A Year In Review

December 28, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Worship Theme: New Year

Ecclesiastes 3:1-12 NIV

Revelation 21:1-6 NIV

Read Revelation, chapter 21:1-6…

 I can’t believe how time has flown this year. Here we are almost at the end of the year and a new year approaches. I am sure, as we look back, we can see the good times and the bad times we have been through in the past year. We, as a congregation, have seen changes within our church. We have seen others step up when there was help needed from places we may not have expected. We have seen prayers answered in ways that we never could have imagined. We have seen out attendance grow as we seek to be that light in the community. We have seen new life being born in our church…just to name a few.

We have also seen some tough times. We have seen times when we weren’t quite sure where God was going to lead us. We have seen times when we were worried about the health of some of our saints among us. I think one of the biggest is the loss of many of our Saints within the church.  

But through this all, there is one thing that never changes. We have time and time is a gift from God. There are times when we feel we have too much and times when we feel we don’t have enough. But we have the assurance that our God is the God of time and all things happen within His time frame and not our own. And no matter how we may try to get more time one thing is for sure…time goes on. What we do with it is our choice to make.

We can rest assured that as we go through time our God is always with us. God has a plan for our time and if we trust and obey our time here on earth will glorify Him and not ourselves. As we trust Him for our daily bread we live life abundant. As we let go and let God our lives are transformed into what he intended all along.  

Perhaps if we chose His way and not the highway we will affect a change in the lives around us, not to mention our own lives. Just think of the possibilities… And when we come to the end of our time we will know we spent our time wisely and will here that “well done my good and faithful servant” when we reach our eternal home in the sky. But it takes time…

The scriptures that were read this morning are all about time. They talk about there being a time for everything…about a time when God will make all things new… Time is a precious commodity. As I said, time is a gift from God. We can either work on God’s time or try and work on humanities time span. Listen to what the scriptures from this morning tells us and chose which time line is the best for you, for me, for all of humanity. Which one is a better way to spend our precious time…our extraordinary gift from God…?

Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time for everything. Can you imagine what it must have been like to hear the stories of God’s people from your ancestors? Imagine you are a young child and you are listening to the stories of your people. There were so many ups and downs it was like a rollercoaster. There were good kings and bad kings. There was time of blessings and times of exile and judgment. There were times of weeping and laughter, morning and dancing, kind of like the opening of Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities,” it was the worst of times and the best of times, but within this gift from God the mix of life happens. Good and bad…light and dark…day and night all happen. God has set a time for everything under heaven and in heaven. Time is God’s and God’s alone and our Creator chooses to share it with the created…even within the realities of life.

Revelations talks about a new time to come…a time when God will make everything new. Our God is a God of the new. Life with God never remains the same. It is always moving, changing, perfecting, and morphing into something new. But…it takes time. It is not as if we can change our calendars to January 1 and Boom everything has changed. But as we live our lives…as we “do our time” here on earth…we can believe by faith that God’s word is true and that little by little things are being made new so that we may know the fullness of life even though the various season of life that we go through.

We have been given a set amount of time here on earth. When we show compassion we are feeding the hungry, giving drink to  the thirsty, welcoming that stranger clothing the naked and visiting those in need. It is the compassion…the Christ-like compassion that the “King” notices. With compassion comes kindness, patience, and love for others. What we do with our time has eternal consequences.

We have all heard the phrases and may have even used them “I have no time for that…you’re running out of time…you’re wasting my time…you don’t use your time wisely…thank you for your time”. We are forever trying to have “more time.” But perhaps we need to change what we do with the time we have. Maybe, just maybe, what we do with God’s gift of time needs to be “tweaked a little” in our lives. Perhaps it is not more time that we need and what is needed is to put more “quality” in our time.

We are coming to the end of one year and a new year is dawning on the horizon. What will you do with your new beginning? What will you do with the gift of time shared with you by the Creator? As a matter of fact, each day is a new beginning…a new day dawning for you and for me. What will you do with your new day? Will you squander it on the “me” or use it for the “thee” who gave it to you. To everything there is a season. What will you do with the season that you are in? Will you focus on the time passed or look ahead for the future?  This new time we have been given…this New Year…this gift from God…should be used wisely, in ways that will enhance your relationship with God. How will you celebrate this new day dawning? Will you stay looking in the past or will you boldly go forward, with our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, into a new frontier? Which will you choose? You never know…like Ester, you may be called for a time such as this… Maybe…just maybe…when we choose Christ we will be used to bring glory and honor to the Father. How AWESOME is that?

