Pastor Gail Opening prayer
1. Good morning. It’s good to see everyone. And for those of you online, we’re glad that you are with us. It’s always good, when we just put everything aside and worship the Lord. Father, we come before You this morning, we thank You. What a great day it is to be alive and worship You. We worship You Father, we give You praise. There is no one like You Lord. We love You.
2. If you wouldn’t mind, please remain standing for the Word. We’ll be reading from Philippians, and if you need a bible, there are some bibles on the chairs next to you. Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
3. Father, we thank You so much, for Lord, Your instruction in the Word, that it’ll always make our lives better, thank You today, for Your challenge to us, to think on excellent things, Lord, in a world where peace seems so absent, we thank You Lord, that You have made a way, because You are the way, for us to always know peace to think after You, oh Lord. Lord, when we think of the wonder of who You are, we place our thoughts on You, we truly know that all things work together for Your good. And as we begin this new week today, we thank You. Lord, You have great plans ahead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
4. As we’re giving to the Lord of our tithes and offerings, I think it is always good, that the people of God, the children of God, to be reminded that we don’t live with fear, we’re not supposed to live in fear. Whatever is happening in the world today, whether Ukraine is bombing, or Lebanon is bombing, or Israel is bombing, whatever is happening, we’re called to pray, we’re called to trust God. We’re called to say to the Father, ‘You’re will be done, Lord.’ Amen.
5. I honestly look at all of you. You’re all handsome, and very beautiful, but I don’t think there’s one of you in this room that can fix the worlds problems. I sure can’t. But I know when we look to Him, He’ll carry us through with joy and we’ll be a light to a world that has no peace. Amen?
6. I’m very excited about the next thing on the program, when someone asks to share something, usually I have to come and ask you, ‘will you share, will you talk, will you, will you, will you.’ But someone asked to share today and this is a great blessing. So, Mr. Lars, our sound man, is coming to share this morning, ‘Thank you Mr. Lars, God bless praise God.’
Lars Testimony.
1. Good morning, everybody. I will read to you, a process I have gone through has taken far too long, but today something became very positive. So, the challenge that I’ve come through is particularly from my professional life in the past 3 years, it directly impacted my economy, my life, impacted my family life, my wife, my children. It impacted me so much, that I actually doubted myself. It’s like a dark side managed to dig into my mind. Its changeling me, despite my prayers for peace. Just to add it up, my father passed away as well. So, to find some peace, as I’m sure, Pastor Brian and Pastor Gail, can relate to this. But doing the long sunrise dog walks, 1and it became clear at these walks, that it was finally time for me to surrender myself to God’s guidance – God’s way, God’s light.
2. These sunrise dog walks became the real turning point, a new direction. A positive mindset. Realizing God was testing me, testing my endurance, my faith, my values, but He never abandoned me. This led to a clear change in my professional life. This has turned into my newly started company. We’re now taking over the asset management of a container ship this week. So, without a doubt, God led me to today’s positive, creative, productive as a new path. Without a doubt, God is always with us. We are never alone, never abandoned. So, if it’s ok, I’d like you to join in a small prayer. Heavenly Father, I come before you with a heart, full of gratitude and joy. Thank You for carrying me through this tough period, for being my strength when I had none left, and the hope You placed in me, in my soul even when the days were dark. I praise You for the lessons learned, the growth I’ve experienced, and the deeper trust I gained in Your unfailing love. Now that the storm has passed, we rejoice in Your goodness. Our heart overflows with happiness and peace, knowing that You were with us every step of the way. Thank You for the new beginning that lies ahead of us, and the joy of Your promises fulfilled in our life. May we continue to walk in Your light, sharing Your testimony with others, living such days in the abundance of Your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Pastor Gail
1. What a great testimony. Yesterday I posted on Instagram, I just suddenly felt impressed by the Lord. The Lord gives and He takes away. And a lot of the times we think that the Lord gives and satan takes away, but in Job it says, “The Lord gives and He takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21-22) And exactly what you said today, Lars. The Lord spoke to me yesterday, we need to remember, if He takes something, it’s only to prepare us to be stronger for whatever lies ahead. That’s how much He loves us. What a great God, Amen. So, we praise the Lord, and greater things ahead for Lars and as we keep our eyes on Him.
