Pastor’s Ponderings
My Witnesses in Jerusalem
Acts: My Witnesses in Jerusalem 6-12-11
John 4:21-24, Acts 2:1-14, 15-41
Today, is Pentecost, the Birthday of the church.
The church is made of believers in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior.
Jesus dies, rises, ascends. Before he ascends, he tells the disciples, you will be my witnesses.
In Jerusalem, in the Holy City
In Judea and Samaria, the surrounding villages and area
To the Ends of the Earth.
I remember reading that it is Seattle that is the farthest city in the world from Jerusalem. So the United States is really a fruition of the Lord’s promise that the gospel would go to the ends of the earth.
Before the ends of the earth, before the good news went to Judea "amp; Samaria, it was in one city: Jerusalem.
Jerusalem had been the center of the Jewish faith. It was the home of the Temple, the dwelling place of God. Jesus came to Jerusalem, to die and to work the miracle of salvation. After he rose, he gathered with his disciples. As he ascended, he promised his disciples, that in a few days, the Holy Spirit would come.
Jesus had talked before his death and resurrection about the coming of the Holy Spirit, with the Samaritan Women at the well. He told this women, an outcast of society some amazing things about God.
- A time is coming where one holy mountain won’t claim sole worship (the competition between Jerusalem and Samaria for the presence of God)
- True worshippers will worship God the Father in spirit and in truth.
- God the Father seeks worshippers in spirit and in truth, for God is Spirit and God is the truth.
Spirit: breath, an animating or vital principle held to give life
Christians believe in the Holy Spirit, God’s breath, God’s vital and animating life-giving force.
Spiritual: relating to sacred matters "amp; matters that affect the spirit
After Jesus ascends, the disciples know that the coming of the Holy Spirit is near…they don’t know how it will look, or when it will come, but that it will come.
The Bible Starts in a Garden and ends in a city. Before the final Holy City, there was a major turning point in the story that happens in the city. The church is born in Jerusalem. God comes by Holy Spirit, powerful and unpredictable. People speak in tongues they have not known. People are asking: What is going on? For the Feast of Pentecost had gathered Jewish believers into Jerusalem from all over the world: Libya and Rome, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Before peoples from many nations, Peter stands up to say this is the Spirit promised by Jesus. This Spirit is here to empower us to proclaim the Lordship of Christ. This Spirit calls us to repent and believe the good news of the gospel. And this Spirit calls us together, to be witnesses in the world, for the world, by the power of God.
We are a long way from Jerusalem, but I hope we are not a long way from what happened in Jerusalem the day the church was born. Acts 2:42-47 describes some of the amazing things that happened to the church when it was close to the Spirit of Pentecost.
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What Does It Mean to be Saved?
What does it mean to be saved?Isaiah 43:1-13, John 4:39-42, Titus 3:3-8
What does it mean to be saved?
I think I have bit off more than I can chew for this sermon.
Part of our answer is found in what PREPOSITION you use.
Saved:
for eternal life
from our sin and its effects
by the grace of God
in Christ
for good works
by the power of God
through the power of the Holy Spirit
among peoples from every race, tribe and nation
Is it an experience? Or is it a relationship? Or can it be both?
Can I be saved if I cannot point to a conversion experience. Yes--salvation belongs to God.
Must I be converted? Yes, but the Lord is the one who converts. And conversion doesn’t have to happen suddenly and drastically.
John: The Word Gets Out
because of the woman's testimony many believed
because of the words of Jesus teaching, many believed
the people believed because of the the testimony from the woman and by their own experience.
WHAT DID THEY BELIEVE?
After hearing and seeing Jesus, we know this man really is the Savior of the world.
The word “world”: from a samaritan point of view (exile)
Titus: Fleshing Out the Answer
What does it mean to be saved?
acknowledges that without God, we are foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved, and display malice, envy and hatred.
what does it mean to be saved?
the kindness and love of God our Savior appears, he saved us.
salvation is not the righteous acts we have done.
Salvation is the mercy of God.
Salvation is the washing of rebirth
salvation is the renewal by the Holy Spirit (poured out onto us through Christ our Savior)
salvation is being justified by God's grace
salvation is being called a heir of the hope of eternal life
What does it mean to be saved?
it means to be careful to devote yourselves to doing good: in response to that kindness of God.
it means that what is excellent and helpful and beneficial to everyone comes into the world.
Story of the Rich Young Man:
The Disciples asked: Who then can be saved?
For humanity this is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God
Isaiah: The God of all power and love
With us in troubles:
Fire, waters, floods, For I am God, Your Savior
With us, his chosen ones:
Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory whom I formed and made
Apart from God there is no Savior.