Let us pray…

God of New Beginnings, we thank you for the year that has past. Even with its rollercoaster ride at times, you were there through it all. Help us to boldly face our new beginnings with the confidence that you will continue to be with us, making everything new. May we have hope for each new day as we sojourn on this journey of life. It is in the name of our Shepherd, Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen.

Just Plain Thankful!

November 23, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus

Sermon 8 of Series:

“I Am the Vine”

Thanksgiving Service

Psalm 95:1-6 CEB

Psalm 107:29-32 CEB

John 15:1-8 CEB

Matthew 7:16-20 CEB

“Just Plain Thankful!”

Let us pray…Pray for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard…

Good morning. Well here we are…I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is only 4 days away. The time has passed so fast. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Easter. Now here we are at the holiday that we give thanks for all that God has done and provided for us. We are at a time when we gather with friends and family to celebrate another year of God’s goodness and mercy.

Over the past couple weeks I have been thinking a lot about how God has provided for me and my family. I have been thinking about how God has been there for me giving me strength and hope. It has been a difficult time with my mom and God has given me so much in order to endure and be that “adult in the room” when I thought that there was no way for me to do that. I am thankful for His mercy and grace. I have hope because through it all Jesus has been with me as I have drawn closer to Him. As long as I have been drawing closer to Him by spending time with Him I have felt ever closer to Him. “For a time such as this” God has prepared me…strengthened me…so that I can be His hands of healing…His feet of purpose…His voice of comfort. As the Psalm that I read this morning resounds…I am just plain thankful that God is the one who is in control and I need not fear…

We, as Christ followers, have a hope and can be thankful that He is always with us. Even in the tough times…those desert times…we can identify with the Psalmist in Psalm 107:29-32:

29 God quieted the storm to a whisper;

    the sea’s waves were hushed.

30 So they rejoiced because the waves had calmed down;

    then God led them to the harbor they were hoping for.

31 Let them thank the Lord for his faithful love

    and his wondrous works for all people.

32 Let them exalt God in the congregation of the people

    and praise God in the assembly of the elders.

So…what happens as we draw closer to Jesus? What are the benefits of staying close to Jesus? Why would we even want to stay close to Jesus? Well…I think one of the benefits of drawing closer to Jesus can be found in His last of the I Am statements in the Gospel of John. Jesus states in John 15:1-8:

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. 6 If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.”

We can be thankful that because of Jesus and His words that are spoken in the assembly of God, as we draw close to Jesus He will draw close to us…as we remain in Jesus He will remain in us. How awesome and faith-giving is that? If we draw close to Jesus…as we turn to Him in those times of trouble He is with us and helping us through. We can feel the presence of the Vine as we work in the vineyard. But if we decide to not remain in Jesus…well, we can do nothing…we dry up and wither just like the branch of a tree does if it is cut from the strong, life giving trunk…

Jesus also states in Matthew 7:16-20:

16“You will know them by their fruit. Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore, you will know them by their fruit.”

We are known by our fruit…people know that we are disciples of Christ by what we do and say. We are given the name Christian because we act and speak as Christ.

This reminds me of something that Rick Hill said in our Thanksgiving letter about the Saints of this church. These saints lived their lives on and in the vine of Jesus. They showed others who Christ is by the lives that they lived. These are the ones who made Stetson Memorial UMC what it is… a hope and life giving church. We owe a debt of thanks to God and to them because of their service and love.

We are all saints in Christ but these saints stood out in the world in which they lived and still live. They have left us a legacy to continue the good work and bear fruit that they began so long ago. They gave their tithes and their service to Christ so that His work could be continued. As we remain in the vine we become so thankful that we too want to produce good fruit…we too want to leave a legacy to those who are with us and those who will come after us. As the world sees us producing good fruit they will give thanks to God for His goodness and mercy in and through us.

