Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany - 02/23/14 Sermon - “Love each other, and strive for perfection” (The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 4 of 5)

Sunday 02/23/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Love each other, and strive for perfection”

(The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 4 of 5)

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18            

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Gospel Lesson: Mathew 5:38-48

                            

          Brothers and sisters, welcome on this, the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany. As you might have heard me say during the past few weeks, we now find ourselves in that place in our church calendar after the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus in the manger so long ago, to the day where Jesus was on a mountain and was changed or transfigured in front of some of the apostles. This Transfiguration Sunday will be next Sunday.

          During these weeks leading up to and including next Sunday though, we have some really great gospel readings that have been given to us. These gospel readings are on the various things that Jesus did and the various things that Jesus taught us.

These things in this the five-week series that I am doing, are the things that Jesus taught us. For example Jesus taught us, “Who is truly blessed,” as the lowly, downtrodden, and the rejected are loved by God, if they but cry out to Him. That Jesus calls teaches us to be pure and simple like salt, and to show the world His love like a bright light to a dark world. So we are to be pure and bright. Last Sunday, we learned that we need to “Try to be Holy,” even though we will fall and fail sometimes. We realize that we are all broken, and that Jesus will continue to heal us and perfect us, if we let him. We realize that Jesus is in us, and that He works through us, as we love and serve others.

This morning though Jesus teaches us to “Love each other, and strive for perfection.” So let us be thinking about this morning, a couple of specific ways that we can pursue holiness. One of the ways that we can pursue holiness and that we can be made more in the image of God, is to love all people. Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words.” When we bring people into this church through programs, church services, and activities, can we love them more? Sure we can. In doing so, we also help to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

In our reading this morning from the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we have a scripture in which “The LORD spoke to Moses.” In this exchange from God to Moses, God told Moses, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy….” While God tells us to be holy, many of us know that trying to do this all the time can be very hard. That getting to the level of perfection of God, is something that we feel like that we are far from. Can we though, become more like God? I think that in the Old Testament times, that many people would hear scriptures like this and say, “I will try to be Holy, but I will likely fail at it.”

In this scripture, God then tells Moses different things that the people can do to be more holy. One is to leave some food in the fields for the “poor and the alien.” Others ways are that people are not supposed to steal, or “deal falsely” with each other, or “lie to one another.” God then continues to tell Moses many things that people should do, such as, “You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin,” and then tells Moses, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

So amidst the many things that God is telling Moses in this scripture from Leviticus, he is telling Moses to tell the people, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In this way my brothers and sisters, we can become more holy within, but we can also become more holy by what we do outside of ourselves. Acts of love and holiness in and of themselves do not get us to heaven, or do not necessarily make us holy, but in doing them, we open ourselves up to God’s grace. We love and serve others, not to get more points on God’s score card in heaven, but because we are blessed and filled by God in serving and loving others. When we love others and strive to be perfectly like Christ, we become more holy, because we bless each other, and God blesses us. We then, “Preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words.”

When looking at the reading from the Apostle Paul’s first Epistle or letter to the church in Corinth from this morning, Paul taught the church in Corinth about Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul then said, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ…”

The Apostle Paul further tells us, then we are “God’s temple,” and that “God’s Spirit” dwells in us. Paul says further, “For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” Paul then warns the church in Corinth to not be “Wise” by the standards of the world, as the false pursuits of the world are “foolishness with God.”

Then the Apostle Paul said, “So let no one boast about human leaders,” and that we all “belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”

Our gospel reading for this morning has a bit of history to it. The specific history I speak on is the “Code of Hammurabi.” King Hammurabi was a Babylonian King that ruled about 1,700 year before Jesus was ever born. Hammurabi made the famed “Hammurabi’s Code” or “Code of Hammurabi,” that said, “An eye for an eye,” a “tooth for a tooth,” and etc., and etc. This was a system of law that much of the ancient world was very acquainted to.

Yet in the gospel reading from this morning, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ quoting King Hammurabi and his code. Jesus then speaks the opposite of this code and says, “Do no resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right check, turn the other also.” Jesus then says, “and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well.” These teachings are certainly very different from the ancient Babylonian King Hammurabi. In fact, there were radically different. No one had ever heard these words before.  

Jesus continues on to say, “and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” These are definitely some tough words from Jesus.

We can then ask ourselves, do we love each other like this? Do we want to become more and more perfected in Jesus’ image like this? How much are willing to love others, to show them the source of all love, to show them the risen Jesus Christ?

Jesus goes on to say, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Jesus then says, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Jesus then said, “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous,” which means were all in this together.

Jesus goes on to say, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” Jesus then said, “And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing that others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Jesus tells us therefore, that we have to love those who don’t love us, and that we have to greet and love those who we don’t know, because this is how show them His love. We have to step outside of our comfort zone for the sake of the Kingdom, for Jesus.

Jesus then concludes this gospel lesson by saying, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” When we hear perfect, we might then say, “Oh here we go again.” The difference is with Jesus is that Jesus already know we are going fall and fail, and yet he continues to forgive us, and to love us.

So one of the ways that we can grow in holiness then, is through serving and loving others. As we seek to be perfected in the image of God and Jesus Christ, we can experience God’s grace, through sharing the love of Jesus Christ and through receiving the purifying grace of God.

The founder of Methodism John Wesley used to say that we are “going onward to perfection,” which meant that over time we can get holier and holier, and holier, to we become the image of Christ. This can also be described as “perfect love; heart purity; the baptism of the Holy Spirit; the fullness of the blessing,” and or becoming like Jesus Christ.

Now to have a little fun with you all though, I want to close today’s message with a list of church bulletin bloopers. These bloopers could very well be ways to not love each other and could very well be ways to not strive for perfect. Here they are:

1. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery down stairs.

