January 1, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
New Year’s Day
Sermon Series:
“Becoming You…”
Adapted from Marcia McPhee’
“Who Are You?” Sermon Series
Psalm 8 NKJV
Revelation 21:1-6 CEB
Ephesians 3:1-12 CEB
Matthew 2:9-10 NIV
“Let’s Do This…”
Prayer that God’s Word is heard through me or
in-spite of me…
Good
morning. Have you ever been so psyched to do something that you are all pumped
up? You are so excited that you can’t even sleep. It is something that you have
wanted to do or so long and now you have your opportunity to do so. I love the
Home Depot commercials where people are going to Home Depot and getting the
stuff they need to complete a project around the home. The phrase that catches
my attention is when they say “Let’s do this.” I think that this year this will
be my “mantra” … Let’s Do This!
Happy
New Year! I pray that all of you had an awe-inspired Christmas and that you
would have a God breathed New Year. It is nice though, having the holiday’s
behind us. I can have a chance to slow down a little and breath in…well at least for the next 9 weeks before
Lent begins.
Back
to the let’s do this statement. In the Christian calendar, today is Epiphany
Sunday. The day we celebrate the Magi coming to visit Jesus… I wonder how they
must have felt? They were so excited to see His star and they traveled from a
faraway distant land. They finally were able see the new born king that was
foretold by the prophets. Listen to what Matthew 2:9-10 says about their
emotions upon finding Jesus.
“After they had heard the king,
they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of
them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the
star, they were overjoyed.”
Their “Let’s Do This” brought them to a place
of awe and wonder…they followed God’s star and discovered and unimagined joy.
Each time we enter into a new year I always
think of Revelation 21:1-6. It reminds me of God’s promise and gives me hope of
“Maybe this year.” It reads:
New heaven and new earth
21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former
earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride
beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne
say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and
they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will
wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no
mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5
Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He
also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then
he said to me, “All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and
the end. To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring.
This piece of scripture makes we want to do
something in the here and now… This piece of scripture makes me say “let’s do
this”…Let’s make a difference in other’s lives…Let’s help those who are
mourning, in pain, crying… Let’s bring them to God’s dwelling place so that god
may dwell with them too.
Now you may say to yourself…well that’s all fine and
good for you Pastor Ruth but I am not so sure this “Let’s do this” mantra is
going to work for me…I’m just not cut out to “do it.” You know what…neither was
I. But the grace of God came upon me and I stand here before you now because of
it. But you still may not be convinced of the whole “Let’s
do this thing” … Ok…let’s hear a word from Paul that kind of tells us that we
all really do need to “Do This”… now as I read this scripture I want you to
insert your name when I say Paul … I am reading Ephesians 3:1-12…
Paul, apostle to the
Gentiles
3
This is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles.
2
You’ve heard, of course, about the responsibility to distribute God’s grace,
which God gave to me for you, right? 3 God showed me his secret plan in a
revelation, as I mentioned briefly before (4 when you read this, you’ll
understand my insight into the secret plan about Christ). 5 Earlier generations
didn’t know this hidden plan that God has now revealed to his holy apostles and
prophets through the Spirit. 6 This plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs
and parts of the same body, and that they would share with the Jews in the
promises of God in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I became a servant of the
gospel because of the grace that God showed me through the exercise of his
power.
8
God gave his grace to me, the least of all God’s people, to preach the good
news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 9 God sent me to
reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God,
who created everything. 10 God’s purpose is now to show the rulers and powers
in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church.
11 This was consistent with the plan he had from the beginning of time that he
accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Christ we have bold and
confident access to God through faith in him.”
“about
the responsibility to distribute God’s grace, which God gave to me for you” We have a responsibility to distribute God’s
grace…to share our stories of faith. We are given grace to share grace…
“This
plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs and parts of the same body, and that
they would share with the Jews in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through
the gospel” We are to share
the fact that within God’s plan, through Jesus, we too have the same promises
of old…
“God
gave his grace to me, the least of all God’s people, to preach the good news
about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 9 God sent me to
reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God,
who created everything” We are to be
the ambassadors of God to the world…from our homeland which is not of this
world… We are to share the Good News…
This all can be very hard when we may not know who
we are in Christ Jesus. Who are we really…how does God equip us…what
are we supposed to do…? I propose this for us. Let’s look at who we are. Let’s
take a deep journey into these questions and more. Let’s see what
transformation happens as we become who God says we are and not who the world
thinks we are.
In
2017 let’s do this…let’s have “More saving. More doing.” …as home depot states.
This journey begins with its first steps today. Are you willing to become you?
Well then “Let’s Do This” together. Let’s do this for the One who is the
Messiah…the Savior…the child in a manger…our Risen Lord, Jesus Christs.
Amen
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