I Say A Little Prayer For You

May 17, 2015

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 4 in Sermon Series

“Five Marks of a Christian”

Adapted from: “Five Marks of a Methodist”

By Steve Harper

Matthew 6:5-13 NIV

Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV

I Say A Little Prayer For You!

Prayer for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

The moment I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I say a little prayer for you

While combing my hair, now

And wonder what dress to wear, now

I say a little prayer for you

When I was growing up, my mom taught me many things…some good and some not so good. But the one thing she instilled in me was that I could and should pray to God when things were going bad in my life. I was taught that I could find comfort in those times and that God was always there to listen to what was troubling me and He would help me in those times of adversity. When all else fails…pray… When all else fails…pray…

But the problem with that is that I never really built a relationship with God. I would come to Him in prayer expecting Him to fix all my problems. It was almost like He was the “Candy Man’ and He would give me or help me in my times of trouble. It wasn’t until much later that I built a relationship with God and prayed in good times and in bad. Now people call me to pray for them because they know that I pray on and in all situations with prayers that can move mountains. It is because of my relationship with God…my trust in God…my belief that He hears my prayers…that I am able to pray without ceasing…until there is an answer from heaven.

With this type of theory in life, my mom grew to believe that God was too busy to help or that her problem wasn’t important enough for God to help her. Unfortunately she never really had that real relationship with God that we are called to have with Him. There are many people out there that still have that assumption in life and miss out on the richness of His grace.

We have begun our journey of looking at the five things…five ways…that we can see that we are “being changed by the story” of Easter. I have adapted this Sermon Series from a book written by Steve Harper that is titled “Five Marks of a Methodist: The Fruit of a Living Faith.” But this book is not just for “Methodist”, it is for all who follow Christ. It gives five distinct ways to tell…to visually see…that you are being “changed by the story”, not just reading it.

The five ways are as follows:

A “Christian” not just Methodist:

1.   Loves God

2.   Rejoices in God

3.   Gives Thanks

4.   Prays Constantly

5.   Loves Others

         

We have talked about the fact that “we love God” and that it is not just a fleeting love but a love that encompasses all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will be. It is what drives us in our relationship with Him. The more we are in love with Him the more we want to know Him. And the more we know Him the more we want of Him in our lives.

We have discovered that not only do we love God but we rejoice in Him. Not just simply rejoice in Him but rejoice in Him from the bottom of our feet to the tops of our heads. How can we not…look at all that He has given us in our lives…look at all that He has done in our lives and the lives of others. Now that’s reason to truly rejoice.

Giving thanks to God is another way to tell we are living the Easter life. Giving thanks is so important because as we do, we don’t forget that it is God who gives us all that we have. It is God who grows us. It is God who has given us our talents so that we can use them to further His kingdom here on earth.

The next sign is that we pray continually. In the good and bad times we pray to God and build a relationship of love and trust with Him. As we pray without ceasing, we see that God does answer pray and that He does care. I have seen so many answered prayers here at our church. There are many who are “prayer warriors” and all it takes is a call from someone who needs prayer and they go right into action. They don’t just say I’ll pray for you...they actually do it…

          How do we know how to pray? Is there some kind of formula that guides us in prayer? Is there a right or wrong way to pray? We can glean the answer for these questions from the Matthew scripture I read this morning. Jesus’ disciples wanted their teacher to teach them to pray. They saw Him on many occasions going away alone to pray. They wanted to know what He knew. So He gave them an example of how not to pray.

The people of the temple would go out and pray these long prayers that had no real meaning behind them. They just prayed lots of words that were kind of hollow so to speak. Then He gave them not only the perfect prayer to pray but told them the right state of heart to pray in. they didn’t need all kinds of fancy words to pray to God. They could just go to God and pray from their hearts. We too don’t need all kinds of fancy words or to pray for hours at a time. All we need to do is to pray from our hearts to God…that’s it…that’s the formula for prayer…

I run for the bus, dear

While riding I think of us, dear

I say a little prayer for you

At work, I just take time

And all through my coffee break-time

I say a little prayer for you

One of my favorite pieces of scripture tells us how important prayer is. It is one of the tools in our arsenal for our work in God’s vineyard. It is found in Ephesians 6, verses 10-20. Listen to what it says about prayer and its importance in our lives as Christ followers…

Read the Ephesians Scripture…

We are to pray without ceasing for one another. We are to pray continually for those who are in need.          As we suit up with God’s armor, we are not to forget that it is within our relationship with God…our continual conversation with God…that we are strongest. It is within our prayer life that we are able to fight off whatever the enemy has to offer us. WE actually help others grow in their trust and love of God as we pray for them and they see the answered prayer in their own life.

