Sunnyside First Baptist Church
NOVEMBER 27, 2022
  • — After spending a considerable time in the Book of Hebrews this fall, We know Hope and we know Faith.
    [Would The Candle lighters come forward]
    — Hope is closely related Faith.
    — This would be the same “Faith” that was credited to Moses.
    — This HOPE & FAITH is what got the Jews to the promised land
    — It is the very same HOPE & FAITH that drove each of us, individually to cross. To receive GRACE, MERCY, & SALVATION.
    — It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant He sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation.
    — It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.
    — The result of this journey towards faith is unique and individualized for each one of us.
    — Some know the date, time and location when you turned your life over to God.
    — Others like me… I don’t know the day. But the Holy Spirit filled me.
    — That gift is immeasurable and is permanent.
    — A frequent metaphor for FAITH, HOPE is WATER. Listen to these couple of verses
    John 4:13–14 ESV
    13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

    His name was John

    — And he is known mostly as a Prophet of God.
    — He was Jesus cousin and they were born at roughly the same time.
    — His name was John. He was born to be the forerunner of Christ, born to bear witness of the light.
    — IN the same fashion we are “born again” to bear and share the witness of the light.
    — Each time we approach the Advent season, we become joyously occupied with celebrating what the light has done in our lives.
    — Yes, John was the first to recognize the value of “the light.”
    — I pray that many will accept and follow that “light,” this Advent season
    John 1:6–8 ESV
    6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
    —John knew people would always be hard on the light.
    — The light has always had to shine in the darkest of dark.
    Still, though the darkness rejects it, the light of our witness still shines brightly.
    — What does it mean to be a witness of the light?
    — Does it mean wearing 12 WWJD bracelets?
    — Or a bumper sticker that says, “Honk if the Holy Spirit is your co-pilot.”
    — OR here is a classic… God loves you and so do I
    — Don’t forget about the little tracts that you left for your wait staff instead of a tip… That certainly made them feel love but still unable to pay their bills.
    I did not mean to offend anyone who may have accepted Christ using one of these or a million other “remote control witnessing” strategies.
    And unless your Billy Graham very few of those work, and very few people remain with their call long term.

    So what works… How do I share the Love of God?

    — The Love of God is found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
    — Your testimony is your most powerful testimony.
    — Jesus holds the keys to His Father’s House. The only way to the Father is though the Son.
    John 14:6 ESV
    6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

    Practically you ask..?

    — Get into the public square.
    — Talk to people who are NOT like you.
    — Laugh with them... Eat with them… Maybe and at some point they will share a need in their life. AND you can pray with them.
    — you will be able to talk with them, pray with them and of course call Gallo and he will feed them.
    NOTICE — I did NOT tell them they were going to hell, I did not tell them that their theology is wacky, I did not tell them unless they convert right now they could BURN IN HELL!

    It simply means that we point to Jesus and say, “See, Jesus is the light of the world!”

    — In our unique way we share the Love of God through using our gifts
    — Some academics
    — Others are farmers, fisherman and family members
    — Others share by going to the Bus Depot and talking about Jesus.
    WE ARE ALL ABLE AND READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER FOR THE CALL THAT IS WITHIN US!
    Jude 3 ESV
    3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
    — BELOVED - “Brothers and Sisters”
    — “Contend for the Faith.”
    — “Once for All” — Faith was given by God to prove us righteous.
    — Once given never removed.

    John’s job was NOT to force or trick… But to share.

    — At the time and in this space there were multiple “Messiahs.”
    — Doing “miracles” by slight-of-hand and magic.
    — But John brought something, someone completely different
    — There was NOT a coup in Jerusalem when Jesus came… He intended to share God’s love with them while meeting individual needs.
    — Everyone saw the healing in the public square… But only the person healed could talk about it.
    — Several thousand were fed at two different times with a few loaves and fishes. The miracle is in the picked extras than was originally given… And
    everyone was full.

    We cannot make “believers.” They make themselves.

    — Believers make themselves by voluntarily coming to faith, one at a time.
    — But like John, we can point to Christ and say with all of our hearts,

    “Here is the Lamb of God!”

    — Now it's our turn to bear witness to the light.
    — Believers come to faith, one at a time.
    — But like John we can point to Christ and say
    — I follow Jesus Christ, He is my Lord and Savior.
    — And we HAVE to be comfortable with that… At that point it is up to the Holy Spirit.
    ​
    ​

    What if they don’t believe us!

    — God will never hold us accountable for being ineffective in pointing the way.
    — But He will hold us accountable for our cowardly silences.

    John came to announce the coming Savior

    — His coming was prophesied for 1000’s of years
    — He came and did NO HARM to the people, instead he healed them, fed and clothed them.
    — Why? For the chance to give them “LIVING WATER.”
    — He never forced anyone… When he was not welcome in a town.
    — He shook His sandals off and left...

    FIRST AND FOREMOST THIS ADVENT SEASON

    — Make sure that you are in the Christmas space
    — Are your eyes wide open?

    Open your Bible to John, Chapter 4.

    John 4:10–15 ESV
    10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
    — That woman got it.
    — Regardless of your position in life, regardless of what your bank or retirement account balance is.
    — Maybe you were just this close to striking it rich at the casino.
    — Or wondering where your next meal will come from

    Jesus Christ is the ONE and ONLY ONE to follow.

    John 4:17–18 ESV
    17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
    — This woman is not afraid of Jesus.
    — But is very curious why he is asking this woman, who is unclean [she is from Samaria], in a pattern of very public sin, living with boyfriend #5.
    — Jesus is the woman’s only HOPE. No one in their “religious” minds would have anything to do with her.

    Just pause and consider your life and path that you are on.

    — Christ will accept you by Faith in Him alone.
    — Christ will still be on the throne in heaven if you have fling #1, 2, 9, 27, or 154,
    — If you are willing to come to him he can and will change the pathway of your life.
    — For our young people here… Jesus’ uses this EXTREME example of how he can save someone. You don’t have to have lived with 5 other partners for Jesus to take notice of you.
    — But He will also save, protect, defend the person who leads a righteous life too.
    — This woman comes to the same conclusion that we read today.
    John 4:25–26 ESV
    25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

    This woman’s only HOPE is in the Lord!!

    — She has nothing of her own
    — She is living with the 5th boyfriend
    — She is sensitive to the leading of the LORD.

    IS YOUR ONLY HOPE IN THE LORD?

    — There is lots of uncertainty in our lives
    — We see around us a world, a nation that is sick and dying
    — We pray for the return of Christ, and His Kingdom.
    — That is our only hope!!!
  • Grace Like A Wave
  • O Come All Ye Faithful
  • King Of Kings

      • John 4:13–14ESV

      • John 1:6–8ESV

      • John 14:6ESV

      • Jude 3ESV

      • John 4:10–15ESV

      • John 4:17–18ESV

      • John 4:25–26ESV

  • Holy Water
Sunnyside First Baptist Church
sunnysidefbc@gmail.com
509-837-3084
https://sunnysidefbc.faithlifesites.com
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