“Jesus Freak”

September 22, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 10 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Ambassadorship

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NLT

Matthew 5:13-16 MSG

Good Morning… I have just begun working with the kids in Kids Life and they just amaze me. I get the fun of giving them a bible message each week and they really are on the ball. Have you ever noticed how kids now a day seem so smart? I mean I love to talk with them and ask them questions…ask them what THEIR opinion is on things. They have such a simple way about them and the answers…the solutions I hear… really would work if we adults would just take their advice. In talking with these kids I think I finally get it. If we just trust in God and do all that He asks…If we would follow Jesus no matter what…the world would be a better place…be on fire with Jesus…do what Jesus did for and to others…be a mirror image of Christ to the world. It’s just that simple. Just be a “freak for Jesus”.

This summer we are on a cruise together on the SS Stetson Memorial.  We are “Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”. Last week we stopped at the port called “Sonship” and talked about how humanity has been invited to be adopted into the family of God…we talked about how Jesus signed the adoption process with His blood on the cross. So now we that we have been adopted what are we supposed to do? That is what this week’s port is all about. Welcome to the port of Ambassadorship. This port tells us that we are to become Ambassadors for and of Christ.

So…what is the purpose of an ambassador? I really never understood what an ambassador is so of course I looked up the definition. What I read really gave me food for thought. The word has two definitions:

1®a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment

2® an authorized representative or messenger

The reading from 2 Corinthians this morning tells us that this is what we become as we accept Christ in our lives. We are not of this world…our home country is heaven. We have the diplomatic assignment to share the good news of Christ and to help others find their way back to their home country. We are the messengers of Christ authorized by His seal…the blood of the Cross.

We may not be called as ambassadors by this world’s standard but we are not of this world. Our true world, our true citizenship is in heaven. We live by the rules of our host country…the rules of God and how we are to live with each other. We live so that God is honored through our lives so that others may see the goodness of our “home country” and want to become representatives of our country as well.

So…how do we go about being an Ambassador? There is a piece of scripture found in Matthew that tells us how we go about the call in our lives. It is found in chapter 5 verses 13-16. Let me read it and you tell me if it helps you discover how to be an Ambassador for Christ…I am reading from the MSG this morning…”Salt and Light”

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

When we accept the position of being and Ambassador for and of Christ, we become light bearers in and to the world. We need to be Jesus freaks that stand out in the world because we shine bright with the glow of Christ in our lives. We need to stand out with that special flavor of Christ…we have a different essence about us that draws people to the aroma…the fragrance of Christ. As we shine…as we show the colors of God…we may be seen as a Jesus freak…but is that really a bad thing…to show the joy of our salvation to the world?

When we become friends of Jesus, when we begin to be that Jesus freak…our whole life changes. No longer do we think the same as we did before…no longer do we act in ways that we did before we became new. We become a new creation and have a new “job description” in our lives. We need to be Jesus freaks in the world. We need to be that ambassador…that representative for the kingdom of God. If we don’t, how will there be a great light in the world? How can people come out of darkness into the great light of our God and King?

We have an important call…it is even more important than an earthly ambassador. We are ambassadors of the eternal not the temporal. In being so we need to let our light shine and give the flavor of God to the world. It’s not easy in a world that has become used the flavorless way that has been prepared for it but we need to get into the kitchen and start sharing the spice of life, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ in ways that the world has never tasted. We need to be contagious Jesus Freaks...we need to spread our joy and our story and infect the world with the love of Jesus.

How will you use your spiciness to change your world? How will you use the flavor of God to cook up a new thing for the kingdom of God? How will you let your life shine before the world…to be that city on a hill?

We need to become that “Iron Chef” for the world we live in and the world to come. We need to shine like a beacon in the dark showing other the way to safety. We need to be Super-Freaks for Jesus and not care what the temporal world thinks…we don’t belong to that world but to a world that is bright with the colors of God’s grace and love…an eternal world with our God and creator. Are you ready to be different? Are you ready to get your “freak on” for Christ?

Amen

“Adoption at the Cross”

September 15, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 9 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Sonship

Romans 8:15-17 NLT

Galatians 4:1-7 GOD’S WORD

Let us pray… (Pray for the Spirit’s illumination)

A reading from the book of Galatians, chapter 4, verses 1-7…I will be reading from the God’s word Translation. Listen for a word from God to you and me, the people of God.

