To Tell the Truth

Good Wednesday to you!

Are we who we say we are? How do others know? The old saying is true – you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. Good thing for us, Jesus never tried to fool anyone at any time. He simply did what He saw His Father do.

When attacked for "working" (healing) on the Sabbath, Jesus came under attack by the religious leaders of the day. Jesus used their understanding of the Law to offer a rationale for why He did what He did. God was exempt from working on the Sabbath by the religious leaders of the day, and so was He, being the Word who was with God, and who was God, and who became flesh and dwelt among us.

After revealing His identity to the religious leaders, He went on to provide testimony from others regarding His identity: John, the Baptizer, who declared Jesus to be "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" was the first. Jesus' miraculous "works" were the second testimony. The voice of God at His baptism ("This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.") was the third testimony, and the fulfilment of biblical prophesy was the fourth.

Jesus then turned the tables on them and declared that Moses would be the one to accuse them in the fullness of time, for Moses wrote about Jesus! If we needed another witness or testimony concerning Jesus' identity, we need look no further than the resurrection. Knowing what we believe, why we believe it and why it matters has never been more important than it is today. Letting God's Word "abide" in our hearts is a sure way to cultivate our love for God. If you need help in understanding the Christian worldview in order to stand against the tide of the secular/naturalist worldview, please reach out to me. I can suggest books (like Tactics by Greg Koukl) or programs (like Colson Fellows). Together, we can stand firm against the challenges of the day.

Next Sunday we will continue our journey in the "deep end of the pool" taking a closer look at the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15). I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Mark your calendars for the week of July 11-15. "Summer Nights" are coming to Graham Memorial. Since we do not have the staffing to conduct a traditional Vacation Bible School, we are shifting focus this summer to gather our church family from 5:30pm - 8:00pm, Monday through Friday. We will begin with by sharing a meal together, then learning about the missionary journeys of Aychi and his family. (Did you know he ministers in many African countries besides Ethiopia?) We will learn songs in Amharic, the native language of Ethiopia, and work on a project together to bless Aychi, his family, and the work they are doing for God's kingdom. Along with fun and games, it promises to be a joyful and educational week for our family. Registration information will be coming soon, so stay tuned!

God is at work in our midst. Thank you for being a part of that work!

Grace and peace,
Pastor David

If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!