2. The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 pm. The congregation is invited to attend the tragedy.
3. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the alter.
4. The preacher will preach his farewell massage, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth With Joy".
5. Thursday night: Potluck Supper - Prayer and medication will follow.
6. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
7. The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.
8. Evening massage - 6 p.m.
9. The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.
10. The audience is asked to remain seated until the end of the recession.
11. Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door.
12. Ushers will eat latecomers.
13. The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
14. The Rev. Merriweather spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience.
15. During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J. F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.
16. Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."
17. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
18. 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.
19.Today's Sermon: HOW MUCH CAN A MAN DRINK? with hymns from a full choir.
20. Hymn 43: "Great God, what do I see here?" Preacher: The Rev. Horace Blodgett - Hymn 47: "Hark! an awful voice is sounding"
21. Don't let worry kill you off - let the church help.
22. The service will close with, "Little Drops of Water." One of the ladies will start quietly and the rest of the congregation will join in.
23. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
24. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
25. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
26. Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
27. The Lutheran Men's group will meet at 6 p.m. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.
28. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.
29. Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It is a good chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
30. Next Sunday is the family hayride and bonfire at the Fowlers. Bring your own hot dogs and guns. Friends are welcome! Everyone come for a fun time.

Brothers and sisters, ours is Christ Jesus, who overcame the world, who taught us a new way of living and being, who has saved us all. In this great love, Jesus says to us, “Will you love all people, the way I love all people? Will serve and love, for my sake, for the sake of the Kingdom?” Let us seek to serve and love each other more this week and always. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany - 02/16/14 Sermon - “Try to be Holy” (The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 3 of 5)

Sunday 02/16/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Try to be Holy”

(The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 3 of 5)

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Psalm 119:1-8            

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Gospel Lesson: Mathew 5:21-37

                            

          Well good morning once again, and welcome on this the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Epiphany, that day so long ago that the Three-Wise Men or Magi saw that bright “Bethlehem Star” in the sky, and they followed that star to the manger of the Christ-Child, our savior.

          Soon then, Jesus Christ grew up to be a man, and his earthly ministry went on for three-years, until Jesus went to Calvary to give up his life us for all of us. During these three years of his earthly ministry though, Jesus not only revealed to world who he was, he not only performed miracles and raised the dead, but he also taught us countless things. Many of these things, were things that had never ever been said before.

          You see then, the savior comes to us as a baby on Christmas, then he grows up, and as we approach this Lenten Season, we know that Jesus will be arrested, tried, beaten, mocked, and crucified. Three days later though, Jesus will then will be raised to new life on Easter Sunday.

          All of these things are the very core of the Christian faith, but beyond being born, dying, and being resurrected, did Jesus teach us anything?

          While I could preach for weeks about all of the many things that Jesus Christ did in fact teach us, I have narrowed it down to just five of the many things that Jesus has taught us all. When Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount, he taught us “Who was truly blessed,” and how God loves the lowly, the poor, and the down-trodden. Jesus taught us to be as pure and as holy as salt, and to be like a bright light to a dark world that knows him not.

          This Sunday, Jesus teaches us to “Try to be Holy.” Given this, how many of you here, feel like that you are anything but Holy? How many of you have days once and awhile, where you say, “I don’t even know if I am good Christian today?”

          Perhaps you say, “I know I am supposed to be like Jesus, but I sometimes feel like that I have no hope.” Or for some of us, we have that day once in a “Blue Moon,” where we feel like that we have been trying to be loving and caring to many people for a long time, and then we feel tired out. On that given day we say, “You know, I just don’t feel like being Holy or nice today.”

          Maybe people that you know that aren’t Christian have expectations of you, because you are a Christian. Perhaps they think that you are always supposed to be “Holy,” and that you always supposed to be “perfect,” all the time, every day. We of course, pull this off easily though right, because we are Christians, and all Christians are perfect and never make any mistakes. If only this was true!

          In the Psalm 119 reading from this morning, the Psalm says, “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD.” By “blameless,” this means sinless, Holy, perfect and upright before God. So many of us read words such as these, and simply say, “Well I could never do that!”

The Psalm goes on to say, “Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways.” Anybody here, ever feel like that they fall short of this? If so, are we to believe that we should just instantly become perfect before God?

          The Psalm continues on, “O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!” Then the Psalm then says, “Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments,” and this Psalm reading concludes by saying that if we follow God, he won’t forsake us.

          Yet in hearing all of this, I remember in the Gospels how Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead, how Peter denied Jesus three times, how the Pharisees denied Jesus being the savior, how the Apostles debated who was the greatest among them, and so on, and so forth. Oh, and did I mention Judas Iscariot. Of course these were the followers of Jesus Christ, yet even they did not always do everything perfect that I just read from Psalm 119. In this Psalm reading though, it basically says be perfect, never make a mistake, and it seems almost impossible for most of us. I mean how could we possibly never error or never sin, no matter how hard we try?

          I think that the reality is brothers and sisters, that seeking Holiness, pureness, and righteousness, is a process, a process that takes a lifetime. In going through this process though, if we can say that we are a little more holy than this time last year, then we have indeed succeeded in trying to be more holy. The founder of Methodism John Wesley, described this as us believers, “going on to perfection.” By this, that we are becoming more and more holy, with the hard goal of becoming perfectly like Jesus Christ, which is what I will be talking about more next week. While I think that it is possible to become perfect, it certainly is not easy. Yet, as I did the funeral/celebration of life service for Avard Parker this past Wednesday, I thought, “Now here was a man who was close to Christian perfection and total holiness, if I had ever seen one.”

          In the Apostle Paul’s First Epistle or letter to the church in Corinth, or 1^st Corinthians, the Apostle Paul said, “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” Then the Apostle Paul said, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.” You see even the church in Corinth struggled with holiness almost 2,000 years, in that, the Apostle Paul basically said, you aren’t ready for deep faith and deep holiness. In fact, the Apostle Paul said, “Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?” The Apostle Paul concludes this piece of scripture from this letter by saying, “For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” “Try to be Holy.” Jesus Christ calls us to “Try to be Holy.” It’s a process.

          In our Gospel reading for this morning, Jesus explains how the 10-Commandments teach us that we should not murder, but Jesus then says, “if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council.” Jesus tells us to be “reconciled” to each other in this gospel reading. For why else would Christ teach us all of this, if he knew that we would never make a mistake? The reality is, Jesus already knows that were going screw up, that were going fall.