But…there are many “disciples of Jesus” who don’t produce that fruit that lasts. They produce worldly fruit in their lives instead of eternal fruit that gives glory to God. They have forgotten the legacy that was left to them from the saints in their own lives. They have broken away from the vine and now are withering in the chaos of the world. They may think that they are producing fruit of heaven but in reality they are producing the rotten fruit of the world. Like all fruit…one bad piece can make the whole bunch go bad. That is why when we find the bad fruit we throw it out to preserve the good that is left…

We have so much to be thankful for. We are thankful to God for all that He has done…is doing…and will do in the future in our lives. We can be thankful to the saints that have gone before us who have showed us how to produce that fruit that lasts. We can be thankful that they remained in the vine…remained in Jesus…and gave of their lives so that others may have. We can be thankful of their gift of faith that they shared in a world full of chaos and hopelessness. And we can show our thankfulness by taking their example in life and life it out in our own.

Life on the Vine may be hard…and we may be asked to do things that may cause us fear of the unknown but as we remain in the Vine we are provided for with abundance. How do you want to be remembered? As one who gave or one who took? What will we do with the legacy that was left for us? These are tough decisions but they are ones that have to be made. Perhaps as we remember those saints in our lives we will be encouraged to model our lives as they did. Maybe, just maybe, if we, as disciples of Christ, begin to live more fully on the Vine we too will be remembered for our fruit we produced in our lives and for the lives of others. Just think about the lives we would live as we lived a fruitful life on the vine being nourished and cared for by the Master Gardner our God and King. Let us leave a legacy for those who come after us…a legacy that can only be found living on and through the Vine of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. My question to you today is this. What will you and I be remembered for? The choice is ours to make. What will you choose?

Let us pray…pray about living in and on the Vine…

Amen!

Show Me the Way...

November 9, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus

Sermon 7 of Series:

“I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life”

John 14:1-17 NIV Bible

Acts 4:12 NIV Bible

“Show Me The Way…”

Let us pray…Pray for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard…

Each time we come together for church, we spend our time praising God for what He has done through Jesus Christ. We praise God for how He is involved in our lives. We spend time in prayer with one another thanking Him for how we have seen what He has done in our lives and in the lives of others. We bring our joys and our sorrows to God as we pray for ourselves and for others. It is a time when we are able to be there for one another in their sorrow and despair. We comfort one another with our prayers and our hugs we may give to each other. When we are lost…we can be found within our church communities…

Now I want you to picture this…Jesus’ followers felt as if there world was falling apart. They felt lost…with no direction. They must have been afraid because the One who had showed them by example how to live their lives was not going to be there anymore. Jesus has just told them that He was leaving and they couldn’t come with Him. As they are in their time of despair and sorrow, Jesus speaks words of peace and then makes a statement that just astounds them. I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life…

We are continuing that Season where we begin to journey towards a manger…the Season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. As prepare for the pilgrimage we are looking at the seven “I Am” statements that Jesus made while He walked among us. I pray that as we do, we will realize what really happened that day, how that one day changed the tide of sin and death. You see…it’s all about the name and what goes along with that very same name…not just who a person is but also what that name implies.

We have talked about the name I Am and that Jesus, the Great I Am, is always with us even when we don’t feel His presence with us in those times when we feel we are walking in a dark tunnel and not seeing the light at the end. Jesus is The Bread of Life and Jesus fills us spiritually so that we never will hunger again for those Spiritual things that we need for our faith walk. He is “The Light of the World” giving us light for the journey. He is “”The Gate” that keeps us safe in the pasture of His love and grace. Being the perfect gate…Jesus truly is “The Good Shepherd” who shepherds us with His love and peace. We came to the realization that Jesus is also the Resurrection and the Life last week and it is through Him that we rise again and have life eternal. It is He who is the Way, the Truth and the Life…

In the scripture I read this morning, Jesus states that He is “The Way, the Truth and the Life” that no one comes to the Father except through Him. What does that mean to and for all believers Jesus? What that means is that there is no other way into the presence of God. It means that by accepting Jesus’ death and resurrection, we believe that the payment has been made in full for our sins. Peter tells us in Acts 4:12 that Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. It means that Jesus is the only remedy that has been provided for the forgiveness of sin. He is the only Way to eternal Life. This is the Truth of God’s Word… There is Hope in Jesus.

