10-04-20 Pass the bread, Let’s eat!

 

Scripture   John 6:28-32
 
John 6:28-51
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
          30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
          32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
 
LET’S LOOK AT THE SCRIPTURE
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
          30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
John 6:2    and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed. Jesus said the work of God you must do is to believe in him. And they said show us a miracle. The reason they were there was because they had seen him perform miracles. How many miracles must God perform for us to believe? Seriously! Jim Steiner, pastor in Boise Idaho used to say some people come to church as long as we grease their wheels. As soon as we stop greasing it the way they want it done, they will go somewhere else to get it greased. Jesus doing miracles could be like that – if we need a miracle to believe then we will need miracles to keep believing.
 
          Amazingly, Jesus decided to grease their wheel. If you listened last week, the next miracle, according to Matthew, came after John the Baptist was beheaded and Jesus tried getting to a place to be alone, but the crowds followed him. Now we have John’s account who also records great crowds, but John adds to the narrative. We want more grease…more miracles. Give us the show – What can you DO for us?
          Jesus says…”Just believe in me”
That was a hard concept 2000 years ago and it is a hard concept today. We still want to SEE what God can do. “God, wipe out COVID 19 and we will believe in you” You know what – some would believe if that happened and others would say nature somehow took care of it. Some of those who believe would later say – well I think it was God, let’s see what else God can do now – keep greasing the wheel.
Doubting Thomas – needed to grease the wheel. (Tell his story)  John 20:29  Then Jesus
told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed."
          It is hard to believe that we are more blessed in our believing than the disciples were who spent time with Jesus.  But that is all Jesus is after – getting us to believe that HE and HE ALONE is God in the flesh!
 
          Speaking of flesh, Jesus wanted us to take His Spirit into ourselves in the same way our flesh takes in food.  We eat because without food we die. Food gives the flesh nourishment (nutrients and vitamins) needed to sustain life. We need Jesus in a similar way to sustain abundant and eternal life. The people justified asking for a sign by recounting what God had done in the past: Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
          Remember – this is just after the feeding of the 5000 with what fish and BREAD.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (World Communion Sunday)
          34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
          35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. (Remember – the work of God is to believe in the one whom he has sent) 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
 
          What happens next with this crowd is nothing short of extraordinary. They not only still don’t believe in him; they argue and grumble about the things he said. Isn’t that true today. People say, if Jesus were really God he would do this or that or not do this or that, as if we know how God should be God.
          41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."  42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
          43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
 
          You need to believe in me in such a way that I literally become a part of you – in the same way that eating bread becomes a part of you and gives you life – so too – believe in me and you will have life.
 
          John 6:52-69
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."  He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
          60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
 
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
          John 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
          67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
          68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
 
          TODAY IS WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY. It emphasizes that Jesus died for the world (John 3:16) 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.
 
          Yes, we sinned and deserve to die
          Yes, Jesus died in our place taking our sin upon his flesh.
          Yes, Jesus died for the entire World.
          Yes, to receive forgiveness and eternal life, you must believe that Jesus did that.
          Yes, we must eat his flesh and drink his blood.
          Yes, that sounds like a cult, but Jesus was talking spiritually.
          We do not believe as some do that the bread and juice we drink actually become the body and blood of Christ. Nor do we believe as others that Christ is really present in the elements of communion. Nor do we believe that eating the bread and drinking the cup is nothing but an ancient ritual. The bread and the cup represent life for the physical body as What Jesus has done for us in his body represents everlasting life for you and me who believe. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes again. When we partake of this meal, we are saying in a visible way through a tangible symbol that we believe that Jesus was actually God in the flesh!
          Therefore, when Jesus died, he truly became for us the bread of life! Jesus became the bread of life! Jesus is the bread of eternal life. That is where Jesus ministry culminated in his death. Where did his ministry begin? After his baptism, what were the very first words recorded that Jesus said, that he wanted us to know in his word? “Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God!” The physical bread we eat is the perfect symbol for receiveing and believing in the word of God. What is the word of God? John 1:1-4,14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  JESUS!
 
