Sunday Rise Up

Welcome morning and welcome and happy Mother's Day to everybody. If I could have our panel of women come up here, Cindy, Ellen and Kaylin, and grab them like and are we good Tony in your live stream? Oh, I am Karen vanderzanden on the worship. Team leader here. I'm sure you all know that. We are going to.

hear from some women about, The love of God and I feel really honored that I done asked me to host it and to talk through this with these ladies that each of these women are at different places in their lives. And so, we wanted to ask them. You know, how God has blessed them. They're all very talented their have passions. They have gifts and they love God, that's the one thing they all have in common. So I'm going to start out with the a really fun introduction for them and then we'll get into the more serious questions. I thought. I'd keep it lighthearted. So if you would say your name, something real brief about yourself, and then I'm going to ask you an introduction question. My name is Kailyn. You are a Jacob's girlfriend and I have been able to sing here which has been the super fun question for you is to get you to know you a little bit better. Is if someone was going to do something nice for you, what would you like to be? I would love a coffee.

Starbucks. Starbucks powder. Lavender lattes are the best lavender latte that yesterday. We were down in Indiana and Illinois and Indiana in the lab and a lavender latte, which I didn't ever heard of. So, now I know that you like that. So next I am Cindy Martini play the violin and she's married to how many year, Randy. He's back there. And you have two children, right? Yes, our son. Ryan lives in New York with his wife and our daughter. Sarah lives. In Hudsonville, with her husband. Yeah, a very talented too. So here is my question for you. What was your favorite class in school? And why?

Kind of unusual, but my favorite class was geometry in high school. I love proofs. I love logic and I liked the teacher. I'm a tree. Okay, what we did ask, what you worked crack. What do you do for work? I do. I work in software at GE Aviation Systems Great and Caitlin Works to. Where do you work at? I'm a medical assistant at Spectrum Health in the Children's Hospital. Okay, so your favorite class was geometry, that's strange when those people didn't do well with geometry, but Justin and we have 3 kids 52. And a baby who's 6 weeks now.

Growing fast are very busy. I am very busy. So this is a good question for you. If you had one extra hour of free time a day, how would you use it? Ellen? I don't know, maybe sat on the couch while a little bit better. So we're going to talk about, you know, God's compassion, God's love God in their lives and and how he's moved, how he's shaping them in their lives. So but I wanted to share with you a few scriptures. So David, he would go to the next slide. It's Isaiah 46:4. And I don't have the TV facing, but it says, I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you and I will carry you along and save you. I'm next to 1st Peter. 5:7 give all of your worries and cares to God for. He cares about you and we have a very loving and compassionate, God and then Nahum 1 7. His the Lord is good. Strong Refuge when Trouble Comes, he is close to those who trust in him. And then one of my favorites, Roman 8, 38 and 39 for. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love, neither death, nor life. Neither angels nor demons, neither her fears for today, nor worries about tomorrow. Not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. And I just love those verses because, you know, they're really remind me of how much God loves me. You knowing how his promises are true. He's never going to leave us. He's never going to not love us, not forgive us. And you know his his love for us as high as the far as East is to the west and North and the South and then it's just unfathomable how much he loves us. So today we're going to talk a little bit about that about how God is working in their lives. So John provided them, three questions, so they do and did have time to think about these answer. So I'm going to ask them these questions. So I'll start with Ellen. What have you learned about God as a compassionate God? And how have you experienced God's compassion in your life? I think when I thought about this, I didn't hadn't really thought about it before. But then when I thought about it, I realize that it's a lot of like the little things like when the kids all take a nap at the same time feels really good. But also it's like the people that are in the church and how they have helped us. Like I cut my hand. When I was 35 weeks pregnant, people brought us meals and someone came and helped us full body. It just feels so helpful. When there's stuff that you can't do on your own that you just learn how compassionate God is and the church as a whole. So, you're saying God's compassion through with people that log on other Christians. When you think about it will thank you. And Cindy, same question. What have you experienced about? God is a compassionate God and how are you experienced that in your life? So when I was thinking about this, I'm a person who doesn't like a lot of change. And so the some years ago. We moved up here from Watsonville, and God's compassion was in providing us with a fixer-upper. And so we had to spend nine months fixing that and I could kind of think about the transition. I'm going to be moving. Is that going to be okay? So that was his compassion in kind of smoothing that transition for me. And then coming to this church. We started several years ago, meeting and then we weren't meeting on Sunday. So we were still going to our Hudsonville church on Sunday and kind of these things into that. And then we Started meeting here every Sunday morning and that was okay. And then God sent a pandemic and Nobody was going to church anywhere. So then that transition was easy and I just and then with the paint sending the pandemic. Got it been preparing me for 30 years for that because I work mostly from home. So, when the pandemic came, I just didn't go to work that one day, but it was fine. So I just feel like he's been smoothing, all the transitions. Okay, so when the pandemic hit, that wasn't a problem for you. Saw that guy was being compassionate to you, for giving you time to adjust and make a smooth transition. I only had to get rid of get ready for having, Randy work at home with me. Yeah, I ran to those of you who know him.

