07-17-22 “Mercy, that’s a big fish!”

Scripture                                                      Jonah 1-4

 
          The story of Jonah is a wonderful children’s story – depicted in cartoons and even retold in the story of Pinocchio who is swallowed by a whale. It is in no way a children’s story – it is full of tremendous theological content – satire – unfaithfulness – hatred – fear – extreme violence, astounding repentance, and amazing love, forgiveness and mercy.

 
RETELL the story of Jonah and the route taken (today’s similar map 2 pics)
Called      
Runs to Joppa            (Pastor will ask for Jonah Map Slides 1 & 2)

Pay for ticket  /  tells he is running from God  /  sleeps

Storm
        Sailors pray to gods  /  Wake Jonah  /  Cast lots  /  Question Jonah
        My God created the land & the sea (Why r u on a ship on the sea?)
        Sailors Row at first  /  the throw Jonah over  /  Sea is calm
Sinking in Sea
        Swallowed by great fish  /  Prays  /  Vomited out
Builds Shelter
        Tree grows  /  Worm kills tree  /  Jonah complains  /  Called again
Goes to Nineveh
        “40 days and this city will be overturned”
        King and all repent – sackcloth and ashes
God relents
        Jonah complains…again
        God reminds him of the mercy he received

 

Down down down
          God told him to rise up and go and rose up and went – in the wrong direction. How often do we go the opposite way God is telling us to go? Every time we sin!
          Jonah kept taking steps further away from God – further down from his heavenly calling.
Down to Joppa – Down to a ship – Down to its haul to sleep – Down into the sea – Down into the belly of a fish – Down into despair (at this loss of shade and that Nineveh was spared)
          That is what sin does, turns us away from God and makes us get further and further away until the sin has engulfed us like being in the belly of a great fish with no hope of escape.

         

          Notice in the story of Jonah there are essentially 2 people groups and two people (individuals) who are on the wrong side of God but each who are shown great mercy.
1^st group – the sailors
 
A PRESIDENTIAL & CHRIST PARDON COMPARED
          A presidential pardon is an exemption from punishment and can't be reversed. People have to apply to be pardoned. Former President George W. Bush, during his eight years in office, received 2,489 pardon requests. He granted 189.
APPLICATION
          By contrast, we serve a God who is "rich in MERCY" He graciously pardons all who apply.  Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
          Eph 2:1-6  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
 
          The 2^nd person who was evil but had hope for God’s mercy shows evidence of their belief by what they had written on their tombstone.  (Pastor will ask for Capone Slides 1 & 2)

 

          The 3^rd and final person in our story who has sinned greatly to whom Jesus wants to send lavish mercy is “You!”
St. Jerome wrote a wonderful meditation on this. He was imagining the conversation between the soul and Christ. The soul looks upon the nail marks in His hands and His feet and says, “Jesus, You have gone to such great lengths to save me! How can I ever thank you?”
Jesus responds, “If you wish to thank Me, offer Me your praise and Adoration.”
The soul replies, “Yes, Lord, I will, but I wish I could offer you more! My money? My possessions?”
“I made the entire world – I have no need of money or possessions.”
“Then what can I give You, Lord? What would adequately thank You for Your love?”
Jesus responds, “If you wish to thank me, give me your sins. Give me your past, your shame, your weaknesses. Let me take them on My shoulders on the Cross, and let me pour My mercy upon you. That will give me the greatest joy.”
 
There is nothing in the whole world that gives Jesus greater joy than forgiving our sins. And this isn’t just for huge sinners. All have fallen short of the glory of God, even “the just man sins seven times a day” because the little things, too – the lack of honesty, the impure glance, the sharp word, the grudge – prevent us from the abundance of life God wants for us.
 
If Al Capone could trust in the mercy of Jesus; If Jonah, the sailors and the Ninevites can trust in the mercy of Jesus, how much more can you believe that He will have mercy on your soul?

07-10-22 “Did Jesus go to church?

  Scripture                                                 Hebrews 10:19-25

 

          How many times a year do you worship with the church body?
          How many times a year would you like to worship with the church body?
          What would it mean if everyone who claimed Ashland as their home church were “All in” for corporate worship? What would that look like? It would look like no one missing more than 12 times a year (exceptions to shut ins and people who work on Sunday – although we have a livestream, then a recorded alternative). It would look like people following through on a sermon from a few weeks ago: 3 things must happen regularly:
1)    Pray for the preacher as they are preparing and delivering the sermon.
2)    Pray for yourself to come expectantly – ready to hear a word from God for your life.
3)    Be fully present during the sermon in the midst of the gather body of believers who are doing the same as you.
It would look like people of every race, age, socio-economic and educational background worshipping the same God together.

What is worship?