Jesus then tells us in this gospel reading to “Come to terms quickly with you accuser,” for sin, anger, and division, is the opposite of holiness. You see, to Jesus, it isn’t just not doing something bad, it is also knowing him more in the process. To know Jesus more, to be more like Jesus, is to become more Holy. To not commit murder, is to not break a law, but if you still feel anger and murder in your heart, then you are still not fully trying to be more Holy. Showing restraint is not always being fully more Holy. So for most of us, were not at the level of Psalm 119 yet, but were working at it. In the time of the Old Testament, it was expected that the people of Israel were to perfect and sinless immediately, which as I said, is not easy. This is why we need a savior, this is why we need Jesus Christ, who forgives us, over and over, and over again.

          Jesus goes on to say, that one of the 10-Commandments says, “You shall not commit adultery,” but then he said, “everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus then metaphorically says that we can “tear” out our eyes, or cut off our hands if they cause us to sin. Of course, Jesus was just making a point here, and not being literal, as I don’t see anyone here wearing eye patches, where your eyes used to be. This point that Jesus was making, was “Will you try every day to be more Holy, and to follow me in your actions and in your heart?” “Will you not only follow the laws, but seek me in your heart, as well?” Jesus concludes this gospel reading by saying, “let you word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or “No, No’; anything more that this comes from the evil one.” By this Jesus meant, will you just restrain yourself to not do bad with you actions, or will truly seek me? Will you “Try to be Holy?” Will you say, “Yes, Yes,” or “No, No.”

          “Try to be Holy.” Much more than just what we do, Jesus says, “how is your heart?” Jesus says, “True, you might not have broken that commandment, but are you also trying to be Holy in your heart?” Instead of just doing what looks good or what is good, do we in addition to this, seek to rid ourselves of unrighteousness, un-holiness, and ungodliness, in our hearts?”

          In “Trying to be Holy,” we must wake up and give our lives to Jesus Christ daily. For every day is a new opportunity to become more Holy. So don’t think that you have to or will likely become perfected in Christ’s image in a day, and don’t feel like a failure if you fall. Imagine if you were with Jesus for three years, if you saw and heard everything he did and said, and then you still denied him three times? “Try to be holy,” brothers and sisters.

For as I heard a pastor say once, “Jesus knows all about you, and he loves you just the same.” You see when we carry that load of burden in our hearts, those sins, that pain, it weighs us down like bricks. Jesus says, brothers and sisters, leave the bags and the bricks at the foot of my cross, and let me take them away forever. Be made free in me, begin to follow me, and every day of your life, “Try to be Holy.” Try to be like me, and when you fail, and you will, tell me why you’re sorry, repent, and I’ll pick you back up, dust you off, and you will continue to “Try to be Holy.” When you give your life to Jesus Christ, and ask him to be your Lord and savior, you start on a path of holiness.

I would like to close this message with a poem called, “When I say…I am a Christian,” by Carol S. Wimmer. Here is how it goes: “When I say ... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting, "I'm saved," I'm whispering, "I get lost!" "That is why I chose this way." When I say ... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride, I'm confessing that I stumble, and need someone to be my guide. When I say ... "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong, I'm professing that I'm weak, and pray for strength to carry on. When I say ... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success, I'm admitting that I've failed, and cannot ever pay the debt. When I say ... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect, my flaws are way too visible, but God believes I'm worth it. When I say ... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain, I have my share of heartaches, which is why I seek His Name. When I say ... "I am a Christian" I do not wish to judge, I have no authority, I only know I'm loved!

Brothers and sisters, the church is nothing more than a place full of broken people, who need God’s grace. People who fall, people who stumble, but people who Jesus calls to “Try to be Holy.” So do not be discouraged my brothers and sisters if you fall, be of good cheer, for he has overcome the world, and he offers you salvation freely. So let us seek this salvation and let us “Try to be Holy.” Amen.

Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany/Scout Sunday - 02/09/14 Sermon - “You need to be Salt and Light” (The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 2 of 5)

Sunday 02/09/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “You need to be salt and light”

(The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 2 of 5)

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Psalm 112:1-10             

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

Gospel Lesson: Mathew 5:13-20

                            

          Welcome and good morning once again! Welcome on this Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, and on this our Boy Scout Sunday in the United Methodist Church. The Epiphany was that day so long ago that the three wise men or magi saw that bright star in the sky, and they followed that “Bethlehem Star” to Jesus’ manger. This morning is also the Sunday that the United Methodist Church honors our scouts. On this Sunday we also honor what it means to be scouts. We honor what is represents to be scouts, and we honor what scouting does for our young men and for our families.

          You might remember last week that I talked how Jesus taught us “Who is truly blessed?” In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount or the “Beatitudes,” Jesus talked about how the week, the poor, the down trodden, and etc., will be blessed if they but seek God. Jesus taught us that the least are blessed if they but seek Him and have faith in Him.

          You know for me having grown up for part of my childhood in Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts, I look back now and I realize the ethics, the morality, the skills, and the faith that it gave me. That I learned how to treat people, how to survive in the wilderness, how to help others, how to be a vital member of my community, how to be more family oriented, how to be a good husband, how to be a leader in my community and my country, and how to build excellent bird houses. I also used to love our monthly camping trips. I remember one time that my scouting troop went camping. I was excited that I brought liquid pancake mix, but I was then disappointed when I forgot a frying pan. This meant no pancakes!

In light of all of these things, the title of today’s sermon, which is part 2 of 5 of “the things that Jesus taught us series,” is “You need to be salt and light.” This means basically, we need to be pure and we need to be the light of the love of Jesus Christ in the world today. In preparing to honor our scouts on this the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, I did a little research to look up the 12-points of the Scout Law. These points that I researched, are that all scouts are to be Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. On the Boy Scouts of America website under a scout being Reverent, it said that the “Scouting experience also influences religious service attendance. Eighty-three percent of men who were Scouts five or more years say attending religious services together as a family is “very important,” versus 77 percent of men who had never been Scouts.” Scouting then, all levels of scouting, teaches our young men to be “Salt and Light,” in a world that has a significant amount of darkness and pain.

You see when I was in scouting, an important component was faith, and I look back now, and I realize that my faith was enhanced by my time being a scout. In fact, I can say that my time in being a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout, helped me to be “Salt and Light” more than I was before.

