Sacred Places - July 2023 - New Apostolic Church USA

New Apostolic Church USA

Sacred Places - July 2023

We believe God is omnipresent, meaning that He is in all places. However, Scripture points us to specific places where He has been and is encountered: the place where the cloud settled (Num. 9:17); the dwelling place of God (Deut. 12:5); a place of prayer (2 Chron. 6:40); a hiding place (Psalm 32:7); a solitary place (Mark 1:35); a grassy place (John 6:10); the place of the Skull (Matt. 27:33); when they were all in one place (Acts 2:1).

We also believe that God can certainly be encountered in His church, which will be a point that is reiterated over the course of this month. Each sermon will focus on a sacred place where we can experience God’s presence, His love, His power, and His grace.

July 2 - A place of strength: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble...

July 9 - A place of holiness: Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it... How awesome is this place!

July 16 - A place of glory: As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered...

July 23 - A place of proclamation: How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace...

July 30 - A lost place: Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!

July Midweek - A secret place: a parable on looking at the heart

Steps Toward God - July 2024

Our relationship with God is constantly changing. The decisions we make each day either draw us closer to Him, or perhaps, we lose sight of His presence in our lives and we drift further apart. This month, we will contemplate the Steps toward God that we can take to cultivate and strengthen our connection with Him: •Call on His Name - as an initial step, this sermon will focus on what we believe about God. (July 7) •Don't confuse the messenger with the message - as we progress in our relationship with God, confusion about His messengers could distract us along the way. (July 14) •Walk in the newness - Holy Baptism is God's act on a human being, pulling them nearer to Him and changing His relationship with them forever. (July 21) •Join His whole family - God loves all humans and is the Father of all. When we respond to His love, we are adopted in His family with the expectation to grow in our resemblance to His Son. (July 28) •Spread the Word - the midweek sermon explores the Parable of the Sower, and how we are called to sow, grow, and listen. (July midweek)

As the church... - June 2024

Perhaps you have heard the phrase - "We are all the church, all the time." What does it mean to "be the church"? How should it impact our individual lives? This month, as the church, we will explore the following: •We preserve and profess - through the example of Peter, we understand how to preserve and profess, and what it means to belong to the church. •We magnify the Lord - through the example of Mary and her song, we learn how to praise God. •We worship God - the first commandment teaches us who God is and how we worship Him. •We remember the Sabbath - the third commandment opens up a teaching on what the Sabbath means in our lives and how we can commemorate it. •We believe and pray - in anticipation of the Service for the Departed, we understand our responsibilities to believe and pray. •We self-reflect - the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) urges us to reflect on our confirmation vow. May our actions, inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, bring glory to God in the church (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Empowered - May 2024

After witnessing the proclamation of the resurrection, we turn to anticipating the Holy Spirit. Jesus says to His disciples: And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:48-49). May is a celebration and commemoration of the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The self-revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is concluded in the Pentecost event. The Holy Spirit is not only the presence of God on earth, but the Person of God who empowers believers and the church to carry out the mission given by Jesus Christ. We are... •Empowered with promise - the pouring out of the Spirit was foretold in the Old Testament •Empowered with blessing - Jesus' ascension bestows blessing and responsibility on believers •Empowered with clarity - the Spirit brings to remembrance the presence of Christ in our lives •Empowered with teaching - the church is built on a foundation of the apostles' doctrine •Empowered with proximity - as God reveals Himself to humanity, we are brought closer to Him