“Jesus Freak”

September 22, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 10 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Ambassadorship

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NLT

Matthew 5:13-16 MSG

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

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

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

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

2® an authorized representative or messenger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen

“Adoption at the Cross”

September 15, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 9 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Sonship

Romans 8:15-17 NLT

Galatians 4:1-7 GOD’S WORD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen!!

“Game Time…”

September 8, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 8 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Discipleship

Philippians 3:12-14 the Message Bible

Mark 8:34-38 the Message Bible

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen

The Love Zone…

September 1, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 7 of Summer Series

Worship Theme: Fellowship

1 John 4:7-12 the Message Bible

John 15:11-17 the Message Bible

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen

Worship. . . It Does A Body Good

August 18, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 6 of Summer Series

John 4:19-24 the Message Bible

Luke 4:5-8 the Message Bible

Matthew 22:34-37 New Living Translation

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew 22:34-37. I will be reading from the New Living Translation this morning. . .

Matthew 22:34-37 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Most Important Commandment

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

Let us pray. . .  (Pray for illumination, a willing heart, and God’s will be done)

I love Sunday mornings. I love to be here in church where my Spirit can join together with other peoples’ Spirits and worship God and join with one voice. There is nowhere else I would want to be. It is such a good feeling for me. I can feel the Spirit of God within me almost leaping for joy! I don’t know about you but there is nowhere else on earth that I would want to be. It is a place where the divine in us reaches and touches the divine in others. When they meet. . . they worship God together in one voice.

Today we are starting our cruise. We are leaving port to start our cruising “Sacred Waters with Jesus.” The first stop we will be making is in the port of Worship. Now I know that we touched on the word worship when we were looking at the resume of our Captain but today we are going to look at it a little differently. This is one of the ports where our Risen Lord Jesus Christ is found. He is the captain of our boat. . . of our journey of faith with him. . . and this is a very important port of His. It what makes us who we are. . . God worshipers. . . we are thankful for all He has done. . . we are thankful for all He is doing. . . and we are thankful for all that is yet to be. Let’s hear a little more about this port we have docked at and why it is so important.

Now I have heard people use the word “worship” in many different ways. I hear people say of their partner that “they worship the ground they walk on”. . . I have heard of people worshiping things like their car or their homes. I have even heard of people worshiping “idols” such as celebrities and money and all sorts of different things and places. I think if I came from another country I would be very confused. We, as a country, have so many different meanings for one word that it can get confusing at time. The word “bad” now means “good”. . . the word sick means something cool. . . the word wicked is good now too. . .  That’s messed up! . . . So, what is worship anyway and why do we worship? (By the way. . . in looking up the definition, I found that worship is also a noun. . . but we’ll stick with the verb today.)

The Bing on-line Dictionary states:

wor·ship [ wúrship ]   is to

1.      treat somebody or something as deity: to treat somebody or something as divine and show respect by engaging in acts of prayer and devotion

2.    take part in religious service: to take part in a religious service

3.    love somebody deeply: to love, admire, or respect somebody or something greatly and perhaps excessively or unquestioningly.

As I said, there are even definitions of worship a noun but for now let’s look at the action verb part. . .

Now. . . how do we really worship God? Well. . . Jesus came to not only free us from sin but to teach humankind how to act towards others. . . how to worship God. . . how to live a life pleasing to God. The scripture from Matthew I just read, gives us the foundation of worship. . . it shows us where worship begins. God is not impressed by the many words we may recite about or to Him. God isn’t impressed by long prayers and skilled words we may use. When we worship God. . . it is not just in words but it is also in action. We give honor to God in our actions towards each other. . . towards the gift of the earth that he has given to us. . . towards the grace we have received through Jesus Christ. When we worship God. . . He is the utmost thing on our minds. . . we want to please and honor Him in all we say. . . all we do. . . with all we are. Worship begins within the heart of those who believe.

From the John scripture this morning. . . we heard what Jesus tell the Samaritan woman what true worship is. It comes from the heart. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. All that matters is the condition of the heart. God doesn’t want us to come before Him with some kind of phony or fakeness about us. God wants us to be our true selves. . . flaws and all. . .  When we worship from the heart. . . we do it not out of obligation but out of thankfulness and joy for the life we are given through Jesus. . . it is out of the wonder of grace that has shown towards us.

Now you may be saying to yourself (I’m just assuming this), “It is so hard to live the way God wants us to live in the world that we live in. It really is hard. I don’t want to make waves with those around me. Can I have God and the world. . . you know, “Have my cake and eat it too”?” Can I have both? Well. . . I did say that Jesus came to show us the way so let’s see how Jesus answered the when faced with temptation himself. The conversation is found in Luke 4:5-8. I will be reading the scripture from the Message Bible. . .

