
    They can see through the window to your soul that things are not right in there.
    And so they will wear amulets that figuratively “stare” at you so that they don’t have to look at you.
    They close the window to their own soul to protect themselves from yours.
    But Jesus had a different idea...
    look on other people with genuine love and compassion - even the people who wouldn’t dare look back at you.
    live your life before God like you really mean what you say.
    pray powerful prayers that connect you to God and transform you in to His character.
    walk through your day with God and act in a way that represents His heart for the world.
    let your heart be changes to resemble His.
    Then you can live with your eyes wide open and you don;t have to be afraid of what people will see through the windows into your soul.
    They will see Jesus...
    And they will see that you have changed.

    Questions for reflection:

    How is your posture toward others determined by you posture toward God? Is loving, serving or giving motivated by what it does for you or by who you are to God? Do you play, work, serve and live for an audience of One?
    Do you remember the first time you were asked to pray in public or in a group? How did you feel about praying when you thought it was about you? How have your prayers changed as you thought more about God when you pray? How have your prayers changed you?
    How would you describe your own heart? How does your attitude toward God, others and life reflect what is on the inside? Do you try to protect people from seeing what is on the inside? Or do you let what is inside you shine through?

      • Matthew 5:43–48ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 13:4–7ESV

      • Matthew 6:1–4ESV

      • Revelation 4:10–11ESV

      • Proverbs 9:10ESV

      • Matthew 6:5–8ESV

      • Matthew 6:9–14ESV

      • Matthew 6:16–21ESV

      • Matthew 6:22–24ESV

  • You Hold It All Together
  • Made For More
Spring City Fellowship
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(610) 948-5250
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