Now… some people may think that we, as Christ followers, may be a little narrow minded as we proclaim that Jesus is the only way to God. But…this is how I see it. It is only by living the way that Jesus taught and exampled that we live in the truth that he taught and still teaches by the Holy Spirit given to us that we can have that eternal life that is promised to all who believe…just saying…

Looking back at the scripture this morning is where we can find such hope. Jesus tells us what He will be doing while He us away. He is preparing a room for us so that we can be with Him in Heaven. As He is preparing this room for us He is also preparing us to be with Him. As we follow His way and believe in the truth He taught we are being prepared daily to be with Him…to have that life He offers us…life eternal. We are being prepared to be with Him as we use our gifts and talents for God’s glory…doing what Jesus did and even greater things that we have been prepared to do since the foundation of the world…

So now…with all this being said…how do you want to live your life? Jesus offers us a better way to live our lives. It is by following His ways that we learn the truth of the Gospel of Grace. As we live into that truth, we will do what He did when He walked among us…even greater things that have been prepared for us to do. And through this living and knowing we are given eternal life in that room He is preparing for you and me. So what will it be? Will we live a life that is lived out in truth or a life that is lived out in the lies and deception of the world? Maybe if humanity started living in truth instead of chaos and deception there really could be a change in the truth in which we live. Perhaps if we prayerfully decide to follow Christ we would see the truth that sets us free. Free to live a life of love…free to live a life of hope…free to live the life the Way…the Truth and the Life…our Risen Lord Jesus Christ intended for His disciples to follow all the long. Maybe…just maybe…perhaps we would do all those things that were prepared for us in Christ Jesus long ago…Think about the kind of life that would be…

Pray about Jesus being the Way, the Truth and the Life…

Amen!

Rise Again

November 2, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus

Sermon 6 of Series:

“I Am the Resurrection”

John 11:17-27 the Message Bible

http://www.churchyear.net/allsaints.html

“Rise Again”

Let us pray…Pray for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard…

Today we celebrate All Saints Day. It is a day that we celebrate those saints among us and those who have gone before us. Now let me give you a little history about All Saint Day. (From: http://www.churchyear.net/allsaints.html)

“It is when the Catholic Church and some Protestant churches commemorate every saint, known and unknown. The concept of All Saints Day is connected to the doctrine of The Communion of Saints. This is the concept that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification (called Purgatory in the West), are spiritually connected and united. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians (and some Protestants) believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. Remember, our connection with the saints in heaven is one grounded in a tight-knit communion. The saints are not divine, nor omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our common communion with and through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians.

Remembering and honoring the saints are beneficial practices, because to remember the heroes of the faith and follow their examples are good things. Many Christians seem to strongly oppose remembering and celebrating the lives of great Christian men and women, yet have no problem celebrating the lives of secular heroes like George Washington. All Saints Day is kind of like a Christian Memorial Day or Presidents Day, a day to celebrate the lives of all the great heroes of the Christian faith, and to celebrate the deep communion we have with them. While celebrating secular heroes is admirable, how much more admirable is celebrating those who fully dedicated their lives to Christ!”

Our church knows a lot about the saints. We have had many go before us in the past year and we may have our own questions of what happens after we die. We may be asking if there really is a resurrection of life. We may be asking if there is really anything after life. It has been hard and we may find ourselves losing hope as we have seen one after another go on to glory. But Jesus has given us the answers to our questions. You see He is the Resurrection and the Life.

We have entered into the Season that we begin to journey towards a manger…the Season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. As prepare for the pilgrimage we are looking at the seven “I Am” statements that Jesus made while He walked among us. My prayer is that as we do, we will realize what really happened that day, how that one day changed the tide of sin and death. It’s all about the name and what goes along with that very same name…not just who a person is but also what that name implies.

We have talked about the name I Am and that Jesus, the Great I Am, is always with us even when we don’t feel His presence with us in those times when we feel we are walking in a dark tunnel and not seeing the light at the end. Jesus is The Bread of Life and Jesus fills us spiritually so that we never will hunger again for those Spiritual things that we need for our faith walk. He is “The Light of the World” giving us light for the journey. He is “”The Gate” that keeps us safe in the pasture of His love and grace. Being the perfect gate…Jesus truly is “The Good Shepherd” who shepherds us with His love and peace. Jesus is also the Resurrection and the Life. It is through Him that we rise again and have life eternal.

In the scripture I read this morning, Jesus said the He is “the Resurrection and the Life” but what does that mean to believers? What that means is that through Him we may die but we will have life with Him in paradise…in heaven. Now does that mean we will never die? Certainly not…at least the death we may think…that death that leads to nothingness. It means that though we may die to our earthly bodies, we will live eternal with Him.