Given all of this then, this helps us to answer the question of “Why do we have a Scout Sunday in the United Methodist Church.” I mean sure the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts do a lot of good, and sure it has done a lot for many of us, but a whole Sunday in the church calendar is devoted the Scouts? Why would we do such a thing?

The answer is, we do, because our young men are an important part of future, and an important part of the future of this and many others churches.

When looking at the reading this morning from Psalm 112, it says, “Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.” When we fear and respect the Lord, we are seeking to be “Salt and Light” in a world that knows Jesus Christ not.

The Psalm reading continues by saying, “Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Organizations like the scouts then teach young men to be “upright”, as this reading from Psalm 112 says. I teaches them to be “Salt and Light” in a world full darkness and full of pain.

You see as the scripture goes on to say, “They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.” These are qualities that we want all young people to learn, so that may become “Salt and Light,” to show the world the light of Jesus Christ. The Psalm continues on to say, “It is well with those who deal generously and lend, and who conduct their affairs with justice.” “Salt and Light.”

When looking at the reading from the Apostle Paul’s First Epistle or letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul said about when he came to Corinth, that “I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but in the power of God.” When we follow God, when we seek the Holy Spirit, we are striving to live as “Salt and Light.”

You see the Apostle Paul went on to say, “we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for out our glory.” The Apostle Paul is telling the church in Corinth here, that the Holy Spirit has revealed the truths of God, the depth of God, and the purity of God, and that we must internally experience the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul encourages people to seek the Holy Spirit, to pursue their gifts and graces that God has given them, and to “have the mind of Christ.” “Salt and Light.”

In the gospel reading from this morning from the gospel according Mathew, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.”

You see salt comes from the earth. It is a natural mineral, it is pure, it is used to preserve food, it is used to enhance flavor and other things, and without some salt, we would all die. In fact, according to Dr. Aryan, “Salt is the most essential substance for health. This is because the body cannot make it and the body cells needs salt to function optimally.”

So Salt then is exactly what it is, it is pure, and it is needed for life. Jesus therefore, said that we must strive to be like that, that we must strive to be pure, to be preservers what is good, to enhance people’s lives, that we must be salt. We must show people that the way salt is essential for life, that faith in Jesus is also needed for eternal life.

Jesus then goes on to say in this gospel reading, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Jesus tells us that we must be pure like salt, but in addition that we must let his love and light shine through us. For the only thing that can defeat darkness is light. We are called to be light to a world that is draped in darkness.

Jesus then says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not abolish but to fulfill.” This gospel reading then ends by Jesus saying, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Do things like scouting then, make our young men more holy and more pure? I say yes, and our church says yes.

I would like to close this message this morning with a poem called, “To Be a Leader,” by Dee Bernhardt. Here is how it goes: “To be a leader is to be vulnerable--to meet the disapproving stares of others with the joy and certainty of God's infinite love; To be a leader is to be imperfect--to enjoy the enriching process of a new challenge with the hope and confidence of the Master; To be a leader is to be naive--to believe the very best of all people in the love and acceptance of our Savior;

“To be a leader is to be trusting--to disregard dire projections of gloom for the joy and creativity of our Creator; To be a leader is to be honest--to own our sinfulness with the sincerity and authenticity of the Spirit; To be a leader is to be unique--to accept the wonderful gift of self, in the knowledge and understanding of community; To be a leader is to be free--to welcome recurring waves of change with the awe and wonder of a child; To be a leader is to be empowering--to share the exhilarating power of information in the establishment of inter-connectedness; To be a leader is to be humble--to give the inestimable gift of flexibility with the grace and forgiveness of God.”

“To be a leader is to be whole--to know the startling reality that I am central, yet peripheral, in God's plan for the world; To be a leader is to be weak--to understand that I can rest in the hollow of God's hand only in the total yielding and complete trusting of my child's heart.”

Brothers and sisters, this is why we have a Scout Sunday in the United Methodist Church, because our young men are an important part of collective future. Due this, if you are in scouting or if you have ever been in scouting, I encourage you to be proud of time you spent or are spending in the program. Be proud that it taught you and is teaching you to serve others, to live for others, and to be leaders in your communities, your places of work, and your country.

In a time of great uncertainly, don’t let anybody ever take from you, the honor and the privilege that you have been given to, in you striving to be “Salt and Light” to world that knows so much pain and suffering. So yes my brothers and sisters, on this Sunday, we honor our scouts, our young men, who have made us and will continue to make immeasurable proud, because of their character, their devotion to their family, because of their devotion to their community, to their country, and mostly for their faith in almighty God. God bless our scouts, and may we all seek on this day and always, to be “Salt and Light” in this world for Jesus Christ. Amen.

         

Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany - 02/02/14 Sermon - “Who is truly blessed?” (The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 1 of 5)

Sunday 02/02/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Who is truly blessed?”

(The things that Jesus taught us series, Part 1 of 5)

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Psalm 15             

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Gospel Lesson: Mathew 5:1-12

                            

          Welcome and good morning once again! Welcome on this Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Epiphany, that day so long ago that the three wise men or magi saw that large “Bethlehem Star” in the sky, that led them to the manger of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

          Jesus of course, the Messiah, the savior, the King of Kings, the one would grow up to perform countless miracles, the one would teach us many new things, and the one would die for all of us. You see, God came down from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ. God came down to die for the sins of humanity. Jesus came to give up his life for us, so that we wouldn’t have to. He died for us, so that we could live.

          The question then, that I have for us to think about this morning, is did Jesus Christ come just to die for us only? Sure this is the core of our faith, and sure it is true that accepting Jesus Christ is the way to heaven. Sure our faith in Jesus Christ brings us to fullness, to peace, and to new life, but is there more than just this “fire insurance” policy? What if we accept and believe in Jesus Christ, and then never practice our faith? What if we accept and believe in Jesus Christ, but have no involvement in the Christian Church? What if our Sunday morning church is the “Bedside Baptist Church, with Reverend Sheets?”

