Traveling and Enjoying the Family of God

Traveling With and Enjoying The Family of God Acts 21.1-20 It has been a joy of mine to be able to connect with the family of God here in the United States and around the world. My first experience came early in my life. I remember staying at a pastor’s home in Norwalk CT when I was just ready to turn 14. We went up there to help with a VBS. I was with kids from this church, Brentwood, Yorktown Heights, New Jersey, Connecticut and other churches. It was a fun week. Some of those connections made in June 1970 still stand to this day. Working for the LORD is filled with joy! Walking with the LORD is too! I remember being in the Dominican Republic in January 26 years ago. We all met up at a church on Sunday. They took us in the back of the church where the pastor and family lived and we had delicious chicken and rice and beans. We had just met each other but we are family because of Jesus. I love to watch the fellowship here on Sunday after the service up here and downstairs. There are beautiful things happening in this place as well as throughout the week among God’s people. Koinonia The longer we serve Jesus the sweeter it grows. One time, a few years back, I was asked to play the guitar for the summer school when Pastor was at the Bay Shore Assembly. I went up to see him afterward and he said, “Larry, did you eat lunch?” I said I hadn’t and he ordered Chinese Food, Robert Torres picked it up and we ate together in his office, sharing God’s blessings in our lives. We will do that next Sunday as we team preach. Pastor Johnson and I will bring the Thanksgiving Message together. The sum of our ages is 161 years, the sum of time as Pastors, over 100 years now. I have enjoyed fellowship with government leaders. Photo with Angie Here in this 21st chapter of Acts we get to see the blessings of traveling for Jesus and the joy of fellowship with other believers. Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. Along the way from his farewell to the Ephesian Elders which we looked at last week he had a number of encouraging encounters. We are on our way to the New Jerusalem. What an incredible journey it is! Hebrews 12.1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the cityof the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. We see God work through us. I remember a new missionary couple in their 4 wheel drive stuck in the mud in Haiti on our way to the airport. Loll got out and helped them. They did not know how to use the 4 Wheel Drive. He got in, showed them how to put it in 4 wheel drive and they were on their way to their conference. Psalm 84. 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in You,     whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,     they make it a place of springs;     the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength,     till each appears before God in Zion. To quote that great theologian, Stymie, when asked, “Where are we going?” His answer, “I don’t know but we are on our way!” We do know the way! We know where we are going. Let’s look at Paul’s travels this morning and the wonderful encounters he had along the way. * The First Stop vs.1-4 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Torn away= separation, tear away We know this was emotionally painful. They were weeping and holding onto him. the disciples in Tyre Tyre= Jesus had visited there (Matthew 15.21-28) There were followers of Jesus there, probably connected with this Syro Phonecian woman. They stayed there 7 days which would have included The LORD’s Day, a time for the followers of Jesus to gather like we do. I look forward to gathering together on the first day of the week. This is what believers do. The details are not recorded. It must have been encouraging for the followers of Jesus there. It was a Gentile area. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. In less than 30 years from Pentecost the Gospel had spread all over the world! How did they do it? All they had was God and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit! The fruit of the Spirit is love. I think that is why God had the travels put in this chapter. To show hospitality, love in action. One of the greatest blessings to belonging to the Church is the community we have. There is nothing like it on the earth! The person who is in the Family of God has friends all over the world! -William Barclay God’s Family 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. Seven days and they became this close. I have noticed wherever I have gone in this world it does not take very long to get close to fellow believers. I grew up with prayerful departures. As a kid I even recorded a few. Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. 4 When we are called to part, it gives us inward pain; but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again. 