I will read the scripture from Mark 5:21-34 right up front. It says: 21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
There’s a wonderful story in scripture for this week from Mark 5:21-43. The story is about Jesus being taken to the home of Jairus, but something unexpected happened along the way. The unexpected story is about a woman who was sick for twelve years. She had been bleeding for a very long time. The women went to every doctor and spent all of her money before she thought to reach out to Jesus. In fact, she had just learned about Jesus.
The Bible has a description for people who’ve just heard about Jesus. They are described as having the faith of a mustard seed. A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds in the world which grows into a very large tree. She could have accepted her fate, but she decided to reach out for Jesus. This woman is a wonderful example for us.
If someone who’s just learned about Jesus has the sense to reach out to Jesus, then what is holding us back? We don’t know what the woman was told about Jesus, but it was enough for her to follow Jesus. She had to work her way through the huge crowd to get to Jesus. She had all kinds of obstacles, but she didn’t let the obstacles keep her from reaching out to Jesus.
There are so many ways that God will answer our prayers. In the case of the woman who was bleeding, she had the faith to reach out to Jesus and touch the hem of his cloak. In the case of the woman she was unified in faith with Jesus. Jesus felt the power of the Holy Spirit leave him when the woman reached out her hand to touch him.
Each story of answered prayers is a little different. In the woman’s story, the person receiving the prayer reached out to Jesus. In the story later in Mark 5, the person who reached out to Jesus was the father who loved his little girl. Jairus, the father of the little girl had the faith to ask Jesus for help. We don’t know anything about the faith of the little girl. In other cases, the friends of the lame man carried him to Jesus. In fact, the friends cut a hole in the roof to reach out to Jesus. The friends were not related to the lame man, they just loved the lame man enough to reach out to Jesus. Each situation is very difficult, but the results are the same when they reached out to Jesus.
Jesus asks a key question to the disciples. He asks: “Who touched me?” The question is so simple, but it has so much meaning. It was the act of reaching out to Jesus that demonstrated the woman’s faith. At the time when she touched Jesus the anointing flowed out of Jesus into the woman. The woman’s bleeding ceased. She was healed. Jesus felt his anointing flow out of him into someone in the crowd.
I didn’t know about God’s anointing until a few years ago. The anointing of Jesus Christ is so powerful that it can do amazing things. This anointing is also a gift that we can be given to share God’s love and anointing with others who are in need. I’ve felt God’s anointing flowing through me into the ones who are receiving prayers. God’s anointing feels so good. God’s anointing feels like a tingling sensation or like electricity flowing through my body. God’s anointing also feels like goose bumps. God’s anointing flows when I preach or teach. My voice gets stronger and my preaching will get bolder when I am preaching God’s word.
God’s anointing is as close as I think we get to God until we are in His presence. God’s anointing is not us. We don’t have the power. God has the power. We are just able to be God’s hands here on earth. God gives each one of us the ability to share the love of Jesus Christ from the Holy Spirit which lives within each one of us.
Anointing is like love. Love grows the more we love others. We don’t run out of love by loving others. Instead our love grows the more that we love others. In turn, the love we shared with others grows to love people we don’t even know. Anointing works the same way. The more we share God’s love with others, the stronger our anointing will become.
God’s anointing is one of those secrets of the Gospel that I learned by serving God in missions. It is another case where I thought I was going to teach people about God and what really happened is that God taught me through the people that I went to serve. I feel heat or warmth when God’s anointing is flowing into someone. The anointing feels like an electric blanket where the anointing is flowing through my hands into the person receiving the prayer. The prayer can be different. It doesn’t always feel the same. There are times when I feel God working and there are times when I don’t feel anything at all. I’ve learned that God doesn’t always reveal himself to us when and how the prayer will be answered. I’ve learned just to believe and to pray. God does all of the rest.
Jesus is trying to walk across town to the house of Jairus, but it is difficult to travel through a large crowd. Jesus is surrounded by his disciples. Jesus is also surrounded by people who are curious and seeking answers. Jesus is also surrounded by people with faith who want to experience being in God’s presence. A sad thing happened along the way to reach the home of Jairus. A few men came to inform Jesus and Jairus that his daughter had died.
Mark 5:35-36 informs us: 35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?" 36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
Jesus quickly makes the decision to raise the little girl from the dead. The story continues in Mark 5:37-43 “37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.”
These Bible verses have some real gold nuggets. Jesus brought with him only people who would believe that it was possible for the girl to be raised from the dead. Jesus served the unbelievers and those with a little bit of faith in the city. Jesus picked out his disciples and the parents of the little girl when there was a need to be unified in faith. Faith can be sidelined by doubt. In the story, many people were already at the house mourning the death of the little girl.
The people who are mourning the death of the little girl have a hard time believing that the girl can be raised from the dead. It was easy to spot the people with doubt. They were the ones who laughed at Jesus when Jesus said that the girl was not dead.
The Bible doesn’t explain why Jesus chooses to raise the girl from the dead. This story is similar to the story of Lazarus. It is important that the reason to raise someone from the dead is the right reason. The dead person is being pulled from heaven to here on earth. Once Jesus makes the decision, he surrounds himself with people who believe that the impossible is possible.
Jesus took the girl by the hand and said to her, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" Immediately the girl stood up and walked around. I’m sure that the disciples and parents prayed in unison for the girl. The disciples and the parents were of one accord with Jesus that the girl should be raised from the dead. The people without faith that the girl could be raised from the dead were sent outside of the house.