          With all of this in mind, in these next five Sundays I am going to be preaching a series on some of “the things that Jesus taught us.” This is to say, Jesus Christ came to die for us, but even more than this he came to teach us. Jesus came to teach us an entire new way of being. Jesus gave us a new framework and a new blueprint for how to live better. Jesus taught us to love God with all of our hearts, all our minds, and all our souls, and to love our neighbor as our self.

          Jesus showed us his love, through healing, through miracles, through bringing the dead back to life. Jesus showed us that the grave in which he was buried in could not hold the King of Kings. In fact, when I was on my trip to the Holy Land recently, when I was in Jerusalem, I went into the place where Jesus Christ’s body was laid. This tomb of course was and is empty! For he has overcome my brothers and sisters. He is risen!

          So, other than just having faith in Christ to spend eternity with him, how do we live in the here and now? Should we sit idly by waiting for heaven? I ask this because one of the biggest criticisms of the Christian Church in the modern day, is that we are so focused on heaven, that we forget those all around us. That we are so focused on heaven that we don’t see the grim realities that exist in the world today. That some are not focused on the fact that there are hungry people around us. That I have met Christians that were only focused only on getting people converted to having faith in Jesus Christ. Yet the mission statement of the United Methodist Church is to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” How can we transform the world if we only tend to a person’s soul, but neglect the rest of them?

          In fact I remember asking a person once, “if you help someone come to faith in Jesus Christ, but they have no food and are hungry, then what do you do for that person?” This person said, “Well I pray for them of course.”

          The problem with this sort of thinking, with this sort of Christianity, is it focused solely on the kingdom of God to come, and it neglects the building of the kingdom of God in the here and the now. That when a person comes to know Jesus Christ, that if they are hungry, and if we are able to, that we need to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. We do this not because we have to, but because Jesus taught us to “feed the hungry and clothe the naked.” Given this, how can we transform the world if we do not even try to meet the needs of people? This is why we reach out to the community with love and compassion.

          In all of these ways then, I am not just a person who only believes in Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, but I am also a daily follower of Jesus Christ, and a person that practices his teachings. As I said, the mission of the United Methodist Church, is to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

          This transformation can occur at a family movie night, a family game night, a church dinner, a Bible Study, a slide show of a trip, and etc. By us as a church inviting new people in, by us having a collective church vision rooted in Jesus Christ, by us opening the doors of this church to new programming and new opportunities, we begin to communicate to this community that, “We love Jesus so much, that we want to bring you into the family of faith.” We tell the community, “You are loved, you are valued, and at this church, you have a purpose and a place. At this church you are part of the family, and you are always welcome.”

As I said in the beginning of this sermon, my focus this morning is when Jesus the living Christ preached about, “Who is truly blessed?”

When looking the Old Testament Psalm from this morning, the Psalmists begins Psalm 15 by saying, “O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart.” When I hear these words, I think of this church, and how there so many people out there, and how we are working to bring them in here. That we will love them, mentor them, care for them, send them to summer camp if needed, and tell them of Lord Jesus, so that before Jesus they may walk blameless and holy. The Psalm goes on to say, “but honor those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath to their hurt.” We live in a fallen world my brothers and sisters. In this world of darkness, Jesus Christ is the light, and this church is a community full of people who desperately need hope, who desperately need love, who desperately need peace, and who desperately need light in the midst of darkness.

This I believe though. This is the year where we see the Lord do big things in this place. This is the year I believe that this church will work to “Make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” like never before!

The Apostle Paul in his first Epistle or letter to the church in Corinth or the Corinthians, tells us this morning that if we believe in the power of the cross of Jesus Christ we are being saved by God.  The Apostle Paul then says, “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” So many of us my brothers and sisters, in our minds are just common people, yet through Jesus Christ we become transformative people. Through Sunday worship, through programming, through events, and through community outreach, we show this community, that Jesus Christ sees them as anything buy common. That he loves them, that he has a plan for their lives, and that we welcome them to come into this body of faith, and to join us in pursuing holiness, pureness, and salvation. That for people that have felt nothing but rejection, coldness, and bitterness, that in this place they encounter the perfect love of the risen Christ. That in this place they are part of family, part of a royal priesthood, part of a city on a hill, and all are welcomed, in Jesus’ name.

The Apostle Paul goes on to say that Lord chooses the weak, that he chooses what is lowly, and that if we boast, may we only boast in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

In looking at our gospel reading from this morning, Jesus gives that famed “Sermon on the Mount,” that preaching of the “Beatitudes.” Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in the spirit,” “Blessed are those who mourn,” “Blessed are the meek,” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” “Blessed are the merciful,” “Blessed are the pure in heart,” “Blessed are the peacemakers,” “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake,” and “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Jesus says that all of these people will be blessed, and that for all of them the kingdom of God will be offered to them freely.

When I look around this church, I have seen in the short time that I have been here, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the power of Jesus Christ create a sense of newness in here, and a new sense of renewal and revitalization. So that we may continue to grow as church, I want you to ask yourself, “Can I invite someone to this Church?” “Can I invite someone to a church program or activity?” “Can I tell someone about Jesus Christ?”

Ask yourself about that potential time in your life when you felt empty, when you felt hollow, and when you felt helpless. Remember how that person or that group of people came to you aid, and how Jesus Christ lifted you up. Ask yourself how in this the year of our Lord 2014, that this can be the year that we look back upon on and say remember when. Remember when we were worried about the future of this church. Remember when we were worried about the vitality of this church. Remember when Jesus Christ filled us and the Holy Spirit led us to rebuild this church. Let us remember this accomplished by “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

I would like to close this morning with a story called “Judge Me by the Footprints I Leave Behind.” Here is how it goes: This is “A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.” “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.” “There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.” “I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.” “Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

“At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.”

“The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.”

“Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are. This person is Jesus Christ.”

“Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!”

“There’s a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart. You don’t know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift it always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift! Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.”