 (Read Scripture)

Satan tried to coerce Jesus into worshipping him. He promised to give Jesus the whole world (as if he really could do that) if He would only just worship him. Jesus knew the answer. . . the right answer. . . to that “gift” Satan was offering Him. “No thanks. . . I’m all set.” Jesus shows us that God wants us to worship and serve only Him. Not our homes, our jobs, our friends. . . even our pastors. . . only Him. The world in which we live offers us many “idols” to worship perhaps we need to reassess. . . re-examine. . .  re-evaluate what we choose to worship. . .

         

You see...worship is the human response to God’s goodness and mercy. It is something that we can be thankful for with each and every breath we take. It is our response to the overture...the music...the symphony...the dance...of love God has given us that that comes from the heart of God for you and for me.      We can use all the right words, all the right phrases, the right music but still miss the mark. Singing, praying and praising may lead us to worship but true worship comes from the heart...its our spirit ignited by the divine fire of God.

We have talked about “living our worship out loud,” as we live out our worship in our daily lives we do so not only because of who God is but also what God has done for us and well as what God has done in the lives of others. Have you ever heard someone’s story of their faith and just praised God for His goodness? Not because of what God has done in your life but for what was done for someone else. . . for humanity. This type of worship and it does a body. . . and soul. . . good! Not just our own body but the body of God.

Worship is also not contained in only one form. There are many forms of worship but they all produce the same product. . . being thankfully in awe as we worship our Creator God. There are many roads to one place but the destination is the same. When we exclude others from our worship because they worship differently there is a riff in the fabric of our worship. We somehow have missed the mark.

I have read some of Brother Lawrence’s writings and they are wonderful and make me stop and think of my own faith journey. He was a monk who practiced living in the presence of God and wrote about his experience in doing so. He wrote:”I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the Presence of God.” He cannot imagine living a life that doesn’t live in the presence of God worshiping and thanking him with every action. . . with every breath.

We as Christians need to enter our worship time, on Sundays as well as living out worship every day of our lives, expecting to meet God. God is there, waiting for us to only expect him to show up. We as Christians have a choice. Maybe we need to live our lives not only expectantly waiting for the presence of God who by the way ALWAYS shows up, but also waiting expectantly, with excitement and awe. 

Maybe. . . just maybe. . . if we live our lives in the presence of God our lives and our worship would be transformed into something that not only honors God but honors each other. Perhaps we need to reassess our worship to see where the heart of it lies. Is the heart of our worship in the world or is it reaching for the heart of God? Is the heart our worship in the gifts of the world or is it in the ultimate gift that was given humanity through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ? Where is your heart? Where is it? Maybe there are things that need to be put back into perspective. . . into God’s perspective. Only you can change how you worship. You have to want to change it. Maybe. . . just maybe. . . as we refocus our worship, there will be a shift in the way others worship by our example. Maybe. . . just maybe. . . we, as humanity, can get back to the true heart of worship. . . back to what our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ modeled for us; but it is a choice. . . maybe. . . just maybe. . .

Amen!

Make Room for Yahweh

August 18, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 5 of Summer Series

Ephesians 2:11-22 (Common English Bible)

2 Samuel 7:1-7 (New Living Translation)

Let us pray…

Loving and gracious, ever present God. We thank you for your word that is the guidebook for our journey of life. We ask that you would open your word to us so that we may read the road map of our lives more clearly. May we hear the word you have for us this day and have willing hearts to accept and follow your direction in our life. We are here Lord…illuminate our path…

I love the saying “out with the old, in with the new”. The only problem is…I have a hard time getting rid of the old. How many of you can relate to this? The old is so comfortable. It is still good so why get rid of it. I have had the old so long that I have built ties with it and just can’t bear to get rid of it. I have both old and new which eventually leaves me no room for new. Why is it so hard to get rid of stuff that we really don’t need any more? It is either out dated or just doesn’t work as well as it used to but we still hang on to it. Why is it that we, at times, have such a hard time getting rid of the things that bind us…the things that weigh us down?

Now, at the beginning of the service you were given a rock. You were asked to think about things that hinder your relationship with God and others, those things that weigh us down so much that at times we may not even be able to breathe, and to put those hindrances into the rock. At the end of my sermon we will do something with those rocks that we hold.

We are getting ready, as a church family, to embark on a cruise this summer. We will be “Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”. But before we set sail, we are taking some time to learn about our Captain, our Lord Jesus. We have decided that He is our Risen Lord and King…that Jesus can be trusted to be there helping us in the “stormy season” of our faith journey. As we have been looking at the “resume” of our Captain, we know that we never walk alone. We have looked into our hearts and realized that we are precious pearls to God and that Jesus is worth all the gold in the world. We receive new eye sight from God. Is it for everyone? Do we all get to do this.

