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Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith (1927 - 2013). American pastor and founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, born in Ventura, California. After graduating from LIFE Bible College, he was ordained by the Foursquare Church and pastored several small congregations. In 1965, he took over a struggling church in Costa Mesa, California, renaming it Calvary Chapel, which grew from 25 members to a network of over 1,700 churches worldwide. Known for his accessible, verse-by-verse Bible teaching, Smith embraced the Jesus Movement in the late 1960s, ministering to hippies and fostering contemporary Christian music and informal worship. He authored numerous books, hosted the radio program "The Word for Today," and influenced modern evangelicalism with his emphasis on grace and simplicity. Married to Kay since 1947, they had four children. Smith died of lung cancer, leaving a lasting legacy through Calvary Chapel’s global reach and emphasis on biblical teaching
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Sermon Summary
Chuck Smith explores the majesty of God as reflected in the vastness of the universe, emphasizing that despite the grandeur of creation, God is intimately mindful of humanity. He highlights that God loves each person personally, knowing their struggles and weaknesses, and that His love is demonstrated through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Smith reassures that even in our failures, we are not punished but rather embraced by God's grace. He concludes by affirming that God has given authority to Jesus over all creation, even as many still resist His rule.
Scriptures
Psalms 8:3
"WHAT IS MAN" I. THE VASTNESS OF GOD. A. His glory is above (or greater) than the heavens. 1. One of the unfortunate by-products of our urbanized modern society is our restricted view of the night sky. a. We need to go to the mountains or desert periodically just to look. b. Looking into the night sky is awesome, glorious. 2. The heavens are the work of His fingers. 3. He has ordained the moon and the stars. 4. In this vast Universe, billions of galaxies. a. One of these galaxies is called Milky Way, it measures 10,000 x 100,000 light years. b. In this galaxy are millions of stars, one is called the sun. 860,000 miles in diameter. 1. Around this sun revolve several planets approx. 93,000,000 miles one called earth 7,926,69 miles in dia. at cq 7,899,98 at poles. II. WHAT IS MAN. A. On this planet called earth, many living things. One is called man. About 3 billion at the present time. B. The God who created the heavens whose glory exceeds them, is mindful of me. 1. Not in some abstract way. 2. In a personal way, He loves me. 1. He knows when I stand up and when I lie down. The thoughts I think. Still He loves me. 2. He knows my frame that I am dust, He knows my weaknesses and failings. Still He loves me. 3. When you are really trying yet fail, you are not punished. 4. When your baby was learning to walk, if it would lose its balance and fall you would not punish him. C. God is not only mindful of man, but He left His glory greater than the heavens to come to this earth to visit man. 1. "In the beginning was the Word." 2. "He was in the world and the world." 3. So God the Son became the Son of man to demonstrate the love of God, and to redeem the fallen earth back to God. D. Now God the Father has put all things under Him and given him authority over all His created works. 1. "We do not yet see all things in subjection to Him..." Heb. a. We see many men still rebelling against His authority. b. There are times when my flesh seeks to rebel. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, suffering death, crowned with glory and honor." "O Jehovah Our Lord, how excellent are thy ways in all the earth!"
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Chuck Smith (1927 - 2013). American pastor and founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, born in Ventura, California. After graduating from LIFE Bible College, he was ordained by the Foursquare Church and pastored several small congregations. In 1965, he took over a struggling church in Costa Mesa, California, renaming it Calvary Chapel, which grew from 25 members to a network of over 1,700 churches worldwide. Known for his accessible, verse-by-verse Bible teaching, Smith embraced the Jesus Movement in the late 1960s, ministering to hippies and fostering contemporary Christian music and informal worship. He authored numerous books, hosted the radio program "The Word for Today," and influenced modern evangelicalism with his emphasis on grace and simplicity. Married to Kay since 1947, they had four children. Smith died of lung cancer, leaving a lasting legacy through Calvary Chapel’s global reach and emphasis on biblical teaching