The life we now live with Christ is one with promise. The life we live now gives us hope since we have accepted His invitation to new life. When we accept that invitation we die to self, we die to the life we once lived in order to live out that new life in Christ. We know that we WILL have life eternal with Him because we have the hope of His promise. Can you imagine living your life not knowing what the future holds? Can you imagine living life thinking that “this is it…it is all there is…”? We have hope about our death and the life beyond. Not just for us but for all the saints before and after us. Can you imagine losing a loved one and not know that there is a hope in their “afterlife”?

We may have all suffered some kind of death in our life. The loss of a job, the end of a life that we are living, a situation that seems impossible, the list goes on. But…but…we may have also seen new life come from something we thought was dead. I am reminded of a scene in one of the Harry Potter Movies. It is one where Harry is talking to a Phoenix and all of the sudden it burst into flames. Now he is all upset because he thought he did something to cause it. He is happy when he is told that the phoenix must die in order to be reborn. His face lights up as he sees the phoenix begin to rise out of the ashes. What ashes are you sitting in waiting for Jesus to rise you up out of?

In the scripture Jesus does something that gives us hope. Before Jesus here talks about eternal life in John 3:16, “Anyone who believes in Me will not perish but have eternal life”, but here, Jesus provides more detail saying that even though a believer experiences physical death, he will still have life. He is referring to those who die in faith. Here Jesus id confirming that the single qualification…the single thing that has to be done, for eternal life is to believe that His death paid the entire cost for our sins…

Today we celebrate All Saints Sunday…we celebrate those saints that have gone before us as well as the ones we still have. Jesus’ words of hope are perfect for a Sunday like this…I Am the resurrection and the Life…those who believe in me though they die they will have eternal life… May we go forth as the Saints of this world bringing it the hope and joy that it so richly needs. May we bring wholeness and healing to those who are morning their  “death situation”. May we rise above the ashes of life into new life. May we have the persistence of the Saints as we usher in a new way of life…one that brings life out of death. May we proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection and the Life…our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Pray about Jesus being the Resurrection and the Life…

Amen!

Goodness and Love

October 26, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus

Sermon 5 of Series:

“I Am the Good Shepherd”

John 10:11-16 The Message Bible

“Goodness and Love”

Let us pray…Pray for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard…

When I met and married my husband Ray, my whole world changed. God had given me someone who would take care of the girls and I and it was awesome. Before having him in our lives, I spent my life taking care of the girls and making sure they had everything they needed and some of their wants, but to me there seemed to be something missing. When God brought us together I was able to name what it was that was missing. I was missing someone in my life that would take care of me…someone who I felt safe and secure with…someone who would be my “champion” when I just couldn’t do it myself.

Now if any of you truly know Ray, you would know what he is like. He is pretty easy going but when something or someone comes against or threatens his family…well let me just say, “watch out”. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure his family is safe and taken care of. God has given me…and the girls… a vision…an example…of what it looks like when we are cared for by another person who will protect us through thick or thin…even to the point of death.

We, as the body of Christ, have entered into the Season that we begin to journey towards a manger…the Season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. You see…Jesus is the Savior of the world but He is so much more than that. As prepare for the pilgrimage we are looking at the seven “I Am” statements that Jesus made while He walked among us. My prayer is that as we do, we will realize what really happened that day, how that one day changed the tide of sin and death. It’s all about the name and what goes along with that very same name…not just who a person is but also what that name implies.

We have talked about the name I Am and that Jesus, the Great I Am, is always with us even when we don’t feel His presence with us in those times when we feel we are walking in a dark tunnel and not seeing the light at the end. OK, so we have talked about how Jesus is The Bread of Life and about how Jesus fills us spiritually and that we never will hunger again for those Spiritual things that we need for our faith walk. And we have even talked about how Jesus gives light for our journey…He is “The Light of the World”. Jesus hems us in…He is “”The Gate” that keeps us safe in the pasture of His love and grace. Jesus…being the perfect gate…truly is “The Good Shepherd” who shepherds us with His love and peace.

Now we have talked about shepherds many times before. But sheep teach us so much about the love and care that Jesus gives us. You see, shepherds in the ancient world and probably even today with some of them had a close relationship with their sheep. They were raised like members of the family and even given names. They were showered with love and affection, just as their children were. Because of this, the sheep would follow the shepherd when they called them. They knew that they were loved, protected and fed by the shepherd. They felt secure and satisfied when they kept close to the shepherd.

