A good sermon from the other week...

Greetings again and Happy Monday!

I've been meaning to blog about this sermon for a while now, but I've never really gotten around to it. It was from West Outer Drive United Methodist Church. Pastor Albert Rush really seemed to get me fired up at service. Well, really it was the Holy Spirit (sorry pastor!), but it was THROUGH Pastor Rush....

Sermon Title: Where Are You?
Scripture: Psalm 48
"1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon [a] is Mount Zion,
the [b] city of the Great King.

3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.

4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,

5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.

6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.

7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.

8 As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever.
Selah

9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.

10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,

13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end."


So the main idea that I cought was that the Lord is always with you. You will always be in Zion, one of the Lord's holiest places, but we just need to remember that. We shouldn't change from that particular perspective!

For instance: when we are in the church, its the House of God. Would you agree? Amen! But when you leave the church and you go out to your car in the parking lot, you are no longer in the House of God. Amen? NO!!!! Even when you go out to your car, you are STILL in the House of God. He still created the outside. The trees, the people who built the roads, the sky, the sun, everything! It's just all about the perspective you have.

Pastor Rush also talked about how no matter what, God will see us through our hard times and good times. Emmanuel! (Emmanuel means God with us, if you weren't aware) Like when the devil comes creeping into our lives, he just wants to take control. And sometimes we let him! Many of you might be able to attest that when we sink into temptation, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, pornography, etc., we may not be ourselves. I know I'm not! I feel like I am a separate person who isn't in control. You know why? It's because we AREN'T in control!!!!! We let Satan get in control of our lives, and that is part, not all, of the reason why we sin. I know we have free will as well, but part of it is because the devil is in control of us at that moment. So what owns your should right now? God? Or is it food? Music? Nintendo DSi? Weight loss programs? Work? A significant other? Really take the time right now and think about it.

The pastor made a great analogy at church the other week. He said that if we are a porsche, then sin is a lamborghini. If we race sin, its eventually going to catch up with us and knock us on our face. But here is the cool part: If sin is a lamborghini, then God is a space shuttle! He wins! Hands down, no competition. So the next thing to think about when you are in a race, rather than saying "I" in that race, say "Lord" or "We". I promise the answer to the request will be very rewarding!

Okay, here's my last thought that has really challenged me EVERYDAY since I have heard this sermon: Is your city of Detroit a poor, desolated place, or do you see beauty? Do you see your struggles as failures, or as opportunities? It's all about perspective!

I would really love to hear what you think about the sermon. Feel free to post your comment here for others to read, or if you have some private thoughts to share, please e-mail at jessy.stark@gmail.com I would love to hear what the Lord is putting on your heart.

In other sermon news.....
I feel very blessed that everytime I hear a new sermon, I feel so filled up by the Spirit afterwards. I am very grateful for that, because I can remember a time last year when I just felt empty. Thank you Jesus!