Thanksgiving and Prayer, 14 June 2026
14 06 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
Thanksgiving and Prayer
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
June 14, 2026
Ephesians 1:15-23
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: God is awesome and worthy of our thanksgiving and praise.
Summary: Paul loves his audience and thanks God for them. Their faith and love are encouraging and inspiring. He wants them to know their calling, their inheritance, and their powerful LORD.
If we can have Christmas in July, I want to propose today we have Thanksgiving in June! Gratitude is powerful. In fact, at a time when so many are feeling anxious, did you know gratitude and anxiety cannot coexist at the same time in the brain? If you want to change your mood, your mind, your focus, pause and develop an attitude of gratitude. You can begin with this truth: God is awesome and worthy of our thanksgiving, prayer, and praise.
Today we’re in week three of a long series on the book of Ephesians, a letter written by an early Church leader named Paul sometime around A.D. 55. Many believe it was written to a church in modern day Turkey, but it’s possible the intended audience was different or broader. Regardless, let’s imagine it was written to us! We could rename the book “Findlay!”
Last week set the context, encouraging words about God’s blessings and our identity in Christ as followers of Jesus. Last Sunday’s scripture was one long verse in the original Greek. We ended with this text:
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14)
This week’s text was also one, long verse! Context is necessary to understand the first three words of today’s passage:
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:15-16)
The faith and love of these believers are inspiring to Paul. They have faith toward God and love toward people. I want to say you can’t have one without the other, though many claim to do so. They love to sing on Sunday…but can’t stand their co-workers on Monday! Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love others as yourself, and Paul praises these people for doing both. They love God and all His people. Do you?
Paul thanks God for his audience and prays for them. He doesn’t stop giving thanks!
Thanksgiving and prayer are two of the greatest gifts we can offer God…and others.
College First family, I thank God for you. I love you. I love hearing stories about what God is doing in and through you. I love your generosity, gratitude, volunteering, and caring. I love meeting people new around here who have said they have been warmly welcomed. I love seeing small groups serve together, Next Gen leaders love and equip our future leaders, and our spiritual sponsors praying for kids at camp, mission trips, and Bible quizzing finals.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
(Ephesians 1:17)
I can relate to this, too. I have five prayers for College First: direction, protection, passion, unity, and good fruit. I pray for wisdom for myself and our leaders, and I long for all of us to know Christ better, not just know about, but actually know Jesus. I want the world to know the LORD, but especially you. The word “better” implies growth, maturity…sanctification is the fancy word for becoming like Jesus, which occurs as we spend time with him and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul prays to the glorious Father, seen in Jesus, for the gift of the Spirit.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19a)
There was a popular song in the 90s called “Open the Eyes of my Heart.” I didn’t know my heart had eyes! This refers to the inner being—which includes the emotions, mind, and will. Warren Wiersbe notes,
The inner man, the heart, has spiritual faculties that parallel the physical senses. The inner man can see (Ps. 119:18; John 3:3), hear (Matt. 13:9; Heb. 5:11), taste (Ps. 34:8; 1 Peter 2:3), smell (Phil. 4:18; 2 Cor. 2:14), and touch (Acts 17:27). This is what Jesus meant when He said of the people, “They seeing see not, and hearing they hear not” (Matt. 13:13). The inability to see and understand spiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but of the heart. The eyes of the heart must be opened by the Spirit of God.
Hope is not a wish, like hoping it doesn’t rain on your BBQ. Our hope is in the promised. Return of Christ for us, the Church. Without him, we have no hope, but in Jesus we have a living hope.
The word called is an important word for Christians. The word church combines two Greek words that mean “called out.” Elsewhere, Paul says we are “called by his grace,” we have a “holy calling,” we’ve been “called out of darkness into his marvelous light” and “called to glory.” This is who we are, church!
I had to read this next part again. When I saw glorious inheritance, I thought it referred to our inheritance in Christ, but actually it’s His inheritance in us, his holy people! God sees value in us. We are his wealth, his investment. He’s looking at our future, not our past. Christ will be glorified in us and we in him.
Then Paul mentions God’s incomparably great power…for him to use for his own selfish pleasure? No! It’s for us, for us who believe. This is dynamic, divine, eternal energy available to us! How big is your God?
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:19b-21)
Did you catch that? His incomparably great power for us who believe is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! That’s more power than all of the AI data centers in the world! It’s the greatest power in the universe!
Where is Jesus now? He is at the right hand of the Father, above all. His reign is eternal. King Jesus is on the throne and for a season allowing people to be tempted by evil. I don’t understand why he doesn’t eliminate the enemy now, but the day is coming.
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22-23)
All things are under Jesus’ feet, including all demons and spiritual forces.
Jesus is over the Church, his bride, his body on earth…us! He is the head and we are the body. We must always be connected! Decapitation harms the head and the body! What is your part? Are you hands that help? Hearts that care? Lungs that sing? Feet that go? Backs that carry the loads of others? Arms that hug? Tongues that teach? Minds that discern? We are the body of Christ, and each of us is a vital part.
As we spend time with Jesus, know Jesus, and become like Jesus, we will be a signpost pointing others to him as we go and make disciples of all nations. It’s all about Jesus! God is awesome and worthy of our thanksgiving, prayer, and praise.
So What?
The song “Holy Forever” contains these lyrics taken from our text:
Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all
The name of Jesus is the greatest. Jesus is the greatest. There’s no one like our God!
When you get stressed, don’t look down at your problems. Look up at His power.
Don’t worry about the future. Wonder about His faithfulness.
Don’t get depressed about your situation. Dial into His solutions.
In summary, Paul prays that they might know
God (17b)
God’s calling (18a)
God’s riches (18b)
God’s power (19-23)
I pray that for you…for all of us. If we truly grasp these realities, we will be transformed. We will become like Jesus…and his Kingdom will come and his will will be done here on earth as it is in heaven for His glory. Amen!
Credits: Some ideas from Warren Wiersbe and Jerry Murray.
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
June 14, 2026
Ephesians 1:15-23
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: God is awesome and worthy of our thanksgiving and praise.
Summary: Paul loves his audience and thanks God for them. Their faith and love are encouraging and inspiring. He wants them to know their calling, their inheritance, and their powerful LORD.
If we can have Christmas in July, I want to propose today we have Thanksgiving in June! Gratitude is powerful. In fact, at a time when so many are feeling anxious, did you know gratitude and anxiety cannot coexist at the same time in the brain? If you want to change your mood, your mind, your focus, pause and develop an attitude of gratitude. You can begin with this truth: God is awesome and worthy of our thanksgiving, prayer, and praise.
Today we’re in week three of a long series on the book of Ephesians, a letter written by an early Church leader named Paul sometime around A.D. 55. Many believe it was written to a church in modern day Turkey, but it’s possible the intended audience was different or broader. Regardless, let’s imagine it was written to us! We could rename the book “Findlay!”
Last week set the context, encouraging words about God’s blessings and our identity in Christ as followers of Jesus. Last Sunday’s scripture was one long verse in the original Greek. We ended with this text:
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14)
This week’s text was also one, long verse! Context is necessary to understand the first three words of today’s passage:
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:15-16)
The faith and love of these believers are inspiring to Paul. They have faith toward God and love toward people. I want to say you can’t have one without the other, though many claim to do so. They love to sing on Sunday…but can’t stand their co-workers on Monday! Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love others as yourself, and Paul praises these people for doing both. They love God and all His people. Do you?
