Good day
Aspen Grove Church Family,
I pray this finds you well. It’s
hard to believe but April has flown right by. On April5, we preached a message
titled, “So now what are you going to do with Jesus?” coming primarily out of
the Book of Luke 24:1-12. When we think of Easter, or as I like to call it,
“Resurrection Sunday,” we celebrate what is arguably the most important event
in all of human history: Jesus rising from the dead. All of Christianity and
all eternity hinges on the truth of the resurrection. If Jesus did not rise
from the dead, then our faith is lacking in meaning and is just another
interesting philosophy. But if the resurrection is true, then it is the
clearest proof that Jesus is exactly who he claimed to be – the Son of God and
the Savior of the world. All of the evidence points to the truth of the
resurrection, and the result is changed lives. The Pharisees and Roman
authorities tried to squash the movement that was Jesus by trying Jesus in an
unlawful court, finding Him guilty, beat Him severely, made Him carry His cross
to Golgotha, and nailed Him to it. What they didn’t realize was that it was all
apart of GOD’s plans to redeem mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
While on the Cross, Jesus became sin, all of mankind’s sin. It’s what Jesus did
for you, and for me, some 2,000 yrs ago. Jesus, the Cross, and the Empty Tomb
are not just a person, or a place, or events… they are eternal realities that
demand a response. A Response that carries eternal consequences. So, let’s look
at what they mean to us today. The Cross means that our sin was paid in full. Jesus
demonstrated that true Faith would overcome all circumstances. By Jesus going
to the Cross, it means for us today that our sin debt was canceled, & the
Wrath of GOD was satisfied completely. The Empty Tomb means that Death was
defeated. If the Cross paid for sin, the Empty Tomb proves the payment was
accepted. The Empty Tomb is showing Heaven’s receipt that says: “Payment
accepted!” Because our sin-debt has been paid in full, and the wrath of GOD was
satisfied by the proof of the Empty
Tomb, means that we start living life and live it more abundantly because you
have been paid for in full by the KING of kings, and the LORD of lords! JESUS,
THE CROSS, AND TOMB DEMAND A DECISION, and we can’t stay neutral about it! We
all will have to answer this question: “What you going to do with Jesus?” Don’t
just admire the Cross… run to it. Don’t just celebrate the Empty Tomb… but live
in its power. Because the same Jesus who died… is alive!
On April 12, we preached a
message titled, “Time to destroy those idols!” and we came from the Book of
Exodus 20:1-6. The opening part of The Ten Commandments and the very first one
is clear, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Not beside Him. Not ahead
of Him. No other gods… period. But here’s the truth… most people in church
today don’t bow to statues, but we still have idols. Idols don’t sit on shelves
anymore. No, they sit on thrones in our hearts. The reason for this is simple:
Idols Are Deceptive (They Don’t Look Like Idols). Simply put, an idol is
anything you love, trust, or prioritize above God. Idols aren’t always obvious.
They don’t come labeled as “False gods.” Sometimes they come in the form of
success, relationships, money, some sporting events, cell phones, etc. To be transparent here, the devil doesn’t
need to make you worship something evil. In fact, he doesn’t even mind you
going to church, or reading your Bible, just as long as you don’t apply it to
your life! He just wants you to focus on a false idol… not GOD. You see, our
idols are demanding, meaning they take more than they give. They demand your
time, your attention, your devotion, and in return… they leave you empty. Here
are some Signs Something Has Become an Idol to you: You think about it
constantly, You run to it instead of God, You fear losing it more than
displeasing God. Idols will always overpromise and underdeliver, which leads us
to our last point… Idols Must Be Destroyed, and Not Compromised. God didn’t
tell Gideon, in the Book of Judges 6:25, to manage an idol or cover it up. Nor
did HE say to keep it “just in case.” No! He said: “Tear it down.” Why So
Radical? For one… The Israelites were always trying to make compromises with
everything, & two… Because even partial obedience is still disobedience.
So, here’s the question: What idol/s are sitting on the throne of your heart?
What Idol/s have you put before God? What Idol/s are you unwilling to
surrender? You don’t need to manage it… You don’t need to hide it… BUT… You do
need to tear it down. Because when the idols fall… the fire of God falls, and
it all starts by simply saying, “Lord, I’m done holding onto this. I surrender
it. I tear it down. You alone are God in my life.”
April 19th, we
preached a messaged titled, “Knock Knock,” and we came from the Book of Song of
Solomon 5:1-6. This was our “Bring a friend to Church” day and we had a great
turn out. Have you ever had someone knock on your door, and you knew who it
was, but you just didn’t answer? Maybe you weren’t ready… Maybe you were busy…
Maybe you just thought, “I’ll catch them later…” But when you finally went to
the door… they were gone. That’s what Chapter 5 is dealing with. King Solomon
came to see his bride, his love, but when he got there, she had already done
her nightly routine and gone to bed. She basically says to him… “I’m not
ready,” “This isn’t a good time,” “I’ll deal with you later.” She didn’t reject
him, but she simply delayed him. Can I tell you something? This scene between
King Solomon and his bride represents Jesus Christ and the Church. How many
times has Jesus knocked on your door, only for to say, “Not right now, but
later?” Most people don’t go to hell because they said “no” to GOD. They go
because they kept saying, “Not today.” When the bride finally opens the door,
she finds her King, her husband has gone away. The moment had passed and she
missed an opportunity to be with the king. Listen carefully… There is a window
when GOD deals with your heart. Which is why the Prophet Isaiah says, “Seek the
Lord while He may be found.” (Isa 55:6). Don’t miss your moment. Don’t let this
opportunity to answer Jesus pass you by. Because the greatest tragedy in this
passage is not that He knocked, but that she waited too long to answer. Jesus
is knocking. Will you answer?
On April 25th, Sister
Geraldine “Gerry” Cockrell went home to be with our LORD and Savior. She will
be remembered for faithful service to GOD, her dedication to her family &
to her church. On April 26th, we celebrated Jesus by honoring Him
with Communion, and we had a little devotion talking about all the baggage that
we carry around with us all through out our lives. And for each little piece of
baggage, I provided a little visual representation by picking up and wearing
all different types of luggage and backpacks. Only to show that with all the
baggage that we carry, it’s a wonder how we get anything done, but… the moment
we surrender it all to Jesus… that baggage just falls off of us! How does that
work? Because Jesus tells us so. For scripture, we used Matthew 11:28, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.” It doesn’t mean that we still won’t struggle or
put more baggage back on, but that is why Jesus tells us to “Pick up our Cross
Daily.” When we do, we renew ourselves
and it’s like we are brand new, with experience. Afterwards, we had our quarterly Business
meeting and we adjourned. Hope you are doing well, and until our next appointed
time… Remember, GOD loves you!
Pastor Sonny
R Willliams, Jr.
