Union Chapel Ministries Union Chapel Ministries

Matthew 6:25-34

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Don’t worry about your past

Don’t worry about the opinion of others. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27

“Do not worry about your life.”  
Matthew 6:25

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Matthew 6:27

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
Psalm 91:11-12

Don’t worry about growing old.

Worry is an achievement

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8: 31,37

Worry is a killer.  

Worry is a sin.  

Don’t worry about death.

Don’t worry about your enemies.  

Don’t worry about what you are not.

Luke 1:26-38

There is so much that we can learn from Mary in her response to trouble and pain. Mary knew very well that there was going to be pain associated with this announcement. 

The first thing that we can learn from Mary is to: 

1. Be honest in our pain. We must first acknowledge pain in order to receive healing. 

Pain reveals Where you put your trust & where you find your peace. 

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 
Luke 1:29

Mary was told why Jesus was to be born in Luke 2:35 “so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

God wants to sit with us in our pain. 

2. Be patient in our pain. 

The second thing we see from Mary through this process is she waited to hear from the messenger of God. She quietted herself to hear what the angel had to say. 

We will never learn a single thing without pain. 

C. S. Lewis said that “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pains: It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

So this raises the question: “How do we become patient in our pain?”

i. We Pray – When we pray, we are reorientated. When we are praying, we are reminded that we are not in control and do not have the answers.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 
Psalm 27:4

ii. We Wait- Waiting is uncomfortable, and hard. Waiting causes us to slow down and view the world differently. Waiting takes strength

Later in Psalm 27:14 the David writes: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! 

iii. We fix our eyes on Truth:

Don’t distract yourself, this will be something you will be tempted to do. 
Life from God doesn't solve our fears or pains. It only distracts us for a little while. Distraction is not the same as deliverance. We want to stay distracted from our fear or pain so that we don’t have to feel. But then we distract ourselves from pain, we distract ourselves from God as well. But when the center of life is fulfilling desires and avoiding pain, no redemptive purpose for pain can be given. It is merely something to be avoided and soothed.

3. Be hopeful in our pain. 

For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:37-38

We grieve differently than the World. 

To bookend the life of Jesus, near the end he shares these thoughts in John 16:20-23

“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
John 16:20-23 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 

Jesus gives us a hope that we do not have to be in pain forever.

When we begin to worship, pain will find its rightful place.

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 
Luke 1:46-49

Advent is all about hope coming to this world, in unlikely

Psalm 103:1-2

1. Thanksgiving: The Holy Spirit is Always at Work in Everyone Everywhere

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
Psalm 103:1-2 NLT

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
2 Peter 3:9 NLT

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:15-17 

“This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, 
God is the ruler yet. 
This is my Father’s world: why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!” 
(UMH # 144 / OGRP # 19)

2. Advent: Living Between the Cradle and the Coming Again

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
(UMH # 196/ OGRP # 163)

3. Christmas: Messiah Jesus is the Center 

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 
Matthew 6:33 NLT

I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Luke 2:30-32

John 18:37 NKJV
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

MATTHEW 28:18-21 NIV
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 


HOW DO WE LIVE WITH KINGDOM PURPOSE? 
1. MAKE IT ABOUT GOD AND OTHERS 

John 15:9-14 NIV
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

2. BE PLANTED, NOT POTTED 

Psalm 92:13-15 NKJV
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

3. REALIZE YOUR ROLE AT UNION CHAPEL 

Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 

II Corinthians 8:1-7

 A “faith promise” offering is simply FAITH in God to provide an amount of money followed by a PROMISE to give it. Paul called this the “grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). Grace is always a provision of something we don’t have. A “faith promise” offering is a commitment to give what we will trust God to provide.

I. An offering supplied by God’s grace. 

“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches… They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… See that you also excel in the grace of giving.”
II Corinthians 8:1-7

The grace of new opportunity  

The grace of discipline  

The grace of the unusual  

II. An offering to be completed within a year.

“Last year you were the first not only to give, but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by our completion of it.”
II Corinthians 8:10-11

III. An offering to be carefully administered.  

“We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.” Paul understood the need for financial accountability and strategic investment!
II Corinthians 8:20-21

Acts 3:1-10

I. HEALING IN THE BIBLE
In the Old Testament.
The Ministry of Jesus. 
The teaching of Jesus  

“The time has come,” he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15 

All who believe will be totally healed on that day!

The Kingdom of God is both “now” and “not yet"

The ministry of Jesus

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”
Matthew 4:23 

The commission of Jesus

II. HEALING IN CHURCH HISTORY

III. HEALING TODAY