Luke 19:1-10

Obstacles

Life is full of obstacles. Anything that’s worth doing will have challenges that you must overcome.

What creates distance between us and God?

There are also obstacles that can keep us away from God.  In our story this morning, we see Zacchaeus, another tax collector. He was standing in a crowd in Jericho waiting on Jesus. He just wanted to see him. He just wanted to meet him. However, there were some obstacles in his way. Obviously, Zacchaeus was highlighted as a sinful person as seen in verse 8. Yet, his sinfulness wasn’t one of his obstacles. Yet he had other obstacles. One thing that kept Zacchaeus from Jesus was that he was short. There were so many people around Jesus and the short people couldn’t see. Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see.

Another obstacle that Zacchaeus faced was his job. Why would Jesus, the one who healed many people and fed thousands, have anything to do with a sinful tax collector?  Not that Jesus cared about his occupation, but it likely hindered Zacchaeus and he had to overcome his anxieties. Zacchaeus probably thought, there are rabbis, Pharisees, and faithful Jews out here. What would Jesus want anything to do with me?

And a final obstacle that Zacchaeus faced was that he was rich. He had all that he needed financially. Now, how is being wealthy an obstacle? Because when you are wealthy, it’s hard to be desperate for anything. It’s hard to be desperate for God’s forgiveness whenever you have all that you need.  This is why Jesus says in Mark 10:24,25, “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” It’s hard for a rich person to reach out to Christ. Why? Because you have to be desperate first. Why would someone who was well off do something so desperate as climbing a tree to see a poor Jew from Nazareth?

Zacchaeus had obstacles between himself and Jesus. He was short, he was hated because of his occupation, and he was wealthy. Yet he didn’t allow those obstacles to stop him from seeing the Savior.

Insignificance

What about us? What obstacles have we faced that has kept us from Jesus? I doubt that our height has ever kept us from Jesus, but I bet all of us have been looked down upon at times, feeling small and insignificant. Feeling like this is everyone else’s world and we just happen to be in it. Do you feel worthless and insignificant? This is something that many people struggle with, especially young girls. With society constantly telling girls that their worth comes from their bodies an sex appeal, they use these means to get attention and after a while they no longer respect themselves. They feel like they have no value.  Yet, Jesus came into this world to restore our worth. Jesus reached out to the adulterous woman and gave her self worth. Jesus reached out to the lepers and the blind and gave them self worth. Jesus challenges us to understand that we are worth something. We are created in God’s image. Therefore, we have worth. We aren’t just rotten sinners. We have worth and Christ comes into our lives to restore that self worth. We may feel insignificant, but remember that you are a child of the living God and make in His image. Don’t let a feeling of smallness, insignificance, or worthlessness be an obstacle for you to overcome. Jesus desires to restore your self worth.

Occupation

Another obstacle to relationship with God could be your occupation. Has it ever felt at odds with your faith? I’m sure that there were days when Zacchaeus hated what he did and would give it all up to have a normal life. Not all tax collectors are bad people, but they made so much money that it was hard to get out of it and sometimes corrupted them. Do you find it hard being a Christian in your occupation?

I can remember when my mom had an interview for a job at the Miller Brewery Company. Here, she would have made significantly more money than where she was with better benefits. But she turned the job down. Why? Because she was just getting into the church and she didn’t want to spend her career making alcohol. She didn’t want her occupation to affect her relationship with God. Does your occupation, for whatever reason, hinder your relationship with God? Do the relationships there cut you off from God? Do you feel like Jesus doesn’t approve? Well, I’m not sure that Jesus approves of your job or not, but I know that your job shouldn’t be an obstacle. Out of all the people in the crowd, Jesus reached out to the Tax Collector. And Jesus never told him to quit his job. Jesus simply challenged him to do his job justly.  Living in the world in the 21st century, you will always find yourself in situations where your ethical integrity will be challenged in your job. You may discover that your job is benefiting from sweat shops in China. You may discover that your job is giving large donations to causes that are contrary to your faith. There might be relationships at your job that makes it hard for you to be a Christian. So do you simply quit? I don’t think so. But  I believe that you can represent Christ and try to slowly make a change. Your job can be an obstacle for your faith, but Christ calls us to go into the darkness of the world and shine his light. What better place to represent the light of Christ than at your job?

Wealth

Probably the greatest obstacle to come between us and Christ is our wealth. John Wesley said, “When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.” For Wesley, and I think for Jesus, wealth can be a problem. And not just our wealth, but our status. Our reputation. Our fame. It’s not money but what money gives us. Power. It can lead us to evil. Therefore, our possessions can be a huge obstacle when we are trying to reach Christ. It’s hard to make Christ Lord of your life whenever your possessions are so valuable.

In order to seek after Christ, we must first overcome obstacles that are in our way. And whenever we overcome those obstacles, will we accept Jesus into our lives despite our flaws?

Will we welcome Jesus despite our flaws?

Zacchaeus was able to overcome his obstacles and see Jesus. And whenever he saw Jesus, Jesus looked up to him and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”

Now, if I’m Zacchaeus, I’m probably thinking, “Wait a minute! I only wanted to see you from the comfort of my tree. Now you are calling me and inviting yourself into my house? That’s a little bit closer than I wanted.

Dirty house

Family coming 2 weeks ago

Inviting someone into your home can be a difficult thing. Especially when you don’t have any warning. Why? Because in your home, your flaws are seen. If someone just pops in unexpected, you had no time to clean up the house and to make to presentable.

God’s timing

Jesus told Zachaeus to hurry and come down. Don’t go home and clean up. I’m coming with you now. You see, if you want to know Christ, you have to be willing for him to know your flaws.

People with relationship issues

Once we encounter Christ, we are led to repentance and response.

Christ met Zacchaeus, Christ went to his home and dined with him, but after encountering Christ, Zacchaeus changed. This tax collector, well known for improper use of money, said, “Look, half of my possession, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”

Flywheel

It’s all about relationships

Our faith is all about relationships. Relationships with God and relationships with other people. Christ calls us to repentance because our sins have separated us from others. Zacchaeus was separated from everyone else because he cheated many of them. Yet, as he paid back those who did him wrong, he mended those relationships. Who in your life do you need to reach out to to fix the relationship? You are forgiven, but what sins have you committed that you could go back and fix? What’s the point? The point is that forgiveness is giving to us so that we can mend relationships. It’s not just a status with God, it’s also a status with our neighbor. And as we overcome obstacles in our lives to get to Christ, may we tear down the walls that keep us from our neighbors.

Matt. 7:7-8

When we pray, God works to change us.

No Braves game on television

When I was a young boy, I was a huge Braves fan. I can remember one night when the Braves were supposed to be on tv. I usually got all of their games, but this game was on a station that I didn’t get. So, depressed that I couldn’t watch the game, I got on my knees and began to pray. “Lord, please let the Braves game come on!” I prayed and I prayed. Then I turned the television on, and no Braves game. So I prayed again, earnestly asking God my request. But nothing happened. I prayed, but I didn’t receive.

Grandma passing away

Nine years ago this coming December my grandmother passed away.  We found out in September that she was diagnosed with lung cancer and only had about six weeks with her. So, believing what the bible says, I got in my closest and prayed, “Lord, please save my grandmother.” I prayed and I prayed and she died.

Your unanswered prayers

I’m sure that all of you can relate. I’m sure that you have prayed for something that ultimately didn’t come to pass. I’m sure that you have loved ones that you prayed for and got others to pray for, only to see your prayer go unanswered.

Ask, and you will receive? Really? Seek and you will find. Knock, and the door will be open. Really? That hasn’t always been my experience and I assume that most of you agree.

