Pastor

A Pledge to God's Kingdom

“A PLEDGE TO GOD’S KINGDOM”

Hope Community Church of Fleetwood, PA -
September 26, 2010

Sermon by Pastor Gary Blosser

www.hopecomm.org

This past week there was a lot of action on the News concerning
a new Pledge to America,I which developed out of our present
political climate, as we anticipate the mid-term elections. The
preamble of the Pledge contains a sense of urgency declaring
“The need for urgent action.” The Pledge begins with:

“With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves
to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to
the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith
with the values our nation was founded on, the principles
we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our
Pledge to America.”

The source of this Pledge is immaterial to me this morning.
Whether from the right or left; Democrats or Republicans; Green,
Red, Blue, or Yellow Party for that matter. What strikes me is the
that it was birthed out of conviction that things must change. I
take note when people are moved to action. When they are
shaken out of their complacency. When the status quo is no
longer sufficient. When people stand up and say - “We pledge
to do these things...”

As I considered A Pledge to America I pondered, what would
A Pledge to God’s Kingdom look like? What would a pledge made
to God’s Kingdom encompass? What would this pledge look like
if we were stirred within our hearts and minds? So stirred that
we were shaken out of our complacency - out of our comfort
zones - shaken out of our small self absorbed puny little world?

So I took a closer look at A Pledge to America. As I searched
for insight into A PLEDGE TO GOD’S KINGDOM I noticed in
the Pledge to America there were five pledges mentioned in the
preamble. Let’s pause here a minute - I want to share these
with you not to advance any political agenda. I am not affirming
nor opposing these portions of the Pledge. I want you to have
Kingdom eyes this morning; to glean from the culture around us
the TRUTH we should apply in our lives.

Let’s look at the first pledge:

“We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its
framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that
have been consistently ignored – particularly the Tenth Amendment....”

How might we adapt for the Kingdom?

We pledge to honor GOD’S WORD as constructed by Him
and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been
consistently ignored – particularly the GREATEST
COMMANDMENTS – Love God with all our heart, soul, mind,
and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

To whom did Jesus tell the Greatest commandments? He
gave them in several settings. In Matthew 22:35-40 a lawyer
comes with a test for Jesus asking him which commandments
are the greatest. In Luke 10:25 we read of a similar situation
where Jesus has an exchange with a lawyer. When Jesus
tells him to love his neighbor as himself the lawyer’s response
is, “Who is my neighbor?”

Rather than answer the question directly Jesus tells a story
we’ve come to know as the Good Samaritan where a Jewish
man is mugged - beaten, striped, and left to die. Two
religious people (a priest and a Levite) come upon the
unfortunate man but both pass by on the other side of the road.
Then a Samaritan man comes along. The Samaritans and
Jews are enemies with one another. But the Samaritan stops,
cares for the mans wounds, lifts him to his own donkey and
takes him to an inn where he cares for him through the night
then leaves money with the inn keeper to care for him. “And
if it costs more, I will repay you on my next visit.”

Then Jesus asks,“Which of these three do you think was a
neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The
expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37 (NIV)

The Second Pledge:

“We pledge to advance policies that promote greater
liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense, and national
economic prosperity.”

How might we adapt for God’s Kingdom?

We pledge to advance GOD’S policies that promote
KINGDOM liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense of
THE GOSPEL, and SPIRITUAL prosperity.

Back in July - John Fick preached about Kingdom Liberty.
He said, “Jesus liberates us from the world, its values, its
emotions, its bondage, its materialism, its fears.” He set
us free from sin & death. So how are God’s policies, that
promote liberty, advanced?

Advance - to move forward

Advance - to accelerate growth

Advance - to take new ground

Advance - to make progress

How do we ADVANCE God’s policies? Jesus answered
that question when he gave us the Great Commission:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

“Therefore go”

Go means a change of location!

Go means get off your seat

Go means start moving - do something!

PEOPLE ARE DYING WITHOUT JESUS ADVANCE
GOD’S POLICIES

We pledge to advance GOD’S policies that promote
KINGDOM liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense of
THE GOSPEL, and SPIRITUAL prosperity.