WORLD WIDE COMMUNION
 
AMAZING GRACE – MY CHAINS ARE GONE

09-27-20 So much in a single word: “Compassion”

Scripture    Matthew 9:35-38
Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” ... While empathy refers more generally to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help.
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

VERSE 35

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
The 3 participles summarize Jesus ministry as he went about from place to place to TEACH to PREACH THE GOOD NEWS and to HEAL.
The difference between preaching and teaching is that preaching is primarily geared toward life-change while teaching is primarily aimed at transferring knowledge.
Preaching has an attachment of earnestness to it, while teaching is typically more measured.
Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists (PREACHER), and some to be pastors (SHEPHERD) and teachers (TEACHER), to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
          So Jesus taught – like a teacher. He preached like a preacher. And he healed like a caring Shepherd. In all three distinct ways he showed compassion. At times I have said I am not a very compassionate person. Then I look at how Jesus was compassionate, and one of those ways was by preaching. I care deeply about presenting the truth of scripture in a way that is meaningful, easily understood and life changing to help people draw closer to Jesus Christ.
          Just like me, your compassion may be exhibited differently from someone else. One person may be compassionate by making meals for the hungry, another might serve at a soup kitchen, another might give money to a food bank, another might pray daily for those around the world who are starving, another might sit down for conversation with the people who have come to the soup kitchen, another might make YouTube videos on how to prepare healthy meals on a small budget, another might work through legislation to help end poverty. You get the point – You being compassionate may look different from the person next to you – one is not greater than another – just different.

VERSE 36

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
esplag_Cnisqh = compassion = to have pity – to be filled with compassion and tenderness.
eskulmenoi = harass = to flay or to skin – with the meaning on papyrus to distress, to worry, to trouble (they were harassed – bewildered by those who should have taught them).
eppimmenoi = helpless – to cast down or to prostate, either from drunkenness or a mortal wound.
Harassed and helpless – both words refer to the people as sheep, mishandled and lying helpless.
          As I get tired or overwhelmed, my CQ drops – my “Compassion Quotient”. The societal effects of COVID 19  has had the ability to wear us down. When we are going through our own struggles in personal ways, in our work or school life, our Compassion Quotient drops. This must have been true of Jesus too.
          Matthew 14:13-16    Jesus just got word that his relative and the one who prepared the way for his coming had just been beheaded for doing what was right. This disturbed Jesus greatly and he just wanted some time alone to mourn. When Jesus heard what had happened (to John the Baptist), he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. (If you stop reading there – this is a beautiful picture – Jesus upset that John has been brutally murdered takes a sweet boat ride to a quiet serene place to be alone and collect his thoughts and remember John – AHXHXHX – that is not what happened) Hearing of this, (that Jesus had started to go to a particular place alone – but the multitudes put his location in their GPS – God Positioning System) the crowds followed him on foot from the towns (townS = plural). 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, (he didn’t even get to go to his solitary place – they got to where his boat docked before he got there. And he should have said – go away, I need time to rest and mourn my friend’s death – but instead – the scripture records:) he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
(Once they were healed you would think he could finally be alone – NOT SO MUCH) 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (What followed was the feeding of the 10,000 – 5,000 men plus some women and children) and he did that so he could continue to teach them what the religious leaders should have already been teaching them – they were harassed and helpless and Jesus did not want to leave them that way.)
          This should not surprise us that Jesus would continue to have compassion even when he was tired and weary and needed to take care of his own needs.
READ TOGETHER
Psalm 121:1-8         A song of ascents. Of David.
I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
 
He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
 
The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
 
The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

God’s compassion quotient never tires or grows weary.