So is God’s word not true, or are we maybe misunderstanding prayer?

Prayer changes us

What is prayer? Do we view prayer the same way that children view Santa Claus? God comes around once a year and so we crawl up into his lap to give him our wish list. Is that what prayer is all about? Because if so, I’m doing something wrong. I think we all know that God doesn’t answer all of our prayers, at least how we ask them. But the grace of prayer was never given to us for the purpose of us getting all that we want. So, how does prayer work? Prayer works because, when we pray, God works to change us. We don’t go to God in prayer hoping that we change God’s mind. We go to God in prayer hoping that God changes us.

John Wesley and prayer

This is what John Wesley has to say about prayer: “The end of your prayer is not to inform God, as though he knew not your wants already; but rather to inform yourselves, to fix the sense of those wants more deeply in your hearts, and the sense of your continual dependence on him who only is able to supply all your wants. It is not so much to move God-who is always more ready to give than you to ask-as to move yourselves, that you may be willing and ready to receive the good things he has prepared for you.”

For John Wesley, prayer isn’t about us bringing our wish list to God and he answers them all. Prayer is about God changing us. God moving us. God revealing to us our desires and showing us how we can change them. This morning’s text tell us to ask and it will be given. Seek and we will find. But what if what we are seeking isn’t what God wants for us? Verse 9 and 10 says “Is there anyone you who, if your child ask for bread, will give a stone? OR if the child asks for a fish, will you give him a snake?” But what if we aren’t asking for bread or a fish? What if we are asking for a stone or a snake?

My girlfriend in 5th grade

I remember my first girl friend. I was in 5th grade and I was very shy. Yet, I finally got a girl friend. Sort of. We called each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but we never talked to each other. I was so incredibly shy that whenever she would try to talk to me, I would pretend that I didn’t see her. It didn’t take her long to write me the break up note. What was the problem? We didn’t communicate. We didn’t have a relationship.

Prayer as means of relationship

Prayer changes us because it is also relational. Prayer is our way to communicate with our creator. Prayer is a gift of grace given to us. Pray isn’t our way of getting what we want anymore than asking our parents for something is our way of getting whatever we want. Prayer reminds us of who is in control. We ask God because ultimately we know that all things come from him.

The focus of our prayer really isn’t on what we are asking and seeking,. The focus is on who we are asking and seeking. Prayer changes us because prayer points us to God.

Why do you pray?

So why do you pray? What are your motives? Is it to get closer to God? Is it to get what you want? Is it to intercede for others? Why do you pray? They are many motives for prayer. But what if, through your prayers, God changes you? What if prayer works for you because it works in you to bring change?

Prayer for a week

Prayer changes us. But the only way that prayer changes us is if we pray. Therefore, I challenge you over the next week, before you go to work or get your day started, to spend a few moments in prayer. Pray for your needs and for the requests mentioned here this morning, because God does answer prayer. But, as you pray, listen to the still small voice of God. Listen to what he might say to you. Remember, prayer isn’t a one person monologue. Prayer is conversation with God. And for conversation to work, both parties must speak and listen. We get into trouble whenever we do all the talking but never listen. So, over the next week, pray every day. And listen. Listen to what God might be saying to you. Listen as you request your prayers. Why are you asking? What does that say about you? If I would have asked that question to myself whenever I was praying for the Braves game to come on I’m sure that God would have told me how spoiled I am. What does our conversation with God tell us about ourselves? Pray everyday next week and find out.

Jesus in Gethsemane

Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane should be our guide. Jesus prays, “Lord, let this cup pass me by. But not my will, but your will be done.” Jesus’ desire was seen in his prayer. He didn’t want to take the road to the cross. Yet, he prayed that God’s will be done. May God work in our hearts and change us to the point of whenever we pray, we can say, “not my will, but your will be done.”  Amen.

Part 1: God and Wesley

Text: Luke 15:11-32

Title: God the Father

The impact of our fatherless society

“What’s wrong with the children these days?” Children aren’t like they used to be.” Have you heard that recently? Chances are you have. As our world changes, so have the lives of our children. And unfortunately, it seems like it has taken a turn for the worst. But what’s the problem? Is it because of the education system? Is it because the church programs aren’t good enough? Is it the President’s fault? Why are our children struggling in school?  Why aren’t there many children, teenagers, and young adults in the church anymore? What’s the problem? Many times, the problem is the missing father.

Fathers are important because they are the adults that their children see. They watch them and then they try to emulate them. What they see from their father greatly affects their lives. If their father treats their mother with respect, chances are great that they will also treat their spouse with respect. If their father is faithful in reading the bible and going to church, chances are high that their children will also. A father has a great responsibility in the lives of their children. And if the father isn’t there, then there responsibility will be replaced by something else. I have often heard teachers say that their student’s parents expect them to raise their child and every time they make a bad grade or get into trouble they want to blame the teacher. Studies have shown that the average child watches four hours of tv per day while having just 19 minutes of quality time per day with a working parent. 4 hours vs. 19 minutes. I wonder who’s raising that child? What a great responsibility a father has. As the father goes, so goes the family. The lifestyle of the father greatly affects how the family lives.

Differing views on God

How we view our heavenly Father also affects how we live. More specifically, how we live reflects who our God is. Do we give the world our best time and give God the leftovers? Are we like the child, deceived into thinking that our heavenly father is raising us when in fact the television is? We can claim to worship a specific God, but the truth comes to light by our actions. Is the God of the bible, the loving, active, providing, and forgiving Father our God? We may say that He is, but it’s not what we say, it’s how we live. That’s what matters. A father can say that they take care of their children but that doesn’t matter. What matters is their actions, not their words. In the same way, we can say who our God is, but who our God is can only be seem through our actions.

Unfortunately, the church is full of people who claim to worship the Christian God yet live like atheists, as if God isn’t involved in their lives. We may suggest that God is most important to us, but a quick glance at our schedules and how we spend our time might speak otherwise. We claim to worship God and God alone, but the truth is we struggle with idols everyday. What’s an idol? An idol is something that replaces God in your life.  It’s that thing that causes you to rely on your own strength. It’s that thing that you consistently skip church to go to. It’s that thing that fills your mind all day. That’s your God. In the same way that our fathers greatly affect our lives, how we view God also affects how we live.  

God the Father

Above all characteristics of God, probably the main way that John Wesley described God was as a Father. This way of approaching God was modeled for us by Jesus. Whenever Jesus taught us to pray, he said to pray like this: “Our Father, who art in heaven.”  Whenever Jesus prayed for himself, his church, and the world in John 17, he called God “Father.” And whenever he was in his darkest hour in the Garden of Gethsemane, moments before his betrayal and journey to the cross, he cries out to God, “Abba, Father, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will, but yours.” Through the way that Jesus approached God, it showed how intimate of a relationship that he had with God and wanted to model for us.  God, the Father.

For most of us, we can relate to seeing God as a Father. It reminds us of our fathers growing up and their roles in our lives. But for some people, seeing God as father can be a bad thing. Unfortunately, some people didn’t have a good father figure or a father figure at all. For some, seeing God as father can bring up images of a strict, abusive father. Or for those without a father, they may see God as distant and uninvolved: The person who we always talk about at the dinner table, but know very little about. What great pressure to put on fathers! Couldn’t Jesus just call God mother! That would take off a lot of pressure for us fathers. After all, God isn’t a male nor female, why must Jesus describe God as father?  Of course, we men can’t ever live up to God.

But we are the best that our children have. Without us, who will model the love of God for them? Without us, who will teach them about God? Without us, who will welcome them home when they stray? Without us, who will prepare a feast for them in exchange for their meal with pigs? Without us, who will offer them forgiveness? Feeling the pressure yet?