5 This glorious hope revives our courage by the way; while each in expectation lives and waits to see the day. We have hope as believers. We never say goodbye forever. Many hymns express this like the one we sang this morning. * The Second Stop v.7 7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. A short stop. Greetings= a joyful welcome Refreshed, Rest The first stop lasted a week. This one was a day. I always enjoyed stopping in to see someone, praying for them, encouraging them. Many times in my travels over the years I would try and connect with people on the way, even if was for a meal. Years ago I spoke in a church in Kentucky, that I had helped start, on the way home, went through Columbus, Ohio, to have lunch with a former District Superintendent and his wife. It was sweet fellowship. They are now in Heaven. He had spoken here back in the 1990’s after our meeting. Relationships with other Christians are so important for them and us. We need each other. We need face to face meetings, regularly. Baptist, Pentecostals, Independents, Global Methodists, even the Nazarenes! * Two More Stops on the Way to Jerusalem vs.8-10 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Philip was one of the 7 chosen to oversee the daily distribution of food in the early days of the church at Jerusalem in Acts 6. By Acts 8, everyone, except the apostles were scattered and they preached the Word wherever they went. Now he is an evangelist, what we would call a faith missionary today. Evangelists preach the Word to those who do not Christ. His four unmarried daughters prophesied. Emmanuel Robin and his father, Gideon, from Pastor Johnson’s Indian Village Mission will be here, LORD willing, the 2nd Sunday of December to give us a report of the evangelizing they are involved with there. Paul and traveling party (which included Luke) spent a number of days there. Their next stop would be Jerusalem. Caesarea is on the Mediterranean. Jerusalem in the mountains. It is 70 miles from Caesarea to Jerusalem. They would not be able to do that in one day or even two. It was at least a three days journey. Staying with Philip and his daughters must have been encouraging to the apostle and to them. Caesarea was the residence of the governor of Judea. Of course to the Jews Jerusalem was the seat of the government but they lived in occupied territory at this point. When we were having numerous teams coming to Haiti I had a three day break in between. I stayed at the home of Pastor St. Cyr and his dear wife, Eunice. I went to work with him during the day and slept at their house at night. They refreshed my heart. I would fall asleep in Delmas, Port Au Prince, in that bed and think about how he and I connected. There was a prayer group in Zephyr Hills, Florida. In it was a man by the name of Jay Bergers. I knew Jay since I was 10 years old. He asked for prayer for me. There was another man there in that prayer group by the name of Charlie Fournier. He had done work in Haiti. He told Jay to have me call him, which I did. He introduced me to Pastor St. Cyr. When I called him before I left for Haiti the third time he said, “Brother, I am here to serve you. Anything you need I will do for you if I can.” I told him I needed a place to stay in between teams. Also I needed a translator. That is how I met this man of God. He sent Jhon to us. He is helping us with he container going down soon. * The Final Stop before Jerusalem vs.15-16 15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. I love this some joined in with Paul’s traveling party and brought him to a home where he stayed before arriving at Jerusalem. I love how kids followed us around in Haiti’s mountains! Notice at this point Paul has been staying at homes of followers of Christ. The promise made by Jesus in Mark 10. 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. The apostle Paul left home, his family for the Gospel. He had a home in Tarsus which he rented. He lived in Jerusalem at the time of the beginnings of the Church. He traveled the world for Jesus, telling all of the way to Salvation. He stayed in homes from the time he left the Ephesian Elders until he arrived in Jerusalem. The blessings of following Jesus. I have received many invites through our livestream and mission work. I wish I could respond to them all in person, bring some of you with me. Years ago, A missionary from Taiwan was here. He had flown in and out of New York many times and seen the Empire State Building from a plane, but he had never gone up in it. His name was Jack Holstead. He had the day off which interestingly was St. Patty’s Day so I took him to city so he could go up on it. We did. On the way home we called Pastor Kuo on a pay phone (that tells you how long ago that was!) Pastor David and Mae Kuo had come from Taiwan to begin a church for the Chinese people in Manhattan, in Chinatown. I have been there many times. I could hear Jack speaking Mandarin Chinese to them on the phone. They were insisting that we come to their apartment there in the city. He had to tell them we did not have time. He said, “They were pleading with me for us to go.” Photo Kingdom work is wonderful filled. The connections we make are thrilling. They go around the world. We are all part of this because this is a House of Prayer for all Nations. The future is bright in the Kingdom of God. God is working in you and I. Wonderful things are going out of this church for the glory of God! Actually all three churches. To Him be all the glory! * Finally A Warm Welcome In Jerusalem by the Church there. They got to hear Paul’s wonderful report. I think we will with those men from India next month. This Pharisee of Pharisees was being by the LORD to lead many to Christ, many Gentiles! The joy of sharing a good report. The blessing of listening! So there is the journey to Jerusalem. Look at the places Paul stayed on the way! So on your journey to the New Jerusalem God has prepared blessings ahead. Give Him thanks for the people in the past He has blessed you with. Hymn #543 The Family of God

