Saturday, February 23, 2013

RWJ/Pottersville UMC 02/24/13 Sermon - “It has begun”


Sunday 02/24/13 RWJ/Pottersville UMC

Sermon: “It has begun”                                                                                      

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 27
                                             
Gospel Lesson: Luke 13:31-35

          Good morning brothers and sisters! It is a great joy, as always to be worshipping with you here this morning. On this morning, we continue to move forward in this Lenten Season.
          Last week, as we had just begun the Lenten Season, I challenged us to consider what we could give up for Lent, or more appropriately what we could give away for Lent. For in this time of the Christian Calendar, Jesus moves closer and closer to dying for us all on the cross. He moves closer to fulfilling all of the prophecies of old, so that we may have eternal life.
          Yesterday, I watched an excellent film called “The Gospel of John”. In this movie, the entire Gospel according to John was made into an almost 3-hour feature length film. In the film, it is amazing to see how so many people judged Jesus, and how so many didn’t believe that he was who he said he was. It was amazing that Jesus healed, that he performed many other miracles, and raised the dead, and yet many still doubted him. He commanded Lazarus back to life, and yet some still doubted him.
          You see, while many flocked to this Jesus of Nazareth, especially the poor, the sick, and the down trodden, the religious leaders were very Leary of him. After all, weren’t they the ones who knew God the best? Weren’t they the ones who had the answers regarding God, the afterlife, and etc.? Further, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time lived good lives, to say the least.
          You see during this time, the average person in Jerusalem didn’t eat meat everyday, like many of us having the luxury of doing today. Most folks only ate meat during special feasts, weddings, or other special festivals. The Pharisees, the high priests, and the other religious leaders though, got to eat meat each and every day. This is because, according to the “Old Law” or the “Law of Moses” in the Old Testament, people had to offer animal sacrifices to God in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Old Testament or Jewish Torah book of Leviticus, among other things, talked about how to butcher an animal. We often know this today, as something being “Kosher”. Many of us know that Jews cannot eat pork, and that “Kosher” meat products must be butchered and prepared according to this “Old Law,” or the “Law of Moses”. We can still see many products in the grocery store today in fact, that are “Kosher” products.
            So every day, the wealthy religious leaders would sacrifice these animals according the “Old Law,” and the folks who came to pay tribute to God, would also sometimes bring money to give, bring food to give, and etc. The Pharisees, the high priests, and the other religious leaders, would then often keep the rest of these sacrificed and butchered animals. You see the religious leaders, lived good. Jesus of Nazareth then enters the picture, comes to the temple and flips the tables of the money changers selling animals at premium price, to be used as sacrifices from the common folks of Jerusalem. Jesus said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
          Well I might be young, and I might still be naïve to many of the things of this world, but this I have learned, leaders and people in power don’t like people who “upset the apple cart”. Leaders and people in power generally want to maintain the status quo, and definitely don’t want some young Nazarene named Jesus coming in and challenging there authority. While miracles were performed, while Jesus proved he was who he said he was, this meant that the “good life” could be over for the Pharisees. In fact, the Pharisees giving 30-pieces of silver to Judas Iscariot to sell out Jesus, was chump change to these guys. They would do anything to maintain their power, anything. In fact, quickly “It had begun,” the planning and the scheming, to kill Jesus.
          In the scripture reading from this morning, Psalm 27 said that “The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid”. I can imagine Jesus saying to the Pharisees and the people at the temple the day he turned over the tables, “Do you really think that these expensive animal sacrifices will save you?” “Do you really think that just following the Law to the “T” will be enough for almighty God?” I would imagine that Jesus would say, “What about the internal change for God?” “You must follow me,” he said.
          You see, Jesus came to change the social order, and everything in it. Jesus said, have faith in him, not in animal sacrifices. Only faith in him will get you to life eternal.
I can imagine then, that the Pharisees thought, “Jesus was bad for business”. We all know what often happens to things that are bad for business, don’t we. The scripture from this morning ended by saying, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” trust in Jesus. “It has begun”. They are planning to kill Jesus of Nazareth.
In the reading from the Gospel of Luke from this morning, it read, “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you”. Jesus then said to those Pharisees, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting our demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will finish my work”. Jesus then left Jerusalem as he said that it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem”. He will return on a donkey though, to the shouts of Hosanna soon, a day very close to his death.
While Jesus knew long before the crucifixion that he was coming to earth to die for the sins of the world, I wonder that when Jesus heard that Herod wanted to kill him, if he said, “it has begun”. The road to his death and burial has begun. I mean after all, he came to heal, love, and forgive, and he was always right when the Pharisees debated him. So he was amazing and was always right, and they want to kill him for this? His crime, his only real crime I think, was that he was perfect.
