Christmas Eve Sermon...

Over Advent we went on a journey to the Stable...We found that the stable of Christ is the stable of hope...the stable of love...the stable of joy and the stable of peace...

This Christmas Eve I used this story to talk about how we celebrate Christmas but there is a shadow of a cross within that manger scene...

"The Tale of Three Trees"

Author unknown

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!" The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."
Years passed and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."
Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.
That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
So the next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

---

What a beautiful story. There are three passages in the Bible that tell of the three trees. You might like to read them. They are Luke 2:1-7, Matthew 8:23-27 and Matthew 27:32-38.

http://www.inver.org/ceantar/Learning_Circle/folkflorida.htm

An “Advent”ure of…Joy”

December 15, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 3 of          Advent Series

“An “Advent”ure To the Stable”

1 Peter 1:8-9 GOD’S WORD Translation

Psalm 90:1-2, 14 GOD’S WORD Translation

1 Peter 1:3-7 GOD’S WORD Translation

“Kneeling in Bethlehem” by Ann Weems

I love the Holidays! Love getting together with family and spending time together. It seems that the holiday season is the only time that we get to see some of our family members. We live far away from many of our family members and it is so good to be with them . . . to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives since we last met. Now I want you to imagine with me for a moment . . . think of that family member that you miss most of all . . . how will you feel when you finally get back together with them? What a joyous occasion it is when we get to see our loved ones after being away from them for a long time . . .

Perhaps, even, most of us have had the pleasure of having such joy that it cannot be contained. Whether it is a new job, good news that you have been waiting for, or even being joyful because of someone else’s good news. I know that I have been in these types of situations and the joy just wells up inside of me so much that it can’t help but spill out on those around me. But I think I find my biggest joy in God. Just thinking about who God is…about what God has done in my life and in the lives of those around me…and what God has around the corner for me makes me want to explode…or implode, however you want to view it. And through this Joy, our belief in God is solidified.

But what would it be like if we shared that joy with even the strangers that are among us. . . what would that look like. . . with those who could use some joy in their lives? What do you think the world would be like if we shared that radical hospitality with them. . . letting them into our own lives so that they too can have joy and hope. . . inviting them into the living room of our lives? Can you imagine what that world would look like?

Let us pray. . . Loving, Gracious God, giver of all true Joy, we thank you for this day that we can celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that you would be with us as we think about the sheer joy of having a relationship with you. Set afire the Spirit within us with the joy of this Advent season . . . a joy that is uncontrollable. Speak to us in ways we never imagined. Amen!

We are at the half-way stage of our Advent journey. We are at the week where the theme is “joy”! I don’t know about you abut for me . . . the Christmas season brings a lot of joy to my soul. There is so much to be joyous about. There are friends and family, there are get together, there is so much joy that it is hard to contain sometimes for me. Yes Advent is a really joyous time as we wait expectantly for the celebration of the One who became flesh as well as expectantly waiting for His return.

But my question is this… Where is your joy found? Is it in the things around you or the things above? In this world of sadness and pain, it is hard to find that real, uncontrollable joy. When we look around us we see misery and pain and we may ask ourselves, “Where is the joy . . . where is the love that should encompass all of humankind’s life?” Isn’t there something better out there than what we see around us? We see jobs being lost, wars breaking out, and people with major health issues, divorce and brokenness. Where is the joy? Where is the hope? Where can it be found? The scriptures that were read this morning are all about joy. They are all about where true joy is found.

The scripture from 1 Peter 4:8-9 talks about the love and joy that we have when we belong to Christ. Now I don’t know about you, but when I ponder on what Christ did for me…what He did for humanity…I feel the “joy of my salvation.” It is beyond my own thinking that God would love me enough to want to have a relationship with me. I mean think about it…the God who created everything…let me repeat that…the God that created e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g love you and me so much that He made a way for redemption through a babe in a manger…His only Son. It is mind boggling and humbles me right to my very soul. You can’t even put it into words how grateful it should make those who are being saved moment by moment of every day.

The Psalm from this morning…you know I love the Psalms, many talk about that joy we get from God…they talk about God’s character and about His deliverance for His people. We have joy because our great God is our refuge and strength. Our great God is never changing from generation to generation. What joy we have because of our God’s unfailing love and character. We know we have something…someone…in our lives that is the same as they were yesterday…today and for and eternity. In a world full of unknowing it is joyous to know we have a knowing that stands the test of time.