I would like to read now a passage from Ephesians, from Ephesians 2:11-22, from the Common English Bible.

In this Ephesians passage we hear about a temple of the Lord. Now this is not just any temple. It is not a temple for just a few. It is not a temple that is built by humankind by human standards. This temple in which God lives is within you and within me. It is with in all who believe and we all together form this temple of God. God wants all believers to be joined together through Christ…Jew and Gentile everyone alike. God wants to live with His people…for His people to be His dwelling place by the Spirit within each believer. Is there room in your dwelling place for God or are there other things that take His place? Do you need to make room for Yahweh, room for God?

But I think that the 2 Samuel from this morning really points to the essence of God’s dwelling place. David wanted to build a temple…a building…for God to live in. He was upset because he lived in such a grand palace and the Ark was just in a tent. He thought that that was not good enough for God. We too at times think that God lives in our buildings more than within us. But God told him that He had never lived in a building but with the people…able to move where ever the people went. God still wants to be on the move with us…going out into the world around us as we take Him to the least and the lost…to the poor and suffering people of the world. God had always been with David and still continues to be with us not just in a building. Is God confined to our church or is He living and breathing through us? Do you need to make room for Yahweh?

God wants to live in a place that He has designed not in a place where we have designed for Him. He wants to design our lives so that it fits His plan perfectly. Are we willing to let God have the grand design on our lives?

He wants to live in a place where He provides the protection. Not in a place where others decide what protection is needed…God has the ultimate protection plan for His children. Is God providing protection for us or are we still trying to do it on our own?

 God wants to live in a dynamic place. He’s not satisfied with staying in one place…in our “temples” that we make. Our God is a God on the move…Moving through us, within us and out of us onto the world around us. It’s like a large RV that is large enough for all for His children to come along for the ride. We’re going on a road trip! Are we willing to let God move us into places where we may be uncomfortable…out of our element…out of our temples?

God wants to live with his people. God, like us, wants to live in a neighborhood that is welcoming. He won’t move into a place where He is not welcome. He won’t force Himself on the neighborhood. Do you want God to move into your neighborhood?

God wants to live in a restful place. He gives us rest and in His presence we have peace and we have hope and we have rest. But to have that rest, we need to depend on Him…to believe, to have faith that He will provide for us. Do you believe God will give you rest? Do you believe it with you heart?

And God wants to live in a place He will provide. I read this beautiful description about how God builds that place. You see:

ü       He makes plans and the blueprints.

ü       He builds and remodels

ü       He builds a new site on top of the old site

ü       He builds it in the shadow of the old right next door

ü       He has the perfect model and building site, the perfect materials and builder.

Jesus is building a home in our hearts. But this site is just a temporary home, our true home is built in heaven. God sees the potential in us. He purchased the property with the blood of His Son. He immediately tears down what is there and begins building a new dwelling place for His Spirit. And the best part…the building is better than it was before. He builds His dream house in our hearts. Do you need to make room for Yahweh…a little more room for God to make these changes?

We have God living in us as His dwelling place. But…does God want to live in us and just stay there dormant? Well you tell me…Jesus and His disciples shared the God within them with the people around them. They cured the sick, cast out demons, taught about the kingdom of God. They shared God with the people around them which opened the door for others to receive the wonderful gift of God within their lives. The early church shared the God the people around them…and the church grew in numbers and continues to grow as we disciples continue to share God with others. People would come from miles around even to just touch the hem of His clothing. We become that “fringe of garment” for those around us…for those whose life we touch each and every day…we are the edge of Jesus’ garment that people can touch and be healed. Is there room enough in your life for God so that you and I can become a piece of that fringe on His robe? Do we need to make room for Yahweh?

We are now ready to set sail on the Sacred Waters with Jesus to visit some other ports. But…is our load to heavy for the trip? Are there things that we should leave behind as we sail with Jesus? Well there is one thing we still have to do…you know how I asked you to hold on to the rock given to you this morning and think about something that keeps you weighted down…something that inhibits your relationship with God or others. Well…we are now going to do something with those rocks.

You see, years ago, ships used rocks as ballast when the cargo hole was empty. The ballast was typically a solid in the form of rocks or sand. The rocks or sand would have to be moved out for the cargo to be loaded. Our ballast is those things that weigh us down.

We have now taken on new cargo as we learned about our Captain of the ship so now it’s time to get rid of those rocks. I invite each and every one of us to come forward as we sing our last song and leave our ballast on the altar…To trust God with our ballast and sail the waters with Him as our guide. Let us sail the Sacred Waters with Jesus buoyed by the love and joy of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.