Sermons

Marion Church of Christ Service - Sunday November 24th 10am

Christmas Series - through their eyes with Pastor Stephen Scott looking at the story of Elizabeth.

Pastor Stephen continued in the Colossians Series on Sunday - speaking the Word on Colossians 3:1-17

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

It is as Simple and profound as this to follow Jesus

What should happen when you become a Christian ...

Come as you are. Jesus received you with grace and Jesus will work with us to become more like Him.

Inwardly transformed. Reset your heart and mind.

As you read the verses above, we see things from His perspective in these verses and look to set our hearts and mind on Him, culling the things that are harmful and destructive and embrace the positive guidelines that God wants from and in us.

Always be thankful to God - Thankful to each other and for the things we have in our lives.

We will live differently when we met Jesus - allow Him in to change us.

Catch Pastor Stephen's whole sermon on the MCC You tube channel - link attached.

Pastor Stephen continued in the Colossians Series on Sunday - speaking the Word on COLOSSIANS 3 v1.17 – 4.1

Catch Pastor Stephen's whole sermon on the MCC You tube channel - link attached.

Pastor Stephen has been actively exploring the book Colossians over the last few weeks with us.

Catch the whole sermon on the MCC You tube channel - link attached.

The Bible says we can Pray - anywhere anytime anyhow

Colossians 4: 2-6

Some Things to Do

2 Never stop praying. Be ready for anything by praying and being thankful. 3 Also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. I am in prison for doing this. But pray that we can continue to tell people the secret truth that God has made known about Christ. 4 Pray that I will say what is necessary to make this truth clear to everyone.

5 Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can. 6 When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.

- Paul calls us to be Watchful in prayer. He was looking for opportunity to share the gospel.

- Lord give me the strength and boldness to do this.

- As you pray. What do you see? Or are praying for.

- What does God reveal to you? What’s going on? Looking for the opportunities.

- Paul talks about how we can share the gospel. Full of grace. Seasoned with salt.

- We are connected through time. People faithful through the generations sharing and passing in the gospel.

- Also through scripture that has been shared over the generations.

- The early church worked together.

- How can we do that today? Blessing the work of God around the world.

Pray over these 3 projects

GMP COCOA

GMP Greatest Gifts

Gifts of Compassion

We encourage you to Give to at least one this year as we aim to be a generous church. Living out what the early church did by being relational.

Coming up next week we will start the Christmas series.

Don't forget we have the MCC Community Christmas Market and Carols coming up on Saturday 14 December from 4pm.

Lots to see and do, join in with and celebrate the coming of baby Jesus ...

His name is wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, Emmanuel, Holy One, Son of God, Savior of the world

Sunday's 10am service was a great morning of Thankfulness for our MumCo cohort, worshipping together and connecting with each other through Pastoral Care in our church then continuing on in the evening to BBQ Church with Immanuel College Concert Band raising the roof with their music.

Pastor Stephen continued Colossians from 2:6-23

Rather than getting off track, lean towards God because it is easy to get lost and distracted by other things in this world.

Allow Jesus to do his work in you. He is the essential ingredient to our Christian life. He is the foundation of our faith!

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

It makes all the difference in our lives today, that we honour this each and everyday.

Catchup on the 10am service - the link is attached.

Blessings,

Church Office Team

Good morning and welcome to the Sermon from Sunday's 10am service.

Aaron Gully joined us as we delved into the Book of Colossians further.

Colossians 1:24-29

Paul’s Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Check out the link attached and hear The Word from Aaron Gully.

Missed Sunday's 10am service or would like to revisit, join Pastor Stephen as he delves into the Book of Colossians.

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[[a](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%201%3A15-23&version=NIV#fen-NIV-29487a)] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Pastor Stephen looks at the passage through the len’s of Jesus

Our creator answers the why questions by getting us to look to Jesus, like Paul did.

- Who are you Lord?

- What would you have me do?

Does God have supremacy in our life? God cares for this world and all things in it.

God knows there is suffering and He suffered himself.

Catchup on the whole sermon using the youtube link attached.

Wasn't it great to have Pastor Stephen back from overseas.

- Who likes getting good news?

- Who likes getting bad news?

So we’ll be reading Colossians over the next few weeks. Join us in reading and praying over these chapters during the week and be prepared for Sundays.

Thank you Pastor Stephen for sharing about your experiences at the overseas conference that you attended in South Korea.

Paul wants us to know it starts with Jesus and continues with Jesus - live in the light of Jesus.

Colossians 1:1-14

As you receive - continue to live

- Jesus is central to the Christian life

The gospel is a gospel of hope

- We can look back at what Jesus did and look forward as we live in a new way with Jesus

Living with God’s grace in our lives each and every day.

Connect in with the Marion church of Christ You tube channel to hear Pastor Stephen's sermon in full.

Thank you also to Terry for your communion talk and sharing with us as we give thanks and do in remembrance of Jesus and what He did on the cross for us.

Thank you to the music team for worshipping joyously with us.