We are connected to Jesus as the branches of the vine in which He is the One who gives nourishment and without the vine we are nothing. We are no longer servants but friends of the One who gave His life for us. We have gone from servants to sons and daughters of the Most High God… Even our earthly friendships require communication and communion…being with one another…so it is also with our heavenly relationship. You see…as we love God we will rejoice in Him. As we rejoice in Him we will give thanks to Him for all He has done. Because of our thankfulness we want to communion and communicate with God through prayer. There seems to be a pattern forming here… As we pray we become more aware of God in our daily lives and we are able to “hear” His voice.

         

Beloved child of God…if you thought of prayer as a response to God for all He has done…is doing …or will ever do in your life, how would that change your prayer life? Would you find it easier to pray? Would you pray without ceasing? God is waiting to hear from His children, in good times and in bad. How will you respond? He is so approachable…as a matter of fact…that He even came and walked amongst humanity. Think about that for a moment…God’s door is open 24/7. He wants to hear about your day…He wants to hear about your joys and sorrows. He wants to be the first and last thing during your day. Through our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, He has paved the way for something more than just being acquaintances but to be the Love of your life.

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever, and ever, we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, together, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me

Amen!

I Will Give Thanks!

May 10, 2015

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 3 in Sermon Series

“Five Marks of a Christian”

Adapted from: “Five Marks of a Methodist”

By Steve Harper

Psalm 73:24-28 CEB

Philippians 4:4-9 NIV

I Will Give Thanks

Prayer for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

When I was growing up, my mother taught me to say please and thank you. No matter what the situation was, whether I wanted a drink or something to eat, whether I wanted to go out and play with my friends, whether it was a gift that I was given, there had better had been a please and thank you somewhere in there. Even when I got that sweater that could have been in the ugliest sweater contest…I had to say thank you to the person that gave it to me…

But to me…it seems that the habit of being thankful is a forgotten thing. Humanity seems to have forgotten that “rule” in life. Many feel entitled to everything they want and when they get it they are not even thankful because they have received it. This sense of entitlement is one way we can see how far away humanity is from being thankful when given something that was not even merited.

The sad part is that even people who call themselves Christians have forgotten about why and to whom they should be thankful to. Why is it that we, as humanity…as Christ followers…don’t think that a thank you is in order when given a gift? Some have even forgotten to say thank you for the gift of salvation that we don’t deserve but God has graced us with any way. This gift that we are given should bring us to our knees in thankfulness to God but some seem to have forgotten the price of that gift…

We have begun our journey of looking at the five things…five ways…that we can see that we are “being changed by the story” of Easter. I have adapted this Sermon Series from a book written by Steve Harper that is titled “Five Marks of a Methodist: The Fruit of a Living Faith.” But this book is not just for “Methodist”, it is for all who follow Christ. It gives five distinct ways to tell…to visually see…that you are being “changed by the story”, not just reading it.

The five ways are as follows:

A “Christian” not just Methodist:

1.   Loves God

2.   Rejoices in God

3.   Gives Thanks

4.   Prays Constantly

5.   Loves Others

          We have talked about the fact that “we love God” and that it is not just a fleeting love but a love that encompasses all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will be. It is what drives us in our relationship with Him. The more we are in love with Him the more we want to know Him. And the more we know Him the more we want of Him in our lives.

We have discovered that not only do we love God but we rejoice in Him. Not just simply rejoice in Him but rejoice in Him from the bottom of our feet to the tops of our heads. How can we not…look at all that He has given us in our lives…look at all that He has done in our lives and the lives of others. Now that’s reason to truly rejoice.

The next tell tale sign is that we give thanks. Not just your typical thanks that we may give to someone who has given us a gift that we wanted but a thank you for the gift that we didn’t ask for or deserve but are given anyway…

The scripture I read this morning from Exodus is a song of thanks to God. The Israelites have been in captivity for many years and God has delivered them from their captors. Well their captors had decided that they had made a mistake in setting them free so now they had to flee for their lives. When they had lost all hope because of the sea that stood in front of them and their adversaries hot on their heels, God opened the sea for them. They walked over on dry land but those who were chasing them were drowned in the Red Sea. They were so overjoyed and thankful that they sang this song to God. They sang about God’s goodness and mercy…they sang about their deliverance by God. Is there something that God has saved you from or saved someone we know and love from? Are you singing a song of thanksgiving or the dirge of the world around you?

