10-30-16 The Reformation taught us to say, “I AM MOT ASHAMED!”

Scripture  Romans 1:16-17

Movie Trailer “I am not ashamed”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJJ2xphZjjA)

Romans 1:16-17

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

In 1516–17, Johann Tetzel, a papal commissioner for indulgences, was sent to Germany to raise money to rebuild St Peter's Basilica in Rome. (In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, an indulgence is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". It may reduce either the penance required after a sin has been forgiven or the temporal punishment after death, in the state or process of purification called Purgatory)

On October 31st 1517, Martin Luther wrote to Archbishop Albrecht, protesting against the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The 95 Theses. Luther did not mean to condemn, rather to reform the catholic church.  However, some of the “95” were not received well; like thesis 86, which asks: "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?" Luther also objected to a saying attributed to Tetzel that read, "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs." He insisted that, since forgiveness was God's alone to grant, those who claimed that indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments and granted them salvation were in error.

Again, Luther did not want to break from the Catholic Church – he wanted reforms to take place and to become a biblical Christ centered people. How much better if were a United Universal Church. Even when a break was inevitable – the reformers could not agree on anything which is how we ended up with so many denominations.  Now it is worse – People think it is great to have an Interdenominational or worse of all a Non-denominational church. The battle cry is “We don’t have some leaders telling us what we can and cannot do when the truth of that idea is – “We are Christians and we are going to do things OUR way without any accountability or real relation to any other Christian group.

Churches are not in competition with each other. It is also not the church against the world – in fact it is the church FOR the world.  John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes (faith) in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to have the world through him. Christ was not against the world but FOR the world. We look at

the world and say “Oh what a horrible place” God looks at the world and says “My son can fix this!”

Martin Luther was not ashamed – Rachel Scott was not ashamed – Ashland Church is not ashamed!

It is Jesus who provides the answer but the church has to be the one to help the world ask the right questions.

          I have noticed over the past few years one reason the church in America has been dying. I also realize that I may drive people crazy when I emphasize it, but I am not ashamed to do so, because it is necessary to change the tide of church decline along with a declining number of people turning to Jesus for Life. That observation is this: The church has been told for 20 years that we no longer live in a church culture but we have done little to change our mindset, language or how we do things, outside of changing some of our music.

          We don’t really believe there are people who have never heard of Jesus. We don’t believe there are people who have never been to church. We like that church is a place where there are things familiar to us and assume they are familiar to everyone. I am not talking about Ashland Church; I am talking about the church in America of which we are one. But we are one who will do well in not only hearing that we live in an unchurched culture, but alter how we speak and act to reach those who are truly not unchurched but NEVER-CHURCHED or the CHURCHLESS. As you might expect, the data show some striking generational differences when it comes to secularization. The pattern is indisputable: The younger the generation, the more post-Christian it is. Nearly half of Millennials (48%) qualify as post-Christian compared (40%) of Gen X-ers, 1/3 of Boomers (35%) and 1/4 of Elders (28%).

          I have been guilty of insider thoughts and comments and so have most of us. Even the Apostle Paul did it in today’s text: He said; For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed. That is insider language. You had to be a Jew (and Paul was the missionary to the Gentiles) to understand what he was saying. The righteousness he speaks of is very much an Old Testament concept.

Isa 51:5-8    My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.  Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.  "Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults.  For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations."

          Righteousness is THE requirement for salvation. However, the people are incapable of being righteous. So God says I am bringing MY righteousness. Our salvation is dependent on God’s righteousness coming into us. SO when Paul says For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed. He is announcing that God’s righteousness can be delivered to us in the gospel. Gospel is the good news that Jesus died on a cross and rose again to remove our sin and become righteousness for us because we are incapable of being righteous.

          OT righteousness is that God is just and cannot be anything else (i.e. the flood). He is ‘right’ in all thoughts and actions. NT righteousness has to do with our right relationship with God.

          Therefore, to understand what Paul is saying you needed to be an insider – a Jew or one who knows the OT.  It is up to the church to take the Old and New Testament and present it in such a way (language and actions) that people in today’s ever changing culture can understand it and apply it to their lives.