And then we have the 1 Peter that is the procurer to what was read in verses 8 and 9. It tells us that it is our faith in Christ that brings us joy. It also gives us a glimpse of why we may have troubles in our lives. You see…even if we don’t agree with this statement as we are going through it…our troubles that we go through help build our faith and character in Christ Jesus. We can sing with joy because we are given a new birth…sort of a do over…that will bring us joy and salvation. Now this new life we are given is an inheritance that we receive in our new life with Christ. Our in heritance is kept for us in heaven where nothing can destroy. We too can sing for joy as Mary did when she heard the angels greeting about being favored among men. We too are offered that same “favoritism” as children of God. We too can hear the song of the angels that was sung on that night long ago as the shepherds did on the hill side. We can hear and share that good news of the angel’s chorus.

Perhaps we, as humanity, need to hear that greeting from long ago, that greeting from the angel to Mary. “Do not be afraid for I come with good news, today unto a child is born who will save humanity through His ministry, through His death and through His resurrection.” Perhaps we need to remember the joy of our salvation in this Advent Season. Maybe, just maybe, we, as humanity, can rekindle that hope, that love, that joy, that poured down from heaven. Maybe, just maybe, we can rekindle that joy of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. Maybe, just maybe, there will come a day when there will truly be peace on earth. Perhaps if we just fan the flames of our hearts we will be able to sing with the angles “glory to God in the highest and peace to the people on earth.” Maybe, just maybe, if we would just believe. Maybe, just maybe…

We, as Christians, must wait patiently for the day to come when God will reign supreme but while we wait we have work to do to help that day come along a little sooner. Part of our work is to share that uncontrollable . . . that uncontainable joy that is within you, that is within me, which we have within us. Is there someone that you know who could use joy in their lives . . . is there someone who needs help that only you can give (something that you could do just for the sheer joy of it and therefore spreading that uncontainable joy along to someone else)? My challenge for you this week is this. . . I challenge you to sing joyously that song within you, help energize limp hand, open the eyes of the blind to God’s love, and help the lame walk and the deaf to hear. Share with someone about the saving grace of Christ which is the beginning of our song . . . the reason for the season and that uncontainable joy within us.

Amen

An “Advent”ure of…Love”

December 8, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 2 of          Advent Series

“An “Advent”ure To the Stable”

1 Corinthians 13:13 New Living Translation

1 John 4:9-11 New Living Translation

Romans 8:37-39 New Living Translation

“Kneeling in Bethlehem” by Ann Weems

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/agape+love

http://christianity.about.com/od/glossary/a/Agape.htm

A reading from the Book of Romans, chapter 8, verses 37-39. Listen for a word from God to you and me…His beloved children.

37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Read “Christmas Comes” by Ann Weems from “Kneeling in Bethlehem”.)

Let us pray…

Gracious, Loving, God…you have called us by name and have loved us before we were born. We thank you for that love that You so richly lavish upon us each and every moment of our lives. We pray for Your loving presence here with us today. May we hear the word you have for us this day…may our Spirits stir within us as we hear about a love that surpasses all understanding. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that is open to your still small voice. May your word be heard through me or in spite of me and may the mediations of our hearts and minds be pleasing to you our God, our Rock and our Redeemer.

Amen

There are so many songs about there that talk about love. You know…those “love ballads” that touch your heart and make you think of that certain someone. I think that most country western songs I have heard have been about love and/or love lost. Love is that fuzzy feeling we get when we see that “apple of our eye.” But love is not just a feeling…a verb…it is also a noun…as in the Love of God for us. God is love and God shares that love with all that He has created. The “free Dictionary On Line” calls this type of love a noun and states: “agape love - selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications (especially love that is spiritual in nature)”. This is that “Agape Love…it’s a thing that God has for us.

So what constitutes “Agape Love”? Well the first thing we need to realize is that there is more than one kind of love. As a matter of fact, there are four kinds of love just to make it complicated… The website Christianity About defines them like this:

1.     Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible.This Greek word and variations of it are found throughout the New Testament. Agape perfectly describes the kind of love Jesus Christ has for his Father and for his followers:

2.     Storge is family love, the bond among mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Storge is the natural love and affection of a parent for their child.

3.     Philia means close friendship or brotherly love in Greek. Philia describes the benevolent, kindly love practiced by early Quakers.

