Posted by Chris on April 19, 2009 under Sermons
1 Samuel 3
- Samuel listens to God
– Samuel = “God has heard”
- Time of crisis – No word from God
- Eli’s house will not endure
- Samuel becomes a prophet
Shifts in Succession
The Lost Ark – chapters 4, 5, 6
- The loss of the Ark means that God is not with Israel
- It also suggests that there is a power greater than Israel
- Who can rescue God? God.
- This is similar to the Exodus (gold tribute) – Philistines learned Pharaoh’s lesson.
- Cows who would not be separated from calves
- 70 Israelites killed – Israel is not God’s keeper.
- This is the gospel also – Christ descended and ascended
1 Samuel 7
- Restoration of Israel
– Spiritual Revival (fasting, sacrifice)
– Get rid of false gods
– Overcome Philistia (political threat)
– Time of peace
- Samuel becomes a judge
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
Read John 15:1-17.
The Connection: Vine and Branches
- Jesus at the end of John 14 said, “Let’s get going.”
- Jesus is the Way to the Father. His life has a purpose and we are called to follow.
- The branches are connected to the vine
Notice that Jesus has an agenda.
- Agenda is purpose and mission
- Jesus is risen and that means that Jesus is active. He is not the Jesus who died and went to heaven.
- If we are the branches and remain in him then we must follow him as he moves forward with his activity.
We are friends. We are not servants.
- Servants do not ask questions. They do not know their master’s business. Friends are on the inside.
- Friendship is relationship. A connection like vine and branches.
- Friends respond to another friend out of relationship, not simply in terms of obligation or reward.
- Good friends share their hearts.
- Good friends can finish each others sentences.
- Good friends draw together even when it is difficult to be friends, not just when its easy.
- Good friends put their lives on the line – not just for ultimate sacrifice, but for daily sacrifice.
- We are expected to act like Jesus’ friends. We are expected to be friends.
Jesus has a direction/agenda + We are his friends
- So what is his agenda?
- What have we seen Jesus doing?
- Healing the sick,
- giving sight to the blind,
- feeding the hungry,
- reaching out to the outcast
- forgiving the sinful,
- restoring people to community,
- raising the dead.
- And Jesus wasn’t afraid to cross longstanding boundaries to do all of this. He went into Samaria, he forgave a woman caught in adultery, he held accountable the scribes and teachers and many of them were offended because it didn’t fit their expectations.
- To sum it up, the agenda is love. A risky, world-changing, life-changing love. Love that embodies the spirit of God
Bearing Fruit
- We are expected to bear fruit. Jesus chose us so that we would bear fruit. Vine and branches …
- We can do nothing apart from Christ, so we must remain in him.
- Considering the sort of agenda that Jesus has in this world, what sort of fruit are we to bear? It would be evidence of being connected to Jesus of course.
- Bearing Fruit means putting Jesus’ teaching into practice. When we bear fruit we show that we are Jesus’ disciples – that means follower, learner.
- If we want to remain in his love then we will obey his commands – but not like servants. We obey like friends who regard these commands as teachings for life. Who follow because we know Jesus and are known by Jesus.
- Jesus sums up his teaching with a single command: Love one another.
- And he doesn’t mean a good feeling, he means the sort of relationship and action that bears fruit. Doing what Jesus did in our life and our world.
- And he isn’t exclusive about it. It isn’t limited to “members” or the inner circle.
- We might look at the works of Jesus and disconnect ourselves from the miraculous. But Jesus said that if trust in him then we will be able to do even greater things.
- The point of the miracle stories is love – not power.
- The multiplying of loaves and fishes is a means to an end and the end is compassion for those who are hungry.
- Restoring sight to the blind man was all about glorifying God.
- Raising Lazarus from the dead was all about the power of the resurrection life that is rooted.
- Let’s think about what that means …
- If you have people who work for you and you treat them more than fairly, with respect and love – that’s bearing fruit
- If you are a father or mother and you share your faith with your children by having the sort of character and patience that they respect – that’s bearing fruit
- If you have an opportunity to forgive someone who has done you wrong and you really do so – that’s bearing fruit
- If you treat a friend, a co-worker, a classmate with respect rather than ridicule (to their face or behind their back) – then that’s obeying Jesus. That’s bearing fruit.