Yeah, and if it's interesting because God's compassion can be the little things like that and we have when we have our eyes open and when we pray to God, you know, open to my eyes where you're working in my life and how you're loving me, and how your guiding and directing me. You see those things. You see the compassion of people bring you meals and you see the compassion that God gave you time to adjust to all these transitions. So, yeah, God's compassion is there so caylin. What have you learned about? God? God is a compassionate God. And how is he showing at a while ago? I heard this phrase and I don't know where it came from, who said it or anything, but it goes like he sees, he knows and he cares. And that's something that I've always found a lot of comfort in. And one of the way they've seen, his compassion in his care. For me, is when I started college, my very first week of college classes. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. So is a huge adjustment. Anyway, and then to add that on top of it was a lot. But at the time I wasn't Quite sure that the career path I had in mind was what I wanted to actually do so through the diagnosis and through the healthcare workers. They came in contact with I changed my career path and I think that was God's compassion showing the people he had in my life, showed me a lot of compassion and understanding and then he kind of use that to direct where he wanted me to go for a job. That's amazing. So something that happened to you health-wise, led you to make that decision, to do what you do today and, and you love it, and you're good at it will great. So I think I'm going to ask a different Jim Brown with this question here. But Ellen, what would you like to learn? As you look forward about God's compassion for you and how to extend it to others as well?

I think I would like to learn more about how to show compassion to.

Kids in part because they see your best, but they also see your worst.

So I guess I'm just teaching them, then to also be compassionate to others. Whether it be their siblings or people in church or people just that, they meet around 2. So yeah, and you modeling that compassion will show them, you know, that as well as children. Look at us for everything and how we model as a father, and a mother. They see that. So, that's, that's great. So Cindy, how do you show compassion to others in your family and your networking relationships?

I'm not a person who is real.

Show me word but but sensitive, I guess if you're trying to tell me something you really have to just tell me I'm not going to pick up on things. So. The the ways I get to show compassion, are when John sound sound an email and says, we need somebody to bring food or bad. I know somebody needs food. And when the Fishers need somebody to bring dinner to them I can bring dinner. Good dinner stew.

So those are, those are the things I think it needs to be obvious. That's part of what I'm hoping to learn to and grow in is being sensitive to people and listen to what they need. Right? Right. And the end, God does equip us to do all that he wants us to do. So if you're not equipped in that area, he's going to provide that for you. And yeah, and teach you that. So Caitlin. Also, how do you show compassion to others in your family and all your relationships? I would say that I, the biggest weight by just listening to people all my friends. A lot of patients that AC just need someone to Talk to you about their problems. And how hard life is at the moment. So, I just try to be a listening and get them where they're at.

Yeah, so I thank you all for sharing these things. I know. John's going to follow up on this but you know, we got to remember that. God will equip us. If we are ours are open in our hearts are ready. God will show us the compassion then he will allow us to help show compassion to others as well. So thank you for sharing. Thank you for coming up. Can I give him around?