4.     Eros is the physical, sensual love between a husband and wife.

With so many meanings for the word “love” it is a no wonder that it can be confusing. But the love we celebrate during Advent is that Agape, unmerited, undeserved, love that God poured out from heaven into  stable so long ago and continues to pour out that same love out on you…on me…on all of humanity…even though humanity itself doesn’t see it…or feel it…or even know it’s there at times…

I think the true example of love is the love our Lord and God have for us. Scripture tells us that God is love and in what He has done for creation and humanity down through the ages shows us that. John 3:16 tells us that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” His only Son…how many of us love someone so much that we would give up our child for them?

         

God has loved His human creation since the beginning of time. He loved them so much that He walked in the cool of the evening with them. God even loved them so much that when they disobeyed Him He didn’t destroy them but instead made clothing for them to wear. When humanity had made God sorry for creating them and He decided to destroy what He had made, He saved a whole family of them…Noah and his family…so that they could begin a new life after the flood…a new beginning. And when He realized that humanity could not, on their own, redeem themselves from sin, He sent His son so that Humanity could have a renewed and forgiven relationship With Him. Now that’s what I call LOVE.

The 1 John scripture from this morning talks about God’s love this way…we didn’t love God but He surely loved us…He sent His son for our salvation. Even though humanity was and is sinful…God loved and loves us enough to sacrifice His Son…so that we can have that relationship with Him. How awesome is that? How can we not want to share the message of Advent love to those around us?

The scripture found in 1 Corinthians 13 is a wonderful piece of scripture that talks about the true nature of love. It talks about what love does and what it doesn’t. But I love how it is all summed up in one sentence…in one verse… Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. Love is most important…love is what everything hinges on… We are to share that Advent love…the type of love God has shown us…to those we come in contact with each day. Now don’t get me wrong…I truly do love other people but do I really have to love that person that gets on my nerves…the “Uncle Festers’” of the family? Well…the answer to that is Yes! And do I really have to love people as if I was going through the same sufferings that they are even though some may be in their sufferings because of their own doing? The answer to that is Yes! And do I really have to “always” try to do good and share with others? Again…guess what the answer is…Yes! We are to be imitators of God in Christ Jesus. We are to love with the same love of God…that Agape love that we talked about earlier.

The world is full of all kinds of love but we as Christians have our own “Brand” of love…Love of God in Christ Jesus. Our love is different than the world’s kind of love. Love is something that is hard to define but there is a way that God would have us love…Humanity’s love may change with the times, but God’s love…His type of love…remains for an eternity. This is exactly the love that the Roman’s scripture talks about. No matter what…we can count on God’s love for us. Nothing…nothing we can say or do can cause us to lose that love from God. How much hope does that give us? No matter where we are in our faith walk…no matter where we are in our sinfulness…God loves us through it.  

Beloved children of God, if we are to be God’s light of Love…the Love of Advent…in the world we need to let His love and compassion shine through us. We need to step away from ourselves and step into others lives with the light and love that breaks through the darkest night…the love that is within us. Let share the love of Advent to a world that still sits in darkens so that all can experience the of within hearts. Let us show what love really is…that radical love that kept Jesus nailed to the Cross for you, for me, for all of humanity…

Amen

Healing Touch

http://bible.com/n/1C8pm Healng Touch

Not Mine

http://bible.com/n/1C8oY Not Mine

Mirowave Answers

http://bible.com/n/1C8nQ Microwave Answers

An “Advent”ure of…Hope”

December 1, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 1 of          Advent Series

“An “Advent”ure To the Stable”

Isaiah 52:7-12 New Living Translation

Isaiah 9:1-3 New Living Translation

Romans 5:1-5 New Living Translation

“Kneeling in Bethlehem” by Ann Weems

A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Roman’s, chapter 5, verses 1-5…listen for and to the word of God for you and me, the people of God. Read the scripture from Romans.

Read “In December Darkness” by Ann Weems book “Kneeling in Bethlehem”…

Good Morning. Well, winter is finally here. We now have snow on the ground…the sun is not as hot as it was and it is dark later in the morning and earlier in the evening, Winter is a hard time for me. With the cold and snow sometimes I think it will never end. But I know it will. It has happened this way for so long that even though I may not see the signs of spring, I believe it will happen. I have seen it and so in the seeing I have come to believe. This is my hope for the spring to come.