Sometimes in my short life, I have seen what companies and other employers have done to young, talented, and ambitious people. Sometimes such people are seen as a threat, and sometimes they are marginalized and ultimately fired, because they “caused waves”. Jesus caused waves. Jesus challenged us to put our faith in him, and not just laws and rules alone.
For after all, as the song “You are I am” by the Christian band “Mercy Me” says in reference to Jesus, “You're the one who conquers giants, You're the one who calls out kings, You shut the mouths of lions, You tell the dead to breathe, You're the one who walks through fire, You take the orphan's hand, You are the one Messiah. You are I am. You are I am.”
I would like to close this morning with a story. This story is called “Come as you are, no jacket required”. Here is how it goes: I shook my head in disbelief, the man said. This couldn’t be the right place. After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the right place. Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words, “Come as you are. No jacket required,” and found the location. Yes, I was at the right place. I peered through the window again and saw a room of people whose faces seemed to glow with joy. All were neatly dressed, adorned in fine garments and appeared strangely clean as they dined at this exquisite restaurant. Ashamed, I looked down at my own tattered and torn clothing, covered in stains. I was dirty, in fact, filthy. A foul smell seemed to consume me and I couldn’t shake the grime that clung to my body. As I turned around to leave, the words from the invitation seemed to leap out at me, “Come as you are. No jacket required.”
I decided to give it a shot. Mustering up every bit of courage I could find, I opened the door to this restaurant and walked up to a man standing behind a podium. Your name, sir?” he asked me with a smile. “Daniel F. Renken,” I mumbled without looking up. I thrust my hands deep into my pockets, hoping to conceal their stains. He didn’t seem to notice the filth that I was covered in and he continued, “Very good, sir. A table is reserved in your name. Would you like to be seated?” I couldn’t believe what I heard! A grin broke out on my face and I said, “Yes, of course! “He led me to a table and, sure enough, there was a placard with my name written on it in a deep, dark red. As I browsed over a menu, I saw many delightful items listed. There were things like, “peace,” “joy,” “blessings,” “confidence,” “assurance,” “hope,” “love,” “faith,” and “mercy.” I realized that this was no ordinary restaurant! I flipped the menu back to the front in order to see where I was. “God’s Grace,” was the name of this place!
The man returned and said, “I recommend the ‘Special of the Day’.” With it, you are entitled to heaping portions of everything on this menu.” You’ve got to be kidding! I thought to myself. You mean, I can have ALL of this! “What is the ‘Special of the Day,” I asked with excitement ringing in my voice. “Salvation,” was his reply. “I’ll take it,” I practically cried out. Then, as quickly as I made that statement, the joy left my body. A sick, painful ache jerked through my stomach and tears filled my eyes. Between my sobs I said, “Mister, look at me. I’m dirty and nasty. I’m unclean and unworthy of such things. I’d love to have all of this, but, I Just can’t afford it.” Undaunted, the man smiled again. “Sir, your check has already been taken care of by that Gentleman over there,” he said pointing to the front of the room. “His Name is Jesus.”
Turning, I saw a man whose very presence seemed to light the room. He was almost too much to look at. I found myself walking towards Him and in a shaking voice I whispered, “Sir, I’ll wash the dishes or sweep the floors or take out the trash. I’ll do anything I can do to repay you for all of this.” He opened His arms and said with a smile, “Son, all of this is yours if you just come unto Me. Ask Me to clean you up and I will. Ask Me to take away the stains and it is done. Ask Me to allow you to feast at My table and you will eat. Remember, the table is reserved in your name. All you must do is accept this gift that I offer you.”
Astonished, I fell at His feet and said, “Please, Jesus. Please clean up my life. Please change me and seat me at Your table and give me this new life.” Immediately, I heard the words, “It is finished.” I looked down and white robes adorned my squeaky clean body. Something strange and wonderful had happened. I felt new, like a weight had been lifted, and I found myself seated at His table.
“The ‘Special of the Day’ has been served,” the Lord said to me. “Salvation is yours.” We sat and talked for a great while and I so enjoyed the time that I spent with Him. He told me, me of all people, that He would like me to come back as often as I liked for another helping from God’s Grace. He made it clear that He wanted me to spend as much time with Him as possible.
As it drew near time for me to go back outside into the “real world,” He whispered to me softly, “And Daniel, I am with you always.” And then, He said something to me that I will never forget. He said, “My child, Do you see these empty tables throughout this room?” “Yes, Lord. I see them. What do they mean?” I replied. “These are reserved tables, but the individuals whose names are on each placards have not accepted their invitations to dine. Would you be so kind as to hand out these invitations to those who have not joined us yet?” Jesus asked. “Of course,” I said with excitement as I picked up the invitations. “Go ye therefore into all nations,” He said as I turned to leave. I walked into God’s Grace dirty and hungry. Stained in sin. My righteousness as filthy rags. And Jesus cleaned me up. I walked out a brand new man . . . robed in white, His righteousness. And so, I’ll keep my promise to my Lord. I’ll go. I’ll spread the Word. I’ll share the Gospel . . . I’ll hand out the invitations.
And I’ll start with you. Have you been to God’s Grace? There’s a table reserved in your name, and here’s your invitation . . . “Come as you are. No jacket required.”
You see Jesus came to earth to love, heal, and forgive. He upset the social order so much that religious leaders were determined to kill him. “It has begun” Jesus might have though, as they planned and schemed to kill the savior of the world. This week let us spread the message of the salvation of Jesus Christ, who came to die for us all. Amen.