The act of being in one accord is so powerful. The New King James version of the Bible emphasizes being in one accord. It is different from being together in the same place. One accord means that we are unified in our faith, our belief, and our purpose. There is no doubt among those with Jesus. They just believe with their hearts and minds that Jesus can do all things. They didn’t have to wait until they saw with their own eyes to believe. The disciples and parents simply believed. I’m sure that the faith of the disciples and the girl’s parents grew when they saw a dead child one moment that was touched by Jesus and stand up beside Jesus.
The girl was not able to reach out for Jesus like the woman who was bleeding. The girl was not able to speak a prayer to ask Jesus for help. In this story, it was the girl’s parents, the disciples, and Jesus who come to the aid of the little girl. The girl could not ask for help. The girl could not reach out for help. The girl didn’t have the right words to speak in a prayer, but it didn’t matter. Jesus had enough love in unity with the others who loved the girl to come to her aid.
These two stories are important. The first story of the woman reminds us that we can receive the answer to our prayers if we just reach out to Jesus. The second story reminds us that God can answer our prayer even if we are unable to ask God for help ourselves. The second story also demonstrates that God’s power is multiplied when we are unified in our faith together in one accord.
We don’t need prayers that rhyme or just the perfect words to speak to God. All we have to do is to reach out to Jesus. Jesus will do the rest. We just need childlike faith to have God’s anointing flowing in our lives. Trust me. You’ll cherish the moment when you feel God’s anointing flowing through you for the first time and every time. The Bible also shows the power of the love of parents for their daughter. The parents were the ones who reached out to Jesus when the little girl couldn’t reach out for Jesus herself. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit by Jesus.
The gift of grace is a free gift. The gift of the Holy Spirit is freely given to us to use to touch people in need. As we touch those that in need, God gives us his touch in return that makes us feel like we are getting a huge hug from God! Let us go out today and reach out for Jesus and see the miracle of life through the eyes of God!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Giving All of You to God
I really enjoyed going to Norfolk to the Virginia Conference Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I forgot how many people I know because of going to retreats at the Virginia Conference Center in Blackstone. I also know people from churches where I’ve worked and worshipped. There was a woman who remembered me because I welcomed her church when they worked at the Henry Fork Service Center. There are the people who I work with on the General Board of Global Missions. I also saw Pastor Dan Ivey from my first church after college. I also saw Pastor Waverly Rheames who baptized Jessica. Pastor Waverly is retiring this year. I saw Pastor Kenny Newsome from Pender UMC where I grew in my faith by having good Sunday School classes. I also made friends at the school of Christian Missions.
I’ve made good friends with my covenant group of Franklin County pastors who usually meets twice a month. All of these people are connected to me and to New Hope UMC with the ties of the United Methodist Church. All of us are connected because we are working together to share the love of Jesus Christ in ways that we cannot do by ourselves.
We also celebrate the success of the United Methodist Church, but we also grieve when the church fails. We voted to close about five churches within Virginia. One of the churches is close to home. Schoolfield UMC is in the heart of Danville. Schoolfield UMC is decommissioning their church today. It is always hard to hear that a church somewhere closed.
Most of the dying churches have a lot in common. The churches were usually over one hundred years old. The churches were focused inward on the handful of people who attended the church. The churches forgot about being the body of Christ. They did the same programs that they did the year before and the year before that year. In fact, the programs were probably the same when the adults were children.
The churches that are growing have a vision. The churches that are growing are reaching out to new people, different people, and people from other ethnic backgrounds. The churches are reaching out to the youth and children of their communities.
The story from today’s scripture is a story that we know from Vacation Bible School. I’m going to read from the Message. The Message is a contemporary version of the Bible that is easy to read and understand. It is especially great for making the Old Testament come to life. For example, the NIV translation says that Goliath’s armor weighed five thousand shekels and the Message states that the armor weighed 126 pounds.
We are reading 1 Samuel 17:1a , 4-7: The Philistines drew up their troops for battle. 4-7 A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor—126 pounds of it! He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. His spear was like a fence rail—the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him.”
In today’s society, we are used to seeing people six or seven feet tall. There are a few unusually tall people in the National Basketball Association that may be near eight feet tall, but they are not strong and muscular men wearing 126 pounds of bronze armor. Imagine the bronze armor shining in the sun. The sunlight that is reflecting off the bronze armor is blinding. The reflection off of the armor makes Goliath appear to be even taller and wider as the light reflects up, down, left and to the right.
The voice of Goliath booms out above the noise of two armies in 1 Samuel 17:8-11: “8-10 Goliath stood there and called out to the Israelite troops, "Why bother using your whole army? Am I not Philistine enough for you? And you're all committed to Saul, aren't you? So pick your best fighter and pit him against me. If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you'll all become our slaves and serve us. I challenge the troops of Israel this day. Give me a man. Let us fight it out together!"
Goliath has made an unusual offer. Usually, the armies fight with many people killed in battle. Goliath was offering a somewhat more civilized answer. He asked that the two best men from both armies fight to the death. The victor will win the war for his country. The loser will lose the war for all. The loser’s people will become slaves. In the past, scholars have suggested that if the people who started a war had to fight the war, that we would have a lot fewer wars. Goliath was trying to intimidate by calling the Jewish King by his first name, Saul. He also asked if the Jews were loyal to King Saul.
1 Samuel 17:11 tells of the reaction to Goliath’s offer: “11 When Saul and his troops heard the Philistine's challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope.” We lose all hope when we don’t have faith and belief in God. Faith will conquer fear, doubt, and hopelessness. King Saul didn’t think about turning to God in their hour of need. Instead King Saul and the rest of the Jews were caught up in fear and doubt.
I love what happens next. The father of a very skinny and young shepherd is asked to take food to his older brothers who are in the army. Young David is not old enough or big enough to be recruited for the army. He is only good enough to be the errand boy. Apparently, David’s father is worried that David’s brothers will argue and fight among themselves.
