Jesus' Mission Statement

Jesus’ Mission Statement January 27, 2013 I Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Year C The Opening Moments of Jesus’ Ministry Every four years the new president of the United States gives his inaugural address. In it, he articulates his program or his plan of action for his term of office. See if you recognize the President who made the following remarks: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." - Abraham Lincoln, 1865. "This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." - John F Kennedy, 1960. Today's Scripture is Luke's version of the opening moments of Jesus' public ministry. We might call this his inaugural sermon. Mickey Anders, Jesus' Mission and Ours When the president tell what his intent is, what his mission is, and he tells us what he expects of us who are listening. Here are a few paragraphs of President Obama’s recent inauguration speech….. Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time. We are expected to live out the tenents of the constitution- that all men are free as it applies to the current age. When Jesus gets a chance to speak to his fellow Galileans – he says much the same thing. Galilains are known to be a strong people, people who can stand on their faith. They are from the north country – and have always been challenged by the presence of other faiths. Galilee means circle – it is a city that is circled all around by other nations, yet they have held onto their Isrealite heritage. So when a favorite son returns to them and reminds them of the verses of their heritage – they cheer him on. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he had anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he had sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the lord’s favor. They are excited, because he is quoting from Isaiah 58 and 61. But what they don’t realize that he is doing so much more for them. There was a certain old recluse who lived deep in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, distant relatives came from the city to collect his valuables. Upon arriving, all they saw was an old shack with an outhouse beside it. Inside the shack, next to the rock fireplace, was an old cooking pot and his mining equipment. A cracked table with a three-legged chair stood guard by a tiny window, and a kerosene lamp served as the centerpiece for the table. In a dark corner of the little room was a dilapidated cot with a threadbare bedroll on it. They picked up some of the old relics and started to leave. As they were driving away, an old friend of the recluse, on his mule, flagged them down. “Do you mind if I help myself to what’s left in my friend’s cabin?” he asked. “Go right ahead,” they replied. After all, they thought, what inside that shack could be worth anything? The old friend entered the shack and walked directly over the table. He reached under it and lifted one of the floor boards. He then proceeded to take out all the gold his friend had discovered over the past 53 years – enough to have built a palace. The recluse died with only his friend knowing his true worth. As the friend looked out of the little window and watched the cloud of dust behind the relative’s car disappear, he said, “They should have got to know him better. Jesus words are gold for us – if we understand that they are more than just words. They are the gift of life for us. Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist issued a challenge wherever he went. He could be locked in any jail cell in the country, he claimed, and set himself free quickly and easily. Always he kep his promise, but one time something went wrong. Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes; the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the lock. Finally, after laboring for 2 hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. But when he fell against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his mind it was locked and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell. Sometimes, our thoughts and understandings of life can be like a prison. They keep us stuck where we are. The chains that we imagine to be on our lives, is all in our head and out thinking. We don’t know that we are free. Sometimes the past can be like a prison, and the freedom of Christ is at our doorstep. In the story of Jesus ministry – he does everything that he says – he heals those who are blind, he heals those who have illnesses that have held them back, he preaches the good news, and he encourages us to give to the poor. But his most important healing still comes in our lives. As he frees us, heals us, and helps us to understand the gift of life as we listen to his word. There is one thing that President Obama said that stuck out to me a important, when he talked about change, and the need of us to adapt to change. He said….. But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people. In order to stay alive, anything that is alive has to adapt to its current circumstances. Jesus was trying to help his own people understand that concept when he told them that today this scripture has been fulfilled in your presence. They had been listening to these same words all of their lives, but to them they were just words. They were waiting for a messiah to to all of these things – but never expected it to really happen in their lifetime. Jesus wanted his people to know that it was time to stop waiting and to start living. To put belief into action. Love Is an Action Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me." Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?" "Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds. J. Allan Petersen Scripture is fulfilled in what we do today. Finally we have to remember – that we too have a job to do in our lives. We are saved by the words of Jesus..but we have to save others also. In warfare, there is always an objective. In many wars, the objective is land. For example, in the Middle East, Israel and the Palestinians are fighting because they both want to have the same land. In Afghanistan we’re fighting because we want to destroy the power base of terrorism. Hitler fought because he wanted to create a “superior” race. The Southern states fought the Civil War because they wanted to be free from the oppression of the Northern States. The Gulf War was fought because the U.S. wanted to end the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, so they could have access to oil. I mention all of these wars, not because I want to say who was right or wrong, but to show that in every war, there is an objective. There is a reason we are fighting the war. And the same is true with spiritual warfare. If we are going to wage war on Satan’s kingdom, we have to know what our objective is. Our objective, our mission is to rescue people from Satan’s grip. To free them from his control. Just as Jesus said at the start of his ministry. We too have a purpose, and it is to fulfill the words of Jesus for the world today. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he had anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he had sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the lord’s favor. The church proclaims the good news, ministers to the needs of all people, and sets the captives free. The same spirit that was in Jesus, is in us today. How is this scripture being fulfilled in your life today? How is the Holy Spirit alive and well in life of our church today? Let us pray……

The Greatest Gift

January 20, 2013 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Year C “The Greatest Gift” Pastor turns water into wine One day a young girl was helping out in service, as a communion steward. The pastor got ready to wash his hands, so he called the young girl over. As he was washing his hands, he saw that the liquid was purple. He whispers to the little girl, I thought I told you bring me water, this is wine. It was water when I bought it to you…replied the little girl. The inaugural event of Jesus Today we can celebrate that this is the official inauguration of the 57th president of the united States. This is a new day for him, a new day for us. We can only anticipate the good things ahead for the next 4 years. This familiar story of Jesus turning water into wine, is in many ways, the inauguration of jesus as the messiah. The first demonstration of his power. What is the meaning of this story? John does not give a whole lot of explanation of why he was at this party, why his mother thought it was so important for him to help out, it does not even tell us how he was able to turn water into wine. Maybe John feels that this story does not need any explanation – the story is a point within itself. From this story, we learn that Jesus likes to party. He likes to have fun and to celebrate. We see that God is a God of joy and of celebration. But we also see that God is also a God of mercy – who will supply our needs and who will help us when we ask. John the Baptist speaks of a God of justice who judged, but he is also a God of mercy who helps. When we give what we have, God gives us more – that is the point of my sermon today. God doesn’t come to us in extraordinary ways, but in the simple ways in our life. Most of the times in places where we are not expecting anything great to happen. Sign vs. miracle If you read the other gospels, there are 35 miracles that Jesus performs during his ministry on earth. But interestingly enough – John is not concerned about miracles. In the book of John there are seven signs of Jesus power – this is the inaugural sign. I am trying to get you all out of here early, so that the district superintendent can come. Every time I say that I am going to give just a short sermon – more and more good things that you need to know come up. I don’t want to give you a list of all seven signs in the book of John – but if you need to know ask me I have them listed. 1. Water into wine – chapter 2 2. Healing of the officer’s son – chapter 4 3. Healing of the cripple – chapter 5 4. Feeding the multitude – chapter 6 5. Walking on water – chapter 6 6. Healing of a man born blind – chapter 9 7. Raising of Lazurus – chapter 11 Sign is God coming into your life in a meaningful way The point for john is that God is not always in the unusual – but the usual. We don’t have to look up in the sky and look for money to fall out of the sky - God does not usually work that way – God works within our lives. Speaking of money falling out of the sky – this is a true story A knowledge of the Bible can be rewarding, as any Bible college professor can attest. Especially Richard McNeely of Biola College in suburban Los Angeles. Somehow he got picked as a contestant on the television game show “50 Grand Slam.” The show is based on the contestants’ knowledge of the given topic of the day. On McNeely’s day, the topic was the Bible. When it was over he had won the top prize of $50,000. God usually works within the confines of our lives. A sign is a act of our everyday lives that brings wonder and meaning to the event. Something that happens in your life, and you know that only God could make that happen. A sign of God’s presence is not a quick fix, not a big thing but a bunch of little things, a sign is not always in the estatic – but in the purposeful. Paul does not want us to be