Pastor Brian – Main message
1. Good morning again to you all. I hope your heart is prepared. That your mind and spirit are ready to receive what the Lord has for you today. Not to receive what I have for you today. But I believe that somewhere in all this, this morning, the Holy Spirit will speak to you. The things that are not for you, He’ll let them float away. But the things that are for you will stick to you, and dig deep into your spirit, amen.
2. Let’s just agree with that today. Lord, we just come to You this morning to receive Your Word. Thank You Holy Spirit that You have been here to remind us of good things already. And thank You that in these next moments You are going to continue to speak. I pray that You would dig up the soil of our spirits, so that the seeds of Your Word can find their place, and that it can grow in us today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
3. Well, I titled my sermon today. I don’t know if there are any Rolling Stones fans in the room, but as I wrote this today, I named it, ‘I can’t get no satisfaction.’ Now tell me, this can sound like you sometimes. I search for satisfaction, for joy, for significance, for life. But I don’t always look for it in the right places. Like Mick Jagger says, ‘I search but my quest often comes up empty.’ I keep chasing after something, but in the end, I lack what I am seeking. Sometimes, even after I think I have found it. Have you ever crossed one of those thresholds and you thought, ‘Ah, now.’ And it just led to next empty place.
4. I hunt for a purpose. But I’m left hungrier, thirstier, more in need in the end. We search for meaning in many pursuits, and what we’re really asking them to do, these things, is to give us life. But they often don’t. They can’t, because we’re searching for water in the desert. Here is the truth. You know this. I think at least most of you, if not all of you, you know this. Only Jesus can give us what we’re really looking for. You may not know that fact in your brain right now, and you may not even sense that in your heart right now, when I say those words. But I’m telling you the truth. You will find pleasures, but you will never find satisfaction outside of the One who created you.
5. We’re designed for life. Have you ever thought about this, you were designed to live forever. Think seriously about that. Your original design, if I could pull out the instruction manual, and the architectural papers, and the biological proofs, you were created to live forever. People like to talk about DNA today, that is in your DNA. It’s corrupted in us right now, but in our scientific biological makeup, we carry the purpose to live forever. We’re made for it. It’s what God always intended.
6. And because of that fact, we’re designed to also seek significance in life. We know this easily, because you know, when you feel unrecognized, when you feel disregarded, when you feel like that other person is not listening to you, when you feel unheard, when you feel like you have no voice, when you feel like you’re overlooked, over seen, something in you, cringes at every one of those sensations. Because you were designed to feel significant. You were designed to have eternal significance.
7. One author describes it like this, ‘The human soul is like a template for God. Pull out the template for every one of us, like software. The original shape of every one of us, is the image and likeness of God. We’re a template made out of God’s image. And that template means that we are designed to look like the top of all value. We’re designed in the template of perfect excellence. You’ll like this one, we’re designed in the template of absolute beauty.
8. Look at your neighbor. No matter how ugly they look right now, tell them, ‘You look like ultimate beauty.’ You’re a handsome man, Vassili, because you’re in the image of God. You’re a beautiful woman, because you’re in the image of God. So, we were made like God and we were made for God.
9. This author said that, ‘We were made to enjoy and delight in God forever.’ In my words, the only way we can truly live, is to live in the love of God. But we sin, we fall short of His glory, the Scripture says. Vassili, you’re a handsome man, but the sin in you is ugly. I’m a very handsome man, but the sin in me is disgusting. We fall short of His glory. And when we do, we reject the same God, who is the very definition of love, and is the very definition of the giver of life.