God the Loving, Active Father

John Wesley sees God as father, more specifically as a loving, active father. God being a God of love isn’t really a distinctive view of God for Wesley. All Christian denominations believe that. But it’s that God is loving and active in our lives that makes Wesley distinctive. God didn’t just create the world, create our purpose, and then leave us. No, God creates us and continues to be active in our lives. One of a Wesleyan’s critiques of the Purpose Driven Life book is the idea in the book that God created a specific blueprint for our lives and navigates us to fulfill it. God has written our story and it’s up to us to figure it out. That’s not much different that a father deciding that his child will be a pro baseball player and forcing him to play, even if he doesn’t want to. The problem with this view is that it takes God out of the picture. God created, now it’s up to us to discover the blueprint. It also takes away our response. John Wesley believes that when one becomes a Christian they become a participant with the trinity. There’s no blueprint. There’ no single purpose. I can remember when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and destroyed the lives of millions. Trying to offer encouragement, good Christian people would say something like this: “God has a purpose for allowing this to happen. It may be bad, but God will teach us something through this.” This suggests that God is willing to ruin the lives of millions of people just to teach us something. Sure, God made the best of the situation. But God doesn’t cause bad things to happen. Sin causes bad things to happen.  God has given us the gift of freedom in the world. Since we have freedom and are sinful, many times we are destructive. Thankfully God works with us to guide us with grace and to grace.

When we accept Christ and enter into the faith, we enter into a relationship. Sure, God may have a calling for us, but he also invites us to participate. What makes Methodist doctrine unique is that we believe in response. We believe that salvation is about responding to a loving, active God. A God who doesn’t write a story and push us in certain directions, but a God who guides us and allows us to participate. I believe that God called me to be a preacher. I don’t know that I would have been happy doing anything else. But I also think that if I decided to not be a preacher, God could use me somewhere else. Same with you. God gives us a choice. God is in control, but we participate. God has a will, but as a loving child we participate. God loves us and we respond.

God the Providing/forgiving Father

Another characteristic of God emphasized by John Wesley is that of provider and forgiver.

Trying to be our own God.

Earlier we mentioned that we can tell who are God is not by what we say, but how we live. Our actions tell us who God is to us. I think that our greatest temptation is to put ourselves on the throne of our lives.

The prodigal son left his father’s house and tried to do things on his own. It didn’t take long for him to realize the mistake that he made. When the wealth and power was in his hands, he squandered it.  We can be the same way. Whenever we try to take control of our lives, be our own God, and leave the father’s house, we too end up in a mess. Instead of feasting at the Lord’s table, we end up eating with the pigs. Instead of eating fresh bread, we dream about just eating the crumbs that fall from the table.

It’s when we realize that we are God’s that we find joy. It’s when we learn to rely on our heavenly father that we find joy and happiness. God is our provider and when we take matters into our own hands we can get into trouble. Right now, the economy is bad. People are losing their jobs and others are nervous that they are next. At annual conference we learned that even the church is not immune to the recession. Yet, what better time than any for us to dethrone ourselves and put God on the throne of our lives? Do we believe that God will provide for us? It’s easy to say it, but it only comes true when we live it. God is our provider and sometimes our comfort and security can give us the impression that we are somehow in control. Now that the economy is shaky, let this be a time when we turn to God and believe his word.

Fathers (and soon to be fathers), we have a great responsibility. But we aren’t alone. In same way that our children rely on us, let us rely on God.  Because we can’t model someone that we don’t know. Amen.

Text: Acts 2:1-21

Point: The Holy Spirit comes to empower of for ministry

Unopened Gift

Throughout Christian history, God has been at work in the church.  Because the church is full of inconsistent and sometimes sinful people, we have needed the guiding hand of God to lead us, challenge us, and renew us. We have seen some specific times that this has happened. Throughout our history God has offered us gifts of grace. Just as a parent gives gifts to his or her children, so God gives gifts to the church. One of these gifts was given during the 16th century when the church seemed to be focused on salvation through works instead of through faith. Some of the leadership in the church became corrupt and started demanding indulgences (or money) in exchange for their sins to be forgiven. It was during this time that Martin Luther proclaimed to the leaders and the people that we find salvation not in our works but in faith in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther’s biblical message was a gift to the church. Another specific time that we see God at work was in response to Protestant Liberalism. Influenced by the Enlightenment, the church highlighted reason as a way to understand scripture. This eventually led many to discredit miracles, the resurrection of Jesus, and the Jews. Many of the church leaders even supported the holocaust through their new was of interpreting scripture. It was during this time that God sent another gift. Karl Barth, disenchanted with liberalism, introduced a new way of reading scripture: not only through reason and history, but rather theologically. He reminded the church that scripture is the Word of God and still speaks to modern believers. In the midst of Protestant Liberalism, God sent Karl Barth to remind us of the importance of scripture as being the word of God. When the United States of America  was racially divided, another gift of the church was in the form of a black minister, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He believed that people shouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character.

When the church is in need, God sends gifts of renewal. Yet, sometimes these gifts of renewal go unopened. We have enjoyed the gift offered by God through Luther, emphasizing justification by faith. We have also enjoyed the gift given through Karl Barth and Martin Luther King Jr. Yet, I believe that there’s still one gift remaining that hasn’t been opened. The gift of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost

Today is Pentecost Sunday. Today, we are reminded of the day that the Spirit was poured out on the church. Our text this morning shows the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had died, was raised, and eventually ascended into heaven. Now, the disciples are waiting, scared, and unsure about what to do next. It’s at that moment, as the disciples gather together in a room during the festival of Pentecost, that they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came, and they began speaking in other languages to the point where everyone could understand them, even though they spoke different languages. At that moment, the early Christians were filled with the Holy Spirit. At that moment, they went from being scared, fearful disciples to bold evangelists. The Spirit empowered them, working through them to bring the gospel of Christ to the world.

The re-emergence of the Holy Spirit

Whenever Jade and I found out that we were moving here, we got a chance to come and visit with the PPR committee. It was at night, so we didn’t get to see the outside. So, whenever we moved here, we hadn’t really seen everything yet. I remember walking around the church and seeing a fence. Then, I saw a basketball court. I was really excited about the beauty of the church, the parsonage, and the quaintness of the Old Watkins community. Yet, I think what I was excited about the most was the basketball court. Growing up, I loved basketball.  I would spend countless hours in the backyard pretending that I was in the NBA taking on Michael Jordan. But whenever I got to high school and then to college, I became so busy with other things that I almost forgot about basketball. Seeing that basketball court reminded me of my childhood. It reminded me of the dreamer that I was, pretending to be in the NBA. Since I have been here, I have rediscovered one of the loves of my childhood. As often as I can, for recreation and for exercise, I go out and shoot.

At the turn of the 20th century, the church was in need of another spiritual awakening, another God given gift. This marked the birth of the Pentecostal church in the United States.  In this movement, there was a rediscovery of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always been at work, but, like my love for basketball, it had been forgotten. Up until that point, very little had been written about the Spirit. Even more sadly, churches didn’t know what to do with the Holy Spirit. We needed a revival, a spiritual awakening and God once again poured out the Holy Spirit on his church. Unfortunately, most mainline churches rejected the movement of the Spirit. Even today, many in the church still reject the gift. It continues to sit untouched under the tree. For many, it’s still an unopened gift.

What’s important about the Holy Spirit? Why is it important to experience Spirit baptism like the early church? It’s important because the Holy Spirit comes to empower us for ministry. Without the Holy Spirit, we are like a lamp not plugged in to a socket. We want to shine our light, but we have no power. If you feel ineffective in ministry, maybe you should ask yourself, “Am I living a Spirit-filled life?” Because if not, you have no power. You are simply operating on your own strength.