ignorant Speaking of knowing the difference between a sign and a miracle. I thought it was interesting that the first line of the scripture in 1 Corinthians says – now concerning spiritual gifts, I don’t want you to be uninformed. The King James says it better – I don’t want you to be ignorant. Now, let me pause for a moment to point out something interesting . . . Paul used that particular phrase--“I do not want you to be ignorant”—six times in his letters. . . twice in reference to the Jewish people, whose disobedience brought judgment, once in reference to his plans to visit the church at Rome, once regarding the sufferings he and his team had endured throughout Asia, once in reference to the end times and the resurrection of the dead, and here, where he says “I do not want you to be ignorant” about spiritual gifts. Excitement not necessarily a sign of God As I was researching this sermon, many people were saying that in Paul’s time there were a lot of charismatic people. People who believed that their excitement and charisma meant that they were holy. And Paul wanted new Christians to understand that excitement and charisma was not always from God. Sometimes their water is just that – water and not wine. There excitement is not infused with the presence of the holy spirit. Charismata – excitement and meaning That is why he says that no one speaking by the spirit of god ever says Let Jesus be cursed. If their actions don’t demonstrate the love of Jesus – then it is not from God. Then he goes on to talk about spiritual gifts. Or charismata as they are called. Along with excitement, there has to be meaning and understanding – the two have to go hand in hand. Paul goes on to give a list of spiritual gifts – once again this is a sermon within itself. I just want to say that it is not an exhaustive list – it is just a list of sign in your life that the holy spirit is present with you. Gift from the common good Paul says that to each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. Gifts are given to you for the good of the community, not just for you. When people say that god gave them a gift, you ask and what are you doing to help others with it? Gift is not a talent A spiritual gift is not a talent. A spiritual gift is not really what you do – it is why you do it. Does what you do glorify God? Scripture says that we all have talent – we don’t all realize where that talent came from or why we were given it. How do you get a spiritual gift? – through prayer and through practice, but most of all honoring the grace of God. Discernment How do you know if your gift is from God, or man or the devil? The community has the gift of discernment. God gives us joy and excitement, but he also gives us knowledge of right and wrong in the scriptures. Remember Paul says I do not want you to be ignorant. – He makes important statement that the most important gift that we can have is to be able to say that Jesus Is Lord. We can only say that if the holy Spirit is present amongst us. True faith – is to be like Jesus mother Mary – to have faith in Jesus to complete the task. Faith produces results Faith calls forth the presence of the holy True faith is from God Whatever we do, whatever our gift (and we all have one) – we have to be faithful in our service to God. Whole town bought water There was a town, who had a tradition that whenever there was a wedding, you were supposed to bring a jug of wine from home, and put in the collective pot – so that there would be enough wine for everyone. Well times have gotten tough for this one particular family – and they decided that instead fo bringing wine to the wedding, that they would bring a jug of water. Their little jug of water would not make a difference in the collective pot of wine – so they thought. It turns out every family felt the same way – everyone bought water instead of wine. In community our gifts matter Paul’s point for us – is that in community all of our gifts really do matter, and that God has given us all a gift or two. But they are only useful when we are faithful to Jesus as the Christ. Jesus is the wine of our celebration! Jesus us the life of our party! Jesus is the source of our faith! This week as we celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King, as we celebrate the second inauguration of our President. Let us also celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ – be in service to the world, but be in all that you do, be in faithful service to God! Let us pray…… Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant (1 Corinthians 12:1, NIV). Why do we bring Christ into the wedding ceremony? Because if we would only bring Christ into our marriages, we would have better marriages! A few years back psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers was quoted as saying that for about half of all American couples, marriage is a “quiet hell.” Many other marriages have degenerated into a “tired friendship,” as someone put it. I submit to you that this is a tragedy, and in order to prevent such tragedies, we ought to take the traditional marriage ritual seriously and invite Christ to be a guest at our weddings, just as He was invited to the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Above all, in this quaint and lovely little story, John is proclaiming the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Life of every party, that he is the one who livens things up, brings life abundant for all, even anonymous brides and bridegrooms in an out-of-the-way peasant village located somewhere (where, we are not sure) in the Galilee. As William Barclay put it in his commentary on this passage: “...whenever Jesus