10. So, until we fill that up with God, our template, remains empty. But the template remains. Our affections, the things we love, have been distorted. We cram all kinds of different pursuits into our template, only to find out they don’t fit. They don’t satisfy. They leave us searching for something more, something better, something different. That’s why we go through various relationships, various jobs, various hobbies. This works for a time, then we move onto that. This person is good for the moment, but then we move onto that. Because we’re searching. We’re unsatisfied.
11. Sin, cripples our search. It makes it harder. Because we’re asking life from things that can’t give life. It’s a hot day and we’re turning on the faucet, but there’s no water t come out of it. Because it wasn’t made to do that.
12. We can learn this from David. David wrote great Psalms. We find a lot of them, in what we call the Book of Psalms. And David tells us that we were made for God. In Psalm 21:2-6, king David searches in the right place for the deepest desires of his soul. He looks for God who gives life. And according to the Scriptures, he finds what he’s looking for. Listen to how he rejoices in the strength of the Lord, “You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.” And here is the key verse. If you obeyed pastor Gail and brought you paper Bible with you, you can underline these very few words, right here. This is king David talking about himself. “He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, for ever and ever. Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.” Listen to the simplicity of David’s pursuit, “He asked You for life, and You gave it to him.”
13. David wanted other things. Sometimes he pursued other things. David was granted much and he had much taken away. But in the end, he knew this simple fact. True satisfying life is only found in the presence of God. So, here David searches in the right place. He let the template of his soul be filled by the right perspective. And in the end, he found out that he had everything that he wanted. Because, what he truly wanted, was found in the will of God.
14. But we have this life that we live, and we search for that life, often in places of sin or imperfection. Let me tell you a fact about God in case you didn’t know this. God knows that you need Him. That’s a different perspective that I don’t often think about. God knows very well, how much I need Him. He knows that I’m only going to be fulfilled, by walking next to Him.
15. But we look in imperfect places. I so love Lars’ sharing this morning, ‘Thank God for the supply of this job.’ But if we’re searching for our meaning in our work, everybody, congratulate our new coach over here. Leonardo finished the first certification of becoming a football coach here in Greece. If I remember correctly, he’ll be doing some internship at AEK now. So, I don’t care if you are Panathinaikos or Olympiakos this morning, you are now an AEK fan.
16. We can search for meaning in our work, and there should be purpose in our work. But sometimes we look at our hands and we ask the question, ‘Ca you give me life? Can you make my life what it’s supposed to be?’ But if we’re looking there, then when we fail and lose that promotion, or we don’t pass that test or we don’t get that sale, when we lose, we become gravely disappointed and even sometimes when we really succeed, we still find out that the result of that success, disappoint, because our work flows out of our life, but our work cannot give us life.
17. We search for meaning in our families and family relationships. We look at our husband, or our wife or our kids, ‘Can you give me life? Can this be the satisfaction?’ But when they don’t do or say what we want them to, when the people we love make our days long and hard, we become disappointed and dissatisfied. Other times they can be everything we ever hoped for, and we say, ‘oh my dear soul, my love, my life.’ Nonsense. It’s nonsense in Greek and English. Because, there will still be nights, where they will be perfect, and you will lay down your head on your pillow and you will still be dissatisfied. Because our families cannot give us life.
18. Some of us look for that purpose in how people think about us. We look at our friends or strangers, we look at them in person, ‘Can you give me life? Can I be impressive enough to you, that it gives me life?’ If I post that picture on my Instagram, do I get enough likes? And when I break my record, does it give me purpose? An incredible number of people are looking at this device (Smartphone) and asking, ‘Can you give me life?’ But when that person comes back at you, some of you may have seen, I posted an answer I received to a post a couple of days ago. Their tag line was actually, ‘Kingdom Minded.’ With a lovely avatar that said love. And they enjoyed my post so much, that they wrote back that I was going to burn in hell. They made their point clear.
