June 4, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Pentecost Sunday!
Sermon Series:
“Mending
Fences-Healing the Heart…”
“Healing Trust”
Adapted from Marcia McPhee’
“On the Mend” Sermon Series
Psalm 104:24-35
Mark 10:13-16 MSG
Luke 24:44-53 MSG
Acts
2:1-13; 38-42 The Message (MSG)
“Trust.…”
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray (Prayer that God’s Word is heard
through me or in-spite of me)
Please stand for the Gospel according to
Mark, chapter 10, verses 13-16. Listen to the word of God from His love letter
to His beloved, you and I…
(Read Scripture from the MSG
Bible)
As Hope, Joy and Grace went
off arm in arm, laughing and getting to know each other better. No one could
have known what was going to happen next. Would their new-found friendship
stand the test it was in for?
Hey guys, let’s go down by
the river and see what’s going on” Joy suggested. “I don’t know about that”
Hope exclaimed, “I was always told never to go there, especially at night. You
never know what could be down there…or should I say who.” “/come on Hope. Where
is your sense of adventure?” Joy asked. “She may be right” Grace interjected “
I have heard that strange things happen there at night.” “Well if you two stick
in the muds don’t want to go, I guess I will just go myself.” Joy said as she
started to walk off. “Wait up” both Hope and Grace said, “We will go with you.
You should never go alone.” “Yes!”
When they got to the river
there were several people standing around and it looked like they were up to no
good. “I don’t know about this” Grace said “It looks like they are up to no
good to me. I think we should get out of here before they see us.” “I know
these guys” Hope said “there ok. They are friends of mine. Trust me.” “If you
say so” Joy and Grace said, a little uneasy.
“Hi guys. What ya up to?”
hope asked. “Not much Hope. Who are these people you brought with you? You know
how we don’t like strangers around here.” “there cool. This is Joy and Grace”
Hope told them. “Grace and Joy huh. Well they don’t look so graceful and leaping
for joy to meet us “ they laughed. Joy and Grace were getting nervous and
decided it was time to go. “Come on Hope. Let’s just go.” They were pulling her
away from them and all of the sudden there was gun fire. “everyone get down….”
Their “new found friends exclaimed. But it was too late, Grace had been hit.
“I knew that we shouldn’t
have come here. I trusted you and look what happened. I will never trust anyone
like you ever again.” Joy screamed. “Someone call 911.” But the only people
there were Hope, Joy and Grace now on the ground bleeding.
When they finally got to the
hospital they were pretty shacken up. As they sat there waiting to hear news
about Grace, the head nurse came to speak to them. She wore a name tag that
just said “faith” on it. “Hi girls, my name is Faith and I am the nurse in
charge of your friend Grace. Can you tell me what happened?” asked Faith. “It’s
al her fault, I should have never trusted someone like her.” Joy blurted out.
“My fault. Why is it my fault. I didn’t know that was going to happen. I wasn’t
the one who shot her and you didn’t have to go with me either” “That’s enough
girls. This is not helping your friend any. I believe she will be OK. She might
have to be here for a while but she is going to be ok.” Faith explained. “How
do you know that?” both of the girls asked. I just know it will…this is not
what God would have planned for her…”.
As Faith walked away, Hope
tried to talk to her hurting friend, “I am so sorry. I would never have gone
there if I know this was going to happen.” “Well you can just keep you apology.
My friends were right. People like you should never be trusted.” Joy screamed
at her friend. After saying that she stormed off to try and find out more
information on her friend. Hope just sat there and cried… “It’s all my fault. I
really am one of those people. How could I ever think I could be part of them.”
Hearing this, nurse Faith came over and sat next to Hope. She didn’t say a
word, just sat there with her… I wonder what was going to happen next...
Good
morning. Happy Pentecost Sunday…the birthday of the church! This morning can we
continue to be interactive with each other as. I really have enjoyed the way we have conversed with one another over
the past few weeks… so, I need audience participation. In the story that I just shared with you, what stands out for
you? Give time for answers. What
stands out to me was the way that Joy reacted to Hope after her friend had been
shot.…I really don’t know if Hope is ever going to earn Joy’s trust back. I think
that I may have felt the same if I had been in that position.
I
truly believe that we as Christ church…followers of the Way…need to have
conversation of what ails us. What is hurting inside of us. What hold us back
from living the life, individually and collective, that we are offered through
Jesus. We need to heal what ails us in order to be the relevant Christians. We
need to let go and let God as we move forward as God’s people and take back the
land of our forefathers. Without healing what ails us we can’t call ourselves
Christ followers because we can’t follow His example in the world. We want to
be those Resurrection people so we need to rise from the grave of the world
around us. We can spend the tomb with our comfortable “death cloths” …not leaving
those things behind that bind us… But we need to put on the robe of
righteousness that we receive in and through Christ.