comes into our lives there enters a quality which is like turning water into wine. The trouble with life is that we get bored with it. Pleasure loses its thrill. There is a vague dissatisfaction about everything. But when Jesus enters our lives there comes a new exhilaration!” Nearly one hundred years ago, there was an American inventor named Louis Enricht who announced that he had discovered a cheap additive that would turn ordinary tap water into automotive fuel. At the time World War I was raging in Europe and gasoline was enormously expensive. Enricht claimed that his new additive would bring the per gallon cost down to a single penny. That certainly got everyone’s attention. Enricht even gave a demonstration to a crowd of reporters. He had the reporters check that his jug was full of ordinary tap water, then poured in a small amount of greenish liquid, stirred it up, and invited everyone to test this miraculous mixture in their own vehicles. They did and it worked! Enricht’s demonstrations were so convincing that even the world famous automaker Henry Ford offered him millions to buy the rights for his additive. And no wonder. We’re still looking for such a cure to our energy ills today. Actually, Enricht had merely discovered that if you add a very cheap chemical called acetone to water it will run an engine for a while. Then it will destroy it. But before anyone found that out, Enricht had managed to convince not only Henry Ford, but several other famous American businessmen who should have known better, to give him millions of dollars for his worthless invention. Enricht was a scam artist. His invention looked convincing, but ultimately it destroyed the engine it was supposed to power. The power of Christ, on the other hand, took that which was inferior ordinary well water and made it rich and full and delightful. Anything Christ touches is going to be improved by that touch. The water was not only going to be transformed to wine. It would be the best wine possible. In this he was but reflecting the nature of God. God is a giving God. The God who has given us a beautiful and a bountiful world does so because that is God’s nature. Andreas Schroeder, Scams, True Stories from the Edge (Buffalo. NY: Annick Press Ltd., 2004), p. 1., adapted by King Duncan,www.Sermons.com A Whole New Era What about the underlying meaning? What did this strange first miracle signify? In a departure from custom, John fails to interpret for us the miraculous "sign," which for him almost always means a symbol, a kind of acted parable. Some commentators see in it a preview of the last Supper, when Jesus transforms not water into wind but wine into blood, his blood shed for all humanity. Maybe. But, I think not. I prefer a more whimsical interpretation. Tellingly, John notes that the wine came from huge thirty-gallon jugs that stood full of water at the front of the house, vessels that were used by observant Jews to fulfill the rules on ceremonial washing. Even a wedding feast had to honor the burdensome rituals of cleansing. Jesus, perhaps with a twinkle in his eye, transformed those jugs, ponderous symbols of the old way, into wineskins, harbingers of the new. From purified water of the Pharisees came the choice new wine of a whole new era. The time for ritual cleansing had passed; the time for celebration had begun. Prophets like John the Baptist preached judgment. Jesus' first miracle, though, was one of tender mercy. The lesson was not lost on the disciples who joined him at the wedding that night in Cana. Don't let it be lost on you! Adapted from Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1995, p. 168.

Called by Name - Answered by Choice

John Wesley Covenant Service January 13, 2013 Isaiah 43:1-7 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 “Called by Name, Answered by Choice” Year C Baptism of the Lord Leighton Farrell was the minister of Highland Park Church in Dallas for many years. He tells of a man in the church who once made a covenant with a former pastor to tithe ten percent of their income every year. They were both young and neither of them had much money. But things changed. The layman tithed one thousand dollars the year he earned ten thousand, ten thousand dollars the year he earned one-hundred thousand, and one- hundred thousand dollars the year he earned one million. But the year he earned six million dollars he just could not bring himself to write out that check for six-hundred thousand dollars to the Church. He telephoned the minister, long since having moved to another church, and asked to see him. Walking into the pastor’s office the man begged to be let out of the covenant, saying, "This tithing business has to stop. It was fine when my tithe was one thousand dollars, but I just cannot afford six-hundred thousand dollars. You¡¦ve got to do something, Reverend!" The pastor knelt on the floor and prayed silently for a long time. Eventually the man said, "What are you doing? Are you praying that God will let me out of the covenant to tithe?" "No," said the minister. "I am praying for God to reduce your income back to the level where one thousand dollars will be your tithe!" This is not a sermon about tithing, it is story about moving forward. We should always seek to move forward in our faith, and not backward. Today, as we celebrate covenant Sunday – it is tome for us to move forward in God. A covenant service is time for us to think seriously about our relationship with God. As you begin the new year, I want you to think about what needs to happen in your life in the coming year. What call does God have in your life. What has that little voice inside of you been telling you? What