My brothers and sisters, this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, this is how we “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” In implementing various programs, Bible Studies, and opportunities, let us see these changes in our church, not as things that will burden us, but as opportunities to bring in people in like that pain stricken soldier who desperately needs your love and the love of Jesus Christ. So this week, start inviting people to church, tell them about Jesus, invite them to our church programs and activities, let them know that in this church they are loved, they are special, and that they are home. All praise, honor, and glory to our Lord and savior Jesus the risen Christ. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Third Sunday After the Epiphany - 01/26/14 Sermon - “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people”

Sunday 01/26/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people”

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 9:1-4             

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Gospel Lesson: Mathew 4:12-23

                            

          Welcome and good morning once again! Welcome on this the Third Sunday after the Epiphany. The Epiphany, this holiday that we celebrate the three-wise men or magi seeing that bright star in the sky. That “Bethlehem Star,” that led them to the manger of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on that first Christmas so long ago. That place where they gave the Lord of life, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. That place, were all people said, “Come let us adore Him.”

          This Sunday however, we remain in this season of “post-Epiphany,” until we reach Transfiguration Sunday, on Sunday March 2^nd. Transfiguration Sunday, celebrate that day that Jesus went up on the mountain and was changed and transfigured before some of his disciples, in what was a living miracle. Then only three days after this Transfiguration Sunday, we will begin the Lenten Season on Ash Wednesday. The season where we prepare our hearts, our minds, and our souls for the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

          Between this Sunday and the Transfiguration Sunday on Sunday March 2^nd, we will go through many of the gospel readings of Jesus’ ministry here on earth. We will hear of healings, miracles, and some of the many things that Jesus taught us and continues to teach us all each and every day.

On this Sunday specifically, I want to speak about the calling that Jesus Christ has placed on all of our lives. That all of us who believe in Him, can likely say that we have experienced God, that we have experienced Him. Many of us that believe in Him, can say that we don’t just believe in the God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but we can say that we have experienced our faith. That we have felt the presence of God move in us. Much like a tingling sensation, a warm sensation, or even a loving hug, we have felt the living God from within.

          Yes then, for many of us, we know the living God. For many of us, we don’t just believe this because it is the nice or a good thing to believe, we believe instead because He has shown himself to us. We have seen, we have heard, and we have felt the living God within us.

          For some of us, we can recall praying as a child, and feeling God’s overwhelming grace fill us and blanket us. For some of us, we were in church on a given Sunday, and as we were singing or praying, we felt the Holy Spirit move through us. Perhaps it moved us to tears, as we knew the truth and power of God’s presence in us, and in the whole universe. Maybe we had an experience in our life of great grief and mourning that brought us to throne of grace, where we found Jesus our Lord.

          You see my brothers and sisters, when God call us, when we are called to be followers of Jesus Christ, it isn’t like filling out a form at the DMV to register that car you just brought. Real conversion, is conversion of the heart, the mind, and the soul. It is something that we don’t just believe in, it is something that we know. When people say to me, “Paul, do you believe that there is God,” I say, “No, I know there is a God.”

          Real conversion then is so powerful, that you will do things like I did. You’re willing to shift the entire direction of your life, enter school for 4-years, and even drive about 180-miles each weekend, to serve God’s people. You see for me, as I did all of these things, not to obtain a “good job,” but rather because Jesus said to me, “Paul will you come and fish for people in my name.” I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit move in me so many times in my twenties, yet I fearfully denied my call, and fearfully found reasons to not fully follow Him. About three and half years ago though, I decided to fully and faithfully follow Jesus, and answer his call on my life. As part of this, my wife Melissa and I will soon be putting our house on the market in Moravia, as we are selling all, and following Him.

          So my brothers and sisters, if you have not already done so, Jesus calls to you right here and now and says, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” He says, “Follow me to holiness, follow me to truth, follow me to the great beyond, and follow me to eternal life.” Jesus says, “Will you serve me, will you rebuild this world in my image, and will you build my kingdom in the here and the now?” You see the blessings, the joy, and the grace that Jesus Christ offers us is so much more fulfilling than anything that this world can offer.

          When looking at the scripture reading from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah from this morning, the prophet Isaiah tells us that. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” This light, this calling, is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, “Follow me, and I will teach you to fish for people.”

          The prophet Isaiah goes on to say, “You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest.” Our joy is found in Jesus Christ, the one who said, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

          In the Apostle Paul’s first Epistle or Letter to the Church in Corinth or the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells the church, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”

          The Apostle Paul then says, “it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you my brothers and sisters.” Well luckily, church conflicts and quarrels only occurred 2,000 years ago, and luckily we never have those problems today. The Apostle is worried that the church in Corinth is following him, or Apollos, or Cephas, when it was Jesus Christ only that they should be following. The Apostle Paul then finished this first letter to the Corinthians by saying, “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” “Follow me and I will teach to you to fish for people.”

          So like the Apostle Paul told the church in the Corinth almost 2,000 years ago, “who do we serve, and who called us to follow?”

          In the gospel according Mathew reading from this morning, Jesus had just heard that John the Baptist had been arrested by King Herod, as Herod feared John the Baptist’s power. John the Baptist also did not always speak so highly of King Herod, and Herod would ultimately have John the Baptist beheaded.

          Mathew tells us in his gospel account, that when John was arrested, that Jesus “withdrew to Galilee,” and then made his new “home in Capernaum by the sea.” This move that was prophesized by the prophet Isaiah, many years before this. When Jesus was in the town of Capernaum, Mathew then tells us in the gospel narrative about Jesus that, “As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the see—for they were fishermen.”

          Then Jesus looked at them and said, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” You see Jesus called them by name, and the gospel says that, “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Then after this, “As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.” These two the gospel reading then said, “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.”

          So we have four men, Simon-Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who have all immediately left everything and followed Jesus. The gospel of Mathew reading from this morning then concluded with, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.”

          Four fishermen, people like us, whom were called to follow Him. Interestingly enough I met four such men in Israel on the Sea of Galilee. The story of meeting these men, is the story I am going close this sermon with this morning. Here is how it goes:

          On one of the days on our pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land, we went to see the now city of Capernaum, which is located on the Sea of Galilee. We saw different holy site and other places their first in the morning. This day then included a mid-day boat ride. After leaving a MacDonald’s with a fellow pilgrim John, at the shores of the Sea of Galilee, we got aboard a boat that was crewed by four men. All four of these men were from Israel and were all raised Jewish. Before the boat left the shore, our dean from the United Theological Seminary read the gospel scripture that I just read about Jesus telling these four different men, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

          Suddenly we then began heading out into the Sea of Galilee, as we did so many people, such as myself were overcome with emotion. Many of us had tears flow down our cheeks as the gospel reading from this morning had come to life for us.

