July 28, 2013
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
“Cruising Sacred
Waters with Jesus”
Sermon 4 of Summer
Series
Ephesians 1:3-14 (The Message Bible)
Acts 2:38-47 (New
Revised Standard Version)
Let us pray… (Pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom
and insight…)
Have
you ever been so happy about something that you couldn’t hold it in…you found
something that you were so happy with that you want to share your joy with
everyone around you? Since we have moved here I have found something that I
never knew existed…it’s called “Gonzo”. It takes stains out of anything. It
works on clothing and carpets. I am so excited about having it and how well it
works I have been telling people about it. I want them to have the same ease in
their cleaning adventures… It is something that I never want to be without
anymore. Since I have found it…it is indispensable.
In
the same way…years ago I found something that I just want to share with
everyone that I encounter. It is why I stand before you today. It is something
that I just can’t hold in…something that I want to articulate to those around
me. That one thing that is even more precious to me than the “Gonzo” cleaner is
the love that I have found in Christ Jesus. It is the joy that fills my heart
every time I think of God’s goodness and mercy. It is the peace that I have
knowing that I am deeply loved and forgiven. I don’t…OK I can’t…keep it in. I want to live my worship of God in
Christ Jesus out Loud for the entire world to see.
We
are getting ready, as a church family, to embark on a cruise this summer. We
will be “Cruising Sacred Waters with
Jesus”. But before we set sail, we are taking some time to learn about our
Captain, our Lord Jesus. We have decided that He is our Risen Lord and King…that
Jesus can be trusted to be there helping us in the “stormy season” of our faith
journey. As we have been looking at the “resume” of our Captain, we have come
to realize that we never walk alone. I have even challenged you to look within
your heart and to decide how much Jesus really means to you…that Jesus is worth
more than gold itself and that we are a precious pearl to our God. He sold
everything He had…put His Son, Jesus on the line…for humanity to have a right
relationship with Him… We have even talked about the new eye sight we receive
from our Captain that sees all, knows all and tells all to us, His faithful
disciples.
But,
how do we honor our Captain? Do we only enjoy His Company just once a week or
is there more to the life in which we are called? How are we…as Jesus’
disciples…called to live our lives? What are we to do with the message of
hope…the message of forgiveness…the message of redemption and joy? Do we lock
it up in a box and put it on a shelf for us to use when we are in times of trouble
or do we share it with those who don’t know about this gift that our God has
lavished upon us? What should we do?
In
the Ephesians Scripture this morning we hear Paul telling the people of Ephesus
all about what God has done through Christ Jesus. Paul gives us an idea of how
he lived his life…an idea of what he did with the message that he received. Can
you here the excitement in his voice as he tells the people of Ephesus about
what God has done? Paul even tells them…as well as us…what type of life God
gives us…a praising and glorious life. We are given a chance for a life as
people who are free…abundantly free…because of God’s love for us…for humanity.
It is through and in Christ that we find out who we are…beloved sons and
daughters. And not only that…even before we heard and believed in the gospel of
grace God had his eye on us…God had a glorious plan for our lives. God focused
His love on you and on me…wanting to makes us holy in His sight…wanting to
adopt us… With all this being said…how
can we not want to live our worship out loud for the world to see…how can we
not want to share it with everyone we come in contact with?
But…what
does that look like. We can say that we want to live out worship out loud but
what does it really look like? I think
we can get a glimpse of what it looks like from the words of Peter found in
Acts 2:38-47 and how people reacted to Peter’s words. Listen to Peter’s words
and see if you can see a glimpse of that wonderful way of living…
Acts 2:38-47 New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV)
38
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for
all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40 And he
testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves
from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his message were
baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and the prayers.
Life among the Believers
43 Awe
came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would
sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had
need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke
bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God
and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to
their number those who were being saved.
Did
you hear how these believers lived? Did you hear what happened after they
believed? They lived their worship and faith out loud for all to see and
because of it…their numbers increased. They shared everything they had with
those who were in need. They trusted that God would supply their needs
individually so they were free to share what they had. Peter was bold when he
spoke out against how these people were living. Peter was spirited when he told
them what they had to do to live the life that God promised. Peter held nothing
back and because of that, three thousand people gave their life to Christ. What
a change we can make when we live our
worship out loud for everyone to see.
The
people responded by living their own worship out loud. They took care of each
other. They were glad and lived a generous life with each other. They praised
God not only with their mouths but with their lives. And day by day the Lord
added to their numbers! We need to live
our worship out loud so that others may learn about the joy within us. We need
to live our worship out loud so that others can be free. We need to live our
worship out loud so others can be saved…
Beloved
brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s time. It’s time we changed the tide of our
world. It is time we changed the way we live our lives. It is time we renewed
the joy within us. And within that renewing of our minds, we too can affect a
change in the lives of those around us. We can be hope for the hopeless, light
for those who live in darkness, be that city on a hill for all to see…
My
question for you is this, are you living your worship of God out loud? Is there
someone who needs to not only hear about but see Christ living and breathing in
you? Are you feeling the joy of your salvation or has it grown cold with time
and through despair? Maybe…just maybe…if we spend time in worship and joy…if we
spend time pondering on the goodness of our God…we can rekindle that fire.
Maybe…just maybe…we will be blessed in the blessing of others. Perhaps…just perhaps…if we begin to live our
lives in thanksgiving and worship we can change the tide in which we live. It
is time we decide to be bold in our faith. It is time that we, like Peter,
begin to encourage others to take that step to a new and happier life. The time
is here…the time is now. Our God still increases the numbers of believers each
day. But we need to live that life of worship…we need to be in collaboration
with the work that God is doing in the world around us. Then maybe…just
maybe…we can turn the tide and win the victory for Jesus. Maybe…just maybe…
Amen…
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