This believing is seeing thought has also got me thinking about our relationship with our Risen Lord Jesus. Like the sun, He is always there. Even when the sun doesn’t shine we believe it is still there on those cloudy days. And just like the sun, the “Son” of man, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is there even in the dark night of our souls, even when we can’t see the light of day through our pain and sorrow, shining God’s light of compassion and love upon us. This He has promised. This is our hope for each day.

Today, we begin “An “Advent”ure To the Stable.”  It is the time when we go back to the beginning of our salvation; we go back to the manger stall where love came down from heaven. We go back to the place that God, once again, rolled up His sleeves and became involved with humanity in the form of a child. Sometimes, this seems so incredible it is hard to believe. Especially when we are going through those times of trouble and God seems absent in our lives. As we walk the road to Bethlehem, we are going hear stories from Scripture about the hope, love, joy and peace that Advent offers humanity…even in those times when God seems silent in our lives.

Today is the 1^st Sunday in Advent…the Sunday of Hope in our church calendar. It is the day that we celebrate the hope that was born in a stable long ago. We celebrate not only the hope that is found in Jesus’ birth but the hope we have in His returning. But…why do we hope. We live in a world that is…well…hopeless. With all the despair and chaos around us how can there be any kind of hope? Can we rekindle that hope that died long ago in the hearts of those who have seen too much in life and has lost all hope for the future?

Well…the only place to find real hope is with the babe that was born in that very same stable that where our “advent”ure is leading us…to the stable where hope came down from heaven…the stable where the Son of man was born. We find our real hope in Jesus Christ. This is the hope in the song we sing as His followers. How heartbreaking it is that humanity has forgotten where the wealth spring of hope really is. It’s not found in others…we are human and we will fail each other from time to time…it is not found in our wealth…we may find hope in what we have but that too may fail us…the only place to find it is in a lowly stable, a place that seems too insignificant to have any real meaning. None the less, that is where we find our hopes for tomorrow…

In the first scripture from Isaiah, we hear about hope. We have hope in the Good News that Jesus ushered in for all of humanity. We have hope because God has shown His power in the form of a baby born in a lowly manger stall…the power of forgiveness and redemption that was showered down from heaven for all of humanity. We have hope because no matter what is going on around us in the world, we have the protection of the God of Israel…the One true God.

The Second reading from Isaiah talks about that same hope that is found in the Messiah…in Jesus Christ. The darkness and despair around us will not last forever but the light will shine through that darkness, dispelling all fear and give hope to those who believe. This light is so bright that it lights up even the darkest corner of our lives. It will illuminate all those things that hide in the dark recesses of our souls and remove the fear it brings. As we believe and then see, we grow in our faith and our hope for the future…but not just our future but the future of those around us. Darkness cannot hide from light for very long. Soon it will shine like the noon day sun chasing away the shadows of yesterday giving us hope for a bright tomorrow.

Within that faith in the Son we find…as the Romans scripture tells us…we will have that hope that will not disappoint us. In a world full of hopelessness and desolation, we can have hope. It is within our faith in God’s word and in His Son, Jesus Christ that we can see through the darkness and haze of the world because of illumination of our minds and hearts. We will of course still have those hard times but within them we grow into who God would have us be but He doesn’t leave us to stumble in the dark. He gives us the light of hope, the light of love, the light of joy and the light of peace. We are dearly loved and not abandoned. We are able to dance in the light as we cultivate the likeness of Christ in our lives. That light we have within us will be too bright to hold within ourselves. This light will shine through us and out of us onto the world around us as we help bring that light to life into the darkness of despair. We will and can be the bearers of the Good News of this season.

Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Hope. We have a hope within us as we believe in the Son. Just as we believe that the sun is shining, even though obscured by clouds, we can believe that the Son of God, our Risen Lord Jesus Christ shines down upon our lives, even through the time of despair and confusion…this is our hope. This is our believing is seeing. And as we believe, we will see the glory of God, through His Son; shine bright in the darkness around us. Believing truly is seeing.

Advent is an Adventure and it begins with hope. The time of Advent is a time of longing for God to come . . . as we celebrate Christ’s birth so long ago. Advent is a time of waiting for Christ to return . . . ushering in the New Jerusalem, the new heaven and earth, which he will bring also. Advent is also a time of watching for Christ’s return . . .  being alert and awake, doing the Kingdoms work as we do so. Advent is not just a season but a way of life, a way to live out our journey, our sojourn on this celestial plane that we are on. If we, as Christians, keep these things in mind as we enter the season of Advent, we truly will have the best Christmas.