visions of the future do you have? How will you need God to get through this year? Yesterday, Our new member, Ken reminded me that whenever someone felt they were on a mission from God, they had to take a vow. In order to take a vow, they needed to have a time of preparation. There needed to be a time of prayer, fasting and study. You needed to set aside some time in your life to really listen to God in your life. As we follow the life of Jesus, we will go through his time of preparation. And it all starts with his baptism. We may ask, why would Jesus need to be baptized if he was not a sinner. He knew that was the beginning of his public journey. People needed to see that he was on a journey. When we hear God’s voice in our heads, there is always an outward sign for us to see what is inside. The voice inside leads us – but God takes a chance to publicly acknowledge what he is saying to us. 1 Corinthians – many gifts once spirit – we have heard that many times. God is speaking to the community not the person. Spiritual gifts are an outward sign that the holy spirit is present. How do we know that it is God that is really calling us? We look for signs of the Spirit in our midst. That little voice inside of us turns into action. We start to live. Signs of death are all around us – now it is time for us to look for signs of the Holy spirit. It is time to acknowledge those signs, to answer that call, to take a vow. A young boy by the name of James had a desire to be the most famous manufacturer and salesman of cheese in the world. He planned on becoming rich and famous by making and selling cheese and began with a little buggy pulled by a pony named Paddy. After making his cheese, he would load his wagon and he and Paddy would drive down the streets of Chicago to sell the cheese. As the months passed, the young boy began to despair because he was not making any money, in spite of his long hours and hard work. One day he pulled his pony to a stop and began to talk to him. He said, "Paddy, there is something wrong. We are not doing it right. I am afraid we have things turned around and our priorities are not where they ought to be. Maybe we ought to serve God and place him first in our lives." The boy drove home and made a covenant that for the rest of his life he would first serve God and then would work as God directed. Many years after this, the young boy, now a man, stood as Sunday School Superintendent at North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago and said, "I would rather be a layman in the North Shore Baptist Church than to head the greatest corporation in America. My first job is serving Jesus." So, every time you take a take a bite of Philadelphia Cream cheese, sip a cup of Maxwell House, mix a quart of Kool-Aid, slice up a DiGiorno Pizza, cook a pot of Macaroni & Cheese, spread some Grey Poupon, stir a bowl of Cream of Wheat, slurp down some Jell-O, eat the cream out of the middle of an Oreo cookie, or serve some Stove Top, remember a boy, his pony named Paddy, and the promise little James L. Kraft made to serve God and work as He directed. Adapted by Brett Blair from Michael Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Baker, p. 331. James Kraft started to put God first in his life. He put God in all parts of his life and in his goals. He gave his total life to God…time, money, feelings, needs. THE COVENANTS Eternal covenant, Heb 13:20—The redemptive covenant before time began, between the Father and the Son. By this covenant we have eternal redemption, an eternal peace from the ‘God of peace’, through the death and resurrection of the Son. Edenic covenant, Gen 1:26-28—The creative covenant between the Triune God, as the first party (Gen 1:26), and newly created man, as the second party, governing man’s creation and life in Edenic innocence. It regulated man’s dominion and subjugation of the earth, and presented a simple test of obedience. The penalty was death. Adamic covenant, Gen 3:14-19—The covenant conditioning fallen man’s life on the earth. Satan’s tool (the serpent) was cursed (Gen 3:14); the first promise of the Redeemer was given (3:15); women’s status was altered (3:16); the earth was cursed (3:17-19); physical and spiritual death resulted (3:19). Noahic covenant, Gen 8:20-9:6—The covenant of human government. Man is to govern his fellowmen for God, indicated by the institution of capital punishment as the supreme judicial power of the state (Gen 9:5-6). Other features included the promise of redemption through the line of Shem (9:26). Abrahamic covenant, Gen 12:1-3; confirmed, 13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8—The covenant of promise. Abraham’s posterity was to be made a great nation. In him (through Christ) all the families of the earth were to be blessed (Gal 3:16; Jn 8:56-58). Mosaic covenant, Ex 20:1-31:18—The legal covenant, given solely to Israel. It consisted of the commandments (Ex 20:1-26); the judgments (social) - (Ex 21:1; 24:11) and the ordinances (religious); (Ex 24:12-31:18); also called the law. Mosaic covenant, Ex 20:1-31:18—The legal covenant, given solely to Israel. It consisted of the commandments (Ex 20:1-26); the judgments (social) - (Ex 21:1; 24:11) and the ordinances (religious); (Ex 24:12-31:18); also called the law. It was a conditional covenant of works, a ministry of ‘condemnation’ and ‘death’ (2 Cor 3:7-9), designed to lead the transgressor (convicted thereby as a sinner) to Christ. Palestinian covenant, Deut 30:1-10—The covenant regulating Israel’s tenure of the land of Canaan. Its prophetic features include dispersion of disobedience (Deut 30:1), future repentance while in dispersion (30:2), the Lord’s