NOTE: You will have to turn the volume up to hear my voice this week. Still having some microphone issues.
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our Sunday sermon. You will normally see us posted in written and live form on Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. This ministry shares the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus in a way that we believe embraces the ways Jesus taught us to manage. We bring His Word to the many as opposed to the few, in order to continue the legacy created by the ministry of Jesus Christ. We wish only that God’s truth will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills heart, mind, and soul to be shared with all of you using my voice but His words alone.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
The sermon is shared on all of Rev. Laura’s other sites: Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin
Wedding officiant page: Wedfolio
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list grows or changes every week. This is our current list.
- Please pray for my friend J.M.B.’s mother, who had a stroke last week. She is recovering, but it is very slowly for the moment.
- Please pray for Evangelist Cal Jennings who has been suffering greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him.
- Please keep several friends and other family members in prayer for their trials and tribulations. They have each requested to remain anonymous for the time being. Two who have just recently gotten out of the hospital, may they get well quickly. Another pair who have had serious issues with pain levels in recent weeks and months. Yet another who has suffered a fall this past week. May their pain ease sooner rather than later.
- Pray for the economy around this world as inflation and supply chains suffer from extremely high prices for fuel.
- Pray for the homeowners and townspeople suffering as a result of the wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, and other weather related chaos around the world.
- Pray also for others who have lost their lives around this world due to rioting, terrorism, and anything else this past week.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows bring blessings and
pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer for this day is for healing of the sick and the pain sufferers. We pray for the poor, the homeless, and those suffering as a result of terrorism. We pray for those who suffer as a result of the weather, wildfires, tornadoes and more that have been occurring around the globe. We pray for those suffering with mental illness of all kinds. We pray for those who are recently deceased. We pray for our nations and our leaders. We pray for the economy around the world. For each of these we pray in Your Holy Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: I’ve Got the Love of Jesus In My Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxFx8V3DSwc
Sermon: Today we continue through the third chapter of Colossians as we learn how the Lord wishes us to spread His Word to others. Let’s begin where we left off last Sunday.
Colossians 3:8-9 KJV –But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
NIV – But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.
Paul speaks of lies, thefts, trickery, and all those wicked, evil actions people sometimes do. It’s not hard to lie, yes, even the smallest of lies count against us. The hardest thing to do for most of us is to speak about everything truthfully. If it were easy to speak truthfully all the time without offending someone else in the room, well, we sure wouldn’t be earthbound. Honesty, as someone said long ago, is the best policy. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to manage best policies in a world filled with seven troubles to magnificent proportions. We are reminded of the earlier Scroll of Leviticus, and the Ten Commandments. Yes, lying is included.
Leviticus 19:11 KJV – Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
NIV – Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.
In the New International Version it is much more succinct, like those pesky bullet points in an outline. They drive the meaning God had straight into a person’s heart, mind, spirit, and soul. Now, the challenge is keeping this commandment and all the others. We see more of that view in this verse.
Proverbs 13:5 KJV – A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
NIV – The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.
As typical of Paul’s writings, he again is referencing another of his letters, this time the letter to the church in Rome.
Romans 6:6 KJV – Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
NIV – For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
Paul is adamant that we listen to the words that Jesus spoke. In this next verse in the letter to the citizens of Colossae, Paul repeats something that Jesus Himself said. Listen carefully to the words.
Colossians 3:10 KJV –And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
NIV –and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
We need to be “reborn” out of sin. The method toward this is baptism, of course. We remember when Jesus was baptized and what God said as a result. God wants us to shed the sin off our backs, out of our hearts, away from our spirit and soul. Then we will be as brand new as Adam and Eve were in this next pair of verses.
Genesis 1:26-27 KJV – And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
NIV – Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Righteousness, faithfulness, unconditional love, are all part and parcel of one another. Often we’ll hear about them in song and much of Scripture as armor, shields, comfortable, beautifully made clothing. We see that here in the words of Job and in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Job 29:14 KJV – I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
NIV – I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.
Romans 12:2 KJV – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
NIV – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Testing our faith and righteousness is something we need to do a lot of because it keeps us from falling off the path that Jesus left us. Doing so will not only prove to ourselves we can pursue the purest of faith and unconditional love, but it will also do the same for those who share time with us, friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers and enemies might see this as well. Remember, when we become Christians and pursue life as true Christians, there are no other identifiers. That’s what Paul shares here.