Compassion sometimes depends on perspective

COMPASSION FOR A DOG

I have discovered something new. I am sure people do this, but I have never heard anyone verbalize it till I said it out loud myself. After my mom passed away, who loved to go boating with me, I said I wanted a boat dog – a companion to go on the boat if no one else wanted to go. I wanted a dog to fill a need for me.  A few weeks after getting our dog Skipper, I found myself talking to him out loud and asking him if we were good for him, and telling him I want his life to be enriched by being with us, not just our lives enriched by us having him.  In other words, I found myself having compassion for my dog even though he is “just” a dog.

COMPASSION FOR A BABY

The late Colonel Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken) was on an airplane when an infant screamed and would not stop even though the mother and flight attendants tried every trick they could think of. Finally the Colonel asked if he could hold the baby. He gently rocked it to sleep. Later a passenger said, “We all appreciate what you did for us.”
Colonel Sanders replied, “I didn’t do it for us, I did it for the baby.”

COMPASSION FOR EVERYONE GOING

THROUGH A ROUGH TIME

George Truett was a tremendously effective pastor for decades in Texas. His heart was broken when he accidentally killed his best friend while they were on a hunting trip. His daughter said that she never heard him laugh after that day. Truett had a radio program, and each day when it came to a close he would say, “Be good to everybody, because everybody is having a tough time.” Because he knew personally, what a heavy burden people could be carrying, he encouraged compassion toward them.
Sometimes we cross paths with people who seem to be bristlely and not very easy to like. Yet there is usually a reason for their behavior, and often it is because they are hiding a heavy heart. If we take the time to understand what has happened, we may find that while they have a tough outer exterior, inwardly they are desperately wishing for someone to care about them.
          Jesus compels us to be compassionate.
Matthew 9:37-38 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Ashland Church is “building an inspired community that creatively and compassionately connects people to Jesus Christ.”

The greatest compassion is Jesus’ compassion toward us…
    Jesus leaving Jericho in a crowd and two guys yell at him to have mercy on them and give them sight - Matt 20:34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
          A man at the pools of Bethsaida could not get himself into the water when it was stirred to be healed and Jesus had compassion on him and healed him.
    A Widow in Nain was in a funeral procession for her son, Jesus took compassion on her and opened the coffin and brought her son back to life.
          A woman was caught in the act of adultery and the law commands that she be stoned – Jesus had compassion on her and told her accusers – “he who is without sin may cast the first stone” from the oldest to the youngest they dropped their stones and left – leaving Jesus alone with the woman John 8:10-11 Jesus asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"  "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

          We can leave that life of sin because he left his life of glory. He left gold streets, pearly gates, angels and saints worshipping him night and day, and left being seated at the right hand of the throne of God to be born in a barn, laid in a manger, grow up to be mocked, beaten, spat upon, nailed to a cross and murdered because his compassion to give us eternal life is far greater than all our sin.
          We do not deserve what Jesus did for us – but his compassion makes it possible.

ILLUSTRATION OF COMPASSION TOWARD AN EMEMY

There was a Baptist Minister during the American Revolution named Peter Miller, who lived in Pennsylvania and was friends with George Washington. But Miller had a bitter enemy named Michael Whitman, who did all that he could to frustrate and humiliate the good reverend. One day Mr. Whitman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller walked seventy miles from Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor. General Washington said to Miller, that he was sorry but their friendship was not enough to pardon the life of his friend Michael Whitman. “My friend!” the old preacher said, “He is the bitterest enemy that I have.” And when Washington realized that Miller had walked 70 miles to offer practical assistance to an enemy, he granted the pardon.

Romans 5:6-01
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!.

09-20-20 Little things matter…Do them in Secret!

Scripture  Matthew 6:1-21

The Point: Little things matter – do them in secret.