Our God is a God of wonders. Our God is a god of salvation. Our God is a God of mercy. Our God is a God of deliverance. Our God is a God of hope, love and joy. Our God is a God of redemption and wholeness… We have so much to be thankful for. Not just giving thanks but “thank full”.

Romans 8:33-39 gives us even more reason to give thanks. Let me read it for you and you tell me whether or not this would make you thank full…

Romans 8:33-39Amplified Bible (AMP)

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]

34 Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?

35 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have reason to be thankful…we have reason to rejoice…we have reason to love God…

          Gratitude…thankfulness…is grounded in the nature of God. It has nothing to do with what is going on around us and in our lives. It is solely about God and His goodness. That may be a hard thing but we must first realize that it is not God’s fault nor did He call our situation upon us if we are in a bad place. God is love. God doesn’t cause our distress. We live in a fallen world and because of that we may experience pain. But God has promised to walk with us through our pain to the other side if we but only take His hand…as long as we hold on to the notion He is mad at us or is punishing us we will never feel that feeling of gratitude or thankfulness towards Him…

          A Christian gives thanks…even when our situation may call for something else… We give thanks not for what is happening to us but because there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. As we take on the mantel of thankfulness we become content in any situation because we know that God is there…as the saying goes “God brought us to it He will bring us through it…”  We are thankful that we can cast all our stress…all our fears…all our anxiety…on God because He is good and loving. We are thankful because we can bring all our prayers to God…day or night…and He hears us. It doesn’t mean it all just disappears…what it does mean is that there is someone there with us as we go through to the other side…

          Beloved child of God…are you having trouble being thankful in your life? Do you have the concept that God is angry and distant? Come and see that the Lord is kind, loving and good. Come to the font of joy and come away thankful…thankful that our God is an awesome God. And it is in and through the blood of our Risen Lord Jesus that we may come. He says come…

Amen!

I Will Rejoice For He Is My God!

May 3, 2015

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 2 in Sermon Series

“Five Marks of a Christian”

Adapted from: “Five Marks of a Methodist”

By Steve Harper

Psalm 73:24-28 CEB

Philippians 4:4-9 NIV

I Will Rejoice For He Is My God!

Prayer for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

I love getting good news, be it for myself or for someone else. Good news is so needed in a world that seems to be nothing but bad. We see it in the news and in the news paper. This world seems to have gone from bad to worse. So when someone has good news it really is something to rejoice about.

Even in heaven there is rejoicing. We are told in scripture that there is much rejoicing when one soul turns from sin and turns to God. When God created the heavens and the earth and all that is within it, He stepped back and rejoiced in His creation and called it very good.

I would rather live my life rejoicing…looking to find the good that there is in the world and rejoicing about it…than the alternative of feeling down all the time…finding not much to rejoice about. At dinner time, we sit around the table and give thanks…rejoice about…one thing that happened that day that was good…something that we are thankful for.

We have begun our journey of looking at the five things…five ways…that we can see that we are “being changed by the story” of Easter. I have adapted this Sermon Series from a book written by Steve Harper that is titled “Five Marks of a Methodist: The Fruit of a Living Faith.” But this book is not just for “Methodist”, it is for all who follow Christ. It gives five distinct ways to tell…to visually see…that you are being “changed by the story”, not just reading it.

The five ways are as follows:

A “Christian” not just Methodist:

1.   Loves God

2.   Rejoices in God

3.   Gives Thanks

4.   Prays Constantly

5.   Loves Others

          Last week, we talked about the first of these character traits. We love God. We love God with all that we are…and all that we have within us. This love we have for God is what drives us in our relationship with Him. The more we are in love with Him the more we want to know Him. And the more we know Him the more we want of Him in our lives.