Here’s what happens next in 1 Samuel 17:17-23 “17-19 One day, Jesse told David his son, "Take this sack of cracked wheat and these ten loaves of bread and run them down to your brothers in the camp. And take these ten wedges of cheese to the captain of their division. Check in on your brothers to see whether they are getting along all right, and let me know how they're doing—Saul and your brothers, and all the Israelites in their war with the Philistines in the Oak Valley."
“20-23 David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers. While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him.”
David heard the challenge from Goliath in a whole different light. David heard the challenge from Goliath through the ears of God. David knew that God was with them. David knew that God was a mighty God. David realized that the impossible is possible. David believed that all things are possible for those who love the Lord. Faith enables action. Fear causes panic and inaction. David decides to take action.
1 Samuel 17:32-33 continues 32 "Master," said David, "don't give up hope. I'm ready to go and fight this Philistine." 33 Saul answered David, "You can't go and fight this Philistine. You're too young and inexperienced—and he's been at this fighting business since before you were born."
The comments by David and Saul show the contrast between faith and doubt. Saul saw the physical attributes of David. King Saul saw David’s youth and inexperience. It was difficult for King Saul to see the depth of David’s faith in God. We can either see with the eyes of faith like David or we can see through the eyes of fear like King Saul. We can also see New Hope United Methodist Church with the eyes of faith or with the eyes of doubt, but we’ll get to that later. Many people can say that New Hope UMC can’t grow or have a large mission program because we are small. We know that New Hope UMC can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.
1 Samuel 17:34-38 34-37 David said, "I've been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I'd go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I'd grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I'll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine." Saul said, "Go. And God help you!"
The shepherd boy, David, told of his experience protecting his flock of sheep from danger, but it was the testimony that he believed that God was alive and that God had delivered David from the mouth of a lion. David also believed that God would continue to protect David if David put all of his faith in God. Saul, agreed to let David go, but King Saul still did not understand where the boy David was going to get his strength. When Saul asked God to help David it was more from helplessness instead of faith that God would actually make a difference. Saul was going through the motions of being faithful. David actually was using his faith to guide him.
The trouble comes for a nation, a church or a person when we start going through the motions of faith and start doing what we’ve always done. The Jewish army was used to fitting their soldiers with the armor of battle instead of the Armor of God. (See Ephesians 6) New Hope UMC must not do what we’ve always done like King Saul. New Hope UMC must be centered on God in the same way as David.
In 1 Samuel 17:38-42 the scripture describes the contrast between the two kinds of armor: “38-39 Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, "I can't even move with all this stuff on me. I'm not used to this." And he took it all off. 40 Then David took his shepherd's staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.”
41-42 As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed. 43 The Philistine ridiculed David. "Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?" And he cursed him by his gods. 44 "Come on," said the Philistine. "I'll make road kill of you for the buzzards. I'll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice." 45-47 David answered, "You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn't save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he's handing you to us on a platter!"
The shepherd boy is not speaking with fear. David is claiming God’s protection for himself. David is also claiming the head of the Jewish army is God and not a man. David is not claiming that he is strong and great. David is giving all of the glory and honor to God. David is humble. David is also stating that the victory will show that God is with the army of Israel.
Finally, in 1 Samuel 17:48-49, we learn that David’s speech caused Goliath to have a strong reaction. It says “48-49 That roused [Goliath] the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, face down in the dirt.”
We have so much to learn from the young shepherd boy. He knew God. He knew that God would protect him. He knew that God wins when we serve God without doubt and fear. David didn’t need all of the trappings of war. He just needed to believe in God.
I believe that New Hope United Methodist Church is becoming a David. We are putting our faith in God. The plan for the addition started awhile back. It didn’t make sense to expand a small country church in the middle of a recession. New Hope doesn’t look like a church that should be growing. It is logical to see New Hope growing if we look with the eyes of God at what is happening with our church. We have faith. We have hope. We have welcoming arms for new people and new ideas.
We’ve felt God’s presence among us. God is carrying us through the challenges and we are becoming men and women of God who expect to be given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We believe that life is centered on God. David understood about God’s grace and favor. He was willing to step out on faith to serve God.
In the New International Version of the Bible in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 it says “As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Let’s open our hearts to the call from God to share the love of our Father in Heaven to every father and family here on earth. Our church can impact the lives of so many people if we just believe like the shepherd boy, David. He knew that with God’s favor the impossible can and will happen. We could be the church closing our doors today like Schoolfield UMC in Danville. Instead, we are like the boy David who has put our hope and faith in God.
The impossible will happen here as well. We will find the money to build our addition. Young David trusted God with his life that day. God came through and it changed young David’s life forever. We will continue to grow in our faith. We will learn to trust God with our lives, too. We feel God’s touch in our lives yesterday, today, and forever. We are God’s people and New Hope UMC is God’s church.
I’ve made good friends with my covenant group of Franklin County pastors who usually meets twice a month. All of these people are connected to me and to New Hope UMC with the ties of the United Methodist Church. All of us are connected because we are working together to share the love of Jesus Christ in ways that we cannot do by ourselves.
We also celebrate the success of the United Methodist Church, but we also grieve when the church fails. We voted to close about five churches within Virginia. One of the churches is close to home. Schoolfield UMC is in the heart of Danville. Schoolfield UMC is decommissioning their church today. It is always hard to hear that a church somewhere closed.
Most of the dying churches have a lot in common. The churches were usually over one hundred years old. The churches were focused inward on the handful of people who attended the church. The churches forgot about being the body of Christ. They did the same programs that they did the year before and the year before that year. In fact, the programs were probably the same when the adults were children.