1. We Encounter God through Spirit baptism.

Through the Holy Spirit and Spirit baptism, we encounter God. Acts 2:1-5 says, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability…And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. They were amazed and astonished.” Through Spirit baptism, the early church encountered God in a real way. It’s through Spirit baptism that we also encounter God.

Significance of an encounter

It’s when the Holy Spirit is active in our lives that we know that God is still with us. Jesus said that he would go away, but he would send us His Holy Spirit. I believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in our lives, even when we were not Christians, trying to bring us to repentance.  Acts 2:17 says, “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” God’s Spirit is active in all people’s life, trying to bring them to repentance. However, I also believe that after salvation we can continue to encounter the Holy Spirit. We can still find power in Spirit baptism. As you read the book of Acts, Spirit baptism is a separate event from salvation. After the disciples accepted Christ, they waited on the Holy Spirit. Then, after Spirit baptism, they were sent with power. In Acts 8, we see the Samaritans accepted Christ and later being baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is always a part of the believer’s life, but there seems to be a Spirit baptism following salvation. A different event altogether.  What does this mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is really active in our lives. Encountering the Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s presence.

Dr. Jack Deere was once a professor at a seminary out West. This seminary was a strongly conservative, supercessionist school. What that means is that they believed that the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the early church. Gifts like speaking in tongues and healing are no longer needed because we now have the bible. Dr. Deere also believed those things at least at one point. His church had decided to have a Bible Conference. As the speaker, they invited a man named John White. Dr. Deere had a lot of respect for him, so he invited him to come and teach the Word. Little did he know that Dr. White believed in the gifts of the Spirit. Not only that, but that’s what he taught about at the Bible Conference. At first Dr. Deere was a little upset about it, but he eventually experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit himself. Through an encounter, his beliefs changed. He eventually left his post at the supercessionist school and planted a charismatic church. If there’s one thing that will change your mind about something, it’s an encounter. If you don’t believe that there are snakes around this area, wait until you walk up on one! You are then forced to believe. We believe what we encounter. We know that God is with us as we encounter and have a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Have you?

Have you? Have you had a moment in your life where you felt the Spirit so strongly? Whenever Jacob wrestled with God, he walked away with a limp, reminded him of an encounter. Have you had such an encounter? Something that, whenever you are at your darkest moment full of doubt, you can look back to and be reminded that God is with you? Do you seek such an encounter?

I’m not advocating any specific encounter. For example, I left a denomination that I was raised in because they claim that you have to have a specific experience to encounter the Holy Spirit. If you don’t have this specific experience, you aren’t filled with the Spirit. I don’t think that’s the case at all. Actually, I think that that limits God and limits the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostals don’t have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. We can certainly learn a lot from them, but the Spirit is at work in all of our lives. The question is, are we open to it?

2. We are empowered through Spirit baptism

We encounter God through Spirit baptism. Through Spirit baptism, we are also empowered for service. In the gospels, the disciples really aren’t all that impressive. They ask stupid questions, they complain, and they desert Jesus as his darkest hour. So, how is it that these helpless men are able to stand up boldly and preach the gospel? How are they able to lead thousands to eventually accept Christ? How are they to start a movement that is still strong today? How? Spirit baptism. They are no longer trying on their own. The Holy Spirit is working through them. In Acts 1:4 Jesus commands his disciples to not leave Jerusalem until they receive the promise of the Father, which is the Holy Spirit. He knew that without the power of the Holy Spirit they would fail.

Gifts of the Spirit

Fruits of the Spirit (evidence of Spirit baptism)

How do we know that we are filled with the Spirit? Simple. We bear the fruits of the Spirit! Junior came and helped me plant a garden a couple of weeks ago. As I look in the garden now, I have no idea what each plant is. But eventually, once they start bearing fruit, I will know. In the same way, we know that we are filled with the Spirit whenever we are living faithfully. On our own strength, we are sinners, incapable of doing good. But through the Spirit, we can bear the fruits of joy, peace, patience, kindness, and love. The Spirit empowers us for service and faithfulness. We can’t do it on our own.   

3. How are we to respond?

Conclusion: Heart transformation

Are you living a Spirit-filled life? Have you opened that gift or does it remain unopened? It’s through the Spirit that your heart is changed. Jeremiah 31 says that God will make a new covenant with Israel. Instead of giving them a law, God will write the law on their hearts. That’s what we need. We need a transformed heart. We need the Holy Spirit to take root in our lives so that we can bear spiritual fruit. Laws are important, but, like the Israelites, on our own we will eventually break them. We need our hearts to be transformed. Will you be open to the Spirit? Will you seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Because without it, we have no power. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Text: John 17:20-26

Three Little Ninjas

In 1992, the movie Three Little Ninjas came out and was very popular. The movie was about three young brothers who spent every summer with their Japanese grandfather. During the summer, the grandfather would teach them martial arts. When their training came to an end one summer and the grandfather was telling them goodbye, he gave each of the brothers’ new names.  He named the oldest brother Rocky because “he’s solid and cool as granite rock.” He named the middle brother Colt because “he’s fast and free and has the spirit of a young wild horse.” And he named the youngest Tum-Tum as a reminder that “ambition begins and ends with the tummy.” These names described the brothers and their different personalities. But the names also reminded them of who they are, especially during difficult circumstances that they eventually faced in the movie.

Jesus’ Prayer for us

John chapters 14-17 are known as the farewell chapters. This is when Jesus gives some last commandments and eventually prays for himself, his disciples, and for future disciples. This was the last chance for Jesus to speak with his disciples so what he said was important. At the closing of his prayer, he prays for the future church. In other words, before he’s arrested, he takes time to pray for us. Just like the three brothers were given names that would describe them and remind them of who they are, Jesus’ prayer describes us and offers us a reminder of who we are.

Unity

So, what did Jesus pray for? What was Jesus’ main concern for us? Our of all the things that he could say, what did he pray for? In the prayer for us, Jesus’ main concern is, as seen in verse 20, that we may all be one. Jesus is interested in our unity. He’s knows that he will be leaving soon. He knows that the church will face difficulties. Therefore, he desires that his followers will stay unified. He wants them to stick together.

You can put labels on the church, but one label that probably doesn’t fit us too well, especially in American, is unified. We just can’t seem to agree to disagree and save our reputation. Now the differences aren’t the problem. Jesus didn’t tell us to agree on everything and be the same. That would completely defeat the purpose of diversity within the body of Christ. Our problem is staying united, even when we disagree. One of John Wesley’s famous statement’s was: “In things essential, let there be unity; In things inessential, liberty; In all things, charity.” In other words, Wesley is telling us to be united, even when we disagree.

So, Jesus tells us to be unified. But why? Why is unity so necessary? One reason that unity is necessary is because it invites us into participation with God.

Unity invites us into participation with the Triune God.

John 17:20,21 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

God is unity

Even before the world was created, God was a God of unity. We can see that in the relationship of the trinity. One part of God’s nature is unity. We see unity modeled in the triune God. Perfect unity.

Salvation is God calling us to participate with the triune God. Since God is unity, we must also practice unity. We can only participate with the trinity when we are unified.  If we are not unified, we aren’t doing God’s work.  

In Christ

To be in Christ means to join Christ in unity with His church. We destroy the unity of the church when we are divisive. There’s simply nothing worse than being divisive. Nothing good can come out of it.  We are fortunate that we are invited to participate in God’s redeeming work in the world. Being divisive hurts that work. God can take normal, ordinary people and use them to do great things if they are united. Yet, even the most talented person is useless if they are divisive.