          My challenge for you during this Advent season and for me too, is this:

•        To deliberately try to re-think Advent in your mind and in your hearts.

•        To rethink what Advent really is.

•        To deliberately search within ourselves to find that Hope that is within us and to live out that Hope in the world around us.

•        To deliberately look for Jesus in the world around us and in those in whom we come in contact with. He’s there; we just have to look.

Let us begin to live that Advent life throughout the year and not only during the time of Advent. It begins with hope, and the scripture says, hope will not fail us!

Let us pray:

God of Advent, we await expectantly for the celebration of the birth of your Son, Lord Jesus Christ . . . Help us to also expectantly await His return. Help us to live our lives not only as Easter People but also as Advent sojourners. Stir up your Spirit within us and that may we live out our lives awake and at work for the Kingdom to come. This we pray in the name of the One who became flesh and lived among us, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen?!

“From Here To Eternity”

November 24, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 6 of Fall Series

“Shepherd Us O God”

Jeremiah 29:11 Common English Bible

2 Timothy 4:7-8 Common English Bible

John 14:1-3 Common English Bible

Psalm 23:6 King James Version

“Shepherd Me O God” by Marty Haugen

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eternity

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/eternity

A reading from the Psalms, Psalm 23, verse 6…listen for the voice of the Shepherd to you and me, the sheep of His flock. (Read from the King James Bible)

Psalm 23:6 King James Version (KJV)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

“Shepherd me O God beyond my wants,

beyond my needs, from death into life.

Surely your kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of my God forevermore. (Sing)

I don’t know about you but there are times…I hate waiting. It is usually those times when I am in a hurry and I have to wait…being in a hurry probably makes the time seem to go by slow. I may be in a line at the grocery store and it just seems to take forever. How bout at the doctor’s office? That seems to take so long. You get there before time so that you can be sure to be on time and you get to hurry up and wait. Why do so many things take so much time? We may use sayings like “it seems like an eternity” when we have to wait. But what is eternity really like? Actually, how long is an eternity?

Over the past few weeks, we have been journeying with the Shepherd found in the 23^rd Psalm, the Good Shepherd. We have learned that we have no wants because of our Shepherd, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ…how we are never without Him…this same Shepherd…wants to bring us to peaceful pastures where we can rest beside the calm streams of living water He gives so freely to all of His sheep. We know that He is the only one who can truly restore us and when we are restored we are guided on the path of righteousness for His name…not our own. And when we can become “cast sheep” stuck on our backs unable to get up …Jesus is the only one who can set us right again. We know that we can feel comfort from our Shepherd in times of chaos…because we have His presence. Last week…we will heard how we have victory in and with our Shepherd but we also need to have that daily anointing with the oil of God’s Word that pours down from heaven…for you and for me…so that we can draw close to our Shepherd. This week we are at the end of the Psalm…when we recite that God’s goodness and mercy follows us as we live out our faith walk and after our journey is complete, we get to be with God forever…for an eternity…in heaven.

So…what is an eternity? Well, Webster’s Dictionary defines it as:

: time without an end

: a state that comes after death and never ends

: time that seems to be without an end

Wow…that seems really long…a time without end. We, as Christians, live here on earth and everything has a time table. To be somewhere without time is almost mind boggling.

Vocabulary.com states:

“Eternity means "forever," like living for all eternity. Or it can mean something that seems like it will go on for forever, like waiting an eternity for your sister to get out of the bathroom.

Eternity means "time without end, or infinity," like people who promise to love one another for eternity — they aren't planning to ever split up. When you put the word an before eternity, you can use it to describe a very long — too long — period of time, so that you can use it to complain. For example, you might use the phrase "it felt like an eternity," after waiting twenty minutes to get an ice cream cone.”

Now I don’t know about you but being with God for “an eternity” is not something I would complain about, it will be awesome to be in His presence for “an eternity”…a time that never will end…

So…we have been talking about sheep during our journey with the God Shepherd and how we are very much like our four legged friends son let’s see what the shepherd has to say… Now throughout this journey we have talked about how the flock’s welfare depends completely on the shepherd who cares for them. If the shepherd is good and cares for the sheep they are safe and secure. But…if the shepherd cares not for the sheep their life has a much different outcome…one of danger and despair. Now we come to the part where the Psalmist puts it all out there with a simple statement “Surely goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life.” The sheep knows, without a doubt, that their good shepherd will treat them with goodness and mercy. They have been cared for with tenderness and love and they can believe that it will continue.