          For instance, the church used to say “Here is Jesus, become like us and you will find him” Now we have to say, “Here is Jesus let us help you find him.” Instead of people becoming like us and pointing to Jesus, we now point to Jesus and help them find him however we can. 1 Cor 9:19-23   Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

          Because we are guilty of sin we should all be ashamed. God’s righteousness in Jesus justifies us. It doesn’t make us not guilty – OH we are guilty. It declares us NOT GUILTY. Jesus accepts us as the sinners we are but brings the gavel down as if we are not guilty. Once we are justified – by His righteousness through our FAITH, then begins the process of sanctification, becoming more and more what God has declared us to be. Because we have been declared righteous by what Jesus did, we can proclaim salvation in no one but Jesus and stand and say “I AM NOT ASHAMED! You sinned but Jesus did not and he makes you as if you too did not and removes your shame so you now stand UNASHAMED and not ashamed to call him Lord and tell others they too can find righteousness in Jesus alone!!!

10-23-16 Have you learned anything?

01 - SHEMA VIDEO 

Scripture                                                   Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.   5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 02 – tie them 

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

THE SHEMA is the central prayer in the Jewish prayer book and is often the first section of scripture that a Jewish child learns. During its recitation in the synagogue, 03 – cover eyes 04 - mezuzah

orthodox Jews pronounce each word very carefully and cover their eyes with their right hand. Many Jews recite the Shema in the morning and evening. The Shema is written on a tiny scroll and placed inside a mezuzah.

          The Shema is 3 parts in one unity:

05 – Shema Words First Part: Shema = 6 words / Shema Yisrael, Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad

           Response 6 words / barukh shem kevod malkhuto le’olam va’ed

After a pause Deut 6:5-9 is recited stressing command to love God with heart, soul and might.

06 – Three Parts Second Part: Vehayah = Deut 11:13-21 stresses the blessings that come through obedience to Adonai and the consequences that come through disobedience.

Third Part: Vaiyomer = Numbers 15:37-41 This passage concerns the use of the tallit, 07 – tallit 

a rectangular prayer shawl with four fringes (called tzitzit). One tzitzit is attached to each corner of the tallit. The reason for wearing the tzitzit is to remind oneself to observe all of the commandments of the Lord.

LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED

First 2 are right from the 10 commandments

Honor your parents – What was there to rebel against?

Don’t steal – Oct 23

Next is a life lesson where a biblical application can be made

Disappointments happen – endure them – Baseball at age 7

          Heb 12:7-11   Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Stole flags – from cemetery and sold them – learned respect for other people.

          This seems obvious because this person couldn’t get over what disrespect they had shown. When asked permission to share the story without their name – they said – by letting me do that maybe they can finally forgive themselves. Biblical application to make it a true life lesson. John 8:36 If the son sets you free you are free indeed. OR 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

by Robert Fulghum
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the
sand pile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything. 

Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush. (Does every life lesson need a biblical application? FLUSH Deut 23:12-14

Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.

OK everything does not need a biblical application.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest
word of all - LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm. (THAT IS WHERE BIBLICAL APPLICATION IS IMPORTANT)
Think what a better world it would be if all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about
three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best
to hold hands and stick together.

© Robert Fulghum, 1990.

So what?! – this was a sweet lesson about life lessons and how to connect the bible to daily lessons we learn. But what does that have to do with our text? – If I am not preaching the scriptures and the scriptures as Christocentric – Christ at the center – then what is the point?

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.   5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Where is Jesus? Jesus is the fulfilment of the commandments that you and I cannot keep. He kept them – all of them. He never sinned. He took our sin and they were crucified with him.

Jesus summarized every life lesson you and I will ever need.

09 – Scripture  Matthew 22:34-40

 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'   38 This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'   40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Love Jesus with your heart/passion, soul/depth of being and mind/thoughts. Love Jesus – and show that new love by loving others.

10-16-16 Jesus is not constructing a ‘tiny house’!

Scripture  Luke 14:15-24

         

Someone mentioned that their church had grown and they prefer a small church. My immediate response was - Jesus doesn’t. Jesus said on the rock I will build my church. I don’t think Jesus had in mind building a “tiny Church”

Matt 16:17-18

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Luke 14:16 & 23

Jesus replied: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests… Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’

Let’s dive deeper in to that text:

THE SET UP BEFORE THE PARABLE

Luke 14:1-11    (Pharisees were out to get Jesus)     One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"  4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. Then he asked them, "If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?"  6 And they had nothing to say.    (Transition to second part of set up)

          7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: (Interesting – this is not a parable – listen to what Jesus says to the Pharisees seated at the dinner table) "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

NOW THE TEXT

Luke 14:15-24

(The next person speaking obviously had no clue Jesus was just talking to him…) When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

          16 Jesus replied (Now we get a parable) "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

          "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'  "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'  (The excuses were: I have possessions / work / and relationships that stand between me and responding to your invitation! What keeps people form putting their trust in Jesus? Possessions / work / relationships to name a few!)