         


Saturday, February 16, 2013

RWJ/Pottersville UMC 02/17/13 Sermon - “What will you give up for Lent?”


Sunday 02/17/13 RWJ/Pottersville UMC

Sermon: “What will you give up for Lent?”                                                                                    

Scripture Lesson: Romans 10:8b-13
                                             
Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:1-13

          Good morning brothers and sisters, it is pleasure once again to be in worship with you here this morning! As many of us know, the Christian Lenten Season started this past Wednesday, on a day in the Christian calendar which we know as Ash Wednesday. We had a really good and well attended Ash Wednesday service at the RWJ UMC in Johnsburg this past Wednesday, and at the service I explained a little bit about the season of Lent.
          Specifically, I explained that the Lent Season is technically 46-days long, which means that if it started this past Wednesday on February 13th, that Lent will go for the remaining 15-days of this month, and it will end on last day of March. With March being 31-days long and with Easter being on Sunday March 31st, you take the 15-days of lent from this month, and then add them to the 31-days of lent from March, and that is how we get the 46-days of Lent. The start of Lent and Easter Sunday as many of you know though is different every year. So these 46-days will not always be the same calendar days every year.
          For many Christians though, they traditionally observed a 40-day Lenten season, which is technically what we still largely observe in the Western World. By not counting the 6-Sundays of every Lenten Season, we then knock down the day count from 46 to 40-days. This is because every Sunday in the Christian Calendar is considered a “mini-Easter” or a “mini-feast day”. For this reason, Sundays often don’t count as part of the sacrificial nature of the Lenten Season. For example, if someone did not eat meat during Lent, traditionally they could eat meat on Sundays. If they fasted during Lent, they could then break that fast on Sundays only.
          So, depending on how you look at it, the Lenten Season is 46 or 40-days of preparation for Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. During this Lenten Season, it has been a tradition of Christians to “give up” something for Lent. In the Lent Bible Study book by James W. Moore that we will be starting at the RWJ UMC in Johnsburg tonight at 5:00p.m., Moore talked about one year that he gave up desserts. One year, Moore said that he gave up hamburgers. One year, Moore gave up pizza. Another year, Moore gave up coffee, and one year he gave up chocolate. GASP! For many of us, we have practiced this Lenten tradition of “giving up” something. We can probably think right now in fact, of all the things that we have given up in past Lenten Seasons. In fact, I have heard stories of Christians on their lunch breaks at work, where they have went around lunch table saying, “so what are you giving up for Lent”? I have even heard Lenten Sacrificial gossip. “Did you hear that so and so is giving up wearing make up for Lent?” “Did you hear that so and so is giving up donuts for Lent? Like that will happen!” For me these sacrifices are ones we make to deny ourselves something pleasurable, out of the remembrance and grieving over the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
          Now don’t get me wrong, this is technically a mournful, repentant, and penitent season of the Christian calendar. It is a season of prayer, fasting, reflection of one’s own conscience, and a time to rededicate ourselves to the Lord. I have wondered sometimes though, how much does Jesus really care if we don’t eat chocolate for 40 or 46-days? I don’t mean to be sarcastic in saying this, but it does make our practice of “giving up” something for Lent seems a little silly doesn’t it? I mean, Jesus dies for us all, for the sins of the world, and in exchange we don’t eat Hershey Bars for 6-weeks! Good deal for us, I guess!
          I think that our tradition of “giving up” something is not a bad one though, and maybe we should all give up something tangible for Lent. I think it is a good tradition to help us to better understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for us all. While it is good to give up something tangible though, can we give up more? Further, can we give up more, and for longer than just the 6-week Lenten season? Can we give up anything for good completely?
          What if we gave up anger? What if we gave up greed? What if we gave envy? What if we gave up our lack of forgiveness? What if we gave up our hatred? What if we gave up a bad habit” Jesus said, “There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends.”