The churches that are growing have a vision. The churches that are growing are reaching out to new people, different people, and people from other ethnic backgrounds. The churches are reaching out to the youth and children of their communities.
The story from today’s scripture is a story that we know from Vacation Bible School. I’m going to read from the Message. The Message is a contemporary version of the Bible that is easy to read and understand. It is especially great for making the Old Testament come to life. For example, the NIV translation says that Goliath’s armor weighed five thousand shekels and the Message states that the armor weighed 126 pounds.
We are reading 1 Samuel 17:1a , 4-7: The Philistines drew up their troops for battle. 4-7 A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor—126 pounds of it! He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. His spear was like a fence rail—the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him.”
In today’s society, we are used to seeing people six or seven feet tall. There are a few unusually tall people in the National Basketball Association that may be near eight feet tall, but they are not strong and muscular men wearing 126 pounds of bronze armor. Imagine the bronze armor shining in the sun. The sunlight that is reflecting off the bronze armor is blinding. The reflection off of the armor makes Goliath appear to be even taller and wider as the light reflects up, down, left and to the right.
The voice of Goliath booms out above the noise of two armies in 1 Samuel 17:8-11: “8-10 Goliath stood there and called out to the Israelite troops, "Why bother using your whole army? Am I not Philistine enough for you? And you're all committed to Saul, aren't you? So pick your best fighter and pit him against me. If he gets the upper hand and kills me, the Philistines will all become your slaves. But if I get the upper hand and kill him, you'll all become our slaves and serve us. I challenge the troops of Israel this day. Give me a man. Let us fight it out together!"
Goliath has made an unusual offer. Usually, the armies fight with many people killed in battle. Goliath was offering a somewhat more civilized answer. He asked that the two best men from both armies fight to the death. The victor will win the war for his country. The loser will lose the war for all. The loser’s people will become slaves. In the past, scholars have suggested that if the people who started a war had to fight the war, that we would have a lot fewer wars. Goliath was trying to intimidate by calling the Jewish King by his first name, Saul. He also asked if the Jews were loyal to King Saul.
1 Samuel 17:11 tells of the reaction to Goliath’s offer: “11 When Saul and his troops heard the Philistine's challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope.” We lose all hope when we don’t have faith and belief in God. Faith will conquer fear, doubt, and hopelessness. King Saul didn’t think about turning to God in their hour of need. Instead King Saul and the rest of the Jews were caught up in fear and doubt.
I love what happens next. The father of a very skinny and young shepherd is asked to take food to his older brothers who are in the army. Young David is not old enough or big enough to be recruited for the army. He is only good enough to be the errand boy. Apparently, David’s father is worried that David’s brothers will argue and fight among themselves.
Here’s what happens next in 1 Samuel 17:17-23 “17-19 One day, Jesse told David his son, "Take this sack of cracked wheat and these ten loaves of bread and run them down to your brothers in the camp. And take these ten wedges of cheese to the captain of their division. Check in on your brothers to see whether they are getting along all right, and let me know how they're doing—Saul and your brothers, and all the Israelites in their war with the Philistines in the Oak Valley."
“20-23 David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers. While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him.”
David heard the challenge from Goliath in a whole different light. David heard the challenge from Goliath through the ears of God. David knew that God was with them. David knew that God was a mighty God. David realized that the impossible is possible. David believed that all things are possible for those who love the Lord. Faith enables action. Fear causes panic and inaction. David decides to take action.
1 Samuel 17:32-33 continues 32 "Master," said David, "don't give up hope. I'm ready to go and fight this Philistine." 33 Saul answered David, "You can't go and fight this Philistine. You're too young and inexperienced—and he's been at this fighting business since before you were born."
The comments by David and Saul show the contrast between faith and doubt. Saul saw the physical attributes of David. King Saul saw David’s youth and inexperience. It was difficult for King Saul to see the depth of David’s faith in God. We can either see with the eyes of faith like David or we can see through the eyes of fear like King Saul. We can also see New Hope United Methodist Church with the eyes of faith or with the eyes of doubt, but we’ll get to that later. Many people can say that New Hope UMC can’t grow or have a large mission program because we are small. We know that New Hope UMC can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.
1 Samuel 17:34-38 34-37 David said, "I've been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I'd go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I'd grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I'll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine." Saul said, "Go. And God help you!"
The shepherd boy, David, told of his experience protecting his flock of sheep from danger, but it was the testimony that he believed that God was alive and that God had delivered David from the mouth of a lion. David also believed that God would continue to protect David if David put all of his faith in God. Saul, agreed to let David go, but King Saul still did not understand where the boy David was going to get his strength. When Saul asked God to help David it was more from helplessness instead of faith that God would actually make a difference. Saul was going through the motions of being faithful. David actually was using his faith to guide him.
The trouble comes for a nation, a church or a person when we start going through the motions of faith and start doing what we’ve always done. The Jewish army was used to fitting their soldiers with the armor of battle instead of the Armor of God. (See Ephesians 6) New Hope UMC must not do what we’ve always done like King Saul. New Hope UMC must be centered on God in the same way as David.
In 1 Samuel 17:38-42 the scripture describes the contrast between the two kinds of armor: “38-39 Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, "I can't even move with all this stuff on me. I'm not used to this." And he took it all off. 40 Then David took his shepherd's staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd's pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.”
41-42 As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed. 43 The Philistine ridiculed David. "Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?" And he cursed him by his gods. 44 "Come on," said the Philistine. "I'll make road kill of you for the buzzards. I'll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice." 45-47 David answered, "You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn't save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he's handing you to us on a platter!"