Today
I want us to continue to talk about some of the things that ail us…that stop us
from living that life in Christ, as we mend fences and heal the heart. Now, there may be no fences that need
mending but we are all broken. What in us needs mending? My hope is that we
will have that conversation that will lead to healing. Not only that, but after
the service each Sunday, I invite us to have further conversation… On the 11th of June, my friend
Margaret will come for you to have conversation with her of what ails your
heart. Conversation is hard but it is vital if we want to be that vital
congregation for Christ.
We
have talked about intentions and the fact that, whether we like it or not,
there are times when our intentions may be not so helpful. We talked about
those times that our inhibitions keep us from being open to others. How there
are many things that cause us to be closed off to the very ones that Jesus came
to save…including ourselves.
Fear
is one of the biggest things that keeps us from being who God would have us be.
Fear of the future, fear of finances, fear of those who may come through this
door…Maybe even the fear of Hope as she
is walking through our door…
There
is also the sickness of “pride”. Pride can cause us to do a lot of crazy
things… Now being proud is not really a bad thing…we should take pride in what
we do. But there are times when our pride gets in the way of being that loving
community that the “Hope’s” of the world need.
I
think the most vicious and viral disease in and to the body of Christ is the
disease of division. As we work together…and not just give up and leave…the
most important thing to remember is we need to take our division to the Way
Maker, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. He will stand in gap for us as we work our
way back to unity. As we bring our hurts and ailments to the Balm of Gilead, we
are healed from the inside out.
Another
thing that ails us as people and as a church is Miss-Trust. How many of you
have ever had an incident in their lives that they lost trust in something or
someone? How did that make you feel? Give
time to answer. Do you think you will ever trust that person or that thing
again? Give time to answer. Trust is
something I like to give people…that is until they prove me wrong. Then it is
hard for me to totally trust that person…or thing…again. What or who do you
trust the most…that you put your trust in? Give
time to answer.
From
the Scripture this morning, we hear how we are to enter into the Kingdom of
God...with childlike trust. Why do you think it is so hard to have that
childlike trust? Give time to answer? In
the world we live in, it seems that most people live for themselves and trust
no one. If they trusted then that person could do …fill in the blank… and we can’t have that happening…
Why
do you think that it is so important for us, as Christ’s Church, to have trust?
Give time to answer. The church began
in faith and trust. Listen to the story of the first Pentecost Sunday and see
if you can see why we as a church need to trust not only God…but one another.
A Sound Like a Strong Wind
2 1-4 When
the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without
warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell
where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the
Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number
of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11 There
were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over
the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they
heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were
thunderstruck. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on,
and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk
in our various mother tongues?
Parthians,
Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
“They’re
speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
12 Their
heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked
back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”
13 Others
joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”
Acts 2:38-42The Message
(MSG)
38-39 Peter
said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name
of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who
are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”
40 He
went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while
you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42 That
day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed
up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life
together, the common meal, and the prayers.
Wow…what pieces of trust do
you see here? Do you think without that there would have been a growth of the
church? Give time to answer. But the
trust thing began before this day. Luke 24:44-53 is where it began. Listen to
what the scripture tells us:
Luke 24:44-53The Message
(MSG)
You’re the Witnesses
44 Then
he said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the
things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms
have to be fulfilled.”
45-49 He
went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to
read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that
the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total
life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all
nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see
it. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what
my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until
you’re equipped with power from on high.”
50-51 He
then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed
them, and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven.
52-53 And
they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting
with joy. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.
It
began with the disciples trust in what Jesus told them. If they had not trusted
in what Jesus had told them they never would have gone back to the city. They
would not have been altogether in one place. They would not have been His
witnesses all over the world. We cannot
be His witnesses if we are not trusting and having divisions with one another
church…
If
we do not believe Jesus when He tells us to bring what is broken and He will
fix it wat is the point of believing at all? If we don’t believe that God can
heal anything, what is the point of believing? If we don’t believe the
promises, what is the point of believing? If we don’t come with childlike
faith, with each other, and believe Jesus can fix us then… Without childlike
faith…childlike trust how can we enter the throne room and be healed? It all
begins with trust… They say “time can
heal the broken heart” but I believe it is trust in the One who created us that
heals the broken heart…
Beloved
children of the Most High God. Jesus is calling us out of our tombs and in to
His Glorious Light and be healed of our ailments. What is ailing us…as a
church…as individuals…as one body? How can we be on the mend, of fences and our
hearts? I know that there are things we just don’t want to talk about…there are
things that we just don’t want to hear. But we let cannot/will not fear stop us
from healing what ails us, personally and collectively.
It
is Pentecost Sunday, are we willing to trust and receive the Holy Spirit? Remember…it began and begins in trust. Without
trust, there is no miracle or power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the
life of the church. Can we be like Faith and trust in the One who is working in
and through our lives and the lives of others?
Think
about the Hope’s of this world. She needs a place of trust and if we are not
trusting then why would she want to come near? I ask that we prayerfully come
together…as family…to heal what ails us. I passionately want us to be that
church that Hope would hear about the goodness of God and feel the oneness of
our church as we work through our faith journey together trusting in the One
who knows us best.
Maybe…just
maybe…she will come through our doors. The question is…are we willing to let
her in…?
Amen.