Paul thanks God for his audience and prays for them. He doesn’t stop giving thanks!
Thanksgiving and prayer are two of the greatest gifts we can offer God…and others.
College First family, I thank God for you. I love you. I love hearing stories about what God is doing in and through you. I love your generosity, gratitude, volunteering, and caring. I love meeting people new around here who have said they have been warmly welcomed. I love seeing small groups serve together, Next Gen leaders love and equip our future leaders, and our spiritual sponsors praying for kids at camp, mission trips, and Bible quizzing finals.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
(Ephesians 1:17)
I can relate to this, too. I have five prayers for College First: direction, protection, passion, unity, and good fruit. I pray for wisdom for myself and our leaders, and I long for all of us to know Christ better, not just know about, but actually know Jesus. I want the world to know the LORD, but especially you. The word “better” implies growth, maturity…sanctification is the fancy word for becoming like Jesus, which occurs as we spend time with him and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul prays to the glorious Father, seen in Jesus, for the gift of the Spirit.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19a)
There was a popular song in the 90s called “Open the Eyes of my Heart.” I didn’t know my heart had eyes! This refers to the inner being—which includes the emotions, mind, and will. Warren Wiersbe notes,
The inner man, the heart, has spiritual faculties that parallel the physical senses. The inner man can see (Ps. 119:18; John 3:3), hear (Matt. 13:9; Heb. 5:11), taste (Ps. 34:8; 1 Peter 2:3), smell (Phil. 4:18; 2 Cor. 2:14), and touch (Acts 17:27). This is what Jesus meant when He said of the people, “They seeing see not, and hearing they hear not” (Matt. 13:13). The inability to see and understand spiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but of the heart. The eyes of the heart must be opened by the Spirit of God.
Hope is not a wish, like hoping it doesn’t rain on your BBQ. Our hope is in the promised. Return of Christ for us, the Church. Without him, we have no hope, but in Jesus we have a living hope.
The word called is an important word for Christians. The word church combines two Greek words that mean “called out.” Elsewhere, Paul says we are “called by his grace,” we have a “holy calling,” we’ve been “called out of darkness into his marvelous light” and “called to glory.” This is who we are, church!
I had to read this next part again. When I saw glorious inheritance, I thought it referred to our inheritance in Christ, but actually it’s His inheritance in us, his holy people! God sees value in us. We are his wealth, his investment. He’s looking at our future, not our past. Christ will be glorified in us and we in him.
Then Paul mentions God’s incomparably great power…for him to use for his own selfish pleasure? No! It’s for us, for us who believe. This is dynamic, divine, eternal energy available to us! How big is your God?
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:19b-21)
Did you catch that? His incomparably great power for us who believe is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! That’s more power than all of the AI data centers in the world! It’s the greatest power in the universe!
Where is Jesus now? He is at the right hand of the Father, above all. His reign is eternal. King Jesus is on the throne and for a season allowing people to be tempted by evil. I don’t understand why he doesn’t eliminate the enemy now, but the day is coming.
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22-23)
All things are under Jesus’ feet, including all demons and spiritual forces.
Jesus is over the Church, his bride, his body on earth…us! He is the head and we are the body. We must always be connected! Decapitation harms the head and the body! What is your part? Are you hands that help? Hearts that care? Lungs that sing? Feet that go? Backs that carry the loads of others? Arms that hug? Tongues that teach? Minds that discern? We are the body of Christ, and each of us is a vital part.
As we spend time with Jesus, know Jesus, and become like Jesus, we will be a signpost pointing others to him as we go and make disciples of all nations. It’s all about Jesus! God is awesome and worthy of our thanksgiving, prayer, and praise.
So What?
The song “Holy Forever” contains these lyrics taken from our text:
Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all
The name of Jesus is the greatest. Jesus is the greatest. There’s no one like our God!
When you get stressed, don’t look down at your problems. Look up at His power.
Don’t worry about the future. Wonder about His faithfulness.
Don’t get depressed about your situation. Dial into His solutions.
In summary, Paul prays that they might know
God (17b)
God’s calling (18a)
God’s riches (18b)
God’s power (19-23)
I pray that for you…for all of us. If we truly grasp these realities, we will be transformed. We will become like Jesus…and his Kingdom will come and his will will be done here on earth as it is in heaven for His glory. Amen!
Credits: Some ideas from Warren Wiersbe and Jerry Murray.
Blessings, 7 June 2026
10 06 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
Blessings
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
June 7, 2026
Ephesians 1:3-14
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: We have been blessed by God because we are in Christ.
In 2011, more than 500 churches in Metro Detroit participated in an outreach campaign called EACH: everyone a chance to hear. The idea was for people to create a personal two-word story to generate conversations. Examples included:
Peace? Peace
Significant? Significant
Loved? Loved
People were then directed to a website filled with stories of people encountering Jesus.
The big question at the time was, “What’s your word?” After thought and prayer, I realized my word was blessed.
After last week’s intro by Dr. David Odegard, today we dive into our series Ephesians: Finding our True Identity. Today’s text focuses on this word blessings.
What are blessings?
The Greek word in our scripture reading is “eulogeo” which means “to thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper, praise.” We can bless the LORD, praise the LORD. We can bless others, thanking them, praising them, seeking their prosperity.
When someone sneezes, people often say, “Bless you” or the German “Gesundheit” which means “health.” In Spanish, the word “salud” is used.
Most of my e-mails end with the closing, “Blessings, Kirk.” It’s not an auto-generated signature…on purpose. I manually type “blessings.” I have been blessed to be a blessing.
In the first book of the Bible, God said to Abram,
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
Thousands of years later, it’s appropriate to say we’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
Today’s scripture reading was quite long. In the original Greek, it was one, run-on sentence! English teachers today would tell Paul, “Use a period!” Fortunately, Bible translators did. Let’s go!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
The first word “praise” in Hebrew means blessing. Here we see two members of the Trinity, Father and Son (and later the Holy Spirit). This Father/Son relationship is not biological, but theological. They are both eternal and equal, both God.
Followers of Jesus are blessed. Perhaps our greatest blessing is reconciliation with God through the cross. This includes eternal salvation, but we don’t have to wait around until death to experience the blessings. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing which includes the power of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, and the constant presence of the Spirit.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
If you are a follower of Jesus, your primary identity is “in Christ.” We’ll see this expression dozens of times throughout this series. It means essentially whatever God the Father says about Jesus, he says about you. Whatever is true about Jesus is true of you, because you are in Christ. You are on his team.
Think of it this way: the Dodgers won the World Series last year.
Shohei Ohtani, .333 batting average, 3 home runs, 5 RBIs, 6 runs, 9 hits
Alex Call, .143 batting average, 0 home runs, 0 RBIs, 0 runs, 1 hit
Justin Dean, 0 home runs, 0 RBIs, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 at bats!
They all received the same championship ring!
When we join Team Jesus, we get to wear his ring, put on his uniform, and we’re united with him. His blessings, people, future, status, and life become ours. This is living in union with Christ. It’s more than just a mental belief. It’s an existential reality!
Jesus taught this in John 15 when we said he is the vine and we are the branches. We share the life of the vine. The branches only produce fruit when connected to the vine, and we only produce good fruit when we’re connected to Jesus.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
This introduces one of the great debates in the Christian faith. Do we choose God or does God choose us? The answer is…yes!
Am I married because I asked Heather to marry me, or because she said, “Yes?”