The Third Pledge:

“We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and
the private and faith-based organizations that form the core
of our American values.”

God’s Kingdom:

We pledge to honor CHRIST-LED families, traditional
marriages, the SANCTITY of life, and the CHRISTIAN CHURCH
which embodies the witness of Christ.

Honor CHRIST LED families. Not all families bring honor to
God. Not all families bring Joy to God’s heart. Are you part of
a Christ-led family? Does Jesus impact your life everyday?
Or are you just a Sunday Christian?

Honor Traditional marriages. We must stand up against the
ills of our culture. God’s plan is one man, one woman, for life.
That is God’s ideal. We often fall short of God’s ideal but
God does not right us off but rather welcomes broken people
into his family and into his grace and forgiveness.

Honor the SANCTITY of Life.

Sanctity = holiness of life

Sanctity = sacredness of life

Sanctity of Life is based in our understanding that all human
beings are created in God's image.

According to Genesis 1:26-27 (NLT) “Then God
said, ‘Let us make people in our image, to be like
ourselves...’ So God created people in his own image;
God patterned them after himself...”

Therefore all have inherent WORTH. We are all valuable.
Our lives are sacred.

We Honor the CHRISTIAN CHURCH. The Church is the
bride of Christ. He gave his live for his bride. He loves his
bride. Yet I hear some say, “I like Jesus but I don’t like the
church.” How do you think that make Jesus feel? That’s
like saying, “I like you but not your wife.” We need to realize
that the local Church is the Hope of the world. We are God’s
plan to reach the world, to bring others into his family and
into his kingdom.

We pledge to honor CHRIST-LED families, traditional
marriages, the SANCTITY of life, and the CHRISTIAN CHURCH
which embodies the witness of Christ.

The Fourth Pledge:

“We pledge to make government more transparent in its
actions, careful in its stewardship, and honest in its dealings.”

Oh yeah, like that’s really going to happen. Have
you gotten as cynical about our government
as I have? “Careful in its stewardship”??? I’m
glad my life in Christ is not based upon how well the
government functions.

For God’s Kingdom:

We pledge to make OUR LIVES more transparent within the
FAMILY OF GOD so that our actions, attitudes, and language
might become more CHRISTLIKE through thoughtful loving
interaction.

We need each other! That’s why we encourage you to
participate in Small Groups, in our Men’s & Women’s
Ministries, in Sunday school classes, small gatherings of
believers where we share ourlives - our struggles - our pains
& our gains - our burdens and pray for each other. We are
truly better together!

We pledge to make OUR LIVES more transparent within
the FAMILY OF GOD so that our actions, attitudes, and
language might become more CHRISTLIKE through
thoughtful loving interaction.

The Fifth Pledge:

“We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a
better America, knowing that to whom much is given,
much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty
buoy the hopes of mankind.”

I find it fascinating that they quoted Jesus! According to
the biblical record it was Jesus who said, “From everyone
who has been given much, much will be required...”
Luke 12:48 (NASB)

Adapted for our Pledge to God’s Kingdom:

We pledge to uphold the purposes of GOD and the promise
of a better KINGDOM, knowing that to whom much is given,
much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty in
CHRIST embody the HOPE of all humankind.

What are the purposes of God?

-Worship - to express our love to God

-Discipleship - to learn more about God and His
Kingdom - to grow stronger in our faith - to become
more Christlike

-Fellowship - to belong in God’s family

-Ministry - putting our love into action

-Out Reach - to “GO” and SHARE the HOPE!!!!!

We pledge to uphold the purposes of GOD and the
promise of a better KINGDOM, knowing that to whom
much is given, much is expected and that the blessings
of our liberty in CHRIST embody the HOPE of all humankind.

The preamble to the Pledge to America ended with:

“We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance
to the people we represent, and we invite fellow citizens
and patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda
for America.”

“We invite” you “to join us” - Calling for people to join
them in this pledge and resulting action.

