Sermons
March 7, 2010
Sermon:
“It’s That Time”
Scripture: Luke 13:1-9
Repent or Perish
13At
that very time there were some present who told him about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2He asked them, ‘Do you
think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were
worse sinners than all other Galileans?
3No, I tell you; but unless
you repent, you will all perish as they did.
4Or those eighteen who were
killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they
were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?
5No, I tell you; but unless
you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 Then
he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;
and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.
7So he said to the
gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit
on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it
be wasting the soil?” 8He
replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it
and put manure on it. 9If
it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it
down.” ’
Be aware that it's 'that time' to be fruitful. That experience during this Lenten season is the time adjustment to prepare us for the meaning of crucifixion and resurrection. CHRIST-FIRST IN YOURLIFE IS THE CORRECT TIME...That time structures life clearly, giving us understanding as plain as the beginning of Jesus' parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it." Expectation that fruit shall be born is consistent with God's design in our reality--our time. God provides time for us to express that. Let this time become the fruit-bearing time of your life.
| I. | Christ-first time corrects the INEQUITIES of your life-time. |
| II. | Christ-first time corrects the INADEQUACIES of your life-time. |
"A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it."
February 28, 2010
Sermon:
“What Shall We Do With Jesus?”
Scripture: Luke 13:31-35
The Lament over
Jerusalem
31 At
that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from
here, for Herod wants to kill you.’
32He said to them, ‘Go and
tell that fox for me,*
“Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and
tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.
33Yet today, tomorrow, and
the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a
prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.”
34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the
city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!
How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen
gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
35See, your house is left
to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes
when*
you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
’
Your life's direction is determined by what you will do with Jesus. The church community is the visible presence of Christ included and embraced...WE ARE IMPOWERED WHEN WE PLACE JESUS AT THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES...On this second leg of our Lenten journey, we are each called to the discipline of making Christ a part of us. As a congregation we are called to be the community that is Christ in our lives and our world. Jesus said, "You will not see me until the time comes when you will say, 'blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Jesus knew this was his mission. He was ready! Bring Jesus Christ into the midst of your life.
| I. | REDEMPTION empowers us when Jesus is at the center of our lives. |
| II. | RENEWAL empowers us when Jesus is at the center of our lives. |
| TEXT | |
| "You will not see me until the time comes when you will say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'" | |
February 21, 2010
Sermon:
“Receiving Begins With Giving”
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
The Temptation of
Jesus
4Jesus,
full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the
Spirit in the wilderness, 2where
for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all
during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
3The devil said to him, ‘If
you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of
bread.’ 4Jesus
answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”
’
5 Then
the devil*
led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the
world. 6And the devil*
said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority;
for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
7If you, then, will
worship me, it will all be yours.’
8Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’
9 Then
the devil*
took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from
here, 10for it is
written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
11and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
’
12Jesus answered him,
‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
’ 13When the
devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an
opportune time.
We can receive God's preparation only through the self-giving experience. We cannot retain all Gods possibilities for us without a total self-giving posture. AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST, WE ARE EMPTIED TO BE FILLED...It is a revision of the meaning of God-given life to hear and accept Jesus' words..."One does not live by bread (...by receiving) alone." That is a whole new focus on life. Be ready to experience Jesus Christ through the receiving that begins with our giving.
| I. | As Followers of Christ, we are EMPTIED from above. |
| II. | As followers of Christ, we are FILLED from above. |
| TEXT | |
| "One does not live by bread (...by receiving) alone." | |
February 14, 2010
Sermon:
“The View From Here”
Scripture: Luke 9:28-36
The
Transfiguration
28 Now about
eight days after these sayings Jesus*
took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain
to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of
his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly
they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They
appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was
about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his
companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed
awake,*
they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just
as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good
for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,*
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he
said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and
overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the
cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
‘This is my Son, my Chosen;*
listen to him!’ 36When the voice had spoken, Jesus was
found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any
of the things they had seen.
Like the disciples Peter, James, & John on the Mount of Transfiguration, when we see Jesus only, the view from here is uniquely clear. Rather than resting or preserving, following Christ is a continuing development. CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP PROCEEDS FROM A CHRIST-ONLY LIFE SETTING...It is a Mount of Transfiguration experience. When response to God's provision is evidenced through a clear, unobstructed view of Christ's demands, we are in process; never preservation. That process prompts us to look to Jesus and say with Peter, "Master, it is good for us to be here." It is a place where we cannot hide from God, where God's power affects everything. See Jesus only any place you find yourself.
| I. | Christian discipleship is the setting of JESUS-ONLY VISION... |
| II. | Christian discipleship is the setting of JESUS-ONLY VOICE... |
| TEXT | |
| "Master, it is good for us to be here." | |
Sermon: “From Now On...”