That was awesome. And it it connects so well with what we're going to do. So when I thought of that conversation, so thank you very much to these for. I also wanted for us to be sure somehow when we came here that God spoke to us specifically and so we are. We're going to spend a little bit of time looking at a woman in the Bible that I thought would be interesting for us to think about but I do the clock wrote over there and I'm looking at it and it's so

Do not be anxious, just kind of relax. And let's, let's go with this idea. There's a woman that we studied. We being rise up church. If you were able to be here for it, when we were doing acts chapters 9 through 21. We studied this woman named Lydia and Lydia is an inspiring person. If you take a close look at the little story about her, so I thought on Mother's Day and following this conversation. I'd like to point to Lydia and see some of the inspiration for you that's in her story. So this is acts 16 verses 11 through 15, and I'm going to have to read off the screen. But I don't want to stand in your way. So I'll stand right here. From Torres. We put out to sea and sailed straight for samothrace. And the next day, we went on to neapolis. From there. We travelled to Philippi a Roman colony and the leading city of that District of Macedonia, and we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath, we went outside to this, The City Gate, to the river where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of thyatira named Lydia a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God, the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she in the members of her household were baptized. She invited us to her home. If you consider me a believer in the Lord. She said come and stay at my house and she persuaded us. So that's the little short story about Lydia. And I thought before we draw inspiration from that we should look at the map because we had been studying this and so this will help your kind of put it into the bigger picture. If you're familiar with that story. This is a map of Paul's second missionary journey started on the right hand side and Antioch goes up to above my Sia and Asia there in the middle. There's the city of Troy as on the Aegean Sea Coast. They took a ship to the island of samothrace and then to the land, they're identified as Macedonia. And then up to Modern-day Philippi. I'm sorry up to fill up by. There is no modern-day Follette by. As far as I know. I looked at a Google map, current political boundaries of this area. So that's turkey on the right. Troas would be in modern-day turkey. Byzantium is now called Istanbul. That's an important city up there. Dividing the Black Sea from the Aegean Sea and Philippa. If it were still a thing would be in modern-day Greece, Cecil Knife Guy. Is Thessaloniki in Greece and it's still happening town? Okay, that's just kind of placing this story in its spot and there are three inspiring things about Lydia, that I'd like to point you in. The first one is Grab the next screen, please.

She was at the River on the Sabbath day, which means she was eager for, knowing god, and she was putting herself in a place where she could know God. She a historian say that in order to have a synagogue there needed to be ten men in a city. They're obviously not 10 men. 10 Jewish man to start a synagogue in Phillipi. There's no mention of a synagogue. So there was this creepy Gathering. A place of prayer on the river, call it a synagogue launch team, which will mean something to some of you folks who helped start a new church gathering at a place of Prayer. In on this day. It was only women. And Lydia is among those women. She is not a Jew. She's a gentile, because she's called a worshipper of God, which means that she was a gentile, who is interested in the god of the Jews, or as we would put it, the god of the Old Testament. She's eager and she's learning at some level. Maybe she's committed to this guy. But she's putting herself in the place where she can know him more. It's going to a second thing. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. Paul's message being the message about Jesus, or Paul's message being this. God has sent the one that he promised the Messiah, the Messiah died. And when he died on the cross, he took our sins on his shoulders. He died was buried, and he rose again. And now he sits at the right hand of his father in Heaven. He's God's demonstration of resurrection power, bringing him to life. The way that God intends to bring you to like Paul's message would have been something like that at the river that day and I think there's two inspiring things about this statement. One of them is it just raises a good feel as you go conversation that you should have some time just for the fun of it when when you want to have a theological conversation. How often that might be, and it would be this when a person becomes a follower of Jesus, who gets the credit for that. The person or God.

