Cross Creek Community Church, Pastor Dave Martin – May 24, 2015
WHY?
This is Memorial Day weekend… Time to remember those who have fallen in service to our country… WHY?
They loved America and her people… They gave their lives to preserve our freedom… Yet freedom is never
free, there is always a cost involved… Like our freedom from Sin, it cost God dearly, His Son whom He loved.
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Thank you so much for your outpouring of love for our family over this past week. Our son Jeff lived
his life enjoying and relishing the simple things… He had many friends both here and in Montana where
he lived for 10 years. I cannot even describe my emotions as I saw many of you at his viewing Monday
night and memorial service Tuesday morning. We Live Streamed the service Tuesday which is on our
website and has received over 800 views online, incredible. This is a testament to who Jeff was. A
humble, gentle, good guy, who rarely complained, always with his smile and kind words… Everyone
loved him.
WHY? Jeff had a pituitary tumor removed 18 years ago at Hersey Medical Center… Reports discovered
the tumor had grown back and died of natural causes… Let me see if I can read this to you…
Psalms 139:13-17 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise
you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame
was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of
the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Why Welcome New Members into Fellowship?
Ephesians 4:16 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows
and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
• I'm so thankful for everyone at Cross Creek… And for this group this morning! We’re all interconnected
• When one member hurts we all hurt… Each doing its part in the body… supporting one another in love
• Don’t ever stop… Let’s do this more and more… reach out to whoever is hurting… 600 people its so
hard to know what is happening… So God calls YOU to connect, YOU to pray, YOU to send card, YOU to
drop off food, YOU to care, YOU to love, YOU to minister to one another! Healthy body grows
Why Commission a TEAM to Guatemala?
The Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The Great Commandment: Matthew 22:37-40 37 …"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is
like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments."
• It was so hard for me to not go to Guatemala, But I could not… Cathy, my family, myself… God called
Rob Sobie to go in my place… I’m trusting the Lord to work in great ways in our village of Las Jocotes
• Pray for this team and Pastor Carlos as they minister in the village… (Hope of Life sent flowers)
Why we do what we do?
John 3:16-18 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in
him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and
only Son.
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We must do everything we can to win one more for Jesus! Parking cars, going to Guatemala, Helping
in the nursery or C4-Kids, joining Cross Creek, Greeting, giving, praying, helping, encouraging… The
body of Christ functioning together fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment!
WHY build a new multipurpose building with many new classrooms? To reach people with the Gospel
Jeff was so excited when we announced about the building and Celebration Sunday special offering…
We opened the many cards that you gave us… Some contained money… Money given will be used in
our upcoming building project… Cathy and I will be getting away to OBX, that’s when we will read the
cards, we haven’t done that yet…
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Cross Creek is a GREAT Church because we have GREAT people serving a GREAT God! Everything
we do is motivated by Christ… Fanny Crosby: Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Snatch them
in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus, the
mighty to save… Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Negative: Sin = Death, Positive: Jesus = Eternal Life… Everyone is either lost in Sin or Saved in Christ
Each of you are either saved or lost… Heading to heaven or hell… Death is doorway to eternal life
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Death is a reminder of God's wrath for sin
o Two people die every second, every minute, every hour/day/week/month… 85M/year
o 240,000 people/ day… In the day you eat, you shall surely die… Physical, spiritual, eternal
o Jesus took our sin, guilt, shame, judgment of God’s wrath… He became sin for us…
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The cross is a reminder of God’s love for sinners
o Think of the cost, God sending His Son on a mission… Hated, despised, rejected, crucified
o Now think of the depth of God’s love for His only Son and His love for you individually/world
o Without Christ there is no hope when we die… Jeff believed, we have a hope that is sure!
In light of these truths… Jesus tells us:
John 4:35-36 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and
look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he
harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.
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Today is the day of opportunity, Now is the accepted time… People are spiritually hungry… Reach them
Fields around us are white, ripe for harvest… Matthew 9:36-38 36 When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then
he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
o So much hurting and pain in the world… Lord uses pain to soften hard hearts…
o God spoke to so many people with the passing of Jeff… A wake up call to many… Fields are ripe
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Belief in the afterlife affects the way that we live in this life…
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Obedience is the key: Get where you need to be spiritually…
“Good & evil increase at compound interest. That's why the little decisions we make every day are
of infinite importance.” ~ CS Lewis
LIVE, LOVE & ENGAGE YOUR WORLD…
 Be Living Victorious in View of Eternity! In obedience to Christ’s commands… Faithful to His
Word… Living like today would be your last… Take TIME to give that hug, kiss, kind words, take
a walk and build a love relationship with that special person, smell the flowers, listen to the
birds, wonder at a sunset, be there for someone… Live life without regret
 Be Loving in Unselfish Giving - Deeds! Your calls, texts, comments, cards, flowers, visits, food,
services, giving, support, prayers, love… So appreciative, thank you so much
 Be Reaching people for Christ! As a church, as a mission team, as individuals… Critical before its
eternally too late… Work while its day, night comes when no man can work!
Jesus is coming back soon… Let me share something…
Shila & Rob Jones, while putting their little 2 year old Lia to bed she said, “I saw a man in the sky”. Shila said,
what man? And she said, “a man riding a big white horse”… We’re getting close, Jesus is coming!
My daughter Holly was on Facebook with 2 year old Sammy sitting by her when a picture of Jeff popped us.
Little Sammy said, “see you soon Jeff”… Jesus is coming!
Be ready to step into Eternity!
• If you were to unexpectedly die, are you ready to meet Jesus?
• Will you begin living for Him with no regrets?
• Will you trust Him today as your Savior?
Let’s Pray