- If you visit the house of an elderly neighbor and cast out worry or loneliness – that’s bearing fruit.
- If you keep your heart pure and in doing so keep your covenant to your wife or your parents – that’s bearing fruit
- If you make contact with someone you’ve wronged or insulted and re-establish a relationship – that’s bearing fruit.
- If you show understanding and refuse to jump to anger (even when it’s a church matter) – that’s bearing fruit
So what?
- [Apple Tree story]
- Being healthy = bearing fruit.
- If we are Jesus’ friends, then we will bear fruit.
- If we do not bear fruit, then we are not acting like his friends.
- If we don’t follow … That is if we don’t bear fruit … Then we are cut off.
- Even if we do bear fruit then we are pruned. That’s tough, but the process leads to bearing more fruit.
- But if we aren’t bearing fruit then we are cut off from the branch.
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
God called Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), and Abraham listened. By God’s action, Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, Jacob had 12 sons, and from those 12 sons came Israel. Through Israel God sent Jesus who, by God’s intent, brought a blessing to all humans. That was God’s intent from the call of Abraham (see Genesis 12:3b, 22:18, Acts 3:25, and Galatians 3:16).
God solved a problem: the problem was produced by human rebellion that perverted His good creation. Nothing is the same since that rebellion! We could not “fix” the results of human rebellion! The human inclination continually seems to be toward evil, not God’s purposes! Too often we exploit God’s goodness as we are motivated by greed and an insatiable appetite for pleasure. What was impossible for us to solve of ourselves, God, in His incredible love, solved for us with mercy shown in divine forgiveness.
For what purpose? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the 12 sons, and Israel served God’s intent. Jesus served God’s purpose. So did the 12 apostles, Paul, John Mark, Timothy, Titus, Acquila and Priscilla, the early church, etc. What about you?
To be God’s people is bigger than a clique, a group, a society, or even a nation. To be God’s people means God is allowed to work through us to bless our relationships- family, friends, the unknowns we meet, jobs, neighbors, the church, society, the nation, and the world. Because of God working through us, all we touch is blessed because of our relationship with God. Our reason for existing: to proclaim His excellencies because He enlightens our lives. You are a Christian because you are dedicated to God working through Jesus Christ in your life. That good is produced by nothing else!
Nowhere should that be more obvious than when people blessed by divine mercy assemble to worship the patient God who gave us Jesus Christ. Do you exist to allow your life to proclaim His excellencies? Or, do you exist to attempt to use God? Can people see the benefit of belonging to God by observing your behavior and your worship? Is God’s goodness obvious in your life as you worship and as you interact?
Posted by Chris on April 12, 2009 under Sermons
Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, was rescued today from pirates.
Only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. – Hebrews 2:14-15
Victorious Christ
- Acts 2:27-34
- 1 Peter 3:18-22
- Ephesians 4:8-10
- Hebrews 2:11-18
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
“Children’s Sermon”
- Have the children pick up the cards with words. Each has an opposite. Let them find their opposite and pair up.
- John’s gospel is a gospel of opposites. Explain some of them.
- One of these is important for today and every day as we strive to be a “resurrection people”: Alive and Dead. Resurrection people live life abundantly. Jesus is alive, not dead.
- Even though the gospel is about opposites, sometimes God creates a third way that is more than just a simple opposite. [Bring out the RISEN card.]
- Here’s a third option that we would not normally consider. Here is a way that is only God’s Way. Jesus is risen, never to die again. That goes beyond simply being alive.
Read John 14.
Jesus went away, but he is coming back. In the meantime, he has given us another encourager. The first one was Jesus. The second is the Holy Spirit.
- The Spirit enables us to see Jesus. 14:19 – Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.
- This is a vision rooted in faith, not information or sensory input.
- We believe that Christ is alive. So, he is with us.
- We become aware of the presence and the activity of the Risen Jesus.
- Phillip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
- Jesus replied, “How long have I been with you – don’t you know me by now?”
- Do we really know Jesus? Or do we just know about him? If we just know about him, then we cannot see him.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” – 14:6-7
- The Spirit teaches us to hear what Jesus taught and to do it.
