September 15 Sermon and Announcements

 CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

September 15, 2024

We Have the Promise of God’s Grace

Titus 3:4-7

Today we are looking at grace. What is grace? The biblical definition of

grace is God’s unmerited favor, or underserved gift, that cannot be

earned. God has promised to pour out His grace on those who

recognize and receive the gift Jesus gave to all who believe. These

verses we read from Titus 3 have a whole lot in them. They point out

that what we have received is not because we have earned it. God’s

grace is not given because of how good we are. God’s grace is given

because of how good He is, how much He loves those He created.

Earlier in Titus in chapter 2:11, Paul makes it clear who can receive

God’s grace. “For the grace of God that brings us salvation has

appeared to all men.” So, God has made His salvation and His grace

available to everyone. In some ways I think the promise of God’s grace

can be difficult to understand and one also difficult for people to grab

hold of and receive. My reason for saying that is the concept in our

modern world that you do not get anything for nothing. People want to

earn what they have or at least feel you have to do something. There is

always a catch. So, because of our own skepticism and Satan’s

accusations, we might have trouble fully receiving this promise

The next set of scriptures tells us a whole lot about God’s nature. Why

God does what He does, why grace is available to all of God’s children

and what the benefits of this promise are.

Let us look at what is said in Ephesians 2 beginning with verse 4.

“But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us

alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by

grace you have been saved and God raised us up with Christ and seated

us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. In order that in the

coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace

expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

We could and may in the future cover all of the things we are told

about God, His grace, His mercy, His love in these verses but let us

focus on the promise of God’s grace this morning. God’s grace is

something we cannot earn. God has made grace available because he

loves you and me and is committed to you and me. So, what do we

need to do to receive God’s promised grace? One thing. Pray this

3-word prayer, “God thank you!” God knows your limitations, he

created us. God built within a need for two things; a need for one

another and a need for God. God does not require perfection. God does

require a thankful heart. God has made a way for everyone to be saved.

All God asks of us to receive the grace promised to us is a thankful and

faithful heart. It is explained very well in these final two verses I am

going to share with you found also in Ephesians 2. We are reminded of

this in verse 8 and 9. “For it is by grace you have been saved through

faith and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God. Not of works so

that no one can boast.” What a tremendous promise God’s grace for us

is. God’s grace can be felt and experienced a number of ways. We are

all different. God’s promise of grace is there for all to receive. Each of

us here this morning may experience the grace of God in different

ways. The reality is that unmerited favor is yours and mine to claim. The

promise of God’s grace is real and changes lives. What a great and

glorious God we have!

Pastor Larry

Announcements:

Sunday School 9:00

Tuesday 9:30 Bible Study

Today: Special Church of the Brethren Mission Offering

Envelopes are available in the back if you would like to

participate.

We need volunteers for the children’s message during worship

and for story lessons in the nursery. Please sign up.

Pastor Larry Traxler (217) 454-2362

Donation Box for September: utilities

First Sundays: Food Bank donations

Keep in Your Prayers

Elliott (Evelyn Eads’ great-grandson); Alan Baker; Ruth Siburt;

Sharon Traughber; Dorthea Wood; Mike and Kathy Gentry;

Steve Needham; Larry Traxler; Nancy Fansler; Stacie Warren;

Nancy Gorrell; Nora Hanaver; Ron and Kathleen Petersen;

Doug Larrick; Shirley Clarkson; David and Jan Bower; Debbie

Garvey Leibrock; Mike and Carol Seidenstricker; Adiline Young;

Mayo and Darlene Hanaver; many unspoken requests; victims

of shootings and of natural disasters; shut-ins; the Nigerian

church; the Haitian church; those in the middle of war and

violence; military and other services and their families; Brethren

Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers

District Prayer Calendar: Pray for the West Branch congregation

and for the Anabaptist Disabilities Network, their staff and work.

September 8 Sermon and Announcements

 CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

September 8, 2024

Jesus Promises Peace

John 14:27

Jesus promised his disciples he was leaving them with his peace. At the

time Jesus made this promise he had been telling them things were

going to get hard. Yet Jesus wanted them to know what was available

to them. When we look at our lives how often would you say you are

living in the peace Jesus promised? Most of us, if not all of us, have had

times in our lives when real peace or peace of mind seemed hard to

find. Why is that? After all Jesus said, “Peace I leave to you my peace I

give to you.” So, what is the problem?