Here Paul says followers of Jesus were chosen…before the world was created! Similarly, God chose the people of Israel as His treasure. It can be said if you are a Christian God adopted us into His family.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:7-8a)
Redemption refers to the idea of paying to set a slave free, to redeem, to exchange. That happens for us through the cross, the blood of Jesus we will remember today through communion. It also grants us the forgiveness of our sins. God’s grace is lavished on us, unmerited favor, we deserve nothing, we did nothing, it’s a free gift that simply needs to be received.
Have you said “yes” to Jesus? Are you responding to his simple invitation to follow him? He did the heavy lifting, suffering and dying. He wants to lead us, shepherd us, guide us, but like any sheep, we can choose to follow or stray. Where are you today?
This is not a one-time decision, but a daily choice to obey or disobey, to let Jesus take the wheel or put him in the trunk, so to speak.
With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:8b-10)
From the beginning of time, God had a plan for humanity, but it was a mystery until Jesus the Messiah accomplished his assignment. This is not to say it’s mysterious, but rather it has been kept secret and is now revealed. God’s Kingdom is now open to Jews and Gentiles who repent.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
The “we” here likely refers to Paul’s ethnicity, the Jews. It’s impossible for us to fully understand the tensions and distinctions between Jew and Gentile, but here here’s highlighting Jews who follow Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. Fortunately, Gentiles are included.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve heard the gospel, the good news, the message of truth, the message that Jesus is LORD and we are invited to follow him and experience salvation, abundant life, peace, joy, and the Holy Spirit.
We’ve been sealed by the Holy Spirit. We talked about this two weeks ago on Pentecost Sunday. Back in the day, a seal meant protection and ownership. The Holy Spirit seals us. We belong to God. Our salvation is secure, a guarantee that we are God’s and we will spend now and forever with Him. We are able to experience glimpses of the Kingdom of God in this life, but the next will be the fulfillment of life with God. I can’t wait!
So What?
If you’ve never said “yes” to Jesus, what are you waiting for? The benefits are endless. The blessings are eternal. The forgiveness lasts forever. The peace and joy are indescribable. The freedom is incredible. All you have to do is say, “Jesus, I give you my life.” Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to activate the benefits of the cross and empty tomb. Today is the day to begin your journey. Mark this as your spiritual birthday, and if that’s you, please tell me. I’d love to meet you in the lobby or send me a simple e-mail.
If you’ve said yes to Jesus, today is a reminder of how you’ve been
• Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
• Chosen by God before the foundation of the world.
• Adopted into His family with full rights and inheritance.
• Redeemed and forgiven through the blood of Jesus.
• Sealed with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing your future.
After you sneeze and someone says, “Bless you,” what do you say? Thank you.
Today, your next step may be to simply say to God, “Thank you.” We can do that through words, songs, giving, volunteering, praying, being still, paying attention, sharing our faith, and speaking God’s love language of obedience. We are blessed. Hallelujah!
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
June 7, 2026
Ephesians 1:3-14
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: We have been blessed by God because we are in Christ.
In 2011, more than 500 churches in Metro Detroit participated in an outreach campaign called EACH: everyone a chance to hear. The idea was for people to create a personal two-word story to generate conversations. Examples included:
Peace? Peace
Significant? Significant
Loved? Loved
People were then directed to a website filled with stories of people encountering Jesus.
The big question at the time was, “What’s your word?” After thought and prayer, I realized my word was blessed.
After last week’s intro by Dr. David Odegard, today we dive into our series Ephesians: Finding our True Identity. Today’s text focuses on this word blessings.
What are blessings?
The Greek word in our scripture reading is “eulogeo” which means “to thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper, praise.” We can bless the LORD, praise the LORD. We can bless others, thanking them, praising them, seeking their prosperity.
When someone sneezes, people often say, “Bless you” or the German “Gesundheit” which means “health.” In Spanish, the word “salud” is used.
Most of my e-mails end with the closing, “Blessings, Kirk.” It’s not an auto-generated signature…on purpose. I manually type “blessings.” I have been blessed to be a blessing.
In the first book of the Bible, God said to Abram,
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
Thousands of years later, it’s appropriate to say we’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
Today’s scripture reading was quite long. In the original Greek, it was one, run-on sentence! English teachers today would tell Paul, “Use a period!” Fortunately, Bible translators did. Let’s go!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
The first word “praise” in Hebrew means blessing. Here we see two members of the Trinity, Father and Son (and later the Holy Spirit). This Father/Son relationship is not biological, but theological. They are both eternal and equal, both God.
Followers of Jesus are blessed. Perhaps our greatest blessing is reconciliation with God through the cross. This includes eternal salvation, but we don’t have to wait around until death to experience the blessings. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing which includes the power of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, and the constant presence of the Spirit.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
If you are a follower of Jesus, your primary identity is “in Christ.” We’ll see this expression dozens of times throughout this series. It means essentially whatever God the Father says about Jesus, he says about you. Whatever is true about Jesus is true of you, because you are in Christ. You are on his team.
Think of it this way: the Dodgers won the World Series last year.
Shohei Ohtani, .333 batting average, 3 home runs, 5 RBIs, 6 runs, 9 hits
Alex Call, .143 batting average, 0 home runs, 0 RBIs, 0 runs, 1 hit
Justin Dean, 0 home runs, 0 RBIs, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 at bats!
They all received the same championship ring!
When we join Team Jesus, we get to wear his ring, put on his uniform, and we’re united with him. His blessings, people, future, status, and life become ours. This is living in union with Christ. It’s more than just a mental belief. It’s an existential reality!
Jesus taught this in John 15 when we said he is the vine and we are the branches. We share the life of the vine. The branches only produce fruit when connected to the vine, and we only produce good fruit when we’re connected to Jesus.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
This introduces one of the great debates in the Christian faith. Do we choose God or does God choose us? The answer is…yes!
Am I married because I asked Heather to marry me, or because she said, “Yes?”
Here Paul says followers of Jesus were chosen…before the world was created! Similarly, God chose the people of Israel as His treasure. It can be said if you are a Christian God adopted us into His family.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:7-8a)
Redemption refers to the idea of paying to set a slave free, to redeem, to exchange. That happens for us through the cross, the blood of Jesus we will remember today through communion. It also grants us the forgiveness of our sins. God’s grace is lavished on us, unmerited favor, we deserve nothing, we did nothing, it’s a free gift that simply needs to be received.
Have you said “yes” to Jesus? Are you responding to his simple invitation to follow him? He did the heavy lifting, suffering and dying. He wants to lead us, shepherd us, guide us, but like any sheep, we can choose to follow or stray. Where are you today?
This is not a one-time decision, but a daily choice to obey or disobey, to let Jesus take the wheel or put him in the trunk, so to speak.
With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:8b-10)
From the beginning of time, God had a plan for humanity, but it was a mystery until Jesus the Messiah accomplished his assignment. This is not to say it’s mysterious, but rather it has been kept secret and is now revealed. God’s Kingdom is now open to Jews and Gentiles who repent.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
The “we” here likely refers to Paul’s ethnicity, the Jews. It’s impossible for us to fully understand the tensions and distinctions between Jew and Gentile, but here here’s highlighting Jews who follow Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. Fortunately, Gentiles are included.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve heard the gospel, the good news, the message of truth, the message that Jesus is LORD and we are invited to follow him and experience salvation, abundant life, peace, joy, and the Holy Spirit.