Duke basketball 2010

As you probably know, Duke won the National Championship this season. Being National Champions means that you are the best team for that year. What’s interesting is that Duke wasn’t the most talented team. There were several teams this season that Duke beat but Duke wasn’t as talented as they were. Do you know how they won it all? Team chemistry. They chose to come to Duke and participate because of the success of the program. Then, even through some tough seasons, they stayed together, built team chemistry, and it paid off for them. They didn’t have the most talent, but they were the best team. They didn’t allow differences to get in the way. They didn’t allow egos to get in the way. They simply played as a team.

Something greater

Unity is important and we can only participate in the ministry of the triune God when we are united. In God’s work, there’s no place for egos. There’s no place for division. We are called to participate in something greater than ourselves.  Whenever we are divisive, we lose sight of the greater goal and make it about ourselves. But it’s not about us. It’s about God’s work. We are simply allowed to participate.

Unity allows us to participate in God’s work. Through unity, we can also share our faith with others.

Unity allows us to share our faith without words. (Evangelism)

v.21-23 says “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…may they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

The church being united is important because it allows us to share our faith with others. Whenever the world sees a unified church, they are more interested in joining.

Philippians 2:14,15 says “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.”

How do we evangelize? How do we hope to see the church grow? I’m not sure about all the tactics for getting people to church, but I do not what would keep them away. Disunity: A church that’s not loving and can’t agree on anything.

Time-Share salesman.

Unity invites us to participate with the triune God, allows us to share our faith without words, and models a better and alternative community for the world.

Unity models a better and alternative community for the world.

v. 25 says “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me.”

When we are united as the body of Christ, we model the kingdom of God for the world. We show them a strange way of living. For three years, Jesus Christ preached the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God was a new way of living and Jesus wants his disciples to live out the kingdom of God in the world. We aren’t to live by the patterns of the world but rather the patterns of the kingdom of God. The world preaches power. Jesus preaches humility. The world preaches war and violence. Jesus preaches peace. Jesus invites his followers to live in a completely different world. This world isn’t our home. We are aliens here. Our home is in heaven with God. The problem comes when the church lives by the patterns of the world instead of the teachings of Christ. Whenever we enter the family of God, we enter an entirely new way of living.

Whenever you get married, either on the first date or after a few years of marriage, you realize that you didn’t just marry your spouse but your spouses’ entire family. Growing up, one of my family’s regular routines was to eat lunch after church at my granny and papa’s. I still remember the first time that I took Jade over there whenever we first began dating. You see, we both have really good families, but our families are completely different. My family is really “huggy”.  Jade’s family, not so much. My family holds grudges and are emotional. Jade’s family just let’s things not bother too much. So, the first time that Jade went over to my grandparent’s house, it was sort of strange. When she got there, she was bombarded with hugs, something that she was completely uncomfortable with. She thought, “Who are these strange people hugging me?” 

Just like different families, henever people see the church, they should see a very strange community. We should look different. We should act difference. We should represent God’s kingdom in the world. We can only do this when we are unity. We can only show peace when we are unity. We can only show love when we are unity. Jesus prayed for unity, and it’s only through unity that we can model God’s kingdom on earth.

Unity invites us to participate with the triune God, allows us to share our faith without words, and models a better and alternative community for the world.

Conclusion

The truth is, we need one another. And that’s hard to admit for us. Jesus wants us to be united because we all tend to wander off by ourselves. It’s hard to keep community. It’s hard to be with people, especially those who are different from you. But we are the body of Christ and we can’t fulfill the Great Commission by ourselves. We need each other. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Text: Revelation 21:10

But what about now?

We are still in the Easter season.  We are still celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Death, what most of us fear most, had no power over Christ. Because of His resurrection, we have hope for the future.

But what about now? What about today? Now that Christ has gone, what do we do now? Once we get off of our Easter high, we will remember that we still live in a suffering world. Once we come down from the mountain and turn our tv’s back on, we will see death again. We see the destruction of families because of our economic struggles. We see the death of animals because of a terrible oil spill. We see the suffering of immigrants who are desperate to provide for their families, causing a political controversy that’s dividing our nation. Christ has risen, but from our view, it still looks as if death has won. As we are called to give our allegiance to Christ, we live in a very real world with many other gods calling our name. Many other gods seeking our obedience and allegiance and it’s very tempting to turn to them instead of God. Our Lord has risen from the dead, but sometimes it seems that his lordship on earth is missing. Has he forgotten us?

It’s in this context that the book of Revelation was written.

Explanation of Revelation

The book of Revelation is probably one of the most intriguing books in the bible. It’s intriguing because of its imagery and its focus on the end times. It’s interesting because, after many years of reading it, we still know very little about what it means.  Most American Christians have turned to pop culture to find its interpretation. Books like the Left Behind series have sold millions of copies of the book because people are trying to understand what happens at the end. However, the book is probably as concerned with our devotion to Christ now as our future victory.

At the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, the church is in flux.  The Roman authorities are pushing society to “emperor worship” and everyone was to give their allegiance to the emperor. At this time, many are at risk of being persecuted if they choose Christ as Lord over Caesar while others are giving their allegiance to the emperor rather than to Christ. 

John, the author of Revelation, is exiled on the Island of Patmos at an old age. There, he received the vision that he described in the book. Throughout, he offers encouragement to the churches to remain faithful until the end because eventually the Lord will return and reign on earth once again.

John’s vision

By the time we get to chapter 21 John has already described much of his vision. He describes a beast that will rise up and demand obedience from everyone, causing Christians to decide who they will be faithful to.  Now, John describes when Jesus comes back, a new Jerusalem is build, and God reigns over all on earth.

John says that he was carried away by the Spirit to a high mountain and was showed the Holy city coming down out of heaven from God. He sees no temple because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are now the temple. He also sees no sun or moon giving light because the glory of the Lord lights the city. He then says that nations and the kings of the earth will flock to this city and bring their glory into it. Also, the gates to this New Jerusalem will never be closed. He then describes the Lamb’s book of life and says that only those whose names are in it can enter and nothing unclean is welcome. He then describes the new city bringing back memories of the garden of Eden as seen in Genesis. He describes a river, crystal clear, coming from the throne of God. Then, there is the tree of life bearing twelve kinds of fruit and leaves on the trees that were to heal the nations. The curse is gone, and the Throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and everyone will serve him. And, those in the city will see the Lord’s face.

This is the description of the new Jerusalem that was revealed to John. Once evil has been destroyed and no longer has power over the earth, this is how the world will function. The Lord God will be seating on his throne and will restore all things.  

God’s kingdom on earth

Every Sunday we pray the Lord’s Prayer. In the prayer we ask for God’s kingdom to come on earth in the same way that it is in heaven. We ask God’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” We are boldly asking God to reign on earth. We are asking for the world to look less like what it does now and more like heaven. Less like Eden after the fall and more like the New Jerusalem.

The truth is, as the church we are called to bring God’s kingdom on earth now. That’s our mission. That’s why we feed the poor. That’s why we gather for worship. That’s why we share our faith with others. It’s because we want the earth to look less like the earth after the fall and more like heaven or the New Jerusalem. We are called to be instruments to bring God’s kingdom to earth.

What would it look like?

If God’s kingdom did reign on earth, what would it look like? What would be different? Remember that John is writing to the churches and urging them to remain faithful to Christ and be loyal to him over the emperor. So, one thing that would be different is that everyone would worship the triune God over all other gods. Rev. 21:24 says, “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” Our world will above all be grounded in the worship of God.

