Real Life Community Church Sermons
Real Life Community Church, is a church located in Richmond, Kentucky. Our fellowship is comprised of authentic followers of Jesus Christ who aim to glorify God in all that we do. We have a desire to reach our community, meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of those who are hurting.What to Expect in a ServiceOur Sunday Morning services include a time of dynamic, contemporary worship. We have a full praise band, consisting of real Christ-followers who are committed to worshiping God, not just through song, but in every area of their lives. Each service will include a relevant, Bible-based message, that will inspire and challenge those who hear it, in their walk with the Lord. Come casually or formally dressed… however you are most comfortable. We hope to see you soon!
Real Life Community Church Sermons
Advent Part 3 | Real Joy
Discover the profound joy that transcends life's challenges as we explore Mary's Magnificat in Luke, chapter 1. What if joy isn't just a fleeting emotion but a steadfast contentment rooted in the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ? This sermon unravels the layers of Advent joy, showing how it coexists with lament and finds its ultimate expression in worship and song. Through Mary's experience, we see how biblical joy persists even amid societal judgment and personal uncertainty, offering deep satisfaction that flows into our everyday lives.
Allow this sermon to guide you toward embracing the peace, grace, and hope that a relationship with Jesus brings, yielding to faith and witnessing the positive changes it can inspire.
Amen. If you have your Bible, take them and go to the book of Luke, chapter 1. Christi is going to read our scripture for this morning.
Speaker 2:So Luke, chapter 1, starting at verse 46. And Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed, verse 1. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant, israel, to remember in remembrance of his mercy, and he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Speaker 1:Grace and peace be to you this morning. Are you glad to be at church? All right, there's a familiar Christmas song that says it's the most wonderful time of the year and for many people those words ring very true. But I'm also quite aware that this season of Advent seems to accentuate the pain of many people, loss and grief, and you know. You look around at wars and rumors of wars and natural disasters and you know just all the violence and hatred and division and moral decay of our nation and political upheaval. Add to that a litany of dangerous toils and snares that we all go through. And you might ask where is the Christmas joy? Well, the good news of Christmas is this that, like hope and peace, the other themes of Advent joy is available regardless of our circumstances. Joy in Christ is available.
Speaker 1:What is it that the Bible means by joy? Joy is not a lack of lament. Like people of joy, they still lament, they're still sad, they still grieve at times. Joy, biblically speaking, is not this chipperness all the time or imbubbliness. You know anybody that's chipper and bubbly all the time. Do they drive you crazy? All right, it's like man. Yeah, never mind, I'll just leave that there, but that's not what biblical joy is.
Speaker 1:Biblical joy is this deep satisfaction, regardless of circumstances. It's this contentment that is rooted in not what's going on in our lives, but it's rooted in the truth and the beauty and the glory and the wonder of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's to be satisfied in God and if you've been saved a long time and you are filled with the Spirit of God, you know what it is to have things going wrong in your life. But on the inside there's something deep within you that's okay, and not even just okay, but joyful. It's really unbelievable, but joyful it's really unbelievable. We need to be people of joy and I think the challenge is this like we know this intellectually, but how many know? Even for the believer this is hard to live out. Like some of you this morning, you look saved and mad about it. So you know it's not going to hurt you to smile every now and then. Like I'm saying, we're not always supposed to be bubbly, but it wouldn't hurt you to smile every once in a while. Come on, point at your neighbor and say he's talking to you. All right, in Christ. As I said earlier, listen. The angel said to the shepherds they announced the birth of Christ and they said this is good news. And what would they say? Again, good news of great joy In Christ. You don't just get a little joy, you get what Great joy. So how is it we walk in this Christian joy? Very important? Well, we can learn how to walk in joy some measure from the story of Mary and the text, particularly that Christi just read for us. It's called Mary's Magnificat and I'm struck by Mary's joy here and you might argue well, of course she's joyful. She just found out she's going to have a baby. Isn't that a reason to celebrate? And I would say, yes, this isn't just any baby, and so she should be happy and celebratory and fair enough. But this would have come as news that was quite bittersweet.