- This goes back to his mother Mary who told those servants to “do whatever He says.”
- Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative-that is, the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. – 14:23-26
- The Spirit encourages us to do what Jesus does. To do what he did. We believe what Jesus taught — but more than that, we do what Jesus taught us. We believe it and we put it into action.
- “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! – 14:12-14
- Jesus is inviting us to do greater things than even he did on earth. He isn’t intimidated by that – his message is that since he has returned to the Father, there is a greater connection than ever between heaven and earth.
- Jesus is beyond space and time, he is beyond life and death and through the spirit he would do great works through us – right here and now.
- I want to show you a video that we’ve prepared that takes the words of a song called “God of This City” and makes it real for us. Understand that God can and will work through us right here and now. In the words of the song … For greater things have yet to come, And greater things are still to be done, In this city
- SHOW VIDEO
- The Spirit teaches us everything and reminds us of everything that Jesus told us.
- We live in a world that is sometimes hostile to the Spirit. We could get troubled and afraid, or we could accept the peace of mind and peace of heart that is the gift of Christ (v. 27)
- (vv. 30-31) “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.
Let’s get going. . . .
Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles
Last weekend was, in specific ways, a difficult time for Joyce and me. For one thing (speaking for me), I felt very old. When I am among people ten years older, and I am the “decrepit” one, I tend to feel old! When older people feel compelled to assist me [and I need it], I tend to feel old! When people who were kids when I was a young adult have retired, I tend to feel old! Who knows-maybe I am old, even if I refuse to admit it! [No way-when I am old, I will know it (maybe)!]
It was a difficult time because three friends died. One was a friend for 35 years with no children, a husband who died years ago, and no siblings. The second was a friend who blessed us for 47 years. He left a family who loved him dearly. The third was someone we only had known 12 years, but we loved and appreciated deeply-as did many of you!
We were not surprised at Wilma Brummet’s death.
Dr. James Carr, at 95, was one of those persons you expect to keep living.
Retha Wood was a shock! She died so quickly! She blessed us so much with her faith, her humor, and her kindness. She was the type of person you want to say, “No! You can’t die! All of us need you too much!”
One of the difficult things in physical life is saying “good-bye” to people we love and appreciate. Nothing makes that easy-not words, not distractions, not anything. The more we love and appreciate, commonly the more difficult death is.
Years ago I heard of a person who spent hours catching wasps and taking their stingers out in order to play a practical joke. He scared some people silly who imagined they were in danger.
In Jesus’ death and resurrection, God took death’s stinger out-no joke! Death is a time of grief for the physical. However, death leads to resurrection for those who die. Never forget we focus on life! Never forget we are resurrection people. Bottom line, that is why we place our hope in Jesus Christ! The danger was real, but God took care of it.
Posted by David on April 2, 2009 under Bulletin Articles
The choices we make in life are critical. Often what appears as a simple choice of no consequence becomes an important choice of multiple consequences. Choices made early in life seem insignificant because numerous options seem to be a part of living. “After all, we always seem to have numerous options that come with most of our decisions. If we choose poorly, big deal! We will just make another choice.”
Choices are not as easily undone! (a) A choice resulting in an addiction [regardless of the kind of addiction] rarely is simple to abandon because it is powerful. (b) Choices that require an investment of resources often devour those resources. Would you use your credit or savings differently if five years ago you saw the recession coming? (c) Choices which require time do not return time if abandoned. Time spent is life lost!
As life diminishes, one’s choices diminish. As time and life pass, the person is reduced to living from the choices he or she has made. How often have you met a person over fifty years of age that does not wish “I could go back and do this differently.” Fortunate is the person who has only one such thing! What we all discover is this: “I can change me right now, but I cannot change how I used the past.” Even if we have the joys of changing “now,” we still have the “sorrows” of a lost past. The joys of “now” are real, but so are the “sorrows” of a misused past.
The Israelites knew many blessings from God: the ten miracles that released them from slavery, the crossing of the sea, the sustaining and guidance in the wilderness, and the gift of Canaan. Yet, they either took God for granted (“Look at how important we are!”), or they rebelled against God (“We will do things our way!”). The result: centuries later their descendants continued to pay for their ancestors’ bad choices.