The next tell tale sign is that we rejoice in God. The Psalm that I read this morning, talks about rejoicing in God…being so overjoyed that there is nothing that compares to Him. We are so overjoyed that we can’t help but talk about Him and all that He has done. As we rejoice in the Lord, we witness to a world that is in such need of the Good News. There are so many that need the hope of the gospel. As they hear the news and accept it in their lives, they too begin to rejoice in our God and Savior…

In the Letter to the Philippians, Paul talks about this rejoicing in God. In the fourth chapter He gives these instructions:

Philippians 4:4-9New International Version (NIV)

Final Exhortations

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

As we rejoice in the Lord we are changed…the story has changed us…we become gentle and “fearless”. We know that we can go to God in prayer and He will answer. We are given peace. Instead of concentrating on the chaos around us we are concentrated on what is good. And that brings us joy instead of the despair that our world seems pretty abundant with.

Joy…real joy that makes you “dance in the streets”…flows from the love of God. The joy of the Lord truly is our strength. Being a Christ follower…being a disciple of Christ …is a whole-life response to God’s grace…With all of our heart…all of our mind…and all of our strength. This joy is not a fleeting or superficial thing but it takes over our whole being. Being loved by God and loving God builds a bond that produces a life that can only be found in relationship with Him.

A Christian rejoices in God…they rejoice with God…for God is there all in all. So how is it with your joy meter? Are you rejoicing in god or is the chaos of the world creeping in and stealing your joy? Come to the fountain of joy and be revived again. Come to the life giving waters our Savoir offers and come away rejoicing in the streets. Come to the font of blessings and have the joy of your salvation restored. Rejoice in God for He is good.

Amen!

Loving God

April 26, 2015

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon 1 in Sermon Series

“Five Marks of a Christian”

Adapted from: “Five Marks of a Methodist”

By Steve Harper

Matthew 22:36-38 CEB

1 John 4:16-21 MSG

Loving God…

A reading from John found in 1 John 4, verses 16-21, listen for a word from God to you and me, the people of God.

Prayer for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

It has been pretty great being able to be a parishioner instead of the pastor for the past couple of weeks. I have been able to sit back and listen to sermons instead of giving them. But to tell you the truth, I am so glad to be back in the pulpit this week. But sitting in the congregation has really given me things to ponder over.

A couple of weeks ago, Steve Curtis preached on the “rest of the story” after Jesus rose from the dead. He talked about how Jesus was seen by others after His resurrection and victory over sin and death. For some reason they were not able to recognize Jesus. Even Mary, who wept at the tomb because Jesus was not there, thought Him to be the gardener. Could it be that there whole faith was hinged on the visible rather than the invisible? Why do we not recognize Jesus at times when He is standing right in front of us? Could it be that theirs and our relationship with Jesus sometimes misses the mark so to speak…? We also learned about how we are given the commandment to go and do likewise as we share the story of Jesus to a world that is in need of a resurrection.

When Ray Foss preached last week, we saw how the story should change us. Not only are we called to make disciples but we are also to let the story change us into Easter people. We can’t preach the resurrection if we are not first transformed by it. How is that story changing you and me? How do we know that we are being changed by the story in order to become part of the story that began with Jesus’ resurrection, giving us new life in Him for all who believe? Is there some “tangible”…some “measurable” way…something visual…to tell if we are changing or not?

Now since my surgery I have been able to catch up on some reading I have been wanting to do. As I have been reading, there has been one book that has really caught my attention. It is written by Steve Harper and it is titled “Five Marks of a Methodist: The Fruit of a Living Faith.” It has been very interesting to read. But as I have been reading it one thing has stuck out in my mind. This book is not just for “Methodist”, it is for all who follow Christ. It gives five distinct ways to tell…to visually see…that you are being “changed by the story”, not just reading it.

The five ways are as follows:

A “Christian” not just Methodist:

1.   Loves God

2.   Rejoices in God

3.   Gives Thanks

4.   Loves Others

These are the five things I would like for us to take a look at over the next few weeks. I think it is important to not only change but to see the changes that have taken place in our lives since we decided to follow Jesus and let the story change how we live out our faith walks.

          So the first of these character traits is that we love God. Now I am not just talking about your every day love but truly loves God from the bottom of our feet to the top of our heads. The love we have for God is what drives us in our relationship with Him. The more we are in love with Him the more we want to know Him. And the more we know Him the more we want of Him in our lives.

The scriptures that were read this morning were all about loving God…Loving God with all that we are…from the very depths of our soul. But as the scriptures tell us, we did not love God first but it was He who loved us. As a matter of fact He loved us to the point of sending His Son to die in our stead. Now I don’t know about you but that fact alone would make me want to get to know this God better. And as we draw near to Him and learn more about Him, our love for Him grows. But it began with His love for humanity not the other way around.