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The Story of Scripture: Do I Have a Story for You!
The Story of Scripture: Do I Have a Story for You! 5/27/11II Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 13:1-23, Matthew 20:1-16
Rod Stewart sang that Every picture tells a story.
Stories are all around us.
--the shirt you have on your back has a story. It was made, it came from somewhere, the person that made it has a story, there was a story involved with you buying it…it might not be memorable, but there is a story.
--I went to a website called great stories.com. Admittedly, I am not sure if they were great stories or not, but I will read to the congregation one that I found interesting.
God says to us: Do I have a story for you!!!
God has a story for us: It is the gospel story: which means, Good news. The way the gospel story makes its way into our story is called the journey of discipleship. It is filled with grace.
We are a story ourselves: our lives tell a story. They are lived and interact alongside other stories.
We often tell stories, they capture the imagination.
There are true stories, and made up stories. Some stories are filled with intricate details, and in other stories, details are negotiable, and can be stretched.
Faith, though, is not a made up story and doesn’t need any details to be stretched. Peter writes, “When we told you about Jesus, we didn’t make up a clever story…we saw it ourselves…and we told it to you.
This story that he and the other disciples saw, he advises his readers: You will do well to pay attention to it! If you saw a light in a dark place, you would pay attention, right? If you saw a bright star on your journey in the black of night, you would pay attention!
In our year long story of Scripture, the Easter season marked the arrival of Jesus in the story. We have focused on him during the 7 weeks of Easter.
Jesus: Fully God and human, teacher, healer, miracle worker, story teller.
Matthew 20:1-16
We have all heard of the Roman Catholic idea of the 7 Deadly Sins:
Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride
This story presents 7 Graceless Errors
Assumption: “they expected to receive more” v10
Complaint “When they received it they began to grumble” v11
Comparison “You have made them equal to us who have borne” v12
Forgetting one’s agreement “Friend, I am not being unfair to you” v13
Inappropriate Meddling “Don’t I have the right” v14
Jealousy “Are you envious because I am generous?” v15
Entitlement “So the last will be first and the first last” v16
Fascinating thing about stories: we identify with characters…when Jesus tells parables, it is to stretch our imaginations. We are not the worker hired in the first hour, we are 11th hour workers. In the prodigal son, we are not the elder son who has been diligent, we are the younger son who has wasted.
Matthew 13:1-23
In Jesus Christ, we have the image of the God of grace.
· The knowledge of the kingdom of heaven secrets has been given v11
· Whoever has will be given more (the context is knowledge) v12
· Left to ourselves, we are hearing, but not understanding, seeing, but not perceiving, hardened hearts, closed off to God v14-15
· We are blessed by God, for our eyes can see and our ears can hear the gospel v16
· Generations before Christ had longed to experience the Messiah, to see and know, and we that live after his coming, we can have eyes of faith and grace to know. V17
· TODAY: sown seed doesn’t have to fall on rocky soil, shallow soil, weed-filled soil. Our hearts today can be good soil. Crops 100, 60, 30 fold can grow. We can be fruitful.
All of these things speak to the grace of God. We don’t deserve them. With honor, dignity and integrity, we live before God and experience the grace that has been given to us.
Memorial Day Weekend
We are Christians, that is our most important title. We are also spouses, Fathers, mothers, siblings, nieces/nephews, friends and neighbors. These are incredibly important titles. This weekend, we also remember that another name we call ourselves is American.
In the midst of celebrations tomorrow, what can you do to honor the intent of Memorial day?
America:
Prayer for leadership
Peace with Neighbor
Priorities as citizens
God speaks to each one of us today, and proclaims, Do I have a story for you!
The question is: Am I open to being a character in that story?
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Do You Believe in Miracles?
The Story of Scripture: Do You Believe in Miracles? 5/22/11II Kings 4:1-7, John 14:1-14, Hebrews 2:1-4
Last week, my daughter saw me heating up a hot cross bun in the microwave. What is that Daddy? She asked. When I told her what it was, she then shared that 'she didn't like that'. For the record, she had never seen a hot cross bun in her life.
Upon opening the microwave door, she decided that maybe the basic equivalent to a warm doughnut would be a likeable proposition. "Can I have one Daddy?", that was the next question.
Upon answering in the affirmative, I was invited to sit next to her on the dining room bench.
Ah, the miracle happened. I was invited into the inner circle.
This miracle provided me with great satisfaction. In life, I do not need miracles like the
parting waters, sun standing still, fire devouring false prophets, being rescued from lions...
but that is part of our story of faith.
the definition of a miracle: the extraordinary entering human history, with its laws "amp; consequences, cause and effects.