Colossians 3:11 KJV –Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
NIV –Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Now, this isn’t a new thought or consideration in Scripture. Putting on the righteousness of God is something that started way, way back in the history of the Bible. We see a glimpse of that in the scroll of Ezekiel and then we jump forward into both Luke and Paul’s writings as well.
Ezekiel 47:22 KJV – And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
NIV – You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
Acts 28:2 KJV – And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
NIV – The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
Romans 10:12 KJV – For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
NIV – For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
Galatians 3:28 KJV – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
NIV – There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Now we’re going to get into one of my favorite verses of Scripture as it pertains to true Christian faith and proving that. Paul does provide us with a ton of clues toward purer Christianity than what we see in this world today.
Colossians 3:12 KJV –Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
NIV –Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Of course, Paul doesn’t say it just once in one letter. He has to share this fact with all of the churches. This is why we see it in the letter to the churches at Rome and Corinth as well.
Romans 13:14 KJV – But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
NIV – Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
1 Corinthians 13:4 KJV – Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
NIV –Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
This is a beautiful view of what Unconditional Love is. It’s straightforward and leaves us with the awesome feeling that God’s love is as precious and dear as life itself. Paul continues the thought in this next sentence of the letter to Colossae.
Colossians 3:13 KJV –bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
NIV – Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Life can make it hard to be kind to one another. There are way, way too many reasons the road in life can feel like a long and torturous journey. We all can, and often do, get bogged down in the mud and muck that life can throw at us. That’s why we have prayer. That’s why we have hope and faith and love and laughter. It’s being able to close out the anger, the fear, anxiety and more that is surrounding us and focus just on our relationships with each other, and with God. We see that in this verse.
Proverbs 19:11 KJV – The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
NIV – A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
Jesus spoke many, many times, about unconditional love. In fact, just about everything He shared in His parables and teaching had to do with loving one another. We see that here in the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 5:44 KJV – But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
NIV – But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 6:14 KJV – For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
NIV – For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Paul too recognized this and remembered to share it with the different churches, whose citizens and members had no knowledge of who Jesus was and what He did just for the people of this world. This is what he shares about Jesus to the citizens of Colossae.
Colossians 3:14 KJV –And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
NIV –And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Now, the King James version says charity above all things, whereas the New International shares all the virtues are subject to the strongest binding agent of all, love which provides perfect unity. Jesus portrayed exactly what this should look, feel, and act like for us in the Gospel according to John the Beloved.
John 17:23 KJV – I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
NIV – I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
There is so much in these two or three sentences from our Lord and Savior that they are referenced in hundreds of verses throughout the New Testament Scrolls. We see some of that in this verse in the words of the Hebrew prophets and, of course, in one of the letters John the Beloved wrote.
Hebrews 6:1 KJV – Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
NIV – Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
1 John 3:10 KJV –In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
NIV –This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
The single most difficult concepts in Christian faith are the exact contents of Unconditional Love and sharing the peace of Jesus Christ and God through the Holy Spirit. We see, time and again, through just about all of the New Testament, these very concepts repeated to people far and wide, inside, and outside of Israel. They need to be repeated daily.
Colossians 3:15 KJV –And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
NIV –Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
The prophet Isaiah and David, first king of the Jews both have input regarding this view of peace. It’s more than a truce between warring parties, treaties, constitutions, laws, and any of that. It’s a great deal more in fact. This is what Isaiah and David have to share.
Isaiah 26:3 KJV – Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
NIV – You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Psalm 29:11 KJV – The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
NIV – The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
The ultimate view of peace is seen in the Word as shared by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is one of those verses that is repeated in so much of the Christian literature in the world, but we shouldn’t need a book filled with words to keep this specific gift from Christ in our hearts, minds, spirits, and souls.
John 14:27 KJV – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
NIV – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Paul again reflects on this thought from Jesus in this last verse today.
Philippians 4:7 KJV – And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
NIV – And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Let’s all of us work toward building the peace that passes all human
understanding in the gift that is God’s Unconditional Love. Now that’s
something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(Matthew 6:9-13)
Closing Song: PEACE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZNDD2qxJYo
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
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Evangelist Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Scripture Excerpts: The New Open Bible Study Edition: Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright ©circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press, The John C. Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sermon or Study Copyright © 2022 http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
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