Search + Rescue

Search + Rescue

If you’ve ever been lost in the wilderness or suffered an accident that left you trapped or disabled, you know the value of the brave and devoted search and rescue workers that risk their lives to protect ours. Beginning on March 4th we will begin a new sermon series that will take us through Easter Sunday entitled, Search + Rescue. We will look into the greatest search and rescue mission of all time. When the God of the universe took on human form and came to seek and save what was lost. God was all in, heaven emptied itself, all for the love of those that were lost to Him. And if God, himself, felt this loss, what exactly was lost? You and I, all humanity, and it was God himself that has made the rescue.

But this begs the question, What has God rescued us from? Many, most people, have no idea of how lost they are. Simply wandering through a life that leads nowhere, except death and eternal punishment. Even Christians can have the attitude that they were a “pretty good person” even before they surrendered to Christ. It’s not like Jesus just cleaned us up or supersized our goodness. It is so drastic that the Bible calls it a new birth, saying the old is gone and the new has come. When God rescues, it’s complete and all-encompassing. God’s rescue is what no human could ever do and is completely beyond our powers of self-improvement.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is called the Good News. Good News implies, just like rescue, that the status quo is not good. The idea that we can slap a smiley face, positive-thinking attitude on our current life is not the Good News. As a matter of fact, the Good News is not so good until we realize and accept how truly bad our life is and how truly lost we are. It is only then that the Good News is good indeed!

God has rescued many of us from the grips of sin, addiction, poverty, fear, rejection, and failure and that is part of our story of coming to Christ and growing in Christ but is it possible that His rescue is ongoing? What if He is ready and willing to rescue you and me from even more, even ourselves. Maybe next it’s from:

  • Your reliance on being a “pretty good person” (after all you’re not a chain-saw murder).
  • Your pursuit of money and wealth.
  • Your striving for prestige and success.
  • Your selfish interests above all other people.
  • Your thinking that you can earn your way to heaven by works and deeds.
  • Your attempts to control everything and everybody.
  • Your willingness to surrender your values and your faith for the approval or love of others.
  • Your fear of sacrifice and the costs of completely following Jesus.
  • Your anxiety of being judged as a religious zealot.
  • … (fill in yours)

Jesus is the Great Rescuer and He’s not done rescuing you. Don’t miss any of these faith-filled and life-altering messages.

  • March 4th  – The Mission (featuring veteran missionary, Jerry Gibson)
  • March 11th – The Supper
  • March 18th – The Garden
  • March 25th – The Cross
  • April 1st       – The Grave (Easter Sunday)

 

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