          You know I realized that as this Lenten season started, that there was something big, really big, that I wanted to give up. Something that I thought I had given up fully, but that I realized that I was still holding onto more of than I thought I was. This thing I was holding onto is control. You see I often want to do everything I can to serve God, and do his work, but I realized that sometimes I want to steer the ship more than letting God steer the ship. That I wanted to build this church and grow people’s faith, but that this is God’s church, and Jesus Christ will do with it as he will. That the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is his and his alone. While I wasn’t fully aware that I was doing this at times, I am working on giving up control in not only this Lenten Season, but for good.
          The good news is, that I have given up power and control to my wife in marriage. In fact, I did this many Lenten Seasons ago! Granted, I put up a good fight for a couple of years, but eventually I gave in!
          You see for me then, this year chocolate, soft drinks, desserts, the internet, and etc. will just not be good enough things for me to give up for Lent. I want to give up more for Jesus, for he gave up everything me and for us all. I want to find any area of my life that I still feel like I am in control of, and I want to surrender that Jesus. Jesus gave us everything, and we offer him chocolate or coffee. I wonder as Jesus looks down us, if he laughs at this?
          Like I said though, I think that our tradition of giving up things we enjoy for Lent is a great Christian tradition, but I would challenge you in this Lenten Season to up something greater, and for longer than just Lent. Maybe we should all give up something bigger, and give it up for good.
          Maybe, we should also give something away. Maybe we have possessions, old clothes, extra food, and etc. that we don’t need or even use. I have gotten to the point in my young life that I give people things I am not using. Many of us probably have things that others would use, and we don’t use them. Maybe can give away a few more things in this Lent Season. In this Lenten season then, we can give up many things, but also, we can give things away. This season I think, is about reflecting upon the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us all. This is a season, were we should be generous, repentant, still, and should give all we have to Jesus, as he gave everything he has to us.
          Our scripture reading from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, or the Romans, talked about how “No one who believes in him will be put shame”. Paul continued on to say in this scripture from Romans, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
          In the gospel reading from this morning, Jesus was tempted for 40-days in the desert, and it was a challenging time for Jesus. I don’t know if this was actually 46-days, and there was tempting in Sundays though. My guess, is that Jesus was tempted for 40-days straight with no breaks. During these 40-days, the devil tried to get Jesus to sin, to contradict himself, and to get him to forsake everything he came to earth for, for money, for power, for glory, and for etc. Avoiding the pitfalls of sin then, have become a big part of the Lenten Season and our faith in general. This is why as I said, that we traditionally “give up” something for Lent.
I would like to close this morning with a sort if funny story called, “Jesus cut a deal with Satan,” and the Author is unknown. Here is how the story goes: One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan was telling Jesus about the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting, as he had convinced Adam and Eve, many years before, to eat that forbidden fruit. Satan realized that Adam and Eve were to be kicked out of the Garden for this in fact. He then said to Jesus, "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap(!), used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to be dishonest and how to cheat each other, how to hate and how to abuse each other, how to murder and how to be cruel. I'm gonna teach them how to invent nuclear bombs and other powerful weapons so that eventually they will kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. Jesus then shocked the Devil when he said to him, "How much do you want for them”? The Devil said, "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, they will curse you, and then Jesus, they will kill you! You don't want THOSE people!!" "How much?" Jesus asked Satan again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Then Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price for us all.
          You see while our tradition of giving up something for Lent is a good and worthwhile tradition, perhaps, just perhaps though, we should seek in this Lenten Season to go further for Jesus. To give up even more, and to give up these things up for good, not just for Lent. Perhaps we need to consider what we can give away, and who we help, as we continue through the season where Jesus will give himself up for us all, so that we may live. Amen.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Ash Wednesday Service - RWJ UMC 02/13/13 Sermon - “Cheap grace”