I love the fact that if a husband and wife really want a child…or another child…and they can’t, they are able to adopt a child. They are able to give this child a new home…a new life…a new family. This child gets to have a new start. A few years ago, Ray and I, with the girls, went up in front of a judge. It was a special day for our family. Ray was adopting Shyanne and Shanequa. The girls would now have the Foss name. The Foss family got a little larger that day. They were adopted, grafted into the Foss family. It was a day of joy and celebration for our families. It is a day I will never forget. Ray was saying out loud that he would be there for them, that he would care for and protect them from harm. Adoption is a way of saying “I choose you to be my child”…I choose you to be my child. What a wonderful feeling to be chosen.

Today we are going to stop into another port as we “Cruise Sacred Waters with Jesus”…the port of Sonship.  Now last week, we visited the port of Discipleship and decided that that was one of the most important ports. Without it the Gospel of grace would never be shared. But this port is one that is important not only to our faith but to our very existence…you see this port is about not only who we are but whose we are. It is a port that was opened one dark night on a hill long ago. It is a port that is all about the grace that flowed down from a Cross on that very same hill. We are adopted and grafted into the family of God because of the Cross of Jesus.

 Jesus began this process long ago while He was on the Cross. Even though He was going to die soon …even though He was in pain…even though there were those around Him mocking Him…at this pivotal time in His ministry…as He was completing His work on earth…Jesus wanted to have His ministry continue through His disciples…His extended family. As Jesus went through His ministry on earth, He spent a lot of time with these disciples. They ate together, slept together, prayed together and healed and cast out demons together to bring healing to those around them. He wanted the family of disciples to grow until there is not one left behind in the final days. This symbolic adoption was a sign of things to come as His disciples, past, present and future would bring about change and healing to the least, the lost and the forgotten. We are adopted and grafted into the family of God because of the Cross of Jesus.

          Ok…so how do we know that this includes us? Well from the Romans scripture we it tells us that we receive the Spirit when God adopts us…when we are grafted into the family of God. We are able to call God a most awesome name “Abba Father”, Abba means daddy, and we can call God Daddy. And not only that we are coheirs with Christ. Now the Scripture didn’t say only a few can become…it says that when we receive the Spirit…when we come before Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. All who believe… Our spirit joins God’s spirit because we are His children.

          The scripture from Galatians also talks about Son…and Daughter…ship. We are God’s children not because we deserve it…not because we earned it…we are children only by His grace that was poured out on all of humanity from the Cross of Jesus. We are no longer slaves but beloved sons and daughters of the Yahweh. We are adopted and grafted into the family of God because of the Cross of Jesus.

Being a disciple of Christ makes us all one family. We are joined together, graphed into, adopted into a royal priesthood and are co-heirs with Christ. We are “indoctrinated” into this family by our baptism when we become one with Christ and one with each other. There…at the cross…in His final moments…Jesus is connecting the dots of what His whole ministry was about. It doesn’t matter if you are Jew or Gentile to receive this coronation…It is through the blood of the Lamb slain, the final sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world that we receive forgiveness, mercy and that crown of life. We are one! We are brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers to each other. Each one with a gift to share…a call to follow…a road to follow, but in order to do so, we need our family’s help, our family that began at a cross. We are adopted and grafted into the family of God because of the Cross of Jesus.

We are all part of God’s design. We are designed to be a family, together, working out our salvation, helping each other along the way. Jesus started the adoption process at the cross on Golgotha’s hill. In the last moments of His life He wanted to ensure his ministry would go on…the ministry of adoption into the royal priesthood. Is there part’s of you today that still hold on to that exclusive crowd instead of the inclusive one? Are there things that you need to let go of in order to begin the healing process in the family? Do you still think that you are not worthy for the family business? I would ask today that you would leave them at the foot of the cross and be embraced by the loving arms of our Risen Lord, hearing him say “welcome home my brother, welcome home my sister, welcome home my mother. I have work for you to do and I will help you do it.”

Amen!!

“Game Time…”

September 8, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 8 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Discipleship

Philippians 3:12-14 the Message Bible

Mark 8:34-38 the Message Bible

Let us pray… (Pray for the Spirit’s illumination of the scriptures and its leading…)

A reading from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8 and we will be looking at verses 3-38 from the Message Bible this morning. Listen for a word from God to you and me the people of God…

Have you ever noticed the trends that are around us? There are trends in clothing, trends in dieting, trends in how we speak, even trends on the type of cell phone we use. There always seems to be trends but most of them end up going back to some trend that was changed long ago. Why do we need to change something if we are only going to go back to it? Seems like a lot of headache to me.