          After cruising on the boat for a little while, the boat stopped, and then the captain of this boat presented our group with a large fishing net, that he said would have likely almost looked identical to one used by Jesus’ disciples that were fishermen. Before casting this net into the water, the dean of our seminary once again read a gospel reading, but this time it was the reading about Jesus telling the disciples to cast their nets over the right side of the boat, and the catch ended up being so massive that they couldn’t hall all the fish in.

          The captain of the boat then cast the net to the left side of the boat, and then the right side of the boat. Sadly, he brought up no fish when casted the net, but Jesus hadn’t commanded to do so either.

          After doing this, the captain then began to speak to us all. He told us how he and his three shipmates met “Yashua” on the Sea of Galilee about 4-5 years ago. In Hebrew “Yashua” means Jesus. You see these men are still very Jewish in many of their beliefs, but like Simon-Peter, Andrew, James, and John, they are now followers of Jesus.

          The captain of this boat then proceeded to sing great Christian praise songs that where all partially in English and in Hebrew. Before doing this, the captain said that his boat, was the only Christian boat tour company on the entire Sea of Galilee. As the captain sang beautiful Christian praise songs that were half in English and half in Hebrew, we all had an emotional response to hearing this music on the Sea of Galilee.

          During this emotional response that I and everyone else was having, I came to the realization that 4-men, 4 fishermen and tour boat men, who were all born Jewish, were called to follow Jesus or “Yashua” and become “fishers of people.” As I looked at this large calloused handed ship captain that was signing beautifully, I thought, “This could have been Simon-Peter, Andrew, James, or John. For on the whole of the Sea of Galilee there were only 4-men, 4-fishermen that Jesus had called and said, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Today, it is interesting that there are still four Christian men, followers of “Yashua” who are on the Sea of Galilee called by Jesus to “fish for people.”

          As the magnitude of this hit me, and moved me to tears, as I realized that no matter how many years away from Jesus actually walking along the Sea of Galilee, that Jesus will always call forth new disciples. That Jesus will always say, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

          Towards the end of this boat ride, the 4-men said that one of the things that they do to raise money to pay their bills, was to sell CD’s of their music, and necklaces made out of smooth stones taken from the Sea of Galilee. I then turned to my friend and fellow pilgrimage Steven, and said, “Stephen are you going to buy anything.” He then said, “I don’t think so Paul, I think I am going to save my money to buy others things.” Then he said, “Are you going to buy anything Paul.” I said, “Of course I am.” Steven then said, “Why is that.” I said to brother Steven, “Jesus has called just 4-fishersmen to fish for people on this entire Sea of Galilee. In addition, they are signing about Jesus loudly, so that people can here it far it away. So don’t you think we should support the 4-fisherman whom the Lord has called.”

          As I bought a necklace from the four fisherman, I looked back as Steven, and saw tears were in his eyes. I then bought the necklace, and as I looked over again, he gave me a look and nod, and then a few second later, he got up and bought something to.

          So my brothers and sisters, if Jesus Christ the living Lord says to you, “Follow me and I make you fish for people,” I urge you take that call very seriously. I bring this message in the name of the one who still calls fishermen on the Sea to Galilee to come and follow and to fish for people, Jesus the living Christ. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Ave. UMC's - Second Sunday After the Epiphany - 01/19/14 Sermon - “Come and See”

Sunday 01/19/14 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Come and See”

Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 49:1-7             

                                            

New Testament Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Gospel Lesson: John 1:29-42

                             

          Welcome and good morning once again! It’s great to be back from my trip to the Holy Land, as I missed you all very much while I was away!

          This Sunday, is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. This Epiphany of course, was the Epiphany of the three Wise Men or the three Magi seeing the Bethlehem Star or the Christmas Star in the sky, and then following this star to visit the baby Jesus.

It was interesting to me, that when the group of seminary students that I was part of was in the Holy Land, just happen to be there when many Eastern Orthodox Christians were there to celebrate Christmas. Specifically, the Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrated Christmas on Monday January 7^th. The reason for this is that most Eastern Orthodox Churches use a different calendar than the churches in the Western World, like us.

          Given this, I found it to be nice that for the Eastern Orthodox Churches, that they celebrate Christmas near the time we celebrate the three Wise Men or the three Magi were coming to see the baby Jesus.

          In fact, when our student group was in the hotel that we stayed in while we were in Bethlehem, there were many Russian folks staying at this same hotel that came to the Holy Land to celebrate the Eastern Orthodox Christmas. I found it sort of funny that in the meal area of the hotel that our group was designated as the “American Group” with signs on our tables, as the “Russian Group” was designated with similar signs on their tables, on the other side of the meal area. I remember saying to one of my professors as I looked across the room at the all of the Eastern Orthodox Russian Christians, “All we need is a concrete wall between us.”

          Needless to say, this comment was not greeted with open arms by my professor. Yet, these Russian folks, like us were excited about Christmas. Since there Christmas was January 7^th this year, our Christmas Day celebration had already ended. Their Christmas though, was upon us. This made me further realize just how big Christianity is. It also made me realize that the Cold War is thankfully over, as a bunch of us loud Americans were eating breakfast and dinner, starring face to face with a bunch of Russians. These Russians were people that were no longer Communists though and were likely people that believe in the statement, “In God we trust.”

          I also found on this trip, that in general, as Christians, as we read the Bible and as we read the gospels, we often imagine the places we read about as being grassy opened aired places. We might think of Bethlehem for example, as wide open pasture land. The reality is though, is that Bethlehem and most of all of the other Holy sites are now modern day places. People run and work at businesses in these places. Taxi cabs buzz by, there are colleges, there is industry, and amidst all of this hustle and bustle, there are Holy sites. In these places, is the convergence of the three “Abrahamic religions,” of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

          Since Israel is made up of about 80% Jewish folks, in some of the areas that we went the population was almost always Jewish. In some places the population was mostly Muslim. In some small places there was a Christian majority, but in general, we as Christians were strongly in the minority. In Jerusalem, as our student group of Christians would leave one of our historic churches or cathedrals, we would sometimes hear the hourly church bells ring, as the Muslim religious leaders would do their 5-times a day call to prayers. These prayers were done from large towers called minarets, and were done over loud speakers. As the church bells were ringing, and as the Muslim pastor or Imam was doing this loudly spoken call to prayer in Jerusalem, we could also see conservative Jews heading to the Jewish holy places, dressed in the traditional full black outfits and top hats, with their white prayer shawls or “tallit’s” on.