Ash Wednesday Service 02/13/13 RWJ UMC

Sermon: “Cheap grace”                                                                                      

Scripture Lesson: Psalm 51:1-17
                                             
Gospel Lesson: Mathew 6:1-6, 16-21

          Good evening brothers and sisters! Welcome to this Ash Wednesday service! This day, is the day in the Christian calendar which marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. On this day, millions upon millions of Christians worldwide have gathered for worship serves like this, to prepare their hearts, their minds, and their souls for this Christian season.
To explain a little bit about Ash Wednesday, Ash Wednesday falls 46 actual days before Easter Sunday. Most of us though often think of the 40-days of Lent. This is because the 40-day liturgical period of the Lent season traditionally does not include Sundays. Those Christians that would fast during the days of the Lenten Season for example, would then break there fasts on Sunday’s only during Lent. Most people in America that I know though who observe the Lenten Season tend to stick to whatever sacrifice they have chosen to make the whole season, including Sunday’s. During Lent it is the tradition of our Christian faith to embrace more deeply the Christian spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, simplicity, submission, service, confession, and worship. We gather for this special service of Ash Wednesday, as traditionally it was seen as appropriate to humbly and in morning come to God in sackcloth and ashes. We put ashes on our foreheads as a sign of repentance, as a sign of humility, as a sign of sacrifice, as a sign as I said of mourning, and as a sign of our faith in Jesus Christ. In some cultures Ashes are sprinkled on the heads of Christians, but in the Western world we mark with Ashes on the forehead. This tradition has existed for centuries.
With that little introduction of Ash Wednesday, and the Lenten Season, I want to talk to you all tonight about “Cheap Grace”. “Cheap Grace” is a theological term that was created by the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Just a little bit about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a German pastor before and during World War II in Nazi Germany. In 1933, Bonhoeffer went on the radio in Nazi Germany, and declared to the whole German nation, that “Adolf Hitler is not my Fuher” or leader, “But God is my Fuher”. Bonhoeffer was part of the confessing movement of the Christian Church, which very much still exists today. Bonhoeffer was killed by the Nazi’s shortly before World War II ended, as he had been jailed as an enemy of the Nazi German State. Bonhoeffer said, I “confess Christ,” and Bonhoeffer warned of this Cheap Grace. Well you might be thinking to yourself right now, just what is Cheap Grace. Here is what Bonhoeffer said Cheap Grace is:
 “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Bonhoeffer said back in the World War II era in Nazi Germany that, “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for costly grace.” 
You are probably now thinking, well if you just told us what Cheap Grace is, then what is “Costly Grace”. According to Bonhoeffer, “Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'Ye were bought at a price', and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God,” Bonhoeffer said. Costly grace means we give it all to God.
As I will talk about more this Sunday, we often give up tangible things for the Lent season, such as chocolate, the internet, eating at restaurants, something that we really enjoy, and etc. etc. I think that Bonhoeffer would argue though, is giving up Chocolate, not Cheap Grace? The Savior of the world dies for us, and we don’t eat chocolate for the Lenten season.
To me this sounds sort of silly when I put it this way. In entering into this Lenten season though, let this time be for us, a time of prayer, confession, fasting, and humility, but also a time of excitement and a time of change. As you will hear me say more Sunday and in our Lenten bible study that starts on Sunday, maybe we need to give up things for Lent that are more long term than 40-days, of no chocolate. Maybe we need to give up Anger, Jealousy, Hatred, Pride, Greed, and etc. and etc. I think in the Lenten season Jesus wants us to be more like him. More Giving, more humble, and more generous, lest we all just have Cheap Grace, and nothing more.
I would like to close this evening with a really good Bonhoeffer quote. Here is what Bonhoeffer said about the Christian life, which I think applies apply to the Lenten Season. Bonhoeffer said, “Each morning is a new beginning of our life. Each day is a finished whole. The present day marks the boundary of our cares and concerns. It is long enough to find God or loose Him, to keep faith or fall into disgrace. God created day and night for us so we need not wander without boundaries, but may be able to see in every morning the goal of the evening ahead. Just as the ancient sun rises anew everyday, so the eternal mercy of God is new every morning. Every morning God gives us the gift of comprehending anew His faithfulness of old; thus in the midst of our life with God, we may daily begin a new life with Him. In the first moments of the new day are for God's liberating grace, God's sanctifying presence. Before the heart unlocks itself for the world, God wants to open it for Himself; before the ear takes in the countless voices of the day, it should hear in the early hours the voice of the Creator and Redeemer. God prepared the stillness of the first morning for Himself. It should remain His. 
In this Lenten Season, may we all pursue costly grace. In the name our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

RWJ/Pottersville UMC 02/10/13 Sermon - “I can't believe that just happened!”


Sunday 02/10/13 RWJ/Pottersville UMC

Sermon: “I can’t believe that just happened!”                                                                                      

Scripture Lesson: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
                                             
Gospel Lesson: Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a)