The shepherd boy is not speaking with fear. David is claiming God’s protection for himself. David is also claiming the head of the Jewish army is God and not a man. David is not claiming that he is strong and great. David is giving all of the glory and honor to God. David is humble. David is also stating that the victory will show that God is with the army of Israel.
Finally, in 1 Samuel 17:48-49, we learn that David’s speech caused Goliath to have a strong reaction. It says “48-49 That roused [Goliath] the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, face down in the dirt.”
We have so much to learn from the young shepherd boy. He knew God. He knew that God would protect him. He knew that God wins when we serve God without doubt and fear. David didn’t need all of the trappings of war. He just needed to believe in God.
I believe that New Hope United Methodist Church is becoming a David. We are putting our faith in God. The plan for the addition started awhile back. It didn’t make sense to expand a small country church in the middle of a recession. New Hope doesn’t look like a church that should be growing. It is logical to see New Hope growing if we look with the eyes of God at what is happening with our church. We have faith. We have hope. We have welcoming arms for new people and new ideas.
We’ve felt God’s presence among us. God is carrying us through the challenges and we are becoming men and women of God who expect to be given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We believe that life is centered on God. David understood about God’s grace and favor. He was willing to step out on faith to serve God.
In the New International Version of the Bible in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 it says “As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Let’s open our hearts to the call from God to share the love of our Father in Heaven to every father and family here on earth. Our church can impact the lives of so many people if we just believe like the shepherd boy, David. He knew that with God’s favor the impossible can and will happen. We could be the church closing our doors today like Schoolfield UMC in Danville. Instead, we are like the boy David who has put our hope and faith in God.
The impossible will happen here as well. We will find the money to build our addition. Young David trusted God with his life that day. God came through and it changed young David’s life forever. We will continue to grow in our faith. We will learn to trust God with our lives, too. We feel God’s touch in our lives yesterday, today, and forever. We are God’s people and New Hope UMC is God’s church.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Ask, Seek, Knock
Our church needs to be the refuge from the world. We must bend over backwards to open our doors to ALL OF GOD’S CHILDREN. The church was built for sinners, not for the perfect. None of us would get into heaven without God’s forgiveness and God’s grace. The church is the body of Jesus Christ. Jesus opened his heart to everyone. We must follow Jesus to open our hearts to everyone who needs our church in their time of need.
It is human nature to make up our minds about people without having a lot of the facts. We judge people by the way they dress, the way they talk, or the way that they act. We judge people by hearsay and gossip. We don’t wait for all of the facts, but we have an opinion and from that opinion we judge others so quickly.
Matthew 7:1-6 tells us about judging others. It says: 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
It is God who judges. It is too easy for us to judge others, but it is not out job. We are supposed to show love and compassion for our neighbor. Romans 14:10 says “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.” We will stand before God to receive our judgment. God will forgive us if we forgive others. Jesus reached out to the least, lost, and the last. Jesus did not judge them. He reached out to the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus told her about the everlasting water that if we drink it we will never thirst again. Jesus welcomed tax collectors and fishermen into his ministry. He didn’t judge them; Jesus used them to teach others about God. In fact, Matthew, James, and John are loved disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t tell them to go away, leave the church, or stay out of sight. God used Moses after he killed a man. Moses is loved for being a man of God even though he was not perfect. God still loved King David after he committed adultery.
Jesus said, in Matthew 4:19-20 "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. 20At once they left their nets and followed him.” Jesus didn’t judge Simon Peter, Andrew, James, or John. Jesus saw the men of God that they would become. Jesus saw those men by the sea with the eyes of faith. We need to spend more time seeing the potential in people and loving them. We need to see with the eyes of faith and we need to speak with faith so that they become the men and women of faith that God planned for them.
Jesus did not tell the future disciples to go home, take a bath, get a haircut, buy a new suit, and get an education and then follow me. Jesus just said, “Come, follow me.” Being used by God is just that simple. We need to follow Jesus. We also need to encourage others to follow Jesus. It is when people are the farthest from God’s grace that we need to love them and help them to see the light shining in the darkness. We are blocking God’s plan if we judge and tell people that they are bad and we are good. We are blocking God’s forgiveness and grace.
Why do we feel so much better when we judge others? Is it the process of pushing others down to feel worse that makes us feel better? Why can’t we feel better when we reach out our hand to pull someone up from the hole that they’ve dug for themselves? Why can’t we feel better when we show compassion and love? Let’s leave judgment to God. Let’s share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone who is in need of God’s love.
I’ve thought about writing a book about the ways God has used me. People said that it would be good to write the book about each city that I’ve worked in Ghana. Annette Saul said it would be nice if there was a chapter on Callaway. I saw the start of the story last Sunday.
We had so many things happen right out of scripture. I took my anointing oil out of my Bible case so that I could pray. I preached a good sermon. We celebrated communion to remember the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The service was ending right on time, so I decided not to ask for anyone who needed prayer. I had a feeling we needed to pray for someone, but I didn’t follow through with that feeling.
I want to talk about the gift of discernment. Webster’s dictionary defines discernment as the power of acute observation, perception, or the sight into the middle of things. Ephesians defines discernment as the “insight into the truth of Christ.” God gave us gifts of the Holy Spirit. Discernment is one of those gifts. Another way to explain discernment is being able to understand the will of God and acting on that will. Many of us know what God wants us to do, but we don’t listen and we don’t act on that knowledge. Everyone hears God, but only a few listens to God.
Penny Wright has the gift of discernment. She had that urge to ask Odessa how she was feeling. Odessa told Penny that her back really ached. Penny then told Odessa that Walter would probably pray for her. I didn’t know that Odessa needed prayer. I just knew that we were meant to pray for someone. Penny had the gift of discernment to understand that Odessa was the person who needed prayer. Penny and Annette called for me from the front of the church. They asked for prayers.