We…as with the sheep of the pasture…can rest assured in our Good Shepherd who wants nothing but good in and for our lives. But how many Christians really feel this way about Christ? How many really feel that no matter what happens they are being followed by goodness and mercy? I mean I would love to say “hey that’s me…I never feel any different…I always know that goodness and mercy follow me.” It is easy to say but how about those times when things aren’t going so well. How about those times when our health fails or our finances are in a rut? How about those times when the enemy seems to be winning in our lives or the world around us? What is our reaction when we lose a job and there is no income coming in?

These are the times that our confidence in Christ is put to the test. In these times our natural reaction may be fear and doubt. We, as humankind, don’t always comprehend what God is really doing. We may even think that He doesn’t know what He is doing or even worse, we may think He no longer cares for us. But even as we may doubt God’s good intention, He never gives up on us. He continues to follow us with His goodness and mercy. God is love and that’s all there is to His motives, love. There is no difficulty, dilemma or disaster that can come into our lives that the Good Shepherd can’t eventually turn good out of the chaos we are in. This is what build our faith and trust in the Shepherd.

Look at sheep. Now when they are managed right, they can be such a benefit to the world around them and for others who come after. When they are taken care of and moved along as they should, their manure provides for the land they leave behind. Not too much and not too little time spent there will be a benefit to those who come after with creating lush, we fertilized, good soil. They eat the weed and other things that can invade a field make them kind of a weed killer. And you know what…we too can help others…even in our moments of chaos. You see the Shepherds goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives and this same goodness and mercy can be left by us…pour out onto the world from our cup that runneth over…leaving a legacy for others as we go through our lives. Do we leave a trail of gladness or sadness behind us? Do people think of goodness and mercy when they remember us or would they rather forget us? Do we leave blessings or curses behind? Is our life a pleasure or a pain to those around us?

And now my favorite part of the Psalm “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Here the Psalmist…and hopefully we Christians, is so utterly satisfied with their life and fully content under the Shepherds care that there is no other place they would rather be than with his Shepherd. There has been an affection that has grown with time with the Shepherd that is unshakable. You see, a good shepherd, builds a great affection and devotion to his sheep. He would never part from the sheep of his herd.

Healthy, happy, productive sheep are his delight. His good and kindly acts towards the sheep are always part of his mercy for and to them. We, as humanity are often harsh and vindictive with one another. You can always see his compassion and tenderness towards the sheep. Even the most flagrant of sinner find forgiveness with the Good Shepherd whereas there is only condemnation and cruel criticism found at the hands of other humans. Do we, as Christians sit up on our “high horse” and look down at others or do we identify with the sinner and extend to goodness and mercy we are given by our Shepherd? Do we see them with the compassion and love of Christ? Are we willing to overlook the faults of others and give them the forgiveness and mercy we are given from God for our own mistakes? We live in a fallen…hurting world…how do we welcome others when they come to find affection, love and forgiveness? The person who knows firsthand about the goodness and mercy of God in their own life will be warm and loving with goodness and mercy towards others. We can be that blessing of and to God. We are blessed to be a blessing.

As our Shepherd looks upon us as we share that love for others tenderly and with pride. He loves His sheep dearly. He see the years that His goodness and mercy have followed us without slacking…and longs to see the same goodness and mercy in His sheep…in you and in me. And not only shared with others but shared back with Him as we sing for joy to Him our Savior. He longs for our love and we love Him because He loved us first.

Let us continue to be that sheep of the sheepfold of the One who came to give us life, our Risen Lord Jesus Christ who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. You see our Good Shepherd is not just a shepherd; He is also the King of our hearts and lives. May we truly sing along with the Psalmist as well as with the sheep of the Good Shepherds sheep fold through the ages of time for we are loved “From Here To Eternity”:

Shepherd me, O God beyond my wants,

beyond my fears, from death into life.

(Refrain)

God is my shepherd, so nothing shall I want,

I rest in the meadows of faithfulness and love,

I walk by the quiet waters of peace.