Speaker 1:Put yourself in her position for a moment. Do you realize? Mary wasn't 30 years old, mary was a teenager and she wasn't married. She was betrothed to Joseph, kind of like being engaged, a little more serious than that, but she was betrothed to Joseph. Now you just imagine you're all of a sudden excited about I'm going to have a baby and then you think, well, I've got to tell my fiance and I've got to sit down with my parents and it's like don't worry mom and dad, don't worry husband, to be it's of the Holy Spirit. It's like you're playing this conversation out in your mind. You're like this is not going to go well and what would the town think? You don't shack up with your boyfriend or girlfriend. You don't sleep with people outside of marriage. What are they going to think of this Jewish girl?
Speaker 1:But yet, in the midst of all this, mary has great joy, so much, in fact, that she began singing. This is called Mary's Magnificat or the Song of Mary. Listen, when you're really really happy, you sing. That's why we sing on Sundays. It's an overflow of the joy that we have in God. The music is really really an important part of the worship experience and when we're happy, when we have joy, it overflows in the song. I've told you this before, but growing up I used to really annoy my parents because at the dinner table I would hum as I ate. I couldn't sing because if I did, the food would fly out of my mouth, but I'd have my mouth chewing my food and hum and my mom would get mad and it was like man, your cooking's just so fantastic. It fills me with joy, so that's a good thing. So if your children hum at the table, leave them alone, take it as a compliment. But Mary has extreme joy and I see three characteristics here about Mary that I think contribute to her joy and I think we can learn from those characteristics today.
Speaker 1:Number one Mary trusts God. There is no joy without trust. If you don't trust the Lord, you will be filled with anxiety. In verse 38, if you go up just before our text here it is announced to Mary that she's going to be with child and she says simply these words let it be to me according to your word. And what if we just said that more often, whatever God leads us to do, lord, let it be to me according to your word. What if we just opened the Bible and read a text and said let it be to me according to your word? There is joy and trust. You know what's remarkable here about Mary's joy and her trust.
Speaker 1:God did not give her all the details of how this was going to work out. It's kind of like the story of Abraham. Like, leave your father's tent, your comfort, your olden age, and just leave. I'll direct you how many of you want. Like, if you're going to do something, you want to know all the details, like you've got a little journal and you want it all planned out. You go on vacation. You want to know every stop you're making. You want to know everything you're going to do when you get there. Some of you are like that. Some of you are go with the flow. But listen, it can be frustrating sometimes because God will call us to do something and not give us all the details, not tell us how he's going to work it out. Mary has her own dreams and plans for her life and yet God says you're going to be with child and you're going to play an important role in God's plan of redemption. And she just says let it be to me, according to your word.
Speaker 1:I think of one of my favorite scriptures Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. Do you know this one? Trust the Lord with all your heart and I like this lean not on your own understanding, and when you can't figure it out, just trust him in all your ways. Acknowledge him and he will direct your path. Has god ever led you to do something? And not given you details? And it's hard, it's no easy thing to trust him. You know, if God has called you to missions and you have to quit your job and raise support. It's easy to make excuses and not trust the Lord Because he hasn't given you all the details of how it's going to work out, or he's called you to start a ministry in the church and you think me, lord, how's this going to work? And he just says trust me. The most powerful thing you can do is say let it be to me according to your word.
Speaker 1:I'll just share with you quickly that God's laid some big dreams on my heart for this church. And I look around and I look at the offering and I look at all these different things and I think, man in the flesh, I think there's no way. And some of the dreams are so big I really hadn't told anybody. And about three weeks ago, brother Jack came up to me on a Wednesday night and said hey, I feel like I have a word from the Lord for you. Jack came up to me on a Wednesday night and said hey, I feel like I have a word from the Lord for you, jack, I don't remember verbatim what you said. Do you remember? Can you share? So I don't get it wrong. I'm sure, basically, that the Lord has given you dreams so great that you haven't even dared share them with the elders or the leadership of the church because they thought you would be out of your mind.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that was just because I was thinking what's so interesting is this? I mean, if you ask Nikki, she would say I'm out of my mind, but if she's got it right, she's got it right. So that's the last time I ask you to talk. She's got it right. So that's the last time I ask you to talk. No, listen, I had these dreams and I kept thinking that this must not be God. As I look around, maybe it's just me and the Lord just gives me that word. And what's interesting is brother Jack didn't pray enough to figure out how God was going to do this, make all these things happen, and so I've just got to trust him. And I feel so underqualified. But you know what? Praise the Lord that it's not dependent upon me to bring these things to pass. The steps of a good man, the steps are ordered of the Lord. So, day by day, whatever he's asked you to do, you just one foot in front of the other. Mary has joy because she trusts God. Number two Mary has joy because she maintains an accurate view of God. You can't trust the Lord if you don't understand who he is.