          As Peter was asked by Jesus in John 21 “Do you love me” three times, we can hear Jesus asking us the same thing. As He asks us, each time we look deeper within ourselves and ask “what does it mean to truly love God…what would that look like…am I madly, truly, deeply in love with my First Love?”

          Salvation means wholeness…we as Christ Followers need to realize that. It doesn’t just mean we are going to heaven but it also means living abundantly while we are here. But as the scripture from Matthew tells us…we must love God. For all that God has done we love Him in return with all that we are and have. We do this in every aspect of our life. We do it every day and to everyone. As we love God we love other people that God created as well…this is part of loving God. This is loving God…with all that we are…loving the One who loved us first.

          Jesus is calling us to a radically different relationship as He calls to His disciples, past and present, asking “do you love Me”. How do we know that the story is changing us? We love God. But are we like Peter when the Lord asked Him if he loved Him? Do we get upset, not really understanding the question being asked or do we let the question resonate within us as we ask ourselves do we love God?

          Listen to the words of John Wesley and let them sink deep into your soul:

“God is the joy of our heart, and the desire of our soul, which is constantly crying out. “Whom have I in Heaven but you? And there is none upon the earth that I desire but you!” My God and my all! You are the strength of my heart, and my portion forever!”

These words open the door to our whole being, commencing a journey that moves us from the superficial to substance. We move from membership to discipleship. We move beyond churchianity to Christianity. A disciple loves God.

Loving God is something that grows each day as you learn to trust and obey. Loving God is not something that is a onetime thing. It is something that is a lifetime of growing and developing. Let the story change you into whom God would have you be. How much do you really love God? Listen; can you hear Jesus asking do you love me? How will you answer Him?

Amen!

The End Is Just The Beginning...

April 5, 2015

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:1-10 MSG

John 20:1, 11-16 AMP

The End Is Just The Beginning

          A reading from the Gospel of John…chapter 20 verses 1 and 11-16. Listen for he word of God for you and me the people of God

Prayer for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

(Sponge Bob’s best day ever)

How many of you have ever had such good news that you just couldn’t contain it? I know I have. It seems as if I would explode if I didn’t share the news with someone…be it something about myself or someone else…I just can’t help but spread the news! How about if you had a great idea that would solve so many issues? It might be an easier way to do something or an idea that would help humanity…the possibilities are endless. There is no telling where we might have good news for some one. The only boundary that it may have is our own imagination. We might right now have some good news that needs to be shared. What’s stopping you?

          We have come to the end of our Lenten journey. We have heard the seven last words, or statements, of Christ. We also visited the Upper Room and shared a meal and were given a new command from Christ…the command to love others not as we love ourselves but as Jesus loved and still loves us. We even sat at the foot of the cross and stood with those who stood by when Christ was put to death for all of humanity’s sake. But here…today…we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and joyfully…with enthusiasm…with all of our heart… can say “CHRIST IS RISEN”…YES HE IS RISEN INDEED!

          But is that the end of the story? Are we to just say our thank you’s and good bye’s to the Cross of Calvary? Or, is there something more? My answer is NO! This is not the end but only the beginning of the story, the beginning of the new life…the beginning of a new age. Christ went to the cross not just to save you and me but to save all of humanity and there is so many who need the hope and forgiveness of the cross I just can’t imagine Jesus wanting us to keep it for ourselves. God wants all of humanity to be saved and we are here to share the good news so that it is. That’s part of mine and your mission here…part of the purpose of why we were created…to love, to share, to be Christ for the world.

          There are so many in the world who feel that they have nothing but death ahead of them in life…they don’t know that there is victory over death in Christ and this victory is and will be ours through and by faith. We will all face death at some point in time…we will all experience the death of a loved one at some point on our journey of life and faith…we may even experience death to old things in our lives…death to things that just don’t “work for us anymore.” But, death is not the end…it is a beginning of another chapter in our lives that’s called eternity…death can make new things spring forth in our lives and the lives of others…

          We heard this morning from the Gospel of John about the women who went to the tomb and found it empty. They were shocked and amazed by the angels message to them. And then…and then…they saw Christ on their way to tell the disciples the Good News. Jesus had brought forth new life with His resurrection.  In order to spring forth with a new life that would make His people glad and rejoice in His salvation the old life of a shroud being cast over His people…the sheet spread over the nations…needed to be removed. Death needed to be swallowed up forever…now we are not talking about the physical death but the death to the spirit that was present because of sin. Death, O death, where is thy sting?