Imagine that. Imagine what our world would look like if everyone’s main priority was the worship of God. Imagine what our world be like if Christian‘s main priority was the worship of God. Worship is important because what you worship is what shapes your life.

Joe Montana

When I was a kid, I was a really big Joe Montana fan. Joe Montana was the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Every game that he played I watched. If he had an interview on tv, I watched. If he was doing a commercial tv ad, I watched. And because of this devotion to him, I had a lot of Joe Montana stuff. I had his jersey, a plate with a picture of him in my room, at least 100 Joe Montana football cards, a big poster on my wall, hats, t-shirts, I wore his number during football season, etc. My most prized possession was a card that I sent him and he signed for me and sent it back. I still have a lot of this stuff to this day. Because I spent so much time watching Joe, my room and wardrobe was starting look like him to.

Whatever you fill your mind with is what you worship. As a child, it’s safe to say that I worshipped Joe among other athletes. Also, whatever your worship is what shapes your life. You will act like what you worship. That’s why worshipping God is so important. That’s why Sunday morning is so important for your life. It’s because what you worship shapes your life. What’s most important to you is the king of your life and rules you. Protect Sunday mornings. Don’t allow other things to get in the way. I know that our calendars can be busy and that Sunday is no longer off limits for the secular world. But there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, “Who is Lord of my life?” Who am I going to worship today? What are my priorities?” Imagine a world where the church says no to the world and makes God a priority? 

Included

Another characteristic of God’s kingdom is that all are included.  Rev. 21:2 says, “Its gates will never be shut by day- and there will be no night there.” The doors of this kingdom are open to all. The gate is always open, just asking people to come in. Are we also an inclusive community? Are our doors opened to everyone? Do we make everyone feel welcome?

In my hometown, there was a church that hired a new youth pastor several years ago. Everyone liked him and the youth group was really growing. However, not long after he was there, he was mysteriously fired. You see, he was reaching out to everyone in the community, regardless of their color. The church was very happy with him when his youth group was growing with white children, but whenever he was reaching out to the black community, people got uncomfortable and fired him. Are our doors opened to everyone? To difference races? To the handicapped?  To the poor? In the New Jerusalem the doors are always opened.

God’s kingdom is completely inclusive and everyone is invited. Or are they?

Exclusion

Verse 27 throws us a curveball: “But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” 

The gates are open to all, but not everyone can enter. Those who are unclean aren’t allowed to come in. There is an exclusive side to God and this hard for us to deal with. Why would a God of love and mercy close the doors on some? Does not the death of Christ on the cross cover the sins of all?

This is an argument that, even after 2000 years, hasn’t been settled yet. Who’s in and who’s out? The truth is we have no idea who’s in and who’s out and it’s not for us to know.  Those that can enter, enter only because of the grace of God. Thankfully it’s up to a God and not us. God is a good God, yet, for God to love the good means that he must hate evil. For God to include all people into a sinless kingdom means that he must throw all sinfulness out. God is serious about sin and does not accept it in his kingdom.

This should challenge our understanding of grace. Grace is certainly reaching out to all and all come to Christ only by grace. Yet, once we encounter grace, we will eventually be changed. Through grace and worship, God is trying to form us and bring us back to who we are supposed to be. Because of sin, the image of God has been corrupted. Yet through the gift of grace, we are to become more and more like Christ and the image of God.

This text invites us to take our sin seriously. God doesn’t just overlook sin. God’s grace is free, but it’s not cheap. It costs us our lives.

One of the Protestant critiques of the Catholic Church is their practice of penance and confession. Whenever they sin, they must confess to their priest their sins and do something to pay for their sins. Their salvation isn’t at stake with these sins, but this is a practice to deal with them. Most Protestants don’t like this practice and I think it’s important for us to ask ourselves why. Is it because we don’t agree with it theologically or is it because we don’t like the idea of telling someone our sins? Is it because we don’t like the thought of seriously coming to terms with our sins, being honest about them, and trying to overcome them? God is serious about our sins and we should be to. We should be serious about them because they hurt others, something not tolerated in the New Jerusalem. Sin separates us from the community and it separates us from God.  Sin isn’t something to be overlooked but to be dealt with.

God’s kingdom on earth will be a place of worship and honesty. A place where the doors are open to all. May the church help create that place on earth.

Living in the not-yet

We believe in the New Jerusalem. We see the blue prints. But we are aware that it’s not here yet. We see glimpses of it every now and then, but it seems that there’s more darkness in our world than light. So, as this New Jerusalem is created, we must sit with our hard hats on and make the best of our situation.

Wallace-Wade renovations

Within the last week, the athletic department at Duke University announced that they will be renovating Wallace-Wade stadium, the home of Duke football. If you follow college football at all, you probably know that Duke has been one of the worst teams over the last 15 years. Also, Duke’s football stadium regularly ranks last in the ACC in regard to its quality. Without a doubt a renovation is much needed. However, whenever you have a building project you don’t just go out and start building. You must raise the money. Then you have to find a contractor. Then they begin to build. And as they build, things can get a little messy. They have to bring in the bulldozers, tear down the old buildings. Then as you are waiting for a new building, you must suffer through the construction. We know that eventually a new stadium is coming, but right now the place looks like a mess.

This is where we are. We know that a new kingdom is coming. But it’s not here yet. All that we can do is suffer through it wearing our hard hats and get to work to try to make God’s kingdom come “on earth as it is in heaven.” In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

Text: John 13:31-35

A new commandment

Jesus was spending his last night with his disciples. He knew the road that was ahead of him and wanted to spend his final night with his closest friends. He was about to journey to the cross and eventually be raised and return to the Father in heaven. He has spent much time with his disciples teaching them, leading them, and being with them. Now, his hour has come.

So he gathers with his disciples, washes their feet, institutes the Lord’s Supper, predicts his future, and gives the disciples a new commandment: Love one another.  It was on this night, this terribly sad night, that Jesus gives the new commandment. His darkest hour is at hand. And not only that, he is betrayed by one of his very own. He knows that Judas will betray him, he knows that his disciples will desert him, and he knows the hardship that they will face if they chose to follow him. “A new commandment I give to you: Love one another.” 

But, what’s new about this commandment? Leviticus 19:18 already commanded them to love their neighbors. Judaism certainly believed in the importance of loving one another. What’s different about Jesus’ commandment?  

Children alone.

Those of you with children probably remember the first time that you let them go out with friends for the first time.  You asked about the friends. You asked where they were going. You asked who would be there. You gave them a certain time to be home. You almost backed out at the last minute. And you made sure that you knew at least one other person who was going to be there. Then you probably said something like this: “No matter where you are, stay with your friends. Stick together. Look out for one another.” For the first time, you wouldn’t be there. So you had to rely on the goodness of the people that they were with.

Jesus knew that he was leaving. Therefore, he had to remind them to love one another and to stick together, even through the tough times. This wasn’t necessarily a new commandment, but, with the inevitable trials coming, it took on different meaning.

Love unites us during dark times.

See, it’s during the dark times of our lives that love can unite us. As you look around this building, you probably don’t have to think back far to a time when you remember a time of suffering and loss. And in this very room there are people who were there for you during those tough times.  Without them, you probably wouldn’t make it through. It’s in the darkest times of our lives that we need one another the most.

Our fears

It’s also in these tough times that we can run and hide like the disciples. Whenever we are fearful and scared, we can abandon everyone and look out only for ourselves. This is just what Jesus wanted to warn the disciples about. Times will be difficult. You might get persecuted. You may even have to give up your life. Yet, stick together. Love one another, even more than you love yourself. If you look out for your brother or sister, trust your brother or sister to look out for you.