          Good morning and welcome on this Transfiguration Sunday! I greet you in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ! I hope and pray that you have all had good and blessed weeks, and I am happy to be worshipping with you all here this morning!
          On this day, the United Methodist Church and several churches world-wide are celebrating the “Transfiguration” of Jesus Christ. This event and this miracle, is the one where Jesus changed the appearance of his face, and was covered in dazzling white clothes. The Apostles that went with him, James, John, and Peter were no doubt amazed by this miracle, and I can imagine for many of them, they might have said, “I can’t believe that just happened!”
          In my short life time I have seen various things that made me stand in awe, sit in awe, or just make my mouth hang open in amazement. Often in such moments, I would think or I would say, “I can’t believe that just happened!”  While all my examples far pale in comparison the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, I have had some experiences where I just said “Whoa!”
          Perhaps it might have been something crazy that one of my students just said, perhaps it was a car that I witnessed get into a car accident, and I just watched it happen. Perhaps it was something of more humorous nature, like an actor or actress loosing there balance and falling over on the “Red Carpet” on television. If we all think about it, we certainly can think of many good and bad things that we have experienced where we may have said, “I can’t believe that just happened!”
          About 3-4 weeks ago, I went over to my mother Susan and step-father Michael’s house for dinner in Weavertown on a Sunday night. There was a considerable amount of snow on the ground and on the roof of their house when I arrived. After we had eaten dinner, we were watching television in the living room, and all of the sudden there was literally a rumble, and the house shook. Mike looked at me freaked out, and I am sure I looked pretty freaked out to. I kidded him after the fact, and told him that he thought it was the rapture or Jesus’ second coming, but he hasn’t admitted to that being true yet! As it turned out however, after about 10-seconds after this happened we figured out that massive pile of snow had just fallen suddenly off my the roof into the back yard. When this happened though, my step-dad as I said, looked at me like “what was that”! I sat there for a few seconds thinking the same thing, and was thinking, “I can’t believe that just happened!” Well after we figured out what had just happened, that Jesus hadn’t returned in his second coming, and that Weavertown was not experiencing an earthquake, we did what any level headed rational men would do in a situation like that. We quickly went in the back yard to see the massive pile of snow. When we got in the back yard, my step-dad Mike said, “Wow look how much snow there is!” I looked at the big pile of snow and then looked at my step-dad and said, “Dude I can’t believe that just happened!”
          I suppose many of us felt this way on September 11, 2001 when the twin towers were attacked and collapsed in New York City, and we probably thought this when the Newtown Connecticut school shooting occurred recently.
          You see, if “seeing is believing” then the Apostles James, John, and Peter, that Jesus took up on the mountain in our gospel of Luke reading from this morning, were given a visual example and a miracle of what Jesus Christ was and still is capable of! In our scripture reading from 2 Corinthians from this morning, the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Corinth that “Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside”. In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus was with Elijah and Moses, and Jesus’ face was transfigured, and he had changed his appearance and his clothes. He in effect had transfigured himself or changed his appearance, which no doubt was a veil lifting experience. The Apostle Paul in his second letter to the church in Corinth went on to say that people of Israel had developed hardened minds, and that many still abided by old laws of Judaism. Many of them not accepted the glory and salvation found in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said, “a veil lies over their minds, but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed”.
          In a way though, in our gospel reading from this morning, Jesus almost in manner of speaking put a veil on himself. For while performing a miracle and is with Moses and Elijah, he was not fully recognizable. Could the three Apostles that went up on the mountain with Jesus to pray, see passed the veil? Could they see Jesus, even though they couldn’t see Jesus? As we here are thinking about this as well, what do we think Jesus’ face looked like when we was transfigured? In fact, I would like everyone to shut their eyes for a few moments to image what you think that Jesus’ changed and glorious face might have looked like. * Hold up photo * Can you all open your eyes? My guess is Jesus did not look like this!
By accepting the Holy Spirit though, that third person in the Trinity, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are illuminated to truths of Jesus Christ. Part of this illumination, is that Jesus Christ wants our full devotion to him, our full repentance, and wants to turn from darkness, to walk with him in certain light. For if we can learn the difference between evil and darkness and goodness and light, then Jesus will be much more recognizable, as will all goodness and light.