I believe there are two reasons why peace seems hard to find at time in

our lives.

Reason #1 - Satan. We are told time and time again Satan is a liar. In

John 8 Jesus is having a discussion with some Jews who are questioning

Jesus about who he really is. In verse 44 he is telling them their

problem is that they are listening to Satan more than God. And toward

the end of verse 44 Jesus states just who Satan really is. Speaking of

Satan, Jesus says this, “When he lies, he speaks his native language for

he is a liar and the father of lies.” So, what is one of the reasons we may

not live in the peace God has for us? Because Satan is lying to us about

who we are, about what is happening in our lives and about who God

is. As Christians we are not supposed to fall for his tricks anymore, are

we? But sometimes for any one of a number of reasons we do.

Before we go back to the promise Jesus made to his disciples, to God’s

people, let us look at the second reason we do not always have the

peace Jesus promised. Reason #2 is related to reason #1. When I said

Satan is a liar as reason number #1, I mean the purposeful lies Satan

throws our way to depress us, to make us feel unworthy, bring guilt and

resentment towards God.

Reason #2 – We do not live in the peace God has for us is more on us.

Satan doesn’t really have to do anything special to steal our peace, we

in some ways, willingly give it up. We get overwhelmed by work, by

family, by finances, by health concerns, to the point peace is nowhere

to be found. And we think it is our burden to carry all alone, no one else

understands or no one else cares, including God.

As I have been sharing this list, maybe some of you are thinking of

other things that has stolen your peace. So, what is the solution? How

do we tap into this spirit-filled peace Jesus has promised?

1. Trust God.

2. Pray that God will help you to put and keep Satan in his place.

3. Believe the promise of peace is real and for you.

At times it seems we must start each new day asking for God to bring

the peace the Holy Spirit gives afresh in our life. Then we need to pray

that God will drive Satan’s lies as far away from our lives as the east is

from the west. Then we must claim the peace Jesus promised us to

overcome, whatever it might be that is coming against us. Satan loves

to remind us of things in our past. Whether it be sins we have

committed or, in some cases, memories of things we may have enjoyed

that are no longer there and Satan tries to tell us there will never be

good times again. As God’s children, we have the right to claim the

peace Jesus promised, even in the midst of difficult times. As Jesus was

once again warning his disciples of what was about to happen, he said

this to them in John 16:33, “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 overcome the world.”

Just as we talked last week, that in the midst of difficult times God’s

promise of hope is real and there to hang onto and so is the peace

Jesus promised. If necessary, minute by minute and day by day, ask the

Holy Spirit to give you the peace Jesus promised his followers. Problems

and difficult times will not necessarily miraculously disappear, but yours

and my ability to face those challenges with an attitude of Godly peace

is ours to claim. If you are not seeing God’s peace in your life as much

as you would like, make the decision today to claim Jesus’ promise for

yourself right now.

Pastor Larry

Announcements:

Sunday School 9:00

Tuesday 9:30 Bible Study

KYB is on-going at the Brethren Church on Wednesdays after

school for 3 rd through 5 th graders.

A special Church of the Brethren Mission Offering will be

collected next Sunday, September 15. Envelopes will be

available in the back if you would like to participate.

We need volunteers for the children’s message during worship

and for story lessons in the nursery. Please sign up.

Pastor Larry Traxler (217) 454-2362

Donation Box for September: utilities

First Sundays: Food Bank donations

Keep in Your Prayers

Elliott (Evelyn Eads’ great-grandson); Alan Baker; Ruth Siburt;

Sharon Traughber; Dorthea Wood; Mike and Kathy Gentry;

Steve Needham; Larry Traxler; Nancy Fansler; Stacie Warren;

Nancy Gorrell; Nora Hanaver; Ron and Kathleen Petersen;

Doug Larrick; Shirley Clarkson; David and Jan Bower; Debbie

Garvey Leibrock; Mike and Carol Seidenstricker; Adiline Young;

Mayo and Darlene Hanaver; many unspoken requests; victims

of shootings and of natural disasters; shut-ins; the Nigerian

church; the Haitian church; those in the middle of war and

violence; military and other services and their families; Brethren

Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers

District Prayer Calendar: Pray for the Naperville congregation

and for the Church of the Brethren Global Food Initiative.