I was so glad to that Penny asked for prayers. I anointed Odessa’s forehead with oil and laid my hands on her back where she was in pain. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit work as we prayed together. We quickly realized that Carolyn also needed prayers. The prayer time with Carolyn was very moving to me as well. Penny discerned or knew who needed prayer. I have the gift of prayer, but I needed Penny’s discernment to know who needed prayer last week.
Now, let’s continue with Matthew 7:7-12: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Penny Wright asked for prayers for Odessa Poff. She was not even asking for prayers for herself. Verse 7:12 says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Penny would love someone to pray for her and she was willing to ask for prayers for her friend. This scripture is so important. It explains that there are three steps: 1. we must ask God, 2. we must seek God, and 3. we must knock on God’s door. Matthew 7:7 teaches that the consequence of asking, seeking, and knocking is that the door to God will be opened to us. We will never know what gifts God has for us if we never ask God in prayer for those gifts and blessing. First, we must seek God by learning God’s word and worshipping God. God will give us good gifts if we just go to God in prayer.
I really loved my time on Tuesday. Bill Webb, Karl Poff, Wayne Bussey, R.L. Webb, and I dug the ditch for the foundation of our new church building. We were amazed how quickly we dug the ditch. It actually took us most of the day, but the time goes quickly when we were working together. We talked and joked a lot.
The progress on the building is going slow. The builder did not build the building according to the architectural plans. It will take extra effort and costs to get the addition approved by the building inspectors. I remember trying to build a foundation for a kitchen for a school in Africa.
I prayed for the rain to hold off until we could pour the concrete. I prayed, but the rain came anyway. I tried to understand why God was letting it rain. Men were running with wheelbarrows and buckets filled with concrete to the foundation. The rain was coming so fast that the foundation was getting filled with water. I grabbed a shovel to dig a ditch to drain the water away from the concrete. Many of the men were from the local village. They were not members of the church. The rain unified us all to get the foundation poured for the kitchen. Later, I was told that one of the men had many problems. He felt like the rain was washing away his sins. He joined the church the next week. The rain stopped and the concrete was able to make a strong foundation.
We will be able to have a strong foundation for our church both physically and spiritually. I am thankful that there are men and women of God who are willing to ask God for prayer for those in need. I am thankful that the church is willing to seek the truth of Jesus Christ in their lives and to share the love of Jesus Christ with anyone who comes in their path. I was excited to see a friend invited to our church last week. We will have every pew filled quickly if we all ask just one friend to worship with us.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
Our plan is that we will build our lives on a firm foundation. The wind and rain of this world will blow, but we will stand firm. Also, the foundation of our church will be strong. We are building on faith that we will find the money and time to build a place to learn about God. Let us remember these words: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” The door to the kingdom of God is open if we just believe with faith that God will bless our lives today and forever. Let us knock on God’s door and enter into God’s presence!
It is human nature to make up our minds about people without having a lot of the facts. We judge people by the way they dress, the way they talk, or the way that they act. We judge people by hearsay and gossip. We don’t wait for all of the facts, but we have an opinion and from that opinion we judge others so quickly.
Matthew 7:1-6 tells us about judging others. It says: 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
It is God who judges. It is too easy for us to judge others, but it is not out job. We are supposed to show love and compassion for our neighbor. Romans 14:10 says “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.” We will stand before God to receive our judgment. God will forgive us if we forgive others. Jesus reached out to the least, lost, and the last. Jesus did not judge them. He reached out to the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus told her about the everlasting water that if we drink it we will never thirst again. Jesus welcomed tax collectors and fishermen into his ministry. He didn’t judge them; Jesus used them to teach others about God. In fact, Matthew, James, and John are loved disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t tell them to go away, leave the church, or stay out of sight. God used Moses after he killed a man. Moses is loved for being a man of God even though he was not perfect. God still loved King David after he committed adultery.
Jesus said, in Matthew 4:19-20 "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. 20At once they left their nets and followed him.” Jesus didn’t judge Simon Peter, Andrew, James, or John. Jesus saw the men of God that they would become. Jesus saw those men by the sea with the eyes of faith. We need to spend more time seeing the potential in people and loving them. We need to see with the eyes of faith and we need to speak with faith so that they become the men and women of faith that God planned for them.
Jesus did not tell the future disciples to go home, take a bath, get a haircut, buy a new suit, and get an education and then follow me. Jesus just said, “Come, follow me.” Being used by God is just that simple. We need to follow Jesus. We also need to encourage others to follow Jesus. It is when people are the farthest from God’s grace that we need to love them and help them to see the light shining in the darkness. We are blocking God’s plan if we judge and tell people that they are bad and we are good. We are blocking God’s forgiveness and grace.
Why do we feel so much better when we judge others? Is it the process of pushing others down to feel worse that makes us feel better? Why can’t we feel better when we reach out our hand to pull someone up from the hole that they’ve dug for themselves? Why can’t we feel better when we show compassion and love? Let’s leave judgment to God. Let’s share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone who is in need of God’s love.
I’ve thought about writing a book about the ways God has used me. People said that it would be good to write the book about each city that I’ve worked in Ghana. Annette Saul said it would be nice if there was a chapter on Callaway. I saw the start of the story last Sunday.
We had so many things happen right out of scripture. I took my anointing oil out of my Bible case so that I could pray. I preached a good sermon. We celebrated communion to remember the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The service was ending right on time, so I decided not to ask for anyone who needed prayer. I had a feeling we needed to pray for someone, but I didn’t follow through with that feeling.