For our Pledge to God’s Kingdom:

We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to
JESUS CHRIST whom we represent, and WE INVITE
FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS TO JOIN US in forming a
NEW KINGDOM impassioned with promoting GOD’S
AGENDA.

WE INVITE!!!!!

Invite them into our lives - belong

Invite them to church

Invite them to interact with other believers

Invite them to NEW Life in Christ

Invite them to JOIN the Kingdom of God

We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance
to JESUS CHRIST whom we represent, and WE INVITE
FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS TO JOIN US in forming a
NEW KINGDOM impassioned with promoting GOD’S
AGENDA.

The source of this Pledge is immaterial to me this
morning. It was birthed out of the conviction that things
must change. Birthed by people who were shaken out of
their complacency. It is time that we as Kingdom
Citizens to take action. The status quo is no longer
sufficient!

We pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting
our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our
founding by keeping faith with the values GOD’S
KINGDOM was founded on, the principles we stand for,
and the priorities of our GOD. This is our Pledge to GOD’S
KINGDOM.

Amen.

Gary Blosser pastors Hope Community Church, a remarkable
church in the beautiful rolling hills of Berks County,
Pennsylvania.

Families Make a Difference

Parenting has its ups and downs; its struggles and its joys, and a
lot of learning and growing along the way. Learning to survive and
thrive in our families, no matter what the circumstances, is a real
challenge. Whether you’re a parent or not, this Sermon Series for
February will allow you to grasp God’s foundational truth and powerful
encouragement no matter what your role or influence.

February 7 - “Parenting is Relational”

February 14 - “The Power of Three”

February 21 - “What God Says to Families”

February 28 - “Everyone Needs a Family”

On February 7 we’ll focus in on the importance of love in our
relationships and how being a parent is relational. February 14 we’ll turn
our focus to marriage and how to draw strength from God in order to
make marriages and families stronger. We will honor those who have a
five year anniversary in 2010 (5, 10, 15, 20...) by offering an opportunity
to renew their marriage vows. Ray and Pat Bolton along with Gary
and Sandy Hauseman will also be sharing our vision for helping couples
prepare for marriage through Marriage Savers. February 21 we’ll be
giving our attention to some instructions God gives to us for becoming
better parents. February 28 we’ll look at how each person has a need
to belong in a family.

Gary Zimmerman from Love in Action International Ministries will share
with us about developing Children’s Homes overseas. After the service
he will also be our guest speaker at a special meal where he will share
about the development of a dairy farm in Bolivia to support their new
children’s home—Andrea’s Home of Hope and Joy.

If you know of others who could use some encouragement and
direction in the daunting task of parenting, invite them to journey with
us this month as we explore how Families Make a Difference.

Pastor Gary

01/10 Pastor's Blog

What will the new year bring to Hope Community Church?

New Year’s Eve has traditionally been a time for looking back to the
past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to
reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and then resolve to
follow through on those changes. Some of the top resolutions made
before the clock strikes midnight include spending more time with family
and friends, exercising, losing weight, quitting smoking, getting out of
debt or getting organized. New Year’s Day then is a time to refocus
our energies and prioritize our lives.

I have been thinking about the new year in front of us—praying, and
considering options for our Sunday morning gatherings. I’d like to give
you a preview sketch of the possibilities being considered.

We will begin the new year exploring our Ministry & Mission Design
aimed at providing a place where God grows hope one life at a time:
Receiving Hope through Christ, Growing Hope in Community, and Sharing
Hope with Others. We will also learn about how this design changes
some of our organizational structures.

In February we will shift our focus to Family Life exploring together
parenting struggles and learning how to thrive in our families, no matter
what the circumstances. We will have a special celebration on
Valentine’s Day for those in our congregation who will be celebrating a
5-year (5, 10, 15, 20...) anniversary in 2010.