Yet, while much of Israel is holy to the Jews, to the Muslims, and to us Christians to, I found that perhaps the diversity of some of the parts of Israel might have been similar today, to when Jesus walked and talked there almost 2,000 years ago. That when we visited King Herod’s summer palace, that it was literally built on a mountain that had been made bigger by thousands of Herod’s workers moving tons and tons of dirt to make the mountain even bigger than it was. I even saw some of the structure that the Romans built there, and then I realized just what Jesus stood up to, and that he was no wimp. That Jesus knew what the stakes were, he knew what he was up against, and that he stood firm, in what must have been massive opposition. The Holy Land that Jesus began to minister to was much like it is today, with his followers being very much in the minority. There were Jews and others faiths as well, yet Jesus offered and still offers us the path of righteousness, the path of heaven.

When you’re in Israel then, you can quite literally feel like that you among a “Whitman’s Sampler” of religious options. Yet the uniqueness, the power, the truth, and the grace of the resurrected Christ are still alive and well in all of these places. In this way, I did still see the diversity and the tension that was very much evident in Jesus’ time, when he called people to repent, to follow him, and to “Come and See” the way to righteousness, the way to purity, the way to heaven. To “Come and See” who he was and who he still is. To “Come and See” why he is the “Prince of Peace,” and why he is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

When looking at the Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah from this morning, it says, “Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.” You see when I reflected upon this scripture, I thought of all of the people that I encountered in the Holy Land from all over the world, that were from “far away.” Yet the Lord called us all before we were born. Isaiah goes on to say, “And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,’ Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” Isaiah then continued on in saying, “my God has become my strength.”

Therefore, God has chosen us all, and this is hard to see sometimes in the places we live, but when I saw people from all over the world converging on the Holy Land to walk and talk where Jesus did, I saw the massiveness of what the prophet Isaiah was saying here.

When looking at the Apostle Paul’s First Epistle or the Letter to the church in Corinth or the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul told the church in Corinth that we are “called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Every place includes the millions and millions of Christians all over the world, from all different denominations, from all different countries, and draws us to the reality that we are all called to be holy, to be righteous, and to be “saints.” The Apostle Paul goes on to say speaking of God that, “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Lastly the Apostle Paul says one of those timeless statements to the church in Corinth, that “God is faithful.”

In our Gospel reading from this morning, from the Gospel according to John, it said speaking of John the Baptist, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John the Baptist then spoke of how he was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, and as such, that Jesus was coming soon after him. John the Baptist then spoke of how we he baptizes with water, but that the Lord would baptize with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist then testified that when he baptized Jesus that, he “saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.”

The gospel reading then went on to say that, “The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look here is the Lamb of God!” At this point, “The two of John the Baptist’s disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” These two disciples wanted to know Jesus, and where he was staying. Jesus then said to these two disciples, “Come and see.”

After this, the gospel tells us about the two disciples, that “They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.” One of these two disciples of John the Baptist was “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” The gospel then says that Andrew found his brother “Simon Peter” and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” When Andrew brought his brother Simon Peter to Jesus, Jesus looked at Simon Peter and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Following the Lord then my brothers and sisters is like this sermon title says “Come and See.” “Come and See” who Jesus really was and still is today. We must “Come and See” who Jesus the risen savior really is.

I would like to close with a story from my trip to the Holy Land, as believe me I now have many such stories. This story occurred because of being able to see many of my Eastern Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters who were in the Holy Land for their January 7^th Christmas. In seeing many of our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters, from the various Eastern Orthodox Churches, I noticed that it is customary for women to cover their heads before entering the church, to show respect for God.

Of the many churches that we went into, one of the churches that we went into in Jerusalem was called the “Church of the Holy Sepulcher” or the “Church of the Resurrection.” As you enter into one of the side entrances of this church, there is place on this one side that is roped off. In the middle of this roped of place was a long smooth flat slab of rock. What I quickly learned, was that this slab of rock is believed to be the stone slab that Jesus body was laid on when he was put in the burial tomb after his crucifixion. This stone had a beautiful brownish color. This church also commemorates a possible place of Jesus’s burial, as there are two or three possible places of burial in Jerusalem, as well as the place that is believed to be where Jesus was crucified.

As our student group was entering the packed side entrance of this church, I saw several Americans, and I also saw several people from the various Eastern Orthodox Churches pushing eagerly to get into the church. It seemed that many of our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters knew ahead of time what the flat rock slab on the ground was, as most of us Americans did not. As many of these Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters were entering the church, I saw some of them immediately burst into tears. I even saw a woman who was about ten feet from the slab where it is believed that Jesus’ body was laid. This woman immediately fell on the ground where she stood and wept. She then proceeded to crawl to the burial slab of the Lord. She then kissed the slab and wept over the stone.

After this, she put her face on the slab and just laid there for a moment. Then she rubbed her prayer beads all over the slab. I then saw several other Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters do similar things such like this.

You see, many of these folks come from countries that are not that wealthy. While we all as Americans were excited and ecstatic to be in these places, I was amazed at how much faith that our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters had. It was then, that this morning’s gospel reading hit me extra hard. Specifically, that when Jesus the Lord told John the Baptist’s two disciples, that if you really want to know me, then “Come and See.”

This is because, for all of us, Jesus gives us our own opportunity to “Come and See.” These opportunities do not have to be necessarily sought by going half way around the world to the Holy Land though. Sometimes in fact, these opportunities are right down the street. Sometimes, Jesus is telling us, “If you really want to know me, will you be willing to follow me?” So with that said, I challenge us all this week to see where Jesus is calling us. To see where Jesus is saying to all of us “Come and See.” To see where the Lord of life is saying, “Come and See” where I am leading you. Amen.