Speaker 1:If you think about Mary's song, if you really meditate on it, you'll see how God-centered it is. And you know, as we think about the music that we sing in church, it doesn't really matter I don't think to God, and it shouldn't matter that much to us if it's a hymn and kind of traditional style or if it's more modern. We try to do a blend here because both have value. What's most important to us in this church is that the songs are theologically accurate, because there's a lot of music today and, to be fair, a lot of hymns that aren't real accurate, that don't paint an accurate picture of the Lord and he wants to be fair. A lot of hymns that aren't real accurate, that don't paint an accurate picture of the Lord and he wants to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. And so we try to sing here theologically rich songs that raise our affections for the true and living God. And so Mary's song is very God-centered.
Speaker 1:Number one she says that God is. She sings about God's omnipotence, or in other words, he is all-powerful. She says what'd she say here? He is mighty. He is mighty. Verse 49, the first part. He who is mighty has done great things for me. You know what? If you don't know and I talked about this in our series Behold Our God so I'll just mention it briefly here but if you don't understand the unlimited power of God, you'll never be able to trust him. Because regardless of God's good intentions towards you, if he's not all powerful, who's to say he could bring him to pass? But I'm pretty sure the Bible says I'll quote it again that he's able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or even think or imagine. So when God lays that dream, brother Jack, on my heart and I go oh man, how in the world I just got to remember I can't even dream the things that God's capable of. Amen, god is mighty, he's omnipotent.
Speaker 1:Secondly, mary sees his name as holy. The word holy means to be set apart. Name as holy the word holy means to be set apart. God is holy and, as the late RC Sproul said, god is not set apart from us like a chair is set apart from the table. God is not like us, he transcends us, he is above and beyond us. And so Mary knows, you know what I've got my plans for my own life. But God, god is holy and his ways, as Isaiah said, are above our ways and thoughts above our thoughts.
Speaker 1:Thirdly, mary sees God as merciful. Now, this is important. Look at verse. What is it? Verse 50 with me. His mercy is for those who fear him. Mercy is not for everybody, it's for those who fear the Lord. Now, that's interesting here, because if Mary just got the news about this plan for her life and she did not understand the mercy of God, she could have thought something like this Well, man, I've really got to straighten up in order for this to happen. And she would think of herself like he must have not seen what I did last week, he must not have seen the brokenness in my life. You know this can't be, but you know what Mary knows God's call and God's salvation is not based on merit, it's based on mercy.
Speaker 1:Let me just shock you for a second. Did you know that God is not fair? Shake your head at me if you agree with me. God is not fair. Shake your head at me if you agree with me. God is not fair. I know that's a big thing in our world today, in our culture, that fairness and equity, those aren't biblical concepts. You know, if God does something for a hunter, particular blessing doesn't mean he has to do that for me. God's not fair and I would say this thank the Lord. He's not fair Because if God were fair, we would have no hope, we'd have no breath, we'd all be destined for hell, because we cannot earn salvation by being quote-unquote a good person. If that's the case, then I would just say to you good luck, because you might be good in your mind compared to your neighbor. But how are you measuring up to Jesus Christ? You look at Jesus and you realize. You look at the Word of of God and you think maybe I'm not so good. It's not about merit, it's about mercy. And then, when we are saved, god changes our hearts and he gives us that goodness as a gift.
Speaker 1:I love Psalm 103.10. He has not dealt with us according to our sins. He's not fair. Nor has he punished us according to our iniquities, for as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards those who fear him. Are you grateful today that God is not fair, that he hasn't dealt with you according to your sins? He is a God of mercy.