Jesus is the ultimate shepherd. He calls to His sheep…He calls to you and to me wanting us to follow Him…wanting us to come to Him for protection and love. Jesus wants to feed us not as the world would feed us on things that don’t last but on things that are eternal. As we keep close to the Good Shepherd we begin to recognize His voice above all the noise, confusion and chaos of the world. We are showered with love and affection because we are dearly loved children of the Most High God. How truly awesome and good is the Good Shepherd…He loved us and proved it by a very tangible way…

In the scripture I read this morning, there are several places verses 11, 15 as well as verses 17-18, in which Jesus states that the Good shepherd Lays down his life for the sheep of His sheepfold… He laid down His life…He lays down His life daily for His sheep. It’s all about Jesus’ sacrificial laying down of His life for all of humanity. How does that make you feel about Jesus? Could He be that perfect person to trust you life with? Could Jesus be your Shepherd leading you into the good pasture as He guards the entrance with His own body and blood? No one made Him. Jesus didn’t have to do this…Jesus chose to do this for you and for me.

There are many who respond in different ways to Jesus’ invitation…to His shepherding. Some just ignore it. Some think it is “to good to be true”. Some think there must be some kind of loop hole…some kind of “bait and switch” going on. But there are others that embrace Jesus’ invitation to come through the narrow gate and live life abundantly. Maybe…just maybe…if we trust and believe we can truly enter that “land flowing with milk and honey” that God promises those who believe. Perhaps if we just stop thinking like the world and walk by faith we will truly live the life we so desperately want. But it begins with surrendering and trusting our lives to the Shepherd of our souls.

Now…just like sheep…we too can wander away at times. Life kind of gets us all turned around and we have trouble finding the path that we were on. The world is full of the siren song…come this way and you will be happy…go that way and have life abundant…follow me and your will find true happiness. But when we decide to go back…when we finally come to our senses…when we are “clothed again and in our right minds”…Jesus is there to welcome us back. Just as the shepherd who found the lost sheep and threw a party because it was found…heaven too has a party and there is great rejoicing when we find our way back into the pasture of peace and joy. But we must enter through the Gate Keeper…the Good Shepherd found in our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is the ultimate provider of all we need. Jesus is the One Shepherd who Will and has lain down His life for the sheep of His flock.

So…what’s it going to be? What are you going to choose? Who shall be your shepherd? As a matter of fact if we are already part of the flock what are we going to do with the knowledge of the last part of the scripture I read this morning? “You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd.” Have you wandered away from the Shepherd of your life? Do you know someone who needs to find a Shepherd to lead them to a life full of abundance and love?  Are you willing to offer others what you have been so freely given so they too can live a life of joy?

Listen…can you hear the Shepherd calling you back home? Can you hear His voice in the distance? Is He asking you to go out and find His lost ones so that they too can find peace for their own journey of life? Is He asking you to share His Light for the journey? Is He asking you to bring others to the Gate of protection? Is He looking for your help to bring others to the banquet to feast on the Bread of Life? Share the light, bread, protection and peace that are found in our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. You will never be sorry you did…

Pray about The Good Shepherd, shepherding us through life…

Amen!

The Straight and Narow

October 12, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus

Sermon 4 of Series:

“I Am the Gate”

John 10:1-9 CEB

Matthew 7:13-14 CEB

“The Straight and Narrow”

Let us pray…Pray for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard…

Have you ever been in a place where you felt completely at peace…you felt protected and loved? We may feel that within our families or we may feel it at a certain place. When I have gone to Rolling Ridge, down in Lawrence, Ma, I feel that peace that goes beyond understanding.

As soon as I get there and step out of my car it feels as if I have stepped on Holy Ground and it almost makes me weep. I feel loved, protected, and safe…I feel the presence of God there watching over me. There is no other place I want to be at that moment in time. The world outside that has it’s siren voice is quieted, even if just for a short time. The world pulls us in so many directions and there are so many roads to follow. There is this narrow entrance there that you have to go through in order to get to the guest house and as soon as I go through it seems as if everything changes in my heart and in my mind…it is more peaceful and calm.