          It is loving the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul and all your strength. If you had to fight for the right to worship in combined assembly, would you do it?
If the state determined how you had to worship and that you HAD to worship, how would that sit with you? Worshipping God in community is a choice – a free choice. I love that. I don’t have to come to worship (outside of my job). You don’t have to come to worship. Isn’t that awesome? If you don’t have to come then why are you here? (ASK PEOPLE TO RESPOND)
          I love that I don’t have to be at worship but I get to choose to be at worship and I choose it always. WHY? Because Jesus gave His life for me – the least I can do is gather with like minded people once a week to say Thank You.  WHY? Because Jesus said, Matt 16:18-19  “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
          I get to be a co-laborer with Christ to build His church with all the resources of heaven as I am part of His church – not a casual church attender – but someone who is all in for Christ and His church and that begins with being All In for corporate worship.
          Did you ever notice that nearly every time before going into battle – odds stacked against them – the Israelites worshipped first. Jesus was always going off to worship and pray so that He could do the work the Father was asking him to do. Being faithful is not just about “DOING” stuff. It is first about being a true consistent corporate worshipper of God. 

Hebrews 10:19-25
Therefore, brothers and sisters, (brothers & sisters) since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place (where previously, only the high priest got to go and only once a year to sprinkle sacrificial blood for the sins of all the people. On this occasion he wore only white linen garments, instead of the normal elaborate priestly vestments worn during rest of the year. The office, first conferred on Aaron by his brother Moses, was normally hereditary and for life. In the 2nd century BC, however, bribery led to several reappointments, and the last of the high priests were appointed by government officials. According to tradition, 18 high priests served in Solomon’s Temple (c. 960–586 BC) and 60 in the Second Temple (516 BC–AD 70). Since that time, there has been no Jewish high priest, for national sacrifice was permanently interrupted with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70AD. That means – only 78 people total ever entered the Holy of Holies – only 78 people got that close to God in worship.) by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain (veil), that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
 
Jesus after the Passover meal – in the face of opposition – chose to worship – they went out singing a hymn going to Gethsemane to pray. He continued to worship in the face of opposition before Caiaphas, Pilate, Agrippa until he was whipped and led through the streets to his pulpit where he delivered the greatest sermon ever by preaching forgiveness and love for all who would receive it. When we gather to worship, we are giving him praise for his act of worship – a life sacrificed so that we could be free from sin and able to enter the holy of holies to worship Him freely and forever.

Roger and Mary Williams (Children: Mary, Freeborn, Providence, Mercy, Daniel, & Joseph)
(Read from book)

 

Jesus worshiped with the people regularly: Luke 4:14-16   Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.
 
SING: Behold OUR God! Come let US adore Him!

07-03-22 “Do you know where to find freedom?”

Scripture                                                        John 8:32

          Do you live in freedom?

          As I considered the fact that I have preached on or near the 4^th of July (celebrating America’s Independence) over 35 times and each of those sermons merely used that momentous event as a hook for then preaching about our freedom in Jesus, I wondered if there was not something else that could be done?          

I agonized over this till waking up one morning with the truth of Jesus and the freedom from sin that he offers us and realized I am compelled to preach Jesus based upon his Word plain and simple. I need not try and force something onto the scriptures but allow them to speak for themselves and there is one verse of scripture that screams louder that all others for my life and just so happens to be related to the theme of freedom. John 8:32 “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

          To speak of freedom without first speaking of the thing that enslaves us is like eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread – it may seem sweet but is difficult to handle and creates a mess. Peanut butter was originally paired with a diverse set of savory foods, such as pimento, cheese, celery, watercress. In a Good Housekeeping article published in May 1896, a recipe "urged homemakers to use a meat grinder to make peanut butter and spread the result on bread." The following month, the culinary magazine Table Talk published a "peanut butter sandwich" recipe. An early recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich appeared in
the Boston Cooking School Magazine in 1901 (121 years ago); it called for "three very thin layers of bread and two of filling, one of peanut paste,  and currant or crabapple jelly for the other". It became popular with children with the advent of sliced bread in the 1920s, which allowed them to make their own sandwiches easily. I wonder if there is history and a recipe for freedom? So let’s begin with what is on everyone’s mind this weekend, how we got our freedom in the first place, and move to something similar near biblical times and within those two slices of bread, see if we can have a taste of the peanut butter and jelly of freedom.

 

What were the causes of the Revolution – what were we trying to get free from?

Through aiding the American colonists during the French and Indian War, the British government amassed an enormous debt thanks to the cost of raising, supplying, and funding an army on foreign soil. Expecting the Americans to shoulder the financial burden, Parliament levied several acts of taxation.

The Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765), and the Townshend Acts (1767) were merely some of the unpopular pieces of legislation placed upon the American colonies for the purpose of raising funds to pay the French and Indian War debt.

Years of unrest and discord followed. The Americans maintained that Parliament could make laws but insisted only their elected representatives could tax them. The English felt that Parliament had supreme authority over the colonies.

The Americans formed Committees of Correspondence, and later, a Continental Congress, to find solutions, but could not find common ground with the English. When fighting broke out in 1775, American revolutionaries determined that separation was the only means of obtaining liberty and justice.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776, formally dissolving the colonies' relationship with their mother country, and plunging the continent into war.

 

Jews had to fight for freedom from Roman tyranny which came to a head in 70 AD

“The Roman siege of Jerusalem began in April, A.D. 70, (1705 years) immediately after the Passover, when Jerusalem was filled with visitors.  Captured Jews were crucified at a rate of 500 a day, crosses encircling the city.  Daily temple sacrifices ceased JULY 17; all hands being needed for defense.   The Romans, using catapults and battering rams, finally broke through the walls.  The Jews fled to the temple for refuge...A firebrand was hurled through the golden gate and exploded like a bomb.  The temple became an ocean of fire.”

APPLICATION

Try to imagine the conflicting emotions these Priests must have felt.  On the one hand, it was their responsibility to offer daily sacrifices to cover the sins of the people. On the other hand, their city was under siege and every hand was needed to defend it. Which was more important, more necessary?  And where was God in all of this?  Shouldn't the Lord defend His Temple?

For three months these Priests continued offering sacrifices, all the while waiting for God to intervene. What they failed to realize was that Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple and God had already intervened, almost forty years earlier.  By His sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled all that the Temple sacrifices merely symbolized. As the author of Hebrews explained, "Unlike the other high priests, Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself" (Hebrews 7:27).  3 attempts to build a new temple over the next 600 years all failed till the Muslims built the Dome of the Rock in 692 AD, 1330 years ago.

Ironically, the crisis of faith on the part of these Priests was a crisis invented by their own lack of faith. God's promise had already been fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.  

Many people experience moments of doubt when we are tempted to ask, "where is God?" When this happens, check to be sure that the deliverance you're expecting is, in fact, the deliverance God has actually promised you. Over the past few years many Christ followers have been more concerned with the freedom to wear or not wear a mask, to get or to not get a vaccine than the freedom from sin in Jesus Christ which has eternal consequences.

 

That now leads us to the scripture which begs the question, what do we really need freedom from? The simple and only answer is sin.

What is sin? We could list sins – the scripture has several lists of them. Then we get into interpretation and make the scripture say what we want it to say. Instead let’s look at the heart of what sin is, where did it come from, why do we struggle with it?

 

Lucifer

Isaiah 14:12-15     How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

 

          This is one of a few texts where we understand that Lucifer was an angel who wanted to become equal to God and God kicked him out of heaven to earth where he has been reigning ever since. It seems the first sin from an angelic source is wanting to become like God – taking God’s place. Let’s look at the first human sin that serves as a template for every human sin to follow.                                                  Adam & Eve

          Describe the serpent and their choice.

          I hate free will when people use it to harm someone else (Cain killed Abel)

I hate my own free will because it harms my relationship with God and sometimes with

others.

The thing that disturbs me most about my own sin is that it is always an attempt to put myself in the place of God. Lucifer, Adam and Eve, Me and you – SIN says I am God and God is not!

 

Jesus tempted to “be in charge”

          Matt 4:8-10     Again, the devil (who reigns as king on earth) took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me." (If Jesus had done this, he would have been saying Satan is God and God is not – that would have been sin of the highest measure.) Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Jesus resisted the temptation we all face to bring God down by raising ourselves up and placing ourselves on God’s throne.

 

          The American Revolutionary war – the Roman revolt against Jerusalem in 70 AD are the slices of bread with which to hold our peanut butter and jelly. They show us two wars for freedom – one was lost and one was victorious. As we have just described sin, we now know what freedom we seek and need more than any other – freedom from sin, from attempting to put ourselves in God’s place deciding that our choices are better than His; that our boundaries make more sense than His, that we can be the author of our lives better than the author and perfector of our faith.

 

          John 8:32 is the greatest verse in all of scripture – it is to me – my life verse. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” It comes after a story about a sinful woman and people which would serve as her judge and jury. (Describe the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery) “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir,” “Then neither do I condemn you, Go now and leave your life of sin.”

          She received freedom from the sin she was charged with but also freedom in being told to leave her life of sin. Only in Christ to have the ability to resist temptation. To resist, we first have to know we are free.

INVITAITON: Give your life to Jesus. If you have, then know that he does not not condemn you.  John 3:16-21  "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Galatians 5:1  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

 

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