Drama: “Gather Round, I’m about give, to pray, and to fast!” (The Pharisee and the Tax Collector)

Matthew 6:1-21

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' (going to church – giving a tithe) before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

          2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (They turned in their timesheet and already got paid.) 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

          5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room (storage room or innermost room of your house – sense people then have fewer rooms then we have now – Jesus likely meant this in a metaphorical sense – get to a place within yourself where there is little distraction or the presence of others.), close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (A contemporary application could be to not say you are praying for someone – by words or the praying hands emoji – unless you really are. It is more important to pray for someone than to let everyone on FB know you are praying for that person. If you do it there, for convenience – then actually say a brief prayer instead of just “Praying!”)

          9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

          "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

          14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

          16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

          19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

There is absolutely no need to pour an ocean of water onto a thirsty flower. You can give it half a cupful, that is enough for life and it will play a very important role in its life. 

When you give to the needy – don’t announce it with trumpets

We are all needy? Some are needier than others…explain.

When you pray – don’t do it on the street corners

The 2^nd of 3 rabbinical religious practices. Don’t be like hypocrites who babble – be sincere.

When you fast – don’t disfigure your face

Jesus didn’t know anything about Hope in Action or the Salvation Army or the Red Cross, or Save the Children, or any of the other charitable organizations.  For that matter, he didn’t know anything about Ashland Church and our missions’ program.  But he knew a lot about widows and orphans and beggars and lepers.  He had compassion for those less fortunate, and he taught his disciples to have compassion, as well.  He said, “Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42)

          Jesus tells us not to do righteous acts of giving, praying and fasting to get into heaven -Jesus has already stamped that ticket. Rather, see that the external acts come from the intention of the heart. One author talked about the motive of the heart – that is not what Jesus wants – A motive is a force pushing you – an intention is something that draws you into action. Don’t do it because you should but because you intend to bless that God might be glorified.

          That motive vs. intention is so important when you go back only one chapter Mt 5:16 says:

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  This does not contradict what Jesus said in chapter 6, all depends on your intention. Ex. Our church gives school supplies to Jerusalem Elementary and usually few people know about that – when we paint the playground equip we get a pic in the paper so people know Ashland church is involved in their community. Both are to the glory of God – one is better done in secret – one is better done so that others can praise God in heaven.

CONCLUSION

Matt 25:31-46

When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.'

Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me — you did it to me.'

Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because —

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me — you failed to do it to me.'

Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward.

Challenge this week. What 3 things could you do in the name of Christ to bless someone else in secret this week?

09-13-20 Upside Down and Inside Out!

Scripture       John 15:1-10

Leo Tolstoy said Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.

John 15:1-10      Jesus said,

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (Have a branch with leaves on it – pull some leaves off and ask…how many leaves will grow back on this branch next year? NONE / WHY? Because it has been cut off. If this branch were still attached and I cut here and there, would leaves grow back next year? Yes…and maybe more because I have done intentional pruning to make it grow better.)

          5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me (like the cut off branch) you can do nothing.6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words (Red Letter Edition) remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (REMAIN 9xs - be consistent, unswerving, stable, unfailing – be faithful. Christianity is not 3/1 it is 24/7)

Matthew 12:33-38  Jesus also said,

"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

          38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."  They obviously missed the point – Jesus said it is what is on the inside that counts.,..they said “Let’s see something external then we will listen to you.”

Proverbs 4:20-23    

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

2 Corinthians4:7-8

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

          I am not worthy to be a pastor preacher. None of us are from a moral standpoint – we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But I have also never felt worthy from and intelligence standpoint – even with three college degrees. God’s word is far above any education we can obtain. That proves the point of today’s message. The message I preach and the work I do as a pastor is not because I have great ability – it is only ever because I have availability – I make my self available for Jesus to take up residence inside me and what comes out is His Holy Spirit led message.  That is how we must live the Christian life – stop striving to be perfect and strat striving to be “in Christ” and to have Christ “in you”.

          There is only one way to have Christ in you…with a change of heart and mind. You must receive Christ by faith and then he will pour His Spirit into you.