What is it in your life that could make you so fearful to break unity with your community? Like the disciples, what can make you so scared to trust the road more than the church? In that situation, Jesus tells us to love one another. When you are so fearful that you want to jump ship, Jesus tells us to trust one another, stay together, and unite.

Love so that people will know who we are

Jesus tells us to love one another, especially during the tough times. He also tells us to love one another because people will know that we are His disciples by our love.

It’s not about our doctrines, but action

Jesus didn’t say that they will know us by our doctrine. Jesus didn’t say they will know us by what denomination we are a part of. He said that they will know us by our love. I wonder, when the world looks at the church, do they see us loving one another? My guess is not. Whenever we make the news, we are usually disagreeing about a certain doctrine or whether this person or that person should be ordained or something else.

Out of Africa

In Isak Dinesen’s book, Out of Africa, there’s a story about a boy named Kitau. Kitau appeared at the author’s door one day to ask for a job as a domestic servant. She hired him but was surprised that only three months into the job he asked for a letter of recommendation for another job. He wanted to change jobs and work for her neighbor, Sheik Ali bin Salim, who was a Muslim. Dinesen offered the boy more money to stay, but he wasn’t interested. He told her that he decided to become either a Christian or a Muslim and that his purpose for working with her was to see up close, the way the Christians lived. Now that he had worked for her, he wanted to work for Salim to see how Muslims behaved. Then, after comparing the two, he would decide. The author remembers how she wished that Kitau had told her that before he came to live with her.

People aren’t interested in our dogmas or doctrines. Sure, those are very important and should be discussed. Yet, in the Spirit of unity, we should be able to disagree in love. When a visitor visits with us, they should, above everything else, see a community of love.

This was Jesus’ last opportunity to talk with all of his disciples before the cross, so he wanted to get the point across. He told them to love one another because “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” When people see us on the job, in town, or other places, will they know? When we are going through trials and difficult times, will they know? When everyone is against us, television badmouths us, or when we disagree about a certain issue, will they know? Will they know that we are Jesus’ disciples?

Holy Communion

Jesus wants us to love one another. To stick together. There’s no greater time of communion and fellowship for us than when we celebrate Holy Communion together. Holy Communion invites us to focus on the self-giving of a Holy God, which makes the sacrament an occasion for grace. And because of our communion with a Holy God, we have Holy Communion with one another. As we confess, take, and eat, we join with our brothers and sisters in this room, those throughout the world, and even those who have gone on to be with the Lord.

There was a pastor who led a small bible study at a nursing home. The group consisted of several ladies, some widowed. Trying to start a discussion, the pastor asked them the question, “What does Holy Communion mean to you?” He received several good responses. Then a lady named Gladys responded. She said, “My favorite part of the service is during The Great Thanksgiving. I love it when it says: ‘And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord.’” She said that she loves that part because, at that very moment, even though her husband had past away, even though she’s distant from him, at that brief moment she joins voices her husband to say, “Holy, holy, holy.”

This morning, as we fellowship around the Lord’s Table, remember that we aren’t the only guests at His table. Remember that we join with the saints in glory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Native American Ministry Sunday

Title: Sharing the Gift of God

Text: John 4:1-29

Main Point: Christ calls us to go beyond our walls to share the gospel.

Native Americans

Today, we recognize the ministry of Native Americans. As we look at the story when Jesus, the Jew, embraces the Samaritan woman, it’s a good reminder that we are also to reach beyond our racial, social, and even religious borders to embrace those different from us. There are 19,000 UMC Native Americans worshipping Sunday after Sunday in 200 plus congregations. We may have never seen them before and likely will never meet many of them, but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we be mindful that today and throughout the rest of our pilgrimage on this earth, we are united with all races and nationalities to bring the gospel of peace and forgiveness to the world.

Easter Morning

We just recently celebrated the most sacred day on the Christian calendar. Easter is the day that we are reminded that Christ won the victory over death. Through the resurrection, Christ overcomes death and those who follow him gain life. Because of Christ, we are victorious.

Yet, I think it’s important for us to be careful and cautious how we use our language. We are victorious, but in light of Christian history, this can mean something different to some people. In our victory, we have at times excluded, condemned, and even tortured people of other faiths.

Easter morning, I got on my computer to check some of my messages. I received several Happy Easter messages from some people on facebook. Then I got a message that caught my attention. This is the message in paraphase:

“Happy Resurrection Sunday to everyone. The Muslims can claim to worship the true God. But the tomb that held Christ is empty. And the tomb of Muhammad holds his rotted corpse. One day even the Muslims will bow down to our Lord. Christianity is the largest and most powerful religion in the world. Unfortunately Islam is the fastest growing. They use fear to convert new followers to Muhammad’s teachings. Christ used love to spread the word of God.”

Christ indeed calls us to share his word through love. I’m convinced that salvation is found only in the message presented by the church of Christ. However, to suggest that Christians have done a more honorable job with sharing our faith than the Muslins shows us to be somewhat unaware of Christian history. Let’s not forget that it was Christians, in the name of the resurrected and victorious Christ who we just celebrated, who invaded these very Muslims during the Crusades. It was in the name of the resurrected Christ that Christians severely mistreated Jews throughout history, creating a society that eventually led to the Holocaust. It was Christians who have been just as guilty forcing converts and on many occasions killing those who disagree with the church. While we are in the Easter season, celebrating a resurrected Christ, let’s not flaunt our victory and completely forget our disturbing past.

How have we treated others, especially those who are different from us? How do we relate to people of different races, nationalities, and religions?

Jesus goes through Samaria

In this morning’s text we see Jesus leaving Judea and returning to Galilee. Normally whenever Jews travel from Judea to Galilee they cross the Jordan River and travel Northeast to bypass Samaria. Samaritans were Jews who had intermarried with pagans and were a mixed breed. Therefore, Jews tried to avoid them at all costs. They lived separate from them. They worshipped at a different location. They even went way out of the way to avoid Samaria. Despite these differences, Jesus and the disciples took a detour through Samaria.

Do we take detours?

You can call it a divine appointment or you can call it coincidence, but Jesus went off his normal route and was presented with an opportunity to have a conversation with someone different than himself. Do we ever go off our path? Do we ever take detours, hoping that we might bump into somebody different than ourselves?

I have a student pastor friend who pastors a church not very far from here. He’s from out of state and found the racial division here very disturbing. He told me that the people in his congregation know almost every white person in town but don’t know their black neighbors who have lived two houses down from them for years.

Do we know our black neighbors? Do we go out of our way to try to have a conversation? Maybe we don’t even have to take a detour to cross boundaries. Maybe we can simply walk down the street. Regardless, Christ embraced those different from himself and we are called to do the same.

In her book, The Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor talks about a spiritual practice that she does called the “practice of getting lost”. On occasion, she will intentionally get lost, hoping that she will discover new things and run into new people. Maybe we need to get lost. Maybe we need to go off of our normal path in hopes that we encounter new things and new people.

Water

When Jesus entered Samaria, he met a woman at a well. The well where they met is Jacob’s Well and was where the people in the city of Sychar got water. At the well, Jesus asked the woman for a drink.  This was odd and unexpected for two reasons. One, Jesus was a man and he spoke to a woman in public, something that didn’t happen much and second, Jesus was a Jew talking to a Samaritan. So, Jesus asking her for water was strange.

Woman and Nicodemus

Jesus revealed himself to the woman and she went back to tell the others in her community. Here’s this woman, highlighted as someone who had five husbands, possibly an outcast, responding to Jesus. Isn’t it interested that in the previous chapter, Jesus tried to reveal himself to Nicodemus, the religious leader, and he just couldn’t get it?  Maybe there’s something about being desperate that causes people to turn to Christ. Are you desperate? Or are you satisfied with the water from the wells of old? Whenever we are satisfied with life, never thirsty, never hungry, happy, it’s easy to get complacent and flaccid. Maybe, once we embrace outsiders, once we embrace people who may be less fortunate, we can learn from them.