We have entered into the Season that we begin to look forward to the manger…the Season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus is the Savior of the world but He is so much more than that. As we have been preparing to welcome in the babe in the manger, we have been looking at the seven “I Am” statements that Jesus made while He walked among us. My prayer is that as we do, we will realize what really happened that day, how that one day changed the tide of sin and death. It’s all about the name and what goes along with that very same name…not just who but what that name implies.

Now we have talked about how Jesus is The Bread of Life and about how Jesus fills us spiritually and that we never will hunger again for those Spiritual things that we need for our faith walk. We have talked about the name I Am and that Jesus, the Great I Am, is always with us even when we don’t feel His presence with us in those times when we feel we are walking in a dark tunnel and not seeing the light at the end. And we have even talked about how Jesus gives light for our journey…He lights our way even in those times when we don’t see Him… Jesus even hems us in…He keeps us safe within the pasture of life…

The John Scripture I read this morning reminds me of the 23^rd Psalm. It reminds me of the 2^nd verse as it states “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” You see…shepherds would protect the sheep from all danger and take them to a place where they would be safe. In the sheepfold, they could rest for the night and be safe from the attacks of wild beasts. The shepherd could also sleep, yet he was willing to lay his life down to protect the sheep and be subject to harm, instead of letting the sheep be in danger. In certain times of the year, the shepherd would lead his sheep away from the village to green pastures where the feeding was better. 

While they were away, the sheep were kept in temporary sheepfolds of brush, mud, a cave, or other type sheepfold.  In this instance, the shepherd would guard the entry to the sheepfold and lay down in front of the only entrance, to be as the one door to the sheepfold and keep out all harm.

Jesus is that Gate for us. Salvation is found in and through Him…the Gate to the kingdom and no one…I repeat no one…can enter unless they go through the Gate Keeper. As the sheep…as we enter through Him we have freedom to come and go as we please as we are in a place of peace in the midst of plenty…kind of like those sheep who were lead to a place where the feeding was better. We can either feed on what the world has to offer or we can enter through the Gate to feed on goodness and mercy all the days of our lives…

We live in a world that offers us a wide area in which to enter. There is a wide variety of ways to go and the entrance has a big neon sign that says “enter through here…it is a much easier way to go because it is a wide road that you are invited to travel on…” But Jesus tells us of a much narrower road that isn’t easy at times but leads to a life of protection…a life where the Shepherd is able to keep you safe.

In Matthew 7:13-14, we hear of this better way to go. Jesus tells us to “Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.” Jesus is offering us a road that is straight but is also narrow.

Going down that wide road is much easier. We won’t have to set ourselves apart from the world. We won’t have to “Love others as Jesus loved and loves us”. We won’t have to stand up for the gospel and can just “go along to get along”. But Jesus asks us to consider the cost of the wide road that leads to destruction verses that narrow road that leads to life…life abundant.

Jesus is the Gate and He will protect us as we enter in through the true Gate. The world outside the sheepfold is where the wolves lie in wait, but we are to take the gospel message out into the highways and byways, as 'salt and light.'  Jesus said, "behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." 

At times the path to reach sinners may be rough and dangerous, but with the Lord going before us and leading the way, we will find safety and pasture. Those who enter through Jesus find life, which means we all begin on the outside and need to enter through him. We are all sheep in need of a shepherd, just as we all, like the man born blind, are in need of the light. As we enter through Jesus, the Gate, we carry His light within us and are to carry that light into the world.

So…which gate will you enter through? Will it be the wide Highway that leads to who knows where or through the Narrow Gate by which we know that we will be protected and have an abundant life? Will you and I be light bearers to the world or will we let that light dim so we can “fit in”? The choice is ours to make…which will you choose?

Pray about entering through the true Gate…

Amen!

Light For Our Eyes

October 12, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus

Sermon 3 of Series:

“I Am the Light of the World”

John 8:12 CEB

John 12:35-36 CEB

Matthew 5:14-16 CEB

“Here I Am To Worship” by Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVqR6kTu8lE

“Light For Our Eyes”

Let us pray…Pray for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard…

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness

Open my eyes, let me see

Beauty that made this heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

Have you ever been in a Fun House? Man they are creepy! You are walking in this dark place and then all of the sudden something jumps out at you. It is so dark in there. You can hardly see where you are going. Growing up all my friends wanted to go into the Fun House at carnivals.  I would go just because my friends wanted to go but boy was I scared. The dark can seem very scary at times. Not knowing if something is going to come out and grab you or something. I hate it when I am in a dark place. I always bump into something every time.