(Refrain)

Gently you raise me and heal my weary soul,

You lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth,

my spirit shall sing the music of your Name.

(Refrain)

Though I should wander the valley of death,

I fear no evil, for you are at my side,

your rod and your staff, my comfort and my hope.

(Refrain)

You have set me a banquet of love in the face of hatred,

crowning me with love beyond my pow’r to hold.

(Refrain)

Surely your kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of my God forevermore.

(Refrain)

Amen!

“Just A Prayer Away”

November 10, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 4 of Fall Series

“Shepherd Us O God”

Deuteronomy 7:9 MSG

Numbers 23:19

Psalm 23:4 King James Version

Psalm 139:23-24 King James Version

 “Shepherd Me O God” by Marty Haugen

A reading from the Psalms, Psalm 23, verse 4…listen for the voice of the Shepherd to you and me, the sheep of His flock. (Read from the King James Bible)

Psalm 23:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

“Shepherd me O God beyond my wants,

beyond my needs, from death into life.

Though I should wander the valley of death,

I fear no evil, for you are at my side,

your rod and your staff, my comfort and my hope. (Sing)

I remember a time that Shanequa lost her favorite blanket. She slept with it always. When she was sick, that was the one thing that comforted her. She had it since the day she was born. It was familiar and she knew she always had it to hold on to. Well…one day she couldn’t find it when she was going to bed. She searched every where to no avail. She came into our bedroom frantic. She had lost the one thing that she could hold onto when she slept…the one thing that would help her sleep with a sense of being safe and sound. She was inconsolable. So Ray and I went back to her room to look again with her. After a short time we found it buried in the blankets on her bed. It was as if we had performed a miracle for her. She was so happy as she snuggled with the blanket, chastising it for hiding on her. Everything was set right again. The chaos that had happened was now gone. She slept safe and sound.

In the world in which we live…we all need to have that thing that gives us comfort. With all the dysfunction and madness around us…in that chaos that can feel as if it is taking over…we need that thing that helps us get through the tough times. Where do we find that comfort as we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death?”

Over the past two weeks, we have been journeying with the Shepherd found in the 23^rd Psalm, the Good Shepherd. We have talked about us not wanting because of our Shepherd, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ…how we are never without Him…how this same Shepherd wants to bring us to peaceful pastures where we can rest beside the calm streams of living water He gives so freely to all of His sheep. Last week we talked a little about how He is the only one who can truly restore us and when we are restored we are guided on the path of righteousness for His name…not our own. We talked about how we can become “cast sheep” stuck on our backs unable to get up and the fact that Jesus is the only one who can set us right again. This week, we will discover why we feel comfort from our Shepherd in those times of trial and chaos…

So there are two parts of this verse I would like us to look at this week the first being walking through the valley and the other is we are comforted by His presence with us…the Good Shepherd. Now with sheep, in the summer they spend all their time in close companionship with the shepherd under the shepherd’s solitary care. They go to distant summer ranges with the shepherd who leads them there. The shepherd takes them on long “drives” so that they can get there. Now the sheep move along slowly and eat as they go. They gradually go to the feeding place behind the receding snow and by summer they have made it to the summer feeding ground. They move into unmarked territory. During this time they are completely alone with the shepherd. They become intimately under the care of the shepherd both day and night. But you see… as the shepherd moves His flock into territories that they may not have traveled; the shepherd has already charted the course through the wilderness places. The shepherd knows the way…the path is familiar to him and his surefootedness gives them peace and comfort in knowing they are cared for.

Jesus…the Good Shepherd…knows the way for us…He has traveled the path before us and is familiar with the path. We will not fear, for thou art with me…with us in every situation, every dark trial, every disappointment, every distress. We Christians, as the sheep, would love live beyond the low lands…in the higher places with God. We want to have a more intimate relationship with God…beyond the common. We even talk about those mountaintop experiences and even envy those who have reached the top and entered in to a more sublime sort of life with God. But…it is in those valleys that our Shepherd invites us to come and drink from the Living Water He offers to His sheep. Pools of water cool and clean in the dry arid landscape of the valley we are traveling.