The True Shepherd of the Flock

A True Shepherd of The Flock What if I told you that this morning you could be free from the anxiety and depression and stress and worry you are carrying? With all that is concerning you about the future, past and present? You can because of Jesus! It is all about having faith in what is a main theme of the Old and New Testaments. He is our Shepherd. We are His sheep. Sheep do not concern themselves with anything if they follow Him. He provides safety, security, shelter, food at all times. If you are overwhelmed by life it is so simple. Look to Him, fix your gaze on Him. Open our eyes LORD to what we have in You as our Shepherd. Acts 20.17-38 Jesus warned about false representations of Him coming in His Name. The news media is a false representation today. They tell you things that are false. They adjutate your mind. This actually an be addictive. False Representatives He told that at the final judgement there would be protest by them. Matthew 7. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ I remember some years ago getting a phone call here at the church, from a dear lady. She was attending a church here on the Island. She was distraught. She asked for an appointment. One evening she came to my study when it was still here in the church building. She was a business woman. She launched into her story. Her pastor was involved in a gross sin. I did not ask what church it was. What perplexed her was that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were still operating through him. People were still coming to the LORD. The congregation was divided. Her question to me was, “He must be right with God. God is still using him, right?” Yet something did not add up. His lifestyle was sinful. I shared these verses. I told her the gifts of God are irrevocable. Once given they cannot be taken back. A man can be living in the grossest of sins and still be used by God. She left still feeling perplexed but with a better grasp on the situation. I had a classmate in Bible College. He had a gift of prophecy. I have to admit that as a young man I envied him and this gift. He became an evangelist. I had him come to my church in upstate NY. I remember us being on the street, visiting people from the church. This elderly man was there. He led him to the LORD on the spot. The gentleman started crying as he spoke to him. That night he came to the service. It was electric! He held special services in my Dad and Mom’s church. People were divided. One saintly man said it was the best revival he had seen. He was a descendant of John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace. Another lady could not stand him. My Dad loved him. My Mom asked me, “Is he for real?” We soon found out. After I moved back here this evangelist guy was arrested, found guilty of a horrible crime and sentenced to a Federal Prison. It was disgraceful. From a Pastor friend who visited him I found out in the prison he was leading fellow inmates to Christ. He wrote to me and told me that he was calling down fire from Heaven on prisoners there who interestingly enough had the same sinful lifestyle he had. He had gone mad in some ways. He died in that prison. After his arrest I stopped envying his gift. I am telling you this to warn you not to be taken in by the flashy, highly gifted. Watch out for those who can preach, cast out demons and do wonders yet their lifestyle is not consistent with the Gospel. Take this warning to heart. Watch out for wolves in sheep’s clothing. In this passage we have just read Paul, the Apostle goes into detail about what a true shepherd of the flock is like. He was an apostle, did evangelistic work and pastored several churches to get them established. The Church at Ephesus was one of those he pastored For 3 years (verse 31) he warned them with tears. We are given the qualifications for an overseer in I Timothy 3. Here the same man, who wrote to Timothy, his son in the Gospel, gives his personal testimony of his ministry and life: * Humility, Tears, Lifestyle vs.17-19 Humility= a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness, modesty It is can be a heady thing to have God work through you. It can throw you off if you are not grounded. One of the reasons we are urged not to lay hands on a new believer. Years ago a group of teens from our church were on their way home from Clinton, New Jersey. I was on a team with them (photo) It was a new church. We went out into the community and invited people to come for services on Saturday evening and Sunday. They came. The Holy Spirit was at work. It was 1970. The movement of God was powerful. We talked about it in the way back to the Island. What had happened? One of our “wise” young ladies said, “I think we left the Holy Spirit there.” Now I don’t think that was true, nor was it good theology. We would have been better to conclude with praise to the LORD rather than trying to figure out what happened. God sorts that out. 2 years later the pastor of that church in New Jersey came here and built the building you are sitting this morning! The fact is we probably had very little to do with what God did in Clinton. There was a move of God’s Spirit at the time and I think He blew His Spirit through that newly formed church and we just happened to be there. We were available and He used us. All praise to Him! Paul, the apostle, was very humble. He also served with tears. The ministry is