How about when you may be in a dark place on your faith walk? You don’t know what is around the corner and you feel pretty small in this “valley of the shadow of death.” When you are in this dark place it may feel as if the sun will never shine again giving you light for your path. Where can we find that light so that we won’t bump into things in the dark of the night?

We have entered into the Season that we begin to look forward to the manger…the Season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus is the Savior of the world but He is so much more than that. As we have been preparing to welcome in the babe in the manger, we have been looking at the seven “I Am” statements that Jesus made while He walked among us. My prayer is that as we do, we will realize what really happened that day, how that one day changed the tide of sin and death. It’s all about the name and what goes along with that very same name…not just who but what that name implies.

Last week we talked about how Jesus is The Bread of Life and about how Jesus fills us spiritually and that we never will hunger again for those Spiritual things that we need for our faith walk. We have talked about the name I Am and that Jesus, the Great I Am, is always with us even when we don’t feel His presence with us in those times when we feel we are walking in a dark tunnel and not seeing the light at the end. But we do have that light that shines on our walk…Jesus is The Light of the World…

Now I don’t know about you but I hate those dark times. They seem to go on forever. When I think of darkness I think of something that is scary and I feel lost and alone. When I think of darkness I am reminded of those times when I have walked through that valley looking for that light at the end of the tunnel and hoping it is not a freight train heading my way. But even in those times, we can have hope…we can have faith that we really don’t walk alone and that dawn will break forth again in our lives…by faith we can walk with faith, not by sight.

So why do we have this faith in those dark, dreary times? Well, from the John 8 and 12 scriptures that I read this morning we can walk with assurance of hope for the future. Jesus said…and still says today...I am the light of the world. When we follow Him we will not walk in darkness but will have light…His light…to pave the way for us. Jesus says that when we walk in the dark we do not know where we are going but…but…when we believe in the light we become people whose path is determined by that very same light.

When we walk in darkness it is pretty scary. We feel lost and alone. We feel as if the night will never end. We can feel that there is no hope. But even then we can have faith that Jesus is with us. Are you walking through a dark desert place right now? Well…the light of Jesus is there…just waiting for you to take hold of it and let it light your way…just believe…

King of all days, oh, so highly exalted

Glorious in heaven above

Humbly You came to the earth You created

All for love's sake became poor

So…if we believe in the light…we believe that Jesus is that light…we believe in the Light that came from Heaven…God’s Light…the Light that illuminates our walk…our journey on this celestial ball…if we believe that we never walk alone…what are we to do with that belief? What is our commission…our calling regarding this wonderful Light…what are we to do with this wondrous Light of Life? There is a scripture that tells us what happens and what we are to do with this light that we profess. It is found in Matthew 5 verses 14-16…listen to what the Word of God tells us about this heavenly light…

Matthew 5:14-16 Common English Bible (CEB)

14 You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.

We are to let our light shine for all to see.  There are people around us that are walking in darkness and they need this life giving Light to shine on their lives so that their paths can be lit with the Light above all lights… is their someone that you know…someone in your life…that needs this Light that dispels all darkness? Then let your light shine for them so they too can find light in the dark recesses of their lives… We are to let the Light of Jesus shine in and through us…sort of like how a Light House shines the light for sailors to find the safe way into the harbor we too can shine so that others can find a place to let down their anchor and be safe.

Beloved children of the Most High God…we have a mission…we have been given a charge…we have been commissioned to show our light. God is at work today as he has always been. God wants to bring those who walk in darkness to His glorious light. But how can those who are blind see if they are walking in the Fun House of the world?

And here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

This is part of our Worship of God…to believe and to share that light of Lights…To testify about the goodness of the Light…

I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

I'll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

But…but…this Light came at a great Cost to the world. It cost God the life of His Son…our Risen Lord Jesus Christ…How awesome is that love for you and me…for all of humanity… There is world out there that still walks in darkness. What will you and I do to bring light to an other wise dark hopeless existence? Maybe…just maybe we can make that change from dark to light in someone else’s life. Perhaps when we begin to realize the depth…the height…the expanse of God’s love for us we will shine even brighter. Let us go forth in the Light of Christ and light our world.

(Video by Kathy Tricoli)

Let us pray…pray for Christ’s followers to be the Light for the World…