The God Who Humbles Also Restores | Til Kingdom Come | Pastor Joaquin Pardo

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The God Who Humbles Also Restores | Til Kingdom Come | Pastor Joaquin Pardo

February 26, 2023 • Pastor Joaquin Pardo • Daniel 4:34, Ezekiel 34:11

Are you building something that will last? This weekend Pastor Joaquin continued our TIL KINGDOM COME series.

Daniel 4:34

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever.

King Nebuchadnezzar was an evil king filled with pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness which led to him losing all that he had, including his sanity. At the end of his story, after being humbled, he praises the King of Heaven who humbles the proud.

1) In the Kingdom of God, the King is the one who pursues.

In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has three encounters with God. God initiates the pursuit of the soul before we ever desire to pursue Him.

Ezekiel 34:11

For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

2) The Kingdom of God does not diminish; it lasts forever.

What are you building today that will last?

3) The God who humbles, also restores.

The King of Heaven took everything that King Nebuchadnezzar valued. He lost his sanity and became like a beast in the field. Sin will always make us less than human. When we look to God, we are restored to be who we are meant to be.

Like A Child | Til Kingdom Come | Pastor Dr. Dick Foth

March 26, 2023 • Pastor Dr. Dick Foth • Mark 10:13–16, Luke 18:15–16

Oh to be a kid again! This weekend, Dr. Dick Foth concluded our TIL KINGDOM COME series with a message about child-like trust in God. Mark 10:15 These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." The difference between God’s Kingdom and earthly kingdoms is dramatic. In the kingdom of God, the poor are valued, outcasts are recruited, rip-off guys are invited, worn-out traditions are upended and the humble are honored. That’s why children are valued. So what does it look like when we come to God as a child? DELIGHT. The joy of being a child is the delight of first-time experiences. They never tire of what they love to do. DEPENDENCE. The heart of a child is complete, reflexive, unreserved trust. Once a child trusts, they jump into every experience with enthusiasm. "It may be that God has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” G.K. Chesterton For most of our lives, we are trying so hard to grow up, but then Jesus says, “Be a child again!” When we receive the grace of God, we receive the power to be kids again!

Un-Crowd Your Heart | Til Kingdom Come | Pastor Devin Gough

March 19, 2023 • Pastor Devin Gough • Matthew 6:5–23, Matthew 13:3–23

Is your heart too crowded? This weekend Pastor Devin Gough continued our TIL KINGDOM COME series with a message about Jesus’ Parable of the Sower. Matthew 13:22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. It’s possible for our hearts to have loves that compete with a love for God and His Word. Jesus says there are two main ways that the seed of God’s Word can get choked out and become unfruitful in our lives. 1) THE CARES OF THE WORLD Worry and anxiety are rivals to a trust in God’s promises in our lives. Do we create space in our hearts for them? "Worry, like a rocking chair, will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.” Vance Havner If we want to allow God’s Word to bear fruit in our lives, we have to remember that, “There is nothing that can happen today that the Lord and I can’t handle.” 2) THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES Wealth is deceptive. It promises security and joy, but it never delivers. Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. God never promises to give us tomorrow’s provision today. But we can trust that he will take care of our every need today!

New Day, New Way | Til Kingdom Come | Pastor Steve Andres

March 12, 2023 • Pastor Steve Andres • Mark 2:21–22

Jesus came to call sinners, not perfect people! This weekend Pastor Steve continued our series, TIL KINGDOM COME, with a message about the NEW WAY of the kingdom of God. Mark 2:21-22 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.” Jesus’ ministry began with his announcement of the arrival of the kingdom of God. What did his teaching tell us about it? 1) Its originality. The old religious narrative of self-rescue is not new at all. Christianity is original because it not only acknowledges that we are broken, it begins with that fact. 2) Its exclusivity. Being 85% faithful is not faithfulness. The kingdom of God is an all-in proposition. Jesus is either Lord of all, or he isn’t Lord at all. 3) Its incompatibility. This NEW WAY is incompatible with the old. The gift of NEW LIFE through Jesus means learning a NEW WAY of honoring God. We are not mistake-makers in need of correction, we are sinners in need of a Savior. Sin is not something we can be coached out of, it is something we are rescued from. Thank God today for rescuing us by sending his Son!