Choose soberly and wisely-you and your descendants will be affected powerfully by the choices you make. The more God is incorporated in your decisions, the more good choices you will make!
Posted by Chris on March 22, 2009 under Sermons
Books of Samuel
Four Stories
Transition
- Politics – Judges, Prophets, Kings
- Social – Rural, Tribal, Urban
- Technology – Weaponry, Architecture
- Wealth – Accumulating Land, Trade
- Threats – Other Nations
God’s Story
- God is always present in the stories. He is active and present in history.
- God is revealed to and through his servants and leaders.
- God has a personality – covenant, relationship, compassion, intent.
Israel is tribal. They are shifting into a kingdom. 1 and 2 Samuel describe the transition that takes place between Judges and 1 Kings.
Hannah
- Sarah, Elizabeth
- Barren woman who devotes herself to God
- Mary sings her song (Luke 1)
The country is a mess. The culture is a mess. The heroic past events of the exodus, Sinai, the wandering and the conquest under Joshua are almost forgotten. Things have collapsed in the Promised Land.
Dark Days when everyone does what seems right in their own eyes.
Ruth
- Similar Time
- Tough situation
- Great-Grandmother of King David
Posted by Chris on under Sermons
Read John 11:1-33, 34-44, 45.
The Message from Bethany:
Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, is sick. The sisters send for Jesus. They know he has the power to heal. They know about the crippled man and the blind man. If Jesus will come there, then he can heal Lazarus. They believe it.
Jesus has escaped Jerusalem where a mob attempted to stone him for blasphemy. Now he is working on the other side of the Jordan where the climate is less heated. Jesus receives the message about Lazarus. He says: “This will not end in death. This is happening for the glory of God.” There is no rush to action. Jesus waits for two days.
His disciples probably assume that this is caution and discretion. Jesus is a marked man in Judea, so it is best that he stay away. After all, Bethany is only a few miles from Jerusalem. Jesus is playing it safe, they think.
That changes when Jesus says, “Let’s go to Judea.” Jesus explains that there’s daylight and that’s when it’s safe. [v. 14-15] – Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe.
Do they really believe? Thomas seems to think they are marching off to their deaths.
The Return to Bethany:
Martha hears that Jesus is coming and she meets him outside the village. “If you had been here my brother would not have died!”
Jesus says, “Your brother will rise again! I am the resurrection! He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?“
Martha knows this and affirms her belief in the resurrection at the last day. Martha believes that Jesus is the Christ. Does she believe the connection between the Christ and the Resurrection?
Mary tells Jesus the same thing “”If you had been here my brother would not have died!” She believes it. Doesn’t she?
They believe that Jesus could have saved Lazarus from death. “Could Have.”
They say they believe Jesus is the Christ. They say they believe in the resurrection. Yet, they are clothed in black and have gathered everyone to mourn and wail. They are still weeping. Do they really believe?
Jesus is “deeply moved in the spirit and troubled.” [What does this mean?] It seems like he is angry and upset. Why would he be angry?
- He is irritated with those who say they believe, but their belief hasn’t made any difference.
- Jesus sees a people more consumed with being safe and being on time. “Should we really go back there? They want to kill us?” So ask the disciples. “If you had been here …,” say Mary and Martha.
- He hears the “comforters” talking: “Oh see how he loved him.” “Oh, he opened the eyes of the blind man, surely he could have kept this man from dying.” They are consumed with sentimentality and doubt – but not true belief.
When Jesus instructs them to move the stone, Martha interrupts — she is so concerned about details and decorum, “Lord he’s been in there four days and the stench …”
Martha and Mary delivered their “if” statement to Jesus. Now he delivers his: “Didn’t I tell you that you would see the glory of God, if you believed?”
Jesus said this wouldn’t end in death, so Lazarus’ death is not the end of the story. What happens next is the part where God is glorified. On one level the challenge is between life and death. On another level it is between “If only you had” and “If you believe.”
It begins with Jesus praying. I always heard that we should pray to God and not make commentary to each other when we pray. Jesus must have missed that lesson. He preaches it plain in his prayer and he intends everyone to eavesdrop [v. 41-42] … “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
There it is – that they will believe. Do they believe? If they did, then why the could have’s, the funeral clothes, and the mourners?