          When Jesus lead the three Apostles James, John, and Peter on the mountain top, our gospel reading from this morning said that Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. The gospel reading for this morning said that the Apostles James, John, and Peter were “weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake” or at least marginally awake “they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him”. I can imagine in my mind, if Peter were the first one to notice the Transfiguration. Maybe he would have said, “James, John, dudes, look”! Well that is at least what my students would say in that situation! Once they were all focused on Jesus being transfigured though, dressed in dazzling white, talking with Elijah and Moses, they were probably memorized.    
          Then the Apostle Peter, the bold one, “the rock” as was called by Jesus, said, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”. While Peter was saying this the gospel says a cloud came and overshadowed them, from the cloud the voice of God came. God said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” Then suddenly they were standing there, and it was then just Jesus and them. The Apostles, according the gospel reading from the morning, “kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.” You know though, I can imagine that maybe when James, John, and Peter got a minutes over the next few days that they might have whispered to one another, “Dude, I can’t believe that happened?” James might have whispered to John, “John you saw and heard all of that right?” Peter might have whispered to James, “It wasn’t just me was it?”
I would like to close this morning with a story about unexpected miracles. Sort of like the Transfiguration of Jesus was an unexpected miracle. This story Taken from "Growing Deep - Exploring the Roots of Our Faith", by Charles R. Swindoll. It is called: The Reflection, and here is how the story goes: There were once two men, both seriously ill, in the same small room of a great hospital. Quite a small room, just large enough for the pair of them - two beds, two bedside lockers, a door opening on the hall, and one window looking out on the world.
One of the men, as part of his treatment, was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon, (something that had to do with draining the fluid from his lungs) and his bed was next to the window. But the other man had to spend all his time flat on his back - and both of them had to be kept quiet and still. Which was the reason they were in the small room by themselves, and they were grateful for peace and privacy - none of the bustle and clatter and prying eyes of the general ward for them. Of course, one of the disadvantages of their condition was that they weren't allowed much to do: no reading, no radio, certainly no television - they just had to keep quiet and still, just the two of them.
They used to talk for hours and hours - about their wives, their children, their homes their former jobs, their hobbies, their childhood, what they did during the war, where they had been on vacations - all that sort of thing. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed next to the window was propped up for his hour, he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside. And the other man began to live for those hours. The window apparently overlooked a park with a lake where there were ducks and swans, children throwing them bread and sailing model boats, and young lovers walking hand in hand beneath the trees. And there were flowers and stretches of grass and games of softball, people taking their ease in the sunshine, and right at the back, behind the fringe of the tress, a fine view of the city skyline.
The man on his back would listen to all of this, enjoying every minute how a child nearly fell into the lake, how beautiful the girls were in their summer dresses, and then an exciting ball game, or a boy playing with his puppy. It got to the place that he could almost see what was happening outside.
Then one fine afternoon, when there was some sort of parade, the thought struck him: Why should the man next to the window have all the pleasure of seeing what was going on? Why shouldn't he get the chance? He felt ashamed and tried not to think like that, but the more he tried, the worse he wanted to change. He'd do anything!
In a few days he had turned sour. He should be by the window. And he brooded and couldn't sleep, and grew even more seriously ill - which none of the doctors understood.
One night, as he stared at the ceiling, the other man (the man next to the window) suddenly woke up coughing and choking, the fluid congesting in his lungs, his hands groping for the button that would bring the night nurse running. But the man continued to stare at the ceiling.
In the morning, the day nurse came in with water for their baths and found the other man dead. They took away his body, quietly, no fuss. As soon as it seemed decent, the man asked if he could be moved to the bed next to the window. And they moved him, tucked him in, and made him quite comfortable, and left him alone to be quiet and still.
The minute they'd gone, he propped himself up on one elbow, painfully and laboriously, and looked out the window. It faced a blank wall.
You see Jesus chose were to perform miracles, and how to perform miracles. I can imagine, that this small miracle that the one sick man performed for the other sick man, is a small and even a minuet example of the miracles that Jesus performed. You see Jesus could and still does make us all see things, experience things, and be captivated by him, and often does this by creating miracles out of nothing. By creating vibrancy, life, and joy, when there is really just a blank wall. As we go forth this week, let us look for the miracles that Jesus puts in our lives every day, and may we share the miracle of our savior Jesus Christ with others. May we tell our friends and all we know about how we have been changed by the Messiah. By Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