We’ve been sealed by the Holy Spirit. We talked about this two weeks ago on Pentecost Sunday. Back in the day, a seal meant protection and ownership. The Holy Spirit seals us. We belong to God. Our salvation is secure, a guarantee that we are God’s and we will spend now and forever with Him. We are able to experience glimpses of the Kingdom of God in this life, but the next will be the fulfillment of life with God. I can’t wait!
So What?
If you’ve never said “yes” to Jesus, what are you waiting for? The benefits are endless. The blessings are eternal. The forgiveness lasts forever. The peace and joy are indescribable. The freedom is incredible. All you have to do is say, “Jesus, I give you my life.” Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to activate the benefits of the cross and empty tomb. Today is the day to begin your journey. Mark this as your spiritual birthday, and if that’s you, please tell me. I’d love to meet you in the lobby or send me a simple e-mail.
If you’ve said yes to Jesus, today is a reminder of how you’ve been
• Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
• Chosen by God before the foundation of the world.
• Adopted into His family with full rights and inheritance.
• Redeemed and forgiven through the blood of Jesus.
• Sealed with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing your future.
After you sneeze and someone says, “Bless you,” what do you say? Thank you.
Today, your next step may be to simply say to God, “Thank you.” We can do that through words, songs, giving, volunteering, praying, being still, paying attention, sharing our faith, and speaking God’s love language of obedience. We are blessed. Hallelujah!
Holy Spirit, Acts 2, 24 May 2026
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
May 24, 2026
Acts 2
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift who gives gifts and fruit for the Church.
What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received, an expression of love? What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever given, an expression of love?
I think it’s safe to say the greatest gift in history was…Jesus. The most famous verse in the Bible says,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
God loved. God gave. We are blessed, reconciled, saved, forgiven. But Jesus is not the only gift. Another one arrived on the day we celebrate today—Pentecost Sunday.
Jesus came to earth as a baby, a day we celebrate called…CHRISTmas. He grew, taught, healed, show us the perfect example of what it means to be human, and then was scandalously arrested and ultimately crucified…for us…in our place. On Easter, we celebrated that He is risen (He is risen indeed!).
Just as the disciples are getting used to Jesus being alive, he tells them leaving once more. I can just imagine the objections. “You just came back!” “You accomplished your mission.” “Where are you going?” “Stay here!” His reply?
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
The Advocate. The Greek word is parakletos. An intercessor, consoler, comforter. We refer to this person as the Holy Spirit.
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:8-11)
Jesus is introducing the Holy Spirit.
God is a divine mystery, one God in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each has a unique role in the relationship known as the Trinity.
Jesus had a clear assignment that involved about 33 years on earth, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension. He will return, but in the meantime, He sent the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit did not appear for the first time on Pentecost. The Spirit is visible in the first verses of the Bible.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)
The original Hebrew word for Spirit is ruach, meaning breath, wind, spirit.
Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit shows up at particular times and places. What made Pentecost special was the distribution of God’s presence upon every follower of Jesus.
As Acts chapter two begins, thousands of people from all over the world had gathered in Jerusalem. Imagine a World Cup match this summer. They came not for sport, though, but rather Shavuot, the great harvest festival (Expdus 23:16).
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)
The ruach, the Spirit, shows up like a wind and also fire. The Greek word is pneuma. This was a supernatural moment where heaven invaded earth. It was a reversal of the Tower of Babel story from Genesis 11. There, the people tried to build a tower to heaven in hopes of both reaching and controlling God, making a name for themselves.
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Genesis 11:5-7)
So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:8-9)
Going back to the second chapter of Acts, we see this reversed.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:5-12)
When people talk about speaking in tongues here, they were known languages including probably Greek, Latin, Egyptian, Aramaic, Hebrew, Median, Parthian, and others. This was not babbling or a “heavenly” language, but people from around the known world heard in their own tongues. This was truly miraculous!
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:13)
"Whatever we might've heard, Pentecost is not the story of devout believers lost in prayer, hidden away in an upper room, caught up in mystical rapture," says Dr Chris Green, Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University, Florida. "Pentecost is the story of bewildered not-sure-what-to-believe believers swept out of prayer into the streets, into the public eye. Pentecost is the end of spirituality because the Spirit presses the church into the public square, into public responsibility. Following the Spirit always leads down from the upper room and out to the outer courts."
Peter addresses the crowd and this incredible chapter ends with this summary.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)
Again, this has been called the birthday of the Church as God’s new temple, the earthly place where He dwells. The Church is the Body of Christ, the movement of Jesus, the people of God empowered by and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Tragically, many today are unaware of the Holy Spirit or are even afraid of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift who gives gifts and fruit for the Church.
Spiritual gifts are mentioned in several passages including 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. They include things such as prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, leadership, and mercy. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are vital, not to glorify the user, but to serve the Church. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray and understand God’s Word, empowers us to share our faith, and unifies Christians.
The Holy Spirit also produces fruit in the lives of Christ-followers who are humble, prayerful, and surrendered to the LORD.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
If you want an indicator of your spiritual maturity, it can be found here. Are you more loving and self-controlled than you were a year ago? Are you growing in joy, peace, and gentleness? This is what it means to become like Jesus. Would those closest to you say you are increasing in patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness?
I reflect upon this is often, tempted to try harder and manufacture human fruit before reminding myself the pathway to fruit is not striving, but submission, solitude, silence, and slowing down to be fully present with God. We don’t achieve fruit. We naturally produce it when we are connected to God. It doesn’t come by straining, but surrender.
So What?
All of this was prophesied by Jesus in the first chapter of Acts when asked about restoring the kingdom to Israel.
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Earlier, you heard the Lord’s Prayer in several languages. Christianity was the first multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual language in the history of the world. Today, the vision of Jesus’ words is becoming a reality, ultimately leading to worship from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9). Our is not an English faith, a white faith, or a USAmerican faith. It is a global movement filled with people created in the image of God from every corner of the globe.
The mission of College First is to love, equip, and…send. We’re not a country club for members only. We’re a hospital for the sick, preparing wounded healers to offer faith, hope, and love to a broken world. We want to serve Findlay, Ohio, the USA, and the world. We are his witnesses, and the original Greek world implies the possibility of martyrdom. Are you willing to give your life for Jesus? Are you willing to live for the LORD? Are you willing to die for Christ? He was willing to die for you.
Pete Greig writes, “Today we celebrate the birth of this 2000 year-old, 2 billion strong, messed-up, blessed-up, revolutionary movement of justice and love we call The Church. She is not perfect. Many grave sins have been committed. Our hearts must often grieve. But still the Church of Jesus Christ remains the greatest agency of human blessing the world has ever known: starting schools and hospitals, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, inspiring the greatest art the world has ever known, healing broken families, redeeming cultures and reconciling warring tribes, establishing the foundations for scientific innovation and human flourishing, shaping entire civilizations, and above all, proclaiming today on this Pentecost Sunday the same, stunning good news of salvation for the nations in every generation through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Come Holy Spirit. All of our ministry efforts are pointless without the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift who gives gifts and fruit for the Church…to love and serve the world. May we all be filled with the Holy Spirit and become more like Jesus every day for his glory. Amen!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
May 24, 2026
Acts 2
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift who gives gifts and fruit for the Church.
What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received, an expression of love? What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever given, an expression of love?
I think it’s safe to say the greatest gift in history was…Jesus. The most famous verse in the Bible says,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
God loved. God gave. We are blessed, reconciled, saved, forgiven. But Jesus is not the only gift. Another one arrived on the day we celebrate today—Pentecost Sunday.