return (30:3), the restoration (30:4-5), national conversion (3:6), judgment of Israel’s foes (30:7), national prosperity (30:9). Its blessings are conditioned upon obedience (30:8, 10), but fulfillment is guaranteed by the new covenant. Davidic covenant, 2 Sam 7:4-17, 1 Chr 17:4-15—The kingdom covenant regulating the temporal and eternal rule of David’s posterity. It secures in perpetuity a Davidic ‘house’ or line, a throne, and a kingdom. It was confirmed by divine oath in Ps 89:30-37 and renewed to Mary in Lk 1:31-33. It is fulfilled in Christ as the World’s Saviour and Israel’s coming King (Acts 1:6; Rev 19:16; 20:4-6). New covenant, Jer 31:31-33; Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; Heb 8:8-12—The covenant of unconditional blessing based upon the finished redemption of Christ. It secures blessing for the church, flowing from the Abrahamic covenant (Gal 3:13-20), and secures all covenant blessings to converted Israel, including those of the Abrahamic, Palestinian, and Davidic covenants. This covenant is unconditional, final and irreversible. The whole bible is the story of covenant. God’s promise to you is to be with you in this moment. He is leading out destiny. Destiny is to be with god eternally. Every year- John Wesley invited us to take this covenant. The covenant it private. But it is also public. We are the people of the covenant – when we all make that covenant – we can support one another and be used by God. This will be the year of stewardship – how do we give our total lives to God? Today we are preparing ourselves to be prepared. You may think that we just got done with a time of preparation. When are we ever ready? All of life is a preparation if you are moving forward. Wheverever you are- you need to go farther. All of life is a preparation for something. Once a Baptist joined a Methodist church – and her Baptist friends started to say to that she was not baptized because she was sprinkled with a little bit of water. The Methodist pastor asked her – one person is married and she get a 2 carat ring, and another is married and she has a ¼ carat ring. Just because one has a bigger ring does that mean she is more married? A ring is an outward sign of an inward promise. Baptism is also an outward sign of an inward grace. It is not about how much water – it is about God’s love. I tell that story however because John Wesley believed that no matter how good we are, we sin every day – we need to take communion every day. The same is with our promise to God. we do it every year, because every year we need to make a new covenant with God. Amen…….

A Story Much bigger than us

Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Epiphany Sunday Year C January 6, 2013 For Mission Sunday A Story much bigger than us By now, Christmas is over and we are all taking down our christmas decorations. Isnt the rule that they should be down by the second week of January. After that things get kind of old. The stores have already moved on the January. Christmas is not just a day, Christmas is a season – there are twelve days of Christmas. Many of the kids in my neighborhood will be getting presents today – epiphany. The day that the wise men arrived to give their gifts to Jesus. We don’t sing the song 12 days of Christmas in church very often – it is not thought of as a hymn of the church. But I am told that there is a hidden meaning behind the song – that all points to our relationship with God.. Partridge in a pear tree Jesus Christ, symbolized as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from helpless nestlings. Two turtle doves Old & New Testaments Three French Hens Faith, hope, charity Four Calling birds The Four Gospels Five Golden Rings The Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) Six geese a laying Six days of creation Seven Swans a swimming 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit Eight maids a-milking 8 Beatitudes Nine Ladies Dancing Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit Ten Lords a-leaping 10 Commandments Eleven pipers piping The 11 faithful disciples 12 drummers drumming 12 articles of the Apostles Creed And my one true love, who have me all of this – is God the almighty. The song is to remind us that everything that we have is a gift from God. Even his son Jesus Christ. One woman said that every Christmas as she is putting away her Christmas decorations, she always leaves one out – to remind her of the story of Christmas. And that Christmas is much more than a season, it is a way of life. and the story is much more that something we live through once a year, but that we live in all of our lives. Usually, we cant end the story of Christmas, until we hear about the wise men, who came from afar and bought gifts to the baby as we they were led from afar. Every year we read this same story on January 6th – it is an important reminder for us – that as we sit together for Christmas – that the true meaning of Christmas is not just for us. that jesus is for everyone. We are not the only ones seeking wisdom from the lord. And that what we seek and speak goes far beyond us today. Matthew starts our his story – telling about wise men who come from afar to see the baby jesus and bring him gifts. It ends with that baby sending people out in the world telling us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Matthew is not so concerned about what happened, as much he is about what will happen. He is not talking about history, but about the future. And he is not talking to those who are listening, but to those who are to come. He as each of us, where do we fit into the story of god’s salvation. What is our destiny, if God has