I just can’t keep up with them. Take clothing…I decided long ago that I would dress the way I want to instead of the latest fashion trend. I want to be who I am and not try to be someone I am not. Beside…eventually the fashion trend comes back around and then everyone is dressing like me…

But there is one trend that started a long time ago that has stayed pretty much the same. Humanity has tried to change it but if we…as people of God…follow the root of this trend we will be on the “cutting edge” of this phenomenal trend...this craze. You see the Root of this trend is Jesus Christ and the trend is Discipleship.

Today we are going to stop into another port as we “Cruise Sacred Waters with Jesus”…the port of Discipleship. Now before we begin our tour let’s take a look at the definition of discipleship. By definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and as we become more and more Christ like.

Now how do we do this? Paul stated in the Philippians scripture that he kept his eye on the goal…reaching out for Christ and Paul never turned back to where he came from. We need to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God. In order to do that we need to be in the Word daily—studying it, praying over it, and obeying it… We need to refocus on the Root of the trend in which we have our being.

Now we need to realize one thing…As we focus and follow the leader of this wondrous trend…there will be a cost. Jesus laid His life down so that we can be made free but we need to lay our lives…ourselves aside and follow Him. The scripture from Mark I read this morning sums it up. In order to save ourselves we need to lose ourselves. In order to help saves lives we need to give our lives for others.                                   

Now how can we tell that we are getting our “game on”? We begin to:

1. Put Jesus first in all things®a disciple of Christ needs to be set apart from the world. Our focus changes to our Lord and pleasing Him in every area of our lives. We begin to put off self-centeredness and put on Christ-centeredness. How often do we put Christ first or should I say not put Christ first? Have we lost our focus or are we right on target letting Him lead us…captaining our ship? Are we self-centered or Christ-centered in our lives? It is important to put Christ first if we want to be “mirror images” of who we claim.

2. Follow Jesus' teachings ® we begin to be more obedient children and doers of the Word. Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God and Jesus is the perfect example of obedience as He lived a life on earth of complete obedience to the Father even to the point of death.

3. Become Fruitful ® Now our job is not producing fruit. Our job is to abide in Christ, and if we do, the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit, and this fruit is the result of our obedience. As we become more obedient to the Lord and learn to walk in His ways, our lives will change. The biggest change happens in our hearts. The change is done from the inside out, through the power of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t something we can conjure up on our own. Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in us or are we still sowing our own seeds…seeds of the world…in our garden of our Spirit? The Holy Spirit is what helps us grow but how can it begin to germinate love, joy, peace and mercy if we are still living in our past lives?

4. Show love for other disciples ® we are told that love of other believers is the evidence of our being a member of God's family. Love is defined and elaborated on in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. These verses show us that love is not an emotion; it is action. We must be doing something and be involved in the process. Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

5. Make disciples of others ® we share our faith and tell nonbelievers about the wonderful changes Jesus Christ has made in our lives. No matter where you are on your faith journey, you have something to offer. Too often, we believe the lie from Satan that we don't really know enough or haven't been a Christian long enough to make a difference. Not true! Some of the most enthusiastic representatives of the Christian life are new believers who have just discovered the awesome love of God. They may not know a lot of Bible verses or the "accepted" way of saying things, but they have experienced the love of the living God, and that is exactly what we are to share.

Wow…this port has much to tell us…it is kind of like the “rules and regulations” of being a disciple of Christ. But how well to we play by the rules? Being a disciple of Christ is hard but God never said it would be easy. The only thing God promises is that He will be with us, guiding us in the way we should be.

This is one port that can’t be ignored. This port is essential to the Good News of Christ. If we ignore this port…well then I guess it’s all for nothing because how can God’s kingdom come if people know nothing about the kingdom? We need to get into the game and refocus our Spirits and our minds.

It is Game Time church. It is important that we get our game on and become part of Team Jesus. Every day we should put on the armor of God and our game faces so that we can be in the game of life…eternal life that is. We need to be out there inviting others to join in the game. Let us go forth and play follow the leader with the perfecter of our Faith our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus depending on you and He’s depending on me to win the game. Come…join in the game and become a child again…a child of God who loves to play with abandon the game of life.

Amen

The Love Zone…

September 1, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 7 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Fellowship

1 John 4:7-12 the Message Bible

John 15:11-17 the Message Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Let us pray… (Pray for the Spirit’s illumination)

A reading from the Gospel of John, chapter fifteen verses eleven thru seventeen. (Read the Scripture):

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.  “But remember the root command: Love one another.