RWJ/Pottersville UMC 02/03/13 Sermon - “Prophet” (The Natures of Christ Series, Part 5 of 5)


Sunday 02/03/13 RWJ/Pottersville UMC

Sermon: “Prophet” (The Natures of Christ Series, Part 5 of 5)                                                                                     

Scripture Lesson: Jeremiah 1:4-10
                                             
Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:21-30

          Good morning and welcome brothers and sisters! I greet you in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ! I hope and pray that you have all had good and blessed weeks, and I am happy to be worshipping with you all here this morning!
          This morning, I will be finishing up my sermon series on the different natures of Jesus Christ. As I have said throughout this sermon series, Jesus came and comes to us in many forms. Jesus came as a baby, as a child, as a man, as the Messiah, as the healer, as the teacher, as the son of God, and etc., and etc. In fact, I have seen posters, t-shirts, and art work with the many names and natures of Christ. I could have literally preached a 20-week sermon series on this, and not even hit many of the natures of Christ.
          With this said, in this New Year, I wanted to get us all thinking about Jesus Christ, and reflecting on who he was and who he very much still is. To help us with this, I picked just a handful of the nature’s of Christ in this series.
This morning, I am ending this sermon series by discussing Jesus’ nature as a “Prophet”. For me the word prophet has also been confusing, and maybe it has been confusing for you to. We might say, well “just what is a prophet”? Well, according the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a prophet is: 1. “one who utters divinely inspired revelations,” 2. “one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight; especially : an inspired poet,” and 3. “one who foretells future events”.
The Old Testament was filled with many human prophets like Ezekial, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, just to name a few. These prophets, who have full books in the Old Testament of your bible, called the people of God to repentance. Called them from there sinful ways back to the Lord. These prophets were human and were sinners like you and I, but they were given the gift from God of being able to be “prophetic”. God gifted then specially in this area, as they spoke the truths of God, prophesized the coming of the Messiah.
In this way, Jesus, is no small prophet, but is in fact, the biggest of all prophets. He was and is the prophet of all prophets. Yet scripture reminds us to beware of “wolves in sheep’s clothes” who will lead us astray. As I was doing some church work at the church parsonage yesterday, the History Channel had some sort of series on that was on various cult leaders. My wife Melissa and I watched part of the episode on Jim Jones, on the “Jonestown” mass suicide that occurred back in the 1970’s in the country of Guyana. I didn’t see any of the other episodes on the History Channel yesterday, but I think of the cult leader David Koresh who was involved in a cult shootout and fire in Waco Texas in 1993. Both these “supposed Christian pastors” and “false prophets”, made wild allegations of who they were, or what God revealed to them. Yet Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them”. 
You see false prophets aren’t new, and since the time of Jesus Christ people have emerged who claimed to hear God speak, who claimed to get special revelation from God, or claimed sometimes to even be God. Yet we cannot add nor take away from Holy Scripture anything that Jesus said, was, and still is. If Jesus is Lord and savior, and a gentleman on the street approached you telling you that he is in fact Jesus Christ, I would recommend that you do two things for him. First, bring this gentleman to you nearest mental health clinic, and second pray for him. There is one Jesus Christ, only one true and abiding all-encompassing high prophet. While God still may send human prophets, such prophets are meant to call people to repentance and to God, but there is only one God, and there is only one Jesus Christ. Jesus said to beware of false prophets.
In the scripture reading from this morning from the old testament prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah prophesized the coming of the great prophet, the anointed one, the son of God, the savior. Jeremiah also made claims of this coming prophet, this coming Messiah.
In the gospel of Luke reading from this morning, Jesus spoke the words we read last Sunday from the gospel of Luke, about Jesus reading from the book of Isaiah scroll in the Jewish temple on the Sabbath day. Jesus read in Isaiah, that he was the prophet of all prophets. He was saying, “guess what folks, all of this talk from all of these past prophets has come true,” and he might have said, “I am the one which the prophets of old foretold”. “I am him”. Yet when Jesus began to reveal his true identity, many doubted him. Some said, “Is not this Joseph’s son,” and they might have said, “how could the messiah, the high prophet be the son of a poor carpenter”. Jesus was in fact driven out of town by an angry mob, who took issue with his claims to be the high prophet.
In the Christian bible, some experts have identified as many as 300 prophecies that were made by Old Testament prophets, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, that Jesus fulfilled. Let’s look at just some of these prophecies. If you are more interested in this by the way, there are many good bible websites and books that explain with Old Testament and New Testament scriptures side by side, the prophecy of an Old Testament prophet, and then how Jesus fulfilled that prophecy.
So let us look at just some of these: In the Old Testament, it says that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, it said that he would be born of virgin, it said that he would be part of the line of Abraham, that he would be a decedent of Isaac, that he would come from the Jewish tribe of Judah (which is why many call Jesus Christ, the “Lion of Judah”), that he would be direct descendent of King David, that he would be called by the name Immanuel, that he would spend a season in Egypt, that a messenger would come and prepare the way for the Messiah (this messenger was John the Baptist). It was prophesized in the Old Testament, as was fulfilled in today’s scripture reading in the gospel of Luke, that the Messiah would be rejected by his own people, as Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown”. According to the Old Testament, Jesus would be called as a Nazarene (as many called him Jesus of Nazareth), according to the old testament the messiah would speak in parables (like to parable of the sower, or the parable of the mustard seek), the old testament prophets prophesized that he would come to heal to brokenhearted, that he would be called king, that he would be betrayed by one of his followers, that he would be spat upon, that would be crucified with criminals, that he would have his hands and his feet pierced, that his side would be pierced (as it was with the spear), that he would raise from the dead, the he would be and still is seated at the right hand of almighty God, and that he would die for the sins of all human kind.
You see brothers and sisters, these are but some of the prophecies that Jesus Christ fulfilled. Like false prophets who just speak words, Jesus proved time and time again when he prophesized about what he was going to do, that he did it. That he was and is truly the Messiah, that the fullness of almighty God has come true in Jesus Christ. I would like to close today with a funny list of church bulletin announcements bloopers that I can assure you are all false prophecies, or are all the fulfillment of false prophecies! Here they are: Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church. Evening massage - 6 p.m. The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning. The audience is asked to remain seated until the end of the recession. Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door. Ushers will eat latecomers. The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience. The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy." During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit. Due to the Rector's illness, Wednesday's healing services will be discontinued until further notice. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why. A song fest was hell at the Methodist church Wednesday. Today's Sermon: HOW MUCH CAN A MAN DRINK? with hymns from a full choir.  Hymn 47: "Hark! an awful voice is sounding" On a church bulletin during the minister's illness: GOD IS GOOD Dr. Hargreaves is better. Potluck supper: prayer and medication to follow. Don't let worry kill you off - let the church help. The 1997 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11. And finally, the pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.
While these church bulletin announcement bloopers are extreme examples of false truths, false prophecies, and false ideas, let us this week open our bibles, and read the prophecies from the Old Testament, and let us then read how Jesus fulfilled every single one of these prophecies and predictions that was about him. For it is Jesus, our great prophet, who died for us all. May we serve him this day and always, with all that we have. Amen.