In March we will give our attention to answering the question “Why
Pray?” and then celebrate the resurrection as we enter April. The
rest of April, May and the beginning of June we will take a closer look
at the book of Philippians with an emphasis on how to enjoy your
life in spite of all of the problems that life brings. We will looks at how
to reduce conflict, how God helps us to change, how to conquer
complaining, how to succeed in life, how to manage stress, explore
the secret of a satisfying life, and God’s model for manhood. As we
take this deeper look at Philippians we will also celebrate Mothers Day,
Fathers Day and celebrate with our Graduates as they cross the
finish line and prepare for their next steps in life. We might even have
a special “Blessing of the Bikes” for our cyclists.

Summer will include another Picnic on the Hill, Picnic in the Park,
Softball, and a special Farmers’ Sunday. As we enter September and
October we will focus our time together with a whole church spiritual
growth campaign called 40 Days of Community in which we will
explore how we are better together as we pursue God’s plans and
purposes for our lives.

With a few additional areas of teaching and a fresh look at Christmas,
2010 will be behind us. Will we have grown in our walk with Christ?
Will we have achieved God’s plans and purposes for our lives in 2010?
Will those around us move closer to Jesus through seeing our lives and
hearing our words? I am filled with much anticipation.

Pastor Gary

3/09 Pastor's Blog

If a person wanted to consider becoming a Christian...

If a person or couple experienced a traumatic event in their life and needed help...

If a person or family moved into our area and wanted to find a church...

If a person was lonely and wanted to connect with others...

If a couple or single wanted their children to have good moral training...

...and they showed up at Hope Community Church what would they experience?

· Do we reserve the best parking spots for guests? Or do they have difficulty finding a spot or finding one close to the door? How might we welcome our guests even before they enter our building?

· Are they greeted by persons in the parking lot? The lobby? The sanctuary? Are they invited to sit with others who can “show them the ropes” and introduce them to others with similar interests? Or do they sit alone feeling awkward and conspicuous.

· Are they able to find information about our church as well as directions to the nursery, bathrooms, and sanctuary? Or do we assume they will find their way on their own?

· Are they given a warm, casual, relaxing welcome by those around them or do we spend most of our time talking with those we already know?

· Do we welcome them with hospitality offering them a cold or hot drink? In our society it’s odd to just stand in a crowd doing nothing. A simple Styrofoam cup brings a sense of ease for those joining us for the first time.

What barriers have we created or failed to tear down for those who take the risk to join us for the first time? For those hoping to experience the love of Christ among us? We must break down the barriers of fear before people are able to hear and accept the message of Christ’s love.

Isaiah tells us to prepare the way for the Lord. His encouragement to fill in the valleys, level the hills, straighten the curves, and smooth the rough spots is a call for us to demolish the obstacles that keep others from meeting the Lord.

Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!” Isaiah 40:3-5 (NLT)

Pastor Gary

01/09 Pastor's Blog

A worthy resolution

Anticipating the New Year, many evaluate their lives and make New Year’s Resolutions hoping the next year is far better than the last year. If you Google “Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions,” you’ll get over 28 million hits. You’ll find the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for couples, for college students, for moms, for sports fans and even the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Brittney Spears and O.J. Simpson.

You’ll discover that the top ten resolutions for the average American include:
1. Quit smoking.                                       6. Try something new.
2. Lose weight.                                        7. Work on your spiritual growth.
3. Quit drinking.                                       8. Take a trip.
4. Go back to school.                               9. Pay off the Christmas debt.
5. Spend more time with your family.    10. Get a better job.

If you are like many in our world, you’ll make at least one resolution as you begin the new year. As your pastor, I’m hoping you will join me in making a resolution in the spirit of number 7 above: read the Bible from cover to cover this year with my church family. Reading the Bible can have many positive effects. You’ll learn more about the Creator of the univers —about His character, about how He has worked in the lives of His people, about how He desires to work in your life. You’ll grow more confident in your life as you follow God’s instructions. You’ll learn to know God’s will for your life. Your prayers will have more energy and greater results. You’ll grow wiser and gain greater understanding.

I anticipate a remarkable journey as we “walk thru” the Bible together. So go ahead—join the millions who are making resolutions and commit to reading the Bible more this year than last year.

Pastor Gary

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