          This promise was accomplished through the death and RESURRECTION of Christ that we heard about in the Gospel of Mark I read this morning. Victory over sin and death…victory in Jesus! Even though Jesus had told the disciples He would be back…He would rise again after His death, they still didn’t understand until it was accomplished on the first Easter Sunday morn. Death, O death, where is thy sting?

          And the best news ever was when Jesus was actually seen…in public none the less…by others. These “sightings”; did nothing but only confirm Jesus’ victory over sin and death. They say that seeing is believing and did they ever see. Death, O death, where is thy sting?

          Today, Easter Sunday, is not the end of the story. We have the best news ever to share. There are those out there who haven’t heard the good news and it is our commission to share this news with all who will hear. Are there people in your lives or mine that need a little bit of good news? Are there those around us that are suffering with the penalty of sin that need to be freed from their oppressor? Are there people in our live that are frozen in fear because of their uncertainty of their future of the future of their loved ones? Share the good news…shout it from the roof tops…give others a hope for the future. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Christ has conquered death for you and for me…for all of humanity! Alleluia He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Amen!

The Finale...?

April 3, 2015

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Good Friday

Final Words Sermon Series

 “It Is Finished…Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit”

John 19:30a NIV

Luke 23:43-47 NIV

Adapted from Adam Hamilton’s book “Final Words From the Cross”

“The Finale…?”

A reading from the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 30 a and Luke 23 verses 43 through 47 Listen to the word of God for you and me His beloved children.

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

Let us pray…Pray for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

We have been journeying our way to the Cross of Calvary…stopping here and there to hear what Jesus said in His last words from the cross, His last words of ministry so to speak. These were the last words of His ministry here on earth. Even from the cross, Jesus was still doing ministry. His anguish on the cross was leading up of the climax of His ministry and the reason He was sent from above. It is to this place that we have stopped and pondered as we await the celebration of His victory.

We have talked about His words “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing…” and realized that we are part of the “them” that Jesus was praying for and about. We heard His words “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” which are words of hope for us knowing that we will one day be with Him where He is… We know there was an “adoption” at the cross when he proclaimed “Woman here is your son…here is your mother.” And then there was last week’s words…”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”…Jesus knows our pain and our suffering for He Himself has been there… We have heard that Jesus thirst just as we do but what is it that is being thirsted for?

Now…here we are at the end…His very last words He spoke before His death…“It is finished” and… “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” What power is found in these words of Jesus…what hope and joy humanity has because of this redeeming work that was done this day… We would be lead to believe that this was the end…the big finally but is it? Ok…let’s look at these two phrases and see for our selves whether or not this is the end…

…“It is finished”

It is finished. These are some of my favorite words from the cross. They are words that let me know I have a future and a hope…they tell me that Jesus completed what He came to do. He came and accomplished a way of and for salvation for you and for me.

v It is Finished…the sin we carry no longer can hold us for ransom…Jesus paid the ransom note.

v It is finished…The curtain that was in front of the area that only the priest could go…the holiest of holies…was torn from top to bottom as the veil was lifted and we who believe are now given access to the throne room of God.

v It is finished …loves redeeming work was done. Jesus bore the sins of the world…no mere man could do that.

v It is finished…no more sacrifices were needed. Jesus was and is the final sacrifice. Jesus is the only way to God and it is only in, by and through His name we are saved.

v IT IS FINISHED!!!!

… “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Jesus was done. He accomplished all that He came to do. Now He was returning to the Father to sit at His right hand. But is this the end? Is there all there is to the Easter Story? Well the answer to that was no but those who were around Jesus at the time…His disciples, His mother, the Religious Leaders…they all thought this was the end. They didn’t know any better. They saw Jesus die on the cross and return to God. Here is the Messiah…the One who would save God’s people…hanging on a tree. I am sure all of their hopes and dreams died right there with Him. How could this be? I am sure they walked away feeling something went wrong with God’s plan for His people. Jesus said He was the Messiah but there was no freedom…freedom in the way they thought it should happen.