Latin: marvelous event that causes wonder
An event that causes people to think beyond natural forces, to the supernatural, to a superhuman power.
The natural, ‘everyday miracles’, is really called the providence of God. These miracles, they are simply God’s goodness displayed. For believers, they are a daily reminder of the glory of God.
part of the story of Scripture:
Jesus as God/human, teacher, healer, miracle worker
what not to do with a miracle?
explain it: it is not natural or rational
justify it: only God has to answer for it, and God doesn’t answer to anyone
compare it: it is God’s answer to a particular event
what to do?
enjoy it. glory and amaze in it.
Hebrews: God’s gifts to the church
Passage: to pay careful attention to what we have heard, and to not drift away
Consequences of the Law, given by angels…how much more, so great a salvation
· Salvation, announced by the Lord, confirmed by his followers
· Signs
· Wonders
· Various miracles
· Gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to God’s will
Do you believe in miracles?
(al Michaels, famous phrase)
Yes? no? Maybe? Not sure?
The answer doesn't matter.
It is more important, do you believe in the one who can do miracles?
John: Jesus is the Miracle
The one who is preparing a place: to not gloss over this, preparing a place for you, many rooms. We can be where Jesus is. That is a miracle.
The One who is the way: how do we get there? A universal question we wonder about, "follow me, I am the way", that we even have an answer, that is a miracle
The One who is the image of God: what I am doing, God the Father is doing, we are working together. Do you believe that I am in, and my father is in me? If you do, that is a miracle.
The One who showed the image of God to people: believe, and if you can't believe, at least look at the miracles. That deed accompanied word, that is a miracle.
The One who says 'ask anything'.
What would you ask of God?
Money, fame, other shallowness of requests.
How would you like to bring glory to God this day?
If you really need a miracle today, then ask for it. but statistically speaking, we probably don't. Yes, we might think we do,
Sophie: I wouldn't have thought to ask God for a great big laugh regarding a hot cross bun...it wasn't in my creative radar...but I am sure glad God thought of it...and that my friends, is a miracle.
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Be Healed
The Story of Scripture: Be Healed 5/15/11Jeremiah 8:15-22, Mark 2:1-12, Mark 7:24-30
Healing is difficult topic:
1. There is a randomness to healing/not being healed.
2. God is God, and moves in his ways
3. In a purely human sense, all of us are mortal, and we go to the grave.
4. Technological advancements that blur quality of life dynamics.
Quadrant:
Great faith/receive requests Great faith/do not receive request
Little faith/receive requests Little faith/do not receive requests
Different Types of Healing
Physical Healing:
Mental Healing: peace of mind
Emotional Healing: from bitterness, anger
Relational Healing: from conflict, from distance
Spiritual Healing: with God, in one’s spirit
Jeremiah: Sometimes, there is no healing.
We had hoped for peace and healing, but it did not come
--the imminent judgment from Babylon
Isn’t the Lord in Zion? Is her king on the throne?
Summer is past, and we are not saved
Isn’t there a balm in Gilead? Why is there no healing for my people?
Mark 2: Sometimes, Jesus heals.
Give ourselves a moment to imagine this stunning scene
--the sounds of the men climbing on the roof
--ceiling falling around as they dug…people looking up
--Jesus must have had a smile on his face: What he was seeing from
the fully God/fully human perspective.
--did the people help the man on the mat as he was closer to ground?
--I don’t think the religious leaders lifted a finger.
--what was their look when Jesus read through their soul "amp; thought?
--imagine the man, lying on the floor, helpless, when Jesus is discussing with the religious leaders: So that you might know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sin, I tell you…
--get up, take your mat, and go home…AND HE DID JUST THAT
--ultimately, Jesus is interested in the healing of spirit. For that is how we live forever.
Mark 7: Sometimes, we give reason for healing.
A shepherd to the lost sheep of Israel
Impressed by the logic and wisdom of the woman
Always wonder about the people who hear Jesus saying go, it is done. They have to leave, believing, they have to wonder as they go home, they have to have sweaty palms as they open the door to their home, to look at their loved one, to see if what this holy man had said came true.
Paul: II Corinthians 12: God’s strength is made complete in our dependence and weakness.
Jesus: Fully God/Fully Human
Teacher
Healer
Today, if we need healing, and we find it praise God.
If we need healing, and we do not find it, pray to God.
In all situations trust God.
In Jesus, we see the healer was also the teacher.
God is teaching the world through us about his grace. We are part of the story, therefore, let us never travel far from the master storyteller. He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Christ is Risen!
He has risen indeed!
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