For some reason. Author of the book of Acts said it this way, he could have said Paul went and talked and a woman, there was really moved by it. And so she responded to what Paul said, but this out there doesn't say that this author says the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. So that's the conversation that I think would be interesting for you to have. If if a person comes to Faith who gets the credit for it and then the bigger Church of Jesus, there are these differing approaches one approach wants to honor human freedom. And so it would answer the question. Something like this Satan votes against a person God votes for a person and you break the tie. So you chose and another side wants to honor the power and the sovereignty of God. And so it says, if you came to Faith In Jesus, it's because God moved in your heart. So yeah, just conversation what I've been finding out about this learning I guess realizing is how close the two sides of this conversation really are I grew up and was educated in. In this side the side that says when a person comes to Faith, it's because God was doing his thing, but I went recently to a seminary to work on a doctor of ministry degree at a Baptist Seminary. So a Baptist Seminary would be a place that's in the same voted against. You got voted for you. You break the tie kind of a place in my my professor. At the Seminary, my main Professor talked about prevenient Grace, which is a way of describing the Holy Spirit giving you a nudge. and it's a way of kind of speaking to this material that's in the Bible that talks about God opening somebody's heart. So this this side of the conversation has an idea. It's called prevenient Grace, which is a holy spirit nuts. This side of the conversation over here has a thing called irresistible Grace. It's more. It's more than a nudge. It's a grab and a pole and you can try to resist, it kept the point, being of God gets his hands on you, and he's pulling you, you're not going to get away. But what I'm realizing is, the difference is so small. The difference is only How strong is the holy spirit nudge? There's a holy spirit. Nudge. Is it like an Irresistible One or possibly a resistible one so inspiring because it raises that question. What in the world is that statement mean? And then another reason this story is inspiring is because Lydia is in Philippi and Christians have celebrated her, because she is the first convert to Christianity in the continent of Europe. Which means something to you. If your ancestry has a connection to Europe people in, India are super excited about the the disciple of Jesus name. Thomas because historically it seems Thomas brought the gospel to India. People in Africa are focused on the story of Simon the cyrenian, who carried the cross of Jesus, because Cyrene is Northern Africa and are focused on the story of the Ethiopian eunuch who became a Christian because Ethiopia is in Africa, so, it's just interesting. If you would be a person who says my ancestors, probably are European. Because if that's the case with you, maybe Lydia is like a spiritual mother in your story of interacting with fake. So those are both inspiring things, but they're not the thing. I'm excited about. Here's the thing. I'm excited about the third one, when they believed, she made herself and her resources available to God's Mission. And I just mean this Lydia becomes a follower of juices that day. And so her question is, how do I, how do I, what do I do? How do I serve God? Now? And you see her immediately serving God, out of the personality that she has and out of the resources that she has. She's a Salesman at seems she's a business person. So she's got that kind of personality. I suppose it's about interacting with people. She's from thyatira. And fire. Tyra has a unique product, purple the color purple and then a variety of of products that derive from the basic product.

And Lydia is a dealer in purple purple stuff, but purple cloth would be the most common of them. So she's a business person is the leader of a household who has influence because when she believes her household believes and is baptized, and she must be fairly well off because she's got a big home. And she just takes that and she offers it to God, hears, who I am take, what I have and use it the way you want. And here's verse 40, at the end of the Phillipi story, after Paul, and Silas came out of prison. They went where to Lydia's house. This is just a few days later, Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encourage them. Then they left already Lidia's home has become the meeting place of this fledgling Phillipi church. And here's how I would put the inspiration of that. Where are you? With your unique personality and with your resources and it doesn't matter. What those are doesn't need to involve money at all, doesn't need to involve a home at all. Where you the unique person you are intersect with.

That's like your sweet spot in serving God. There's there's all the needs of the world and then there's you and they meet at a spot and God might ask you to work in some other piece of his world, but that's like the, The Sweet Spot for you. So I was thinking about that when I was thinking mean to Cindy, right, there, aren't that many people who loved geometry, but, Cindy did and it's a part of her personality and we heard the fact that one of the things that does is when there's a clear need like somebody need to Neil, Cindy is like, right on that. It just fits her. I wanted to show you something from Thursday about another person Arc arrogation. This is about, Dave Van Der. Zanden. Dave is passionate about praying and he's passionate about his country. So Thursday was the National Day of Prayer and Dave just happened to organize about 100 people getting together in the Grant Community Center to pray for our country. Here's a second slide of theirs. Dave day was making it all happened. There was about 10 police officers there. Who got prayed over, there were a bunch of pastors there, who got paid over. There were a bunch of teachers there who got paid over and then groups of people prayed. For their country. It was just Dave being Dave. It is what Dave looks and it just came out, but it was Dave, meaning a piece of the needs of the world at the point where Dave and the needs of the world intersect. Okay. I have some volunteers lined up and I'd like to ask them up Craig and Greg are going to get the black rope. When I imagined this, I imagined, lovely backpacking, sorts of ropes, but I borrowed ropes from my neighbor and this is what was available. So these are like ropes you put in your pickup truck to tow people when they get stuck. So and there's a big hook on one and I don't have a good feel on Jekyll and description of what the hook is about. Maybe everybody needs an ink. So yeah, how about a few? And you have to stretch it to its full length. Just give us a, give us a nice tight rope and then two members must family. Yeah, if you'd pull it taut and can I lift it up? Greg, you should stand up so nobody can see it.