2000 years later we still walk away at times thinking that something has gone wrong with the plan God has for our lives. Broken dreams. A life of heart ace. Our plans that we have worked so hard for falling apart before our eyes. Families are torn apart. Despair and addiction all around. How could this be? Where is the “Happily Ever After in that?” Our hopes and dreams are lying bare on the ground…

But…but…perhaps this isn’t the end. Maybe there is still hope for us yet. Maybe…as we see the sun rise on a new day…we will see something new on the horizon. But do we dare hope and pray? Perhaps things will be better in a couple of days. Let’s just wait and see… Is there a new day dawning full of hope and promise?

Amen 

A Teachable Moment...

Maundy Thursday

April 2, 2015

Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14 The Message Bible

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 The Message Bible

John 6:47-51 The Message Bible

Psalm 116:1-6, 12-19 The Message Bible

A Teachable Moment…

We have almost come to the end of our Lenten journey together. On our journey we have learned that through Jesus, God pours out so many blessings but the most important is the free gift God Salvation only found through Jesus. As Psalm 116 said, God heard our cry for help...He heard and came to help, He knew our need for a Messiah. God did not come and help in the form of a Davidic king taking Rome by storm but in the form of a helpless babe who grew up to be the King of all kings freeing all of humanity from a fate worse than death...freeing us from our sin. How interesting it is that He would come in the form of a helpless babe to help us in our helplessness of sin...He became like us to conquer for us...And this gift...is absolutely FREE!

We now enter the upper room where Jesus taught His disciples then and now one of the most important lessons in His ministry. There was one last thing He needed to show them…example for them…before He completed His work on the cross. Jesus took something that they were taught as they grew up…the Pass Over Seder…and turned into something new…something different. They were taught that the Seder was a remembrance of how God delivered the Israelite's from the tyranny of the Egyptians as is stated in the Exodus scripture I read this evening. Now this new thing was about remembering Jesus and His teachings…about remembering how Jesus acted and to go and do likewise.

        At this Seder, Jesus did something that a teacher would never have done. Instead of having others wash His feet…instead of claiming the rights of one was above others…Jesus did a new thing. He was the one who washed the feet. Taking on the posture of a servant instead of being served, He taught the disciples and us to live a new way…one that puts others above our selves.

        I can understand how Simon Peter felt…he knew who Jesus was. Peter understood that Jesus was special. Peter felt unworthy of Jesus washing his feet but Jesus told him that if He didn’t, Peter could have no part of what Jesus was doing…this new way of life. In taking on this new lifestyle… of a servant…Jesus also gave them and us a new commandment. To love others not as our self but as Jesus loved. To be willing to put aside self and take up theirs and our own cross and follow Jesus’ example.

        Jesus taught the disciples many lesson as they learned from their Rabbouni. We continue to this day to remember those lessons by reenacting the Lords Supper. This too was a new thing that night when the celebrated the passover meal together. You see not only did Jesus become their servant and gave that servant example to them, He also changed the meaning behind the whole “Lords Supper”. It not only was a remembrance of what God did in Egypt but also what God did in Christ Jesus...He became that Pascal Lamb...He proclaims that He is the “Bread of Life” as in the John scripture from tonight. The disciples then and now celebrate this meal that Jesus offers so that we may live life with Him. Through Him there is life eternal instead of a  life of death. Through His death and resurrection we have new life in Christ...1 Corinthians reminds us that each time we celebrate...reenact this meal, we are drawn back to the Upper Room and suit with Jesus. May we always cherish these moments and never get to the point that we become so familiar that we just go through the motions and miss out on the God inspired moment in the Upper Room...

        So...now Jesus gives one of His final lessons at this meal in the Upper Room. They and we are called to live in a new and radical way…much different than the world around us as Jesus’ disciples. Now...they and we are called to serve...to set aside ourselves our titles...our degrees...our self-interests...our ego's...we are called to not see color...we are called to not see economic realities...we are called to be a house of prayer and not a house of despair...we are called to be the hands, feet, voice and image of the Servant of the Lord. We are called to roll up ourselves and get involved with a hurting world who needs acts of Radical Hospitality.

        We are called to love unconditionally. We are called to serve others with the love and joy that Jesus did. We are called into the family business, as beloved children of the Most High God. We are called to be Christ to the world. Imagine what the world would be if we were more interested in the family business than branching out on our own? Maybe the world...humanity...needs to return to its original form and walk in the cool of the evening with our God? What to do you think would happen if you and I would unconditionally be the hands and feet of Christ? Just imagine.