Speaker 1:So if you're here today, let me just take a little rabbit trail for just a moment and encourage somebody. If you're here today and you think, man, I see all these people worshiping and they can have a relationship with God, but you don't know where I was yesterday. You don't know where I was last week. I don't want to make light of sin. It's a big deal. It cost Jesus his life. He died for our sin. But I want to tell you today there is mercy for you and as you're looking at this preacher up here, I want you to know that I didn't get to God by merit and then you've got to rely on mercy. This preacher needs mercy as much as you.
Speaker 1:Mary sees God as merciful and if that doesn't make joy arise in your heart, I don't know what will. Smile at me Again, you look saved and mad about it. All right, there you go. Finally, mary sees God as a rescuer. Look at verses 52 through 54. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and he has exalted those of humble estate. He has filled the hungry With good things and the wrench he sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel. He redeemed Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Speaker 1:God is a rescuer. He gave a promise to Abraham and his descendants in the Old Testament and God is faithful. He redeemed them out of Egypt. He sustained them in the wilderness. He rescued the northern tribes out of exile in Assyria and the southern tribes out of Babylon. God is a rescuer. The angel said you shall call this baby in a manger, you shall call him Jesus, for he came to save his people from their sins. God is a rescuer, and that ought to lead us to great joy. And again, to quote the angels, in their proclamation they said it's good news of great joy for all peoples. Now that doesn't mean that everybody gets salvation. It's only those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and repent and turn to him in faith. When it says all peoples there, what it means is it's not just for the Jew, it's for the Gentile, it's not just for the religious, it's for the pagan. Amen, god is a rescuer.
Speaker 1:So Mary has joy because she has an accurate view of God. And then she also finally has an accurate view of self. In verse 38, if you go back there, she says Behold, I am a servant of the Lord. Verse 48, he has looked upon the humble estate of his servant. Now, I love this. You know Mary doesn't see herself as someone special Lord, I'm just a humble servant.
Speaker 1:Mary was not from an aristocratic family. Mary was not well known as far as we know. Just a humble servant of the Lord, and that's who God tends to bless. Just a humble servant. And you may think today you know what? What could God use me for At my age or with my giftings? You know what the Holy Spirit has gifted you with something and God can use you. No matter what you think of yourself, god can use you. What you think of yourself, god can use you, not because you're so great, god uses us in that humble state. You know there are people who think that they deserve the blessing of the Lord and oh, god's lucky to have me. You know this is real common.
Speaker 1:I've led music for about 25 years or actually probably more. It started when I was in youth group and it's real easy for musicians who are really talented to become divas. Have you seen this in the church? And they think like God's lucky to have them on the praise team. And I just have to gently remind people sometimes that he's got angels and choirs of angels singing holy, holy, holy. I don't think he's too impressed. I don't care what level of singer you are. I don't think it impresses God about the quality of your voice. What he's looking for is just a servant who says the quality of your voice. What he's looking for is just a servant who says I'll worship you in spirit and in truth. Get up here humbly and play for you or sing for you.
Speaker 1:Mary has a high view of God, but she's got an accurate view of herself. She knows again, I didn't earn this, this position and this call. It's all the Lord, and I have to remind myself of this all the time as I stand beside this pulpit. Why me? Because I'm better than anybody. It's mercy and I better remember day by day that I'm just a servant of the Lord. Nobody special. I'm not irreplaceable, and either are you, amen.
Speaker 1:So we've talked about over the last few weeks. We have talked about hope, peace and joy, and we've talked about the fact that we can experience all of these great attributes regardless of our circumstances. So I want to illustrate this for you with an ancient. This comes from illustration, it comes from kind of ancient mythology and actually the Roman Catholic Church has used this. You'll see what I'm about to show you on some Catholic cathedrals, but it's really interesting. It's called the Wheel of Fortune and it's not the game show, all right.