          21 "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry (God is offering eternal life – he sent his son to die so that we could be forgiven and receive life forever – Wouldn’t you be mad if people rejected your invitation after giving up so much?) and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

          22 (This was a good servant anticipating what his master wanted – the way the church should be) "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

          23-24 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"

          The MSG version: Luke 14:23  "The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full!’

CONCLUSION

My dad loved to play games – 1:00 in the morning golfing under the lights – start to leave and he motions for you to stay = no no no – let’s just do one more. We can all play – it will be fun.

I see Jesus always doing that: No no no Zacchaeus, let’s go to your house for dinner. Martha, the food can wait – join Mary and I just hanging out together. To Lazarus – no no no come on – you aren’t that dead – let’s keep going. Peter, so what if you fished all night – put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

NO EXCUSE SUNDAY: DEDICATED TO MISSING CHURCH ATTENDEES! To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday": Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard. Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church." Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can't go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for those who can't hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he's too loud! Hope to see you there!

Oregon, Ohio

20,291 population in 2010

90% White African American, Hispanic 7%, 1.5%, Asian 1.0%

Age 17 and under 23% / 65 and older 17 % / 18-64 60%

o   It takes the average evangelical church 100 people and one year to introduce one person to Jesus Christ.

Live churches' expenses are always more than their income; dead churches don't need much money! 
Live churches have parking problems; Dead churches have empty spaces! 
Live churches may have some noisy children; Dead churches are quiet as a cemetery. 
Live churches keep changing their ways of doing things; Dead churches see no need for change! 
Live churches grow so fast you can't keep up with people's names; In dead churches everybody always knows everybody's name. 
Live churches strongly support world missions; Dead churches keep the money at home! 
Live churches are full of regular, cheerful givers; Dead churches are full of grudging tippers! 
Live churches move ahead on prayer and faith; Dead churches work only on sight! 
Live churches plant daughter churches; Dead churches fear spending the money, time, and talent! 
Live churches outgrow their Sunday School facilities; Dead churches have room to spare! 
Live churches welcome all classes of people; Dead churches stick to their own kind! 
Live churches' members read their Bibles and bring them to church; Dead churches' members seldom do! 
Live churches' members enthusiastically support the ministries; Dead churches have no ministries--only functions! 
Live churches' members look for someone they can help; Dead churches' members look for something to complain about! 
Live churches' members reach out to share their faith in Christ; Dead churches' members don't have enough to share!

10-09-16 “Hungry for a Heart like Hannah”

Scripture  1 Samuel 1:9-11

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple.   10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

Husband = Elkanah

Wives = Peninnah and Hannah

Yearly Elkanah went to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifice and would give the sacrificial meat Peninnah and ALL her sons and daughters and a double portion to Hannah whom he loved and who could not bear children.

          Peninnah made fun of Hannah, even when she would go to worship so much so that it brought Hannah to tears and was so upset she wouldn’t even eat.

          Elkanah would say “Why are you weeping, not eating and sad? I know you have not produced children but I love you and that should be enough.” (He meant well)

          Once after worship and eating (Eli the priest was near the temple door) and Hannah stood, wept and prayed, (1 Sam 1:11) "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

          She was moving her mouth but no sounds were coming out and Eli accused her of being drunk to which she replied – “I am desperate to have a child – I am deep in grief for what I do not have and what I cannot do. I am despised by the wife of my husband’s children. Please know that I am not drunk, I am only praying to God out of my anguish from being barren.” Eli answered. (1 Sam 1:17)  "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."

Hannah felt better and in the morning; they worshipped and went home.

          Shortly after this, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son and named him Samuel = “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

          The next time Elkanah went to worship Hannah did not go and said, “I will go after Samuel has been weaned and I will then give him to the Lord.”

          1 Sam 1:24-28

After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Sam 1:28  So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.

Accomplishments of Samuel in the Bible

Samuel was an honest and fair judge. As a prophet, he exhorted Israel to turn from worshipping idols and serve God alone. Despite his personal misgivings, he led Israel from the system of judges to its first monarchy. Samuel anointed King Saul and King David.

Samuel's Strengths

Samuel loved God and obeyed without question. His integrity prevented him from taking advantage of his authority. His first loyalty was to God, regardless of what the people or king thought of him.

