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…