Have any of you read or seen some of the Lord of the Rings? I think my favorite on is called “the Fellowship of the Ring.” They all banded together with one cause…to get rid of the “One Ring of Sauron the Dark Lord”…it was a very powerful and evil ring. So they went on this quest together…They knew they could only triumph over evil if they worked together. In the end…they did triumph…not without any difficulties but the stuck together and won the day.

I think I like it so much is because it reminds me of the first church. You see they too came together…with one cause, to share the Good News…and shared everything with each other. They spent much of their time together praying and sharing meals with one another. They cared for one another and even sold all they had so they could share with those in need…those less fortunate than themselves. Unfortunately…humanity went wrong somewhere…I think the essence of fellowship got distorted somehow…Perhaps we…as Christian’s need to get back to the basics of the first church again…Maybe then we will see a shift in the ripple of Christianity.

We are Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus this summer and what and adventure it has been. We had a wonderful time learning about our Captain. We even got rid of some of our ballast rocks as we placed them on the altar. As you can see they are here on the altar to remind us that we put them in God’s hands. Last week…we talked about worship… about how worship is the human response to God’s goodness and mercy…a response to the dance…the music of love that comes from the heart of God for you and for me. As we dance the dance of worship we come together…as a family…as our spirit within us unites with the spirit within others…in fellowship with each other…fellowship is vital for our walk and for our growth in faith. We learn from one another as we share our pilgrimage stories…We share our walk as we fellowship together.

So…what is fellowship? Why do we need to fellowship any way? There is a piece of Scripture in Ecclesiastes that I think is perfect to explain what and why fellowship is good. It is found in chapter 4 verses 9-11. It states that “two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work. And that if either should fall; one can pick up the other.” Then it states “But how miserable are those who fall and don’t have a companion to help them up!” Also, “if two lie down together, they can stay warm. But how can anyone stay warm alone?” I think this is the very essence of fellowship. We need each other, whether we want to admit it or not.

When we live in fellowship…in community…with one another we are able to help each other stand strong in our faith. Each Sunday we gather as a faith community in faith. We share our concerns and celebration with each other and we raise our voices together as we pray. We help each other as we pray for one another and situations and we have all seen the miracles that have come out of our fellowship in prayer. We have all come up beside someone and helped them through a tough time…even if it is just a listening ear.  We enter Gods Love Zone with each other…

Fellowship produces love. From the 1st John this morning, we heard that God is love and love is God and from God. As we begin to “get to know each other” through fellowship…true fellowship…not just the surface stuff that looks good when you are around others but the deep down stuff that bonds us to one another…we begin to see each other with a different set of eyes…God’s eyes…the eyes of love. We begin to love just for the sheer joy of it…our walk becomes one with a “spring in our step” as we twirl and whirl our part in the dance with God and others. It’s all about love…it’s all about relationships…worship is not temporal but relational…as we worship and fellowship with God and each other a “cord is forged” that is not easily broken. God wants us to enter into His Love Zone as we fellowship with each other.

When we Worship and fellowship with one another we, as the John 15 scripture states, becomes friends of Christ…not just a servant but truly friends. Our fellowship with one another helps us to come up beside those around us and work in ministry with one another…we want to work together for the kingdom of God…we want to be that ambassador for Christ in the world…as well as to those that we fellowship with…but the bottom line of this relational experience is love…without it, just isn’t going to happen. Our Love Zone spreads out. Not only are we in it as we fellowship with one another but we offer others the opportunity to join us as we share the Gospel with a hurting world…

We are called…we are meant to be…we need to fellowship with one another. We need to learn with one another. We need to work in ministry with one another. We need to see each other through God’s eyes and not our own distorted vision. We need to seize every opportunity to be that unified body of Christ, serving, learning, growing with the help and guidance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are about to share a Fellowship Meal with each other as we celebrate the Lord’s Table. My question for you and I is this…How have you and I lived our faith out loud…have we spent time with others, learning from each other or have we said “maybe tomorrow”? Have we chosen to fellowship with others or have we done things that have alienated them? Are we living in God’s Love Zone? How will you choose to live…as a “Lone Ranger” our on your own or as a “Fellow Traveler” on this journey of faith and trust? Which will you choose? May we choose warmth of fellowship over the coldness of being alone.

Amen