Matthew 9:17     Men do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

And when you are made into a new wineskin and receive the new wine – you will truly have Christ on the inside which will be reflected on the out. You literally become…The Other Jesus – a part of His body, the church, and now we will be keeping a steady gaze on Jesus!

09-06-20 Whistle (or sing) while you work!

 Scripture    Matthew 26-26-30

(Sermon # 1)

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Ephesians 5:19  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.
 
          Today we want to tell the story of the gospel through song – not just any songs but through the tried and true hymns that had been the staples of worship for many years. We want to tell God’s story, which in turn is telling our story…to tell the old, old, story, of Jesus and his love.
 
Our first 3 songs not only invite us to welcome God here through song, they are the beginning of the salvation story speaking to God’s creation.
 
Robert Robinson was forced to grow up without a loving father. His dad passed away when he was only eight years of age. Robert was born on Sept. 27, 1735, to Mary Wilkin and Michael Robinson.
To make Roberts circumstances much more difficult, his maternal grandfather, Robert Wilkin, a wealthy man, who had never reconciled himself to his daughter’s lowly marriage, disinherited his grandson and provided an inheritance for him of only ten shillings and sixpence.
As soon as Robert was old enough, he secured a job as an apprentice to a barber. Even in his youth he endured the hardship of having to be the breadwinner for his widowed mother and himself. His formal education was limited. However, his knowledge was varied and extensive because he spent many hours in study. There was an adult-like quality deeply ingrained in him, and it allowed him to accept the responsibilities of adulthood, even as a teenager.
As he grew older, he came under the influence of the famed evangelist, George Whitfield. On Dec. 10, 1755, Robinson could not push from his mind a particular phrase used by Mr. Whitfield in one of his sermons: “Oh, my hearers! the wrath to come! the wrath to come!” He was wondrously converted and became a minister of the gospel; first, in a Baptist church, then in a Methodist church, and later in other denominations.
In one location his congregation grew to 1,000 in attendance.
Unfortunately, and for some unexplained reason, he became altogether unstable and unhappy. His Christian beliefs and training seemed of little importance to him.
On one occasion, years later, he found himself the fellow passenger of a young lady on a stagecoach. It is reported that she began to sing to break the monotony of the trip. And what did she sing?
O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I’m constrained to be.
Let Thy goodness like a fetter, Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.
As she finished singing the young woman asked Roberts what he thought about the song. His startling reply was: “Madam, I am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago; and, I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, if I could feel now as I felt then.”
Psalm 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
 
INTROIT – walking in (from new side walk outside) Adding voices with each phrase.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Robert Robison, (1757)
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing  - Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy, never ceasing - Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet - Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it - Mount of Thy redeeming love
 
Hitherto Thy love has blessed me - Thou hast brought me to this place
And I know Thy hand will bring me - Safely home by Thy good grace
Jesus sought me when a stranger - Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger - Bough me with His precious blood
 
Oh, to grace how great a debtor - Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter - Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it - Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it - Seal it for Thy courts above
 
All Creatures Of our God and King – St. Francis of Assisi, 1225
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing; Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise To the Lord The Almighty – Joachim Neander, (1665)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him
Let the amen, sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him
 
(Sermon # 2)
3 times music is mentioned related to Jesus – 1^st not a ringing endorsement
Matt 9:23-26
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
2^nd Music is a part of Celebration over sinners redeemed
Luke 15:22-26
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.  Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
3^rd is the only time we know Jesus was singing and it was part of communion.
Matt 26:26-30
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
 