I want to talk about the gift of discernment. Webster’s dictionary defines discernment as the power of acute observation, perception, or the sight into the middle of things. Ephesians defines discernment as the “insight into the truth of Christ.” God gave us gifts of the Holy Spirit. Discernment is one of those gifts. Another way to explain discernment is being able to understand the will of God and acting on that will. Many of us know what God wants us to do, but we don’t listen and we don’t act on that knowledge. Everyone hears God, but only a few listens to God.
Penny Wright has the gift of discernment. She had that urge to ask Odessa how she was feeling. Odessa told Penny that her back really ached. Penny then told Odessa that Walter would probably pray for her. I didn’t know that Odessa needed prayer. I just knew that we were meant to pray for someone. Penny had the gift of discernment to understand that Odessa was the person who needed prayer. Penny and Annette called for me from the front of the church. They asked for prayers.
I was so glad to that Penny asked for prayers. I anointed Odessa’s forehead with oil and laid my hands on her back where she was in pain. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit work as we prayed together. We quickly realized that Carolyn also needed prayers. The prayer time with Carolyn was very moving to me as well. Penny discerned or knew who needed prayer. I have the gift of prayer, but I needed Penny’s discernment to know who needed prayer last week.
Now, let’s continue with Matthew 7:7-12: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Penny Wright asked for prayers for Odessa Poff. She was not even asking for prayers for herself. Verse 7:12 says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Penny would love someone to pray for her and she was willing to ask for prayers for her friend. This scripture is so important. It explains that there are three steps: 1. we must ask God, 2. we must seek God, and 3. we must knock on God’s door. Matthew 7:7 teaches that the consequence of asking, seeking, and knocking is that the door to God will be opened to us. We will never know what gifts God has for us if we never ask God in prayer for those gifts and blessing. First, we must seek God by learning God’s word and worshipping God. God will give us good gifts if we just go to God in prayer.
I really loved my time on Tuesday. Bill Webb, Karl Poff, Wayne Bussey, R.L. Webb, and I dug the ditch for the foundation of our new church building. We were amazed how quickly we dug the ditch. It actually took us most of the day, but the time goes quickly when we were working together. We talked and joked a lot.
The progress on the building is going slow. The builder did not build the building according to the architectural plans. It will take extra effort and costs to get the addition approved by the building inspectors. I remember trying to build a foundation for a kitchen for a school in Africa.
I prayed for the rain to hold off until we could pour the concrete. I prayed, but the rain came anyway. I tried to understand why God was letting it rain. Men were running with wheelbarrows and buckets filled with concrete to the foundation. The rain was coming so fast that the foundation was getting filled with water. I grabbed a shovel to dig a ditch to drain the water away from the concrete. Many of the men were from the local village. They were not members of the church. The rain unified us all to get the foundation poured for the kitchen. Later, I was told that one of the men had many problems. He felt like the rain was washing away his sins. He joined the church the next week. The rain stopped and the concrete was able to make a strong foundation.
We will be able to have a strong foundation for our church both physically and spiritually. I am thankful that there are men and women of God who are willing to ask God for prayer for those in need. I am thankful that the church is willing to seek the truth of Jesus Christ in their lives and to share the love of Jesus Christ with anyone who comes in their path. I was excited to see a friend invited to our church last week. We will have every pew filled quickly if we all ask just one friend to worship with us.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
Our plan is that we will build our lives on a firm foundation. The wind and rain of this world will blow, but we will stand firm. Also, the foundation of our church will be strong. We are building on faith that we will find the money and time to build a place to learn about God. Let us remember these words: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” The door to the kingdom of God is open if we just believe with faith that God will bless our lives today and forever. Let us knock on God’s door and enter into God’s presence!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
How Do We Inherit Eternal Life?
There’s a lot that to learn about this life and eternal life. Jesus came to teach us what we needed to know. Jesus came to help us understand God. There were many Jewish rabbis who studied, but who did not fully understand. It is the same way today. There’s so much to learn.
The Pharisees believed that a Messiah would come and they believed in an afterlife, but they did not believe that Jesus was that Messiah. The Pharisees believed in following the Jewish law very strictly. They also believed that they should be separated from all non-believers. The Pharisees were against Jesus. Nicodemus recognized that Jesus came from God, but he was afraid to be seen with Jesus. He came at night so that the other Pharisees would not see him. Nicodemus also recognized that Jesus was a great teacher.
Nicodemus asked Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus is telling us that we have our physical bodies which are flesh. We also have a spiritual body after we are baptized. We are one dimensional until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We are just flesh. Once we are born again, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus uses the example of the wind to describe the Holy Spirit. We can’t see the wind blowing, but we feel its breeze and see the impact of the wind on the leaves of the trees. Jesus is trying to explain that just as we see the impact of the wind on the trees we will see the touch of God on everyone who is born of the Holy Spirit. We are changed. We are new and different.
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Nicodemus was really confused with the transformation that happens at baptism. Jesus was amazed that Nicodemus could spend so much time being religious and still not understand the change which happens when we are baptized. Jesus said that the religious leaders speak about what they saw and the Pharisees still didn’t believe the preaching of Jesus and his disciples. Jesus didn’t believe the Pharisees would understand about the easy facts that they could see. The biggest fact is that they could see Jesus. If they couldn’t see Jesus and believe, how were they going to understand and believe about heaven and the Holy Spirit?