          Being a pastor and married to a school teacher, you discover many things about families and how they view their children. Some people do an ok job raising their children and hoping they will be happy in whatever they do in life. Some are horrific parents, from being abusive to being neglectful. Some are amazing and believe the greatest good they can do is lead their children into an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ – and even more so – lead their children to serve the King of kings.

FIRST – BEING BORN AGAIN SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UP TO – I HOPE SO

Born again/Nicodemus - Our purpose is to see more people be born again.

John 3:1-17

Nicodemus said, Jesus, we know you are from God.

Jesus replied, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked.

Jesus answered, You must be born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

SECOND – SERVING JESUS IS A PART OF EVERY CHRISTIAN’S LIFE

          We take seriously teaching our children how to walk, talk, eat, read, do math, drive a car, etc. What about teaching them how they are to serve Christ with their whole life?

          The church needs to raise up a generation of parents who understand their role as their children’s spiritual teacher and guide. That begins with dedicating ourselves and our children to the Lord. After we have taken care of those in our household then we move to our friends, neighbors, coworkers and classmates whose parents have failed them spiritually.

A child at birth has the capacity to become original. Or you can put him in a mold so that he will come out like everybody else.

As people we should invest out money – time – heart into our children and youth??? Yes but as well to our young adults who are having children. We love doing things for young people, but what age group is most absent from the church today?  Who will teach them to teach their children? All parents need the support of the church to assure that their children have every possibility to be born again then to serve Jesus. Are you a Peninnah or a Hannah? Are you praying for parents and kids or do you wish they wouldn’t mess up the church building? To minister to them costs time, money and passion.

Hannah means favor or grace.


THE MESSAGE CONCLUDED WITH THE BABY DEDICATION OF GIDEON MEYER INGLE

Parent &

Child

Dedication

October 9, 2016

  

  Ashland Church

Oregon, Ohio

     Dr. Jeff Cooper, Senior Pastor

(Parents and child come down front)

(Addressing the congregation)

We welcome in the name of the Lord Gary and Gretchen Ingle and their son, Gideon Meyer Ingle.

In this service of dedication, we are first to give thanks to God, the maker of all things, the giver of all life, for the creation and birth of this child.

Secondly, we are to make a solemn promise as parents and as a church that, relying on God’s help and working in partnership together, we will endeavor to bring up this child in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Thirdly, we are to pray that God’s blessing may descend and rest upon this child, remembering how the Lord Jesus took little children in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.

Would Gideon’s Grandparents, Jeff & Kim Cooper, and Mike & Sue Ingle, please come forward. Would Gideon’s great-grandparents join us? Larry & Shirley Gamble, Ron & Noreen Ingle, Bob & Bernice Pettifor. Also, we would like Gideon’s Uncle Nathan to join us.

Let us now hear the word of God!

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him; and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments.                    (Psalm 103:17-18)

And they were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it He was indignant, and said to them “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And He took them up in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.

(Mark 10:13-16)

(Addressing the parents)

In presenting this child to the Lord, do you promise in dependence on divine grace, and in partnership with the church, to teach him the truths and duties of the Christian faith; and by prayer, precept, and example, to bring him up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord?

(Parents reply “We do”)

(Addressing Grandparents & other relatives)

Standing here, do you promise to aid and support these parents in their life long endeavor to raise Gideon in the discipline and instruction of the Lord?

(Grandparents respond “We do”)

(Addressing the Congregation)

Do you, as members of this church and guests who believe in Jesus as Lord, acknowledge and accept the responsibility, together with the parents, of teaching and training this child, that being brought up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, he may be led in due time to trust Christ as Saviour, and confessing Him as Lord in baptism, be made a member of His church? If so, will you signify your response by standing?

(The mother takes the baby’s hand, the father takes both of their hands and the pastor takes all three of their hands. –The pastor prays a prayer of dedication!)

Naming our son:

We had always joked about needing to name our kids “G” names since our names both start with the letter. Right after we found out I was pregnant, we went away for a weekend to celebrate our fifth anniversary. Sitting at a Mexican restaurant one afternoon, we downloaded a baby names app. It’s a little overwhelming, so we figured why not use “G” names as just a starting point. We began brainstorming and scribed a list on the back of the paper placemats.

Gary had noted the name Gideon, which at first didn’t stand out to me, especially since I was looking at meaning, and “warrior” or “tree-feller” didn’t seem to fit. Then, I had him remind me of the story of Gideon. As he began telling me about God’s signs and provision for Gideon, it struck me. It was exactly parallel to our journey of having this little guy.

