What a joy and privilege it has been to attend SFBC over spring break! Yesterday was SFBC's Praise Night and Krusty had arranged a ride for me. Although in the beginning I would have preferred a familiar face to drive me, I was blessed with such an amazing conversation with a Sister in Christ from ETC*. After our conversations we realized that we have several mutual friends in UC Davis (cough, Compass!) and she had attended the same high school as me. What was so cool about getting to know her was the fact she really enjoyed working with kids and she had worked in a community center, which is about a block away from my house! Walking in, I saw someone wave and it was Steph Wong! WOW! :) It's been awhile since I have seen a few of my friends there. With that being said, the worship team did an amazing job in leading the congregation to worship! And one of the elders led us into a devotional!
*College Fellowship Group (LIGHT):A community of college students discovering together who God is and what He has planned for our world. Join us as we build friendships to last a lifetime.
Career ETC( Edified Through Christ) is the young adult career fellowship of San Francisco Bible Church. Our mission is to edify,to encourage, and to build one another as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ through times of sharing, worship, prayer, Bible study, and social activities.
Prayers for CPC's Mexico Missionary Trip! Go to archive to read more about how you can pray for them! :)
*Update, I believe they are on their way back today or already arrived back
Praise God for the team's commitment, love and trust in the Lord! I can't wait to hear more about it!
My Sermon Notes:
Blessed Grief
Matthew 5:4
Pastor Alton
Background: The Beattitudes , sermon on the mount
God's happiness is not based on temporary things, not based on what happens to me, but what I am, Focused on the heart
Want to be happy? Be poor in spirit. Those who come to the end and admit their sin, throw themselves at the feet of God v.3 the Kingdom of Heaven and salvation is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Happy should be the unhappy- sounds controversial.
Christ calls us to be sad? Yes. to pursue sadness
In life- the world says to do what it takes to not be sad.
Jesus says :) are the :(
Luke 6:25- Woe unto you.. laugh now for you shall mourn
How does mourning bring happiness
Mourning is not the sort of self pity, not depressed, NOT physical mourning .
Mourning has spiritual meaning
The Lord gives us a gift to grieve
Crying to release the pain for the healing process.
The Lord gives us that so we can experience something.
MOURNING- WEEPING/SORROW/BROKEN OVER OUR SIN
We are left to beg for forgiveness.
Become sooo aware of sin, causes us to weep over transgression
^ God's will for every Christian
The worldly sort of mentality is not to feel guilt over sin
Mirroring society - some churches today
"We have to change the songs in order to make us feel good, in order to meet the criteria."
2 versions of Amazing Grace
1. Traditional version. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME.
2. Contemporary version. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that came to set us free.
See the difference?
Mourning is appropriate
Psalm 53- One of the most beautiful picture of mourning over sin
^inspired scripture. Psalm 51- David regarded as remembered who sought after the heart of God.
However, David falls because of that one sin he had committed
2Samuel 11
Nathan says to David, You are THAT man."
A year after incident he writes Psalm 51.
Psalm is a raw confession of sin.
v. 1-9 Why we are to mourn inherit
1. SIN REMAINS WITH US.
v.3 we can be forgiven of our sins (1 John 1:9)
Cols. 1:1-4
Scripture tells us we are free from sin.
David writes our sin is over for us, but SINS AFFECTS OUR HEART AND MIND.
God can't forget anything, he is omnipotent.
When we sin, it remains in our minds, we aren't created to forget sin.
Memories- sin creates that lasts a long long time.
Sin will play on and on like a DVD player/ photograph
^to remember that this is a gift of God. So next time we can do what is right and repent.
SIN REMAINS, it DOES NOT GO AWAY.
Sexual sin- grace of God to make us pure. But people (intimate people) remains as memories
We do NOT forget.
One of consequences of David's sin- Lord took over David's son.
Abortion- women not considering the consequence/ affects in the future
David's sin- he had to live with.
2. Sin is ultimately against God.
v. 4 David says ultimately sinned only against God.
Even though he sinned against others (we are known as creation by God)
Only through God's law does it make it ultimately sin.
v. 1-2 Be gracious to me...
Trilogy of words- sin
1. Missing the mark, mark of God's law
ultimate standard of God's la. in anyway we sin against God.
2. Iniquity. Evil/corrupt something that's Good.
3. Transgression- cross beyond forbidden boundaries
^Trespass
Sin- we rebel against God's sovereignty, cosmic treason, dethrone God of His authority
God will not tolerate our act of rebellion
David does not qualify himself. He takes the entirety of his sin.
v. 4 David says, God you are always right, not me.
the sin that David had committed was by conscious choice
Committed against and before our blameless and just God
David called God has merciful when God took away his son, because God could of simply strike David, but God didn't
We are here today, by GOD'S MERCY
We learn from the life of David
David saw sin as what it is
3. Only then can we experience God's forgiveness.
Mourn with comfort/hope v.4
Psalm 51:7 purify me with...
David says "You make me clean for I CANNOT do anything."
He pleas for God's forgiveness and for cleansing
Mourning over sin- then we can experience God' forgiveness
v. 17 broke + contrite spirit
Based on what Jesus had done at the cross
The breaking of the law, God demands judgement
Jesus was used as a substitute for us
In 3 days Jesus rose again from the dead, He conquered death
At the cross judgement and mercy met
MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT.
WHAT CAN WASH AWAY OUR SINS? NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS
WHO CAN MAKE US WHOLE AGAIN? NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS
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