Seeing Clearly: Embracing God's Love Near and Far

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Gospel's Transformative Power

Understanding the gospel message is not just about knowing the story of Jesus, but about realizing its transformative power. It is about recognizing Jesus as the mediator and the high priest who stands in the gap for us, bridging the divide between humanity and God. This understanding is crucial in bringing people back to God and is central to the mission of the church, which is to make disciples both near and far. [55:14]

Hebrews 4:14-15 - "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."

Reflection: Reflect on your understanding of the gospel. How has it transformed your life and how can you share this transformative power with others?

Day 2: Recognizing God's Unconditional Love

God's love is not selective; it extends to everyone, not just a select few. Despite the battles and challenges we may face, God sees us, loves us, and desires freedom for us. He is aware of our struggles and His love and care are unwavering. [53:07]

Psalm 139:1-3 - "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways."

Reflection: How have you experienced God's unconditional love in your life? How can you extend this love to others?

Day 3: Participating in the Mission of the Gospel

The mission of the gospel is not just about reaching out to the ends of the earth, but also about reaching out to our immediate surroundings. The Thanksgiving offering, divided into three parts: Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the Earth, reflects this mission. Each part supports different ministries, emphasizing the importance of both near and far outreach. [57:41]

Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Reflection: How are you participating in the mission of the gospel? What steps can you take to support both near and far outreach?

Day 4: Balancing Our Relationship with God

In our relationship with God, we must avoid being either farsighted or nearsighted. Farsighted individuals may distance themselves from God, thinking that He is too busy with bigger things to be close to them. Nearsighted individuals focus solely on their personal relationship with Jesus, failing to recognize the importance of a relationship with others and the church community. [50:29]

Ephesians 4:15-16 - "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with God. Are you more farsighted or nearsighted? How can you balance your personal relationship with Jesus and your relationship with others and the church community?

Day 5: Sharing God's Love with Proper Perspective

Sharing the message of Jesus requires a proper perspective of how God loves people. This perspective is not limited to our immediate surroundings but extends to both near and far places. Our personal experiences, like the speaker's experience of being nearsighted and farsighted, can serve as metaphors for this perspective. [48:04]

1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Reflection: How can your personal experiences help you share the message of Jesus with a proper perspective of God's love? How can you prepare yourself to give an answer to everyone who asks you about your hope in Jesus?
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Sermon Summary

The sermon begins with the speaker emphasizing the importance of understanding the gospel message and how it can bring people back to God. The speaker introduces a new series called "Near and Far," which is about taking the gospel message to both the near and far places of the world. The speaker also encourages the congregation to participate in a weekly portion called "Learn Names," where attendees stand up, shake hands, and learn each other's names, emphasizing the value of being a family and knowing each other. The speaker also mentions a "Discover Mission" class that teaches how to tell one's story and share the message of Christ.

The speaker then discusses the importance of understanding that God sees, loves, and desires freedom for each individual. The congregation is encouraged to affirm that God sees them and is aware of their struggles. The speaker reassures them that God's love and care extend to everyone, not just a select few. The speaker also discusses the Thanksgiving offering and how it reflects the mission of reaching different areas with the gospel message. The offering is divided into three parts: Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the Earth, each supporting different ministries.

The speaker then discusses the tendency for people to be either farsighted or nearsighted in their relationship with God. Farsighted individuals acknowledge God's existence and believe in His greatness, but may distance themselves from Him, thinking that He is too busy with bigger things to be close to them. On the other hand, nearsighted individuals focus solely on their personal relationship with Jesus, failing to recognize the importance of a relationship with others and the church community. The speaker emphasizes the need to adjust one's vision and understand the depth of God's love for each individual.

The speaker shares their personal experience of being nearsighted and farsighted. They describe a moment in class when they couldn't see anything on the board and had to rely on a friend's notes. Eventually, they went to the doctor and discovered their vision was very bad. They had to wear glasses or contacts and even had a special note on their driver's license stating they couldn't drive without them. However, a few years ago, they were able to get lasik eye surgery and no longer need glasses. This surgery was life-changing as it allowed them to see things in the proper perspective, both up close and far away. The speaker then connects this experience to the importance of having a proper perspective of how God loves people when sharing the message of Jesus, whether in near or far places.