Jesus came to earth as a baby, a day we celebrate called…CHRISTmas. He grew, taught, healed, show us the perfect example of what it means to be human, and then was scandalously arrested and ultimately crucified…for us…in our place. On Easter, we celebrated that He is risen (He is risen indeed!).
Just as the disciples are getting used to Jesus being alive, he tells them leaving once more. I can just imagine the objections. “You just came back!” “You accomplished your mission.” “Where are you going?” “Stay here!” His reply?
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
The Advocate. The Greek word is parakletos. An intercessor, consoler, comforter. We refer to this person as the Holy Spirit.
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:8-11)
Jesus is introducing the Holy Spirit.
God is a divine mystery, one God in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each has a unique role in the relationship known as the Trinity.
Jesus had a clear assignment that involved about 33 years on earth, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension. He will return, but in the meantime, He sent the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit did not appear for the first time on Pentecost. The Spirit is visible in the first verses of the Bible.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)
The original Hebrew word for Spirit is ruach, meaning breath, wind, spirit.
Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit shows up at particular times and places. What made Pentecost special was the distribution of God’s presence upon every follower of Jesus.
As Acts chapter two begins, thousands of people from all over the world had gathered in Jerusalem. Imagine a World Cup match this summer. They came not for sport, though, but rather Shavuot, the great harvest festival (Expdus 23:16).
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)
The ruach, the Spirit, shows up like a wind and also fire. The Greek word is pneuma. This was a supernatural moment where heaven invaded earth. It was a reversal of the Tower of Babel story from Genesis 11. There, the people tried to build a tower to heaven in hopes of both reaching and controlling God, making a name for themselves.
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Genesis 11:5-7)
So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:8-9)
Going back to the second chapter of Acts, we see this reversed.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:5-12)
When people talk about speaking in tongues here, they were known languages including probably Greek, Latin, Egyptian, Aramaic, Hebrew, Median, Parthian, and others. This was not babbling or a “heavenly” language, but people from around the known world heard in their own tongues. This was truly miraculous!
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:13)
"Whatever we might've heard, Pentecost is not the story of devout believers lost in prayer, hidden away in an upper room, caught up in mystical rapture," says Dr Chris Green, Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University, Florida. "Pentecost is the story of bewildered not-sure-what-to-believe believers swept out of prayer into the streets, into the public eye. Pentecost is the end of spirituality because the Spirit presses the church into the public square, into public responsibility. Following the Spirit always leads down from the upper room and out to the outer courts."
Peter addresses the crowd and this incredible chapter ends with this summary.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)
Again, this has been called the birthday of the Church as God’s new temple, the earthly place where He dwells. The Church is the Body of Christ, the movement of Jesus, the people of God empowered by and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Tragically, many today are unaware of the Holy Spirit or are even afraid of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift who gives gifts and fruit for the Church.
Spiritual gifts are mentioned in several passages including 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. They include things such as prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, leadership, and mercy. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are vital, not to glorify the user, but to serve the Church. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray and understand God’s Word, empowers us to share our faith, and unifies Christians.
The Holy Spirit also produces fruit in the lives of Christ-followers who are humble, prayerful, and surrendered to the LORD.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
If you want an indicator of your spiritual maturity, it can be found here. Are you more loving and self-controlled than you were a year ago? Are you growing in joy, peace, and gentleness? This is what it means to become like Jesus. Would those closest to you say you are increasing in patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness?
I reflect upon this is often, tempted to try harder and manufacture human fruit before reminding myself the pathway to fruit is not striving, but submission, solitude, silence, and slowing down to be fully present with God. We don’t achieve fruit. We naturally produce it when we are connected to God. It doesn’t come by straining, but surrender.
So What?
All of this was prophesied by Jesus in the first chapter of Acts when asked about restoring the kingdom to Israel.
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Earlier, you heard the Lord’s Prayer in several languages. Christianity was the first multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual language in the history of the world. Today, the vision of Jesus’ words is becoming a reality, ultimately leading to worship from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9). Our is not an English faith, a white faith, or a USAmerican faith. It is a global movement filled with people created in the image of God from every corner of the globe.
The mission of College First is to love, equip, and…send. We’re not a country club for members only. We’re a hospital for the sick, preparing wounded healers to offer faith, hope, and love to a broken world. We want to serve Findlay, Ohio, the USA, and the world. We are his witnesses, and the original Greek world implies the possibility of martyrdom. Are you willing to give your life for Jesus? Are you willing to live for the LORD? Are you willing to die for Christ? He was willing to die for you.
Pete Greig writes, “Today we celebrate the birth of this 2000 year-old, 2 billion strong, messed-up, blessed-up, revolutionary movement of justice and love we call The Church. She is not perfect. Many grave sins have been committed. Our hearts must often grieve. But still the Church of Jesus Christ remains the greatest agency of human blessing the world has ever known: starting schools and hospitals, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, inspiring the greatest art the world has ever known, healing broken families, redeeming cultures and reconciling warring tribes, establishing the foundations for scientific innovation and human flourishing, shaping entire civilizations, and above all, proclaiming today on this Pentecost Sunday the same, stunning good news of salvation for the nations in every generation through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Come Holy Spirit. All of our ministry efforts are pointless without the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift who gives gifts and fruit for the Church…to love and serve the world. May we all be filled with the Holy Spirit and become more like Jesus every day for his glory. Amen!
Mind: Plan for Tomorrow, 17 May 2026
17 05 26 Filed in: Sermons | Matters of Life and Death
Mind: Plan for Tomorrow
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: Matters of Life and Death
May 17, 2026
Proverbs 13:20-22
Series Big Idea: You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
Big Idea: It’s never too soon to think about the legacy—or mess—we will leave.
Key Verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Are you ready to die? There’s a good chance it’s going to happen someday! Death and taxes are certain for all of us. The Psalms say,
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
I realize death is not necessarily the most happy, uplifting thing to think about, but failing to do so has tremendous consequences. As we conclude our three-part series Matters of Life and Death, I want to remind you of Jesus’ summary of the entire Bible. He said,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Two weeks ago, our ministry fellow Alex Miller talked about loving God with all your strength, your body. It’s a temple, a dwelling place for God and deserves care and respect.
Last Sunday, Pastors David and Kimberly spoke about loving God with all your soul, paying attention to your spiritual life and being prepared for death.
Today we’re talking about loving God with all your heart and mind…using your brain to make good choices that actually address Jesus’ next words.
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)
Who do you love more than anyone besides God? Probably your family. Our days are numbered…and we don’t know how many we have left. Obviously senior citizens are likely to die sooner than high school seniors, but tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us. Are you ready?
In addition to living healthy and getting right with God, we must get our affairs in order for those left behind.
Whenever someone asks, “How can I pray for you?” if I’m not in a crisis, I will say, “wisdom.” The Bible is filled with timeless wisdom, much of it contained in the book of Proverbs, often attributed to King Solomon.
Our text comes from the book of Proverbs. It begins,
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20)
That’s wisdom! You are your friends. Choose wisely.
Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things. (Proverbs 13:21)
At times, it may seem as if no good deed goes unpunished, but in the end, the righteous will be rewarded, if not in this life.
A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)
This is our focus today…what we leave behind. About 8500 people will die today in the USA. Some will leave a mess behind…debt, junk, a legacy of abuse and neglect. Others will leave an inheritance, not just money, but a legacy of faith, hope, and love.
I’m going to get extremely practical today. You can take notes now or visit PastorKirk.com later, but there are some things you won’t want to miss.