Speaker 1:So here's the wheel of fortune, and so you imagine yourself on the outside of this wheel and it's the wheel of life. Okay, so there are times that you'll be at the top and things will go well for you and you'll be successful. But that wheel is always turning. So if you go clockwise, you'll have success. You're going to have a good week and you barely take a breath and then you start. Have you ever been here, man? Come on, just to have a good week, and you barely take a breath, and then you start. Have you ever been here, man? Come on, just give me a full week of blessing, right, and then things go not so well, and then that decline leads to failure, but then that doesn't last forever. You have a scent, and then back to success in.
Speaker 1:The wheel is always turning, and the way that the world works is this apart from Jesus, you are on the rim of the wheel and so as the wheel spins, as your emotions, let's say, change with the wheel. So when you're at the top and you're successful boy. You have joy and you have peace and you have hope. But as that will starts to churn, moving towards what you might call failure, you'll become despondent, you'll become angry and frustrated and all joy and hope and peace will leave you. You'll become full of anxiety.
Speaker 1:But here's the beauty of this illustration. If you go to the next slide here, when we become a Christian, here's what happens. Christ is in the middle. He is the center of our lives. He's at the center of our lives and what he does is he invites us through prayer and communion and worship and through his word, he invites us, by the power of the spirit, to yield ourselves to him and to live and join him in the center of the wheel of life. And here's what happens when you are in the center of this wheel. The wheel's still turning. As a Christian, you're going to have ups and downs and good days and bad days.
Speaker 1:But here's the beauty of this when you're in Christ, you're in the center and you're somewhat detached from what's going on the spinning of the wheel. You're no longer on the rim, which means your peace and your hope and joy are constant. Hope and joy are constant. Just meditate on that. That's why you can constantly have joy and peace and hope. And so I want to close with something that I've used before, because if you are in the center of this wheel, I want to end by just showing you that you have more reason for joy than you could ever imagine if you are in Christ, regardless of what's in your life right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, anybody having a hard week, all right, I'm going to help you. And so if you're not in Christ, today's the day of salvation, mercy is for you today, and I would invite you to join the Lord Jesus at the center of the wheel of fortune. All right, here it. Is you ready? So this is a list. I did not create this. I don't know who did or I would give them credit. I've had it for years. These are biblical truths about the people of God that are true of every single believer. I read this two Advent seasons ago and I want to share it with you today. Are you ready? And I don't have time to read every scripture because it's a long list, but these all have scriptures to go with them, so trust me.
Speaker 1:Number one if I'm in Christ, I am redeemed. Through his blood, I have been delivered from the power of darkness. I have been delivered from the wrath of God to come. I am a child of God. I am a son of God. I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. I possess all things. I am a new creature, a new creation in Christ. I've been renewed by the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:I am accepted and highly favored in the beloved. I am light in the Lord. I dwell in Christ. Christ dwells in me. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I have an anointing, an unction from the Holy One. I have been called with a holy calling. I am chosen in Christ. I am complete in Christ. I am beloved in Christ.
Speaker 1:I am a child of promise. I am not my own. I'm a child of promise. I am not my own. I'm a citizen of heaven.
Speaker 1:Christ has made me free free, indeed, I am free from sin. I have a sound mind. Christ has given me an understanding. I have the righteousness of Christ. I have sufficiency in all things. I have all that pertains to life and godliness. I have all the armor and all the weapons, spiritually speaking, that I need. I have God's all-sufficient grace. I have grace and help in a time of need. I have God's power. I have access to the Father. I have a great high priest. I have an unfailing intercessor. I have a righteous advocate with the Father for times when I sin. I have peace with God. I have rest for my soul. I am led by the Spirit of God. I'm enabled during trials and temptations. I've been given eternal encouragement and good hope through grace. I will sit with Christ in His throne and I will be with my God forever. Beloved.
Speaker 1:We shouldn't look like upset people all the time. We ought to be people of joy, amen. We have so much reason for joy. So, no matter where you're at on the wheel of fortune today good week, bad week, high day, low day, doesn't matter I invite you to come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, Yield yourself to him and just watch the wheel turn. Remember that old song. I might sing this in a moment. Remember that old song, this joy that I have, this joy that I have, this joy that I have. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away. The devil didn't give it. The devil can't take it away. Pain didn't give it. Pain can't take it away. Loss didn't give you joy, and loss can't take it away. You can have joy today.