Sermon Recap: Hilltops

SERMON RECAP: HILLTOPS & VALLEYS
WEEK 2
PASTOR NATE LEVERING

God's got this.

What was it that you needed to hear on Sunday? What is it that you need to hear today? Is it the reminder that God's got this. Whatever the "this" is in your life- be it, a trying cancer journey or illness you or a loved one continues to battle, the challenge of a rebellious child, the fight for your marriage, difficulties in your workplace, God's got this. Or is what you need more wrapped around the constant reflection on whether or not God is enough for you, and in turn you question whether or not you are good enough for God, this world, your spouse, yourself?

When we move from the question of, Am I enough?, to Is God enough?, then you will be chasing first the heart and Kingdom of God rather than chasing every single thing you think will provide contentedness but leave you empty. As Jesus approaches this issue in Matthew 6, he shifts the weight of worry,

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6: 25-34).

God's pathway to peace is our dependence on Him. 

Pastor Nate led us through 1 Kings 17, as a widow was at the end of her hunger and made plans to die, the prophet Elijah was instructed to go visit her. Scripture tells us that she was prepared from the Lord, or rather "directed to supply him with food". So when Elijah met her and asked first for water and then bread, she went to get it for him. This widow was a mother and they had only enough for one more loaf of bread, and were then ready to die. As a mother, I could not imagine the faith it took for her to give God's prophet the bread instead of her child. It makes me ache. In faith, she did as she was directed, to which Elijah replied, "Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.'" (v. 13-14). This woman's faith was unbelievable dependent on God and we see what happened- God provided.

When God calls us to go all in, God will ask you to give more than you have. 

Pastor Nate mentioned a house boating trip with some friends to Lake Powell when they were sure their anchor was secured, only to learn with a little bit of wind that it wasn't. What is it that we're anchored to? The belief that if we have enough or do enough or promote enough, then peace will come? Then life will bring ease? No. Don't expect to find the life you want when the things of that life withers away. What remains? But when we seek first the dependency on God, believing in His fullness and capability to re-fill our tank and re-purpose our trials, we see the promise of hope in God's truth that He is enough. Our trust in trial exposes God's truth.  

This is a sermon we hope you didn't miss. There is so much meat here, too much to capture it all with words unless I just type exactly what Pastor Nate said, ha! So please watch here on YouTube if you missed it! And as always, if you'd like to contact a pastor or elder, contact the church office at 209-532-1381, or email: info@sierrabible.com.