September 1 Sermon and Announcements

 CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

September 1, 2024

The Lord Promises to Give Us Hope

Isaiah 40:31

Depending on the version of the Bible you use, the word "hope" can be

found 130 times in the King James version and as often as 167 times in

the New International version. There are different reasons in scripture

the word hope is used. The most common reason has to do with God’s

peoples’ trust and belief in God. This sentence most accurately states

the reason this word is used so often in scripture. Simply stated. In the

Bible, hope is often used to mean a confident expectation of what God

has promised. That gets back to our sermon title. Our hope is based on

God’s promises to His people.

Almost all of us use the word hope on a regular basis. Whether

someone is a Christian or not, in many of the situations we all face in

life, hope will enter our discussions. When we see someone we haven’t

seen for a while we often times will try to catch up on what has been

going on in their life. If a difficulty becomes part of the conversation

many of us may end our conversation with that person with, “I will be

praying for you and I hope everything works out for you.” Whether it

has to do with health, finances, relationships, a change of jobs or a

move, we will often say to one another, “I hope everything will be

okay.”

Let’s look at just a few places in scripture where the Lord used God’s

people to build up those in despair with hope. Job was the most

devastated person in scripture. Virtually everything was taken from

him. We have talked of his trials before. To begin with some of his

“friends” were not any help. But the Lord brought others into his life to

encourage him to continue to trust in the Lord. At one point a man by

the name of Zophar said this to Job, “You will be secure because there

is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.” Job was a

long way from believing this would ever happen again for him, but the

Lord reminded Job there is hope if you trust and believe.

In Psalms King David says, this, “Love the Lord, all you saints; the Lord

preserves the faithful but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and

take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

In the midst of Israels captivity, Jeremiah says this in chapter 17, verse

7. “Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord

is.” In that particular verse, the NIV translates hope in an even stronger

way by using the word confidence. The Living Bible covers all the bases

by saying whose hope and confidence is in the Lord.

These are just a few examples of the hope mentioned in the Old

Testament. Jesus did not use the word hope much at all while he was

teaching the people, because God was there in the flesh with the

people. However, after Jesus’ death and resurrection the apostles

spoke of our hope many, many times. After Jesus ascended back to the

Father, the message of hope is what the apostles shared with the

people. It was a positive message assuring the people you can put your

trust, your hope in Christ.

In Romans 5:1—2 Paul is encouraging the believers in Rome this way.

He says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we

have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we

have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And

we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

The last verses I will share with you today is found in Hebrews 6. These

verses talk of the certainty of God’s promises to us. Beginning with the

17 th verse we see this promise to God’s people. “Because God wanted

to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of

what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that,

by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we

who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly

encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and

secure.” The hope being mentioned is salvation through Jesus Christ

our Lord. All throughout scripture we are told we can trust in the Lord

for our future is in Him and in Him alone.

I hope you have been encouraged by the promise of God’s hope for all

who believe. In some ways I should have begun our look at God’s

promises with the promise that God gives us about hope because hope

is the starting point for believing and receiving all the other promises of

God.

In closing I would like to go back to the scripture we started with today.

However, I am going to go back 2 more verses and beginning with verse

29. “He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the

weak.” Have you ever been there, felt like that? Let us go on. “Even

youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but

those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on

wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and

not be faint. Amen.”

Pastor Larry

Announcements:

Sunday School 9:00

Tuesday 9:30 Bible Study

Thursday, September 5 6:00 Commissions and Board

KYB is on-going at the Brethren Church on Wednesdays after

school for 3rd through 5th graders.

Hard copies of the September/October newsletter are in the

back.

We need volunteers for the children’s message during worship

and for story lessons in the nursery. Please sign up.

Pastor Larry Traxler (217) 454-2362

Donation Box for September: utilities

First Sundays: Food Bank donations

Keep in Your Prayers

Ruth Siburt; Sharon Traughber; Dorthea Wood; Mike and Kathy

Gentry; Steve Needham; Larry Traxler; Nancy Fansler; Stacie

Warren; Nancy Gorrell; Nora Hanaver; Ron and Kathleen

Petersen; Doug Larrick; Shirley Clarkson; David and Jan Bower;

Debbie Garvey Leibrock; Mike and Carol Seidenstricker; Adiline

Young; Mayo and Darlene Hanaver; many unspoken requests;

victims of shootings and of natural disasters; shut-ins; the

Nigerian church; the Haitian church; those in the middle of war

and violence; military and other services and their families;

Brethren Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers

District Prayer Calendar: Pray for the Rock Community

congregation in Fairfield, and for the Church of the Brethren in

Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.