When people think of preparing for their death, the first thing they usually think about is their…will. Do you have one? Only 26% of USAmericans do. Or do you have a Revocable Living Trust, which has additional benefits? Are beneficiaries named on your assets? What about passwords? Is there a place people can access your login information for bank accounts, bills, and other websites? Is there a list of your assets, including insurance policies, properties, and investments?
My dad died twelve years ago of Alzheimer’s. We had years to prepare…and mom did. His transition to the next life was smooth and easy.
My mother-in-law died four years earlier…unexpectedly. When we took her to the hospital, we never imagined she would never come home. She had assets without beneficiaries, an under-water apartment, boxes of papers, and we spent needless time and money in probate court. It was a stressful mess.
If you died today, will your loved ones be grateful or grumbling about your estate? I’m not even talking about the amount of money, but are things organized? Are your plans written in a legal document? Will your possessions easily transfer? Do you have a “cheat sheet” with passwords for those left behind to settle your affairs? Are your financial wishes clear? Will all your wealth go to your children or have you considered eternal investments such as College First and other ministries? This is about loving well those dearest to us.
You may be thinking, “I’m a student with no assets…and I’ll probably live another 80 years.” Maybe, but maybe not. There’s a saying in the life insurance industry: it’s not for you, but those you leave behind. Speaking of, do you have life insurance? This is especially crucial if you have children at home. It’s never too soon to prepare for death.
Medical Preparation
Preparation for death does not always involve death itself. Do you have a living will? A health care power of attorney? Who will make medical decisions if you are unable to do so? It is imperative that you communicate with loved ones your wishes regarding medical care, especially regarding prolonging your life. Don’t burden others with decisions you can make today. Are your medical wishes clear? Have you completed a HIPPA authorization form?
Funeral Preparation
What about your body? Do you want to be buried? Cremated? A funeral or memorial service? Who do you want to officiate your ceremony? Do you have special songs you want sung, a favorite Bible passage read? Some of us will have months to consider such decisions, but there may be no better time than the present to sketch out some ideas of how you want to be remembered. Are your funeral wishes clear?
Legacy
Obviously, none of us has complete control over how we will be remembered. Even if we plan the most memorable funeral, we will have no say in how others remember us once we’re gone. What will people say at your funeral?
The most important thing you can pass down to your loved ones is not money or even a well-planned memorial service but your legacy, your story, your wisdom, your life. I’ve attended countless funerals and the legacy of the deceased is always apparent.
What do you want on your tombstone? He worked hard and made a lot of money? She was devoted to her hobbies and loved to shop? They generously invested their lives in the next generation, mentoring and tutoring? Their life resembled Jesus and they helped others to know Christ, too?
This is where things get personal in a hurry. Your legacy will not be established during your final breaths. It is established now, today, on an ordinary day, over the course of ordinary days, months, years, decades. Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
While you’re at it, write notes to your loved ones. Videotape stories of your childhood. Preserve your memories for future generations.
I was recently introduced to a tool called The Exhale Vault (exhalevault.com). There is a fee, but it guides you through documenting, organizing, and securing your stuff in one place. You can upload videos such as how to change the furnace filter, post letters to loved ones, list passwords, detail investments, share legal documents, and more. You can even grant access to certain items to certain people. This isn’t a commercial and I don’t get a commission, but it has been comforting to me and my wife to have everything in one place.
My dear friend, Ken McIntyre at the University says if you’re in your 20s and 30s, you need to focus on foundation and protection, legal and financial decisions that will matter. Those in their 30s and 40s are in a season of family and asset growth including kids, career growth, and often home ownership. If you’re in your 50s and 60s, it’s time to develop tax and other strategies to preserve wealth, while 70s and beyond is a season to update, finalize, and address healthcare documents.
I also have a list of local resources that can assist with estate planning, legal matters, CPA and finances, and Medicare issues. If you’d like a copy, simply e-mail kirk@collegefirst.org. This isn’t an endorsement, necessarily, but might be a good place to start.
So What?
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die…spiritually and otherwise. This entire message…this entire series has been created to give you a moment to pause, to take inventory, to account for your life and how you are living it…how you are loving God and loving others.
I hope your funeral is decades away, but for some of you it may only be days. I challenge you—for your sake and the sake of your loved ones—to get ready.
Our days are numbered…and we don’t know how many we have left. Now is the time to live healthy, get right with God, and get our affairs in order for those left behind. Now is the time to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Now is the time to love our neighbor—and our loved ones—as ourself.
A message like this can be a downer, but it need not be depressing. Actually, planning for your death can be a tremendous blessing to your loved ones and even to you. As followers of Jesus, we have hope that we truly are going to a better place, but it begins with preparing today for tomorrow. Jesus said,
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:42-44)
Faith in Jesus does not promise escape from death. It promises something better, that death does not get the last word. Now go live like you’re dying…because you are! And remember, the best is yet to come!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: Matters of Life and Death
May 17, 2026
Proverbs 13:20-22
Series Big Idea: You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
Big Idea: It’s never too soon to think about the legacy—or mess—we will leave.
Key Verse: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Are you ready to die? There’s a good chance it’s going to happen someday! Death and taxes are certain for all of us. The Psalms say,
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
I realize death is not necessarily the most happy, uplifting thing to think about, but failing to do so has tremendous consequences. As we conclude our three-part series Matters of Life and Death, I want to remind you of Jesus’ summary of the entire Bible. He said,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Two weeks ago, our ministry fellow Alex Miller talked about loving God with all your strength, your body. It’s a temple, a dwelling place for God and deserves care and respect.
Last Sunday, Pastors David and Kimberly spoke about loving God with all your soul, paying attention to your spiritual life and being prepared for death.
Today we’re talking about loving God with all your heart and mind…using your brain to make good choices that actually address Jesus’ next words.
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)
Who do you love more than anyone besides God? Probably your family. Our days are numbered…and we don’t know how many we have left. Obviously senior citizens are likely to die sooner than high school seniors, but tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us. Are you ready?
In addition to living healthy and getting right with God, we must get our affairs in order for those left behind.
Whenever someone asks, “How can I pray for you?” if I’m not in a crisis, I will say, “wisdom.” The Bible is filled with timeless wisdom, much of it contained in the book of Proverbs, often attributed to King Solomon.
Our text comes from the book of Proverbs. It begins,
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20)
That’s wisdom! You are your friends. Choose wisely.
Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things. (Proverbs 13:21)
At times, it may seem as if no good deed goes unpunished, but in the end, the righteous will be rewarded, if not in this life.
A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)
This is our focus today…what we leave behind. About 8500 people will die today in the USA. Some will leave a mess behind…debt, junk, a legacy of abuse and neglect. Others will leave an inheritance, not just money, but a legacy of faith, hope, and love.
I’m going to get extremely practical today. You can take notes now or visit PastorKirk.com later, but there are some things you won’t want to miss.
When people think of preparing for their death, the first thing they usually think about is their…will. Do you have one? Only 26% of USAmericans do. Or do you have a Revocable Living Trust, which has additional benefits? Are beneficiaries named on your assets? What about passwords? Is there a place people can access your login information for bank accounts, bills, and other websites? Is there a list of your assets, including insurance policies, properties, and investments?
My dad died twelve years ago of Alzheimer’s. We had years to prepare…and mom did. His transition to the next life was smooth and easy.