already come. "The Church is the body of Christ, which consists of called out people building God's kingdom on earth. As beleivers in Christ, we are empowered by the holy spirit to provide a plce of refuge and to reach out to touch the lives of others by loving, caring, sharing, giving of one's service and talents. As we grow spiritually through grace, we allow our lives to illustrate the glory of knowing Christ. It is therefore our mission to life up the name of Jesus to our congregation, our community, and people of the world through evangelism, worship, stewardship, teaching and fellowship." Our mission statement reminds us that we are those people are who responsible for spreading the name of Jesus to the world. a baby in a manger. He is not a character in a children’s story. He is far more. The first time he came, he came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, and we believe it will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be abundantly and immediately clear to all the world just who He really is. The first time He came, a star marked his arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heavens will roll up like a scroll, and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He himself will light it. The first time He came, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts. The next time He comes, He will bring gifts, rewards for His own. The first time He came, there was no room for Him. The next time he comes, the whole world will not be able to contain His glory. The first time He came, only a few attended His arrival – some shepherds and some wise men. The Next time He comes, every eye shall see Him. The first time He came as a baby. Soon He will come as sovereign King and Lord. (Autoillustrator.com, CHRISTMAS) The story of God is a mystery that we will never understand, and yet we are called to be a part if it. the Wise men--seek Him the Wiser men--find Him the Wisest men--follow Him May use the wisdom that God has given us- to tell the story of salvation to future generations. Amen.

A New Year with God - New Year's Eve

December 31, 2012 New Year’s Eve Revelation - A New Heaven and a New Earth Here we are at the end of another year. There has been a lot of good times and a lot of bad times for us all. One of the most notable events of 2012, is that it was said that the end of the world was coming. The media made a big deal about that. And many are celebrating because they survived the end of the world. I laugh to myself, and say you really don’t know that – the year has not ended yet. But more importantly I laugh because I think this whole end of the world thing has been blown out of proportion. It seems that the one way to strike fear in the heart of an American is to say end, last, final. For some reason, whenever we hear those words we cringe, we start the scrurm and sweat. For some reason we think that life as we know it is about to end. It is popular in church for pastors to say that the last days are coming. We might be, we might not be, but Is that the only reason to join church – because this is your last chance to know salvation? Is our relationship with God to be based on fear of going to hell? To have fear when you hear the word end, or final is a misinterpretation of the mayan prophecy, and ultimately it is a misinterpretation of the word of God. The mayans don’t believe in endings. And they never said that the world was coming to an end. As a matter of fact, the prophecy is that world is coming to a new beginning. In order for the world to begin anew, what is already here has to pass away- so that something new and different can emerge. If you look at scripture it gives the same concept. Colossians says the in Christ, you take off what is old and you put on what is new. Revelation says the old earth shall pass and the new shall emerge. Old and new go hand in hand – you cant have one without the other. Beginning and endings go hand in hand – you cant have one without the other. Why are we so afraid of endings – when that is only half the story. You can’t have an ending, without a new beginning. God says I am the alpha and the omega. He didn’t say he was alpha and he didn’t say he was omega. He said I am the beginning and the end. You can’t separate the two. So maybe we shouldn’t worry so much about it all being over –maybe we should learn to look forward to what is next. When we live our life in Christ, there is always what’s next. The old never really goes away – it just becomes a part of the new. The new was underneath the old all along. As we begin 2013 – I don’t know what you have planned. I don’t know what your resolutions and goals are. I don’t know what you will do differently this year. But I ask – that this year you live each moment with Christ. Let God be a part of your whole life. And everything that you experience this year – take in the moment as a gift from God. A son asked his dad – dad – there are 3 frogs sitting a branch, and one decided to jump. How many are still on the branch? The dad thought about it, if one jumps, then there are two left on the branch. No – that is not right. So the dad thought again – Oh I get it, if one jumps, then they all will jump – so there are no frogs left. No, said the son. One frog only decided to jump – he didn’t actually take the plunge. There are still 3 frogs left on the branch. Whatever you do tonight to bring the new year in – what you do in 2013- may you live each moment in the spirit of Christ. Let each experience of the year be an adventure – and everyday ask God – what is next for me? It is only when you live you life for God that you see the old pass away and all things become new!