Scripture: Luke 5:-11 (NRSV)
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
5Once while Jesus*
was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was
pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two
boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of
them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the
boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little
way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the
boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’
5Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long
but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the
nets.’ 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish
that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they
signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’
knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’
9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of
fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and
John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said
to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching
people.’ 11When they had brought their boats to shore,
they left everything and followed him.
The answered call of Christ put life in a from-now-on framework. Looking at the prospects before us here, from where you stand, work, or listen, there is a conviction that can be grasped about the future. FROM THIS POINT ON, THE POWER OF GOD IS ALL WE WILL EVER NEED...That is the lesson in our scripture passage today and the gospel for church life here. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, from now on..." Invest whatever you have, your skills, your craft, your time, your resources. Cast your nets, then allow Christ to be the point from which you live out your life.
| I. | Life is transformed when, from now on, our VISION IS FULL... |
| II. | Life is transformed when, from this point on, our VENTURE IS FAITHFUL... |
| TEXT | |
| "Do not be afraid; from now on..." | |
Sermon: “From Conformed to
Transformed”
Scripture: Romans 12:1-13 (NRSV)
The New Life in Christ
12I appeal to you
therefore, brothers and sisters,*
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual*
worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world,*
but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may
discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and
perfect.*
3 For by the
grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of
yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with
sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has
assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and
not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who
are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members
one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to
the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry,
in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter,
in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence;
the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Marks of the True Christian
9 Let love be
genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love
one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing
honour. 11Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve
the Lord.*
12Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in
prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend
hospitality to strangers.
With God at work in our lives, we are changed from conformed to transformed...We don't remain the same as we would be without that special Presence. OUR LIVES NEED THE TRANSFORMATION ONLY JESUS CHRISST PROVIDES...Not that we have all been perfectly remolded by being in church. But we can be exposed to something we would not otherwise be. That is the potential. We all need to be in the constant state of that happening. Paul challenged the church at Rome: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed...so that you may discern what is the will of God." The demons amidst us are not some sinister little creatures. They are the disregard for God-at-work. Move out of restraint into God's renewal.
| I. | Christ's transformation ACCEPTS THE UNACCEPTABLE. |
| II. | Christ's transformation LOVES THE UNLOVABLE. |
| TEXT | |
| "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed...so that you may discern what is the will of God." | |
January 24, 2010
Sermon:
“The Right Word For The
Right Place”
Scripture:
Luke 4:16-30 (NRSV)
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had
been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was
his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the
scroll and found the place where it was written:
18‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to
the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were
fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them,
‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this
Joseph’s son?’ 23He said to them, ‘Doubtless
you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you
will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have
heard you did at Capernaum.” ’
24And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet
is accepted in the prophet’s home town. 25But
the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of
Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months,
and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26yet
Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in
Sidon. 27There were also many lepers*
in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was
cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ 28When
they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.
29They got up, drove him out of the town, and
led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so
that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30But
he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Your life can produce the right word for the right place. Not language or expectations, but belief determines life-style. GOD'S WORD IS HEARD THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE...This season of Epiphany is about the church shining its light in the world. It's a strange sort of light that radiates through its witness to the world's need. It happens through those whose lives make clear Jesus' summary of the reading in the synagogue at Nazareth: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Claiming location any place other than where our conduct lies, creates confusion. Pronounce with your life the word this place needs to make clear.
| I. | God's Word is heard through the CONTENT of what we believe. |
| II. | God's Word is heard through the CONFIDENCE of what we believe. |
| TEXT | |
| "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." | |
January 17, 2010
Sermon:
“Right Where You Are”
Scripture:
John 2:1-11 (NRSV)
The Wedding at Cana
2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ 6Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. 8He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. 9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ 11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
God's power can be at work right where you are. Fear of running out of what life needs, living in human weakness, is addressed when Jesus confronts your life. GOD IN CHRIST CAN TRANSFORM WHAT YOU ARE WHEREVER YOU ARE...The real miracle in our scripture is not water becoming wine; that's chemical manipulation. The miracle is changing the despair of a setting into hope for redeeming it. Conditions can CHANGE. The better can yet be here and now--in your little place; for "Jesus did this...in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory." This is a story about life as real as your own life. Now! Here! Wherever you are! Let God be at work through you.