emotional. The shepherd’s heart sometimes breaks. Jesus was gripped with compassion because He saw the people as they really were… like sheep without a shepherd. * Preaching the Kingdom This is so important. Pastors follow Jesus when they proclaim the Kingdom of God. We do not proclaim our opinions. We do not proclaim “our” Kingdoms… or our denominations, although God has done great works through them. Jesus said to the repentant thief when He asked the LORD to remember him when He came into His Kingdom, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” He came into His Kingdom on the cross when He died. We preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We proclaim life in the Kingdom. We urge people to seek His Kingdom. That is a shepherd’s work. * Teaching God’s Word Genesis To Revelation My pattern of Sunday’s messages are a chapter a week from the Bible. We give on the bulletins the Scripture Reading for the week. If you read that you will not only be prepared for Sunday’s message but you will eventually go through the whole Bible. We have been through it three times completely. We are on our way again. This is the whole counsel of God. Pastors tend to repeat themselves. A new Scripture to dig into every week is so good. The humility comes in as we realize how much we do not know and still need to study. In these times when people are literally making up their own religion (and that means variation on what God says in His Word) we need to hold forth the Word of Life. God’s Word stands forever. Heaven and Earth will pass away but His Word is eternal. * Keeping Watch Over the Flock The condition of the flock and of individual sheep. This is what the Apostle Paul did and what Pastors are to do. This is serious work. This has eternal consequences. The shepherds, on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem: Luke 2.8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Acts 20. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. This is why from time to time I will speak to you privately and how each LORD’s Day I pray you will receive the Word given and that I will proclaim it fearlessly as I should. * Free from the Love of Money, Silver and Gold - vs. 33-34 You cannot serve both God and money, Jesus said. A shepherd leads a simple lifestyle. He only owns what he can carry, the clothes on his back. His life’s work is not about making money. It is all about taking care of that flock. Even as the flock increases his concern is for the welfare of those sheep. If he is distracted then the sheep will suffer. * Man of Prayer This indispensable for the work of a shepherd. He must depend upon God completely. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep set the example for all shepherds in this. Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" Luke 5:16. This is the pattern for pastors, often (a regular practice) withdrawing to uninhabited places and communing with our Father In Heaven. This is where direction for feeding the flock, caring for the flock and preparing for the next encounter with the sheep takes place. Blessed is the church who has a true shepherd as we have seen Paul, the apostle, describe here in this 20th chapter of Acts. Pray for the pastors around the world. Hymn #595 Lead On, O King Eternal

A Prelude To Thanksgiving

A Prelude To Thanksgiving Day Luke 17.11-19 Jesus was on His Way to Jerusalem. We read in back in Luke 9.51 "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." So on His way to die, on that final journey of His ministry in Galilee to die in Jerusalem, He encounters these 10 lepers on the outskirts of a village. His popularity had grown in the 3 1/2 years of ministry in Galilee and the surrounding area. People knew about Him. Lepers, especially, held Him in high regard and believed that He was indeed the Messiah. No one could heal a leper except Jesus. They were hopeless outcasts. They still are. In the book about Bob Pierce, Let My Heart Be Broken With the Things That Break the Heart of God, Elmer Kilbourne, of the Oriental Mission Society, is quoted, "The worst part of leprosy is the social isolation connected with it... it happens all over the world, wherever there are lepers. Leprosy can arrested. In many cases it can be cured. But even though a man may survive it, once he has been driven from his home he can't go back. His relatives, friends and neighbors simply will not accept him. So he has to live with other lepers." My daughter, Theresa, spent half the summer of her Junior year of college working in a leper colony in southern India. In Israel in the first century provisions were made for a return in the law. Verse 13 "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" It noteworthy that Jesus didn’t bargain with them. You know, “If I heal you do you promise to follow Me?” Healing is a gift from God. It is given without strings attached. Many have been healed by Him but have not followed Him. Many. These lepers believed Jesus could help them. They were asking Him to come to their aid in their affliction. The fact He could heal lepers had spread among those afflicted with the disease. He was their only hope. At the beginning of His ministry we read in Mark 1. 40 A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was filled with compassion. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. From the beginning of His ministry in Galilee He was filled with concern for the sick and diseased. Luke 17. 