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Good morning: I came up with a rule last week I want to implement. The rule is, “you must greet the pastor either before service starts or when the service is over. I want to make sure I shake your hand or give you a hug and thank you for worshipping with us. I’m going to have minister Morris give the benediction allowing me to be in the foyer as you leave.
Last week I preached on forgiveness verses unforgiveness. We had a good discussion on the zoom call on Wednesday evening. Many of the storms we face in our lives, not the rain, thunder, and lightening kind of storms, but storms of disagreement and unrepented sin are the result of a root of bitterness that is growing in us because of unforgiveness. If we are not forgiving others, God is not forgiving us. The result of our disobedience are the storms we face.
Hillview Family and Friends!
Ushers and greeters. We can create an alternate schedule. If anyone is interested, please see LaTanya Dunn.
Children’s Ministry will be with the Ministry leader during worship time starting in the fall. Pray with us in our transition. Sis Debbie.
Youth ministry will meet in the fellowship hall at 9:30 am. Youth Ministry will be meeting every 1st Sunday of the month at 9:30 am.
Happy Birthday and Wedding Anniversary to all family and friends celebrating in the month of January.
Sis. Debbie will be having Children’s ministry 1st through 4th Sundays. On the 1st Sunday the children will do special projects. Please text Sis. Debbie if your child will not be in attendance. 5th Sunday no children’s ministry.
Jan 14th Bible Study on Zoom 6pm.
Jan 17 Board Management meeting 9am.
Jan 21st– Bible Study on Zoom at 6pm.
Jan 19th Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Jan 31st Women’s Prayer Breakfast at 10am.
We are needing 2 candidates for the Management Board position. If anyone is interested. Please contact Pastor Dexter White
Offering Envelopes are located on the wall outside of the sound booth.
Church of God News
One of my favorite Bible characters is Moses. He’s one of my favorites because of the relationship he had with God.
Let me share just 5 examples of Moses’ life that stands out.
God knew how to get Moses’ attention when He was ready to have Moses lead the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
Exodus 3:1-5
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight– why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
God knows how to get your attention as well. Are you listening for His voice, and are you prepared to follow His instructions?
God spoke to Moses face to face.
Exodus 33:9-11
9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses.
10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent.
11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Just like Moses was a friend of God, Jesus calls us friends if we follow his commands.
Moses asks to see God’s glory.
Ex 33:18-23
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.
22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
When Moses spent time with God, his face would glow.
Ex 34:30-35
30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.
32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.
34 But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
Lastly, Moses appeared with Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration speaking to Jesus.
Mt 17:3
3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
God had a plan for Moses’ life. He also has a plan for your life. That doesn’t mean you will have an easy life. But if you obey God’s commands you will have a victorious life.
I’m also fond of the Apostle Paul. In today’s text Paul references Moses and his need to wear a veil after he spoke to God, so as not to frighten the Israelites because his face glowed.
In verse 7 of the text Paul references “the ministry that brought death” the issuing of the Ten Commandments, stones engraved with God’s commandments/laws. These commandments are referred to as the Old Covenant and were God’s perfect law and they came with glory.
Why did Paul refer to the Ten Commandments as the ministry that brought death?
Romans 4:15
15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
One theologian said this about this verse, “The law worketh wrath: that is, it discovers the wrath of God due to our transgression and then pronounces condemnation upon the transgressor; for where there is no law, either natural or revealed, there would be no transgression, and, consequently, no condemnation.
Because the law was given, and no one has been able to keep all of it, we are guilty of sin and the wages of sin is death.
Paul identified the Law of God as being glorious because it was God speaking to His people and showing them how to live. It was proof of His intervention in their lives. But the glory of the law of Moses falls short of lives lived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We have the Old Covenant, based on the law of Moses/The Ten Commandments and a New Covenant. Why two covenants?
Hebrews 8:6-8
6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.
8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
The New Covenant is the promise that God will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise.
When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us.
Verses 9-11 of today’s text says:
9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
The Holy Spirit is the power behind the rebirth of every Christian and the one who helps us live the Christian life. By His power, we will be transformed into Christ’s perfect likeness when He returns.
Verse 13 of the text tells us that we are not like Moses who covered his face with a veil to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. Paul is saying that the veil that Moses covered his face with kept the Israelites from seeing the radiance of his face fade away. The radiance of his face was temporary. It was only when he returned to speak with God did the radiance return.
Theologians tell us that this fading of the radiance illustrates the fading of the old system and the veiling of the people’s minds because of their pride, hardness of heart, and refusal to repent.
For every person that tries to follow the Law of Moses a veil covers their heart. But, for every person that turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Verse 18 says, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“The Holy Spirit’s way of transformation works better and lasts longer than even Moses’ glorious experience. With the freedom the Holy Spirit gives, our false beliefs and misconceptions fall away. We can clearly see what God wants and better reflect it to others. The Spirit works progressively in us to point out where we need to change.”
In Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the New Testament he made these remarks pertaining to 2 Co 3:7-18, “Moses reflected the glory of God, but you and I may radiate the glory of God.” Moses was like a mirror reflecting God’s presence. In Christ, we radiate from inside of us outward to others the glory of God.
“Paul was contrasting not only the old covenant with the New, but also the old covenant ministry with the ministry of grace. The goal of the old covenant ministry is obedience to an external standard, but this obedience cannot change human character. The goal of new covenant ministry is likeness to Jesus Christ. Law can bring us to Christ, but only grace can make us like Christ.”
“The result of old covenant ministry is bondage; but the result of new covenant ministry is freedom in the Spirit. Christians do not live under the law, but this does not mean we are lawless! The Spirit of God writes the Word of God on our hearts, and we obey our Father because of new life He has given us within.”
Invitation: when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we remove the veil that covers our heart.
Study Questions Over
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
- Other than the members of the Trinity, who is your favorite Bible character?
- What drew you to that Bible character, how do you identify with him or her?
- What did the giving of the Ten Commandments as well as all the other rules and regulations found in scripture do to us?
- Why was the Old Covenant replaced with the New Covenant?
- What makes the New Covenant special?
- What is the difference between reflecting light and radiating light?
- Contrast the old covenant ministry to the new covenant ministry.
Topic: Removing the Veil
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.
14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Support Hillview’s Greeting Card Ministry – We have anniversary, birthday, and get-well cards on the table by the front entrance for you to send to others to let them know you are thinking of them. A donation of $1.00 will help cover the cost of cards and postage.
Continue to pray for the sick and shut-ins and their caregivers. Prayer is needed for our entire congregation as we are all dealing with spoken and unspoken needs and requests.
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