As it is with ordinary sheep management, so with God’s people, one only gains that higher ground by climbing up through the valleys. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, leads His flock gently, put ever moving up…moving ever forward…through the paths that wind through the valley. “Yea, tough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”, the operative word is through the valley…not around…not avoid…but through. Jesus has said “Lo, I am with you always”…this includes as we walk through the Valley of the shadow of death. And it doesn’t have to be a physical death that the Shepherd goes with us. It could be our death to self…our death to sin…our death to bad attitudes… Jesus, the Good Shepherd s always there…steering the lost sheep…the frightened sheep…the willful sheep…on the road that is best.

Thy rod and thy staff comfort me…Even to this day; shepherds still carry a rod and staff. They bring the bare necessities with them as the go out to shepherd their sheep. A young shepherd boy…or girl…take pride in the selection of their rod and staff that is just the right size for them and works well with their strength. The go out and find a young sapling and cut it down. After they have selected “just the right sapling” they whittle it down with great care. It is the one thing they have to fend off predators when they are out there tending the sheep. This rod….is actually an extension of the shepherd’s right hand. With it they would shepherd the sheep and keep them together as well as discipline those wayward sheep who would wander away. The sheep would sense the comfort that the shepherd had because of having the staff.

Think about this for a moment. God sent Moses to Pharaoh to free His people with a staff…a rod…that showed God’s might. Even in David’s day, the rod was comforting to the sheep as they saw it in the hand of their shepherd. As a matter of fact, the Scriptures are known as God’s rod. In times of trouble how comforting it is to Christians to turn to God’s word…His rod…and know it to be His Shepherd’s…the Good Shepherd…hand of authority. Now the shepherd used the end of the staff…the knob…to discipline the sheep…those who would try to wander off…those who were stubborn and not want to go where they were being lead. But not as you might think. They would swing the rod in the air and it would go whistling through the air and scare the sheep back to where they needed to be. For we as Christians, doesn’t the word of God…God’s rod…come to our hearts with surprising subtleness when we go astray? It is the living word of God that convicts us and helps us stay on the right path.

The shepherd also used his rod to count the sheep. A sheep that has passed “under the rod” was one that had been looked at…examined to make sure everything was OK with it. You see…the wool is very thick and the shepherd would use the rod to split the wool so that they could see if there were any parasites or wounds or disease going on with the sheep. This takes time because the shepherd wants to be very through. Now…we…as God’s sheep…are searched…looked at by the tender, caring Shepherd. If we allow it…Gods Word searches us. Psalm 139 verses 23-24 exclaims: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” God will get below the surface and bring things to light that need to be healed…things that need to be made right…This rod…comforts us. We live in a world that is contrary to what Jesus…the Good Shepherd would have us be. We are tempted from all sides. How awesome it is…how comforting it is…to have the “rod of God”…God’s word…to help guide us on our path.

The staff that is carried by a shepherd is unique. Only those who shepherd sheep have a staff. It wouldn’t work for large animals but it is perfect…just right…for sheepherding. It is designed and shaped perfectly for sheepherding. And it is used ONLY for their benefit. It is a symbol of concern and compassion. The rod is used for discipline but the staff is one of comfort. It is used in three ways:

1.     The shepherd uses the staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if separated from her. The shepherd doesn’t want the lamb to have the scent of human hands on it

2.     It is used to reach out and catch individual sheep and draw them close to himself for examination. It works well for shy and timid sheep that will usually keep at distance to the shepherd

3.     It is used to guide the sheep. They guided gently into a new path or through a gate and even along dangerous and difficult paths. The Shepherd doesn’t beat the sheep with it but uses the tip to gently apply pressure to the sheep’s side.

Some shepherds use the staff to keep a favorite sheep, a pet, close to them. They walk almost as if they were hand-in-hand with each other.  We, as Christians have the Holy Spirit…the Comforter…that draws us together with others, draws us the Good Shepherd, and guide us on the path of righteousness. Through the Spirit we are in touch with Christ.

Are you feeling the staff of the Shepherd drawing you close to Him…or even into an even closer relationship? Is the Spirit prodding you on a path that might be different or even a little “dangerous” in your opinion? Our Shepherd is just a prayer away. He is always listening for voice of His sheep in need of help…lost in the shadowy valley of death. Let the Good Shepherd lead you through the valley into a new grazing land where there are streams of Living water and cool breezes of the Spirit. Come and be comforted by the Good Shepherd, our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, and find comfort and guidance for the journey. He say’s come all you who are weary and I will give you rest. Let Him be your guiding light on your journey of life everlasting.

Shepherd us O God beyond our wants,

beyond our needs, from death into life.

Amen!