| I. | The change Jesus Christ makes will CHALLENGE where you are in life. |
| II. | The change Jesus Christ makes will CHANNEL where you are in life. |
| III. | The change Jesus Christ makes will CHOOSE where you are
in life. |
| TEXT | |
| "Jesus did this...in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory." | |
January 10, 2010
Sermon:
“The Gift of Another
Way”
Scripture:
Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)
The Visit of the Wise Men
2In the time of King Herod, after Jesus
was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men*
from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking,
‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we
observed his star at its rising,*
and have come to pay him homage.’ 3When King
Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him;
4and calling together all the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah*
was to be born. 5They told him, ‘In Bethlehem
of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd*
my people Israel.” ’
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men* and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,* until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped,* they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
KEY PARAGRAPH
The season's greatest blessing is the gift of another way. Each Christ-affected life is called by God to a specific journey. GOD'S WAY OPENS NEW DIMENSIONS FOR YOUR LIFE'S JOURNEY...King Herod ordered the Magi to return through Jerusalem to report to him what they had found. In a dream they were God-directed differently. Our text states: "They left for their own country by another road." When a person finds Christ, the result is a change in life. Accept the gift of a God-directed way for your life.
| I. | New dimensions come from INQUIRY into God's way. |
| II. | New dimensions come from INTENTION of God's way. |
| TEXT | |
| "All things came into being through him." | |
January 3, 2010
Sermon:
“In The Beginning”
Scripture:
John 1:1-14 (NRSV)
The Gospel According to John
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the
beginning with God. 3All things came into being through
him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come
into being 4in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people. 5The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose
name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the
light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself
was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The
true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world
came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He
came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But
to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to
become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or
of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived
among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s
only son,
full of grace and truth.
KEY PARAGRAPH
| I. | When your LIFE'S POSITION is focused upon Christ, your time is a continual beginning. |
| II. | When your LIFE'S PURPOSE is focused upon Christ, your time is a continual new beginning. |
| TEXT | |
| "All things came into being through Him." | |
December 27, 2010
Sermon:
“Our Christmas Clothes”
Scripture:
Galatians 3:23-4:7 (NRSV)
23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,* heirs according to the promise.
4My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; 2but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. 3So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits* of the world. 4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our* hearts, crying, ‘Abba!* Father!’ 7So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
KEY PARAGRAPH
Changes Christ makes in us become our Christmas clothes. The meaning of this season of Christmastide is in what happens to people because Christ was born. GOD-IN-CHRIST RECLOTHES US WITH WHAT WE CAN BECOME...Without a new birth in us, the birth in Bethlehem is removed as quickly and casually as the decorations around us. Allow this verse from today's scripture to be our text: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." More than one change was birthed in the Bethlehem manger. Be redressed in the newness with which the gift of God clothes us.
| I. | God-in-Christ reclothes us with NEW CONTENT for our lives. |
| II. | God-in-Christ reclothes us with NEW CONTEXT for our lives. |
| TEXT | |
| "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." | |
December 20, 2009
Sermon:
“Our Christmas Time and
Place”
Scripture:
Luke 1:39-49 (NRSV)
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be* a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 And Mary*
said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48for he has looked with favour on the
lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49for the Mighty One has done great things for
me,
and holy is his name.
KEY PARAGRAPH
Each moment of your life can be a Christmas time and place. The meaning of Christ's birth is not a birth date account. It is the coming of God into human affairs, not confined to pages of the Bible or calendars. ANY TIME AND ALL PLACES ARE GOD'S TIME TO COME TO US IN CHRIST...The verse that is our text for this message says, "...blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment...by her God." That is a powerful statement about time and place. It instructs us to allow your life to become the Christmas setting.
| I. | Any time is GOD'S TIME to come to you in Christ. | |||||||||||||||||
| II. | Any place is GOD'S PLACE to come to you in Christ. | |||||||||||||||||
| TEXT | ||||||||||||||||||
"...blessed is she (are
those) who believed that there would be a fulfillment...by
her (our) God."December 13, 2009Sermon:
“Waist-Deep In Advent”
Scripture:
Luke 3:10-18 (NRSV)
10 And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ 11In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ 12Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ 13He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ 14Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ 15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,* 16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with* the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. KEY PARAGRAPH The Christian life moves us beyond standing waist-deep in the Advent water of our baptism. Advent is time to do something about what God can do with us. WE PLUNGE INTO THE DEPTH OF DISCIPLESHIP BY TOTAL SURRENDER OF THE SELF...Whatever it is we are doing; however impressive we thing our ideas may be; it takes a back seat to God's greater activity. John proclaimed, 'I baptize you with the Holy Spirit." There is more depth awaiting us. In this Advent time, accept the depth of God's provision in Jesus Christ.
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