Key Takeaways

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Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Ephesians 3:16-18 say about the depth of God's love for us?
According to 1 Timothy 2:3-6, what is God's desire for humanity?
In Acts 1:8, what are the four areas mentioned where believers are to be witnesses?
What personal experience did the speaker share to illustrate the concept of being nearsighted and farsighted in our relationship with God? [48:04]

Interpretation Questions

How does understanding the depth of God's love (Ephesians 3:16-18) impact a believer's daily life and faith?
What does it mean that Jesus is the mediator who reconciles God and humanity, as stated in 1 Timothy 2:3-6? How does this shape our understanding of the gospel? [55:14]
How can the concept of being nearsighted or farsighted in our relationship with God affect our spiritual growth and community involvement? [50:29]
What is the significance of the Thanksgiving offering being divided into Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the Earth? How does this reflect the mission of the church? [57:41]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own life: Do you tend to be more nearsighted or farsighted in your relationship with God? How can you adjust your perspective to have a balanced view? [50:29]
How can you actively remind yourself of the depth of God's love for you, especially during challenging times? What practical steps can you take to root yourself in this truth? [51:28]
Think about your local community (your "Jerusalem"). What are some specific ways you can share the gospel message with those around you?
The speaker mentioned the importance of knowing each other's names and being a family. How can you foster a sense of community and belonging within your small group or church? [46:37]
Identify one person in your life who may feel unseen or unloved. How can you demonstrate God's love and care to them this week? [53:07]
How can you participate in the church's mission to reach "Judea and Samaria" and "the ends of the Earth"? Are there specific ministries or missions you feel called to support or get involved with? [57:41]
The speaker shared a personal story about vision correction. How can this metaphor of seeing clearly apply to your spiritual life? What steps can you take to gain a clearer perspective of God's love and mission? [49:30]

Sermon Clips

1. "We're starting a new series called near and far and what this message is all about is taking the gospel message to both the near places and the far places of our world so more people can hear the good news about who Jesus Christ is." #!!47:36!!#

2. "The one thing that can bring people back to God is the good news of Christ Jesus... Jesus is the thing that we go yes I understand Jesus loves me and then all of a sudden this overflow starts to happen where guess what we want to tell people about Jesus both near and far." #!!55:14!!#

3. "We need to understand that God sees us, loves us, and wants freedom for us and he wants that for everybody else... we're like great I can't wait to take this message, I can't wait to take it to the places that are both near and far." #!!56:15!!#

4. "God's desire is not for a few God's desire is for everyone...we can fully understand how deeply we are cared for and we are seen and we are loved by God and we can sit in that and we can rejoice in that and we can celebrate that on the good days and hold on to it tightly in the bad days." #!!54:15!!#

5. "Part of our Thanksgiving offering is going to go to our Jerusalem, it's going to go to paying down the principal here at City station, part of our offering is going to go to our Judea and Samaria, kind of to some Ministries in the greater West Georgia area that are impacting people's lives for Jesus, and then we're going to give it to a place that's kind of going to the ends of the Earth with the gospel message." #!!57:41!!#

6. "For some of us we're extremely nearsighted in our relationship with God where it's just Jesus and me where it's like Jesus and I we're like we're good it's just him and I and we've never made that shift in our brain that it's not Jesus in me it's Jesus in we and it's all of us included it's like the church body and it s to be this oneway Street between us and God and God's going no it's actually about a relationship with me and a relationship with others." #!!50:57!!#

7. "I was like you can't drive and so for the longest time I had this thing on my license but then a few years ago I was actually able to get lasik eye surgery and actually no longer need glasses and it was a huge blessing but what it did was it's not an exaggeration to say that it was incredibly life-changing because what it was like allowed me to do is I could see things in the proper perspective." #!!49:30!!#

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