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus explained to Nicodemus that he had been to heaven. Jesus also used the term “Son of Man” to explain that he is the Son of God and he is also Mary’s Son. This is the concept that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Jesus said for the first time that he would be crucified on the cross. Moses lifted up the snake on a pole to save the lives of people who believed. Jesus is trying to explain that we will not perish if we believe. In fact, we will have eternal life if we just believe. The next verse if the one verse that almost everyone learns in Sunday school.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The first point in this verse is that God loves us. The second point is that God gave us his only son. The third point is that we must believe and have faith in God. The fourth point is that we will not perish and have eternal life if we just believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
This verse is so important. God did not send Jesus to destroy the world. God sent Jesus so that the world could be saved. The world did not understand God before God sent Jesus. God was hoping that having God in the flesh would make it possible for the world to understand the truth about God’s love.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Jesus is the light of this world. Satan is the evil of this world. Satan is the darkness. If we are following God, we want to be in God’s light. If we are following Satan, we will want to hide in the darkness. Light and darkness are such strong contrasts. It feels good to be in the sunlight. A cold, dark night can make our skin crawl. It is hard to hide in the bright sunshine. It is much easier to hide on a moonless night. We are drawn to the light of this world if we love God and want to be his children.
I love 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We no longer have our old self after we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our old self is gone. We are brand new. We are a new creation! We can start over. Our old lives and our old sins are forgiven. We are children of God. As soon as we believe and are baptized we have the God’s helper and counselor to guide our path. That helper and counselor is the Holy Spirit. We no longer have to dwell on the mistakes of the past. We can celebrate our lives with God and the future that he promises for us here on earth and in heaven.
It is by God’s grace that we are saved. Salvation is a free gift. We can’t earn it. We can’t buy it. We can’t do good works to sneak into heaven. We just have to believe and ask Jesus Christ into our lives today and every day. Our lives are transformed the moment that we say “Yes, Lord.” We believe that Jesus is the son of God. We believe that Jesus died on the cross so that we could live and be free of our sins. We believe that Jesus rose on the third day and ascended into heaven.
We can be thankful that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus Christ into the world so that we could believe and have eternal life. We are celebrating Holy Communion today to remember that Jesus Christ loved us so much that he gave us life up for us. Also, the altar is open today for prayers after communion for those who need to receive a prayer. Amen!
The Pharisees believed that a Messiah would come and they believed in an afterlife, but they did not believe that Jesus was that Messiah. The Pharisees believed in following the Jewish law very strictly. They also believed that they should be separated from all non-believers. The Pharisees were against Jesus. Nicodemus recognized that Jesus came from God, but he was afraid to be seen with Jesus. He came at night so that the other Pharisees would not see him. Nicodemus also recognized that Jesus was a great teacher.
Nicodemus asked Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus is telling us that we have our physical bodies which are flesh. We also have a spiritual body after we are baptized. We are one dimensional until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We are just flesh. Once we are born again, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus uses the example of the wind to describe the Holy Spirit. We can’t see the wind blowing, but we feel its breeze and see the impact of the wind on the leaves of the trees. Jesus is trying to explain that just as we see the impact of the wind on the trees we will see the touch of God on everyone who is born of the Holy Spirit. We are changed. We are new and different.
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Nicodemus was really confused with the transformation that happens at baptism. Jesus was amazed that Nicodemus could spend so much time being religious and still not understand the change which happens when we are baptized. Jesus said that the religious leaders speak about what they saw and the Pharisees still didn’t believe the preaching of Jesus and his disciples. Jesus didn’t believe the Pharisees would understand about the easy facts that they could see. The biggest fact is that they could see Jesus. If they couldn’t see Jesus and believe, how were they going to understand and believe about heaven and the Holy Spirit?
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus explained to Nicodemus that he had been to heaven. Jesus also used the term “Son of Man” to explain that he is the Son of God and he is also Mary’s Son. This is the concept that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Jesus said for the first time that he would be crucified on the cross. Moses lifted up the snake on a pole to save the lives of people who believed. Jesus is trying to explain that we will not perish if we believe. In fact, we will have eternal life if we just believe. The next verse if the one verse that almost everyone learns in Sunday school.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The first point in this verse is that God loves us. The second point is that God gave us his only son. The third point is that we must believe and have faith in God. The fourth point is that we will not perish and have eternal life if we just believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
This verse is so important. God did not send Jesus to destroy the world. God sent Jesus so that the world could be saved. The world did not understand God before God sent Jesus. God was hoping that having God in the flesh would make it possible for the world to understand the truth about God’s love.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Jesus is the light of this world. Satan is the evil of this world. Satan is the darkness. If we are following God, we want to be in God’s light. If we are following Satan, we will want to hide in the darkness. Light and darkness are such strong contrasts. It feels good to be in the sunlight. A cold, dark night can make our skin crawl. It is hard to hide in the bright sunshine. It is much easier to hide on a moonless night. We are drawn to the light of this world if we love God and want to be his children.
I love 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We no longer have our old self after we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our old self is gone. We are brand new. We are a new creation! We can start over. Our old lives and our old sins are forgiven. We are children of God. As soon as we believe and are baptized we have the God’s helper and counselor to guide our path. That helper and counselor is the Holy Spirit. We no longer have to dwell on the mistakes of the past. We can celebrate our lives with God and the future that he promises for us here on earth and in heaven.
It is by God’s grace that we are saved. Salvation is a free gift. We can’t earn it. We can’t buy it. We can’t do good works to sneak into heaven. We just have to believe and ask Jesus Christ into our lives today and every day. Our lives are transformed the moment that we say “Yes, Lord.” We believe that Jesus is the son of God. We believe that Jesus died on the cross so that we could live and be free of our sins. We believe that Jesus rose on the third day and ascended into heaven.
We can be thankful that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus Christ into the world so that we could believe and have eternal life. We are celebrating Holy Communion today to remember that Jesus Christ loved us so much that he gave us life up for us. Also, the altar is open today for prayers after communion for those who need to receive a prayer. Amen!
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