19. But if I’m looking for my completion in what people think of me, if you don’t get the compliments you deserve, if you don’t get the praise, you feel like is due to you, it becomes empty. Because people in real life, and people who are avatars on our phones, they cannot give us life.
20. I promise you today, any relationship you have that pulls you outside the realm of God’s desire for you, I don’t care if it pulls you out by one centimeter or it pulls you out by 50 kilometers, that relationship will rob you of life. You may think that you’re in the perfect place, but if the relationship leads you from God, instead of toward God, and I’m not talking about husbands and wives who remain married, believer and unbeliever, I’m not talking about friendships between believers and unbelievers, because you can have and should have relationships with unbelievers, but if they pull you from God, if you can’t keep moving in, with and toward God, which you can, by your own decisions you can, but if you believe those relationships will bring you life, they will not.
21. Money, prosperity, you can look at our bank account if you have one, look at our investments if we have some, look at our properties if we have any, look at our pensions, if the government will still have one when I get there. Not one of these things can be your safety net. Not one of them can bring you life, health. I keep telling myself, I’m going back to the gym, then another trip happens, or another guest comes.
22. I’m still waiting to get back to the gym. I want to go, because sometimes I look for meaning and health. We look at our bodies and our faces, we check our immune systems, and we ask, ‘Life’. But guess what? You can feel as beautiful as you want, when the workout is done or when all that wonderful makeup has been applied, or when the weight is lost. We can be happy when the blood tests are negative, and the diagnosis is good. But when the disease returns, or, some of you will be offended by this, when the wrinkles inevitably appear, when that bump looked just a little bit suspicious, our fear increases, our worries rise, we begin to be reminded that death is real.
23. Except for us, death is not death. We know, that health in this life cannot give us life. But I know the One that can give life forever. So, where do we turn? Well, you know the answer. You can write down these Scriptures and read at home. John 14:6, we can do like David and ask the Lord, who we know to be ‘The Way and the Truth and the Life’. I’m going to say it again, the one place is actually, ‘The Way, the Truth and the Life.’ And outside of that, you deceive yourself.
24. John 17:3, we seek to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent, for this is eternal life. Colossians 3:3,4, we hide in Christ, who is our life, waiting for Him to appear, so we will also appear with Him in glory. Seek Jesus, who is your life. The resurrected One, who gives abundant life, and victory over death. Return to the Eternal King.
25. I don’t care if you’re a true believer this morning, or you’ve never actually made a commitment to Jesus, I believe the Holy Spirit would ask every one of us today, ‘Return to the Eternal King.’ Wherever, whenever your heart has wandered, job, life, possessions, life, human relationships, can I find life in you? Body, can I find life in you? Where can I find life? Return to the Eternal King, who, we are told, ‘Makes His grace new every morning.’
26. Your failed attempts to search for life in the wrong places, your search in the wrong places, are covered today, in the righteousness of Christ. Wherever you’ve gone, whatever you’ve turned to, whatever misplaced hopes you have had, return to the original template, and let His grace, make you new today.
27. The author that I read from earlier, finished with these words, ‘The more you soak in God’s grace, through Jesus, and the more you enjoy His favor, the more you will find the life you’re looking for, and the more you will see that life is in Him.’
28. We were made for God, and His greatest desire is for you to be everything He created you to be. In Jesus’ name.
Pastor Gail
1. Sometimes people get embarrassed, to admit, ‘I need help, I can’t do it on my own.’ But those of us in the room that are following Jesus, that should be every moment of our every life attitude, ‘Oh, Lord, I need You.’ And I appreciated this word so much today. And for those of you that maybe are not sure if you want to follow the Lord. You’re trying to work it out on your own, I think that today is the day to just decide, ‘I don’t care what other people think, I going to make a step to follow the Lord.’ Because He really does want to give you purpose like you’ve never had before, direction and be with you.
2. So, I’ll ask if our prayer teams will come up front, and if you want someone to pray with you today, they’re here to pray with you this morning.