And maybe looked a little bit higher. OK, Google Accra rope, the needs of the world. There's world hunger. There's the moral issues of our day. There's war on planet Earth. There is human sickness at you add, whatever you want. Then the needs of the world. That's what they're kind of gnarly looking. Rope is okay. And now you guys Jackson, I think I want you to duck under and knowing you just stay there and dry your rope taut. This yellow rope is you. It's it's prettier than that one. And it's symbolizes you with your unique personality, and resources. And there's the spot where you meet the needs of the world. And this is your sweet spot right here to serve God. I think we really saw that in our panel of women and we see it in the story of Lydia. And I'd like you to think about how it applies to you. That's good. How about if you just set it down and and the Rope will stay on the ground. Thank you very much. You guys, you may have a seat and let's put on the screen. My three Mother's Day questions on the basis of all of this. Are you putting yourself in a place where you are likely to meet God is God's during your heart. And are you, cooperating and where do the needs of the world and you intersect? And what is God saying to you about that?

Attend there and let's pray about it.

Why your heads about? I'm thinking about the fact that there was that day, when Lydia heard the word of God and her heart wanted to respond. So, I wonder if you are wanting to respond to God this morning as you listen to his word. And let's just take a moment to help you process that. Have you do you have a desire today to tell God? I'm in.

It includes. Saying to Jesus, the son of God at the right hand of God, I believe in you and I want to follow you.

That's what Lydia did I suppose. So if that's what you'd like to do this morning? We'd love to join in it with you. And so, if you're wanting like Lydia did to commit to him this morning, you, let's just say a prayer together and it's got three words. Sorry. Thank you, please. You make this your per. Lord Jesus, I'm sorry that when you died and took the world's sin on your shoulders that there was mine. And that you there was no way to escape it except that you would take it on your shoulders in and I'm sorry for my partner net. Thank you. That you didn't run away. You. Showed self-giving love to me as the son of God. Thank you so much. Please.

Take my heart. Please come into my life. Come into my heart. Come into me. Holy Spirit and take residence in me and as Lydia. Learn fairly quickly how she might serve. You talk to me about what it might look like for me to serve you.

If you're praying, that prayer, God is responding to your prayer.

Let's do one other thing. You keep your head bowed. But if you are praying that prayer for the first time or for the first time in a long time, it would be good to let somebody else know. So everybody's going to keep their heads about in their eyes closed. But if you want to let, somebody else know, this is a chance for you to do that. So if you look up at me, now, everybody else will not be, but if you look at me, it's your way of letting me know. John. I'm on. Having that conversation with god this morning. I'm not going to ask you to do anything else, but it would be good for you to let somebody know.

Thank you.

Over here in your presence. Wanting to be present to your presence. Thank you for being here in for moving. Among us today in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Alright, let's close our service. Then we're going to sing about how deep God's love is for us. Would you please rise?

How do you ride Heelys shoes?

To discredit Jesus.

Behold the man, you guys are talking.

It is Spanish.

Robot has Christ. Direction.

But I know and all my heart.

Miley Cyrus.

Receive a blessing. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace and everybody said amen.

Thank you for being here. Women, 18 and older take Succulent plants home, by the way, you don't really have to take care of them. They just, they take care of themselves. So you wish other things were like that, but these plants are like that. So, God bless you. Have a great day.