Whenever I was in college, I got the opportunity to go to Mexico to work on restoring a seminary. While there, we painted, cleaned, and did whatever we could to help. Then, each night, we gathered with the church that was sponsoring our stay and worshipped with them. To this day, I have never met people more hungry for God. The majority of them were really struggling financially. But, most of them were complacent with life and hungry for God. Usually, whenever you hear stories about people going on “mission” trips to help people, they usually leave more changed than the people they helped. Whenever we meet our black neighbors, whenever we cross the street, whenever we support global missions, whenever we are open to conversation with people from other denominations, even other faiths, we are usually changed for the better. Jesus calls us to reach out not because we are the saviors who can save others. Christ is the savior. But when we embrace others, through these new relationships, we are saving ourselves.

Where do we worship?

Jesus offers the woman living water and says that it’s the gift of God. The woman still isn’t sure who Jesus is, but she realizes that he’s different. So she asks him a question, “Where should we worship?” “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship in Jerusalem.”

For the Jewish religion, the location of worship was very important. The Samaritans worshiped at Mt. Gerizim in Samaria while the Jews worshiped in Jerusalem. They were both monotheistic, but they worshiped at different places.

I think this is a fair question. We have so many different religions and denominations. If we were to run into a prophet, I think this would be a great question to ask. “Where should we worship?” Of course, we already know that he would say a Methodist Church is the best place, but it’s good to ask just to show that we are humble!

Jesus responds to her question, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem…A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.”(John 4:21-24 NIV) For Jesus, the location doesn’t matter. The name on the door doesn’t matter. What they even call God doesn’t matter. What matters is, “Are you worshiping the Father in spirit and truth?”

In the Christian Church, we like to talk about boundaries a lot. We like to set up some beliefs and conditions and tell people that, unless they agree with these and meet these conditions, they can’t worship with us. However, we are not in a place to tell set up these boundaries and conditions. The mission of the church is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s it. Whenever we start setting up conditions and becoming the judge for who is in and who is not, we are trying to dethrone God and take his place. Let God be the judge. All that we are called to do is follow Christ, share his message of peace and forgiveness, and worship him. In verse 10 Jesus says, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Jesus offers us the “gift of God.” A gift is something that’s offered freely. We can’t put limitations on it. God gives it to whomever he chooses. All that we can do is continue coming to the well.

Remembering the crucified Christ

During this Easter season, I invite you to celebrate our risen savior. It’s because of the resurrection that we have life. Yet, in the midst of our celebration, let’s not forget that Christ was victorious because of the cross. While we are tempted to exalt ourselves, Christ carried the cross for us and for outsiders. While we celebrate in our churches, behind the walls, Jesus took a detour through Samaria. May the Lord give us a desire to exit off our familiar paths and get lost. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Luke 24:1-12

Introduction

What the ladies discovered at the tomb on the first Easter morning is the reason that we are here this morning. It’s why this church has been sitting here for many years. It’s why we are sitting here this morning.  It’s why the 12 disciples set the world on fire with the gospel after his ascension. It’s why millions of martyrs have given their lives through their devotion to Christ. It’s why we are having a board meeting this Tuesday night. It’s why you signed up to help with Children’s ministry or to bring flowers on Sunday or to read scripture or to lead a bible study. It’s why it bothers you when the grass isn’t cut or the windows are dirty or so and so didn’t show up for church. Everything that we do is because of the resurrection of Christ. It’s because of what was found that morning that perplexed, terrified, and filled the people with wonder.  We are here this morning, we follow Christ, because we are filled with wonder and amazement because of the resurrection. Our Lord died on a cross, but overcame death and we, just like the women at the empty tomb, are amazed.

Alice in Wonderland

A few weeks ago, Jade, myself, and a few friends went to see the new movie, Alice in Wonderland.  Most of you are probably familiar with the original movie. In the original, Alice was a bored girl who chases a rabbit down a rabbit hole. Eventually, she finds herself in a whole new world that she’s never been before. She sees new creatures. She drinks a potion that makes her grow taller and causes her to shrink. The story follows this wide-eyed girl as she marvels at the new world called Wonderland.

The newest Alice in Wonderland is the story about Alice several years after her first journey. She is now an adult and her experience in Wonderland is a distant memory. She is at a family gathering and out of the corner of her eye noticed a rabbit. She follows the rabbit and finds herself back in Wonderland. The world is in trouble once again and they need Alice’s help. However, she’s really not the wide-eyed girl anymore. Some Wonderland inhabitants even question if she’s the right Alice. She’s lost the wonder that she once had. She doesn’t seem like herself. The strange people and creatures aren’t as fascinating as they once were. She has let her age replace the wonder that she had.

Taken by surprise

I think we forget the shock, the surprise, of the resurrection. Jesus’ followers had left all that they had and committed to walking with Jesus. However, he allowed himself to be crucified and died. Sure, Jesus warned them that it would happen, but they never got it. They never understood what he meant. Imagine the pure surprise that they felt when they encountered the Risen Lord. Our text this morning shows them perplexed, terrified, and amazed. When is the last time that we entered this day, Easter Sunday, perplexed, amazed, even terrified?

The wonder of the Resurrection

When’s the last time that you felt wonder? When is the last time that you encountered joyful surprise? You know the feeling. That feeling deep inside your soul that surfaces every now and then. Maybe a certain movie brings it out. Maybe you feel it while looking at a painting. For you deer hunters, maybe you feel it as you walk to your deer stand or as you sit in it and watch the sunrise. “This is what I’m talking about!” you say under your breath.  ”This is where I’m supposed to be.” You get that feeling in your soul. Maybe you have only felt it 4 or 5 times in your life, but you know that it’s there. Do you know what I’m talking about? This is the feeling that Alice had as she walked around Wonderland as a young girl for the first time. This is how it’s supposed to be. Are we like Alice as a child or as an adult? Do we still have the wonder or have responsibilities and trials in this life callused your joy and amazement?

The resurrection invites us to find joy. We can’t seriously contemplate the resurrection without being amazed. Without being invited into a story much bigger than ourselves. Through the resurrection, we are like Alice entering a new world. How do we respond? In amazement like a child, or are we so occupied with trying to understand everything that we miss it?

The resurrection community

After the resurrection of Christ, there’s a new community. Two thousands years later, we gather here this morning because of the beginning of the resurrection community. People like Peter, James, Mary Magdalene, and others, formed a new community and preached because of the resurrection.  And within this community, things were much different.

Women and children are valued

In this community, women and children are valued. This is very uncommon is the first century. For children, life expectancy was small and parents wouldn’t want to invest too much into their children too early because they were afraid that they would die. Many parents would wait to name their children because of the high death rate. However, talking to the disciples, Jesus says that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”

Women were also valued. They were the first people at the tomb. They were the first evangelists.

All people are valued in this resurrection community.

Haiti and Resurrection

So, what does resurrection look like? Resurrection is having life when you didn’t expect it. We know of and have graciously supported the Haitian people. They recently suffered a terrible tragedy that we will never forget.  However, in the midst of such tragedy we have seen glimpses of resurrection. Think about Darlene Etienne, a 16 year old girl. She was stuck under the rubble in Haiti for 15 days before being rescued. Yet, she was rescued and survived. Imagine the feeling, thinking that you are left for dead but, when all hope is lost, you hear the voices of your rescuers? This is resurrection.

The Resurrection meal