Jesus shouts, “Lazarus, come out here!” And Lazarus is revived. He isn’t carried out and given CPR. He walks out on his own wrapped up in his funeral clothes. Jesus has one more command, “Unwrap him and let him go!” You can imagine that Jesus said this in such a way that Lazarus wasn’t the only one set free from the trappings of death.
Some of those who saw this believed. They really believed. But some didn’t. They couldn’t deny what they saw, but belief didn’t change anything. They reported it to the Pharisees and they discussed it. Rather than believe in life, they plotted and planned death. Now who’s wrapped up in death?
Do We Believe? Do We Really Believe?
Do we believe? Do we believe in life? Do we believe that Jesus gives us life – even now? Do we believe he is the Christ? Do we believe in the resurrection? Do we believe in the connection between the Christ and the resurrection?
If we say we do, then why do we get caught up in the trappings of death? Why do we wrap ourselves and our church up in the colors of death and mourning?
- I’m not asking why we have funerals. That’s normal. Grief is to be expected.
- Rather, I want to know why we too often lack faith in Jesus’ power. Why do we limit the Christ with “could have’s” and choose to be cautious rather than trusting?
The spiritual garb of death comes in colors such as grief, guilt, regret, disbelief. When we wear this garb we fail to see that the daylight of God shines even in the dark evening of death. He is not limited; there is no place beyond his authority – not even the finality of death.
When we come together and worship do we really believe that Jesus can revive us? Do we really believe that he can order us to be unwrapped and let go. I think some people were invested in Lazarus’ funeral that day. They had planned a funeral and Jesus ruined it.
Sometimes we are invested in ways of death and decline. Church literature and church talk right now weeps and wails over the loss of the church in the society. We wonder if Jesus will get here in time to save the church as we know it. We are not like we used to be. We lament and wail and weep.
We get anxious and start worrying. Like Mary and Martha we are concerned about the stench of death and the concerns of the neighbors. Like the disciples, we work hard to protect and preserve our own expectations.
What would Jesus do? What would Jesus do if we walked into our midst and found us worrying and wailing because our expectation and dreams have died? What would Jesus do is he found us nervously worrying because the church seems to be bringing in people who don’t look like us and live like us? What would Jesus do if he found us wailing on each other because we are worried that our congregation is going to die and the great ones of the past have died? What would Jesus do if he found us wailing and lamenting because we are wasting away and we don’t feel like we are as great as we were back in the day?
What would Jesus do? I think he would be “deeply moved in the spirit and troubled.” He would draw us up straight and ask us “Do you believe?” Or do we believe it is too late to matter.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels-a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.
Posted by David on March 19, 2009 under Bulletin Articles
The world we live in is constantly attacking us. No matter what front of life we examine, there is stress-not “run-of-the-mill” inconvenience, but hard, gut-wrenching, attacking self-worth stress! Whether it is maintaining relationships, keeping the “roof over our head,” having a job, producing a lifestyle, or struggling to “keep it together,” it often seems there are more problems than there are answers.
In an attacking existence, we are prone to be distrustful, resentful, and filled with self-pity. If we react to the stresses in our lives by going in these directions, we become very “me” centered, very self-centered in our considerations. The more “me” centered we become, the less Christ-centered we are. The less Christ-centered we are, the less people-centered we are. We grow more into “existence” than into “helping.” The end result: we do not attract those who are interested in Jesus because we are more concerned about “us” than we are concerned about representing Jesus.
People who represent Jesus are known for humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance. “But these are not the days for humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance!” Correct–or so it seems. Neither were Jesus’ death and resurrection a time for humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance. However, His attitudes prevailed and still exist 2000 years later!
Christians do not do things because what they do is a “fix.” They do what represents Jesus’ objectives-fix it or not! Christians do good because it is the righteous, godly thing to do, not because of the time’s influence or the stresses endured.
Christians are committed to Christ’s mind. The humble mind is Jesus Christ’s mind. The humble mind endures both good times and bad. The prideful mind becomes increasingly selfish, resentful, and “turf” centered.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)
