Sermon Notes, November 1, 2015
Rev.
Garry McGlinchy
Rev.
McGlinchy’s sermon was titled “Faith Redefined: Faith Tested.” He started his sermon by asking if any of the
congregation had gone through a time of hardship the Lord helped them through.
He invited them to share. (One of the advantages of a small congregation is
that there can be interactive sermons!)
James
1:2-18 talks about trials and temptations.
The testing of our faith brings perseverance. It’s not about putting on a smile during hard
times, but to get a positive outlook.
There is a difference between reacting and responding. Reacting invokes negative action, while
responding promotes a positive outlook.
Our true character comes out
when everything falls apart. Pressure
reveals true character. We should
respond to adversity by going to God, as the Children of Israel did in Egypt. God wants to see our spiritual maturity in
perfection.
If we focus on God’s mission,
the rest takes care of itself. There’s a
reason Jesus said a person could not serve both God and money (Matthew
6:24). Sooner or later he must give up
one or the other. Divided loyalty leaves
one as restless as waves.
God’s crown (James 1:12) is
eternal life. The way to God’s inner circle is to be faithful to Him, even
under pressure.
Hebrews 11, the Hall of Fame of
Faith, gives us many examples of people being faithful to God, even when they
didn’t see results before they died. The
beginning point of faith is believing that God is who He says He is. The end point is that He continues to fulfill
His promises, even today (which, appropriately, was All Saints’ Day on Sunday). It all happens at the altar, not off to the
side. Our faith comes when we kneel in
His presence.
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