          How will those closest to God worship him? In song and as the triune God – 3 in 1.
Rev 4:6-8 says, In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
Reginald Heber (who wrote Holy, holy, holy in 1826) was impressed by the holiness of God. Whether in England, with the prevalence of sin, or in Calcutta, where people worshiped idols, he would often write “Only Thou art holy.” Based on the words of Revelation 4:8, he used the symbolism of three repeatedly throughout his hymn: God is “holy, merciful and mighty,” he’s “perfect in power, in love and purity,” he’s worshiped by saints, cherubim, and seraphim, and he’s praised “in earth and sky and sea.”
Through these consistent units of three, this hymn describes and worships God in three persons. Alfred Lord Tennyson felt “Holy, Holy, Holy” was the world’s greatest hymn. It truly does call us to worship our God, falling down before him with those who sing in Revelation 4:8, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy – Reginald Heiber, England (1826)
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
 Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!  Amen”
 
(Sermon # 3)
From the theology of the Trinity, we go directly to the person of Jesus Christ. We can know for certain that the man born in Bethlehem, raised as a carpenter in Nazareth, who taught and performed miracles all throughout Israel, is also the God who brings us salvation by his blood shed on a cross. When we put our faith in him we are born of the spirit and have the blessed assurance of eternal life.
Blessed Assurance – Fanny Crosby, New York City  (1873)
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long
 
PICNIC WITH THE PASTOR
 
(Sermon # 4)
Joseph Scriven wrote a poem to give his mother comfort. This was after he himself had suffered much. He fell in love twice and both women died in tragic accidents before they ever married. He had a servant’s heart and would only do work for people who could not afford to pay him a full wage. Through his life struggles he realized that he did not always take things to Jesus in prayer. A friend found that poem and later music was added so that we have a song that reminds us that Jesus desires to have us communicate with him.
James 5:13-16     Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
What a Friend We Have in Jesus – Joseph M. Scriven (1855)
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
 
PRAYER
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus – Helen Lemmel, England (1922)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
 
(Sermon # 5)
(Tell the story of John Newton and Amazing Grace)
Amazing Grace – John Newton, England (1779)
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found was blind, but now, I see.
Through many dangers Toils and snares, I have already come
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead us home.
 
SOLO: “Dear Me” Lily Porter
 
COMMUNION
 
(Sermon # 6)
STORY OF HOW GREAT THOU ART: In 1885, Carl Boberg, a Swedish editor and future politician, was walking home when a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon. Lightning flashed. Thunderclaps shook the air, sending Boberg running for shelter.
When the storm lessened, he rushed home. He opened his windows to let in the fresh bay air, and the vision of tranquility that greeted him stirred something deep in his soul. The sky had cleared. Thrushes sang, and in the distance, church bells sounded. With the juxtaposition between the roaring thunderstorm and such beautiful calm as background, Boberg sat down and wrote “O Store Gud”—the poem that became “How Great Thou Art.”
After being published in a local newspaper, an unknown Swede put the poem to the tune of a Swedish folk song, whose name has also been lost to history. In the late 1800s several versions were published, but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that “How Great Thou Art” came to America.
How Great Thou Art –  Carl Gustav Boberg, Sweden (1885)
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
All Hail The Power of Jesus Name –  Edward Perronet, (1779)
All hail the power of Jesus’ name!  Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.
Crown Him With Many Crowns – Matthew Bridges, England (1852)
Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
How Great Thou Art –  Carl Gustav Boberg, Sweden (1885)
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Sermon # 7)
Matthew 26:30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
And so, we will go out singing a hymn. Not all hymns are over 100 years old – this hymn is much newer and it gives the reason why we sing – the God who created us, who lived and died and was resurrected for us, who one day is coming back for us gives us 10,000 to worship Him through song and through the life we live.
10,000 Reasons – Matt Redman, England (2011)
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul / Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul / I’ll worship Your holy name.
 
The sun comes up It’s a new day dawning. It’s time to sing Your song again.
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me;
Let me be singing when the evening comes
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul / Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul / I’ll worship Your holy name.
 
You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul / Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul / I’ll worship Your holy name.
 
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul / Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul / I’ll worship Your holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul / Worship His holy name
Sing like never before, O my soul / I’ll worship Your holy name.