We had decided to give God control of our family, and let everything happen according to his plan and timing. We had no clue how school and work and building a family would all work together; plus, we had some concerns due to some health issues I had. We thought it could be a long process. Sure enough, the health issues were getting in the way and my doctor kept suggesting some minor medical assistance. I had some reservations about that, and thankfully, each time she mentioned it, God answered by solving the current issue naturally—every time, immediately, perfectly—just as he did by answering Gideon’s prayers for signs and providing exactly what he needed. Thinking through all of that, the name kept resonating with me more and more over time. When we found out the gender, it was in the front of our minds. I tried going back through our lists or looking at other options, and I couldn’t even say other names out loud. God gave us Gideon.

The moment I took the test and discovered it was positive, my immediate prayer was singing God’s praises and giving the deepest thanks. I followed this with “Use this baby to change the world…for your glory.” Before prayers for health or happiness, this was my desire for this child. I continued to pray for this daily. One night, my prayer naturally transitioned to praying for our child to shine God’s light—so strongly that the darkest of hearts could see God’s light shining from his eyes. I don’t totally know where that came from, but the image stuck with me from there on out.

When we had looked at “G” names, we decided to look at using “M” middle names for boys and “R” middle names for girls, fitting with our initials. There were already lots of options I liked along those lines, so again, it was just a good starting place. Scrolling through the app, I came across Meyer. It sounded cute, so I checked the meaning. My heart swelled and tears came to my eyes when I saw “light-giver.” After the prayer and image I had of our little one, I knew this was to be part of his name. Later, I had a dream where I had just given birth and Gary brought our son to me. The baby had the biggest smile in the world and it just wouldn’t go away. This confirmed the choice of “light-giver.”

We cannot wait for our sweet boy to be used by God to bring His light to the world and spread His glory. This is still our prayer for our dear Gideon Meyer.

10-02-16 Everyone; Come to the table!

Scripture   1 Corinthians 11:23-26
          Fantasy Football – I had to pull someone off my bench for someone else who had a bye. Imagine a football game – the other team has the number one defense in the country and it is game time and the quarterback takes the field. He lines up behind the Center but the Offensive guards sent a text saying they were held up in traffic because they didn’t leave soon enough, the Offensive tackles messaged on facebook that they were sore from running into people all the time and needed a day off, the tight ends and wide receivers forgot about the game, and the running backs called laughing while saying they had left the stadium to run some errands but they would soon be running back. The center hiked the ball and the quarterback threw it to him down field – it was intercepted and run back for a touch down.

          I guess that would not be called Fantasy football but Nightmare football.

It seems absurd to picturing that happening but the Apostle Paul saw that such a thing could happen with the church that Jesus is so passionate about building.     

          Let me read a familiar passage but from the MESSAGE which may make it more clear:

1 Corinthians 12:4-27

God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding , simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.

          All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

          You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts — limbs, organs, cells — but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain — his Spirit — where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves — labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free — are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

          19 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way — the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

25 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

          27 You are Christ's body — that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything.

NIV 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

CHURCH IN THE ALPS story with lanterns.

Here we are – each member of the team. Every family with their lantern in place. The table is set and it is meal time. But not just any meal – it is time to celebrate Passover in a new light – at the table with Jesus…

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."  25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."  26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

The Last Supper, which took place hours before the Lord’s crucifixion—was a Seder (Passover observance). Previously, the feast’s symbols had only pointed back to the Hebrews’ redemption from Egypt. But that Thursday night, Jesus revealed the messianic significance of two symbols: bread and wine.

In a Seder, a cloth bag with separate compartments holds three sheets of matzoh, or unleavened bread. The middle matzoh is removed and split. One half is broken and distributed; the other is wrapped in a napkin, hidden, and bought back after it is found.

Breaking the bread, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Matthew 26:26). In Scripture, leaven symbolizes sin, so bread without yeast represents holy God. In the divided bag, matzohs are unified yet distinct—a picture of the Trinity. The middle bread signifies the Son, who left His Father’s side to dwell among us and was broken for mankind (Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,…”), wrapped in a burial cloth, hidden in a tomb, and resurrected. Our redemption was, indeed, costly.

Wine, the other symbol Jesus used, is poured four times at a Seder. Scholars believe it is the third cup—known as the cup of redemption—that He called “My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28).

When we come to the table symbol is so important. The symbol points to a greater reality. For example: 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 says, Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast — as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.