12 As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When He saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Now we see the healing here and the subsequent ingratitude. We see it as a horrible thing- this scarcity of Thanksgiving. If you are a person who likes to give to others you have no doubt encountered this issue giving complete when there is that appreciation expressed. Did they like the gift? Was it discarded? Did they get it? Before we tackle the obvious here let's think about Thanksgiving for... 1. Blessings Seldom Thought Of. v.11 These are blessings we often take for granted. For example, if you received a public school education being thankful for those who paid the taxes so you could go. That is not the case in many places throughout the world. The ability to read and write is a priceless gift. I am discovering that more every day. The disciples were walking with Jesus. We walk with Him. Sometime we need to be reminded of His Presence with us, particularly when things are going well! How about your health? Give thanks you are able to be here this morning. John wrote to his friend, “To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” II John 1-2 Being thankful for our bed, our pillow, covers for warmth, a roof to keep out rain and wind. The pastors from Ecuador without blankets. Cold. Laura Sluyter told us about them shortly after I came to this church as pastor. We took up an offering for them. How about being thankful for our country. With all its flaws, we have freedoms that the majority of the 8.2 billion people on the earth today do not enjoy. Blessings taken for granted, seldom thought of…. Like hot showers or clean water. Indoor plumbing, heat, automobiles Blessings here much of the world does not enjoy. How about some past blessings Photo of JetBlue/ Haiti Thankful for them The longer we walk with the LORD’s, the more we have to be thankful for! Last night I had a great time with the LORD. He brought up times when He blessed me. These were times I am still giving thanks for! * My childhood and youth * My Journey to Bible College and how someone paid $100 on my bill anonymously so I could continue. * My detour to Kentucky, working 2 jobs to make ends meet, groceries loaded in our car, $50 bill when we didn’t have gas to get back home. God was teaching me. * Pastoring in southwestern part of the state… spoke to people from there this week, some joining us today on livestream * My return to the Island after 10 year hiatus * God’s Hand upon this church * Haiti $4,000 and $19,000 for the roof unsolicited * This church maturing into a House of Prayer for All Nations * Seeing us become a church with a worldwide ministry Surprise Blessings Indian Village Mission photos December visiting us and sharing a report As we think about Thanksgiving... 2. Give Thanks for the Obvious. vs.14-16 Jesus was giving them instructions from Leviticus 14.1-3 The Samaritan man came back praising God in a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him. Thanksgiving springs from humility- an acknowledgment that everything good in my life has come from the Hand of my Father in Heaven Who loves me. (James 1.17) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows. Often there is a continent of blessing in our lives and just an island of praise. Gigabytes of blessing and kilobytes of thanks. These 10 men were all touched by God. They were healed. It is wrong to pray for blessings, receive them and fail to thank God for them. Things right in front of us- v.15 when he saw he was healed... obvious blessings: food, shelter clothing, people. Psalm 103.3 Praise the LORD, O My soul, and forget not all His benefits. We could go all the way thru that Psalm. More, much more receive benefits and than thank Him for them. It is all to easy to enjoy the benefits and forget Who gave them to us! Finally in this prelude to Thanksgiving we see in this passage... 3. A Lesson For All Who Serve. vs.17-19 This man by passed the priest and went to the Great High Priest. The percentage of people who appreciate the work of God through your life will be low. Look to Jesus for approval not to men for appreciation. Look to be pleasing to God, let people do what is in their hearts. So often someone gets something from the LORD what they want and they never come back. Excitement overwhelms them and they forget to give thanks. The Questions of Jesus, the Master Teacher, the Son of God: 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Undeniably Where are the other nine? Too busy, on their way to their hometowns, certificates in hand 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Obviously and take note! If you look for people to appreciate your hard work you will be disappointed. Look for commendations from God at the end, at the Last Day. Deflect the praise to God when they do. Your treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue! Matthew 25. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in,36 I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘LORD, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’ Listen to Paul, the apostle His words to Timothy II Timothy 4. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. Blessed are those who do not expect much appreciation for they will not be disappointed. However the rewards of serving Jesus are overwhelming! There is much to give Him thanks for as you serve. Give Thanks to God for His Indescribable Gift! The LORD’s Supper