My mother-in-law died four years earlier…unexpectedly. When we took her to the hospital, we never imagined she would never come home. She had assets without beneficiaries, an under-water apartment, boxes of papers, and we spent needless time and money in probate court. It was a stressful mess.
If you died today, will your loved ones be grateful or grumbling about your estate? I’m not even talking about the amount of money, but are things organized? Are your plans written in a legal document? Will your possessions easily transfer? Do you have a “cheat sheet” with passwords for those left behind to settle your affairs? Are your financial wishes clear? Will all your wealth go to your children or have you considered eternal investments such as College First and other ministries? This is about loving well those dearest to us.
You may be thinking, “I’m a student with no assets…and I’ll probably live another 80 years.” Maybe, but maybe not. There’s a saying in the life insurance industry: it’s not for you, but those you leave behind. Speaking of, do you have life insurance? This is especially crucial if you have children at home. It’s never too soon to prepare for death.
Medical Preparation
Preparation for death does not always involve death itself. Do you have a living will? A health care power of attorney? Who will make medical decisions if you are unable to do so? It is imperative that you communicate with loved ones your wishes regarding medical care, especially regarding prolonging your life. Don’t burden others with decisions you can make today. Are your medical wishes clear? Have you completed a HIPPA authorization form?
Funeral Preparation
What about your body? Do you want to be buried? Cremated? A funeral or memorial service? Who do you want to officiate your ceremony? Do you have special songs you want sung, a favorite Bible passage read? Some of us will have months to consider such decisions, but there may be no better time than the present to sketch out some ideas of how you want to be remembered. Are your funeral wishes clear?
Legacy
Obviously, none of us has complete control over how we will be remembered. Even if we plan the most memorable funeral, we will have no say in how others remember us once we’re gone. What will people say at your funeral?
The most important thing you can pass down to your loved ones is not money or even a well-planned memorial service but your legacy, your story, your wisdom, your life. I’ve attended countless funerals and the legacy of the deceased is always apparent.
What do you want on your tombstone? He worked hard and made a lot of money? She was devoted to her hobbies and loved to shop? They generously invested their lives in the next generation, mentoring and tutoring? Their life resembled Jesus and they helped others to know Christ, too?
This is where things get personal in a hurry. Your legacy will not be established during your final breaths. It is established now, today, on an ordinary day, over the course of ordinary days, months, years, decades. Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
While you’re at it, write notes to your loved ones. Videotape stories of your childhood. Preserve your memories for future generations.
I was recently introduced to a tool called The Exhale Vault (exhalevault.com). There is a fee, but it guides you through documenting, organizing, and securing your stuff in one place. You can upload videos such as how to change the furnace filter, post letters to loved ones, list passwords, detail investments, share legal documents, and more. You can even grant access to certain items to certain people. This isn’t a commercial and I don’t get a commission, but it has been comforting to me and my wife to have everything in one place.
My dear friend, Ken McIntyre at the University says if you’re in your 20s and 30s, you need to focus on foundation and protection, legal and financial decisions that will matter. Those in their 30s and 40s are in a season of family and asset growth including kids, career growth, and often home ownership. If you’re in your 50s and 60s, it’s time to develop tax and other strategies to preserve wealth, while 70s and beyond is a season to update, finalize, and address healthcare documents.
I also have a list of local resources that can assist with estate planning, legal matters, CPA and finances, and Medicare issues. If you’d like a copy, simply e-mail kirk@collegefirst.org. This isn’t an endorsement, necessarily, but might be a good place to start.
So What?
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die…spiritually and otherwise. This entire message…this entire series has been created to give you a moment to pause, to take inventory, to account for your life and how you are living it…how you are loving God and loving others.
I hope your funeral is decades away, but for some of you it may only be days. I challenge you—for your sake and the sake of your loved ones—to get ready.
Our days are numbered…and we don’t know how many we have left. Now is the time to live healthy, get right with God, and get our affairs in order for those left behind. Now is the time to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Now is the time to love our neighbor—and our loved ones—as ourself.
A message like this can be a downer, but it need not be depressing. Actually, planning for your death can be a tremendous blessing to your loved ones and even to you. As followers of Jesus, we have hope that we truly are going to a better place, but it begins with preparing today for tomorrow. Jesus said,
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:42-44)
Faith in Jesus does not promise escape from death. It promises something better, that death does not get the last word. Now go live like you’re dying…because you are! And remember, the best is yet to come!
Worthy is the Lamb, 26 April 2026
26 04 26 Filed in: Sermons | Handel's Messiah
Worthy is the Lamb that Was Slain
Handel’s Messiah
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
April 26, 2026
Revelation 5:9-14
Series Big Idea: Handel’s Messiah may be the greatest work of music ever created, bringing praise and glory to the Creator.
Big Idea: Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb that was slain for us, is worthy of our eternal worship, praise, and devotion.
Know: Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
Feel: Deeper love for Jesus and his love for us.
Do: Worship God in Spirit and in truth with passion and joy.
Today’s the day we finish our series on arguably the greatest music ever written, Handel’s Messiah. That’s worthy of a “hallelujah!”
Hallelujah!
Speaking of “worthy,” our theme, taken from the song of the same name, is “Worthy is the Lamb that Was Slain,” taken from our text in Revelation 5:9-14. The Messiah is, indeed, worthy.
As many of you know, I collect baseball cards. One day when I was a boy, my mom was alarmed when I told her I spent what was probably $10 on a card. “You paid $10 for a piece of paper?”
“Mom, a $10 bill is a piece of paper!”
I assured her I had a buyer for the card and, sure enough, I came home the next day with $15 or $20. She was quick to support my baseball card hobby from that day forward!
The key in trading cards or any collectible is defining worth. Value. An item or service is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Our English word “worth” is the root of “worthy” which means “having worth” or “deserving honor, value, or recognition.” It’s also the root of worship.
An award winner may feel worthy or unworthy about receiving an award, for example. Some of you may remember the goofy scene in the movie “Wayne’s World” where the characters respond to rock star Alice Cooper by saying, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”
As a final illustration, imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where people feel unworthy of a title or role, fearing they may be exposed as a “fraud.”
Today we’re looking at the book of Revelation. I need to preface it with a few notes. First, the Bible is not a book, but rather a library of 66 books. They are written by dozens of authors over the course of hundreds of years and have a diversity of literary genres. You don’t read a book of history in the same way you do a biography. There’s a difference between poetry and commands. The most fascinating biblical genre is apocalyptic literature.
Apocalypse means to uncover or reveal, to see the true nature of something you didn’t see before. In the Bible, it’s when God reveals something to us.
I want to recommend this Bible Project video on apocalyptic literature:
https://bibleproject.com/videos/apocalyptic-literature/
The most famous piece of apocalyptic literature is found in the book of Revelation. It seems everyone is curious about Revelation. Are we living in the end times? Is so-and-so the anti-Christ? When will Jesus return? What do these strange verses mean?
Although much of Revelation is challenging and controversial, today’s text is rather clear. In chapter five, there is a wonderful scene that is a preview of what is to come. It continues the throne-room vision found in chapter 4.
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. (Revelation 5:1, NLT)
This two-sided scroll reveals God’s plan for history. The seals made the contents inaccessible, with seven being the number of completion.
And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. (Revelation 5:2-3, NLT)
That’s disappointing! If angels weren’t worthy, sinful humans aren’t. Jesus’ friend John continues…
Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:4-5, NLT)
Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the victorious one, the King, the one who conquered sin and death on the cross. But he didn’t stay there. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. (Revelation 5:6, NLT)
Now Jesus is depicted as a lamb, a symbol of innocence and simplicity, atonement for sin. Fortunately for us, the horns and eyes are identified. This is symbolic language, obviously.
He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. (Revelation 5:7-8, NLT)
Here, gold bowls filled with incense are the prayers of God’s people. Did you know that about your prayers?
The purpose of Revelation—and all of the Bible—is to bring comfort and help us prepare for the future. Get ready! These things will happen someday. We don’t know when. It could be today. It could be 1000 years from now. But get ready…and now we’re ready for our text for today from Handel’s Messiah.
And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9, NIV)
Jesus is worthy. He’s worth it. He deserves the opportunity to read the scroll because of what he did on the cross for us…all of us…people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. This is one reason why racism is such an evil. Jesus died for Iranians, Israelis, and Indians. He died for Haitians and Hawaiians, Africans and Afghanis, Democrats and Republicans.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10, NIV)
This is what we will do someday…reign on the earth. The new earth. We’re not going up to heaven. Jesus is coming down to earth. There will be new heavens and a new earth.
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. (Revelation 5:11, NIV)
Can you imagine? What a sight! What a sound!
In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12, NIV)
Singing angels! Wow!
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13, NIV)
Don’t miss this: it says every creature, the living and the dead. This isn’t just an announcement from an angel. These aren’t words spoken by a group of saints. It says every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea. Does that mean fish and birds and giraffes and puppy dogs will declare this?
So What?
There may be many things we don’t understand about Revelation, but the Lamb that was Slain is certainly Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who came, lived, died, and rose again. He is worthy—worth—all power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Hallelujah! Praise the LORD!
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:14, NIV)
That’s the natural response to an encounter with God…humility and worship. He’s worthy of our worship. He is worth it! He’s worth more than any baseball card, diamond, or castle. That’s one reason we gather each week…to be reminded He’s God and we’re not and He deserves our worship, our allegiance, our time, our talents, and our treasures. He is in control, we’re not. He is LORD.
Do you want to know when all this will happen? I don’t know, but we’re done day closer to it today than yesterday…and it will be amazing!
Amen. Yes, LORD. Let it be!
Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb that was slain for us, is worthy of our eternal worship, praise, and devotion. Hallelujah!
Handel’s Messiah
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
April 26, 2026
Revelation 5:9-14
Series Big Idea: Handel’s Messiah may be the greatest work of music ever created, bringing praise and glory to the Creator.
Big Idea: Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb that was slain for us, is worthy of our eternal worship, praise, and devotion.
Know: Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
Feel: Deeper love for Jesus and his love for us.
Do: Worship God in Spirit and in truth with passion and joy.
Today’s the day we finish our series on arguably the greatest music ever written, Handel’s Messiah. That’s worthy of a “hallelujah!”
Hallelujah!
Speaking of “worthy,” our theme, taken from the song of the same name, is “Worthy is the Lamb that Was Slain,” taken from our text in Revelation 5:9-14. The Messiah is, indeed, worthy.
As many of you know, I collect baseball cards. One day when I was a boy, my mom was alarmed when I told her I spent what was probably $10 on a card. “You paid $10 for a piece of paper?”
“Mom, a $10 bill is a piece of paper!”
I assured her I had a buyer for the card and, sure enough, I came home the next day with $15 or $20. She was quick to support my baseball card hobby from that day forward!
The key in trading cards or any collectible is defining worth. Value. An item or service is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Our English word “worth” is the root of “worthy” which means “having worth” or “deserving honor, value, or recognition.” It’s also the root of worship.
An award winner may feel worthy or unworthy about receiving an award, for example. Some of you may remember the goofy scene in the movie “Wayne’s World” where the characters respond to rock star Alice Cooper by saying, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”
As a final illustration, imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where people feel unworthy of a title or role, fearing they may be exposed as a “fraud.”
Today we’re looking at the book of Revelation. I need to preface it with a few notes. First, the Bible is not a book, but rather a library of 66 books. They are written by dozens of authors over the course of hundreds of years and have a diversity of literary genres. You don’t read a book of history in the same way you do a biography. There’s a difference between poetry and commands. The most fascinating biblical genre is apocalyptic literature.
Apocalypse means to uncover or reveal, to see the true nature of something you didn’t see before. In the Bible, it’s when God reveals something to us.
I want to recommend this Bible Project video on apocalyptic literature:
https://bibleproject.com/videos/apocalyptic-literature/
The most famous piece of apocalyptic literature is found in the book of Revelation. It seems everyone is curious about Revelation. Are we living in the end times? Is so-and-so the anti-Christ? When will Jesus return? What do these strange verses mean?
Although much of Revelation is challenging and controversial, today’s text is rather clear. In chapter five, there is a wonderful scene that is a preview of what is to come. It continues the throne-room vision found in chapter 4.
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. (Revelation 5:1, NLT)
This two-sided scroll reveals God’s plan for history. The seals made the contents inaccessible, with seven being the number of completion.
And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. (Revelation 5:2-3, NLT)
That’s disappointing! If angels weren’t worthy, sinful humans aren’t. Jesus’ friend John continues…
Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:4-5, NLT)
Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the victorious one, the King, the one who conquered sin and death on the cross. But he didn’t stay there. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. (Revelation 5:6, NLT)
Now Jesus is depicted as a lamb, a symbol of innocence and simplicity, atonement for sin. Fortunately for us, the horns and eyes are identified. This is symbolic language, obviously.
He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. (Revelation 5:7-8, NLT)
Here, gold bowls filled with incense are the prayers of God’s people. Did you know that about your prayers?
The purpose of Revelation—and all of the Bible—is to bring comfort and help us prepare for the future. Get ready! These things will happen someday. We don’t know when. It could be today. It could be 1000 years from now. But get ready…and now we’re ready for our text for today from Handel’s Messiah.
And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9, NIV)
Jesus is worthy. He’s worth it. He deserves the opportunity to read the scroll because of what he did on the cross for us…all of us…people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. This is one reason why racism is such an evil. Jesus died for Iranians, Israelis, and Indians. He died for Haitians and Hawaiians, Africans and Afghanis, Democrats and Republicans.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10, NIV)
This is what we will do someday…reign on the earth. The new earth. We’re not going up to heaven. Jesus is coming down to earth. There will be new heavens and a new earth.
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. (Revelation 5:11, NIV)
Can you imagine? What a sight! What a sound!
In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12, NIV)
Singing angels! Wow!
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13, NIV)
Don’t miss this: it says every creature, the living and the dead. This isn’t just an announcement from an angel. These aren’t words spoken by a group of saints. It says every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea. Does that mean fish and birds and giraffes and puppy dogs will declare this?
So What?
There may be many things we don’t understand about Revelation, but the Lamb that was Slain is certainly Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who came, lived, died, and rose again. He is worthy—worth—all power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Hallelujah! Praise the LORD!
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:14, NIV)
That’s the natural response to an encounter with God…humility and worship. He’s worthy of our worship. He is worth it! He’s worth more than any baseball card, diamond, or castle. That’s one reason we gather each week…to be reminded He’s God and we’re not and He deserves our worship, our allegiance, our time, our talents, and our treasures. He is in control, we’re not. He is LORD.
Do you want to know when all this will happen? I don’t know, but we’re done day closer to it today than yesterday…and it will be amazing!
Amen. Yes, LORD. Let it be!
Jesus the Messiah, the Lamb that was slain for us, is worthy of our eternal worship, praise, and devotion. Hallelujah!